mykdzmom

i hadmy first fill today and i fill the same way I have 5cc in my band and am also on 24hrs liquid 24hrs pureed.
I am also super hungry right now too lol. My Protein shake really didn't cut it .
I go back every 4 weeks until I'm at my 'sweet spot'. They add 1cc each visit until I'm close and then they will go to 0.5cc and 0.25cc if necessary. They said that the goal with my current fill is to not gain any wait and with the next 2 fills or so I should start going down steadily.
I can't wait to be a success story. i feel like for the first tie in my life, I could be one.

It's finally here! I lucked out and got the first surgery tomorrow morning, I have to be there at 7am. So excited!!! I'm running around in a panic right now trying to get everything ready. I've got my comfy clothes, my water bottle, and a pillow and blanket for the drive home. Still feels like I'm forgetting something...
Is there anything you brought to your surgery that helped? Or anything you wish you would have brought?

Hey all. I've been banded since April 09,2009. I have went from 255 pounds down to 125 pounds. I no longer have diabetes 2, high cholesteral, high blood pressure, no longer sleep with oxygen or a cpap. I move around more and have less pain. I'm doing things I would have never even tried before surgery...like trying to climb to the top of a rock wall AT THE FAIR, yes IN PUBLIC. II'm 44 y/o and moving more than I did in my 20s. I've went from a size 4x top to a girls size 16 a 24w pant to a size 2 in adult or a size 16 girls, my hoodie is a boys size 10. From granny panties to cute boy short panties and a 44DDD to a size 34 A, even my feet and fingers are thinner. I eat better, sleep better, hurt less try and do more than I ever have. I still love food and cooking but am more likely to try new foods, recently I tried calamari..love it and escargot...can take it or leave it...I actually like the taste3 of some vegetables I would never have eaten like carrots..since I've changed my lifestyle and eating habits they are sweet now not bitter like before. I can walk all day without getting tired and I take the stairs not the elevator. I no longer have pain shots once a month as the pain I have is bearable without the extra weight on. I want to thank all the old timers that helped me pre and post band. The best advice I got from them was top remmeber this is a new lifestyle not a new diet, food can still be enjoyed even the rare sweet. Don't limit your diet, limit your intake. PEACE AND HUGGLES!!
Bonnie

As others have posted, there are legal restrictions to the disclosure of your private health care information. You should not feel pressured to disclose to anyone information which you do not want to.

Your surgeon's office is well versed in how to address this situation with your employer. It's your call if you want to disclose your WLS to others.

From an emotional perspective, it's much healthier to have appropriate boundaries with others...stay in your comfort zone with disclosure about your surgery. You can always say that you don't feel comfortable with discussing the topic. Others should respect that...

I told everyone and now regret it. It's fine now but for the first 3-4 months my friends kept asking how it was going and at that time, it was going crappy. I went 3.5 months with no weight loss. Some would say, oh, you should have tried this, or that, but of course, they aren't obese so they really don't get it. They mean well but I got tired of answering the questions.
Now that I'm down 45 lbs and over half way to my goal, I don't mind talking about it as I clearly appear to have lost a lot of weight. That shuts up the naysayers and then the supporters are still supporters and that's fine.
I don't have a lot of family who would encourage or discourage me so from that standpoint I was fine. But, I've read many stories on this forum from people who are in a very close nit family group and I can see that could be overwhelming.
You just have to keep in mind that most of these friends and family mean well and want what's best for you. So you have to cut them some slack because they really don't understand what you are going through before and after surgery.
tmf

You don't need to disclose your private medical/health business to anyone, let alone your work mates. I told my boss that I was having surgery and that the surgeon recommended I take two weeks off. I said the surgery was personal and I wasn't discussing it but would let her know if I needed any adjustments made to my work to cope.

