Stephanee

I really appreciate your advice! With doing remodeling on my studio AND running after 5 kids, I have felt like a zombie for the past week or so. It is great knowing that I can snack on healthy food and not feel guilty about it. I am still curious on more than a cup full of food...is a cup the maximum I am supposed to eat? There have been times that I needed to eat more but I cut myself off because of that one rule. I have pretty good control for a big gal but I dont know how far that control will take me...hopefully until next week at least. But I am more worried about being in this situation "next time". Thanks!

I wish I was in your boat...seriously! I am 11 days post-op and I cant get rid of my gas situation, it all stays inside. No matter how much my tummy hurts or rumbles, it refuses to leave. At least you can expel yours! I am hoping to see an end to it real soon, so if you find something that works, PLEASE let me know! I have tried Gas X, I have tried Senokot, Durcolax...and no relief. The gas has even pushed my port out to where you can visibly see it...I even went to the Doctor for an x-ray. The pain in my left side and shoulder is really starting to grate on my nerves! :help:

So, I have been able to walk around, get up on my own, etc with OUT pain. However, tonight, I drove to Target (its been 5 days and I was only told to avoid driving for 3-4 days) and shopped. Within 10 mins of walking, I had a sudden pain where my port is. I wasnt pushing the basket nor have I been lifting anything and I didnt do anything differently than before. I lifted my shirt and noticed that the port was up higher than where I had noticed it before. It stuck out really far and it was very tender to the touch. Also, it hurt when I did certain things, like breathe deep or turned slightly. The pain is really sharp and I dont like it at all. Does this mean that my port has twisted? Has anyone else had experience like this: one minute things are great and the next minute you are almost doubled over in pain (except that you cant really bend over because it hurts that bad!)? Thanks for the advice...I dont want anything to go wrong after I have done so good so far!

:clap2: Count down those days, count 'em down...You are almost there!!! What about your pre-op diet...how is that working out?

I did call my Dr G and he had me come in for a checkup. After he felt my port area he determined that I didnt have an infection. He made me go downstairs to have an x-ray. After review, it was determined that I had an unusually large amount of gas that is waiting to...exhale. Sorry for the gross update but I wanted to thank you guys for giving me accurate advice! Oh, and Im feeling better tonight!

Ok, so this rant is really for me because I have no where else to rant! I am in Oklahoma and it is FREEZING! We are under a "State of Emergency" and my present employeer (Im NOT naming the company since they are closing OKC's call center which is the LAST one in the US to be opened) refuses to shut down the call center due to the solid ice on all major roads and highways (since Saturday). ALL of the local schools have been closed since Monday and will be closed tomorrow. Majority of the daycare centers are closed. So, my company expects me to keep my foster and bio kids at home by themselves so I can come into work. Ha...my life is way too precious to risk driving the 30 miles to and from work. Plus, my kiddos cant stay at home by themselves. Im freezing partly due to my anemia and because I have eaten nothing but liquids (except a few times!) since the 8th. So, Im gripy, hungry, frustrated, and freezing :help: . And Im supposed to keep a postive attitude since I am the "Matriarch" of my family. Hmph. I know many people out there are used to the ice because of where they live. Well, I am NOT and I am trying hard to find a silver lining in all of this. For example, now that me and my 5 kiddos are at home, I can spend unlimited amount of time with them before my lapband surgery. That way if something bad happens on Thursday, they will have had spent ALOT of quality time with their mommy (for almost a week)! Okay, I feel a little better...no, please be merciful and forgiving of my whining! Thanks!

You guys are crazy! Now, bitteroldhag, hang in there...it all happens the way it is supposed to...and things will work out. Hopefully the electric company will kick their butt in gear to help you guys out. My prayers are with you and your momma...and I cant wait for the thief to get their butt thrown in jail! Take Care!

hang in there! Thats all I can think of at this point. I had my procedure on the 18th and experienced the same pain. The shoulder pain has almost gone away completely...every now and then I will experience a little pain, but nothing that is going to kill me. Glld luck!

So, I had my surgery on Thursday. I was really nervous and scared because Justin could not be at the hospital until after I went in for surgery. Thankfully, the doctor was delayed due to the weather. I never thought I would be happy about being delayed...but Justin was able to get to the hospital before the doctor! After it was done, the doctor said it couldnt have gone any better. I was in alot of pain: the gas pain on my left side, the Co2 pain in my shoulders, incision pain, morphine headaches....everything hurt and I was in tears. That was Thursday and part of yesterday. Today, most of the bad pain has subsided but I am still a little sore. I am only able to eat about 4-6 spoonfuls of broth or liquid and I am SO full! I was worried how I was going to be able to meet my 64 oz/day water requirement. My doctor told me that as long as I am urinating 3 times a day, than I am getting enough water. Check. Now I am just worried about my protein. How in the world am I going to get 50-60 grams of protein a day if I can barely even eat? Does anyone know of a decent protein product that I can mix with my water? Anyway, every ounce of pain is well worth it so I am NOT complaining! I am down to 218 so I am so thrilled and I need to update my ticker! I know that the pain will slip away in the next coming days, so I am practing patience for now! Well, that is my update for now! Thanks for everyone who really helped me along the way! :clap2:

Welcome! Its great to have a fellow Oklahoman on here! The biggest advice I can give is to always remember why you are wanting to have your procedure. That really keeps me in check. Well, good luck and I will def keep you in my prayers.

I recommend that every grumpy/sad person watches the above mentioned (and linked!) video...how funny was that?!?!

congrats on the whole smoke-free status! I hear that quitting can be a drag...ooopps, no pun intended, I swear! Keep up the good work!

I need a BIG hug today! Cabin Fever, Starvation, 5 kiddos w/ cabin fever who ARENT starving because I have fed them food I cant eat...and Im freezing on top of it all! Thanks for the hug...you are awesome...and Im getting to be a big crybaby/mushee butt these days!

and that's all Im gonna say! Actually, Im going to say more! Tomorrow is my surgery date (OMG!!!) so of course I am not going to cheat and eat because I am SOOOO close. I just made my kids some burritos and then my 17 year old foster son made me cut his up (he has hand tremors) and I thought I was going to die...I am SO hungry! :hungry: And I thought I would rant just a lil bit because I cant in front of my kiddos. I always made it a point to not obsess about food in front of them. Okay, thats all I am going to say. Oh, and thanks...I feel a lil better already!

good luck to you too! I go in at 5:15 in the morning and I am taking great comfort in knowing that today is the last day that I will feel like I am starving to death! Good luck to you tomorrow, too! Please let me know how yours goes too!!! :clap2:

So, I really dont have any band-life experience for you (due to be banded tomorrow) but I just wanted to say hang in there. I guess there has to be some self-doubt somewhere in this process and maybe this is your time. Just stay focused on your goals and remember why you got banded in the first place. And keep exercising...that is so important. I didnt hear you say anything about getting any fills and I know this is just week 4 for you. Have you already had a fill and if not, when are you going to get a fill? I dont know if that is the problem but it almost sounds like it might be one issue since you are so hungry. I know first hand how important/helpful it is to have a supportive bf/roommate. And I also know how easy it is to lash out at him. Just remember how supportive he has been through this process...and that he is on the outside looking in. I wish you the best of luck and I cant wait to see other "band veterans" advises...because I may very well be in your shoes in 4 weeks!!! :hungry:

Thanks! Im in much better spirits now that I know it is supposed to be 38 degrees tomorrow. However, when it freezes again this weekend, I will restrain from griping because I will be so focused on my new lapband!!! Yay!!!

on doing something good for yourself! Whew, the process can be daunting! My initial doctor wanted to take like a min of 8 weeks to go through the process...and I couldnt wait that long due to changes in insurance. I found a new doctor and was finished with all of my requirements within 1 week. Another week went by and I was finally approved but didnt find out for almost another week. What I did is I called my insurance company EVERY day until I finally got someone who knew if I was approved or not. I was a pest but it worked out because my surgery is this Thursday. I am on my 10 day pre-op diet (until Thursday) and have already lost 11 pounds. Yay! After the surgery, I have 2 more weeks of liquid and I wont be able to consume as much as I am now, so I cant wait to see how much more I lose. I hope to go from 230 down to at least 160 but I really would love to get down to 140...that would really toot my horn! Good luck!

I know what it is like to be bumped up...my surgery date was set for Jan 4, but I wont be banded until Thursday. I started having self doubts but have found this LapBand Talk Community very helpful and encouraging! Just stay focused on the reasons why you are having this procedure and that should help keep you on track. If not, come back here, post, post and post some more! Please keep us updated!

Your body type and health condition sounds just like mine...and like you, I am ready to get rid of it. There might be times where you get discouraged :faint: ...just know that we are here for you! This is a BIG decision to get rid of a very BIG problem...and kudos to you for doing something good for yourself! Please keep us updated!

For my "last meal", I ate dinner with my best friend who had gastric bypass in Nov 06. She ate everything we all ate, just not as much. I dont know what your wife means by "normal" because the reason you had your surgery is to not eat like you "normally used to", I would guess. If you are wondering if you will ever get to eat normal foods again, from what I have heard, is yes! You may not be able to eat everything you once was, but you will have a wide variety of food that you will be able to enjoy. :hungry: I am doing my liquid diet and I have already lost quite a bit (my surgery is on Thursday). From what I have seen by my two friends who had the surgery 3 weeks ago, they have already lost 35+ pounds from the beginning of their liquid diet (started 10 days before their surgery date). I know we arent supposed to talk about "other people's experiences" but I have seen these first hand as I am helping them. Anyway, I am sure weight loss is different for everyone. If you are overly concerned, I would talk to your doctor. Other than that, Congrats!!! Losing is ALOT better than gaining! Keep it up and keep us posted! :clap2:

Hopeful Church...that is a funny funny story! I ended up having to take matters in my own hand last night and I thought I was going to die too! But I feel soooo much better today. And I just now happened to read your post! It really reminded me of me! Gross, I know, but I can smile today, so thanks everyone for your advice!

Okay, so I have been doing my pre-op diet for 6 days now. My pre-op diet is nothing but liquids. So, this is the embarrassing part: I have not had a bowel movement in what seems like forever. Is this normal or should I "do something about it"? :help: :faint: Thanks for not laughing and thanks for helping me out.

I thought I was the only cheater out there! lol. My doctor requires a strict pre-op liquid diet, NO solid food whatsoever for 10 days. I did great the first two days. On the third day, I ate a very small piece of cheese bread and 2 small bites of Justin's sandwich (yum) with my strained potato Soup. The next day, I didnt cheat at all. By the 5th day, I couldnt stand it so I made Justin get me a pizza. Instead of eating my usual 6 pieces, I 'spit and chewed' one slice. Other than that, I have stuck to my diet. So, I didnt make the best choices when it came to my cheating, but I kept it very limited. :hungry: It is amazing to me to see how each doctor handles the pre-op diet. Matters-of-fact, that is how I justified my cheating. I figured my doctor was so strict because he felt that if we took one bite we would want 5 more bites. Does that even make sense, I dont even know! Anyway, I figured if I kept my cheating to a minimum AND stopped cheating 3 days before my surgery date, then I would be ok. My doctor said he will know if I have cheated by my weight gain or loss. My pre-op appointment (1/8/07), I weighed 232. Today, I weigh 221. So, that has to be a good sign. I guess we will find out on Thursday, huh?! Good Luck and dont beat yourself up on cheating. This diet isnt easy!

LALA, Even though it seems like you are alone, remember that you are NOT. God is with you every step of the way...and you have us, too! Even though I am in Oklahoma (and we are under a HUGE Ice/Winter Storm), I am still praying for you! Its easy to have self doubt, I suspect I will have it right after I wake up from my procedure. Just stay focused on the reasons why you are having this procedure done. And keep us in contact, please!!!