Fluffy_Gurl

I hate clothes shopping. I mean I REALLY HATE clothes shopping. But alas, I have a job inerview tomorrow. A much needed job. I was let go from my job three weeks prior to surgery and I am now 5 weeks post op. I am in a professional field so a suit is a must. So, I can no longer fit into the suits I have, although previously I was able to wear them when i was just three lbs lighter. ANyhow even though I've lost a little weight I can no longer wear them. So I go shopping today. It was MISERABLE!!!!! I have never felt like such a fat lumpy pig before even though I have been heavier before. i am sagging a little which makes everything look lumpier. Everything I tried on looked awful, nothing fit right. If the jacket fit then the pants didnt. If they had my size the material didnt hang right and it looked unpolished and frumpy. Thats if they had my size. I went to at least 8 different stores that should have my size, not all of them did. Three of the stores carried a size 18 which wasnt a size 18, more like a large 14. I feel so awful, I am trying to do well, exercise etc. This was a major blow to my psyche. Ive been doing all of this hard work and still cant fit into my previous size, before surgery. On top of all of that I still have this ripping burning awful pain below my port incision, which my doc said should go away but hasntstarted to diminish which makes it hard to wear any type of pants with a waist. I am so down on myself right now, cant stand to look at myself, and feel like I am failing. How the hell am I gonna ace this interview for a job I need so badly????:thumbup:

Thanks ladies. I appreciate the advice. I always get told..oh your always so strong...etc. Sometimes even the strong have weak moments. Sometimes I just need to let it all out. I am so thankful for this board I cant even tell you!

well my dear, how are you doing now? keep us updated on how your doing since the big surgery!

i am starving! well not litterally, but i am so HUNGRY! I had some restriction and was barely able to eat a cup of food before my first fill...guess it was swelling?....Anyway, since my first fill I have been hungry! All the time even a half hour after eating, i am trying so hard to obey the rules and only eat a cup of food, get my protien in etc. Any tips for banishing the hunger? I assume this is bandster hell, but im starving and not even losing weight! Help, please!

I feel that way too! I was banded 6 days after you. I am hungry! I think this is what they call bandster hell. Ive tried to eat more protien if im still hungry instead of eating carbs. However I will admit that I ate like half a tub of cool whip the other day, frozen lol Ive slipped on my diet twice now ..once eating some doritos and then the cool whip incident. I gotta say that they really dont prepare you for the changes you have to make after the surgery. i wsh they had a routine or a better nutrition class before the surgery to help us modify our thinking etc before the surgery. i also quit smoking for the surgery. Let me tell you it is getting harder and harder to not smoke!!! Stay strong sister we'll get there! Congrats on your 30lbs, ive not lost a lot since surgery maybe 5 lbs the rest was prior to surgery...Its been a rough road, i hope it gets smoother sooner rather than later!

I understand your feeling! being recently banded, i dont have any advice but I wish you luck!

I have always been able to feel mine, and like you I always have to feel it lol I hope that I wont be able to see it once im at goal, they also gave me a low profile port at surgery because they place it close to the ribs, I always lose weight first in m upper body, above the wast, boobs n belly hahha so i specificlly asked for one but everyone is different, my friend can only see hers if she moves just right.

YAY!!! You will do great! The worst part is the waiting right before surgery!Before you know it you will be banded and on ur way home! Take time to rest! Dont expect too much of yourself too soon, and give your body time to heal! Good luck! And Congrats!:thumbup:

I feel your pain, i gained 16 lbs when i quit smoking for srgery. Do your best to exercise when you feel like smoking, I know its the last thing you wanna do. What helped me also was taking three long slow deep breaths when i felt like i wanted to smoke. Keep a log to show your doc of your exercise and food habits, maybe they wont pay attention so much to the gain f they see you are making changes. My doc never even weighed me before surgery after my first appointment. I was weighed at the hospital and thats it.

Can you still eat pickles?

Water is not the only thing that can effect your skin, yur change in diet also effects it! The lower fat content has an effect on it too! plus the change in weather. Try using a really good lotion after you shower, asap, the sooner the better asit also traps in your natural moisture. Taking really hot showers or baths can also dry you out.

Me too! minus the diet lol i would also love to have a nice big piece of chocolate dream cheesecake!

I was worried about that too! Here are some of the things I found helpful. I dont know what kind of diet your surgeon recomends post op, but i was on full liquids and pureed stuff for the first two weeks. For the first two or three days I loved ice from Sonic if you have one, or crushed ice chips. SF pudding cups, just the right size SF popcicles Ricotta cheese and spag. sauce. (I even made meatballs prior to surgery and froze them) you can puree these and layer with the ricota helps to feel like your eating food. canned fruit (I pureed canned pears, they were excellent chilled I cant stand applesauce) Black Beans (i also pureed them with green chilli enchalada sauce and added shredded cheese) chicken tortilla Soup ( I blended and then froze, my fav was one that the deli at the groc store makes and is very low cal) Cream of wheat crystal light decaf tea-warm stuff to drnk will be your friend splenda i also purchased beneprotien from walgreens.com, unflavored protien that can be added to hot stuff. i added it to my protien shakes just to up it a little bit when i first came home. i also added it to my pudding cups. Those were the best and easiest to get down the first few days. As for the cream of wheat, i added SF syrup to it to make it sweet, kroger has the best tasting one. When i was able to go to soft foods...I ate the above as well as... Turkey sausage crumbles..amazing by jimmy dean so easy I used these with a scambled egg, sf syrup, in cream of wheat, on top of ricotta cheese and other stuff too. Veggie Soups Chilli with ground turkey-my fav by far..remember your beano! Egg bakes- like quiche but so much easier ground turkey-much easier on your tummy than burger Just some of the things I ate, well what i ate mostly lol cuz u can only eat a little at a time. I wuld make stuff and then freeze it in 1/2 cup containers...jusr defrost heat n eat! that way you wont have to eat the same thing for several days straight. The small containers are the best investment ever...measure t before you freeze it and then you wont have to when yuo are recovering! I tried to avoid cream soups but they are good if you have a hard time getting your calories in while you recover. If you have any more questions feel free to ask us here! Everyone here has been great to me!

This is common sometimes it is caused from adhesions or scar tissue at the incision site. try getting some vitamin e oil or some bio oil and try massaging your incision site, it helps loosen the skin adhesions. try doing it while your watching tv or whatever. It does help you have o do it for a while, several months if it has been a while since your surgery

Oxygen is very drying to mucus membrains. most likely its from the surgery. steaming will help like the previous poster said. Also you can try using a humidifier if you have one. Im from CO too and will all the cold dry weather weve just had it would probly help alot!

So I am still not able to belch to relieve gas pressure. This is causing me a lot of pain. i can only belch if i sit just right and then it just pops out, I have no control. A few times it even startled me. Anyone else have this issue? I have so much pressure sometimes i think i might die! I dont want to stretch anything!!! or damage my band! What am i sposed to do? Gas x and phazyme do nothing to help. Neither does beano. I get this pain in my sternal area and under my left breast! It is soooooo uncomfortable. I am not drinking carbonation, i stopped eating beans or foods i thought might be causing excess gas. i have had this issue sonce surgery and it has continued after my first fill. I am taking 20-30 minutes to eat 1/2cup to a cup of mushie foods. Any suggestions or helpful advice? PLEASE! Oh and the gas escaping from the other end..is like never ending! so embarrasing!

i dont think you have an issue at all. i think it is great that you are doing great! Dont rush your recovery! i think questioniing any decision to have surgery no matter what it is for is normal. Good luck on your journey and congrats!

