Melissadrw

I am so happy to have had a second chance with the band. I am really feeling good, better than I have in a LONG time. I am also happy to have rediscovered this site. I used some of the recipies. It is so nice to be able to find people who are going through this journey too. There may be a few bumps in the road, but I will keep on moving. I will keep on trying.

I am so happy to have had a second chance with the band. I am really feeling good, better than I have in a LONG time. I am also happy to have rediscovered this site. I used some of the recipies. It is so nice to be able to find people who are going through this journey too. There may be a few bumps in the road, but I will keep on moving. I will keep on trying.

2 weeks post revision surgery! I am feeling like I know what I am doing. I know I have been here before, but I felt like I had forgotten everything. Muscle milk has been my savior. It has all I need for nutrition, I started on mushies today, Wow, I have a newly discovered appreciation for mashed potatoes. I saw my nutritionist, the weight is coming off well. I got some ideas from her to try some recipies. Even though I wouldn't choosed to slip and have a revision, I am finding a renewed commitment to myself to finish what I started.

2 weeks post revision surgery! I am feeling like I know what I am doing. I know I have been here before, but I felt like I had forgotten everything. Muscle milk has been my savior. It has all I need for nutrition, I started on mushies today, Wow, I have a newly discovered appreciation for mashed potatoes. I saw my nutritionist, the weight is coming off well. I got some ideas from her to try some recipies. Even though I wouldn't choosed to slip and have a revision, I am finding a renewed commitment to myself to finish what I started.

I tried to go back to work today. I felt great when I woke up this morning. I made it a few hours and then I started to have pain and feel weak. I work as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist at the local hospital. It is a physically and mentally challenging job and I love it. I am lucky to have such a great boss. She saw that I was struggling and made arrangements for me to take more time off. When I got my fist band in 06 I took 2 weeks off. I am only 6 days out now and I should have known it was too early. I just don't know what to expect with the revision. I didn't have my port replaced, so I think I will heal faster this time around. I guess if I have learned anything, it is that this is such an individual journey and to expect the unexpected.

I tried to go back to work today. I felt great when I woke up this morning. I made it a few hours and then I started to have pain and feel weak. I work as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist at the local hospital. It is a physically and mentally challenging job and I love it. I am lucky to have such a great boss. She saw that I was struggling and made arrangements for me to take more time off. When I got my fist band in 06 I took 2 weeks off. I am only 6 days out now and I should have known it was too early. I just don't know what to expect with the revision. I didn't have my port replaced, so I think I will heal faster this time around. I guess if I have learned anything, it is that this is such an individual journey and to expect the unexpected.

Well here I am. 5 days post revision surgery. I feel kinda like I don't know what I am doing. I have been banded for nearly three years. I have had moderate sucess and then the slip. I had months to prepare for my first surgery and felt mentally and physically prepared. Now I am starting over. It is like I had pushed all the memories of having the band out of my head. I am wondering what to expect. I have already lost a few pounds. I just need to get back in the swing of things.

Well here I am. 5 days post revision surgery. I feel kinda like I don't know what I am doing. I have been banded for nearly three years. I have had moderate sucess and then the slip. I had months to prepare for my first surgery and felt mentally and physically prepared. Now I am starting over. It is like I had pushed all the memories of having the band out of my head. I am wondering what to expect. I have already lost a few pounds. I just need to get back in the swing of things.

Hi. I too was banded in 2006 and had successful weight loss. This past month I have been miserable, unable to eat and I was uncomfortable. Monday things escalated and by Wednesday I couldn't even swallow my own saliva. I went to the ER and was told what I was dreading...I had a slip. I was admitted into the hospital and my band was replaced the following morning. It was scary because there was no guarantee that I would keep a band. The surgeon warned that if there was too much scar tissue that the band would be removed. The surgery went well and I am now at home recovering. I am starting all over. It was definitely scary. I keep trying to figure out how I got here. In the end I am thankful for my second chance.

