MissBS

Hi 1960Poody. First of all, let me say - surgery in Cancun.... good pickin Did your surgeon give you a pre-op diet? My pre-op diet was pretty clear - a low carb/high protein shake (I used Atkins) for breakfast and lunch, and then a small protein and veggie dinner. I was supposed to be on it for 3 weeks, but it turned out to be longer due to unforseen circumstances..... a hurricane. Just be sure to follow your surgeon's instructions. Seems like every surgeon has their own pre-op and post-op diet. Good luck with your pre-op diet and your surgery too. Take care. Becky

Hi lovely and congratulations!!!! Sounds like you are doing well. I'm glad that things went so smoothly for you. I had a LOT of problems with constipation for a long time after my surgery. I tried many things and nothing seemed to help. I still have to take MOM every now and then. It will get better. Remember that you are not eating much. Hope the gas pains go away and that you feel great soon. Please keep in touch. True Results makes the whole thing not so bad... don't ya think? Again... congratulations and take care. Becky

Jason. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! I am so excited for you. Following you on this pre-op part of your journey has been fun and inspiring for me and I can't wait to "go with you" to your goal - I KNOW you will get there. You really don't have that long to wait (easy for me to say.... right?) and 1 week pre-op - lucky dog!! Keep up the good work. Your day will be here soon. I'm very happy for you. Take care. Becky

Hi am. Congratulations - on your upcoming surgery and on finding True Results. I'm sure you are very excited - I'm excited for you!! My one year anniversary will be in September, I've lost 80 pounds, and I feel GREAT!!!!! I've got more to lose, but I KNOW I will do it - and you will too!! Good luck to you - I hope things go quickly and smoothly for you and that you will be joining the banded soon!! Keep in touch. Take care. Becky

I've had 4 fills and none of them hurt. My fills are done fluorscopically and the strange part is getting up from the table to walk to the fluoro. machine with the needle still in me. No pain but kinda ewwwwwie. Mine have been quick and easy and pain free. Good luck with yours. Becky

Hi G'ma. I remember when I was getting ready to have my surgery and right after I had it - the whole eating thing seemed sooooo confusing to me. I was being told so many things and it was hard to figure it all out - you will only eat very small servings, BUT you need to make sure to get 60 grams of protein in... WHAT? Eat your protein first and then veggies, fruits, etc.... BUT you are only eating 1/4...1/2 c. or 4 oz. per meal.... WHAT? Don't drink your calories and eat solid protein but you have to have a shake for breakfast every day.... WHAT? I wanted to do what I was supposed to do, but it all seemed so confusing. I was worried that I was not doing "it" right. As time passes and you get used to YOUR band and eating what works best for YOU, it all becomes much clearer. Not saying it is ever easy, but lots of the worry goes away. I always try to do the best I can and work on the things that I know I need to work on... water.... exercise.... good food choices.... Good luck to you. Keep asking questions and getting acquainted with your band. Take care. Becky

I didn't focus too much on the protein until I moved into the solid food stage - before that I was healing and getting in what I could. I have to have 60 grams of protein every day now. Right after surgery, I thought that would be so hard to do, but it hasn't been for me. I don't buy expensive bullets or shots or powder (only did that once). I have a high protein shake for breakfast every day (Dr.'s orders) and then get the rest in with my other two meals. I will admit that there are probably some days that I don't get EXACTLY 60 grams in, but it is always pretty close. I used to worry and fret about it.... but not anymore Good luck to you!!! Becky

I've had coffee since right after my surgery - it was a part of my post-op liquid diet. My surgeon never said no coffee.... thank goodness. I NEED it and so do those who have to live with me I don't drink LOTS but I sure do enjoy that cup or two in the morning. Take care. Becky

Hi and congratulations!!! I am very excited for you. You be sure and tell Dr. Hollis that Becky from Albuquerque says hello and that I think he is the greatest. I have also had a lot of help and support from Betrice White, who works at True Results. Don't know if you've met her - if not, make sure you do. She is wonderful!! Good luck to you. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you to help you out in your journey. Take care. Becky

Hi Mike and welcome. I come from a family of golfers - but none of them is close to being a pro :thumbup: Congratulations on getting your band. The shoulder pain is usually a side effect from the gas they put into you during surgery. It hurts. Sometimes those gas-x strips help, walking helps, and time helps. Not sure about the pain in your calves - but hope it gets better. You will feel better each day and soon you will love your band as much as I love mine. Looking forward to following your progress. If there is anything I can do to help, let me know. I'm thinking about taking up golfing now. Thinking about it is the first step..... right? Take care. Becky

Jason. Nice to know how things are progressing for you. Sorry to hear about the call and the news. Don't think those things are major, but good luck with them. Let us know how things turn out. The waiting is never easy, but try not to worry too much. This road we are on is long, and we sometimes come to speed bumps - both little ones and big ones - but we just have to keep on going and eventually we will get to that place where we are headed. Now about those wings.... Doubt if there is anyone on here who hasn't been in that chair. It might not have been wings for all of us.... but it was something that we loved. You've got the right attitude. It's in the past, you learned from it, and you are already back in the saddle. It is never fun to see a gain when we step on the scale, but they do happen.... and sometimes even when you've been really good. Remember... the scale is just another tool in our new toolbox that helps us to know that what we are doing is working or what we need to change. One day at a time. Keep up the good work. Take care. Becky

Hi. I had my surgery on September 19th, 08 and my first fill was on October 24th. I have had 4 fills - the first three were all about a month apart and the last one was 4 months later - I am at/close to my sweet spot and don't need another one for now. Some doctors will do them more often than once a month and some won't do them that often. Just depends on what your surgeon believes works best for his patients. My fills have all been done with fluoroscopy and have all been very easy and quick. My post-op diet was one week of thin liquids, one week of thicker liquids, one week of soft foods/mushies, and then onto solid foods. The soft food stage was when I got to have baked fish, mashed potatoes, refried beans, pudding, tuna salad, scrambled eggs, well cooked veggies, and mashed up fruit. Again... everyone's doctors seem to have their own pre-op and post-op diets and it is always best to follow your surgeons orders. I do remember after being on mostly liquids for 6 weeks, I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I had that first mouthful of mashed potatoes. Good luck to you. Take care. Becky

I had insurance that would pay for my surgery (??) but I chose to pay for it myself. I am not a good hoop jumper and I didn't want to play their way. It would have taken me a long time to get to the point where they would make that final decision - I didn't want to wait. I paid $12,900 for my surgery, which includes 2 years of "free" follow up visits and fills. It was 23 days from the time I had my initial consultation to the date my surgery was scheduled. I did what I needed to do and I haven't regretted it for one second. Now, I must say..... I may not be the best person to respond to this question - I have issues with insurance companies.... but that is a whole other story. You need to decide what is best for you. Good luck to you in making this decision and with your journey ahead. I love my band!!! Becky

Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. Lack of knowledge is "the easy way out".

I sure did. I had that little machine that I was given after my surgery that I was supposed to breathe into. I used it for awhile and then I just made sure to take deep breaths every now and then. It was painful. That too will get better. I'm sorry you are going through all this pain right now. I also read your post about your tummy making gurgling sounds. Oh yes.... mine did that too. I wasn't sure if it was from the surgery, the gas, hunger, or what. I finally decided that it was my stomach saying thank you for the surgery. Now it just had to do a normal stomachs job. This too shall pass. Hang in there. Becky

Hi. I know this is a hard time, BUT... it is really best to do what your doctor told you to do... not what others on here get to do. If you look hard enough, I'm sure you can find advice that someone else got that is much better than what your doctor told you to do. You don't want to advance in your eating quicker than you are supposed to. It can cause damage to your band. I remember how hard those first weeks can be - I was hungry in the recovery room. Just hang in there. You will soon be eating "real" food. You can do it. Don't risk a slipped band - you will then have to tell your doctor that you didn't follow his advice but found some "better" advice on LBT. Good luck to you and take care!! Becky

Hi. I did not have any problems with food getting stuck/PBing until I had good restriction. After my third fill, I found some foods that wanted to come up instead of going down. There are times of the day when I have better luck with certain foods, and then there are some foods that I just can't eat - no matter where, no matter when, no matter how, no matter what. It is a LOT of trial and error. My band is a moody thing and I am sometimes surprised at what I can eat - both good and bad. As I'm sure you've read - the foods that people can tolerate, or can't eat, are all different. Once you get restriction, you will figure out what your band likes and what it doesn't like. Good luck to you!!! Becky

Hi Elizabeth. I felt pretty bad for the first week after my surgery. I had pain everywhere. I felt pretty good after those first 7 days and almost normal after about 10 days. I was good to go after 2 weeks. Everyone is different and I'm sure we all had different recovery experiences. It does get better - hang in there. Not sure how long ago your surgery was, but I hope this helps. Good luck. Becky

