the best me

Trish!!! You won't need HALF that stuff! You are so funny, girl! The time away from home will fly and you will need less clothes and food and everything than you think. But, you know what? Pack it! Gotta cute hubby to carry it for you...set it all up when you get there, move in, ya know? and make yourself a home there. You are doing GREAT!!!!!

Don't do solids until your doc says. You didn't chew the corned beef enough I'd imagine. And could you have picked a more stringy difficult meat to have to chew?!!! Apparently, it went past the band with some difficulty (called pain) but the problem with this is that your stomach had to do some major manuvering to get it down, bad, bad, bad for the newly placed band. Go back to liquids for a bit and STAY MUSHIE!!! keep that band in good working order so you'll have it for a nice long time. Now is NOT the time for big girl bandster restriction. You are getting too big for your britches, missy. Heal now, enjoy healthy restriction later. Is that a good kick in the behind?

2 weeks 3 days Boost, pureed Soups, prune juice, Water, iced tea, hot tea, a bit of coffee, Maybe 60 ouces or so? Had a blueberry milkshake today...yummy I have lost about 15lbs., now stalled on weight loss I'll let you know about worth it...so far so good, once I got over the miserables of the first week and a half.

Mark, one more thing, I had an Upper GI done and swallowed the contrast fluid and watched it go down, pool in my pouch, and then actually saw my pouch squeeze, trying to get the liquid down. And THAT's when it hurt. Rather than going down through a very small opening (because of the swelling) it was pushing back up into my espophogus. I posted these still X-ray pics on a thread I started called "Is this slippage?" so you might want to take a look. I'm no doc but I'll bet the pain you have in your throat is reflux, because you are swollen and too tight. Get the Prilosec, allow the area to heal and the swelling to reduce. The misery will be gone before you know it and then, just go easy on the area. Stay with "very easy to swallow and get past the band" liquids. I'm anxoius for you. I'll keep checking in for an update!!

Coffee requires REAL sugar. Substitute whatever for anything else. Please stay away from the coffee!!!!! lol:)

Hey desertmom! Glad you made it here. Okay UAE I know! I did the whole, what if I don't make it back? What if I'm not here to take care of this or that? Who will raise my kids with my hubby? Why am I doing this? Am I crazy? I'm just borrowing trouble. on and on and on. And look, I made it back! If you didn't worry some, you wouldn't be normal. I just knew I couldn't go on without trying. I would definately rather be fat than dead, but if I am to keep living, I at least want a chance at a healthy life and being a good example for my young children. I know you are scared. If your doc doesn't see you fit for surgery, you can postpone it until you are. I hope you will keep us posted! Saturday's almost here!!!!

Oh Mark, don't give up yet!!! Re-read my OMG I didn't die thread and have hope. I have had a dickens of a time with post-op swelling. I am no longer following my doc's menu, but am WAYYY slower than everyone else my "age". I have recently added in some milk/yogurt/eggs (as in egg drop soup, not fried or scrambled!) and until I can feel things going down better and better, I am being WAY conservative. I did venture to creamy potato soup at a restaurant, smashed the potatoes with my fork, and left chunks on the bottom of the bowl that didn't have enough soup to mix with. Drink Boost or Ensure or something similar, I agree with Megan that the creamier stuff goes down a little better than the water or broths. Switch from water to gatorade, too. That helps for a few days. Gas-X did me no good. I quit it altogether, ended up PBing it one day when I couldn't swallow my spit. And for the next few days, I seriously considered having the darn thing taken out. I hated it. I felt so stupid for having done this. I wasted a bunch of our money and regretted putting my family through this. Wished I had just left myself fat and miserable since I deserved it. Then, things changed... Prilosec...AHHHHHHHHHH:) now THAT is a godsend. I got the OTC 24hr slow release kind that you only take once a day and can't crush. I told my doc that, and he said "Crush it. Twice a day" So there. I did and I do and what a relief!!! Try it. Get a little pill crusher and promise the pharmacist if you must that you are not crushing the Prilosec and go home and crush it. Twice a day. I won't tell but your poor swollen stomach will sure feel a difference. I mix it with a little chocolate Boost in the bottom of an OJ glass. Today, I ran some errands and got together with a friend I do some volunteer work with and we had lunch at Jack-in-the-Box and I had a blueberry milkshake. Not ONCE did i nibble a fry, chicken strip, NADA but my milkshake and it feels good that I didn't put extra dumb calories and fat in my mouth. I came home and heated up some veggie soup and I'm stuffed. I can live with the milkshake. And for a moment, I was doing my thing and felt blissfully, normally, ME! WITH a Band. It was lovely. And you will feel that way, too. Take care of that swollen stoma. It's your problem, and it WILL heal. OH! Another technique, take a sip, then swallow it in 2-3 swallows, just to keep the amount going down smaller. That helped me. Keep us posted!! Can't wait till you are on the other side of this!!!

