thinkoflaura

what a great story -- talk about getting NOT what you wish for, but what you GO for... great lesson for us all! looking forward to hearing how you feel after the fill! xoL

i love how passionate everyone gets on topics like this!

i have great sweet protein shakes that do the trick for the sweet cravings (bsn syntha-6 strawberry milkshake & vanilla ice cream flavors -- OMG - amazing!)... but i am really really really looking forward to SALTY food again! drooling a bit at the notion of refried beans... is hummus ok? i heard people talk about chili --are the kidney beans ok? i was afraid the skins might be too much. thanks for all your tips so far! keep them coming!

that's fantastic!!!!! congratulations! you must feel great! have you treated yourself to anything yet? something sexy to wear for the holidays? i love hearing stories like this... keep inspiring the rest of us! xo

so scary... during a pre-op appt, i once asked my doctor about the whole getting stuck thing. i envisioned it being stuck so you couldn't breathe. he said, no, you can always breathe. but then he said, "it won't kill you, but the pain could be so bad you might wish you were dead." Nice, huh? but in a way, i hope you're comforted to know that even though it's horrible, it's kinda normal.... please update tomorrow and let us know how you're feeling. xo

i am about a week ahead of you... banded on 12/7... i was hungry 3 days after banding... even w/the Protein shakes etc... called the dietitian at the office and she gave the ok for pureed Soups (pea, tomato, etc)... REALLY did the trick! never heard that about Jello, but every post-op plan is different, i'm learning. as for the pain - it sucks! i also was coughing, had chesty/gas pains that felt like they would never go away! but if it's any consolation, 6 days after the surgery, i bet you will feel soooooo much better!

I snooped around the site but couldn't find anything like this... I'd love to hear all your favorite mushies... what are no-no's and if you have any awesome recipes, please reply with them too! Today I was in costco and dared to sample the spanikopita... probably shouldn't have since i'm only 6 days banded, but i took tiny bites and chewed until it practically evaporated in my mouth. I gotta say, it was SOOOOOOO good. But this got me thinking about the mushy phase... what are your faves? thanks for sharing! laura

interesting... i get them so often and at such random times -- when i drink, don't drink, breath in deep, sit still -- don't seem to get the pains (or notice them at least) when i sleep. the frequency feels like burps, gas or heartburn but i can see where you'd describe it like a muscle thing. i remember when i was pregnant years ago and asked my ob how i'd know a real contraction. she said, "the pain will take your breath away." she was right! and even though these pains are short (and frequent), they, for a moment, hurt so bad and take my breath away too!

not sure if this constitutes as mushies, but last night -- 3 days post-band -- i had pureed pea Soup for dinner. baby food consistency. dietitian said it was ok. later, can i have SOME chunks? what exactly is MUSHIES?

way to go, jaime!!!!!! baby steps! so awesome that you got up today and did 10 minutes! that's bigger than you know! i hope you feel REALLY good about that because, hopefully, if the progression continues, that will be a defining moment for you and your healing. did you take your multi-vitimins today? maybe that could be your other baby step? or - you said you have pets -- if they are the run-around/playful kind, maybe you can swing by the dollar store and buy a ball or toy and spend 10 minutes playing a little wild with them? again, even if WOW is an addiction, if you can make it so it doesn't prevent you from achieving balance in your life, in my opinion, you don't have to give it up. your plan to find a new way to play sounds promising, just be open minded about it --personally, i hope you don't lose interest and find a great way to enjoy the game for a 1/3 of the time you're doing it now. imagine how awesome you're going to feel 6 months from now when you're back on track?!!!!!!:rolleyes2::cool2:

ditto what everyone said. also, think of how differently you are handling this indulgence versus all the ones pre-band... you're MINDFUL of it. you are balancing it out with activity, renewed commitment, etc. that's what healthy people do, right? sounds like the entire experience (and the way you're dealing with it) is actually a sign that you are evolving into a new kind of eater. i love astramom's support group mantra... "face it, deal with it, and move along." great advice. anyway, sorry to hear of all the family struggles. prayers to you and yours. and greytz -- your family is in my thoughts too!!!! laura

thanks all!!!! it kinda feels like gas pains but i didn't expect them so strong up in my upper body like this! i know i'm still healing so i'm not panicked... it's just great to have a forum like this to ask some peeps who've been here!

I'm only a few days past surgery and ever since, I've had these crazy pains in my chest area (not heart, don't worry!). It feels like a burp that's stuck inside. During my banding, they repaired a hernia... and post-surgery i did have a lot of trouble with gas pains. Is this GERD? Years ago I had a few bouts with heartburn but nothing like this. In fact it doesn't feel heart-burny at all -- it's more like trapped air??? My post-op appt is next week, I figure if it's still happening I will talk to my surgeon about it. Just curious if anyone had a similar experience or knew what it was. It happens at random times, too - when I walk/inhale, when I drink, when I don't drink... so weird! and OUCH! :eek: