travelgirl

Hi, Missyr! I was scared of mine in the beginning, too. That's hard enough to admit to other bandsters, never mind your family, especially if they weren't particularly supportive of the decision in the first place. Don't worry, though, that passes pretty quickly... You said that you're pretty weak...How much Protein are you getting in every day? If you're not getting in 60 or so grams of protein in a day, that could be the cause of your weakness. If you find the Protein shakes too thick, you can thin them down with some skim milk (which also has protein) and drink them that way. Your surgeon should be made aware of what you're going through. You said you have a follow up on Wednesday....WRITE down (don't try to remember) all your questions for your doctor. He won't think you're silly for bringing in a list, and I'm sure he'll be more than happy to address all your concerns. Hang in there, you're still in the healing process, and there is still swelling around the band in your stomach, and especially since you've already had an unfill. That always causes some swelling as well. Did they put some saline in your band during surgery? If so, how much? When they took the 4cc's out, was that ALL of it, or is there still some in there? Welcome to bandland, and keep us updated on how you're doing!

I have always slept on my side. That hasn't changed at all since being banded. Right after surgery, I could only sleep flat on my back, though, or in a recliner, which was easier to get out of than my bed, because any other position made me feel like everything was being pulled on, and was uncomfortable. You should be back to sleeping on your stomach in a week or two.

My post op instructions said nothing about carbonated drinks. I don't drink them very often, but when I do, it's always diet, and I stir most of the bubbles out before I drink it. Otherwise, I can't tolerate it. It HURTS. Also, I buy it in those cute little 8 oz bottles, so that I can drink a few swallows of it, and put the lid back on it, put it back in the fridge, and I can drink on an 8 oz soda for about 3 days. Sometimes I just like a little bit of it.

I have been falling short of my 60 grams of Protein lately, and all the protein shakes I've tried give me explosive diarrhea. (sorry so graphic) Anyhow, I'm renewing my protein Quest to find a form of protein supplement that I can stomach without the horrible side effects. I actually sharted at work the other day, and was mortified. Needless to say, that cannot happen again. And it doesn't, as long as I stay away from the protein shakes. Thanks for the reminder, and congrats on your baby girl, she almost shared my birthday (March 7th)!

I'm here, is it just the 3 of us on this thread? LOL! I'm gonna have to get back in gear with my exercise, I've been slacking off. I still have time to get in my 20 in 20, though!

The only time I have to scroll over to the right to view the entire post is when someone who has posted in the thread has a super huge (width-wise) signature line that takes up too much space. It's very annoying.

I am losing weight at a nice pace, and I'm SO happy that I have my band! I have a situation here that I just can't wrap my mind around. My size 20 jeans....some of them are HANGING on me, so much so that they aren't really comfortable. I tried on my size 18's, and they are still way too small. I dug in my closet some more, and found some more size 20's that I didn't know I had. I tried them on, and I can't get them buttoned. WTF?? I am getting frustrated that I have NO jeans that fit me right now, and I really don't want to go buy any (even at Goodwill or DAV) because I know that I won't need them very long. At least that's what I'm hoping. WHY is it that there is such a huge size difference in my 18's vs. my 20's? Oh, and the 20's that are too small are THE SAME EXACT BRAND as the ones that are hanging on me. I understand that the cut makes a difference, but SHEESH! Just had to get that out. I'm really frustrated about it. :phanvan

:Banane43: I want one! My birthday is past already....and Christmas is SO far away... I guess I'll have to start saving my money, I'd love to try one of these. Silly, are you still having fun with yours? Any results yet? Keep us posted!

My doc said a mushy is anything that you'd be able to eat if you didn't have any teeth. Refried beans were one of my favorites, warmed up with a little shredded cheese melted on top...mmmmm!

My doc said he actually wants me to drink at least 8 ozs of a non-caloric drink (water, tea, crystal light) when I sit down to eat, but before I begin eating. Once I pick up my fork, I'm not to drink anything until 30 minutes after my last bite of food.

I agree with Wasabubblebutt....you shouldn't count on pain meds after surgery. I wasn't given anything after surgery, and honestly didn't need it until much later that evening, and then Liquid Tylenol was plenty strong enough.

I like the light rye and sourdough flavors, but they really don't have a lot of flavor, just a whole lotta CRUNCH! They compliment about any flavor you want to put with it.

I came home same day, and it was fine. You'll do great!

Yep, and the crunch of the wasa takes away any need I might be feeling for that "sandwich and chips" lunch I might have been dreaming about....

Oh, yeah, you can't leave us hangin' here! :fish:

I can pretty much eat whatever I want, too, and I do eat whatever I want, to a degree. If it's something I know isn't all that good for me, I limit my portion to an extremely small amount. For Breakfast, I'll do a low fat or fat free yogurt (I like the Light Activia, and it's only 70 calories) and a light string cheese (50 calories). Lunch is usually leftovers from the night before or tuna salad (1/3 of a cup or so) on a wasa cracker. supper is pretty varied, and like I said, if it's something not particularly good for me, I limit myself to a very small portion, and then if I'm hungry (not head hungry, but HUNGRY) later, I'll have a few triscuit thin crisps with low fat cottage cheese or a string cheese or something similar. I think I can totally do this the rest of my life. I'm not deprived of anything that I really really want, and I'm satisfied with a little bit. I have an appointment to have a fill next Friday (May 11) but I think I'm going to cancel it. I don't have many problems (been stuck a few times OWWW!! and I've PB'd twice), and I feel like I have pretty good restriction, and even if it's not my "sweet spot", I am still losing around 2 lbs a week (AVERAGE, that's not EVERY week...) so I just don't feel like I need one. I'm afraid that I might just end up having to go get an unfill, and I'd rather wait to have a fill until I really feel like I need to have one.

Oh, WHEW! At least you can have veggies, then.... Have you ever tried WASA bread? (crispbread, very crunchy...) It's only 9 carbs, and 2 Fiber, so it's 7 net carbs.... really good with tuna for lunch, or with lean deli meat & cheese.... Just a thought. Something to change it up...

I learned from the BBB that this is effective ONLY if the business in question is a member of the BBB. There are no laws or regulations that state that any business HAS to be a member of the BBB.... And then there are several different regional BBB's, and you have to make sure you get the right one, based upon where the merchant's headquarters are, not necessarily the local store..... ad nauseum.

Zannie, does your surgeon require a "zero carb" diet? I'd be going nuts.....

Wow, when I worked retail, if something is marked wrong, and the customer points it out, the customer gets it at the lower (even if it's wrong) price. And then the tagging gets fixed.... There's no LB anywhere near me, and now I'm glad of that.... Can you say....False Advertisement, anyone?

Both times I've pb'd, it's exactly like a burp, only it's not air. I don't think you should ever have to stick your finger down your throat. The idea is to chew well, and eat slowly so you don't get stuck....Even though sometimes it happens anyway, even with vigilance....

Interesting....I've got an appointment for my second fill on May 11, and I've been debating with myself whether I need it or not. I've had a few episodes of being stuck, briefly, two pb's, and one sliming episode. All of these were totally because I was eating too fast and didn't stop at the earliest warning signal.... I am able to eat a bit more than I think I should be able to eat sometimes, but I rarely find myself "stuffed" or even full after a meal, because I'm starting to learn what "satisfied" feels like. Taking all this into consideration, along with the fact that I AM still losing weight at this point as long as I drink all my Water and exercise at least 4 times a week, I feel that a fill at this point in my journey would be counter-productive, so I think I'll wait.... THANK YOU for this post. It helped me to finally decide what is right for me at this time.

I have used the space saver bags....don't waste your money. The ziplock type seal where you put the stuff into the bag through doesn't hold very well....and I've had them rip on me. They seem pretty cheap. I couldn't live without my clorox wipes, either, I keep a big container in my bathroom, and wipe down the toilet seat and rim every day with it. Keeps it sparkling clean! I also do a quick swish with the toilet brush every day, too, with or without cleaner, makes no difference... (don't have to get out the big guns or chemical cleaners to clean it anymore)

Do you have an overnight stay, or are you outpatient? I was outpatient, and since I live an hour away from the surgical center, they put me up (on their dime) at the hotel across the parking lot from there, so that I'd be close in case anything happened (it didn't), or in case I had any questions. (I didn't) Have you checked out some of the threads on what you'll need post-op, and are you prepared for when you come home?? I'm so excited for you!!! The last week before my surgery went SO fast, and at the same time, it DRAGGED on and on.... Hard to explain. If you have any other questions, ask away!

It doesn't hurt. You'll wake up so thirsty that you won't even notice anything in your stomach. Well, other than feeling like you've been kicked in the stomach by a linebacker. I mean, you'll be sore, but it won't hurt to swallow.