Calling all A11s!!

[Faith0810 0]

Thanks Jamie for your post thats inspiring!! Im going to do just that!! I guess I did have that fear to push myself. If your doing all that I can for sure get my butt up!!!

[CarynW 3]

I've been afraid to do anything but walk. I'm a pretty active person normally. I think Friday the kids and I will go on a bike ride, I'm feeling pretty good today!

[Mitz 0]

Hi,

My name is Michelle and I was banded 8/1/11. Down 15 lbs so far. Feeling pretty good...post op appt tomorrow and hopefully progressing onto next diet phase...pretty sick of the liquids! The support here is great, thanks!

[JamieC 4]

I totally get the fear of moving... Especially if you've never recovered from a surgery before! I have had a few catastrophic injurys in my days (clumsy. Lol) in addition to my bariatric surgeon who says get up and going I am very close to my brother who is also a doc and he says the same. The key is trying to decipher what real pain is... And that's a hard one. Never do anything where you feel real pain. Listen to your own body. Things will hurt but is this a normal ache or I'm tired type of hurt or is this really truly pain. The biggest risk for all of us is infection at incision site. My incisions hurt at times. But they are incisions so that's natural. But they look good there's no redness or heat or discharge so to me that's just normal hurts as opposed

to pain. The gas pains in my left shoulder / neck were at times an I need a pain killer -holy crap type hurt but because I could tell myself it's all that gas irritating the phrenic nerve at my diagram I'm gonna pop that pain killer to ease it and then keep on moving. The moving / exercise is also helping release all kind of natural feel good chemicals that help ease pain as well. Now for the exhaustion. Whew!! I am struggling with that. But at least I sleep like a rock!!

[Mitz 0]

Oops, forgot to answer the question! I have been married for 15 years to a wonderfully supportive skinny can eat whatever he wants kind of guy and we have two great funny kids; 13 yr old boy and a 10 yr old girl. I know I should say that I did this for myself but in all honesty...I did it for my kids. I want to be around as long as I can for them I will be 44 on Aug 31st.

[Petunia_5 1]

I'm Alexis!

Age: 28

Banded 8/8/11

Pre Op Weight: 323

Day of Surgery: 316

Size 22 unwillingly >

I weigh myself daily but I will wait for my first post op appointment for the official weight!

Single and loving it! and no babies!!!!

[Petunia_5 1]

It took me about 4-5 days before I felt better as well. I was not expecting as much pain as I was in so I was disappointed. Luckily my mom is more stubborn than me and came up for the surgery! I thought I would be running around 2 days after the surgery! It get's better. Everyday I wake up I feel better than the last. I walked 6 miles today! I could barely walk a half mile 6 days after my surgery! Just stay hydrated and chew those Vitamins daily!!

Hi everyone!

Ive never posted or been part of a forum before but after spending hours reading everyones posts I can't help but be a part of it as well! My name is Tasha Im 23 from Austin, TX I was banded on Aug. 10th. My starting weight was 326 and day of surgery 300. Im not sure what my current weight is now because I dont own a scale. Im actually pretty affraid of them and don't want to be dissapointed. Also, Im a bit worried because its been 4 days since my surgery and I still feel like crap! Im really tired all I wanna do is lay in bed and Im having a hard time getting in all my fluids and vitamins any sugestions?? Thanks

[CarynW 3]

Hi Michelle and Alexis!

Question about vitamins: I have delicious gummies, I can't handle pill types, i've tried ALLLLLLLL kinds and I get sick to my stomach even if I take with food/full stomach. So i've been sticking to gummies. I haven't taken any since surgery though because they are sort of solid!? I guess I should've asked my doc.

[Petunia_5 1]

My program seems to be more radical than the rest, as I was told to start chewable immediately after surgery. They come in adult Vitamins, I just chew chew chew chew chew until its mushy! I am also on mushy foods starting day 4 of post op until the 4th week. Now what I don't get is my Dietician wants me to chew mushy food 25 times! how is that possible!! Anyways, I am sure your MD will be ok with you taking a chewable Vitamin.

Hi Michelle and Alexis!

