*slim*

I am posting just to say TGIF!:party::eek:

I agree. I just went grocery shopping tonight for my family. It was so odd buying things to make different meals for me and my DH. My son is will try most anything once, so I could feed him whatever I ate. My DH will not eat things like baked fish or any baked meat other than meatloaf. My post diet is 1 week clear liquids, 1 week full liquids (she said I could puree anything I wanted as far as Soups and such, but I could only have whatever goes through the strainer), 1 week soft (mushies) foods, and then regular foods. There really should be some standard guide book on what the stages should be and what exactly is allowed in those stages. I have two different books, one is from my required nutritionist visit and one from my pre-op class. They were written specifically for my surgeon, yet they allow different foods during some of the stages. For example, during the full liquid stage, one book says thin mashed potatoes, but the other book says thin mashed potatoes and thin grits.

I just had my follow up appointment with my surgeon's office. They actually made a point to tell me that my pain from overeating or too large of bites will be felt right down the middle of my chest. She said that a lot of people question that pain, but said that it is normal. I would definitely call the doctor if you can't find a common thread. I hope you feel better soon.

What she said. I just started wearing my sports bra yesterday at 6 days post op.

I certainly understand your concern. I don't know if you doctor checked for a bacterial overgrowth. I know that when that happens to me, I get this awful smell that just won't go away. I was finally put on Relagard. It is a cream that helps that part of the body re-adjust its pH levels. It always happened to me when my blood sugars were off (whether too high, or too low). I would use that a couple of times when I noticed it and it would clear itself up. After that, my doc did tell me that washing that area with soap and douching was a BIG no no. The "self-cleaning oven" idea was right on. I hope this helps you. Oh, and by the way... you can get an over the counter version called RepHresh. It's usually with the womanly supplies. It costs about $10 but was well worth it for the peace of mind.

I may be misunderstanding, but I don't think the sleeve is a device. I thought it was where they take your stomach and cut it into a tube like shape. It limits your food intake, but it does not have the malabsorption of bypass. You are right in that it is not reverible. The is a forum on here about it. You may be able to read some of the posts on there and also maybe have some questions answered. I wish the best with your decision making.

I wish I could have been a fly on the wall to see the look on her face! I saw the deep fried bacon on TV once, it looked like a heart attack on a plate. I love sweet/salty combos so I would SO go for the chocolate covered bacon. I put on my first jacket because we got below 60. We do get a little lower every once and a while. Pizzeria Uno:drool: Sorry, I have only been there once, but that place made an impression. The TV show that I watched had them dip it in a batter similar to beer batter. Then they dropped the very thick cut bacon in hot oil for like a minute or two. It looked so fattening. It was created in Texas though. It's a good thing I am home alone. My DH would have thought I was crazy in here laughing out loud at some of the things you all have said. You all make my day.:cool2:

Hi. I had surgery on 09/25 and my surgeon did say that we would notice a difference in our BM since we are not taking in as much. He just said to make sure that I keep getting my fluids in. He also recommended Miralax IF constipation seemed to be a problem. He said that our BM should basically follow our amount of intake. Not much going in, not much is going to come back out (sorry if that is TMI).

You and me both. I am on day 7 and feel fine as long as I don't lay on my back. My port incision aches when I lay on my back. Also, I have a horrid time trying to get back up from that position. It is really odd to me since I don't hurt sitting up or walking around. I can get up from a sitting position with no problem. hmmmm I hope everyone has a wonderful day today!:cool2:

I am too new at this to answer your question about whether I will have that happen, but I do have a bad nose. I wonder if it has anything to do with sinus drainage or something similar. I mean, as you get full, the drainage is running out of places to go so your nose gets irritated. It is just a thought. I can only hope that I will such a stand out signal that it is time to stop eating. Awesome job on your weight loss!

I am thankful that I was led to this forum. You all have been such an inspiration to me.

Hey. I hope that you are feeling better today. I have to admit that I didn't even get gas pains until day 5. I don't know how or why that is. You want to make sure that you are at least getting in your fluids so that you don't get dehydrated. I am sure that I have posted that before, but I don't want you to get sick. Everyday, it will get a little better (or at least, that is what I keep telling myself:tongue:). Keep me posted on how you are doing.

You are so awesome!

Thank you Alex.

I feel your pain. I started steeping herbs in my broth then straining them out before sipping. Also, today I made a pot of Soup for my family. I just took broth from that for my dinner. My surgeon's office said that if you know of a good brothy soup (i.e. hot and sour soup or egg drop soup), just strain the stuff out of it and have that for your clear liquid. Thankfully, I am now on full liquids which, according to my booklet, includes thin mashed potatoes or thin grits. It will be nice to have something other than broth and popsicles.

I wondered, when I first saw you were from TN, where exactly you were. My best friend lived in Soddy. It is so nice during the fall. I am just hoping that we actually HAVE a fall this year. We seem to be skipping seasons. I don't think I have ever been to Smyrna. Where is it?

I am so glad that you are at home, and have now crossed the border of bandland. I hope that you feel better soon.

I am positive that I want that to happen to me tomorrow.:smile2:

For the pre-op diet, I knew it was only two weeks. I have always been able to do a diet for at least two weeks. I am in my first full week post op. The liquid stage is easier here because again, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Also, the liquid stage after surgery is to let your stomach heal with the band around it. If you eat too soon, you can cause damage to your stomach and risk complications with your band. The thought of having something go wrong with this now, keeps me on track. I was not hungry the first few days after surgery. I was just trying to get my liquids in to keep hydrated. I am hungry now, but it isn't taking even 1/2 cup of soup to have me feeling full. The thing about the band is, you won't be on a "diet". This will be a lifetime change with the aid of this wonderful tool. So instead of dealing with extreme hunger as I normally do with diets, I will have my band to help me get full faster and stay full longer.

Although my incisions aren't near my pants line, my stomach is still very swollen 6 days out. My biggest issue is the bra line:cursing: (like others have mentioned). All of my incisions go right across my bra line. I don't know if the doctor was trying to put them some where that they could be hidden, but I have had to leave the girls unattended for now. Thankfully, I have not gone back to work yet.

After my insurance acted as though they didn't understand what I was talking about, they said that my doctor would have to get a prior authorization just like they did for surgery. I can't see that. I guess we shall see.

It is always nice to see that someone is familiar with this area. I live in East Ridge. How did you go from Chattanooga to Colorado?

How funny!

I have only seen them at Macy's, and they were always out of them. I don't know if that means that they are great, or if other people are just following the craze. I have wanted to try them though.

I'm with Kiz on this one. I would think drinking water soon after your protein shake or carnation instant breakfast would simply wash it completely down before you ever get a chance to feel full.