momlambert

That is NOT the least bit silly! Congrats on the loss and the NSV. You are a great role model. Thanks, everyone, for the kind words--you are the best! Sometimes, it seems to me, when we are in the middle of chaos, we don't realize how difficult it all is until we are able to look back and go, "Whew! We made it." Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. They are SO appreciated. We are doing fine. First daughter to arrive comes in a few hours--sheets are changed and I put a little pot of fresh flowers in her room. We are ready to PAR-TAY with her and her grandpa and the others when they arrive. Oh, a funny thing happened (skip this part if you want--it's just me rambling--again). I asked this daughter who is coming tonight if there is anything she would like to request while she is here (meaning, of course, FOOD because in our family FOOD IS LOVE). She's a tiny little thing--5'8" and 117 dripping wet). She said, well, you know, it's silly but I've been really wanting some meatloaf and baked potatoes, squash, biscuits, etc.--you know, Sunday dinner--because Matt (her husband who isn't coming until Saturday) hates meatloaf and squash. The funny thing is that I fixed that very meal on Sunday and had leftovers but had given my parents and another daughter each two big slices of meatloaf to take home and I didn't have any left. So, I called my daughter and they were just sitting down to dinner--leftover meatloaf. So I called my parents and they still have the meatloaf. Yippee! My husband is taking a little cooler up there today when he goes to sit with my Dad and packing up the two pieces of meatloaf to bring home for her. I still have potatoes, biscuits, and squash. So we are set and I don't have to cook again for tonight. Crazy! Well, like I said, FOOD IS LOVE and she will definitely know she is loved! LOL Have a great day and thanks, again, for your support and well wishes. Karen

Thanks for asking! I'm doing well but just extremely busy. As I mentioned before, my father is dying of colon cancer so my kids are coming to town to see him (as their work and school schedules permit). One came two weeks ago, one last week, and three come tomorrow (all with spouses, significant others, and our two adorable grandsons). Plus everything involved with all of that, we just bought a new house and have had to get ours ready and on the market--which it now is. Which means, of course, that it has to be ready for inspection by potential buyers at any moment. Now how is that going to work with nine house guests? May the force be with us! I'm having fun (but feeling lots of pressure) choosing cabinets, hardwood, carpet, appliances, tile, granite, etc., etc. for the new house--selections were supposed to be done yesterday. I spent today (my day off work) SURE that I could finish everything but came home at 8 p.m. even more discouraged--one choice changes all the others. I so needed to have all this done before the kids come but it just didn't happen. Hope they like lugging samples and going in stores with me on Thursday! Guess I'll take them all to lunch... So life is good but busy. Dad is doing very well right now and that is a huge blessing. We are so grateful that he isn't suffering. As far as band life goes...I went for my first fill two weeks ago and didn't get one. I have another appt. on Monday to see if I need one yet. I'm not really discouraged--probably because I've been too busy to think about it. My weight loss is really slow but I have lost 16 lbs. in the 7 weeks since surgery so it isn't terrible. I'm envious of some of your guys and your fantastic losses but a loss is a loss and I'll claim whatever I get. I've always been a really slow loser. I've done better with my exercising the past week. Thanks for the challenge, Tammy. I need to change my ticker to 5 of 20 completed. I stay between 1,000 and 1,200 calories every day and am faithful tracking everything on Sparkpeople.com. So I'm doing what I can. I'm trying to make good food choices but I do eat too much quantity. I can eat 1 1/2-2 c. without any problem. Thankfully, I've never PB'd or slimed. So life is good. I do read the posts every day but just haven't had much to contribute or the time to really check in. I appreciate you thinking of me. You guys are doing AWESOME! Hopefully in the next week or three I'll be able to tell you about my first fill. Hang in there everyone. We CAN DO THIS! Karen

Oh, I wish! No, it's a "productive burp" or "productive belch." Check this out: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7959

Keep your eye on the ball, Sophie! You can SO do it--15 lbs. in 11 or so weeks is probably attainable for you but not much room for bad days/weeks. Hang in there and track EVERYTHING--food, water, exercise. You can do it! We're pulling for you.

Good luck, Renee! Your journey to the new you is beginning--Congratulations! Karen

Good luck to both of you, Crabcake and Shar. We'll be anxious to hear! Take care of yourselves after surgery.

I really liked Dr. Hansen, too. Good luck to everyone! Karen

Thanks, BJean. That's exactly where it helps me the most--do I want that piece of cake/pie/candy/doughnut etc. as much as I want to live a healthy, happy life? I have to remind myself a lot about what is really important to me. Good luck!

