ItsGottaGo!

I'm in for the Christmas challenge. Hoping my fill on the 30th of this month will give me a pouch!

Who does and does not add unflavored protein powder to their foods? I am wondering if I should order some or look for some in the stores, or see how I do without it first. Thanks.

I felt the same way too when I first started my two week pre-op liquid diet. Just take one day at a time and keep thinking to yourself that this is not forever! It will go by really fast, I promise. I didn't think I was going to make it either, but I did and I didn't cheat once. It was all worth it. I had to do 2 weeks liquid post-op as well, so it was 1 full month on clear liquids only and protein shakes. Now it is all just a memory. You can do it too! Hang in there. It's worth it.

That is so great! Congratulations!!

I'm not exercising yet either, but I promise myself I am going to start by the end of the week on the bike or elliptical at the gym. I had a little experience today too. I was eating a Boca Chicken patty and wasn't paying attention to chewing well and wow, pain, right in the stomach. I think I actually may have some type of restriction, and let me tell you, it hurt. I could feel it trying to go through the band. I drank a tiny sip of water and that made it worse. Ouch. I won't be doing that anymore. Especially AFTER my first fill which is now scheduled for October 30th-Wooohoooo! Hope everyone is doing well!! It's so hard to believe that September is over already. Is anyone getting a little pain below their port area, on the left side in the pelvic region. Actually, feels like it's an ovary or something and it's annoying the heck out of me.

I am just practicing chewing my food too, I am now on soft proteins only, and I agree, it loses it's flavor after the first 5 to 7 chews. Maybe now I'll learn to eat to live instead of living to eat.

Congratulations Bettina! I think you mean you can feel your port, I can feel my port too. I don't think there is any way that you could or should be able to feel your band though. Hope you have a speedy recovery!

For anyone on the soft protein food stage and even if you are not. I realized today that the perfect food for me to eat right now is smoked salmon/lox with a smudge of fat free cream cheese on it. Very very satisfying, full of protein and YUM! I am allowed right now soft protein food only, Phase III of my diet after protein shakes and clear liquids. I started yesterday. Basically, I am still not allowed to have any starches such as mashed potatoes, oatmeal, etc, even though they are mushies, they are NOT proteins. I will not start phase IV until 8 weeks out after surgery which is November 7th. So far, this soft protein I can live with. I am even allowed to have a Boca Burger chewed very well, I had one yesterday and no problems, so I am curious to see how my weight loss progresses or doesn't. I understand though, that this is a time for healing and am not too concerned. Trying to make an appointment for my first fill somewhere around the end of Oct. to the first week in November. Hope everyone is doing well!

Hopeworks, we were banded the same day. I was/am on two week post op clear liquids only too and THANKFULLY, TODAY IS MY LAST DAY! I go to see the surgeon tomorrow for 2 week follow up and then start pureed/mushie stage. I think even tuna fish and scrambled eggs are allowed. Anwyay, when I had called the nutritionist last week to tell her I was starving on clear liquids only and protein shakes and asked her if I could add some cream soups to the mix, she said it wasn't a good idea. They want your stomach to heal before you start eating anything else, that the band has a stitch in it to keep in in place and they prefer you heal completely. But that is up to each surgeon, everyone is different. TODAY ENDS MY1 MONTH CLEAR LIQUID DIET, WHOOHOOOOOO!! I forgot about not lifting anything, and have lifted up my 48lb daughter quite a few times in the past two weeks. Hope I didn't hurt anything!

I don't know HopeWorks, but I have had something happen to me too. I always had a white coating on my tongue. But now with being on clear liquids ONLY for 4 weeks, it's gone! I'm wondering if it was yeast or something. Things that make you go hmmmmm......

I am giving the clothes away that are in decent shape, and the rags that I wear which should already be in the garbage are finally going to be put to rest. There is no way I am saving any of these large size clothes. I did save alot of my smaller size clothes so I need to make room in my closet for them!!! Can't wait for that day!

