NicoleW8ing

I am so irritated right now I can barely contain myself... hence the post. I'm eating between 1000-1300 carlories per day. I'm not at max fill yet, so for now, this has provided me with ample weight loss. Anyway, for lunch, I've been having Michelina's Lean Gourmet pizza Snacks... the box flaunts their 200 calories and they fill me till dinner time. Love them... I've been eating them for a week and tracking them in my Nutrition log. They come in the frozen lunch typical package, just one person meal. I look a lil bit more closely at the box today as I'm eating and I see Serving Size: 2 per container!!!! First off, it's clearly by its packaging and design made for one person to eat... secondly, right on the FRONT of the box it says 200 calories... in really tiny letters, it says "per serving." Do these companies think this is a joke? Haha! Fat person trying to get thin, Haha! Stay fat, fatty! I mean, why is it even legal for them to market their product like like that? Needless to say, I threw away the rest of my portion and will no longer be purchasing them. 200 extra calories is something I definitely do not need.

Hey folks-- I finally will have a surgery date by the end of the week for sometime in April. Here is my honest to God, unbias opinion of the Doctors and Specialists I have seen. First up, Bariatric Surgeon #1.... Dr. Moran. http://www.alasurgery.com/ The Short: $250 "administrative fee." Unsupportive Staff. Reputable and experienced Surgeon. Bad Bed side manner. Very much to the point. The Long: His office staff was rude, unhelpful, and unsupportive to my needs. They gave me a hassle about faxing my documentating to another doctor when I decided to change. I was denied by insurance because my BMI was > 50. They knew this on the first visit/consultation. Dr. Moran told me all he would have to do is call the insurance company and the denial would be overturned. After I plunked down the cash, the copays, etc, I was told by his office staff that Dr. Moran was far too busy to call me or my insurance company. They referred me to a financing company to pay for my surgery, even though I am fully 100% insured. They offered no assistance in the way of the appeals. Pharrah (office manager), Iris(receptionist), and Ann(bariatric coordinator) are the office staff that I had the displeasure of dealing with. I had to call their office constantly to receive updates on my case. It seemed as if without me calling and asking constantly, nothing got done. Dr. Moran himself was alright, though a bit cold and curt. The office staff motivated me to move to a new Doctor and never look back. Tammi Moore-- Psychiatrist: She is a wonderful woman and knows all about the bariatric surgeries. I really enjoyed working with her and talking with her. I am considering seeing her again after my surgery. Dr. Earnhardt - Cardiologist: This man was probably my favorite of all the specialists I have seen. So kind, attentive, and informative. Loved this visit. Ashley Miles - Nutritionist at Rex Wellness SHe was a total sweetheart as well. It was a joy to see her. Highly recommended. Baratric Surgeon #2.... Dr. Enochs. http://www.surgerync.com/ Angelica at Dr. Enochs is my angel. She was VERY helpful over the phone far before I paid them a single dime. She is the bariatric coordinator over there. She talked me through my issues and got me in to see Dr. Enochs as soon as possible. Luckily, in between visits, I lost the weight I needed for the BMI factor, so that will no longer be an issue. Dr. Enochs himself is a sweetheart and took the time to answer all of my questions. However, there is a $500 administrative fee here. BUT, since I had already paid Dr. Moran $250 and was so frustrated by the process, Dr. Enochs only charged me $250. Yay! It was somewhat of a lengthy wait once I got to the office (30 minutes after my scheduled appointment) and his office in Cary is a bit of a haul from my home in NorthWest Raleigh, but I think it was well worth it. Dr. Enochs also has a FANTASTIC support staff who saw me and spent time with me. I met with 5 employees while there, all guiding me through their area of expertise. Highly recommended. Please PM or reply with any questions at all.

I get about 200mg Vitamin E per day with 2 Children's Chewable Multivitamins from CostCo. They taste like Flinstone's, go down super easy, and give me almost everything I need. Add two calcium chews and some sublingual B12 and I'm vitamin'ed up! Check out the Children's Chewable Multivitamins... IF you take 2, you can get mostly everything and don't have to worry about it getting stuck.

I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve been having some personal problems unrelated to the band, but it seems everything has cleared up. I seem to be kind of an odd case. Don’t assume my situation is/will be identical to yours, by any means. Here’s the story… Week 1 and 2 post band were the best. SOOOO tight, so not-hungry, and losing weight like crazy. From Week 3 until yesterday (the beginning of Week 8), I was miserable. I believe this is what so many bandsters call bandster hell. It wasn’t painful, wasn’t awkward, it was just… well… not there. I wasn’t tight, wasn’t full, and put back on 3 pounds in that period. I was hungry all the time. On June the 5<SUP>th</SUP> at 1:40PM (3 days shy of 1 month post-op), my first fill was attempted. For 20 minutes, I was poked and prodded at. My port was inaccessible due to swelling from my surgery. I was devastated. And hungry. On June the 19<SUP>th</SUP> at 3:20PM (6 weeks post-op), I had a 2cc fill in a primed, but not filled, 14cc band. This had no effect whatsoever on my appetite. I bled like a stuck pug for about 2 hours after the fill and it was a 6 or 7 on a pain scale of 1-10. I was not happy. Yesterday, July the 7<SUP>th</SUP> at 2:40PM (1 day shy of 8 weeks post-op), I had a 3cc fill to bring me to a total of 5cc in a 14cc band. Today, I feel less hungry. I am not where I want to be (back in that Week 1 and 2 kind of tight feeling), but, it takes less to fill me up now and I stay full much longer. I am scheduled for another fill on July the 21<SUP>st</SUP>, where we will move to 8cc. As of this point, I have not thrown up, I have not PBed, I have had no pain whatsoever, and I have not had any gas since Week 3. I am eating what I like to eat. Healthy food that tastes yummy in moderation. From Week 3 until today, I was extremely depressed and discouraged about the band. ALMOST, not quite, but ALMOST wishing I had bypass. Now, I love the band again. The difference of a lil Fluid, huh? My food staples: Turkey burgers, broccoli and cauliflower with parmesan cheese, sliced roast turkey (deli style), cheese sticks, salad, oatmeal, Wyler’s 0 calorie Water flavor packs, and 100 calorie snack packs. Food I’ve eaten with no problem that I shouldn’t have eaten: pizza, Hamburgers, chicken Fingers, Graham Crackers, biscotti, Flat Bread, and pretzels. In one way, I’m glad I can still eat these foods socially and when the cravings are bad. The new moderation of this fill will help me even when I do eat those foods to limit my in take. My point of this post is to document my experiences. If you are feeling the depressed, discouraged, hating-the-band feeling post-surgery for no other reason than it’s "not working," as I did, it gets better. It’s still going to take me self-control and moderation, but today, it’s much easier than it has been since Week 1 or 2. It will only get better once I get to my goal fluid of 8cc. Good luck bandsters/future bandsters!

Hey all... I have become slightly obsessed with calories at this point. yesterday marked exactly two weeks since surgery and I've been on mushies for a week and I am to start filtering in soft foods. I've lost roughly 31 pounds since surgery, so I am happy with my progression so far, but I am worried about my intake down the road. For more than a week now, I'm consuming 800-1000 calories. Never ever more than 1090. I think you all are significantly less than this. I find the 1000 calories to keep me VERY satisfied without feeling "too full" or "bloated" and I am not hungry in the least. When I was consuming less (around the 600-700 mark), I felt tired and lethargic. Now, I'm full of energy. The dietician and my doctor said to listen to my body. Sounds fine, right? You should know, I do not start exercising until next Monday and I have a desk job. Pretty sedentary lifestyle. I am DEEPLY concerned that the majority of you seem to consume far less than me. I am wondering if I am in need of fill or some more self-control. I feel like the band is working, because there is no way on earth I could ever consume this little pre-op. I'm also concerned how something like this will affect my weight loss down the road... will it be easier to cut down on calories more if I weigh less? How do you all view 1000 calories versus weight loss? Is it possible that I have a faster metabolism or do you all think that most of my weight loss thus far has been Water weight? Like I said, I cleared this with my doctor... he says listen to your body. But, I'm seeking personal experience and wisdom from you guys. Thanks a bunch!

I am so sorry for your loss.

Welcome Pamela! I am actually from Raleigh. I just got banded on May 8th by Dr. Enochs. I LOVE HIM! He has the greatest bedside manner and he is SOOOOO sweet and down to earth. Highly recommended. His site is Bariatric Surgery, Weight Loss Surgery, Lap band in Raleigh - Bariatric Specialists of North Carolina I have two friends on this forum who are also going with him, though they have not had their surgery yet. I'd encourage you to do some soul searching. I did not go through any of the depression that a lot of people seem to experience post-band, mourning food. It seems like that would be traumatic. I can honestly tell you I have not felt this healthy in my entire life... and I am only 19 days post-op. Please, feel free to PM me with any questions at all. It's a great choice, but it's a very personal choice.

Unfortunately, without a good doctor who will listen to you, very little as possible. Communication needs to happen so you can find your sweet spot. What a jerk that he treated you like that! I am so sorry your experience was tainted by his rudeness. Please find a new doctor so you can fall in love with the band again... make sure there's a great bedside manner and mutual respect. Best of luck to you and please keep us posted.

Hello-- Sorry to hear about your issues. My mom is a respiratory therapist and I was speaking with her on the phone while I was reading your post. She recommended a vascular specialist, a pulmonologist (sp?), and a cardiologist. Breathing problems are NOT to be taken lightly. Get every inch of you inspected. Once you see all those specialists and nothing is wrong, then you should start exploring psychological issues. UNTIL THEN, take care of yourself and see some specialists.

Thank you for the advice and support. THis made me feel a bit better. I was afraid that when you guys saw 1000 calories you'd go, "GASP! YOU PIGGY!" I'm glad to hear you're around 1200-1400 and still losing. That makes me not stressed out by it. There were some days where I would only eat half of my cheese stick because those extra 40 calories were going to put me into the 1100 range. I guess I should chill with the obsession too. Thanks so much for your advice!

My grandmother's house has all 3 of her bathroom's carpeted. It's nice especially on a cold morning so your feet stay soft, warm, and snuggly. :thumbup:

Is it horrible that pre-band, I had eaten at least 70% of the items on this menu. /cheer for no longer hungry for grease/fat/carb/sugar/calorie fest!

I just got started on soft foods yesterday and I had a bit of mashed potatoes with some salt, pepper, and butter. SOOOOO FILLING, so delicious, and it got me A LOT closer to my carbohydrate and calorie goal. I still am not eating enough to get my goal but getting closer every day. I go for HIGH CALORIC beverages to try and get the calories I need. Once you get on soft foods, try the Chick-fil-a chocolate milkshake with NO whipcream or cherry (bad for us), throw two scoops of Protein powder and some skim milk in... one of those lasts me for two days but it's a great way to get TONS of protein (because of the powder and all the milk), it tastes DELICIOUS and it gets me some fat and calories. Keep in mind, once we can eat, that'll be bad, but for now, it's AWESOME to get us closer to our goal nutrition.

YAY! MY SAME DAY BAND BUDDY! Hey... Willsmommy, how are you feeling? You and I were banded on the same day!!! :cry_smile: There are TWO commanders-in-chief for this lap band thing to go right... just two. #1 is your body, #2 is your surgeon. Listen to them. Do what they tell you. If you are forcing food down, don't. That's bad. If you are feeling burpy, gassy, and crappy after eating, hold off eating that kind of thing for a while. I doubt you did any damage, just be gentle on yourself. I saw it on here somewhere that our stomachs are like that of a small child's in the beginning.... delicate, sensistive... tehy need to be protected. I think of that a lot. It kills me that I can't remember who said it. Today is my first day of mushies and I am starting off slow. Applesauce, pudding, Mashed Potatoes. Next Thursday, I'm going to start on blended/puree'ed mushies. Go slow. Play safe and conservative. You're NEVER going to regret being too conservative. I don't have any more gas pains at all, some port site pain (2 or 3 on a scale of 1-10) when I lean, bump, jounce, or flop my stomach. (Lol!) You'll be fine. Remember, there's a lot more conservative doctors out there than ours. Your doctor seems quite generous/liberal but he knows your body and his banding techniques better than anyone on this forum. Follow his orders and watch for signals from your body that it doesn't like what you're doing. People might scoff at your decisions/choices because they do not your doctor or your body. Follow your commanders and forget the rest. Good luck and you're in my prayers.

Congratulations. That is just SO amazing!

Once the wounds close, Vitamin E will help with scaring. I use Antibiotic Cream (just Neosporin) in the mean time, which I cleared with my doctor. My wound is almost healed, but it's got some scabs and I don't want to use the Vitamin E till the scabs are gone. Good luck!

I struggled with the pre-op diet, as month long last supper seemed more appealing, so here's some motivation for you all... (click to make it big)

I cut down smoking from about 1/2 pack a day to 2-3 per day about 2 weeks before surgery. Day before surgery, I threw em out and haven't lit up since. I actually don't even have the urge. My biggest motivator is the risk of this: Deep vein thrombosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia We're already overweight and smoked for years, I don't want to increase my risk factors anymore.

Oh yeah... that's about the only reason I still take the pain killer. Shoulder pain sucks.

I am so sorry for your loss. How did he gain 75 pounds in that six days especially if he was on a respirator? My Lord! What happened? What actually caused his decease? My heart goes out to you and thank you for your sound advice.

I totally agree with the "one pound at a time" perspective. I need to lose in excess of 150 pounds but I don't even care. Today, the scale went down another pound and I am elated, because that brings me a pound closer to my old pants (or insert your own NSV... my big NSVs are my wardrobe. I have TONS of clothes transitioning from when I got bigger, so through the transformation, I'll have a new lil wardrobe each milestone).

I am having that same, rolling, stuck-halfway gas. Occassionally, it seems to come up though. I love the Viactive, but I am holding off on them until next week when I can have mushies. For now, just the sublingual B12, chewable Multivitamin. Next week, I'll be back on the Calcium.

Hello-- I, too was just banded and pretty young. :tt1: Sounds like you have kind of an unsupportive social network, which makes me sad. I know how hard it must've been growing up around all "twigs." The shoulder pain gets much better, just keep moving. My doctor has me on Clear liquids until the 15th (Thursday). Not too much fun, but I'm hoping it gives my body plenty of time to heal. The clear liquids aren't too bad. KEEP WALKING, it eases that shoulder pain. Also, if it gets bad, use a heating bad and GAS-X helps me a lot. Good luck and you are in my prayers.

