tweenwaters

Congratulations and THANK YOU for being such an inspiration to all of us! I was just banded on 1/17/08.....so seeing your video clip and hearing your success story is very uplifting! Hubby & I grew up in Portsmouth, NH.....miss the northeast so much....even the SNOW!

Hi Road King~ That's GREAT!! Remember to ask for the anti-nausea meds in your IV for when you wake up....they help a lot! You will have most of the day to rest at home. Take your pain meds as prescribed the first day or two and then see how you feel.....I walked around my house a lot, which might be why I never had any gas pain. Please stay in touch as soon as you feel up to posting. I'll be praying for you. You have such a GREAT team of doctors and nurses ready to take the best care of you!! Try to get a good nights' sleep.....that will help you be more relaxed. It's almost here.....Are you excited? Nervous? I'm now 5 days post-op and feel about 90% back to normal. The bruising around my port is awful....multi colored yellows and blues. That is my only complaint for pain today. Still not hungry at all, sipping crystal light in between my two meals of Optifast shakes. Best wishes for a quick, uneventful surgery.....and a speedy recovery!!!

Wow Lorie! so sorry that happened to you. I would have FREAKED! I'll keep you in my prayers that you will not have any infection and the port site will heal completely this time. Hang in there.

that's great to hear SJK!! Gives me hope that I should be feeling "normal" again too. I was also banded on the 17th. I'm struggling with getting in the Optifast, water, crystal light, and soup. My surgeon wants me to have 3 Optifast shakes each day.....but today I had one (@ 11:00 am) and for dinner tonight I had about 1/2 of a creamy tomato soup (the small hand held soup to go from campbell's). Trying to follow the "no drinking" water or crystal light etc....30 minutes prior to meals and 90 minutes after meals..... What else did you have today to get in 600 calories? I think I'd feel better (more energy) if I could just get in some more nutrition. Any suggestions welcomed:)

You will do GREAT .... no worries!! Dr. Kim is really, really good!! The recovery room nurse is wonderful too! She did my IV, so just go in knowing that you will be well cared for and try to relax.....it's over before you know it.

I agree.....there is nothing EASY about this. It will be wonderful...I'm just ready to get past the first week post-op. Looking forward to the results, so every ounce of discomfort will be worth it in the end. Hang in there....let us know how it goes on Thursday!!

Hi again~ my fear was the nausea after waking up, so if that is a concern of your make sure you tell the nurses and anesthesiologist....they will give youmeds in your IV for when you wake up. My surgery was at 2:30, left Prestonwood at 5:15, slept the whole ride home...then for about 2 hours in my own bed. I didn't have any pain to speak of when I woke up ....just a tightness which I guess was from all the sutures etc... They used stitches on the inside and then glue on the outside... Dr. Kim does a great job of numbing the area around the port....which will last for almost a day. When the meds wore off, the pain wasn't that awful....just sore. They sent me home with Lortab (liquid pain meds) and Nexium capsules for my stomach on the inside. The Lortab has codene...and I've been trying to only take it at bedtime. The first 2 days, I took it every 6 hours as it was prescribed....it makes me very sleepy. I did not have any gas pain....none...knock on wood. For the first 2 days, I only sipped on crystal light and Water. Day 3 I added chicken broth....and yesterday, I went back on Optifast. It's kind of strange that I could easily drink my 5 during pre-op....and now I can't finish 2 for the entire day. My stomach has been a little upset since going back on Optifast.....so I'm sipping and taking it slowly. Trying to keep up on my other fluids too....sipping water and crystal light. I'll be on Optifast for 2 weeks post-op....then on to mushies. It's a weird feeling....not being hungry....never known what this felt like before surgery. I think I was ALWAYS hungry. As far as going back to work....you may not be released to drive by then, so unless you have someone to rive you to work...that may not be an option. Especially if you are still taking the pain meds.... I hope you can take a few more days off to recover. I am a full time mom....and my hubby has been on vacation since my surgery.

