Elisabethsew

You don't need to buy an incentive spirometer. Post-op it's used to assist with deep breathing. When you're in surgery, you're lying flat, getting anesthesia and on a ventilator. Therefore, you need to expand your lungs by taking it deep breaths through your nose and slowly exhaling through your mouth. This opens the tiny breathing pathways (alveoli) and prevents pneumonia or other respiratory associated problems.

LOL, I'm not as creative as you are. I plan to joyfully chuck it in the trash as I make my way into the lower (and sexier) sizes.

Medications prescribed for hypertention usually do NOT cause weight gain. If you think the weight gain IS truly related to the medication, call your MD. He/she might elect to switch you to a medication that also contains a diuretic such as hydrodiuril. Have you noticed increased shortness of breath, swollen feet/ankles, etc.? If so, call your MD ASAP.

Non-scale goals: - fit into ANY chair ANYWHERE comfortably - shop in normal size stores - wear a bathing suit with NO skirt - make love in ANY position - travel! - walk into a gym with confidence - get to a weight where it will be the optimal time to have my knee replacement surgery and recover like any other person of "normal" size (This is my ultimate goal... no more pain).

After post-op day 5, the only way I knew I had a band was the scars. Because of severe arthritis, I was placed on Nexium so I could continue to Aleve (one pill only twice a day with meals). My surgeon does not do a first fill for a full 8 weeks so it was a struggle to maintain my weight loss. Fill number one did nothing but the second did yield SOME restriction with hard proteins such as chicken and firm fish. I had fill #3 last Thursday and NOW I really know what restriction is. I can eat the portion sizes I am supposed to and feel full when I am nearly done... not too tight and not too loose. If you're feeling hungry, call the dietician associated with your surgeon. I did that and she allowed me to add a few soft foods like lite ricotta cheese to the full fluid phase. That was enough to get me through until I could begin solids. Also, I take quite a few pills everyday and I DON'T have to crush them. I chew a small pretzel until it's really mushy, put the pill in, and down it goes. This was a technique the dietician suggested and it works great. Concentrate on healing and you'll start "feeling" the band after a fill or 2-3.

One of the things that you might want to consider before you decide is, What type of eater are you? This was the frist question the surgeon asked me. Because simple carbohydrates begin digestion in the mouth, people who are sweet eaters and junk food eaters might want to consider Roux-n-y surgery. Do you thrive on chips, chocolate, candy, yodels, cupcakes, cakes, icecream, french fries, pretzels and the like? Or, are you a relatively healthy eater who can't control portion sizes and is prone to binging? As my surgeon told me, It IS easy to "cheat" the band or "beat" the band by eating foods that can easily slip by the band despite band inflation to restriction levels. I have a lot more than 100 pounds to lose but I'm not a junk food eater. I just received proper restriction on my third fill (last Thursday) so you have to be patient with the healing process as well as the fill process and can't expect the weight will fall off a few weeks after surgery. After a lot of research and talking with my surgeon, I opted for the band and have no regrets. As long as you follow the guidelines, there is no reason to expect you can ONLY lose 100 pounds. As you lose, you pick up healthy eating habits and start to lose bad habits. If you're unsure of which surgery is right for you, DON'T schedule ANY surgery until your doubts are satisfied.

I got my third fill on Thursday and it seems to be just what I needed. I'm down to 307.4 and hope to be out of the 3's in another few weeks. My all time high was 440 and I LOVE the feeling of being able to see that scale leave high numbers. Keep up the great work everyone.

The heat is one thing but, when you toss in the awful humidity, it's horrible. I keep the shades down, the A/C and fans on and have focused on getting the inside of the house in shape. Today, I'm cleaning windows and hanging new curtains. Frequent showers also help.

I consider myself an average loser but what you're experiencing is perfectly NORMAL! I lost all restriction at 5 days post-op and really struggled to maintain my weight loss until I had my first fill at 8 weeks. Since then, I had 2 additional fills and this last one did the trick. I am now eating within the lapband guidelines so hang in there... restriction will happen with your fills. Until then, make good choices and stay within the calorie limits.

Most people lose a ton of Water weight on the pre-op diet. It's not natural to continue that rate of weight loss. After banding, you lose the fluids from the surgery and, by the second week, start losing fat. This trend continues for most people at the rate of 1-2 pounds a week. You're right on track and won't feel restriction until you have a fill or 2-3. Toss the scale in the closet and weight once a week at most. You're doing fine and did not "waste" your money.

I love cashews but it's one of those foods that, once I start, I have a hard time controlling. Consequently, I keep them out of the house.

The port site pain was the worst for me and it was several weeks before I could sleep on my left side. As you heal, you're feel less pain so get plenty of rest, stay hydrated and get your required protein in.

Losing weight comes from the motivation to WANT to be healthier. If you are setting yourself up for failure before you're banded, your negative thoughts will become a reality. You have to be patient in healing, getting the right amount of fill, and committing yourself to a healthy way of eating and living. If you're up to the challenge, the band will work with you.

It's natural to be nervous about your surgery and it's good you're having someone stay with you. I did the surgery alone, got a ride home the morning after the surgery and would have loved to have someone stay with me the first night. You're sore for 5-6 days and then start feeling human again so try and not worry too much.

I like to keep it simple and have found the envelope system accomplishes that goal. The money really does add up over time and it forces you to NOT live beyond your means.

Do yourself a favor and ONLY weigh once a week in the AM after you pee. A plateau is considered 2-3 WEEKS of staying the same weight so you're doing fine.

I was required to do 2 weeks of a full liquid diet and then two weeks of a soft diet and finally got to solids on week 5. After 12 days on the full liquids, I called the dietician and told her I was starving so they moved me to a soft diet. You need 4-6 weeks for total healing and different surgeon's have different diet requirements. Call your MD and tell them you're hungry and bored with the diet. They will likely give you the OK to advance it. Go for soft foods like fish, meatballs, meatloaf, peanut butter, soft cheeses (cottage, ricotta), puddings, textured soups, etc.

I'm glad to hear all went well and hope you're feeling less sore.

Firstly, don't compare yourself to your husband. He IS going to lose faster than you. Secondly, your band is unfilled so what you're experiencing is perfectly normal. I had to wait 8 weeks for a first fill. Call your surgeon and schedule a fill. Remember, it can take 2-3 fills before you get proper restriction so be patient.

I like to keep things as simple as possible. Have you ever considered using the envelope system? First, pay yourself 10% of whatever your take-home weekly income is. Put it into a bank account and forget about it. You'll be surprised how fast it grows. If your company offers a 403b or 401K plan, do that instead. Next, take the rest of the paycheck and allot the money into envelopes with a label on each... mortgage/rent, utilities, food, etc. Whatever is left, give yourself 3/4's of that amount and use the other 1/4 to pay off credit card debt. From this approach, you'll be able to decide what you can and can't afford. This might mean having friends over (pot luck and BYOB) for dinner rather than going out, taking your lunch to work rather than buying out (have a bring your lunch picnic with co-workers), etc. You're young and have many years to save and learn to be financially responsible. As for make-up, go to the drug store and buy common brands. It's not the price of the product, it's the art of applying it. I hope that helps.

Before making ANY decisions, I would take your x-rays to the original surgeon who put the band in and discuss your status with him. It sounds like the MD you saw wants to take your band out so he can talk you into bypass.

My surgeon has patients come back every 4-6 weeks to be evaluated and weighed. After the second fill, I finally achieved some level of restriction and did not think I would be given a third fill when I went for my visit yesterday. However, I was questioned about what I was able to eat (an entire sandwich at once, no problems with bread, bigger than desired portion sizes) and the decision was made to go forward with a third fill. I was on full fluids all day yesterday and today I am advancing to a soft diet for one to two days. I do notice that I am less hungry and feel fuller more quickly so I'm glad I talked things through with my surgeon and went ahead and had fill #3. Bottom line? Talk to your MD and be honest so that together you can make optimal choices.

You're in good hands with Dr. Geiss and he's got a long record of proven success with MANY years of doing all sorts of abdominal surgeries. I just went today for my third fill and find everyone in the office to be very nice and supportive. September is a great time of the year on Long Island and perfect weather for recovery.

Have a speedy recovery and get lots of rest. Try moving to just tylenol ASAP and get up at regular intervals and walk. You'll feel more like yourself in about 5-6 days.

Foods on my soft diet list included meatballs, tunafish, chicken salad, soups, fat-free & sugar-free puddings, fish, scrambled eggs, fruit smoothies, frozen yogurt, low fat yogurt, sloppy joe without the roll, etc.