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I am two weeks out from a crazy lot of surgery: Corset Abdominaplasty (a kind of tummy tuck), lower body lift and silicone breast implants. Today is my first day back at work and I'm feeling great, but still a little sore. I was really worried about being able to be back to work in two weeks, but it was no problem (office job) -- I probably could have been back last Wednesday after the drains came out. I'm thrilled with the results in my tummy and breasts, but still waiting to see how the lower body lift works out after the swelling goes down more. I'm happy to answer any questions about the surgery or recovery. I've noticed that most posts are from people getting single procedures, so I thought there might be some interest in what it's like to have several at once. Some info: - I was banded in february 2007 and lost a little over 100 lbs -- currently just inside the "normal" range for my height. - The surgery took 5-6 hours and I spent two nights in the hospital - I had four drains that were removed 9 days post-op (could have been done 7 days, but the holidays got in the way). - I was on Morphine for two days in the hospital, percocet for 3 days at home, then switched to nucyntra (narcotic without the side effects) for another few days. At about 10 days out, I switched to advil and I'm still taking them, but can skip the one in the middle of the night without too much problem. - It took me two days to be able to walk around and five days until I could walk a mile (slowly) on the treadmill. I'm going to start walking daily on the treadmill today (increasing speed and incline over time) until my doctor gives the go-ahead to get back to spinning and weight lifting. Happy to answer any questions!

I'm 19 and got the sleeve done feb 11th!

I'm laughing- Its a humid 98 degrees here and I'm drinking a corona while I surf because I read that beer is a no-no after surgery. So of course when I went grocery shopping today I had to buy my last 6 pack to enjoy before my date, 8/19. And i'm going to have icecream later. Not a very healthy dinner, but its HOT.

Linda, I do believe the size of the band does make a different. I believe their are 3 sizes with the Vanguard being the largest. With the Vanguard (which I have) it does take more fills to get the proper restriction. I haven't heard of anyone yet who has not needed quite a number of fills with this size band. I am now at 8.1 ccs in my band that will hold up to 10 ccs, which I think is a lot but I only started feeling lasting restriction after my last fill. Yes, I've lost weight but it's has not been without struggles and work on my part. I do believe you have to really be mindful and research this band because it will not do all the work without your help. You have allowed yourself time to heal and now you should be ready for a fill (depending on your doctor) but do try to stay within the guidelines of your doctor, it will be worth it at the end of the journey. Best wishes and keep coming to boards, they offer so much help. I've been a silent reader for a while now, I've just come out of my shell.

Oh wow, thanks for all the info. That's great that you are happy with your band. I wish you all the success and happiness that comes with it. I am really excited to start the program at Kaiser. Right now alls I can do is pray that they will cover the lapband. I'll know more at my first appt on the 22nd. I totally agree with you about gastric bypass. I don't want to have that done but I'd like to learn allot more about it before I make my final decision, if it comes to that. I'm 320 lbs. I have three children under the age of 10 and there is so much I want to do with them that I just can't do because I'm to heavy and insecure. It breaks my heart. I've tried everything and I have lost weight but only to put it back on. I feel like this is my only hope, so I do understand how it is worth every penny. Its really nice to hear success stories and to be able to make friends on this website. Thank you for your support and keep in touch. I'll let you know how things go at my first appt. :tongue2:

I had my post-op appt. today and got the go-ahead to start mushy foods. I so want some eggs and refried Beans....but on the other-hand I like the steady weight I am losing on full liquids. Did anyone regret going to the mushy stage? How long did your doctor have you wait before starting mushies? tomorrow will be 10 days post op. I know I have to advance to mushies and then solids...I am just wondering if I should wait a bit longer?

