patsal

Giving it more thought, I realize that my husband's family has always been like this - self-absorbed and inconsiderate. Like insisting I proceed with my wedding after being diagnosed with breast cancer or dropping a sick kid at my house while they take off for a week. Maybe the real problem is that now that I'm actually doing something about my weight and learning to say "No" and not just rolling with rude and inconsiderate behavior the fear is that the "doormat" (aka me) is gone! You will feel empowered once you are fully empowered with the sentence No! in your regular vocabulary. From my expereince people will stop asking because they know there is a possibility you will say no, it used to be taken for granted that I would always say yes and be everyone's doormat as well. Now that I have "no" firmly entrenched in my vocabulary I am seeing a lot of differences in the way my family and co workers treat me. I think in some cases it is part of the journey of becoming who you were meant to be and having the courage and backbone to do what you need for you. When self absorbed people see someone who would always just do for them say no to them it makes them very uncomfortable as new boundries come into play and they are not sure how to react.

I would say that low carb has so many non-believers becsue they see it as a fad. However, if you look at South Beach the food from the recipes are great and flavorful. Switching from white refined to whole grain is more flavorful as well. My DH was skeptical at first but is at goal weight now and loves following the South Beach Lifestyle. He did something that was interesting--he wrote out a typical day and checked his carb totals and found that the carbs add up to the new food pyramid totals. Sure they are restricted during pahse one when the goal is to rid the body of the toxins that casue the cravings for bad carbs, pahse two is still pulling a good number of carbs from fruits and veggies, but phase 3 is a totally workable lifestyel chnage for the better. My MIL is a piece of work, she was hospitalized for heart failure and still refuses to follow the diet recomended to her. She complains the food is all bland--her diet on paper looks like south beach phase 3. At my house food is anything but bland and boring. I don't understand how people can put their lives and health at risk just because they are so ingrained in the thought that simple starch must be a big part of their diets. Good luck, maybe prepare a few south beach recipes or print out some of the simple ones (though to me they are all simple I have never spent more than 30 minutes prepping dinner since August when we started).

I am feeling really good. It only took me a half hour to get down an 8 ounce double milk protien shake. This is huge because it was taking like three hours and I was lucky to get in 48 ounces of liquid per day. I am hoping to be on track and getting in all 64 ounces of liquid today. I have been careful to track my amounts on a small index card just to be sure I am meeting minimums. Yesterday I had a bit of a setback though, when I was making DH's lunch and mixing the tuna I didn't even think, just licked the fork before throwing it into the sink--not good because I was feeling all tight the rest of the afternoon and evening. Finally, at about 8 pm I was able to get 8 ounces of Unjury Chicken mixed in warm water down. I will definately not make that mistake again! I am thinking of trying a short drive today--I am planning on returning to work on Monday and want to be prepared. I have only been taking one lortab in the evening to take the edge off the pain, so I think I will be ok giving it a try. I will be gald to get back to work, a bit more structure there so maybe I will do better with my food. I have my first post-op appointement on Tuesday. That will be a good way to ease back into work--work a day,off a day, work three days. Yesterday my TV in the bedroom blew up. Seriously, the thing just made a loud pop and then went black. What a horrid smell. I am glad my DH was home so he could move it out of there. The running joke around here is that it killed itself. See I had fallen asleep and when I woke up Jerry Springer was on. Not only did my IQ drop, but my TV commited suicide!

Glad it went well Erin. My first meal was dinner in the hospital--they made me stay the night--my tray had a cup of decaf tea, a sf jello and a bowl of chicken stock. I drank a few sips of tea, ate about half the jello and had a few spoons of the stock. Next morning for Breakfast I was given 4oz of grape juice, decaf tea and a sf jello--again a few sips and a few bites. Later in the morning they brought by another sf jello which I ate a few bites of. Before I left they gave me lunch. Decaf tea, sf jello and beef stock. Just be sure to keep hydrated.

Sorry about the dry mouth, but glad to hear everything went well. Glad you are comfortable.

