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originally it was the route my mil said they used to take when they drove to florida in the 70's to avoid the mountians in the winter but i don't think we were on the right route. we thought we'd head over there and check out the route in the summer. so we spent 4 days in richmond 2 in savannah and a week in disney world. i think if we drive to florida in the winter we'll stick with our regular 77/79 route and just go straight down

I had a "surprise" hiatal hernia repair at the same time as my sleeve surgery. I never had any symptoms, so it was never diagnosed. My recovery was a little rougher. I had shortness of breath, chest pain with inspirations, left shoulder pain and some jaw pain. I felt like I'd swallowed a golf ball and it was lodged in my throat. It was scary because the symptoms mimicked cardiac symptoms. I had no cardiac history, but then again... I had no symptoms of the hiatal hernia to begin with. Well, I spoke to my Doc and he reassured me I wasn't having a heart attack. Everything I was feeling was due to the hernia repair. It took about 10 days before I started feeling better. My Dr. said hiatal hernias were not unusual and he does several repairs at the same time as the sleeve surgery every week. I'm feeling a whole lot better, in fact, I'm going back to work on Monday.

Hi. I don't know about hard/soft masses? I had my Sleeve almost 3 weeks ago. We knew I had a small Hiatal Hernia going in. Well, the Dr. said, it was really big. They just sew it shut. I know its going to make me feel better. I have had no complications. Again, unsure if we are talking the same issue/Mass? Good luck too you!

:Dancing_biggrin:The last time I posted, I was upset about how much time it was taking just to find out that I may not be able to get the lap band. After submitting the insurance approval, two weeks later the clinic called me and told me that I was approved! Now I am scheduled for the 23rd of April. I am in the 2 week pre-op and have an extreme allergic reaction to sugar substitutes. This makes it difficult to use the protein drinks, crystal light, or any other low calorie drinks. So here is a concern that I am thinking of asking my dietitian at the clinic on Monday (keep in mind I am in day four of the pre-op). Right now I am having only a medium size banana (at lunch) and then my 300 calorie Lean Cuisine frozen meal for dinner. The only drinks I have are water, and I am trying to mix some tomato juice with water where I can. This may not seem like such a big deal now, but after the surgery when it is liquid only.... I think I may run into some issues. I think that the chew-able vitamins also have sugar substitutes in them and I will only be able to take the pill form. I will have to crush them and put them into apple sauce. Has anyone else ever had this much trouble? Just wondering before I go to the big day.

I teach high school. This is the spring. I teach high school. We've had a full moon. I teach high school. We have TAKS (state mandated standardized testing) next week. I teach high school. OK, so now that we've gotten the basics out of the way... After school today a very well-meaning co-worker asked me what size I have gotten down to. I tell her a 12 and she responds with "Back when I was chubbier, I got this dress that I only wore once that is a size 12. It is just sitting in my closet and I'll never wear it again. I just wanted to offer it to you if you'd like it." GEEZ!!! I've lost 65 pounds and dropped from a size 20 to a 12 and you want to start off with "back when I was chubbier" in reference to a size 12?!?!?! Come on people, THINK before you speak!!! Not 10 minutes later, a senior boy (who I've never taught) stops me as I am walking by his table and says "Mrs. Huebotter, I just wanted to tell you, you look amazing!". At this point, I am shocked and just stop and look at him. As I realized he is starting to get embarrassed, I have to check myself to say "thank you, I've been working really hard at it." He responds with "I can tell." Sometimes God knows what we need right when we need it. I sure needed an "amazing!"

That's both frustrating and sweet, respectively. Am so glad you had the sweet part after the annoying, to bring you back up!! Offering size 12 as her "chubbie" clothing to you? First, how rude to tie those three things together (size 12 as "chubbie", ignoring your great progress, and offering her hand-me-downs -which if it weren't for the other two I'd say was a nice gesture, but in this case is not). Second, geez, size 12 is the size I'm trying to get back down to! lol! Even when I was underweight, size 10 was as small as my jeans ever got because even when it's just muscle I have a big booty. I would/will be holding a celebration to be as thin as a size 12 again! Focus on the sweetness of the compliment and forget her, you deserve the congratulations!!!

Does anyone have a list of post op instructions that their dr gave them? I don't mean the diet part but like the physical activity, etc part. There is an event for my work that is going to be about 1 1/2 weeks post op for me and it will involve a lot of standing and walking all day long. I really don't want to have to do it so if anyone has any post op instructions that involve not standing/walking for long periods of time after surgery, could you email it to me? Thanks! mandiradams@cableone.net Mandi

I am pre-sleeve but from what I have read you should see you GP (general physician/practitioner) about 2 weeks post op just to many sure you are ok, check your blood work, etc. Then your GP should monitor your CBC and other levels regularly thereafter to make sure you don't become malnourished, dehydrated etc. The beauty of the sleeve is you are not in and out constantly getting adjusted but for at least awhile (not sure how often of for how long, you may want to ask your surgeon about that) you need to keeps tabs on your blood work so that you know what your body is lacking that it needs. Someone, please, correct me if I am wrong but from what I have read that's what *I* have gleaned from it. HTH! Good luck!!

if you do lose 100 lbs, you'll likely have at least some excess skin. that is something so many pre-ops and early post-ops obsess about, and I did as well, but from where I now am five years out and over 200 lbs lighter, I can tell you that I have no idea why I wasted even one brain cell worrying about it. In the grand scheme of things, the loose skin is kind of a minor issue. And I think a lot of vets would agree with me. I'd take the loose skin any day of the week over being morbidly obese again, and plus, it's easy enough for most of us to hide. You'll likely be the only one who'll know it's there. And if it really bothers you, there's always plastic surgery P.S. this is me after losing 235 lbs (I've since gained a few back). I had a ton of excess skin here (have since had it removed)

Down 30 pounds holy cow I'm a happy camper.

Hey amourette! I'm around but between grad school and teaching full time I haven't been on the sight as much lately. I have at least three days at work where I don't get home until between 6 and 7 pm and then its all I can do to stay awake until bedtime. The fall semester is usually pretty busy up until November, then things begin to get back to normal. That's great about the uniform and less back pain. I'm beginning to realize that I need some smaller clothes as well. When I wear something a bit more fitted to work, everyone comments on how well I'm doing. I've been playing with the clothes in my closet and finding that some that I didn't think would fit, do fit, and that others are simply too big and must go. Unfortunately that means most of my tops are too big, so it looks like I need to hit the resale shops. There's a plus size resale shop close to my house and I'm thinking about seeing what they've got. It will be a whole lot cheaper to get one or two things there and then save my money for the big shopping spree that I know is coming. The best thing about all of this is that I know I will be going on job interviews in the spring, and whether they admit it or not, weight does play a factor in some of the positions I would like to look into. I'm looking into administrative positions for the next school year so that I can start putting my master's degree to work. I still love teaching, but if I want a pay raise I have to move into administration. That really sucks! picardy

Congrats! How was your first week? I'm a lightweight when it comes to pain...so a little worried about that part.

I agree with the above. My twins were nearly three when I had surgery and my stepkids ranged in age from 11-20 years old (four of them are girls). The impact on all of them has been bigger than I thought. In fairness, my stepkids do not live with me, but seeing me shed weight in a way other than the extreme diets their mom does has been very positive for the girls. They would emulate their mother and simply skip meals over a perceived need to lose weight. Now their approach is more balanced. I can't help them all - I have four stepdaughters and one of them has battled anorexia (and other equally serious issues like drug addiction) for the past five years. The huge impact is on my kids and how I raise them. My children eat a very healthy and balanced diet. We do not follow the clean your plate rule; we eat until we're no longer hungry. Just that one change is huge. My kids don't eat from boredom and we're all more active. They do not remember big me. They sometimes know that the larger lady in older photos is me but they forget just as often. Their mom does not look like that. Furthermore, while it's still sometimes a struggle for me to be nice to myself, I am not raising my kids to look in the mirror and declare themselves fat or unattractive. We're trying very hard in this house not to put too much emphasis on size or weight. We focus on healthy choices and moderation. My kids know cake isn't a very healthy choice, but they also know that if they don't eat it every day, it's okay to enjoy it sometimes. Too many moms I run into on the playground these days wonder why their kids binge on candy and soda when they get the chance - but they told their kids those foods were bad and forbid them from being in the house. Well, you have to find a balance here and one extreme is just as damaging as the other. The only thing I'd be wary of is the portion sizes with your seven year old. Kids are very observant. What you don't want is for them to think that it's normal for everyone to eat a few bites or spoonfuls of food and declare themselves full. My one stepdaughter has a number of issues, but a huge factor in her body image problems is due to her mom's constant cycle of failed diets, coupled with continually putting herself down for not achieving her goals. Every one of those four girls has at times completely blasted their bodies and told me how fat they are. And every one of them is in truth, very thin. Do not ever underestimate the power you have over how your children feel about their bodies. You cannot control it all, but being mindful of what you do and what you say is incredibly important. Best of luck. Your kids will benefit from this as you become a healthier and more active person. I can actually play with my kids and chase them...I'm not just huffing and waddling behind them hollering at them to slow down for Mommy anymore. ~Cheri

I was miserable the first week. Hang in there, it will get better.

My surgery is June 21st I start my 2 weeks of Liquids Monday but I'm on my way to a healthy new me!! Good luck to you guys before you know it your turn will come )

I had my 4th fill 3 weeks ago. I've never had a problem with a fill until this time. liquid went down fine and still does. I just can't get any solid food down yet. I think the band might be too tight. I see my doc this Thursday. Every time I try to chew chew chew and swallow food it hurts and comes back up within 15 minutes. (even soft and mushies) So.. I'm sticking with Protein Drinks and broth until I see my doc. Hope you are doing better.

I have no problem with staying away from higher fat foods, especially now. Since surgery lowfat is a way of life. BUT, an hour ago I had some buffalo chicken tenders (with most of the breading picked off) with a couple tbsp of blue cheese to cool it and moisten it. I hope the blue cheese doesn't cause an issue. How long do you think this will this last approximately? I see my surgeon in Feb for my 9 month post op. If it's still bothering me in 2-3 weeks I'll check with the nurse. If it eases up some I'll just wait till Feb. On the plus side this is the first time I've eaten chicken and not been sick. It's sitting kind of heavy (I'm aware of it sitting there) but no queasiness or foamies. Yay! Yet another Protein option has become available to me! :-)

Since then I've had three phills Sent from my SM-G920P using the BariatricPal App

I posted this in introductions, where, technically, it belongs. I am reposting here because the people in this section have been the ones that have helped me the most. I am going to introduce myself the right way, the honest way. I dont have a metabolism problem,I dont have emotional issues, bad parents, or any other excuse. I eat too much and drink too much.That simple. I had the surgery in January of 2010, it went well, and I was off to the races. I did my fills, and did ok. I didnt excel because I would have a few beers, a chip here and there, but all in all I had gone from 350 on the first visit, 340 on day of surgery to 290 in early October. Work got busy, I got lazy, and didnt get a fill for 5 months. Two weeks ago I weighed myself and was 333. I was disgusted. THe band is pointless, I thought. I did not do ONE THING WRONG, I told myself. I had the band, I ate slow. So what if I had a few beers, some pizza, candy, more candy. No, I didnt do one thing wrong. I did everything wrong. Two weeks ago I turned myself in. At first I thought I would be humiliated, but the doctor was actually very understading. I got my fill, went on my way, and started a new life. Then came Saturday. Basketball. One beer led to two, to five, to seven, to three white castles. I was back in form. Went home, melted mozzarella cheese in the microwave And two beers, a glass of wine. No more. I decided last Saturday this is it. I have been given a chance. Not a cure, not a miracle, not a panacea, a chance. When I got the band I thought why should I go on message boards? I can do this on my own. I am here now as one of the steps I must take to accomplish what I want. Not what I deserve, not what I should have, not what I paid for, but what I want and must earn, I have read a lot of posts and am glad I am here. Some good stories, some bad, some downright troubling, and some really uplifting ones. I have been on the board almost constantly since Saturday reading. My initial purpose for reading was to see if this board was worthy of my time. Usually people pay me for my time, I figured, so why waste it here. It didn't take long to realize that I am the one who isn't worthy of your time. I hope in time I can contribute here, and assure you I will when I can. For now, though, I apprecite you guys letting me ride your coattails.

Ok guys, I'm pretty much a newbie to the website, only joined a few weeks ago. I got my surgery date last week. It's September 6th, three weeks from today. I gotta admit, I'm getting nervous. I had Lap Band surgery four years ago (it failed, miserably) so this is a revision. It's the fact that they'll be cutting out 90% of my stomach that's freaking me out. Yeah, I know that's what I signed up for, it's just the procedure itself that's making me nervous. I had a client who had bypass surgery a few years back and when they went to make the connections her stomach/intestinal tissue was so fragile they could barely reconnect. She had tons of problems with leaks and almost died. So while my logical mind tells me that was a very freak event, my emotions are playing hell with me. I could really use some encouraging words from some of you guys who have been through this. Thanks!

Hi you all. I had my surgery last week Tuesday 3/25. I had a large hiatle (not sure of spelling) hernia. My doc said half my stomach was in my chest. I went for leak test and dye got stuck. It did go down next day.I also had Fluid in my lungs. I was in hospital for 4 days. My doc wanted 5 but I begged him to let me go home. I am better today but had to have more fluid put in me yesterday through Iv at doc office. To be honest I regretted the surgery for the first few days. I cant wait to get to next stage in diet because am so sick of shakes now. I am sorry if I sound ungrateful or negative. I am sure I will be OK and my funk will change.

More frustration: I got a letter back from the insurance company already (it was only submitted Thursday) but they apparently didn't get even half of the stuff my doctor's office was supposed to send! So now I am trying to get ahold of them to get all the rest of my documentation in their hands so they can approve it. I was surprised to get a response so quickly - I held my breath as I opened the letter, thinking "Dare I believe it could be approved already?!" Ha. Oh well, wishful thinking and another few sleepless nights. Still no word on whether or not my doctor has approved medical clearance either. There was a week delay already because they had misplaced one little piece of paper in my chart. Very frustrating.