Northwest_Nance

I have the WW scale too and I really like it. It's my understanding that the surface makes a difference and the scale (any scale) shouldn't be used on a carpeted surface. I have mine on my bathroom ceramic tile floor and I keep it in the same spot all the time.

I was Realize banded on May 15th. I'm feeling very mild restriction (or maybe I'm imagining it because I want it to be there). I'm doing a good job at making healthy choices and keeping portions pretty reasonable. I get my first fill June 12th.

My doctor didn't give me any instructions about not taking pain relievers. In fact they recommended that for post-surgery pain relief, I take Advil four times a day along with the liquid codeine he prescribed.

I'm in the mushy stage now and one of my faves has been the fat free refried Beans topped with diced tomatoes (heated up to tenderness) and a little bit of melted cheese and guacamole, with a little fat free sour cream. Tastes like a whole lot more calories than what I'm actually getting. I also made some cottage cheese pancakes, which I got the recipe for right here on this board. They were really good and almost all protein: Half a medium onion, chopped 1 tbs. butter 1 egg 1/2 cup cottage cheese 2 tbs flour salt pepper Saute the onion in the butter until golden -- allow to cool in pan. In a small bowl, beat egg slightly, blend in cottage cheese, flour, salt and pepper, and onion butter mixture. Heat nonstick skillet, spray with Pam, and place four 1/4 cup scoops of batter in pan and spread into small pancakes. Cook until browned. Flip and cook until lightly brown on other side. Top with fat free sour cream.

I've been putting moist hot compresses on my bruising a few times a day since I saw the surgeon on Friday..... and walking a lot more. I'm happy to report that my bruising is finally starting to diminish. My port pain is getting better too, and I was beginning to think that would never happen. So hang in there, there's hope!

I feel so badly for you. Just making the decision to have surgery and preparing for it is a pretty big deal for us even when everything goes the way it's supposed to. For you to have gone through all those preparations and the pre-op diet only to be bumped for a patient who was more important than you (ok that's a bit dramatic I know).... I go along with the others here who say always trust your gut. You absolutely deserve a doctor you have the utmost faith in, and, you are going to need to be able to depend on him AND his staff to be there for you in the coming months. I hate to think it might delay things even more for you but I'd think about switching doctors too. I would only go with bariatric doctors, and if possible, one who specializes in lap band. That was important for me and I think it's the best way to go. But as with everything on this board, it's all personal opinion. Good luck to you.... you haven't been treated fairly and I hope that changes for you real fast.

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea not long before my surgery, also. It took me several weeks to get used to sleeping with the mask. I am claustrophobic so I thought I'd have more trouble with it than I did. The therapist helped me choose the smallest mask possible to help against feeling claustrophobic. Maybe changing to a different mask would help you. Otherwise, just give it time, most people really do get used to sleeping with it after awhile, and once it starts helping you sleep better, you won't want to be without it. I had to bring my bipap machine with me to surgery but they never used it. The nurse told me they rarely do. Mine was out-patient surgery though and I didn't stay all night. I was released 2 hours after surgery. Hang in there, you will do fine! Before you know it you'll be looking back on your surgery and you'll realize it wasn't as bad as you feared!

I was uncomfortable when I woke up from surgery. It wasn't bad at all, I was just surprised because for some reason I had expected that whatever they gave me during surgery would keep me completely pain free for awhile. I should have started taking pain meds as soon as I got home but I made the mistake of waiting until I actually felt pain, and if you wait until then, pain meds aren't as effective. I didn't sleep very well that first night because I was very uncomfortable - I guess I would call it painful. I was mildly uncomfortable the next day. But the 2nd night I slept like the dead and never really felt any pain after that, except I've been having port pain. I never had the shoulder pain that some people suffer with.

I think it depends on the doctor. My doctor cancels surgery if the patient doesn't lose the pre-op weight he tells us to lose. I was on four MediFast a day plus one "meal not to exceed 450 calories" and they suggested Lean Cuisine, etc. I did that but in the last few days I still had several pounds left to lose and I was getting into a panic. I gave up the Lean Cuisines and switched to low carb -- chicken breast and green Beans, and lost 2 pounds more than I needed to lose by surgery date. Losing 1-2 pounds per week is perfect for long term weight loss but pre-op diets are usually meant to lose weight a lot faster to shrink the liver for surgery (at least in my experience). I was instructed to lose 10 pounds in 7 days. It actually took me 9 days.

