annieM

The PB-ing thing is a learning process. For me, it was avoiding hard crunchy things and chewing well. Once a "slime" has been experienced, with its pain and inconvienience, believe me, you will learn how to avoid one. I agree with the comment about making sur you are not too restricted before leaving home. I would imagine that changes in air pressure when flying would have some effect too. BUT, just imagine doing all that traveling and having tons of energy to walk in your lovely new clothes? (no more hiding when the camera comes out) Visiting Paris without feeling like an alien from Jupitor? Priceless.

The band will help you all so much with those nasty cravings. I have sympathy for those of you who are struggling with pre-op diets. Look at it this way; your struggle through the next few days won't be fruitless. You are getting banded! The weight you lose now isn't going to just get gained back. It will be gone forever!!! Good luck and remember to plan some fun distractions while you recover. (my fav is watching funny chick flicks) Others: good books, magazines, knitting, writing letters, etc.

My daughter has the AB lounge and loves it. AB excersizes without having to vacuum first! It now comes in a model that folds so you can put it away. Hers doesn't fold, so I'd say having it up all the time takes up too much space. I'm going to check out the bean thing though. Since starting to lose weight I'm feeling so much more energetic that I will brave adding in excersize....soon!

All of the above is great advice. You will get through this couple of weeks and the scale will smile at you. My advice to you would be to add heavy distraction. Re-watch your favorite movies (especially if they are funny), read a good book, knit, or do something else with your hands, clean out a junk drawer, etc. It will make the time go faster and you'll be back to solid food before you know it.

I play the flute as well and I didn't notice any difference in breathing. My only trouble was a little pain in my left shoulder (refered pain from the gas they use to puff up your abdomen during surgery). Even that didn't bother me enough to not play. You know how when you have a cold and are sneezing and coughing, then you start to play and you don't sneeze while you're playing? You just go into the music zone and a tornado can whiz by and you wouldn't notice! Good luck with your surgery! Maybe you are hoping to have more air after losing weight as I am. Take care!

ChrissyB, Nothing "bad" happens. There is a survey somewhere on LBT about who drinks with meals and who doesn't. The vast majority doesn't for the reason you stated about the food being flushed through. I find that I don't miss a drink with Breakfast (i have my coffee, take the kids to school and then have my oatmeal) or with lunch ( i have been doing the south beach diet meals and they are usually moist enough to be able to eat). At dinner, since i have 5 to cook for, it is my most healthy meal (i cook things low fat and limit the carbs) and i need to get some of that nutrition in. So i sip if i need to. I'm talking SIP. The top inch of Water in my glass would be more than enough to help swallow anything that is giving me difficulty. Question: Being only a week after surgery, you are still on ALL liquids right? Most of us have instructions for two weeks of liquids only, then two or more weeks of mushies (food for those with no teeth) and then you can add solids. Good luck!

JohnnyMobs, I know where the Mandalay is and i could probably get there. How long would the group meet? I assume from your comment that you would have two separate rooms rented (and the support group would be there for more than a half hour)? Will the office send out letters?

Kjojojr and Mikkozoe, I am a slow loser too. I lost the best those two weeks of liquids and after adding food in my loss has tapered to just under a pound a week. I will go for another fill the week after next (i have 2.3cc's now) and I hope that restriction will return. Please don't feel like losers! I think about how I would have long since been on the way to gaining back what weight I HAVE lost without my band. Get your fills, follow bandster rules, and trust your band. It is going to happen for us!

I guess I opened a pandora's box starting this thread! I hope that all of you have gotten a bit relief sharing your hurts, (as opposed to not being able to say anything to anyone...). After reading your posts I am convinced that I have not heard as many rude comments as I have received. (I am used to being isolated, so when I go out in public, I am in my own world.) The reason that I know people have been thinking ill of me is that many of the rude comments I DO remember, in retrospect, were when I was at a more or less normal weight for my height! For example, a medical student I dated in college said after I banged my hip on a doorway, "well, if you weren't so fat that wouldn't happen". The same jerk used to call the heavy folks in his clinic "Pacaderms" (ie, in the elephant and rhino catagory). BTW, his favorite joke was, "what do you call the guy who graduates last in his medical school class? DOCTOR! I am so tempted to give his name, but I wouldn't want to be responsible for a linching! I'm the nice one. Also, when i had starved myself down to what i thought was my nearly ideal weight, ( 131,at 17), my mother gave me the one and only complement i ever had about my appearance. Only it didn't feel like a complement when she was seemingly shocked to be giving it. I think the most damaging one around that age, when i went back up to 151, was being a guest at my sisters health club. They offered a free analysis of your level of fitness and they determined that my ideal weight was 126. My sister said "oh -my - god" when she found out how much i weighed. I thought to myself how impossible it was to diet yet again... When i had three children under a year (one, then twins) and i was at 161 and racing around trying to do everything, my father said, "why aren't you skinny"? Now, any of those numbers that are in my brain, marking my diet history, would be desirable. I'm glad that i didn't hear any of the comments that were giggled behind my back, because i would undoubtably remember them. I swear, when i am in the thin minority, i will never ever be rude to someone because of their weight.

JohnnyMobs, Any Monday evening (preferably 7:00 or after)would be fine with me. I think that an easily accessable meeting room could be obtained at one of the hotels around the Fairfield Mall in Beavercreek just off I675. There are also Hotels just across the bridge in Fairborn near Wright State U (such as Holiday Inn). Just south of the mall, on Kemp road, is a medical building run by Green Memorial Hospital. If those don't suit, the Southview Hospitals medical center may have a room and that is near the Dayton Mall and I675 in Centerville. There are probably Hotels with meeting rooms in that area as well, I just don't know what they are called. That area is also near I75 so it would probably be easier for you folks to get there. I hope something can be worked out.

miss banster, i don't know where johnnymobs is, but the myoplex protein drinks have 42 gm of protein and few carbs. Krogers has them in the health food section and they are single serve cartons (sold in 4 packs). I think the vanilla is pretty good and it doesn't have that chemical taste that some do. The gnc store has them also. My dh likes the strawberry. good luck!

The diet myths that always drove me crazy came from thin people who had never been on a diet. My mother was always around 110lbs and she said that all she ever had to do to stay slim was to tuck in her shirt and that reminded her not to eat. Hmmm No wonder I'm fat!

It's great to hear that you all have had a cool down! One thing that I hate about being heavy is always being too warm and sweaty. I may actually enjoy the summer this year!

JohnnyMobs, where are you? Any news on the support group stuff?

Welcome! I've been to Kansas city. It's beautiful, and I love the toy and dollhouse museum. Good luck with your double banding!!!

My DH used to use the CPAP machine and when he lost his weight he hasn't needed it anymore. He even used to carry the thing on trips he loved it so much. BTW, don't forget to pack the cord....

No regrets. I think it's ironic that I learned of the lap band while watching a commercial during the Dr Phil show (yea, read his weight loss book 3 times. great book, too bad it didn't work for me). I am amazed every day how food has lost its grip on me. Maybe they did some brain-surgery when they had me under! It is a relief to go to the grocery store and not be tempted (really) by the candy display at the check-out. Best of all, I've lost some weight and I feel like losing some more (not plotting on having a yummy "cheat". I love my band.

Hi! Try CincyWeightLoss.com. They are located on I75 north of Cincy. Good luck!

My doc's scale is about 12 lbs heavier than my home scale. It's so confusing! I have a nice scale at home and I weigh first thing before eating or drinking so I regard my home scale as correct. The problem is that the better number isn't seen by anyone but me. sheesh

Don't do a bypass with GERD!!!!!!! My DH had GERD before his bypass and even now that he has lost all his weight his GERD is much WORSE!!! The bypass makes the stomach smaller in addition to re-plumbing the small intestine. He wakes up coughing almost every night (not great for my sleep either) and already has Barretts. I have GERD too and it is much better since the band. (don't even get me started on how horrible the bypass is, and all the LIFELONG complications including not being able to absorb fat soluble Vitamins and the horrible smells...arg)

Thank you! The salvation army is gonna get lucky today!

I had mine done at a surgery center. They were very efficient since they only do day surgeries. The waiting areas were clean and comfy for my DH and everyone was very nice. The reason I ended up there instead of a hospital was that I had to self-pay and the hospitals charge more to use their turf. (so you can help pay for all the folks who don't pay their own bills...)

Great thread. I hope that I can get out of these doldrums too. I don't miss food. I overate a bit tonight, but it was only habbit. It was not enjoyable and i don't feel all that well now. What I do feel is empty. I can't wait for the surge of energy that people report when they have lost weight and I can't wait to change sizes. I'm in month 3 and haven't changed a size yet. I've become addicted to this site and playing "freecell". Not a whole lot getting done... You guys hang in there, i'll try too

Thanks! Isn't funny how music takes you back?

Johnnymobs, Any chance that cincy wt loss will have a Dayton area support group? The one at 6 on Mondays doesn't give me enough time to get there after taxi driving my kids to their after school stuff. Or even adding another group at a later time. I was banded with Dr Osborn . I'm losing, just veerryy slowly.