Bjc1227

Originally, when I told my PCP that I was considering LapBand Surgery, he tried to talk me out of it. At that point I had pretty much made up my mind, done the research and met with the surgeon.

When I went Back to the PCP the next time, he asked if I'd ever thought of having LapBand Surgery. lol. Once he understood that was the direction I was going, he was supportive.

Tomorrow morning I have an appointment with the PCP. He hasn't seen me since before surgery. It's time for labs and med. adjustments. It will be interesting to hear what he says.

My surgery was on a Monday, and thought that surely the following Monday I'd be ready to go back to work. I also have a desk job. Before I went out I told everyone, no lifting, no getting on my knees to to fix the copier or hook up anyone's computer. On Saturday I drove to the grocery alone, to test myself, plus I was tired of asking for help. By Monday I was still having back pain and very weak, so I worked half days (on boss's orders) through Wednesday. By Thursday I bit the bullet and stayed all day.

Pay attention to your body. Do what you feel you can, but don't set yourself back. It took a good month to get my strength back, but now I feel great.

Best wishes. I'm sure you'll do fine.

Some time before I was banded I discovered My Plate Calorie Tracker by Livestrong. When filling out your profile, you decide how active you are and how many pounds you want to lose on a weekly basis. With your height and weight, it automatically tells you how many calories you need each day. I track everything I eat and drink, and I can keep track of my Protein intake for the day. If I'm low on protein, I add a Protein Shake or a glass of skim milk, depending on my needs. I really believe that keeping recording my food intake has kept my weight going down.

Thank you to everyone for your suggestions!

Not sure why, but tonight I started getting sooooo nervous. I guess that's normal...

Trying to be proactive and make sure I have everything I need, especially since the next few weeks will fly by.

Thanks again!

Last minute jitters are normal. Once you're at the hospital, they will keep you too busy to think about being nervous.

I'm August 9th and I'm also trying to find good shakes. I would love to try the premier shakes since they have so much Protein but can't find them around here. We don't have a costco anywhere in the state and I looked at Amazon and couldn't believe the cost!! Maybe Sam's club? Idk but I'll look into these others. I have heard great things about unjury though.

Ask your nutritionist if she can give you a sample of Unjury. My hospital gift shop carries it, but I've always bought online.

I like unjury. It is high in Protein, low in calories, and I like the taste. 28 grams of Protein and 180 calories when mixed with 8 oz skim milk. I buy it online and have it delivered to the house.

The other brands I've tried, that can be bought at Walmart or the grocery and higher in calories and lower in protein. I haven't cared for the taste...kind of gritty or chalky.

Since my banding I have been determined to lose the excess weight. I set a calorie limit for myself, and I write down everything I eat...everything. I rarely go over my limit but if I do, I forgive myself and keep going. At my height (5ft) I knew that it wouldn't be difficult to consume more calories than I could burn in a day. On one of my early visits to the surgeon I asked him if I should be worried about not eating enough. As long as I am taking the Vitamins and Calcium that I need, I needn't be concerned. Having been overweight by roughly 100 lbs., I have fat stored aplenty. I liked that idea. I am turning the fat into energy, and as I use it, my weight goes down. If you're hungry all the time, I've found that chicken or fish, a dense Protein, stays with me longer. You have to give up the junk food. I know that you know this, but you have to just do it. I know you can do it.

I was approved on 2/4/13, and given my surgery date the next day. Blood work was done, x-ray and the week before surgery, I visited the surgeon. My surgery was 2/25/13. I was so excited, I could have tap danced if I didn't have two left feet. Looking back the time went quickly, as it has since the surgery.

Try to stay calm and do everything the surgeon's office tells you. You'll be fine. Congrats and good luck.

Are the risks involved with getting the band increased by not following the guidelines post-op? Is the erosion' date=' slippage, etc something that can happen either by fault of the device or user?

Yes, in fact not following the post op guidelines puts you at huge risk for a slip or other complications. Patient compliance is crucial with the Lap Band, without it, you're setting yourself up for failure. That includes cheating on the healing post op diet- it's a huge mistake that sadly we see a lot of people make.

