julieburns

U-Ultimately it is up to you to make this happen!!

I am sorry you feel upset. Yes Dr. O is a tough love kinda person. His reputation is on the line when people don't lose like he thinks they should is sorta what he believes. He wants every patient to succeed. Just let this be a time for reflection and don't let it get you down. You are doing the best you can for yourself. No you havn't failed and you should know that. Chin up and use this to maybe drop kick you into a program that perhaps can give you better results.

Hey I think we were on Q and then someone went back to K and L, maybe I am playing the game wrong? Q-Quit putting off until tomorrow what you can do today

For your first fill, because your stomach is still healing from the surgery, you go on liquids for 3 days. For subsequent fills they have you "test" the band with a small meal since the stomach is now healed.

I too recommend waiting awhile before you consider an unfil. After my 1st fill of 2cc I could get liquids down fine but when I started eating Oh boy was I in trouble. I ate to quickly and didn't chew well enough and had so much pain because of it as well as episodes of sliming and pbing. Even when I was careful sometimes for no reason I'd slime et al. The morning were the worst. It took almost 2 weeks for me to be able to eat "normally" for a bandster anyway so hang in there. Get some protein powder of high protein shakes, like 20-30 grams and use those to help you stay full while unable to eat much or on liquids. I know they say to try and eat solid food but at these times it is nearly impossible to get in enough food for the calories, protein your body needs. Also add benefiber to all liquids as well as using the special K protein drinks. I hope you are doing better already but remember it may take several days to adjust to this new restriction. Be careful and I'm saying a prayer for you right now. Hugs

Kim, I personally would not waste my money on the card thing. You only need your drivers license and birth certificate for real. This for you is one more thing that has been clarified and now you need to not worry about it. You have many other things to spend your time and money on now. You don't need to do anything else. Make this easy on yourself. After your surgery if you feel you want to get a passport then do it by all means but you don't need it for september.

Good for you for making this decision. As you said your knee has been bad for over 1 year and just because they finally diagnosed it correctly does not mean you have to rush in and get the surgery. If it were me I would choose the band before the knee for sure. And don't worry about the gas, that's what phazyme, gas-x strips and the like are for also. And remember only about 50% of patients get any bad gas pain so you'll be fine.

M=Max Muscle products like gourmet protein powder (vanilla caramel flavor and lots of others) for shakes (this is the first product of this nature I have found I can mix with water in a shaker and drink it without even any ice. It dissolves completely and has a great taste), max pro powder protein to mix in oatmeal or coffee or shakes, max glutamine (a daily must have for bandsters, look it up and research the importance of it), Max ultra 100 mega multi liquid vitamins, Max organic flaxseed oil (another daily must have) and last but not least a great one for us over 40 somethings Max femme lean and balance, designed for hormonal support and specific womens nutrition issues. Yes this was a bit long but I just had to share this discovery I have made of these products. website is www.maxmuscle.com or retail stores here in the NW are simply called "Max Muscle" .

Here's some tough love from one who knows, an ex-smoker for almost 5 years. You just have to set your mind to quitting, at least for the 2 weeks prior to surgery,period. Buy some patches, they work. Also you can get gums and all sorts of aids OTC. As suggested call your doctor and get an RX if you can. You then have to find something to do with your hands to keep busy instead of moving the cig to and from your mouth. Typing on this forum is an excellent substitute but there are so many things to distract your mins and hands. I actually would pretend I was holding a cigarette and take a nice long drag of air and then exhale and all the while think it was just like real smoke. The nice breathing you do as long as it takes to smoke a cig is good for you. People thought I was crazy but it worked. Don't look at this as an option, you MUST do this for your surgery. Yes perhaps others have not quit and then smoked right after but do you want to be that 1 in a few hundred that has complications because you couldn't give this a try, and make it happen? If you have complications in surgery they would have to transfer you to a real hospital where you would probably go into an ICU and no one speaks english. Think about it and get your priorities in line. You know all the tips and tricks to help quit so JUST DO IT!!

I finally found the BEST liquid vitamins I have tried yet. I bought them at a sports nutrition store called Max Muscle. If you don't have one in your area the website is www.maxmuscle.com. The liquid vitamins are called "Max Ultra 100", advanced mega-multi liquid nutrition. They have a few flavors but the one they gave me to sample is the one that sells the best and it is cherry berry flavor. You only take 1 oz 1 time a day. They provide over 100 vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and amino acids with extra high vitamin potency for those who need it. I had no trouble just swallowing the ounce and didn't need any water after or anything. I highly recommend checking these out. I paid $30.00 for a 32 ounce bottle so that's 1 months worth. Look it up I think you will be very satisfied with these, I am already. And just another FYI I found out alot of great tips on so many things from the owner of the store. He was great and really was into talking about my band and how this product line can really be one that is top quality and gives you alot of bang for the buck. I am going to post about all the stuff I found out tomorrow so watch for it. Edit: I just reread this. I don't want to sound like a salesman at all. Just excited about what I found to help me and want to share it with others too, that's all. No hard sale here!

For your surgery date in September you WILL NOT need a passport. I believe that next summer is when they are mandating that you must have a passport. They have changed the date already from summer 2008 to summer 2009 so it could change again. And to clarify you don't need anything when you go into Mexico, you just drive right through. When you come back you actually have to stop, get out of the van with your luggage and walk into a building where you stand in line, usually not more than 10-15 people at most in front of you, show them your license and birth certificate, the last name does not matter as many are married since birth, and you put your luggage and purse on an x-ray conveyer belt, they look at it going through and then you walk about 1 block to where the van meets you, get in and you're on your way to the airport. Simple as that. This is why you don't want a bunch of heavy luggage you have to lug around.

