enjoylife

Wow what an awesome thread. SpecialK you certainly are special. This was so thoughtful. I know I'm a little late, but I usually log in and go straight for either the blog section or the March Master thread. I guess I need to broaden my horizons. Thanks for creating the list. I'm sure it took you quite a while to compile it.

MoverM, Welcome to the Master Thread - and all of the other March 2008 threads. These people are truly wonderful. I do not have a support group near me (I had surgery 2.5 hours away from my home) so this is as close as I get. I actually think that this is a better support group than those that are in person because there's no face-to-face there's no feeling like you need to embellish. Here it simply is what it is. I'm glad that you are here and getting some much needed support. Well all, I have decided that I MAY not weigh myself at home anymore. I had my post op yesterday and I had not gained back 2.5 pounds. I have actually lost another 1.something or other. So post op I'm down 17.5 lbs. YEA ME!!! NSV - a no-nonsense, non tongue-holding, cute, tiny, petite co-worker told me that I am looking great!!!! YEA ME again! So, no more standing on my scale up to six times in the morning until I get the same reading twice. I have a fairly new weight watchers scale so I don't think it’s the scale, I think it’s the floor not being level. I have my next appointment on May 12th. My doctor said that he might give me my first fill then. Now I almost wish had kept my original April 7th appt - but that was my baby's recital - I could not miss that. Ok - the sun is shining and I want to enjoy it. I have not done my walking for the day.

God Bless to the both of you. Before my surgery I was terrified. - Really I was terrified. I have a five year old and I did not want to leave my baby motherless. Upon waking up my first thoughts were "Thank you Jesus." I thanked Him over and over again. Just like I know He watched over me, I know He will be watching over you Hunee B and you Tymeforachange. I am currently three weeks post op. I don't regret having it. I've lost 16 pounds and am learning that 16lbs in three weeks is a good thing (at first I thought I should be losing at a much faster pace). I am sending up a prayer for you two right now. I look forward to hearing about your experiences and your successes.

it belongs here... so I hope this isn't considered cheating.. this is how I feel so this is my blog. First of all, let me say why I post in large print. I have 15/20 vision, but I work on a computer all day long. Reading the 10 point font size prints drive me nuts. In addition I cannot Zoom my screen size at home. So, to compensate I use 12 point font. It just appears bigger than 12 online. Whew, I’m glad I got that off my chest. I hope you all don’t mind. Second, I’d like to personally welcome Ejmdiva to the March 2008 Bandsters’ Master Thread. WELCOME!!!!!!! Ejmdiva, helped to calm my fears as I approached my surgery date. I was terrified; she offered her words of wisdom and then suggested that I go to the chat room. I did I found several people who were able to give me statistic information regarding the death rate in the US that made me feel much better. I am a single mom and my biggest fear was doing something that would leave my child motherless. Thank you so much Ejmdiva, I really appreciate what you did for me. Third, I’d like to say… HOW THE HECK DID I GAIN 2.5 POUNDS!!!!!!!! I’ll be dog gone. I hate the mushie stage! I cannot seem to get it right. I cannot eat every four hours. I’m a teacher; I can’t just whip out a snack of pureed chicken and chow down in the middle of a class. In addition, I cannot survive on 2- 4 oz per meal. I’m eating a cup – yeah that’s right a cup! I try to keep it down to three meals a day. I usually have a shake for breakfast, then a "regular" lunch and dinner. I never make my water goal. I forgot to take either one or both of my vitamin supplements three days in a row. H4eck I haven’t taken my B12 yet today – let me do that now….Energy my rear. I am so out of shape that my body aches from WALKING and the use of 3lb weights! That’s right I’m in major _itch mode right now. (Stomps around, breathing heavily glaring at the mirror on her desk). Now that I have that out of the way… I think my body is in starvation mode. It is holding on to every calorie. Cuz I know I was eating around or over 3000 per day pre band. Now I’m eating anywhere between 800 and 1300 calories (except yesterday – yesterday I had 1560 cals). Fours later….This morning I was trippin. I feel much better now. I called a friend who was banded 1.5 years ago. She helped me get my head right. Now I have two mantras lol 1) I won’t really start to lose weight until after my first fill, until then I will do my best to make good choices and exercise and 2) I did not have gastric bypass surgery. The weight will not come off in a week. It takes time, it’s healthier, and I must not lose faith. WOOO-SAHHH! I feel so much better. So what my body hurts from walking – I went walking. I did again today too. I am going to walk everyday until I get to a point that it does not leave me with body ache – then I gonna walk farther and/or faster so I can ache again. Yall are fantastic! Thanks for the support!... no I am not crazy – just happy….