Yep, Crystal, I see the food police thing happening at my house. My DH scorned the 1/4 cup of coffee I sipped the other day...ggrrrrr, so Sarcar, I'm thinking that's a good thing to avoid. I know you care, but let her handle it. Just be supportive and encouraging. No Food Police!! Good advice.

Swansons chicken and beef broth. Boost or Ensure or something of the like...(the high protein variety). Hmmm...I'll post again when I think of something else.

I drank 4 ounces of prune juice last night, nada this AM, so I'm drinking some more!! Ya know, it's not all that bad! Okay, prune juice isn't my favorite, but it was nice out of the wine glass I had it in...all the other glasses were in the dishwasher. Good luck, I've got the same thing going on. I feel like the prune juice will help, but I'm buying some glycerin suppositories today. Again, not my favorite, but I'm really really needing some MOVEment here!!!

Hey Princess, Donali and one other person mentioned a binder in my drama thread OMG I didn't die when I got back. I couldn't have imagined putting on a binder at that point, but I'm beginning to see how that might be comfy. I haven't had the pain you are describing...wonder if it is associated with bowels? You know, I think the colon fills up the left side of your body (port side?) then over the top of your tummy, so if you are "full of crap"??? dunno, just an idea. Anyway, research those two gals and maybe find out where they got these things? Hope that helps.

Hey desertmom! Your first post was just fine! it's difficult to send that first post out there and see what comes back!!! I'ts just me though, I'm pretty harmless. I do have a few suggestions for you... First thing, go to the lapband forums and click on Indroductions, then post a "New Thread" and tell us all about you! More people will see it and can welcome you properly! And please, for my sake, tell me where Dubai is...I'm thinking desert somewhere? call me ignorant, I know. lol Then go to the Support Forum and scroll down until you find the April 2005 Bandsters list and add your name to that thread, and we will get you name posted proplerly. You will also find other April Bandsters there with lots of support along your journey. So glad you are finding support here, you came to the right place!!! Welcome!!

Alatina, I'm relieved to know you have researched the band for this many months, it does seem as if you are jumping into the fire so quickly!! But maybe not? If you were seeing any other doc besides Kuri, I might also be concerned. Having just seen him though, I am lots less worried for you, I know you will be fine with him. That's just my opinion, he's my band doc and I have been happy with my band placement, so there you go. Glad you have done more homework than I thought you had! I hope next week goes really well for you.

Brenda B., I flew the day after surgery and thank God my sister was with me! I was kinda foggy, all there, but foggy, so it really worked out okay. It seems a distant memory and I still had enough pain meds in me that I wasn't miserable. Driving was an issue for me. I was on so few calories ther was NO WAY I was getting behind the wheel of a car, especially with my kids in it! My pain was fine, I was sore but it was tolerable. Sit at the back and be in a place where you can occasionally stand, sitting for long periods gets to be uncomfy, and it isn't good for you so soon after surgery. Some people get a boost of energy after a few days, I did not. I got a BIG boost of fatigue. I wouldn't worry to much about the travel after the first week, but that darn training meeting may just end up being hell. Hope it's not. Secure your back-up plan, someone to drive you? liquids handy? And get some Boost or Ensure or something protien already mixed up. That has been a big help to me. Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

Excuse us Trish...parenthesis here...Sue, there is a blue bar just below the lap band pic that shows where you are in the message board. See the Lap Band Talk Forum? Click there and it takes you to the main menu with all of the Forums listed, General Lap Band Discussion, Support, etc etc. Click on Support, then all the threads come up under the Support Forum. Scroll down to below the Stickies (threads that always stay at the top of the list) and find April 2005 Bandsters and This Week's Bandsters with your date, and many othere, and you can read those threads. To start a whole new thread, click "New Thread" under Support or whatever forum you want, and to post on a thread that has already started (such as the April Bandsters thread) go to the bottom and click "Reply" or "post reply" whichever it said, just like you did here. Hope that helps, wer'e all patient here, you'll get the hang of it!

