voiceomt2002

I doubt you mean me, but I'm going answer. It's going so well, it's scary. I still can't eat most meats, and even chicken doesn't go down well. That's okay with me. I'm happy with just seafood and eggs most days. The veggies are going down like treats, even my favorite turnip fries, long as I cook them well. I stepped on my home scale this morning, and had to have my DH read it to verify it really said 254! That's 32 pounds gone since I started! I'll fix my ticker later. Lena

Oh dear! I'm sorry, hon. Good luck! Lena

I didn't have it this time, but last time I had "metal mouth" and a coating. It was the result of the anesthesia. It did go away. Also, eat yogurt Glenda. It helps. I found out all that belly noise I've been having is perfectly normal! LOL! Good to know, because my tummy was more talkative than my ADHD daughter. (Something I thought impossible. The girl's tongue is hinged in the middle so both sides can flap.) Lena

Wow, congratulations Glenda! Lena

Okay, another small non-scale triumph from shower time. I'd already noted my feet did not swell nearly so much lately, despite a lot of walking lately. I'd grinned and moved on. That was expected. The doc had promised, and it was true. Cool beans. What I didn't expect was what I saw --or rather, didn't see-- when I dried my legs this morning after my shower. Where'd the spider veins go? My feet, ankles, and legs used to be covered in blue and red spider veins and varicose veins, as if my three-year-old granddaughter had colored me with her magic markers. One particularly nasty set of both varicose and spider covered an area the size of two silver dollars on my right leg, on the inside calf. It's almost gone! Yes, there's a pale blue bruise, but nothing compared to the hideous mark I've worn for years. :smile: Excited and curious, I replaced my right leg with my left on the toilet top where I'd been drying my legs. My left has been the bane of my existence for two years. Without warning, the ankle and foot would swell until I'd burst blood vessels on my instep. Even those are reduced in size and color! :cool2: Holy moley! Can this all really be happening, or am I dreaming?

Thanks for the encouraging words, Hannah. I never expected results this quickly.

I agree with Peanutband. Sure, I tooted pretty quickly, but the real "putt-putt" started after I got home and relaxed. I'm still getting rid of the last of it, and I've been home well over a week. Relax. It'll happen when it needs to. As far as BM's are concerned, remember you didn't have a whole lot in your digestive tract if you had a pre-op liquid diet. It may be a few days before there's enough solid matter available to evacuate. My doc did warn me that because of what I'm eating, constipation can be a minor issue. I've found that to be somewhat true, but a cup or two of a certain herbal tea seems to get the ball rolling in the right direction. I don't really get it. Frankly, I'm finding well-cooked vegetables much easier to get down than chicken and other soft meats. eggs, Spam and tuna go down well, but not most other meats. Veggies I can cook to death and they pass. meat...not so much. Lena

I recommend a bottle of liquid Tylenol and a sippy cup. There are sippy cups that don't look too childish. I found one that looks like a small purple travel coffee mug. You can leave the Tylenol at home, but take the sippy cup if you stay overnight. If not, leave it for when you get home. It helps you control how much liquid you swallow at first. It's much too easy to take an adult-sized mouthful of liquid and find out it causes you discomfort. You won't need the sippy cup for long, but it sure is nice while you do need it. Lena

Okay, another small non-scale triumph from shower time. I'd already noted my feet did not swell nearly so much lately, despite a lot of walking lately. I'd grinned and moved on. That was expected. The doc had promised, and it was true. Cool beans. What I didn't expect was what I saw --or rather, didn't see-- when I dried my legs this morning after my shower. Where'd the spider veins go? My feet, ankles, and legs used to be covered in blue and red spider veins and varicose veins, as if my three-year-old granddaughter had colored me with her magic markers. One particularly nasty set of both varicose and spider covered an area the size of two silver dollars on my right leg, on the inside calf. It's almost gone! Yes, there's a pale blue bruise, but nothing compared to the hideous mark I've worn for years. :thumbup: Excited and curious, I replaced my right leg with my left on the toilet top where I'd been drying my legs. My left has been the bane of my existence for two years. Without warning, the ankle and foot would swell until I'd burst blood vessels on my instep. Even those are reduced in size and color! :thumbup::tounge_smile: Holy moley! Can this all really be happening, or am I dreaming?

Tonight I cooked a meal I couldn't have: pork chops with an apricot sauce, despite the fact it's low carb. My healing isn't done, and even chicken still presents difficulties passing the stoma. While my DH and roomie attacked the "normal" food, I hummed happily and turned to the fridge to find some mushies. Then I stopped. I was shocked to realize I wanted the veggies, but no meat. Was I nuts? Didn't I want a nice juicy slab of animal? Uh, no. Not really. I pondered this while I pulled out the kale, rutabaga, and broccoli I'd cooked a couple of days ago, deliberately overcooking them to the correct "mushie" stage. Tsking over the limp and soggy state of the broccoli, I chose it first. Zapped in the microwave, that serving lasted me about the same amount of time as the guy's massive portions. (I'm really getting into this serving myself a la russe --one course at a time.) The guys piled back into the kitchen and scooped great big second helpings while I daintily picked up the kale and warmed it in the microwave. Dante, my roomie, helped himself to a bit of the kale with me, but my carnivore husband disdained the veggies. By the time I'd finished my "dessert" of mashed rutabaga with a bit of Splenda Brown, the guys were burping and patting their stomachs happily. (snicker) Yes, they're both "manly men." They show appreciation by acting like apes. I'm still a bit surprised at myself four hours later. If I'd wanted protein, there's eggs, cottage cheese, tuna, and even some Spam. (It's a mushie meat that passes my stoma. Compared to chicken, it slides down easy.) I don't want it. I'd better think about a protein drink or something.

