Lap2Fab

I'm on day 4...my doctor told me to use Mirilax and/or add Benefiber to my water. I've done both and still nothing. I agree, I'm not eating anything so why would anything happen yet? My doctor says I should be though....and so I wait...I may take some Smooth Move hot tea, it helps me usuallly (and the name cracks me up!)

I'm day 2 post op and I have a couple of questions. I'm not hungry at all, I have no desire to eat. Yesterday I had 2 11 oz shakes and some crystal light, today, I've had 1 11 oz shake and a yogurt. I've been able to take all of my medications (I take about 6 pills a day for my heart) and everything seems to be going down fine. I'm certain that I'm not eating/drinking enough but I don't feel like it. Has anyone else experienced this in the first few days? I am having gas issues too, I feel really bloated and uncomfortable. I've been taking gas x strips, they seem to help. I also gained 5 lbs since surgery, it's gas and liquid, right???? I figured I'll have a big loss when my body gets back to normal...I hope!

I told no one but my DH. I also found out on Wednesday during my surgery that I had a hiatal hernia, so if anyone asks, that's what "procedure" I had fixed. My DH asked me how long I was going to keep it a secret, and I said that eventually, I will tell my friends and family, but not until the weight comes off. They know I'm trying to get healthy because of other medical conditions, so they won't question me too much on how I lost it. They have already seen me eating smaller portions and being more active. I think it's a personal decision that you have to make for yourself. But once it's out there, you can not get it back and you can't trust family and friends to not gossip, most will.

Well after yesterday being a walk in the park, I was surprised at the pain I'm in today. I didn't leave the hospital until 8:45 last night because I couldn't drink all the fluid as quickly as they would have wanted. I woke up at 2:00 am and the pain was bad. I took my meds and tried to go back to sleep, without any luck. My nurse said to be ahead of the pain, but it's wearing off faster than the 4 hours on the label. I'm sipping my protein shakes and a little nervous to drink too quickly. It took me nearly an hour to get one down. I'm trying again, trying to get up and walk around the house, but I'm in real pain and want to lay down. Does everyone have a hard time getting out of bed the first few days? I need help getting out of bed and also finding a position that is comfortable for me. Luckily my two young sons are helping me today since my husband had to go back to work. They have been like my little nurses!

I had my surgery yesterday and when I weighed myself today, I gained 5 lbs. Is this just water weight or weight from being bloated? I haven't had any "food" since Monday, so I can't imagine that it's actual weight gain. But, I have a heart condition and have to also watch my fluid retention, so I'm wondering if I should take a water pill or just let it run it's course over the next few days and give it a chance to leave on it's own. Also, when does the bloated stomach go down? The top of my stomach area is bigger than my bottom and I'm assuming it's just from the gas and swelling. I'm looking through my paperwork, but there is nothing there listed about looking bloated. I haven't had any pain in my shoulder, just around my port and getting in and out of bed has been a struggle. I'm finding that sitting in a chair is easier for me.

I'm banded! Surgery was @ 7:00 am and I'm still at the hospital! My poor husband! They didn't have a room in short stay until 4:00! Now I have to drink 24 oz before they let me go! Found out that I had a hiatal hernia during surgery, so now I have my excuse for everyone since I haven't told anyone about the surgery! Similar surgery to repair! Yay! I haven't had really any pain or gas pain. The surgery went great and I've been comfortable all day. To those of you who haven't been banded yet this month, it's not bad and I'm sooo happy I did it!

I have been going through all of the hoops that everyone else has gone through. All along, I kept saying, " if it's meant to be, it will be." I thought maybe they wouldn't let me have the surgery because my BMI is only 35, maybe they won't let me have the surgery because of my heart, or my defibrillator, maybe they won't let me have the surgery because of my insurance. I've been surprised that they are all letting me have the surgery. Now, it's 8pm the night before my surgery, and I'm starting to realize how enormous this decision is. Seven months I've never doubted for a minute that this is what I want, and now, in less than 12 hours I'll be banded...for life! I'm scared, nervous and confused. I just want to lose weight and be healthy, why has it come to this? Does everyone go through this the night before their surgery? I remember earlier this year when I had to have my defibrillator replaced in a risky surgery, I honestly thought I was going to die, and I didn't. I stressed over nothing. Perhaps that is what I'm doing to myself tonight, stressing over nothing. The next time I post, I'll be banded. There's no backing out now...I need to do this for me!

Good luck tomorrow...I'm getting nervous...trying to just stay positive and it will be over before we know it!

I think the diet you have come from your doctor. My preop diet was 3 shakes and 2 frozen meals with as many veggies as I wanted and one dairy and one fruit a day. It wasn't hard to stick to. Today I had to have all shakes to prepare for my surgery in the morning. Good luck to you!

