Great2BThin

I wanna go to the pool!! I can't til 6 weeks is up, I was banded 6/5 so that's not til 7/17 but will ask at my fill on the 14th. I am a little anxious for my fill but doing fantastic w/o it. I'm losing almost daily again, but am starting to feel some hunger, but am full pretty quickly when I do eat. Today will be a challenge with a 4th of July BBQ, but I can do it!! I went to lunch with a friend I met online here (Zippykat) yesterday, she has the same surgeon and is about 7 mos ahead of me in band life and at 96 lbs down already, we have the same surgeon so she helped me to know what to expect at my fill appt etc. Then I went shopping. I went to Lane Bryant (can't wait til I can't shop there no more) and they had a 50% off sale and I had a 20% off coupon so for $30+ I got a pair of capris, bra (those are getting big too) and a blouse. The blouse was a 14/16!!!! and the capris were a 20!! I was getting mostly 24's before and my jeans were even 26's, on top I was 20's or 22's. I was very pleased and guess what I am wearing to the BBQ today???? LOL

I have this vision of when I get to goal of having to tuck my boobs into my waistband. My tummy won't be bad I dont' think, but my butt will sag. I am planning on looking at the loose skin as battle scars from whence I came.

Hi, We are through the 1st week of June already, can you believe it?? Any how, I've been enjoying reading about everyone's surgery experience, but it's hard to find them, some start a new thread, some post in the June Line Up etc. I thought it would help to have a centralized place to post our stories. My sugery was Thurs. June 5th, scheduled at 1pm. They wanted me there by 10 to get ready and sometimes the surgeon is ahead of schedule. I did get in early but only 30 min. early. I was not nervous at all the morning of surgery, the day before I was scared to death and wondered if I was doing the right thing. I arrived at the hospital at 10, and had to sit in the waiting room til about 1030, at which time they came and got me. I had to weigh on this huge scale in the hall, I was down 3 from the surgeons office the day before, not sure if that was a real loss or just different scales. My vitals were taken, and then I was to change into my lovely hospital gown. Mine had a big rip across the boobs, good thing it was so big I sortta wrapped it around. Then they came and got my IV going. My surgeon came in to see if I had any last minute questions and to sign off on my chart, he was on his way into the surgery before me and said he'd be sending for me shortly. Then the anestesiologist came and checked somethings over and signed off on something. Next thing you know the OR nurse is there to get me. At that point I sortta got emotional and started crying saying good bye to my husband and daughter. To calm me the nurse had me describe my most favorite place on earth, I picked Hawaii. I had to say what I was wearing, what the weather was like etc. As I entered the OR I said I was drinking a Lava Flow, Dr. S said it better be a low carb one. Then they scooted me onto the OR table, all sorts of folks were surrounding me. Dr. S asked how I was doing and I said okay but more importantly how are you doing? Always the jokester, he said fine but I'm a little shakey and hung over. That was the last thing I remembered until waking in recovery. My first thoughts upon awakening were: 1) should I be waking up or am I still in surgery and 2) it's done! They sure don't let you come out of the anestesia slowly, the nurse had me sitting up right away and walk with assistance to the bathroom. She then put me in a wheelchair to await transport to radiology for the swallow test. Well there was miscommunication there and Isat there for about 30 min. I got really whoozy and nauseaus. I called for a nurse and they promptly put me in a recliner where the rest of my recovery was going to be and rehooked up my IVs. She said it was from sitting there too long and with no IV. Finally they came from radiologoy, that wasn't real pleasant but not painful. I was still too much in zombie land. After that I go back to my recliner and my husband and daughter meet me there. I got the shivers/shakes real bad and they kept piling warm blankets on me and then put some demerol in my IV. She told me to remember that for next time I ever have surgery that I react that way. She said it was fairly common to get the shakes. Then my 1 oz every 15 min of liquids started and had to do that for 2 hours before being considered to go home. 1 oz every hour was Protein. After a short nap (probably from the Demerol) I felt much better and was heading for home about 630pm. Today is day 3 and I've not taken any pain pills and am feeling pretty good. Have a weird pressure type feeling by my port and a really growly tummy and a little bit of diarrhea. I am nervous for when I start having mushies. So far I can pretty much drink anything. I carry a Water bottle with me and try to get in 70 to 80oz water a day. I never needed the gas-x strips nor the toilet tongs! Never got the shoulder pain either, he said he tries to suck most of it out before closing up after surgery. That's my experience, next???

Good morning!! Today I officially have less than 100 lbs to lose, 99.9 to be exact!! YAHOO!! no more triple digits to lose. I sure seemed to have started losing when I got to solid foods. Didn't lose a thing for 2 weeks on mushies. Today I meet an online friend that I met here at LBT (Zippykat) for lunch. We had the same surgeon too, so we did meet once face to face in the dr. waiting room, she was getting a fill and I was having my 1st consult. I went to the gym yesterday to ride a recumbant bike, normally I do 15 to 20 min. well there was a good gossip magazie, US, there and I read it and went for 30. Guess mindless exercise is good, just not mindless eating! LOL

Good morning!! today I have officially less than 100 lbs to lose, 99.9 to be exact!! YAHOO!! gotta love it. I am meeting a friend I might here at Lapband talk (Zippykat) for lunch today, she has the same surgeon as me and answered lots of questions. Should be a nice time. Waikiki- I just noticed that you are in TX and not Hawaii. I admire you getting out there on your bike and to the pool. I've been afraid to bike when I was 300 thought I'd blow out the tires and swimsuit? on a vacation where I know no one maybe but in my community pool, not so sure. Maybe I ought to get out the ol' suit.

We seem to have inherited our son's bike from when he was in college. It has hung in the garage for quite some time. Hubby is getting it down this weekend, filling the tires, hopefully they are just flat and not ruined. He wants to start riding it, but I want to get on and see how it affects my knees. If it's not bad, I am going to be in the market for a new bike! I saw one at Costco a Schwinn Comfort bike, I like the sound of Comfort!! Down another pound today, I am officially less than 100 from goal!!

For me no, my recovery was pretty smooth so don't think it hindered it at all. But everyone is different and that's not the case for everyone. One incision seems to have taken longer to heal up than the rest, and it wasn't the port one, so I am wondering if it's the one they did the hernia repair through. Glad you found this board. There's a lot of info here and I find it easier to navigate the OH one.

If that was the same seminar that my surgeon was to in Washington DC a week or so ago, there must've been tons of them there! I'm so jealous you got a fill already, I was banded one day before you and have to wait til the 14th. Oh well, I am just beginning to feel hunger once in awhile and am losing at a good clip, so will hang in there. I'm kindda tempted to call and see if I can get it sooner though.

Hi Nicole, I think I just responed to you over at Obesity Help too. It seems many have had a hernia repaired while being banded with a lot of them not knowing ahead of time they had them. But I'm not sure how common it is. I had also gone to a seminar with Dr. Johnell up in Lafayette, but the surgery would've been in Greeley had I gone to him (which is part of the reason I didn't) anyway he said in his seminar he sees a lot of hernias in the OR and automatically fixes them as well.

Hi Nicole, Welcome, I am in CO too. My surgeon is/was Dr. Snyder at Rose. The hard part is the waiting for the day to get here. I had very little pain, I was one of the lucky ones I guess. I also had a hernia repair, though didn't know I had it until I woke up.

Yahoo!!! I can't wait to say the same thing, it'll be awhile though. Just yesterday i announced I was no longer morbidly obese, just obese!!

No I just think everyone is different. Every surgeon maybe a little different in technique. Mine said he tried to suck out all the gas before closing and evidently did, not once did I have any gas pains, however several years ago I had another laproscopic procedure and the gas was awful. I think every body is different and everyone has a different pain threshold as well. Hang in there, it will get better!

Oh no I'd never get the apple one. But I do remember seeing it, they had like 6 varieties when I had gotten them, however, they were demoing them at the time and the person doing the demo says they usually only have one or 2 varieties in the store unless they are running a promo. No fruit in my meat either. Fruit is more for my dessert.

I do, I am having a BBQ here in the evening so that will be my dinner. I will have one sirloin burger (probably more like half as that's usually all I can eat) sans the bun, some baked Beans, and will sip on Water (not while eating). As for sausages, costco also has a great one made from chicken. I am out right now so don't know the calorie count etc. but when I was on WW they were 2 to 3 points depending on the variety.