Hi all! Glad to hear everyone is MARCH-ing along with the ups and downs that are common to life. Heh? I wrote a post a few days ago called "1st Fill--NOT!" but it never showed up so I'll just let you know what is going on in my world. I went for my first fill on Monday and learned that I am probably still swollen from surgery a bit, since I can eat anything but only in 1 c. or less quantities. It really is fine by me--I'll keep doing what I can to stay around 1,000 calories and try to do better at exercising. I can't say I'm really hungry but sometimes I just want to eat. Luckily for me, I can't eat more than a half of a hamburger, etc. So although I was disappointed because I'm hoping to get a better, faster weight loss once I am filled, I really can't complain because I seem to be losing about 1-2 lbs. per week. Slow but sure, I guess. Good luck to everyone! Looks like you are all accepting the challenge. I got me some new running shoes (well, walking shoes actually) and tried them out for 30 minutes this morning. Hope I can keep it up! Sorry I've been so delinquent in responding to people's messages, concerns, triumphs, etc. I did catch up today with all of you. My husband and I decided we had to sell our home (HOA problems) and so have been working on the listing and then we bought a new home on Friday unexpectedly. We're excited but need to sell our current home asap! Then, since the new home is in the mountains, we bought a Honda Pilot so we can drive to and fro. Yikes! `I saw an article about how some people trade food for other addictions--like buying houses and cars! I'd worry more but my husband was really the driving force, which is totally unusual. So I guess I won't worry too much unless this continues and we're homeless (but skinny) and bankrupt. Maybe I should worry before that. But for now anyway, we've been in a whirlwind of decisions and life changes. Fun but scary. Isn't that how life is sometimes? Love to all! Keep up the good work. Karen

Good luck to you and congrats on your date. Are you living in Utah? I have a fairly low BMI (not as low as yours) and didn't have any problem getting approved by Dr. Hansen in Sandy. I'm self-pay as well. Anyway, just thought I'd mention it because I didn't really have any hoops to jump through and I love the fact that my surgeon is just a phone call or quick drive away. Good job taking control of your weight while you are young. There is another thread here that has been really helpful to me: Lower BMI bandsters. I also think you might enjoy reading March 2007 bandsters and there is probably an April one as well that will give you lots of good ideas about what to expect for your surgery. Good luck! Karen

Hi all. Hope you had a wonderful weekend. I went for my first fill this morning but they determined that I don't need one yet--probably still swollen enough to get some restriction. Fine by me. I'm not losing fast but I am losing and can only eat about a cup of food without being full. No PB's yet and I want to keep it that way. She said that it happens very often that they don't fill people on their first or second fill appointments. This weekend I was "testing" my capacity (as requested by the dr.'s office). They want us to eat a cup of food (no more than that) and see if we want more food or not. Also try a hamburger patty and chicken breast, bread, etc. to see how that works (tiny bites, of course, and no liquids for 2 hours). I ate a half of a hamburger (with both buns) and was full. Also one piece of pizza (without the thick, end part of the crust) and was also full. And yesterday I had a big chicken kabob and couldn't eat the last piece of chicken. So on I go. The office did say that I might go another 2-3 days and all of a sudden feel like I wish I would have gotten a fill so I'll keep my senses alive and see what the future brings. Good luck, everyone! Karen

I haven't tried fitday but I use sparkpeople.com religiously and it helps SO much! But I'm having trouble staying under 1,000 calories per day. I'm usually at 1100. I need to do better--first fill is in the morning. I'm psyched! I think Marchies is good because it's easing to do a search on the site and get the threads immediately. I've thought of others, like the "MARCH-ing BAND marches to May", etc. but Marchies is more convenient I think. Off to Church. Have a great day, everyone. It's absolutely gorgeous here--85 degrees and clear skies. Love to all!

hi Margi. I've been trying to go 80-100 g of protein because I feel better and less hungry when I do. Lots of people have said they don't like Isopure but I really like the chocolate powder mixed with milk--I have it every morning and look forward to it every day. Mixed with milk it's 33 grams. I also like cottage cheese and buttermilk or even just 1% milk. They are the biggest bang for your buck. Isopure makes a drink that looks like Kool-aid. I think that must be what people talk about when they say they don't like Isopure. I don't care for it but drink it sometimes when my protein is low--I have to mix it 1:1 with water because it's way too sweet for me. Anyway, that is what I do. Good luck! Karen

Congrats on your date, Wen! that's wonderful news. Dr. Hansen doesn't require a pre-surgery diet so I didn't have to go through that torture, lol. Good luck with it--be careful of the "Last Meal Syndrome!" It's a killer. Keep us posted and good luck.

Welcome, Jane! And congrats on your success so far--good for you taking control of your life and setting great and achievable goals. Good luck on your journey--you are doing great!

Sounds like you are really hanging in there with your diet. Are you exercising? That might help get you going. Some doctors (including mine) don't require a pre-diet to shrink the liver. I ate regular food up until midnight before surgery, had surgery at a surgery center, and went home four hours after I was wheeled into surgery. I was back at work on the 5th day after surgery. No problems from my liver not being shrunk. Every dr. is different and it's so important to follow their protocol but I just wanted you to know that you will most likely be fine if you aren't able to lose all the weight you are supposed to before surgery. BTW, I started at about your weight as well. Good luck to you!

