Julie3856

Thank you everyone! When my hubby took the second pic on Wednesday, he showed me the pics side by side. Up until this point, I wouldn't/couldn't see a difference. I can honestly say, now, there is a difference! I had to share my excitement. Keep up the excellent work everyone!

Attached are 2 pictures. One picture was me 2 days post op on July 25. The other is a picture taken Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I have lost 70lbs & counting!!

Attached are 2 pictures. One picture was me 2 days post op on July 25. The other is a picture taken Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I have lost 70lbs & counting!!

Thank you everyone! When my hubby took the second pic on Wednesday, he showed me the pics side by side. Up until this point, I wouldn't/couldn't see a difference. I can honestly say, now, there is a difference! I had to share my excitement. Keep up the excellent work everyone!

Attached are 2 pictures. One picture was me 2 days post op on July 25. The other is a picture taken Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I have lost 70lbs & counting!!

Lapbandster-I was banded July 23,2012. The picture on the left was taken July 25,2012. The picture on the right was taken November 21,2012. So, I guess that makes about 4 months time. Thank you for your kind words.

Attached are 2 pictures. One picture was me 2 days post op on July 25. The other is a picture taken Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I have lost 70lbs & counting!!

I have been banded since July 23, I have lost 67 lbs since pre-op diet. I haven't been this small in over 10 yrs since high school. I am a nurse at a hospital that, honestly, has it's share of good looking residents. Within the past couple weeks, I have noticed a little extra attention & actually noticed some flirtation from male staff members. Holy crap, I haven't had this kind of attention in forever & I still can't believe it. My old mindset still tells me they aren't interested, you're too fat, you're ugly, etc. I wonder if I'll ever get over that old perception of myself??

It's official!! I weighed in at my Doctor's office today at 199.6!!! It's been about 5 years since I have been below 200 lbs. Banded July 23rd, weighed in at 259 then!! So happy & thankful!!!

It's official!! I weighed in at my Doctor's office today at 199.6!!! It's been about 5 years since I have been below 200 lbs. Banded July 23rd, weighed in at 259 then!! So happy & thankful!!!

It's official!! I weighed in at my Doctor's office today at 199.6!!! It's been about 5 years since I have been below 200 lbs. Banded July 23rd, weighed in at 259 then!! So happy & thankful!!!

It's official!! I weighed in at my Doctor's office today at 199.6!!! It's been about 5 years since I have been below 200 lbs. Banded July 23rd, weighed in at 259 then!! So happy & thankful!!!

My husband & I love to go to Cedar Point. Unfortunately, the past 3 years I have been unable to ride most of the rides due to my weight. It's been depressing to go there because I have great memories of going on these rides with my husband. I was banded July 23, 2012. I am down 54lbs. Today, we went to Cedar Point & I was able to ride all my favorite roller coasters today for the first time in years!! What a great day!!

My husband & I love to go to Cedar Point. Unfortunately, the past 3 years I have been unable to ride most of the rides due to my weight. It's been depressing to go there because I have great memories of going on these rides with my husband. I was banded July 23, 2012. I am down 54lbs. Today, we went to Cedar Point & I was able to ride all my favorite roller coasters today for the first time in years!! What a great day!!

My husband & I love to go to Cedar Point. Unfortunately, the past 3 years I have been unable to ride most of the rides due to my weight. It's been depressing to go there because I have great memories of going on these rides with my husband. I was banded July 23, 2012. I am down 54lbs. Today, we went to Cedar Point & I was able to ride all my favorite roller coasters today for the first time in years!! What a great day!!

Easy way out my A**!!! Another one that gets me, "it's not natural". That was from my own mother!! Is it "natural" to be so overweight??? No way!! I was banded July 23, down 50 lbs including pre op diet. It hasn't been "easy" but it's been the best decision I have ever made!!!

