Angelizz10

My dietitian says stop the coffee and my surgeon says it's okay.

So' date=' I drink 1 cup in the morning.[/quote']

☕I like that! Every dietician, nutritionist, doctor is different. We all need to take care of ourselves and live life. Being a banister is a Life Choice, NOT a diet. That is why I got a band. I enjoy my life, food, smell the flowers, all in moderation.

I was told that new research proves it can't effect the band' date=' however, it can stimulate your appetite.[/quote']

Can have adverse effect on high blood pressure meds also.

I made sure I stayed on Biotin' date=' which I have been on for years, because of anesthetic aftermath. I have not had hair thinning. I was banded July 25, 2012 and am 69 years young [/quote']

AND... Yes, thank goodness for Gummy's! I hate pills and always had a problem getting them down. Have you noticed many many Vitamins and supplements for adults are Gummy type or chewables? YES! Manufacturers have heard our call. My Dr. Did say that any pills the size if an ordinary aspirin or smaller is OK to swallow, once banded. Some Rx meds do not come in liquid form, such as METFORMIN. It was horrid swallowing that stuff ground up, as it is Very bitter.

Protein' date=' Biotin and zinc are said to be the keys to helping with hair loss. But I have heard it takes months to turn things around.[/quote']

I made sure I stayed on Biotin, which I have been on for years, because of anesthetic aftermath. I have not had hair thinning. I was banded July 25, 2012 and am 69 years young

I am scheduled for lap band on October 30th scared to death been having some sugar issues due to being dibetic & pre op diet my body is in shock they said only been on it for 4 days. I don't want to fell this diet I look at all the inspirational story's and say I can do this. Wish me luck & best wishes to all

Good luck tomorrow. You will do great.

I failed on several leveld I wish they would take my band out and give me a sleeve has anyone heard of this being done

Absolutely, all the time. The band is NOT a cure all, cure everything for everyone. Two friends of mine got rid of their bands and got the sleeve. Just as the gastric bypass doesn't work for everyone, neither does the band, but it IS reversible. It is a huge consideration.

I have been dehydrated and in the hospital a couple of times it is so important to drink all your Water

It is so very dangerous getting dehydrated. It affects your heart, your kidneys, etc., on and on plus making your skin look old before it should. Think baseball mit. Carry a water bottle where ever you are, they have small ones easy to carry in your purse. If your home keep one near and keep sipping. Takes away those cravings if you have them, and who doesn't have those! Keeping track of how much you drink each day is the first real "control" you have in starting over, in your life. It's a starting point. Just start for one day controlling that. Then add something else in a day or two that YOU have control and go from that. It is empowering.

Angelizz he is supporting me now he is ready for me too feel good about myself and to be me again

I am sooo happy for you! Take it slow and your going to succeed. Try not to compare yourself with everyone else here, OK. There is such a wide difference in weight needed to be lost, age, medications, doctors, support behind you, and... Emotional. Keep us updated here, we all support your decision.

I think recovery is very similar to the band so far...with the exception of the port pain. I now have 4 more incisions in addition to my five from lapband. It's like deja vu...I just did this 2 months ago!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using LapBandTalk

Think of them as your Lucky Nine .

Started pre op diet today. It is going to be hard to stick to this for 2 weeks! I am not really craving food though. I just cant stomach the smell of the shakes.

I put some peppermint extract in my last shake today (chocolate flavored) and it seemed to help a bit. Tasted ok' date=' just had to hold my breath to drink...lol[/quote']

You can do it! Now, you have begun. Know your excited AND nervous. We all, who are banded, know what your feeling. Remember, the pre-diet is to give your liver all the help it will need to get as healthy as it can be. Think of that if you think of cheating. Please keep in touch with us here, we are all cheering for you.

Is recovery similar to lapband?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using LapBandTalk

Ahhhhh. Stones. Thank goodness you now have a diagnosis and a fix! Are you having laparoscopic gallbladder surgery? With all the pain you have been in, recovery from surgery will be easy, compared to that.

I am 2 months post op and have been doing pretty well up until Tuesday afternoon. About 1/2 hour after I ate lunch (1 stuffed clam) I started to get nauseous and having abdominal pain. My midsection felt so tight and the pain was excruitiating. I called my surgeon and he thought for sure it was my gallbladder and admitted me to the hospital. The pain was off and on for about 6 hours and then slowly subsided. Unfortuately' date=' my hospital had no available beds and I spent my entire stay in the emergency room. I had a negative ultrasound of my gallbladder and a negative HIDA scan. After 25 hours of nothing to eat or drink and my negative tests, I was sent home. Last night I had a small piece of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and a bite of creamed spinach from Boston Market. It was probably about 3/4-1 cup of food. I have not eaten over a cup of food since surgery and I follow directions always. Anyways sure enough the abdominal pain came back...only worse and spread to my back. I just couldn't get comfortable, I got in the shower, used a heating pad, tried to stretch and after 5 hrs of suffering the pain went away. Today I'm nauseous, not that hungry, and I'm afraid to eat. It seems like as long as I don't eat, I'm fine. My surgeons office called me to see how I was doing and I told them about last night. The surgeon now wants me back in the hospital and wants to take out my gallbladder! If I had all these negative tests how can it be my gallbladder? What about my band? I'm so confused! So now I'm waiting for a bed to open up at the hospital but at least I'm not in the ED.[/quote']