I think it's a personal decision. I hadn't even considered weight loss surgery until I went to a hip surgeon who told me I needed a hip replacement but he thought I should consider weight loss surgery first. I was shocked (don't ask me why, lol)!! My first feeling was shame and embarrassment, and I thought "I'm not going to tell anybody". After sleeping on it, I realized I had to tell my boss and my human resources director. I work with a fairly small group of people who are like family. I knew if I pursued weight loss surgery it would involve time off for various doctor visits, surgery, etc., so I would need to tell them. Well --- by the end of the next day I had told all my co-workers. And it felt SO GOOD. It was like, all my life I've had weight problems (up and down, up and down) and it's been like the elephant in the room. Nobody ever talked about it but of course they all watched me struggle while I pretended it wasn't happening. For the first time in my 55 years I was able to talk openly about the issue with people and it was so liberating. I was fortunate because everyone was SO supportive and excited for me. They've all really helped make this journey wonderful for me. I told my friends, my parents and sisters. They have all been equally supportive. I have not told my long distance relatives. I have a big family who have almost all struggled with weight and I'm sure they'd be supportive but I never see them and they just don't need to know. I also haven't told any of my neighbors. I'm not close to any of them, we just say hello, and have casual conversations out in the yard. So I think we each have to make this decision for ourselves, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to handle it.

I'll be interested to see replies to this as well. I'm 9 days post-surgery and on day 2 of mushies and not really feeling a whole lot of restriction. I've been trying to figure out how many calories I should be aiming for until I get my first fill and hopefully feel more restriction. Everything I read online today indicated that 1200 calories a day is not enough and I should aim for 1500. That just seems like so much to me, but I want to be healthy and eat enough to keep myself nourished, and I also don't want my body to start storing fat because it thinks it's being starved. I think that's what happened to me during my first post-op week on 500-700 calories a day of liquids (gained 1.5 lbs.).

I quit smoking 20 years ago and the anesthesiologist still wanted to know how long I smoked, and how many packs a day I smoked. Good luck on quitting -- wow, you'll be doing two really healthy wonderful things for yourself!

Had my post-op visit today, 8 days after surgery. It really went fine, but: Instead of losing any weight since surgery, I gained 1.5 lbs. I had a feeling I didn't lose any weight, despite nothing but liquids... I just didn't "feel" lighter. That doesn't really bother me, because I knew the weight I had to lose right before surgery wasn't "real" weight, it was just to shrink the liver, and it was the kind of weight that would easily be re-gained. But I didn't think I'd actually go up 1.5 pounds. I'm not discouraged or anything. I'm just reporting the facts. The port pain I'm having is normal, but the huge black and blue bruising that covers the whole area, isn't necessarily normal. The doctor said I'm accumulating Fluid there and need to walk more. I got to start on mushies today. I waited until dinner time and I started really light. I made a WW recipe, mock garlic mashed potatoes which actually are made of cauliflour, not potatoes. It's a recipe I love. Well, I had a whole bowl and didn't feel full. Didn't notice any restriction at all. The good news is, my doctor lets us have our first fill at 4 weeks and I already have an appointment for my fill. June 12th. Looks like I will have to rely on willpower and self-discipline to get there! On the positive side, I met someone from my area through this forum last week, and after exchanging numerous e-mails over the last 4 days, we met in person today at the doctor's office and had a delightful visit. We also met up with another bandster there who was banded the same day I was (May 15th) and the three of us could not stop talking. We all exchanged e-mail addresses and agreed to be a support team for each other. So that was very good. And so it goes. :cursing:

Same here -- every doctor is different. I was on full liquids the first week, mushies the 2nd week, and all food starting week 3. I'm on day 2 of mushies and it's going well. Time2band me, I agree with those who are suggesting you call your doctor. We're not doctors here, and your doctor has already been paid to be there for you!

I was consuming 400-700 calories of liquids a day for the first week after surgery and at my post-op visit I had gained 1.5 lbs. Go figure. The doctor said that's very common. So I'm quite envious of you losers! :rolleyes2:

I'm very bruised all around the port area - it's hugely purple. I thought this happened to everyone until I went for my post-op visit yesterday (8 days post-surgery) and compared tummies with a few other patients who didn't have a bruise on them. The doctor told me it is common, that I have fluid built up, and I need to walk more.

I was banded May 15th and had my post-op visit yesterday. I had actually gained 1.5 lbs. since surgery. The nurse said that is fairly common, but I was surprised. I know I wasn't getting more than 500-700 calories a day on full liquids for a week. I'm also having quite a bit of pain at my port site. The doctor explained that they have to scrape fat off the stomach muscle before they sew the port into it, and the pain is normal. I'm also very bruised with a huge purple bruise all around the port site. Not everyone gets that but it's not uncommon either. He advised I walk more to help break up the Fluid accumulation. So all in all it wasn't everything I hoped for from my post-op visit but it's all part of the process. The good news is that I have a date for my first fill -- June 12th. I'm on mushies now. Just had some cottage cheese and peaches for Breakfast... yum!

