ValleyGirl

That sounds perfect- I'd rather save my money for shopping!!! I'm going to call them right away.

I'd like to spend a night or two in San Diego after my first fill next month. Can anybody recommend a good place to stay? The Cdn. dollar is down again and one night hotel stay cost me $300 last time, ouch!!!

I agree you should call them. Since we were there at the same time, you know that I haven't had my first fill yet either but I've felt some restriction all of a suden the past couple days. I've heard we can tighten up on our own from stress or our periods, both of which I am dealing with right now. So that explains it for me but I'm curious to see what they about you. Keep us posted. Sabrina:)

Christmas dinner was a success I supppose. I ate whatever I wanted but not very much (maybe a quarter of what I would normally have) and I haven't had any problems getting anything stuck. Also, yetserday was the first day my port area wasn't sore- the best Christmas gift of all. On another note, I find now that I can't stuff my anger away with food, I'm feeling highly-sensitive and a little explosive. People are pissing me off very easily. I was swearing at work and one girl said, "Oh my..I've never heard you swear, it's like hearing Santa swear"! I've always been the happy-go-lucky one- or at least pretended to be. I feel like I want to tell everyone where to go! So much for holiday spirit, ha ha.

Sorry to hear that Kristy. I seem to be able to eat anything and I'm not sure I'm even chewing much (just keep forgetting) although I'm not very interested in eating. I was hungry my last week of liquids but not at all yesterday or today. That's the good news. The bad news is I'm still SO sore, like I'm bruised. I feel more sore this week than I remember feeling right after surgery. I'm sore to the point I'm thinking about taking some pain-killers. It's no fun!

I don't remember seeing any dircetions around what to eat once I start solids. Does it have to be mushy?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be exercizing yet. Walking is fine, but Dr. Miranda said I should avoid breaking a sweat for 3-4 weeks. I know somebody locally that had her port flip and the doctor (not Ortiz, another doctor in Peurto Vallarta) told her she started exercizing too soon and that's why it flipped. Of course, every doctor has different rules. I'd ask the OCC to be specific with you about what exercizes you should and shouldn't do. Hope you feel better soon! Sabrina:)

Thanks. That's great advice. I'm certainly picking them up less than normal....It's been a bit of a blessing because I have very clingy kids that always want "up up up mommy" and I seem to be breaking them of that habbit...it's just been when they are asleep and won't wake up or when they were throwing up that I had to do what I had to do. The fact that you have been okay is reassuring. Thanks. Sabrina:)

The area around my port incision is still quite sore (a burning, prickly feeling with sudden stabbing pains that last a couple seconds at a time)My surgery was almost three weeks ago and I have to wonder if I have pulled something lifting my children. I have not been able to avoid lifting them at times (both have had the stomach flu the past couple weeks) and I've had to carry them to/from the bathroom to bed. Plus, they both have a habbit of falling asleep when we are out driving (usually returning from after-school activities) and I've had to carry them in the house...they both weigh about 40 pounds. I know some of you are nurses and probably had to move patients that are much heavier, did it cause any problems with the band? I'm doing everything I can to avoid picking them up but with my husband constantly away on business, there is nobody but me to care for them. It also hurts when I bend over and sometimes when I turn from one side to another in bed. I guess I'm just hoping to hear this is normal while we are heeling and not that I've gone and screwed something up already....either from heavy-lifting or even from eating too much soup- something else I tend to do when I go in to "auto pilot" and then, suddenly, realize I have had way too much. Sabrina:)

Also, Dr Miranda said I could make my own dinners on the pre-op instead of Lean Cuisine as long as they were under 300 cals, 12 grams of fat, 25g protein and 25 g carbs. I had HUGE salads with sliced chicken breast from Costco or a grilled chicken breast or fish with TONS of veggies. You can actually have a lot of different stuff with those nutritional guidelines. Agreed, the Lean Cuisine just isn't a big enough portion. At least not for me. Sabrina:)

No idea but I can assure yu they were smoking at the hotel. I was surprised.

