tnm75

No advice... but, I'll be cheering for you! I can't wait to hear about your experience! Kristy

Metamucile at 10 o'clock AM and 3 o'clock PM... not only will it help with your issue, but it helps with the hunger pangs too. Post-op I would suggest BeneFiber powder... love that stuff. Kristy

Don't worry to much about starting your creamy stage! You'll feel like you died and went to heaven! Yes, you can eat potato soup... just not the potato chunks. I went to Subway and got the soup-of-the-day quite often... I asked them to give me as much juice/cream as possible. I also have a chicken enchilada soup that I made... it was wonderful and extremely filling! As for calories... you do not count calories on the 21 day post-op liquid diet. I sometimes had a drinkable yogurt for breakfast and one for lunch... then a creamy soup for dinner and I would finish my day with a Healthy Choice fudgesicle. Kristy

Fabi, Congratulations! Not only on having a band date, but for the hard work that you put into it! I wish the health care system in the states were different. They just don't understand! I heard someone say the other day (in regards to me)... "Why doesn't she just stop eating. She needs to put the Coke down and grab some water." Those comments are what used to throw me into an eating frenzy. I wanted to say, "For the record, I haven't had a Coke in a month!" No one can ever understand what it is to be overweight unless they have been there. Kristy

Walking at 3 o'clock AM? Oy! You are a better woman than I!

Evil scales!

Bobbie, Don't give up... save, save, save. If you want this badly enough, you can make it happen --- it might just take a little longer than you'd like it to. If you have items hanging around the house, sell them... on craigslist, ebay, yardsales, etc. Every little bit will put you that much closer to your heart's desire! Open a savings account dedicated to your surgery... pretend that you have a loan already and that you are making payments on it each month. Ideally we want the surgery NOW and want to pay afterwards, but who says it can't be the other way around? You can do it! Kristy

Christy, Boy... there are certainly a lot of Christy/Kristy-s on the boards! Tough spot... I truly feel for you. And, I hear the desire for a change through your words. I remember going to a doctor's appointment in October, seeing my weight, getting that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and knowing that I had to do something... and, wanting it done RIGHT THEN AND THERE. Thankfully everything fell into place and I had my surgery scheduled within a couple of days of that doctor's appointment for the first week in December. Thankfully I didn't have to finance anything. Would your mom be willing to take out a loan with one of you being a co-signer? Without having a job, I don't see getting a loan on your own as an option right now. Like others have said... save, save, save. If you can't get it done right now, don't give up and don't get discouraged. As for Mexico being safe... my reply is a resounding YES! My experience with the OCC was incredible. I do not speak Spanish and I made the trip on my own. Most of the staff at the OCC speak English and those that don't... it's enjoyable to watch them want to learn. They are wonderful people, all of them! Dr. Ortiz is one of the best. He has been researched by most of us here and you will find that you will be in good hands should you choose him. Kristy

Remember that there is no calorie counting during the 21 day post-op diet. Do what you need to do to feel satisfied. I drank LOTS of Gatorade during that time. And, I still lost 15 pounds. For fudgesicles... I purchased Heathy Choice. They were yummy... and, I didn't care for the Skinny Cow brand at all. Kristy

Bouillon cubes are fine. However, I took bouillon cubes with me and never used them. The hotel has yummy broth. On the flight home I had gatorade and water. Power Aide is fine. After day 6... hot chocolate is fine. And, fudgsicles are fine.