I was afraid my PCP would not be supportive and I was way off base. He has been wonderful. He is fully aware of all my struggles, he has known me for over 12 years at my biggest and smallest. He has seen my struggles with program after program only to lose and gain back more. He put me in touch with two others who have had WLS but not the band, one successfully lost and maintained, one lost a bunch but did put some back on. When I stopped in for his release a few weeks ago, he was very reassuring and even said, I think we have found the thing that will work for you. Keep your commitment to losing the weight and this time it will work because you will have the real help you need! I was shocked and very pleasantly surprised.

OP I wish I could get that much down and 5 pounds is great for aloss. I have only lost one pound since being banded on Friday. I'm six days post op and it took me from 8:30 to noon to get a whole shake down. It took and hour for me to get a cup of broth down this afternoon. I must be doing something wrong because I get all tight and feel like I am going to retch if I have any more. I am having a hard time getting all my liquids in let alone my calories. Yesterday I got 490calories in and 36 ounces of liquid, but I am having a heck of a time with discomfort after I eat or drink. Maybe I am still swollen?

Unjury has an unflavored powder that mixes nicely with jello, they also have a strawberry sorbet flavor that mixes with water and I add a crystal light packet to it--yummy strawberry lemonade! It is not inexpensive, but it is high in protien 20 grams per scoop.

I am totally adicted to the powerade 0 grape flavor. I also love the Sobe 0, black and blueberry as well as yumberry pomegranite are my fav's, but I tried the fuji apple pear yesterday and it was really good as well. I didn't care for the strawberry kiwi though, but I have never liked strawberry kiwi flavored things too much. A bowl of strawberries and kiwi slices sure, but the mixture as a flavor doesn't work for me!

is the right dose? I am on Lortab right now , but I will have to work on Monday (teacher) and I am not sure what the dosage amount on liquid tylenol would be. I may not need it, but as sore as I am right now I doubt I will be pain free by Monday!

I think my family didn't believe I'd go through with it. My surgery was on Friday and since no one asked I didn't tell. My Mom stopped over this morning and I was still in my sweats and slippers with no makeup. She was all like, "Oh you had it done didn't you? " I said yes, my Dad asked a few questions and that was that. It was good they stopped over becasue I wanted to tell them but they seemed so busy. My daughter needed a ride and it was so helpful for them to take her. They also offered to get me anything I might need, but I was all set cause I stocked up over the weeks prior to surgery. I would say that this is one of those things that really affects you and your life, but not so much others outside of your household. Maybe you should call you SIL and ask her why she doesn't ask you to go shopping...maybe she thinks you won't need anything and that you don't want to buy things right now? As for MIL dont' worry about it, the food stuff is secondary and not something everyone else will understand. Go when you are ready to deal with the food that will inevitably be around when family gatherings occur. This really is a personal journey and others may not really be able to understand it all. You will find support in other places if your family isn't supportive of your choice.

I would tell her that you will not need that much help. It would be better for you to be "home alone". I had mine done on Friday, have Feb Break this week. the kids are home and they are kind of a PITA. Even if it is obvious that something needs to be done they have to be asked. The 18 yo just wants the car and to be out with his GF and that leaves the 14 yo and I am not slave driving her. So when she asked to go to her friends I jumped on it and said yes. You are not bed bound or anything, you need to walk and not having people hoover over you will be much better. Just do it sooner and get it over with then you can enjoy the break with the kids and go to the movies and things like that.

Good luck everyone! Remember walk, walk, walk and gas x...seriously it says take up to four at a time, take the four! I have gone through three boxes since getting home on Saturday and they were totally worth it. Justplainbatty, unfortunately too much is way worse than too little. When my Mom had her knee surgery the nurse on Saturday told my dad to keep pushing my mom's button for her every 15 minutes--she nearly ended up in a coma. My dad just kept telling my sis and I that the nurse told him to and she had the degree and for us to shut up they were professionals and knew what they were doing. Fortunately my sister and I never did listen to orders well, so off we went to the nurses station and all hell broke loose. Long story short always be careful not to overmedicate with the morphine pump. Glad you are doing better now.