HI I just found out today that I had streached my pouch. I am on liquids for 7 days and I will have another fluero and possibly surgery. My PA put me on prednisone to help with the swelling. I am so frustrated and angry at myself for letting this happen. It does help to know that there are others that have gone through this. Melissa

I am a Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist or CNMT for short. It is a really cool job. Nuclear medicine is a form of radiology. I do stress tests and gastric empty studies and bone scans to name a few of the exams. I work at the hospital where I was banded. I just celebrated my 5 year anniversary at the hospital.

I was banded in December and I have lost over 50 pounds. I am shopping in the regular clothes section and I am getting a lot of compliments. All that is great, but I can't even begin to tell you how I feel! I feel so much better! Don't get me wrong, there are tough times. Sometimes I wish I could eat like I used to but I don't want to look like I used to. Now when we as a family go out, I think carefully about what I want and what will work. The sacrifices are worth it. Good Luck!

I used FMLA twice last year. I had to have my gallbladder removed 6 weeks before my band. I am not sure if the rules are different between employers. I had to take 40 hours off PTO first to get my week of paid leave. If I didn't have enough PTO I had to go unpaid. I also had to get clearance from my doctor to return both times. I work at the hospital where I was banded. I am lucky to have the benefits that I have. Check with your HR rep and see what is available. Good Luck! Melissa

Marriage is tough. I am glad this thread was started. It is so difficult to talk about these things. I have been married twice. My first husband beat me and cheated on me. We were married less that a year. I picked myself up and made a life for our daughter. I married my current husband in 2000. There have been good times and bad. He has developed (or I am just realizing) he has a severe gambling addiction. It is so bad that he has brought us to almost losing our home and having to file for bankruptcy. I feel so betrayed. I am not interested in him sexually because of my anger. He doesn't understand. We have three kids (including my girl from my previous marriage). I owe them a better life than this. Now I am loosing weight and looking to make my life better. I am constantly questioning my marriage and if it will survive. Sometimes I don't even care to try. I don't even think that he knows how unhappy I am in this relationship. Thanks for letting me vent!

I was lucky. At the clinic where I had my sleep study they discovered my apnea right away (within 2 hours). I was fitted with the machine and was allowed to try it the rest of the night. I got my results within a week and within 2 weeks I met with home health care to get my machine. I rented it for I think 3 months and then my insurance bought me one. I sleep with it every night. Sometimes I get frustrated with it, but for the most part I like it. It is worth the trouble because I feel so much better. Good Luck.

Thanks! I was right clicking to try to paste and that just wasn't working.

I am not sure what I am doing wrong. I get my ticker set up and then I am not sure where to put it. Does it go under my signature or my picture? Thanks for any help. Melissa:confused:

Hi. I found out that I have obstuctive sleep apnea before my lap band. I am on a CPAP and I use it faithfully. It has changed my life. It is a little hard to get used to, and there are a variety of masks to choose from. Take time to find the right fit for you. I have so much more energy! It has helped with my weight loss and my outlook on life. I am a better mother, wife, and worker. Good Luck! Melissa

WHOO HOOO I got on the scale today and dropped 4 pound since last week! I needed to see some progress. I am loving this weather. It is easier to walk and play. Some nights we don't even come inside until bed time. (I live in Northern Minnesota where the winters are very long.) I am trying to think outside of the box as far as exercise goes. I raked for 2 hours the other night. I have been using the kids trampoline. We went to the park and flew a kite together. I hae been missing out on a lot sitting on the sidelines and watching everyone else live. What do all of you do for exercise? Melissa

I was banded on Dec 19. I have lost 35 pounds, but I haven't lost in a while. I have had 3 fills and have 6 cc in my 10cc band. My goal is to exercise 20 times and loose 5 pounds.

