MistyD65

Vegasgirl, my doctor recommends 40-60 g of Protein a day. I get that with Muscle Milk, Lean Body by Labrada, and Protein Blitz by Designer Whey drinks. That's what I'm living on, aside from a cup of broth each day and water, of course. (oh and 4 ounces of Starbucks Iced Green Tea lol). I've finally settled into a routine with those and my daily totals are 64 g protein, 64 or more ounces of fluid (including the protein drinks) and just under 500 calories. I haven't noticed any hair loss, thank goodness. I'm hungry most of the time, but it's usually just vague and not really that bad. If I space everything out during the day I do fine. But guess what I've learned? Being a little hungry is not going to kill me!

Between Thursday 8/7 - Friday 8/15 I lost 16 lbs.:thumbup: I was losing 3 pounds a day for several days, then I decided to see how many calories I was actually getting..and it was in the low 300s . No wonder I felt so shaky and dizzy by a week after my surgery. I was getting the recommended amount of Protein and fluids, so I went in search of a Protein Drink with more calories. Since I've added Muscle Milk to the rotation of Labrada Lean Body and Designer whey Protein Blitz my calories have gone up to about 500 and I'm feeling much better. It's still low, I know, but it's only for another week and a half. Kind of a funny story..I was feeling SO dizzy last Monday (8/11) that I called my doctor. I was pretty pitiful and ended up crying on the phone. He said I could add some coffee in the morning, but I don't drink coffee, so I asked him if I could have some Starbucks Iced Green Tea instead. When he said "yes" it was like the heavens opened and the angels sang! I went out and got my usual Venti with 7 Splendas, but I brought it home, poured the ice out of it and rationed out 4 ounces each day. I don't think the caffeine in a Venti is really all that much, but I don't want to take any chances. And that 4 ounces is just enough to make my tastebuds and my brain happy. :w00t: I've waved goodbye to the 300's and the 290's and I'm just half a pound of so from saying "so long" to the 280's. I'm excited! :cool2:

I'd wondered about those grilled chicken strips at JitB. I was afraid they would be dry. But I'll have to give them a try in a couple of weeks, when I am able to add them. Wonder what the sodium count is? Probably sky high, like all fast food. My first fill is September 8, 5 weeks to the day post surgery. Hoo!

I haven't noticed pain when laughing. But early this morning I woke up and was laying on my stomach, then raised up my right side a bit(where the port is) and coughed. That made my scar hurt more than it has since the first week. And it continued to hurt for a while, esp when I was getting out of bed a few hours later. It's back to normal now, thank goodness. I still have a bit of the synthetic scab on some of the scars and my surgeon removed the steristrips from my port scar last Friday. Those steristrips are tenancious little buggers! The skin under them is now pretty red and itchy. The itchiest though is right around the margins of where the strips were. But nothing like it was about 5 days after surgery. Oi! I read this hint about removing left-over adhesive...use a pencil eraser, very gently over the adhesive. Works great!

Oh, gosh me too! I just want to shake them by the shoulders and say "WHY?" I think a lot of it is that so many people really don't understand what it is the Band does and how the restriction works. I don't see how you can have something so major done and not find out everything you can about it and have a clear understanding of how it works before hand. When I was looking for a surgeon, I knew that I was going to need someone who would work with me after the surgery, who had a team approach with a Nutritionist and Counselor/Life Coach. The surgery is just a small part of being a bandster. It's the aftercare - and not just talking about fills here - that I think can make the difference between success and failure. (lol Listen to me talking like an old-timer, and I'm not even at 3 weeks Banded yet :thumbup:)

I'm glad to see that my doctor isn't the only conservative one out there. He requires 3 weeks of "modified full liquids" after surgery...basically Protein drinks plus Water, broth, decaf coffee and tea, Crystal Light and other clear, sugar-free things. I get a bit jealous reading posts from people who were eating mushies and soft foods in under a week, but I think I'm going to be glad about it in the long run. I will be well-healed and my Band "set" before any stress is put on it. Plus, my body composition is changing...can you say "ketosis"? lol I think it's going to make it easier to keep eating a small amount once I start adding real food, even before I have restriction. I won't really have a "mushie" stage. Soft foods are next for me...but I'll have to wait 3 days after my official 3 week post-op day to start, because that's when I see the Nutritionist. But I'll make it. I'm really looking forward to some tuna salad, eggs, and refried Beans - not at the same time. lol I'm kinda wary of soft carbs - grits, potato Soup - because I've gotten them out of my system. But I would love to dive into a bowl of potato soup! My doctor suggests 6-8 weeks of the soft foods before finally progressing to Solids at 10-12 weeks post surgery. I've been thinking about what I want to eat after my appointment next Wednesday. I think I should probably wait til I get home, just in case I have a problem...but part of me wants to get something at a restaurant. I'll see what my Nutritionist says. (I'm jonesing for some bruschetta from Olive Garden right now...and not even the bread. Just the tomatoes!:thumbup:)

I was banded on 8/4 and have been on modified full liquids ever since, and will be until next week. That means protein drinks, broth, water...basically clear liquids plus protein drinks. I get a little jealous when I see that others move on to soft foods a week or less after surgery, but I'm doing exactly as my Dr tells me. He wants to make very sure that everything has healed and that the band has "set." Sure, I feel a little bit hungry most of the day, but I think I'm going to be thankful for this extended liquids phase in the long run. It's teaching me what it feels like to be physically hungry as opposed to "head" hungry. After next week I'll be on "soft foods" for 6-8 weeks, then finally to solid foods. My new band and pouch are being treated very gently and, again, I think I'm going to be very grateful for that when all is said and done.

I'm not sure this applies to deciding on fills, but I read somewhere that taking too long to eat a meal can be almost as bad as eating too quickly. That if you take forever to eat a meal, what you ate early in the meal has already started to make it's way through the Band. Potentially, you could eat much more than is recommended, which would have an impact on the first question "How much can you eat per meal." What could be an indication that you need more restriction (the ability to eat too much at one sitting) could actually be just that you are eating too slowly, and don't need a fill yet. :thumbup: Did that make any sense at all? lol

Nope, no liar here either. This was my first surgery ever and I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was. I did have some painkiller in my IV overnight (not sure what it was), but I was up and walking the halls within several hours of my surgery. I was moving slowly, I grant you, and I took it easy getting in and out of bed. I had liquid lortab for home and took it for about 5 days. Gas pains - I had 'em. GasX strips pretty much took care of the gastrointestinal gas and the abdominal gas settled into my left shoulder. It was uncomfortable and aggravating, but I never really thought of that as surgical pain. Walking and moving around helped that go away. I slept in my recliner for the first week because I was afraid of rolling over onto my stomach - didn't know if it would hurt or not, but I didn't want to find out. My recliner is a GREAT place to sleep lol. Been sleeping in bed since Monday (had surgery 8/4) on my stomach with no problems. Everyone is different, so I think you have to look at each person's experience through that lens. The best we can do is get an idea of what to expect. I'm sorry you've had so much pain, and hope you are feeling much, much better soon!

It comes off slower, but it's going to STAY OFF!!!:thumbup: That's why I got Banded. I can lose weight on my own, but keeping it off is the big problem. And I know it's still going to take some work to maintain, but I'll have this little tool inside that'll be a whole lot of help! I was Banded 8/4, and after gaining a couple of pounds post op due to swelling and gas, I dropped 3 pounds a day for 4 days. That has slowed since I added about 100 more calories a day. I've decided to stop weighing every day, now that the loss has slowed. It was exciting to watch the numbers fall so drastically, but now I know the daily fluctuations are going to start, so why torment myself? Hang in there, follow your doctor's instruction to the "t" and you will be successful!

Well, Deathly Hallows is going to be a 2-parter, with the first part coming out in 2010 and the second in 2011. They *will* be shot back to back. According to the press release, this is purely a financial decision...they are expecting Hallows to make more money in the summer than at Thanksgiving. Potterphiles all around the world are very upset.

That's just ridiculous.:whatchutalkingabout Just goes to prove that insurance companies are more interested in keeping their money than in paying it back to us when we legitimately need it. Good luck with your appeal.

Oooh, my incisions are itching, especially around the port. I'm trying to be good and not scratch, but it feels so darn gooooood to do so! Anyone else encounter this or have any tried and true suggestions?

My itching is MUCH more bearable today...almost gone. Hooray!!! Hang in there everyone...this too will pass.

Trisha, I think you hit the nail on the head with that last statement. She is probably the self-appointed "expert" of that board and couldn't stand to be corrected or challenged by you. People like that can really be dangerous, especially if they make their posts sound like the absolute standard of information. Newcomers and others may base their actions on that one person's statements, when they really should be reading many people's experiences. You just keep putting in your two-cents' worth.

I am one week post-op today and have been on protein drinks. Before my surgery I did a lot of taste-testing, so I'd know what I'd like. And I only looked at RTDs. I didn't want to have to worry with mixing stuff up. Here are my suggestions: Lean Body RTD protein shakes by Labrada. Serving size-17 oz; Protein per serving - 40 g; sugars per serving - 0 g. $3.49 each at Vitamin Shoppe. Flavors - Strawberries and Cream, Chocolate Ice Cream, Vanilla Ice Cream, Bananas and Cream. I tried both the Strawberries and Cream and Chocolate Ice cream and I LOVE THEM!! They really taste like melted milkshakes to me. The Strawberries and Cream is very new, so it might be hard to find. Labrada Nutrition Protein Blitz Fruit Drinks by Designer Whey. Serving size - 20 oz; Protein per serving - 30 g; sugars per serving - 1 g. $3.29 each at Vitamin Shoppe. Flavors - Grape, Orange Mango, Punch. Tried them all, LOVE them all. They taste like Kool-aid or Hi-C to me. The protein in them is a whey isolate, so they are clear drinks. A very nice change from all the milky things out there. These are a fairly new product. My GNC didn't have them at all and didn't know about them, but Vitamin Shoppe has them. DESIGNER WHEY - Protein Drinks Pure Protein Shake by WorldWide Sport Nutrition. Serving size - 11 oz; Protein per serving - 35g; sugars per serving 2 g. $2.79 at Vitamin Shoppe. Flavors - Frosty Chocolate, Strawberry Cream, Cookies and Cream, Vanilla Cream, Banana Cream. I tried the Frosty Chocolate and Strawberry Cream. They were ok...not nearly as good as the Lean Body, but I keep a couple in my fridge because of their high protein count. They have 3.18 g of protein per ounce, Lean Body has 2.35 g of protein per ounce, and Protein Blitz has 1.5 g of protein per ounce, if you want to compare ounce to ounce. WorldWide Sport Nutrition - Products (click "protein" on the Products page) Good luck! Misty

See, I KNEW there would be someone with some expertise in the area!:thumbup:

I asked my doc about that, too. And I don't even scuba! I also asked him about flying, even though I know people fly home from Mexico after having it done. He said it isn't a problem. I do remember seeing an earlier post from someone who was going to be spending a long vacation at a high altitude. Perhaps that person will respond, and hopefully someone who as actually been scuba diving since being banded. Good Luck!

Every doctor has different requirements for post-op. I am on "modified full liquids" for 3 weeks. I am supposed to have 2 ounces of a high Protein drink every hour on the hour while awake, plus I can have 2 ounces of another low calorie liquid every 15 minutes for a total of 8 ounces an hour. I'm not exactly doing the "every hour on the hour" thing, but I am keeping up with everything I drink and when. I'm supposed to get at least 40-60 g of protein a day and 48-64 ounces of Fluid a day, and I am. I use ProteinBlitz drinks, Lean Body and WorldWide milkshakes for my protein, and have Water and beef and chicken broth for the other fluids. I decided to see how many calories I'm getting, just out of curiosity and I'm averaging about 275 a day. I know that's awfully low, but I'm feeling fine and not hungry. It does seem like a lot to do that for 3 weeks, but I may get some different information when I go in next Friday for my 10-day post-op appointment. Good luck and happy losing

The link in Sue's post above takes you to where she initially posted about her hair problem, and she explains it all there.