AngieB

I used a email that a friend has sent to his family and customized it for my own. (Plagiarized ) In the email it gave some general information about the lab band procedure, the facility, the Dr.s ect. With links to certain internet pages. It gave them enough information to gain knowledge, but not over kill. Since you have done your research, you know that the person having the it done doesn't need to share all that info. That would be over kill. What this did was it allowed them to read and understand what the deal was. Once they checked it out they seemed to feel more at ease. I told my core people. The ones who care about me. Not nosey gossips. I made sure to tell them how I felt and how important this was to me. I asked for there support and let them know that I wanted positive people around me. Since I have been back. I have shared with the "others." I did not want the stress of anyone worrying themselves sick that I was going to die or trying to convience me what a grave mistake I was making. After the fact, they can't stress me out and I don't stress them out. Not everyone I told was supportive, my brother and sister in law sorta freaked out. ( I lost an Aunt to weight loss surgery this past December, so it was a emotional topic.) That being said, I would be happy to share the email I sent to my family and close friends if you want to see it. What is important is you don't stress yourself over this. There are several people who do not know I have had surgery. I am not hiding it from anyone, just haven't gone telling everyone yet. I am sending you good vibes! Angie

I wanted to update this post and say, I have not had any weird hiccup symptoms for a few days. So strange, how they would go away. I am wondering now if this could have been gas pressure for surgery? I suppose that is a long shot, but I didn't have any "gas" issues or pain. At anyrate they are gone.....to strange!

Well in 7 more days I will be finished with my post op diet. I am counting down. I am doing "pretty good" but not scoring 100%. I've had my cheat moments. Here is a list of my cheats. 1 slice of banana (this caused mild chest pain and major spit) 4 days after surgery (dumb a$$) 1/2 cup of mash potatoes 3 sticks of string cheese (at different times) 3 bites of a cookie 1/2 cup of tuna helper (that I did not finish) 1 bite of bread 1 slice of hot dog (I chewed and spit) graham cracker 10 animal crackers (at different times) I know it's bad, but I did what I did, and i want to document it. I wish I were that person who could do what I am told. Follow diets to a tee and feel the success of accomplishement. Although I have cheated a lot, I feel like I have done a good job. I have fallen short, but I have done my best. Sometimes my best is not great. I still feel proud. I started off mentally prepairing myself for the journey ahead. I was pumped and ready! Then HEAD HUNGER strolled in and kicked my butte! If you are a cheater like me, do your best. Do the very best you can. Each of us takes a risk when we cheat. The risk of our bands not healing right or solidly. The risk of a band slip down the road. Stretching out our poutch. We are aware of our dumb risks, but do it anyway. DO YOUR VERY BEST! I have done what I could. I don't feel like I have stretched my pouch. GOD knows I have not eaten enough food to stretch it out. (even though above list is even longer than I wanted to admit! Ugh!) This world takes all kinds to make it go round, I play my role. So scoff if you will, I can take it, for I have accepted myself and have broad shoulders! If you read this and feel a sense of relief because you too have fall short of the mark. I say again DO THE VERY BEST YOU CAN! One more week! 25 more days until my 1st fill!

PMPL - Jazzy that last one was so funny! I would have rolled in on the floor laughing! Okay....I got one, you know you're a bandster when.....your counting down the days till you can have solids agian. ( I have 8 more days)

Here is a list of items I packed for the trip. Liquid Tylenol Gas-X strips / Beano drops Unisom sleep melts (I have trouble sleeping) Neosporin plus pain relief Heating Pad Thermal care (for the flight home) Benefiber powder Stool softener BlackBerry and charger. Book to read. Cashiers Check Paperwork/Health survey. Green Tea to go ( I am taking a few of each kind.) Crystal Light plus protein to go Special K Protien water to go. Wyler's Instant boullion Chicken "granules" (Very handy to have, I would order a pot of hot water and viola!) Cloths (comfortable) Nightgown Swim suit Make-up / Toiletries Walking shoes / socks Flip flops Light jacket 1$ and $5 for tipping Passport I did not use the following items from the list. Neosporin plus pain relief Thermal care (for the flight home) DID NOT BUY TO TAKE WITH ME. Benefiber powder Stool softener Book to read. Swim suit - we didn't have time. Light jacket - I forgot at home, it was cool but not to bad. I hope this helps you with your planning! I stayed at the Marriott and they did provide boyd wash, shampoo, conditioner. I still brought my own. I packed light, yes this is light! I had plenty of room for the items I brought home that I bought shopping! Fun!

cryltodd - I too struggled with the pre-op diet. Hang in there! Do the best you can do. What helped me was to remind myself of why I was doing the darn torture pre-op diet anyway. That seemed to re-focus me and help me to stick to the diet. Keep in mind, you have already lost 10 lbs! Great job! Your have over 2/3 of your weight lost and a good amount of time to loose the rest. IMHO - The liquids only is going to help you shrink the stomach tissue and the size of your stomach. Which will help you for your post-op diet. I would suggest you do liquids for breakfast, and lunch and have a reasonable meal at dinner. When I did this I noticed I got full faster because my stomach size had shrunk. You're doing great! You should be proud of yourself!

Stormy! Congrats on having some good restriction! Woo Hoo!

Hi Todd! How are you guys doing? When are you planning on getting your first fills? I think it's cool you guys did it together!

Good one GregP! I have one. You know you're a banster when you take more water/drink bottles to work than you do food! Gotta get those liquids in!

I have, and I am staying right at 17 lbs lost. Even with the liquids I have not lost much. *shrugs* not sure what is up with that, cuz other than a few small cheats I have stuck to the liquid diet. Anyway Boo! I am staying focused on not gaining any back since I have been on full fluids. So far, so good. I am looking forward to getting my 1st fill. My apt is for June 1st! I have a count down for that and for solids again on my facebook page. Silly huh! Day 12 of post op liquid diet. I am looking forward to chewing something again. I am not a real gum chewer so that is a bummer! Anyway, I have been weighing myself EVERY DAY! Sometimes in the morning and at night! Yep, I have a love hate relationship with that darn scale! LOL

I am feeling great! I blogged about my surgery and events. Your welcome to check it out. I feel great. (Well other than my hunger has come back.) I am on day 12 of the post-op diet. I have had a few cheats. One with a slice of banana. That did not go well at all. I got a mild chest discomfort and a ton of spit to show me how dumb I was to think I could eat it. Had some runny mash taters the other day. Just felt like I needed something and figured it would be the best choice. Not to heavy or chewy. You have your self all pumped to do 21 day of liquids. Then you (me) have had to deal with hunger, and the horrible dreaded HEAD HUNGER!!! That is truely a Bit*ch. Sorry for the harsh words, but let me tell ya, it is a definate monkey on this chicky poo's back. Other than that, I feel great. Came out from surgery like the bounce back kid! It went better than I could have hoped for. No gas pains and very little discomfort. Matter of fact I was able to sleep in any postion side, stomach ect right after surgery. CRAZY! Anyway, guess I have the gift of gab today. Thanks for asking! You'll have to let me know how your surgery goes! I am sending you BOUNCE BACK KID vibes! I hear that the gas pain can be nasty!~ Angie

I'd say your day is going great! Congrats on starting filming and keeping your surgery date!!!!

Robbyn! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU! yay! I can only imagine how excited you are! Bet your glad you started your pre-op anyway! Woo Hoo!

This is fun! When you are looking at someones plate thinking to yourself......"Are they really going to eat all that food!? When you take a drink in the morning to see how tight you are. You know you are in bandster when you step on the scale in the moring and at night. LOL I did this yesterday!

Good for you Robbyn! Stay positive! I am thinking of you and hoping everything turns out great for you!

Stormy - I was thinking of putting this on my braclet. ADJ Gastric Band NO NG Tube w/o Endoscope (with my local Dr.s name and Phone#) What were you thinking of putting on yours?

I have learned so much from this forum, and enjoy meeting new friends. I am on day 12 of the post -op diet. When is your surgery?

There are not a whole lot of bloggers. I do have a favorite marked, but he has not blogged in a while. Anyway, it is interesting to read about people.

Okay here is the run down. I was the first one to have surgery on Friday 4/24/09! (Which was awesome!) I was in by 10 and back in my room by 10:30. Walking by 11ish. I decided to stay at the Marriott with my mom, and was back at the hotel by 4 ish. Had no gas pains. None! I don't know if this has anything to do with the price of rice, but I took Beano gas drops as I was leaving or room before surgery and took gas-x strips the day of my surgery. Like I said, I don't know if that had anything to do with not having gas pains, but hey....if it worked for me, I would recommend it for anyone. I did a lot of walking. I am very thankful my momma (I am 33 years old and she is still my momma!) Had me walking ASAP. I told her that walking was the best way to relieve gas and she should help me to walk right away. She did her job nad for that I am very greatful and glad she went with me. My largest incision is about an inch. It is not dead center on my tummy but inbetween my belly button and my left breast. The other 4 are very small. I did bruise, and 2 areas are still dark purple. Mind you I had to be on extra Lovenox due to blood clots complications and a previous pulminary embolism. I was the only one of the group of bandsters that day who had bruises, so I think that is why. Again, who really knows. Saturday, the day after surgery, several of us went to the Revolution Ave to shop. We shopped for 4 or so hrs and then went to this taco joint to get some lunch for the people who could eat. After we got back to the hotel, I crashed. We were suppoe to meet back up for drinks at 8 but when my mom asked me, I couldn't wake myself enough to go. I had to take a couple doses of benedryl because I had a reaction to the adheasive tape they put on your tummy before they cut the large incision. That benedryl makes me sleepy and with the shopping and surgery, I think I was just pooped. I slept 10 hrs! Best sleep I have had since before I was pregnant with my son! LOL That in itself was a delight! Oh and I could sleep in any postion too, even on my tummy! The next morning we left, Sunday the 26th. Now the plane rides were the hardest on me. There was a lot of turbulance and by the time I got home I was feeling wiped out. Matter of fact when I was getting in the car at the airport I was weepy. Not from pain, just a heavy emotion from seeing my family and making it back. Really the emotion was strange and it took me by suprise. My husband turned and looked at me and asked, "Honey are you crying?" I said yes. He asked it there was something wrong. No, nothing was wrong, it had been a long day and considering everything, I was emotional. My hubby had surgery Monday morning. I went back to work on Wed. I could have easily gone back on Monday, but was very happy to spend some time with my guys. I bought some silicone scar treatment and E sil. Up until now I have been putting neosporin s(sp) on my incision. The glue has come off the large incision very early. I mentioned previously I had a reaction to the adhesive and had to scrub to get the residue off. Even though I didn't scrub the incison, beign careful to get around it, the glue came off early. I am a bit concerned the larger scar will not have as good of healing as the rest of the incisions. I took a pic of my stomach the day after surgery, but I was not bruised yet. I'll post it tomorrow. So you can see the incisions. The post op diet has been a breeze up until really today. I felt more hunger today. Soups are not nearly as good as I imagined they would be. The drinkable yogurt was yummy! I am sicking to the shakes for breakfast and lunch. Then for supper I am having soup. I am very ready for food again. I have had a couple small cheats. One in which I had mild chest pain and a shit load of spit. I walked it off. All over a slice of banana! My goodness. (was from my sons breakfast) I can not complain really. The port site has been the tenderest of all the incisions. An let me tell you it is nothing to complain about. I have a good pain tolerance. I have really been the bounce back kid. Amazing! Even my momma couldn't believe how well I did. The day I got banded there where 7 of us! Crazy! I am on day 11 post op and today was the first day I felt true full on hunger. Soon I will be able to eat again and it will feel good to chew something!

I am ordering one and my friend who is banded has worn one for years. Not a dumb question at all

Shelby - Your new picture is great! You have really lost weight and look amazing!

Well, it has been 11 days post-op. It is going pretty good. I have had a few small cheats, but for the most part I am doing liquids. Really thought soup would be more yummy than it is. I am beginning to feel hungry. Not bad, just a mild hunger. I struggle to not eat when I cook my family there meals. I've asked my husband to pitch in to help, but he doesn't seem to want to. Bummer. He has a few times, but he isn't the cook so it's hard on him too. I have moments when I just want to eat. Ugh! Doing my best to stay focused. Three weeks of liquids! I can do it!! On a side note, I was reading on the lapbandtalk.com April 2009 forum today that people are getting fills after 4 weeks. Hmm I scheduled mine for 6 weeks post op. I wonder what the big difference is. Are we healed by 4 weeks???? I have asked a question on the fill section of this forum to see what others have to say. Guess we will see what they have to say!