Mrs Husker

I am one week banded today!!! And like you kyethra, I am worried about the speed of weight loss. This morning I am down 19 pounds. I think that is way too much for one week. Don't get me wrong, I am happy about being down 19 pounds and I know that I might put some back on when I start eating solids, but I was thinking that It would only be like 7 or 8 pounds in a week. I want to take it slow because I know what the back of thighs look like now (not pretty) and was hopeing to "shrink" some of that skin as I lose weight. I feel a lot better today. My nose has quit running, thanks to Sudafed PE quick dissolve strips, I didn't take any pain meds at all yesterday, and I slept well last night. I still have a bit a pain if I try to take a deep breath, and am a little sore still under my left rib cage. But it didn't hurt when I went to put on my socks this morning. I am thinking that my recovery was helped along by all the walking that I have been doing. By 5:00 the day of surgery, I started walking and kept walking about 10 min. every 2 hours. When I got home I would still walk every two hours. I went back to work yesterday and walked in the morning before work, did 1/2 hour at lunch and walked for 20 minutes twice after work and before bed. I plan on keeping this up and increasing how long I walk. I think I cheated last night. Okay, I know I did. I made homemade chicken noodle soup for my family using my own canned chicken and chicken broth ( I love canning and put anything into my pressure canner). I used a can of campbells cream of chicken soup in it. It smelled soooooooo good that I had to have some and I wasn't even hungery. So I skimmed off about 1/2 cup of the broth and ate it with a baby spoon. It was heaven. I also had 1/2 cup of unsweetened prune juice, which I love. I know that I wasn't to have the juice until next week but I want to get thing "moving", if you know what I mean. I just feel weird not having a bm everyday. But I wonder, am I constipated or just empty? Best of luck to the 3/27 bandster. Praying for your speedy recovery.

Thanks Tom, I have an 18 year old son and he will be watching them all with me and having a long discussion. I will have to talk to my husband about my 11 year old daughter watching them.

Well, its 6 days post op and I am back to work today. I was gone for 1 week and had expected to come back to a mess, but the people I work with pulled together and kept everything up for me. I still have the head cold that I got the day after surgery with has me living in a fog. I think I am about 85-90% better from the surgery, but with a cold and my period it is hard to tell. I still have 8 days (including today) of Clear liquids. Then on to full liquids for two weeks. I can't wait!!! I canned some navy bean Soup and some split pea soup before surgery and can't wait to have it even if I have to blend it. I don't think I am hungery but I would love to try that new sandwitch from Arbys that I keep seeing on the T.V.. I also found that while my family is eating, I go for a walk. This way I don't see it, or almost smell it (stuffy nose). The kitchen is almost done. My DH took all of yesterday just to cut the opening for the kitchen sink in the new counter top. I am glad he was very careful, but I think he went a little overboard. Tonight he is going to attach the counter tops to the cabinets and then hook up the sink. I can't wait to have my kitchen back. I do feel guilty because I havn't be able to help but he has been great telling me that there isn't anything I could be helping with at this point. Man I love him.

Had surgery 3/20 and was told to take a shower the next day and remove the outer bandaids and leave the steri-strips. Was also told to lightly wash the area with soap and my hand and use a clean towel to pat dry with.

I feel like crap today. Part of it is gas pain but its not that bad. To tell the truth, everything related to surgery seems to be getting better and better. But now I have a cold and sneezing and coughing sucks. Mother nature also decided to rear her ugly red head today so I have cramps. I also get "hot flashes" this time of the month. I know I haven't drank enough of anything today as I just as soon stay on the couch with my heating pad. I had an important busness phone call set for 10am so I decided to wait to take any pain meds until after the phone call. Guess what? The SOB was two hours late. By that time the pain in my left shoulder was pretty bad. Does anyone know if I can have pulp free orange juice yet? I am 3 days post op and on clear liquids until April 3. I really, really, really want orange juice.

I am walking about 10 to 20 minutes every 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I am finding that I get really gassy after my walk. I feel it in my lower chest area. The gas x seems to do a good job getting rid of it. Anyone else have this problem after walking.

Grits!!!! I would kill for some REAL grits. All I find here in Nebraska is quick grits. I used to live in Albany Ga and could eat grits 3 times a day. Love the stuff.

Heating pad and gas x are a must. When I start to feel uncomfortable, I take a gax x and sit with the heating pad. I do get up and walk for 10 to 20 minutes every 2 hours or more. I was banded on Tuesday and am feeling better already.

All Done!!! Banded yesterday. Not as bad as I thourgh I was going to feel. Bad some true trailor trash b***h and her daughter in my room so I didn't get a lot of sleep. Still sore but seem to be getting better. Going back to my nap now....z.z.z.z.z.z..