My back started feeling better after I could start walking normally again. i agree that your back has to compensate for your stomach muscles for a while. i slept propped up for a while, mostly cuz if i layed down i need help out of bed and didnt have anyone, btw, rolling works the best to get out of bed from a laying position. I still had to sleep on my back. use a pillow under your stomach if you sleep on your side. my port is on my left side. before the surgery I was a right side sleeper. I have difficulty doing this now as i get an uncomfortable sensation when i lay on that side, like i can feel my stomach flopping over and feel a tugging on my port, im sure all of which is in my head, but it is uncomfortable for me. so now i am a right side sleeper, which took about a week. Four and a half weeks later I am still pillow propping. i think you should do whatever makes you comfortable.My doc told me not to worry about how I slept unless it caused me a lot of pain. I also had rouble sleeping well for the first day or two and kinda dozed in and out. just rest as needed and take plenty of naps! You deserve time to rest!

Try drinking warm liquids. That may help. Warm soups..like tomato etc, try moving around more and see if that helps. I have some gas issues still sometimes after I eat, havent quit figured that out yet, also i had trouble belching after surgery which can cause some pain, i still have trouble with that. Try some gas x.

My doc's office has a man who has never had a fill and was banded over three years ago. i met him at my last appointment. He said he only goes in once a year to check in. Hes been at goal for over a year and looks great. He said hes always had restriction and still cant eat breads. weird.

I dont know what kind of are you live in, rural or city, but most cities have wound clinics. I would check around to find a good one and make an appointment. You may have other health issues that are cousing problems with your healing. Also you may want to find a dietician that works in the wound clinic or one that has experience with wounds. Your nutrition is a very important wound healing factor too. But like the above poster you should definatly see a doc. I wold recomend getting another opinion from a nother doc than who you have already seen. I am very sorry you are going through this. It must be an awful experience. Keep us posted.

Personally I think this is wrong. I believe that there is a reason we have jealous feelings etc, we were meant to only have one partner in life. I do believe that each person has a soul mate, that being said, I dont always think a persons soul mate is their mate. I also think Kody is a jackass. He makes me want to vomit, the whole show is like a car wreck, you have to look because you just cant believe its happened. His first wife was so upset about his fourth marriage as well as his third. My religous beliefs also impac my personal thoughts on this, I just think it is absurd that he, because he is a man, can have multiple partners, but because they are women, it would be a sin. Who wants to sleep with a husband who was in a nother womans bed the night before. I personally just do not see how these women can be happy and fufilled. Have you noticed that they do not really discuss their religous beliefs onthe show, which is the basis for their life choice? i think that says it all. I am proud to be a child of God and do not care who knows it. I find it odd that they are so dedicated to their religion but it is never discussed and no one in their immediate lives is a part of the show as if they are ashamed. All of that being said... It is their life and they should be entitled to live they way they choose, this is America. That doesn't make it right.

So yesterday I got my first fill. Up until that point I did have some restriction withou anything in my band and had been eating a cup of food at each meal and doing ok for the most part. Except for being hungry at night. Now, I dont feel like I have any at all. They put 4cc in the band, so how can i be able/want to eat more and be hungrier? Has this happend to anyone else?

Mine was outpatient, and I am glad. I hate hospitals. I was glad to e able to go home to recover. My surgery was at 7:30 am and I was walking otu of the hospital at 12:30. Home at 3:00 and sound asleep by 5:00. I only had someone to help me over night the first day and then i was on my own and did fine.

Ive been reading your post and questions. It kinda seems to me, although I may be wrong, you are looking to see that if you get the band will still be able to continue your bad habbits like eating ice cream and chocolate. i havent been banded that long but i researched this for three years, watched this board, asked questions, etc. I didnt get the band until i was completely ready to make a lifestyle change which include changing your eating habbits. You can find a way to eat anything if you CHOOSE to do so. This isnt magic, it takes work and dedication and a lot of learning different habbits. If you are looking for a way to be able to continue your bad habbits then you found one, but you wont be successful. you will get out of the band what you put into it.