mrsto

Aviva - are the posters newly banded? The gas from surgery can be very painful in the left shoulder and the abdomen, and can take a good two weeks to dissipate.

CG - you are perimenopausal. Not fun! This is the beginning of the roller coaster that can last a few years. Everyone is different in the level of discomfort they experience, and the ages vary. At 47, you are right at that time when the changes start to happen; exactly what you're talking about. At some point, you'll most likely start to notice changes in your period; maybe skips a month, or maybe comes twice in one month, etc. If you've been regular all your life, this can seem weird. Then, at some point, they just stop all together. I can't comment too much on the supplements (I use an estrogen patch), but at this early stage, it's certainly worth giving a try. You can buy iCool at Target....or the pharmacy. There are many others, too. If things get really bad, your doc can put you on mild hormone replacement. There is so much mixed info on hormones, but they work really well when the peri or post menopausal symptoms become too disruptive. After my hysterectomy, it became ridiculous! Flashing ALL fricken day long, and trouble staying asleep. Yep - love my estrogen patch!! Like someone hit Control-Alt-Delete on the hot flash keyboard

I was banded 3/25/13, and haven't looked back. I'm THRILLED with my progress so far, and for the first time in years, I feel hopeful. I've had no issues, and I expect that will be the case for a very long time. Mrsbuc - please keep in mind that what you read in these forums, is only from a fraction of lap band patients. Most posters on this site have had, and continue to have success with their band. Yes, there can be some compilations, but comparatively speaking, the ratio is small. Try & focus on what your life will be like if you do nothing?

Welcome to the other side! I'm glad to hear that everything went well. Keep us posted on your progress

I do have that problem some days; usually in the morning. If I can't stomach the thought of solid food, I have a protein shake. Sometimes I'll feel that way throughout a day, but it isn't often. And I don't really know what triggers it.

Ditto - on all counts :-)

SO true!

Good for you.......you're on your way! If you have a job where you sit at a desk all day, get up and walk around periodically. With the bra, maybe put a small piece of cloth; hanky type of thing, under the bottom...where the wire is (if you have wire). Just something to lift it a bit, to take the direct pressure off of the incision. A thick wad of Kleenex works, too.

Marci - I also met my husband online.....on Match.com. 15 years ago, after I'd lost 90 pounds and was living a perfect size 6, I decided to reclaim my life. Well, I probably decided that at the beginning of that weight loss journey, but it was time for me to get back into dating; I wanted to find my life partner. Though I hadn't been banded back then, I told some that I'd lost a lot of weight, and some.....it never came up. There was an interesting cross of response; most of it positive, but there were some negatives. I had about three dates with one guy who flat out told me that he was afraid that I would gain all the weight back. There was a whole lot of other pathology that went with his psyche, and the third date was the last. But I learned through the (what felt like) a gazillion coffee dates, that it was best to focus on getting to know one another, while leaving the weight story for another time. Not to hide it, just hang on for a bit until I had a better sense of who I was dealing with.

RwSample - once you start to lose weight, and begin to look and feel better about yourself, your self worth will improve. There is something very empowering about taking control of our life, no matter what the obstacles. Many times, when we feel bad about ourselves, we pull people into our lives that validate those feelings. I have a feeling that is ALL about to change for you. Time will tell about your marriage. Just focus on you; have the surgery, drop some weight & get healthy. In time, all else will become clear

And that post by MsMaui caused QUITE the wild ride! Most times I just sit back and shake my head when I read this stuff. But I had to put my two cents in on that one! I completely agree with Missy on this.... If people are SO miserable with their band, get rid of it and move on with your life; which is way too short to waste on being miserable with an implant device that can easily be "UN-implanted". PS: Did I miss something on the trolling comment? I used to go lake fishing with my dad many years ago. We would go trolling by dragging the line through the Water. I'm not quite sure how trolling now became a troll living under a bridge in Michigan? Call me crazy, but.......??

Geez...... The shrink - TOTALLY creepy. My mother took me to a diet doctor when I was 9; in 1964. He put me on ALL kinds of pills; amphetamines, Water pills, and supplements to replace what I wasn't eating. The diet pill cycle repeated itself so many times throughout my life, and there were points where I was totally strung out on them.. One time (when I was 26), I had actually gotten too thin, but still saw more to lose. By this time I was already taking 6 pills a day, but they were losing their punch. Actually, I was losing my (drug induced) motivation, and started reaching out to crank, cocaine.....ANYthing to stop the raging animal I saw coming. Well, none of it worked. I gained all the weight back, blah blah. Ya'll know the story. Anyway, back to taking pure amphetamines at 9 years old.... It was the early sixties, and they didn't know then what they know now. In my mother's defense, this was HER diet doctor, and she'd done quite well with that protocol. Years later, she normalized her size and maintained it throughout her life. But for me (and my sisters), the struggle lives on, and all three of us carry excess poundage.....to varying degrees.

