ParrotheadCathy

Seems like every doc is different. Mine only has you on liquids for 10 days....protein shakes, water, crystal light, sugar free popsicles, broths, apple juice, white grape juice. Then, when you go to mushies, you can have the cream soups along with that fabulous treat....runny mashed potatoes. Man, I went to KFC after I left the doctor's office on day 10 and got a dish of mashed potatoes. They were manna, I swear! And after 1 week of mushies, I was instructed to start adding regular food as I felt comfortable with them.

That sounds like lactose intolerance to me. I have a friend who suffers with that. Try using Lactaid milk or Lactaid tablets with every milk product you consume and see what happens. It won't hurt you and if it solves the problem then you know that it's lactose intolerance.

One word of caution. If you have thyroid issues and take tyhroid meds OR if you have a problem like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, be aware that soy can have an adverse effect. If you're on thyroid meds, check with your doctor about soy before trying it. My daughter has IBS and was considering NutriSystem to help her with the 15 pounds she needs to lose. She mentioned it to her doctor in passing and he told her not to eat soy protein (stuff like Morningstar Farms) because it would make her particular symptoms worse.

You betcha! And treat yourself! Don't drink the stuff in the box or can. take a whole chicken, put it in a pot and cover with water. add a little salt, some carrots, celery, a bay leaf, quarter an onion and add the pieces (don't even bother to peel it). Cook the chicken to death (LOL). Strain everything out of the stock. Then enjoy!!!

BL427 .. If you want to email me back channel, please do. parr0thd51@aol.com I will highly recommend my doctor. Christopher J. Hart. He helped found the bariatric center at Emory, but he is in private practice. Has an office at Johns Creek, but also works through True Results (I went through this group) and through the Realize program. PB -- Productive Burp. If you eat too fast or don't chew your food well, it is likely to get stuck going down. Not very comfortable. Sometimes, it does finally move on its own. But other times, you will start to salivate heavily (people often call that "sliming") and the stuck food will come back forcibly. Not vomiting, just regurgitated. Someone on one of the forums I visit thought they had experienced projectile vomiting but there really isn't any stomach acid involved. just saliva and the food that got stuck. Completely avoidable if you eat smaller bites and chew your food completely. A lot of us overweight people have a bad habit of eating our food so quickly that we don't chew it well. The band will make that an absolute necessity. I PBd once....from eating entirely too fast and not chewing my food good enough. My fault completely. And I know better, now more than ever since it's happened to me.

Fills don't hurt. Some doctors will numb the area with lidocaine first, but I've had a fill both ways and it is nothing more than a small stick...and the whole procedure takes less than 2 minutes.

I haven't got any "worst" to offer. It's an excuse that you are afraid to not be able to eat at a business dinner. You're just scared AND ALL OF US have experienced some level of fear...."what if I'm the one this doesn't work for" "what if I have problems" .... and you can what-if yourself right on up to 300 pounds or more. It's a fact of life. 60% of America is overweight. And a lot of them are trying by one means or another to not be a part of that statistic. I haven't been to a restaurant yet that didn't have something I could eat and enjoy eating. Fish, steak, meat loaf, roasted chicken, coq au vin, salads, soups. As long as you chew your food thoroughly and take your time eating, you won't have any problems. Read where people PB'd. Everyone of them will say they ate too fast or didn't chew their food well or ate something (like soft bread) that they knew they shouldn't have eaten. You can't even feel your own port. Most people go for their first fill and are surprised to find it's not where they thought it was! The best? Going to one of those meetings and seeing someone you haven't seen in a couple of months and know that they see the weight loss (and may even comment on it if they aren't afraid of offending you by noticing). Going to your closet and realizing stuff fits that you have been "holding onto just in case you magically lose some weight". And even better yet, being able to do things you haven't been able to do in years. I've seen so many people excited because they didn't have to ask for a seat belt extender on an airplane. Or they could ride the roller coaster with their kids for the first time in forever. Having the band and port "forever" isn't a big deal. Why worry about having something that is proven safe that will help you not gain the weight back. Yes, it's scary to embark on this journey, but when you begin to reap the rewards, I'm sure that like the rest of us you will be happy that you took the first step.

PB = Productive Burp. If you eat too fast and don't chew your food well, or something just gets stuck on its own, if you start salivating a lot (called "sliming") you may suddenly have the stuck food come back up. One person thought it was projectile vomiting but it's just regurgitation. No stomach acid, just the food that didn't go down. Almost all doctors do fills in small amounts. If they put too much in, they just have to do an unfill and you really don't want to experience being too full. You can't even swallow your own spit -- been there myself once. And for most people, it takes several fills to get to your sweet spot. And once you get to your sweet spot, you should see 1-2 pounds a week on the average say goodbye.

Gas-X strips, movement (as in walking as much as you feel up to) and heating pad (which can be moved from spot to spot to follow that nasty gas!

I had to do wet to dry dressings on my leg after an infection destroyed my achilles tendon after tendon repair surgery. I'm told it's not common but is used occasionally.

At 10 days, my doctor advancs you to mushie foods, which includes runny mashed potatoes, so I'll venture that you didn't hurt anything with your potatoes. But call and tell the doc that you are starving and perhaps you can add some things like fat free yogurt, sugar free popsicles and sugar free jello at the very least.

I've always had "stuck" issues, since waaaayyy before banding. The same things still cause the problem. I quit eating bread years ago unless it was toasty rather than soft; bagels were particularly a problem and I don't miss them at all because of the misery they caused me. I love peanut butter but it occasionally stuck before and now it sticks every time (I've tried it 3 times), so no more peanut butter:bored: -- I'll miss it but I won't miss getting stuck.

Heck, if we all looked at our feelings when we first SERIOUSLY considered this surgery, a heck of a lot of us would likely admit that we wondered "what if it doesn't work for me?". There are some who have eaten around the band (and a lot who have re-gained weight after bypass for that matter) -- why say it isn't so? But the truth is, if you are serious, will follow the eating guidelines and get moving, this is probably the one thing that WILL work for you like nothing else could. In that period between surgery and first fill (4 weeks for me), I didn't lose anything....just gained and lost 3 pounds once a week. But since that first fill, the weight has started to fall off. I'm sure there will be plateaus ahead of me, but I've lost one-third of the total amount I hoped to lose. I'm certainly not the least bit unhappy with my decision.

Self-pay at Atlanta True Results on February 1 went up to $16,500. That's all I can offer.

I have taken a "dose" of Benefiber every morning since surgery. It didn't prevent the constipation resulting from the anesthesia. But I think it's a good thing to add to your daily routine because since you aren't eating as many fruits and vegetables, it can't hurt to get some fiber in from somewhere else!

Sorry for the typo:bored:. Depends on what's causing the constipation. You don't say how far out past surgery you are. Anesthesia can caust constipation. I had that problem and my doctor recommended the Fleet Enema. Never had another problem! I bought the CVS Drugs store brand and I think a 2-pack was all of less than $2. Cheap fast cure for an annoying problem.

Go buy a Feet Enema (or even the store brands). Very cheap. Works instantly. No big deal...and it sure beats being constipated for days.

I've heard a couple of people who said they went for their first fill but because they were losing faster than 2 pounds a week, their first fill was postponed. But 90 days? That's a new one on me.

Shelley, there isn't an overweight person alive who doesn't start on any new weight loss plan without a jaundiced eye. We've lost and gained more than once....You always wonder, deep down inside, why this should be any different. The thing is, it really is different. Yes, you can fail with lap band .... for than matter, you can fail with gastric bypass too. But to do that, you have to make BIG effort. If you apply even half that effort to the lap band, you've done it! Why aren't there lots of failure stories on the various forums? Because the people who fail don't want to admit they didn't use the tool

I find it a bit confusing that Sllim Fast "High Protein Diet" has onlly 15 grams of protein while the "Low Carb Diet" has 20...that's misleading. You have to read the labels. I ruled out "Optima" because it has like 9 grams. But the good news is, the Low Carb Diet version is getting easier to find and I like the chocolate.

Thanks, 2Fly! I learned from the best! My Mom was a fantastic cook and always had things timed out just so. She would never make one meatloaf, but always 2 and freeze one. When she made spaghetti sauce, ditto. She always planned ahead and that's the best lesson anyone can learn. I miss her alot, but her ideas and recipes live on!

If you are Type II Diabetic, it will elevate your glucose readings. It can make you feel hungry even though you really aren't. Just watch what you eat, drink plenty of water. Just stick to your pre-op diet and you'll be fine.

Okay, here's a really easy recipe with three adaptations. Start with a square of foil. Put a piece of boneless skinless chicken breast in the center (in the right portion, of course). Add a couple of tablespoons of chicken broth (I keep a box of chicken broth in the fridge for this). Add broccoli, a little onion, 3-4 baby carrots, season a little. Close up the foil package and put on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. Clean up is just to toss away the foil. Note--this makes really moist chicken. Second option: Square of foil. Place a portion of fish in the middle. Spray with some no calorie butter flavored spray (1 squirt is enough). Add some lime juice (or lemon juice). Season. Seal and cook, just like the chicken. I don't put my veggies in with the fish because I don't like the taste added to my veggies. In this case, you can use frozen veggies that will cook in the time it takes to cook the fish, which may cook a little faster than the chicken. Third Option: Square of foil Lean hamburger patty. Season with garlic salt, pepper, worscestershire sauce and a tablesoon of Water. Add 3 slices of potato, a couple of baby carrots, a little onion and even some broccoli. Same baking and clean-up. Make as many packages as you need for dinner, and maybe an extra for lunch tomorrow. While they are baking, go change your clothes, take the dog for a walk, play with your kids for a little bit. Talk to your hubby. Also, when you cook a meal, cook double and freeze half. Pull it out a week later, thaw in the fridge and reheat when you get home. It's all a matter of planning ahead instead of walking in the house and having no idea what you're going to cook, it's not thawed, and all that rigamarole. Good luck!

If we were perfect, we wouldn't be here discussing our efforts to lose weight, would we? The lesson to be learned is can you walk away from the small misstep and continue your day in the right direction? And, I believe the answer is a resounding YES!!!

Never took anything for pain. The entire prescription for Lortabs Elixer is in the cabinet, untouched. I was tender, yes, but pain? No, not really. I was using a heating pad to help with gas and I think it helped with the tenderness too. I had surgery on Tuesday, worked a full day on Friday, did social stuff over the weekend and then back to work on Monday. Part of pain is in your head. I'm this crazy optimist, I guess. But I operated on the idea that if I had any pain at all it would be minimal. And it turned out that way. So don't keep agonizing over how much it might hurt, plan for it not to hurt and you'll probably find that it doesn't really hurt much at all.