Hello Road King! You will really be pleased with Dr. Kim as your surgeon. He came HIGHLY recommended from my PCP when I was beginning my search. I went to Dr. Kim's seminar last Sept....then my insurance denied me for surgery. Dr. Kim is passionate about lap-band and helping his patients achieve success with this "tool". His P.A. is wonderful and will be following our progress along the way as well. If you have any questions, let me know. A day or two before surgery, someone will call you from the surgery center to get some more info from you. The night before, the anethesiologist will call you to let you know when to stop eating/drinking... My whole experience with TLC Edge and Prestonwood has been really positive. Good luck!!

just had surgery the 17th and feel good. I've been really tired, and like the others have said...it's probably from the lack of calories. Today is the first day back on Optifast. I was supposed to have 3, but have only had one so far. Port site is really sore and the bruise is gross. The other 5 are healing nicely though. I will be on Optifast for 2 weeks (starting today) and then hopefully on to mushies. No regrets yet...I'm just anxious to start seeing the weight come off. I want to meet a summer goal that I have set for myself. Best wishes to all of you fellow January Bandsters!!! Keep to your diets and we'll all be here for support along the way.

She's right....that has been my experience so far. My surgery was Thursday at 2:30, so I had not had anything except some iced tea early that morning. Friday...just sipped on crystal light and water all day. Saturday...more crystal light and water and I tried chicken broth for dinner in a travel coffee mug. I only had maybe 1/3 of it......just not hungry or interested. Today is my first day back on Optifast shakes. My Dr. wants me to get in 3 each day. I'm sipping on my first right now and it's going to take forever to get it down. My stomach feels FULL and the shake feels like it's stuck in my throat and won't go down. I've had only 1/2 (4 oz)..... If I can get my energy back up to normal, I'm fine with not feeling that hunger pain ever again!! YAY. I know what you mean about seeing the food on TV.....we will be watching football all day today and know that the commercials will be ALL food. Oh well....

I know how you are feeling....just wanting it to be over and start your new life with the band. It's a HUGE relief when the day finally arrives. I was scared but more relieved then anything. Best of luck!!

The women working the front desk at TLC Edge are really nice....they will answer all your questions if you have any before surgery. I bought 3 cases of Optifast for my two weeks pre-op and still had some left over....I usually had 5 shakes each day. Some days I only had 4 b/c we were out of the house most of the day and I forgot to pack a couple to take with us. I also drank lots of water and crystal light lemonade. I did buy another 2 cases for my 2 weeks post-op. Not sure if this is required but it was my surgeons post-op diet plan....and I want to follow this to the "T". Let me know if you have any questions or if you just need some support along the way. It will be here before you know it!! Best wishes!

Hello January band group~ My name is Stacey....Tweenwaters....I was banded yesterday at 2:30 and left the clinic at 5:15. The surgery went really well....I'm actually glad that I did the 2 week pre-op diet (Optifast) as I think mentally it has helped me get into a little bit of a groove on my new life. It is such a relief to be on the other side of band land now! I've truly enjoyed reading all of your success & progress along the way. Although I was terrified (this was my first surgery)...I really found support reading your experiences. THANK YOU!! ~ pain and MAJOR bruise at port site insicion. ~ no gas pain (YET)... ~ doctor gave me lortab (liquid) for pain....every 6 hours ~ Nexum (purple capsule) for helping my tummy adjust on the inside....for the next several months as my diet will keep changing. That's all for now.....good luck to everyone going today and the rest of the month. Keep up with your updates....I love hearing all the stories and sharing details of this journey.

Another Protein Drink that I've found and really like is the EAS carb control shake. They sell them in 4 packs at Walmart ...I like the chocolate & the vanilla...but they have strawberry too. They are bigger then the Optifast, so they are more filling. Hang in there, I about lost it doing my 13 day pre-op diet. Just had surgery on the 17th, and all is good so far.

