June 2007 Bandsters

[faithmd 14]

WISH ME LUCK!

P.S. Is there a thread somewhere that discusses what I need to have on hand before surgery? (Foods, medicines, etc.)

Good luck and WELCOME!

The food thread was a great suggestion, there is also a whole forum about FAQ's and references and in that forum there is a thread about pre and post-op check lists. Go to the Forum list, or the Home button and look for FAQ's and References, that's the forum you want!

[Terranne 0]

Thinking of you Marylynn...hope all is well!!!!!

Rhonda - We are suffering together! I am actually on day 8 with only 1 cheat day so far...yes I said day, I gave in and had a few things over the course of the day that were naughty but I'm back on track now. I was doing so well and just had to ruin it by eating so now I'm hungry all over again (the hunger passes believe me)...I've gone from not a darn piece of solid food for 6 days and now I feel like I'm starving to death so I've been having a chicken breast per day to tie me over.

When is your surgery scheduled for? Mine is June 12th in Tijuana!

[Lisa H 0]

Wow! We've had a lot of posts since I last read yesterday. With my poor memory, let's see if I can remember to write about everything I was thinking as I was reading. FIRST, KT, I'm so glad to hear from you. I was really worried when you had no posts for so long-GLAD YOU'RE BACK! Second, I guess I missed this part when I was given instructions leaving the hospital. Many of my steri-strips are starting to peel up. I have no stitches or staples under them. Is it okay if they come off? I guess I thought they would stay on until my 2week post op! Third, I have always had problems with Constipation, and being in bandland is not any different. BUT, I do highly reccommend Benefiber. You can mix it in anything and not taste it. I even mixed it in Water once and there was no aftertaste or anything. It is now part of my daily diet! What else??? Oh yes, I still can't sleep on my side yet, but I think I'm getting close. Also, today was my first day out! I'm 5 days postop and was a little nervous that I'd be too sore or overdo it. I think I feel better this afternoon than this morning because I was more active than I had been.

One more thing (and this is a BIGGY) KT and the others that were feeling down about not being able to eat. This is my trick and it was working for me for a few weeks pre-op, so I feel sure it is going to work like a charm when I get my restriction. I put however much I'm allowing myself to have on my plate. Then I take a small bite and start chewing and shewing and chewing. The whole time I'm chewing I think about how wonderful the food tastes. I ate one piece of pizza duing the time it took my friends to eat 3-4. I think I enjoyed my one piece more than they enjoyed theirs. No, I didn't have the full feeling that I'm used to, but when the "fills" begin that should no longer be a problem. (I know we can't chew Protein shakes very well, and probably don't want it in your mouth that long anyway, but 2 weeks really isn't that long! Don't think about how hard it is now, but how wonderful it will be when the right amount of saline has been injected!!!!

I thought of something else. My doctor's office (Cleveland Clinic of Florida) talked about a new band, but it was very different than the AP. They said the next new band is supposed to be a remote controlled band that fills with no needles. But only your doctor could do it. Has anyone heard of it??? Okay, I've taken up more than my share of space!

Lisa H

[Cblancha9 0]

I'm on day 3 of my pre-op liquid diet. This is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. 11 more days to go. I went out and got some sf gum so I would have something to chew on. I hope it is allowed.

I'm just trying to keep busy and not think about it. It just I'm so use to planning meals for my husband and I and now I don't have to do it. He said he would take care of his own meals. I'm looking forward to when I can cook again and eat some veggies and fruit. I keep looking to the future and think about the 100 plus lbs that I will lose. I know it will be worth ever bit of the pain and hunger. It you have any suggestions to get through these 11 days, please let me know.

[Terranne 0]

Cblancha - I totally feel for you, I'm there now! I'm on day 8 and it's pretty tough, I'm feeling quite sick to my stomach today for some reason. Make sure that you drink the Protein Shakes or eat something solid Protein that is very important and it'll keep you full. I have just been keeping busy and whenever I start to feel hungry I've got 2 big jugs of Crystal Light sitting beside me and I drink until I'm full.

[toniteach 0]

Hi Everyone, This is the 7th day of my pre-op diet. I have cut my diet coke to just two a day now. I cannot seem to let these go.

Rita

Rita-Girl, The last thing I drank was a fountain diet coke at 10:30 p.m. the night before I was banded. I feel your pain!!!! Believe me....everyone says you won't miss them...and they're right. It's like a miracle. I don't even think about them! Right now I'm enjoying Raspberry Lemonade Crystal Lite. You'll find another addiction. I promise!!!!!!

[toniteach 0]

Hi everyone,

What a great thread this is. I signed in a while back but have been so busy with life I haven't been keeping up the way I should. I spent the last hour or so catching up with everyone.

Tomorrow is the day for me. I am a little bit nervous, excited and/or scared but ready to get on with the next portion of my life. I am so tired of being tired all the time.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you all.

Michelle

Good luck tomorrow Michelle! I hear you about being tired all the time. But that will soon be a memory. Already, I feel *different* and I know it's just going to keep getting better. Woo Hoo!!!!!!!

