morelgirl

Here's wishing good luck and speedy recoveries to anyone scheduled for surgery this week! How is everyone doing who went in last week?

I want to thank everyone who's been reading my ranting posts, and especially all of you who've taken the time to comment. It's such a relief to get these thoughts off my chest sometimes, but it helps even more to hear from others and know that I'm not alone in feeling the way I do. Maybe it's my persecution complex talking, but there are times when being a fat person in our skinny-obsessed society is the most isolating experience in the world. And being a fat person who has been unable to lose weight is the worst. If I had a dollar for every time someone has asked if I've thought about losing weight, I'd be rich. I might also be in prison, because the more it gets asked, the more I want to smack them upside the head while yelling (at my loudest and most sarcastic), "No! I've never thought of that! Oh, my goodness, I've been having SO MUCH FUN being fat and ostracized and mocked and ignored and insulted and slighted and exposed to ridicule that it NEVER EVEN OCCURRED to me to try to lose weight! Thank you so much for being the frst person to point out that I'm fat, or I never would have figured it out!" Not that I'm bitter or anything. Anyway, I don't need to be bitter anymore. Don't get me wrong, I'm still fat. In fact, for another 5 pounds or so I'll continue to be mordibly obese. After all, I was only banded 2.5 weeks ago, so the journey is just beginning for me, but for the first time in my life, I honestly believe that I have a chance to succeed. Even with my band unfilled, I still am able to be satisfied with eating much less than I ever have before. I'm conscious of my portions and my calories, but I'm content with what I'm allowed, not always finishing a meal still wanting more and not starving in between them. Once I get some restriction, I really believe that I'll be able to succeed where in the past I've always failed. Even better than that, though, is the knowledge that I'm so not doing this alone. I have all the other members here at LBT going through exactly what I am. I can share my feelings with you and know you'll understand. I can ask questions and know that you'll answer. And I can get tips and ideas I never would have thought of myself without having to go digging through the entire internet to find them. That rocks so hard. So, thanks, all of you. And here's hoping we all succeed together.

OMG, since surgery (2.5 weeks ago) I sound like a drunken frat boy with the burping! I rarely ever burped before and found it horribly embarrassing when I did. Now, I burp loudly several times a day and just wince before getting on with life. If that's the worst side effect of the band, I'll deal!

Hi Kathy, I have a Realize band. It was installed 2/1, just about 2 weeks ago. My surgeon uses both Realize and Lapband products and says he doesn't see a difference in the results with either band, but believes the Realize is better suited to certain anatomical shapes. Since I trusted his expertise, I left the decision about wt band to use up to him and he went with the Realize. I haven't had it long and haven't been filled yet, but I've had no problems.

I used NOW Sports unflavored whey protein and mixed it with Trop 50 orange juice (to keep the calories lower than with standard oj, which has lots of sugar) in my blender. It tasted like a super-orangey Orange Julius!

I don't know if this will help, but the only thing that worked for me was gritting my teeth and keeping my eyes on the prize. My pre-op diet wasn't pleasant. All I was allowed was skim milk and calorie free Clear liquids for 2 weeks. The first 3 days, I wanted to kill someone, or maybe just gnaw on their arm, but after that, it got strangely easier. Since I knew I had no options for other things to eat, it was a little easier to just not eat anything. Also, after paying self-pay for the whole procedure, there was no way I was going to jeopardize my chances at the surgery by disobeying surgeon's orders. Honestly, I say just buck up and bull through it. It's only a short period of time and once it's over, the rewards will more than make up for the sacrifices. Good luck!