Yes, about 3cc's. At the time of surgery, my doctor fills the band and then lets the fluid run out. Wherever it naturally stops emptying, is what he leaves. Typically, it's in and around the 3cc's. Now, after two fills, I'm at 7cc's, and that seems to be working very well.

Good luck on the first step toward a healthier you!

Ditto!

Chez - I like this maintenance plan. I think I will try it. Even though two days of MiraLax straightens me out for a good 3-4 days, inevitably, I will bind up again. I'm going to implement this starting today, and see how it goes.

LOL! It was a short lived relationship

Stephanie - you are in the most difficult part of the journey. The only way I can describe that part (for me), was a roller coaster ride, unlike any other. But I have to tell you.....now 11 weeks out, and back to most foods, it totally changes. No, the weight doesn't fall off (yeah, I wish it would, too), but it's coming off consistently, and now I look back on the last 11 weeks, and I'm 26 pounds lighter. Would this have happened without the band? NO - it wouldn't have! When the negative ego rears its ugly face, try & remove yourself from it; listen to its unreasonable voice, but stay neutral. You can't really stop it from talking to you.....it's been with you forEVER. The "real you" knows what's best for Stephanie, and that is the voice that needs to intervene between all "head conversations". I refer to these as "the committee". The real you is the one in control. I love the analogy of the baseball game! Hold on to that..... THAT Stephanie is the captain of the ship. You can and you WILL do this!! It was a good decision, and I believe that you will know that clearly in the weeks to come :-)

I struggle with constipation on a regular basis, and MiraLax is my savior! I drink it a couple of days, and I'm good for a few days after that.

Craziest thing? Years ago I told a guy I was dating, that at one point I was too thin; had health issues because of it. He whispered in my ear "do it again". Really?

Are you drinking a lot of Water? If not, you should.....it will help. First, you should call your doctor & see what he/she suggests. We can suggest what we know or have experienced, but your doctor is the best one to advise you of what to do. That being said, I think if you hang back for a couple more days, you might find the opposite issue. When on liquids only, there isn't anything solid going in, so not much of anything solid is going to come out. Many of us had a problem with diarrhea during the liquid phase.

Bee - I've ALWAYS said that if there wasn't life after dinner, I would be thin!! Night demons.......shared by SO many of us Since being banded, I've found that anything made with ground meat is best; ground turkey, lamb, beef, etc. One of my staples (I make it at least once a week): 1 pound of ground beef or turkey - browned with a little salt, pepper & garlic powder, drained of excess fat. I mix in one can of Rosarita traditional refried Beans, and once can of black beans (I do not drain the liquid from the black beans.....it keeps the whole thing more moist) Mix this all together in the pot, heat through, and enjoy! This is my new comfort food, and it's high in protein, and low in fat/calories. I eat about 1/2 to 2/3 of a cup. That's all I need. This past week I browned a pound of ground lamb (same way as above), but added chopped onion. Then I added a can of cream of mushroom Soup, mushrooms, and some cooked quinoa. It was REALLY good! Sometimes, I'll make some Pasta sauce with a pound of ground turkey or beef, and I'll eat my usual 1/2-2/3 cup without pasta. You can be very creative with ground meat, and I've found it to be very "band friendly". I'm pretty good about putting all of my food into MyFitnessPal. It's amazing how quickly daily calories add up, and the program keeps me on track; not only with calories, but with my daily protein intake. I keep that to a minimum of 60 grams, up to about 85 (sometimes more, depending on the day). A suggestion for evenings.... My doctor is completely against eating anything at night. I understand why, but it's not realistic for me. I'm going to eat a snack at night, whether I'm hungry or not. It's just not something I'm going to give up......like a baby that needs that last bottle before bedtime My suggestion is, when logging your calories for the day, make sure to leave a little bit for night time. Allow yourself that one thing, but don't eat it too early after dinner. Make yourself wait, so when you're done, you're not that far from bedtime. For me, that can be some Greek yogurt or an Atkins bar (one of the 130 calorie ones......tastes just like a Snickers). Some small, under 180 calorie snack. That way I don't feel deprived, and that need for my "last bottle" has been satisfied - LOL! I've been able to alter SO many things since being banded, but the evening snack isn't one of them. And I'm okay with it, even though it's against "doctor's orders". My calories are in check, and so am I Another idea - though I haven't done it yet, is to make ground meat meals in muffin tins. My friend is hooked on them, and I've read some on here as well. Another way to make a few measured meals at one time, that lasts a few days.

Here is some good info on the procedure. This isn't my doctor, but I found it online; gives a good outline of the surgery. http://www.obesitysurgeryla.com/laproscopic-banded-plication.php