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It took me 10 days or so to really feel like my insides were okay. Same hernia and pain you mentioned. I can say please do follow the liquid diet for a full week. Adding any type of non-liquid food the first 1-2 weeks only makes the pressure worse......

Hello, I am 6 months out from surgery and have lost 70+ lbs so far. I am 10-15lbs away from goal weight. I am asking a question here NOT to be criticized, but just for suggestions. If you do not agree with drinking after surgery well than thats your life style and my question is for someone who does. That being said,, It's my birthday and my husband and I planned an all inclusive get away WITHOUT the kids. Havent been away since before kids were born 5 years ago. I have no problem making healthy food choices while away. I know Protein first and all that. My real question is what drinks I should have. Again, I know Alcohol is not healthy so I dont need a lecture. But I do like to have a few drinks, especially by the pool. But problem is margaritas and all those frozen drinks are loaded with sugar and will surely make me nauseous, I cant drink carbonated beverages so diet coke and rums or vodka sodas are out. And I dont want anything too strong like martinis b/c I dont want to over due it or be sick. Wine is always safe especially watered down. If anyone has suggestions that I have not thought of id like to hear them. Thanks!!

I think that you need to go with your gut feeling on what decision feels right to you. I wanted to call of the surgery as the nurse was putting the IV in my arm, but I didn't. Then, after the surgery was over, I wished I had had the guts to walk out when it didn't feel right. Now I am 10 days post op, and I am adjusting ok at this point, but I am not sure I actually "needed" the surgery. I have lost weight with the protein shakes, which I could have done without the band. I am just hoping that as time goes on it will help me to maintain the weight loss and not regain. Only time will tell if it was the right decision or not. But if I were to do it again, I probably would have canceled at this point.

My appt is scheduled for 10/16 tomorrow at 7:30am I have to be there at 530am. Guys so scared.. but God's got us sleevers !! Tc!

To avoid all this I did not tell my coworkers or hardly anyone. I foresaw what would happen if I did. I also weighed 190 lbs and the few people who knew about my lap band consideration thought I was crazy and not a candidate at my weight. I had tried every single diet and nothing worked. When I hit the big 40, I am currently 41, everything, including my weight, went beserk on me. The best decision that I have made in a long time is getting the lap band. As of today, I am 40 lbs lighter and 15 lbs away from my goal. I am wearing a size 9/10 and sometimes 7/8. I am also wearing size medium tops. Who would've believed! My co-workers and clients are in awe and asking telling me how wonderful I look and asking me what diet i am following. I just smile and tell them, " I'm just exercising and eating right." I felt I didn't need to be scrutinized every step of the way, so I decided to keep it under wraps and I'm really glad I did.

Good job. You are taking it slow and moving. That is great. Congrats on your 10 lbs so far!

I have one to two Snacks per day as needed (usually only when I snow ski and am hungrier)... suggested by my nutritionist - low fat yogurt (for calcium) or skim/lowfat milk I also have fresh fruit - one piece of anything I like low fat mozarrello (sp?) cheese stick 3-4 thin slices of deli meat or 1-2 with small amount of cream cheese on them (like a wrap up) 10 or less nuts 1 stallone high Protein pudding with a few tablespoons of Dr. Sears high protein Cereal 1/2 - 3/4 cup of cottage cheese hard boiled egg - my favorite.

My pre-op was 7-10 days of South Beach Diet Phase 1 which is basically low carb high protein. Then liquids only the day before surgery. My surgeon also said it was to shrink the liver and even had me sign something stating I understood if the liver was too fatty, swollen, or firm he would abort the procedure. I was not very successful with my pre op except the liquids the day before. I mean I didn't blow it to the wind but I didn't lose anything. Guess it was ok.

I am 5'5" . Also I went from size 28 down to 10/12. You will, no doubt meet your goal weight 😉.

