DonnaB

I had a great experience. No catheter, no bowel prep, very little flesh or gas pain, no nausea, no dizziness, no blurry vision, no (scary) annoying post op patients around me. I woke up in my private room with my husband at my side and a comfy couch for him to sleep on in my room with me that night, 2 nurses for the day, 2 nurses for the night, and a private bathroom with a marble shower. It was great. I stayed over one night, walked the halls because I knew I'd recover faster if I walked around, took a shower the next morning, got dressed and took a cab back to my hotel. Did I mention I had surgery in Mexico? LOL And I was ssssooooo scared for that reason! As it turned out, it was the nicest hospital I've ever been in in my life.

You should contact your doctor. I think you should probably have sterile dressing covering your staples, particularly if the wound is open enough for gas to pass through. JMO. I do know that the wider the gap becomes the bigger the scar will be left after you heal up.

I'm not sure about the blender in the link but I absolutely LOVE my CuisineArt Handheld Stainless Steel Blender. It's the "stick" style that allows you to put the blending blades into the container you're using rather than putting your food into a specified glass pitcher. It's super easy to keep clean and takes up very little space. It's been great for protein shakes and blending soups mixing fiber into drinks, has an attachment that allows you to chop or slice veggies, etc. I can't remember the price but it was reasonable or I wouldn't have bought it!

Actually, I think this might be the best NSV I've read here on LBT. I don't think this NSV is in your mind at all. Seriously, what an accomplishment to be able to discuss your health regarding a specific issue or symptom, without the information being diluted or modified by having been filtered through that familiar pre-existiong condition, obesity. An excellent NSV and step in the right direction regarding you HBP. Congrats!

Not only the same underwear but the same figure! If my hair were shorter our before pictures would be a virtual match! LOL Congrats on being brave enough to share your pics with us - I doubt I'll ever reach that point and am always impressed and appreciative when someone else does.

Well DrewsLou, what did you think of THIS episode? It's certainly more in line with what I expected this season to be like! Did you notice how frequently the storyline has touched on weight issues? Johnny Sack's 'other' daughter is sooooo skinny - it's like she took the oposite path but she still has food/weight issues; Jenny Sack saying she was going to get to her goal weight - was going to get into her dress no matter what, and at the wedding, her daughter saying something like 'congratulations, you almost got near your goal weight'; Tony telling his new body guard/driver he needed to get back into the gym and the guy offering to put a program together for Tony; Tony asking Bobby about his weight after seeing him playing basketball. Lot's of weight discussion for a one hour episode. Interesting. The very end of the episode was pretty scary - that was a lot of blood. I wonder if Tony is going to survive the season. I'm pretty sure Vito isn't going to! Have you ever seen a more straight man playing a gay character before? LOL Vito looked SO out of place in that bar! That's been a weird story-line ever since Finn saw him with that security guard. I can't imagine where it's going - except to Vito's grave with him. See ya next time.

Diane, your 'underwear' pictures look so much like mine we could be twins! Right down to the 'soft' bra! How tall are you? Awesome and inspiring. I can't wait to be able to take some 55-pounds-down pictures of me. Keep going!

Hi, I had surgery with Dr. Rumbaut too. I answered your question in another thread but I didn't realize who your surgeon was. Now I'm able to give you even more, and welcome, information: Dr. Rumbaut will give you a goody box after your surgery which includes Protein drinks and buillion cubes along with a bunch of other neat 'gimme's'. All you need to ask from the flight attendant is hot Water to mix up some broth - Dr. Rumbaut even provides you with a nice big mug in the goody box! You'll do fine.

Don't worry too much about it. You're not going to feel like eating much anyway. Be sure you have bottled water and maybe a protein drink, like Isopure, so you don't feel weak. I had surgery in Monterrey too and a lady I met while at the hotel - she was having WLS the same day as me - came from Oregon and had to endure the long day of travelling post op. She even had to have a hernia repair that was undiagnosed at the same time as her band surgery. I talked to her a few days after she got home and she said the travel was not the problem she had worried it was going to be. Do you have any lay-overs on the way home? Most airports have places where you can get food and you can usually find some soup that is in broth. Eat the broth, leave the rest. Good luck on your weight loss journey - particularly the trip home!

