alicatcyclist

Hi Erika, It's good to hear from you. I went to my first visit with a personal trainer today and all I can say is "Ow". She wrote up an exercise plan for me which includes upper body & lower body weight training 3 days a week. Did I mention "ouch"?? LOL I just woke up some muscles in my body that have been snoozing for years. I did some abdominal exercises and now I am very sore at my port site. I must admit, it also felt good getting back to the gym. I go to Weight Wise in San Antonio and their gym is designed specifically for bariatric patients. The machines are larger and more durable. It is comfortable as you are working out with other's who have had some type of weight loss surgery. I am also planning to workout with walking/lite jogging 4 to 5 times a week. (or cycling if it's not too hot which it has been so far)!! As far as my eating habits, I am still struggling. After all of the working out I went to Taco Bell and had a bean burrito. A friend of mine pointed out to me that before the band, I would have had 2 bean burritos and a tostada and a large soda and you know what? I would have. So I am just happy that I can't eat as much as I used to. Let me know how things are after your next fill Erika. I will also keep you posted. We have been banded for 2 months now so we can't expect perfection overnight, huh? We will get there!! :laugh:

Hello to all of my April 1st bandsters. I know it has been a while since I have posted. I need to make it a habit to come in here every day like I did before my surgery. I have hit a plateau also but I know my food choices have not been so great. I have had one fill about two weeks ago. I was told that there were 3cc's added on my surgery date. My first fill was 2cc's. I know I am not eating as much as I used to but I can eat a whole junior burger without skipping a beat. I am kinda getting back to my old eating habits and not stopping to chew and still...no problems at all getting my food down. I am scheduled for my second fill next week. I also have an appointment with a personal trainer on Saturday. I am hoping my next fill will give me better restriction. I realize the band is only a tool and I have to do my part but gosh, where is my restriction? On a brighter note, I feel so much better with the weight I have already lost. I have lots more energy and it can only keep getting better as I make better food choices and continue to exercise. I can walk lots longer than before. I went on my first bike ride last Saturday and rode 18 miles. Woo Hoo. Then I put in 11 miles the next day. I need to get an extension to lift my handlebars so that I can be more comfortable on the bike. My goal is to ride in the Bike to Beach in October which is an organized ride to raise funds for MS. It is a two day bike ride and covers over 150 miles. So here is my other question. Why am I able to endure the hills and heat on a bike ride but have such a hard time turning down a cheeseburger? Ugggh!! I guess we all have our strenghs and weaknesses in this process and making healthier food choices is going to be the hardest part for me. I hope all of you are doing well and having much success. :thumbup:

Hello my fellow April Fools Day Avengers. Wow, were we the first ones to kick off this bandster party or what? LOL I have to go back to work tomorrow so today I am shopping! Woo Hoo!! I also have an appointment to do my hair today. I started the soft mushies stage yesterday and I feel so much better with lots more energy. I am almost feeling back to normal, with the exception of some tenderness at the port site and gas problems here & there. Where are all of the other April Fools Day Avengers? Let us know how you are doing!! :frown:

I go back to work tomorrow so today I am going shopping and I also have an appointment with my hairdresser at 3:30. I finally started the soft mushies stage yesterday so today I have so much more energy. I am excited about trying on new clothes....for the first time in forever!! :frown:

Noella: Wow, you will have plenty of time to recover. I like the way they do things over there in Aussieland. Is your time off counted as sick time or vacation time? It seems like we are too rushed here in the US. My surgery was an outpatient procedure, I was in and out of there in less than 5 hours.

Congratulations Cheryl. You did awesome!! Wow, you are getting soft foods already? I've been on a clear liquid diet since my surgery on April 1st. I think I will start the next stage one day early as I know my body is in need of more Protein. Way to go!! Woo Hoo!!

Wow, that sounds like such a wonderful experience for you. Welcome back and get plenty of rest. I can't imagine traveling like that after the surgery. I was banded on April 1st and went out in the car yesterday and felt every single bump in the road. Keep getting your liquids in. It takes time to beat the head hunger. Believe it or not, I have not been hungry at all. Not one little bit. So strange for me but I hope this feeling continues. I've lost 10 pounds so far. :regular_smile:

Thin Minnie: Aww, sorry you had to go back so soon. I hope you get some rest today. I think the most important thing right now is to let your body heal and prevent throwing up so that you will not have any complications. Here's another big hug from one Texas gal to another!! HUGS!!! :regular_smile:

