June 2007 Bandsters

[faithmd 14]

Dan, I'm jealous you got pix! (And darned excited, too :eek:

I am glad to hear it went well, I think 90 mins is pretty good for table time for the band, and congrats on the most excellent loss pre-op!

I went to a one week post op appt today and got my staples out and met with the nut who said I could go ahead and move to full liquids, but I think I'll be cautious and conservative and continue with the liquid prepackaged plan I bought from their office for as long as I can (I have two weeks worth). At the appt I was talking with the clinic manager who did my intake because I was their first AP band and I gave her a bit of a hassle about it. She wanted to follow up with me as to how it was going. She looked at me and said, "We all got a kick out of seeing your pictures." I was sort of confused. Apparently they took photos of my belly in the OR when they pulled up my gown and found where I had marked AP band ONLY and for the waistband of my scrubs and my jeans and my braline. Don't know how I feel about that...

[faithmd 14]

Come to think of it, maybe I have some pix, too...

[huntersmom 0]

captain danbo I am glad you are doing so well.

[quadmom 0]

so, when i have a pain in my upper left shoulder blade-what does that mean? gas or i ate too much????

[Suzzzie. 3]

I got banded today at 10:00. I was walking by 11:00 I have now done 7 5-10 min walks. eating my ice chips ok igot my own room and everyone here is really nice and helping me alot. The op took 1 1/2 hours witch I thought was a long time but doc said everything went really well. when they got my weight I was 236LBS down from 300 I think it will start slowing down soon. My doc makes everyone stay overnight so i am here till9 or 10 in the morn. I came out at 10:00 and still have not been to sleep maybe in a few hours i will sleep.

Suzzzie, guess what I got about 15-20 pictures I am going to post them on my space when I get home I think. any I will talk to you guys later

No WAY! I'm so jealous! I BEGGED for pics, they wouldn't take my camera in the OR due to it not being 'sterile' - WHATEVER! I work ina hospital and NOTHING is sterile! Haha. Doc said he would try to get pics from the camera thing on the probes in my tummy - NO PICS! I was kinda upset about it. Lol. I still don't even know what kind/size my band is. I need to remember to ask when I go for my fill!

I'm so happy that you are doing well! It amazes me thta people get up and move around and can type after surgery! I couldn't even WAKE UP! I was falling asleep on the toilet and leaning against the wall in the hallways at the clinic, and everything. Lol.

Congrats to you!

[Suzzzie. 3]

Dan, I'm jealous you got pix! (And darned excited, too :eek:

I am glad to hear it went well, I think 90 mins is pretty good for table time for the band, and congrats on the most excellent loss pre-op!

I went to a one week post op appt today and got my staples out and met with the nut who said I could go ahead and move to full liquids, but I think I'll be cautious and conservative and continue with the liquid prepackaged plan I bought from their office for as long as I can (I have two weeks worth). At the appt I was talking with the clinic manager who did my intake because I was their first AP band and I gave her a bit of a hassle about it. She wanted to follow up with me as to how it was going. She looked at me and said, "We all got a kick out of seeing your pictures." I was sort of confused. Apparently they took photos of my belly in the OR when they pulled up my gown and found where I had marked AP band ONLY and for the waistband of my scrubs and my jeans and my braline. Don't know how I feel about that...

I would be upset if they took pics of my tummy and showed them off - no matter WHAT was on it! That is unprofessional!

[toniteach 0]

I'm also a turtle. When I went in for my follow-up I ran into a man in his sixties who had his surgery the day after mine. He had lost 22 pounds and I had lost 5. I'm only eating about 400 calories a day (I'm still on the blended/pureed diet until this weekend). I weigh myself every day which I know is a mistake but I keep hoping for a surprise weight loss.

Despite that, I am anxious about getting a fill (it's not scheduled until 7/20). I'm scared about food getting stuck etc.

Toni--how is life after a fill?

Hi Serena! Life after a fill is a LEARNING EXPERIENCE and everyone is going to be different. I don't want to bore everyone with my trials and tribs, but suffice it to say I cannot tolerate some foods, even though I try! And I seem to have better luck eating at Breakfast and Dinner....Lunchtime is a challenge. If you want, I can give the gory details!!!! Uggggggh! :yuck:

I'm worried about your caloric intake. 400 seems waaaaaay low for the mushie stage. Are you getting your Protein in? I love my shakes! :eek: I think you might be right about your metabolism, or worse, you could start to lose muscle mass.....be very careful! Keep us posted!!!

:hug:

Toni

[TexasFire 84]

Hello, everybody! I feel like I haven't been here for ages, though it's only been two or three days! LOL Just wanted to give a shout out and let everyone know that I was thinking of them and I hope all are doing well.

Tomorrow is Friday...WOO-HOO! My hubby comes home tomorrow and I'm excited! (He works offshore) This will be his first visit home since I was banded...I was banded after he left. So I guess when we go out to eat this weekend he will just have to share, which he says he doesn't mind at all, but he's a big 'ole boy!

He will be going to my first fill appointment with me on Monday and I can't wait. I was losing phenomenally well until the end of last week and now I'm grinding to a halt. Do they ever put more than 3CC's in a fill?

Have a great weekend, folks! Stef

[Serena 0]

Toni,

Actually, when you're in the mood, I would love the gory details. It's better to know what to expect than to be surprised. You are the undisputed star of the June bandsters and I feel really fortunate to have been the beneficiary of your support and kindness (as have we all).

Go June!!