I am a nurse, banded July 23. I returned to work Sept 5, I work at a hospital on a busy & understaffed med-surg unit for geriatrics. I had the same concerns with my getting in my food/fluids. My dietician advised me to have either a Protein Shake or a Glucerna Hunger Smart Bar for lunch on those days I don't have time to take a lunch break. I usually end up eating one of those bars(they are really yummy & you can find them at alot of places CVS, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, etc). I also keep a drink right at my computer so I can drink while I am charting. Good luck to you!!!

I was banded July 23, I am down 40lbs including pre op diet. I am very happy with my band & my decision, it has already been a life changing experience. I'd like to give kudos to my husband as he had the gastric sleeve procedure today. He has been so supportive thru my recovery & now I get the oppurtunity to help him thru his recovery. We both started our WLS journey at the same time & were able to have the same surgeon thru this whole process. It was awesome because we were able to truly understand the struggles & triumphs of this process because we were both going thru it together. Our doctor is so awesome & gives all people who go thru WLS alot of credit, he told us today that statistically only 1 out of 400 people actually complete the entire process & have the WLS!! Congrats to my hubby & all out there taking control of their health & their future!!!!

I was banded July 23, I am down 40lbs including pre op diet. I am very happy with my band & my decision, it has already been a life changing experience. I'd like to give kudos to my husband as he had the gastric sleeve procedure today. He has been so supportive thru my recovery & now I get the oppurtunity to help him thru his recovery. We both started our WLS journey at the same time & were able to have the same surgeon thru this whole process. It was awesome because we were able to truly understand the struggles & triumphs of this process because we were both going thru it together. Our doctor is so awesome & gives all people who go thru WLS alot of credit, he told us today that statistically only 1 out of 400 people actually complete the entire process & have the WLS!! Congrats to my hubby & all out there taking control of their health & their future!!!!

I was banded 7/23. So far I am down 35lbs including pre op loss. I just wanted to say that I am so excited & determined to go to Cedar Point next summer to ride the roller coasters which is something I haven't been able to do in 4 yrs! Just wanted to share!!

I was banded 7/23. So far I am down 35lbs including pre op loss. I just wanted to say that I am so excited & determined to go to Cedar Point next summer to ride the roller coasters which is something I haven't been able to do in 4 yrs! Just wanted to share!!