As far as slips/erosion, they are possible. It's important to realize that only 5% of serious band complications arise by no fault of the patient. So, in other words, if you're following the rules and doing what you should be doing then you have a 95% chance of never having a serious complication. Here's the study to back up those numbers: http://www.futurity....p-band-surgery/

Is it possible when you have met your weight-loss goal and feel confident that would be able to manage your weight and are able to carryover the new habits and lifestyle that you can have it removed permanently?

The band is meant to be forever, and the reason being is if you have it removed your appetite will come back with a vengeance. The band is meant to allow you to be satisfied on much less food for much longer periods of time. Without the band, you'd be starving and feeling the need to eat a lot more often and much greater food portions. I've never seen someone successfully maintain their weight loss after band removal unless they revised to another weight loss surgery.

For those of you who have the band, what scared you the most or made you hesitant about getting the band?

Honestly? Nothing made me hesitate. The odds were great that obesity related diseases would eventually kill me. The band would give me a tool to help me live. For me, it was a no brainer. The band wasn't an option in my mind- it was a necessity.

I completely agree with Mis73's response. If you follow the guidelines it's nearly impossible to fail. I hemmed and hawed for several years over weight loss surgery. I wish I'd done this ages ago. My weight has gone down, clothing size has gone down, blood pressure is down, cholesterol is down, and self-esteem is way up.

You have to remember that everyone is different. While one person may have problems with acid reflux, etc., there are others who have no problems at all.

Ask lots of questions at the informational meeting you attend. Read all that you can on the various options. (The Lapband is the least invasive and has a relatively short recovery period.) The choices are simple, lose weight on your own, don't lose weight and increase chances of dying early, or have weight-loss surgery and live a healthier, longer life, and likely a happier one.

Bjc1227 yeah I'm feeling great also I only have 2cc.... keep up the great work and good luck with everything

Good luck to you also. I wish I'd gone with another 2cc but the doc is cautious. I must use patience.

It should gave been before I got my fill the doctor did it by a xray and the doctor didn't have no concern on my band location. Every thing was in place I didn't have no problems with my band. Can it be gas pain

Is it possible you are constipated? That's fairly common and would cause some pain in the lower abdomen. Make sure you are getting enough liquids and if you have a heating pad, that might help you with the pain.

Did you mention your pain to the doctor? He is the one who could best answer that question.

I went in for my first fill yesterday also. No problems, and I'm feeling great. I had 2cc from the surgery and 1.5cc added yesterday morning. The weight has been coming off, but this past month it slowed up some. The doc and I agreed it was time to step it up.

You're doing great. You'll make it. I'm getting close to my first 50 also. It's so exciting reaching goals and fitting into smaller sizes.

Well' date=' when I eat in a public place I always drink with a straw! I can't drink unless I have it with a straw. I'm fine with hot beverages like hot tea and my ever loving coffee. Maybe I'm wierd but I've never had a gas problem and I use a straw a lot. Old habits die hard I guess.[/quote']

If you're uncomfortable putting your mouth on a glass in a restaurant because of germs, using a straw won't make a difference. If germs are on the side of a glass, they are also inside. Using a straw is not about gas, but air in your pouch making you feel full when you aren't.

All the literature I received from the doctor's office says no straws, for the same reasons mentioned above.

My first thought is that's a tough one, but not really. If there is a moment when you feel comfortable, go ahead and tell your date. If it's too much information for him to handle, wouldn't it be good to know up front?

I was lucky. I started dating someone in October last year, and had my surgery in February this year. We're still seeing each other, though it's long-distance. He liked me then, now and I expect he'll like me in the future. He knew I was planning surgery before we ever met.

Good luck and have fun.

Hi Bonnie, you're further along than me, I still haven't made a final decision, but I am searching for the motivations for a tough journey. I'm the ame age as you and our habits are no worse than someone younger but we have lived with them longer. I think that's part of the problem for us, they are part of us and our lifestyle is familiar and comforting. But we are transitioning at this point in our lives, we're getting closer to retirement, our kids are mostly grown, we have lost or are losing our parents, and we have a lifetime of health issues catching up with us. It's time to focus on ourselves, if we want to be there for our families and still participate in life, we need to take care of ourselves. Good luck to you, and I hope to read about your sucesses as you travel this new path in your life.

