Sugarbear

Well, just don't worry about it. Do mention it when you go back to see the doctor. They can tell those things better they we can. Probably when you get your first fill, which will be 2 or 4 weeks away they can tell best. I know it is hard when you have a little one. I don't see how you can not lift him, especially when husband is at work and you have him alone. I guess your mom and her friends made it okay. Enjoy their visit. I don't have either of my parents now, but I do have some cherished memories from visits. Try to be careful. Take care.

I don't bother crushing meds or cutting them. I only have one that I think needs cutting in half. I found out that I didn't need to do that. Crushing was a pain and besides that, it is bitter. I just broke them, then started swallowing them whole. No trouble whatsoever. Are you taking your multi vitiman? (chewable). Are you able to swallow all liquids okay? Your swelling from the surgery should be fading. That may be why your starting to feel hungry. I never had much swelling. I was hungry from the get-go. Seems like I am doing better with this fill. Not getting qute as hungry as quickly as before. Hope that stays with me. Maybe I will do better this next six week period. In a hurry to get to my sweet spot. Hang in ther, you are doing so well.

Congrats Lisa on the little guy! I know you are proud. Hope you find a great dress for the occasion. I'll only give you a light spank, I didn't get to ask Ms Betty to do it at ours either. Our speaker went a little over time and Amy was in a Rush for her part, then Ms Betty ask for weight loss goals to give out pins, then everyone dispersed. Maybe next time. Vlynn don't get discouraged, you have done so well to this point. You are over halway! You know the last half is always harder. I am sure you have reached a plateau, and you know those don't last forever. Maybe change your diet up some and it will shock your system out of it's plateau. I read somewhere on here that someone went back on the liquid diet for one week and lost 7 or 8 pounds to shake up a plateau. Keep plugging away. Lo2us, sounds like you are looking forward to your mom and her friends comming. Don't wear yourself out, but enjoy their visit. Still be carefull about your port. Hope ya'll have a great time!

Welcome Sunlight. Everyone on this thread uses Dr. Heiker and or Keilin. Of course someone might move in from out of town and come to the support meetings and need to join us too. That is how this thread got started. Thought it would be good to have one where everyone was under the same band rules, by the same docs. All your emotions are perfectly normal. I think all banded here would say the same. I'm a little more than 3 months post op. Lo2us is one week post op. Some longer. We are a pretty good mix. Feel free to ask away any questions. I must have ask hundreds of them. Just about wore my group out! haha. Hang ib there with the pre op diet. It is for your saftey and to help the drs. If we can't answer your questions, just call Precision Surgery (PS), Ms. Betty can answer about anything. Take care, have to go now.

I think the fill is going to be okay. When you get a fill you have to have liquids the rest of that day, and mushies the next. I would have to look on my list, but I don't know if cottage cheese was on there on not. Thicker soups, yogurts, potato soup, applesauce, hot cereals, creamed potatoes. Just be sure it can be chewed to a mush, whatever it is. Take small bites and chew well. I have found that about anything goes down well if it is chewed well. The only thing I had trouble with was some grapefruit and it was my fault, didn't chew it well and was in a hurry. One other time I took a BIG bite of something didn't chew well and it was slow to go down. I have never had anything to lodge in my stoma. I told Dr. heiker that and he said that is what they want their patients to be able to do. Some are not honest and get a fill and get too tight. They have trouble with things not going down well. I can eat just about anything as long as I chew it well. He said that was good. I was leary at first too. It's certainly okay to be cautious. This may change at a later time when and if I get tighter but for now I can eat anything. Small amounts at a time is better. I think it tells us that on the sheet we got after surgery. I believe Amy gave me mine at the hospital. I made up thin mashed potatoes and kept them in the fridge. Just scooped out a little at a time. I also ate a lot of soups to start with. I love soup anyway. Check your list it may have some other hints. If you can't find yours I'll dig mine out and send it to you before your week is up. Take care.

lo2us. Well it has been a week today! How is the post-op diet comming? You have done so great so far! Every day just gets better doesn't it? One more week and you will be to mushies! Even though I am a slow loser I love stepping on the scale knowing I will never see that number I had the first time I weighed in. My blood pressure is getting better too. I am hoping to shed my meds for that this year. I have already shed one med I was taking. WOOHOO! Take care, talk to you later.

Welcome TX Hogwild. Let me see if I can help out. Pre-op. First read all you can on the precedure itself, to make sure that is what you want to do. It isn't a difficult surgery for the patient. It is the easiest surgery I personally have ever had, and I have had a few. Not wanting to borrow trouble, but there is always a risk doing any surgery. The hardest thing for me personally, was the pre-op diet (2 weeks). Mostly liquid. Dr. Heiker/Keilin have a seminar at Wadley that is very informative about the surgery. You can ask questions at the end of the meeting. I went and found it very helpful. As far as pain goes, I never had any severe pain. Mostly discomfort from the air they put in your abdomen to do the surgery, which plenty of walking gets rid of, about a week of being sore, maybe less. All in all it is astonishing easy. I would guess the general health of a patient would have some bearing on your recovery also. I was in pretty good general health. There is a seminar at Wadley Hospital June 14th and another on the 21rst at 7:00 p.m. Also there are support group meetings the second mon. every month in Texarkana at the YWCA at 7:00 p.m. These times and meeting are posted at noscales.com. The seminars and support meetings are free and I think you would get good info at them. The staff at Precision are great to talk to also. At the seminar they will give you a packet of good information, prices and what is required pre- surgery. Like getting a sleep study or maybe a psych evaluation. Many insurances require it. Hope this has helped you. Please feel feel free to ask any questions. This site is a great support. Just a big family. Take care.

Hello all. Enjoyed the meeting last night. Lo2us and I sat together. She attended the meeting only 5 days post-op. Good for her!! Yes it will be nice to look forward to seeing each other every month. Everyone seems very nice. We all recieved a pedometer, forgot to put mine on this a.m. I will try to do better tomorrow. I got a fill this a.m. So, I am on liquids the rest of the day and mushies tomorrow. I recieved .5 cc. I saw Dr. H this time, I was a little nervous, I have only met him once for a couple of minutes. He was very nice to me. He has a little different way of doing the fill but it was fine. Not painful or anything. I'm a big sissy about needles. Had my cracker and Water, everything went down fine. Vlynn, glad things are going well with you and Billy. I know you were all exhausted after the ball game! That is entirely to late!! The goal thing sounds good. I think we all do better when we have to be held accountable. It might give some of us that extra push we need sometimes. Everyone take care!

They called and rescheduled it until tomorrow a.m. (Tuesday). I am glad I could do it this week. I get so darn hungry and know I eat too much. My friend can barely eat 1/2 of a hamburger, I can eat a whole one without any problem whatsoever, and something to go with it. Of course i used to could eat more than that. So I know I must have some restriction or I wouldn't get full on that. Just not near enough. I know I have to work at it too, but that is the part of the band I need to work for me. My friend was the same way but now she can't eat that much. The band has been a wonderful portion control tool for her. That's where I need to to get to. Well, gotta get headed to my meeting. Later.

Hello Priss! We have been missing you. Hope you are doing alright. Hope to see you at the meeting too. Take care.

Hi Lo2us, Don't sweat it! (pun intended, haha). I had my surgery on a Wed. and was at the meeting on Mon. too. I will try to do better looking for you this time. I usually sit toward the front because I have a hard time hearing Ms. Betty, and sometimes Amy too. Especially without a microphone. I plan on being there too. My husband usually drives me over and drops me off. I don't always make it but I try to go a little early so if I have any questions I can ask around. Looking forward to seeing you. How is the battle of the gas comming? just keep moving all you can. Did you find out what size band you had? I go Tues. a.m. for a fill, they had to reschedule. That's okay, Mon. a.m. is a busy time for me. See ya tomorrow night.

Lo2us, start the Benefiber now. Yes it is okay to have the thinned tomato soup. I am not sure about the creamed soups. Just whatever she said. She did tell me I could have the tomato (thinned). I nearly lived on it, broth, and homemade potato soup. Just make some cream poratoes and thin it down with fat free or skim milk. You can't have any bits or pieces in anything right now. I drank sf hot chocolate in the a.m. then broke my pills in half or smaller and took them. The crushed pills were too bitter. Anyway I didn't have any trouble swallowing pills, still don't I have one horse pill that I bread in half, other than that I don't even break mine anymore. Maybe if I ever get tight, I will need to. Ifind that I don't need the hot in the a.m. but I did it right after surgery because they said to. Some people seem to have to do that. Everyone is different. The taste of stuff I think is due to our pre-op diet. A lack of so many tastes we were used to on a daily basis. I know when I first drank some broth, it was the best thing ever!! haha. Mizboo, I don't think we have to worry about the drs. Someone there did tell me that Dr. Keilin was going to work on her plastic surgeon certification. Hoping she would have it in a year. It will go right along with obesity surgery. Those who lose excessive weight will need that. She already does tummy tucks if I am not mistaken. I am not sure if Dr. Heiker is doing that or not. Anyway they have to attend medical seminars ect. just like other doctors to stay up on the latest. I sure hope it isn't a sign of anything else either. I go Tues. a.m. for a fill. I will just ask her. I had my urologist call and reschedule my appt. with them too next week!

Vlynn. Has Billy seen a urologist yet? Who does he have an appointment with? Your regular MD should be able to get him in with someone pretty quick. I really feel for him, I have had kidney stones and it's horrible! Hope he gets relief soon!! For both your sakes!!

Lisa, Dr. K's office called and had to reschedule my appointment to Tues. 9:00 a.m. Earlier is better for me. I guess they have called you too? It was Tues. or Thurs. I chose Tues. Don't want to wait any longer than I have to!

Hi Lisa. I am so ready for a fill too. I guess we are all impatient. We made a big decision to do this, then we all want to be a size 12 in a few short months. I guess that is not being fair to the band, huh? I have been banded for 12 weeks. I have decided that it is not going to fall of of me as fast as as comes off some others. I eat more for one thing, I'm trying my darnedest to cut that back. I'm older than anyone here, that is probably an excuse but I'm using it, and figure my metabolism may be in a lower gear. I have lurked around a couple other threads and there are many that lose slower than others for many reasons. The main thing is that they are losing. Also, I have got to get some kind of consistant exercise program going. I think that is my main downfall. Monday I get my 3rd fill, and I am hoping to get the exercise thing going then. Just so hard to get started!! Don't get too discouraged Lisa, I have ready where many seem to hit a plateau for awhile no matter what they do, but then all of a sudden it starts comming off. I too get pretty frustrated. I haven't lost much since the actual surgery. Most was pre-op. We just have to do something to get these engines reved. See ya Mon. a.m. Lo2us, that main soreness won't last too long. Just move around alot and it will help get it out. You will be amazed what you will feel like in a week, especially two. Seems like a long way off but it really won't be. You barely have 48 hours in. Just stay as active as you can with the walking and moving. Hope Gus is doing okay away from Mom. I didn't even do any cooking. My husband didn't want me to cook if I couldn't eat. So he just had Soup or something easy, or went out. That was soooooooo nice while it lasted. When do you go back to the Dr? Vlynn, glad to hear you are doing well. I've missed you posting.

Is anyone else getting their email alerts to tell them someone has posted? I seldom get one. Now you have to go to the site to check and see if there are any new posts. Bummer. I am assuming there will be a support group meeting on June 11, 7p.m. It is usualy the second Mon. night of the month. It hasn't been posted yet at noscales.com. I believe Dr. H usually takes care of that. That means I will come in for a fill Mon. a.m. and back for the meeting p.m. Oh well. Is anyone else going to the meeting? I am looking forward to the fill. By-the-way, does anyone else weigh heavier on PS scales? I do. I am going to check that again monday when I go. Wish I had lost enough to change my ticker. But haven't. Maybe after this fill. It will be my third. Lo2us, what size band did you get? Hope you are still feeling well. Remember to get out and walk. Keep us posted.

Congrats Lo2us!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are a true bandster! Sorry you had to wake up and go through that tube thing. Whew! That had to be scary! I haven't heard of anyone doing that! Dr. K did my surgery. I don't know id that makes a difference about where the incisions are or not. You might want to take a dose of pain meds tonight to help you rest better. I didn't really need that stuff either. You are right about the soreness, that was most of my "pain" so to speak. Even though you feel well, still take special care because you do not want your port to flip twist or turn, Also you have some healing to do. You want the band to scar in place properly. Taking care of the band now will pay off later. Every bandster says that is true. I am so glad you did well. Two more weeks of liquids and you will be on your way. We lost about the same on pre-op. You will do good on post-op too. Take care.

Lo2us, you will be in our thoughts and prayers. A movie is a good idea. Hope you enjoy it. ONLY... NO POPCORN!! Take care. I will be waiting to hear from you. Remember walk, walk, walk.

