ParrotheadCathy

If the protein shakes are so bad you refuse to drink them, they are worthless. They could be the best available in the world but if you can't stomach them, then they are nothing. Slim Fast maakes a Low Carb Diet ready to drink. 20 grams of protein in the can and onlye 2 grams of carbs. The chocolate is pretty darn good. Unjury powder is really good but it's pricey. And there are lots of others. Try to compare the nutritional information on what you're using with other products and see if you can come really close and try that as a substitution. You could always take your "3-scoop protein shake made it with crushed ice and a cup of water and 3-4 strawberries", cut all ingredients in half so that you have an amount you can drink in a decent amount of time. Frankly the revised proportions are probably weak tasting and you could even try adding about a 1/2 scoop more of the powder to the 4 oz of water, too. Everybody has had to find what they like, what works for them,etc., be it protein shakes or ways to prepare their food.

Circa, what town/city are you in? If it's a small town, what's the nearest larger city? Like I said before, someone here may have information you couldn't find. Never underestimate the power of a group!

You can do some exercise sitting in a chair, like arm curls and twisting at the waist and stuff. You can Google "chair exercise" and get a lot of suggestions. That should help you until you can walk again.

I was told by my doctor to pick my proteins carefully. Yes, cottage cheese has a lot of protein grams but it's mushy food and digests quickly, whereas meats are more dense and take longer to digest. The longer it takes to break the food down, the longer it contributes to a full feeling. When you were doing liquids, you still had post-op swelling and the combination of the two gave you that full feeling. So try eating 3 oz of lean meat or fish and a steamed veggie and see what happens.

Where are you located? Where is the doctor? I had my surgery in Atlanta (a very large city). My first consult was 1/2 and my surgery was 2/10. I could have had surgery sooner but the doc that did the sleep study was booked up and had to work me in for the study. If we know where you are, perhaps someone has a specific recommendation.

You're still swollen post-op. Try having something hot to start your day, like a cup of tea of coffee. Then see if other things go down easier. If you can't get any relief, talk to your doctor's office! I can imagine that you are possibly dehydrated as well as hungry.

That's a new one on me! Never heard of anyone told that having quit smoking prior to surgery could still keep them from having surgery. What kind of a test are you going to have? My internist says that all the cleanses and such on the market only cleanse one thing ... wallets. If it doesn't have FDA approval for its claims, I'd pass it by personally. I've never smoked but I have friends who have and who have quit and everyone of them was told the positive changes start with the first cigarette they don't smoke and continue. Personally, rather than be in a panic, I'd check with my doctor since based on what you have told us that's who told you to quit and who said they would run a test. Get details!!

Chewable vitamins....lots of people use Flinstones! Centrum offers a chewable tablet (berry flavored) and a liquid. minimum of 60 grams of protein should protect your hair. My hair stylist said that if I started to experience hair loss to let her know and she had other suggestions we could try. And, really, I would call my surgeon's office and point out that I was not provided any dietary guidelines, information on vitamins etc and ask that that be provided ASAP! We can all tell you our experiences, but it would at least be nice to know what your doctor suggests.

A heating pad can help with that soreness....and with the gas pains that will likely visit you soon, too.

Welcome to bandster hell. The time between surgery and your first fill can be very frustrating. You don't have any restriction and as you heal, you feel more and more hunger. Stick it out! Make wise choices. I was made because I wasn't losing during that time, but I ate lean meals of protein and vegetables and made sure I got at least 60 grams of protein each day. The first fill won't take you to your "sweet spot" but it's a start.

That means that you need 6 months of supervised weight loss but it can be Weight Watchers or any other program. Of course you could also pick out your lap band surgeon from the list of approved from your insurance company and most of them can do the six months' supervised weight loss from their office.