So I weighed in yesterday and lost 0.9 lbs. This led to the immediate recognition of the fact that at the moment, I have a split personality. I call them Logical Me and Emotional Me. Logical Me tells me that any weight loss is good weight loss. I'm currently in "Bandster Hell," that period of time between my surgery and my first fill when my appetite has returned, but the band is not yet offering me any restriction. Logical Me points out that a lot of people stop losing weight now entirely and many even gain some weight. She also wants me to remember that the slower the weight loss, the better my skin will be able to adjust and the less loose skin I may have when I reach my goal. And finally, Logical Me would like to point out that I've spent at least ten years getting to this weight from my last lowest point, so it's dumb of me to expect that I'll lose it in a couple of months. Emotional me is too busy wailing and gnashing her teeth to tell me anything. Somewhere buried in her incoherent sobs, I am able to make out a few thoughts, though, like how can I not lose more weight when I've been eating no more than 1000 calories per day? Or, OMG am I going to fail this attempt at weight loss just like I have all the other ones after I've spent all this money on having surgery? Maybe the band won't help me. Maybe I'm just destined to be fat my whole life, and I'll just keep gaining weight even if I stop eating all together for the rest of my life. Maybe this was all a wasted effort and I should just go crawl under a rock and forget about ever being healthy and happy with myself. I'd like to slap Emotional Me across the face and tell her to shut her w&!@# mouth. I know those thoughts are ridiculous, but that doesn't mean I can completely erase them from the back of my mind. All I can do is turn up the volume on Logical Me, keep reading the forums, and keep poking along at whatever pace my body deems appropriate. After all, when it comes down to it, I didn't get this surgery just to drop weight; I got it to help me make a huge and permanent lifestyle change that will result in gradual and permanent weight loss. Maybe if I got that tattooed on the back of my hand, it would be easier to remember...

@sweetsoutherngirl and @Jesika80 Glad to hear both your surgeries went well. Hope you both have speedy recoveries and lots of success! Good luck and good thoughts for anyone going tomorrow!

Congratulations! I hope to have a similar story to tell one of these days.

Good luck, Tee! I'm sure you'll do fine, but I'll be sending good thoughts your way!

Gas-x strips are helpful. Have your Protein shakes ready and make sure your blender or food processor is in working order. I found liquid tylenol helpful for when I wasn't feeling enough pain for the liquid vicodin, but still had some discomfort. A pill crusher is a help if you have prescription meds that can be smashed to take. My nutritionist also wanted me to have a chewable or liquid Multivitamin, as well as a chewable or liquid calcium+D supplement to take daily. I also wanted to have things to do to keep my busy while I couldn't move around much (other than stare at the TV ) so I had a crossword puzzle book, a couple of new books to read, and (of course) my iPad.

Congrats, Amanda! I'm sorry to hear you had the breathing trouble, but very happy to hear your overall experience was a positive one. Here's hoping the rest of your journey is as smooth and satisfying as the beginning.

Things are still going really well in BandLand. Today marks 2 weeks since surgery--no pain, soreness at the large incision (port site) is barely noticeable anymore, no gas pain (Although I am burping waaaaaaaay more than I ever did before surgery. Is that weird, or has anyone else noticed that? Before surgery, a burp was a rare and embarrassing event for me. Now, several times a day, I end up sounding like a drunken frat boy. Thankfully, my housemate is merely amused by this.). I'm happily eating my mushies and incorporating some very finely minced meats, my favorites so far being black bean soup with salsa and sour cream garnish, and chili. Yum. The one food issue I worry about at the moment is getting my veggies; not because I'm afraid of getting stuck (so far, I can eat anything, and I do mean anything) but because I get so full just getting in my protein that I don't have room for any! I guess that's why my surgeon wants me taking a multivitamin, but I'd still rather eat fresh vegetables. I like veggies! I know I'm getting some between the salsas and the veggies in the chili and such, but sometimes I still crave some plain steamed broccoli, or a pile of sugar snap peas! Tonight* is my weigh in, and I'm a little nervous about having gained in the past week since transitioning off of liquids. Even though I've been keeping count of my calories (Wow! I am sooooo addicted to MyFitnessPal on my iPad!!!) and staying at around 1000/day, I know from past experience that my body can hang onto weight on nothing but saltines and water! But, fingers crossed. I keep telling myself that this is a journey, and I've barely finished buttoning my coat and stepping out the front door. Maybe that will help me remember to be patient and let the band help me toward my goals. * Yes, I weigh at night. I know most people weigh in the morning and that morning weight tends to be lower than night weight, but my morning schedule is much less consistent than my nights, so if I weigh in the morning, I NEVER end up weighing in at the same time two weeks in a row. Plus, the difference in day and night weights seems to also compensate for the difference between my scale and the doctor's scale.