Welcome Skinny Me. This place is great, some very successful 50+ role models to follow and they are all so friendly and supportive. I'm relatively new myself, just banded less than a month ago, also in Denver, though not the same Dr. I live here. I hope you get to see some of our great state while here, before surgery of course.

Good morning! I go for my first fill on July 14th so am enjoying reading all your do I need a fill stories. I'm still losing good on the preop phase, do they automatically give you a fill the first time, or is there a chance they might not? I've lost 20 since sugery, 25 since pre op, and 35 overall. But I am starting to feel hunger once in a while. Last night I went to my support group. It was good, we all brought in clothes as the dr & hospital are starting a clothing exchange and then they talked about foods. We were told not to eat lettuce/spinach because it balls up and gets stuck a lot. But I read about a lot of folks having salad. It won't break my heart to not be able to eat salad though. LOL Lynn, just noticed you were in Delaware. I moved away from there a year ago. Only lived there a year and a half though. We lived in North Wilmington, just over the PA line, DH worked at the Philly airport. I worked in PA too. I've lived many places as DH has transferred a lot, but we hope we are home now, this is where we grew up, family is, and want to stay. But we've lived in CO, UT, NV, back to UT, northern CA, DE, and back to CO, plus DH lived in GA w/o me for a temp assignment for 8 most and we commuted a lot. With all the moves I think food became my constant friend. Have a great day, am going to lunch with my son I think, unless his plans with some new gal friend worked out. LOL

Good evening!! I just got home from my support group meeting. It was really good. The surgeon and hospital I went to sponsers it. They are also beginning a clothing exchange so I donated a few items tonight. I look forward to being able to get some smaller things from there. right now the meetings are once a month but by fall they should be twice a month. Another really neat thing they announced is there is this personal trainer that is beginging 'Bariatric Training' at his gym on Monday nights for $15 and it's exclusively for bariatric surgery patients (band and bypass). I think I will try it when I am 6 weeks out.

OMG!!!! I'm no longer Morbidly obese!!! I'm just obese!!! I just updated my ticker with my one pound loss today and it went for 40.1 to 39.9!!!! Whover thought it would be exciting to be obese?? LOL someone asked above how to update their ticker. I just click on mine in one of my posts, it takes me to the site, put in my pin, hit 'edit update....' and then it automatically changes it in my tickers here w/o doing anything else.

You have lost 25 lbs in 17 days? That's awesome. I don't think that's a plateau. I think that's freaking fantastic! I know that first week or so after surgery we see that scale dropping like crazy every day and we get really excited. Then it stops, for me it was when I hit mushies. I thought oh no, I'm not losing anymore. But, you know, the body is sitll recovering. It's in shock from surgery, the rapid weight loss, etc. The goal in this first 6 weeks is to heal, more weight loss will come, for me it was after i started solids but at a much slower but still good rate. Hang in there it will happen, but please don't get discouraged with 25 lbs in 17 day!!

Thanks Janet. I will forgive myself then for my goof up and move on. Thanks for sharing your experience as it shows me that I will always have to work on the head hunger so to speak and be mindful of my eating. I just felt so foolish for forgetting I had a band, but if even successful experienced folk like you can have a moment, I'm in good company. It goes back to my all or nothing thinking. If I'm not 100% perfect, then I failed. This was one mindless mistake, I was lucky it didn't get stuck, and learned a valuable lesson. Thank you. On a side note, do you know if previous bypass patients can be banded? I have someone asking me, otherwise I will ask at my support group tomorrow night.

I guess I should be glad there's not much restriction right now. I was just so mad at myself, I mean how could I forget I have a band, for Pete's sake? ridiculous! Now I know what they mean about being mindful when you eat. Also, during my mushie phase, I gained 4 lbs one day and they didn't leave for several days. I was also very constipated. I had taken Colace, Metamucil, and Milk of Magnesia and still no relief. finally got some glycerin suppositories and that did the trick. The nurse at my surgeons office said to now take Colace daily until my 6 week checkup/fill and I've not had a problem since, also I am now on solids so maybe that is helping too. Sorry if TMI.

