steph_co

Follow what your doctor says. Always, always, always. You paid him for his expertise/advice.

I am 10 days post op and still just getting to the point where I could probably comfortably lay on my left side (port side). If I lay on the right side, I feel like the port is pulling. I don't know why that is. I tried the body pillow thing - didn't work for me. I've even tried tucking some of the comforter under my tummy. I'm sick of laying on my back, too! It gets old. I think time is the only thing that'll really help. Well...let me add - surprisingly, fully clothed on the couch, I can lay on my right side with the back of the couch supporting me. Maybe you could try sleeping on the couch just to get a different position.

Geneen Roth's books are very good. She has several.

From what I've read, because it's not approved by the FDA, the answer in the U.S. would be 'no.' 18 is the minimum age. But I swear I have heard of some doctor somewhere that took a patient a year or two younger. But I don't think any doctor would touch 14...too much liability.

I saw the post you're referring to and I agree fully with what you have posted here. I think the post in question is one of the reasons my nutritionist looked terrified when I told her at my consult that I had been reading LBT. LOL I had to explain to her that I have common sense and don't blindly take advice from strangers on forums.

I thought I was so fully prepared that it would be a breeze. But then the night before surgery I had a panic attack. I had tears running down my face sitting in pre-op with DH. This is such a huge change. Yes - I was scared. But I would definitely go back and do it again. As for Protein, I use Slim Fast low carb shakes. They have 20 grams of protein and actually don't taste half bad. It's the only protein I've tried so far that doesn't have a funky taste that seems to be because of the protein.

How awful. I can't even imagine. I think I avoid public places because I don't want anything similar to happen! I think the worst thing that ever happened to me was when I got into my old Nissan Altima a couple years ago and the driver-side front shock snapped. I was by myself, in my garage, but I then had to call off from work. I realize both front shocks were actually quite rusted from all the ice-melting stuff they use on the roads here and I hadn't paid enough attention to cleaning under there. But it still made me feel AWFUL. And one time I sat down on the couch and heard a loud pop under my rear end. Yeah. Dang pants. Thankfully it was just me and DH. I made jokes out of it to him so I wouldn't cry. That stuff does not feel good, but it's something for me to remember when this road may get rough.

Mine is recommended for 6 weeks after, but that's right around Christmas, so I'll probably wait until January. Too much going on for a 3 1/2 hour drive one way.

You'll feel more and more hungry as the swelling goes down - that's normal. Just continue to eat healthy with reasonable portions and get your protein in! The lack of hunger won't kick in until you have GOOD restriction, which could take several fills.

I love reading about everybody! Thanks for sharing, you guys, and thanks for starting the thread, Linda! I'm Stephanie (27) married to Richard (42) for 4 years come February. I love him so much - he is my best friend. I think he's the only person on the planet that I can stand to spend so much time around. LOL We don't have any kids between us (unexplained infertility and 1 miscarriage), but he has 5 children that live with their mother and come out for visits. We live in the western part of Colorado about an hour east of Grand Junction. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it here. I'm a transplant. Originally from North Salt Lake, UT. I don't ever want to go back to UT. I am HOOKED on Colorado. And after 2 1/2 years of living in the western half of this state, the fitness crazies are contagious. There are so many things I plan to do this next year as becomes possible - snowboarding, kayaking, biking, and running. We have a German Shepherd mix named Moegli (like the boy on the Jungle Book), two cats named Annabelle and Willie, two mice named Kinkajou and Daisy (haha...any fans of Meerkat Manor?), and two hermit crabs named Tarzan and France. It's a regular zoo. We used to have 3 chickens, but had to give them up when we moved because we don't have a yard anymore. I vow to get chickens when I have a yard again! LOL Oh...I work as a night security officer. I patrol properties several times per night, do lock-ups, let people in that are locked out, respond to alarms (burglar, fire and environmental). Not a bad job. Probably the easiest one I've had. I like it because I get to decide what to do while I'm working, as long as it all gets done. And I get some good down time to do my own thing like be on the internet. LOL Like now.

Welcome to the group! I'm glad you've had minimal pain. Keep us updated on your progress!

I paid $10,850. My surgeon, it looks like, just lowered his price to $9,900: Colorado Bariatric Surgery Institute - Morbid Obesity,

I'm 27 - banded 11/15/07. I toyed with the idea of LapBand for a year. Then really started into the hardcore researching in Sept/Oct. Thought I was so prepared and so ready and the night before my surgery, I had the first panic attack of my life. I was so freaked out. Head issues with the whole getting skinny thing. Long post and not for here. But physically, feeling pretty good. I didn't have the incredible shoulder pain that people talk about. Gas pains weren't too bad, either. 2 days after surgery I walked a mile total. My only problem is port pain right now. Everything else seems to be going quite well. I swear my belly is getting flatter by the day...and I mean flatter than it was BEFORE the surgery when they puffed in all that CO2. I'm doing my best to stay away from the scale because I know this part is not about weight loss - it's about healing. My incisions are starting to itch indicating they are healing. Nothing major. Yes, I had pain, but if I had to do it all over again - I would in a heartbeat. Nothing to it.