Just an update for my April Avengers. My surgery was at 7:30 this morning. I was released to go home at around noon. Woo Hoo...day one of my recovery and it's not as bad as I was expecting. I'm glad I had this board to prepare me. I have been up and walking when I can. I am really enjoying my recliner and think I will sleep in it a couple of nights. It has heat and massage and I strongly recommend both for the gas pains. Gas pains have been off and on but not realy too bad. It just feels like bloating and a little pressure. Seriously ladies, I think my biggest obstacle is my little one year old Chiweenie. (cross betweet a Chihuahua & Daschund) In her mind I am her human and she is taking care of me. She won't leave my side. A few times she wants to crawl up on my stomach to get to my face and give me kisses. LOL Luckily she only weights about 3 pounds. One thing I was not really prepared for was the dry mouth and sore throat. As far as pain in my abdomen, yeah...it feels like somebody punched me really hard. LOL It's not a constant pain by any means, just a little sore when moving around and getting in and out of bed/chair. I am trying my best to get down the 48 oz of Water between feedings. So far I have 24 oz more to go. I am not hungry in the least little bit. I am taking 2 oz of fluids every hour and alternating chicken broth and juice. Let me tell you, the warm chicken broth felt good going down. As far as pain meds, I have only taken one dose of Darvocet which has to be crushed and taken with juice. Uggh!! Not very tasty. They prescribed a liquid Vicotin but I don't do well with Vicotin. It makes me hyper and itchy. I hope my fellow April 1st gals are doing well. I am wishing you a speedy recovery and hope to get in touch with you personally soon. Well, I am off to take another quick walk arond the house and get my 7pm juice. I'm excited about taking this new journey towards good health and eating habits. Go Avengers!!!

Dogluver: Hang in there. I think the first 3 days post op were the hardest for me. I was banded on the April 1st and today actually went on my first outing, to the local GNC store. Thinminnie: You went back to work already? Wow, I am due back on Monday but I think I might wait a few more days. I think at least a full week for recovery is what my body is asking for. How did it go? What kind of work do you do? Big Hugs!!

Congratulations Kim!! It sounds like you are doing awesome. I also had a dry mouth and a bit of a sore throat right after surgery but it went away. Woo Hoo!! Let's continue to encourage each other. Go April Avengers!!

Hang in there Erika, you will make it through this. Wow, four weeks on liquid sounds tough. I wonder why different surgeons have different post op instructions? I kinda got a little hungry yesterday but the feeling passed. I had myself a banana popcicle and that did the trick. I am on all Clear Liquids and they recommend sugar free popcicles and such but darn it....I needed that banana popcicle and it was yummy!! LOL The second week I can start on the full liquid diet. I am so looking forward to having something with substance. Hmmm, I have been looking forward to having some grits with cheese. That is on my menu plan, I promise!! Doesn't that sound delicious? (I am from the south...what can I say...born in North Carolina and raised in Texas) LOL Here is a sample of my week 2 menu that I am so looking forward to: 8:00 am - grits with cheese 10:00 am - 4 oz sfree pudding with 1/2 scoop Protein 12:00 pm - 4 oz cream of tomato Soup 2:00 pm - 2 oz applesauce 4:00 pm - 4 oz milk iwth 1 scoop protein 6:00 pm - 4 oz baby chicken & apples or 4 oz pureed spaghetti 8:00 pm - 4 oz yogurt with 1/2 scoop protein And here is even better news. I have a t-shirt on that used to fit so snug and showed all of my fat rolls. I am now wearing that same tshirt and it is fitting me better, almost kind of loose. That makes me so happy. I know we are having to deal with the aftermath of surgery but one good thing that I don't miss is the feeling I used to get after I would binge on junk food and fatty foods. You remember that miserable feeling you would get with no energy, feelings of guilt and just overall not feeling good about yourself? I don't have that feeling anymore. Woo Hoo!! I have a better energy about myself since my surgery and I am looking forward to my new beginning. I can't wait until I am healed. I just want to go outside and Water my plants and enjoy the sunshine. :frown: I know there will be lots of ups & downs along the way but I'm certain that the journey is worth it. Are you with me April Avengers?? :tt1:

