montynic
-
Content Count
216 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Everything posted by montynic
-
Help! Having MAJOR second thoughts....
montynic replied to Tracytma's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I truly believe all the doubts, fears, thoughts, etc are perfectly normal... I had them before surgery, as did everyone else I have talked to. I was banded 4/1. The closer the date came, the more doubts I had! One of my biggest ones was that I am only 25 yrs old and am voluntarily implanting a foreign device into my body that will be there the rest of my life, as in, the next 60+ years... then I realized that I will get more enjoyment out of those years if I am thinner and healthier! I was also afraid that it might not work, but I figured that I have tried everything else at this point, so this surgery was my only option left. Granted, some people are more successful than others, and everyone loses weight at different rates... I just keep telling myself that the lapband is not a cure, it is a tool for me to utilize, and I will only be successful if I use the tool properly and follow the rules. I have had several surgeries and this one was definitely the slowest and most painful recovery, BUT I had a massive hernia repaired (one of the largest the doctor had ever repaired) which was the main source of my pain and delayed recovery. Good luck to all of you who have not been banded yet. All the second-guesses, fears, doubts, etc do eventually subside! -
female hormonal changes question
montynic replied to misspeacock's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I also have PCOS and have experienced a great deal of change in my hormones, despite the fact that I have been on the same BCPs for the past 12 years (which have been successful in regulating my periods). I started my period 2 weeks early, during the 3rd week of my pre-op diet. Then, I started my period again when I was 1-week post-op. I had 3 days of normalcy and started my period again this morning. Grrr! My Ob/Gyn says it will take some time for my body to adjust, but assures me that my hormones will stabilize and my pills will once again make my period regular. As for the PCOS symptoms, my hair growth has increased substantially, so I am going to ask my doctor if he will give me a prescription for aldactone to manage the excess hair growth. -
Hi Rebecca~ Welcome and congrats on starting your journey. My name is Nicole and I was banded on 4/1. There is a great deal of helpful information on this site, as well as a large number of supportive individuals. You should join the social group: April Bandster Bunnies... there are currently 89 of us in the group who are all having surgery in April. Remember, you are not alone on this journey. Good luck!
-
My doctor said no more soda... ever! The carbonation can stretch the pouch and/or cause slippage... even 6 months down the road.
-
Mental Clarity with Post-Op Diet?
montynic replied to jenpen2's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I also felt great on the pre-op diet... I am 2 weeks post-op and also find myself running out of energy in the afternoon. My doctor says this is due to several factors, the largest 2 being that my body is still healing and recovering, and that my oxygen intake is still reduced due to the hernia repair. I have found that eating/drinking something full of Protein when I find myself needing a nap gives me the energy I need to get through the rest of the day. Good luck Froggie D! Remember, we are still new to the process... I'm sure things will get back to "normal" soon enough :thumbup: -
3 week pre-op diet!
montynic replied to bandstarr430's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
My doctor didn't require a pre-op diet but since my BMI was so high I decided to do a 3-week all-liquid pre-op diet to ensure that my liver was perfect for surgery. My self-inflicted diet consisted of 3 protein shakes (8oz beverage with Isopure protein powder), a 4oz serving of sugarfree jello pudding (made with several scoops of protein powder), and chicken broth (if I ever felt hungry). In total, my daily intake was around 600 calories, 108g protein, and 20g carbs. I also averaged 8-10 cups of water. I lost 25lbs. I probably would have lost more, but my period started during the last week. I was one of the lucky ones who felt great and never got hungry... everyone else says that by day 5 the hunger wears off... Good luck! -
How much weight have you
montynic replied to Stacey627's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I did a self-inflicted 3-week all-liquid pre-op diet and I lost 25 pounds (probably would have been more, had I not started my period for the last week of the pre-op diet). Good luck on your weight loss! -
Hey Stacey~ Just checking in to see how you are doing. I almost feel normal again at this point. The pain is gone, the hunger is growing, and I am finally able to sleep on my side/stomach again. I am, however, finding it more difficult to drink all my liquids (seems like I am sipping all day long)! Hope all is well! ~Nicole
-
I'm doing much better. The shoulder pain from the gas is finally gone, as is the chest pain from the hernia. So, yes, I guess I can say the post-op pain is pretty much gone.I am having some tenderness at my port incision and my stomach muscles ache as if I just finished a thousand crunchies. I have not taken any pain meds in a few days and have been able to sleep in bed the last few nights... I was even able to sleep on my side last night. I was advanced to mushy foods last Wednesday, which has helped with the hunger. How are you feeling? 4/20 is just around the corner!
-
Mushy foods are the greatest! I never knew I could get so excited about scrambled eggs! I'm doing much better. I haven't had to drink any Lortab in a couple days and walking around at work has actually helped relieve some of the pain.
-
Sorry you had such a rough experience once you got home. Hope your recovery starts going more smoothly soon! Hang in there!!!