This sounds like gall stones. The nausea, horrible pain coming and going, stomach pain, back pain. I had these symptoms before the band and it was gallstones. Did you know that you can still form stones AFTER gallblladder surgery. I was forming them in the ducts even with no gallbladder. I had to change my diet completely. High Protein diets (Atkins in other words) CAN cause gallstones. I wish you nothing but good luck. It sounds like your doctor cares about you. Where do you live where there were NO hospital beds??? Please keep us informed.

I have such a ridiculous relationship with my band.

It hasn't done much for me as far as losing weight goes' date=' but it has proven to be an excellent maintenance tool for me. I lost about 2/3 of my lost weight in the pre-surgery diet and then slowly the other 1/3 or so in the first 6 months after. Since then I've hovered within a 10-12 pound maintenance/plateau range. I was banded because I suck at keeping weight off long-term.

Getting stuck and bringing food back up is pretty much a daily occurrence for me, as it seems that "restriction" for me equals anything from "ugh-uncomfortable" to "holy-cr@p-pain". There's no rhyme or reason to it. I can get stuck on cottage cheese and smoothies, or on chicken or tuna. Steak and popcorn can go down fine.... or not. Frozen yogurt or ice cream sometimes come back to haunt me.... and stir fry might stay or it might go. It varies from meal to meal and bite to bite. No warnings, just instant discomfort from one bite to the next.

Sometimes I can ride it out and eventually things settle down, but at this point it's easier for me to usually just hasten the food's return trip. Never thought it would take WLS to make me bulimic, but that's kind of what it's come down to for me. At least it's just the food in my pouch, no acid to contend with.

My best girlfriend of 20 years was banded with me, and she lost her band to complications earlier this year.

Hers slipped and she was unable to keep ANYTHING down, lost too much too fast and ended up on a cardiac unit with emergency band removal. Since then, she's gained back some, but seems so much happier without the constant trips to the restroom after every (partial) meal.

Do I want mine out? No, not yet -- I doubt I could maintain on my own.

But do I miss being able to eat food and make good choices knowing that I'm going to be giving my body what it needs? Yeah, I do.

It's kind of depressing to work on making fabulous healthy meals, only to maybe bring it all back up. I still usually make good choices,but I'm less enthusiastic about it, and less likely to make the effort than I was before.

Just a rant, sort of. Wish I could say that this tool has proven as useful as I had hoped.

Now getting the rest of the weight off is more of a challenge than before (because lean Protein nearly always sticks/returns, no matter how much I chew).... But at least binging is well under control. Only 35# or so left to go.... but who knows if I'll ever get there.[/quote']

You have truly had a bad time. I am curious if you have considered the "sleeve?" The band just isn't for everyone so don't blame yourself. For some it is God sent, for others it is the Devil's work ... Some call it Band Hell. Good luck to you.

I'm on my pre op diet now day 6 and I had lost 8 pounds my diet consist in chicken broth ' date=' Soups , Protein shakes , Popsicles , Jello , 1 broil

Egg a day 2 onz of chicken and 1 cup of vegetables plus I also been working out. I'm very happy so far[/quote']

Congratulations on getting approved for banding. Your doing just great. I had to lose (or was Told to by a nurse) 15 pounds to get the surgery. I was SO worried, because I thought not in my wildest dream could I do it. If I could do it, why was I jumping thru hoops getting weigh ins for eight straight months, endoscopic exams, psyciatrists, nutritionists? I lost only 9 but they never said a word about it, ONLY that I had lost enough. They ask you to lose weight, because your getting the Fluid Fat out of your liver before the procedure. I think from reading here, folks who don't have all the requirements above must be self pay? It took me two years to get banded, because doctors discovered I was in A-fib, and needed to undergo a Cardioversion. That delayed everything! Those required tests saved my life.

I will say the Protein Shakes are the worst part. I don't think I will look at vanilla anything, ever again! Haha. Now, I can eat anything I want. I can not tolerate bread of Any kind. Small of anything and enjoy it. Good luck!

I had a problem that my nutritionist didn't want me to lose a lot of weight & PCP did. I drew a line down the middle and lost 24lbs in the 6mths. Once my insurance was approved I switched to some LB rules like Protein first' date=' small bites, putting my fork down for one minute between bites, smaller portions, chew 30 times and have lost a total 34lbs and surgery is still 15days away.

I hope adjusting to band life will be easier!

Best to you on your journey![/quote']

Wow. You have the patience to do anything you want to do! Your amazing! It WILL be easier once your on The Bandwagon and will do great. Congratulations on getting approved. I think you just won the biggest battle right there. Good luck.

