March Bandsters: MASTER THREAD

[Fenton 3]

Let 'em dry out in the air, I say! I don't mean, like, midriff-baring shirts, but leave them uncovered. If there's chafing, or if the "juice" is staining your clothes, you can put a bit of gauze on them, but keep an eye on them, and they'll soon be fine.

I get the occasional little twinge of pain, but I'm pretty fine. Today I'm out 5 weeks, I believe. After 6 weeks, I'm going to start doing yoga.

I was worried that, after rapid loss at the beginning of the week, I'd have stalled or regained, but I was actually down 1 since Monday, so, Yay.

[lynnt1215 1]

I have seen many changes in just the 3 weeks post op. First the fitting of clothes. It is so nice not to tug and pull at my shirts all day long. The pulling at my incisions has improved and so has my one irritated incision. I can't believe I even went walking last night and did 1 mile and was not even tired.

Getting used to making sure I have enough Protein while on th mushy stage has been a challenge. It has been difficult to get all of the requirements in. I'll have to make some preparations for next week to make sure I have enough small meals with me at work. I have plenty of Protein Drinks, but think I need to take more mushy stuff....

Does anyone else have issues with alot of burping? Even at 3 weeks out evey time i eat i start to burp . I am very conscious of quantity and stopping my eating before i feel restrictions.

[BrandNewLisa 0]

I haven't been burping to much, but I have been having the weirdest noises coming from my belly! I swear, it literally sounds like leaky plumbing down there. Gurgling, bubbling, all of that stuff. Thank God I already talk loud, lol.

[Fenton 3]

I love that gurgling! If one of my cats is walking by, I'll lean over and open my mouth to emit a long gurgling growl! We both find it very satisfying...

[texgirl 0]

I don't burp but I get the hiccups almost every time I eat. I'm so sick of coworkers saying "so what did you drink at lunch? Ha Ha Ha!" I do get the gurgling sometimes too.

[FrancesMP 0]

well i finaly hit 20 pounds down from surgery YAY and a NSV i went and got a swim suit to the other day to work out in and i got a 18/20 YAY!!!

anyway here are pics showing my progress....

Hope everyone else is doing great too

[nycm00 0]

My reddness and itching around the icisions is worsening. The medication they gave me is making me so tired I am really having a hard time. I am supposed to go back to the doctor today about this. Feeling kind of discouraged.

Christine

[ajoneen 0]

Lisa- if your wound is open I would put a butterfly or steri-strip to close it(washing and drying well first), perpendicular to the wound.

nycm00- sometimes bacterial or fungal infections superimpose themselves on the dermatitis. Are you on oral corticosteroids, such as prednisone? That can give you fatigue. A .5 percent hydrocortisone topical preparation (ointment, cream or lotion) can be applied to the skin to relieve the itchiness, redness, scaling, and swelling. (get ok'd by your DR.) If you are concerned see a dermatologist.

(this is not me it's from here FDA Consumer: Contact Dermatitis: Solutions to Rash Mysteries (May 1990))

Fenton you and your cats have a very interesting relationship.

FrancesMP- way to go!! You look kind of shell shocked in the 2/15 picture.

As too burps and hiccups- yep I get a double burp, I think the first is the burp moving past the band and then up & out.:sad_smile: I get hiccups when I'm hungry. :scared2:

Ok Im going back to reading a certain book...

[enjoylife 1]

I am getting scared. I am on my fifth day of mushies. I am 19 days post op and yet I am only down 16 lbs. I know I was just doing the happy dance the other day - Thank you to all who joined me in celebration - but today I am feeling remorseful. I did what said I would not do under any circumstances. I cheated. I ate bacon! Damn that bacon. Ok I can't blame the bacon. I was the nut that cooked it for my daughter - I should have known better than to "try" those THREE slices. I must be crazy. But if three slices of bacon - and three nestle chocolate Easter eggs (top thumb digit size) would make me not lose weight I'll have to stay on mushies the rest of my life!!! I DO NOT WANT TO BE A BAND FAILURE!!!! If I fail my mother will never let me live it down. Of course, if I fail I may not have that long to live anyway at the rate I was going. I purposely stayed away from mashed potatoes just so I would not gain weight. I figured I'd do mostly Proteins. I am mostly eating cottage cheese, rotisserie chicken, apple sauce, I've had five Vienna sausages (singles - not cans), Unjury Protein Powder and skim milk, salmon, and California blend veggies. Oh and no sugar added vanilla and chocolate pudding. I put the chicken, salmon, and veggies in my Magic Bullet. Oh, I'm pretty sure that I am eating more than four tablespoons per meal - more like .5 to a whole cup. Tell me what I'm doing wrong. Ok - more honesty - I have not been exercising for 30 minutes everyday. But in my defense I have been worse than a couch potato for five years. I don't move as well as I should. I have increased my walking - I'm pitiful - If I wasn't good looking I would be truly pathetic. I can barely move. I am not limber at all. So I am trying to get better at moving around I'm hoping that by the time I am six weeks post op I can not only walk two miles but that I will be ready to actually lift weights. I want to wait that long because the last thing I need is a hernia. I don't really know what that is, but I know I don't want one. Any help? - Please keep the reprimands to a minimum - I'm not really in the mood to be feeling beat up.

