Search the Community

LJM: hope that fill does the trick and helps you get where you want to be before surgery. But, keep in mind that right now it's more important to maintain your muscle mass than it is to lose fat, so keep up the protein! Thanks for the tip on Old Navy. I love drawstring pants anyway, and that sounds like quite a deal. Nina, I plan to get just one extra set of support garments. I sent a letter to my surgeon with a bunch of questions, and one was what type of support garments he recommends, how much they cost through him, and whether I can buy them separately. I have a feeling they are probably much cheaper online. Has anyone checked out eBay? They are so expensive, and frankly, once you're done with them, you're DONE with them, ya know? Also, I gotta mention to you that I've eaten tons and tons of one-pot dishes, chilis, Soups, and it hasn't hindered my weight loss in the least. I keep everything healthy and low-fat. I honestly think if you focus too much on eating plain/dry meat and veggies that it will ultimately sabotage you because of the lack of variety. The best thing *for life* for all of us is to cook and enjoy healthy foods and stay away from restaurants, fast food, and pre-packaged/prepared foods! Here's my list of stuff to have on hand before surgery, compiled partly from the lists that LJM and I posted, and a few extras. Some of the things I already have on hand, but put them on the list to remind myself to have them accessible in my "recovery zone" (bed/recliner): List of important phone numbers, including surgeon's House phone and cell phone Remote control Gopher grabbing tool Books/magazines Medicines in liquid form and liquid measuring cup, including anti-nausea medicine such as Zofran Nutritional supplements including Vitamin C and Arnica Montana (helps w/ bruising/swelling) Stool softener and/or laxative Tylenol, chewable or liquid Timer or alarm for meds, check-off sheet for meds, chart to note drain contents Ice bags, heating pad Recommended wound cleansers, ointments, bandages and scar products Thermometer Extra set of compression garments and Spanx (or Assets from Target--cheaper!) PJs and/or track suits that open down the front Slipper socks and slip on shoes/clogs (I think I'm going to get a pair of those slip-on clog-style athletic shoes.) Tissues Laptop, Nintendo DS, plus cords iPod Wet wipes Head bands/pony tailers/scrunchies/bandannas Plenty of pillows, including a firm one to hold while coughing, and a wedge to elevate upper body in bed Rolled up pillow or blanket for under knees to ease lower back aches Pail or coffee can with lid (take in car for ride home in case of nausea!) Earplugs and eyemask Water, Crystal Light, and Green tea Soups, pudding, yogurt, Jello, fudgesicles, crackers, vanilla wafers, Protein drinks Moisturizer Pen and writing pad Flashlight Small trash can Camera with fresh batteries Hand mirror I wish I had a recliner with an push-button lift system. The one we have takes way too much arm strength to pull out the leg rest, and too much ab lifting to get up from the recline position. It was a struggle getting in and out of it after the lap band surgery, and that's a drop in the bucket compared to this surgery. I'm gonna have to think on the best alternative. I get a full Brazilian every couple of months anyway, so I'll probably get a touch up the week before surgery, unless the doc tells me otherwise (sorry Neal, TMI, I know!) Another note I made to myself is to make sure and take some pain med before getting the drains removed at the post-op appt. (Sorry this is so long, just trying to cover everything in one message!) Tami

I shouldnt think TOM will be a problem,do you (sorry in advance Neal) use tampons? If so I would think that other than you not being entirely happy about the situation,it wont be a problem. Lets face it I am fully expecting to have not a shred of dignity at any stage in the process!!! Oh dear I hadnt even thought about actually getting up off the toilet, oh noooo (TMI WARNING) how are we going to wipe our tushes???? Think of the twisting involved there!!! Thats a grim thought......LOL How come you are wearing the compression garment for so long?

Well, to be honest, .................... WARNING, TMI I woke up with "ROBERTA, YOUR SURGERY IS OVER" and a nurse sticking a suppository up my you-know-what!!! (hey! exit only!!). I don't recover well from anesthetic. I've been under the knife about seven times and I guess this is just the way my body handles the medication. I was very much out of it. I didn't have a "fun" stoned feeling, you know, "wow man, I feel goooooooodddd zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz" (god it's been YEARS since I felt like that! HA HAAA). First thing I felt was the pain around my sternum from where the port was placed. Soon after my chest started hurting...intense pressure and pain under my ribcage......it hurt to breathe .. they sat me up which helped a bit, but it didn't go away so they gave me some percocet (spelling??). It was quite painful until after the meds kicked in. The chest pain was really something. The port incision felt very raw. The narcotics made me breathe really shallow so I was in and out of consciousness and remember telling myself to not forget to breathe. I would say it took a good four hours post-op for me to be able to stand up on my own. The chest pains were reduced by about 50% by sitting and standing up. Then of course that night I got all hyper, just like my anesthesiologist warned me (something about the mixture of the anesthetic and another med they give to patients before they go under causes hyperactivity). Felt great, no pain. HTH

I hated orlistat! I had to wear a huge tampon to protect my pants and my office chair from orange leakage! TMI!