Thank you everyone for your advice. Sometimes I get a little crazy.While deciding on this surgery I gave myself 2 years to lose 100 lbs. Which I feel is a decent amount of time.I put my demon scale away and I will only weigh myself once a week.I know it takes time that's why I chose the band over other wls.Good luck to everyone and again thank you for being honest and real :-)

Good for you! Now your talk'in! Your going to be just magnificent on this endeavor and make Yourself proud. Love that you put that demon scale away. It's testing our selves, not to just "see how we are doing today" isn't.

So I joined up here on wed. For about a week or so I had been waking up w pain deep down my throat. The pain didn't allow for sleep. I haven't been x-ray'd yet but I have put myself on a full liquid diet. No pain since.

A little background' date=' I was banded in nov. 2010. I reached my goal in Jan 2012. 140 pounds total loss. I recently became lazy and I guess felt invisible and fell off the wagon, binging at night. I'm ashamed and embarrassed and now nervous I caused some serious damage. In august I had an episode. For a few days I felt stuck everytime I ate. I had a short stint of drinking while eating when I was on vacation. I feel terrible. I should know better. My band was a gift and I'm so scared I ruined it...[/quote']

Get back to a doctor. Don't be embarrassed, forget all that and take charge of your life. Have faith in yourself and take care of yourself. You have accomplished so much.

Well I'm very frustrated.I had my surgery on 9-6-2012.I lost 10 lbs. Pre -op and 15 lbs post op but for the last week I'm up 3 down 3.I weigh my food and use fitness pal to track my calories 800-900 a day. What am I doing wrong I'm so discouraged..Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Give your body time to adjust to the surgery itself. I'm two months post op (banded 7/25/12) and am 18 pounds down.

Note I did not say ONLY. Everyone gets discouraged with or without the band. Give it and yourself a chance. Remember, you didn't get fat ... Yes, fat, in a day... You got that way over a long period of time. It's the same in reverse, you won't lose it in a day or a month either. I don't want to seem harsh, but your obsessing about not losing all the weight you want to in less than a month. Take a breath and a step back and think about the weight you have lost and Believe in Yourself. Nobody bent your arm eating, but you. You can use the band as a tool to help you get back the life you fully deserve. GOOD LUCK.

Thank you but I am limiting my FB to family and close friends. I just don't have time to keep up with it anymore' date=' and I'm trying to keep up in person more.[/quote']

There are more and more ads showing up here. Thanks for letting others of us how to just say NO. .

I feel great! I'm down a few pounds and am now ready to start moving around more. I started Protein and I notice the weight is slowing down' date=' but I know slow and steady will win the race! Today I begin "eating" full liquids, so can incorporate Cream of Wheat, yogurt, pudding, etc. We'll see what happens. Thanks for asking![/quote']

Thank you for your updates. For me, I also noticed the weight loss slowed dramatically once I started on full liquids and from there on. I "thought" the weight would just drop off me" on liquid diet portion of the after-surgery. Gosh, was I wrong! So far (banded on 7/25/12) I've lost 18 pounds, nothing for last 5 weeks. Talk about depressing. My doctors says not to worry, I'm still adjusting to this whole procedure. I had one very small fill and it didn't hurt at all...But, can't tell on hunger either. I get hungry at night. To squelch that, I have hot chicken broth with cut up grilled chicken and sometimes a small handful of frozen mixed veggies thrown in. Also walk on treadmill for at least 30 minutes 5 days a week. Bad knee. Had one knee replaced several years ago. Keep the faith, Carrie. We both WILL get there. Oh, I'm 69 ....

A diet is a diet, is a diet! They ALL work, and none of them work. They lead to yo-yo merry go round. Just for myself, I will never diet again. I got the band because I didn't want to ever go on a so-called Diet, again. That's how I got fat in the first place. The band is a tool to help Portion Control. You can eat anything within reason. Reason is the magic part, not another crazy diet that limits whatever the fad of the day is. Stay on low carb for awhile and risk the high chances you end up with gall stones. Follow your doctors advice and stop the craziness of dieting the rest of your life.

Thank you all for the birthday wishes and suggestions <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> Jungle Jim's (awesome place if you ever get the chance to visit' date=' it's in Ohio) just opened up not too far from me, so I think I'm going to hit the bakery and get something small, so in essence it will be bites.[/quote']

Good for you!

Just one piece <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> I checked out sugar free options at the grocery store and the carbs are quite a bit. Any suggestions?

It's your birthday so enjoy your day a bite of cake is not going to sabotage anything. Everything is "legally" OK . You aren't on a diet, your on a new life path. It's the trip that you should enjoy. Happy Birthday and many more.

This forum made my day! My date is October 30' date=' but my biggest worry was not being able to start the day with coffee![/quote']

I wish you well. I know your surgery will be a Treat...not a Trick! . I know your excited!

Had lap band on Monday' date=' 9/24, and today I finally feel good. Ready to give up pain meds and start living again.[/quote']

Welcome to The Band Wagon!