Yoda

can I have your autograph!! hehe. I dunno....tell them "thanks, but I have a long term plan". Or..."lets talk about something else"..... I know they mean well...but....maaan, they are bein' snoopy!!! LOL

Also, don't forget that stats can sooooo easily be manipulated and stated in such a way so as to suit the aim/purpose of almost anyone's agenda. Me...I don't put much stock in statistics....at least not this one.....I am me and I will do what I can/want.....despite what the stats say!

LOL Tks Photonut...I just did a search and found it and edited my post to include the photo! I seem to print out a lot of your technical instructions (ticker etc)...very useful...THANK YOU!

We drive a Grey Ford Ranger (pick up truck), a bright (and I mean bright!!) yellow (called mellow yellow) Suzuki Aeiro... ....AND the cutest lil' scooter called a Honda Jazz (that we actually had to go and get our motorcylce licenses for!!!). Here's a photo....the other cutie in it is my husband! Not sure if he'll appreciate me slapping up a photo of him for the world to see...but oh well! (I think he is adorable!).

Wheetsin: thank you for sharing your take on how you approach the eating out thing. I haven't yet done such an outing (not on solids yet)...but when I do, I will try and take my cue from you and approach it in the same way!! It sounds great.

:embarassed: :omg: BLECH!!! Yes, I remember those!!! I still have nightmares about them!!! Those and those big puffy rice looking things......don't remind me!! I try to bury the bad memories!!!

C'mon everyone....I think this thread has run its course. This isn't a "win/lose" situation. Nobody is trying to "win" anything here...it is merely a medium for communication. I'm not even gonna look at this thread anymore; it's reached it's endpoint as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure the original poster received the info she needed and she can take what she wants and leave the rest....no harm, no foul. Lets move on.

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

what can I say that hasn't already been said???!!! Well done!!! And thanks for sharing! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

My cravings is and always has been "saltys"...not sweets (though I did enjoy the odd chocolate bar!). I'm a sucker for chips (certain flavours only) and cheezies etc. I'm only 10 days post-op but I'm still craving them....though admittedly not as bad. They are in my thoughts though, that if for sure!! Of course, I'm still on "full" liquids so any chance of having a chip anytime soon is quite far down the road. Maybe it can be a mushy though if I chew it up really good first!!! hehe.....Nah, I'll be good!

do you mean the tape holding the initial gauze in place? If so...that should prob have come off a few days ago and for sure take it off! If you are referring to the steri-strips....they should stay on 7-10 days (this is what my doc said). They will then mostly fall of by themselves...if 10 days have gone by and the steristrips are still on, you should "help" them off. By then the incision should be "closed" and at least scabbed over. I'm on my 10th day post surgery and mine pretty much fell off yesterday.

Hiya, well..I applaud you though...you seem to have sorted it out and realized some things (ie. about your lonliness, lack of hobbies, friends etc). THAT is half the battle...recognizing these things and that they might be an issue for you. All I can say is that is GREAT...and now that you "know" perhaps you can take some positive steps to rectify things. Join a club, learn a new craft/hobby, start making friends (maybe even call up an old friend)? Congrat and good luck. Be kind to yourself.

Susan, I have 5 incision points....I think most ppl have 5. Don't forget one is for the camera and one is to hold the liver back....

Don't be silly, I can see a difference; especially in your facial features! You look awesome...way to go!

hey, I want to go to Mexico now for a holiday!!!

congrats. take care of yourself.

I know I've heard many of you talk about and refer to the "barium swallow"...but I have NEVER had to do that. It was not used before, during or after my surgery. So, yes, it IS possible to do the lapband without it....I guess just some docs. prefer to do it...but you don't HAVE to.....

April bandits are doing great, from what I can see! Sure, I'll update on my progress. I was banded on 21 April (8 days ago). I've lost 21 pounds (16 of that was from the 2 week pre-op diet) which means I've lost 5 lbs since the surgery. It's probably more, but my damn period also started this morning...and we all know what that means! I'm actually having reallly bad cramps which sucks....it's worse than the pain after surgery. Dang it. Today was the first day I could start "full liquids" (ie. strained cream soups, ensure, boost etc). It is a lot better than clear liquids...I can have tomato soup now! Yah. I have to do that for 2 weeks...then 2 weeks of mushies before I can try solids. Yes, it seems much more restrictive than some folks here...but all the same...I'm gonna follow the Doc's order and "do it right". So far, I don't feel hungry, so that helps. Yes, I am DEFINITELY fighting the food demons....but I'm getting by. My husband is a HUGE help to me. My steri-strips are still on....if they haven't fallen off by Mon, I"ll carefully take them off. From what I can see, the incisions look good...there are just a couple of tear (healing blisters) marks from the tape removal that looks nasty but I'm keeping an eye. No real pain...just sometimes some discomfort in my port area...which I hope will go away soon and is only temporary. Good luck to all!!

wow. I see we have a lot of ppl who are perhaps a wee bit irritable right now? C'mon folks...keep it in check!:rolleyes

I was banded exactly one week ago and I also did the pre-op diet. Two weeks before all I ate was chicken and yougurt. For the last week, all I had was yougut (I can't stand cottage cheese so I chose not to have it!). It DOES help...the doc said the op was a breeze because of my liver....wasn't in the way at all. And supposedly, my recovery will be easier because of it. I won't lie...the two weeks was HARD...but the first 4 days was the toughest...I went thru withdrawal (carb withdrawal I guess)...headaches, MOOD swings (as my husband will attest to!), anger, irritability etc...but I took it one hour (one minute if I had to) at a time and kept my eye on the big picture. I figured if I was doing something as drastic as this surgery, the least I could do is make it easier on the doc! Good luck!

way to go bostongirl. Yes, I needed my husband to help me get down and up.....it was difficult without anything to hold onto to assist me. I had my surgery on Friday (one week ago today actually!) and by Mon I was getting up and down (ie. into a sitting and lying position) by myself. He went back to work on Mon so that was my goal. It still hurt a bit but was doable. Now, the pain isn't so bad...it's no problem getting up and down AND I can now sleep on my side (AND my tummy!!!) with no problems...I"m just cautious when I roll over to get into that position. You'll do great!

Exxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxellent! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Kudos to all the April bandits!!!!:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Okay....I just don't get it. I took y'all advice and yesterday I had some of that devil drink "Milk of Magnesia" (I have't had a BM since my surgery 6 days ago). Then, before bed I took two "Sennoside" (sp?) tablets (prescribed). It is now 10:00 am the fol day and nothing..... Now....don't get me wrong, I don't "feel" constipated in the least....this is not something that is physically bothering me at all. I just figured since it has been awhile and after reading some of the threads in here that I should help things along. It is strange that neither of those things have done that. BUT...then I ask myself...well...for the week preceeding surgery, all I had was yougurt (nooooo solids at all) and of course since the surgery all I've had is clear fluids. So.....does it not stand to reason that there is nothing actually "there" to come out? And that is why, despite the M of M and the pill that nothing has happened? Really....do I need to worry about this? If it ain't there, it ain't there? Am I missing something? If I'm not in any discomfort....is there a concern? I dunno...I just figure "nothing in"/"nothing out" so why the worry if I don't have a BM at this stage??

good luck and don't forget your liquid gravol!!!