possiblebandster

Please excuse the spelling errors, I didn't proofread my post....

Hello! Congrats on your decision! I was banded on 12/21/2010. The only person that knows about my surgery is my husband. I am close with my family but everyone is at their ideal weight and no one has struggled like me. They may have been supportive but I know they would say "it's the easy way out" (which this journey has not been easy at all). No one in my family even knows that I had surgery. The only thing I had to worry about was people at work. I told them I needed to have my gall bladder removed. My surgery date worked perfectly because I am a teacher. I missed 2 days of work abs then was able to recover over Christmas vacation. Since surgery I have lost 47 pounds. It comes off slowly for me and I exercise regularly. Since the weight is coming off slowly (verses gastric bypass) no one has any idea I had weightliss surgery. It's a personal choice but I am a private person and that is the decision I made. Good luck to you in your journey! It is worth it!

Oh my goodness! I am taking the same vitamins and I despise them! They are so gross! I literally want to throw up when I take them. When I tried them before surgery they weren't that bad. I want to take something else also. I am going to finish the bottle (because I don't want to waste the money). Next time you take them, let it dissolve in your mouth, I put mine in my cheek and let lthem dissolve, they aren't as SICK and GROSS that way.......hopefully that trick will help you get through the bottle! Good luck!

Hi Dora! The liquid diet before surgery is really really difficult. Although it is really difficult now it is preparing you for the surgery and the weeks after. I know that January 31st seems sooo far away right now but hang in there, it will be here before you know it! I had the surgery on December 21, 2010 and the liquid diet was a great transition to the clear liquid diet immediately after surgery and the weeks after.

I had my surgery on 12/21, I had a fill this past Monday. I was on liquids on Tuesday and I WAS SOOOOO HUNGRY all day! I have experienced the same as you. I am allowed to easy mushy food today. Thank goodness because I couldn't do another day of liquids, the hunger was really really hard but it was only one day. I have to think about it that way because I am probably going to get more fills in the future and I don't want to dread getting a fill because of the extreme hunger the following day.... Good luck!

When I start on solids I am only allowed 1/2 cup at a time. I was told to eat Protein first at every meal. Right now I am on week 1 of the mushy diet and my calories range is 500-800 calories. I eat very slowly. Each time I eat some yogurt I put my spoon in the cup and put the yogurt down. I am really trying to be mindful of my eating which is very important in this process. I get hungry at times and if I get REALLY hungry I have a Carnation Instant Breakfast drink. That is just enough to take care of being REALLY hungry. I agree with everyone else that has posted about eating salad. I was told that should be one of the last foods that I introduce into my diet because of the lack of nutrients and it doesn't digest well. It's also important to take multi-Vitamins and Calcium tablets everyday! If you don't get the vitamins and calcium from food you have to take supplements, for obvious reasons!

Hi! I am also a teacher and I too was concerned about taking days off and missing school. Fortunately, my surgeon was able to schedule surgery the Tuesday before Christmas. It was ideal. I had almost 2 weeks to recover. It was awesome! I could have gone back to work the following Monday (but fortunately we had that week off). I was still sore and a little slow at moving around but I could have managed it! Everyone is different and reacts differently to surgery and you will know when you are ready to go back to work! Best of luck with scheduling the surgery and having it! I was soooo scared but so far everything has been going great! By the way, I also didn't tell anyone at work, and no one even questioned me. I didn't tell any of my family member either (it's a personal choice, as much as I love my family, they aren't good at keeping secrets). My family members did not even notice that I never really ate anything on Christmas because I was still on liquids. I was sooo worried that they would pick up on that but they didn't. The only person in the entire world that knows is my husband. He has been the best support a woman could ever ask for!

I am soooo glad I found this post. I was banded on 12/21/10. I just finished my lunch (apple sauce, 1/4 cup and 3 oz. of yogurt) and I am having extreme sharp pains in my left shoulder. No matter what I do it is not going away. It subsides for 20-30 seconds and then comes back! This is terrible! My post-op appointment isn't until 1/17. I am hoping it goes away, I can be patient but at times I cannot even take a deep breath because the pain is so sharp.

Wow, it is so strange that you say that because my husband just came up with the same "excuse." Thank you for your reply!

Hi Carol Anne! You and I are in the same boat. I am getting banded on December 22nd. The only person that knows is my husband! I want to tell me sisters and my mother sooo badly but I know what their reactions will be. They are all at normal weight and don't understand. They would tell me to work out more and watch what I eat. Obviously that hasn't worked for me. Rather than dealing with explaining it to everyone, I am just keeping it to myself! I am nervous about Christmas coming up and what my "excuse" will be for not eating and only drinking liquids. My husband and I are trying to come up with excuses. At times I feel bad that I am keeping this big secret but it's my life. The most important person in my life (my husband) is supporting me and that is all I need right now! Best of luck to you!

You are doing everything right! My advice, stop getting on the scale for 1 week or 2. Keep doing what you are doing and the weight will come off! Give it time, it won't happen overnight! Good luck!

I quit smoking in August of 2009 using Chantix. I never thought I could quit after 15 years but I was smoking over 1 pack per day and that was too much for me and I knew I needed to quit. I haven't cheated once. That drug really works. My doctor's office requires patients to quit 1 month prior to surgery. A short time (maybe 2-3 days) before the surgery date, blood work is done for many reasons. If they find nicotine in your bloodstream, they will cancel the surgery. My doctor's office worries about clotting during/after surgery which is compromised in smokers.

I just got weight for my 5th month of my PCP supervised diet. I have only lost 11 pound up to this point. I have one more month to go and I hope to lose 2-3 pound. Is a 13-15 pound weight loss enough to get approved by my insurance? I have Blue Cross Blue Shield PA. Any thoughts or experience are appreciated!

Good good good for you! How exciting! Question, how much weight did you loose in the pre op diet? I am going in for my 5th month weight in this coming Monday and I don't think I have lost enough weight to satify the insurance company. I have BCBS