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Which band to go with? The Realize or LAP-Band? I'm sure I'll talk it over with the surgeon but it's definitely something to think about. I had my big 4 hour appointment today with everyone under the sun. The dietician was super nice. We first did the informational session on life and diet post banding. I then saw the Internist/Endocrinologist for an hour. He was nice...reminded me of Rain Man but very thorough. After hearing my symptoms that I've dealt with my whole life, he wants to do one additional lab test (24 hour urine collection - yippee!) to test for a Phenochromocytoma (benign tumor in the adrenal gland)but decided I didn't need any furter pre-op testing. Whew! I then had the 1:1 with the dietician. Not surprisingly, my method of skipping meals then ravenously eating isn't the best. After that I had the 1 hour Physical Education class which was interesting but nothing I didn't already know but still, another check mark off my list of To-Do. After my psych appointment March 27 then April 2, I'll be ready to schedule with the surgeon! Super excited. I start my pre-bariatric surgery diet tomorrow. No, not the scary 2-4 week skim milk diet, but the very low calorie, balanced, high-protein diet. They gave me basically a list of foods from 4 food groups to pick from for each meal, and two protein drinks as snacks between meals, and that's it! I do really well with a regime, and it's expected that I lose weight before seeing the surgeon, so it looks like my journey begins tomorrow!

This is a positive twist on my needing encouragement post earlier today. Thank you for those that helped to lift my spirits. Today is my 1 year Bandiversary! I am down 73 pounds. There have been a lot of ups and down through out this year and by no means has it been easy. I have had about 3 platueas and even a small yo yo around the holidays (Dang Christmas cookies) but I really have worked hard and am proud of what I have accomplished! So happy Bandiversary to me!!! I made a new before and after photo, my before taken the day before surgery and my after I asked my daughter to help me with this afternoon and WOW what difference it makes when it is right there in your face!

This is just my own personal experience till date.I just need to express how I feel and speak up my mind. Almost 4 weeks post op and I feel depressed, down and lonely. I am becoming so emotional and tearful. Small things make me crying. I am not catching up with our friends as before cause I feel like staying alone. Stalled at 2 weeks and hasn’t lost any since. It is like I need this on top. I did the surgery to lose weight and feel healthy but I feel weak, dizzy and always hungry. After few failed IVF, I am hoping this surgery will help but scared to death it wont make any difference. I have back pain since surgery and it is not going away. It is causing lots of pain especially when I am laid down on my back or sitting long. My scares still hurting and I can feel some tightness in my sleeve. Not knowing if it is something I should worry about or it is normal. My husband is supportive but will never understand what I am going through. Praying things will get better soon.

well today makes five weeks for me and i still can't believe that i am on this journey:) i guess it became really real for me when i went back to work this week for the first time since having surgery and everyone seemed to notice my weight loss...i was very shocked by this and a little uncomfortable i must say. when i look in the mirror it all looks the same and i really think it is. i started this journey wanting to lose 80 pounds and i am only down 27 pounds---14 pounds since surgery...not a real huge difference...but they noticed... i am happy this week because i am finally in the 2teens which was the first goal i set for myself! i am 219, but a 2teen none-the-less:) i have been alternating my eating with the pre-op diet this week because i felt that i was stuck, meaning that i hadn't lost weight in two weeks...so M-W-F of this week are pre-op diet type days for me...my next goal is to be in the single digit 2's and then under 200 of course! i don't have dates set to meet these goals...so no pressure...right?! i have still been eating soft meats, cooked veggies, and soft fruits and don't feel any restriction. i actually heard my stomach growling today, but i didn't feel ravished with hunger. i am still focusing on the difference between head and physical hunger...i have caught myself eating when i'm not really hungry and feel horribly guilty...i did this yesterday and was really upset with myself for finishing a whole salad when i was full after eating half:/ overeating a salad...wow! my first fill will be coming up next friday and i am nervous and ready! i am still managing some type of cardio exercise daily and my weight regimen every other day...i have been alternating walking on the treadmill and taking the dog for a walk. there have been quite a few times before i went back to work t hat i would do both. i walk at least 3 miles a day and my best day i walked a little over 8!!! that included a slow walk with the hubby, a walk with the dog, and getting on the treadmill...this weekend i began a mission to buy bikes for me and the hubby and have been on craigslist like crazy...well we hit the jackpot today and got brand new beach cruiser type bikes for a steal. they were in perfect condition and we went riding this evening for 45 minutes and i truly felt like a kid again! it has been over 18 years since i have been on a bike and while i was a little wobbly in the beginning it all came back to me and i was soaring through my neighborhood zipping and zooming down streets that Miles (my dog) and i normally walk! i am so proud of myself (pat-pat) because last summer i barely left the house... life is getting greater and i am feeling fine!! btw way hubby is 8 days post-op and doing wonderful! he walked three miles today and rode bikes with me for 45 minutes:)

I'm ecstatic to get outside and to clean a little.sleeping last night was the best. I slept on my side a little. Went to Walmart and walked around.still a little pain in the belly.but soo much better than yesterday when I was still in so much pain.so everyone at day three hopefully only one more day and you'll feel better too.

"Broken pieces" says it all. I'm looking forward to reading about your journey. Thank you for opening your heart to us. xoxo

I have heard of several people who had this "band over by-pass" done. I have a friend that should have it. Hey! Did she do her research here at LBT!? Is she a member? Is she already one of us? If so, Welcome to bandland Carnie

Isn't it Crazy how much just a tiny fill can screw you up? I had my first fill last week and it's very restrictive 5 days later. (5cc) ...scrambled eggs today didn't make it down for very long....... Hokiemma..I am just like you..I don't want a un-fill because I think I am eating too fast and not chewing and I am stuborn, but I am not eating much..my EAS protein Shakes are yummy to me and I make sure I have atleast one a day to get the protein that I need, but I think I am going to have to just figure out what I can eat and get the most protein for my buck ! It's a lifestyle change..thats why most of us have it ! I have to change my way of past eating and get my head on straight everytime I eat. Old habits are hard to break....But I will continue to get through this..since I made the decision to get healthy...I joined a ladies Boot camp 5 months ago, knowing that I was having Surgery to get a head start..I do 2 days of cardio for one hour and 1 day of weighlifting for an hour and I am feeling great along with atleast a 2 mile walk everyday and ofcourse 64+ oz. water and Crystal Light. I am going to stick to a well chewed diet and take my time,( I just love cold food ) Everyones body is different so What works for my 10cc band might not work for others..... Hang in there ....Let's get healthy !

Well, I think I may be headed for my first "unfill" tomorrow. I had a fill about 3 weeks ago. I'm up to 7.9cc in a 10cc band. I have been getting things stuck almost everyday. At first I thought it was because I hadn't followed the "chewing" rule well enough and that I just needed to slow down and chew better. But once I got stuck on a tropical smoothie, I thought "okay, maybe I'm too tight". I've put it off because I want to have the restriction but I hate the stuck feeling and pbing. It hurts! I swear my band actually feels like it got tighter about two weeks AFTER my fill. Now, I can't get down any meats without it getting stuck. I've gone back to protein shakes, soups, and soft mushy foods....not healthy ones to be honest. So, then I beat myself thinking I just have "head hunger" and should be happily losing weight right now while I can't tolerate foods, but then I feel weak and eat the slidders to have something in my stomach. So I'm not even getting the benefit of losing weight even though my band is very tight?! I guess I will find out what my doctor says tomorrow. Keep posting personal experiences. It's so helpful!

Journey4me::::: My first fill was in 2009 and I felt tight for about three weeks I got 1cc. My dr requires us to do four days liq,2 mushy then back to solids. Because people some tend to swell after a fill. Im one who does swell after a fill just how it works for me not everyone does that. Dee Dee Dee. Nope not when u eat the wrong thing. When u eat the wrong thing and BP wich is pucking it up Its like u burp not bening to that a sighn of i went to far. Then i better run to the bathroom and up it comes. I don't do that very often. I know better that to skip my liquid stage after a fill.Your band gets tight because it swells when u barf.