Jami Victoria

I have always wondered what would happen if you did this. Hershey, are you OK? What did the doc tell you? I chew gum occasionally, but this scares me now. I hope things worked out for you. Let us know and ignore the bad comments. Nobody's perfect. Good luck!!!

It IS hard and very necessary. You will see, down the line, how important it was for you to do it, though. And once those pounds start coming off, you'll look back and it not regret it. Not to burst your bubble, but once the surgery is done, you're going ot have to do the post-op diet, too. I cried many times and just dreaded the darn TV commercials with all of the food. It is hard, but YOU CAN DO IT!!! Keep thinking skinny. You'll get through it. And this site has a lot of helpful hints and suggestions. I couldn't have done it without it!! Good luck!!! :thumbup:

Hi there! I was banded on 4/18/08 and was just wondering how everyone was doing with losing the pounds! I feel very lucky with losing 53, but just seeing how the rest of you are doing. I am so glad that I had this surgery- even though I still miss biting into juicy hamburgers and eating whatever I want! It's OK- the payoff has been great! What a great feeling it is to get into a smaller pair of jeans and waking up in the morning feeling so much healthier!! Keep up the good work!

Hi there! I was banded on 4/18/08 and I'm down 53 pounds. I have about 30 more to lose. I also have been at a stand still for about 3 weeks now. My doc told me that if I don't lose any weight and I am doing what I should be doing after 3-4 weeks, I need a small fill. I'm going in this Tuesday again. I have done that 3 times so far and each time he fills me I lose close to 10 pounds right away. So, maybe with the increased exercise and a small fill it might work for you. Great job so far! I'm starting to like the body I'm in for the first time in years! Good luck.

Hi there! I am 6 months post-op (down 52 pounds!!) and I have found out that I am B12 defiencent..big time! I took my supplements, but I still have the tell-tale sign with the red stripe down my tongue, dizziness and very tired. I feel like the only person out there that ended up this way and I actually feel guilty! I know that my sound strange, but now I'm afraid. Has/Is anyone else going through this right now and have any advice for me? I haven't gone to the doc yet, but I have a feeling that I may be going soon for B12 shots?? I'd appreciate anyone's experiences. Thanks!!

I am taking Nature's Bounty Sublingual B12 Complex- the liquid B12. That was what the dietician suggested before I had the surgery.

I had my surgery on April 14th. I've lost 32 pounds to date, which is great. However, I haven't lost a single pound for about 6 weeks now. I had my first fill and felt nothing. My insurance won't cover any fills until 3 months out. I'm scheduled for my 2nd fill on July 16th. This is where it gets frustrating. I can't seem to tolerate anything other than cooked veggies, very cooked chicken breast, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese and soup. It gets stuck and hurts quite a bit if it's anything else. I do realize that there is some restriction in there, but since my calorie intake is practically nothing, why isn't the weight coming off? I do exercise (walking) 3-4 times a week, too. I know this isn't a miracle fix, but I just thought that I'd be losing a little more than what i have. Is there anyone else going through this? Like I said, 32 pounds is great in a little more than 2 months, but I'm so ready to lose more. I thought I would be able to eat more things, too.

I have PCOS and wasn't diagnosed until I was 33 (I'm 37 now). I had band surgery on April 14th and I have lost 32 pounds so far. Granted, the last 4 weeks I haven't realy budged on the scale, which is becoming extremely frustrating. I just look at it this way..at least I haven't gained! My OB-GYN was actually the one to suggest the surgery in the first place. I am so glad that I did this. It was pure hell for me the first month after surgery, but well worth it. My band was too tight right after surgery and had to be readmitted and recovery took a while. And other than the fact that I have PCOS and am overweight, I have no other health issues. I think this surgery is going to save my life and hopefully bring me back to where i want to be. And don't get me wrong..you have to change just about everything in your life to get the most out of it. You can do it. Just think about your son. Thinking about my kids help me tremendously. And I'm not going to lie..thinking about wearing smaller clothes and feeling great about myself didn't hurt either! Good luck and go for it!

Alicia, I am right there with you. I was banded on April 14th and already started to "cheat" by having mashed potatoes, egg salad and sweet potatoes. The rest is just pudding, jello, creamed soups, yogurt and cottage cheese. I miss food soooooooooooo much. I know that in another month, I will be able to try and eat normal foods..but it is so hard right now. And my first fill isn't until June 3rd!! So I am trying my best to control my portions until then. It just seems an eternity away from now and to know that I am going to feel hungry for another 3 1/weeks is just scary. When I get to a low point, I just try and think about how happy I will be in another few months. It helps. Good luck with everything. We can all do it. It's frustrating as heck, but it will be worth it in the end.

