BellaPerdente

Yes, you can have sugar-free popsicles. They gave me them in the hospital after my surgery. My surgeon says it is ok.

Vicki: you are on soft foods already? I was on clear liquids for 3 days and now I am on full liquids until day 14, then to pureed foods, then to soft foods, then regular foods.

I had the same thing after my surgery. I couldn't take a deep breath without my chest hurting. I called my surgeon and suggested I go to the ER. I did (just to be safe) and they did an EKG, blood work, and ct scan of my lungs. They finally said it was probably gas and heartburn. I am feeling much better and it has been 7 days.

I am feeling better today but I am still yawning sooo much. Can someone please tell me why??????????????? I was feeling a little hungrier today. I had one cup of soup at lunch and one cup at dinner. I also had 1/2 of an Atkins shake in the afternoon and 1/2 at night. I don't think I am getting enough water in. PLUS.....I just wanted to chew something and I chewed a very small piece of sausage and spit it out.....how pathetic am I???? Has anyone else been hungry this early out of surgery?

I can't imagine anyone making it FOUR WEEKS with a clear liquid diet. My Dr. said 3 days clear liquids and 2 weeks FULL liquids (which includes protein drinks and different soups). Where is your nutrition coming from? I would be drinking protein water at least.

Hi, just wanted to ask all of you newly banded a couple of questions. Do you feel like you get spasms in your esophagus. I sometimes feel like I can't take a deep breath and I yawn constantly. Do you ever feel like you made a mistake? I don't want to feel sick all the time. I guess I am getting a little depressed:( I was banded on 7/17/08.

Hey guys, feeling better with the pain but have a couple of questions. First, I can't stop yawning. Every couple of minutes, I am yawning. I don't think I am tired, but it is getting annoying. I started last night. What's up with that? Second, is it normal to feel spasms in the esophagus? Is this from drinking or eating too fast? I have only been eating jello, broth, and popsicles. Today, I started creamy soups (strained) but I ate almost a whole cup. I am feeling hungrier now. I have those spasms even if I don't eat or drink???? Dee: are you talking about the papers we received online before surgery with post-op directions? I can't remember what I received at the hospital. On the full liquid stage, I heard you can have tomato soup, but on one of the sticky's on the food and nutrition page, it said not to have tomato products because of the acid. What do you guys think?

Hi everyone, I made it home without throwing up. The flight was soooo much better, but, I still am not going to fly again. I was still nauseas (?) but as long as I kept my cough drops in my mouth (thanks lap) and kept still, I was ok. A HUGE thanks to lifesaver for your help. Wish I could give you a hug. Dee, you were so good to me while I was there. I don't think I could have done it without you. I hope I wasn't too much of a pest. I think Kacie felt better knowing you were here for us. Well on the last day in Colorado, I had to go to the ER. I was having alot of pain in my chest area when I tried to take a deep breath. Dee said to call Dr. K and Dr. K told me to go to the er. I knew it was probably gas pains but Dr. K said it wasn't normal to have such a hard time breathing. So to be on the safe side, I went. They did an EKG and CT scan of my lungs, blood work and gave me a GI cocktail. I guess they were worried about a blood clot in my lungs. Everything came back normal and they sent me home. (without insurance, I don't know what this will cost me:( GBear: I know exactly how you are feeling about the different "feelings" in the body right now. I haven't been drinking like I should because I also feel the pressure, but what is weird is that I feel that sometimes by just breathing. I also have loose bowels...is that normal? I don't want to get dehydrated. I also still feel it in my chest when I try to take a deep breath. Dr. K said maybe it was from the hernia repair. Did anyone else experience this? How long did most of you stay on the Clear liquids. I don't want to push it but I would love to go on full liquids. All of us newbies need help from the experts now!!!!

Hi everyone, Well I am finally one of you. I can't wait to get home and be with my family, BUT I feel I made some really good friends here. Dee has been my angel. Without her, I would have been lost. I only hope I can repay her somehow. Lifesaver is exactly that. She has called the airlines to check on my non-stop flight and has found a jet going home with 30 empty seats....yeah! I will go to the airport early and get on standby. She is also going this evening to the airport to try and confirm our seats....what a friend. I am feeling ok. My chest hurts when I cough. Is that normal? The worst part of the surgery is when I woke up, I had alot of heartburn coming up on me. I think that is why I still feel the burning when I cough. Well I think I will go rest now. Thanks everyone. Adorkable, you look great, I can really, really tell!!!!! You are being to hard on yourself.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers. I got up early so that I can have my coffee before 9:00 a.m. Dr. K said I should drink it so I won't go through caffeine withdrawals. Dee will be picking us up around 11:00. She has been great. Sunshine and GBear: So glad all went well. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery and a healthy journey.