Hello my fellow banders. Perhaps I spoke too soon about my easy recovery. I have been having low grade fever for the past two nights. If given the option of staying one night at the hospital, I would go that route but mine was an outpatient procedure. Last night I had a melt down. It's kind of funny when I look back now. I was sitting in my recliner and taking my temperature every 20 minutes. My normal body temp is lower than 98.6 and when I got up to 99.8 I started to freak. I was thinking that maybe my body is rejecting the band or perhaps I am coming down with pneumonia because I was never given the tube you are supposed to blow in after having surgery. So my hubby gives me some pain meds and I am out of it. I remember him giving me apple juice and I am sitting there with it in my hand. I must have dosed off cause the next thing I know I have apple juice everywhere. All down the front of my gown, all down the back and all over the chair. In fact, my incisions were all soaked in apple juice and sticky. So I make my way to the shower and think to myself.........NOBODY TOLD ME HOW TO TAKE CARE OF MY SUTURE SITES - CAN I SHOWER NOW? SHOULD I GET MY INCISION SITES WET?? I get out of the shower and into some fresh pj's and continue with my melt down. I am in pain and moving very slowly. My hubby is calmly telling me that I should not worry so much about the fever, my body is trying to adjust after having surgery. Also could be a reaction to the pain medication. If my fever goes above 100 though he would take me to the emergency room to make sure everything is okay. So I started calming down and feeling drowsy and I asked my hubby if he would please cuddle with me and watch an episode of King of the Hill. (that show always makes me laugh). Well, I fell asleep 1/2 way through the episode and slept like a baby from around midnight until around 11 am this morning. I am feeling better today. I plan on getting up more and walking more today. I put in a call to my doctor and should hear something back later this afternoon. The good news is, I am still not hungy and I have lost a total of 7 pounds since Tuesday. Oh yes....one thing that helps with being on a clear liquid diet is my trident bubble gum. It helps with the urge to chew and is quite refreshing. I will keep you posted. :biggrin:

I am scheduled to be banded this Friday 3/28/08 and I am so afraid of anesthesia. I had a bad experience when I had my wisdom teeth removed in the hospital back in the early '80's. I was sedated and then all of a sudden I was awake. I could hear the doctor and nurses joking about who was supposed to bring the donuts. I was not able to move at all or open my eyes. I could feel the tube in my throat and I just wanted it out of there. All I could do was just lay there and breathe, feeling very scared and helpless. Then I went back to sleep so it is not one of those cases where I was conscious during the procedure. When I woke up I was throwing up blood and I was nauseous for hours. I know things are so much more advanced these days but I still want to know if anybody has had any bad experiences with anesthesia? Good experiences?

I made it through the anesthesia. Woo Hoo. My surgery date was changed from 3/28 to 4/1. I spoke with my anesthesiologist before the surgery and mentioned my experience and concerns. He was very confident and had 15 years of experience in the operating room. It all happened so quickly. I remember the anesthesiologist telling me that sometimes the medication burns as it goes in and that I would be getting drowsy. I didn't feel any burn in the IV, I just got drowsy and the next thing I know I was OUT. It was a really good feeling of drowsiness I will tell you that much. I woke up in the recovery room and I was in quite a bit of pain. I just laid there and took deep breaths and it got better. My surgery started at 7:30 am and I was released at 11:30 am. I am doing well. Let the healing begin.

I'm feeling so much better today. I finally got some sleep. My fever and headache are both gone!! I took some liquid benedryl about an hour before I took my pain meds and that did the trick. Bonk....knocked out and able to sleep off and on for about 9 hours. :thumbup: My goal for today is to get my liquids in. I am on a clear liquid diet the first week alternating chicken broth with juices every hour. I am tracking it so that I don' miss a meal. Ha, ha.....calling 2 oz of liquid a meal. That is a first for me. Mom2bbb: I hope you are feeling stronger with each passing day. I have not had the gas pains at all today. I am taking my gas x strips regardless and tracking those also. My gas is slowly releasing itself and I am staying on top of it with the strips. Maggielexie: Thanks for your support. Thank goodness my lowgrade fever is gone. Good girl, you are getting prepared with everything you will need prior to surgery. I am thinking about sending the hubby out for some liquid tylonol in case the headache comes back. (you may want to put that on your list just in case). Hope2bhealthy: Gosh, sorry to hear about that lady at Target. Just when a line opens up for you and she has to dodge right in front of you? I probably would have told her something like "Oh hell no sister" and I would have dragged my tired body right to the front of that line. LOL I hope you are feeling better today. Keep yourself hydrated and get those liquids in. Talkin Jack: It sounds like you are doing well and on your way. Wow, I didn't have an upper gi xray. My incisions look good so far. Aladdinwy3: Wow, that was a horrific day you had. You are a tuff cookie after going through all of that and pulling a 9 hour shift the next day. And I noticed you are already in "onederland" with your weight at 199. Woo Hoo!! Good for you. Wendy: You have done great with your weight loss. I'm sure that chasing two twins helps. I'm on day 2 post op so I can't help you with the hunger issue. I hope it gets better. Okay....time for my next 2 oz feeding. LOL Yes.....it took an hour to post this as I lost my previous post somehow and had to start all over again. Bah, ha, ha, ha, ha.

