Cota129

I have a great surgeon. He's good looking, but his personality is yuck. We tend to butt heads when we meet. Crush material? No way.

Synchrony Health is in Oakbrook. Try them.

I slept on my side for about 3 days after surgery, then was able to sleep on my stomach after that with no difficulty.

I went back to work in 6 days. I am a therapist in the public school system, so I'm on my feet alot. I was tired, but I hated sitting at home

As I sit here eating some apple slices, I'm so happy to see that others think my doctor is a nut case, too. My plan, I'm sure much to his future dismay, is to keep eating healthy foods which includes whole grains, vegetables, FRUIT, dairy and protein. Thanks, everyone, for all of your support.

I agree completely. Thank you everyone for your input.

<p>Absolutely, I avoid the white carbs like processed sugar, bread, rice, pasta, etc. The doctor was adamant that no lap bander should be eating fruit unless they absolutely had to. His preference is no carbs at all. His words were "Fruit turns into sugar and the sugar will make you fat." I'm talking about fruit every once in a while as a snack or a small dessert. I KNOW a lousy piece of fruit isn't going to slap a couple of extra pounds on my butt and I will continue to eat it in small amounts. I'm just so happy yo see others that eat it. The doctor is, imo, a few apples short of a bushel on this topic.</p>

I'm glad to see people are eating fruit. I love fruit. My doctor and I had a huge, rather heated discussion about food yesterday. We were going over dietary guidelines and he omited pretty much all carbs. I get the bread, rice, pasta thing, but I always thought good carbs like fruit were acceptable. I asked him about fruit and his answer to me was "Do you want to be lean or healthy?" I was rather taken aback as my goal is to be a nice balance of both. He told me that I need to concentrate 100% on the protein, eat some vegetables, and only eat fruit if I'm starving because it will make me fat. I really don;t get that. He's a nice guy, but brusque. I was kind of mad yesterday when I left his office.

I had my first fill yesterday. I have a little shoulder pain, my stomach is kind of achy, and I have some "intestinal" issues. I believe it's all normal and will clear up in a few days. The fill was a breeze. Much easier than I anticipated.

I haven't gone shopping at any stores yet, but I'm having a great time shopping in my closet of clothes that I haven't been able to wear for a long time!

I have no problems with medication. I took a couple of days off from my meds the first few days after surgery, but have had no problems at all

28.5 and seeing numbers I haven't seen in a long time!!

I'm not a teacher, but I am a school-based occupational therapist in 2 public school systems. I've been in the schools for 13 years. Most people do not have a clue how hard teachers work. It is definitely not a 9-5 job. Most teachers I know work long hours, both in and out of school, to do the best they can for their students. The behaviors that are in most classrooms today is appalling. I don't think that people know what happens in school. Many classes I work in are special education. The majority of classrooms are now cross-categorical, meaning that many types of disabilities and behaviors are now in one class rather than having more specialized classrooms that serve a particular population. Classrooms that used to be just for mentally retarded kids now have kids that have behavior and emotional disorders. Kids with autism are thrown into the mix. Teachers are overwhelmed trying to serve each student according to their individual needs. There is often not enough staff in the classroom. But I don't know one special ed. teacher that hasn't gone above and beyond to make sure that her students get the best from her. Regular education teachers now have special ed. kids mainstreamed into their classes on a regular basis, whether that child is appropriate to be mainstreamed or not. They have to deal with behaviors and needs that they were never trained to deal with and are expected to adjust the curriculum for that one student so they can "fit in" to the class whether they can do the work or not. Kids today now have family members that are drug addicts, alcoholics, or in jail. Many see violence as part of their daily life. Some parents don't give a damn about their kids, never participate in school activities, or offer support to their children at home to enhance the learning process. These are often the parents who scream the loudest because their kids are struggling and it must be the teacher's fault. The "No Child Left Behind" requires that all children are tested at their grade level for standardized testing. That means that a 3rd grader with mental retardation who functions at the level of a 2 year old, must be tested as a regular 3rd grader. The schools looks bad because then the tests make the school look like their students, as a whole, are testing poorly. So funding is lost and programs are cut, the kids lose out, and parents are bitching about what a rotten job the teachers are doing with their kids. What do I hate the most about teachers? Nothing. Over the years, I have met a couple of people who really should have gone into another line of work. 99% of the teachers I have met are dedicated, caring, do their best for each of their students, want their kids to succeed, and will do as much as they can to make sure that the time in school is safe, nurturing, and a haven, for some, from the crappy reality that is life outside of school. I have nothing but admiration for teachers. Thank you to all that teach our children.

No one has told me yet that I've lost too much weight. I'm looking forward to the day someone tells me I'm too skinny. My sister had GBS 5 years ago and looks spectacular. She weighs 145, down from 300. Our mother bitched for years that sis was too fat, now she accuses my sister of purging. Go figure. My mom was supportive of me prior to banding, but now that I've had surgery, she is calling me to tell me that she's worried about my nutrition and I should eat more. Again, go figure. Her latest issue is that she making all these wonderful desserts for Christmas and my sister and I will not be eating them, therefore, ruining HER dinner. OMG!!! To add the cherry, my mother has never weighed more than 115 and is obsessed about her diet. There are just some people who will never be happy. They can all go to hell. They don't have to love my new life, but I sure do!!

I can't stand the smell of it and, no matter what I put it in, it gets a icky foam on it.

Now that I'm able to start eating solids, I get horrible pain between my left shoulder and neck after just a couple of bites. I make a real effort to eat small pieces and chew until the food is mush. This only started as I have begun to add meat. I never had any shoulder pain after surgery or during the liquid and soft stages. Tonight the shoulder pain was so bad, I cried. I'm going back to soft and liquids because the pain is just not worth it. In other posts, I've read that the pain can be related to the hiatal hernia repair I had, or it could be referred pain from some nerve by the stomach. Others have said that it is their "full" cue. Has anyone else had this problem? Just wondering if it's part of healing or a really crummy side effect that I need to learn to deal with.

I think it is. I've tried a few different and Unjury is the best tasting and the most filling. If you average the cost per serving against other protein drinks, it isn't really expensive. Just a word, though. The unflavored is absolutely disgusting. Chocolate and vanilla are the best.

I'm staying on plan today because I finally had to admit to myself that I can't eat just one cookie, or have just one scoop of ice cream, or just a nibble of my dad's wonderful peanut brittle. If I am going to be fully commited to a new lifestyle, I need to eliminate what is not good for me. Bye-bye, sugar:rofl:

I have my first fill 12/17. I have some restriction now and I can feel it when I am eating. So far, I have been able to eat what I want with no difficulty. I definitely am eating smaller amounts and know when I'm full or when I've had too much. Does eating after getting fills change a lot? I'm currently eating 1200 cal. per day.

I've been reading this thread the past few days and laughing. The idea of the port setting off a store or airport alarm sounded kind of absurd! Well, I am no longer laughing. Yesterday at Jewel and at Walgreen's, I set off the alarms going in and out of the store. Not sure if it was just a weird coincidence or if the port story is true!

I've been frustrated, too. I knew that my body was healing and it's not even been a month. I've been doing the right thing everyday and exercising. I know that my shape is changing because I am fitting in all kinds of stuff and am now the proud owner of 4 pairs of jeans that are huge on me! I think things are evening out, though, because in the last 3 days, I've lost 4 lb. and I'm not doing anything different. Hang in there. It happens at a different pace for all of us.

Prader-Willi has a very significant impact on both the individual and the family. The article glossed over how devastating PWS can be. If anyone is interested, here is a link to the PWS support organization. Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (USA)

I like Unjury in the morning. I mix a scoop in my Slender Soy milk (lots of good flavors) and then add 2 tb. of ground flax for fiber. Filling and good. I use a shaker or it's clumpy.

I was banded on a Wednesday and returned to work the following Tuesday. I am a school based therapist and travel to several schools, lugging my equipment which weighs about 20 lb. I modified my schedule for a few days after I returned because I did have a limit on what I could carry. I did lots of classroom observations, but also a lot of walking, stairs and driving. For a few days, I was exhausted when I got home, but after a few days, was back to normal.

Even though I haven't lost one flippin' pound since surgery, I know my body is reshaping with exercise. I've been putting on shirts and a pair of jeans that I haven't been able to wear in a few years. I was wearing a pair of jeans from pre-surg this week-end that are big and comfy, but I thought didn't look too bad. My 14 y/o nephew wanted to know why I (an old broad of 50..my words, not his) was wearing "gangster" pants!! I guess it's time to put those away. He got a big hug from me. When I told him I had lost weight, he gave me a thumbs up and told me I looked good. :clap2: