LB4Life

We don't have that Special K protien water here in Canada, but I did get some other brand of mixed protien water at Walmart. My Dr. allows skim milk and protien shakes on day two, but since I will be flying to Mississauga, ON and won't be home until day three then I plan to start having them at that time. I also picked up protien ready made drinks from GNC and they were approved for immediately after the surgery by my dietitian. Good luck!

Amanda, I feel your HUNGER I'm on day 9 of my two week Optifast and I'm not going to lie to you - it's brutal and my belly is always growling. Depending on your Dr. approved pre-op plan (ME: three shakes and 200 calories of "approved" veggies) you will want to space everything out. I have 5 meals, two veggie and three shakes, and my tummy still growls but it gets me through the day. You are lucky to only have 10 days :biggrin: I have been keeping busy, cleaning the kitchen, shopping for post-op stuff and also checking this site - and the time really passes by quickly. So far there have only been two unbearable nights (I'm a night time snacker) and I just chewed a piece of gum to get through it. Hold on and you will make it! I just keep telling myself that this is only a drop in the bucket and my NEW life will be beginning very soon :cool2: Take care.

GNC is awesome!!!! I bought alot of my preop stuff there, gettin protien powders, multi vitamins and ready made drinks (spent $150) and I was concerned that I might not like the taste of it. They told me that I could return the opened items after trying them as long as it was within 30 days of the receipt and I provided them with the receipt. I also got their yearly bonus card, which only cost $10 and gave me like $50 off my first order and you can use it on any purchases to get great discounts. I love GNC

Fruit and jello sound really good right about now :crying: The first week of the shakes was bearable but now the hunger is setting in and the tummy is always growling and saying "feed me, give me food" There were tons of leftovers from a morning meeting at work today and I felt like grabbing the fruit platter and just chowing down! I hope my week two will go by quickly and I'm trying to stay as busy as possible to keep my mind off things.

Ha ha, very funny :whatchutalkingabout) I'm also doing Optiyuck-ohmy! I tell ya tonight I actually enjoyed it, cause I so freakn hungry (only 8 more days). I have been spacing it all out: breakfast, a shake, lunch a salad, 3pm another shake, dinner veggies, 9pm last shake. I can't believe I gotta get through two weeks, but hanging in there :tt2: I have broken down and had to chew a piece of gum to hold me until my 9pm shake. Other than that I'm following orders to a T.

Speaking of cookbooks, I got one of those too! I sat and read tons of them (Chapter's is awesome for this) and was able to pick the one I thought I'd use the most. I read some of the low-carb books, some by the South Beach diet, but the one I bought was put out by Company's Coming and it's great!

I picked this book up over the weekend (weight loss surgery with the adjustable gastric band by Robert Sewell) and ready half of it last night, awesome book! I did pick up the other one (before and after) from the library and did not care for it at all, the layout and content was just not informative enough for my personal tastes. I did however find another great book from the library and liked it. It's the personal story of Mohammid Ali's daughter and her personal experience with getting banded, I'd definately recommend it.

I know what you mean about sharing our experiences and this site is wonderful because we are ALL going through the same thing or did at one point in time. The salads are not the greatest: lettuce, cucumber and brocoli with a few shots of salad spritzer dressing, oooh so exciting Missing the croutons, bacon, cheese and of course the thick delicious dressing! I am quite surprised that there are so many pre-op diets and some don't even have to follow one, lucky buggers Those that get to have lean cuisines or more "real" food that requires chewing, looks better than what we are having. Oh well, before we know it this will be a glimer in the past and soon we'll be enjoying water, broths and popcycles :w00t: I hear ya on the HUNGRY feeling, I have spaced out my day and am still hearing gurgling sounds from my tummy. I do this: shake for breakfast, lunch time have a salad/veggies then mid afternoon I have the second shake, then supper time more veggies then around 9pm have my last shake. Someone on this site said to save the last one closer to bedtime so you are not starving all night (like me who is definately a night snacker). The only way I find it tolerable is to mix the chocolate with two splenda packets and some ice in a blender, and for the vanilla (which is much worse than the chocolate, so if anyone has not purchased their Optifast yet, stay away from it and stick with chocolate) in the vanilla I add real vanilla extract and two splenda and three frozen strawberries.....although I think it would take half the bag to kill the flavor the manufacturer seems to think "vanilla" tastes like Keep plugging along and stay as busy as possible with other stuff and the time will go by quickly. Visit this site, read weight loss books and low carb cook books, clean out the cupboards and fridge to get ready, shop for post-op stuff, etc etc. Feel free to send me a message if you need any help or to keep update on your progress. Jennifer

kgranite, I feel your pain I'm on day three of my Optifast and counting down, only 11 more days, yeah! My surgery is scheduled for August 21 so mine is the day after you. I get three shakes per day plus 225 calories in "approved" veggies, pretty blah but I'm getting through it, day by day. Not to mention I'm on vacation so it's been even more difficult. Like last night I visited with a friend and we went for a drive, to DQ and I got watch her enjoy a yummy blizzard. Then today I was at my aunt's place and both she and my 19 year old cousin wanted me to stay for dinner, no thank you was my response. On top of this, I had to have one of my shakes during the visit (I put into a ziplocked baggie with my two packets of splenda) and since I'm not telling my family about the surgery, I made up some story that I'm doing a meal replacement thing with only veggies for the next week to kick start my weight loss before I start another healthy DIET. Tomorrow I'm off to the valley to pick high bush blueberries with my cousin and this will be the first time I will not eat a ton of berries in the field Of course what is a trip to the valley without.....a stop at the ice cream place on the way home? So I will pack up my skake and when we stop for lunch I will have a small salad (picking off the unacceptable veggies) then come home and freeze my berries for later when I can add them to protien shakes. It's kinda a bummer, but I know it's worth it and I'm keeping busy so my mind is off of food as much as possible. If you don't want your jello pass it this way :w00t: It would be a joy to add that to my day. Hang in and we will make it to day 14! I am actually looking forward to going back to work on Monday so I can keep REALLY busy and not so focussed on food. When you sit back and look at the situation it's amazing how much our lives revolve around food but I am finding it easier than I thought to focus on the conversations and not the fact that I'm not eating a blizzard too Keep us posted on your progress.

Okay I need some help from anyone currently doing Optifast or have already gone through it. Today was my first day (13 to go) and all I can say is blah! I put ice in the chocolate, then three strawberries in the vanilla (couldn't even taste the berries), then I put a tablespoon of decaf instant coffee in the chocolate and it was "tolerable". Any ideas how to make it a little more flavourful? I'm also wondering is it normal to be peeing ALL the time? I've gone about 8 times already! The only way I'm keeping myself out of the kitchen is by chewing a piece of gum, is this okay during the pre-op? I know that gum is a no-no after banding but would one piece a day hurt during the pre-op period? Any advice would be much appreciated

Hello dixiedoo, I'm flying from halifax to mississauga on the 20th for my surgery on the 21st. Where are you getting banded? Keep us posted on how you are doing. Take care.

I'm three days from starting my two week Optifast and have woken up with a slightly stuffed nose (nothing else). So just to be safe and knowing that I can't take any meds while doing the Optifast, I ran out to Walmart and got some liquid Echinacea. You put 15 drops in water and take 3 times a day and I swear it boosts your immune system and works! After all this preparation and getting ready (I am flying to Toronto to have it done on the 21st) the last thing I want is to get sick. Best of luck to you.

Hello everyone, I'm being banded on August 21 and just ordered my Optifast today, which I will begin on the 7th. Boy, oh boy I gotta tell you that lately I'm getting sick of grocery shopping and cooking "full" meals, especially in this muggy heat (in Canada anyway); and it's just ME to cook for so I really don't feel like cooking. I am looking forward to getting started with my Optifast, even though it's going to be rather boring. What's for Breakfast? a shake, and lunch? another shake, supper? another one, yeah, minimal dishes :thumbup: Plus I get to have about three cups of veggies and the two weeks will be kinda blah, but hey it's only two weeks out of my life, right? I got all my blood work and final paperwork sent off this week, so now I'm just waiting for the 7th to arrive! Jennifer

The Dr. in Halifax is Dr. Robert Stalker and I currently don't have the specifics on where the office is within Halifax. Once I've had my surgery next month and then my first fill then I will know more. If you are interested in the Pictou nurse then you may wish to call the SWLC in Ontario and I'm sure the nurses there would gladly help answer any questions you have. Here is the contact info: To reach the nurses – either Tammy or Sue, please call 1-866-803-6415 at extension 243. Their email is nurses@lapband.ca

I thought I'd share my personal experience in the event anyone is trying to find a Doctor in Nova Scotia to take care of their fills. I am getting banded on August 21 and after much research I was concerned with how to handle the necessary follow up care and I was under the impression that Pictou was the nearest place to go, and me without a car, yikes! After the consultation with my surgeon and a long chat with WLSC in Mississauga, I found out that HALIFAX now has a fill Doctor. He started a few months ago and am happy to have a properly trained fill doctor so close to where I live. When I asked my surgeon about the DVD's that some clinics provide to patients for their famly doctors, he said their clinic does not do that as it can cause future complications since they are not properly trained, however, if your family doctor is willing to go to Ontario then the clinic would train them, very interesting! Just thought I'd share my experience because I know I had such a hard time finding a local fill doctor and I'm sure there are others out there like ME :thumbup:

OMG I had a brazilian done a year ago and it hurt like a mother! I have two tattoos and they hurt much less. I was charged about $75 and luckily it only takes about 10 minutes of torture but still, OMG I had to hold back my screams. Just imagine....HOT wax close to your who ha and bum whole area (sorry too graphic) but your reaction is to close your legs and cringe but if you do then the wax will seal things up, yikes! I survived obviously, and the next day, after the soreness subsided, then it was so nice and smooth, which lasted for a few weeks. The second time was much faster and not as bad, but for only a three week enjoyment at such a costly fee, I was not willing to keep it up. My friend does the brazilian by lasering and instead of the heat, it's more of a burning since the laser scortches the hairs. I think for a special occassion the brazilian wax would be nice but I just "maintain" my garden by shaving :confused_smile:

Lots of great ideas but I noticed the mentioning of using a "straw" and thought I'd add a note on this subject. I have my pre-op dietitian paperwork and it clearly states that straws are a big no-no. I was unsure about this until I got my post-op diet info, but using a straw will create gas and it will be difficult to burp by bringing the gas up from the lower stomach, through the band and up through the pouch. Some people have no trouble using them, but if my Dr. says no then I'm going to follow his expert directions.

Thanks everyone, this is very reassuring to know. Last thing I want to do is replace one bad situation for another :cursing:

I'm getting banded in August and have a rather odd question.....please bare with me Due to my long term weight problem I have been somewhat of a withrawn hermit an have not been in an intimate relationship for many years. When you have the band and have a partner.....is there a chance of causing problems/complications during rigorous sex? (ie. band slippage, flipped port, etc.) I would expect that you need to recover for a few months and whatnot, but I'm wondering if your intimate life goes back to normal.....maybe even gets better, or are there sore spots like your port site that now make this fun activity not so enjoyable. I would love to know how the surgery has affected your intimate relationships and any risks/concerns you may know about. Thanks!

Hello, I'm being banded on August 21 and have had most of my questions answered, either by my surgeon or via this website so I can try to help in some areas. The protien is important to eat first at all meals so that you don't loose much hair, and it also gives you the "full" feeling much sooner than eating veggies, fruits and starches. I'm not sure of the absorbtion amount but I have been told by my dietitian that 45-60 grams should be aquired in the run of the day, so if you have about 20 per meal then you should be fine. I know the protien powder I got is 23 grams of protien per scoop, which will make a nice breakfast shake or I can sprinkle some on other foods, or add some to other recipes like making pudding - it all adds up throughout the day. I'm not sure about the spicy foods, luckily for me I loooove very mild stuff. My surgeon told me that I should expect about 3-6 fills to achieve my "sweet spot" and get that sense of full after each meal/snack. Then he said it's normal that a very small amount would seep out of the port over a long period, so to maintain an adequate fill of say 7cc, you would go back once every year/two years to get it topped back up to the 7cc. When it comes to loosing the weight, from what I have seen experienced by others on this site, if you follow the dietary requirements (ie. eat protien first, chew slowly, stop before full, excercise, etc.) then there is great potential to loose about 100 pounds in the first year to year and half. I would reccommend going to places like Frenchy's or Value Village or other discount clothing outlets until you are closer to your ideal weight, then splurge on the really "nice" wardrobe. Good luck to you :smile2:

I contacted my HR department and they told me I get 40 days at 100% pay of short term illness. So I plan to take at least 3 weeks off and fully recover and get over all the various food stages - I figure the closer I am to eating solid food then the easier to function at work. Luckily I have flexibility at work with the STI program therefore I'm using as much time as I feel necessary, which I will find out after my two week follow Dr. appointment whether I am ready to go back. HR told me that my Dr. give all the paperwork directly to HR for processing and all I'm telling my employer is that I'm scheduled for surgery and require 3 weeks off - the reasons are personal and I do not have to tell them any details.

I like August Alliance! Or other suggestions: Active Augusteers August Activists Atomic Attitude in August (AAA) Just my thoughts on the name. I'm getting excited on my August 21 date, have made all the necessary appointments and now ordering all my supplies and finalizing the details.

Thanks for the info - now I understand. I am booked for August 21 in Mississauga, Ontario so I hope to get the tests done and results cleared in the next few weeks so I can finalize all my travel plans. Keep your fingers crossed for me that I am given the clean bill of health (in a matter of speaking) so I can get ready for my surgery :biggrin:

I have been scheduled for my surgery next month and will soon be getting all the necessary blood work and an EKG - what does this involve? Please share your experience on the testing portion and how long results took. I'm wondering if the results will impact my surgery date or is it safe to book my flight/hotel now? All advice welcome, thanks :biggrin:

I just posted a thread in the post-op section about what's involved in the blood work/EKG - any advice on what to expect? I'm not sure when to book my travel arrangements and if the tests could postpone my surgery date next month.