Good luck with that. I didn't use insurance, so I didn't have much waiting. Then again, I now don't have much money after shelling out for self-pay.

Congratulations, Stace, and good luck! And same to all the other February bandsters, those already post-op and those still waiting. I know we'll all do fabulously!

@u4leigh I see people who adore their doctors, too, and I don't have that either. Mind you, I don't dislike my surgeon at all and have no reason to complain about my treatment or care. He's just not the warm, fuzzy type, but he is competent, intelligent and always ready to respond to my questions and explain things, and that's really all I require. Remember, though, that you are paying your doctor for a service, and if he treats you badly, there are other doctors out there who could take over your care if you wanted to switch. That's another benefit of being self pay (I was, too), in that you aren't wedded to a practice that takes your insurance--you can to with whoever you please! I think you're doing great! Keep working and keep your great attitude, and you'll absolutely succeed!

Glad to hear you're doing so well, Violet! Hopefully it's just the beginning of a fabulous new life.

Helen, first off, be so proud of what you've accomplished. 85 lbs is amazing! As for eating too much lately...have you been eating more because you've been feeling hungry, or for other reasons. If you've been hungry, you might want to consider if a fill adjustment could help. You might need a small fill to get you back to good restriction. If it's not hunger, well, that's more complicated. I've seen people suggest that going back to basics can help, like going back to a liquid diet for a couple of days, but if you're eating for emotional or psychological reasons, that might not help. What might do more good is finding a local support group. Sharing stories and getting advice from other people always makes me feel stronger. Also, getting you mind off food by filling in time with other activities you love can also help make it through a rough time. Good luck!

Good luck, Greekie. Keep an eye on what goes in, and I'm sure those 4 pounds will come off!

Onederland is the state of your weight starting with a 1, as in being less than 200 pounds. For people with a lot to lose it can be a huge accomplishment.

Hi, I'm in Vancouver and I got banded 2 weeks ago at SW WA Medical Center by Dr Jan.

Quick weight loss can often trigger gallstones and necessitate the removal of the gallbladder. It's not that uncommon, and your doctor certainly knows his way around your abdomen; after all, he's been there before! My doctor actually prescribes a medicine after all his surgeries that keeps gallstones from forming, which I'm pretty grateful for. I'm wondering why more of them don't do that?

Well, I don't have hunger "pains" per se. I get hungry, but it's usually close to mealtime, so I just go ahead and eat. I also allow a snack or two if I need it, so long as it's small volume and fits in my calories (I'm trying to stay around 1000 per day). It seems to me that the more Protein in what I eat, the more satisfied I am. Also, if I really like the taste of what I eat, I also seem to stay full longer, though that's probably all in my head! I generally try to eat about 1/2 c of food at a time.

I know I'm likely paranoid, but I have to ask... I was banded on February 1st, and from the first moment I woke up after surgery, I've had zero issues with my band. I mean, I had a tiny bit of gas (no pain, and Gas-X dealt with it no problem) and a couple of days of shoulder pain, but to me, those could be issues with any surgery and have nothing to do with the band. I have never had even a hint of nausea, I had no issues with liquids, and with my surgeon's permission, I moved onto purees and mushies 1 week after surgery. I'm careful to eat small amounts, because I don't want to stretch my pouch, but I really feel like I could eat absolutely anything with no problems. It's willpower that's keeping me off solids rather than my band. My surgeon said that I should be ready for solids by the time I have my first fill, which he suggested would be at my 4 week follow up. I guess my problem is figuring out in my head how to schedule my transitions to reach that target without rushing things. I had one week on liquids, and Wednesday the 15th will mark 1 week on mushies. I'm thinking that if I do the third week on mushies and what my dietician called "mincies" (finely minced solid Proteins like chicken, or ground turkey) that gives me the last week on soft solids before my fill. Does that sound reasonable? Am I totally over thinking this? ;P

Congrats, and best of luck! This is a great place to ask any questions you may have in the coming days, so don't be a stranger.