Hey Kristy... it's Kristy here! Nice name! I'm not from your area, but I would love to be a band buddy with you! You can find me here. Or on facebook by searching kstock75@msn.com. PM me if you're interested... and, I can send you my cell number and such. Kristy

I just started back on solids after my 21 day post-op liquid diet. My losing has stalled... and, have even gone up and down. I'm guessing my body is trying to "adjust" to solids again. Not sure... but, I know that I'm looking forward to my first fill in a couple of weeks. Kristy

Sabrina, I just got this in my email box... this would have to be booked through www.travelocity.com. Worth looking into as they are incredible prices for San Diego. Kristy

Congratulations! You're doing great! Kristy

Sabrina, Do you have a SAMS CLUB card? You can get pretty good discounts at a La Quinta Inn & Suites with that. Also, if you tell them you are LDS you get a 10% discount... there is nothing you have to do to "prove" you are LDS. I know this because I used to do audits for them many moons ago. And, my sister-in-law is a general manager for the company. Another idea, look into purchasing hotel gift cards from eBay. I've done this several times for Marriott gift cards... just make sure the seller has incredible feedback. One other option... www.hotels.com --- I love the site. Kristy

That's a tough one considering what the economy is like right now. Do you have no credit, little credit or bad credit? I would try going through a local credit union, most of the time they allow anyone to join. Depending on what you do for work, there are credit unions that work with specific entities. For example, I work for a school district and we have a credit union that will allow employees to join with benefits that are normally pretty good. I didn't finance my surgery, but I have gotten unsecured loans through my credit union in the past. Another thing to consider is finding a co-signer... perhaps your parents, because getting an unsecured loan without stellar credit may be difficult. I hope you're able to get financing. Also, if financing doesn't work out... start a savings account dedicated to the surgery. Kristy

PM me your name... I'll look for you on the 16th! I have my first fill at 12:30... perhaps will be on the shuttle together that morning after landing. I think my flight lands around 10'ish. Also, I'll be headed back EARLY on the AM for my morning flight. I'm not looking forward to being in the lobby at 5 o'clock AM. Kristy

Jenelle, I hope to see you there! My appointment is for 12:30... do you fly it that same day or a day earlier? Let me know, I would love to meet you! Kristy

Hi Sarah! We were banded on the same day. I would definitely call the OCC! I haven't felt tons of restriction, but know I have some because I've had a couple of times where I felt something was stuck... the first time was chicken and the second time was a biscuit. However, I could probably eat as much as I ate before since food is going through the band. I just don't want you to have a slipped band. I would call even if it were to just put your mind at ease. I'm having my first fill on January 16 at the OCC, but unlike you... I NEED IT! Kristy

Christy, I lost the required amount. And, I was sure to specifically ask Dr. Miranda exactly how much she wanted me to lose. That way I had a goal. My BMI was over 50 so I had a lot of work ahead of me to meet the goal. This is one of the most important and most expensive things that I've ever invested in... well other than my house, my car and my education. Do all you can to stick to your pre-op diet, not only will it help you during pre-op, but it will make your surgery less risky and it will give you the willpower post-op to continue making the right decisions. Kristy

No limits on liquids during your 21 day post-op. Nor is there any calorie counting. However, on creamy soups. I'd suggest only eating a half cup at a sitting. If your hungry 30 minutes later, eat some more. Kristy

I did. But, truthfully... I wish I had "practiced" more during those 21 days post-op. Kristy

It did go down after a few minutes, and I'm able to drink. This is going to be a bigger change then I thought. Today I've been so thirsty that I just want to chug a bottle of water... not sip. I'm going to need to be more conscience of things... and, SLOW DOWN. Sabrina, I'm sorry that you're still so sore. I didn't experience a lot of soreness. It's good that you're not very hungry. Have you scheduled your first fill? Where are you going to get it? I'm going to the OCC on January 16th and back home on the 17th for my first fill. I think for it being my first day of eating solids... my head is playing tricks with my tummy. I don't think I'm hungry, but I want to eat. Today I had bowl of shreaded wheat cereal with a bit of yogurt for breakfast, chicken cooked with bell peppers and onions over some rice for lunch and a lean cuisine for dinner. Kristy

My first day on solids and I got some chicken stuck. Blah. Do you think I did any damage? I thought I chewed well enough. It ended up going down after a few minutes. But, it was super uncomfortable. Ouchie. Kristy

Thanks girls. You have been a tremendous help! I have been taking a vitamin each morning, but I've been really wondering how to make sure that my body's needs are being met. Kristy