June 2007 Bandsters

[hottytoddy 0]

Capt Dan!

Look at your ticker! Did you even need the band? You go! I can't remember from when we started all these conversations, but how much did you lose before the pre-op diet... cause if you've lost 70 lb in 6 weeks it's time to reign it in boo!!

Congrats!

[huntersmom 0]

Suzzzie my stomach looked like that too. I was bruised for a long time too. I do bruise easily though. I think you should still check in with the dr.

[o2bthin 0]

My doc had me on liquids for 3 weeks, so I've just progressed to solids today. Gosh how mind mending. I'm afraid to eat anything. I had some tuna at lunch. I will try the regular meal thing tonight with the family---they are going to faint when they see me cooking......I've had a 5 week vacation from it. I thought I'd try chicken parm with spaghetti. My nutrition guidelines are use a plate with Protein serving, greens, fruit, carb and fat and eat them in that order.

Pizza.....NO NO NO!!

I'm actually missing my shakes and soups! HA!

Is anyone else doing the same thing? What are you eating? I thought about doing some Lean Cuisines.

My incisions are healing nicely, but slowly. They are still reddish with the slightest scabs on them. I'm a slow healer. Wow, that's some bruising you got there.

I scheduled my fill today. I can't wait. 21 days to go.

[toniteach 0]

OK, not sure if this will work - But I wanted to show you all my port site bruise. I figure I'm not the only one with a fat tummy here, haha, so I figure it is safe to share. I do think I will call the doc office tomorrow and maybe see if I can be seen on Wednesday (my day off).<br /> <br /> THe first pic is from 6/24, 9 days post op. Initially the bruising was getting better...<br /><br /> Then this one if from tonight, 24 days post op. <br /> <br /> I know its hard to tell the size of the bruise from these, but you can see how it has spread outwards. Very weird.

Hi Suzzzie,

Though it looks tender and painful, keep in mind it's temporary. I bet your Dr. just had to "jiggle" the instruments and really secure that port! No worries....looks like it's on it's way to healing, too. Your other incisions look GREAT!

Hugs,

Toni

[missjess 0]

Rhonda, how was it going to solids???? im about a week behind you (also went to Dr. Ortiz) & I cannot wait to go to solids! I have a hard time when the family sits down to dinner & I have to feed the baby but only have liquids in front of me! My oldest (he's 4) will say mommy aren't you going to eat *sigh* i wish! I wish we were due for a fill at the same time i'd ask ya to share a ride with me! I think Im going to plan a lil sea world trip & just drive down & take my boys though! Hopefully we don't need many fills!

Good luck!

[Suzzzie. 3]

THanks to everyone for input on my port site. It really doesn't hurt at all. I have absolutely no pain. I can't sleep on my stomach, because I feel 'pressure' but I've not been able to sleep on my stomach for about 10 years due to a bad back.

The bruising is old, I know that by the colors, but concern is that it has spread so much. I understand some spreading, but THIS MUCH? Its seriously 8 inches by 4.5 inches!

I'm a nurse, and I'm a naturally laid back person, so it takes alot to make me 'concerned' about anything. I guess my worry is that the bruising isn't fading the way it should, and that it keeps spreading.

All opf my other incisions are great! All have healed well with very very little itching. I do have 2 though that I can still see the end of the stitches atthe end opening. Very weird. I play with them all the time. Haha. Are those stitches supposed be disolved by now?

(can you tell that I've never been a patient before? I've never been really sick or anything. I still have all 32 teeth even!!)

[Dana 0]

Sounds like you had a seroma, I guess it's pretty common for us. But can be scary and a bit icky.

I would doubt you are getting a fill, most docs won't even thin of a fill until at least four weeks out because you have to heal and the scar tissue has to form well enough to help hold the band into place. Might be a nutrition appt, too. My surgeon's office combines MD appts with a chance to talk with the nuts.

About being hungry, you're not going to like this but the beloved Diet Green tea may be the culprit. I have found over the past six months that if I drink something with an artifical sweetener in it I am HUNGRY within about 60-90 minutes. Even though we aren't eating sugar, our body is tricked into thinking we are and it says: EAT. This is especially true with Splenda products for me. The sugar alcohols are still processed by the body like sugar and though you don't get the blood sugar spike from taking in a carb, you still get the dip and the release of gherlin that says: Feed Me!

