Sue Magoo

Hi: I had a hiatal hernia repair and lap band surgery at the same time. I never took any pain medication after I got home from hospital on day two. I felt great after a couple of days. The only thing that seemed to linger was the afternoon fatigue - but I took care of that with a 2 - 3 hour nap as I had a two week vacation after surgery. I hope all goes well for you. Sue

Please go to the doctor to put your mind at ease. You don't need to feel lousy and be worrying. That's what you pay them for. Please go to your doctor and let us know how you make out. Please.....please.....I'm worrying about you. Sue

Hi: The pain you described sounds like the pain I had with my gall stones. Gall stones are a common issue for someone who has a sudden weight loss. Hope it's not that. It was intermittent for me. The time that it woke me up and lasted for three hours was when I called the doctor. They did an ultrasound and found alot of small gall stones in there. I hope you feel better soon. Sue

Hi: I set up a kitchen cabinet with alot of stuff that is only for me to use. In that cabinet I have a bunch of very small tupperware containers and some small pyrex bowls. In addition, I have some baby spoons and some one-minute egg timers. All of these things have helped me to lower the volume of bites and the timer helps me to slow down when eating. If you want to go the post-surgery route, your friend may need some gauze bandages, liquid tylenol, chewable multi-vitamins, and some kind of scar fading/reducing cream. If she starts to massage her scars as soon as they start to heal she may end up with a better result. I wish I'd had a friend that was as thoughtful as you are. Nice, very nice! Best wishes to your friend for a successful lap band journey. Sue

You should call your doctor. Jaw pain is one of the signs of a heart attack. Call now!

Erika: You might want to go and see your human resources people to see if they could have the exclusion removed when they have their renewal with the carrier. It's such a minor change that it probably won't effect their premiums. It's worth asking. Good luck. Sue

Choopie: You have been more at risk for serious medical issues because of carrying around an extra 100 plus pounds. The percentage of people with issues because of anesthesia are very low. The odds are so with you girl. Good luck, and go in with a positive attitude that your life is going to improve with your weight loss. Take care. Sue

Poohprecious: I think that exercise has been a key element to my success over the past 15 months. I started a "modified" weight watchers diet 3 months before surgery and lost 37 pounds pre-op. Start now if you're mentally ready. Find an exercise that you like. I like to walk, but I love to ride my trikke. My MP3 player helps to make the exercise more entertaining and a fast beat keeps me moving faster. Good luck. Sue

Andrea: Small sips of liquids frequently should do the trick. Diareah is common because you've probably been on all liquids for a long time. If they gave you pain medication, take it. If not, take liquid tylenol. I hope that you're taking it easy because you're healing. sugar free popsicles saved me, and became my new addiction. Hope you feel better soon. I'm almost one year out and it's hard to even remember the pain because I feel so great now. Take care. Sue

Congratulations at getting to Onederland. It's a great place to be. I love my band, and love being under 200. Best wishes for your continued success. Sue

Hi Jay: I'm in MA too. I have HMO Blue New England and my out of pocket costs were minimal (less than $1,000). I went to a great surgeon that has an entire weight loss program. I think he only takes people that have insurance coverage, no self pays. Good luck. Sue

Hi: I would tip $10 for each procedure if they do a good job. Have fun. I just had my first pedicure a few weeks ago. It's nice and relaxing and the massage chair was the best part. My toes look pretty. Have fun. Sue

happy days: The pre and post surgical liquid diets were the hardest part. It helped for me to think of making my surgery safer by sticking to all liquids pre-op. However, post-op I turned into a b!tch. It's short term and I got past it. I'm happier now than I've been in 20 years. It more than makes up for 4 weeks of b!tchiness. Best wishes for your new you. Sue

Frangi: Congratulations. It's so inspiring to read your threads, especially the ps ones. Normal bmi must be wonderful. Sue

Hi: I would ask the surgeon where he places the port, and why he choses that spot. I have my port in a comfortable place and wouldn't want it to be near my waist. Mine is just below the breast bone - about an inch down. Nothing seems to hit it and it's nice and flat there now that I'm down to 186 pounds. Good luck. I hope you love your band like I love mine! Sue

kirbywhite: I'm not sure what it is technically. From experience I can tell you that sometimes if you eat too fast, don't chew enough, or eat too much (break the bandster rules) your pouch gets irritated. When this happens for some reason your system creates extra thick spit. This spit then makes you hicup and burp and eventually the spit has to come out. It's kind of weird, like egg yolk. I think of it as my spit snake when it comes out. You almost could cut it with a knife. I usually have to kind of pull on it to make it stop. Yucky - but you asked. Follow the rules and it won't happen much. Take care. Sue

Hi: It might be that you had something so yummy that you ate it a bit too fast. Try again sometime but take it slow. Sue

Kelly: I agree with most of what everybody else said. I am fortunate in that I have lost 138 pounds in less than 15 months. It's a very personal decision to make. I'm glad that I made the decision that I made. In the back of my mind I think that they're going to come up with the miracle drug in the next ten years that will allow me to eat whatever and as much as I want without gaining weight. Until then, me and my band will continue to be buddies. I hope your decision ends up being the best one for you and your personal circumstances. Take care. Sue

Brad: I love my band. I wish someone had told me that I should take precise body measurements before I got banded. I know that I've lost alot of weight (138 pounds!), but there are times when my loss is so slow that I would like to know the inches because I think that if I knew the lost inches it would help to motivate me when the scale isn't so friendly. Good luck to you. Sue

Hi: I do the thrift shop thing too. I get a big kick out of it. I hardly ever spend more than $3.00 for an item. I go to the same one every week and go through the racks carefully. I've been going there since I was in 22's, so I've always been able to buy ahead when I saw something I liked alot. Now I'm proud to say that I am down to buying only two sizes - 14's and 12's. I'm currently wearing 14's, but I have a goal of 12, and a trunk full of clothes for when I get there. Good luck, and don't worry about thrift shop clothes. Just wash them and they're fine. You'll save alot of money buying the clothes send hand, and believe me that nobody will know unless you tell them. I've been donating back the clothes that I outgrow. Good for charity and the environment! Take care. Sue

Hi: At support group my doctor mentioned that there are times when people have sinus issues that he handles with a slight unfill. You should probably call your doctor. It tends to get irritated in there with all of the post nasal drip. Hope you feel better soon. Sue

Josh: Congrats on your approval and date for surgery. Don't forget to take it easy for a few days after surgery so that you can heal well. Take care and keep us posted. Sue

Heather: Congratulations! I was so happy last month when I was no longer obese. It's these amazing milestones that keep me going. Best wishes to both of us to get out of the overweight category on the bmi scale. Congrats and take care. Sue

Salsa: I've been lurking on this thread for a while and just wanted to say congratulations on your half marathon. Happy Birthday, and best wishes for your upcoming plastic surgery. You've accomplished so much. I cannot wait to see your pictures. Thanks for posting all that you do. It really helps us plastic surgery wannabe's to know what to expect when it is our turn. Take care and we'll all be thinking of you. Sue

I'm a real clutz and I learned it pretty easily. I took it alot slower when I first started. Sue