La_madam

Hey Cindy...Congratulations on the 36 pounds!! That is fantastic. I too feel for the first time I will never re-gain this weight back and that I finally have some control over my weight. Isint the band great? I love my band, best thing I have ever done for "me" Keep up the great job.

Hi Gina Fabulous progress so far! Congratulations. I'm glad you decided to finaly post here and now that you have...keep postin' This is a great group of people from all over the world here. As you know from lurking there is so much support and kindness and even some humor . Keep up the great job!

This is NOT a charade and you CAN NOT GIVE UP!!! Look how far you have come. When you have the urge to eat at night and you are alone, come here and post, that is what I do and it definately helps. I also stay far away from the kitchen after dinner like in my room here on my comp with as big 24oz bottle of ice cold Water. Night time is the hardest time for me and for alot of us here. We do great all day with healthy food choices but once the sun goes down it's like we are vampires but instead of looking for blood we look for food! Well for me it is like that anyways. You have been successful until now Chantal, you can not give up! I agree with Neicy, call your doctor and tell them to call you if there is any cancellations, tell them you are desperate for a fill A.S.A.P.. Hang in there, you can do this!!!

WOW Patty! What an inspiring post. You have done a fantastic job. Those mini goals we set and accomplish are an awesome feeling inside arent they? I too have the old Dr. scale w/ the sliding weights so I know that feeling of when one of those big weights gets to be slided in the ooopsite direction... Thanks for sharing your story with us. You have definately inspired me!

Jennifer I think we all thought like that 4 days post op..there defiantely is a grieving process, giving up food after so many years is like losing your best friend. I promise you it does get better when you can start back on solids and especially when you start losing and people are starting to noitce . Don't fret it does get better! Each day gets easier

Great Idea Marie..I'd buy Ryan's book!

Great idea Penni we should havesome kind of HOTLINE.. do you have a 56 way line? What if I call and its busy then what I can only imagine if we did put one into place how much it would get used. I know I would call in a heart beat! Like last night..right after I ate the brownies I went on to aol IM to find Dlelarla to tell her what I had done , as I was telling her she told me that she posted here that she had done the same thing so we consoled eachother.

Mack when was the last time you ate anything? I have been told if there is food still left in the pouch at bedtime or when you lay down it can cause heartburn or reflux when you lie down. I usually every night before bed drink a 20oz glass of water to make sure my pouch is emptied and clear of any food.( yes I pee alot the first few hours ) but it is worth it to not have reflux. Do you just notice it when you are lying down? When was your last fill? Could it be you have too much of a fill? I have yet to have reflux or heartburn but I'm still newly banded just 3 months out with only 1 fill. Just my thoughts..

Happy Birthday Jennye Hope your days is filled with love laughter and smiles..

There must be something in the atmosphere this week..many of us near or far have been having wicked cravings. I have had them so bad the last 3 days that last night I finally gave in to temptation with 3 bites of brownie and 3 bites of ice cream sort of like a mini brownie ala mode. Man did I feel guilty til Lisa eased my guilt telling me it was a normal bandster size and not my old usual humongo size. At the same time I was givin in to tempataion so was Lisa all the way in Vegas...and Shelly is having the craving too...who else is having those crazy cravings? Is the barometric pressure going wacko or something making are heads messed up and our bands loose?

Great Jon Janis...Keep it up! Dont get discouraged if you see the scale go up a couple of pounds once you start on solids..it happend to me but only lasted a few days til my body got used to food...I think it has happened to most of us.

Great Jon Janis...Keep it up! Dont get discouraged if you see the scale go up a couple of pounds once you start on solids..it happend to me but only lasted a few days til my body got used to food...I think it has happened to most of us.

Whippleddaddy..I have to giggle at your post about Patty and her fentanyl induced stupor..I go through the same thing every single night. My hubby watches the same thing over and over..please do not take offense to my laughing it is not directed at Patty but your situation is so simliar to mine. We tease my hubby all the time about his TV addiction and watching the same things over and over. That Fentanyl must be some knarly stuff huh? But it makes them comfotable in their pain and thats what matters right? Your post to Delarla is so kind..you are such a tender man and great with words. I was just talking with Delarla and she did have a rough go of tonight I hoped talking with her helped her . but the strangest thing happened to me ..I did too have a bad food choice , tonight was the FIRST night since being banded that I ate 3 bites of a brownie and 3 bites of ice cream I had this horrible sweet tooth that I had to satisfy. I felt so damn guilty and wanted to cry or make myself get sick but knew that was not wise with the band but Delarla put my mind at ease and reminded me it was a bandster portion size and not like what I would use to eat so I feel so much better..THANKS DELARLA. Thanks to you too Whippleddaddy (what is your real name by the way) even though your post was addressed to Delarla it has comforted me also and I sure many other who will read it . P.S. Patty is a lucky woman to have you !

Congratulations Kimber-lilly I'm very happy for you that your insurance approved the band. It's all down hill from here. Don't wait by the phone it will drive you batty go live your life but make sure you have an anwsering machine!

Hi Tina I'm so excited for you . iI remeber the night before my surgey, and how excited I was but yet a bit nervous too I can not lie... I too had my surgery wit Dr. Ortiz, you will love him and his entire staff. Best wishes to you..please let us know how it all went when you get home and feel up to it. If you have any last minute questions concerning Ortiz and his staff and how he does thing feel free to email me or PM me

LOL Lisa you crack me up! I can't wait to meet you in person next week!!!

You have no ethical need to stay with anyone. This is about you ans what is best for you and what surgeon you feel most comfortable with plain and simple. This is a life changing event you will be going through and you want the best doctor you can find with the most experience who ever that may be. If Dr Wood is not keen on the lap band "but will do it" then you should defiantely explore more options . Just my opinion Good Luck to you and your decision:)

Teresa Teresa Teresa YOU ARE AWESOME!

Hi Marie I'm the same height as you 5'6

Sometimes we have to give up things to get other things. Being thirsty during a meal is SO worth it to me when I look at my resluts and the big picture. It will all be worth it in the end. So many of my girlfriends who are overweight tell me they could never have the band because they like their diet pepsi's or their beer or they cant give up drinking during a meal and my repsone to them is " then you do not want to lose weight bad enough" My friends and I have tried every diet known to man and none of us have been successful except for me NOW with my band. The sacrafices will all be worth it in the end. Just keep telling yourself itsall worth it! You can do it..

AMEN! My doctor had English speaking employees in his office. I called his office directly. From what I have learned all his patients are charged the same . I could be wrong . In my book anyone who has to solicit patients for a doctor makes me leary of the doctors credability. If you are a good doctor your work , bedside manner and aftercare are advertisement enough!

My brother lives with my husband , kids and I. He is morbidly obese too. He was thinkking of doing the band also but wanted to wait and see how I did, he has watched my success. He made a decision but not to have the band but to lose weight. He is now going through a medically supervised wieght loss porgram and now has me beat with a loss of 50.5 pounds( Damn men they lose so fast). I 'm so happy for him becasue like your friend I see the pain in him. He has no girlfriend and doesnt go out much and believe me he is a hottie and the most sweetest man I have ever known. I have told him many times that the woman he marrys will be the luckiest women in the world. Since his weight loss in a little over a month he is now starting to go out and do things his self confidence is blossoming. Maybe once your friend sees how successful you are he may ask you about it. I have come to the conclusion that one has to be ready to make a change and want to lose wieght, no one can make it for you. I'm sure when he is ready he will and you will be there for him with support and guidance all the way!

2 weeks clear liquids, one week liquids, one week mushy and then onto soilds for me

Hi Welcome! You have come to the right place for loads of info on the Lap band. The people here are very kind supportive and knowledgable. I do not think you will regret your decision of the band vs. the bypass. Every surgery has its complications but the complications with the band vs. the bypass are minimal in my book. My uncle had the bypass ans spent the first month after surgery with many complications in the hospital and has lost over 100 pounds in a years time but he has told me his life will never be the same, he told me he has to be near a bathroom wherever he goes which defeats the reason he had the surgery in the first place, he has young children and wanted to be around as they grow up but he says the bypass has made it very hard to be at events for his children like baseball games , school recitals etc.. he wishes he would of known of the band prior to his bypass. He feels sick all the time and has constant stomach pain, vomiting , nausea you name it he has had it...I'm happy to hear you have had 2nd thoughts about the bypass and are considering the band. Good Luck to you. Please keep us posted on your decision and progress