Hunger? HA! I can't stop thinking about food! I am 2 weeks out today and I still have to do the liquids for another 2 weeks! I have cried at times because of the pains. The grumbling is painful enough. Soups are the only thing that tie me over for more than an hour. I wake up hungry in the middle of the night, too. I just can't believe the difference between the doctor recommendations with the other posters on this site. Some eat mushies in 2 weeks, some have to wait, like me, for 6. I'm jealous of you lucky ones!!! I just can't get those protein shakes down. The smell alone when I sip them makes me gag. I want to get on with it and start eating regular food again. I am just so frustrated. It's such a mental game. I did cheat yesterday and got some mashed potatoes at KFC. Those were the best damn things i have ever eaten!!

I was banded on Apr. 14th. I have been burping since the next day after surgery. These are SO painful! I get them the minute after I swallow a sip of anything. I asked the doc and he said that my band is not filled yet and there is plenty of room. He even did an x-ray. I'm convinced it's too tight. There is never a moment that I don't have pain inside of my chest. Swallowing is also painful 99% of the time- even with small sips. I have been starving every minute since last week. I'm getting upset because all I think about and deal with is pain and hunger. I start my shakes and soups today, but the doc told me that because my band is just "tighter" than others, I won't be able to take in too much at a time. There's NO WAY I will be able to get in all of the liquid required in a day. This all brings me back to the pain and hunger again. I've broken down and cried so much the last few days. Has anyone gone through these issues before? I am just so hungry, yet can't get enough in without feeling the pain of the burping and the band!! I'm almost regreting this whole procedure. I have the will power, it's just that the pain is taking over. And those damn food commercials on TV! I just want to plaster my face on the screen! Can anyone help me?

I'm so excited! I managed to get rid of my cold and feel great. I'm a little nervous about the post-op pain, but I'm ready! I've worked too hard to turn back now. I wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions over the last few weeks. Talk to you all soon! :biggrin:

I'm having surgery at 1:30 pm and staying overnight. I would imagine it will be sometime late Tuesday morning. Thanks for the well wishes!

I'm scheduled for surgery on Monday and have started to come down with my husband's cold! He is on day 2 and feeling better. I know I can't take any medications to help. What are the chances that my surgery will be cancelled. It's just a case of a cough and being a little stuffy. Has anyone still had the surgery with a cold?

Hi, I'm scheduled for surgery on 4/7 and was just wondering if anyone could tell me, postops, how they are doing with the weight loss. I know that it has been so hard to lose weight for me for years due to the PCOS. I'd love to hear how much you've lost and how long it took you to achieve those pounds! THANKS!:thumbup:

Hi there! I also have PCOS and my surgery is scheduled for Monday (the 14th!!) Can't wait!! My doc did say that some of the issues with PCOS are hopefully going to disappear, but some of the effects may stay (hair growth and acne). But you know what? I'm just so excited to get this done that I'm not even worried about that stuff anymore! Good luck!!

I have surgery scheduled for this coming Monday and the nerves are starting! I know I'll be fine, it's just wondering what it's going to be like that's making me a little nervous. I'm just so excited!! Can't wait to see the results!

Luckily, I only had to lose 7 pounds before my doc would submit to insurance. I managed to lose it (took 4 weeks!), but now that surgery is the 14th, I have seemed to gain a few back. I plan on going on a liquid diet starting on Monday (something he doesn't insist upon) on my own and hopefully lose those couple of pounds! I feel so guilty, but maybe it's because I know that it's going to be a while, or forever, that I will be able to eat certain foods again. Good luck to everyone!!!

It's almost here! Anyone sharing a date with me? I can't stop thinking about it. Goodbye size 20! Hello anything remotely smaller!!!!

I just found out that I don't have to have a liquid diet at all! Just eat light the night before before 6 and that's it! I did have to lose 10 pounds, though. I may just do my own liquid diet for a couple of days- just to get used to the fact that i will be surviving on those for a while after the surgery!

I am being banded on the 14th. Can any of you tell me what I should have at home before I go in for surgery? For example, blender or Magic Bullet? Anything that you wish you had had in the house when you were recovering? I know that I will be back on my feet, hopefully, within a day or so, but just so I can avoid being bothered.

I have BCBS of NH and it took about 3 weeks to hear back from them. I had 3 meetings, 1 consult, 2 meetings with the nutrionist, a smoking cessation class, a psych visit, lab work, upper GI, EKG and a pre-op physical. I managed to get all of this done in 7 weeks! April 14th is my day!

April 7th for me! Can't wait!! Good luck to all of you. It should be an interesting ride. I am ready, though. I can't wait to walk into any darn store, pick out something and have it fit!!

Congrats! I just found out this afternoon that I was on my way, too! I just starting posting today and I think it's going to be incredibly helpful. Just getting suggestions and hearing others speak about their experiences is very helpful to me. It gives me an idea as to what I can possibly expect. Good luck to you in everything!!!

Now that I will have to start the liquid diet, can I get some suggestions as to what ones taste the best? I, unfortunetly, am not a big chocolate fan and it seems that most of them are chocolate flavored. Also, I have heard that there are "liquid proteins" available online. Has anyone tried those in beverages? Since i don't tolerate the shakes already, these may work for me if I can find ones with significant amounts of protein.