LOL! You know, on second thought, your doctor, AND mine, are probably the two best physicians in the world! I'm surprised they both haven't received some kind of national recognition!

Neither my Doctor nor my Nutritionist said anything about corn. Well, popcorn but not corn corn. Hmmmm. I know it's high in sugars and carbs and that's probably a reason to avoid it on an everyday level but I would think that it's OK to have sometimes. I know that corn doesn't digest or break down very well for most people, hence the phrase, In a corn, Out a corn. Good question. Anyone else out there want to chime in here? Now I'm worried about eating the stuff.

I think we all agree that a) we have more restriction in the early part of the day and without regard to restriction or her doctors' glazed and confused bedside manner, NJChick is indeed crazy! Now for the really scary thought: This reaction to our bodies' variable tics and quirks is not unique to the lapband patient. Most doctor's, because they don't have firsthand experience of their patient's situations, don't have a thorough understanding of the mechanics of day to day medical issues! They're very good at giving a pat answer without trying to really find out what's going on with our bodies. They give advise, based on what's been written in the medical journals and accept that it is the absolute, written in stone, cut and dried truth. No if's and's or but's! In my experience, there are no absolutes. I can understand that if a doctor is overworked, he, or she, doesn't have time to do research on every little ache, pain, or tickle for every one of their patients. What terrifies me is that most of them don't seem to even consider what their patient's are telling them as accurate or even possible! If it ain't in the book, it ain't happening. Which means, if you're experiencing it, you're just nuts. Or a hyperchondriac. Having said all that, I know there are some doctors who will jump through every hoop to help their patients but in my experience they're few and far between. Mostly, it seems they want your money, they want to solve your problem without effort, and then they want you to go away. Just a cheerful little thought to start the week! (Sorry :nervous )

Hi casinocat, I'm sorry your having a tough time. It sounds like you're suffering from mild depression in addition to disillusionment! I don't know if my post is going to help or hurt. Maybe a little bit of both. I hope you understand as you read my response that your post hit a nerve with me and I felt like I couldn't turn away without trying to help you out. A couple of things first. You don't say how long you've had your band or how much fill you have in what size band. All these things are critical if you want us to be able to support your decision. 19 pounds of weight loss in over 4 months may seem like a small amount to you but if you lost 19 pounds every 4 months that's close to 60 pounds in a year! 60 pounds in a year is great - and that's without exercising and while eating things you know to be counterproductive. You're being too hard on yourself and, I think, unrealistic about what your weightloss tool is capable of accomplishing without your participation. You say you haven't been on LBT talk for some time. Do you have other sources for support? Meetings or a Nutritionist or anything? I hope you'll be more consistent and visit LBT more regularly, make some friends or at least acquaintances whom you can lean on when you need support or motivation. Are you logging your food intake? There's a great website www.fitday.com which is free, easy and very motivating. Like you, I used to be a secret eater. I'd eat alone so no one would know what I was doing. Hello! They only needed to see me to know what I was doing. Who did I think I was fooling? With food logging, even if you secretly eat you still have to be accountable to yourself. There's something about seeing it in black and white that makes you start caring about what you eat and trying to stay within certain limits. Best of all, on FitDay YOU set your own limits so you don't have to feel like you're trying to live up to someone elses standards or expectations. You decide and then try to stay within your own goals, which is very empowering. Dont give up yet. I agree with TriciaK about RNY - it's just not a wise decision, IMHO. Like most people nowadays, I know someone who had RNY. She lost a lot of weight very quickly but unfortunately, LIKE MOST RNY patients, she has started to regain the weight. In the last 6 months she's put on 30 pounds. She only had the surgery 2 years ago, she never reached her goal weight and was only close to her goal for a few months - maybe 6. Then it started creeping back on. I understand that this is a very common problem with RNY patients. Along with malabsorption, sugar dumping, hair and bone loss, tooth decay, and, shall we say, unpleasant bowel symptoms. I hope you'll reconsider, or at least delay your decision, if only to give yourself and your band, a chance to succeed. Talk to your doctor, talk to a Nutritionist, talk to us here on LBT, maybe even talk to a therapist. No matter which WLS option you ultimately choose YOU WILL HAVE TO BE A PARTICIPANT, IF YOU WANT LONG TERM SUCCESS. There is no magic pill, no breakthrough cure. Choose an option you can live with and remember, with RNY you have no choice, you HAVE to live with your decision forever. At least with the lapband you have the luxery of choice. I'm so sorry to carry on, I didn't intend to preach at you, I really do want what's best for you, and I guess my definition of best includes options. Whatever you choose, visit LBT and we'll always support your decision. Good luck on your weight loss journey.

