U_go_gurl68

Hi all. I hope everyone is doing well.

Still on full liquids another week and also feeling sore at port site.

Hunzi---Hope you are doing better. Hang in there Junie.

I was wondering how to revise your numbers on the Junie Spreadsheet. I haven't had too much loss , but still would like to show some progress, LOL!!!!

Stephanie

I am still on full liquids so I don't know if anything I have to add is helpful, but I do know that eggs and chicken make some people pretty gassy and so do fresh vegetables. So maybe you had some gas buildup in your little pouch and it couldn't take the pressure and had to come out. Just a thought.

Good luck!!!

VickiJ,

Thanks for the well wishes. I used to take Phentermine a while back and initially lost 80lbs, but within 8 months after getting off of it, the weight came back and then some. The next time I tried it and other weightloss medications they didn't work for me. The side effect I experienced was extreme cotton mouth which lasted the entire time. I wasn't hungry and didn't eat much, but never lost any weight beyond the initial Water weight. I tried diet, after diet, after diet. Even did the stupid ear stapling thing everyone went crazy for, LOL!!!!

I had thought about getting the band for over 3 yrs, but would chicken out all the time. I am glad I finally got it done. I am frustrated at the moment because I am not losing anything right now, but I know this is supposed to be my healing period.

I can't wait to get into the single digit clothing. It is so much easier to shop and find something you like when you are smaller. I know stores usually order more of the smaller sizes, but when you find nothing but small sizes on racks, it just reminds me how many larger people there are. I mean someone is buying all those Larges and x-large sizes up. I am in a 14-16 right now. I know that may not be too bad since the average woman is in those sizes, but it is bad on me being only 5'2". It use to not be so bad when I had a smaller waist and fuller hips, but when the weight started becoming a problem in the middle, that was when I knew it was time to do something.

I work 12 hour night shifts which already increases my risk for having a heart attack, but having fat around the middle really did it for me. No matter how many exercises I did, I couldn't get rid of it, so that is when I knew, it was time to seriously consider the band.

I am trying my best to make those positive changes. I will be moving to day shift hours (7a-7p) in mid august and after the healing process, I plan to increase my exercise. What kinds of things have been the most helpful to you? I truly enjoy the support I have received here on LBT.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

I think you're talking about granita. Here's how to make it: put about 5 cups of cubed watermelon in your food processor and process it as liquid as you can, then strain through a fine strainer so that it's just juice. Dissolve 1/2 c of splenda in boiling Water. After it cools down, add some to the watermelon puree. You can adjust it depending on how sweet you like it. You should make it sweeter than you would normally like because it will lose some of the sweetness as it freezes. Also add the juice of a lime for some tartness.

Pour it in a metal baking pan and put in the freezer. Let it freeze for 3 hours, stirring it every hour or so. Yummy yummy yummy.

Minidriver,

Thanks for the recipe. Sounds good. Granita, huh? I don't know if that is what they call it, but I know they also serve other drinks made out of canteloupe, rice, etc....Thanks again. I will try it.

Stephanie

No offense taken :biggrin:

We are all in a learning process together and everyone's body is different. We all lose at different rates and have a variety of different health histories.

I didn't really have any major health issues, but didn't want to develop any either. My mother has some serious health problems and I didn't want to end up just like her. My problem was that I just ate too much; mostly out of boredom or when emotions ran high.

When I did diet, I would take it to the extreme and still never lost weight. I was even on diet pills prescribed by a bariatric physician and never lost more than the 8-10lbs of Water weight. He told me it was because I wasn't taking in enough fuel and my body went into starvation mode. Like you, I am not an expert either. I just want to get my fat butt into shape and not develop any health issues in the process.

Looks like you are doing quite well. Keep up the great work

According to the bariactric nurse on another site there is no such thing as "starvation mode". Who do I believe? I don't know because it's hard to pit one professional against another. But she has a point because if there were a starvation mode then anorexics (sp?) and people with bolimea (again sp?) :biggrin: would not be able to loose weight. Hmmmm.

Good luck.

Vicki

Vicki,

Sounds like someone is trying to practice medicine without the proper training. We nurses like to think we all have all the answers and in some instances we do know more than some Docs, at least, in patient experiences because in some settings we deal with them more, but the best advice is your physicians advice.

People with Anorexia and Bulimia don't just lose weight from not eating, they lose it from excessive exercising, vomiting, and diuretic/ laxative use, etc.... It is not usually just refusal to eat. Plus they lose muscle and bone tissue. They get so use to living this way and their bodies eventually fail an they are unable to eat, even if they want to, that is why treatment is so hard for these individuals and not to mention the mental aspects of this disorder.

When I was a teenager, I lost about 35 lbs in a month due to not eating and execessive exercise and if I was forced to eat, I would make myself throw it up. I had muscle cramps all the time and hid my paleness with make up.

Starvation mode is real and is similar to a bear's hibernation mode. A person can stay big and even gain weight on next to nothing. The body learns to function on less making it more efficient at burning fuel. The bad thing is, the body will get it's fuel regardless of your intake. It will breakdown your bone and muscle tissue to get the nutrients it needs. In turn the body will retain Fluid to make up for the tissue lost to keep your body at its set point for awhile. Along with the breakdown of muscle tissue, you may lose weight, but will still end up looking flabby, not to mention without good muscular support, you don't have good skeletal support causing more injuries and aches/pains.

Well enough on that. Just follow the advice of your doc and everything will be fine. Good nutrition is one of the keys to weight loss.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Hi all,

I also love Watermelon, but was told it wasn't a good thing to eat because people don't tend to chew it enough and it could get stuck. I have been having a craving for it so bad though that I have to have some.

At some of the mexican restaurants, they make this drink made out of watermelon that it pretty much just the fruit liquified. I went to the store and bought some popsicle forms and thought about getting some fresh watermelon and freezing it into pops. I want to have the fresh watermelon taste, but don't want any complications. Just an idea.

Sincerely,

Stephanie---Texas

I was banded on June 30th and I know what you mean about not getting comfortable enough to get a good night's sleep. I have been doing better, but I am use to sleeping on my tummy mostly.

I have been using pillows to support me from putting too much pressure on my incisions and so I am able to sleep better on either side and somewhat on my stomach if I position the pillows just right. But it makes turning a little harder and I don't like the way it feels when that port incision get tugged on.

So, like you, I can't wait to be able to sleep on my stomach again.

Good luck.

Stephanie

Thanks RugmanForever for your words. Your explaination makes sense. I can feel that subtle tug at my abdomen when I try to sit up in a hurry to get out of bed or when I am sitting straight for too long or walking too much.

My fiance asks me everyday how I am feeling and it is hard to explain to him. I told him it is almost lke being pregnant and feeling the baby's knee, foot, or some part in your side. That is the only thing I could really compare the feeling to, LOL!!!!! Of course, he didn't understand. I tried to explain by using excessive sit ups cramping, but since he is so skinny, he wouldn't know about that feeling either. Oh well.

maguirre67,

Hey band buddy!! glad you are doing so well. Keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

I was banded on the 23rd and haven't had a BM since the 22nd!! Anyone else have this problem?

kkarryall,

Are you having any discomfort from not having a bm? I know with all the liquids we don't have anything solid to pass. I was banded on the 30th and have not had a BM since the 28th. I suppose as long as you aren't feeling constipated and are having good urine output, then all is well. If you are feeling a bit of Constipation, perhaps you aren't taking in enough fluids? Just a thought. I wouldn't go taking any bulk forming laxatives though, maybe a stool softener, but ask your physician first.

Hope everyone is doing well. I haven't lost too much weight. I think I could have lost more taking a diuretic from my original weight in this amount of time, but I have to remember this is something good for me to get long lasting results, not temporary ones. And also, it's not about the weight I lose, so much as the fat and inches. I don't want to go losing Water weight, muscle or bone just to see the pounds drop off; I want healthy, fat loss.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

I think it would help if you gave us more info like -- how long have you banded? What is your current BMI? How much total have you lost so far? What type of exercise are you doing? How long have you been following 1200 cal and doing your current level of exercise? What are you eating for your BMI. What is your approximate age? Are you male or female? All of these things can be clues. It could be a combo of things. Are you getting ENOUGH calories? Are you getting enough Protein? Many times people start losing when they INCREASE calories or protein-----especially if they are working out a lot. Do you feel tired?

RugmanForever,

I totally agree with you. I just had my surgery on June 30th and have not been taking in what I should be due to discomfort or lack of interest. I have only lost 2.6 lbs since my surgery day and I attribute this to not taking in enough calories. I have been stuck at the same exact weight for 3-4 days even though I am taking in less than 1000 calories and have increased my activity a little bit ( well as much as allowed). At first I thought maybe I was taking in too much, but the reverse is the case, I am sure of it. Some people think in order to lose weight you have to take in very little, but that is not so. If you don't have enough calories you kill your metabolism and teach it to function on less calories; the dreaded starvation mode.

So I started this morning trying to get more in so that I can start losing. Every now and then, you have to change things up a bit, otherwise your body will get bored, thus a plateau. I am not saying to be bad and eat junk you shouldn't, but if you keep eating the same old thing, day after day, nothing changes. Try adding more calories to your diet, but do it at different times each day, so your body doesn't get stuck in a routine and especially if you are exercising more. If not your body will turn your muscle tissue into usuable fuel instead of the fat you want to lose.

Good luck to everyone.

Stephanie

Hi everyone,

I was banded on June 30th and my port incision is looking just about what all of you have described. I thought maybe it was due to increased blood flow to that area after I put a heating pad on my stomach for comfort, but I am guess now this is normal.

I have dermabond on my incision and they are really starting to itch. I had a little drop of clear drainage from the port incision yesterday, but no fever or foul odor from the site, so not guessing infection just yet. It is a little warmer to touch than the others but no real pain. Feels kind of different though when I touch the surrounding area. Almost like touching something rubbery instead of touching my skin, but I am starting to get more sensation around that site.

I have my follow-up appt on Wednesday and will be sure to mention this to my surgeon.

Good luck to everyone.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Made it through the weekend ok. Starting to get hungry, but not too much. I haven't been able to get everything in that I probably should because then I feel gassy and uncomfortable.

Tai, I also love going to Jamba juice. Yummy, yummy, yummy!!!!!

I haven't seen any weight loss in about 3-4 days and kind of surprised since I haven't been taking in much and having a bit more activity. Maybe it is due to the swelling I still have in my stomach. Still just as swollen as it was the first day; just not as hard.

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend. I am still in full liquids. Tired of cream Soups.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

I was banded on Monday 6/30. Was feeling pretty sore, but starting to move around a little better. That gas pain was the worse for me.

Still not feeling like taking anything in at this time, but I have been forcing myself to get in some kind of nutrition.

I hope all of you are doing well.

Good luck on July 9th Rondidq2. That is when I have my post-op appt and it is also my 40th bday. I will keep you in my prayers.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Tai,

Please keep up with those breathing exercises. The Fluid buildup can cause pneumonia and that is not the effect we are wanting. With all the pain and trauma to the abdominal area, we tend to not take in as deep a breath as we should and our activity is decreased. This causes the build up. Along with the breathing exercises, this is where walking is also important, as well as taking in those fluids to keep those secretions thin.

I have been doing mine about every 2-3 hours, because that is what we usually do at work with our kids that have abdominal surgeries. The first time it made me cough, I though my gut was going to split, but out came this thick phlegm. YUK!!!!

French vanilla,

Did they give you an incentive spirometer to use when you got home? It is a little plastic tube you place in your mouth and inhale through to help keep your lungs clear? Sometimes with all the pain, we don't inhale as deep as we should. This helps keep your lungs clear while your activity is down and makes your chest not hurt so much either. It is an exercise designed to make you cough though, which can be a little uncomfortable. It has helped me a great deal though.

