Jpet

I, too, have to recommend the immersible blender. I have the Braun hand-held stick blender and I've yet to come across any kind of food that could be blended with a regular blender, but not with the stick blender. My Braun also came with a chopper attachment (sort of looks like a mini food processor) and that has been wonderful for chopping/pureeing foods that you would normally drag out your food processor for. Granted, it's small and can't hold too much, but it beats having to clean a food processor. I'm going to try to grind my own chicken breast to make chicken burgers. I've heard mixed reviews about the magic bullet, especially about the seal rings that may have to be replaced. They're also pretty small and limited given what else you may want to make. Good luck!

I made this last Saturday and it couldn't have been easier. It went down easily also: Ingredients: About 3 to 3 1/2 pounds of boneless pork loin (I get mine from Costco), and trim off any excess fat around the edge 3/4 of a bottle of Pace Salsa Verde 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped About 1/4 cup of beef broth (I know we all have this around our house!) Scatter the onions around the bottom of the slow cooker and place the pork on top. Pour the salsa verde on top of the pork. You may want to add additional seasonings such as chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, jalapenos, etc. I'll leave that to you to doctor up how you see fit. Cook on low for about 7 to 8 hours. When done, take the pork out and shred it with two forks. Then put the pork back into the slow cooker with the juices so that the pork can reabsorb the juices. The end result is very tender, soft, juicy pork that tastes like the shredded Mexican-style pork you get in restaurants. This makes a ton of shredded pork, so decrease the amounts according to what you need. You can use the shredded pork in a number of ways, e.g. enchiladas, mixed up with scrambled eggs for a Mexican-style Breakfast, or how I've been eating it lately -- with a side of refried Beans. Yum.

My stomach is growling RIGHT NOW and I am HUNGRY because I don't have hardly any restriction after my first fill. I'm living in bandster hell right now, but still just happy to be here. First of all, I think it would be too dang hard to not snack at all until you get to the sweet spot. That is such a ridiculous idea to me right now. I'm sure the doc's literature assumes that you shouldn't be snacking if you're at proper restriction. I also believe that snacking is not encouraged because of how much Water we should be drinking on a daily basis. If you eat three meals and two small Snacks per day, but you can't start drinking until an hour after eating, well, it would be very difficult to get all of the water in. Good luck to you. I wouldn't worry about snacking if you're truly hungry.

I just wanted to throw my support your way as well. I had my first fill two weeks ago today -- 2.4 cc in a 10 cc band. As you can imagine, I'm so hungry right now I could eat my desk, and I just ate two hours ago. And, I just finished that TOM and boy did I have cravings (did I really need to eat that apple fritter?) They don't call it bandster hell for nothing, do they? The way I get through this time is to remind myself that it's temporary. Just imagine how you'd feel if this was it -- i.e. this was our actual diet that we're supposed to be on and suffer through until we lose all of the weight we need to. I'd be depressed to say the least. Instead, this is simply a temporary period of time that we have to survive and in the end, God willing, we'll all have that "sweet spot." In the meantime, I'm trying not to gain. If I lose any weight, that's just icing.

I would call the doctor's office back and demand to be seen earlier. Perhaps they don't understand that you need an unfill immediately, as requested by your doctor. Sometimes the office staff does not know what the doctor has requested/recommended, and so they don't know the emergency nature of the situation. If the office staff cannot schedule you in before Friday, I would stay on liquids until then. It's been mentioned many times on this board that if you pb (spit your food back up), then that typically causes your stomach/esophagus to swell, causing further problems with eating solids, which then causes more pb's. It's a cycle. The general rule, which I personally follow, is that after a pb, go on liquids for a full 24 hours, if not more. This gives your stomach time to rest and calm down. As for whether you have a slip, I don't know. Only your doctor can diagnose that, but I have heard that heartburn can be a symptom of a slip. Good luck. Take care of yourself and baby your stomach for a while -- it deserves it!