Well, I started out good with a very yummy less-than 300 cal, hi-pro, low-fat, veg breakfast. I came up with it on the fly so I thought I would share: 1/2 c Egg Beaters 1/4 cup chopped bell peppers 1/4 c sliced raw mushrooms 1/2 chopped green onion 1/2 cup leftover spinach/pine nut/garlic mix (I got this at the Market Street Deli. But you can just add fresh spinach, a little garlic, and a little red pepper to taste. If you have pine nuts, add 'em. If not, it's no big deal) Mix all in a microwave take-and-go container with a lid. Lightly place the lid on top but don't latch it. Cook in microwave for 2 minutes. Then, take out and mix. Cover and let sit. The egg mix will continue cooking in the steam while you pop 2 morningstar farms veggie breakfast patties (tastes like mild sausage patties) in the micro for two minutes. I was tempted to add cheese but I decided to try it first. It was awesome even without cheese! You can also add tomatoes and a spoonful of plain greek yogurt (which tastes like sour cream) Cal: 231 Carbs: 14 Fat: 10 Protein: 33! Now, I am going to get cleaned up and try to find something to do with myself and the family today that involves exercise. Maybe I will break my "no more plus-size clothing" rule and buy a new bra at the mall. Since I hurt my shoulder, I can't fasten them in the back anymore. I am tired of hunting down my husband to fasten them for me or going bra-less half the time. It's time for a front-loader, I think.

This is my second round of hiccups. They are loud and annoying and a bot painful. At 6pm I drank Water (maybe too big of sips) and I hiccuped for 45 mins. 5 hours later a Protein shake and big annoying, hurtful on going loud hiccups that I feel from my belly all the way up. I did not drink too fast this time and not too much- same premade Protein Shake I've been having all along. It's not a burp, or 1-3 hiccups. I'm talking 45 mins. I can't take it! I did not eat too much today. I am 10 days post op, on a liquid diet. These huccups just started tonight after I drink. If it happens after my morning drink I might need to call the doctor. DOes anyone know what this could be?

SO, I've been feeling a little down lately with my plateau at 40 lbs out. I've been slightly depressed with some life events and what not, and my scale just doesn't move. I am in Vegas now with a friend for a girls weekend. I have no shorts that fit so she grabs me a pair. Now, I started my journey wearing a tight 18. Today I put on a 10!!!!!! I've been wearing a 12 for awhile now so this was huge! It has shown me that the changes I've made recently are in fact making changes. I couldn't believe I put on a pair of size 10 jean shorts. Definitely feeling good about myself!

Vegas and a size 10 in very jealous lol awesome victory ebony ur trip

10 months in from South Jersey Sent from my SGH-M919N using the BariatricPal App

i had horrible cottonmouth for the first day, ( banded Dec 13th, 2011) its because of the anestheisia. i found sucking on lifesavers or a hard peppermint put moisture back in my mouth. Just dont CHEW it as you dont want anything hard going down. just drink as much liquids as you can. Try Propel, Gatorade light, Decaf tea, etc. As far as the deep breaths, i dont know. i would call your Dr asap, just to be safe and set your mind at ease. The first 10 days i felt like i had a badly pulled muscle on my left side, other than that i felt fine. hope this helps ! Good luck ! You'll be so glad you did this !

exercise is soooo important for your success. I know it is hard but try to fit in small 10 min sessions about 4 or 5 times per day. you can walk during your work breaks or at lunch take some bands along on your weekends. if you have a long trip stop at rest stops and walk walk walk. do jumping jacks or lunges etc. whether it is strength or cardio there are tons of short simple exercises that you can fit in. good luck to you.

I didn't use the Vitamins recommended by my surgeon. I've always preferred whole food based vitamins rather than chemically synthesized vitamins. Not only do they provide micronutrients and cofactors that you can't duplicate in a lab, mine have digestive enzymes and Probiotics for better absorption and overall GI health. I was using Source of Life Gold chewables before and immediately after surgery. But my tastes changed and I no longer liked the chewables. I switched to Garden of Life because they come in capsules and tablets. I currently take Vitamin Code for Women multi, Vitamin Code Raw D3, MyKind Organic Plant Calcium and Source Naturals methylcobalamin (B12) sublingual. I also used to take Vitamin Code Healthy Blood, but my labs showed high Iron at 6 months out so I stopped taking them. Labs been good ever since. The biggest thing is to make sure you follow through with annual bloodwork forever. Studies show that 40%-90% of gastrectomy patients develop deficiencies within 5, 10 and even 20 years postop. Iron, B12, D3, calcium, folate, zinc and magnesium are the biggest culprits.