Weekends are hard for me on the preop, I don't know why these two days make it harder than the rest of the days. Yesterday I only had 1 meal and the rest were shakes. I'm allowed 2 meals but I really didn't feel like I was hungry when it was time to eat so I drank a shake instead. When I ate my meal at dinner, which was just a small Weight Watcher meal, I actually felt like I had cheated on my diet, I was so full. I felt overly full. Today, my 7 year old son is sick in bed, and I'm running around doing anything he needs or wants me to do. I've been drinking the shakes again, but having a hard time not thinking of that chicken pot pie that's sitting in my refrigerator! I asked my 9 year old to eat it for lunch and he said "can't we save it for tomorrow because I don't like leftovers the second day, but I'll eat it on the 3rd day!" AND I think I have issues with food! LOL! I'm out of Weight Watcher meals and can't leave the house and my husband won't be home for 5 more hours! :tt2: I may just have to call my neighbors and see if anyone has a meal in their freezer! LOL! That chicken pot pie will not break me! 4 days until surgery!

LOL about the chocolate! People are clueless! Be proud!

This is good therapy, huh? I just had a to share another reason why... one of my sisters (who I already mentioned is my best friend), has always looked like Barbie. She's almost 50 years old now and I'm almost 40, and we are still so close, but she's still a Barbie... one time I went to visit her at work and although we look similar, I weigh about 90 lbs more. She introduced me to someone and I immediately said "I'm the fat sister!". I don't know why I said it, I thought I was being funny. Later, she called me and complimented me in all that I have accomplished in life and that NO ONE sees me as my weight. Funny, because that's all I see. I think if I tell anyone, I think they would try to convince me not to do the surgery and I really want to do this for me, because no matter what I accomplish in life, I still see myself as a failure with this weight.

I'm at 7am 8/11/10! Good luck tomorrow...and during the recovery! I'm sure we'll meet back here!

I am exactly like you, I have only told my DH and no one else. I did happen to run into a girl I know at the doctors, but we both swore to confidentiality. I am just a very private person, I tend to keep things to myself and I like that people think I'm confident and funny and secure. I think they would all be shocked that I fake those things (except the funny part...I am funny!). I'm not confident and I'm not secure about myself and every day I have to fake being someone I'm not. It's exhausting. The weight is a huge part of my low self confidence, it's probably the only part, because... I'm really pretty! LOL! But I need to do this for me, no one else. I don't want to be judged, and I certainly don't want people having conversations that revolve around me and my decision to have WLS or my weight. It's just such a private thing. MY MIL is the same as yours, she would tell everyone, including the people at the check out. I know my friends would be very supportive, and one of my sisters is my best friend and I feel awful not telling any of them, but I just really feel like I have to do this alone. They all know that I'm trying to lose weight because I have had a few health scares in the past couple of years. They've seen me on the pre-op diet and know I'm eating smaller portions, but I'm being banded tomorrow, and I have to avoid all of them for a week or so...that's not going to be easy because I'm a social person, but I know a week or two of laying low is the best thing for me in the long run. Once you tell people, you can't untell. You have to be ready for all of it once it's out there.

wow, I'm not even banded yet, but I'm keeping this one for future reference! Well said! It's like you are the Jiminy Cricket of Lap Band...I love it!

I feel the same way, I am turning 40 in 6 months and it's a big reason for my decision to have the surgery, I just don't want to spend the next part of my life suffocated by fat. I have too many illnesses already, I just want to be healthy and watch my two young sons turn into men and have families of their own (and hopefully look better at their weddings!) LOL...they are only 9 & 7...I have time!

I'm anxious for Wednesday morning to come, I'll be banded first thing, so I'm hoping to go home same day. I have a wonderful friend who is taking my boys overnight tomorrow and keeping them all day on Wednesday. I went shopping today, stocked up on soups, yogurts, shakes and jello. I don't have to do a clear liquid diet after, just 3 shakes and 2 blended meals. I'm not sure why everyone has different rules on what they can eat post op. I understand we are all on a different path to weight loss, but you would think there would be some consistentcy with what we can eat and when we can eat it. My doctor just says blended, no chunks. I think I'll just stick to liquids, I'm big on texture and I don't think I could eat blended chicken!

LOL! I'm looking forward to that too...and strappy shoes without bulges of pedi-fat coming out the sides! LOL!

My husband asked me yesterday if I'm looking forward to Wednesday, and I asked "what are we doing on Wednesday?" He looked at me and said "WE are not doing something, YOU are have surgery" Oh yeah! This pre-op diet hasn't been too bad, once you get over the hump, it's like South Beach, you just get used to eating smaller meals and drinking some shakes. I'm finding it VERY hard to not tell anyone, my sister asked me out for dinner this week and I had to say I have other plans and a bunch of friends are getting together on Friday and they think I'm going, but I'm faking a headache. My husband already asked permission to dance with my friends in my absense. He's awesome and loves to dance, but I still love that he makes sure that I'm not going to get mad. I actually LOVE when I see him ask another woman to dance, because so many men don't like to dance and then their woman is sitting there wanting to dance. We have a lot of fun together, I'm looking forward to surgery so that we can have many more years of fun!

YOU MADE ME LOL! This was the best post yet!

I am having surgery on Wednesday morning, first appointment of the day, 7am! I can not wait...pre-op diet is getting boring though I'm happy that it's not all liquid. I've been doing pretty good on it, down 10lbs. I'm amazed when I look at the scale. On Friday night, the 13th, a bunch of high school friends are meeting up for a reunion and going dancing. I'm trying to figure out how to explain why I can't go (downside of not telling anyone!). Is there any chance that I would be up enough to go out and offer to be the designated driver (since I can't drink anyway!) or am I fooling myself to think I may be able to make it for the reunion?