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I see two choices, delay the surgery or cancel the trip. The drinking is empty calories and will not help. Three weeks is not enough time to allow the body to heal before you start partying. You should still be in the post-op phase. Sounds like an unworkable plan to me.

Welcome to bandland and LBT! I didn't get any restriction with my first fill, in fact it took a few before I felt anything. Don't get discouraged, you will get to a point that is perfect for you. Also, sometimes fills kick in a few weeks later.

Honestly, call your surgeon right away! Dehydration can be very dangerous if not treated. The first time I was readmitted to the hospital and I was incoherent. It took them 2 days to get me where I needed to be. Don't let it get that bad. I just spoke to my surgeons nurse today because I have been having such a rough time. She really reassured me that after the 2 week mark I am going to be a thousand times better. Honestly, I feel pretty good today and I was in the ER last night for re-hydration. Please Please Please call you surgeons office. You are not bugging them and they will make you feel better, I promise!!!!!

@radley- I am sorry to hear you are still doing poorly. I have fortunately gotten much better. I started eating sugar free Popsicles and pedialite Popsicles and it really helped. Do you have a good nausea medication?? My dr. did warn me the day of surgery the nausea could last anywhere from a week to a month and that the younger you were the worse it tended to be and for women compared to men it was worse. Something to do with hormones. Don't know if either of these apply to you. I'm 37 and female so not so much the young end but the women end for sure lol.

I haven't so not sure I can help. Are you getting all your water in? I was told years ago that especially the week or two before the visitor to load up on water....makes the process a little less painful?!?!?! December 2005 I had endometrial ablation, sure that's spelled wrong!!....had really heavy periods and that procedure really helped with the cramping and the volume. Would recommend it to anyone and everyone!!!

Unfortunately there's no moving the clinicals around. I have a 12 hour clinical day every Saturday for 8 weeks. And I do value it...I worked way too hard to get into nursing school and I don't want to mess this up now, when I have 281 days till pinning. I was thinking that it was too ambitious, but my crazy self said "yes! I can do the 9th!" when she called to tell me. And really what it comes down to is that I'm afraid I'll be much too tired and won't get my fluids in. I guess December will be my new sleeve month!

Hi all, So I've been down this road before and am just about at a loss for words!!! It's been 4 weeks since the scale moved and I'm not concentrating on that, I'm trying to focus on my body and losing inches but I don't seem to be moving in inches either!! I've upped my protein and water intake and have even been hitting the gym!!! In all honesty I feel like I'm done losing or even as ridiculous as it sounds I feel like my body has called it quits and my tool is no longer working I'm not discouraged by any means I am down 93 pounds in 6 months!! It's pretty amazing and I feel a ton better!! Highest weight: 266 current weight:173..I have hit my dr goal of 175 but would like to lose another 20lbs or so!! I just don't know what's going on with my insides!! Help!!!!

I have emotional support from various avenues, plus I am a therapist I can talk to one or more times a week/month. I think this is one of the weeknesses in our arena...not having a therapist with the knowledge of WLS. Please email PM and I will talk more. Sharon/Memphis

I had a stall at almost 4 months out and it lasted 7 weeks, just be patient as you can and it will pass!

Here is a letter I wrote to my health insurance to explain my situation. They told me that even though I was a perfect candidate for the lapband, they would not cover it. Nor would they cover ANY proceedure, medication, therapy, doctor's visit to discuss weightloss, gym membership. I borrowed the money and I had the band in July. At this time last year, I weighed 380. I now weigh 315! Maybe this can help someone.... Obesity is affecting my life in the following ways: Physically Hypertension My blood pressure continues to get higher and higher despite the use of medications. When I must walk any distance I can feel my pulse in my face. sleep Apnea I must now sleep with an ugly cumbersome breathing machine at night. I am afraid I will die in my sleep if I don’t use my CPAP. Caught Variant Asthma When I have an asthma attack, I cough because I can’t breathe. I cough so hard I turn purple, pee my pants and throw up…not nice anywhere, especially in front of a classroom full of elementary kids. Foot and ankle pain The pain in my feet and ankles is so severe, that at night I must elevate and ice them just to be able to walk around the house. I have spurs on many of my foot bones because I have carried around so much weight for so long. Chaffing My thighs rub together. My arms rub my sides. My fat folds rub each other and the tops of my legs. It is miserable! Even though I wash, medicate, powder, use antiperspirant under my belly fat and in the creases and wear absorbing cotton clothing, I STILL rub, sweat, chafe, hurt, and break out in nasty folliculitis. Walking My thighs are so fat; my legs are forced to spread, causing my gait to be too wide. This makes my hips and lower back hurt. I walk like an old fat cowboy duck. Just watch me next time I come into the room. I can’t walk more than a block without pain in my back, hips, feet and ankles. I am out of breath after the first 100 yards. My ankles and feet hurt so badly all day. Stairs? Ha. Going up is actually better than going down. I may be slow ascending stairs and need breaks within a single flight, but descending, well I can’t see my feet to see the next step below me. Each step down jars my huge frame. It is easier if I turn to the side, hold on to the rail and use a side step, using the same foot to lead on each step. I prefer elevators or escalators even if I am going down one flight. Sweating Have you ever been so winded and worn out after taking a trip through Wal-Mart that the sweat rolls down your back and into your butt crack? No? Try being me for a day. Getting Up I have a hard time getting in and up out of cars, chairs, the floor and bed. Fitting I need chairs without arms. Do you know how many chairs have arms? All movie theatres, all theatrical venues, all stadiums, all beauty shops, dentist chairs, office chairs, lawn chairs, waiting rooms, airplanes, trains, and most restaurants (I’m sorry ma’am we only have chairs with arms, do you think you could fit in a booth? HA!) I don’t fit in many cars, non handicapped bathroom stalls, dressing rooms, bathtubs, the spaces between clothing racks at stores, and turnstiles. Bathrooming First I must see if I have enough room to spread my leg wide enough to wipe, then I check the sturdiness of the toilet. I have been on a toilet in the midst of a very delicate maneuver when the toilet has come loose from the floor and made a horrible mess. It is a very embarrassing thing to have to tell your hostess that you broke her toilet and ruined the bathroom rugs. Once all seems to be fit, I do my business and then attempt to lean forward with one arm tucked under my belly. I must balance all of me onto my tip toes and reach through the front. This acrobatic feat is difficult. I do not fit in regular sized bathtubs. If I must bathe, I force my hips into the tub. I had to install a shower wand to clean my self properly while showering. I use hibiclense and other antimicrobial soaps and solutions to reduce the risk of folliculitis, and faruncles. I shower every morning and every evening to keep my fat folds clean and my body smelling nice. Clothing This is a big issue with me. I must be very careful in clothing I select as not to bring attention to my self. One day I bought a very expensive, very cute chartreuse short set. I wore it to the store and I had a very rude person look directly at me and mimic my walk and say, “Look, at me…I am a big, fat lime!” Super sized clothing is hard to find. Once you do find it, it is very expensive. I spend a lot of time, effort and money covering my body in a tasteful way. I must be very careful in selecting clothing. I cannot fit in any clothes from regular plus sized shops. I