Hi ladies. Susan, I got the Gas X strips at Walmart prior to the surgery. I am wishing you the best on your surgery as well. I think I may have overdone it a little today. I may have been feelling good because of the pain meds they put in my iv. I have not been able to get any sleep and I am runing a low grade fever with a massive headache. I put in a call to my doctor and hope to hear from him in the morning. My surgeon is Dr. John J. Gonzalez out of Weight Wise, San Antonio. I have never really done well with pain meds. I think I need something that will really knock me on my buttocks.........(pun intended) and help me sleep. No more getting up and walking for me right now unless it's to the restroom. I will keep you gals posted. Congrats on setting your surgery date MaggieLexi. I love your son's idea about burning the old clothes. Cute!! Allie

My surgery was at 7:30 this morning. I was released to go home at around noon. Woo Hoo...day one of my recovery and it's not as bad as I was expecting. I'm glad I had this board to prepare me. I have been up and walking when I can. I am really enjoying my recliner and think I will sleep in it a couple of nights. It has heat and massage and I strongly recommend both for the gas pains. Gas pains have been off and on but not realy too bad. It just feels like bloating and a little pressure. Seriously ladies, I think my biggest obstacle is my little one year old Chiweenie. (cross betweet a Chihuahua & Daschund) In her mind I am her human and she is taking care of me. She won't leave my side. A few times she wants to crawl up on my stomach to get to my face and give me kisses. LOL Luckily she only weights about 3 pounds. One thing I was not really prepared for was the dry mouth and sore throat. As far as pain in my abdomen, yeah...it feels like somebody punched me really hard. LOL It's not a constant pain by any means, just a little sore when moving around and getting in and out of bed/chair. I am trying my best to get down the 48 oz of Water between feedings. So far I have 24 oz more to go. I am not hungry in the least little bit. I am taking 2 oz of fluids every hour and alternating chicken broth and juice. Let me tell you, the warm chicken broth felt good going down. As far as pain meds, I have only taken one dose of Darvocet which has to be crushed and taken with juice. Uggh!! Not very tasty. They prescribed a liquid Vicotin but I don't do well with Vicotin. It makes me hyper and itchy. Well, I am off to take another quick walk arond the house and get my 7pm juice. I'm excited about taking this new journey towards good health and eating habits.

I have also added my name to the spreadsheet. Good luck to all of my fellow April 1st banders. Let's kick this thing off right!! April 1--Bunky1965, mamakatken, nortone (Erika), alicatcyclist (Allie) April 2--MissLady, Natasha, Leoyne, dogluvr(Amanda) April 3--GiGiRN, ebowling, alicia99, p3photogal,BigBandFan(Amy), April 4--magic 1127, ColoradoChick, cheercoach08 April 5--southerngirltx April 6-- April 7--davisd, Lizb88, Susanbee, mrspws, thunderstorm816 April 8--Carol422, CinniMae08, carol4784, Cori in WA April 9--bft33, lizalee, moosey52, warrior April 10-Turler, , cadencemarch, dreamsize8, Denise (from Canada), VegasJen, Leslie2Lose April 11-Lynne (countingthedays), tatt2, LisaB411,Susan{livn4jesus} April 12- April 13- April 14-DaNieLLe (Dshea8285) April 15-Chilly April 16-nurse7263, Bea1128, Hunee B, yarddog, Andy (RedDirt), Pearlygirl April 17-Johnst027, Jo Skinnie April 18-Astrid(scarlettbegonia), JennyLynn, April 19 April 20 April 21-Marisa (dancinglamb), Kris (kalipso2), sldeems April 22-Pat (Tricia1105), CTCUTIE, April 23 April 24-Savedbygrace,KatieBelle, Blund, April 25-bling April 26 April 27 April 28-bigdaddy:thumbup: , ImWkgOnMe, jrob281 April 29-lisa65 April 30

Thanks for the great advice. I found the 3 oz. cups like this at my local CVS pharmacy. :cursing:

Congratulations!! It sounds like you are off to a wonderful start. My surgery date is 4/1 and I am anxious. I hear so much about the gas pains that it scares me but it sounds like yours have not been that bad. As far as 1000 sit-ups or crunches.....hmmmm.....I have never done that many at one time so I will take your word for it. LOL :cursing:

Hello everybody, this is Allie from Texas. My surgery date has been changed from 3/28 to April 1. What a great way to kick start a whole new lifestyle, starting on the 1st. Woo Hoo!!

I will also be banded on 3/28/08 and getting excited and anxious at the same time. Let's continue to support each other every step of the way!!

Thanks ladies. I mentioned it to my surgeon during our consult and he said they do not practice anesthesia the same as they used to back then. Now they also give you a medication in your IV to prevent nausea. I also had an outpatient procedure in 1991 and mentioned my experience to the anesthesiologist and had no problems during that procedure. It felt like I had just fallen into a deep sleep and the next thing I knew they were waking me up. :thumbup: