Short and Chunky

Doing good Lisa..keep up the good work. Melinda in Florida

tiggergramma- so glad you passed your test..see we told you that your weren't crazy - yet...LOL. Now, on to the next step. Keep us posted and hang in there. Melinda in Florida

Well, that poor elephant. I have lost his heart and his penis ! Sucks to be him - great to be me..The average 2 yr old is my next goal. This is just too funny..Congrats to everyone on their weight loss. Melinda in Florida Melinda in Florida

Godd luck. I hope you get to come home too. I did..it's not bad at all. Melinda in Florida

Bob - sorry about the bread but guess what - No more bread. You got stuck and that really doesn't have much to do with "restriction". The opening from your stoma is only so large even without restriction per se. Bread, rice, Pasta all of that "good stuff" is probably a no for you now. Be careful with the sticking as it can damage your band. Toast is a bit easier but my doctor says NO to most carbs with bread being at the top of his list. Melinda in Florida

Kelly - congratulations on your surgery and your weight loss You are doing great and I am glad you are starting to feel better. In a day or two you won't even know you had surgery - you will be feeling so good. I am so sorry for your loss. Loosing a child, I just cannot imagine your pain. But, it sounds like you are taking control of your life once again and are on the road to better health. My husband was not on board with this proceedure either, but he came around and is now my biggest cheerleader (eat slower, careful - your bites are too big). Hehehe. Glad you are on this site as the support here is fantastic. I have been on here about 1 1/2 yrs and I am 1 yr post op. Whenever you need support come here - the folks on this site will kick your butt when you need it and build your confidence back. They also cheer the big and little victories with your too. Keep up the good work - really proud of you. Melinda in Florida

OMG Ric..you answer was so funny (and so true) I burst out laughing and I am at work ! I guess when you think about it - we are all a bit touched in the head to have a band put around the top of our stomach so we can eat "morsals". But look at the results ! I for one am happy and would do this again in a minute. There is 102 pounds less of me (there is still 163 pounds of me left) and I love it... Melinda in Florida

Lori - just go and be relaxed. They just want to make sure that it is YOU who wants to do this, that you have some support and that you aren't a total WACKO. There are times when you can get a bit down with your new eating lifestyle and they want to make sure you understand and can handle it emotionally. I agree with some others - don't tell them anything you don't want the doctor to know. You will do fine - just relax. Melinda in Florida

Welcome Lori - you have sure been through a lot. I hope all goes well with your visits (and your insurance). I pray that this is something that will help you. Warning - this is not always the silver bullet. This can make you depressed ( can't eat like you used too - exercise very important - etc). You sound as though you may not be in a good place yet and this may be a bit too much. Be sure you enter this with the proper expectations. I am much older than you but went through the death of a parent just prior to my surgery so I understand the "wonderwoman" part. This is still hard work and sometimes you can get down so make sure you understand that part. I was banded just over a year ago - my dad died the year before that. Weight was a contributing factor to his death therefore a motivator to me - I am down 102 pounds with about 40 more to go. If you are sure you head and your heart are in the right place - good luck and stay in touch. Melinda in Florida

Jessica: you rock. You have done fantastic. I too just celebrated 1 yr and I still see a fatty when I look at myself. I have lost 101 with about 40 more to go. I guess "WE" can't see ourselves as others do and that is why we still feel chunky. Hang in there and congratulations SKINNY !!! Melinda iN Florida

canderson - I am so sorry you are having such problems. You sound miserable. I, like Jhudson, was allowed broth and sugar free popsicles and sugar free Jello. Try adding some extracts to your Protein drinks and crush it with ice in a blender (making a milkshake) maybe that will help. If you can't hold this down, you need to find out why and call your doc. You shouldn't be having issues on your pre-op diet (other than being HUNGRY). Being hungry is normal, throwing up is not. Melinda in Florida

Hey Angie, Melinda in Florida here. Welcome to the site and welcome to bandworld. Sounds like you are off to a good start. I too am a shorty - 5'2" ( on a tall day) and I began at 268 pounds. I am 60 years old (act like 30 though j/k). I was banded 7/7/11 and I am down to 170. I feel great..I walk everyday (unless we have another Tropical Storm come our way - 2 in the last month). I plan on joining a gym in July to start some weight training to get rid of some of the excess flab (if possible). Hanging flab or not, I am soooo glad I had the surgery and would again in a minute. I look forward to seeing you on the web, Melinda in Florida

Sorry about the month on Protein shakes - that is like a jail sentance. I use unjury chocolate and add coconut extract, vanilla extract or a tsp of Peanut Butter. I mix it with unsweetened almond milk and 1/4 cup of crushed ice - hit it in the blender. Sounds crazy, but then I put it in a sexy glass with a cool straw and it is like drinking a milkshake. FYI, I HATE PROTEIN shakes. I spent $$$$$$ trying to find something I could drink without barfing it and pouring it out but when I got these receipes from my Docs office and decided to try them. On a hot day, they are great. Melinda in Florida (where it is always HOT)

Pain in your left shoulder or your back is common (especially in the beginning). There is a nerve near your stoma that goes up to the left shoulder and back area. When you get full or the stoma registers full, that can make this nerve goes a bit nuts. I really don't remember the name of the nerve but you can google - pain in shoulder with lapband or pain in back with lapband and you will find it. Drove me crazy for about 1-2 months. No problem now unless I eat too much. Melinda in Florida

I guess today is the day for BIG suprises...I too started out a size 22. haven't owned a dress or a skirt in years..Well, today I bought size 14 Levis (no pull ons - these actually have a zipper and a button) and a skort size 14 and NOTHING was made of stretch material. I cannot believe it. I almost shouted in the dressing room. I plan on wearing the skort to work tomorrow (dress down Friday, plus 98 degrees) if I can gather the nerve. I just cannot believe it. You look at the scale and you know you are loosing weight but you look in the mirror and you still see the FAT person. Wow, what a difference a year has made in my life. I will be banded 1 year July 7th. Have a great weekend everyone and stay true to yourself ! Melinda in Florida

LadyScorpio = I am so sorry about your parents. I know (from experience) how hard this is. You are doing fine. Hang in there and be as strong as possible (you have no choice). As for your weight. You have to take care of yourself too. You are no good to your parents, your family or yourself if you don't. Try to plan just a bit. If you have to grab fast food - eat the hamburger w/o the bread. Get the side order of apples or a fruit cup maybe even the yogurt. I know it is not perfect and not totally on "the plan" (my doctor is no carbs) but it is better than eating onion rings and a McDouble! Also, keep a bottle of Water with you at all times, that way you will get in your liquids. I am an emotional eater and nothing calms me like sweets and carbs - this is a rough time for you and you don't want to find comfort in food - I know that is easier said than done, but try..Stay on this site - you know we are all here for you and I will keep you and your parents in my prayers. Melinda in Florida

ddrobins - you go girl. My husband was not really on board - he wasn't against it, he just thought - here we go again - she'll loose and then gain back like every other time. Well, 1 yr down - 99 pounds down - he now is thoughtful and reminds me to eat slowly, he tries not to eat junk in front of me and he encourages me to exercise. I have been married to him for 43 yrs - that is as good as it is going to get (in the support catagory) ! NSV - last night, he fixed his own dinner as I was in a non-eating mood. You are so right - if he is hungry - he knows where the kitchen is. I spoiled my husband too - now it is his turn to do some of the spoiling. Melinda in Florida

Whitney - your are doing awsome...keep up the good work and get back to work on that on-line class..no excuses ! haha Melinda in Florida

ledavis - PB is Productive Burp...yep, it is when your food doesn't or won't go down and your body brings it back up. It usually comes with it's cousin "slime" and nephew "chest pains". It is awful. It is a sign of eating too fast, too big, too much or your band is too tight - sometimes I think it is just "because". I have been banded a year and it was only recently that I have had to deal with this. My band is pretty tight and that may be why or it just could be ME. Anyway, I have lost 98 pounds in this year of adventure and I wouldn't go back for anything so if I get a visit from Mr PB and cousin slime and nephew chest pains - then so be it. I will be more careful next time. You do need to be aware of this as in some cases it can cause your band to slip. I had plication with my band so slippage is less likely. Have a good weekend and be sure to CHEW baby bites.. Melinda in Florida

I used salad by weight. a cup is 8 ozs. A cup of salad by volume does not weigh 8 ozs. it is more like 3 ozs. If that is all you are eating 3 things..1 - where is the Protein? 2 - without the proper amount of protein you are going to get hungry faster 3 - as you get fills, salad is going to get hard to eat without a PB episode. Somedays I can eat salad and somedays - no way. It gets stuck and then it gets painfully nasty. I love salads but be sure you are not falling into a trap of only eating vegies..protein is #1 with this band thing. Melinda in Florida

Bonnie - I hope that your approval is moving right along and soon you will have a surgery date. I am 60 1/2 and had my band 7/7/11. I have lost 98 pounds and I feel fantastic. My doc says that older patients follow the rules better and are often more successful. In our case, we are really doing it for health reason and not because we would look hot in a new swim suit. Walk, follow the directions of your doctor and best of luck. Stay in touch on this site - it is grat support and answers questions either your doctor won't answer or you forget to ask. Take care and enjoy the ride.. Melinda in Florida

I was off only 3 days (I have a desk job) but my doctor suggested not lifting for a couple of weeks. I felt fine after 1 week but I would be concerned lifting those heavy trays. I would get a doctor's note. Maybe you can return to work but on "light duty" for your second week. Good luck with your surgery and I hope all goes well at work. Melinda in Florida

Sairy30 - I'm not in Seattle, in fact, I am in Florida. But congratulations on your return to band-life and glad to hear everything seems to be right with you and your band. This is an excellent site and although we are spread throughout the country, there is always someone here to talk with. Good luck and please stay in touch. Melinda in Florida

My doc says it is OK to drink sugar free carbonated beverages too. That being said, sometimes, I have trouble with gas due to the carbonation in my diet coke or sparkling Water. I lay off for a day or two and then no problems. I have been banded a year and I think I would die if I couldn't enjoy my diet coke. Melinda in Florida

LadyScorpio - I had my surgery 7/7/11 (almost a year). My first fill was at my 4 week check up. I have had between 5-7 adjustments (2 was a slight unfill) in that 1 year period. The plication helps but you will still need to have fill in the band. The stoma (the tiny stomach north of the band) is the part that sends the "full signal" to the brain. Good luck with everything. Melinda in Florida (Rainy Florida - thanks to TS Debby)