May 21st was a long day, but I think it went well.
We were supposed to get there at 7 a.m. for a 10 a.m. surgery slot. DH was worried about being late, so we got there at 6:30 a.m. We checked in, and were taken to a small walled-in room where the nurse went over my vitals with me. I changed into the ultra-fashionable gown, opening to the back, as well as the socks with the tread design. Once I laid down on the gurney, they put the massaging things on my legs, and connected the air.
A scopolamine patch was placed behind my ear for possible nausea. It's supposed to last three days.
The IV of saline was started, and we waited. Julie, Dr. Clark's Physician's Asst, came in to check on not long before 9, and said that they were getting ready to do a bypass, and that I was next after that. She also gave me a goody bag.
The goody bag had several items from On-Q, a pain moderating apparatus. I had it when I had my last intestinal surgery, and wondered if I would have it for this, since this was going to be laproscopic. She said no, it was just some goodies she wanted to give me. On-Q is an IV type set-up where thin lines are run on each side of an incision to deliver morphine right to the incision, instead of having the morphine affect the whole body. I really liked it how it worked, but I'm glad I didn't get it for this surgery, and I don't think I needed it at all.
The items in the goody bag were a pedometer/FM radio combination and a set of pens, and a Water bottle, all embossed with "On-Q".
The nurse gave me a shot of Heparin in the leg. That stuff burns going in! It's not unbearable, but it does sting.
The IV was turned up pretty high to really pump in the saline, and I got up at about 9:30 to pee. The nurse said that they do this so that the patients will void their bladders, since they want empty bladders for surgery. After I got up, they turned the drip rate down.
Dr. Wong, the anesthesiologist came in, introduced himself to me, and he told me what would happen once we got to the ER. I've been operated on before, so I wasn't worried about that part.
I ended up getting wheeled into surgery at 10:52 a.m. Dr. Wong put a strap over my forehead that held monitors for my sleep rate, and my arm was stretched out to the side. An injection was made in the IV, and I could smell the taste (if that makes sense). He said that most people just comment that they can taste something in their mouths once they get that injection, but I felt that I could actually smell what it tasted like since the taste seemed to be right up at the top front of my mouth.
The oxygen mask went on, I was instructed to take deep breaths, and the next thing I knew I was back in my little walled cubicle. I think I recall being in a recovery room, and getting my mouth swabbed, but I couldn't swear to anything that happened there.
After I was more awake, but still groggy, I was taken down to radiology for the barium swallow so they could check the placement of the band. Once we got there, I sat up on the edge of the gurney, and sat there for a while because I was light-headed and felt nauseated. The nurse waved an alcohol swab under my nose to help with the nausea. I finally felt ready to go in for the swallow, and they handed me a large glass full of thin barium. I almost dropped the cup, but was able to warn them before hand, so they took it from me, and gave me another minute to stand there. I finally managed to get a few drinks down, and they decided that it would be better to by-pass the standing x-rays.
They put the x-ray bed down, and I laid down on it. Then the meanie doctor made me roll over a couple times. I told him that I was going to moon him for revenge for making me roll, and he just laughed. The rolling was uncomfortable, but I managed. Everything looked good, and I even got to see the screen to see what the band looked like on an x-ray.
I was then taken back to the cubicle, and could definitely feel every bump when we crossed the elevator threshold or any doorway thresholds. I didn't feel them on the way down.
My throat was really dry, so I was able to have ice chips and a popsicle, and that really helped. I was also given a dose of the liquid lortab, and was really happy to have that popsicle as a chaser to get rid of the taste.
I was given my choice of what I wanted to try to eat. Out of the cream-of-wheat, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, cream of chicken Soup, mashed potatoes, and pudding, I chose the eggs and potatoes. No problem getting that down. I was allowed 2 medicine cups full of food.
I was finally let go at about 4:30. As I was getting into the wheelchair, I told DH that I thought he should drive home. The nurse looked startled for a minute, and then she realized I was joking!
We're looking for a car for our daughter, and since we were in Indy where there are several car dealerships within a few miles of the hospital, we decided (I insisted) that we not waste the opportunity. DH stopped and got me a bottle of Fiji Water to sip on for the drive. He drove through several lots so we could see what was available. If we saw anything that looked like a possibility, he got the details from the salesman, but no test drives. We just wanted to see what kind of prices are being asked. I had no problems being in the car for that extra hour that we spent driving through the lots.
Anyway, I slept most of the way home. We stopped to fill my prescriptions on the way home. I was given liquid lortab, Ursodiol (to prevent gall stones), and Protonix (for acid reflux). The pharmacy had to make the liquid lortab, so that took a little while. Not that I really noticed, because I was asleep in the car.
Once I got home, I took another dose of lortab, and then rested a while. I went to bed at 11, and had to make a wedge to recline on using my pillows, since lying flat was not comfortable. I woke up at about 9:30 this morning.
I'm still sore, coughing hurts even with a pillow against my abdomen, and it's a bit painful to take deep breaths. It's definitely bearable though. I am planning on wearing my binder for at least one week, since it feels good to have that support.
Good luck to everyone else!

Hi everyone! I was banded/hiatal hernia repair on July 23. I am 31 years old & have struggled with my weight my entire life. I am married to a wonderful, loving & supportive husband who has been my biggest cheerleader! We actually have gone through this whole process together as he is going to have a gastric sleeve procedure Sept 17. It was a blessing to go through all these steps together! I am feeling good, each day is getting better & better. Between the pre-surgical diet & weight loss since surgery, I already notice a difference in my body. I can't wait to see what my Lap Band journey holds for me. I am so happy my husband & I are doing this, we still have many years left together & this will allow us to have a better quality of life!!

Great for you! This process takes alot of commitment on your part. If you commit yourself to this, it'll be one of the best decisions you ever make!