As far as I'm concerned GENEPRO isn't really Protein. There are absolutely no third party studies or analyses that support the manufacturer's claims. There are no unbiased studies that indicate pre and post protein serum levels that would quantify the absorption rate and efficiency. No analysis of individual amino acids to indicate whether it is a complete protein or not. Basically They start out with whey protein, but the molecule is then so altered, it is really no longer a protein molecule. They play around a lot with the hydrogen. It doesn't take much to change what something is when you start adding and removing atoms. For example, the oxygen we breath is made of 2 oxygen molecules. Remove one of them, add two hydrogen molecules and you have Water. Add one more hydrogen and you have hydrogen peroxide. Oxygen, water and hydrogen are not interchangeable even though they differ by just 1-2 molecules. Now let's look at this company's other products....."miracle" weight loss and male enhancement supplements. Not a lot of credibility there. You're better off sticking with "real" protein supplements with decades of scientific proof that they are providing proper nutrition. But be careful not to chug down a high Protein shake in too short of time. Our intestines can only absorb 10-20g of whey protein per hour. Other types of protein are absorbed even slower. Any excesses protein is converted to glucose, so you might as well be drinking sugar water.

It's August 1. This is the day I said I would quit smoking. I was going to like 2 weeks ago, but changed my mind. I hafta quit no matter what, but it is like 2 days before the Dr. said...I figured the 1st was an easy day to keep track of....So I'm smoke free. Taking it one minute at a time. I still haven't lost any more weight - other than the 6 lbs. That worries me - in an off handed way. I want to lose at least the 10 the DR. said to - and any more would be "cherries on top". I'm following the Atkins diet, but I think I'm munching more than I should - its that whole "this will be the last I'm going to have in a while". So even though I am staying low carb, I'm eating too often. To solve that, I'm at work with 2 Atkins shakes - its almost 2:00 and I'm not hungry and I don't have a headache, so that is a good sign. Didn't walk yesterday, but did do 1/2 mile the day before. Flat at 3.0 MPH. I was in a hurry, so didn't do the mile. I'm still trying to figure out what - other than SF Jello and broth - qualifies as clear liquid, but I guess the Nutritionist will let me know for sure.... 10:00 p.m. Update so I keep track. I walked just over 1.25 miles at an average of 3 MPH. I added an incline the last quarter mile, but only 1%. Walked for ALMOST 30 mins including warm up and cool down. Also pure honesty and accountability, I came home and ended up having 2 and a half cigarettes. Shit! I have this 2 day buffer, but I really wish DH didn't smoke - if they weren't here, I wouldn't have cheated!

I really enjoy the Special K Protein Plus. It has 10 g protein in 1 serving and keeps me full longer.

Just an update...I did go get a slight unfill today and I had lost 10 pounds in 5 days!!! Crazy! Glad for the weight loss but that was ALOT!!

Yes, I had band to sleeve, but that didn’t do anything but give me Gurd, really bad, so on 9/25 had bypass, so far so good, not acid reflux....the reason I had the surgery to begin with.. by the way, never lost any weight with the sleeve! Have already lost 11 pounds as of 10/1....

1) I second using FF/SF pudding mixes in protein shakes + using a blender ( I have a personal blender from Hampton Beach $15 at Walmart/Kmart) 2) If you make the shakes with milk freeze some of it into Milk Cubes (huge affect on the consistency, more like a frappe NE ice cream based milk shake) 3) Using a stick blender to mince the fruit and fluff up Greek Chobani yogurt during mushie stage (early on you may need to add a teaspoon of milk to make it runnier). 4) Pacific Brand Roasted Sweet Red Pepper & Tomato soup (package in a box sometimes sold in the "Organic Section" of the grocery store). My cheapest Grocery sells it at $2.50 for 16 oz box. I did see it yesterday at Cosco for $10.69 for 6/32 oz boxes; which is a huge savings. 5) Adding Mrs Dash flavorings to Sweet Red Pepper soup prior to heating. Mrs Dash is salt free and they have lots of flavors. 6) Low Cal Pudding Cups in the Refrigerated section have less fat then those that are in the Pudding section. 7) Walmart sells bagged frozen Wild Salmon the portions are sealed in individual 4 oz servings. Many other stores the "servings" are twice as large. Since I live alone that would mean having to have the same dinner two nights in a row. 8) Microwave sweet potato and then cut them length ways down the middle. I get two servings that way; save the other for another day. 9) Using low fat laughing cow cheese to mix into shredded chicken instead of Mayo. Which means you can heat it up making it feel more like a real meal. 10) Use Romain lettuce leaves to make sandwiches. Put the chicken/tuna on the spine and roll the edges over. 11) When making egg beaters; toward the end add in 1/8 cut fat free chive cottage cheese. Add a lot of flavor for few calories but added protein.

The death rate for this surgery is extremely low, .01% much much lower than the death rate for obesity. All of the tests will determine if you are at too high a risk to have the surgery. There certainly are no guarantees but the risks are very low. I did not have an encoscopy, just a barium swallow so I can not contribute anything to your concerns on that.

Also remember that you gained the weight back with all those other diets. If you think about it, the "magic" of this tool is that we have hope of keeping it off FOREVER! Rapid weight loss would be awesome (I haven't lost weight in 10 days so I know the feeling), but the biggest prize would be to never gain it back. Right?

I am so happy I just had to share! I just hit Onderland!! In the last 10 min I have been laughing and crying , hopefully the neighbors don't see me and think I've finally lost my mind. I can't even tell you when the last time was that I weighed under 200lbs, getting sleeved was certainly the right choice for me! I hope everyone has a chance to experience this kind of happiness. Anyways thanks for listening and hope you all have a great day!!!

After my 2nd fill last week, lots of people have asked what happened and what my nurse said. K, here it goes, hope I remember everything...... I went into the office 20 min early, I drive 2 hrs to get there, and tina actually called my back right after that. Weird! Good thing too because i kept her there for 45 min. answering my questions. 1. snacks, some docs say no, some yes, she said by all means, if it keep you from eating the paint of the wait do so. I was just having fruit, or sf jello, things like that. I thought that was good. She said NO! for your snack, eat protein. She said some crackers with peanut butter. I was stunned. I asked how many, she smiled and said 2 crackers with just a smear of peanut butter.... lots of fat! 2. Why do you only put 1 cc in at a time when others use a floriscope and get the right amount in the first time? She said that if she did that, which they used to do, people end up throwing up and getting blocked all the time. It's a learning curve and this way, you listen more to your body. TOTALLY MAKES SENSE TO ME! But it still sucks! I still have no restriction. 3. Why do some people loose 60 lbs in 3 months and some don't lose any weight in a year? She said that she doesn't want me to lose that much weight that fast. It's not healthy, yes people (men) loose faster than others, but 2 lbs is healthy. Think about this, my brother did the math. In 1 yr at 2 lbs a week that is 104 in one year! I'd be thrilled with that, so I need to look at the big picture, not the 1 or 2 lbs a week. Anyway, she said that some people loose more because they actually have the food, head hunger, water, everything under their belt. Some people just GET IT. Sooooooo not me! 4. My dietitian wanted me to eat only 2 oz of protein at a meal. Tina smiled and said that this is where they differ. She AND Dr. Pitt agree that 2 oz is just not that much. 3 oz will make you more full and last longer. So I have been doing more protein and it works! I am feeling so much better. 5. Give me some ideas for snacks (going back to 3) She said that the perfect snack is string cheese wrapped with lunch meat. I did that with 5 raspberries. I actually had 2 cheese sticks, but who's counting. 6. Why am i not loosing? I haven't lost weight in 2 wks. I've been very discouraged. Therefore, eating the wrong things. She said this first little while you need to have will-power. Hmmmmm......WILL-POWER, WHAT A CONCEPT! She smiled and said she understood, but she suggested this..... measure your meal out. Eat ONLY that, and get up from the table. That's a hard one for me because that where my family talks about their day. So, I did it. I ate super slow, which also helped, because I didn't want to leave before my kids did. I wanted to hear about their day and their concerns or triumphs. I have 2 teenagers and a 10 and 8 yr old. Yes, I am crazy, but no one told me I was crazy when they came out looking so damn cute...... and huge! 10 pounders for me! Ok, back on topic.....I ended up listening more than eating! I found that when everyone was done, you know what I was good! 6. I think that's 6 anyway. hmmm... dang it! I had another one that was really important, but can't remember. Oh well, I'll move on to the next one. She made a comment about food. That there was a man who was busting his butt exercising and he didn't lose any weight. She finally realized that he needed to up his calorie intake. I thought about this for a while. I am chasing puppies all day long, then I work out sometimes. I thought to myself, maybe I need to up my calories just a bit. I tried this new site that someone on here recommended for me. It's www.myfitnesspal.com I only use it to record my food. Genius by the way! I log my food and my exercise. Anyway, it's been telling my I need 1400 calories a day, which we all know with the lap band, there is no way we can do that. But I have upped it amazingly, I say amazingly because I haven't been keeping track of calories, just food. But this one does calories. Anywho..... Amazingly, I upped it to about 1100-1200 calories and wam bam thank you mam, I lost 2 lbs without blinking my eyes!!!!! I don't do that every day, I just do it when I exercise, which lately hasn't been all that great, what with nightmere puppies here. If you don't know what I mean, read my blog..... you will see the little devils. Oh, I also have a story about them, again, today. 7. Tina also said that weight loss would not happen if I didn't exercise. I have zero co-morbities. I don't have high blood pressure, no diabities, no arthritis, nothing. Therefore, when I exercise I needed to really be kicking my butt and profusely sweating! She said to kick it into high gear. No meander walking, no midioker exercising for me! I should be dead at the end of my workout. That's why I came home from the docs and ran! Felt great! It's kind of funny, but was talking to my friend, Rhonda, who is on here and she had blood work done and her ketones were high. When I actually did the atkins diet, I was in ketosis all the time. IE: lots of meat! I laugh now because I feel like I'm sort of back on the atkins diet. I eat lots of mean, though lean meats now, so yeah, my ketones probably are high too. I can't remember what else she said, if I remember I will back up. Now...... on to todays nightmere puppy story. I get up at 7 because my 2 puppies that I bought are screaming and crying. They are in the cage downstairs. I go down there and their 2 little heads are sticking out of the cage! Hmmmm.... what happened? Well, this cage was an old one that one of our um, shall we say, loner dog for breeding, we put him in. He freaked out and actually chewed through the metal cage and bottom tray. Stuck his paw out and ruined my carpet. Yup, bad one. Anyway, I didn't think the hole was that big. Well obviously it was. They just looked at me and yelped. I couldn't help laughing. Think about this. You come around the corner and all you see in the corner, because the couch is in the way, are 2 little husky heads looking out at you! pretty funny! Anyway, I actually had to cut the cage to get their heads out, little devils! So we went outside. hmmmm 2 out of 3 puppies are gone and so is one of the moms. I found yet another hole where they dug under the fence. Isn't it amazing at the small holes they can get out of???? So I went searching and searching. Nothing! I finally went out and got another cage for my 2 pups and went grocery shopping. So I get home and I go out back to play with my only lone pup and my 2. We are playing and i hear whinning. hmmmm.... out backyard is adjacent to a small forest. I got out there and low and behold, there is Spirit, the mom, and her to pups running full scale right at me looking like they saw a ghost. Well, they get to me and start jumping at me. All I see are black puppies, they are pure white, and a very black mom. And the smell! OH MY GOSH! SERIOUSLY BAD! They rolled in something dead!!!!! So, now I'm covered it um....well black dead stuff and I carry the puppies home while Spirit follows. So I get them in our only kennel and start spraying them off. No I have no sympathy for them at this moment. They are screaming obviously I'm inhumane and mean, muahahahahaha! Ok, yes, I did take great delight in their moment of horror! Ok, so I finally get them somewhat cleaned off. I'm about ready to come inside when my husband gets home from work. I told him my horror story and he is furious! We all are! Anyway, he looks at me and says you are so not coming in the house yet. Why? I ask. Because you are covered in seed ticks and burs and bigger ticks! THAT DAMN FOREST! So, we spend the next hour, yes you heard me, hour taking burs and ticks off me! Kevin at this point smiles mischieviously at me and asks........ "So, are you going to exercise now?" WHAT THE HELL?! I jsut about shot him! Uh, NOOOOOOOOOOOOO I said. I think I got enough exercise chasing and bending and carrying puppies! 2 more! I only have 2 more to sell!!!!! I CAN AND WILL survive till then! Anyway, hope this helps, well not my nightmere.... well, maybe it will...... don't buy siberian huskies! lol. love to all! OHHHHHHH I do remember one more point the nurse told me. She told me that, "you know when you go out to dinner, they bring you an appetizer, soup, salad, and at that point before your meal is brought to you, you lean over to whoever you are with and say, I am actually good, I dont think I can eat my food" THAT'S what you want to feel like. She used to tell patients to eat till you are full. Not anymore. She said eat till you are satisfied! Ouch! Now that is a hard one! Eating slow and listening to your body she said are the key to this!

Well it's been a week and a day since I got my LB. I don't know how much I've lost becasue I am waiting for my first post op Dr. visit on Mar 15 for that. Anyway, I know I've lost weight because I am able to fit into a lot of pants that haven't fit in a long time. Today I decided to try on a pair of khaki cargo pants I had in a box in the closet(yeah, my "skinny clothes" box) They fit! Size 50! A week and two days ago I was tightly fitting into a 54! And guess what I found in the front pocket? $10! And today is even my birthday! WAHOOO!!!

I also gain somewhere between 5-10 pounds. It stinks!!!!

My daily limits are as follows: Proteins 60 to 80 grams a day, but I stick closer to the 60 gram limit Carbs no more than 100 grams a day Fats no more than 30 grams a day, with at least 10 grams of "good" fats at one meal. (Olive oil, flax seed oil etc.) As for hair loss, I've heard that it levels off at about 6 months post-op. I've got about another month and a half to reach that point.... I'll let you know.

I've had my gallbladder removed and I was just sleeved 10/5. The gas pains from gallbladder and the gas pains from the sleeve are completely different IMO. The pains I get are all in my belly. With my gallbladder they were all in my shoulders. I've already started walking blocks and nothing is really helping but they say eventually it'll go away Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I wanted to so bad but I just couldn't do it. 8 was sleeved 10/5/16 today is my first day of full liquids . Im drinking my premier shake for the first time. .

@@cbonet The fact you lost ANY weight 5 days post-op is excellent! Others who lose faster may have more weight to lose - or they had more Water weight to lose (depending on whether they had a pre-op diet or how they ate prior to surgery). Your loss is not slow - nearly 10 lbs in 2 weeks is a great loss! Stay strong - you're going to stall - you need to follow your program and just keep working at it.

6 to 10 years? I thought it was longer.... I will have to look into that again. LOL ya know I got early Alzhiemers right?

I had my surgery 10 months ago and I'm down 90 pounds!!!!! I really wanna lose 100 in a year.... I'm starting an exercise program next week so that should help move things along faster too :) cuz I have not exercised AT ALL

I've lost 18# since surgery on 12/19 and 16# on my 2 weeks pre-op mostly liquid diet. I'm happy with 34# in 6 weeks. I think it could be more but I'm not getting 64 oz of liquids a day. I'm between 34 and 50 on most days. Did anyone get pain in their left shoulder and/or chest? Gas-X strips work wonders. Here's to getting lean in 2013!