Wow! I've never lost weight like this in my entire life. I stepped into my spinal specialists office March 1 and he put me on steroids for my excruiating back and hip pain and told me to stop working out. So paranoid me starts drinking lemon water because I knew it would flush out excess fluids and in my mind counteract the weight gain affects of steroids. I went back to my Dr. yesterday to get a steroid shot in my back. He said my face looked alot more relaxed, but I still had pain. Nothing like it was the week before but still a problem. Not sure I will ever be back to normal but I am feeling alot better. I've been trying not to jump on the scale every day but that hasn't happened because I am steadily losing a pound a day now! It's like it is just melting off my body. My doctor told me it is because of the pain I was in that held on to the weight, now that I am feeling better, my body is letting it go. I believe maybe part of that is true, but not to the extent of losing 7 lbs in 10 days! So as long as I'm on the these steroids and still losing weight, and even when I get off the steroids, I am still drinking lemon water. I've read about it online and it states that it cleanses the body of toxins and flushes them out. I believe it, I am feeling soooooo much better too. And I am only 3.5 lbs away from passing the dreaded 200 lbs mark! That day will be a celebration and you will hear from me on that day for sure!!!!! :tt1:

Getting sleeved 7/22. I told my closest friends whom I spend a lot of time with and my parents about 3 weeks prior to surgery. I figured I'd be accused of anorexia or bulimia from - what I expect to be - huge changes in both my eating habits and appearance. I didn't want to deal with lying constantly (that would give me an ulcer). After I had already paid and really committed to the surgery (self pay in Mexico), I had a small get together at my house, let everyone get a few drinks in, and then told everyone (8 people). This method is NOT for the shy or the easily dissuaded. It went like this: "I have some news that no one is going to like, but I'm telling you all because you mean a lot to me and your support will really make or break my longterm success with this (that was me being a bit euphemistic bc I will cut off friendships with people that do not support me). I'm getting a VSG (explained what it was, why I was doing it). I will no longer be able to join in binge eating or binge drinking, but I know our friendship is based on much more than that. I really appreciate everyone's support." I felt like a politician letting the US know we were going to war! But the good part about telling a bigger group is that they all held back their gut reactions at first and listened. After they - I'm sure - talked about it with each other, half of the group reached out to me personally offering to help me lose weight by cooking for me, taking me to the gym, etc, ANYTHING besides the surgery. I really did appreciate their concern, but told them nicely that I was a binge eater and drinker and this surgery was the only way I could break my habitual issues with lack of impulse control. It's hard to admit this stuff publicly, but it felt really freeing once it was out there. A couple friends were super supportive from day one. I feel like if people really are your friends, they will end up being supportive because you're doing something positive for your longterm health. And, if they can't, then screw 'em - they weren't really your friends. I'm also making my friends feel like they're part of my journey. I created a whatsapp group with all of them to give them updates on my surgery from Mexico and will keep the updates coming throughout the first couple months. First, I won't get attacked with questions when I first see them, and, second, I feel like if people feel like they're on the journey with you, all they'll want to do is contribute in positive ways. Aside from close people, I've told people that needed to know where I would be for the 10 days of surgery/recoup (like work, my personal trainer, acquaintances) that I was getting my gallbladder removed. I had to come up with something! Hope this is helpful to someone! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I think its important that you realize that although you may physically be able to go back to work, are you mentally able to do so? With me, I was physically able to go back within 10 days of my surgery. But I chose to stay out a few weeks longer because I really wanted to make sure I was mentally ready for the challenges that I may face at work, and that is to be around so much food. I work in a department, where we constantly receive cakes, cookies, pies, etc..as tokens of appreciation. Being banded is a life altering experience and I really feel that you should take as much time as possibly can before you transition back to work.

Copied from http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2012/01/frozen-protein-drops.html Tons of interesting recipes I want to try on this blog. Frozen Protein Drops A quick and easy, weight loss surgery friendly frozen protein snack... Shelly's Frozen Protein Yogurt (or Pudding) Drops 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (or sugar free Pudding) 3-4 Tablespoons (to taste) of any Protein Powder Mix together till well combined. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and drop tablespoons of the mixture (yields about 25 drops) or fill an ice cube tray. Freeze till solid about 2 hours. Store in the freezer (up to a week or so) and pop a few in your mouth whenever you want a frozen protein treat or add to smoothies for an extra protein boost instead of ice. In this batch I used Celebrate ENS in strawberry & chocolate Milk. I had weight loss surgery in one of the hottest summers on record. I would have LOVED these that summer. I kept hearing the music of the ice cream truck driving by the house and it about drove me nuts.