surpassed the sizes at Lane Bryant 5 years ago. I am now wearing the largest size at the only two mail order clothiers available. I will have to resort to having “tents” made for me if I don’t loose weight. Sex Sex is very difficult because of my large stomach and large backside. This is a very difficult topic to discuss, and an even more difficult topic to endure. My sex life is not what I want it to be because my fat makes sex very difficult. I also feel very self conscious about my body. Mentally Embarrassment I do not like the way I look. I feel embarrassed about how I look to other people. I feel that my fat makes me ugly and undesirable. It is embarrassing to not fit in a $120.00 Chicago theatre seat and have to ask the manager if there is any where else he could seat me. I am embarrassed when am winded from taking my students out to recess. I am embarrassed when I must lift my fat belly up over a turnstile to fit through it. Compensating I feel I must be better, smarter, funnier, cleverer, and more charming because I am fat. I have developed quite a sense of humor to mask my hurt at being left out of many things over the course of growing up. Sarcasm is one of my compensating tools. Sadness- I cry often because I am overwhelmed about my weight. It make s me feel so sad to think about all of the things I miss out on because I am fat. I hate myself for getting so fat and out of control. I am angry at myself for not being able to stick to an eating plan and exercise regime. Fear I do not want to develop heart problems because of my obesity. I fear going to the doctor each time, because I am expecting to hear the words “heart disease.” My blood pressure scares me. Anxiety then takes over and I feel overwhelmed with guilt and fear. Self Consciousness I cover my body with big baggy clothes. I cover my belly with a pillow to “hide” my fat when I am sitting on a couch. I am always very aware of how other people are looking at me, and the remarks they make. This horrible habit puts a strain on my marriage. Self Worth My self worth is in the toilet. I feel disgusting. I hate being fat and I hate not being able to control my food intake. I feel bad about not being able to lose weight. I feel like a failure because I am not able to stick to a successful diet or long range exercise program. These and many more mental obstacles must be overcome daily, even hourly. It is emotionally draining to have to prepare my self mentally for a day, not to mention the actually endurance of the emotions through the day. I am tired and disgusted with being so emotionally tied to this weight. Socially As a child I was ridiculed and left out of peer activities. In middle school I had a handful of friends, but the fat jokes and ridicule over shadowed me and made me feel worthless, ugly and unwanted. There was a rumor that followed me through all of 6th, 7th and 8th grades about me looking pregnant and every week it the big joke was to ask me whose baby it was. Ha! So funny! A three year “gestation period” was more than I could endure. I sought help from the school counselors. They told me if I lost weight they would stop bothering me. High school was miserable. I was never asked on a date, never held a boy’s hand. I was always overlooked. College was no different. Either were my 20s. No boyfriends, no dates, nothing…and I DID try. I tried 2 dating services; I spent 3 years in a huge singles group at my church. While my girlfriends were on dates and getting engaged, I was alone and depressed. I finally put a personal ad on yahoo. I did find a loving man who I fell in love with and married. I love my husband, but I wish I didn’t have the lonely rejection filled past. There are many social opportunities that I must turn down because of my morbid obesity. Camping, swimming, hiking and traveling are too difficult at my size. When a friend asks me to go out, I must consider all of the possibilities (Will there be room for me, is the restroom big enough, is her car big enough, will the chair support me even if I do fit?) There worries are enough to make me want to stay at home, and often times, I do because of worry and shame. Financially It is expensive to be fat and even more expensive to yo-yo diet. I have done both since I was 16. Specialty clothing costs twice as much as other clothes. My medical needs are very costly, even with health insurance. I spend lots of money on my favorite hobbies, eating and cooking. I need help. I want to be successful in losing weight. I am ready. I want to be able to walk with our pain. I want to be alive for another 35 years, at least! Please help me by considering me for weight loss surgery.

The one that hurt me was on my left side where they pulled the stomach out. It was awful. Then almost magically it totally stopped hurting about 3.5 weeks out.

I make it all the time and I'm 9 weeks out. Love it!

You and I started out very close to the same weight. I was 256 starting out and 175 was my doctor goal weight. He said he expected me to lose more, but at 175 he felt like the surgery was a success. When I hit 6 months I started to stall quite a few times. Then out of no where my body would start losing again. I stuck with my program and began increasing my protein intake. I am now 15 months post op and I weigh 132. The last 40 have been slow coming off, but they are gone. My loss in inches was slow coming off, but they are off. Stay strong and stick with your plan.

Yes I was banded on April 1st. I think I am doing pretty good and my doctors office is happy with where I am at. I am down 44 pounds and have not needed a fill yet. Scheduled to go back to doctor on June 26th. I have not been exercising because I broke my ankle 2 weeks ago when I was moving into the solid food phase. So with no exercise and new foods I think my weight loss is slowing down a little. Still not overly hungry and satisfied with a small amount of food. Trying new things every day. How are you doing?

Sorry to hear your at a stall but wow you look great! Good luck

I have Cigna. I just made sure I knew exactly what they required. I made sure I had everything. My surgeons office was helpful with this as well. They wouldn't even submit it until they knew I had completed everything. Once I did, it took about a week to get approved.

only 3 weeks until i get my band, im very excited, ready to start a new healthy life.:clap2:

gingerkid: You might want to try and get up in the middle of night and have a big drink of Water. I think that sleeping a long time dries out the pouch and that is what makes it so difficult to swallow things in the morning. I sat in the sun for a couple of hours today and didn't bring a drink with me. When I got home I took three sips of iced tea and it all came back up. Again, I think my pouch got dry and made it difficult. Mention it to your doctor and see what he/she says. Sue

Everything went great. They did repair my hitial hernia. So far the heart burn is gone. I am so glad. I am sore right above my belly button which is wehre they put the port. So that is to be expected. The other insistion doesnt hurt at all. I've ate a yougurt and drank my protein shake, but thats it other than my gatorade. I am accually scared to eat, lol. I go back on next Wednesday for my 1 week check up. I have had some gas, and can feel it sitting on my stomach and it wont come out a lot of times which hurts. Other than that I am doing very good. The one advice I can give is take all your vitiamns and make sure you get all your protein in. I have a friend that didnt and she is a b12 shot once a week and blood transfustions every 3 months.

Scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, canned peaches, and soft moist chicken got me through the soft stage. At 4 1/2 weeks, my first take-out food was the Wendy's chili I picked up on the way home from my one month follow-up. That small chili lasted me four days. I am now three weeks away from my two-year surgiversary and still cannot comfortably eat bread, pastries, noodles or rice. That kind of stuff sits on my stomach like Play-Doh. If I eat something that Miss Tummy objects to, she will make sure that I am miserable for hours. She is still the boss of me. You have the right idea about soft and moist foods. Your new tummy will have you trained in no time. I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and an uncomplicated recovery.

Hello everyone, To make a long story short, my surgeon suspected a tiny leak and although nothing has showed up on my tests, he still wants to treat it as if I do have a tiny leak. So I am on IV antibiotics and TPN. I have about one more week on this. My question is this: Did anyone get weened off the TPN or did they get off of it and back onto Clear liquids?? I am wondering instructions were given to those who were taken off of TPN? I am concerned about my nutrient levels if I am off the TPN cold turkey and go right to clear liquids again. Any help please???

ohh I sure do hope you get approved. I just found out last week that I was approved. It only took 4 days. My surgery date is July 28th. Just either check the websire everyday or call!!!! LOL Jennifer

I left my job because it turned out they had 'edited' dome of the reference letters I sent them to make it look like I had more experience than I did (they needed five years experience to get the visa and I had 4.5). I 9nly just found out and if immigration look in to it and find out its false I get deported and have trouble getting work visas not just in this country, but in any country after. Given that my entire career depends on my ability to work abroad it's pretty serious. I can't risk telling those kinds of (oh so easily disproven) lies and I don't like that they put me in that situation. The only thing I feel bad about is the fact that I work in a school, and I hate to leave the kids mud year like this. I'll be leaving in three weeks (at the end of this semester)

I Attended a seminar a few weeks ago and have a consult with the surgeon scheduled for the 17th. After meeting with him, I'll meet with the dietician. What should I expect during the consult? Will it consist of testing?

I agree!!! I am still about 10 pounds from my goal. I know if I worked a little harder I could make it. However, a few weeks ago I decided to "live like I was a goal",and to focus on non weight related goals. It has been wonderful. This Thursday night I am going to a Pole Dance fitness class- something that I would never have done before. Also this weekend will be my first ever camping trip and kayaking. I still want to zip line and go to a water park this summer and then all my short term goals will be met and I can make new ones. Chasing after the perfect number on a scale isn't near as much fun as chasing after a fun filled life!!! Good topic.