I'm here! Just been busy lately and not much to report. I did have my first "stuck pill" feeling last night when I was at a dinner party with friends and took two quick bites of soft, warm breadsticks followed by a bite of lasagna. I have trouble remembering to chew and chew (and probably to avoid white bread and pasta). I wasn't sure what to do so I ate some salad (crunchy water) and drank some water and the feeling subsided. I was more careful the rest of the meal and did fine. I was wondering: when you PB, how long is it after you ate that it happens? Like can you tell right away you better go to the bathroom or do you have to be "on alert" for a few hours or even all evening? My first fill appt. is Monday. I hope I get a fill--I can eat almost anything (before last night's episode I would have said I can eat anything). So I'm anxious for that. Sounds like everyone is doing well! Good luck on your surgery today, Kyethra. Hope all goes well!

I have to admit that I put a little homemade jam on the last bite of the toast. mmmmmmmmmm is right!

Hey, Bandsister! Ditto! I'm feeling SO good now and have my first fill appointment on the 30th--one week from today. My feelings have been much like yours, except that I didn't have a bad hospital experience--I had outpatient surgery and came home just a few hours afterwards. All went well--of course, all of the "what did I do?", "will I ever quit belching?", "will my port always hurt?", etc., etc. was still part of my recovery. But I did recover and am ready to move forward. I got to start on solid foods this weekend and, let me tell you, food never tasted SO good! I even had toast for Breakfast this morning. Yummm. So good luck to everyone--sounds like we are all ready to move forward and use this amazing tool to our advantage. We are going to be great tool operators, right?!

Welcome, and GOOD FOR YOU! Way to take things into your own hands and get control of your weight. I know there are many people on here who have used Dr. Spivak and who have said lots of good things about him. Perhaps you should do a search of his name on this site and see what you come up with. I know there is a Texakana support group--maybe they are connected with him? I don't know but remember seeing the two names/groups together in posts. Do all the research you can! It's just so incredibly helpful to know what to ask your doctor, how to be informed about complications, what to expect from insurance and self-pay options, how to deal with the pre- and post-surgery diets, etc., etc., etc. There is SO much information here--I spent almost a month before I was banded just researching this site alone and more time researching my doctor, the procedure, etc. There is so much to think about and absorb. I'm just over a month out of surgery and have my first appt. to see about a fill on Monday. I'm excited but nervous; however, I'm so much less nervous having read so much about fills and everyone's experiences. If you go to the thread call "March 2007 Bandsters" you can get a good idea of how surgery went for all the people banded in March. Now they are posting in the thread "Marchies in April" and that gives you a good idea of what is going on now. There are so many helpful threads I could point you to but those are good starters--just explore, explore, explore, and ask lots of questions. Here's a helpful site that your mom may find interesting as well, since you are considering different surgeries: http://www.lapsf.com/weight-loss-surgeries.html Good luck to you and to your mother as well. You are going to accomplish great things!

Wow, Lori! You are such an inspiration--keep up the good work and let us know what your ortho says. Shorts? Man, I just can't imagine being able to do that. Good for you!

I'm just over a month post-op and I don't have a gas problem anymore. There were some times that I had to excuse myself from public places but most of that was the flu I got 2-weeks post-op that lasted over a week, I think. I'm feeling really good now that I'm finally on solid food and I feel totally healed and recovered from the surgery. I went back to work on day 5, which was probably a bit too soon. And the day after surgery my father was diagnosed with colon cancer and I spent a lot of time at the hospital and going to doctors, etc. So it may have taken me longer to recover but, even so, it just wasn't that bad. I did keep Gas-X strips handy and used those A LOT! Sure, there is a recovery period and some uncomfortable times but as far as I'm concerned (at this point, anyway), I'm REALLY happy to have it behind me and VERY excited about my new life. It was definitely worth it if I have success at all. Good luck!

I can definitely tell a difference, Hazel! Congrats!

I agree, Tammy. i think we have a really supportive, active group. It's just that there isn't a lot going on right now--waiting for fills, trying not to overeat, etc. Not a lot going on directly concerning the band. I will say, however, that there have been times when I felt that my posts weren't being read by anyone or that they didn't really make a difference and so I would post less but I've gotten more into the swing of things now and realize that not all posts pertain to all (or even most) of the people and I'm sure others, like myself, don't want to clog up the threads with lots of "I don't knows" or mere speculation because we haven't had the experience. BUT, I know I learn a lot from those posts and they stay in my memory bank for future reference. It's great to have a support system and I am sure none of us really realize how much we are appreciated by others on the board--even though it's hard to see when we don't get feedback. So let's keep MARCH-ing forward, fellow Marchies! This is an exciting time as we look forward to fills or learn from others who are experiencing their first fill. BTW, I have read on here of several people (not many, though) who have gone a very long time without a fill because they were losing so well. My dr. also prepared us for that possibility. But the goal is to lose weight healthily so it doesn't really matter how many fills we have or how long we have to wait as long as we are meeting that important goal, right? Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Keep MARCH-ing on!

Oh, I see. Thanks for clarifying. Karen