ledavis13

...I am a woman of wealth and taste. Ok, not really.
However, I have been overweight for a long, long time. I am also not necessarily a Rolling Stones fan, but I do like that song.
Ah, so now that we have that out of the way, here is my intro:
I am married. I have 2 incredibly awesome (and freaking hilarious) kids (3 and 4 years old). I work full-time - sitting on my butt at a desk. I like to read. I like internet forums. I like to spend time with my friends and family. I am an extrovert - more so when I am consuming copious amounts of wine. I also like beer, but tend to avoid that because it makes me feel fatter than I already am. I love to cook and tend to cook healthy stuff. I love love love to entertain and have parties.
I am fat. My husband lies and says I am not, but we all know he is lying. It isn't that I don't know how to eat right or that I don't like to work out, I do both of those things. But...I don't do them enough or consistently.
I have battled the scale for too many years. Too many. I was in the 230s in high school. I was in the 140s/150s in college (at least for a couple of years). Then I was in the 180s. Then it was the 200s. Then the 230s. Then I got engaged and did crazy diets and got back to the 170s. I got married, I had lots of miscarriages and shot into the 250s. I had 2 kids and hovered. Then I weighed 270 at my doctor's office. It freaked me out a lot. I got denied for WLS a few times. Then I got really pissed off and started doing the right things. I lost about 30 pounds, but then the scale just freaking stalled.
Cue the phone ringing and my place asking if they could resubmit me. I said ok, but I will just get denied again. A few weeks later the phone rang again and I was notified that I was approved.
SOOOO...here I sit. I am approved. I meet with my doc in 13 days. I have surgery in 23 days (July 19)!!! I am so freaking excited.
I also started a bloggity blog. I plan to write about my WLS adventure, my kids, the weather, whatever strikes me at the moment. I suck at blogging, but I am hoping I can stick with it this time.
If you have read this far, you are a saint.

I was banded on 4/3/12. I went through and array of emotions. Fear, anxiety, excitement, and frustration. My fear was what if I failed yet again. I tried and failed soooo many diets. Anxiety about the pain during recovery. Excitement when I lost 4 dress sizes and was able to wear clothes that I haven't wore in years. Frustration when after 2 fills, I still didn't have restriction. Today, I am in the yellow/light green zone. I am very happy with my band. Your fears are normal but please don't allow it to hinder your success. My advice is to share your fears with your doctor, attend support groups, and continue to utilize this site. My only regret is not getting banded years ago. Feeling healthier and having more energy trumps any amount of pain that I experienced during recovery.

We will be just fine!! I am scheduled on July 10th and I know the nerves are bound to kick in...but right now I am just excited and anxious to start my new life.
Remember how you feel everytime you do something that you are miserable doing because of the weight...or how you look in the mirror...or when your doctor gives you yet more bad news about your health? Well think about that and then think about the joy you will have when all of that no longer happens...it is so worth a few days or even a week of pain to get to that healthy person we are on the inside.

We will be just fine!! I am scheduled on July 10th and I know the nerves are bound to kick in...but right now I am just excited and anxious to start my new life.
Remember how you feel everytime you do something that you are miserable doing because of the weight...or how you look in the mirror...or when your doctor gives you yet more bad news about your health? Well think about that and then think about the joy you will have when all of that no longer happens...it is so worth a few days or even a week of pain to get to that healthy person we are on the inside.