it belongs here... so I hope this isn't considered cheating.. this is how I feel so this is my blog. First of all, let me say why I post in large print. I have 15/20 vision, but I work on a computer all day long. Reading the 10 point font size prints drive me nuts. In addition I cannot Zoom my screen size at home. So, to compensate I use 12 point font. It just appears bigger than 12 online. Whew, I’m glad I got that off my chest. I hope you all don’t mind. Second, I’d like to personally welcome Ejmdiva to the March 2008 Bandsters’ Master Thread. WELCOME!!!!!!! Ejmdiva, helped to calm my fears as I approached my surgery date. I was terrified; she offered her words of wisdom and then suggested that I go to the chat room. I did I found several people who were able to give me statistic information regarding the death rate in the US that made me feel much better. I am a single mom and my biggest fear was doing something that would leave my child motherless. Thank you so much Ejmdiva, I really appreciate what you did for me. Third, I’d like to say… HOW THE HECK DID I GAIN 2.5 POUNDS!!!!!!!! I’ll be dog gone. I hate the mushie stage! I cannot seem to get it right. I cannot eat every four hours. I’m a teacher; I can’t just whip out a snack of pureed chicken and chow down in the middle of a class. In addition, I cannot survive on 2- 4 oz per meal. I’m eating a cup – yeah that’s right a cup! I try to keep it down to three meals a day. I usually have a shake for breakfast, then a "regular" lunch and dinner. I never make my water goal. I forgot to take either one or both of my vitamin supplements three days in a row. H4eck I haven’t taken my B12 yet today – let me do that now….Energy my rear. I am so out of shape that my body aches from WALKING and the use of 3lb weights! That’s right I’m in major _itch mode right now. (Stomps around, breathing heavily glaring at the mirror on her desk). Now that I have that out of the way… I think my body is in starvation mode. It is holding on to every calorie. Cuz I know I was eating around or over 3000 per day pre band. Now I’m eating anywhere between 800 and 1300 calories (except yesterday – yesterday I had 1560 cals). Fours later….This morning I was trippin. I feel much better now. I called a friend who was banded 1.5 years ago. She helped me get my head right. Now I have two mantras lol 1) I won’t really start to lose weight until after my first fill, until then I will do my best to make good choices and exercise and 2) I did not have gastric bypass surgery. The weight will not come off in a week. It takes time, it’s healthier, and I must not lose faith. WOOO-SAHHH! I feel so much better. So what my body hurts from walking – I went walking. I did again today too. I am going to walk everyday until I get to a point that it does not leave me with body ache – then I gonna walk farther and/or faster so I can ache again. Yall are fantastic! Thanks for the support!... no I am not crazy – just happy….