It took me about three weeks without artifical sweeteners to conquer that feeling. White carbs (simple carbs) like enriched flour and refined sugars/high fructose corn Syrup make it awful, too. I switched to making my own Decaf tea (or kool-aid, lemonade, etc) and sweetening it with either Stevia (a natural plant derivative available in bigger supermarkets in the health food section as a supplement or in health food stores) or Blue Agave nectar (has calories and carbs but is low glycemic index, so it is verrrry slowly processed by the body and gives no spikes or dips in blood sugar levels).

I wish us all luck.

FAITHMD - Yep, it was a seroma! And, "Doh!" to the Green Tea!

Everything that I want is a no-no! I am going to have to turn into a Goody Goody Two Shoes. "Don't drink, Don't smoke. What do ya do? It must be something inside. Goody Goody Two Shoes......."

[TexasFire 84]

I do have 2 though that I can still see the end of the stitches atthe end opening. Very weird. I play with them all the time. Haha. Are those stitches supposed be disolved by now?

Ha Ha! I thought the same thing! I have two of my little incisions where the "fishing line" is sticking out a little. I finally got tired of being bugged by them and tried pulling them just a little. One came out and the other just extended outside the skin, so I cut it very close to the skin.

I thought they should have been desolved by now, also. I wonder why they haven't? They don't even show any signs of deteriorating one bit. Let me know if you get an answer about this, because it is driving me a little batty!

[FarmerE 0]

ja9va: How did your son's wedding go? He had a great day for it and what a wedding date...07-07-07. Lol. I didn't make the connection when you emailed me about it.

Suzzzie: I have nooo medical background but doesn't the spreading mean that it's clearing up? I thought that I heard somewhere it's just the blood fading away from the hurt area. I don't have it with my port incision but for some reason, I still have a bruise where the IV was.

You guys are all doing great! And now for my happy dance today:clap2::whoo: I start mushies today....doot doot dooo...I don't have to eat anymore soup...deet deet dee. YAY!

[captain danbo 0]

Hotty: I started diet and working out at the end of march(cal intake less than 900 and working out about 2 hours a day 7 days a week). I lost about 60 lbs before the band but also I would like you to keep in mind that this is the 5th time of me losing more than 50 lbs and I put it all back on in less than a year. My real pre op diet start the end of may. I got the band because I want the weight to stay off this time, If I really needed the band to lose weight? I don't think so. Do I NEED the band to keep the weight off? 110% YES. I think the weight is going to start coming off slower now because of the good weight loss pre op. I keep telling myself " what I lose today I won't have to lose tomorrow" anyhow thank you for noticing it makes me feel good about all my hard work.

[lo2us 1]

When I had a c-section a couple of years ago, my disolveable stitches stuck out at the ends like y'all's are. My Doc too tweezers and pulled them out at my 6 week check up. You might call your docs and see if it okay to do that too!

[o2bthin 0]

Miss Jess, I did good on solids. I had some tuna, and that was fine. The only problem I had was wanting something to wash it down. I ate some bran muffin for Breakfast and it felt like dried bread crumbs doing down. I needed to generate more saliva for it. It's cool that I can actually eat a small amount and get no physical hunger. Only head hunger. I did eat a few nibbles of this and that before my 3 weeks were up....actually all of us 6 that were there at OCC at the same time did. I'm sure it's best to stick out the 3 weeks though. I haven't tried to eat to capacity yet, I'm just eating until I'm comfortable or had that 1/2 of a fist size of food and trying to get in some veggies and fruits along with Protein. Lean Cuisines work really good for me.

I can't wait for my fill. I just want to know how this little sucker is going to work. I hope this fill will take me through the year. If you can come 5 days earlier, schedule your fill on 8/1. One of the other girls from 6/18 and I will be using the trolley. Good luck! Email me if you like @ notime2qlt@aol.com. Your boys are adorable!

Suzzie, I thought I was doing good sleeping on my stomach....I have a novafoam mattress. Well Friday night I went camping and slept on the hard ground and couldn't even lay on my stomach. I stole dh's pillow and slept 1/2 on and 1/2 off! LOL

[cbm818 0]

very, very jealous of everyone's fills. i just logged onto My Chart and my first fill is scheduled for September 9.

i was banded on the 21st of June.

sigh.

my doctor is a tad conservative.

[hottytoddy 0]

Oh my CBM! I thought my doc was conservative making me wait 8 weeks! Bless your heart!

[mvr 0]

It's amazing how different all the Doc's are. I was banded on june 27 and fill is August 7. I wonder if the REALLY conservative ones get better long term results. I can't wait, I am hungry hungry and don't seem to have any probs with anything yet. I can't wait to feel "restricted". I don't post much but I read avidly every day, thanks for all you great posts.

Dan you are the weight loss king, I wish I was you!!!!