I am disappointed, I wrote a long and elaborate post to respond to this and my computer failed and deleted it....
Essentially, I am getting banded July 6th and share many of your concerns (or did). My big fears are how people will react to my weight loss and change in diet (no more chugging beers and eating pizzas with the boys). How I will like my new body (will I be a bag of skin? Will I lose weight in the right places?). And how I will cope with not having food as a comfort (I am seeking out support - therapy, overeaters anonymous, this forum, trying to start journaling). For me, as a type-A person who likes to do things right and be the best, a huge part of my anxiety was the food. Getting my supplements, taking the right Vitamins, following the rules so I don't make myself sick by being ignorant.
What really eased my mind was making a list of the things I needed, calling my Drs office and asking questions when I didn't understand the packet, posting on here for more variety/first hand experience with these issues, and then actually going out and making the purchases to prepare my self to be successful. I talked to my doctor about scars and found out about/opted for single incision. I got my Vitamins, found Protein powder/shakes I like, started tracking my calories (myfitnesspal.com), and bought a lapband specific cook book. I youtubed all sorts of skin remedies (I am using MSM and Biotin, and stopped tanning + more). I bought a fitness tracker (fitbit) and just set myself up for success. I ate through the excess food in my house that I wouldn't be allowed to have preop and post surgery so that it wasn't a temptation later. I made a bucket list of 10 foods I knew I would miss or restaurants I had been dying to try and I ate them all before starting my preop diet. I tried to count the calories and track them and see what I was really eating and I even took note of how I felt after each meal (to be honest when I really thought about the food, it wasn't as good as it was in my imagination). Thinking about my food I was also able to actually feel being full (not that that really stopped me from eating what I am kind of considering 'my last meals').
As for some of your direct questions, the pain can be monitored by pain killers that your Dr will prescribe. And the pain of surgery will last a few weeks most, but the emotional pain of being obese.... maybe we'll never fully kick that. Not to mention the physical pain of being obese -- chaffing, clothes pinching, sweating, walking far, stairs, sore feet, back pain, broken ankles (I fall all the time being fat and having awful balance). The reason I am doing the band instead of other bariatric surgery is because if I regret it, I can reverse it. You can get a 100% unfill, or the band removed completely. I can almost promise you will regret not getting it in a few years more than you regret getting it. I don't know if your regret is cost related (I am lucky that my insurance is paying), but when I talked to my surgeon, he asked why I decided now. I told him I got insurance that would cover it, and he said "but if you think about all the costs you have from being obese, is the band really that expensive?". I went home and crunched the numbers and I spent >$15,000 last year on food/fad diets/trainers/gyms/fat people clothes/obesity related drs appts/stretchmark creams/herbal remedies. The band costs well below that and will maybe even SAVE YOU money. I still can't imagine what it will be like not to tear through the only pair of jeans ($80/pair) that fit my body well every 3 months, and not having the perpetual "food drip oil stain" or "hole from where my stomach leans on the counter and rubs my jean zipper" on my shirts and having to buy new shirts every couple months (the same freaking shirts!!!). How nice it will be not to fight myself from breaking out the credit card at every infomercial offering weight loss/cleanse/diet pill. How it will feel to order $10 of chinese food and have leftovers rather than $40 of chinese food and wish that I had gotten those crab rangoons too.
I don't mean to be corny, but you can't succeed if you don't try. You automatically fail. So worrying about failure, seems moot. If you are like me, lapband is not the first diet plan you have tried. It is the last ditch effort to get your weight and life under control. By having the surgery you are upping your chances of success hugely, and without it, at least for myself, there would be virtually no chance of success, and a better chance at gaining another 100lbs in the next 4 years. A huge reason I chose lapband was because of the automatic support it provides and the virtually guaranteed success (with patience). You are REQUIRED to see your doctor for fills and follow ups. They don't just cut out half your stomach and say "good luck". They work with you and your band to help you get the results you are looking for. The support and motivation that seeing your doctor until you have it under control, for me, is a huge win. It almost feels fool proof as long as I am willing to put in the time and wait until I find my sweet spot.
My advice is to keep using this forum to ask any last minute questions you have. Re read through the surgeons packet and make sure you have no questions. Start taking the steps to success by purchasing the tools you need to begin with your best foot forward. Get into the mentality that you are about to add life to your life. Make a list of the things you want to do once you hit your goals and use that as motivation to do the preop diet and walk into the surgery feeling confident you can be successful. I started looking at all the skinny girl clothing sites that I have not fit into for >6 years and started making "shopping bags" of all the clothes I would want to fit into. I made a pinterst board of the tattoos, skydiving, rollercoasters and things that I can't or don't feel comfortable doing now, that I want to add to my life. Think of scenarios that frighten you (for me it is how I will be social with my friends without food) and make alternatives (go kayaking, see a movie, have a cookout at my house where I can provide myself with proper food, work out with the boys instead of drinking beer with the boys). My therapist helped me look up overeaters anonymous groups in my area and lapband support groups from my surgeons office and plan to attend a lot in the first few months. I'm sure it won't all be easy, but removing these "variables" has eased my mind SO MUCH.
I hope this is more helpful than preachy. It was actually a huge help to me to write all this down and reaffirm why I am doing this. I wish you luck with your surgery, fellow-july-bander. And please contact me or ask more questions. I don't have all the answers and I would love as much support as I can get as I make this change. This forum has been beyond helpful for me in answering questions and realizing that I am not the only person with my concerns. I have found plenty of people with the exact same fears/concerns/flaws and sometimes they have the answers too. There isn't one way to be successful on the band, and between lapbandtalk and youtube I have found the pieces I need to feel like I can succeed.
.... Can you imagine what my pre-deleted post was if this is my "essentially" version. HAHA.