If they didn't give you one, you can also get a straw and blow through it or blow bubbles or even a party horn. It may sound silly, but it does help with some of that chest pain, or it has for me anyway.

Tai,

I had that same WTF feeling Tuesday evening until this morning. I was hurting so bad. Now the pain is going away somewhat and I am able to move around much better.

I can't wait to see where we all are in a month, two, or three. Hang in there everyone. We are all in this together.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

I am feeling much better today. The gassy feeling is finally now starting to break up, which is a big relief.

Msmaurany,

I have a very high pain tolerance. Tuesday evening and Wednesday, I thought I was going to die. I too felt that beat up and stabbed feeling, but now it is starting to fade a little. I didn't want to appear weak to my fiance, because he was against this from the beginning and he probably would have just been mean and said I asked for it. All in all things are slowly getting easier. I can't wait to shower today. I could have yesterday, but just hurt too much.

I am more than halfway through my pain meds and will keep taking them. I tried to be strong and just take regular tylenol, but the pain was just too bad.

Hang in there; it will get better.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Hi all,

Glad to see everyone is doing well. I am so glad to be done with the surgery, which was 6/30. My gas pains are pretty intense, which makes it hard to take anything in. The more I try to drink, the more bloated and uncomfortable I feel. I am doing plenty of walking to help get rid of it.

I think I am going to make some hot mint tea. My grandmother use to make us hot tea when we had belly aches and that usually helped a great deal.

I have also been using a heating pad, but had to quit using it on my stomach bc it left me with some red marks around my incisions. So using that for back discomfort only.

Well take care everyone. Will be checking in regularly to see how everyone is getting along.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Lillylilly,

Sorry to hear about your traumatic awakening, but glad you are doing well. I was back in the recovery area when I remember waking up and all went well. I remember when I had my tubal though that was a very scary feeling; waking up with a tube down your throat and choking.

I will start my full liquids tonight since my surgery was a late one. I don't know how much I will be able to get down since I still have this painful bloat. It makes taking things in very uncomfortable. Its like forcing myself to eat when I am already full. I guess kind of like I did sometimes when something was really good to eat, LOL!!!!

No more of those days for me.

Well keep up the good work. I hope you continue to progress well. Keep in touch.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

I feel you girls. I am having so much more pain than I did yesterday. I can't get much liquids down because the bloat get worse.

I can hardly get comfortable to sleep. I sure can't wait for this pain to be gone. Never realized how much you use those abdominals til you can't, LOL!!!! I have such a hard time getting up out of bed or a chair.

Anyway, I pray we all recovery without problems and quickly.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Hey all you sexy 6/30 bandsters!!!!

I know you probably don't feel too sexy right now and neither do I, but one day soon.

I am so sore today. Much more than yesterday. Kind of like when you start exercising and don't feel the pain until a day or two later. I am so hating this pain. I can't drink too much bc the bloat causes more pain and I think I may have overdone it with the walking to help get this gas out.

I can sleep ok for about an hour or two, but that is it. I can't get comfortable bc I am a stomach sleeper. This is so hard, but I keep myself distracted with good thoughts of better days to come.

I hope all of you are doing well.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

My fee from TLC was $11,990 which included my ekg, labs, surgeon related fees, surgery facility and 6 months of aftercare and fills.

According to the IRS website, this surgery is tax deductible if done for the treatment of a disease, which in our case would be obesity.

Thanks for the advice Cowboy. I can't wait for that pain to go away and I can't wait to be able to sleep on my stomach again.

Thanks everyone for all the support.

Stephanie--Waco, Tx

I had my surgery yesterday and was scared to death. Lots of emotions were running through me and I wondered if I was doing the right thing.

I am feeling pretty good right now, although, a little sore and gassy. My Gas-X strips sure are helping me. They also gave me phenergan and lortab, but I have been using rapid release liquid tylenol except for when I am having trouble sleeping. I don't want to be doped up all the time and I hate the way lortab makes my head feel.

Good luck to all those waiting to be banded and those recently banded. We are all in this together.

Sincerely,

Stephanie