leatha_g

Well, welcome! Please feel free to browse all the different sections on this forum. They are full of lots of wisdom and encouragement! Any specific questions you have? This is definitely the place to ask. Where are you in your journey? Just beginning to gather info? Got a doc yet? Where do you live?

Nancy, I'm having the same issue. I think it's cause I'm just more "Plush".

Flying here. Arriving 9am Friday. Departing 6pm Sunday.

Sounds like quite a few of us will be arriving 9am-ish. Cool.

Sounds okay to me, unless you want to sub some of the saucy/pasta-ey stuff for chicken marsala or something a bit lighter (imagine, me, saying that...??) How about transportation? Who all will have vehicles? And I can't remember, will we need to get a taxi/shuttle to the hotel upon arrival? How many of us are arriving early? Like 9am?

Well. I have just taken a major step. I have signed up for C&W dance lessons starting Monday night. This is quite a step for me. I have country danced since I was 10 yrs old, however the country dancing I have done all my life is 'traditional' country dancing not all this new-fangled line dancing and steps. I literally danced my ass off when I was younger/single and never knew I had a serious weight problem. Then, I met my husband (who is now ex) and he did nothing of the sort. I danced on occasion even after that, but I really missed it and always sort of resented him for not learning how/taking that out of my life. Once I was single, I had began traveling 100% for my work, so there has been no time or way to incorporate that or any sort of regular activity into my life. Then, I got sick and have been fighting my way back to something resembling health over the past 3 years in addition to traveling. Now, my traveling has slowed way down and I think I may be working in the office or at least in the area more, so I just signed up for dance lessons and a local dance club who go dancing as a group on the weekends and some weeknights. This has been a helluva long hard road and there were days I sure never thought I'd make it to this point, but I've been such a recluse these last few years, due to illness and self-loathing. I reckon this is exactly what NSV(non-scale victory) is all about.

I do believe Babs in Tx will be sharing our room also, unless she decides to stay elsewhere.

Welcome Lainie(I love that name)!! Congratulations on getting started!! Feel free to browse all the posts here, there is a wealth of information here to be had! Good luck with your doc visit!!

I'm not too big on breakfast either. But, I have started doing something that will help ensure that I get the protein I need and is still healthy for me. I take my big mug (like I got in the hospital) put a scoop of Nectar Whey Protein it, then fill it up with water. 32 oz instead of the suggested 8 oz on the Nectar container. This way, the protein isn't overwhelming to me, but I'm getting it and the water that I need. It's really no different than drinking propel or crystal light, etc except that it's got protein too. I think there is 23grams in one scoop. So I'm fixing that on my way out the door in the morning. Drinking on it til noon and it's keeping me from getting too hungry, plus I'm getting my water and my protein. Kinda cool. Leatha

Great to hear you're home and doing well, Andrea!! So glad you had a great experience. Dr. Rumbaut is much revered !! I hear he's a keeper! Good luck! Keep us posted!

I've heard only good things about Dr. Cirangle. I used Dr. Wetter. Good surgeon, sucky office. I think he's too busy. I lived in Santa Rosa too. Back home in Texas now. I was banded May 29, 2003, had a one week visit, 6 week visit, 3 fills the first year. Then, a total unfill and a re-banding June/July the following year.

I did it! Ohboy, ohboy, ohboy. Flight reservation Fri, Oct 8, 2004 Departs 8:00am, Arrives 8:53am America West 866 Dallas/Fort Worth, TX to Las Vegas, NV Sun, Oct 10, 2004 Departs 6:00pm, Arrives 10:38pm America West 399 Las Vegas, NV to Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

Nope, but if it's something that comes on directly after a fill. I'd be suspicious of it. Or, if you're waking up in the night with aspiration. This is deadly serious business.

Yep. Amazing how the weight changes us in years. Sad, huh? You look great!

http://www.inamed.com/products/obesity/us/patient/lapband/information.html#booklet here's the link to the inamed patient handbook. it has post op care and diet instructions in it. i'm with the other ladies, the first 6 weeks is meant for healing, generally consisting of liquid diets moving into mushy/soft later down the road. good luck!

I'm having some issues with this too and I seriously think my band is having some effect on my middle section. I'm 5'0, 183-186lbs. xl-1x in tops 1x is a bit big. pants 16-18 all petite. i haven't lost a thing in bra size, but i knew i wouldn't. all of my weight seems to have come off my behind, thighs and upper mid section. i've never had shoulders so i can even get into some 14's if they come from somewhere like the avenue.

Wow. That's tough. I used to have a problem with driving distances, myself. Amazing what drugs and a little therapy can do. I never flew until I was 38, either. Not because of fear, I was just too poor and never had a reason to. My current job flew me for my first time ever for my job interview. Then, I took a traveling job with them. I've been flying ever since, sometimes 2-4 times a week. There have been times that I had some fear in the beginning, but I'm pretty okay with it now. I've also driven alone all over the country and in separate trips, I've driven the whole width of the country. From the east (philly) to dallas after 9-11, then from California back to Texas this past November after moving out there 15 months earlier. Funny, how we can change and overcome these debilitating fears and insecurities. I'll drive anywhere if I have a roadworthy vehicle and good tunes and the time it takes to do it. ******************************************* Kyleigh, I've been watching Expedia.com, cheaptickets.com, orbitz and travelocity.com.

Nice bikes, Betty! You don't know any good single Harley guys do ya? lol My brother and his wife ride too. He has an Ultra Glide and one of my mini goals/NSV's was to get on his bike with him, which I did back in June. My sister in law has her own bike too. She thinks I need one, which I would love, but since I take coumadin, probably not the best idea. Thanks for the pics!! It's so nice to put a face to these words that we become so attached to. Pretty lady.

I am going. I think. I waited too long to get tickets with my miles and am trying to get tickets that agree with my time schedule. You're looking at anywhere from $200 and up, however, the seats are limited, as are the flight times. I'll be leaving from DFW

You have a lot of homework to do before October 6. I would suggest you read all the forums you can for these kinds of answers. There is a whole lot to having this surgery and living with your band that you really need to arm yourself with. Constipation - it will come after you begin solids. I recommend some Fiber tablets or high fiber cereals or both. Before that, diarrhea usually visits shortly after you return home due to your liquid diet (which you will be on from 2-4 weeks) and the barium you have to drink before you leave the hospital. Sex - I haven't had any in a year, and I don't want to talk about it. :think lol. but, I hear it's business as usual according to your pain levels. Yes, it's normal to have some hair loss somewhere down the road around 4-7 months after surgery. They say this is inevitable due to the anesthesia, Protein and hormone levels due to weight loss. Who knows the real answer. I say all of the above. I still swallow whole pills every night, but I have been restricted too tight where I had to resort to crushing or liquid mixtures. These are things to discuss with your doctor, for sure. Yes, your stomach will swell. The first 2-4 days is the toughest but some folks go back to work after 3 days. I say give it at least a week and you'll feel much better. 2 if you have it. Please keep reading, there is no way we can give you everything you need to know all at once. This is a very serious step you are taking and you need to be armed with all the knowledge you can so you don't have any surprises. I wish you luck!

LOL, darn, I hadn't thought of that .. maybe i'll run find me some cotton candy...

It's okay. Sherbet is a liquid food. It's lower in calories and fat than ice cream, but still not something you'd want to have a whole lot of on a regular basis. This is the only time where you'll be encouraged to take in liquid calories. Once you're off liquids, it is encouraged to only take in liquids with no calories as soft foods/liquids generally add more calories than you need. Good luck! I know this time is tough.

I understand your frustration. We all do. Babs is currently going through the same 200 marker battle. I've heard it said that sometimes, it seems as if our body reaches a weight that we may have been at in the past and it tries to hang on to that familiar weight. I'm sure there is some more technical way of explaining that, but it does seem to sort of reach different weights and stay there. Maybe if you try adding something new to your exercise regime? If you're walking, maybe add bicycling an evening or two? Have you tried tracking your Protein, calories etc in www.fitday.com ? sometimes, we may be taking in more than we think. It might help to just check that out for a few days to see if there is an imbalance somewhere in your protein/carb intake. It could be very possible that you are building muscle or 'compacting' at this time. Sometimes, I thought I was going nowhere but should have been losing, my body seemed to be shrinking but the scale wouldn't budge. Then, suddenly, I might drop 5lbs at once. It's still early. Remember this is for life. You'll cross that hurdle, I promise.

Heartburn after a fill is generally a sign that you may be too tight. If this is something new since the fill, I'd consult my physician. You may need just a tiny bit removed. In the meantime, you may want to put something under the head of your bed to lift the mattress. Try not eating anything at least 3-4 hrs before lying down and make sure to drink Water to rinse all the food out of your pouch before bedtime. Too tight fills/reflux can sometimes lend themselves to slippage of the band or aspiration pneumonia. Two things you definitely do not want. Let us know what you find out. Leatha

This picture was taken on a mountain in Aspen this past March that mountain is what forced me to hav ethe surgery I almost died a 1000 deaths trying to climb the stairs in the cave.