Serena

[Suzzzie. 3]

Hi Serena! Life after a fill is a LEARNING EXPERIENCE and everyone is going to be different. I don't want to bore everyone with my trials and tribs, but suffice it to say I cannot tolerate some foods, even though I try! And I seem to have better luck eating at Breakfast and Dinner....Lunchtime is a challenge. If you want, I can give the gory details!!!! Uggggggh! :yuck:

I'm worried about your caloric intake. 400 seems waaaaaay low for the mushie stage. Are you getting your Protein in? I love my shakes! :eek: I think you might be right about your metabolism, or worse, you could start to lose muscle mass.....be very careful! Keep us posted!!!

:hug:

Toni

Toni I would LOVE the gory details!! haha!

[faithmd 14]

I would be upset if they took pics of my tummy and showed them off - no matter WHAT was on it! That is unprofessional!

Not sure I'm that happy, either...

But it worked, he avoided all my markings.

[Suzzzie. 3]

OK, a real update on me...

Tomorrow marks 2 weeks post op... and guess where I'm sleeping? - The RECLINER! STILL! I am not sure whats going on, but I still have so much pain in my left side (not even near and incisions). Its like a really bad muscle cramp. Drives me insane. It bothers me at home and at work. I can lay in the bed for short periods of time, on my back - propped up on pillows. I can occationally lay on my right side, but the cramps start in so I have to get up. Its very weird, I haven't heard anyone else complain of it. And I'm so so very jealous of those who were banded after me and they are already back in their beds without any problems! Wahhh!! I am also still very bruised around my port site - the IV site, and the spot where they gave me the Lovenox (blood thinner) injection. Its crazy!

OK, enough whining.

My weightloss has slowed... Ok, stopped since I started pureed and mushies. I'm cool with it. Actually this morning I had gained about 2 pounds. BUT I am still in the 360's which is way better than the 380's. :eek: I'll take what I can get. My biggest motivator into getting the band was to not ever reach all the way to 400, and I have succeeded that already. I'm very pleased.

I have still only told very few friends. No one in my family knows. I will probably keep it that way. I love my family dearly, and I don't like keeping secrets, but I just feel like this is something personal that I did for myself. The friends i have told are ones I tell EVERYTHING to. Hah. Actually, one of my friends I only told the day after surgery. She is my one and only truely thin friend. She is absolutly gorgeous and has a perfect body. She is also brilliant and in medical school. Anyway. I was nervous to tell her, even though she loves me and supports me, because I was afraid of being labeled as the fat lazy girl. I dunno. Guess I have low self esteem. She was pretty hurt that I hadn't confided in her sooner, especially since she is in med school. The frist week was rough, but now we are cool again.

Keep posting everyone! I check this site about 3 times a day looking forward to your stories and wisedom!

(sorry for the book I just wrote...)

[Becks477 0]

Hello, everybody! I feel like I haven't been here for ages, though it's only been two or three days! LOL Just wanted to give a shout out and let everyone know that I was thinking of them and I hope all are doing well.

Tomorrow is Friday...WOO-HOO! My hubby comes home tomorrow and I'm excited! (He works offshore) This will be his first visit home since I was banded...I was banded after he left. So I guess when we go out to eat this weekend he will just have to share, which he says he doesn't mind at all, but he's a big 'ole boy!

He will be going to my first fill appointment with me on Monday and I can't wait. I was losing phenomenally well until the end of last week and now I'm grinding to a halt. Do they ever put more than 3CC's in a fill?

Have a great weekend, folks! Stef

Stef - Hey glad to hear your hubby is coming home I am sure he is missed alot while he is away. With the AP bands they dont remove all the Fluid they initially flush it with. They just let it drain out on its own so as Toni had mentioned she already had 4ml's in her band before her first fill. My brother for example his band was so dry it caused negative pressure and it was sucking the saline out of the needle faster than the MD could push it in he was so dry. So he did get a 5 ml fill because it was so dry. So who knows how much you already have and how much you will get! Sorry I hope that kinda helps. I go for a fill monday too I begged my MD at my post op on Thurs and hes like well I will be in surgery monday but call me right in the morning and I will book a time for you in between. I guess now the big kahunas say that 4 weeks is the new time frame for your first fill not 6 weeks. Im excited because i am not losing nearly as fast or as much as any of you guys (WAY TO GO!!! :eek: ) so hopefully this fill will help. Good luck!

Becky

[faithmd 14]

Suzzzie, thank you for sharing. I am very sorry to hear that you are still having problems. I don't have a recliner (or I'd probably still be in it, too), which is a good thing because my surgeon is very anti-recliner because of how it can (supposedly-they did cite articles) contribute to DVT's (pressure on the back of the legs). I have a nagging "tearing/ripping" pain between my port incision (which is totally numb for about 3 inches above and 5 inches across it) and the next one to my right that occurs when I am laying and trying to stand. At first I thought my port was there and I was feeling the pulling of the sutures on the fascia. But when I got my staples out today, the nurse helped me find my port which was actually directly below the port incision and not up from it. I don't know for sure but it feels like the low profile one.

I hope you feel better very soon.

I still haven't told many people and at this point, I don't plan to. I had been losing weight prior to my OR so I doubt anyone will think anything weird.

[bigbaby 4]

Toni--I want the gory details!!! Also what type of shakes do you use? I need to get one that I can "love". I purchased a humungous bad of EAS vanilla from Sam's--it's pretty good.

Hotty--Like your aviator picture!!! I'm not brave enough to put my real picture up yet!!

Suzzie--Please go to the doctor and see about the pain!! I know that everyone is different. I was banded on the Mon. 18th and was up driving, moving and shaking by Thursday. Sounds like you might need to see a doc.

Danbo--GLAD to see our "male" bandster is doing well!!! Congrats on the weight loss

To all who were banded prior to the 18th--THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. You have made this journey so easy and comforting for me. I know what to expect because of your faithful postings. The encouragement is great!!

Kland--Are you being filled at AIGB or Surgery Center of Richardson?