Question about vitamins: I have delicious gummies, I can't handle pill types, i've tried ALLLLLLLL kinds and I get sick to my stomach even if I take with food/full stomach. So i've been sticking to gummies. I haven't taken any since surgery though because they are sort of solid!? I guess I should've asked my doc.

[Petunia_5 1]

I had a rough start post op-day 4. I woke up from surgery in EXTREME pain! Much worse than I expected. I didn't eat anything that day. Day two I had a little food to take my pain medicine and pretty much slept the day away. I woke up later in the evening to extreme shoulder pain and my left arm swelling like I weighed 100lbs more than I do. I decided to hold off on going to the ER until I spoke with my surgeon's office the next day. Wednesday I woke up to the swelling in my arm having gone down, spoke with my surgeon's office and with their advice made an appointment with my internist. Within the hour that I had made the appointment, around lunch time, my arm swelled right back up. I also noticed that my right eye lid was swollen. So I stopped the pain meds and took myself to the ER. After sitting for 4 hours in the ER waiting room of the hospital I work at!!! My mom said something to the triage nurse and I was given a stretcher in the ER. Long story short, 8 hours later, the Ultrasound was negative for a blood clot. I was told I had Phlebitis in my veins-a reaction to the IV from surgery. I was able to take some pain medicine finally as the Attending felt the swollen eye lid and the swollen arm were not related and not an allergic reaction. Day 4 I moved more and had more of an appetite. But I was HUNGRY come day 5!

My energy level was pretty low the first week, but today, day 9, I was able to walk 6 miles! My surgeon's office put me out of work for a whole month but I will be remeeding that after 3 weeks! It's been a nice much needed vacation and recovery time. I work 1.5 job's and 3 days a week I am working from 7am-Midnight!

Now if I can only get off this night owl schedule I will be good!

[JimR915 21]

My name is Jim. I recently turned 40 and live in Massachusetts.

I got my band on Aug. 12th. I've already lost more than 12 lbs. My starting weight was 312. My goal weight is 210

After 15 years of yo-yo dieting, and declining health issues, I am convinced that this will be the best thing I ever did for myself.

I'm excited to be taking this journey, and am glad to have found this forum to know that I have support when I need it. And....I'm sure I'll give some support as well

[kristenaz 0]

Hi friends!

Got the band on Tuesday and started pre-op diet last Saturday. As of today I am down 10 pounds!! I am so excited! It is so strange to not be hungry. So far so good. Tonight I go to a support group at my doctors office. I will let you know if I learn any new tricks! Take care!

[gladiatrix83 0]

OMG..Aug 12th here. 28yrs old..starting weight 227 and cureent 210. 3 kids..1 husband and no dogs lol.

Who's in with me!? Let's start a roster!

Me: Caryn, 28 years old (29 on the 30th this month), starting weight and size was 240, size 20. Banded Aug 11th.

Question of the day: are you married and do you have kids?

[Stroganoff 2]

Hello everyone my name is Stephenie! I am 32 years old married to a very skinny man and I have 3 very skinny children. They are 15, 13, and 11 years old. I started at 236 pounds, 226 the day of surgery, and I am currently 217 pounds. I had my surgery on August 4th with Dr Reilly in Houston Tx. I am not really sure what my largest weight was because I have yoyo dieted my entire life and the heavier I got the less I would weigh myself. You all know the drill because Iam sure you have all done it. I don't know if I have gone down a size because my clothes were tight to begin with and I am sure I was wearing the wrong size. I wish all of us the best of luck! I am so glad to have others as a support system to know what I am going through. My tiny family is very supportive but I just don't feel like they fully understand. Time for life to begin and I can't wait to eat it up.......life not food!

[Stroganoff 2]

I haven't read every single post but I have notice a lot of gas pressure or heartburn like pain. Everyone in my dr's office told me that gas x strips would be my new bestfriend. If you haven't tried them yet you should. They are a major relief to that pressure pain! I haven't had heartburn since the surgery which is a major relief. I use to have heartburn every day and sometimes at night so bad I would vomit. They found out during surgery I had a pretty big hernia that was of course repaired. Just the absence of the heartburn was worth the surgery for me! I hope this helps some of you.