LollyMoe

I hope you don't have the swine flu that is hitting th schools right now. Please take care of yourself. We all need our advisor on here right now. Drink lots of chicken noodle soup...it really does work.

Yippee, Jason. I agree with Busdriver...can't wait until I'm where you are now. I have stopped worrying about my band. I know that I have some good support people on here and when needed, all of you will help. I say that mantra to myself at least three times a day. I'll check on the clothes swap. Thanks.

Banded on 8/11 and am doing well with my liquids.. Moved to soft diet yesterday. My doctor says NO ORANGE juice or any fibrous juices/fruits right now. I do have to make a effort to eat slower with smaller bites but I think I can do that. I am having a severe breathing problem from my COPD/Asthma and have been coughing myself into a weakened state. It is a effort to eat what I am allowed, much less to even think about cheating. I have lost weight and that is wonderful but I sure wish this coughing and poor breathing would clear up.

My goodness. You are now my inspiration person. Whenever, I feel down, I'll just pull up this post. I am newly banded and have just started my journey but I hope that in 5 years, I too will be posting some wonderful pictures. Thanks so much for sharing with us. I bet your hubby is a happy man too. Did you have any loose skin surgeries?

I haven't even had my first fill but my doctor says to go back on liquids for 24 hours. Call your doctor just to be on the safe side.

I was banded on 8/11 also. I had severe pains between my breasts, under the ribs and moved up into my neck all on the left side. When I called my surgeon, he sent out a med pack, told me to use Gas-X and to walk as much as possible. Said it was probably due to excessive swelling in the post side. It did get better but not for at least 3-4 days later. I am still sleeping in my chair b/c I have developed a cough and I can breathe easier in it.

If this is your family members, then sit them down and let them read your diet directions. If it's other people, consider the source and let it go. It's none of their business what you eat.

My PCP changed my meds that were larger than a M&M per the surgeons directions. You could get a pill cutter and/or a pill crusher. Some meds aren't designed to be cut up or crushed however, so it's best to consult with your PCP or your pharmacy.

Oh, that is wonderful news! The time will pass faster than you think. In the meantime, buy all the liquids that you are allowed, re-read everything you have already learned, and get ready for the new journey of your life. I am 67 yrs old, live in Alabama and because I had Medicare, I was required to stay overnight, so be prepared. Make sure you get up to walk as soon as you can at the hospital and then at home. It really helps with the gas. Good luck and keep us informed. You're going to love your band...maybe not right away...but soon.

I am so sorry that you have had to deal with all this infection, Erywn. Unfortunately, there are doctors that are so concerned with the money side of situations. Surgeons are famous for being really nice on pre-op visits and being complete jerks post-op. However, you need to remember that you are the one paying the bill and they are not Gods. You really need to address this problem with your own surgeon and in the future you need to refuse to see the partner. You need to let your doctor know all about his partner's attitude towards you. If he is like that all the time, it will hurt their paractice sooner or later. Ask him if he thinks you will be willing to recommed his practice to someone else. Stand up for yourself. It's your money and maybe your life....just think what could have happened if that infection spread all over your body. Oh, by the way, your friend is completely out of line with her advice. It isn't in her nurse practice laws and she could lose her license over it. She should know better! Shame on her. I would never offer medical advice to others...I worked to hard for my license.

I was banded on August 11th and seem to be doing fairly well with the exception of a cough I have developed. I have coughed until I feel like my insides are coming up. Cough meds don't seem to be slowing it down. It is making me somewhat weak most of the time. Today, I start on a soft diet finally. The liquids are fine but it will be nice to add something with a little more substance than broth. I am determined to follow all the rules and not mess up my band! food is never going to rule my life again.

Thanks Kaninag. I think I am becoming paranoid about my band and don't want to do anything that would mess it up. I feel so lucky to have it at all. I will follow your advice and move on to soft diet today. I have been looking forward to soupy grits believe it or not. I have always liked them but didn't cook them that way too often since hubby likes them the regular way. I guess I just worried too much. Thanks ag:rolleyes2:ain for answering. Have a nice day. Later entry today: Well, I have tolerated five Ritz Wheat crackers with Deviled ham spread on them. No restrictions felt. I ate slowly, chewed until it was mushy. Sure did taste good. I'm trying my grits tonight.

I know this is going to sound wacky but I am concerned about it. So far, since 8/11, I have been consuming liquids. I don't seem to "feel" any restrictions or having any problems with the amount I drink. For instance, I can drink 8 oz of Protein shake with no problems. The sample menu says 4 oz. I do drink it slowly w/o any difficulty. Do you think I have stretched out my pouch already? Have I abused it? Tomorrow, I start the soft diet and the book's sample menu is q2hrs but serving sizes are 4oz. Will I start to feel some restrictions when I consume a different type of food stuff? Please let me know something. I am almost afraid to start the soft diet. Thanks everyone.

Congrats! What a wonderful result of all your hard work. You did it!

My nutrition nurse says that watermelon is a fibrous fruit and can get stuck....so be careful. I can't have it until 28 days post-op.

Congratulations Jen. I'm a newbie but I hope that your experience will put you in the place you want to be for your life. I am so looking forward to losing the weight but the #1 reason for the surgery to me was the opportunity to get off all of these meds I'm having to take everyday. Strive forward and don't look back...you can do it!

She is dangerously risking her life. She is plain foolish in the bargain. She needs help before deeper complications arise. I think I would tell the doctor (if you have the same one) or least tell the nurse and ask her to relay the message. It can be done without her knowing you did it. You might save her life.

My doctor recommended the Gas-X and it worked for me. Made a huge difference. Don't know where your PA is coming from on this information.:biggrin:

Thank goodness, I am feeling a lot better than Friday. Still not up to all the fluids I need and still taking breathing treatments but I'm on my way. I have a question: I read a lot of the postings on this website and I noticed that a clothing exchange was mentioned. Do we have one? I have two beautiful blouses, a Black one with beading and a White one with beading. They came from Catherine's and were a Christmas present from my mother. They are a 5X and too big for me. I have never worn them at all. I would be happy to find a home for them other than just sending them to the thrift store. Anyone know of someone.

My friend thought she would "beat" the no cola rules too. She would let it sit until it went flat before drinking. Well, she almost lost her band from doing it. The pouch swelled and was drooping over the band so much that the doctor was ready to remove it. She had to go back on a Clear liquids diet for a few weeks and it got better. Said she learned her lesson. I was the biggest diet Dr Pepper freak around but I went cold-turkey off of them about 10 days prior to surgery on Aug 11th and so far, I don't miss them. I worked too long & too hard to get to the surgery date and I am NOT doing anything to mess it up! It's way to important to me.

I sound like a long-shoreman when I belch! It's the gas...you might try Gax-X, it works pretty good. The strips melt on your tongue. It's better to belch than keep it inside. I was banded, Aug 11th, 2009, and I am still on full-liquids and just belching away. Thanks goodness, my family understands and since I'm retired, I don't have to go anywhere. Hope it gets better for you.

Hey 123crod: Do you drink your Water everyday? If so, Special K has the powders that you add to your water (much like Crystal Lite) and it has 5gms of Protein in it. That is one way I get my protein in. I was banded on August 11th by Dr Miles in Birmingham, Al and am doing great so far. I am 67 years old and heading for my 70's. Yippee. Hope you manage to resolve your protein problems. As a nurse, I would encourage you to find any means of getting in your protein that you can manage.

Kaninag, I would call him but Dr Miles put me on a steriod pack the day after the surgery. He felt my stomach was so swollen it was causing too much restriction. The thing is, I have been feeling great until this friday. What concerns me the most is that I didn't get near enough fluids/protein in yesterday. Today is better but not great yet. If it doessn't get any better in a day or two, I'll call my lung doctor.:thumbup:

I had a horrible day yesterday! Woke up not being able to breathe very well. I felt like a wide band was around my rib cage and someone was pulling it tighter by the minute. I couldn't walk but a few steps before I was struggling to breathe. No engery, no desire for even my wonderful protein shakes, couldn't take my meds and even struggle to talk. I am on full liquids and am pretty much only taking in protein shakes, tea, broth and trying so hard to get my water in each day. Yesterday, I managed a couple shakes and that's all. I couldn't move out of my chair. Now, I do have COPD from the life long asthma and my doctor says that I have damaged my lungs over the years from under-treatment. Some days, I do wake up not being able to breathe well.But, nothing like yesterday. Late in the afternoon, I did a breathing treatment, got back on the hateful C-pap for awhile. Not much change last night. This morning, I have been breathing better but still not up to par. I feel very weak & sleepy. I can't understand if this in some part my band, gas, and my normal breathing problems or what. I just know I can't deal with another day like yesterday. I was a whipped puppy! Anybody got any suggestions? BTW: how many grams of protein in one scoop of the Matrix powder?:thumbup:

Hello Everyone. I am trying to get my ticker rule to work, so just testing.