Well, back from Red Robin. Got to meet Dee, bookholder, lifesaver, and a couple of others. I had such a good time. Even my daughter had fun. Dee took pictures and I am sure she will post them. Sunshine: so glad all went well. I am nervous but anxious. Lap: Thanks so much for the advice. I will definitely call ahead. I did call and ask about a non-stop flight but it was too expensive. Lifesaver is going to call (she know some people) and see if she can help me.

lifesaver: thanks, I love my new name alot better. I wish you a speedy recovery. Adorkable: my I ask what a HIDA scan is? My daughter and I will be at the RR. I know some of you are from the Denver area, but anyone live near West Virginia?

Well, as you can see I am not FAT anymore (I wish it was that easy). My new username is Italian for "beautiful loser". I am full-blooded Italian and I wish I knew how to speak more of the language. I had to go online to figure out how to say this. I hope Dr. K. gives me some good stuff for nausea for the ride home.

Well, guys I am in Denver. I came to the conclusion that I hate flying and will probably never do it again. I tried to save money and bought cheap tickets with 2 layovers. I had to board 3 different planes and go up and down three times. Well, I was sick through the first two but managed to not throw up....but the last flight was so bumpy going down, I couldn't help it. I even took motion sickness medicine. I have not been right since. I can't get rid of this headache either. I don't know how I am going to manage going home after surgery. I called the airline to see if I could change to a non-stop flight but it would cost me like $500.00 per person....are they crazy! I decided to go on standby and call early Saturday morning to see if I could get a non-stop flight. Let's hope and pray. My daughter was scared to death on that last flight and does not want to get on another plane. It was really hard leaving my little son to come here. I hope I did the right thing. To top it all off, while in my sick state, I did not pay attention to my daughter when she grabbed her suitcase and guess what....when she opened it back at the hotel, she had the wrong one!!!!!!!!!!!!! I guess I will have to go back in the morning to see if they found hers and turn this one back in. Well, I hope everything goes ok for surgery. Sunshine: how did it go with Dr. K. How long did it take??? Good luck tomorrow.

Well, I am finishing up my packing!!! I leave at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow. I am getting excited. I am leaving one day early so that my daughter and I can see some sights and do a little shopping. If anyone has any ideas on the best things to see on a limited budget, let me know. Also, I know you guys trade clothes some times and I was wondering if anyone has any 4X clothes that they care to pass on, please bring them to the Red Robin on Wed. I just hate to buy anything new now. Well, better go finish.

It's been awhile on my blog. I wasn't able to have my surgery in Feb because of finances but I am flying to Denver on Tuesday with my daughter, Kacie. I am having surgery on Thursday, July 17 with Dr. Kirshenbaum. Getting nervous but excited.

It's been awhile on my blog. I wasn't able to have my surgery in Feb because of finances but I am flying to Denver on Tuesday with my daughter, Kacie. I am having surgery on Thursday, July 17 with Dr. Kirshenbaum. Getting nervous but excited.

Hey everyone, I am tired of everyone on here calling me "Fat" (widow) lol!! I know how to change physically, but how do I change my name on this forum????

I am having my surgery on the 17th also, but my surgeon has me on a low-carb diet only. I did not have to do the liquid diet. It was hard giving up my beloved carbs, but at least I get to eat. I am not sure why every surgeon is different.

Sunshine: are you getting nervous!!!!!!!! How far are you traveling? I am right behind you!

Hey guys, I came across a great post for low carb eating for preop diets or anytime. Thought I would share: How to shrink your liver (and increase ST weight loss) – the low-carb, pre-op diet Now I am afraid I didn't shrink by liver enough. I think I have been pretty good...I have been eating alot of salsa on my chicken and such. I think I would die if I flew all the way to Denver and spent all that money to not have the surgery.

Dee, you are such a sweet person. If I were rich, I would help you guys out too! Shelbi: I am using the 2nd surgeon I met with on my journey. He is in Pittsburgh (UPMC) and will do my fills for me. However, he is the cheapest around my area. He charges $240.00. I don't know if I could find an airline ticket cheaper than that, plus the aggravations of flying. There was one place that charges $400.....WOW!! If you go in every few months, that can be expensive. Does the size of the band dictate the number of fills? Would I be able to tell Dr. K to put a smaller band in so that I didn't have to get so many fills? I am still not sure how he determines what size to use.

A question for you ladies, what happens when the band is completely full? After that restriction is gone, what can you do?

Adorkable: go to the Nexium website and sign up for the purple pill plus program. You will get a card in the mail and then have your doctor write you a new prescription. You co-pay with insurance will only be $5.00 per month!!!!!!

Adorkable: I experience the same thing and I haven't been banded yet! At first, I thought it was sinus drainage. I saw my ENT doctor and he could not find anything in the back of my throat. He told me to see my GI doctor. I saw my GI doctor and he said all ENT doctors think that "feeling" is caused by acid reflux. I say "I am already on Nexium and I already had a endo done twice but this is a different feeling." Some days, it really annoys me!!! Well, GI doctor did a Barium Swallow and they found nothing in my throat but doctor came to the conclusion that it is a combination of acid reflux and a hiatal hernia. Well, I need to watch my diet; don't lay flat; don't eat before bed....yada...yada...yada. Do you take nexium? I love nexium, but I have to switch to something cheaper because....no health insurance. Hope this helps.