KristiB

Dpingl, I am so sorry to hear how you are feeling. I feel extremely lucky to not have been very nauseous post op. I was a little, and it wasn't nice, so I can't imagine how you are feeling. I hope everything starts getting better.:sick Kristi

These are 10 days post op. The two biggest still have steristrips on them. I left my hand in the pic to give you an idea of relative size.

Did your wife even attend college, or get a degree? I know she stays at home now, but maybe taking some art classes or foreign language classes would get her out of the house, and inspire her to wake up a little. You say you travel world wide? How many languages do you know? Do you hire intrepreters? Maybe you could ask her to help you learn a foreign language for a business trip, and ask her along to help out? It seems like she is stuck in a rut, not just about the food. Sounds like she is depressed. Maybe a change from the zoloft to something else? I don't know. I wish I could help more. Did she ever have any hobbies before you got married? If you make so much that any income she could contribute would be minimally helpful, then perhaps she could pursue volunteering at organizations, just to get her out of the house. She could be a docent at a local zoo, or serve at the homeless shelter, or drive for meals on wheels delivering lunches or dinners to older people who don't get around. These things can make her feel needed and appreciated. I am not saying you don't appreciate her, but its all about perception. Maybe something will come up. Good Luck!

Fullofgrace, You will be doing fine after surgery!!! Come back and tell us all about it. I am going to tell my post op story for some of those of you who are still scared. I almost walked out of the surgery center before surgery. They were getting my IV's started, and I almost left. I was thinking, what in the world am I doing here? I am not in THAT bad of shape, I don't have any comorbidities, what in the Heck am I doing here? Then they gave me something to relax me. It worked. So I had the surgery. I believe I have done very well with the surgery. Maybe better than most, but I think a lot of you can do this also. I had to drive from Tulsa to Dallas for my surgery, so we were staying in a nice place with workout equipment. My doc wants us to walk 30 mins a day if we can, so I did. I went into surgery around 830, and I think I was discharged around 11. At 4 pm I was awake and stir crazy at the motel, so I went and walked VERY slowly, for 30 minutes. It helped tremendously with the shoulder pain, and some of the gas pain. I realized later that I could have avoided the gas pain if I had ONLY had the protein drink the day before, and not have any meals. But you live and learn. I think just getting back up and walking everyday is a huge help. I am one week, and 1 day post surgery. Not taking any pain meds now. Well, every once in a while at work. I need to go take care of family.......good luck to all of you November folks!!! Kristi

[php] [/php]Hey I just thought i would chime in and let you folks who are on the preop diet...if you have a tendency to slow down, or get a bit constipated, pay attention to this. The last two days before surgery, I would definitely just do the lliquids, even if your doc said small meals are ok. Taking the pain medicine slows down the bowels, and it would have been much more comfy and less gassy for ME if I had not had that last meal before surgery. It took me 5 days to "go" after surgery, and finally got rid of all of the gas that was trapped behind that load. Sorry this is gross, but it could help someone!!!!! Wish I had this information last week......... Kristi[/img]

Well, I think my overweight stems from several things. First, I have a great-grandmother, a grandfather, a grandmother, and my dad who are all very overweight. My grandfather not so much anymore, due to he became diabetic and had to lose weight. I have a little overweight coming from moms side as well. Second, I also LOVE sweets. I can stay away from them if I am not hungry, but I binge if I am hungry. Third, and I think this has as much to do with it as the others combined....I was not raped, but some things happened to me when I was in the 4th or 5th grade. I didn't know who to tell, I was embarrassed, so I tried to tell my friends. They LAUGHED at me, and made remarks like"who'd want to do that to you? You're not pretty. They must have been desperate." etc. These are not quotes, mind you, but a general idea of what was said. I have not spoken to a psychiatrist or anything, but I personally believe that is why I overeat, because subconsciously I want to be unattractive so it won't happen again. Or something to that effect. I was also a bit promiscious as a teen, and I think Iwas trying to prove to myself that yes, someone DID find me attractive in that way...... Thats why I am fat........... Kristi Thanks for posting this thread...I haven't reallly explained my ideas to anyone else before, and it feels goood to get it off my chest.

Hi I got my band on Nov. 1, today is my birthday woohoo, I have lost 20 lbs with the preop diet(8lbs), and 12 lbs after the band. It will be one week tomorrow! I am glad we have a bunch of folks to talk to here with the same timeframes. banded Nov. 1, 2006 Dr. Benavides, Dallas, TX (Live in OK, though) beginning weight 237 desired weight, 150 :funscale:

I have gone to the website, but couldn't figure out how to use the thing! I don't think I am computer illiterate, but.................. LOL maybe so! Kristi

Hello all of you newbies. And some of you oldies too. I just got my band on Wednesday, Nov 1st. I think I am doing well, except for the feeling of bloat, even after I chew up some gas x!! Please tell me this goes away! I know the doc off. said it could last up to 6 weeks..... It would be nice to keep in contact with someone banded at the same time, if anyone is out there.........

thank you I will try that! Kristi

Christina, I was hungry when they woke me up from surgery! My stomach was all twisty and weird, and my I was hungry. I was banded on Nov. 1st also. My docs post op instructions were that we should be able to drink 4-6 ounces of the Protein drink in about 30 minutes. Thats to keep us full for a while, while also not throwing up and possibly slipping the band. It has been 4 days since surgery, and I only just started tonight with the Protein Drink, and I could only get a few sips at a time before I felt full. Now I think I will sip some more, because I have only been doing gatorade, broth, and Water so far. But its hard for me to telll the gas pain from the hunger pain. If I drink water, sometimes it hurts more! Anyway, I guess we'll get used to it all. Good Luck!!

Thank you girls for responding. I had been using the gasx, but it says not to use more than 4 chewables a day. So is it okay to use more than that? I couldn't find any liquid gasx, do they make it? I thought about buying some beano, but you know........it wasn't what the doc. ordered. Thanks for all the information........

I was doing all the sorts of things you are talking about your daughter doing. When I was in HS I skipped every opportunity I could. I did go to Junior College for a while, but only made average scores, and eventually got a job at a grocery store. I met my future husband there. We got married at age 23, and didn't have any children until age 27. I was unhappy with everything. My parents helped out a little to keep us afloat, but let me decide he was just the wrong person for me. I asked for a divorce while I was going back to college, which I started at age 29. I graduated, and now have a great job, making good money, and am finally happy. My parents did the right thing to mostly butt out, because I would have just been mad at them, and probably would have blamed them for a breakuup if they hadn't minded their own business. They began to actively support my daughter and I while I was in college, and helped me get on my feet. They did this at a time when THEY could telll I was serious about getting a better life for us.(my daughter and me) I am now saving up to buy a house, aside from the lap-band payments, ha!! I am doing well now at 33. I know what sortof man I definitely do NOT want, and what sort of BS I won't take from any man. I am happier like this, even being divorced doing it on my own. The point is, there is still hope for college, and a future, although you may not see it now. Another question....Isn't dating a 17 year old illegal? Especially if there are sexual relations? I know you don't want to even think about THAT, but its called statutory rape.

Christina, I was banded on Nov. 1. How are you doing so far? Good luck with the band. As they were getting me ready, I almost changed my mind and left the surgery center, I had already signed and changed clothes. Anyway, I guess I was nervous. Keep in touch, we can compare porgess, problems, weight loss, etc. KristiB

How are you feeling now, a few days out of surgery? I had my surgery in Dallas, but live close to Tulsa, OK. I wasn't overweight enough or have any comorbidities, so they won't do it here. I weighed 237 before surgery, now I am 224! We should keep in touch, compare notes since we were banded the same day. Kristi