sbilock

Okay...okay...I know. I take full responsibility for myself. There is no one to blame. I was banded may 11 2011 and after I healed up there was no restriction. Well nothing that lasted very long. So I ate what I could. And by that I mean I ate what I wanted and that would go "down". And without restriction that pretty much made everything free game. I did my best to stay in the gym so I didn't gain all my pre surgery weight back but most of it. Every few weeks my friends would ask me how it was coming along and I never gave them a # of how many pounds I lost because for weeks and weeks that number stayed the same. Let's be serious here....that number really hasn't changed since a few weeks post op so I've held a solid 20 pounds off for the last 4+ months. But the best thing happened to me....I found my motivation. Well, actually I found my energy. I never had any growing up. Energy. I was the one always looking for the easy route home never doing sports would rather fiddle around on my violin. Always sleeping after school not really doing much. Yeah I had my interests but I was a sleeper. Up until last week....you could still call me one. I have 2 kids at 25. One at 14 (she is daughter by marriage =p ) and a 4 year old and I take naps when they are at school and am usually the first one in the house to fall asleep. Sounds horrible to some but I got things done in between and dishes are never ending yada yada yada. Anywho, my husband finally dragged me into this vitamin store. Never really been to one. Never even noticed that there were any. period. AND OMG! I had my doubts when we went in there and dropped about 170 dollars on big things of protein 7, sublingual b12, liquid d3.....the list goes on. But until the 3 day after my 3rd fill which would be TODAY I never knew how great they are. I have been going since 7 this morning. I don't feel wired, I haven't felt like I needed to go lay down. There were a couple times where my old habits creeped their ugly head in and told me I could be perfectly happy jumping on the couch and watching a show and take a break but I avoided all my urges with little more then a new thought. IT IS AMAZING! I wanted to share that with everyone. I feel like going to the gym on a regular basis will no longer require my whole day to be free because I'll know I might land in bed afterwards. I feel like I can keep up with the kids and get a few extra things done every day. I can't wait til I have a solid month on these vitamins. No more anemia, and definicies, dry hair, brittle nails. I feel healthier. And what is even better...the girl at the store said to come back in a couple weeks after I have adjusted to my fill and she will tailor my diet with healthy carbs, proteins, snacks....the works. This is a great new start and I feel like I might still redeme myself after the shaky begining. I can actually do this. FYI: I AM DOWN 3 POUNDS! WOOO HOOO. I am losing weight again. Can I get a c'mon with the C'MON!

So I had my surgery May 10th and today I feel no pain and can move around like normal and just a bit of tenderness and itching around the incisions but everything looks good the incision site are getting smaller by the day which is so exciting. But now I feel like I am in limbo. So I have the lapband (which is a major accomplishment) and I am adjusted to it and feel good again. But now I want to loose some weight! I am still on the liquid diet and will hopefully graduate to mushies sometime soon and being on liquids I am abviously losing about a half pound a day or more depending on how much walking I do but when I get to mushies I suppose that will stop dead in its tracks. So I guess I am in the waiting game again but this time for my Fills.....right?!? I guess those are the winning ticket in the lap band game?! I hope they come very soon! About when should us May banders expect our first fill? and about how much should I be getting? If anyone has any information on how I can keep losing weight while I wait for my fill that would be great. and any information about anything in general is always great MAY BANDERS ROCK!

Congratulations! It is such a long journey of researching, waiting for approval, and finally taking your first post operative steps. I hope all went perfect for you yesturday and I expect today you will be in pain and discomfort. everyones different but a heating pad on your belly did wonders for me and the gas....and find reasons to walk somewhere, anywhere, and that will help too. I lived off my pain meds a heat pack, and a good walk every so often and I feel great today..( I am 8 days post op). Stay strict with the doctors orders on your post op liquid diet. It will keep the pounds melting off. But one word of advice.....Find out when you will be ready to get your first fills because I am about to move to mushy food and without the restrictions I need with my fills I am not going to feel full as easy or for as long and I assume I will stop losing weight until I get my first series of fills. So I am in the waiting game again it feels like. Have a great and speedy recovery. I can't wait to hear your surgery day story. Give us all the gory details. Thanks. Congrats

I borrowed a heating pad from my grandmother on the advice of a relative and kept it on my belly on high. I would get up every hour or so and do a very small about of walking and moving around like I would go downstairs and outside and around the apartment and then back upstairs to bed. haha...anyways....I didn't think it was helping until at the end of the first full day that I used the heating pad it was like my body deflated. Tmi....I know but i was burping and tooting and felt better and better as each one passed. So my advice to you is a heating pad.

Tomorrow I have my surgery with Dr. Feiz. I am sooooooo excited. It was a delay for insurance approval (completely normal as I understand it) but I got it finally and am now waiting to hear from the doctors staff about last minute details for tomorrow. like when to get to the hospital and anything else important. I did find his website really helpful when it came to his requirements on a preop diet and with the help of this site I haven't found any need to call the office for anything. I have heard really great things about the Dr. Feiz and the techniques that he has created to reduce scarring and easy fills. I heard he even trains other surgeons on these techniques. I have been to the Huntington Beach office and saw the amount of patients he had just in the couple of hours I had been there and know that he has MANY other offices he works out of. I am surprised to see him on this site even...obviously concerned. When I meet him he seems liked a really easy going man really to the point and I can't wait for great results. I am sooooooooo excited. YAY

I am just days away now and I need to hear suggestions from u lapband pro's out there. What do I need to do to have the most success under the knife and a speedy recovery. I am in the OR on Tuesday and really need to will myself to test at school on Thursday. Is this completely unrealistic? Can I just work out hard the next week or something and help my recovery time move along quicker? I need all the tips and tricks out there! HELP. THANKS EVERYONE.

Great advice. the day is tomorrow and I have still not heard from the facility with the final details so Im just reading lots of posts and keeping up with everyones advice on what I should be doing right now. Luckily my tests are short...probably about and hour and a half for all 3 or 4 of them total. So I plan on at least making an appearance for them. It will greatly affect my marks if I don't try. My classes move so fast I do 3 college units in three weeks so I don't have much time to recover. On a better note...thursday I will do the tests and I'll have friday , saturday and sunday off. So I just need to suffer one day is all. Thank you for everything and keep posting cause I've learned more from this site then I have from the doctor and I'm addicted to it now. Good luck every1

Ive got my surgery tomorrow as well.....and still haven't heard from my facility or doctor about my preop instructions and the time they need me at the hospital...etc. It makes me nervous but not anymore nervous then I would have been if I had all this info. already. I did start my own liquid diet on the 3rd and I cheated last night for a mothers day dinner and ate some sushi. But I still lost about 4 pounds and I still have today chaulked full of Protein so maybe I'll get another pound off. I plan on doing some excersises tonight...a bit of walking and riding a bike. I dunno why.... just sounds like a good idea alll of a sudden. haha. I will be at Marina Del Ray with Dr. Feiz. I plan on being back at school by thursday for testing and stuff. I am nervous, excited, anxious,.....just a whirlwind of emotions. I hope that when I am about to go under I don't do anything crazy like start crying and talking like a nutt. And My Preop shower will be very thorough. My belly button will be getting its fair share of attention (I hear doctors find some wild stuff in belly buttons), my legs will be smooth and everywhere else will be handled--sry TMI. I got my toes and fingers done at the nail place yesturday. It kind of feels like I am getting ready for a big date or something....haha. I guess I am. Anywho...good luck to both of you and can't wait to hear about everybody's recovery process too. I'll keep in touch. -Steph

my surgery got pushed up pretty unexpectedly so I only have a full 8 days to prepare. I am on day 2 of my liquid diet and to be quite honest....yesturday all I could think about was a cheeseburger. Not just any cheeseburger either...a mcdonalds 99 cent cheeseburger...Hmmm... I guess this is going to be a long 8 days but I haven't cheated yet and of course don't have any plan too. I am hungry but I know my body is getting the protein and vitamins it needs and everyone assures me I'm not going to starve to death. So....I just need to find my happy place and do it!

thanks...thats interesting. I have been hearing about shoulder pain and no one has once hinted at the fact that it is from the gas. well....I am on DAY 2 of my liquid diet and just 6 days until I get banded. Im am dreaming about cheeseburgers all day long. But I hope that will pass in another day or so....HOPEFULLY. thanks for all the good feedback.

Gas..really..?!? HMMMM...thats a new thought....like butt gas or mouth gas....hmmmm...that definitely got my attention. thx

that guy sounds like a complete Donkey. I have too heard some negative feedback from an instructor at school. She is a Medical Biller. When i told her i would be missing school for a few days and for what reason she kinda gave me a sour look (not mean or anything) and proceeded to tell me that she can't understand why some people get it. But instead of going into detail about it she said very nicely, "well as long as it is what you want...that's what matters most" and left it at that. I do think others are entitled to their own opinion but under certain circumstances it is just better to leave things alone. If your trainer can't support you emotionally then you should probably give your money to another trainer. GOOD LUCK and I hope you have some better experiences leading up to it.

I am being banded on the 3/10/11 in the afternoon. I will be at the Marina Del Ray bariatric center. I hear it is a center of excellence so they are very experienced. I do have a few worries. I had to be transfered from the Advanced Surgical institute of Huntington Beach (the skinny capital of the universe) to this office in Beverly Hills that works out of the hospital. So I do not even know my doctor. I have never meet anyone from the office I am having my surgery out of. HAHAH I do hear that there are a few people ahead of me that day....Maybe I'll run in to someone from this site....C'MON! anywho....I cant wait to lose the weight. I plan on putting in a lot of work so that next may I can start tanning my stomach too....since it hardly see's the light of day anymore.....=) wish me luck.

Everything is moving so fast. My insurace just took effect 01/01/2011. I have been to my consult just before the end of the year. I have had my pysch evaluation already. I do my nutrition evaluation tomorrow. Then I wait for official approval. maybe a month. then I set the date. I am going to a dr. faces or something at the advanced surgical institute in Huntington Beach, Ca. Has anyone heard anything about this doctor? I hope I am making the right choice. I didn't really shop around and once I started the process I got so excited for myself and the experience that I don't want to change anything about the doctor I'm with. So far, I have gotten good reviews....yay. I am so excited. I have been waiting years now for the opportunity to switch my insurace.