Keep pushing the bas*$*rds! They want to beat you down so they can pocket YOUR money and not have to come through on their promise of paying for your healthcare. Don't give up. Stay calm, but stay mad. Don't let them wear you down till you give up. Don't let them win. Can you tell I was a self-pay for my lapband surgery? Can you tell why?

Texas is a big state - where are you coming from? How far are you willing to travel?

You're a part of "OUR" site now! Welcome and congratulations on your surgery date. Tell us a little more about yourself - where are you and who's your surgeon. Is insurance covering you or are you self pay? How did you decide on lap-band surgery, etc. Everyone here is so supportive and friendly, jump on in, the water's fine!

From the time I was a little little girl I always said I never wanted to grow up! To this day (I'm 44 yrs old now) my mother calls me her Peter Pan child. Now where IS that Island of Lost Boys? :ip:

My favorite way to eat cottage cheese is with canned pineapple chunks. Sadly, those canned chunks are almost always in syrup - high calories! I'm a little over 4 weeks post op, in the mushie stage, and I have no problem eating cottage cheese. Good luck.

Hi PSijansky, I had the diarrhea thing too - probably a combination of the all liquid diet - in liquid, out liquid - and your body adjusting to your high Protein consumption. Mine went away a few days after going on full liquids. I don't know if the full liquids were what stopped it or if it was just my body adjusting. I wouldn't worry too much unless it continues for another week or something. Make sure you're getting enough Water though - it's easy to become dehydrated when you have diarrhea and without enough water in your kidneys, your liver has to work twice as hard. If the diarrhea continues, or if you become dizzy or faint, you should contact your doctor. I'm not a doctor so you should use your own best judgement.

Welcome back! I came to LBT at the beginning of March so you probably don't know me. I've seen lots of posts by you so I feel like I know you a little bit. Congrats on your Bandiversary and amazing weight loss. Does it feel real to you yet? Or are you constantly amazed? I read a post earlier that someone said they kept catching a glimpse of themself and having to go back and look to make sure the weight loss was real! Sorry about your FIL and your chin - I'm endorsing Maderma for scars. My surgery scars are still obvious but they're getting lighter and lighter so I'm sticking with the Maderma. Again, congratulations and I'm looking forward to more posts from you. BTW - you are SO pretty!

Cute jean jacket! Beautiful lady! Awesome NSV! Incredible - no, COMPLETELY credible inspiration! Go Robyn, go Robyn! (I get a little weepy myself!)

I am SO with you on this StrawartS! Guidelines are a good idea - laws ARE NOT. Not a fan of big government here either, it's just too easy to slide into a police state. Yikes, I just broke a cardinal rule and discussed politics in public! I hope nobody blasts me for it.

I didn't have a post-op maximum caloric intake. They told me that the first 4 - 6 weeks was about healing and not about weight loss. The weight loss begins after your first fill. Even without a fill I've lost over 20 lbs so far. If you're hungry, I'd recommend you increase your protein a bit and not be so worried about the calories. Disclaimer: This doesn't mean I recommend a bowl of ice cream or a milkshake! LOL Good luck on your weight loss journey.

Banded for 4 weeks and 4 days and down by over 20 lbs! Good luck Dana.

I felt well enough on day two post op to go out shopping! You'll start to feel a little better every day. If you're experiencing post op gas pain, you may get some relief by standing next to your bed, bending forward from the waist and resting your forearms on the bed with your forehead resting between them. It may be more comfortable if you bend your knees slightly. That position looks a little strange but it gave me the best gas pain relief - better than Gas-X even! Congratulations on your WLS and good luck on your weight loss journey. Keep in touch so we'll all know how you're doing.