First of all, let me say why I post in large print. I have 15/20 vision, but I work on a computer all day long. Reading the 10 point font size prints drive me nuts. In addition I cannot Zoom my screen size at home. So, to compensate I use 12 point font. It just appears bigger than 12 online. Whew, I’m glad I got that off my chest. I hope you all don’t mind. Second, I’d like to personally welcome Ejmdiva to the March 2008 Bandsters’ Master Thread. WELCOME!!!!!!! Ejmdiva, helped to calm my fears as I approached my surgery date. I was terrified; she offered her words of wisdom and then suggested that I go to the chat room. I did I found several people who were able to give me statistic information regarding the death rate in the US that made me feel much better. I am a single mom and my biggest fear was doing something that would leave my child motherless. Thank you so much Ejmdiva, I really appreciate what you did for me. Third, I’d like to say… HOW THE HECK DID I GAIN 2.5 POUNDS!!!!!!!! I’ll be dog gone. I hate the mushie stage! I cannot seem to get it right. I cannot eat every four hours. I’m a teacher; I can’t just whip out a snack of pureed chicken and chow down in the middle of a class. In addition, I cannot survive on 2- 4 oz per meal. I’m eating a cup – yeah that’s right a cup! I try to keep it down to three meals a day. I usually have a shake for Breakfast, then a "regular" lunch and dinner. I never make my Water goal. I forgot to take either one or both of my Vitamin supplements three days in a row. H4eck I haven’t taken my B12 yet today – let me do that now….Energy my rear. I am so out of shape that my body aches from WALKING and the use of 3lb weights! That’s right I’m in major _itch mode right now. (Stomps around, breathing heavily glaring at the mirror on her desk). Now that I have that out of the way… I think my body is in starvation mode. It is holding on to every calorie. Cuz I know I was eating around or over 3000 per day pre band. Now I’m eating anywhere between 800 and 1300 calories (except yesterday – yesterday I had 1560 cals). Four hours later….This morning I was trippin. I feel much better now. I called a friend who was banded 1.5 years ago. She helped me get my head right. Now I have two mantras lol 1) I won’t really start to lose weight until after my first fill, until then I will do my best to make good choices and exercise and 2) I did not have gastric bypass surgery. The weight will not come off in a week. It takes time, it’s healthier, and I must not lose faith. WOOO-SAHHH! I feel so much better. So what my body hurts from walking – I went walking. I did again today too. I am going to walk everyday until I get to a point that it does not leave me with body ache – then I gonna walk farther and/or faster so I can ache again. Yall are fantastic! Thanks for the support!... no I am not crazy – just happy….

Terry - tap, tap, tap, shimmy, shimmy, shake, shake (that was me doing the happy dance to Celebrate your SV. As for me, I stayed off the scale today – WHOHOOO – that’s a minor miracle in my house. Hopeinapril – I went to Wynn (CRIAS), and Sofranski (Salisbury – and now Lewes) for consults. Both wanted like $2500 extra for stuff I wasn’t going to use. Nobody drives two hours to go to the gym. I chose the practice of Drs. Singh and Averbach in Catonsville, MD. Dr. Singh does not charge any extra fees, fills are covered by insurance. In fact my insurance paid every penny of my surgery bill - I think (won't know for certain until I don't get a bill). Dr. Averbach charges $25 for trip to the hospital to use flouro (or x-ray)- I think. Dr. Singh (my surgeon) trained the doctor that trained Sofranski. He’s really big about making the incisions as small as possible. Though two are longer than I hoped for, the other three are barely visible anymore. I think (hope and pray) that the other two will disappear as they completely heal over time. I had liquid for two weeks and now I am on mushies for two weeks. Amanda – I blog here on LBT – I think you’ve commented on my blog a time or two. I make start a personal journal. I am sure it will help to be able to look back to review where I’ve been and determine if I’ve grown or digressed. Its also great to look back at times you were sure you wouldn’t make it and remember how you actually did make it through. Sometimes we need reminding that setbacks, plateaus, and disappointments are usually temporary – we just need to keep plugging and keep the faith. Fenton – I respect your decision to wait for a fill, but I personally need my fill. I hate needles, but I am looking forward to my first fill. I loved the restriction I felt during my liquid stage. Never a moment of hunger. Now that I am in my mushies stage I have awakened my hunger. I usually drink Breakfast – a Protein shake and eat my other two meals. Low point: sucking on jalapeno kettle potato chips. hmm hmm good but oh so bad!