Hello Pete! Thanks for the inspirational message. I was banded on January 2, so hopefully I too can lose the medical issues that have slowed me down. Lena

I understand about not believing the weight loss. I'm not driving across town to be weighed once a week, but my clothes say I'm dropping pounds. Not that I'm complaining, mind you! **Lena gathers up her baggy pants and wanders off**

No clue, to tell you the truth, but I'd be willing to bet it's a very individualized thing. You can start right now. I started months before I needed to do so, as soon as a bandster friend warned me. She told me to go on a very low-carb diet and stay there. I did, and once I made the adjustments to my recipes and got into the habit of reading all the labels of all the food I shopped for, it got a lot easier. I actually enjoy the low-carb life now, and had no trouble when the doc told me to diet and keep below 30g of carbs total a day. It wasn't until I started tracking calories as well that I actually lost a lot of weight, but by then the extra care wasn't that difficult. You can do this. Really. A little privitation now means the possibility of a lifetime of rewards later. Lena

Wow, Bella! What a terrible hospital. <HUG> Lena

Hi! Yep! I'm banded and dropping the pounds. Lena, dragging my droopy drawers already!

Yep! You should have seen the first picture of my liver. It was a disgusting pile of goo. Only reason I saw it is because it happened to be in a picture they took of my insides for a hysterectomy. My LapBand surgeon, Dr. Baptista, made me go on a strict diet. I won't lie and tell you it was easy. It wasn't. Was it worth it? You betcha! Dr. Baptista took a picture of my healthy much-reduced liver to give me a pat on the head after my surgery for being such a good patient. What a difference! Yeah, it was worth it. Lena

Hooray!! Congratulations, BlueeyesinCA95! :laugh: Lena

I'm very happy for you, Peanutband! Lena

Fair Winds and Following Seas today, Jen414. My DH had school the day got out, so my roomie took me home. Perhaps that was a good thing. DH would have fussed and made me go to bed. I was happily ensconced in my recliner with my embroidery and a DVD instead. Much better than boredom in a bed, IMHO. Lena

Thanks Peanutband and CJMTexas. Those numbers give me some idea, anyway. I probably make the minimal numbers anyway. I'll try to keep track of this as well. Lena

Welcome back, KelsieJoy! Glad everything went well for you. Lena

My condolences, Sil. Lena

Good for you! Just one question: What is "plenty"? I've never heard a real number. Not that I've had any problems, but I'd like to know. Lena

Hi Amanda! LOL on the condensation on the face. So very true. I'm just trying to grow my hair out enough so I can give a hairdresser some options. By the time I actually hit the salon, I might be a screaming lunatic.

Wow, it's only 8 AM on a Monday, and I'm already experiencing the effects of being banded. First, I awakened on my stomach. As a tummy sleeper, finding myself comfortable in that position was a huge relief. I stretched until I felt my back do the Rice Krispie "snap, crackle, pop!" Whew! I've needed to do that for a long time. I was also incredibly thirsty. I think I may already be less in need of my CPAP machine. Perhaps I'd better make an appointment with the specialist for more than a little finger stick this time. I'd love to get rid of the CPAP. It's been a friend who kept my marriage and heart from failing, but I'd really like to not be Darth Vader at night. Shower time! I'm normally a "quickie" bather. Get in, get out. But today, I looked down and wondered if I might be able to reach my toes without using a stool to prop my feet on. So, I bend down, soap laden scrubbie in hand, and washed my feet! I did a toe touch! Then I almost palmed the shower floor! Holy moley! It's been two years since I could do that! I'm growing my hair out. You'd never know from the picture I display here, but for the past couple of years, my hair has been close-cropped to my head. With all the hospital time and medications, the shoulder-length hair I prefer was a serious problem. So, I chopped it off. A cap of curls was much cooler and easier. Now, I'm growing my hair again. It feels so weird to actually comb wet hair and wonder if I'll sport bangs today or get it out of my face. I gave away almost all my clips, clamps, and ponytail bands. All I have left is one brown clamp and one black leather rose ponytail band. Guess I'd better build up the collection. Later, after I've written a bit on my latest book, I think I'll take a break and go through all my sewing patterns. My roomie Dante is a part-time tailor, and he's about to lose his mind in his eagerness to dress me up like a life-sized Barbie doll. (sigh) The big nut case dragged me out to the sewing area yesterday and presented his grand scheme for my complete new wardrobe. I almost ran screaming. LOL! Guess I'd better get used to it.