My_o_My

OK - this is going to sound disgusting - but it's what I had to do - I needed to EAT normal food - but I was on a liquid diet. I used 9 marinated asparagus spears (low carb, low Protein, low calorie), 2 artichoke hearts, and beef or chicken broth. I pureed it in my magic bullet - and the consistency was that of V-8 juice - it was just my own made up vegetable juice. But you get the picture - you can get a low calorie drink and still taste something that resembles food. I also bought Safeway Select Tomato Basil Soup - which was incredible. I even pureed cottage cheese and smoked salmon (that was high protein) with some broth. After 5 weeks it was just so hard to drink the same old stuff. I also got the idea from this board to put Peanut Butter in my chocolate low carb ultramet - and it tasted delicious!

I understand how you feel about not risking your surgery, I'd feel the same way. I hope you are able, after the surgery, to provide a detailed account of this nurses behavior. If she did it so easily to you - she's probably done it before, and won't stop until someone makes sure she does. I do worry that time will dilute this matter, and it's freshness give you a unique opportunity to pressure for changes in this area.

If she's the head of the bariatric program, and she's an RN AND she works for your physician - she should definately be held to a higher level of accountability. I am an RN, and I am a PATIENT ADVOCATE - I work in the surgery area - pre op - and I ADVOCATE FOR PATIENTS - not against them. Actually - all nurses are patient advocates (or are supposed to be). Meaning - what is in the best interest of my patient - is what I stump for. I will butt heads with a department, call any sort of support system in the hospital to get the services and support that my patient needs. She is NOT acting as an advocate - and I am disgusted at her ethics. If, she is acting in a medical capacity she violated your privacy. I can sit in a patients room - while the patient discloses sensitive personal information to all of their visitors I cannot repeat ANY OF THAT INFORMATION, to anyone that she has not designated me to. Her visitors however, are only bound by their own morals, and could repeat any of her medical and personal information without fear of repercussion (meaning - this RN is held to a higher level of accountability). By being in a hospital - I can disclose information to HER physician and those CARING for her. However, your moderator disclosed information to a physician who you had not even seen. She was not advocating FOR you - she was (lord - I have no idea what she was doing). She wasn't encouraging the physician to discuss with you what she felt was an area of concern - she was critical, and discouraging. MOST nurses are not like this - and this is highly innappropriate - can you email me privately on this matter.

That moderator blows! Firstly, she had no business communicating to your physician in that manner. He didn't ask her to, and you didn't ask her to. She was being meddlesome - and interjecting a belief based on a few free flowing comments. I didn't see that you had to be cleared for the surgery by a moderator of a chat room - did you? Does she have a degree in psychology or nutrition? Has she ever examined you? Has she performed any objective tests on you? Has she met you, or seen you? Every good clinician knows you need to examine the person, use objective data, before you can make any sort of statement like that. She's decided she knows better than your Ph.D or MD - BTW - where did she say she went to college? Did she? Have you let the board know that this happened to you? No nasty bitch posts (that would be my first incliniation - but not the best). I mean - just saying that you wrote something, and when you went for your initial patient visit - your post on the web was in your chart - as long as a note from the moderator stating you wouldn't make a very good candidate. That might tighten the noose around her neck a bit - she'll react if she's anything like her posts lead me to believe. But don't take the bait - only give objective data without any subjective feeling UNLESS you say it like this... when you....(fill in the blank) I felt.....(fill in the blank with a feeling). example When you sent my post to my phsysician and told him I wouldn't be a good candidate, I felt sabataged. you get the meaning. Anyhow - she blows - big nasty chunks!

OK, I've been on a liquid diet for 5 Weeks - and I was SOOOOO excited to go to the doctors today and be advanced to 'soft' and then 'regular' foods. I had decided a portion of a Veggie Soft Taco from Taco Time would be my treat for a job well done. I didn't drink anything until the doctors office to maximize my weight loss (I also wore shorts and thongs). OK, I get there, I did well, my mouth is just salivating - I talk to the doctor - he asks me how I'm doing - I'm doing great - no problems - excep HUNGER! I tell him about a little stitch poking out, he says climb up on the table "I'm going to feel you". My physician has an accent - but I got ready, and he took a long time to get something to remove the suture with, and came back in with a cart. He started filling needs and I said, what are you doin? He said "I'm going to feel you". I queried "why do you need a needle to feel me?". I couldn't believe it - he was going to "fill me". Of course, I was excited. Then came the words. MORE liquids for 2-3 days, and then of course - restriction. I just feel like going and slurping up some ranch sauce - I want that taco so bad! Oh well. But hey - my sister decided to do my diet with me - and she lost 18 pounds this month! She's smaller than me - and DID GREAT. I called her and let her know about my loss (just slightly more than her) - He must have known I was going to eat - he just must have known! I thought it was funny - but I'm happy.