Christine, I'm sorry to read about your tum tum. Mine itched like crazy the first two weeks. I had little bumps everywhere. The only thing that gave me relief was 70% - 90% alcohol wipes. I wiped my stomach with them whenever I thought about it. It calmed the itching and made the bumps subside. I don't think mine was fungus though – I think I was just allergic to the strips. I had mine on for almost two weeks. I guess that's way too long because the nurse asked me if I showered. I had to explain to her that I kept my back to the running water and took great pains to keep my stomach as dry as possible. I use well water and was paranoid about getting an infection. Harley girl, I don't know how you're doing those 1/4 to 1/2 cups of food. I guess I am really off. I swear I am eating a cup. Aside from those three strips of bacon, I just try to keep it low calorie. I'm praying that my stomach has not stretched. I am concerned about my inability to go potty. I'd probably drop a ton if I could. Literally, I must be full of... you know what. Either that or go back to chicken broth only. I've heard this is normal, but it does not seem normal. I've gone once this week and not at all last week!!!! I'm considering a colonic (SP?). I'll have to ask my surgeon about that on the 16th. Lynn, I considered Dr. Wynn, she was my first consultation. At the time my insurance would only cover gastric bypass. I was not wild about that. Then she added all of those extra fees your insurance company won't pay for. Other than that, I know I would have been happy with her. Fenton, I think we have the same problem with portion sizes. I think that’s what you meant by “not eating to the size of the meal.” I’m worried about my pouch too. But When I was on liquids, and still swollen, I had great restriction. I could drink .5 cup of soup and be stuffed full. Now I’m not so easily appeased. I do stop when I feel full coming (except for twice). I guess I’ll have to scroll up and find that guide you’re talking about. I think I need it. I hope it helps. Ok, that was a mouthful – and then some. I’m off to clean out the car and play with my bundle of joy!

Yea You MissCathyl. Congrats on getting in a size 16 and even bigger ups on shutting up anybody that laughs at overweight people. K_podski and hopeinapril - thank you for your encouraging words. I too have an obesssion with the scale. I even blogged about it a week or so ago. Maybe after my post op on April 16th I will put it in the shed and only take it out on weekends. I need to start trying to cut back, exercise and take note of my NSVs. Otherwise I may drive myself nuts.

Thanks Chica. Trust me I have no intention to try to top bacon. In fact I made some for my daughter this morning and I'm telling you I couldn't even smell the stuff. i had no desire for it. So far today I've had apple sauce for breakfast (I'm out of milk) pureed chicken for lunch and a chocolate no sugar added pudding cup for a snack. This weekend I will be living off of cottage cheese and protein shakes (mainly because I purchased two huge vats of cottage cheese and when I got home realized that they expire on April 13th. Thank you for the encouragement (and the mantra).

I am getting scared. I am on my fifth day of mushies. I am 19 days post op and yet I am only down 16 lbs. I know I was just doing the happy dance the other day - Thank you to all who joined me in celebration - but today I am feeling remorseful. I did what said I would not do under any circumstances. I cheated. I ate bacon! Damn that bacon. Ok I can't blame the bacon. I was the nut that cooked it for my daughter - I should have known better than to "try" those THREE slices. I must be crazy. But if three slices of bacon - and three nestle chocolate Easter eggs (top thumb digit size) would make me not lose weight I'll have to stay on mushies the rest of my life!!! I DO NOT WANT TO BE A BAND FAILURE!!!! If I fail my mother will never let me live it down. Of course, if I fail I may not have that long to live anyway at the rate I was going. I purposely stayed away from mashed potatoes just so I would not gain weight. I figured I'd do mostly proteins. I am mostly eating cottage cheese, rotisserie chicken, apple sauce, I've had five Vienna sausages (singles - not cans), Unjury protein powder and skim milk, salmon, and California blend veggies. Oh and no sugar added vanilla and chocolate pudding. I put the chicken, salmon, and veggies in my Magic Bullet. Oh, I'm pretty sure that I am eating more than four tablespoons per meal - more like .5 to a whole cup. Tell me what I'm doing wrong. Ok - more honesty - I have not been exercising for 30 minutes everyday. But in my defense I have been worse than a couch potato for five years. I don't move as well as I should. I have increased my walking - I'm pitiful - If I wasn't good looking I would be truly pathetic. I can barely move. I am not limber at all. So I am trying to get better at moving around I'm hoping that by the time I am six weeks post op I can not only walk two miles but that I will be ready to actually lift weights. I want to wait that long because the last thing I need is a hernia. I don't really know what that is, but I know I don't want one. Any help? - Please keep the reprimands to a minimum - I'm not really in the mood to be feeling beat up.

I have a co-worker that had surgery on Friday and was back at work the following Monday. She was fine. I had surgery on a Monday and drove myself the 2.5 hour drive home on Thursday. Of course I had to do this pain meds free (except for liquid tylenol). Its up to you and it depends on the type of work you do as to whether you feel up to returning to work in three days. As far as the liquid diet goes. Hang in there. Its doable - really.

Wow, you have so much going on and I can not say that I understand most of it, but I'm thinking that you would have to write a book to explain the details of half of this entry. The best advice that I can give to you is to PRAY. In addition to praying, you need to put your list in order of importance. I would think that the first thing you should do is clear up the discrepancy about how much you owe. The last thing you want is for them to cancel you and then you have no insurance but are still in meed of medical services. I would not dwell on the pain medication situation (whatever it is) simply because it does not sound like you can change it (from what you have written). Instead, you may want to take a list of the medications you are on to the pharmacist and ask him/her what over-the-counter pain medication (if any) you can take and at what dosage. God Bless.

OK. EVERYBODY ON YOUR FEET!!! Its time to do the happy dance!!! I'm in the two's yea! I'm in the two's!!!! I am 299 lb. That's right. I'm celebrating. I had to lose over 30lb to get to the two's. I have not seen the two's for five years!!! YEA ME!!! Now I need to figure out how to change my ticker...

Hang in there. Instead of always having a small meal a day maybe you can just have a thinned soup. Maybe all you really want is a full tummy. In that case mix a can of bestlife recommended Progresso soup with a can of broth and eat that. You'll get full, get nutrients, but won't get alot of calories. Also, up your water intake, it will help to flush your system and help you to lose water weight quicker. Good luck to you. I hope you make your goal of 26 lbs this month. I know its alot, but you can do it. As for Kelsey, be careful gaining weight. I went to three consultations before deciding and all had the same rule, no surgery if you gain 20lbs or more between consultation and surgery date.

None of us knows what will make us different. Will it be or motivation, determination, sheer willpower or pure luck? Will we exercise more, count calories more, keep a food diary, and not cheat no matter how much we want to? We don’t know. Will we succeed for ourselves or out of spite? My mom doesn’t understand my choice to have surgery – and not only am I an adult living in a different state, but my insurance paid every penny of the cost (as far as I know). I know I can’t fail because I may never live it down. I also cannot fail because I have a five year old and I want to see her grow up, go to college, get married, have babies and grow as close to old as God will allow me to live long enough to see. I don’t know what makes me or you different, but I know what helps. Believe in yourself, listen to your doctor, and get the support you need. That’s why I love this site. I get support, encouragement, and information. Hang in there. I think your fears are not uncommon. I have them myself. The only thing we can do is diligently try our best, hope for the best, and pray.

Wow Lisa, I just read your post about the bbq. I partially agree with Fenton. Don't leave your home, tell you sister than she cannot bar-b-que. That's way too much temptation. My five- year old wanted spaghetti when I was about five days post-op. I love spaghetti. As much as I wanted to make it for her, I knew I could not handle the temptation so I didn't do it. After I reached a week and a few days I was able to do it, but I had to immediately freeze all leftovers. Speaking of leftovers, do you honestly believe that your sister will bar-b-que and there won't be any leftovers? That's about two-three days of torture - not one. Put your foot down and tell her NO! Its ok to love yourself and her too. No need for guilty feelings. You are going to have to deal with issues like this, but not in your own home. Yesterday I had to attend a housewarming luncheon with cake, hot wings (my favorite) subs and all the other group pig out accoutrements. The only thing that got me through it was a cup of thinned tomato soup and the knowledge that I get to have mushies either Monday or Tuesday (Do I count the day of surgery as day 1 or do I have to wait until the next day?). As a side note, maybe your sister's financial problems stem from the fact that she spends too much money on fast food and bar-b-ques. Just a thought.

I'm new to this thread. I was banded March 24, 2008 by Dr. Singh in MD. So far I've lost about 13 lbs. I did not have to do a pre-op diet. I'm wondering if 13 lbs is normal or if I should have lost more by now. I have not been really active - though more acvtive than usual. IF this blasted rain ever stops I want to start walking the track evryday with my five-year old. After my six-week follow up I want to join a gym. Forgive my violets. I like the shamrocks - where do I find them?

Thank, I think I'll try that. I've been adding unflavored unjury to orange juice and hot soups, but I was not sure if it would mix well into other foods. I've got my Magic Bullet and I;m ready for my mushy stage!

I am so tired I could just lay down here at my desk and go to sleep right now:blink::biggrin:. My energy level is at an all time low. Today is Friday; I have until Monday to be on all liquids. I hope I make it that long. I'm taking my vitamins. I do a B12 and a tablespoon of liquid centum every morning. Should I be doing more? I may need to double that dose today because I am really whipped. I have to attend a housewarming luncheon tomorrow. I am so not looking forward to that. Everybody around me will be eating lasagna and I will be dreaming of the day I can eat mashed potatoes:drool:. I have decided to buy another Magic Bullet, since the first one I purchased disappeared during my move. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I intend to puree some spaghetti sauce and eat it. I don't care if I can only hold two tablespoons. I'm going to makes those two tablespoons last the length of the meal my daughter will be eating. I'm thinking that would rather puree lots of meats than to eat a lot of mashed potatoes. That just sounds like a good way to gain weight if you ask me. Come hell or high water I want to lose 20 - 30 lb in my first four weeks. I can't do that eating mashed potatoes. So I will be eating pureed meats and veggies, and no sugar added pudding. My daughter and I went for our first walk in our new neighborhood. We got three quarters of the way down the block before I saw a dog headed towards us. My daughter is terrified of dogs. She has really not been exposed to them because she is allergic to them. Anyway, I turn us around before she could see the dog. Every time I looked back I saw the dog still coming. A Little girl kept calling the dog, but it wouldn't listen. She finally hopped on her back and raced after the dog. She caught up to him as he caught up to us. My daughter immediately went into fright flight:scared2:. I had to hold her in a vise grip behind me. I felt so helpless. All I could do was keep me in between the dog and my baby. All I kept thinking was, "Damn I just had surgery, what can I do?" The little girl called the dog and I scream, "GO!:cursing:" at him. The punk bastard actually shrunk back at the sound of my voice. I was pissed. If I had a stick, or better yet, a baseball bat, I would have bashed his head in. I love animals, always have. I am a sucker for a stray, but NOBODY and NOTHING messes with my baby. She kept trying to get away from me and I was terrified that if she broke free she would run. Of course then the dog would really attack her is she ran. So there we are in the middle of the street, me twisting around to keep her behind me and the dog in front of me. The little girl on the bike calling her dog. Thankfully, the dog turned for home after I screamed at him. The little girl got in between us and rode home yelling back repeatedly, "I'm sorry!" Next time we walk we're going to the school down the street :crying: and walk its track.

Congrats on your decision. I ran into a few people who think this is a bad idea. I just let them have their opinions. That's why I decided to keep my surgery provate. My Parents and few close friends know - that's it. I don't want wanybody's bad vibes and then there's always that one person that will tkae it upon themsleves to find out every negative thing they can about your procedure just so they can report it back to you! hang in there. See ya in Band Land!

Or you could gain weight. Sad, I know - but I've read here that it works.

I wonder if these skinny bitches would be skinny bitches no matter what they ate. They don't strike me as the type to gain much weight - even in pregnancy.

Did your doctor prescribe anything for naseau? Mine did - 3 refills worth. If you don't have a prescription get some fresh ginger, peel and grate ( or thinly slice it), pour boiling water over it, add i smidge of sugar and lemon to taste. let it steep, strain and drink. that should help settle your stomach. oh and you might want to stay away from apple juice. I hope this helps you. Good luck.

I've basically stuck to my diet. My doctors doesn't require clear liquids so I have had tomato soup and cream of mushroom soup thinned with vegetable broth. I had to strain the cream of mushroom to remove all the pieces. The one time I did cheat was when I cooked green beans for my daughter - I'm vegetable freak. They were very soft so I chewed up five and sput out the pulp. then I chewed and swallowed two. Then I put two more in my mouth and realized that they were stringy as I began to chew. I spit those out and realized it wasn't worth the cheat. I am one week and three days post op (if you count my day of surgery - 11 am- as day one). Call your nutrionist and ask if you can have creamy soups thinned with broth or Jell-O. Or maybe he/she will move you up to really thinned mushies. Good luck to you.