HeatherMarie

Beautiful day in northern Minnesota so I haven't been on computer until now. I sure hope mowing the lawn burned some serious calories! Up .2 this week, 222.2 officially.

I have a Realize Band and got 4 cc on my first fill six weeks after surgery. The fill certainly helped with amount I eat, speed at which I can eat. I am hungry about 3 hours after a meal and am going in for my 2nd fill this coming Monday, May 16. Everyone's stomach reacts differntly to the band/fills. Some on here never required a fill. Good Luck!

Hi Alyssa! I was banded on March 8 of this year so I am certainly not an old hat at this stuff yet but am more than willing to be in your support system. I am 10 years older than you but have a little boy that just turned 5 in February and a little girl who will be 4 this August. I live in northwest MN which is only about 9 hours from you! Feel free to contact me anytime! Take Care and everything will go great! Heather

Good Week but slipping now 222 lbs. I would love to meet up with some friends on here for support if anyone else is interested.

Hi! I am from MN also, northwest corner to be exact. I am so glad to see others from MN makes support feel a little closer. Congrats on your success! I was banded on March 8 of this year and am always looking for others to share expereinces with.

Oh! This is exactly what I need right now. Let's do this Name, real or screen~ Heather Age~ 34 Weight on May1st~225 Goal Weight for May 29th~ 218 Exercise Goal for May~ 30-45 minutes 5 days per week Dietary Goal for May~ drink more Water on the weekends and stop snacking in the evening (crackers are the devil) Personal Goal for May~ get rid of old clothes and re-do my bedroom Date Banded~ 03/08/2011 Total Weight Loss Since Banding~ 12 lbs

What an awesome feeling! Congratulations on your accomplishment. You are an inspiration to all banders and speak the truth about the battle that you going through which I really appreciate. Keep up the good fight and keep us posted.

No, nothing is wrong. Your stomach swelling from the placement of the band has probably gone down taking away that initial restriction. Welcome to "Bandster Hell" as I have heard it called and am now living. I am 4 weeks out and if I didn't have the scars to prove it I wouldn't think I have a band. Now until your first fill, you may little restriction and have to be very diligent about your eating. My "coaches" I have found on here tell me it gets better with each fill! Good Luck and keep us posted on your recovery.

I did until about 3 weeks out. When I asked my surgeon about it he said it was due to the muscles healing/attaching to my port. I would get the sharp pains when I bent over. Once your ab muscles adjust to the port the pain should go away. Happy 1 week anniversary!

WoW! You look amazing! The happiness really shines through. Slow weight loss sucks (I know) but you should be very proud of what you have accomplished. Congrats on the healthy change and new man

Just wanted to say Hi Mollyjollie! I too was banded on the 8th and have my first fill on the 20th. How have you been doing? Do you have much restriction? I am feeling good but hope this first fill will help to cut down on my portions.

That is interesting! I have my first post-op checkup on Tuesday and will certainly bring it up. Antibiotics might already be in my future because I have 1 insicision right on my pants line that is red with a little yellow gunk. I called them regarding this on Friday and since I am going in so soon they said to keep it clean, dry and bandaid if needed. Thanks for sharing your expereince.

I am almost 3 weeks post-op and the past couple of days I have been getting sharp pain under my port site whenever I bend over. Has anyone else experienced this? I did go back to work this past week and babysit a 8 month old Friday evening. Did I just over-do it? Any thoughts?

Sounds like we all have a lot in common in already! I am 34, mom to 2 (ages 3 & 5) and was banded on 03/08/2011. I think it is a great idea to stay connected and support each other to get our $'s worth from these bands! lol

Oh thank goodness for all of you! After reading soo many posts about people dropping crazy amounts on the pre-op diet and then "not being hungry at all" after surgery, I thought I was the only one totally frustrated with a band I wonder is there most days. I haven't had any adverse reactions to any food. I can eat like I did before surgery which is helpful... NOT. We go through a lovely pre-op diet, surgery, gas pain and tasteless food to feel & look exactly like we did before. Okay-can you tell I'm not so loving this band right now?! lol Thanks for listening to the rant.

