the best me

Yummm!! Egg Drop soup! I had some tonight. It was $1.87 tax included for a large, and I ate a little more than half of it. What a bargain! I also added in the fried noodles, let them soak really good and chewed them well. Went down great! The noodles really helped get the full feeling, or I think I would have had the whole container. I also like Boost. They have a high protein version in the 6-packs. Easy on the go if I'm not sure what will be available to eat out. I drink the chocolate plain, and mix in frozen blueberries and bananas with the vanilla in the Majic Bullet. Yummy.

Welcome js! You and I share the same band date, April 8th! I had a rough start due to swelling and not being able to get my fluids in but I'm doing better. I lost 15lbs in the first 12 days and have kept it off, even though I am eating more than in the beginning. Glad to hear you are doing well! Hey Dixie, I know of another lady, I'm pretty sure she's older than you, who was recently banded...It's HarleyNana's mother. Not sure if she's on the board but HarleyNana would also be glad to talk with you, I'm sure. Do what La Madam said and PM her, too. Welcome!

Welcome Angel! You and Nick be sure to sign in on the May 2005 Bandsters thread if you haven't already. Congrats to you both and hope next week's surgeries are smooth as silk!

Yep, there are two kinds of gas related to Lap Band surgery. First is the abdominal gas they use to blow up your abdomen (CO2?) and that causes the shoulder/back/neck pain, they say, although I have heard it say it is more referred pain from the internal disection of the band area, which makes more sense to me, and it why it last so much longer than it takes for the gas to dissipate. The second gas is the digestive tract gas. The burping and farting gas, which comes after any anesthesia. There is an entire thread on here devoted to burping and farting, and is named such. Let me know if you have trouble finding it, I'll bump it. One of these days I'll figure out how to post the link to that thread... I also know that everyone is different. Four hours in a meeting leaves too much to hope for. Surely you couldn't get away without passing some kind of gas in that amount of time? Anything is possible. I haven't personally noticed an increase in burping or farting...seems to be about the same as pre-surgery. Although during weeks one and two I surely felt the NEED to pass gas as my body recovered. And what a relief! when it happened. Good luck!

Big T, you are too brave! I didn't drive for just under two weeks (but I had a little trouble during weeks 1 and 2, had help, and really didn't have to drive). Looking back on my day after surgery, I was pretty loopy. My sister kept asking me stuff...where's your ID? I don't know. Where did you put your money? I don't know. Do you have the boarding passes? I don't know. I thought I felt okay, but I wasn't!!! I wasn't putting my children in a 4 ton minivan with me behind the wheel at 50mph, or any speed! Call a cab!

okay, Capt. Jack, I give up on BTDT...please inform! I used to be a night time coffee drinker. It started in college, continued for years and I still drink a cup after supper. But 8 cups of diner coffee? Even I coudn't handle that one! Have you slept yet, Crysal?! LOL

Okay, maggots!!!! I am so excited about this. Monday is check in day, but Sunday (that's tomorrow!!) is May 1st, so get yer butts movin! Nice start, Zoe, you have a good beginning. Let's do it!

Blessings to you as you go...and prayers for a great surgery! So glad you have found a peacefulness, may it continue! And by the time you read this...congrtulations!!!

Nicole, on the pic, post the one of the facility in TJ. I'd love to see a pic of you, too! But keep your privacy if you need to. Noone here minds. Glad to be the object of your affection these days! I guess it is kinda like some illicit affair?! That's funny. Your secrect is safe with us! As long as your hubby doesn't mind, that is! LOL

Banding Cliffs Notes: When you eat something difficult to digest, it causes your stomach to move and grind and wiggle and contort and do it's thing. This is NOT good for new sutures and freshly disected tissue. Let it heal. Let scar tissue begin to form. Let those sutures settle in around your band and stomach area. Don't cause your stomach to move too much. You want that band healed in nicely before you start eating like a Big Girl Bandster.

Yep, I think in Mexico, you got money, you get band! Hey, Alatina, you should post your pic on the Banding in MX thread you started before you left so quickly! I'd love to see it.

Dr Kuri has a newsletter...e-mail Joanne for it?

Yep, AFTER the 6 weeks of healing. At that point, just see how you do with well-chewed foods. Some people have trouble with certain foods, breads, some meats so they just don't eat them. You will find out quickly what to avoid. so, yes, pretty much the same, just less of it. The rule is...protiens first, then veggies, then carbs. Stop when you get full. No drinking with meals and for 1-2 hours after a meal. Follow that and you are eating the Bandster way! But, heal first. Did I leave anything out folks?

I am SOOOOO IN! Walking, I can do. I'm only 3 weeks out so no aerobics, but I CAN walk, and I have a pedometer. Not a great one, I'm sure. I got it at McDonalds when I bought a salad there last summer, I think. But it will do... I'm not sure how many steps my stride will need to make three miles, but I'll count the steps and come up with something. Let's DO IT!!!!!!!!!!! May 1st is SUNDAY!

Congratulations everyone!!! Happy Band-days to You!!!! April 25 Mamadiggs April 25 Dramaqueen April 25 new life April 26 Debbiedola April 27 one too many (Perth Aussie) April 27 thechatrooper April 27 BeachBabe(soon) Tina April 27 Alatina April 27 AngieBell April 28 TrishS April 28 Dannie's Darlin (Debbie) April 28 spldgrl(Brenda) postponed to May:( April 29 Jan W (Perth Aussie) April 29 GypsyBaby April 29 BeckyinTexas April 29 Larry (AngieBell's hubby) April 30 desertmom anyone else? Prayers for a great surgery and smooth recovery for all of you!

