marfar7

My surgery is scheduled for July 16ty, but I had lapband surgery 4 yrs ago and had to use Protein powders. I spent $160 on GNC.com and hated everything I got. My nurse said drink Isopure Fruit drinks. They taste like Jolly Ranchers. They don't. Not even close. Couldn't drink even 1. I bought a $15 jug pf protein powder from Walmart (can't remember the name) and it was ok. Not great but not gaggy. This time I thought Id try to sampled a few brands/flavors before I actually need them. Last week I got my 12 sampled pkt of various flavors from Syntra nectar. I've only tried one (roadside lemonade) and its darn good. I ordered some unflavored Syntra Nectar so I can add it to my own drinks (juice, smoothies, pudding, etc). Haven't gotten it yet but I've heard good things about Nectar. My advise: go to amazon.com and browse the protein powders. Many brands will send u sample packs for pretty cheap. Try a few before u take a mortgage out and buy sguff u hate. Good luck...

Btw, I met my husband online. I paid $250 for a year of Eharmony, never met one guy. Paid $110 for 6 mths of Match.com, met 2 guys there. Most of my dates (including hubby) were found on Plenty of Fish. For free. You'll have to weed out the weirdos alot mlre on a free site, but I advise anyone to give it a try

When I lost my husband 6 yrs ago, I ballooned up from 200 to 250 lbs. I was never gunna date again. Almost 4 yrs ago, I moved 3,000 mi away to start over. And had the lapband placed. It took about a year and I lost 75 lbs. I decided to start dating again (about 3 yrs after hubby died). Had about 15 dates for coffee or lunch. Then I met my now-husband. He had recently lost 80 lbs too, using Atkins. We had so much in common. A year later (2011) we got married. Im so happy. In the year we were together before getting married, I lost another 30 lbs. Yes, go for it! There's all kinds of posts out there on whether or not to tell your dates about wls. I told everyone I had a meal with. Im pretty open about it tho. There was no point in telling those I just had coffee with. I never got a negative reponse. Most were eager to learn about it. Now that I've gained 30 lbs back (band slip), Im the same weight as when I met hubby. He still luvs me tho! Good luck dating...its definitely not for the faint of heart

I've been taking Gabapentin for 12 yrs. Its also used for nerve pain. I take 1200mg 3x a day. When I first. Started taking it it made me feel like I was living in a dream. Not anymore. My dr told me to continue everytning but birth control pills. They increase my chance of blood clots. Btw (probly tmi): condoms suck!!!

I wondered that same thing. I'm scheduled for band to sleeve revision on july 16. I asked my surgeon if my reflux would stop. He said "probably not". I most likely will have to pop numerous meds to keep it at bay. Here's website that explains it a litttle: http://www.thinnertimes.com/weight-loss-surgery/vertical-sleeve-gastrectomy/vertical-sleeve-gastrectomy-risks-and-complications.html Good luck!

Im actually not nervous (actually (m nervous that the hospital is gunna require pre pmt of my co pay). I had lapband surgery in 2009, so I've gone down this road before. It worked great (till it slipped, my fault) so I plan on being a success and not ruining it myself like I did the band. (M also a little anxious about the 4 wks of liquids. I couldn't do it last time (added mashed potatoes the 3rd wk. Thought I might starve). Im determined not to get a leak, hwever and that means I hafta be totally healed before I add solid food.im gunna do it right this time...

So many posts I see on here talk about numerous people they know that have had some form of wls. I know no one. Their ears are all virgin when it comes to explanation. When I got my lapband, it was relatively a newer surgery. No one had ever heard of it. Now im needing to explain an even newer procedure. As soon as you say the words Weightloss Surgery, they immediately go to bypass in their mind. Everyone know someone who's known someone that it either didn't work for or died from it. Great. Im pretty open about my surgery (I told anyone who would listen about my lapband) but Im getting kinda tired of drawing a diagram in their minds. And trying to tell them the difference between it and bypass. Guess I shoulda kept my big mouth shut from the beginning

I know for a fact that I can't be trusted to keep the weight off without a tool. My band slipped lasy year and I've gained 30 of my 104 lbs that I had lost. now my band is totally herniated so I have to get it taken out. I chose to revise to the sleeve on July 16th. Actually, looking forward to having restriction right away and not having to chase the elusive "dragon". Glad I don't have to drive 6 hrs roundtrip and pay $160 every time for my dr to say hello. Glad the days of bending over the toilet (or bush, or the side of a building, or wherever I could). However, I'm also a little worried about losing 85% of my stomach, an organ that God put there for a reason. Not so worried that I won't have it done tho. I guess I could lie and say that I want a healthy body the most out of all this. But the honest reason is that size 8's felt so good (for about a minute) and size 12's feel so bad. I really don't want to fit back into the size 22's I once wore 4 yrs ago. So it's really a no-brainer for me. I hafta get a revision. Everyone keeps saying "why don't nyou just get it out and watch what you eat?". If I could do that, I would've done it years ago! I've tried (and tried and tried and tried) and was never successful until my band. I WILL miss my band. Right now it's causing pain about 3x a week and relfux every single night. But it afforded me to realize just how much I SHOULD be eating and to accept nothing less. Good luck! Marci

I'm on July 6th. Would like to commiserate with someone...

From what I remember about Protein (I majored in nutrition in college) about 12 yrs ago, casein is more difficult to digest, making you fuller longer. Baby formulas are an example of this: Carnation Good Start is made with more casein, making babies fuller for longer. They have "comfort proteins" (talking about the slowly digestible casein). They are both milk Proteins and both are healthy for you. Guess it depends on what your looking for. One thats more easily digestible (therefore more readily available to use) or one that will keep you fuller longer. I think whey is used much more often in protein powders Hope that helps a little

I just read about it the other day. It's apparently yet another diet. You cut your calories WAY down 2 days a week and eat normally the other 5. Here's a website that explains it. Hate diets. Thats why I got the lapband almost 4 yrs ago and why I'm getting sleeved on July 16th. Nothing good ever comes from a diet... http://www.thefastingdietplan.com/

Mine is the 16th. Is that close enuf?

When I weighed 248 a few years ago, I wore maternity jeans and shorts. They aren;t like fat lady clothes", they're cute and trendy, bigger around the belly and smaller in the butt and legs. And oh so comfy. Of course my husband didn't even know I wore maternity clothes!

My husband requests that I wear junior jeans and pants (was in a 7 before my slip 18 mths ago. Now I'm an 11) cuz the ladies sizes make my butt sag (where I lose my weight first). I already have no butt and then they make me look like I'm carrying a load... Yeah, I have problems finding jeans that go up high enuf. Not sure how they wear them all the way down on their hips!

I'm definitely an apple (or maybe an upside down pear?)? Much bigger on top than bottom. Carry all my fat in chest and stomach and backfat (ugly). 18 mth ago, I was 9 lbs from goal and I had to wear a shawl with my sleeveless wedding dress cuz of my ugly backfat. That's really discouraging. Alas, I've gained 30 lbs back over the last 18 mths (band slip) so I'm now that much farther from my goal (it's gone down to 130 now). I'm hoping that dropping my goal a bit (it was 135) will make the backfat dissapear. I went to the plastic surgeon for an estimate on a TT, lip on my neck/chin area, and lipo on my back. She said it wasn't bad at all and she didn't recommend doing it. My hubby agrees with her. Anyway, hate being an apple. I'm like a marshmallow being held up with 2 toothpicks...

May I ask, why do u hafta give up caffeine? I posed this? Yestterday about giving up my coffee and all the repliers said that they still drink coffee. Its weird how the same question asked twice gets such different answers.. Hmmmm...

Wow. I'm scheduled for July 16th for my revision and I'm so worried that I'll wake up in recovery and be told that my stomach was too damaged to do the sleeve at the same time. If yours was that damaged and your doc was able to revise you, my should certainly be able to do it. Glad to hear your home and recovering nicely. Keep getting better!

My office offers a line of nutritional products, but they don't push it. I've never bought anything from them. I also think it's wrong. I don't think their products should be a requirement. It's like buying a car and requiring you to take it to the dealer (where they charge and arm and a leg) rather than whoever you want. I'd definitely say something...

I got one from my surgical staff at the office. just call and you can get one. I've only tried to use it once at Hometown Buffet (since I'm such a waste of $ there, thought I might get it a lil cheaper) but they won't accept them. Since the kids meals are all unhealthy foods (hamburgers, mac and cheese, chicken strips, etc), I'd rather order off the regular menu and take home my leftovers. The only meal I won't bring home is Breakfast. Hate reheated eggs. Yuck. Just call your office and ask for 1. Good luck finding a place that will accept it

I had to take a 2nd look at that post! LOL! Thought maybe you were a cannibal. Not sure how swallowing gum works with the sleeve. Im currently banded which I guess is a no-no, but my dr never said anything about it to me. And never once in the past 46 have I ever swallowed a pc of gum. Since there's nowhere for it to actually get stuck (ike with the lapband), I'm sure you're ok. Just be more careful in the future! And use spellcheck! (like that would've done any good!)

My dr requires a 4 wk liquid only diet. Haven't gotten my instructions yet on exactly what it's to consist of but if it's similar to my post lapband diet almost 4 yrs ago: 4 wks of liquids ONLY. This is to include 1 oz of Protein shake for all of my waking hours (I'd forget half the time), Jello, popsicles, chicken broth, watered down juice and crystal lite. At least thats how I read it. I read "4 weeks of clear liquid + protein shakes". At week #2 I started "cheating" adding cream of tomato soup cuz I thought I might just starve to death. The whole time I thought I was cheating. Every time I'd open a can of soup (1 sm can of Campbells was 4 meals a day for me), I'd feel like I was cheating. Come to find out, 6 mths later, as I'm casually reading thru my info binder for the fun of it, I was sposed to be on FULL LIQUIDS for 4 weeks. To include cream Soups, thinned or drinkable yogurt, thinned cream of wheat, thinned pudding and occasionally frozen yogurt. Wow. I could've kicked myself for not reading closer. Felt bad for nothing. Starved for nothing. It helps to actually READ your info book for sure! This time I actually will. Waiting for the coordinator to email me my instructions now, since I don't have to retake the 4 hr class I took 4 yrs ago. My sleeve diet may be a little different. But if it's not, this time I WON'T CHEAT! At 3 weeks, I added mashed potatoes myself cuz again, I thought I might starve. This time I have the added bonus of a large staple line that can start leaking if I add too much too soon. This time I actually will follow the rules. So, yes.My diet will be similar to yours. The post op diet is really the only area my dr is conservative on. I have no pre op diet at all (cept 24 hrs of liquids before). Good luck! You can do this! whats 3 weeks in the whole scheme of life?

Amen! I quite enjoy reading your posts. Always wise words. Just last week my mother in law (whos very worried about my slipped lapband causing lasting damage) said to me "Honey, why can't you just get your band out and watch what you eat?" Wow. I've never thought of that! WLS was my very first choice...btw, she's about 99 lbs soaking wet and has never had a problem with her weight her whole life. So so tired of dieting. My lapband actually did work - till it didn't anymore. I've proven I can't be trusted without a tool (gained 30 lbs in the last 18 mths) so I truly need it. What was my point in this post again? Oh yeah - to tell you that I enjoy reading your well spoken posts! Thanks!

Is my dr that conservative or what? I will still be on liquids at 4 weeks. He requires 4 wks of liquids, then 1 of mushy then regular. I think I just may starve for 4 weeks...

I'm the day before! Sooo ready for this! Good luck to u!

This is a little off topic but I'm curious: Why do you see ur doc every 3 mths? I thought that was a benefit of sleeve vs lapband, the need for less drs visits. Personally, I'm so sick of driving 6 hrs round trip, paying a $160 co pay, waiting in the drs office for up to 2 hrs 9+ times a yr (3 1/2 yrs post lapband). Just wonderin...