anonemouse

I'm sure I will be absolutely starving when my first fill comes around. Right now, I am still amazed that I can be completely satisfied and full on one scrambled egg and a few bites of grits (went to Waffle House with my parents for lunch today). It's such a strange feeling, since I'm used to eating two or three eggs, a waffle, a big serving of grits, and a couple of pieces of toast before I feel like my hunger is satisfied.

Nurse76, I've added you to the spreadsheet. I'll probably post it again tonight or tomorrow.

Here's the updated spreadsheet. I don't think I've got the new folks added, so if anyone wants to be added to it, just post to me or PM me. I'll need your height and starting weight, and then I'll need an updated weight for you every week or so.

I don't. I still get hungry, but when I sit down to eat, I sort of have to force myself. I haven't had any really bad cravings so far.

I'm back, guys! I was out of town since yesterday afternoon, without internet access. First, the good news: I've lost another 2 pounds, which I am SO excited about. Second, the not-so-good news (also TMI, so don't read if you're sensitive): I haven't had a bowel movement since the day before surgery. I'm trying not to get worried, since I think it is just because I haven't taken in much solid food so far. Third, the so-so news: I'm trying to wean myself of the painkillers that I was prescribed. I try to take as few as I can, so that means I'm in a little pain. It usually isn't bad unless I'm leaning for something or trying to bend down, so that's a relief. I've been fairly good about staying on my diet, although I had a roll when I went out with my parents to a steakhouse tonight (but I made sure that they were chewed to a pulp before I swallowed). I usually have one protein drink a day, at least one yogurt, cream of wheat or oatmeal, soft vegetables, and sometimes a soft omelet or scrambled eggs (which my nutritionist does consider to be "pureed texture," thankfully). Chickb13, dmtjet, forgve70x7, suzielondon, I added your updates to the spreadsheet. I'm currently having computer issues, but I'll try to get the updated spreadsheet posted tomorrow.

Has anyone else done this? I've gotten really cold a couple of times since surgery, and my body has started shaking HARD. Not the normal teeth-chattering, but whole-body shaking.

Here is what I have for this week's update. I am going out of town in a few minutes but will be back tomorrow, so if anyone wants to send me their updated stats, just PM them or post them in the thread.

That's wonderful to hear. I've tried several Protein Shakes, but the only one that I actually like so far is the high protein Boost shake that you can find just about anywhere. It's higher calorie than a lot of them (240 per 8 ounces) and a little bit lower protein (15 g), but it tastes pretty good. And even drinking one of them a day, I am still eating less than 1000 calories. To be honest, I packed very lightly, and still didn't use anything that I brought, other than the carmex lip balm. I was too sore and out of it to read the book I brought, and I stayed underwear-free because I didn't want to have to deal with one more hassle when I was trying to get up to go to the bathroom (plus, the elastic in the waistband of the panties sticks to whatever they put on my stomach). Really, the only thing that I would recommend to bring is a comb or hairbrush, deodorant, and some type of lip balm. If you think you will definitely have problems with intestinal or chest-cavity gas, bring a heating pad and gas-z strips, but that's about it.

I haven't yet. I'll try to remember to do that if it happens again.

Thanks, guys! You all mean a lot to me!

I've added that as your update for this week.

Thanks, I've added you to the spreadsheet.

A word of warning to everyone that is planning on a long car drive in order to get home after surgery: Don't be surprised if you are hurting a little bit more the next day. I noticed that my abdomenal muscles are hurting a tad more than the were yesterday, and I think it was because of all the jostling and shaking from the 6-hour car ride.

I've got you added to our group's spreadsheet!

If you'll read some of my older posts, I was posting about a 2 1/2 inch abcess on my vulva (TMI, I know) that I had to have lanced. So far, my surgery pain has been less than the pain of having that abcess lanced. Don't get me wrong, I still hurt, but it isn't the type of piercing, unrelenting pain that the abcess was.