Thanks, I'll call the dr. to double check, but at least I have some ideas!

On Friday, February 12th I went for my banding. The time moved really quickly. I arrived, checked in and was ready to sit and wait for a while when they called my name. I was glad to move so quickly, but this really surprised me. I got the gown, the slippers, robe and gave up the urine sample--not much to give when you've had nothing since midnight and it is almost 10am! From there to a comfy recliner to wait for the nurse. Questions abound and then the lovely Heprin shot in the belly--gotta say not my favorite thing. I'm pretty sure I had my son a few weeks premature to avoid the amnio--needles and belly freak me out. Of course now I have to wonder what I was thinking when I decided to have the band put on knowing that the port would get filled through a needle in my abdomen. I guess it was a blank moment for me, never really thinking about that part, but it is too late now so I will learn to suck it up I'm sure. I am instructed to go to a small cubby and remove my robe and slippers and get on the gurney to head to surgery--the doctor is a bit ahead of schedule and is waiting for me. Hold up, I still have to kiss my hubby before I head down, could someone please go and get him for me. Ok, they found him, I hand him my glasses and other belongings we go over the little breathing device and I am heading down the long hallway to surgery. The anesthesiologist comes in and introduces herself to me as does her assistant. Mental note, next time around consider this career, her jewlery is beautiful and abundant! My IV is hooked up and some relaxant is also given to me. Now they ask me about prior surgeries and what I am having done, umm the relaxant is kicking in and I am far from with it. The Doctor and his surgical nurse and PA stop out and we head into surgery. I switch tables and they strap my arms and legs in. Someone asks me something, but I fall asleep before I can answer. I wake up about an hour later in recovery where it is very busy. It took forever to get me from recovery to my room--so long in fact they give me a gift card for the supermarket. Now there is some irony I could go on about! I think that will go into my 10 weirdest things list. Seriously, I am at the hospital and the room will be ready when it is ready and it isn't like I can just get up and walk out with all the tubing that is connected to me! Finally, I am back to my room and I get settled, my husband is in there waiting for me as is a very large and beautiful floral arrangement sent by my four best friends. I rest while my hubby works on his laptop saying he got more accomplished sitting there than he would have at work anyway--he was completely uninterrupted. He mentions that the Doctor said he also fixed a hiatal hernia and shared that that may have been what was causing me so much discomfort with my Heartburn and Reflux. I realize I have not asked for anything for pain and continue to doze in and out. Finally at 10 pm I ask for some pain meds. I am given a choice between lortab or a shot, I pick the shot still too afraid to swallow a pill. I slept for about three hours and then kind of rested without much real sleep. I really wish they had not put my IV in my right hand. I walk the halls and at 10 am the PA comes in to tell me I can go home as soon as I have the Upper GI done. I wait and at about 1pm they send a wheelchair and one of my former students to transport me. Well, now this is a bit awkward...I converse all the time praying he doesn't open my chart and see how much I weigh and report to his former classmates...yup, I need to calm down that wouldn't be professional...right? Seriously that barium stuff tastes bad, why they try to mask it with vanilla and lemon is beyond me I think that only makes bad taste even worse. Everything looks good and I can go home. I am home by 3pm after hubby manages to hit every pot hole from Buffalo to Hamburg. I have to wait for him to go get my script filled so I try to relax on the sofa and sort fo fall asleep. He needs to get used to the path from home to the grocery store because over the course of the next 2 days he spends a lot of time there. The gas build up is bad and I can't get comfortable. I try walking I get up every few hours and walk. It feels better when I walk.

Try a pregnancy test. Get some vitamins in you--even flintstones chewable easy to get, easy to get down. Watch the coffee--it does a few things to you. Sure you get that huge jolt of energy, but it speeds up digestion making your food give you less energy, and it has diuretic properties so you will pee out your nutrients too fast and lose hydration. I will say when I was preggo I had absolutely no energy, needed a nap and still fell straight to sleep by 8 pm.

I was originally supposed to be a January bander. Things happen that you don't have control over. February worked better in the long run for me anyway, and it went off without a hitch. IF I'd had it in January I would have been off of work for at least a week plus a day or two, with the February date I only missed the surgery date and the follow up visit rather than the extra 5 days. Although I was iritated as well with the wait, it really wasn't that big a deal in the bigger picture. But anna ree it does stink that you are on your pre-op diet for far longer than you need to be. I'm sorry that happened to you.

On Friday, February 12th I went for my banding. The time moved really quickly. I arrived, checked in and was ready to sit and wait for a while when they called my name. I was glad to move so quickly, but this really surprised me. I got the gown, the slippers, robe and gave up the urine sample--not much to give when you've had nothing since midnight and it is almost 10am! From there to a comfy recliner to wait for the nurse. Questions abound and then the lovely Heprin shot in the belly--gotta say not my favorite thing. I'm pretty sure I had my son a few weeks premature to avoid the amnio--needles and belly freak me out. Of course now I have to wonder what I was thinking when I decided to have the band put on knowing that the port would get filled through a needle in my abdomen. I guess it was a blank moment for me, never really thinking about that part, but it is too late now so I will learn to suck it up I'm sure. I am instructed to go to a small cubby and remove my robe and slippers and get on the gurney to head to surgery--the doctor is a bit ahead of schedule and is waiting for me. Hold up, I still have to kiss my hubby before I head down, could someone please go and get him for me. Ok, they found him, I hand him my glasses and other belongings we go over the little breathing device and I am heading down the long hallway to surgery. The anesthesiologist comes in and introduces herself to me as does her assistant. Mental note, next time around consider this career, her jewlery is beautiful and abundant! My IV is hooked up and some relaxant is also given to me. Now they ask me about prior surgeries and what I am having done, umm the relaxant is kicking in and I am far from with it. The Doctor and his surgical nurse and PA stop out and we head into surgery. I switch tables and they strap my arms and legs in. Someone asks me something, but I fall asleep before I can answer. I wake up about an hour later in recovery where it is very busy. It took forever to get me from recovery to my room--so long in fact they give me a gift card for the supermarket. Now there is some irony I could go on about! I think that will go into my 10 weirdest things list. Seriously, I am at the hospital and the room will be ready when it is ready and it isn't like I can just get up and walk out with all the tubing that is connected to me! Finally, I am back to my room and I get settled, my husband is in there waiting for me as is a very large and beautiful floral arrangement sent by my four best friends. I rest while my hubby works on his laptop saying he got more accomplished sitting there than he would have at work anyway--he was completely uninterrupted. He mentions that the Doctor said he also fixed a hiatal hernia and shared that that may have been what was causing me so much discomfort with my Heartburn and Reflux. I realize I have not asked for anything for pain and continue to doze in and out. Finally at 10 pm I ask for some pain meds. I am given a choice between lortab or a shot, I pick the shot still too afraid to swallow a pill. I slept for about three hours and then kind of rested without much real sleep. I really wish they had not put my IV in my right hand. I walk the halls and at 10 am the PA comes in to tell me I can go home as soon as I have the Upper GI done. I wait and at about 1pm they send a wheelchair and one of my former students to transport me. Well, now this is a bit awkward...I converse all the time praying he doesn't open my chart and see how much I weigh and report to his former classmates...yup, I need to calm down that wouldn't be professional...right? Seriously that barium stuff tastes bad, why they try to mask it with vanilla and lemon is beyond me I think that only makes bad taste even worse. Everything looks good and I can go home. I am home by 3pm after hubby manages to hit every pot hole from Buffalo to Hamburg. I have to wait for him to go get my script filled so I try to relax on the sofa and sort fo fall asleep. He needs to get used to the path from home to the grocery store because over the course of the next 2 days he spends a lot of time there. The gas build up is bad and I can't get comfortable. I try walking I get up every few hours and walk. It feels better when I walk.

Thanks, joyce. Today I am trying the ful liquid so back to my shakes and strained cream soups. I think I polished off a whole box of gas ex strips over the past two days, but they finally did the trick. I was in so much discomfort yesterday. I slept nearly through the night last night and have been much more energetic today. To those that are just doing the pre-op prep keep at it, the first few days are the hardest and I found weekends to be difficult as well--at work I have a bit tighter schedule so it was jsut easier to follow and I was much less cranky. Once I saw how much I was losing (14 pounds) it was an easy incentive to stay strong. I got on the scale today expecting to have gained a bit from the IV's etc. I was up 3 pounds, but nothing to worry about. I followed full clear liquid for Friday after surgery, Saturday and Sunday. Started full liquids today and still have only taken in 250 calories. Guess I'd beter go make another shake! I am feeling stronger with less pain every day. Good luck everyone!

Well I am fully banded and home! I was banded on Friday, arrived back home yesterday afternoon and today is my first full day home. Almost any activity wipes me out, I have really bad gas pain and some soreness around my five incisions. All incisions are upper abdomen, nothing near belly button. My port is on the right side and I can feel it a bit, very tender there. While in they fixed a hiatal hernia as well. I got up a few times in the night to walk around to help with the gas. I have been trying to go easy on the pain pills, but eventually I just give in--taking one about every 8 hours rather than every 4. I am keeping liquids down fine, but can't wait for some healing to happen so the incisions are not so sore an so the gas pains will go away!

One more day of everythign for me then Friday is band day! I have been so busy at work I can hardly believe how fast the week flew by. I will have a very full day tomorrow as well, so that will keep my mind occupied. I think I have everything I need for post op, but I am going to check just in case. Biggest worry is the kids--like they are not old enough to fend for themselves DS 18 Sr. in HS, and DD 14 Freshman in HS--since DH is with me they will have no transport back up, etc.

I'm guessing I have great insurance. I paid co-pays of $15 for my intial visit to my PCP, $20 for the psychatrist, $20 for the nutritionist, and $20 to see the surgeon, then $15 for the surgical ok from my PCP. All testing was covered by my policy and my surgery and hospital stay have no copay since I will be admitted and stay the night. So far it is looking like $90 total. My guess is that I may hav eto pay the $20 co-pays for the fills ?

Good luck, Michelle, I go on Friday and I am more than ready to be done with the pre-op diet!

One more week is the mantra here as well. I figure after surgery I won'tbe so much caring about food as I am now. I had a wonderful sugarfree jello birthday treat form teh girls at work, while they enjoyed cupcakes. I have been shopping at Aldi for most of my families needs...no great smells like Wegmans so I feel a bit safer. Weekdays are easier than weekends, so now I have to psych myself up for hte next two days. Good luck Rosetta!

44 sticks of butter down, but I almost wiped out a Subway! So I've been doing the mostly liquid pre-op diet--the usual protien shakes, cream of wheat, yogurt, pudding, popsicles, jello and apple sauce--all sugar free and all very bland. The great thing so far is I am down 44 sticks of butter--for those that don't cook that is 11 pounds! Yesterday I thought I'd give myself a break from cooking for the rest of the family--kind of a slow methodical torture as I chop, dice and can't taste. I decided to grab them subway. Now I see the flaw in that. While I didn't deviate form my pre-op plan, I did have a singel moment of insanity one where I for just an instant thought I might jump over the counter and begin a two fisted grazing from the letuce bin. Yes, all the other stuff they have there and all I kept thinking was wow that is some beautiful fresh green lettuce--look at the color, I bet it crunches really nice too. Sick! Back to reality I have to place the order and with my eyes glazed over like a maniac I may be frightening to the poor kid fixing my order! The subway remains safely in tact as do the subs for the ride home and each of the family members got their dinner without any missing bites.