My port is in my belly button and even if I just run my hand over it, I can feel it. I figure there's less of a chance for the doctor to miss the port if he can easily find it. Maybe after I've lost all of this weight I'll care about the aesthetics of a small bump around my belly button. Right now -- no one's looking at my belly button except me and my DH. And he's doesn't care either.

I just got over the flu. And this was the real, honest to God flu (not just a cold). It was hell -- that's the best way to describe it. By sheer force of will, I didn't throw up, but I had the rest of the whole nine yards. It's just something to survive and being well hydrated is the key. I drank gatorade, even though I know it has simple sugars and way too many carbs. But it has electrolytes and it was easy going down. When you're really sick, you shouldn't worry about your diet and you should just eat/drink whatever you can keep down. By the way, Nyquil was my best friend during this time.

About four weeks post-op, I caught the flu pretty bad and was coughing and sneezing practically constantly. I called my doctor to let him know I wouldn't be getting my first fill yet and mentioned that I was coughing a lot and sneezing. He wasn't concerned about me doing any damage. I suppose when you think about it, coughing and sneezing uses mainly our diaphrams and lungs, but it's the muscle pain you're probably feeling. I doubt you're doing any damage, but that doesn't it mean it doesn't hurt, huh. I ended up holding my port area when I coughed and sneezed and this support helped so much. Take care!

I use fitday because it also helps you track your weight and activities and if you give it a "goal date," it will calculate how much weight you need to lose per week to get to your goal by that date. It will also estimate how many calories you burn for activities. I think tracking your calories is a great idea. I just recently started tracking EVERYTHING I eat and I realized that I am eating about 500 calories more than I would have honestly thought. It's amazing how much it all adds up to be, even though I'm still in the mushy phase. Once I started eating an actual 1100-1200 calories per day, the weight starting going down again. What I estimated to be 1200 calories/day was probably closer to 1500-1800 calories.

I had those same type of pains. For me, I had them my first week post-op and it felt like a wave of pain that would sometimes accompany actual hunger grumbling. I think it was just that my stomach was irritated from the surgery and so hunger pains were actual painful. Now, they're gone and when my stomach growls, it doesn't hurt. How long ago were you banded? Of course, the prudent answer to your question would be to ask your surgeon.

I don't know very much about it, but I know that it helps support a good metabolism. About a hundred years ago, when I was on a Lindora program (ketosis diet), they gave me daily shots of B12 to help my metabolism. I lost 40 pounds in 2 months. Obviously, I didn't keep it off. Anyway, I digress. . . A quick google search will give you a better idea.

I know what you mean about the food Network Channel. I asked myself, "why am I watching this when I clearly can't have this food for at least another month?" Torture, I tell you. And believe me, the "WTF did I just do to myself" thought came across my mind a couple times. Especially that first night when I could not get comfortable. In fact, it was at least a week before I had a full night's uninterrupted sleep. But, now I'm doing so well (even though I live in bandster hell) and I've had no complications. I'm not ready to say that it's the best decision I've ever made, but it certainly isn't the stupidest decision I've made. I treated my recovery like a job. Every hour I got up and walked around my apartment. My doctor suggested 200 steps/hour and that's what I did. And I made sure to sip liquids and get the Protein in. But I did not worry about calories in the beginning, so I drank gatorade and watered down juice, and my Protein shakes did not have artificial sweetners. Now, of course, I don't drink them because they're too high in sugar, but when you're freshly post-op. . .

Yes, you can eat oatmeal and drink a shake, although that may end up being too much food for you after you're filled. A lot of people put plain Protein powder in their oatmeal (I prefer the plain, unflavored soy protein). In order to make sure I get protein in for breakfast, I end up eating non-traditional breakfast meals. I'll eat some hummus or I'll eat some chicken. I know it sounds weird, but I don't let the fact that it's "breakfast time" dictate what type of food I eat. That being said, as I get fills, I will have to adjust accordingly because my tightness level will likely be higher in the mornings (as it is with lots of folks). So, if you're looking for traditional breakfast meals, you can try oatmeal with Protein Powder, eggs, cream of wheat with protein powder, Cereal with milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, or a protein shake.

