nursemom

I agree with everyone else. You sound DEHYDRATED!!!! I let myself get dehydrated and about got into trouble (even though hubbie and myself are ICU nurses). Drink drink drink..... You just don't want to "go there"... good luck!

I am a nurse as well in a very busy ICU with no aides and I went back to work the week after and did fine. I didn't tell anyone about the surgery so I didn't get any "breaks". Was sort of sore and miserable at first but too busy to worry about it.

I was banded 9/11 and I don't feel the actual band around my stomach, but I can feel the port. However I do feel the effects of the band. I felt them right away. In fact, I just tried to eat a cracker and I wasn't quite ready for it and I am FEELING IT as I type - OYE! (when will I learn...)

Isn't ANYTIME a GOOD TIME to go to Disneyland?

Hi Kelly, I can understand how you feel about the husband thing. At first my hubby was totally against it saying things like "taking the easy way out" bla bla bla. When he and I agreed that I should do it, he said - Just remember you decided to do this and I don't want to hear you complain about it. This may seem insensitive to some, but for me it was a motivator. No excuses and no whining. I take full responsiblity for my band and the effects is has on our lives. He is very supportive now, but it was rough for a while. I don't know why some guys do this.... are they worried about loosing us? Jealous that weight loss appears "easy" for us? I would have your surgery, be brave and work hard. I have also found that not focusing on it (the band) all of the time seems to help. I get my band-chat and info here on this site. Hang in there!

The post surgery time is really hard. If some certain food looked good to me I would say to myself, "It looks good, but does it look $8000 good?" That seemed to help. Hang in there!

The band can be a fickle thing. Sometimes, I can eat cake and other times I can't. Go slow and eat really small bites. I like Jazzy's ice cream idea!

I was banded in september and I still get shoulder pain from time to time. And at times, it REALLY hurts. I agree with the warm liqiuids - they seem to help lots. Hang in there because it does get better.

I don't have a complicated vitamin routine, but I know some bandsters swear by it. I love the chewable centrum vit. I can't do the liquid, but I know I need something because am eating so much less. My hair fell out for the first couple of weeks. Not CHUNKS just more when brushing it. I added more protein and did the chewables and was fine (happy to report)! Good luck!

Christy, Let me tell you my story, girl! I was a true diet coke addict. I don't even want to tell you how much diet coke I drank each day. It is truly embarrassing.... It was the ONLY FLUID that I consumed. I didn't drink water, no juice, no milk NOTHING but diet coke. And, I had been doing it for at least 15 years. So, I knew that I wanted the band and was so tired of being a fat girl. I KNEW I had to quit. It was an interesting experience. I cut myself back until three days before surgery I had my last one. I was so addicted, but it came down to having the band or having diet coke. It was an ultimatum. So, the "detox" was rough but after three days it was much better. I would encourage you to do it.. (not cold turkey) bit by bit. Now that it is gone, I don't miss it (it's been over three months) and I feel better. I still don't like water, but I drink splenda sweetened tea and crystal lights. YOU CAN DO IT! You have to decide which is most important to you. BTW, I am an ICU nurse at a very stressful unit so I do understand that as well... you CAN live without it. Diet coke never did me any favors, but my lap band has changed my life!

Bread is the ENEMY! I know exactly how you feel. I can't eat any bread and especially not squishy white bread like french bread. If you have to get that carb fix, I find that I can eat some crispy crackers (SLOWLY)! Good Luck!

Welcome to the site... it has been invaluable to me! I would be careful with any kinds of meds that will shed water weight. I have seen lots of people get into trouble with those. When I was banded I tried so hard adopt a healthy attitude and plan towards weight loss and eating. I still struggle with the quick fix attitude as I am sure lots of us on here do. With the pre-op forum, what I did was to browse through all of the old posts and see what applied to my pre-op questions. It may take some time, but I found the answers to most of my questions in the old posts. Good luck!

I know of someone in Lewiston, Idaho. If you are interested send me a message and I can give you details....

Just had to share my NSV..... I love black and as the saying goes, "I will wear black until they make something darker" - I love to wear black slacks. All of mine had grown too baggy, which in itself is a great NSV. Went into Old Navy just just to look. I generally can't find anything to wear in there. (Our old Navy doesn't have a plus size section) So, I decide to try on a pair of new black slacks in a size that I haven't fit into in well... forever and THEY FIT! A little tight, but I didn't leave the dressing room in tears. It may not seem big to some, but what a feeling to go into a "normal" sized store and find a pair of pants that fit. Once I loose all of my weight I vow to never set foot in another Lane Bryant again ..... thanks for letting me share - Cari

I do understand you being worried about pain... I had some pain, but the meds weren't narcotics but anti-inflammatories. At least i didn't get any narcotics....maybe I missed out... Anway, what I wanted to say was that although there was some pain, I just kept remembering how emotionally painful my life has been as a fat girl. I figured that nothing was as painful as the many comments, unsucessful shopping trips and bathing suit trips I have endured over the years. I said it before but this summer I was asked to get off a roller coaster because the seat belt wouldn't fit around me. THAT was much more painful than any post-surgical discomfort I had to endure. Thinking of all of this helped me - good luck!

I cancelled my surgery several times before going through with it..... I kept telling myself the same things - that I could do it on my own and technically I could do it... I just can't keep the weight OFF after loosing it. Better to reprocess your feelings and really think it through before hoping on the plane to OCC. I personally would do it again in a minute so I am probably not what you would consider neutral. However, I really struggled. The band "forces" me to tow the line and I really like that about it. There are pros and cons either way. I read lots of lapband books... I do understand how you feel - :-? Cari

WOW - very inspiring! Thanks for sharing

Hi Stormy, I haven't ever written to you, but I have read lots of your posts. I felt like you at one week out. I am now 2 1/2 weeks out (feeling MUCH better) and hardly an expert, but I do know how you feel. I felt achy, gross, shoulder pain, nauseated, rib pain, sore throat etc.... I felt like I was such a wennie because here I am a nurse and survived birthing two kids and having two major back surgeries and felt like CRAP after a simple laproscopic proceedure. I had to quit being so hard on myself. What I have learned from others is that we are supposed to drink, drink and not worry about calories for now. Having a slim fast seems to help when I am hungry and I love the hot tea to calm down my stomach. I agree that the pills could be causing you to have an upset stomach. You could try taking them with a bit of milk or something thicker than plain water. Also, I know when I felt really run down, I was dehydrated. I know you have heard all of this before, but I guess my point is... hang in there - at least I know how you feel. Don't be to hard on yourself! Try not to get to anxious, because it might make the nausea and everything worse (I know - easier said than done ) I agree with you about the food channel and those terrible commericals - it is sad how focused our society is on food... I have picked up a good book and turned off the TV!!!

ha ha about the finger licking comment..... it is pretty standard proceedure to remove fingernail polish pre-op from at least one nail. They need it to hook up the oxygen monitor (SPO2). Not sure what they might do if you have acrylics.... They CAN use an ear lobe or toe nail... I do it all of the time...

we have this thing that we use with our post open heart patients and it is called a "slider" - we take prune juice and warm it up and put a pat of melted butter in it. Gross, huh? Seems to work.......

Just the FLAVORING not the noodles... I hate the taste of regular bullion cubes

I second the heating pad idea (thanks CottonwoodAZ) and someone had a great one about taking the packets out of top ramen noodles and using those instead of bullion cubes. I LOVE that idea! I liked the gas-x strips that disolve on your tounge. GOOD LUCK!!

yes lots of rib pain here....I will be much more sympathetic to my lap patients from now on!!! My comes on strong, almost like a spasm and then fades away. I find that (like everyone else) getting up and walking around helps as well as drinking liquids at varying temps. It was pretty bad last night so I had a cup of tea, heating pad (whoever suggested this - THANKS) and it got much better. Hang in there! I was banded the day before you!

thanks for the advice~

Kim, as I have been on this site your posts and photos have been a HUGE inspiration.... hang in there and remember that you are such a help those of us who haven't started our journey yet!