Cupcake, I know how your feeling. I am scheduled for the 6th and freaking out also. My pre op diet is kicking my a$$, hardest thing I ever did. Having that said, it doesn't take away from my mental satisfaction that I am actually doing something about my weight. You are 3x younger than me and my advise is that your so smart to do this before you go through menopause and all the other crap we women have to go through getting older.
I always think of 10 yrs down the road. What if I am facing open heart surgery, eye, kidney etc. problems because of diabetes. I look back and say "hmmm, that simple operation would of taken care of all this"
I hope I helped here. Please feel free to message me if you need to talk!

We will be just fine!! I am scheduled on July 10th and I know the nerves are bound to kick in...but right now I am just excited and anxious to start my new life.
Remember how you feel everytime you do something that you are miserable doing because of the weight...or how you look in the mirror...or when your doctor gives you yet more bad news about your health? Well think about that and then think about the joy you will have when all of that no longer happens...it is so worth a few days or even a week of pain to get to that healthy person we are on the inside.

We will be just fine!! I am scheduled on July 10th and I know the nerves are bound to kick in...but right now I am just excited and anxious to start my new life.
Remember how you feel everytime you do something that you are miserable doing because of the weight...or how you look in the mirror...or when your doctor gives you yet more bad news about your health? Well think about that and then think about the joy you will have when all of that no longer happens...it is so worth a few days or even a week of pain to get to that healthy person we are on the inside.

I was banded almost 5 weeks ago and was going thru the same things. I was worried and nervous, and embarrassed that I needed surgery. Tomorrow will be 5 weeks for me, and im down 56 pounds already. I feel great, I have so much more energy. There was a little pain, but not much. And it was so worth it. I'm very happy so far, and can tell you for me, it was a great choice.

Congratulations Jean! You are doing awesome and definitely have the right attitude too! Keep us up to date on all your successes!
Dennis

Hello everyone, I'm new here. I'm getting lap band next month at bariatric solutions on Decatur TX, anyone have some good advise for me? I've talked to a few people that have had it, but just want some great advise from some other people. Thanks!

I have been hesitant to put stats like everyone else, because of fear of denial, but today is the day! I was approved for surgery! It will be next month and not a moment too soon! Now, let me go work on my stats!!!!!
Still gotta get my egd. Surgeon is gonna do it but the entire surgical staff has been on conference in CA for all of last week. Wait for EGD appointment assignment on Monday...argh. UHC pays for 90%, so I am not sure how much I will owe upfront, will start hawking if I must! lol.
When she told me that I would be having my surgery in July, she told me that I would be free to take my cruise on Aug 11th. It planned and paid for. What a test! Anyone else taken vacay after surgery? I am hoping to have a good week off after surgery and prior to cruise.

since I have gotten sick two nights in a row from overeating I realize I need to go back to square one and started on Protein Shakes and liquids again. ok this is so ridiculas I started to cry because I was drinking a Protein Shake instead of food....really!!!! it didn t taste bad...I think gonig and getting my bosses lunch didn t help...ok sucking it up and putting big girl panties on...

