BellCurveBabe

I am a physical therapist also and had my surgery exactly 1 week ago (May 14th, 2009). I felt great up to 4 days after surgery, but then the gas started. I started working 2 days ago and each day when I come home from work I am so bloated and in such pain (sharp achy pain in my upper left trap) that I can barely move. The gas-x only helps a little bit. My port site is sore, but the one that bothers me is the tiny one under my left boob. It is tender like you wouldn't believe. I cannot bend down either. If I drop something in the car then it is down there for good. The worse part is the gas (and that is what is causing the shoulder pain). I can't even expel it like I used to. It is impossible for me to burp even though I feel like I need to. I also don't pass gas anymore. I am thinking about buying beano and trying that. Good luck. If I find an answer then I will let you know.

So how much was the grand total with the days at Recovery by the Sea? How many days did you stay there? Are you impressed with your LBL results?

I don't know if you like coffee but that is what I used to do to curb my sweet cravings. I add sugarfree syrups so that the coffee is very sweet. I would drink like 2 cups and I would feel satisfied or too full to eat anything. Maybe another option would be to choose a sweet that won't melt and go right through your band. Like......chocolate grahm crackers. I can't have ANY sweets in the house or else I will go hog wild. I guess another good thing to do is to just not buy them. I used to have a deal with my boyfriend. He would hide my keys from me if I started to look for chocolate or sweets. It's like a drug addiction with me.

Tracy, Robbynnoel and Shiney Good luck to you 3 ladies that either have your surgery today or are going to have it soon. Let us know how it goes!!!!!

It was so bad that I couldn't even use my left arm. Is this from gas or what? I can usually deal with alot and this almost brought tears to my eyes.

I was a little crabby to say the least on the pre-op. This post-op diet is a little different though. I am pure evil!!! I think it's the combination of the pains (hunger, incision, left shoulder etc) and the lack of calories. I have little energy but if someone irritates me I go from sleepy to raging hosebeast in 2.0 seconds flat.

Thanks guys!! I guess I will just try them all and see what the results are (when the time comes....not until June 5th). I had my surgery at OCC but the only foods mentioned that might give problems were the bready things.

I'm going to schedule my first fill around June 25th ish. I want to take the Mexicoach to the border and then hop a cab so if anyone is going for a fill around that time and wants to go it together > please let me know.

I had lost all hope after failing fad diet after fad diet. When I finally made the decision to go ahead with the surgery I felt exactly like you. This is a new lease on life and we will use it to our advantage!!! Best of luck to you. Cheers

Was looking at the UCSD website for post op diet stuff just for sh*ts and giggles and saw a list of foods to avoid after lapband. These foods were my most favorite "healthy" foods ( . Has anyone had a problem with these foods and what is the reasoning behind avoiding them? "Foods To Avoid After you have transitioned to solid foods, you should try to avoid certain foods. Such foods include, but are not limited to: Dried fruits Asparagus Pineapple Rhubarb Corn (especially popcorn) Grapes Nuts and seeds (walnuts, whole peanuts, almonds) "

To step on the scale at regular intervals (once weekly) is also a good kick in the butt. That way you will know if you have gained 3 pounds . Losing 3 pounds isn't a huge deal. If you don't step on that scale for a month and see 12 pounds gained you are more likely to get frustrated and give up. It would be a good idea to set a healthy low calorie meal plan up for the next week and stick to it.

June 5th, 2009 is the day that will live in infamy. I'm looking forward to BBQ Ribs, asparagus and mashed potatoes. I've been craving this since the start of my pre-op. Funny thing though. I've been trying to talk myself out of it because I should eat healthy. Hmmm?

Oh my....you look awesome!!! You should be mega pleased. I've never seen such a big difference between before and after pics. Congrats!!!

My only saving grace was water water water. If I felt hungry I MADE myself drink 16 oz of water BEFORE I ate anything. It worked most of the time. I kept telling myself that it was only X more days. The anesthesia thing is really your personal choice. You have had complications before so only you know what is best. I would call up OCC and get the explaination for exactly what will be different this time. Run the explaination by your allergy doc and see what he says. I wish you all the luck.

((Shiney)) I went alone. It's an empowering feeling. The people at OCC and the hotel will take great care of you. You will have the other bandsters there for you too!!! The only difficulty I had was placing calls to the US from the hotel. OCC lets you make all the US calls you want so take advantage of that when you are there. Good luck!!!

Try to find a site that will calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate). It is just an estimate of what you burn each day doing normal living functions. Then remember 1 pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories. You must have negative 3500 calories to lose 1 pound. This means that if your basal metabolic rate is around 1400/day and you are eating 900 calories a day then your daily deficit is 500 calories. A negative of 500 calories a day for a total of 7 days (a week) will allow you to lose 1 pound. I think the biggest thing to remember that those little nibbles we take of something during the day really add up. So do liquids. I had no idea how many caloires I was consuming until I: 1. Looked up the calorie content of everything ( you would be surprised at how high calorie some "healthy" things are) 2. Accounted for EVERYTHING that I put in my mouth (gum, little nibbles, liquids) and put it into a calorie tracking system each day

I was just in TJ from the 13th to the 17th. I went completely alone and everything was fine. I took a cab to go shopping at Plaza Rio on Saturday. The Plaza Rio Mall has gaurds every 100 feet with guns strapped across their chest. As long as you stay within the hotel or other mainstream public areas you will have NO problem. On the way to TJ I did not have to exit the van. The only time you need to get out of the OCC van is on the way BACK across the border. The driver lets you out at the border and you go through customs. Not a big deal because there are gaurds all over the place. You then have to walk a block up the street to a bank and wait for the the driver to pick you up. (We went through the Otay Mesa border (I think) because the main TJ border was backed up for over an hour). I wouldn't worry about much really. If you are worried stay within the confines of the hotel. It will have a resteraunt and everything else you need.

That one at Target is EAS AdvantEdge....only 110 calories and pretty tasty. My favorite flavor is Dark Chocolate....so rich!!! Not chalky like others. That is my favorite considering the low calorie count.

I used to have one of the older versions 2 years ago. I helped me lose 20lbs. I did get a little sick of logging my food though. If I get a new one I would def get the watch. It would be so helpful to know how close you are to your daily burn goal before the day is over. The only problem is that (at least with the old one) if I chose to ride a bike (or do a spinning class) the little bugger wouldn't calculate the appropriate calories burned.

I am currently in the Marriott. It is very nice. (The chicken broth is to die for...lol how odd does that sound) The only problem is that it is farther from the Plaza Rio (the major shopping center). I took a cab over to shop today. When I wanted to come home it was difficult to find a cab that was willing to take me back to the Marriott. When I come back for fills I am going to stay at the Lucerna. It is closer to the clinic also.

Was going in for my pre-ops straight off the plane from Honolulu this morning and they were like, "Wanna just have your surgery today instead of tomorrow?" I firguered might as well. So here I am writing this to you only 3 hours after my surgery. I feel kinda groggy like I wanna sleep (I also flew all night so didn't sleep), there is some incision pain when I lean backwards. There is a gas-type pain in my low abdomen so I am going to take a gas ex strip. They encourage you to be up and moving. I am super groggy :scratch_one-s_head: so I am going to bed.

I am getting banded in 3 days (May 15th) and I have not told anyone. I mentioned it a few months back and got such a negative response from my family and boyfriend that I decided it was easier to just keep it a secret. There is such a negative stigma associated with getting weight loss surgery. I live in Hawaii and my family lives on the east coast so they will never know. I told my boyfriend that I was going to California to get a hernia repair. I figure that this is for ME and it really isn't anyone elses business. It will be my little secret

So I stepped on the scale this morning and have lost 10 pounds since the start of my pre-op diet. I wasn't an angel but I think I did well. Has anyone else had any luck with their pre-op diet weight loss? I will be leaving on Wednesday night to get to Cali and I'm kinda scared and kinda excited at the same time.

I've been on a (modified) pre-op diet for a week now. I have the shake for breakfast, shake for lunch and then a lean cuisine for dinner. I have been eating 2 slices of bread with the lean cuisine though so I would feel full. At first I was all excited but now I think about eating all day. Not eating bad stuff mind you.....just eating until I feel full. And to make it all worse I have only lost like 1 pound. Oh well. I have been reading some other forums about lapband and some people have a very hard time. Alot of people have gotten theirs removed (to the tune of $14,000 mind you). I'm having second thoughts especially with this swine flu. I work with very old sick people here in Hawaii and do not want to be the 1st person to bring this flu to the islands. It's not TJ that I'm worried about. It's the airplane flight. Recycled air.....you know all about it. It's a very tough situation. What do all the other May banders/fillers think? Are you going through with it or are you guys going to wait until this flu clears up?