Hi Shandra~ My name is Stacey....I just had my surgery with them 2 days ago (Jan 17th). The TLC Edge office was really nice and treated me great throughout the process. My insurance denied me as well, so this self pay price was better. I was able to use the surgeon that I had chosen before being denied which was wonderful. He was the first surgeon to use the new facility on Dec 27th. Who is your surgeon? Mine is Dr. David Kim. His P.A. is wonderful too. All the nurses that I had were fantastic, especially the nurse who did my IV...she was my recovery room nurse. My surgery was at 2:30 and I left the surgery center at 5:15.....slept the whole drive home, then for a couple more hours in my own bed. Woke up @ 8-8:30 feeling good.....sore but good. No gas pain yet, that is what has scared me most on this message board. I asked them to give me meds to take away that sick feeling after waking up...they did and I felt good. GOOD LUCK!!!! I think you'll be very pleased with TLC Edge and the Prestonwood Surgery Center (same building).

Hi everyone~ I'm a 17th as well.....I'd love to stay in touch and compare progress along the way to our goals. We're all pretty close in BMI and amount of weight that we'd like to loose. I have another thread that I started this morning....feeling pretty sore this afternoon....port area mostly. Just sipping crystal light lemonade and water....walking aournd my house and napping. How about you?

wow....so sorry to hear you had such a rough time. Hope you will feel better very soon. Hang in there and keep us posted!! best wishes for feeling good this weekend.

congrats Saleel~ glad you are feeling better. I was banded yesterday (17th) and wasn't given that same pain meds...thankfully. They gave me liquid Lortab. It really is helping with the pain at the port site but makes me very sleepy. I'm worried about gas pain....I don't have any yet but dread the thought b/c so many have said it is really awful. Any gas pain for you yet? How much walking and sipping are you doing? I haven't left the house yet, just walking around upstairs and downstairs in between naps. Thanks for your update...it's always nice to follow along with others progress.

thanks Kat....so glad to hear that all is going well for you. Did the gas pain start on the 3rd day? That is what I am most afraid of....but don't have any gas pain yet. My throat is also very dry from the breathing tube.....when does that go away? thanks for your post. Stacey

since my insurance denied surgery, I am a self pay. I was at a surgery center, just north of DFW, Prestonwood Surgery Center, with the same wonderful surgeon, Dr. David Kim (based at North Hills Hospital) that I was planning to use had I not been denied by my insurance companny. This brand new surgery center just opened last month and is offering the lap-band surgery for the low cash payment of $9990. I was looking into going to Mexico and then my husband came across this group on the internet. It was only a 45 minute drive from our home too....which is a lot more convienient then having to fly to Mexico. Other then feeling like I've been kicked in the stomach by a horse....I feel good. No gas pain yet....knock on wood.

Good luck everyone! Can't wait to hear from all of you with your surgery updates. I'm scheduled on 1/17/08....and doing my 2 week pre-op diet of Optifast shakes. Very excited but also nervous....so keep the updates coming please. Stacey

what is it about caffeine that your doctors told you not to have it? my pre-op visit on the 3rd did not say that I had to cut it out entirely....the one cup of coffee in the mornings is fine (dietician).

:confused: sorry for this but my weight loss ticker isn't cooperating....trying to see if I've fixed it this time.... my surgery date is the 17th....Yippee!!!

I was also denied.....similar story. I'm 5' 6" and 229lbs....BMI is 37. No other medical problems, other than back pain (which I've been seeing a chiropractor for 5 months). Unfortunately, my insurance didn't think it was medically necessary... My husband and I researched a lot...even considered flying to Mexico as many others have done. My hubby stumbled across a local clinic (TLC Edge) that was offering a low cash option for surgery and six months of fills...in the DFW area. We have decided it is worth every penny to make sure that I live a long and healthy life.....enjoying every minute together with our two kids. GOOD LUCK....

I bought my Opti-Fast at the TLC Edge clinic where I'll have my surgery. (Prestonwood)