AE09

I'm back down to where I was before I left. I gained a lot of water weight, most of it was totally gone after a week. I am feeling better about it now, but I was totally freaked out! I"m feeling pretty good so I really am trying to get my exercise in daily, it's hard. Have fun on your trip!!!

My husband and I went on a trip last week for our honeymoon/anniversary. I was already advanced to regular foods, and I don't have any restriction. They warned me that I could gain some weight during my regular food and without restriction. I gained 5 pounds back!! So....I'm really watching everything I put in my mouth, truly focusing on drinking enough water, and getting my 60 g protein in everyday. I've also started exercising. Last night I did 30 min on wii fit, today I plan to hit the treadmill. I don't get a fill until 2/4. Has anyone else had problems with weight gain???

I had my first experience being "stuck" today. I swallowed a piece of chicken, must not have chewed well enough and it was a little dry....it got stuck and I had a hell of a time. It was honestly one of the worst feelings ever. I tried to drink some water to get it down and the water came right back up...."sliming" I think it's called. A word to the wise. Chew well and eat slow!!!

I would have really practiced chewing small bites and taking my time. I still find that I eat too fast and it hurts....I haven't even gotten filled yet.

My check in statistics.... Starting Weight 234 Goal -15 lbs.... Goal Weight 2/14/10 219 lbs.

I was banded on 12/21 and I got on the scale two days later and had gained 6 pounds!! I cried!! Then I followed up with my doc 1 week post-op and I was down 7 pounds from the surgery day weight. I go up and down one to two pounds every couple days. I currently sit between 226 and 223, I'm ending my mushie stage and heading into soft food. The doc told me this is to be expected and to make sure I'm making good food choices, getting in my protein, following the diet to a tee. And, getting my exercise. He said I may even gain weight before my first fill because I haven't been eating anything of substance for weeks! So, I make sure I avoid all slider foods (and believe me I love my ice cream ) and follow the diet plan too a tee. I eat my 4 oz, and thats it. It will come off, I know, I've seen it happen. Best of luck to you!!!!

I'm in....I'm gonna shoot for 15 pounds by Valentine's day!!! Good luck everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Military Mile Marchers Maniacal Milers This is going to be awesome....100 miles in 100 days!!!!!!!! Way to go bandsters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you and your son watch a lot of TV, do wall push ups or real push ups during the comercials. I started this a few months ago and did 10 wall pushups during each commercial then worked my way up to "real" push ups. It's a great upper body work out and it's really easy to do at home....you're son can do them too!!! I also use Jillian Michaels 30 day shred, which is basic stuff...jumping jacks, jump rope, push ups, squats, all home stuff. Good luck!!!! We can all do this together!!!

Thank you!!!

I know it was tough for me to handle the liquids!! The mushies are going well, except now I feel like I can eat and I'm suppossed to chew my food to applesauce consistency, but...it's already there!!! So I found it's really hard to take my time. I also went back to work full time this week, and that was tough. I thought all my gas pains went away, but I can feel it in my left flank/shoulder/neck. I walk daily try to drink all my liquids and I've been taking gas ex. It gets better every day!! My follow up shows I'm healing well...all 6 incisions! I go back Feb 5 for my first fill. Good luck!!

I started mushies today and I am so excited. I made some chicken in the blender. I also blended some peas and added Unjury unflavored protein powder to the blend, you can't even taste it! I had about 2 oz chicken, 2 oz peas for dinner which rendered about 19 g Protien. I'm drinking Natures Best Isopure throughout the day. I'm totally nervous as I'm going back to work in an hour! Here goes nothing!!!

I feel kinda dumb here, what's PBing?

I would suggest bringing pajama pants, or sweats. The morning after the surgery after my swallow study, I showered and put on my own clothes and slippers, that way while I walked around the halls I was comfy!! I would also suggest an ipod. It was helpful to sit in the recliner with my ipod and my book, when there was nothing on tv. Good Luck!!!!!!

Thank you so very much. I was banded 12/21 and the past couple days I've gotten "brave" and been drinking more water/crystal light/carb free Isopure and once in a while I got this pressure like feeling in the top of my stomach, lower chest and I honestly thought it was gas still. I was like I had to burp, but couldn't. Now it's good to know I drank too much too fast!! Is anyone else having a hard time with making 4 oz of liquid last 30 minutes?? I do ok with the Protein shakes, but I have a hard time with the soup...I often have to reheat it because it gets cold too quickly! To the original poster....I know how hard it is right now, believe me. But you did this for you. You have to make it work!! I had to leave the table at Christmas because I couldn't handle the trays of Cookies and the boxes of Fannie Mae floating past my face! I had my 4 oz tomato soup and I pouted...but as I said it's one Christmas! You made the decision to get healty. You are the only one who can make it work. We are all food addicts. Throw the Doritos out. We cleaned out all the cupboards and got rid of all cookies, chips, snack cakes all that stuff before surgery so it wouldn't be here to tempt me. My family is very supportive, I hope yours is too! Good Luck

I don't know the answer for you. I've noticed that every doctor is different. My surgeon recommends, one week liquids post op, then one week mushies, the one week soft, then regular foods.

I bought Isopure clear fruit drinks at GNC, they are carb adn sugar free and offer 40 g protein in 20 oz. They are ok...rather sweet, so I tend to dilute with water. I also found six packs of Isopure at CVS which are 8 oz bottles, that offer 15 g of protein. Be Cautious!! The isopure I bought I bought at CVS is NOTcarb/sugar free!!! I didn't check this and I got hit. Each bottle contains 33 ga carb!!! I was shocked!! They are not Natures Best. So becareful, because I got hit by not paying attention and my blood sugar was elevated. I also bought the UNJURY chicken soup and unflavored. The unflavored mixed well in tomato soup and the chicken soup flaver I mixed in chicken broth to add my protein. I can't wait to hit the pureed foods!!! Any suggestion with that????

I'm post op too!! I got banded on Monday, I'm on liquid diet now, the doc wants me to eat every 2 hours....up to 6 times a day. I'm getting mixed signals from my stomach...am I hungry? is it gas? What are those noises?? Still sore, nervous about going back to work next week, but excited about my new life!!

I'm so glad other people felt this way. I said to my family today....I eat my 4 oz and I wait my 30 minutes, then I drink my water then I wait again, and I've never truly felt full. My stomach is gurgling like crazy and my family looked at me like what was that? I'm having a hard time deciding if it's hunger or gas pains. So...I just stick to my diet and keep drinking my fluids, drinking water mixed with isopure in order to keep it down, too sweet/strong flavored. That way I get my protein in. I know it's gonna take time for my stomach to realize it's not quite as large as it once was....

Congrats!! I was banded MOnday, and although I don't feel quite as good as you do, I feel pretty good and stronger every day! Good luck as you go through this journey!!!!

I was banded on Monday 12/21. I arrived at the hospital at 145 pm, changed into a gown, took my vital signs, got on the scale at 232 pounds. Got in the bed the nurse asked me a ton of questions, my family came back, anther nurse started my IV and gave me some medicine to dry up my secretions...like I had that many I had been NPO since midnight the night before. I was tired, cranky, and hungry!! Then the anestethiologist came in and told me her story, then the surgeon came in and gave me his side. The surgical nurse came in, gave me a shot of heparin in the belly, and some versed in the IV, started rolling the cart out of pre-op...I was on my way! I don't even remember rolling into the operating room. I woke up in post op and felt pretty good, a little sore, and very dry. The wonderful nurse there kept giving me pain meds and a swab to rinse my mouth. I moved into my room upstairs at about 8pm. I was on 24 hours IV antibiotics. At 5am, my IV infiltrated, so they had to start a new one. I went for a swallow study around 9am Tuesday morning, where I had to drink about 4 oz of gastrografen, so I would light up my belly and they could see the band. All looked good so I was able to eat my first meal at 11am. They began me on a rotational eating schedule for the liquid week. 2-4oz Fluid in 20-30 min, rest for 30 min, Water for 30 min, then rest for 30 min, then eat again. So I'm essentially eating every 2 hours. I got up and walked around the halls of the hospital every couple hours because I know the more I walk the more the air moves out of my system and the sooner I heal. I am home recovering now. The first night at home was awful. I was in more pain, with only the god awful crushed darvocet to take, my family was eating real food and I had a Jello cup, I hurt, and I had been plagued with diarrhea when I got home. They said that might occur due to the bowel prep done prior to surgery there might still be effects of that. Today I'm 2 days post-op, I'm sore mainly at the port sight. I"m gassier today than I have been at all, which is good get it out of my system. Today for my first meal I had 3 oz of carnation instant Breakfast made with skim milk and a banana, and an extra scoop of Protein powder, and 1 oz of apple juice. I've tried the Isopure and I'm not super impressed with them, I've discovered if I dilute it with water I can take it down. The pineapple/orange/banana/ and blue raspberry isn't too bad. The arctic berry is horribe (of course I bought a six pack of 12 oz bottles at CVS but each bottle had 15g protein). It's tough to stay motivated especially with all the Christmas goodies around, but honestly thats what got me here in the first place!! Whats a couple weeks of work, compared to happiness the rest of my life!!!!!! On my way into my skinny jeans :biggrin::tongue:

I was banded Monday, stayed overnight in the hospital and came home last night. Full surgical details are on Surgery Stories post. I feel pretty good. I'm on this rotational eating...2-4oz liquids, 30 min rest, water for 30 min, rest 30 min, eat again. So I'm eating every 2 hours right now. Honestly, I don't feel very full after 4 oz and the literature is contradicting. It says to make sure you don't get your nutrients from liquid because they go right through the stoma and don't provide satiety, yet the first week you're eating liquid?? My stomach is growling and I'm quite gassy (to be expected) but, I feel pretty good. I can make it through these next couple weeks, I know I'll be just fine.

Hi all, I have my surgery next Monday and I have some questions. Where can I buy the Isopure? Also, I've read some reviews on benefiber protein powder, and I'm not sure if I want to buy it, it only offers 6 g protein. Does an unflavored whey protein powder mix in hot foods as well as it does with milk and water? I'd like to add it to my mushy foods when I get to that point and I don't think vanilla and chocolate will go over so well with potatoes or blended chicken :biggrin: Help please!!!!!!