Laura: I know! I thought it was a weird placement also. It's not particularly sensitive, but it does feel weird. I haven't had a fill yet, so I'll have to wait to see whether it's particularly painful. As for a TT, I've thought of that also. Hmmm Kat: Yes, my jeans, which ride right below my belly button do bug my port (which is essentially in my belly button). It's not painful, but it just irritates the area in general. And then later on, it starts to itch. I'm kind of disappointed in where the port was placed, because my pants tend to sit right around my belly button anyway. We'll see what the doctor says at my first fill.

For me, I didn't tell anyone but my husband and mother that I was getting the surgery. I didn't tell anyone else -- not my best friend, not any co-workers, and no other family members. For me, it was my personal decision and it was not up for debate. Now that I'm post-op, I'm telling people slowly, but I preface it by saying that I didn't tell anyone pre-op because I didn't want to debate the pros and cons of the surgery. It's a lot easier to tell people post-op than pre-op, in my opinion. It prevents the whole, "I don't think you should do it," discussion because it's done and moot. However, I understand that not everyone feels comfortable keeping it from those they love. I would simply say, "this isn't a discussion and I'm not going to debate this issue. This is what I know I need." I know -- easier said that done, huh.

Yeah, I would consider "blender" food as truly pureed food, and I would consider fish to be more of a soft/mushy food.

I think you're okay. If I remember correctly, it was at least a week until I had a good burp. I'm just now feeling normal about burping, and I'm three weeks post-op.

I'm on the mushy phase also, and my doctor listed fish as a mushy. But I generally eat sole because I find it to be a mushier fish than salmon or tuna, which can be very solid sometimes. Just try to mash it up before you eat it, i.e. don't eat a chunk of it at a time. That way, you're doing some of the work for your stomach a head of time.

I have a quick question for Isuza, and this is not meant as an attack -- it is a genuine question/concern: I was recently banded with the APS band. The AP band has baffles, or what I think you refer to as reservoirs. You pointed out that the Realize band essentially forms an irregular triangle when filled, and that this shape causes creases on the surface of the band's bladder. But are the AP band's baffles essentially separated by creases? I'm a little worried because if there is so much concern about creases, I would think that the AP band now has a minimum of seven creases. What do you think?

I moved on to mushies at day 10 after my first post-op doctor's visit. I suppose the original plan was to do two full weeks of liquids, but he moved me up after my visit. I know it's hard. And I know the worst feeling in the world is to feel hungry, which is why most of us got the band in the first place. It's like a cruel joke -- you've got your band, but now you're hungrier than ever and you can't do anything about it. But now is the time to make really good decisions about your health. Many believe that the reason why we're not progressed to solid foods quickly is to allow the stomach and band to form a layer of scar tissue that will help to keep the band in place for the long term. The band is still fairly new technology (especially the new bands). When I was in your kind of hell (and still am to a certain degree), I told myself that hunger pains meant that I was healing and that my body was telling me that it was okay and functioning normal. I ended up "eating" Soup or liquid every couple of hours and it was frustrating. BUT IT'S TEMPORARY and you can do anything for two weeks, right? That's the beauty of this -- unlike a horrible crash diet, we know that this part of bandster hell is temporary and you can get through it. It sucks, we've all been there, and you're going to come out on the other side, too. Dig deep and stay strong!

My port is directly underneath my largest incision, and it's located right next to the belly button, and extending somewhat into the belly button. So that if I stick my finger in my belly button, I can feel the side of the port extending into the belly button. Done anyone have their port essentially in their belly button?

