Dani-X

I take one of the New whey Protein vials every day. 100 calories for 25 grams of protein seems like a bargain. I think it's sickeningly sweet on it's own so I empty the vial into about 16-20oz of Water and drink it at my desk throughout the morning. I've only tried the fruit punch flavor but will be picking up some blue raspberry on Sunday. Let us know what you think!

Hi there! It's been a while since I've posted but I have a question that I'm hoping some of you can answer for me. I was banded six weeks ago (10/23) and tonight when I got home from work, the scar on the far left side of my body seems a bit irritated/tender etc. It's not redder than the others but I'm wondering how long the potential for infection exists post-op? I imagne it's from my clothes rubbing against it but wanted to see if anybody else experienced a similar situation. How long did it take you to completey stop worrying about the incision areas? Thanks!!!

This is my first major scar so it's hard for me to compare it to a small rollerblading incident where I skinned my elbow I have my first fill on Sunday so I'll ask them about it when I see them. I'm not too concerned because I'm wearing pants that are still a little snug on me. I couldn't stand the bagginess of my clothes so I invested in several pairs of pants for the office (2 sizes smaller, YAY!) and the waistband touches the incisions during my bus ride to and from work and at my desk all day. Walking around is fine but I'm more sedentary during the work day... I guess that's another bonus for walking!

Hi there, I'm still waiting for my insurance approval from United Healthcare for my surgery date of 10/23. The surgical coordinator said that they didn't ask for the 5 year health history (even though I have it) and she considered it a good sign. There are no exclusions in my policy and I was told it was covered. I also heard that UHC is one of the easier companies to work with. For those of you with UHC, were you approved quickly or did it take some time? She told me she'll contact them next week if we don't hear from them today and told me to start my liquids on Monday regardless. One of the reasons I'm so nervous is that my company may switchto a new plan on 11/1 and I'm afraid UHC won't approve me since they know our company might be leaving them. Any thoughts? Reassurances? Thanks!

Same with me.... depo is demon spawn.

Hey Tami, Is salad easy to tolerate? I've had excellent luck with everything *knock on wood* so far. I'm going out with some colleagues from a former job in two weeks. We're meeting for lunch and I'd love to order the salad but haven't tried one yet as I'm on mushies until Sunday. God - a nice crisp and cool salad is like texture heaven! PS I love my band

I did know that as one of the girls in my extended circle of friends had it done. I chose the band for many reasons and I'm glad I did... bypass couldn't hold a candle to it in my opinion.

The morning I left the hospital I asked my NP when I could have a cocktail... again, being a vibrant 31 and coming from a family that loves to sit and talk with a bottle of vino, I had to ask. The answer was something along these lines... While the nutritionist will tell you not to drink your calories, the doctor will never tell you not to enjoy your wine. It was about 10 days after the surgery that I had finally had some wine. I had a business lunch to go out on and my entire team was able to eat and I was still on liquids. The glass of wine made me feel like I wasn't missing a thing! I still haven't had a beer yet and I think I'll keep it that way until I see my doc for the 1st fill. The beer has actually been the harder of the two since my favorite Fall Sundays include heading to the bar with my cousins for some Bud Light and the Jets game.

Hi there, I was searching the other threads but couldn't find the answer I'm looking for so I'd appreciate any help! I had my surgery on 10/23. I was supposed to get my period on 11/11. It's 11/13 and for a woman who's like clockwork, I'm a bit confused. I'm not too concerned with pregnancy as my BF and I played it safe with a condom the day before my surgery... Did the surgery interrupt or alter anybody's cycle? Did anybody just skip a month altogether? Could it be the drastic weight change in the first month? As much as I hate getting Aunt Flo, there's something about feeling "regular" and on schedule. Help!

Fill me up! I have NO restriction in this baby and I want it. I was able to eat about 3/4 cup tonight... granted I eat small, healthy meals during the day but I was floored that I was able to eat what I did. Kind of bummed, actually. My first fill is 12/10.

OK - it's official. I cannot wait for my first fill!!! I'm in the final week of mushies and tonight I was able to eat what amounted to nearly 3/4 cup! I have absolutely NO restriction and I want my 1/4 to 1/2 cup fullness to come back. I've been eating extremely well but tonight I had a samosa - yes, the whole thing. Has this happened to any of you? My fill is scheduled for 12/10 and I can move it up a week if they'll let me. I also can't wait to get to the gym... I was told I could go after Thanksgiving for cardio, mid-December for weights. I don't want to slow down

And look at you Miss Kimberly150!!! Nothing to sneeze at yourself! Happy Election Day! (I hope)

My first fill is Sunday, December 10... and I can't wait! I never thought I'd say this but I cheated tonight. I had a few bites of pizza on my mushie stage. Everything was ok but I want the restriction. Pizza is my absolute favorite food but honestly, it doesn't seem worth the guilt I feel. I started my pre-op on 10/9 (almost 1 month ago) and I'm down 29 pounds. I guess I shouldn't kick myself for breaking down once in a month but I do. I went back to work a week after having surgery and I'm glad I did. I didn't feel great that week at work but it was doable and it kept me active and out of the house. Yesterday (2 full weeks post-op) was the first day that I felt 100%... actually, make that 120%! I look awesome, I feel awesome and my life is absolutely amazing. I couldn't have done this without LBT and my fellow October bandsters... espescially you Chrispy. I'm sure you had no idea since we don't chat that often and our banding dates aren't that close. It just goes to show that impact that we have on other people's lives around us. Go us!

I know it's gross but my doc's been having me crush my pills (percocet or vicodin) and putting it in a tablespoon of water and drinking it. I found it's much better in Propel! Is this something you'd be able to do? And a few tips for the newer bandsters... drink, drink, drink your fluids. Also, stool softener was HIGHLY recommended by my dr's office.

Before you take the put the steak in the slow cooker, I would highly recommend dredging it in some flour and pepper and browning the meat in some olive or canola oil before putting it in. Remember, browning isn't cooking the meat, it's just developing the flavor. I use Lipton Onion Soup Mix (the dry packages) a lot in my slow cooker when I cook steak. Also, I'd throw in some Worcestershire sauce and some red wine if you've got a bottle open! And you can virutally never go wrong with Campbell's Cream of chicken (or Celery or Mushroom) soups! They make great slow cooker "broths." And the low fat ones are tasty too!

Speaking of itchy incisions, how long did your SteriStrips take to fall off? Today is Day 4 for me and they're still on but itchy as all hell! Also, my port incision has lots of bruising around it. Is/was anyone in the same boat? Thanks!

Hi Tia, Have you called UHC directly? Before I even spoke to the doctor's office, I called UHC and asked them to see if it was written as an exclusion in my policy. They said it wasn't and that it was covered "pending clinical review." I asked for the representative's first name and last initial and wrote it down along with the date and time I called. It came in handy as I ended up giving it to the surgical coordinator at my doc's office when she was getting me approval. I wouldn't wait on HR, I'd definitely give them a call as time is of the essence. Also, once you have your answer be sure to tell your surgeon's office about the impending insurance switch. They want to do the surgery with the insurance since that's how they'll get paid the easiet. I've heard that UHC is a DREAM compared to Aetna so run with it. Good luck and please let me know what they say about your policy!! *fingers crossed*

Hey Maui! I was banded on Monday too! I'm also stuggling to get the Protein in. I was on Slim Fast as my pre-op diet and my doc recommends 2 shakes a day in the 2 week post-op liquid stage. Until today, I was having a tough time drinking a quarter cup of the stuff! Today I managed about 2/3 of a can and will have some more shortly. Also, there's this stuff out there called New-whey liuquid protein which gives you 25g of protein in 3 oz. Well, I heard about it on LBT and decided to try it. Personally, I can't drink it straight, WAY too sweet. But if I dilute it with about 8-10 oz of Water it's fine. I sip it throughout the day and it's an easy way to take in the protein. Good luck and let m know if you've found anything that makes the 1st two weeks easier. I'm doing ok but wouldn't mind some variety. How much tomato Soup can a girl have?!

While I respect the Bible, US laws and decisions should not be based on it. Because somebody happens to have a different opinion than what the Bible says doesn't mean they're wrong. The Bible has amazing power and numerous lessons can be learned from it. However, it's not the end all, be all.

