Caroline

OK, soup has been a staple, Pringles seem to work well as a snack. My real problem on this trip has been fiber- tried to eat broccolli & a tomato & mozzerlla tonight, came right up. Does anybody take fiber pills?

I am on my 3rd day of a car road trip tp florida, we are on a really tight budget, does anyone have any tips on proper eating while spending 8 hours a day driving. I did eat some raw broccolli last night, buffet wet turkey and soup. Any one with help? I threw up a Mcmuffin (without bread) and the fried potatoes, so breakfast was a disaster. Caroline:help:

I had my lap band in august, I've lost 70 lbs, I hate excersising and I got a personal trainer, to meet with me for 30 mins twice a week, you need to turn fat into muscle, and the more you excersise, the better you feel. From a woman who hates exercising. I chose the band because I never wanted to have sugery again, and there are a lots of risks with bypass, and something could throw you back on the opperating table again! This is serious stuff, and recovering from the band is easier than the bypass, even though recovery still is hard. Get your sugeon to deal with your insurance, I know that my hospital did - good luck Caroline

GE MOM Could you have pulled a muscle in you stomach? If you are in a lot of pain moving around, I'd get to the doctors office ASAP -

He is the head honcho of the department there-

Libra- To heavy - that's the problem- I've been back to the hospital and met with the nutritionist twice!! She keeps telling me to stay away from red meat. Yesterday met with my surgeon, the Nurse practioner and the nutritionist, again, and they said that I'm doing OK, considering I've not gotten a fill - 272 pre op, and 253 yesterday, but, I've been sticking with soups that have chicken or turkey, cottage cheese ( with no sugar added jelly) and optima slim fast. 9/2 I get to go on solids. For a woman who hates to cook, this will be a nightmare - You want me to measure?? Anyway - good luck to all

HI- I'm almost a month out of surgery, and have lost 15 pounds - Do fills hurt? Caroline

Losha- If you are ready for the surgery, you are ready for a life change. I've been morbidly obese for 15 years, and you must realize that this is not a cure all, and that the liquid diet, the semi soft diet, and following your doctors orders will be your goal. I've had the band since 8/2/06, and even tonight, I realized that I ate my yogurt too fast. There will be days when you don't loose weight, and days when you do. It will stop the yoyo syndrome, and you won't be able to eat a lot at one time, but you will suceed if you follow your doctors orders, so that should be your goal - my best to you and good luck Caroline

faybie Call your anxiety doctor and get him to up your anxiety meds!! I'm on anxieyy pills and I had my doctor double my meds. Make sure your surgeon knows that you are on anti anxiety meds, because they will make sure you are calm!! Before my surgery I was a mess too, but my good friend had gone through brain surgery and had come out AOK - and I kept thinking, they bring people back to life, do quadrouple heart bypasses, and heart, kidney and liver transplants. How difficult could it be to put a band around a stomach? Really, you will be OK, you will wake up, and be on pain medicine, not remember anything but going to sleep with nice nurses around you. Everyone will be nice to you. To the surgeon it's as simple as setting a broken bone, so think positive - You will be fine!! Caroline banded 8/2/06 Dr. Ashley Vernon Brigham & Womens Hospital Boston

I know this goes against all our hopes, but try a teaspoon of table sugar for the hiccups - it really is only about 40 calories, and does work. Caroline:)

My sister had her child there and they almost killed them both - I'd recomend Beth Isreal or Brigham - Caroline banded 8/2/06 Dr. Ashley Vernon Brigham & Womens, BOSTON

:clap2: Jewel They say that women have 10 x more pain threshold than men- hence why men don't give birth. I've got an idea, stab your husband - like we've been stabbed, and then say "easy button" :mad: Caroline banded 8/2/06 Dr. Ashley Vernon Brigham & Womens Bos..

Hi, I was banded at Brigham on 8/2/06. First, you have to go through the seminar, then you have an appointment with surgeon. Try to scedule the meeting with your surgeon, the nutritionist and the psyc doctor on the same day. Then after those are done, Brigham will deal with AETNA, because they (AETNA) won't approve you until those appoints. are done with and they have the psyc doctors report. Then you have to have blood drawn and an upper GI series. ( ask if the upper GI can be done at your local hospital and then you can fedex the CD to the surgeon, that will save you a trip to the city) - Then, if those all come out OK, you go in for pre opp about 2 weeks before your surgery. More blood draw. Try to schedule your surgery first thing in the morning, mine was scheduled at 2 pm and I didn't get operated on until 6 pm. During the day things get backed up. As far as the hospital, it is great, nurses are great - All are top notch.- anymore questions- please ask from start to finish mine took 3 1/2 months. Caroline

OK - here is the skinny, met with the personal trainer, she explained to me that if all I keep moving, the skin will contract as my fat cells contract. So, although I'm tired, she had me to some weights and about 1/2 of reps and leg muscle training, no stomach muscles yet. I hurt, and now I'm going to take a nap. That big ball thing is going to kill me though:confused: Caroline banded 8/2/06 Dr. Ashley Vernon Brigham & Womans.. Bos

I get to go on semi solids tomorrow!! I'm shopping for baby food today- and looking for help on reciepes for soup. But considering that I can only do about 8 oz of soup at one meal. I'm 2 weeks out of surgery and had naseau for the first time last night, I didn't break up my meds (crushed) and held off on protein drink for dinner. I'm stuck at loosing about 1 1/2 pounds every 2 days - this is slow, but I'm off to the gym to get some excercise. Caroline banded 8/2/06 Dr. Ashley Vernon Brigham & Womans, Boston.

Hi- I'm 12 days out from being banded, and I'm taking in about 900 calories per day, and I feel just plain tired. Was wondering if any one was also feeling like their dragging their a** around behind them?

Hi Everybody, Boy am I tired, it is funny, my friends ask how I'm doing and I can only say that every day I get a little better, but I am not at 100%. I drank 4 protein shakes, ate some sugar free jello - had about 5 oz of egg drop soup ( once I'm done with this I will never eat jello again! ) The incision pain is still there and it was like pulling teeth to get some extra pain meds from the doctors office, they had never heard of someone needing pain meds after a week. I have a high tolerance for narcotics and a low tolerance for pain, I guess I'm going to be a pain in the ass to them. Plus, my period is making noises that it is coming, 5 days too early. I'm doing liquid Centrum for vitamins and Caltrate chewables. But I think I need caffienne!! And this not on my list. Would love some energy suggestions. Power water? Congrats to everybody banded this month - :clap2: we are our own heroes!! Caroline banded 8/2/06 Dr. Ashley Vernon Brigham & Woman's Hospital Bos

:think OK, everyone makes mistakes, and I know what the cravings for really good food are. The deal is this, right now, drink as much water as you can, then drink the slim fast or chicken broth ( try the egg drop soup). You may need to get some gas x strips, and sit up!! try not to lie down. Just keep thinking that thin feels better than food tastes. You will be OK, but just don't set yourself up to fail, follow you doctors orders per your diet plan, and get a mixer or a blender to mush up that salmon, then weigh the salmon, make sure it fits with your doctors guidlines and then eat the measured amount slowly. Drink plenty of water slowly ( 15 minuits before you eat). You may be in for a few days of discomfort, but you will be OK, it just has to works its way through. If by Monday you don't feel better, you should call your doctor and fess up to the backslide, he may want to do an upper GI. If you feel like you are going to slip on food again, think of all the crap you went through to get the band in the first place. And get a nicoderm patch for the smoking. I quit before my surgery but did it with the Losenge, which has a carbonated fizz to it. You are facing a huge change in your lifestyle, and I can see from this website that we are here to help one another. We are humans ergo we make mistakes, ergo we learn. Caroline banded Aug 2 Dr Ashley Vernon Brigham & Woman's Hospital

Ariel, when I went to the Brigham info session, they said, one night for lap band and up to 3 nights for Gastric bypass. Through my entire pre op session, I was told I would most probably be kept overnight.Now, if you have your band put in first thing in the morning, maybe they will dismiss you by evening, but I had my surgery at 6:30 pm, and they wanted to do a gulp xray (upper GI) and make sure that everything was OK before they let me go. So I spent Wensday night in the hospital, and was home by Thursday evening. BTW, have you gone to any of the lapband monthly support groups at B&W?? all my best wishes Caroline banded 8/2/06 Dr. Ashley Vernon Brigham & Womans

Areil They are probably going to want to keep you overnight!! So, you might have to tell somebody. Brigham is a nice, but really busy hospital. I've never been to the Faulkner. best of luck Caroline

She did my band last week, but the real deal will be the follow up from the hospital, my only suggestion is to schedule your surgery first thing in the morning!! Caroline banded 8/2/06 Dr. Ashley Vernon Brigham & Woman's Hosp Bos..

I had the terrible jitters and was a mess a week before, read books ( historical romances about 10 of them) remember, these people, nurses, doctors ect.. bring people back from horrible circumstances. They know what they are doing. My best friend went through brain surgery, and lived. They perform heart operations, you will be fine, have a little faith in your doctor and your team staff, they won't let you down. Read some books - penny dreadfulls with little or no plot, and try not to think about it, it will be over with before you know it. A woman in Boston just had her conjoined twins seperated, if they can do that, they can slip a band around a stomach - all will be well- Caroline banded 8/2/06 Dr. Vernon Brigham & Womens

Did you get your band at Brigham?? Caroline