Congratulations! I'm so happy that things are going well for you. And even though you know this already, moving around and taking short walks is soooo helpful. I was so blessed to not have much by way of gas pains, but when I did, walking really helped even though it was tough at the beginning of each walk. Think of it as your job for the next few days to try and get up and move around every hour. My doctor gave me a goal of 200 steps per hour. So, I figured out how many steps were in a lap around my apartment, and I would do laps every hour. By the fourth day, I was walking outside and it took me 20 minutes to walk eight blocks (which is really slow), but it helped so much. Now, I'm three weeks post-op and I went for my first hour long hike last Monday, which was wonderful! Take care of yourself!

My surgery was scheduled for 8:30, but I was asked to get to the hospital two hours a head of time. So, I got there at 6:30 a.m. and went to the admissions office, where they processed my paperwork. Then I was taken to a room and asked to put on a gown and cap. While waiting for them to pick me up, I had an EKG (because I have a heart arrythmia) and the nurse went over EVERYTHING with me. Then I was wheeled to the pre-op room and my husband accompanied me. That's when the anesthesiologist introduced himself and we talked about the procedure and pain management/nausea concerns. He started an IV in my hand (didn't hurt at all) and he gave me several anti-nausea medications and antibiotics. Then my surgeon showed up and other nurses came in to ask me who I was and why was I there. I must have been asked that question at least a dozen times. The anesth. then gave me a mild sedative, I said goodbye to my husband (while trying not to cry) and I was wheeled into the operating room. They put a blood pressure cuff on my arm and put massaging cuffs on my legs to prevent clots. I was pretty relaxed at this point and I remember them giving me oxygen through a mask and telling me that I was going to go to sleep. A few seconds later, I felt myself being moved over to another gurney, and that's because the procedure was over. I also remember them telling me that the surgery was over. Then I must have been in the recovery and I remember taking my oxygen mask off because I had a bad taste in my mouth. They put it back on me and told me it was because of the anesthesia. I asked for more anti-nausea meds and they gave them to me, and I just kept drifting in and out of sleep. I remember thinking that I should hurry up and wake up so I can go home -- almost as if I was taking up too much time, but they let me sleep in recovery and didn't rush me at all. One issue was that my oxygen saturation was kind of low, so they kept telling me to take deeper breaths. After about two hours in recovery, I was moved to another room where I met up with my husband and again kept drifting in and out of sleep. I was given Water to sip and then eventually juice. About an hour later, I got up and walked to the bathroom, and then told the nurse I was ready to go home. The worst part of the experience was the bad taste in my mouth. I tend to be a little claustrophobic, so the oxygen mask was bugging me, but then they eventually gave me a canula, which was a lot better. I wasn't in a lot of pain at all. I only took liquid tylenol, and that was only for two days after the surgery. Now, everything is great and there have been no complications. I'm so happy I had it done. I know you must be very nervous, and it's normal. There's nothing that we can say here that will take all of your nerves away -- that's just the nature of having a surgery! But it is a fairly non-invasive and quick procedure. I was told that most complications don't happen during the surgery. The best thing that you can do is to feel completely comfortable with your surgeon and ask a lot of questions. The more you know, the less mystery to make you nervous. If you have any questions, PM me! Take care!

Although I've read a lot of posts regarding why caffeine is generally not recommended (especially right after surgery), I haven't seen much regarding decaf. Decaf coffee still contains a small amount of caffeine as it's impossible to remove all caffeine in the decaffeinating process. But is that still too much? What is everyone's position on decaf coffee? I miss the taste of coffee and I'd be happy at this point with just decaf. Thanks in advance!

I'm glad to hear that you're feeling better. I can't even imagine how hard it is for you. As you already known, liquids are so important, but Protein and carbs are also important -- especially if you're breastfeeding. So, is it possible for you to sip at gatorade or juice? Don't worry about calories at this point -- I'm a little worried about whether you're getting your electrolytes. Even if you have to sip at it a tablespoon at a time, try to get more into your body other than tea. You need the energy (read: calories) in order to function. What about K2O, which is that protein Water put out by Special K? I found some at the pharmacy. You'll get through this!