I leave in one hour. Don't really feel anything right now. Not scared, maybe somewhat excited. Just want to get it over with. Husband did "before" photos of me last night, all I can say is "UGH"!! Can't wait to "BE" the after photos. To everyone being banded today, I'll be praying for speedy recoveries.

I thought I would have more time to post, but my husband just came home and wants to put the counter top on in our new kitchen. I have 18 hours until suregery!!! Still scared to death about wakeing up, but very excited. I will post as soon as I get home (or as soon as I can) after surgery!!!

Congrats Buckwheat!! Glad to hear that you are doing great. I go in tomorrow and hope to have a great recovery too.

I have had numerous surgeries in my life. At 19, I had my wisdom teeth pulled and I woke up during surgery. About 23 I had an exploratory lap surgery (checking for endometriosis), I didn’t wake up but had the gas pains in my shoulder and neck area, hurt like hell. At 24 I had to have my left index finger reattached, I woke up during surgery. At 28, an emergency c-section, wasn’t asleep when they started and woke up while they were stapling me up gagging on the tube, hurt like hell. I have had 3 surgeries for kidney stones and didn’t wake up for any of them. I have had 2 colonoscopies, and woke up during the last one in November, hurt like hell. I am scared to death that I am going to wake up during lap band. I am scared to death of the gas pain. I know the pain and fear of being awake while someone is in your abdominal cavity and not being able to move to let them know that you are are not out. I had nightmares for while after my c-section, they started up again Thuresday night. I know that I am going to have the surgery and that it is going to be alright. I know that I can survive the recovery, but it still doesn’t make it any easier. I am sitting here at work (have to work all weekend) trying not to cry I am so scared. I am having surgery on March 20 at 9:30am. Only 2 days and a wake up away. Please, please pray for me that I will not wake up during this surgery and that God will give me peace in my heart and remove my fears while waiting for Tuesday to get here.

My problem is waking DURING surgery. :think

Thanks for your encourgement. I am felling better right now. Maybe it was the lack of sleep and worrying about everything that needs to get done before Tuesday (almost done with remodleing our kitche), that I let the stress get to me. Even with the possiblity of waking, I plan on doing it. I will talk to the anesthesiologist and explain my concerns. Thanks again.

Glad to here you are doing well Brandi. I just did my pre-registration. Found out that I have to be at the hospital at 8am with surgery at 9:30. I feel like crying and I don't know if it is relief or if I am just scared.

Thanks Char, I wanted to make sure I found the P6 spot so I looked it up on line to get a good idea where it is. I plan on useing it if needed. But how hard do you need to push? Also, glad to hear that you are doing better. Hope you continue on with a speedy recovery.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I am to be banded on 3/20 and am trying to learn everything I can. Without LBT, I wouldn’t know where to turn. Each and everyone of you have helped so many of us "newbies" grain valuable information. I know I would have lost it already if it wasn’t for LBT. Knowing what I might expect (even the not so fun parts) keeps my mind at ease. Thank you again for sharing ALL of your experiences.

Magnolia, From what I have read, it seems that mushies are anything you put into the blender. One of the ladies in my support group had tuna or egg salad. I have read that most soups are pretty good blended. Look on the recipe thread. I went through and printed off all of the ones that looked good to me. I found this one when I googled "mushy food recipe". I would add Protein powder to it. I love spinach so this sounds really good. Great Veggies recipe 3 medium potatoes 8 ounces spinach 2 large cloves garlic Peel and cube potatoes. Crush and peel garlic. Cook potatoes, spinach, and garlic with about 1/2 cup Water for about 15 minutes and boil, or until potatoes are soft. Process all in a blender or food processor until very mushy. Freeze in ice cube trays overnight, then pop out cubes and store in another container in the freezer. Yields 20 servings.

Way to go!! You should be patting yourself on the back for all your hard work!!

I'm on for Tuesday also. I will say a prayer for you also when I go in. I found someone from my support group who will also be banded on Tuesday. I hope we can walk the halls together after surgery.

Tammy, Talk about dedication!! Up at 4am to give a welcome to the our new March band buddies. Been thinking about you all day. Hopeing for a speedy recovery.

Tammy Could you switch my date to March 20. I was on March 21, but was bumped up a day.

Thanks Sophie. I plan on going to GNC tomorrow to return some liquid vits. that I can't stand and will replace it with the unflavored protein.

Can anyone recommend a good unflavored protein mix that I can get at GNC or somewhere that I don't have to order it on-line? I have been on cholcolate Slim-Fast and chocolate protein shacks for just 2 days and decided that even though chocolate is my fav., I want to add something to my broths, tea or even to water (the broths I found have only between 3-8 gms of protein) Don't think I can make it on chocolate everything for two weeks post op. I just want to hit the 60 grams per day.