Hi. What you are going through is perfectly normal. Not fun.... but normal. I felt no restriction after surgery, none after my first fill, and none after my second fill. It was my third fill, which was 3 months after my surgery, that I began to feel real restriction. I had read about restriction and fills on here, so I knew it was going to take awhile. It was HARD!! Relying on willpower alone for 3 months was a real challenge. I just had to stay busy, stay focused, and stay away from my red light foods. Was I always good?.... of course not. I spent that time working on how to live life without my best friend, my tranquilizer, my love - food. I spent a lot of time here, on LBT. Met lots of nice people, learned a lot about me and my band, got great advice, found out there were many others that were going through what I was going through, and I made some very good friends here. Just do your best and keep in mind why you had surgery in the first place. I know you can do it. One day at a time. Good luck. Becky

Ineeda - hope you are feeling better. Was it just a bug? Hope your band is ok. Cypress. My band is "closed for business" until about 2:00 pm. My doctor wants me to have a protein shake for breakfast every day for the rest of my life (well... except for special occasions) and I have that about 10:00 am. No problems with liquids, I like my shakes, and so that works out well for me. Then I have my lunch around 2:00. If I try to eat lunch much before that..... YIKES!! Dinner about 7 - this strange schedule works out perfect for me because nights have always been rough for me (food choices), so the later I have dinner the better my night goes. Sure seems like there is a LOT of trial and error before getting into a routine that works for you and your band. It took me awhile anyway. Good luck to you. Just wanted to respond to Restless' post - you should have taken my first born - she's wonderful :smile2: Restless did give me the keep hydrated advice and let me tell you - it did make a world of difference. When I drink like I should, I have a lot less problems with foods getting stuck and PBing. It seems like such a simple thing - but no one had ever told me that. Sure does make sense doesn't it? I read about so many people who are so tight in the mornings - well.... haven't had anything to drink for at least 8 hours... right? Hot tea, coffee... those help... cause they are getting you back to that hydrated state that your band likes. May not work for everyone.. but it sure did help me. I am still very greatful for her going and getting that advice from her doctor. It's amazing how much help you can get from the nice people here at LBT. I've made some great friends here and feel very lucky that Restless is one of them. Can I talk or what??????

Hi Jason. It's always nice when someone else tells you that you are not a whack job :smile2:.... even though you already knew that. You're doing such a great job. Following your progress helps me to have that same excited, I can do it, keep on keepin on attitude that you have. I can't wait to find out what your surgery date is - it has been fun following you in your journey to get your band, and I am anxious to follow you through the after surgery part as well. We will get to our goals and this site and nice people like you make it a bit easier. Keep it up my friend!!! Take care. Becky

Good luck to you lovely!!! Hope your surgery goes as smoothly as mine did. Take care! Becky

Hi. I could have written your post after my surgery. I was hungry when I was rolled into the operating room and I was hungry when I was rolled into the recovery room. I had NO restriction after my surgery. I could eat anything and found it very hard, and confusing, and didn't know what I was supposed to be doing. There were times I wondered if they had really even put a band in me. I measured and ate what I was supposed to - not what I could - but it was rough. Of course there were times I ate too much or somehting that might not have been the best choice.... but I did the best I could. I had NO restriction until my 3rd fill, which was 3 months after my surgery. You are NOT a failure - you are normal. I don't think you should go back to liquids or mushies - just keep trying to eat like you should. I don't think most people have great weight loss until they get restriction. Keep reading - there are a LOT of people like you.... struggling with the fact that you are using willpower alone right now. Just do your best and don't get discouraged. Once you start getting fills, things should get better. Keep reminding yourself why you did this. One day at a time.... that's my motto. Good luck and take care. Becky

Seems like when to weigh depends on the person. Some weigh every hour, some every morning, some once a week, and some only when they go to the doctor. It can be a motivator, but it can be depressing too. Like the previous posters have said, there are many things that can cause us to gain a couple or lose a couple (other than straying from our eating plan). It seems like I am always wrestling with 2 pounds.... up 2.... down 2.... It kinda drives me crazy and I just have to focus on the fact that the 2 pounds I am currently wrestling with are not the same 2 pounds I was wrestling with a month ago. It is always good to keep a chart or a graph so you can see that the numbers are really going down. If that daily up/down gets you discouraged, then you might want to go to weekly weigh ins. You are doing great!!! Take care. Becky

Some people's tickers include what they lost from the beginning - their 6 month insurance approval diet... some start with the pre-op liquid diet... and some start from the day of their surgery. It's hard to tell by just looking at their tickers. Good luck to you!! Becky