Well, if you're anything like me, I haven't had to deal with head hunger too much. I'm hungry up until I try to eat something, and then I have to force myself to eat enough. It really is an oddly wonderful feeling. The only other time I've felt this way was during the first month or so that I was taking Phentermine. I'm sure that once the swelling goes down more, and I'm further post-op, the head hunger will show up, but so far I haven't had much trouble. I sometimes look at something that I previously would have scarfed down in three seconds flat, and it just doesn't look good anymore. Honestly, I'm hoping that feeling will settle down.

I've been on soft foods since leaving the hospital, and I was banded the same day you were. I'm doing fine, so far. Tonight I got a couple of ounces of ground beets and ground squash and a little bit of soft mac and cheese.

Well, my surgeon said that the stitches aren't really all that necessary, that they do it more out of convention and habit than it being an actual benefit to the patient. Apparently, there are a lot of foreign doctors that don't place any stitches at all. Post-surgery diets really depend on the surgeon, also. Some surgeon keep their patients on liquids for several weeks after surgery, and some put their patients on solids immediately following surgery. Mine's kind-of in the middle, I guess. I am planning on sticking to soft foods for as long as I can, though, just to allow for healing. Believe me, I don't want to have another surgery just because I started on very firm foods too early.

I wish I had found this thread earlier! I just got back from Memphis last night, though, and was pretty exhausted. I got online just long enough to update the July '07 folks, ate dinner with my parents, and then crashed. One thing I am celebrating, though, is that I'm already on soft-textured foods, instead of liquids. My surgeon even said that if I start getting really hungry over the next several days, I can start eating solid foods.

Hi, guys! I just found this thread. Other than the first day after banding, everything has gone pretty well. I was extremey nauseated immediately after surgery. When I got out of bed for the first timt to go to the bathroom, I was really worried that I wasn't going to make it there, and once I did make it there, I was worried that I wouldn't make it back. I don't know if I was visibly swaying, but I sure felt like I was. That, combined with the nausea, made me very weak and pretty green-looking. Once they gave me some heavy-duty anti-nausea meds, though, I was fine (and feeling pretty good, since I was on a morphine drip). When I was in the recovery room, I apparently kept forgetting to breathe, so all I can remember in there is that one of the nurses kept shaking me and telling me to breathe. I haven't had any gas pain, so the worst part so far has been getting in and out of bed. For the first day or so after surgery, I mostly stayed in bed. I'd go to sleep, wake up after an hour or two, get up to go to the bathroom and get something to drink, and then go back to bed for another hour or so. While I was in the hospital, I finally just had to have them completely disconnect the air boots that I had on, because it was such a pain to have to call them and wait for several minutes before someone would come disconnect me so that I could get up to go to the bathroom.

The one thing I am so grateful for, post-op, is that I apparently haven't had any gas pain. My back hurt a little while I was in the hospital, but I think that was from being stuck in the same position in bed for 36 or so hours. My screen name is my first name with my middle initial attached to the end.

I'd like to get them from everyone once a week, every Friday. Well, if anyone is on a liquid or pureed diet and trying to travel a fairly long distance, it can be a little difficult to find a restaurant that will serve what you can eat. On my way down to Memphis, I was on a clear-liquids diet, and stopped at Chik-Fil-A. The broth that their chicken noodle soup is in is pretty darn good. If you are on mushies, mashed potatoes from KFC, refried beans from Taco Bell, scrambled eggs from Denny's or IHOP, and loaded potato soup from O'Charley's are very good. Of course, you wouldn't want to eat them all the time, but they are good places to stop if you are traveling.

Wow. Insurance companies shouldn't be allowed to do that. I had plenty of troubles with both my insurance company and my surgeons' offices (I had to switch surgeons because the first one wasn't covered by my insurance).

Here is the updated Excel spreadsheet, guys, with some new people added to it.

Oh, I forgot to tell you guys! I weighed myself today, and I'm down another 2 pounds!