Oh YAY!! Let's keep in touch for sure!!!

I am scheduled for July 10th! The hospital just called for my pre-op blood work and told me i am tentatively scheduled for 2:00 and they have me staying over! I was hoping for first thing in the morning so i could go home! Waiting until 2:00 is going to be hard! I start my liquid on Tuesday the 26th and then on the 28th I have endoscopy! I am getting nervous - but i know i am doing the right thing!!

Me too! Looks like July 10th for me! I am starting to really get excited! A little nervous for the 2 week pre-op diet. Don't know if I will be able to handle it! After all that's why I need the Lapband!

Congrats on your surgery date!!!

We fatties hold a lot of excess fluids in our bodies and the first weight to disappear is excess fluids. Most of your loss this first month is Water. If you are consuming less than 1400 calories a day you may also have lost 6-8 lbs of fat in your initial 44 lbs.
I apologize to veteran bandsters but I'm going to repeat the math behind weight loss again:
You must burn 3500 more calories than you consume to lose 1 lb. Most of us burn about 2000 calories by just breathing and watching TV. Add some exercise to that and maybe 2300 calories burned a day?
If you eat/consume 1200 calories a day but burn 2300 calories a day, you will have burned 1100 more calories than you took in. 1100 X 30 days = 33000 extra calories burned in a month. Divide that by 3500(remember, this is what you need to burn to lose 1 lb)= 9.4 lbs lost in one month.
This is not a scientific fact because we all burn calories differently and of course, no one is perfect and few of us workout every day. One or two bad food days per week would bring this number down to maybe 6 lbs lost?
So, you've flushed out much of the excess water and now you are working on fat loss. Losing water is good too. That's less weight on your joints. It's very common to plateau at this stage for weeks at a time. Cross your fingers you aren't typical. Good luck and congrats on your success.
tmf

TLove, Are you serious? Chill out. You are doing great. Read my post above. Only lost 26 lbs? When have you ever lost that kind of weight before? At least now you have the tool to keep it off.
tmf

Wow!!! 44 pounds in 4 weeks?!? That is truly amazing almost sounds impossible!!! Your weight loss will slow down as you get further into this. But once you get fills you will startin losing again! I went for 3 months with no weight lose after 6 months post op but after I got a fill I started losing again! Ive lost 50 pounds in 11 months but I started off at 230 so I don't need to lose but 70 pounds or so! Everyone is different! Great job an keep it up!!!!

So for the past 2 1/2 wks my scale had been stuck at 294lbs I got on the scale this morning and it moved down to 290lbs

I start my preop diet today, even though I technically don't have a surgery date yet. I have been told it should be in two or three weeks. Two Protein Shakes and a healthy healthy balanced meal. Seems absolutely dooable! My goal is to loose 10 pounds....I feel that any loss will only make me feel better for surgery. I am hoping to be a bandster in early July!!!

GNC has them in a 12 pack online and right now they are buy 1 get 1 50% off!! Just ordered some!

I had my surgery on June 4th. Honestly I could have gone back to work easily by the following Monday. I had the time off so I took 2weeks off. Just came back to work today. I have to admit the extra week was great. I am totally back to normal today. My biggest problem about going back to work after the first week was I did not have any energy. I felt depleted. I feel totally fine now. If you are able to take it off, I would if you absolutely can't you will be fine going back to work you will just be tired.

Mine will be on a tuesday or wednesday and I am just planning to take the rest of the week and go back the following Monday!