emnasmom

Okay....I can see both sides of the story. I totally agree Linda that you weren't treated fairly by this company. If you pay for something, you expect to recieve it as promised, or be notified when that isn't possible. I would think they would have better follow up than that. If you had waited a month to pay them, I bet they would have made more of an effort to notify you. I however work as a nurse, which is a service profession. I do understand that I AM there to serve people, and take care of their needs. I am NOT there however to be verbally abused. I pride myself on being a kind and efficient nurse, but sometimes I have an off day, and sometimes you perceive your wants as needs and I can't always meet them.

Wow 2/3 - 1 cup of food at a time Phil! That sounds like a feast to me. I would be in severe pain if I ate that much. I think my suregeons technique is similar to yours, mine folded my stomach over my band and stitched in into a kindda pocket for my band. I have been wondering about the wide variance in diets too. But I switched surgeons midstream, and from what I saw of my previous surgeon, she was very strict as well.

Okay, first of all......I know what it's like to want to step on the scale everyday, just to see your progress.......but STOP! It is not good on your mental health. Just weight weekly, or twice a week if you can't stand to wait that long. Just realize that your body has daily fluctuations, but you measure your progress in longer time spans. Lizzie, sorry about your weight gain, I'm terrified that when I get on the scale next week that is where mine will be. We shall get through this, I just know it!

WTG Bobp! And what a celebration it is! I had a great Thanksgiving. I had a tiny bit of dark meat turkey (my favorite anyway) which I chewed to death, yams (which I have never previously like, but which tasted superb), some green bean casserole, one bite of stuffing and some jello (just for nostalgias sake). I did also get the stuffing for a deviled egg and a couple of crackers with cheese ball. I ate a total of about 1/3 - 1/2 cup over about 3 hours. (I know more than I should have eaten, but really.....). Then a few hours later I had a couple bites of banana cream pie, and a couple bites of pumpkin cake. Everything was delicious, but it was so nice to just enjoy the company, and not go into a "turkey coma". The only thing I was really sad about was not being able to have homemade rolls. But my darling sister in law made them for me a few ago, so I would have to miss out completely.

I love it Foofy! I will have to remember that next time I think I am hungry. I was banded on the 14th, and started to feel hungry about day 5 or 6. I still don't feel starving. I did however forget to eat breakfast the other day due to a minor crisis at home (quickly averted). I started feeling weak and shaky about 11:00 and realized it was because I hadn't eaten all day. I too have a hard time getting in my liquids between meals. My surgeon has me on soft foods now, but I only get 4 tbsp (2 oz) at a meal, three times a day. I'm not supposed to be "drinking my calories", especially not in between meals. I haven't counted calories, just portion sizes, but I bet I am also around 400-700 calories a day. Holy Cow! An average day for me before was about 2200+. I have however had a couple moments of "mental hunger" where I wanted to stress eat! It was actually nice that it wasn't an option, because it forced me to do some cleaning I was neglecting to cope instead!

Sorry to hear about that Tish! My thoughts and prayers are with you.......keep your chin up. Like you said, with my struggle to have the surgery, I finally just had to say "It's in God's hands."

That's awesome! As for Steph...I'm sorry that you haven't been able to tell anyone that you have done a lap band :cry. I have a very supportive family and employment (doesn't hurt that in my long process of getting qualified others have followed in my footsteps, I am # of 5 at my work to have bariatric surgery, 2 bypass and 2 band done, one undecided which to do). I was adopted by two twigs who have never understood how it felt to be fat, and in their attempts to "help" worsened the problem.....but in their defense when I told them I was going to have surgery my dad said that if it was what I wanted and my insurance wouldn't cover it that he would pay for it. They are trying to be very supportive. My husband and children have been reassured constantly that they just need to eat as they normally would and I've been pretty okay with it. Good luck to all!