I don't have one either, but it was suggested that I get one to help support my painful port area. I didn't think it was worth getting one because I thought the pain would pass pretty quickly, but now it seems that isn't going to happen so I might go pick one up tomorrow. Did you get yours at a drugstore?

Hey everyone.... during my pre-surgery research I learned that we either can't or shouldn't ever have bread (unless it's toasted) or Pasta again after the surgery. But then I read about people who have gotten past that restriction. So I'm just wondering, for those of you who have moved on to regular food.... can we ever have a hamburger again? A hotdog? Spaghetti? Lasagna? Obviously these aren't foods we'd eat regularly (if we're eating healthy) but.... ever? What do ya say?

I feel so for you guys. I only have to be on full liquids for one week after surgery, then mushies for one week. Tomorrow is my last day on full liquids and it's really already getting old already. So you are really dealing with a big challenge and I admire you for sticking with it. If I were you I'd ask my doctor about it but in the end, each doctor has a reason for their orders, and I think we should listen to the doctor we trusted to do our surgery (kind of easy for me to say right now, I know.... sorry!)

I also had that concern. My doctor told me to lose 10 lbs. in 7 days before surgery. I asked him if that was possible and he said "absolutely yes". He put me on a diet of 4 MediFast a day plus one meal not to exceed 450 calories -- a Lean Cuisine or equivalent was recommended. Well, I had already just lost 10 lbs. in the previous 3 weeks so that really fast weight that drops off fast in the first week or two had already dropped! I figured I couldn't really do the 10 lbs. in 7 days so I started a few days early. I lost several pounds in the first few days and then suddenly it was 3 days before surgery and I'd only lost 3/4 of a pound in the previous 3 days. I still had 2.2 lbs. to go by surgery day or he would cancel the surgery. So I cut back pretty drastically. I had only two MediFast drinks a day, and instead of a Lean Cuisine or something like that, I went low carb. I had a chicken breast and green Beans for dinner two nights in a row. Well, thankfully, I woke up on surgery day and weighed myself at home and I was right on target. Yay!! Then, somehow five hours later when they weighed me for surgery, I was down another 1.5 lbs. so I ended up losing 11.5 lbs. in one week. So yes it can be done, but you have to really want to do it!

Oh gosh I hate the thought of throwing up on such a tender stomach, I'm so sorry you're going through that. My doctor gave me a prescription for anti-nausea medication along with the pain medication. Fortunately I haven't needed it but maybe if you call your doctor he (she?) will prescribe something. They don't want you throwing up either!

I really feel for the people who have to stay on liquids for more than a week. My surgery was last Thursday, I can have "anything I can sip through a straw" including cream soups, and I'm starting to get hungrier now than I did in the first few days. A cup of cream Soup fills me up but I'm getting hungry again after 3-4 hours which I wasn't doing before. I'm looking forward to starting mushies on Friday. So it must be all that much harder for people who have to stay on the liquids for longer. I do think "suck it up" sounds kind of harsh but it's what we all have to do to get through this process. Nobody promised us it was going to be easy, we just have to want it badly enough. I recently heard something that I think is pretty good..... "hunger is not an emergency", so I keep trying to remind myself of that! Anyway I do feel for you... there's some good advice in this thread. Hang in there, I know it will get better!

I had a manicure the day before surgery, with clear nail polish and it wasn't a problem. I don't know about acrylic or gel nails.

I totally agree. I did so much research, I was on overload. I Googled gastric bypass and lap band (in the early days I was trying to decide between the two procedures) and read just about every blog and diary out there written by people who had the surgery, I read every doctor's website I could find, I watched the surgery being performed on You Tube, I watched the video diaries of patients on You Tube, I attended support group meetings, and a seminar. So I sort of reacted the same way when I read some of the questions people ask on this forum. I tried to remind myself that I am by nature very thorough and I don't do anything without researching it. Some people aren't built that way and others simply don't know any better. But even if the patient herself (or himself) doesn't have the werewithall to do the research on their own, their doctor should have made sure they were making an informed decision about the surgery and that they were committed to making the lifestyle changes that go along with it. I also lose patience with the ones who whine and moan about the pre-op diet or the post-op diet. Now, I only had the liquid pre-op diet for a week before surgery and I'm only on a liquid diet for one week post-surgery (my surgery was May 15th) and I do sympathize with those who have to be on the liquid diet for longer than that -- it's hard! But I keep telling myself that if I can't get through a few weeks of this, how am I going to get through a lifetime of healthy changes?