-
Success stories from those who've "always" been fat
montynic replied to Thundergrrl's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
Yep, the cabbage soup diet would have totally saved you! :smile2: I got banded on 4/1/10, so I've officially been 1 week as of today. I got switched to mushy foods yesterday and I must admit that the scrambled egg I had for dinner was the most amazingly wonderful scrambled egg I had ever tasted! Including my self-inflicted pre-op diet, I have lost 25 lbs. -
April Bandster Bunnies
montynic replied to mamasugar's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
happytrucker280~ Glad to hear your post-op went well and you got advanced to mushy foods. Hope your first post-banding food experience is as amazing as mine was :smile2: Froggie D! Glad to hear your surgery went well. I was wondering about you yesterday. waynoo & HappyDay~ Good luck on your surgeries tomorrow. Here's hoping everything goes well and you have speedy hospital discharges! mamasugar~ Hope you enjoyed getting to see hubby and baby. Looking forward to your update. As for me, last night was the first night I was able to sleep comfortably in bed. I slept on my side for most of the night and even rolled onto my stomach for a few hours (I'm usually a tummy sleeper). And, today was my first day without Lortab! -
Success stories from those who've "always" been fat
montynic replied to Thundergrrl's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
Thundergrrl~ You and I sound a lot alike. I, too, have been overweight my entire life. I still remember all the diet plans mom had me on: WW, jenny craig, the cabbage soup diet, herbalife, medifast shakes, atkins, south beach, nutrisystem... None of which gave me astounding results. Then, add in many generations of obesity and PCOS... I have always maintained an active and healthy lifestyle, eaten nutritious foods, gotten enough vitamins and sleep, blah, blah, blah, but have consistently gained weight! I was banded on 4/1/10, 2 days before my 26th birthday. I am excited to lose this excess weight and get a fresh start in life!!! -
April Bandster Bunnies
montynic replied to mamasugar's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Welcome to all the new April Bandster Bunnies! And good luck to everyone being banded tomorrow! Froggie~ Glad to hear you are doing so well! I had my post-op appt today. Dr says everything looks good. Today was also my first day back to work. I think it went pretty well. I took some Lortab around noon, but have not taken any since. I'm just super excited that I was moved to phase 2 foods... which means... I get to eat mushy foods! Yay! Tonight I enjoyed the most amazing scrambled egg I have ever tasted! Seriously, it was phenomenal! :thumbup: Sounds like all of us on the losing side are doing well and recovering nicely. Let's all keep up the good work. -
April Bandster Bunnies
montynic replied to mamasugar's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Wow! Sounds like we had a lot of people banded today! Can't wait to hear how everyone is doing. Hope everything went well. Good luck to those who are having surgery tomorrow. I have my post-op appt tomorrow and will hopefully be switched to mushy foods. I can't wait for scrambled eggies! -
I'm doing better. I still have pain in my chest and shoulder, but I am only having to drink Lortab every 8 hours. I had planned on returning to work yesterday, but that definitely was not going to happen :-) I will go back to work tomorrow. My post-op appt is also tomorrow @ 130p and I'm hoping to advance to the mushy phase because I have suddenly become really hungry as of last night. My stomach is growling loudly for food and attention!
-
Just checking in to see how you are feeling. I can't believe you were up and moving around well enough to cook lasagna for your family the day after surgery! I'm jealous! Were you able to go back to work today? I ended up not going back to work today, as I still feel like someone is stabbing me in the chest. I'm hoping to start feeling better and return to work on Wednesday. I hope everyone else is recovering better than I am
-
So my wife is pissed......
montynic replied to MrMom's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Good job in supporting your wife through her journey rather than enabling her craving for french fries. I'm sure the day will come when she realizes you did this because you love her and want her to be successful. Weight loss is a process, and I doubt this will be the last time she is tempted to "cheat" or asks you to stop and get her something unhealthy. In those moments, I would remind her of how important the surgery is to her and, by extension, how important her success is to you, and that you do not want to see her jeopardize her weight loss. I never cheated on my 3-week pre-op diet, but I have come to believe I am one of the rare individuals that actually enjoyed the pre-op diet. Mine consisted of 3 Protein shakes (milk with Isopure powder) per day, one serving of sugarfree Jello pudding (with Protein powder added to it), and unlimited broth if I ever got hungry (which I never did). I felt great and had lots of energy, my skin and hair were shiny, and I lost almost 30 lbs. -
April Bandster Bunnies
montynic replied to mamasugar's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Mamasugar~ glad to hear your surgery went well. HappyTrucker~ Sorry to hear your incisions are bothersome today. Your DH is right, you don't have to be a hero. Stay up and moving since that makes you feel better, but take your pain meds if your incision pain gets worse. Afterall, you did just have surgery :bored: As for a ticker: 1)go to tickerfactory.com 2)click on "weight loss" 3)follow the steps as they guide you through creating your unique ticker 4) at the end you will have the option to copy the html code 5)paste that code into your signature (under the edit signature option on your user cp). Hope this helps! -
April Bandster Bunnies
montynic replied to mamasugar's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Glad to hear you are doing so well. I must admit that I am more than a little jealous! It is taking every ounce of strength inside me just to walk from the livingroom to the bathroom and back. I could not imagine doing the DH's laundry. He is waiting on me hand and foot right now. The doctor warned me I was going to have a "very painful recovery" due to the "very large hernia" she fixed. My stomach and incisions are just achy and stiff, as if I over-did an ab workout. My chest and shoulders feel like someone is standing on them, stabbing me repeatedly. I can only take shallow breaths. I'm drinking Lortab every 4 hours, on the dot! Good luck to everyone being banded today. My thoughts and prayers are with you. -
I posted a long thread in our bandster bunny forum with the play-by-play of my experience. You should check it out. Long story short, the surgery went well. It was only 38 minutes. My liver was perfect and the doctor fixed a "very large" hernia. All of my post-op pain is the result of my hernia, not the band. My stomach and incisions are relatively painless; I'm just achy all over, as if I have been down with the flu. My shoulders and chest are killing me! Feels like someone is standing on my chest stabbing me repeatedly. As long as I take very shallow breaths, I can tolerate the pain pretty well. No, I don't feel any different, but I find myself worrying every time I drink anything, thinking: "Is this too big of a drink? Should I be drinking slower?" Anyways, I can't wait to hear all about yours. I hope it goes smoothly. Talk to you soon. ~Nicole
-
I'm sorry to hear about the rescheduling, but happy to hear you got to enjoy such a wonderful day with your husband and kids. I, too, would have thought it was an April fools joke! I will be praying for you on Saturday.