Im far from Goal....but today I went to weigh in with my nutrionast.....and I weighed 173....a year ago today I was 257.8....
I cant tell you all how good I feel now...Im doing things with my children I never tought Id be doing..
A yr ago when this date came up I almost called and cancelled it thinking...look at me and at my age...its to late....well am I ever glad I kept that appt...It was a life changer....
It hasnt always been easy...at the begining I couldnt walk to check my mail with out huffing...and I would of never thought of getting down on the floor to do exercizes....now I can easily walk 3 miles..I use a stationary bike and do floor exersizes.
Thank you all who share your stories be they good or bad...they all help me...and I want to thank my sister who keeps me pushing....Its been a great year...I have 49 lbs to be at goal...so still walking...
thanks all

I don't normally remember mine either. This was so real. Somehow I feel it was like my subconcious rooting me on telling me not to give up. It is possible. :0)

Yes, people do lose at the time between surgery and first fill.
I was banded 5 1/2 weeks ago and am scheduled for first fill next week. With the help of the post-surgery diet, I have lost 22 pounds. If you follow your doctor's instructions, you will lose weight, even during this early period. At times it's tough but the end justifies the means.
Go for it! You can do it!

Congratulations!

OMG OMG OMG~~~!!!!!! I stepped on the scale this morning and guess what!!???!!! I weighed in the 130s for the first time since high school (20 years ago)!!!! I CANNOT BELIEVE IT! it's surreal and too good to be true. I LOVE MY BAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a journey and not an event...this journey has allowed me to acquire a life skill which eluded me for years: patience.

Relax, and take a day at a time. Focus on your diet compliance and exercise, and the results will become obvious.

I'm super excited and had a good visit with my doc today, he was thrilled with my progress. I was so relieved, I'm happy with how I've been doing but it was nice to have the confirmation. Hope I take the fill well!

Tomorrow i go for my psyc evaluation which completes the last of my insurance requirements. I had to provide 6 month managed weight loss programs with a registered Dr. or Nutrionist which i completed this month. I believe they are submitting for insurance approval either Monday or Tuesday. I have 2 classes that are manditory and are scheduled for Aug 2nd and Aug 9th. I'm thinking i will be banded sometime at the end of Aug a perfect birthday gift. I'm becoming very excited knowing I will be putting an end to obesity for the rest of my life. For those of you that are on the pre op liquid diet when you were instructed to start that?
i bought a camera recently so i can take before and after pictures to track my progess.
Oh i can't wait.

I don't normally remember mine either. This was so real. Somehow I feel it was like my subconcious rooting me on telling me not to give up. It is possible. :0)

This evening I went to the local pizza joint to pick up some food for my family, I really didnt want to cook for everyone, lazy day! This food had nothing to do with me as I cannot even eat at a pizza place, as I am a Celiac also, that would just be really bad! Anyway, while the long wait commenced.. I was watching the people sitting down that were eating. I noticed something so very different for the first time, "regular" people just dont attack food the way I do! They eat normally. At a slower pace. I couldnt believe my eyes! I read a previous post on here about this "phenom" but I have never seen it actually in play. People take time to enjoy food. A woman ate two slices of pizza, slowly and enjoyed her bites. If I could have eaten that I would have gobbled down that in a quarter the time. I am still new and working on learning to chew (which is getting better) and to SLOW down the whole eating process!
This is just showing me how much my relation to food is messed up! I never realized before why I had the problems with food that I do, besides just being a foodie!
I really need to take time to get to a nutrionist to get a diet that is going to work with me on this band! My nutrionist that I saw before the surgery was inept to say the least and I am swimming out of Water here trying to figure out how much and what I should eat.
Thanks for listening to me ramble...

Congrats,
Today I went shopping for new shorts have been putting this off till the last minute before our vacation. Not smart because apparently July is the end of summer. LOL So selections were limited but on sale. So first I went and got shorts at Target and got into a size 24, then tonight I went to Lane Bryant and was hope to get some jean shorts but all they had was one pair of size 22 I thought well let me take a chance and see if they fit. To my suprise I got them up, buttoned and zipped. I was SHOCKED, before my surgery on May 29th my LB jeans were size 28 so excited about the drop in size.

I wore a 40 DD before being banded 3 months ago. Now I am a 38 C and wearing cute, strapless tops and dresses.

Well i havent told alot of people a few friends my mom my kids grandma and my kids and my sisters my brothers dont know and alot of people kept saying dont get it you are going to be sick or you will be too small but im so glad that i made the decision to do it and it really dont matter what people think at this point.

I thought it would be fun to keep it a secret, but I can't keep my mouth shut. Good thing I'm not a criminal mastermind... Although I normally kept my past diets a secret so I could avoid all accountability, and so I could fail in secret too. This deal is different and I know I will need the support of all my friends family and co-workers.

Well it hit me like a ton of bricks this morning when I stepped on the scale and the first number was a "1" instead of a "2" that this is really working!
I don't want to say the band is working for me, because I feel like I'm working with it. I'm doing more than my fair share - jogging or hiking 3-4 miles a day, counting calories like a mad woman, taking my Vitamins religiously. The band gives me that gentle reminder to slow down and eat responsibly because I may not get to eat a whole meal - only eat what my body needs, I can't afford to waste hunger on crap food.< /p>
I can't say my journey thus far has been hard or easy, but it's been different. Making myself a priority in life was a huge change, and this whole process from the seminar to today has been life-altering.
I feel very lucky to have such an amazing weight loss team. Beyond my surgeon, dietician, and coordinator, my team includes my husband, parents, sister, even my coworkers...they all offer their support in different ways and I means the world to me to have it, since before I was the girl that didn't want support.
I wish everyone out there in Band Land a successful journey.

I freaking did it! I am so freaking excited!
Twoterville!!!
*HaPpY dAnCe*
That is 32 pounds in approx 4 months!!! I am thrilled that I recommitted to this process. New goal is to see 100 pounds lost again. 15 pounds to go until that goal.

I got approved two days ago. I've never been more excited about something

I had my pre-op testing today!!! Everything went great!!! GO ME!! Should be all set for surgery for Thursday!! I was told the testing would take 3-4 hours, but it went by really fast and I was only there about 1 1/2 hours. Here's the rundown incase anyone was interested.
Arrived at 9:45 Checked in and paid my deductible first off. Then I was sent to the testing area and was seen very quickly by a nurse that weighed me. Down 15 lbs since my pre-op diet!! GOOO MEEE!!! Then she took my blood pressure 128/76. Next she asked all the basic questions...do you drink, do drugs, have you had any previous surgeries....blah..blah..blah. Then I was asked to pee in a cup. Yippee, so far so good!!! Got back to the room and she stuck a long Q-tip up my nostrils to check for MRSA. It made my nose itch, but didn't hurt at all. Next was the not so fun part. She just comes out and says, "Ok, please remove your shirt and lay on the bed." WHAT??? Noone told be about this!!!! Get half naked infront of a sweet innocent Granny!!!?? I was strong.... I sucked it up and removed my shirt!!! (Thinking why wasn't I told about this part. lol) She then started placing little sticky things all over me..10 total. Then she hooked up the EKG machine to those. Let it run for not even a minute and that was it. She removed the sticky stuff and I QUICKLY put my shirt back on!!! Next phase was X-rays. I went back to the main waiting area until they called me back. Only took maybe 10 minutes. Greeted by a skinny little nurse that asked me to remove my shirt AND bra!!!! WHAT?? AGAIN??? AND THIS TIME YOU WANT MORE??? Geezzzz, yet again I was forced to unrobe myself and place a gown on. (She did let me put my shirt back on under the robe, but no bra) I was then told to stand facing the chest x-ray machine and lean forward onto it a bit. Hold breath..click...click...next position. Turn to your left and hold onto this bar (over my head) and hold your breath...click ...click....DONE!! Again I QUICKLY got dressed and went back to the testing area to await the dietician. She went over all the basics, which I already knew and said that was it. I was free to go!! Left at 11:15!
That's all there was to it! Nothing big. Now I'm officially ready for surgery on Thursday!! Yippiee!!!

In my opinion if a doctor has a "program fee" find a new doctor. Insurance pays them more than enough!