Hey Char, I got the wierd feeling with the deep breath. After about week 2 it went away but now I have hit week 3 and it's back, but a little different. It's either leftover from the surgery, in which case I occasionally take slow deep breaths to keep my lungs clear. Or it's indigestion from trying new mushies that may not be mushy enough? In that case, I sip Water or tea. Or I'm getting a cold or other type of virus making my lungs congested...in that case I'm taking a nap. Glad you got extra sleep. You bet you needed it! Like I said, I am at 3 weeks out now and I'm still paying for overdoing it yesterday. Too much running around like I'm in my 20's, and too much lifting of my little one, who is 2 and weighs, 28?lbs or so. I am very careful when I need to lift him but it catches up. You could try going in to work on Monday and would be fine, but I'm warning you, be completely off the hook when you get home. Have hubby bring his own dinner home, paper plates, no dishes, no chores, sofa time whether you think you need it or not. Let Oprah entertain you... If you are very exhausted, you know to take the next few days off. I'm tellin ya, I don't feel horrible by any means, but I feel that I had surgery 3 weeks ago and I'm taking it easy cheesy mon! You should too!!!

Oh I'm SO glad curiosity got the best of me and I opened this thread...I thought it had to do with the Vegas bash, which I can't come to so why make myself suffer, right? What adorable pics of you two!!! I am lovin' it! You both look GREAT!!! DeLarla, you crack me up...more chins than a Chinese phone book!!!! ha ha!!

My advice, stay away form the V-8! It caused me problems...very acidic. I haven't been crazy about Dr Kuri's menu. It's fine, but lots of fruit juices and such. I needed some substance!!! Mine came in the form of Boost. You could get Ensure or some generic protien-boosted drink llike that, in chocolate or vanilla (or strawberry!). I added frozen blueberries to the vanilla and it came up yummy! sip sip sip. I wasn't hungry either, but your body will start really needing some calories. Just pick them carefully and take it slow. Well-squished-before-you-swallow Jello is good. Popsicles (get the fruit juice kind). Oh! and warm broth. Swanson makes chicken and beef in a carton. I just poured a few ounces in a tea cup and warmed it in the micrwave...sip sip sip. Take it slow...tomorrow will be different so whatever your complaint is today it WILL change! No worries. Log on here often!

Hello and Welcome! You have a great band date are in in very good company here! Help yourself to all the great resources in all the old threads, there is much to read here! There are also quite a few other Aussie's on the board here. I'm sure they will show up here to say hello to you. Thanks for the intro, and keep us posted on your bad experiences!! Again, welcome!

Hey Nicole, I guess you haven't gotten the ticker thingy done yet. You'll get it. If you want, you can always write "Nicole" under your screen name. That's a User CP chore, too. Take your time!

Oh Yeah!!!!! So glad you are back and feeling okay! So was it okay going alone? You weren't really alone, doesn't sound like! Glad you met some nice folks. My neck hurt alot too, It's the gas...most folks complain about shoulder pain. mine was more upper back/shoulders/neck. It felt exactly like what you said, like I slept on it wrong and had a "crick" (do ya'll know what a crick is? or is that a southern thang?) Two words, heating pad! Take very small sips and expect little in the amounts you are able to take in. Drink as much as you can to get by. Well done alatina!!! give us all the scoop when you get rested! Glad you are back!!

liquid Vitamins (I just got Centrum, tastes okay) and Boost, or Ensure or some other calorie/protein supplement drink. Get some nutrition in ya!!! Could you have a caffiene headache? I did. Thank goodness for Prilosec, I can have some coffee now, but caffienated hot tea may help if that's the case. As for sleep, lots of prop pillows, behind your back and in front of you if you do the side thing, or I just did the recliner for a few nights, hooked up the heating pad for my upper back/neck/shoulders for the gas, snoozed with blankets and a squishy feather pillow behind my head for support. It will get better, I promise!

Okay Violarn, don't panic yet...lol when you do the ticker factory site and get to the end, you have several choices of "addresses" to pick from. Choose the one that says "use for Vbulletins..." To choose it, click your mouse on it and drag it to highlight the entire address, but just that ONE address for Vbulletins. Then, go up to the EDIT button at the very tip tip grey bar on your computer screen, click, hit "copy" and the address will now be remembered by your 'puter. NOW, come back to LBT, then click on USER CP on your LBT screen, upper left, then click "edit signature" and put your curser (by clicking) on the screen where you want the ticker to show up. NOW, go back up to the EDIT button in the sky, click and then hit PASTE. the address your 'puter remembered will now show up on your signature. It won't look like a ticker yet. NOW, scroll down that screen and hit "SAVE CHANGES", then go back to posting and it should show up. GOOD LUCK!!!

Very Good Violarn! You'll fit in just fine now, won't you? What's the line from "Steel Magnolias" ? "Spoken like a true smart-a$$!" Love it!

Welcome and congratulations!!! Looking forward to hearing from you when you get back. here's wishing you a successful surgery and comfortable recovery!