catho72

I am on day 5 of the pre-op diet and lost 6 lbs so far. I am a little upset because I didn't lose any between day 4 and 5 whereas I lost 2 lbs a day on days 1-3. My dr's office said most people average 12-15 lbs lost while on their pre-op diet. How much did you lose?

I felt absolutely horrible for two weeks after (and I don't consider myself a wimp). I wasn't hungry at all, in fact, the smell of things made me gag. I had to force myself to drink water/broth/jello and after a week the Protein shakes and eat mushies. Because of the lack of calories, I had NO energy. I could barely move off the recliner for a week. My husband did all of the cooking. Honestly, I thought I'd feel much better than I did. People on this message board said it was a much easier recovery than from a C-section (I've had three) so I was expecting to snap back quickly. I can't stress enough....have a backup plan! Despite how bad I felt after the surgery, I'd do it again in a heartbeat! :thumbup: Good luck with your surgery!

I usually eat a few ounces of cheese or a Yoplait yogurt or a bowl of Cinnamon Roll oatmeal with a spoonful of peanut butter (I read about adding the PB on these boards...it's very tasty!). Every once in a while, I'll have a bowl of Raisin Bran or Special K.

I started losing my hair at the three month mark. It was coming out in clumps when I applied shampoo, conditioner and product or when I combed/brushed it or just even slept. Not to make light of cancer patients, but I felt like a chemotherapy patient. It stopped coming out in such large amounts after a couple of months. The hair loss was very noticable....in fact, my hairstylist mentioned that my hair's texture has completely changed. The hairs are now growing back. I have many Patches of two-inch-long hairs all along my hairline, part and pretty much everywhere. I changed to a shampoo/conditioner that was meant for weak hair. I also took Biotin about three times a week. When I asked my surgeon about the hair loss, he said it was a result of rapid weight loss. He also said the hair WILL grow back. The funny thing about taking biotin is that it accelerated the hair growth on my legs, armpits and bikini area (TMI?). Good times......:tongue2:

Congratulations! :frown:

Good luck! I have no regrets!

I am always standing up when I get my fills. The doctor also makes me take one step over so I'm positioned in front of the fluoroscopy after he inserts the needle. The first time I had a fill, the dr explained how it works. I'm not a fan of needles and didn't like the idea of walking (OK stepping over) with a needle hanging out of my belly. Once I did it, it was no big deal! My doctor doesn't use the numbing cream....he just sticks it in after pressing down to locate the port. I felt queasy the first time and still don't enjoy it but it's tolerable. Good luck!!!

I'm so excited I have to share....I've been saving my size 13 Levi's jeans that I fit into in college...1991. At my highest, I wore a size 22. Before my surgery, I couldn't even fit a leg inside, let alone pull them up. I tried them on yesterday and they buttoned. Now, they are insanely tight, not to mention hideously out of date, but they fastened! Woo hoo! :wink2:

I DID try goo gone...it didn't work very well. What worked for me was using plain old soap and water on a washcloth. I also picked at it while I was in the shower every day.

Thanks! I hope everyone has the same results, too! Thanks a lot! Thanks! Good luck with your recovery. I had a tough first few weeks but I would have the surgery again in a heartbeat! Too funny! Thanks! Congrats on your weight loss! 25 lbs in three weeks is incredible! Thanks!! Last night I went to Sears to find a new bra...not a pleasant experience to say the least. Anyway, I tried on an awesome pair of Lands End jeans. A size 12 fit!!!! Woo hoo!!! The only downside was the jeans cost $60. I refuse to spend that kind of money on clothes until I'm at my goal, no matter how good they make my butt look!

They completely cover my navel! It's not quite the look I'm going for in 2009! :Dancing_wub: Thanks! You can do it! They sure do! Thanks! I am! I never thought they'd ever fit again. I was going to throw them away many times! Sure glad I didn't!

I've lost 75 lbs and have gone from a wide to a regular width. My daughter commented I have veiny feet now. Thanks for noticing, dear!

I literally had to fold my boobs into my bra this morning! I went from a 44DD to a 38C (which is still too big but I refuse to spend more money on another new bra). The girls now sadly hang down!

Thanks! :wink2: Thank you! It sure is! :biggrin:

I started losing my hair at 3 months post op. It was scary...I was getting clumps of hair on my hands when I shampooed, put product in and combing/brushing. It has slowed since (I'm 5 months post op) but I'm still losing some. I've lost about 35% of my hair. I'm taking my multivitamin and biotin daily and also started using a shampoo formulated for weak hair. My hair stylist said she can really tell I've lost hair on the back of my head but I can tell in my part...it's much wider than it's ever been. My friends say they don't notice a difference in my hair but I sure can tell. When I mentioned it to my doctor, he said, "At least yours will grow back!" and pointed to his balding head. This wasn't the answer I was looking for....:redface:

My doctor gave me a card that says something like, "This person's stomach can only hold 4 oz. Please allow them to order a reduced portion meal or off the children's menu." The first time I gave it to a waitress, she looked at it and said, "No, we don't take this" to which I said, "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you I'm ordering from the kids menu." I ordered a kids hamburger, took off the top of the bun and ate the rest of the burger. I've used it several times with no problems. I even used it at two character buffets in Disney World and they charged me the child's price. Yay! That saved me $15 each meal! :tongue2: Don't be afraid to show it and don't be afraid of rejection. The one time I didn't show it, because I didn't want to make a big deal about having WLS, I regretted it.

Catherine, Congrats! Isn't it a great feeling? I've been wearing a size 16 since March and can fit into some 14's. I love it! Enjoy your Gap clothes! I know I do! :thumbup:

I was told that Lap Band patients may start to lose hair starting at 3 months post op. Well, I am now 3 months post op and am loosing handfuls of hair daily. There is a noticeable difference in the amount of hair that is still on my head. I am taking my daily Vitamins twice a day that are prescribed by the doctor. I also added Biotin twice a day. I need some fellow bander's firsthand experience.....how long does it last? How much hair did you loose? How long did it take to get back to "normal" amounts of hair again? Help! This is one side effect I HATE! Did I mention I'm quite vain?

I am a stomach sleeper, too. After about a week, I felt comfortable enough to sleep on my stomach. I did notice blood on my pajama shirt for several days. The doctor said this was normal. Now, three months after surgery, I can feel my port when I lay on my stomach. It's a strange sensation but doesn't hurt.

I didn't fast for either fill. I felt nauseous after my first fill, so I expected the same for my second. I made sure to eat a good breakfast the morning of my second fill, since I knew I wouldn't have anything besides liquids for the rest of the day.

I am almost at my goals! 1. Cross my legs like a lady and have them fit under a table. 2. Not cringe when I see a picture of myself. 3. Not have to rely on buying purses to be stylish. Since purses "fit" no matter what size you are, that's what I enjoyed purchasing. Now that clothes are starting to look better on me, purses are still important, just not as important! Coach purses are my weakness!

I noticed spots of blood on my pajamas and sheets when I started sleeping on my stomach again. Could your bleeding be from that? The bleeding while sleeping stopped after about a week and then returned 7 weeks post op. When I went in for a fill this week, I asked the dr about the bleeding. He said it's normal and my incision is healing well. :drool:

I'm down two lbs. 10 more to go! Woo hoo!!

When did everyone begin taking baths or start swimming after surgery? I was banded on January 27 (6 1/2 weeks ago). We are heading to a hotel with a pool for spring break on Sunday. My scars are healing very nicely...not to sound gross but there's not much of a scab left on my port incision.

I'm in. The timing for this works out perfectly since my son makes his First Holy Communion on May 2 and I would love to lose 12 lbs before then.