I need to get this book. I keep forgetting to order it. Even though I am 10 weeks post-op I think it would be worth it.

One of my suggestions for all who must fly to the OCC is to carry your own bouillon in one form or another. All you need then is hot water and you can get that on the plane also. I also suggest the special K protein water packets for your cold water bottles.

That makes sense now. If you have used it in the past you know it's effects. I also don't think it would hurt your band a all as it just goes into the larger stomach and does it thing. You may just want to call the OCC to be sure though. They probably won't recommend you take it but just to know if it would hurt the band in any way because we are not the doctors. After consulting with them than you can make an educated decision about what choice to make regarding the use of this. Best of luck to you, it sounds like you've been put through the wringer...when you mention your "first band and the aftercare pkg".

Clynn is right about the oxygenation of ones body. Smoking saturates the lungs with terrible toxins other than oxygen and the effects can last for a long time. When given general anesthesia your respiratory rate is depressed and your body needs all the "good" oxygen available. The more areas of the lung that can take in and use the fresh oxygen the better. Smoking will fill the available areas for good oxygen and fill it with bad toxins. Make sense?

I too have this similar problem. Since I only have had 1 fill my morning tightness is getting less and less though. I am also able to eat a little more every few days and have to be careful to stop myself. The evenings are sooo hard for me. I just can't seem to stay full. I better try some harder protein as suggested. There is a fine line between eating stuff that fills me up and isn't too hard and gets stuck. thanks for the tips all.

I am glad you stayed the extra night too! I never imagined before being banded and then my first fill how being too tight can be a very serious thing, and how unpredictable it is also. The flight thing would have upset me, I hate the airlines these days, also so unpredictable!! I just booked my second fill for the end of September. I'd like to get it sooner but we will be on vacation and I don't want a fresh fill for vacation with the family reunion we are going to. I will be careful and really evaluate how I feel before I leave TJ also. Hope now that your home you can adjust to this new restricted feeling. Take it easy,slow and remember to chew, chew, and chew again!!

They suggest to not use straws, especially in the beginning. The theory is that you suck in more air using a straw and then it only produces yet more internal gas. What gets on the inside must come out, one way or another I encourage you to stay on the clear liquids and you will be fine, you get drinkable yogurt soon too!!! I remember how at first I thought , wow big deal, but in reality it is a huge deal and I so looked forward to it. Get a good brand and it tastes yummy!!

I'm sure you are disappointed but don't let that stop you on your journey. Do your best and know you are doing your best and don't allow yourself to self sabotage. Good luck and keep us posted.

I know what you mean exactly. I skipped my period last month and I swear I was PMSing for the whole next month. I too wanted everything in site. I tried the 100 calorie little snack/cookie packs. I would eat each piece very slowly and try and then wait in between each bite. I also tried to have fresh veggies like little baby carrots to munch on. I tried grapes but my band won't tolerate them. I'd also cut up an apple into tiny chunks and it could last a long time. I did CRAVE sugar so badly and my old ice cream habit was screaming at me. I bought 100 calorie weight watcher mocha bars as I love coffee ice cream and they are rich and satisfy my craving for ice cream. Also Haagen Daz raspberry sorbet over vanilla are only 100 calories and so yummy too. Now for my mood swings, nothing helps. Thank goodness Tom came visiting yesterday. One last thing I use to snack on is beef jerky.

Well until lately I really was hit and miss. And then recently I discovered tuna and shrimp for my lunches. I buy the little 3oz. pack you don't have to drain of tuna. I buy a 2 pound bag of frozen little baby shrimp. I then buy fresh spinach in the ready to go bags too. Now I just have those 2 things for a great salad and use a vinaigrette dressing. For breakfast I still like to use protein shakes on work days. Otherwise I use oatmeal or have an egg, scrambled. Believe it or not at work I eat the same thing for dinners except I will use whichever protein I didn't eat at lunch. When I am home and having dinner with my husband he usually BBQ"s some great chicken, salmon, or once in a great while beef. I eat about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of whatever meat we have and then veggies. I have found the little 100 calorie snack packs to be a life saver when it comes to carbs and cravings. I would love to hear some others food plans though because mine isn't too creative.

Yes that's anther term for fluoro. When you have fills at the OCC they use fluoro and check your band.

OMG this is not the standard of practice anymore. Is this a hospital or a surgery center? We just use clippers for surgeries now so that peoples hair doesn't get mixed in when they are sutering. The infection rate with shaving has been shown to be higher than when using clippers because shaving causes so many little nicks in the skin which are then open. I do know though not all hospitals are up to standard yet, especially some smaller clinics. Don't worry too much about this with the tiny incisions you'll have no probs. Except maybe razor burn.

What a great thing to do Lisa. I think alot of people will come to this site, it just takes time. I don't think I have been banded long enough or have a good enough result yet to help you out however much I would like to. I am also not the best with the computer but have a wonderful husband who teaches me all the stuff I need to know when I need it. Perhaps as I lose more weight and get more time under my belt you'll consider chatting with me to help you. I think there will certainly be someone here who will fill your bill. Good luck with this project and God Bless for sharing the band news to others!!

E= EXERCISE is a crucial part of gaining muscle to burn more fat and lose more weight!!