Hey all-- I cannot tell you how much these stories of people's operations helped me PRE-OP (like a few days before the surgery), so I am positing mine. I cannot type terribly well because of the pain killers, so please excuse typos. I was banded May 8th, 2008 at 1:05PM. I was scheduled for 12PM but my Doctor was running late. I arrived at the hospital (Rex Hospital in Raleigh, NC) at 10AM with my parents, fiance, and brother. I was taken to pre-op around 10:15 where I changed into a gown and those circulation stockings and grippy socks. I had to remove my underwear, which I didn't want to do. But, they make you go BUCK-NAKED. My mom took my clothes for me. I had taken off/out all my jewelry prior to surgery, which they asked me like 20 times. They weighed me and I had lost 8 pounds since my initial weigh-in at the hospital, which I was elated about, considering I only dieted for 4 days or so, the rest of the time was the embarassing month-long last supper. They stuck me for my IV right away and got me on fluids while I waited. Lot of weighting ensued until noon. My fiance and dad goofed around with me until then. My dad going so far as to say that I have big legs than looking embarassed and saying, "Well, you're about to lose 40-60% of your excess weight in the next year, let me get a few jabs in." Lol. I met my anesthesiologist's (sp?) nurse at 12:15. God, she was a sweetheart. I asked, "Do you promise you'll take care of me?" She replied with, "Hunny, you have never known such a good lil rest as your about to get. I swear that I will do everything in my power to take the best care of you." She was sooooo nice. Then, I met my RN at about12:55. She asked me if I had to go pee and I did, carrying the IV bag along with me. At this point and never during had I received that blood-thinner shot, only one IV, no other pokes. My anesthesiologist's nurse had told me she'd give me a calm-down cocktail right after the RN talked to me, but I went STRAIGHT to the OR at that point. The sweet anesthesiologist's nurse put a mask over my mouth and rubbed my hair and said "Rest, pumpkin." and I was out like a light in 15-30 seconds. I woke up with my Doctor holding my hand. Everything was REALLY cloudy. No pain. I recognized him and asked, "Was my liver too big?" as this was my BIGGEST concern. He laughed and said it was perfect, said he spent about an hour inside me and I was just fine. I smiled and closed my eyes again. Fast forward about 5 minutes and I am in Recovery 1 with a nice male nurse at my constant attention. He asks if I am in pain and I am, slightly. I tell him 2 on a scale of 1 to 10. He gives me another dose of Dellatid (sp?) and the world gets fuzzy and happy again. He is monitoring me and I have two IVs in now (they placed one while I was asleep) and sensors all over me and an oxygen thing in my nose. I tell him I hate the oxygen thing, as it itches. He says, "Well, let's get it out of there! But, you gotta keep your oxygen above 92" He removes the tube and the machine starts to beep as my oxygen falls. I have to take deep breaths. They don't hurt, they're just a hassle. He gives me some ice cubes. They were almost orgasmic. They were so delicious on my dry and soar throat. No pain in my belly, but a stiffness. Time goes by, slowly and very foggy. I wave to the lady in the recovery bed across from mine. She waves back. That was nice. Fast forward about 20 minutes in the haze and my male nurse asks how my pain is. It's starting to come back. More Dellatid (sp?). I am allergic to morphine, that's why I get the Dellatid and he tells me it's the good stuff. He feeds me more ice chips and ask if I want to go to Recovery 2, since my oxygen is stabilizing. I had to concentrate on it for a while. I said yes. Dr. Enochs comes by first and holds my hand. He tells me again I was fine and he said he talked to my parents, brother, and fiance and I am fine. Nothing to worry about. He made me promise to stick to the post-op diet. I did. He asked about pain. None then, just the haze. He fed me an ice chip and asked if I wanted anything. I said I wanted to go home and he laughed. He said you'll be fine and cleared me to go home. I wanted to go home. I went to Recovery 2 and saw my mom, dad, fiance, and brother all at once. They saw me and I saw the concern in their faces. I was beat up looking, they said. I hadn't looked at the incisions yet and I showed them, not bad. The Recovery 2 nurse asked me if I could get dressed. I knew instinctually I could not bend so I said yes if my mom can help me. I stood up, hazey, but no pain, and my mom helped me get dressed. Five minutes later my dad and fiance were on the way to the pharmacy and my mom was walking beside my wheelchair out the door. I got in the van. This is where hell starts. I still swear to you the car ride was the worse. I offer everyone the advice if you have more than a 20 minute car ride, consider a hotel. I was NAUSEOS beyond my wildest dreams. No pain. Just soooooooooo dizzy and disoriented and flippy-stomach'ed. Fifteen minutes of hell with my eyes closed and I was home. My mom helped in and I felt the slightest twinges of pain. I got some liquid Loratab which is just Hydrocodone and I felt wasted. Some stiffness, some pain, maybe 3 on a scale of 1-10. I walked around... A LOT, because the Loratab made me hyper. I wasn't tired anymore. Stiff, some light, VERY tolerable pain. This was around 4:30PM Here's the WEIRD thing about the pain... it is ONLY at my port incision sight. The other four incisions I do not feel at ALL. The port incision itself doesn't hurt, it's a deeper pain, like someone punched me in the gut. All in all, it's very manageable. My doctor said I could have sugar (please follow your Doctor's office) so I had some Apple juice at first. Too sweet. Watered it down with 3 parts Water, one part apple juice and all better. I sipped, walked, sat, then played Wii Mario Kart with everyone for a while. The made me dizzy after a few minutes. I rested, watched Office, drank more apple juice (a few cups in all). I wasn't hungry. Just hazy, hyper, and thirsty. Very full, like I had just eated at a buffet. Pain is still very manageable around a 3 on a scale of 1-10. Take the Loratab though. I had some turkey broth around 10PM. It was delicious, and I've never liked broth before. Just a few sips and I was full. I had gas pain around 11PM. Sucked on a Gas tab right away and it went away. Not bad at all. Maybe 10 minutes of discomfort. The process of sitting and standing is painful but walking and laying down is not. I am sitting up on my laptop to write this and while a little incomfortable, it is not intolerable. I have pictures of incisions about 2 hours post-op my mom took and I will post them later. It's 6am and I just woke up about 45 minutes ago. Not in pain. Just... awake. All in all, a lot less traumatic than I expected. Pain is VERY manageable. Not scared at all anymore. I am excited about this band. My mom is calling the doctor today to see if I can have pudding. That will be exciting if I can. If not, Protein shakes. I'm not hungry really, not now. But the prospect of a lil pudding when I am sounds delightful. Anywho bandsters, hope this has helped you as much as your stories helped me pre-op. BTW, stick to your Doctor's orders, mine didn't say anything about it so I slept on my left side (port is on right), very comfortable, no pain. Loved it. Can't sleep on my back. Will post those pictures later. I'm going to rest now. Here is the picture. My mom isn't up yet so I just took one with my phone. Just 4 lil incisions and one big one. Click on the picture to zoom in.

Thanks for all your kind words everyone! Good luck to those of you coming up, you'll be absolutely fine. Melissa, I'm so happy you'll be going with Dr. Enochs. He's wonderful.