Hi guys! I hope all is well! I'm back on my feet again and tonight I'm feeling really good. To be honest, I was so nervous about the actual surgery that I didn't think about the recovery. This is all so new to me! So I was the first surgery scheduled on Monday, 10/23. I arrived at 6am for a 7:30 procedure. Boy was I nervous. There was another girl who got weighed in at the same time as me and she was the second surgery of the day... turns out, she was to be my recovery roommate! Well, some of my fears were put aside when I found out that I had lost 23 lbs in my 2 week pre-op diet. As soon as they told me, I hugged, kissed and said good bye to my boyfriend. I was terrified of the surgery and remember my eyes were starting to tear up as I was walking with the nurse to the OR. I quickly regained my composure thinking that it wouldn't make ANYbody's job easier if the patient was all weepy! When I walked into the OR I was surprised at how many people were in there. It was about 7:20am and they were laughing and joking around with me. The anesthesiologist was great and really helped to put my mind at ease... I remember them putting an IV in my hand and remember the big BIG lights in the OR. And that's all I remember. The next time I'm awake I'm in the PACU in some pretty decent pain. They gave me morphine to help with the pain and it kicked in shortly. My boyfriend came to see me and they brought me up to my recovery room. Throughout the day I felt pretty darn awful. For one, my upper back felt like it had been slammed with a baseball bat. Second, the dreaded gas pain in my left shoulder was pretty bad. Third, never having had anesthesia or morphine left me a basket full of nausea. I literally turned green and started to throw up at two different times that night. We managed to calm it with deep breathing and all that came out of me was the spit/saliva you get when you're about to throw up. The 2nd time I heaved but there was nothing. Because of the nausea, I wasn't allowed any ice chips or Water because they didn' want anything in my stomach. It also meant they wouldn't give me any pain medication aside from the pain reliever/anti-inflammatory (toradol.) After the 2nd time of near-puking, it magically went away. They came by with some crushed up percocets and I started feeling better. I ended up having to spend the night in the hospital. My roomate was able to go home at 6pm (god bless her!) I ended up getting a new roommate who was a smoker and was hacking all night. It was pretty gross, I thought she was going to cough up a lung (or a band!) and had to plug my ears. Anyway, I was released in the AM and my BF brought me home. Day 2 was still pretty rough on me although I slept through the night. I took some liquid tylenol PM felt pretty comfortable in my position. Day 3 - I woke up this morning in some pain and slept on and off for the next few hours. I decided to make it a lazy day and that was a mistake. I was too tired to do anything but lay in bed but my Dr. office says "bed is your enemy after surgery." I got up and went for a walk to the post office and came back tired but in good spirits. I ended up straightening up my apartment for a bit and then watching some TV before my sis came over to take me to the store to pick up a new prescription. The Vicodin the prescribed me wasn't making me feel good and was hurting my stomach... they gave me percocet and I feel SO much better on it. If I tried to eat or drink anything with the Vicodin, my stomach would get this stabbing pain on my left side... not so with Percocet. But thing that's nasty is crushing them up into water to take them *blech* So, tomorrow is Day 4 and I'm sure it will be better than today. I thank god I came through it OK and that I have friends, family, and my friends on LBT to support me. I can't imagine having to go through this without this board!!! Good luck, guys!

Wow... I've been wondering the same thing. I've been busy doing work around the house to keep it in nice shape for when arrive home. I've been on a pre-op diet for 2 weeks and nearly every night I have the most realistic dreams that I've been eating food during the night. Thank god I woke up and realized it was a dream. I'm so nrevous about tomorrow. My anesthesiologist to take my Ambien to help get a good night's sleep. It's not working yet. Well, good luck all... I have to be at the hospital at 6am tomorrow. One night to go... Question - have you guys been crying retty frequently?

Hi guys, I just came back from doing my final preps before my big day on Monday... waxing, manicure, pedicure, drug store, etc. I've been hearing wonderful things about the Aloe Vera juice on the board. Have any of the October bandsters had it yet? I'm debating whether or not to make a quick run to see if I can find it! On another note, my heating pad *still* hasn't arrived

Hi Mary, Congrats on being banded! My post-op diet says that I can have coffee in week 1. I'd just be sure to take in extra fluids as it's a diuretic.

Mine prescribes: Week 1 - clear liquids Week 2 - full liquids Weeks 3 and 4 - mushies Week 5 - solids

6 days for me too! And I'm down 13 pounds in my 8 days of pre-op!!! Wow... We're awesome!