Awesome, Cathy, that you started a daily check in place for us. It's only fitting that you begin it since you got us going on the check in thread! Can you believe tomorrow is July? I'm just so thrilled now that recovery has gone well to move on in this journey. I already started a bag for clothes that are 2 big. I had to buy 2 pairs of 3X capri/crop pants last summer when nothing in my closet fit. Those were so ugly too, they got the first honors. I am keeping my 'big' jeans and a baggy tshirt for my before outfit, everything else eventually goes in that bag! I have numerous sizes going down in my closet so won't buy too many new things for while, unless it's just something special as a reward for reaching a goal or something. Better than a food reward!!

Wow Apples, you are doing great!! Over halfway to goal already!!! You just might be the first June bug to reach the goal!! Awesome!! As for pain and hernia repair, I had hernia repair, but minimal pain. I took a pain pill the first night, but I think it was more for sleep than pain. I had no gas pain whatsoever and really pretty much breezed through it. My biggest complaint was how tired I was, I took an afternoon nap every day for almost 3 weeks. Must be the age thing and harder to bounce back. I'm now on solids and feeling wonderful. Off b/p medications already, slowing starting to workout, my incisions are about all healed. I still see some glue (no stitches) and think it's a matter of that coming off, the incision looks healed behind it, but I don't want to pull it off. Just think at the end of today, we are all post op.

Good afternoon. Welcome home Janet. How was the panel?? I posted this in the 50's but thought maybe this was the more appropriate spot: OMG, I can't believe I almost screwed up big time. Well I did but I got lucky. It taught me a huge lesson, never forget I have a band!! There I was shopping costco, ignoring all sample ladies! When suddenly what should appear but a sample lady with 'Lousiana Hot links'. Well I was buying stuff for the 4th BBQ and thought I'd try one. I popped the whole thing in my mouth, about an inch long sausage. It was so spicey hot, that I chewed a couple times and swallowed. And, then, I immediatelly thought OMG!! Did I just do that? It's going to get stuck, what do I do? I totally forgot about the band. I just told someone last night how normal I know felt as I've recovered. I am on solid foods so that's not so much the issue. The issue was my bite side and lack of chewing. First I was going to go to the restroom and try and vomit but then remembered that was bad. I just prayed it went down and it did. So obviously I don't have too much restriction anymore and need my fill in 2 weeks (from today). But I can't believe I totally forgot about the band and did that. I have been so mindful of every bite, not taken a big bigger than a pencil eraser or my pinkie nail bed (2 guidelines they gave me in the nutrition class). I have been the perfect lap band patient. It taught me a huge lesson though, never just pop something in my mouth w/o thinking, be mindful of everything! It wasn't like a cheat moment where I thought I'm sick of this so screw it I'm going to eat this or anything. I really and truly just let it slip my mind. Has anyone ever done this? I feel so stupid. IT WON"T HAPPEN AGAIN!! Also, never shop at Costco hungry! LOL I'm just starting to get my hunger back at almost 4 weeks out.

Good afternoon. OMG, I can't believe I almost screwed up big time. Well I did but I got lucky. It taught me a huge lesson, never forget I have a band!! There I was shopping Costco, ignoring all sample ladies! When suddenly what should appear but a sample lady with 'Lousiana Hot links'. Well I was buying stuff for the 4th BBQ and thought I'd try one. I popped the whole thing in my mouth, about an inch long sausage. It was so spicey hot, that I chewed a couple times and swallowed. And, then, I immediatelly thought OMG!! Did I just do that? It's going to get stuck, what do I do? I totally forgot about the band. I just told someone last night how normal I know felt as I've recovered. I am on solid foods so that's not so much the issue. The issue was my bite side and lack of chewing. First I was going to go to the restroom and try and vomit but then remembered that was bad. I just prayed it went down and it did. So obviously I don't have too much restriction anymore and need my fill in 2 weeks (from today). But I can't believe I totally forgot about the band and did that. I have been so mindful of every bite, not taken a big bigger than a pencil eraser or my pinkie nail bed (2 guidelines they gave me in the nutrition class). I have been the perfect lap band patient. It taught me a huge lesson though, never just pop something in my mouth w/o thinking, be mindful of everything! It wasn't like a cheat moment where I thought I'm sick of this so screw it I'm going to eat this or anything. I really and truly just let it slip my mind. Has anyone ever done this? I feel so stupid. IT WON"T HAPPEN AGAIN!! Also, never shop at Costco hungry! LOL I'm just starting to get my hunger back at almost 4 weeks out.