Thanks Longhorn! I actually feel REALLY good today. I actually drove myself somewhere. I feel like a wimp compared to some of these girls going back to work now (agh! Qatar Phil posted somewhere else that he went back to work 2 days later). I am actually taking a month off. My surgeon said I could go back at 2 weeks, but I am a labor and delivery nurse on her feet for 13 hours a day with heavy lifiting involved. Not only do I not want to go back at 2 weeks, my boss doesn't want me to, and I have the long term sick leave to cover it (but we all know it's just really a paid vacation the last 2 weeks).:eyebrows:

I thought that last post was getting to novel length, so I thought this way you could skip this one if you got so bored with the last. This one is about my recovery though. I stayed in the hospital overnight, because I didn't get out of recovery until about 4:30 pm. I was in a lot of pain and nauseated at first, but they gave me good drugs and fixed that. I got ice, water and apple juice that night, the next am I got broth and jello. I got home at 11:30 am (to find 2 of my friends cleaning the house that I didn't get done before I left, how wonderful are they?). Slept a lot the first couple of days, but walked short distances a few times a day. Every day I got better, day 3 I think was probably the hardest. The gas pain was the worst, both in my tummy and my left shoulder. The BEST thing I did for myself was push myself to walk, it has helped me feel better than anything. It helped with gas and weakness. I had a harder time the first couple of days because of the limited amount of calories I was consuming, but feel better now that I am eating. I can have soft foods now (6 days post op), even canned deli meats and thin sliced deli meats. I can only eat 4 tbsp 3 times a day though. I have felt hungry, but can usually get by with a Propel, some herbal tea or a sf popcicle. My only advise to those who are still to be banded, walk as much as you can tolerate and drink your liquids warm or room temp for the first couple of days, helps with the pain and the gas. Thanks for listening to me blather on! Good luck to all....hope to get to know you better.

Okay...bear with me.....this is gonna be a long one. I wish I would have looked for this site before surgery, it would have been wonderful. Here's the condensed version froms start to finish. I have been in the process of qualifying (with my insurance) for this surgery for over 1 year (I first looked into it 2 1/2 years ago). I finally got all the "hoops" jumped through to submit, and was hearing several negative things about the surgeon I had chosen, so I switched. That didn't really hold things up too much, but it did a little. We submitted my papers to insurance, and they got "lost" somewhere in the system (basically something needed to be fixed, and someone forgot about it). Once that was ironed out we scheduled me tenetively for the 14th of Nov, because my new surgeon doesn't have block time at the hospital I have to go to. Well, low and behold I got denied (I broke down at the nurses station at work in the middle of a shift). Turns out I was denied because my original surgeon hadn't given the new surgeon my psych clearance. It took me a week to get a hold of it, and submit my appeal, and by this time it was a the 5th of Nov., and the insurance company told me my appeal would take 15 days, so we cancelled my surgery (I was devastated). Low and behold I get a call from the insurance company at 4:00 pm on the 12th saying I was approved, so I try and call the surgeons office (of course the people I need to talk to are gone, so I leave a message). They called me back at 11:00 the next day and said, "This is going to sound wierd, but we haven't filled your spot, and the hospital still has time, do you want to have surgery tomorrow?" I was like "uhhhhhh......SURE!" So there you go, the (not so) condensed version of how I had surgery. (my dr waived the pre-op diet for me.....fabulous!)

btw.....i had already added myself to the list! thanks for keeping it updated!

I just read all 18 pages of this thread! Thanks for the motivation. I was banded on the 14th. Feeling great! I will look for somewhere more appropriate to share a little of my story.....good luck to all those who are scheduled the rest of this month!

How are you doing QatarPhil? I just read your first post, so I don't know if you posted anything else. Were you nervous being one of the first in your country?

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I too was told I had a fatty liver, and that I would have to go on a 10 day diet of about 800 calories a day (which sounded drastic to say the least, but after the 300-400 I have been living on the last 6 days....it sounds like a feast).....but a spot opened up 2 days after I was approved, and I had the surgery without having to do the diet, and my liver was fine.

I was just banded at Salt Lake Regional on 11/14/07 (6 days ago) by Dr. Steven Simper (based mostly at St. Mark's). I am down 15.2 lbs. I can't believe it. I would love to get this Utah forum up and running, I will spread the word.

I have a friend that due to medications she was on was unable to lose weight, and she had lap band done, and her BMI was about 30. She has had mixed results, but some of that was because of other health issues.

the shoulder pain is from trapped air from your laproscopic surgery, it will get better. Try a heating pad. The best thing you can do for it though is to take short walks as you can tolerate. I am six days out and mine was finally gone yesterday, but I have had laproscopic surgery before, so I know what it was. Stick to the liquids if that is what the Dr. has told you, it may be boring, but it is much less painful and dangerous than eating too soon.

I am a nurse as well, I am 6 days post op and wish I would have found this web site months ago (just didn't look I guess). I am new to chatting and forums and stuff, but have enjoyed reading these. Good luck on your journies both of you, it was a long one for me, but I finally made it to operation day......now for the rest of my life.