I know the info on the Wellesse website is provided to sell their products but they specifically say it is good for bariataric surgery patients. I'd like to find out more about this product. 10g of protein in one ounce while my stomach is the size of an egg sounds great to me. My protein shakes now give me 20 to 23 grams of protein but they are 8 ounces of liquid -- it would take hours to get it all down and I'd still need more. 10 g in one ounce liquid sounds smart -- just for the early weeks. I am going to a required nutritio class on Monday. I'll ask about it, altho I bet the NUT knows nothing. I have yet to meet a NUT working for a bariataric clinic that knew anything about the needs of bariatric patients and nutrition.

I really need to have a goal and a few people keeping an eye on me. I can eat most things in larger quantities than I should right now. Will be getting my first fill Dec 3rd. Ok, so my goal for the next 5 weeks is 10 pounds. I know it could be more but I'll have to use willpower till my fill!!!

I had my first appointment with Dr. Robinson and his Assistant on Monday, and I am shocked! This process seems like it is going to fly by! Here's how it went: I was scheduled for 2:30 but got there at 2:00, so they sat me down with paperwork to fill out. It included all the expected questions, including lists of failed diets, weights throughout your life, co-morbidities,etc. It took about ten minutes, and then they took me in early. The Physician's Assistant (to be called P.A. from the point on) took my blood pressure with a cuff that actually fits me, and it turns out my blood pressure is pretty darn good for a 300 lb. girl! 126/74. They weighed and measured me. We discussed the potential risks of banding, why I wanted the band vs. bypass, etc. It was all pretty straight forward. Then doctor Robinson came in. Dr. Robinson is a man of very few words, but I am not going to him for emotional support. I am seeking him because he seems intelligent, honest and open. He told me right off the bat that I am going to need a boob lift and lower body life after surgery. He also implied that if I mention later on down the road that my boobs sagging cause back pain, and the if I start getting rashes under my extra skin, that I will be able to get both procedures covered by insurance. He then laid me down on the table, looked at my belly, and told me to loose 20-25 lbs. beore surgery. He told me he wants to see me in four weeks for a follow up. If, at that 4 week followup, I have lost 10 lbs, then he will schedule me for surgery. I was told that we're looking at the first week of August, possibly!!!! I left with a to-do list that states which tests I have to have done, which medical records to have transferred, and how to pay the program fee. I have to get an upper GI, see the nutritionist and the psychologist, have a sleep study and have some blood drawn. All of those except for the sleep study can be done on the same day, I was told! Now I am just sitting here at home, waiting for the phone to ring with my appointment dates from his secretary. I am SO ready to go!!!!! :thumbup: Tomorrow is the lap band support group, and I am really debating going!

I had my first appointment with Dr. Robinson and his Assistant on Monday, and I am shocked! This process seems like it is going to fly by! Here's how it went: I was scheduled for 2:30 but got there at 2:00, so they sat me down with paperwork to fill out. It included all the expected questions, including lists of failed diets, weights throughout your life, co-morbidities,etc. It took about ten minutes, and then they took me in early. The Physician's Assistant (to be called P.A. from the point on) took my blood pressure with a cuff that actually fits me, and it turns out my blood pressure is pretty darn good for a 300 lb. girl! 126/74. They weighed and measured me. We discussed the potential risks of banding, why I wanted the band vs. bypass, etc. It was all pretty straight forward. Then doctor Robinson came in. Dr. Robinson is a man of very few words, but I am not going to him for emotional support. I am seeking him because he seems intelligent, honest and open. He told me right off the bat that I am going to need a boob lift and lower body life after surgery. He also implied that if I mention later on down the road that my boobs sagging cause back pain, and the if I start getting rashes under my extra skin, that I will be able to get both procedures covered by insurance. He then laid me down on the table, looked at my belly, and told me to loose 20-25 lbs. beore surgery. He told me he wants to see me in four weeks for a follow up. If, at that 4 week followup, I have lost 10 lbs, then he will schedule me for surgery. I was told that we're looking at the first week of August, possibly!!!! I left with a to-do list that states which tests I have to have done, which medical records to have transferred, and how to pay the program fee. I have to get an upper GI, see the nutritionist and the psychologist, have a sleep study and have some blood drawn. All of those except for the sleep study can be done on the same day, I was told! Now I am just sitting here at home, waiting for the phone to ring with my appointment dates from his secretary. I am SO ready to go!!!!! :crying: Tomorrow is the lap band support group, and I am really debating going!