Slimfast or any high protien, lower calorie drink. I believe the mentioned a couple at the support meeting. I think one was Ungary? Not sure about spelling. I believe this site may have some of that listed somewhere. You may have to surf the titles of a few threads. How is the scale looking now? I know tomorrow is the big day. I think I speak for all in wishing you the best success. You will be fine. Hope you have everything all set and ready. Have you gotton your anti-nausea med and pain med prescriptions filled? I got mine early and did all that. I almost forgot about that stuff. You can get the adult liquid Tylenol if you don't want to continue on the liquid Hydrocodone. Keep your Precision Surgery number close at hand just in case you have any questions. Be sure and post as soon as possible after your surgery so we will know how you are doing. We will be anxiously waiting! Take care, and good luck!!!!

lo2us, Great weight loss! Keep it up. It is supposed to shrink your liver, which gives the surgeon more room to work. I stuck to it religiously for that reason. I lost about 17 or 18 lbs. Ouch! on the $$$$!! You could have paid it out with Wadley, but maybe you saved by paying up front. I haven't even gotton my bill from Wadley yet!! I will be 3 months out the 7th. I guess I will call them if I don't get one by mid June. Have you gotton all your drinks ect. for your post-op diet? Don't forget your protein, and move, move, move, after surgery. Sorry, seem to be "Mother Hen" today. Just want everything to go well for you. Talk to you later. Simplyme, stay in touch and let us know how you do. What kind of pre-op diet, and post-op stuff do you have to do? Just curious. Every doctor is different. Take care and we wish you the best success.

WELCOME SIMPLYME !! Glad to have you aboard. Know you are doing the liquid diet now. Hang in there. Are you being banded by the Texarkana surgeons? Lo2us, is being banded one 6-6. So you guys are right together. Be prepared for surgery when it is time. Have your liquids ect. bought and ready for the post-op diet. Liquid Tylenol (Adult strength), heating pad, and whatever else that you may prefer that makes you confortable. Do all the cleaning ect. before hand, so you won't have to lift, push, or pull for awhile. That is not good for your port. Some things I enjoyed where tomato soup, home made potato soup, ( thin with NO LUMPS), sf hot chocolate, sf popcicles, homemade chicken broth..better than the bought kind, but the bought will do. SF jello. You might get some high protien drinks, they help curb the hungries. Hope this is helpful. Most of all just don't worry too much. June 7th will be a new beginning for a healthier you. I hope you took a good look at the scales when you started your pre-op diet....you will never see that number again! Oh, and when you have your surgery, you will need to walk, walk, walk. Move around A LOT. Helps with the air they so generously put in your abdomen. If you have any questions, just fire away, we will be glad to answer any we can.

Vlynn, you are doing great! :clap2: You are also an inspiration to us. 61 pounds!! I would love to be where you are!!!! Like you, I am not so patient. I know I have got to eat less. I will be glad when I have that feeling. I go June 11th for my next fill. How much has Billy lost? Glad he is doing well. Do you go to the T-Town support meetings?

Hi lo2us. Glad to hear you are hanging in there on the liquid diet. Your countdown is certainly getting closer. Six days! Will you have help with your little one? Lisa is right about the day surgery staff. My experience was good as well. I feel like yours will be too. Do you know where you are in the order of surgery? I was first, and was glad of it. Hate not being able to have a little coffee in the morning. I believe you will do fine. Lisa, I feel like I need that little extra fill too. I am so hoping this will be the one. I have a friend that has only had two and has great restriction, but I think she may have the small band. I have the medium. Hope your scales are continuing to move downward. Mine are still stuck. Maybe this next one will be it for us. Hope everyone had a nice holiday. I know the teachers are wrapping it all up if they aren't finished yet. I think our schools last day was Tues Where is hopeful church and Priss?? Sure wish we could here back from Blondylocks, and see how she's doing.

Lisa, mine is at 9:30. I am ready for it too. I think this one will help me more, at least that is what I am hoping for. How many fills have you had? I guess your little boy is still playing ball? How's he doing? My scales are just sitting there right now. I have been trying to find the time to join a gym. I am going to make a better effort next week. Did you mention our thread here at your support meeting. I am going to ask Mrs. Betty to mention it at our meeting next time. I forgot about it for the last time. I wish they would send out a broadcast email to all their patients. I think it would be nice for everyone involved. Later.

I see I am the last post. Hope everyone is having a good holiday weekend. I am going to catch up on housework, I hope. At least some of it. I have my grandson today so I might not get all done that I plan to. That's okay, he's more important. He is 3 1/2, my one and only. He belongs to my middle son that was injured in a motorcycle accident 2 1/2 years ago and left a paraplegic. We are so thankful to have him, there probably won't be any more. I go back for a fill 6-11. Is anyone else going back for one then? I think the next one is going to be the one that really helps me. (I hope). I hope all you newer bandsters are doing well. Keep us posted on your progress.!!