I am so there with you. I had a free Thanksgiving dinner and could have had TONS, but all I got was maybe 15 tiny bites total. You better believe that for the rest of the day and all the next day I was OBSESSING over how good that stuff tasted and how much it sucked that I hadn't been able to have more. But I made it through. Food has been a longtime friend of mine (well...not much of a friend...more like an ENEMY!). It's hard saying goodbye to a parasitic relationship like that sometimes. On the surface it seems like a good relationship, but really what it comes down to is that I was being hurt by it. I have to keep reminding myself of that. Food (the bad stuff) is no friend of mine! I want to eat to live, not live to eat. My first Thanksgiving banded and I hope it's a sign of things to come that I was able to control myself! You deserve a huge pat on the back for getting past it. Give yourself a couple of days...things will come into perspective.

Linda - I think it's common to worry about something as life-changing as this. I don't think you should let it over-run your mind, though - that can be very stressful and I think I'd be wanting to eat a whole lot if I was thinking about it that much. I find that sometimes I have to just go find something else to do when I'm getting too obsessed on this board or researching or whatever. We're here for you, though - it is really nice to have people right around the same time as me for surgery to compare experiences. Don't overanalyze. I don't want to just come right out and say, "You'll be fine," because you never know...but that is what keeps coming to my mind. Just have faith in yourself, your body and the work your surgeon did. They wouldn't be able to tell a slip until your first fill (if they do it under flouro), anyway, and if you're not having a severe reaction to it, then there's no point checking before then. It's hard to relax when somebody tells you to...but I think that's what might help you the most. It could be pure NERVES that's causing your twinge feeling. I think focusing on something more enjoyable would help. Think of something you enjoy doing and can get lost in and go do that for awhile. Let your brain take a break.

Sounds to me like you can eat soft foods and just mush them up in your mouth. For me, at 2 weeks post-op, I can graduate to soft foods just like how your instructions read - to chew until mush. Man, I look forward to chewing. *sigh* I can't say I haven't chewed ANYTHING, but I've kept it to a minimum as much as possible to keep from having any problems. But to be able to actually EAT something...aaahhhh. Sounds too good to be true. LOL

Ah, gees. I was hoping the port pain would go away soon. I'm sick of it. I had to take the belt off of my uniform for work because it was hard getting in and out of the vehicle so much (2 dozen+ times per night). I can't bend down to do anything. If I want to reach my feet, I have to put my foot up on something, but even then it's at arms' reach. The pain/discomfort can radiate from my ribs down to my waistband. Huh. Guess it's just something else to get used to.

OK, Telecia - are WE going to get that recipe? You have me drooling just thinking about it. LOL

Aww, Tish - that sucks. I'm really sorry to hear that. You have to keep us updated as to when you get banded! Hang around, though - we'd miss you here.

This is a great thread. I'll have to c/p some of these great ideas to my files and refer back to them.

My first two weeks after surgery are what they call the "straw diet" or liquid puree. As long as it can pass through a straw, I can have it (within reason, of course!), but obviously can't use a straw because of extra air. I am allowed to have liquified meat, too, so I didn't miss out on the turkey. Where I do patrol, there is a restaurant (that has THE best bbq, btw) that does free Thanksgiving dinner every year. So DH and I came up here early before my shift and got dinner. I snagged some turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and like 3 (MUCh tinier than I used to consider "bites!") bites of pumpkin pie. All liquified before going down. It was really nice to not gorge myself. I was still tired after eating (carbs!), but I was not uncomfortable like years past. It was NICE. The food all looked so good and it smelled good, too. But I was able to enjoy just sitting there with my DH, seeing a whole load of friendly people (small town), watching some Cowboys, and not making it all about the food. I think I may have had 3 bites of each food I listed.

Left side, directly in line with my breast, about an inch or two below my ribs.

I really am surprised these days at what passes for customer service. I can't believe they argued with you over whose fault it was. Sheesh. I agree that the customer is always right and you shouldn't argue with them! Some people in customer service don't stop to think for two seconds that the person they are arguing with is the person that essentially pays their paycheck! It's amazing. I've had problems with Wal-mart's lack of decent CS, hence I now shop at Target. I was sick of being crapped on. So, yeah - some people might just say it, but I follow through.

I experienced hunger this morning on my way home from work. It HURT! Yeah...my tummy growled (contracted) so hard that it gave me physical pain. And I had had my full amount of protein required and had not deprived myself with liquids. So...here I am 6 days post op and if I wait longer than 4 hours to put my "food" liquid in there, it tells me so! LOL

How is it completely the fault of the patients that are getting these procedures when there are doctors out there that don't really care how well prepared a patient is...they just see dollar signs? And yes, I'm sorry, but everybody was raised differently when it comes to questioning what could be considered authority figures. For SOME people, if a doctor tells them to do something, they won't question it. I'm sorry if that bothers some of you so much. I don't happen to be that way (I was asking questions at my information seminar that kind of caught the doc off-guard, like he wasn't used to informed patients), but I do understand that some people ARE that way. Why does that need to be judged? Some people were just raised in a certain way to not ask questions, or it just happens to be in their nature. I myself can't comprehend this attitude because I ask "WHY?" about everything - but I do understand that it does exist. It doesn't mean I think those types of people are "stupid." I have to agree with this. Yes, yes, yes, you guys have every right to vent your frustrations. I mean, you gotta do it somewhere. I FULLY AGREE with you about the people that are looking for justification for their poor choices - it's aggravating. I know that you just want people to make good choices and succeed - I'm not doubting that. But maybe take yourself outside the situation for two seconds and think of where that person may be coming from. And yes, some people are completely UNsaavy when it comes to the computer and it's a freaking miracle that they were even able to find this site. If you know the particular thread that could give them the information that they are asking for, just post it. Or ignore it altogether.