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I'm so glad to hear you are feeling good. It's probably more difficult to keep hydrated, and you need extra fluids in the heat. I'm glad you are listening to your body's needs. :-) Orea

I imagine this applies even more to bypass procedures. But judging by how many people come home and jump on the scale only to freak out because they gained up to 9 pounds, it must be true for us, too.

The bariatric nurse who interviewed me at the hospital where I'll be banded, told me that they pump us full of fluids on purpose, knowing that we won't be able to drink a lot the first few days. So they do this to help us avoid becoming dehydrated. :thumbup: Orea

Thanks! I was nervous a while ago, but I am confident and looking forward to getting this done. I have complete confidence in my very experienced surgeon and the wonderful bariatric staff at the hospital. Everyone I have met there has been well educated about our needs and kind and helpful. I'm really ready to get this show on the road -- as soon as I finish packing! LOL Orea

Thanks for the tip, Charlene. I was wondering, too! Orea

Welcome, and congrats on your first ten pounds! :-) Orea

I got this from my mentor, but I wish I thought of the line myself: I'm allergic to chocolate; it makes me break out into rolls of fat. Orea :thumbup:

Mackie, I'm praying for you and your husband. The puffy part just above your port incision is probably your port. It's not always directly underneath the scar. Joiful, I'm going in next Wednesday. My preop appointment yesterday went well, so all is in place for B-Day. :-) Thanks for asking! Orea

Every fill is a new situation with a new experience and a new learning curve. Conscious eating is ever more important as you get greater restriction. This is all "book learning" for me at the moment, but not for much longer! :-) Orea

Thanks for your responses. Yes, I think our bodies are fighting back! If it is happening to all of us it may well be normal. I just wish someone had warned me. I have my last preop appointment in an hour or so. See you later! Orea

Thanks for your salad report. I dearly love salads and this gives me hope that they aren't totally a thing of the past. Orea

I had a CT urogram earlier this year and found out that I have a big gall stone, too. Like you, I had no idea. My surgeon said the same thing, that he'd prefer to leave the gall bladder for now because removing it would increase the possibility of infection. I've calmed down since this morning. Gaining three days in a row just sent me over the edge. I was sitting and crying this afternoon, but I felt better after I ate, so I think that was low blood sugar speaking. This is rough. But we are really on the countdown now! Orea

I'm drinking plenty! I always do. But you are right, my fingers and face seem puffy. And it isn't TOM, because I don't do that any more! Orea

I've been on Optifast for a week now. I haven't had a nibble of anything I shouldn't. I'm drinking plenty of water and other SF fluids. I lost some weight initially, and now for the past few days I have been GAINING! How can this be? I'm going through all this for nothing??? They said it is rapid weight loss that shrinks the liver -- and I'm not losing rapidly if at all. I have my preop appointment tomorrow and I just might go off or burst into tears if they give me flack over this. I've tried so hard, and this is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I am completely demoralized right now. Thanks for listening. Orea

Congrats, Mary! Doesn't it feel great to get that date! Orea

Good luck and safe journey! Orea

I'm looking forward to it! The Optifast has gotten easier, but those first four or five days were simply miserable. I have discovered to my dismay that I really hate SF Jello and SF popsicles --I tried two brands of them! SF Koolaid for some reason works for me. Go figure. I still don't have much energy, and I'm not dropping the weight very fast, so I'm taking it easy and hanging out here a lot. :-) I trust my surgeon and this hospital completely and I am so ready to stop jumping through hoops! I want my life back, and this will be the next step. I only wish I could stay awake and watch! LOL Orea

Charlene, I do the same thing. I can't sleep when I am hungry. If I don't have enough fuel, I wake up in the wee hours of the morning. I've started saving an Optifast drink for that purpose, and it helps. Orea

Congrats! How much will you lose? That's up to you! :seeya: Orea

Glad to hear you are doing well. :-) Orea

Hi Shonda, we'll be band sisters, as that is my date, too. :-) Are you on a preop diet or anything? Orea

I'll probably get nervous a day or two before. Or maybe not! Right now I'm looking forward to it and I'm sorry I'll be unconscious because I'd love to watch the monitor and see the whole thing. As a matter of fact, I'm going to ask the surgeon on Thursday if it is possible for me to geta DVD of my procedure to watch. I think it would be cool to see my insides. I really enjoyed seeing the trip through my intestines during my colonoscopy. I was so pretty and pink inside. Can you tell there was a time when I wanted to be a doctor? LOL

Welcome! You have made a wise and life-affirming choice. Congratulations! Sorry your mom is so hard to live with. I have a couple of thoughts - neither of which is original with me! - to share with you. For problem family members or boyfriends: I could eat the whole thing and he/she will still be a <fill in the word of your choice>! A motto I have taken to heart: If hunger isn't the problem, food isn't the answer. If you need support, you'll find it here. :-) Come and vent if and when you need to. Good Luck! Orea

Congratulations on your surgery and the weight loss! We need to do whatever it takes to get those pounds off, and how we do it is nobody's business but ours. Good luck and keep in touch. :-) Orea

I'm on Day 7 of two weeks of Optifast. The first five days were pure misery: almost constant hunger, fatigue, body aches, occasional nausea. It's taken a huge effort for me to stick to it, but I have. I'm not losing as fast as they said I might, but I presume it's because I've been dieting solidly since January. I am being extra careful to do exactly as instructed so that if they question my lower weight loss, I can honestly say I followed it to the letter! As long as my liver looks good, that's what matters, right? Thursday is my last preop appointment. Maybe then it will sink in that this is really happening. My mind hasn't quite figured it out yet, it just expects one hoop after another forever! In a way that is good, as it keeps me from feeling nervous. By now I'm figuring the surgery is the easy part. I just lie down, pass out and let someone else do the work! LOL Orea