---Toni

[Serena 0]

Musicalmomma-

Thanks for the explanation of weight gain! I was a bit freaked out.

[huntersmom 0]

Does anyone else out there feel like they need to brush their teeth all the time from the Protein Shakes. My teeth feel like they are always coated with something and I needs to brush them.

[Lisa H 0]

Yes, Hunter'smom, I do brush my teeth quite frequently because of the shakes-You're normal!!!

Lisa H.

[o2bthin 0]

Terrane, my surgery is June 18th. I'm self pay, which I assume you are too. You sound like you're doing great on your diet! I am day 3, absolutely no cheats at all.....today. I was having Protein Snacks the first two days and was told that's a no-no. I'm so used to low carbing that I thought it was okay. Did I mention I get 700 freaking calories a day? I got some salad spritzer today and stocked up on Lean Cuisines with less than 300 calories. Oh JOY. I hope it will get better. No wonder I'm fat....I HATE diets. I cannot even think about anything else but how much I want a glass of wine!

It's probably for the best. I got a call from the docs office that my A1C is 8.6, the highest ever. They said are you taking your glucophage.....noooooo.

Feel free to email me. Notime2qlt@aol.com

[Becks477 0]

First good luck to everyone that goes tomorrow. I felt like it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be I was up walking 30 minutes after surgery lol! I wanted out of there bad! And honestly I am HUGE baby about pain but I feel great right now. It just feels like a dull period pain in my upper abdomen instead. I guess my hospital was a test pilot for the AP band so I got that one in a size small. I couldnt believe it. I havent been a size small since I was born premature!!!!! I was so excited because I had NO idea we even had the AP band in the hospital but when he told me that I have him a huge high five lol. Everyone just laughed they were like I have never seen someone so happy after surgery. Well i should rest since I havent yet but i just wanted to check in and see how everyone else is doing. Have a great night guys!

Becky

[ja9va 0]

Marlynn,Michelle and Jojo, it is tomorrow for us! It sounds like we are stretched across the day. Michelle you are fortunate to have it first thing, I wish I could just go to the hospital when I wake up and have it done. I don't have to be to the hospital until noon, surgery at 2! I am scared and excited at the same time like you all! Wow, it is finally here.. I am so freaked! Good luck to you guys!

Huntersmom, great question about the scale. My husband has this large scale, old thing, not digital. My last try at Weight Watchers, I did not have a scale. I did not like weighing every day, it fluctuates to much and gets you discouraged. I still will keep it to once a week. I will put this on my list to buy!

Welcome ML and Stef. You will love this thread, we are a hopping group and you learn so much, at least I do.

Good to know about the possible 8-10lb weight gain I may experience tomorrow and friday, it is a mental let down, but knowing it is what it is, and it will be shed away, I can deal with it. Thanks for the Heads Up!

I will check in the morning before my DH takes me to bandland! I need to write down the page( now46), so I know where to start when I get back home on Friday. There have been so many pages this week, busy we are.

[lo2us 1]

I'm baaack! Got home at 1pm.

So far I feel good, even the gas doesn't feel that bad. I did wake up as they were taking that trac tube out and faught and F-worded all those poor nuses! I NEVER say that word, I think that's what made me realize I was dopey bad! I also managed to punch myself right in the port while I was fighting too and I made it bleed! After I stopped hyperventillating (however you spell it), I realized I was okay and calmed down. I can't believe how tiny the incisions are, and mine are WAY higher up than those of you I've seen. Mine are all around the bra line, even the port. I thought that was weird. Maybe I had more belly to cut through and Dr. H went through my slimmest fat roll! HA! The worst part was the not being able to breath because I was fighting so hard, I totally wasn't expecting that. Once I got my mind back, I've decided that my LASIK surgery was more annoying than this. Those y'all who are about to get this done, and are nervous about pain, right now I feel like I've done a bunch of crunches and that's it. I haven't needed the nausea or pain meds yet too. Will that come later. I'm having trouble sitting still and being good when I'm not up walking.

I lost 17lbs on the preop diet and was stunned when they weighed me. About 10 more lbs and I will be rid of baby weight and will be starting on my fat girl weight.

Thank you all for supporting me through this, I really think it's going to save my life and help me be a better Mom.

Sorry to write so much, but I'm astonished at how easy this was.

[dawneb 0]

:faint:Hi all, I feel absolutely terrible right now. I've cheated on my pre-op diet twice in the last 24 hours. Last night I had a special k bar and then this afternoon I had 5 bites of my daughters mac and cheese - YIKES!! I'm just so hungry! I'm on a total clear liquid 10 day pre-op with 3 Protein Shakes a day (water based, no milk allowed) I figured it out and I'm getting about 450-500 calories a day. No wonder why I'm hungry!!!! Can my doctor really expect us to follow this to a "t"?! I guess the good thing is that after the mac and cheese bites my stomach does not feel very good. I'm sure it's gotten used to being empty!!!

Ok - enough whining. I hope that you are less hungry after the band.

Any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.