kastoner

Great Job!!!!! Congrats.:thumbup:

I, too, have had a recent experience of being so tight I could not handle (or was afraid to handle) any solid food. Everything I ate came back up. My surgeon did a small (05 ml) unfil and now I am fine. Feeling miserable is not worth the weight loss.

I haven't smoked for years but when I did I always got a severe case of the "munchies". I would be afraid to smoke now.

I have a glass of milk with sugar free carnation instant breakfast ( I can't stand plain milk), a cup of hot tea-with no sugar, but mainly I drink plain water sometimes with a slice of lemon or lime added. Oh, yes, and I drink a beer 3 to 4 nights a week after work.

I was banded on Jan 27, 2009 by Dr Gorman. He did a very good job for me- no complications and minimal scarring. He uses a topical numbing agent before fills that make filling a breeze. I am well pleased with my experience.

It appears as if I am losing my hair at a faster rate than before being banded. I eat about 80 grams of protien daily on an average. Is anyone else experiencing this?

I started using a cpap machine 4 months before my surgery. It was a great thing for my sleep. I can now sleep on my back, I don't fall asleep during the day, and wake up feeling good. It has an added benefit of scaring my cat, so she doesn't sleep near my face anymore!! I plan to use it as long as I need to.

I have a 10 cc band, 3 cc's were put in at surgery, 1 more cc added at my first fill.

Since my first fill in the beginning of March I have been having trouble with getting stuck and PB'ing. It has just been in the last week that I have finally been able to eat without feeling ill every time. I believe that my bites were too big - they were about half the size of a dime. I tried to chew thoroughly but must not have been doing a good job of it.

I have been reading the posts re:Weight Watchers and feel that perhaps some people are missing the point of the how the Weight Watchers program abd the band can complement each other. Weight Watchers is used as a tool for tracking your intake and allows you to see your progress on a weekly basis. I adjust my points allowance to suit my needs as a lap bander. A weekly weigh in can bring home the reality of how much you are losing and allow you to get back on track if you are not doing as well as you would like. I can't afford to weigh in at my doctors every week and my scales are tempermental.

Yes, I can drink beer although my nutritionist would say "NO". It does not cause me any problems. I only drink one and I drink it slow. I tried a ginger ale the other day and it did not go well. I threw it away.

I have been a Weight Watchers member for at least 20 years and have gaine and lost many mny pounds. I even made it to lifetime status in the very beginning. It's a good program and when I follow it I lose a lot of weight but, in the past, I have always fallen of the wagon. Now with my band and the weight watchers program, I am losing 1-2 lbs weekly. I allow myself 20 points ( about 1000 calories) daily and use my flex points if needed. I am attempting to get on an exercise program that involves running and weight lifting. I know that weight watchers frowns on weight loss surgery and have not mentioned my surgery at meetings. good luck to all with their journey.

i HAD MY FIRST FILL ON WEDNESDAY. mY SURGEON ONLY CHARGED $117, WHICH MY INSURANCE COVERED.

I really like the mashed potatoes from TGI Fridays but they are very high in fat. so, I developed the following recipe: 1/4 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup skim milk 1 tb light marg 1 green onion sliced fine 1/4 cup instant mashed potatoes 1 oz reduced fat shredded cheese in a small saucepan, melt marg.,add onions. cook till tender. add broth and milk. heat to almost boiling. remove from heat. add instant potatoes. stir with forkcover set aside 1-2 minutes then add cheese and stir to mix. let it sit until cheese is melted. 11 gr protien tastes great with baked fish as a side.

I was banded jan 27,2009. There is nothing in my band. I am scheduled for my 1st fill on march 11th. My issue is this: I have advanced to a regular diet as ordered by my surgeon. I find that, if i eat too fast or don't chew well enough, i get the sensation of being stuck. The food may even come up (pb). My concern is that if i get a fill might this become worse even if i chew well. I know what foods made me feel this way and can stay away from them. I have been losing 1-2 lbs a week and continue to track all my food. Has anyone else experienced this. Do i have some restriction now?

Did you have a foley catheter during your hospital stay? you could have a UTI which would not show up on a CT scan of your band. Did your surgeon order a urinalysis? I never heard that a fill could lower your white blood cell count.

I was banded Jan 27th. I still attend weight watchers meeting mainly for the weigh in. I also track my food on the weekly planners provided at each meeting. I am losing about 1.5 to 2 lbs a week. instead of the amount of points recommended, I consume no more than 20 points ( about 1000 calories) a day. I track my protien also, making sure I consume the 75 grams that my doctor recommends daily. Since I have been going to weight watchers for a least 20 years, I am very comfortable with the program and meetings. I look forward to the day that I make my goal weight. I do not feel that being banded is cheating the program as it is very hard work to limit my food intake( I do not have any restriction yet), and exercise daily. It is good for me to plan my meals daily and attend meetings.

today I experienced what would happen if I do not thoroughly chew my food. I have been on a full liqiud diet for 1 week pre-op and a little over a week post-op. I was banded on 1/27. I was serving my family dinner this eveninf and thought that it wouldn't hurt to have a french fry (baked). MISTAKE!!! the food just laid there and felt horrible. That french fry was not even on my current diet. I had to take several sips of water to get it to go down. It was awful and an important lesson learned.

I have five incisions 3 are less than 1/2" long, one 1" long and the longest where the port was placed is 2" long. they are healing beautifilly and should be minimal scarring. My port is on the right 2" up and over from my bellybutton.

beer!! I love beer, i miss beer. but what about cosmos or other mixed drinks that have no soda or carbonation like rum and oj?

I alternate using vanilla Unjury powder in protien shakes with double strength skim milk in puddings and cream of wheat. you make skim milk double strength by adding 1/3 cup non fat dry milk to 8 oz skim milk. This doubles the protien from 8 grams to 16 grams per 8 oz cup and does not change the taste of milk the way protien powder does.

I had the same pain just under my left ribs. I am now 5 days post op. Keo in mind that if you had the band placed laproscopically the surgeon had to manipulate the instruments from the incision sites to the upper part of your stomach. I am a nurse and have watched this surgery multiple times but still wasn't prepared for how I would feel afterwards. Percocet and rest helps. don't overdo it yet.

I was banded on the 27th and also have quite a bit of gurgling and gas noise, no shoulder or back pain though. My doc gave me percocet for the pain. I use liquid tylenol during the day and take a percocet at night before bed. I am on full liquids now and have to do a bit of planning to get my protien in during 3 meals and a snack. Of the 64 oz of fluids I am to consume half is to be clear liquids and the other half high protien full liquids. I am using the unjury products to boost my protien intake. I won't be going back to work until Feb 14 when I am in the mushie stage.