I was only banded 6 days ago but no regrets once I got past that horrible gas. I won't even try to sugar coat it. Very uncomfortable! I too had 2nd thoughts especially when I cheated on my two week diet. I felt like a failure already. But something had to change. About a year ago I lost 30 ish pounds (great) until I gained 45 back. ugh. We all know what we should be eating, how we should be moving our bodies but some of us need extra help. I've found after the band (hopefully it will continue) that even though I want to eat a bunch I just can't. I get that stuffed feeling waayy earlier. Perfect! My body & head think I'm eating the same but I reduced the calories I consumed by tons. Yes, I have to choose healthy foods over bad but the desire to heal quickly gives me an extra bump. I was a big regular pop junkie. I found some "shakey water" (powder mix) that is pretty sweet tasting and almost satisfies my pop addiction. I let some Sprite loose it's fizz a couple of days ago and tried that. Tasted alright at first but felt like I had a huge burp for hours. Not worth it at all. Don't dwell on the negative in the past. We all gained those extra pounds throughout the years but it does not define us. You are investing in yourself right now to be healthier and happier!

What flavors of shakes do you have? I had to be on Bariatric Advantage before my surgery also. Strawberry is my favorite, don't mind drinking it at all. I also bought chocolate. Drinkable, but now after surgery I find it way too thick. I was told I could blend them with milk, ice & sugar free chocolate syrup to make it more of a smoothy. Also, the colder the better and more you shake the thicker they get. Good luck and welcome to the band club!

I was banded on the 8th also. Hopefully, it makes you feel more "normal" is I don't feel like doing much either. I'm not hungry really, just stuck at home head hunger. Certainly sore and wondering what the hell I have done! I agree with revire on the gas x strips and walking. I live in Northern MN where outdoor walking is not a wonderful idea right but I have been walking laps around the house or I set a timer and walk in place for 5-10 minutes. I highly recommend a heating pad on your belly or on your back underneath the shoulder blade (were my pain likes to hang out). I have one of those heating things with bead like things that I can throw in the microwave. I bought it at Kohls. If you ever want to vent just let me know. It's nice to talk with others who can almost finish your sentences! LOL Take Care

I was banded on 03/08. Surgery went great but before I left the hospital severe nausea kicked in. I asked for nausea medicine more than pain meds! I am now at home eating only my pureed foods and protein shakes and walking every hour or so. I'm also been using my gas-x strips. I think walking and are the most highly recommended however does anyone have any other tricks to try? How long did "fun" after effects last? Thanks for your help in advance!

Wow reverie! That is fantastic. I am having my surgery on March 8 and would love to acheive what you have. Do you have any tips? Also, what exercises do you do to avoid loose skin? Thank You!

I am! Less than 2 weeks away. Do you have a pre-op diet? How long do you have to be on it? I have a 2 week diet. Here's to starting our new lives "together" on March 8, 2011!!

That is horrible! They didn't even offer you an explanation of what might have caused the miscarriages? Switching doctors is a great idea. I would maybe even make a complaint to their board about the ultrasound tech! Ask the new dr to run the gammet of blood tests. We found that I had blood clotting disorder causing the miscarriages. I was put on baby aspirin while trying to conceive and shots of blood thinner while pregnant. A realitively easy fix and the result was 2 healthy babies. I pray that your results will be just as easily fixed. A high risk pregnancy isn't all that bad. It equals more doctors visits, i.e. more chances to hear the heartbeat and more ultrasounds to see him or her! Good luck and let us know how everything is going.

It is very normal to be nervous after a miscarriage. I experienced 2 before they found the reason why and I was able to have 2 great kids. i was a nervous wreck with both pregnancies. I'm sure the nurse got sick of me but luckily we live in a small town where I could call the nurse and she would let me come up to listen to the heartbeat! you may find your husband is just as nervous. Men (in general) hate when there is something they can't fix and find it especially hard when the woman they love is in pain. I wish i knew about pregnancy after the band but if you ever need someone to talk to please don't hesitate to send me a message. I am more than willing to listen. I am sending prayers your way for a healthy & happy pregnancy!

Thank you for joining! You are an inspiration to all of us "yet to be banded". My big day is March 8th. Do you have any do's or don'ts for someone about to start the journey? Congratulations on your success! You have done so well, I'm sure you will reach your goal weight. Take care! Hope to hear from you soon.