Rest, small sips, heating pad on your back and shoulders, or on low across your belly, patience, walks around the house or to the mailbox and back if you feel up to it. Catch up on your reading, watch a good movie, relax and don't fret. It isn't like this for long. It won't even be like this next week. It might be similar tomorrow but it will be just a bit better every day. Forget the scales, I know it's hard, but it's not a good indicator of much these first days. If you can get your fluids in, your body wil release it all and you will be able to "Pee" more often and feel oh! so much better. You are swollen and healing. Keep those incisions clean. Sip, and then sip smaller. Then sip some more. I promise it gets better.

Update: I got it down! I looked at the pill again it it looked small enough, so I slid it down with a few swigs of Boost, felt is pass, and I'm fine, no crushing!!! So relieved. So now I'll take it everyday (the pollen is all OVER the deck, not helping) so I hope to feel some relief soon. That Singulair is not an antihistimine, it's works differently so I'm not sure if it will keep me from swelling at all (like what you said, Penni). Even if it doesn't though, my allergies will be better for it! Thanks Crystal, and everyone, I'll keep you posted and will look here for other feedback! Good thread, Rachel! Thanks!

Oh my gosh, is that what's wrong with me??!!!!! I'm SOOOOOO slow moving along and feel real restriction (I guess) at 2 weeks out, had to go to the hospital last week for dehydration and had an Upper GI that showed very slow passage to the lower stomach and reflux, of course. No slippage, thank goodness, but this just makes me wonder?!!! I simply cannot believe he pulled out 1cc of saline?!!!! I'm getting this checked out I guess. There was not a band doc at the hospital, so i was the resident expert on bands...haha. Okay, so why did I get on here? OH! I was checking on you, Mark and wondering how you are doing, and found this!! So everything is much better? I hope so.

Hey Becky, I have you on this list and on the main April 2005 Bandsters list. Look for some of the other folks getting banded on your day and see how they are doing, too! But don't worry, you will be fine and over it in no time. Perspective is everything, but if you weren't nervous, I'd be worried. What you are feeling is SO normal! Nervous one minute, excited the next, can't wait, dreading the day, back and forth...I personally got tired of being anxoius about it and just wanted it over with so I could quit doing that! Rest up and get all of your errands run so you won't have to worry when you get home. You won't need to be thinking about much else but you for a bit of time. You will be a bit distracted by the keeping up with what's going in and coming out and how you are healing and cleaning your incisions and all that jazz. It gets to be old hand pretty soon so don't fret. Your getting banded!!! Wooohooooo!!! Congratulations!!!

Sorry Princess, but Debbydo has May...I'll add you to April's list Dramaqueen, and we can cheer you on from there! And Princess IS right about the info...we are nosey and wanna know all of it!!! DO TELL! Good luck on band-day!! Wer'e thinking of you and the many, many others next week. Let us know how it goes, okay? Congratulations!

Not so far, at least with bigger sips. I have been banded, what 2 weeks? so I'm hoping I can guzzle a little better in the future. Right now, I'll take a sip, and swallow it in 2-3 swallows, just to keep the volume going down lower. That helps. dunno if that makes me swallow air? Just keep taking it slow. It gets better by the day!! Hey, Alexra, go to the Introduction Forum and post an intro there with all the scoop...there are folks on the board from your area and you will get a bigger response and HELLO's! that way, give people a chance to welcome you!

Same here Alexra, water hurts more, Boost drinks slide right on down so much more comfortably. Dunno why? I'm adding you to the list, even though you have gone and come already!! Welcome to Bandland!!

Way to band buddy, Bobby! Good thoughts for Joe there... Good answer Joe. You will do great, I'm sure. research, prepare, think, ponder, check your motives, do reality checks often on your eating/exercise habits, all that stuff you are doing and you will be better prepared for the changes. Keep us posted on your journey and good luck. I think you will be just fine!!!!

You are OH so close to me, maybe a 3 1/2 hour drive down I-85 from me...so tempting to take a road trip!!! If not for little ones...I'd be SO there for dinner with you! Of course I'm barely on mushies still...no fun. Maybe your next trip around I'll make it in to Atlanta. Surely you will be back in my time zone sometime. Thinking of you and your Mom.

Yay Sue!! Congrats! Be sure to post on the "this weeks Bandsters" thread where you are listed, and we can ALL congratulate you! You are a great band buddy. Glad all is going well! How's the liquids and Patches going Trish? Are you evil yet? It's okay, we love you anyway. GOOO TRISH!!!!!!!!!!!