Julie5

OMG Congrats! That is awesome! I have my first post op visit this coming Friday. I've tried not to be a scale jumper too but know I have lost some because my clothes are fitting a bit loose. Can't wait to see what his scale says. Great work!! Julie

I have been pretty into Zumba for the past 6 months and want to get back to it as soon as possible. My surgery was just this past Monday 6/7. Anyone have any opinions on when I might be able to go back? My Dr. says 2 weeks I can start back to exercising, but the problem is I don't think he knows how high impact it is. I don't think he knows what Zumba is. Its moving and shaking and dancing around for an hour and sweating and burning more calories than I ever had in my life before I started. When I leave there I can barely move the rest of the night. I love it! Julie

Congrats on your surgery! I'm only 8 days out but it feels like an eternity since I felt the way you feel now. Just hang in there, things get a lot better after days 4 or so.

Does anyone else find it really gross to stick your dinner in a blender and eat it? I am 7 days into the pureed foods stage post op and cannot make myself eat blended up food! I tried the first day I was able and my husband started gaging when he saw it and then I started gaging. It even smelled kinda gross. Honestly, it looked like vomit. And minus the stomach acids, thats what it is. Anyway, I can't do it. So I've been eating foods that are the consistency of pureed foods but not actually pureeing any foods, making my choices slim and making me very bored of this stage. Any ideas on foods to eat? Any thoughts on this gross eating habit that we are supposed to do for weeks? Julie

Hello, My name is Julie. I'm 30 years old and was banded on 6/7/2010. I've been lurking around here and reading all of your posts for a few weeks and decided it was about time I join in. I've got a million questions and am so glad this place exists. My surgeon is Dr. Trace Curry in Cincinnati. He was wonderful and my surgery went well. Had a nasty hiatal hernia fixed at the same time which is giving me a bit more pain post op than I was expecting. Other than that, been doing great and still really happy I did this. Feel like I went to sleep in that operating room one person, and woke up in recovery another. Glad to meet you all!! Julie

I've done the same things several times! My surgery was a week ago and every few days for just a split second a wave of anxiety comes over me and for a second I think "What have I done!" But then it passes and I remember what I have done. And I also remember that there are few foods (and sometimes none) that I absolutely can't ever have again. Just gotta eat em in moderation. Julie

Hey guys, I'm new here, but have been reading on here for a few weeks and listening to your stories and advice. This is truly a wonderful place. I had my band placed on 6/7/10, so I'm just 5 days out. I'll have to say, I feel quite alone. I opted after much thought, to not tell anyone except my husband about my surgery. This was very difficult for me because I have a very close family. Especially my mom and I. We are like best friends. I feel like I've been avoiding her like the plague all week. I've been very into Zumba for the past 6 months so I decided to tell everyone that I had sprained my ankle this week so no one would ask why I wasn't going to Zumba, plus so no one would try to get me to come to family functions for the next week or so. Its been soo hard for me to lie like this. Not really because I'm against lying so much, but because I just need to talk to someone about this. So many things in my life are changing right now and its just huge! Truth is, as close as my family are, a few of them can also be judgmental. And none of them can keep their mouths shut. So if I told one, they would all find out. And I just didn't want to hear about it. My BMI was not that high. I had to be a self pay. I'm sure my family would say I'm not that fat. They don't see it. They don't see why I can't just lose the 60 lbs and get on with it. Truth is, for 5 years, I've tried to lose weight and instead have gained more and more each year. I didn't want to wait till I was really big and had to worry about all these extra co-morbidities. I was trying to prevent them. I already have a few. Anyway, I had the money and who knows when I might have it again in my life so I did it! I researched it for a few months and last Monday I did it. I just wish I had my mom to talk to about it. We are a family of eaters. Every event involves eating. It's why I've been avoiding everyone all week. Everyone thinks I've started this great new diet/way of life. I'm gonna try real hard to keep it that way. Any advice on how to continue this lie? Anyone else do it this way? Totally discretely and deceiving? Julie

Hi there! Great to hear from someone else who had surgery the same day as me. Your story about your mom calling and telling the aunts is exactly my situation. Soon the cousin, and uncles and second cousins would all know!! Today has been challenging. I had a baked potato (took the inside out and mushed up to pureed consistancy) for dinner. I am on pureed foods but cannot bring myself to puree anything, so it's gonna be a long 9 more days. Anyway, was so hungry all evening after dinner. Now I'm seeing that it was all those carbs. Didn't ever realize how hungry they leave you until today. I will not be doing a potato of any kind for a while. So tonight has been rough. Felt like I could eat the couch. My gas is still there too. It's better, but still there. I really should have just did what you did with the hiatal hernia repair story, as I did indeed have mine repaired too. Problem there is my whole family (all of them) have to come anytime someone has surgery. For anything. So I would have had to say I had it after the fact, which would have been weird for me and raised red flags. By the way, are you more sore in our chest you think because of the hernia repair? My pain was and is primarily there. Julie

Hi Jayne, I'm 30 years old. I live in the US. Ohio. Funny, I am actually watching the US England game right now!! Glad to talk to someone else who is where I am. The gas was terrible. Pretty much better now, although I am still puffy in the belly area. My pain was pretty bad for a few days there, but yesterday was a good day. Even left the house and went to a cafe for some Soup. I am kinda hungry today too. But I really feel like I get full pretty fast. I don't have any saline in my band yet but think my belly must be swollen in that area or something or maybe just the band itself being there causes a bit of restriction. Either way I get a full feeling fast. It could be a gassy pain too... Not sure. I agree about wanting something else to eat. So sick of this food already. I have to do pureed foods for another 9 days and I don't puree anything. The sight of it makes me wanna puke! So its been foods that just look pureed for me. I can do soft foods in 9 days. Can't wait for that. My husband is pretty supportive. He's also 150 lbs, high metabolism and can't gain a pound no matter how hard he tries. So is he REALLY that supportive? Well he tries. But for lunch today he had a giant fast food burger that made me drool. He wants to get healthy too and generally likes healthier foods so he says when I get to where I am off this liquid and mushy crap, he will start eating better too. Keep in touch, I'd love to continue to talk and see how you are doing. Julie

Thanks Leigha! I know what you mean about the 65 pounds for 16 years!! I have had this weight creeping up for years. Every year I have tried to lose, every year I gain instead. And yeah being obese sucks!!

Thanks Hal. I'm not completely sure I'll be able to hold it in forever! It is great to be able to talk on here to people who understand. It means the world.

Thanks guys. I think the reason I didn't tell her was for one, she can be sort of dingy... LOL. I love her for it, but she can be dingy. So I'm really afraid we will be at dinner sometime with all the family (which is like 2 times per week) and she will slip and say something like "can you eat that?" or "be careful, I'm afraid you will get sick on that". She tends to slip up sometimes on words when she doesn't mean to. Also, I wanted her to be proud of me so bad and I know she still would be if she knew how I was losing but maybe not as much. Even though we all talk about how hard this is even with the band and maybe even harder in some aspects, I'm not sure an outsider can really, truly understand that. Ugh, I don't know. She is really close with my brother and his wife (as am I) and I just don't wanna tell them. The potential for her to tell him is too high. We are not good at keeping secrets from each other (hence, me struggling so much with not telling her this secret). I could tell her not to tell him but then would feel like I am putting her in a position she is not comfortable with either. Keeping something from him, who she is very close with as well. Another reason I decided not to tell for now was that I read a really long thread about it here on the forums and I kinda got it that the consensus was that most people wish they wouldn't have told so many people. I think a quote I read repeatedly was "you can always tell them but can't untell them once you already have". I'm trying to keep my options open but its hard. Another big reason is that me and my husband have a good amount of money and I think sometimes they resent me (they don't mean to) for buying crazy things, and going on vacations and sometimes wasting money on ourselves selfishly when they at times struggle. I don't want to think that they are thinking "Must be nice to have the money to just pay for weight loss surgery when you don't even need it". If I were bigger, this would be easier. They would understand more I think. They think I'm just a little overweight. They don't get that I am obese. That my BMI qualified me for weight loss surgery, not my pocket book. As I said we are close but there is a great potential for regret if I let the cat totally out of the bag... Thanks for all your sweet responses so far. Julie

HI guys! I was banded 6/7/10 and am feeling pretty good. Granted, its only been 5 days, but honestly, its been not so bad. I did not have a fill at surgery time and will not get my first one till 4 weeks out but honestly am not hungry much at all. Feel like I get really full after just a few bites which is something I don't think I have ever in my life felt before. I think its probably just swelling from the band being placed causing some restriction but honestly, I feel great. I have lost 10 pounds, I know that's from the liquid diet and pureed foods. Having a hard time getting in very many calories and an even harder time getting in the Protein. But I'm working on it every day. Hope to hear from all of you soon. And anyone that has already had it done around the same time as me. I need a buddy!! I kinda feel all alone. I did not tell anyone except my husband about my surgery, so I've been avoiding everyone in my family like the plague all week!!! Julie

Hi guys. I am Julie. Was banded on 6/7. In a year from now, I hope to be at my goal weight or pretty close. I need to lose about 65 to 75lbs. So in a year, I'd love to be about 135. And in a gorgeous bikini with no leg chaffing bruises and no asthma and no heartburn as I lay out in the sun. LOL

Hi Ashley, My name is Julie, I was banded on 6/7/10. I'm feeling pretty good today. That first 3 days was rough, I'll admit. The gas almost killed me. I'm like you, very caution, and scared to death of this band. I was only on a liquid diet for 24 hours then on to a pureed diet for the next 2 weeks. Having a pretty hard time with that because I don't puree foods. Kinda makes me sick. So I have been really just eating things that look like they were pureed. And adding in Protein shakes, which I can't hardly stand the taste of!! ON the lookout for a good one, let me know if you find one you like. Julie

Amen sister. You know what else I won't miss!? Chaffing!! Those horrible strawberries you get between your legs at the top from walking to far. Never again!