I will say, I thought about surgery for several years until I saw a friend's success after surgery. I used to think surgery was cheating, that I had lost weight with Weight Watchers before and I should be able to do it again. Meanwhile, I wasn't getting anywhere. I was frustrated , depressed, and over eating. Not for one moment do I regret deciding to have surgery. It took a year to be approved by the insurance company, but years go by quickly. Good luck whichever way you go.

I may have said this before, but when I went to the informational meeting, at least 1 1/2 years ago, I asked about the success rate for "older" patients having Lapband surgery. The surgeon told me that the success rate went down the older the patient was. My immediate thought was "Ha, you don't know me." I was and still am determined.

This morning I tried on pants that were too tight last week. They fit this morning, and as the day goes on, they have gotten looser. I've been playing with the same pound for the last two weeks, up and down and up again, but I'm exercising. the scale may not be telling me what I want, but my clothes certainly are. It's a great start to a week.

We're never too old to do something, if we want it badly enough. If you can't make up your mind to have surgery, take off your clothes and stand in front of the mirror. Be honest. Is this what you want for the rest of your life?

9 weeks post op and I haven't reintroduced bread (or pasta). I know these are trigger foods for me so I don't want to add them back.

Bread has always been one of my trigger foods, also, especially homemade. I have no trouble eating whole wheat, toasted, but since I've been banded, I've had maybe 3 pieces of bread. I've not tried Pasta at all. Right now I'm not missing it.

I had surgery May 2. Lost 18 pounds so far. But now I'm able to eat a little more than I would think I should. Getting a full next week. I hope they can find that happy spot so I continue losing. I haven't weighed myself since Monday because I'm afraid I didn't lose anymore. It's definitely true what they say. The dr put the band around your stomach. Not your mouth and brain.

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That's a nice lose Chrissy. I hope you do well with the fill.

My favorite saying is "Mind over mouth."

Going on 3 months now, I hope everyone is feeling great and losing weight.

I've added exercise to my days, and my knees aren't complaining anymore. That was a big worry, the possibility of knee surgery down the road.

My clothes are getting too large and I will have to break down and buy new pants soon. I am looking forward to shopping in my skinny closet. Last week I tried on jeans that were a size down from what I had been wearing. I was able to zip and fasten them, but breathing was not comfortable, so I'll try them again in another week or two. There's so much to look forward to.

Congratulations to all of you!!!!

You will do awesome!

I am curious, have you not needed a fill yet?

My surgeon did not recommend a fill when I was there on Thursday. So far, I've lost 38 lbs, with no fill. He did say that I may have alread had 1cc to begin with, and offered to remove it. No way I was going to let him take anything away. He does want me to try to eat more Protein, but my nutrients are good, and I feel great.

I've eaten fast food twice since I've been banded (2/25/13). Both times, I checked the nutritional listings before I went and decided what I would be comfortable eating. This past Friday I had McD's 6 pc. chicken nuggets...not bad. That same day I was told that Chick-fil-a has grilled chicken nuggets, without breading...even better. I don't like getting caught not knowing what my options are.

I would keep doing what you are doing until you decide that you need that fill. I only say that because I was also like you' date=' pleased with the restriction my empty band was giving me, with a loss of 2 pounds each week. I met all my nutritional needs, just had bloodwork done which was excellent, and was enjoying everything I ate. I followed all my surgeon's post op directives to the letter in terms of reintroducing my foods in stages.

I didn't want a fill, but did not wish to be viewed as a non-compliant patient. My surgeon is quite authoritarian and is not open to hearing a patient's take on things. So I went and got my first fill last week, very reluctantly.

Right now I have way too much restriction and cannot even get down any of the healthy. protein-rich, real foods I was basing my diet around. But I'm going to give it a couple of days; it may be once the fill/band settles down I'll be able to reincorporate my salads, Beans, eggs, etc.

But I greatly regret not cancelling my fill appointment last week. I was doing just fine without it, and now I'm hating the way I have to eat (for the moment; again, this may change as the fill settles down.)

That said, it is providing me with a rapid weight loss. There's at least that benefit.[/quote']

I also followed my post-op instructions to the letter. When I was given information before surgery, it all went into a binder to I could refer back easily and keep track of everything. Just getting to the point of having surgery was an ordeal, that I don't want to do anything that will cause me to fail.

I'm sorry you aren't comfortable with your fill. Hopefully this will get better.