Success in lapband

I think he "rocks" you are in great hands. Dr. Sasse also owns IMetabolic if you are interested. If you have a hernia and they repair it during surgery you will have a longer recovery period. ASK GAIL! If I recall ( I did not have a hernia) it seems that the hernia repair is more "sore" than the lapband. After your surgery you will just experience getting tired more quickly than usual and you will just move slower than normal for a couple weeks. I went shopping upon leaving the hospital and barely used any pain meds. It is an excellent idea to get the prescription filled before you get surgery. Your port area may be the "sorest" but it too will resolve itself, I remember "cupping" my port with my hand and pressing it flat and it was "good" and helped with the discomfort. And seriously IF I had to get this surgery every Monday morning before going to work in order to lose weight I would happily do it. The surgery is a cake walk (looking back) and I remember thinking how easy it was right after as well, even though I was very frightened.

Gail; In my own defense of not posting; because I do feel I have a responsibility to "our group", I can share another "excuse"... My busy season at work is from May through October sooooooo I was pre occupied. But I bet if I was losing weight by the bushels I would have posted and gloated! I am sorry, I should have posted. My bad... Your DH; is he still working or did he retire? I am going on a cruise next week through Thanksgiving weekend so you may think you lost me again but only temporarily. It is going to be the first vacation (real vacation) I have ever taken in my life. True story~ no BS! I never went on honeymoon and as kids we owned a family business and never went on vacation, and for one excuse after another I just have never gone on vacation. I have gone on lost of business trips but never anytime did I get to spend the night in a hotel and "sleep in" because I was on vacation. So this will be something new! I am very very very nervous about gaining weight on the cruise, so I am going to try and concentrate on not getting carried away on the buffets. I would like to be able to "stop" thinking about food 24/7. The thoughts of food consumes alot of my free time. But I am working on this in group counseling. This issue (obsessive food thoughts) is not new. The first thought I think about upon waking is what am I going to eat and the last thought at night is about food too. Nothing really bad but I should not be spending so much time thinking obsessing about food. I am excited to hear about your "journey" and what is going on with you.....

You know how you are "suppose to" drink liquid for the first 24-48 hours after a fill? Well the understanding behind that is to make sure you "ease" back into making sure you don't over do it on a smaller band. After my fill today I THINK I am possibly experiencing some restriction for the first time I THINK. So in a few days I will know more. I ate some Soup after my fill today and was surprized that I stopped eating 1/2 through the can of soup. I did not know if I was emotionally not eating from coming to the realization that the band may not have been my Knight in shining armor or if I just experienced restriction. So then tonight still trying to "test the waters" I may have experienced restriction because I ate 1/4 # grilled meat patty and felt that I did not need to eat anymore. Hmmmmmmmm I just don't know what to think about this. On the weekends we go out to breakfast and I typically eat 1 egg/a few bites of hash browns and a piece of toast with coffee, and I stop eating because I know that is all what I should be eating NOT that I feel satiated. So what is your experience? What is your weight loss rate? I just started going to a group therapy on eating disorders, NOW THAT is an eye opener; I have learned ALOT about my eating habits, or maybe I already knew about them but never recognized them. I can tell you that when I get hungry I overeat, so I try to eat before I "get hungry"

Unique: Do you work at The Humane Society? If you do, we probably know each other, I visit there ALL the time.... and have a business relationship with them as well. You asked what I ate: Well.... I try to follow a sensible Weight Watchers meal plan, but obviously I am not too good at it. I thought the band would help with that situation. And I am not "bagging" on the band; I just do not experience what everybody else experiences. So... I eat a South Beach High Protien Breakfast bar for breakfast, and coffee (which to help curb my appetite I just started drinking coffee with caffeine) I use to ONLY drink decaffeinated. At lunch I typically eat a single serving of Green Giant carrots and broccolli along with a Lean Cuisine lunch. dinner I try and eat a sensible dinner with family etc. and it can range anywhere from a can (or 1/2 can of Chili) to salad to anything that is not fried. I can not eat anything fried, I get stuck everytime; every single time! Then most nights I eat a weight watchers ice cream. I CAN eat anything and everything I want (including bread)without issue except fried food or "shredded meat" or tuna. Everything else is free game. Initially the fill Nurse told me to stop eating salads because of high calorie dressing; but I love salads, so I have in the last couple of months been trying to eat more Protein and less salads; and it has not made a difference on the scale. I don't have to eat protein first because I don't experience my pouch getting "full". I stop eating because I should not be eating more than I am; NOT that I feel satiated. So the "protein first" rule of thumb is not a concern to me. However! If I eat the single serving no sugar pudding; my pouch feels "heavy"; so that is an interesting feeling. I can "guzzle" beverages no problem. I am going to write a seperate post, because this one is getting LONG.

I have not been "on" because I did not want anybody to get disappointed and NOT do the surgery based on my failure... The band has not "worked" as well for me as I expected it should have. I see ALL these fantastic success stories online. So... I guess I expected to be more successful than I am. I decided that one of the things I would do to help is "get back on lapband talk.com" to try and figure out "why" the band / or me is not doing what I expected. I am also seeing a eating disorder phsycologist to hopefully help too. I use to work out ALOT with a personal trainer and since I had stopped working out with a personal trainer my body frame has gotten smaller (because less muscle bulk) but weight loss is almost non existant. I just don't feel satiated; EXCEPT once since being banded. I was crying today because I am sooooooo tired of feeling hungry. Laurie the fill nurse said I was at my band capacity (4.00cc). She suggested going back on the "bariactric shakes" to help with weight loss. DO YOU GUYS REMEMBER HOW STARVING WE WERE? And the only thing that kept us going was: shakes were a pre requisite for surgery. And we all wanted to majical surgery.

Chris When do you go in for a fill? I go in next Tuesday. My plan is that I always am going to get a fill early in the week because IF there are problems I can take a couple days to figure out if I need to go back in verses getting a fill on Thurs or Fri and firgure out I have problems when the office is closed...... Get my drift? Gail you on board too?

Nv Girl: That is great that your appetite has decreased. Take advantage of that because when your swelling goes down, it will return. Some people fly thru the surgery (I was back to work the next day) could have worked by that afternoon but Dr. made me stay overnight both times. Make sure you get your protein in; your energy will come back as you increase your protein. Chris: By the way my port is no longer pertruding; how is yours? Mine is "flat" now. I wonder if that means I am not swollen anymore, the nurse said I was still swollen when I went in for my fill. AND I went for a hike~It was the BOMB 3 mi. nice and easy leisurely out by Peavine on Saturday afternoon.

Hey Sue! My losing weight slowed down to less than a snails pace. I need another fill. It seems that right after my first fill whammo I lost almost 5# overnight. My signature does not show the yo-yo game the scale plays on me daily. My work season just began about 3 weeks ago, so getting on here is a challenge. I am a party event coordinator and own a rental company soooooo the season is upon us. As you can imagine (just like the show bridezilla) I am in the midst of total chaos. I go for another fill in 2 weeks so I expect to be happy with a significant weight loss within 3 weeks. gail anne told me you were asking how I was doing. "thank you" I will try to get on more often because I think it keeps me walking the straight line.

NvGirl: It WILL get better! Hang in there, everyday should be a little less pain. Beware of the gas pains though, use a heating pad.

Isn't it interesting on the "different" things we get stuck on. You know..... I haven't ever gotten stuck on pudding or ice cream. LOL! I have incredible recipes for Baja Tacos using endive as the shell. Even though I can do corn tortillas and such, I am trying to lose weight and use endive as the shell, kinda like lettuce wraps. They are really very very very very tasty if you like shrimp. I am getting creative on cooking and trying to spend more time preparing food verses eating it. Chris: I am glad we are on the same page because at least that lends me to believe we are still both going in the same direction. I have to say to myself I did not get here overnight so I must be patient. But then I wonder if I am being tooooo patient!

Here I am! I hate to post when I don't have any "good" news. I do get stuck every once in awhile~not real bad though~spit a few times and everything is back to normal. I get stuck on ANYTHING fried and all chinese noodles and salmon. Ahhhhh I see that we have some nubies; that is really good. I am on a down swing again (hopefully). It seems that it takes me a couple weeks to lose a couple pounds and then WHAMMO, in one day of eating larger portions I gain 5 back. But I have to say this..... with very little effort I have not seen or maintained this weight in over 6 years! So I am not "unhappy" just want to hit the "easy" button HAHA. I weigh (depending on the day) around 205 and have been hovering there for weeks. You know.... I think I remember this, I guess being normal.

Hey miss Gail; I felt like such and ass! But really that was the way to "REALLY" meet me; or I would have hidden from you. I really have self image issues. I figured you were taller than me. You look alot like my Mother in law; and I was one of her very best friends and she introduced me to her Son~my now DH. So we are the same height... In that pic you sent me; it made you look much taller, I would take that pic and send it to everybody I knew. So...... tell me did anybody notice you lost weight? Lapband a secret? I just booked a cruise 7 day to the Riviera, Mexico during Thanksgiving. I would have never done this without lapband. <Secretly> I am soooo very excited. Get lots of pictures in your new dress; but realize in 6-7 months you are gonna think you looked "heavy" in it. I feel very special that you wrote to me... Thank you.