I'm in the same boat. I actually think I might have a hemorrhoid now. Talk about TMI - lol! Do you know how much Fiber you're getting? They say we need 25-35 grams per day. I just started using one of the powders, Fiber-Sure. Fiber-One bars are good too. 140 calories, 9 grams of fiber.

Well girls up and checking road conditions, does not appear to be any new snow, just lots of ice. Hopefully they will be working on sanding that. I think I have everything I need packed---as well as everything my Mom usually forgets!!! She gets flustered very easily, always has---and this surgery is somewhat risky---so she gets VERY flustered, and gets so busy getting Dads things all together and just so, she tends to forget about herself! She has always been that way--now it is Dad she is doting on, not us kids!!! I sound so cruel when I complain about the arrangements, we just keep totally different hours, and they have their ways, as I have mine. I sleep in total darkness! They leave the bathroom light on, so they can see around the motel room. And they have a travel clock with huge red numbers, and mom has lights on her CPAP---it is nothing big, but it is light as day in the room to me!!! Not to mention they are down before 9 and up at 4. And if one of them is up in the night, then they have a conversation! And the kicker, the seriously difficult one for me, is making sure I am wearing something, that if I kick off covers I am covered! I worry about the same thing with our get together! TMI--but this girl is used to sleeping in nothing. So.....before May I will be jammie shopping!! Well I have been chatting with you while I let my car warm up----actually letting the van warm up. Decided for several reasons to take it. My car is so low, Dad has to strain to get out once he is in, and they don't want any stress on his neck at all. Plus I have chains for the van, it runs a 15" tire, and they don't fit the 17's on my car...so the van is warming---and it has more space to warm!!! So I am shaking myself this morning, and telling myself I won't always have my parents who are wonderful loving people, so I am going to enjoy this time with them. Someday I will wake up in the night wishing I could hear them chatting. With that in mind, it is not my tip day--but if your parents are living call them and tell them you love them. I am worried for my Dad--please remember him in your prayers. Will try to check in from the motel tonight! Welcome to the newbie, finding me----Walmart even has summer stuff in now here, and there is a foot of snow on the ground!!! But I usually by work out capris at Target--love them!! I find them near the lingerie dept. Welcome! Hugs to all my Violets~~~ Kat

Does the week leading up to your period f*ck with you, too? I put away the scale until after it is done, I cant even deal with it. I think i am retaining all the fluids I am drinking. I am just frusterated. On a good note, I did get to sleep on my side last night with a pillow for support and I slept MUCH better.

Suzie, thanks for all you've done to get our daily tips up and running. They've been a big help to me! And muchas gracias to those who are providing them! Michelle, to paraphrase Kat, "The Christmas weight has left the building!" Good going, girl! Not to bring up a (another) TMI subject for today... but is anyone still having BM problems besides me? I drink my water! I'm taking Miralax...and it's still about once every five days. And like Michelle posted yesterday, I fantasize about the weight I'm losing when I'm finally successful in the bathroom. And please don't even mention the word constipation--ouch ouch ouch! I've even quit weighing on the mornings that I didn't have a BM the previous day. To look on the positive side, obviously keeps me from weighing everyday. :funscale: Loved my classes today--it's good to be back in the teacher mode. Gotta go Google Sex Swing...kinda wondering what to get Bill for our 28th anniversary the end of this month. love to all and positive thoughts for us all on CTC and water tomorrow, Cindy

I saw the lil twits selling GSCookies outside my WalMart today. I just drove through the parkinglot and went to Price Chopper for my groceries. Lol. I have been craving ice cream so badly... I broke down and bought the fat free no sugar added kind... I figure it's not as bad as the other.. PLus it works as a colon cleanse... was that TMI? Biggest Loser was awesome last night. The Wall of truth and the Temptaion thing. OMG. I don't know if I could have gone and pigged out on that stuff if I saw the calorie value posted above it. If places like Krispy Kreme and Starbucks and convenience stores postes calorie values over their donuts and soads and coffess, etc, I think most people would think twice about what they choose to eat and drink.There IS a reason that 'nutritional' labels are small and on the BACKS of packages!! (same goes for ingredients!) I have a friend that is a Lineman in Nebraska. (Started here in Kansas City, then was in LA Cali, and now Omaha Nebraska...) He is totally awesome, and makes GREAT money. And you are so right about making the career change while you are YOUNG! If it's something you wanna do, I think you should go for it!

Nope no key! They are essay questions that I have to read and some of them are really BAD! Unfortunately I don't drink coffee and since being banded the only kind of dairy that I can do is yogurt and cheese. I don't know what the problem is, but milk, ice cream and especially milkshakes make me fill up with gas (I know TMI) like there is no tomorrow. I get terrible cramping in my stomach. I keep saying that I wish I drank coffee because it always seems that the only things to drink are sweet, besides water. Well I have a meeting to go to, so I will check in later. Thanks for the hugs. I am going to try some butternut squash soup for dinner tonight and it is time for a protein drink.

Ever heard the phrase "TMI"?? :lalala:

Wow, all this talk is getting me so excited about my journey I've already got this stuff and I'm not even banded... hope this isn't TMI, but if your butt is "sore" down there, try A & D gel in a tube (not the cream). It makes it not sting and doesn't hurt when you go number dos.

I wish! For me I can feel that huge lump in my chest and know that I''m not going to feel better until it get rid of it. Most times it doesn't want to go down, so it has to come back up and out. It's awful. It's just a big blob of slime, tmi. I've cheated with water and drank it before and during a meal at times because I know if I don't, something's going to get stuck. It's probably not the best thing to do, but sometimes I'm really hungry and haven't been able to get anything down in the morning and want something to put in my stomach just to shut it up! But I'm with you. I think I've been slipping with my water intake a lot of the time and need to keep track again. It starts again today. Now. *runs off to get water bottle*

:cheer2::lost2lbs:Good morning ladies- I have a fun filled day planned...NOT I get to spend the entire day with a group of people I work with at some kind of govt agency in Houston today to get some kind of new ID card to be able to get into our job site....thanks to the coast guard and homeland security. Anyway, I hear it is a longgg process so needless to say the last thing I need to do is drink a bunch of Water and stay in the govt bathroom the whole day. That sucks...I love my H2O. I will just have to drink it when I get home and pee all night long tonight. TMI I know. BTW-the scale is on a downward spiral again. Hopefully I will be in the 17somethings in a few days. More than I ever expected when I got the band. Amazing! I am not going to change my ticker until then. Have a great day friends....

Kerri, I just had to giggle when I read this because I have the exact same problem!! In fact in the Hawaiian dress that my DH bought me before Christmas, that's the problem spot. As soon as I lose that, I'll be super happy. My DH has been playing with it now (I know, TMI) though like it's a third boob. It drives me up a wall, but he gets a kick out of it. ~Nichole

Ok i have a TMI Info for ya'll. Does anyone have hair on their stomach ? Like LOTS of hair (Ok not LOts and lots ) but you know that dark line of hair you get when your preggers ? Well mine never went away ? If you have it what do you do about it ? Im HOPPING once i get my TT it will all be cut off LMAO Mindy

Day 10: Following my dietician's advice, I progressed to stage II foods which are liquid pureed Soups, yogurt, Protein drinks, etc. I welcomed the change with opened arms -- truly enjoy having squash Soup (Campbells Gardennay brand). I was worried about hair loss and malnutrition. I am able to supplement my diet with powdered Vitamins, add some Udo's 3-6-9 oil for my noggin, and liquid Floradix for Iron supplementation. I also finally got some BeneProtein powder which is awesome. My weight went up about three pounds at the end of week one, but then dropped again back to the original loss. So I am still at a 13 lb loss after a little over a week. I was dehydrated after having the runs from the antibiotics (sorry TMI) and also OMG you girls out there, you KNOW what antibiotics do to a woman!!! Needless to say it's been almost two weeks since my husband and I were close. NOT fun! My port spot barely hurts now. I can feel the port right under the skin. I feel like the BORG! I am going to the gym tomorrow after I drop dd off for kindergarten. I haven't been there in MONTHS. Look forward to getting back on the xtrainer machine. I have to admit I am struggling. I am so incredibly hungry as I no longer have restriction. I think yesterday in addition to broth I had about four half-cup servings of the soup. At 110 calories per cup that adds up. Plus the yogurt I had was 2%, need to read labels now..it rang in at 120 calories per half cup. I haven't had my post-op appointment yet --- a week late --- since I had no childcare last week, and there's no way I could let my three year old run around while I was drinking rocket fuel! My post-op appt is on Thursday, then I _still_ have to wait to have my first fill. I purchased a BODYBUGG off of ebay this weekend and it should arrive this week. I can't wait to use it! I've also thrown out the Nutella.

Hi all, Happy Monday morning! And I really need to get to bed since I start back teaching tomorrow--luckily, my first class isn't 'til 11am and the last is over @ 3:50. Such a GREAT change from teaching in high school. Sounds like almost everyone is back on track with our plans for the new us that we started with our lapbands. Come on, pounds, start a-droppin'. The trip in May sounds wonderful! And I agree with the others, Jane--GO! I wish I could be with y'all, but already have plans to go on a trip that I am organizing to Israel and Jordan. Of course, I'm excited about going to the Holy Land, but dearly want to meet each of you as we celebrate our new bodies. Tracy, good luck with the job hunt with BP. And Pamela, thanks for today's tip: It's a great one as I can never get enough fiber and we know the problems THAT creates. TMI, right? Kat, two or three bites of ice cream??? Judy, a small # of mints??? No sweat!!! Pounds, commence to droppin' ! love to all, Cindy

I am 4 days past surgury and today has been a great day, for the most part. I am feeling just a little tired but that is to be expected. I could really REALLY do without the explosive diareha. How long does this last? Between that and the gas I am still working out I am too scared to leave my bedroom. Please tell me this ends!!!

Laura i'm sorry you are getting worse, feel better! My ear and head feel great today, but now I'm shitting my brains out and after my lunch time antibiotic now I want to thow up. ... TMI sorry... this is why I don't like to take antibiotics unless I am beyond the point of sick. Well, I guess I'll be in Onderland in not time at this rate. I'm down 10lbs in a week off to work, have a great night all

JC - Glad to see you back amongst us again... I definitely heart my heart rate monitor. I can cook up a workout that is the exact intensity that best meets my needs. Tonight, I did an hour of riding on the trainer between in the 70%-80% HRMax range with a couple of intervals to the mid-80s... After my adventure beyond HRMax on Monday, I was able to ensure a ride in the 65% range for recovery the next day. Ugh - speaking of IVRs brings back bad memories of an IBM DirectTalk system I set up and managed in the mid-90s. Nasty, nasty stuff. BG - maybe TMI, but fun none-the-less :confused: TX - Let me know how you like the casein that you ordered. I bought some at the Vitamin Shoppe last week to help me sleep better, but I couldn't tolerate the taste of it - not sure what brand it was, but not so tasty... I turned in the most craptastic paper I have ever written for school last night. Just couldn't get into the psychological issues associated with budgeting... It is, however, done. And a C on the paper is good enough for an A in the class. Fuck it... I have one test next week and this semester is done... Took the dog to the surgeon today - not sure if we're gonna have to get her some new knees or not. Under general, the surgeon manipulated her leg, and it didn't move the way that would be expected if she needed new knees - on the other hand, most of the symptoms are consistent with a torn ACL. Food has been crappy due to stress & worry. I did get an hour+ ride on the trainer tonight & will get some roadwork in tomorrow. G'night all! B

Is it TMI that I have a whole drawer dedicated to sex toys and stuff? And yes a bullet is in there too.

Haha! Everytime I hear 'magic bullet' I think of sex toys... thats just where my celebate mind lives. :confused: Amazingly enough - I don't own ANY sex toys... why?! (Is all of that TMI? Blame BG. She started it.) I don't have the magic Bullet, but I did buy an el Cheapo mini food processor today. We'll see how it works.

Morning gals well, another day. My ear feels a little better, I'm so glad that I took care of that last night, or I would have been in very bad shape. I know tmi, but .... I think i had a sinus infection going on because all kinds of stuff is breaking up an my head feels so much better than it has in days. Bad thing... I don't take antibiotics because I am the one who gets all the side effects, so my stomach is a mess. OK that is an understatement! I've been up since 5 with sharp stomach pains and in the bathroom. I guess for the next few days I shouldn't have to worry about getting my fiber sure in. LOL I'm going to hang close to home until work so I'm sure I'll be checking in. I'm babysitting right now and going to try to sleep for a few when the bus comes. It is so cold here again today but temp went up to +7 Yipee.

I've had 3 prolonged PBs but all of mine hurt, so I can't give advice on the "no pain, just burps" part of it. I've tried all the remedies I've heard of and none have ever worked for me. The only thing that maybe works is if I hunch over my island. Could be coincidence, but more than once when I've done this, within a minute I've had relief. Doesn't work all the time though. If you haven't yet, try taking some deep breaths and holding them, then exhaling slowly. This may do nothing, but it used to help me earlier on (although I get to a point where it hurts too much to take a deep breath, let alone hold it.) Also, sorry if this is TMI, but if you have the urge to go poop, give in to it. Sometimes this trikes me when I'm stuck, and going along with it really does seem to help. I have no idea why this is. (I used to call these "PBMs")