Angel, talk to your insurance company and see what kind of coverage you have for WLS and then ask what surgeons are on their approved list. That way you don't start out with a doctor who isn't on your insurance. Your feelings right now are completely normal, I assure you. Many of us here have gained and lost weight so many times and many of us had given up until we made the decision to get the lap band. There are days when you'll still be frustrated but there will be so many days you wake up happy with your decision...especially once the pounds start falling off. If someone hasn't fought this battle, they don't have a clue what kind of efforts you've made, what kind of misery has come from the efforts that ultimately failed...and the feeling of surrender. But you're starting down a new path, a path so different that you can't imagine. I've lost 50 pounds so far this year! That's pre-op, post-op and regular diet combined When was the last time I lost 50 pounds? When was the last time I lost have of that and wasn't already struggling to not fall off the diet wagon? Yeah, we've been there! Good luck and keep us posted.

Pick a surgeon first. Most surgeons offices qualify for the medically supervised diet. Not sure how that gets bills. It could be that they consider it part of the larger procedure. Find out from a doctor whom your insurance accepts and go from there.

My doctor says mushies for the rest of the day of the fill, then back to normal. Other docs have different approaches. i'd say call your doctor's office and see what they recommend.

In all likelihood, it was a combination of the salty chips and the carbonation. When you sprinkle salt on beer or soda it accelerates the carbonation "blooming" and the bubbles bursting. Bad, bad case of gas....one of the reasons carbonation is a bad thing. Do that often enough and it could stretch your pouch.

3 days. I have a desk job. Surgery on Tuesday and back to work on Friday.

Dreams about losing teeth are probably not related to your surgery directly. People experiencing a great deal of stress often dream of losing teeth. So try to target your stress and ease it back some! Good luck.

NOT a plateau. A plateau is a much longer period with no weight loss. Obviously, you cannot possibly continue losing 2 pounds a day. 1-2 pounds a week is what you should expect.

I did 2 weeks of 2 whey protein shakes per day along with 2 lean meals that consisted of a lean protein and a veggie. Wasn't so bad!

Papaya enzyme can help break up a "stuck" bit of food by speeding the digestive action. Cherf, why would any of us need a "malabsorption lab" done? Our intestines haven't been bypassed like a GB patient, so our ability to absorb nutrients has not been altered. A little confused here.

Dave, the surgery is really about a tenth of what you worry it will be. Afterwards, you'll feel pretty darned good in a matter of days. I won't lie, not everyday is perfect, but with my band, I know that I will consistently lose and not feel like I'm going it "bare knuckles". You'll find a lot of support on this forum and you'll also find people who have probably experienced anything that could come up for you. So ask your questions! And, more importantly, be reassured that while this is indeed life changing, you'll go through some steps.... liquid post-op diet; then mushy foods; then adding regular foods. And by the time you're back to regular foods consistently, you'll be starting a lifetime of better choices.

No regrets at all! The surgery itself does shake alot of people up, especially if they've never had surgery or anesthesia before. But it really isn't a big deal, a very short surgery. I walked out of the surgery center on my own if that tells you anything. But it's normal to have those doubts and such close to time for surgery (any surgery). But think about it: how successfully have you lost weight AND kept it off in the past? The answer is NOT. The band will make it different and that's why I have no regrets. I've lost almost 50 pounds now and I would never have lost it this easily on my own. And pretty much everybody else on here will say the same thing. If there are negative responses, read why before you take it as a reason. Those reasons may be very individualized. I don't discount the value of the responses, but please read deeply enough to know whether they apply to your situation.

You'll know it if you do it. Tons of saliva, some of it sort of foamy. happens when you have a really bad stuck episode. And it's often the harbinger of a PB -- which is when whatever is stuck pretty forcefully comes back up. Not vomiting, but all that saliva is paving the way for it to come up easily. You can't stop it, all you can do is spit, and wait for the stuck food to go down or come back up.

My knowledge of Texas geography is, ehr, limited. Where, exactly, is Harlingen? I'm thinking over towards Brownsville?? Anyway, True Results has offices in Houston, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth and San Antonio. www.trueresults.com I had my surgery through their Atlanta office. I don't know if any of their locations would be feasible or not. www.lapbandjourney.com also has a physician finder at Lapband.com - LAP-BAND® System - Find Certified Surgeons in Your Area And I bet the Realize band website has something similar. Good luck!

Monkey's right. Beer, like soda, has a ton of carbonation, which can stretch your pouch out. So I'd have to say no beer.