Pita=Pain in the ass.

Chris; Are you basing what you eating on less than 1 cup? Have I totally missed the portion sizes I should be eating? I ate for dinner~ tell me if this is too much. 1 chicken thigh and 1/2 of a 7" zuchinni and a couple bites of bbq'd portabello mushroom, oh also some of the gren bell peppers and onions that the chicken thigh was cooked in, and 2 bites of mango salsa what do you think?? If I should have eaten less tell me what you would have eaten by example please.

Chris RIGHT ON! So in reality you did not gain THAT MUCH! Can you tell you had a fill, obviously you are eating less because you lost weight, but what other symptoms do you have that you had a fill?

Same here. I as well have the 10 cc band and she told me; that means it will hold 5 cc's and this probably will be the biggest fill and each subsequent fill will be smaller and it most likely take me a couple fills before I feel restriction. Tell me, do you "ever" get "full"? How were you eating so different that you gained weight? In Oregon were your portion sizes bigger. What do you think was so different? Just not having a fill and no self control? I know if I was on vacation I would gain weight because I was not in a "controlled" atmosphere, and I am a volume eater. I can't wait until my next fill.

Chris; Same with me had 1 cc of die and they added 1 cc. Did you have to answer an qualifying questions for the fill or did the nurse have an understanding that you were getting a fill? Did she indicate IF you would feel any restriction from this fill? Did she tell you how big of a band you have?

Momlambert: Tell me what is going on with your Dad at this point. How are his spirits? Have you still been able to "not tell your family" about the lapband?

Call anytime and let me know when you can come over

Nv Girl I have 4 brand new vanilla and chocolate and then a couple opened ones. Please come take them I hate to throw away and I will just wait until they are a couple years old and then throw them away. I work at All Occasion Rentals 5301 Longley Lane #B40 Reno, 775-828-4999 Near the corner of Longley and McCarran across from Gold's Gym We are here today till 1pm You can add flavor that you can buy at Smart and final to the vanilla flavor to make it any flavor you want. You will see after weeks of this stuff you will never want to drink it again either; it is not that it is "bad" it just has its own purpose (to prepare you for surgery). I prefer the canned slim fast even though it has more surgar in it I like it better because I was not TOLD to drink it.

NVgirl: Please come by my office and pick up 2-3 "FREE" unopened containers of baratric powder. I ordered extra because I needed to have some on hand and I just can't take another swallow of that stuff. I can't remember; are you local?

Sugarbear: I went for a fill today and I still have -0- restriction. The nurse told me to eat liquids for 3 days; well that theory lasted through todays lunch. I am going to call next week and see if they will fill me early too. The nurse did say it may take me a few fills to feel restriction; so that was a tiny bit promising i guess.

So today was my first fill. I was banded 3/1 (6 weeks ago) I have a 10cc band thus (I was told today) it will hold 5 cc. Upon placing the band apparently the Dr. put 1 cc in. Today I got another 1 cc. So I have 2 cc’s in. I am on liquids for the next 3 days The nurse nummed my port; just like the dentist would numb your gums, and for about 2 seconds it was a little burning sensation. (not a big deal though) She used a needle to draw out the liquid in the band to measure how much was in there. I felt the liquid moving through the tube; like liquid in your stomach; you can just feel it moving around ~ it was not uncomfortable or anything. She then stuck on another syringe and added 1 cc to my port. She handed me a Dixie cup of water and said to drink the water, as she was putting away her little tools and said “see you in 6 weeks”. I don’t feel any different ~ but I have not tried any thicker liquids yet.

My post kinda read funny. Let me clarify YOUR WHOLE BODYis dripping wet from perspiration from the PB. Serves me right to flub up a type written note when I am trying to answer phones, take care of customers and post a personal note not LBT!

Chris; When I PB'd that one time right after surgery, it was not just once and it was all over with I was leaning over the trash can for about 30 minutes. So thank goodness yours came out all at once. You probably experienced but did not post about that your whole ends up completely sweaty and your dripping wet by the time the whole experience is over. And you know what? Mine was on fried chicken too, leftovers just like yours as a matter of fact; but mine was chinese sweet and sour chicken. I go in for a fill today at 10am, I will let you know the details later tonight; I have more dr./dentist/optomitrist etc. appts today than I have had in the last month. P