I really really enjoy my 1 cup of tea or 1 cup of coffee in the a.m. with caffeine. I usually don't eat breakfast, just the tea or coffee. Is anyone else still drinking 1 cup of caffeine in the a.m. I know they say no caffeine, so I was wondering. Thanks!

Congratulations Erin! You might want to check with your doctor about taking Ibuprofen. I am not positive, but I think that is a no no right now. GonnabeThin - You are soooo lucky!! I am glad you enjoyed your meal. I don't eat red meat, but at this point, I would put anything in the blender and enjoy it myself! I can't wait until Wednesday! How much of it were you able to eat? Did it satisfy you?

Yep, I noticed the same thing yesterday. Helps to keep me sitting straight!

I called the nutritionist today and she advised NOT to add anything other than what I am having at the moment which is clear liquids and 3 4oz protein drinks per day until I have healed. So I will wait until Wednesday as ordered. I am going to try adding some unflavored Unjury protein powder to my chicken broth and see if that will fill me up more. I think I am so hungry because TOM is coming any day now!!! Congratulations to all our newly banded and newly filled Sept. bandsters! Hope everyone is feeling well today!

Today I am 8 days post op. I am very very hungry today. I still have to be on clear liquids only and 3 protein shakes a day (4oz) for another week. I don't know how I'm going to make it. I am debating trying some cream soup, but I don't want to disobey my dr.s orders. It's amazing that two days ago, I couldn't choke down a 1/4 cup of broth and today I am starving. I knew that wouldn't last. I will call the dietician tomorrow and ask. I sure hope they say I can have some thicker liquids. I have been on 3 shakes a day, broth, sf popsicles, sf jello and diet tea for 3 weeks now!

I have been thinking about this for a couple of days. Just wondering if anyone ever asked this question to their dr. I plan on asking mine next week when I see him. I know it's too late not, I have it in already, but I was just wondering if there is any possible connection to having the band and it causing either cancer of the stomach or another type of cancer. I am a little cancer paranoid since my family was affected by it. I hope this isn't an upsetting question to anyone. Thanks!

Piece of cake, Bettina! You can do it!

Really busy! Good luck everyone!

I DID wake up with a catheter in!

Spike, I didn't want staples and made a big point of it. I just scar easily and drove my surgeon crazy with the no staples stuff. So much so, that I had it written on both of my hands when I went into the operating room, LOL!

You need to take it to Private Message please. And, we don't want to see anyone leave, at least I don't.

I, too, have a very small scar right between my breasts, near the sternum. My incisions are all over my stomach, including 1 directly above my belly button, which I wasn't expecting. I haven't seen anyone that had a lap band have an incision there. Also I have one further to the left of my port, which when my arms are down straight, my arms cover it. I was so hoping that incision was my port, but no such luck. My port incision is bigger than I expected as well and, unfortunately, it is the only one that I can fee that is raised somewhat. All the others are flat. I still have my steri strips on, so we will see next week when I go back to the dr. My 5th incision is on the right, almost exactly in the same spot as my port, but on the other side. They pretty much go in a circle, and then there is the one off to the far left side. I thought all of these laparscopic machines were made the same. I wonder why everyone has different incision site. I havent' seen anyone else (looking at the scar thread) that has them in the place I do. I also am short waisted, maybe that has something to do with it. I am 5'1".

GettingThinMan,Don't think of it as you will not be able to eat the rest of your life. When I thought of it that way, I too wanted to cheat on my 2 week total clear liquid pre-op diet. But I read alot of threads on LapBandTalk, and was straightened out on that way of thinking. OF COURSE you will be able to eat again. You will definitely definitely be able to eat food, real food again, just in normal sized portions! Don't worry about that. Actually, I am still on liquids for 9 more days! Good luck!

I have noticed that my morning cup of tea doesn't taste the same any longer, it also tastes watery,even though I put two teabags in it. Also, the chicken broth that I have used to have a very strong flavor, now it just tastes really watery to me. Right now i'm only on clear liquids, so I haven't tasted any real food yet.