Well, I just pureed up 9 marinated asparagus spears, 2 artichoke hearts, and some beef broth - it's a little fibrous - but it feels as close to eating as I'm gonna get right now. I'm going to go to a soccer tournament - no one knows I've had this thing done. I'll be testing out my new diet, and eating out the whole time - away from home. Any recommendations? I'm going to bring my magic bullet, and Protein - but what do you eat when you go out? I suppose Soup is probably doable - any ideas - I've NO idea what to expect!

No, but just do the high Protein shakes, and do a liquid diet. It helps, not only to help you lose a few pounds, but cleans you out a bit - and I bet you could get down 10 lbs easily. It helps shrink your liver to have a high protein/low carb diet prior to surgery, getting your liver smaller helps them see the part of your stomach they need to visualize.

I haven't had solid food since June 26th - and I am one who is totally *ready to eat*. So, the past couple days I have had one bit of what my daughter eats - just once a day - it felt so good. I had no problems. So today, I'm at work and I have a few peanuts (chewed thoroughly), then I decide just a little handful. Oh my LORD, the pain. It felt like to tore down my esophogus. It just DIDN'T go down. I felt like I had hideous heartburn. It was REALLY painful. I think three spoonfuls of anything not liquid is as much as I can tolerate, and I was banded on the 30th. Is that normal?

My belly button incision had this area - red and raised. I've been trying to wear overalls so that my pants don't hit there. I noticed this white thing (I assumed was a scab. Finally - I just decided to see what was going on, and move the scab aside. Well, the scab turns out to be a stitch that was wadded up. It comes out about a quarter inch. I am worried that this is/will create a fistula. My doctor is out of town. I'm tempted to just cut it off so my skin can heal - but I know I need to ask. What should I do?

I found a wagon! Gosh darn this thing is stuck in these sticker bushes. Ok - got it free, and I'm dragging it over to you right now. On the side of the wagon it says: "No sugar and no milk" "No Fluid with your meals" "Small meals" Remember one day at a time. If you get bumped off the wagon, get right back on the next day, or the next meal, or the next minute. One day is a time amount I can handle. And I keep telling myself that - "I can make it through this day" - and I do, I manage to not make too many errors, and I just go on - one day at a time. Fitday.com has changed the way I'm looking at food. I've never been a calorie counter before - but that website is amazing - and it makes me think about what I'm eating.

I was banded on a thursday, and went back to work the 2nd Tuesday after that. I have a really bend, pull push, squat sort of job - so there is no way I could have gone back earlier. If I had gone to a desk job - it might have worked.

I am a nurse, and I worked on an adolescent unit. I admitted a girl who was just diagnosed with cancer at the age of 14 - she was sporty and athletic - and totally a teenager - everything she thought came out of her mouth (I was skinny at the time - so this isn't about me). She was asking me over and over if she would lose her hair with the chemo - and unfortunately she would. She stressed day after day. She always said she'd rather been dead than bald. Then, over the weekend she lost it. I came in on Monday , she had a scarf over her shiny new head and she was hanging out with a couple boys - they looked like they were ready to do something silly and naughty (they were the kind that had wheelchair races down the hill at the hospital). I stood there for a few minutes just chewing the fat with this young group, when she says 'I'd rather be dead than bald'. I looked up at her (bald as ever), and said - "really - you know you're bald". It was as if it hadn't hit her yet - for so long she thought her life would be OVER if she was bald. But it wasn't over, and she didn't want to be dead. It was just funny - and it reminded me of the things others say, that they don't realize they are saying, or wouldn't say, if they were standing in someone elses shoes. I love the cataract story - about not fixing the other one - that was great.

IMHO it could be part physiological and part emtional (or psychological). During adolescence and growing our body expends a lot of calories helping itself to grow and change - we use up a lot of fuel. As the growing ceases, the expendeture of calories begins to slow down. So naturally, as we age it's easier to gain weight. And, despite the fact that you haven't really focused on it - an adult made an obscene innapropriate overture to a young girl (you), and then had the gaul to make a derrogatory, almost threatening statement. Sometimes statements like that can just 'tip' where you are. You might have been doing ok - but then it happened, and you went for help - and the person who is supposed to believe you didn't. That could have just been the tipping point emotionally - and you took yourself out for a treat - because you were feeling low. I wouldn't be suprised if the little extra you began to give yourself, combined with a metabolism that is beginning to slow - was enough to make a difference.