I met two girls at OCC when I was there this month that were both smokers. He gave them a big lecture but did the surgery anyways.

What ag reat piece of info (about the straw) Cindy, thanks!!! Sabrina:)

Although I know Dr. Ortiz puts your band in empty, I was feeling quite restricted from day1-8 post-op, probably from swelling. By day 9 I had no feeling of restriction, but wasn't really hungry so I kept drinking my fluids just for nutrition sake but could have gone without. As of yesterday, day 12, and in to today- I am STARVING!!! I've been at work since 4am (it's 9:30 now) and I've already had a slim fast shake, two cups of coffee, a glass of water and a YOP drinkable yogurt and my stomach is actually grumbling. Crazy. I know we're not suppoedto count calories right now, and Dr. Miranda says liquids are unlimited, but do I crack in to my soup already? I will have eaten everything I usually eat in a day before 10am.

I know, I cut my body out of almost all my photos. Sad, isn't it? I don't know what people did before digital cameras and the delete button,lol!!!

Anybody on facebook? I'm hooked!!! You can find me (at my many weights) searching Sabrina Storey, lol!

I'm starting to think maybe what I feel is scar tissue forming and not the port at all....it's probably burried under my big belly!!! Being just one day behind me, Kristy, do you feel any restriction? I can drink a lot without feeling full. Sabrina:)

I'm amost two weeks out and the ones that are scabbing over are a bit itchy as they heel which I think is normal....I remember as a kid when cuts and scrapes would start to scab over, they'd be a bit itchy. I'm no doctor, though! Sabrina:)

Way to go!!! By the way, you have the prettiest smile, it just lights up this place!

I was banded just 12 days ago and I swear I could really feel my port when I ran my hand over the largest incision a few days ago...other people touching it could feel the bump too, but now it's much harder to feel it, like it feels smaller or is less protruding. I'm wondering if this is because my swelling has gone down or if it could have flipped? I'm probaby worried about nothing, but I really have to feel around for it now. How would you know if your port flipped? Sabrina:)

Here is what Dr. Miranda just wrote back about my diet.... Liquids are unlimited it is just a matter of goving your band an oprtunity to heel in its place.Dr. Miranda

Cindy! My 20 year reunion is in June, so that also gave me a push to get the surgery as soon as I could. I can't wait o shop for my outfit! Sabrina:)

I didn't write down water because I thought that was a given, but I'm getting in 5 or six glasses of water a day, no worries. I guess I'll cut my soup portion in half. Thanks for your input. Sabrina:)

Jazzy! Half a cup of soup? I eat the whole can right now...although it takes me a long time. I assumed I could get it all down now cause I don't have any fluid in my band but that once I had a fill I would "fill" up faster. Is the whole can too much? Here's my typical diet and I'm on day ten of post-op...one day ahead of Kristy I believe. 6am- coffee with 1%milk 7am- can of slim fast and a chewable multivitamin 10am-tea or broth with benefibre mixed in 1pm- a big bowl of soup I savor for half an hour! Usually, a green Gardennay soup (asparagus, brocoli, spring leek) 500 ml box 4pm- tea time again (with more benefibre) 7pm- Yop drinkable yogurt if I'm hungry but I have skipped dinner twice cause I wasn't What do you think? I'm tracking on Sparkpeople and I'm not reaching my daily calorie and nutrient goals but I'm just not hungry and I have lots of energy and I'm losing weight so I'm going with it for now. Sabrina:)

1. Name: Sabrina 2. Location: Vancouver area, BC, Canada 3. Age: 37 4. Band Date: Dec 2/08 5. Married: yes 6. Children of the human or furry kind: daughter Sydney is 5 and son Drew is 3, cat named Slinky 7. Hobby(ies): shopoholic but I'm hoping to replace that with healthier stuff now. I used to like to ski when I was smaller 8. Work: radio announcer and freelance voice talent, producer 9. What was the deciding factor(s) on getting banded: I want to be alive long enough to see my children marry and have their own kids 10. Interesting factoid: I've beena hand-model, haha