ElfiePoo

Use it straight. Just put some in a mister bottle (like you mist plants) and then 'lightly' mist over your mattress pad before you put the sheets on. I'll usually do my pillows as well. Do this in the morning and by night time, it just smells 'fresh'. My son and I both have asthma and this has helped considerably. .

I don't know the answer to your original question, but I used to deal with constant sinus problems and drainage. I'd wake up in the morning hacking like a 60 year old lifelong smoker and I wasn't 60 and I had never smoked in my life. Then I read an article about eucalyptus oil killing airborn bacteria and dust mites. Since my youngest son has a serious allergy to dust mites and he had the same problem I did, I invested in some eucalyptus oil (fortunately it's not expensive...unless you're buying it in a health food store). I put eucalyptus oil in a mister bottle and every week when I change my bed sheets, I lightly mist the mattress pad before remaking the bed. I do this in the morning and by nighttime, the bed has just a clean, refreshing aroma. Plus that aroma spreads through the house. Every so often I'll mist the carpets as well. Both my son and I no longer wake up coughing and hacking. I can't tell you the last time any of us has had an upper respiratory illness and none of us have had a sinus infection in years and sinus drainage is a thing of the past. .

ROFLMAO...you're always hungry and he accuses you of cheating?? Please tell me he apologized when he realized that it was *their* error you had no restriction.

Most diets say 1200 calories because below that and your body thinks it's starving and your metabolism drops. You become more 'efficient' at storing what you eat. I remember from past experience that 1100 calories worked for me (for awhile), but when I went on 800 calories, I only dropped 2 pounds the whole month. Very frustrating. With the band, I'm not counting calories and my doc and nut are encouraging me not to count calories but rather to 'eye' my food and make good choices. In other words, eat no more than 1 cup (total) of food at a meal and the largest portion should be protein and vegies. Works for me as I'm too busy to worry about counting calories. .

I had a bit of shoulder pain and wondered if it was gas but to be honest, it just didn't feel that way. I asked my doc about it and he said the same thing, that it was probably from the surgery and not gas. I never did get any gas but then I spent little time lying or sitting after my surgery. .

Normally I have a Protein shake for breakfast and lunch and then a normal dinner, but my children and spouses are here for the holidays, so yesterday I got up and cooked breakfast (eggs, turkey sausage, etc.) and I stuck to a 1 cup limit. Then did the same at my mother-in-law's for dinner. I did have one bite of two different Desserts. I think I did wonderfully. I ate like a normal person and that is my goal. I don't want to take my obsession with food to the opposite extreme and be obsessed with 'not eating'. They'll be here for another couple days because my father-in-law died Wednesday night and the memorial service is Monday, but I'm back to my Protein shake for breakfast and quite happy with it. .

My doc didn't require a preop diet of any kind. Just clear liquids the day before surgery. .

I had surgery on a Tuesday morning and was back at my desk on Wednesday morning for 3 hours. Took a 2 hour nap and went back to work for 1-1/2 hours. The next day I worked all day...even walking around my warehouse doing various things while not overdoing it and sticking to the 5 lb lifting limit and did it every day after that. I own my own business though so it was flexible enough to allow me to leave if I needed to (which I never did after day 1 post op). If I worked for someone else, I'd take at least 2-3 days off even for a desk job as I did find myself tiring and needing a mini nap on those days. .

For the last week prior to surgery I was waffling about going through with it. Lots of 'reasons' popped into my head...risk of surgery, band failure. At some point I realized they were not reasons. They were excuses. Excuses to keep me from getting the surgery and thus being able to continue to eat the way I had in the past. You know...to excess. I'm 3 weeks past surgery and eating normally for one meal each day (I do Protein shakes the rest of the day), although eating much less because the band itself provides some restriction even with no fill which slows down how fast I eat so my stomach and brain say 'full' at the same time. .

I was telling my husband about this thread and he christened my band. She is now fondly referred to as 'Hilda'. For those not familiar with Rumpole of the Bailey, Hilda is his wife, although Rumpole always refers to her as "She Who Must Be Obeyed". .

My doctor lets his patients tell him when they need fills. Smart since we're the ones who have intimate knowledge of our body and its needs. I'll be 4 weeks post op on Tuesday and will get a fill on Wednesday. .

I'm 3 weeks post op and I've been eating solid foods for about a week now...salads, rice, chicken, fish, broccoli, bread, etc. Chew well...and I mean chew it to mush in your mouth. Most people chew their food 3 or 4 times...maybe...before gulping it down. Take a bite of food...put your fork down...and chew. Take small bites. If it's too hard to remember, get yourself a set of silverware designed for toddlers. Listen to your body. Some foods go down without notice. Others seem to cause a bit of pressure in my chest (normal since the pouch sits roughly behind the breast bone). I just sit and wait for it to pass. Some I'm learning to avoid...like Pasta. For some reason, no matter how much I chew, that one goes down hard so it's not worth it. I go for my first fill next week. It'll be interesting to see what else becomes 'not worth it'. Give yourself time. Eat what *you* are comfortable eating. Even if your doc says you can eat regular food, it doesn't mean you *have* to. If you're having problems, just ease into it more slowly. .

ROFL...you should be fine. Doctors rarely give a fill when they put the band in so, while you may have some swelling from the surgery, you still don't have true restriction with a minimal opening. I have to say I had the same thing happen to me yesterday (3 weeks postop) and I had this vision of the gum being stuck in the opening stretching like a bubble into the rest of my stomach, filled with everything I ate at that point. :ohmy:

LOL...will do. It always takes the 'diet/nutrition' industry time to catch on. One only has to look at the food pyramid that they touted for decades, only to turn it on its head in the last few years. Personally, I think it's all a load of crap. Our bodies are unique and as such, each has its own unique set of needs, but the diet/nutrition industry wants to treat us as if we've all been punched out of a cookie cutter. I'm sure there are some people who actually do feel better when they exercise several times a week. I've never been one of them...and yet I've always been more in shape and in better health than many people my age (at any age I was at) even if I was heavier than they were just because of my lifestyle. Still am. :ohmy: See you in Nov. 2011 for a comparison. .

Actually recent studies suggest that weight loss is all about food choices and calories...not exercise. Of two study groups, those who just dieted lost more weight and kept it off longer than those who exercised and dieted. They believe this is because exercise actually makes some people hungrier. I've never exercised with any diet plan and I still lost weight. I took 70 lbs off six years ago and have kept it off...all without exercising. I don't plan on exercising this time either and if anyone who believes exercise is necessary wants to compare weight loss results in 2 years, I'm game. :ohmy: .

I haven't had any major problems at all. I went back to work for a couple hours the day after surgery (desk work) and have continued working since that day, although stuck to my doctor's recommendations regarding the amount I could lift. This week (third week), I'm back to normal regarding energy levels and what I can do. I haven't had any vomiting and I've had some restriction since the surgery. I'm eating normal food but have noticed I have to chew more and put my fork down between bites to allow my food to 'settle'. Last night I had baked fish, steamed broccoli and rice pilaf. My scales are slow moving, but I'm losing inches like crazy. Most of my clothes are hanging on me and everyone can see the weight loss even if my scales say I've only lost 2 lbs since surgery. Then again, I knew when I went from liquids to real food, there'd be an adjustment period where loss would be minimal if at all. I'm getting my first fill next week (will be the 4 week mark from surgery) and my doc said I can have follow-up fills whenever *I* feel I need one...not some arbitrary schedule. If you read the posts here, you'll find that when people have problems with 'sliming', vomiting or getting stuck, most are pretty honest that it's because they didn't chew their food enough, ate too much or too fast, or ate something they knew was going to be too difficult (e.g. steak at higher fill levels) for their level of fill. Talk to your doctor. Ask them what their criteria is for filling. I think some doctors don't really understand the band and deep down inside believe it's just a placebo and should work even without a fill. Others, like my doc who also has a band by the way, knows that it is a tool and if the tool is not set properly, it's nothing more than a piece of rubber (or whatever it's made of).

I like the EAS chocolate shake mix at Sam's club. It's like $30 for 5 pounds compared to $60 for 3.5 pounds of Isopure powder at GNC. It tastes better too. .

ROFLMAO...I was also thinking 'too much information'. .

I started coughing about a week prior to my surgery. I never did get any type of recognizable illness, but I still had the cough on the day of surgery. They still did the surgery. I have to tell you though that every time I coughed after the surgery, I had to put a pillow to my stomach and boy did it hurt. Fortunately the coughing only lasted another day or so. If your coughing is very frequent and continual, you might want to postpone...but I'd definitely let your doctor know. .

My insurance would've paid for either. I chose the band. It was less invasive and the recovery time was shorter. Also, I know several people who've had the sleeve and all are having a problem with a lack of energy...maybe from losing weight so quickly? I read up on both and it appears that statistically, while the sleeve people lose weight more rapidly, at the end of two years the weight loss evens out between those with the sleeve and those with the band. I vaguely remember reading that there is a higher incidence of gall bladder removal with the sleeve, most likely due to the quick weight loss aggravating the condition.

Kristen, I can't speak to the acid reflux issue. This is something you need to discuss with your doctor. It appears you have some special issues due to your GERD and scar tissue. As for not losing weight...when you say you eat a little but are still hungry and then start all over, you're most likely eating the same calories (or nearly so) as you did prior to the surgery. Start keeping a food journal. You'll probably find this is true. Plan 6 small meals through the day, eating about every 3 hours. This helps keep the blood sugar stable resulting in hunger and cravings being kept at bay. If you get 'hungry' between these mini-meals, drink Water or even warm broth. Many times I find that warm broth soothes the tummy and lets me make it to that next meal. These mini meals may help with y our acid reflux as well. They did with mine. .

I was banded on 11/3 and lost 14 pounds preop even though I wasn't required to do a special diet. Since surgery I've only lost 2 pounds *but* I've lost several inches and have lowered my blood sugar from the mid 300's down to roughly 150 (give or take a bit depending on the time of day)...both of which are far more important to me than the number on my scale. .

I have the Realize band and a lot of belly fat and there is and will be no difficulty in locating the port even when the belly fat is gone. Granted I'm only 3 weeks past surgery but it's easily felt just beneath the skin. .

Congratulations!

My .02...I'd be ticked if I had to go on a liquid diet to lose weight, when that was the reason for getting the band...but each to his own. I have to say that not losing *anything* over a 5 month period suggests that either you or the band is not doing its job. Are you only eating 3 meals or 6 small meals a day vs 'grazing' all day? Are you making good choices meaning Protein and vegies versus high calorie, nutritionally empty foods? I ask because if you haven't lost anything in 5 months, then you must be taking in the same calories you did pre-band...whether through eating too much or choosing the wrong foods. The band should cause enough restriction to slow you down when you're eating and limit the amount you eat at a sitting. If you are still able to eat the way you did pre-band, then I'd let the doc know you don't have restriction. .