I think you could make the trip, find a comfortable spot - does the bus have a bathroom on board? Get up and move in the bus when you can - or even just stand up once an hour to stretch, and move your legs around. You'll be watching people eat in front of you for awhile - and it's hard, and it stays hard (somedays, harder than others). I doubt you'll swipe a chip from their lap - so it's probably easier than eating with family (like at a family BBQ).

I didn't say, but I wanted to that I also had a nutrition consult for that amount. The hospital I stayed in was almost new - everything was beautiful - the care was excellent. I chose this doctor because he has done more bands than anyone in Washington State. He has a great reputation. The money covers my follow up and pre op, plus one fill. If you want to get the discount - you just have to make sure to schedule your surgery on a day that the assistant is on vacation.

Mine was $11,800 in Washington State. You can send me a private message if you want more information. I did get a 1,000 discount because the assistant was on vacation. I have insurance for all the pre op tests - just not the surgery. The office was really good about getting insurance to cover PFT, CXR, labs, Endoscopy, Colonoscopy, Psych Consult and Internist.

I build websites freelance. I used to work for a company downtown and did thousands of pages - mostly converting content - (back in the day when you did it manually). Now I just freelance for companies, and I only have four contracts at this time. It's perfect, and it works with my other job wonderfully. This will be a real learning experience. Attending the big seminars is an amazing experience - and if you really are interested in learning - it might be fun to attend some.

You can do it. The first few days are a doozey (at least they were for me) and I didn't have your complications. Just stick with it another day. And tell yourself that *each day*. Just go one day at a time. I literally did a 180 degree flop in one week - I felt SOOOO much better. Also, I had the runs the first few days post op. It ended as well (thankfully)

OK girls - what do you think. I haven't had food since June 26 or so. I was banded on the 30th and have been on liquids. V-8 juice just got so old, I decided to make my own - keeping it under 6 carbs per serving. I used 2 marinated artichoke hearts and 9 marinated asparigus spears with beef broth (it was delicious) and less calories than V-8 too. Well, then I started thinking what about cottage cheese broth and a pureed meat - and I did that too. I'm going on 3 weeks post band and I just need some different tastes - it's so wonderful I can't even tell you. How bad am I? I'm sticking in the parameters my doctor gave me as far as carbs but I am using some *real* food and the drinks are slightly thicker in some instances - what do you think?

Those bracelets at Laurens Hope are gorgeous! I didn't get a card from my doctor - I want one now!

How much will it cost to have your band fixed in Mexico. In the event that I ever need to do that sort of thing. I was private pay - and I had to sell my car to get the surgery. I had the cutest brand new car, I loved it. I have three teenage girls. Now I have this old, loud dumpy car - it's one of the hardest things. How much does a revision cost?

Well, I know I've lost 12 lbs since 6/30. The last time I weighed myself was on 7/5 and I've lost more since then - my guess would be around 20 total. I went to work today, just said I was on a diet (I'm still on liquids). The gals asked me if I had lost any weight. And, no one else said anything. My husband, mother in law, mother, sister, nieces, kids, and everyone says they can totally tell - but I was so bummed that no one at work said anything. I'm really trying to not let this get me down - so I overeat (or overdrink as it were). I have been so sucessful so far. I fit stuff a couple years old and it's soooo fun! I think I need my sister to give me some warm fuzzies : )

Usually I'm pretty pain tolerant - I take tylenol a couple times a year kinda girl - I'm just not a whiner. And, my expectation was that I would be just peachy out of surgery, I just wouldn't have a problem. They put me on a PCA, and my gut hurt so bad - After about 12 hours things were better, and they got exponentially better with each day. I'm now about 2 weeks out - and the pain is just faint - almost not there at all. I usually don't feel it unless I twist a certain way (and that's just on occassion). So - it will get better, walk, drink your liquids, sleep with all your pillows to support you - allow yourself to take naps - get a good movie. It will end. Pretty soon you'll be like me - licking your kids potato chips for just a taste of real food : )

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who did the licking thing (or chewing). But at least the Ultramet chocolate protein shake totally rocks and I feel really good after I have one. The place I use is awesome. I order on Wednesday around 3PM and it is AT MY HOUSE by 9AM the next morning (for only 5.95 total shipping). This girl rocks. Send me a private message if you want information on her. She is fairly local to me but STILL.

OK - the aunt flo visit - and vowing not to give out your address is hysterical - I had to tell my hubby that one. That is one of the ones I actually GOT. Most - I have no clue. Congrats about the loss. I was able to get into some shortalls I hadn't worn in 2 summers - and they were big. My husband even said I was smaller (you gotta understand we are self pay, and he was NONE to thrilled I just didn't do it (lose weight) the old fashioned way) - he didn't believe it would work.