Hi Maybe you have already seen the doctor, but if not, it sounds like a gallbladder problem. The gall bladder is in the right upper quadrant and just under the rib cage. Did you have your gallbladder out yet? If not, your doctor may suggest an ultrasound and or a Hida scan (that is a nuclear medicine test that looks at the gallbladder). (I am a nuclear med tech). Good luck and feel better!

I have had my band for 3 months. I love it and I am seeing progress. I am down 35 pounds since I started my journey. I can see it in my clothes and I can feel the difference BUT.... It is harder than I thought. Sometimes I feel my restriction and I know when to say when. Other times I feel like I over do it. When I compare what I ate 4 months ago to what I eat now, it is a huge difference. I have had 3 fills and am up to about 6 cc in my 10cc band. I am happy to say that I am working out regularly now. I am loving it. I hit the elliptical and weights at the gym at work 4 to 5 times a week. I have set a goal to work out like that for 4 weeks and then get my measurements done again. I haven't had them done since before the band. My husband's brother is having a redneck yacht club wedding in July, and I haven't seen anyone "back home" since right after my surgery. I am hoping to look remarkably better in a baithing suit for the wedding. It is amazing how difficult I find it to shop these days. I go to get groceries and I have a hard time deciding what to feed the family. My tastes have changed and a lot of times I eat differently then the husband and kids. My cravings have changed too. (I am cheering myself up as I write this!) I guess I just needed to vent a little. I will keep up with the exercise and see what happens!:paranoid

I have had my band for 3 months. I love it and I am seeing progress. I am down 35 pounds since I started my journey. I can see it in my clothes and I can feel the difference BUT.... It is harder than I thought. Sometimes I feel my restriction and I know when to say when. Other times I feel like I over do it. When I compare what I ate 4 months ago to what I eat now, it is a huge difference. I have had 3 fills and am up to about 6 cc in my 10cc band. I am happy to say that I am working out regularly now. I am loving it. I hit the elliptical and weights at the gym at work 4 to 5 times a week. I have set a goal to work out like that for 4 weeks and then get my measurements done again. I haven't had them done since before the band. My husband's brother is having a redneck yacht club wedding in July, and I haven't seen anyone "back home" since right after my surgery. I am hoping to look remarkably better in a baithing suit for the wedding. It is amazing how difficult I find it to shop these days. I go to get groceries and I have a hard time deciding what to feed the family. My tastes have changed and a lot of times I eat differently then the husband and kids. My cravings have changed too. (I am cheering myself up as I write this!) I guess I just needed to vent a little. I will keep up with the exercise and see what happens!:paranoid

Today I found a watch that I bought myself over a year ago. It was on sale and so cute I couldn't wait to wear it. When I got it out and tried it on it was too small. My husband was going to get another band for it, but it was put away and it was overlooked until today. I can get that watch on now. It made me think of a few necklaces that were too tight. I can accessorize now! It is nice to see some small changes to keep me on track. I am 3.5 weeks post panding. I have lost 18 lbs since the band and 25 since I started all of the pre op stuff. I am at the point now that the swelling has gone down and the hunger has come back. This web site is helping me keep myself in check. I will have my first fill on 1-29. I am really excited, except for the gastroview that I have to drink uuugh. I never had a real weight issue until I was 22. I was in a bad relationship and when that marriage ended I was over 250 pounds. I was in denial for a long time that I had a problem. After I looked in the mirror and really saw myself the right way, I knew I had to do something. Life went on and I married again, I had 3 beautiful kids, I graduated from school and landed my dream job. With all of that settled, I focused on what I needed. I found that I was up to 291lbs. I enjoyed the pre surgery work up that my hospital requires. 12 weeks of a weight loss program, a psych eval, sleep apnea test (I failed), egd, gallbladder ultrasound (I failed that too and had my gallbladder removed on 11-9), 6 weeks of behavior change group therapy and a lot of appointments. Now it is done, I am banded and her I sit feeling content. I am seeing results and for the first time in a long time, I believe in myself again. :clap2: