waitingpatiently

I can tell you from personal experience that you come to this site in different stages. Before I had the band, I lived on here...I asked every question I could think of and read every success story I found.---stayed away from the horror stories.
The first month after the band I lived on here as well...everything was new, I asked my questions and came to the group for encouragement to get through the awfull 6 week post op diet----everyone was so awesome!!
Now that I'm several months out...I only check in a few times a week. And since things are going smoothly, I rarely ask questions.
My point is, as sad as it is....I can see myself not relying on the site as much anymore....and won't probably be as active as time goes on..................But I will tell you this...the first time I'm unsure about something....this is the first place I will come!! And I think that is the same idea that others have. They kind of drift away when everything is going smoothly.....but they come back when they need advise or are in crisis. So don't worry too much about something going wrong. Your odds are the same as everyone elses....5% of us will have a slipped band and less than 1% of us will die from a complication....Those odds are pretty good compared to those of living a life trapped in an obese body.
Just be proactive....Its kinda of like a person allergic to bees. Most of us wouldn't run to the ER because we were stung. But if you are allergic to bees and are stung, you dont wait arounnd to see if the symptoms will go away, you rush to the hospital. Same with the band. You know what you are looking for....so if think something is going wrong....don't wait around!! seek help ASAP!!

Some other posters commented on why people come to this forum and it's really because they are searching for answers. Most of the complications aren't really problematic, they're just fears and concerns that need an answer. So of course, the comments may seem negative but look at how many replies from successful bandster there are?
As Mis73 said most of us would rather take our chances with the band than die from obesity. Think about how many comments this forum would receive if it could reach the heavens and allow the millions of people who have died an early death due to obesity? I think most of those comments would have been, woulda, coulda, shoulda?
tmf

Remember people who are stressed out from complications are more likely to come on here to talk about them than people who are doing well. Almost 2 years out knock on wood I've never had a PB or vomitted. I've had a couple stuck episodes: cheap white bread and raw baby carrots.
If your band slips you will have trouble keeping down liquids. But remember not everyone has slips.

Now that I've updated the file I can check in: down 1 lb yippee! If anyone sees something incorrect on the sheet let me know and I'll correct.
I've added how much we've lost since 6/1 and how much we've lost since the previous week.
I start vacation next week I hope I can hang on! Leaving for Vegas on Tuesday!

SummerChallenge.xls

Nice to see the scale move again!! 192 this morning. Thats down 2 pounds for the week, Only 3 more for the month to go....might be tight. But I'll give it a shot.

My band is a size 10...I have had 3 fills and have 3cc in my band. I have a monthly appointment where I can have an adjustment if needed. I'm 3 months out today!!
Try not to compare yourself to others.....how many/how much will differ greatly between patients.

I know its very dissapointing, but its better to be safe than sorry. If there is a underlinning heart condition, it doesn't mean you won't be able to have the surgery, but that they will need to take special precautions. But from the surgeons point of view, they need to know what they are dealing with...I think your doctor made a good call.
When after my surgery the first thing the surgeon told me was " don't take any more blood pressure meds"...I had had a few very low reads during surgery and he said they weren't needed any more. I had lost weight before my surgery and probably didn't need to be taking them anymore.
Had you lost weight before surgery? It might have been enough that you need to have the dosage adjusted.

Thanks for doing that lisa!! I thought I checked in on the 8th..but I must have forgot to. I was 194 on the 8th and 194 today (use for the 15th)....This is the first week the scale hasn't moved for me....I tried to add a few carbs to my diet (from 40g to 50g) a guess my body didn't like that....So I'm working myself back down to the 35-40 range....sad....I love carbs...sniff, sniff

So far this week we've lost 21.8 lbs for the ones that checked in...Going to a softball tournament in Moline IL but I will update again Sunday evening.

Summer Challenge.pdf

I was faced with a similar problem last month and seeked the advise of our fellow bansters....their wisdom is always welcomed.
I have been doing well with sticking to a low carb/high Protein and loosing about 1.5-2.0 pounds a week....so I didn't know if I should get a second fill..............but I did recognise it was "me" doing all the work and not the band...but I didn't want to risk getting a fill then having to give up some food (like chicken) that has been a key element in my success.On the other hand, I can eat anything I want...in just about any quantity....so one bad week could do a lot of damage.
I discussed it with my doctor and we decided to do small fills 1cc at a time...that way when it begins to get harder to loose and I "need" to find resctriction I won't be 7cc and 4 or 5 fills a way. so now I only have 2.5 cc in a 10cc band. he said when I get a fill that I actually notice...we will slow down. (he thought that would be at least 2 more fills)....then when I need help....I will only be 1 or 2 fills away to restriction and won't have to start with an empty band.
Seeks to be working for me.

My doctor doesn't recommend it....he says 3 meals a day and you have 30 mins to eat it. That being said......
You know your body better than anyone else....so if its working for you I say go for it.--just make sure you aren't conviencing yourself that its one meal that is divided in half. I could see where it would be very easy to accidently add extra food to each meal...thinking it wasn't large enough. Seeing only 200 calories on a plate and thinking thats a meal might be hard...even though another will be coming in two-three hours. I would make sure you weigh and track your food religiously. Join myfitnesspall.com if you need help recording it.

My doctor doesn't recommend it....he says 3 meals a day and you have 30 mins to eat it. That being said......
You know your body better than anyone else....so if its working for you I say go for it.--just make sure you aren't conviencing yourself that its one meal that is divided in half. I could see where it would be very easy to accidently add extra food to each meal...thinking it wasn't large enough. Seeing only 200 calories on a plate and thinking thats a meal might be hard...even though another will be coming in two-three hours. I would make sure you weigh and track your food religiously. Join myfitnesspall.com if you need help recording it.

May I ask what you consider low carb? I know it sounds silly but I was once helping someone with there "low carb" diet...and discovered we had very different ideas about what "low carb" means..apparently in her mind 125 was "low carb" because that was half of what she used to eat. And while I think its great she was able to cut them down to half..125 is NOT low carb.---So just wondering.

Never a good sign....If you aren't short of breath normally then it needs to be brought to your doctors attention.

I would find a new doc right away, because I suspect it's going to be a process not only finding one but getting all your records sent to the new office. Then, while you're in the transitional period between offices, you can still see your current one for follow-up and a fill if necessary.
Statistically speaking, people who follow up with their surgeons regularly after surgery seem to do better than those that don't. Their guidance is important and they can help to catch issues when they're still small, rather than after they've become huge issues.
Best of luck to you.

I have 3 in a 10cc band...and I'm definately NOT in the "green zone".......now where did those Cookies go? --jk

go to tickerfactory.com and create your design (make sure to add password)
when you get the the last page copy the bbd code in the box
go back to your LBT site and under settings select signature
scroll down and past your ticker in the edit box.....you then can type under it if you want to add additional info.
in the future just click on your own ticker and enter your password...update any changes....the new info will automatically update on your LBT profile.--
hope that helps

I would definately stick to the liquid diet. Try having a Protein Shake. You probably need to get some Protein in to ward off the hunger. My doctor actually wants his patients on a liquid diet for a whole week after a fill!!
Occupy yourself with something else. Go for a walk or go clean something. Try to get your mind off of it. I went window shopping the other day....left all forms of money at home. Drove 30 mins to get to the mall and another 30 min back plus made myself stay for an hour and a half.-with no way to purchase food, by the time I got home half the day was over.
(i did take a large Protein shake with me)

I would definately stick to the liquid diet. Try having a Protein Shake. You probably need to get some Protein in to ward off the hunger. My doctor actually wants his patients on a liquid diet for a whole week after a fill!!
Occupy yourself with something else. Go for a walk or go clean something. Try to get your mind off of it. I went window shopping the other day....left all forms of money at home. Drove 30 mins to get to the mall and another 30 min back plus made myself stay for an hour and a half.-with no way to purchase food, by the time I got home half the day was over.
(i did take a large Protein shake with me)

the low carb thing worked wonderful for me. Let me know if you need info on how to get started....inbox me.
I would join myfitnesspall as well...great site to track food and exercise plus you can add your LBT buddies
Feel free to add me same username:waitingpatiently