Edited April 11, 2008 by enjoylife

[chica 2]

Diva, Bacon is not the worst sin you could have committed (it is Protein, after all :confused:). That said, don't go out and try to top it!

Keep repeating this to yourself until you believe it: "I will lose weight with this band when I have proper restriction. Until then, I will try to do my best."

Your best includes sticking to Protein, veggies, some fruit, and staying within the rules of the stage you're in (mushies). In the end, your weight will come off. For now, just stay with the program, stay off the scale, and remember that we're all here for you.

I'm having no luck with the scale either, but I know that what I wrote above is true. I just have to wait until my doctor lets me have a fill -- hopefully at 6 weeks.

[enjoylife 1]

Thanks Chica. Trust me I have no intention to try to top bacon. In fact I made some for my daughter this morning and I'm telling you I couldn't even smell the stuff. i had no desire for it. So far today I've had apple sauce for Breakfast (I'm out of milk) pureed chicken for lunch and a chocolate no sugar added pudding cup for a snack. This weekend I will be living off of cottage cheese and Protein Shakes (mainly because I purchased two huge vats of cottage cheese and when I got home realized that they expire on April 13th. Thank you for the encouragement (and the mantra).

[k_podski 2]

The Diva- I did the same as well on my week of mushies-2 pieces of bacon.. Ughh! It must be the aroma:) Don't be so hard on yourself! I am willing to bet that this is not the reason why your scale is at a stand still. 16lbs in 19 days is amazing!! You may be at your first plateau.. I am at a wall with my loss currently as well. At some point your body has to catch up and say "holy crap, what are you doing to me?!" It just seems as though we are NEVER happy with the numbers we see. As for me, I am on strike- no scale until Monday! This every day thing is killing me! I put the scale in my husbands truck this morning, and off to work the scale went! bye bye lol..

I think it's so hard to finally be on our "bandster" way, see good weight loss, then all of a sudden it comes to a screeching halt! What a mix of emotions! Keep your head up, and know that you will start losing again soon.. You are soooo not in this alone! Best of luck to you:)

Frances- You go girl- You look great! I love the 2/15 "deer in the headlights" look:) Keep up the good work!

Lynnt1215- I am with you on the clothes fitting better! I too don't have to tug at my shirts all day to make sure everything is hidden. What a great feeling:) I am having an issue with getting all of my Protein in as well. I feel like there is only so much time in day, and every second I'm forcing something into myself to keep up with the Protein goal. Uggh.. This too shall pass:) I haven't had any issues with burping, but a lot of times my stomach makes a crazy grumbling, gurgling noise, it almost feels like my belly is eating me from the inside out lol..

Hope everyone is doing well.. TGIF!!!

:)Kerri

Edited April 11, 2008 by k_podski
slippery fingers;)

[hopeinapril 1]

Howdy!

I had the worst hiccups for the 1st week after surgery. It wasn't that they lasted for a while (cause they did), but that they hurt! I still get them but not as much.

****TMI**** - stinky pee and stinky breath have hit...... UGH, I have never been able to smell my own breath before, but now I can.... ew! My toothbrush and I and now spending significant time together.

Last night I turned wrong and had a sharp pain that was sharp enough to wake me up. I moved a little tenderly after that. I didn't have any pain today, but a little soreness. I hope I didn't do anything! It was in an odd place, on my ribs to the left... I guess if it doesn't really hurt, I shouldn't be worried.

Lynn: I'm with you. My jeans are fitting better every time I put them on! woohoo!

Diva: I wish I had lost as much as you! I lost 8 pounds in 15 days. Don't dispair, I'm sure the scale will move soon. Plus, if you figure you loose 10 pounds a month, that is 120 pounds a year!

Amanda: good information as usual!

Kerri: I'm with you about the scale. I do have one, but am forcing myself to get on it only once a week. It is tough, but it was driving me nuts!

[sharona 2]

I would definitely call the doctor and get it checked

shouldn't have anything coming from it

:thumbup:

sharon

[mscathyl 0]

I had a NSV yesterday . My only pair of jeans that fit were in the wash so I asked my neice if I could wear a pair of hers . I wear size 18 she wears size 16 . When I was up stairs trying them on I could hear my neice and her father laughing at the idea that I thought I could fit in her pants . She called up and asked if they fit and when I said they did and came down in them the whole family was shocked that they fit . I then said to my neice "Do you know what this means ? You need to lose weight too. " The pants were a little tight and I had a muffin top but they weren't so tight that I felt uncomfortable in them but tighter than what I normally would wear . The last time I had on a size 16 was when I was 16 .