First off ,
It sounds like you are on the right track. Not eveyone has it all figured out before surgery, and I'm glad that you are educating yourself. I would definately track your calories. I would recomend Myfitnesspal.com it is a great site with a large data base. You can also add friends to encourage you along the way. Feel free to add me...same username:waitingpatiently. If understanding good food choices are an issue, I would recommend making your diary public to your friends...they will be able to offer suggestions to help. Plus its great for you to access other peoples diaries for healthy food ideas.
Secondly,
Everyone is different...some may say the weight fell off in the begining.....but as you loose, the weight loss will get slower, since you are starting at less than 200 lbs...I'm sorry to say you probably won't every feel like "Wow...I lost 10 pounds this week"....it will be more like that 1-2 pound range...which is where I'm at.
Thirdly,
These beginning months will take some time to figure out what your body wants from you. Some people feel we are pretty much all built the same and that a calorie is a calorie....I dissagree. Some will maintain 1200-1500 calorie diet and exercise 5-7 hours a week and do wonderful....This is not me. I choose to keep my calories down to about 900 and I only exercise about 2-3 hours a week. This works for me. I also try to eat a low carb diet my goal is about 35g daily....but theres a couple of days a week it will be higher..maybe 50 This is my magic combination...yours will be different. The goal is to just keep trying things untill one works better than others. I will tell you that although I am strict on myself, It isn't as hard as it used to be. Some days it will be 2pm before I get the urge to eat.---so although it is a strict diet....it doesn't feel like it is. I am satisfied at the end of the day and I only have 3cc in a 10cc band. Exercise!! you are young and your metabolism is strong....even it is only for 30 mins a day. Its good to esablish a routine early.
Fourth,
Not sure way your doctor didn't give you guidlines, I have heard others say that as well. Did you use an actual bariatric doctor or a general surgeon...sometimes general surgeons don't give a lot of rules. For the most part most doctors want 3 oz Protein first (at least 60-70g daily), followed by 1/2cup healthy veggie, then 1/2 cup starch (if needed)........or something similar. At almost 4 weeks out (close to where you are) I was in the mushy stage...not sure where you are at.
Hope this helps....feel free to inbox me if I can help you any. Good Luck!!

Hi ladies. Congrats to you both!!
Everyone is a little different when it comes to the healing process. A lot of bandsters feel great just 3-4 days out. Some even have went back to work the next day!! (crazy)...This was NOT me!!--haha
It took me a good 10 days not to be in pain. and about 3 weeks to feel some what normal. However, I did have other stuff done (2 hernias and some adhesions removed) so that definately added to my discomfort.
But just keep asking yourself if you feel better today than you did yesterday...usually the answer is yes. Stay on top of your pain meds that way it doesn't get out of control.Walk, walk, walk...it really does help with the gas pain.
Julie-don't be stepping on that scale right now!! I know how tempting it is! this is your bodies time to be healing. They pump you up on a lot of IV fluids while in the hospital to help you keep from dehydrating the first few days...thats why you probably have gained weight...it will go away over the next few days. Save stepping on the scale for at least 2 weeks..then you will be pleasantly surprised!!

I was on liquids for the first 2 weeks post-op. You shouldn't have to worry about being sick (as long as you follow YOUR doctors rules). If you are talking about a reunion where everyone is sitting around talking and relaxing, then I think 9 or 10 days out you will be fine for that...if you are talking about a reunion where you are constantly on the go and swimming and hiking.......then I would not have been up to that. I felt very weak the first 3 weeks after surgery. I guess a month of liquids will do that. I would not have had the energy to be very active. I was still sore and would take a short nap during the day. However, I did have a couple of hernias repaired and some adhesions removed at the same time, so I might have been a little more tired and sore than the average bandster.
If you will constantly be around other people, you may want to decide if you are going to tell people....if not they may ask what is with the liquid or mushie diet....So you may want to be ready for their questions

A friend of my daughter that I haven't seen since the surgery was over last night. When I walked in the room to greet her, the very first words were "WoW....you look nice"!! She was actually shocked and kept asking what I had been doing.(to loose the weight)
It did make me feek good.....my family sees me everyday, so they don't tend to see the diffrence as easily.

I had surgery at 40. I was on Clear Liquids for 7 days and full liquids (tomato Soup and Protein shakes) for another 7 days. I had no gas pain. I was back at the gym doing 45 min. + on the treadmill on day 5. If you can do some short casual walks that would be fine but not intense adventurous outings. I was also not allowed to go swimming for two weeks. I also took short naps after going to the gym.
I would say you definately need to be able to supply your own meals. You can not expect to find appropriate foods at a family gathering. It will NOT be okay to just "have a little, it won't hurt you" because eating solids too early WILL hurt you.