lisacaron

You will be starting the New Year with a new you! Don't be disappointed, you have an opportunity to make some changes now, that you will need once you are banded. Practicing them now will give you a great learning curve that many did not have the opportunity to take. You can practice the mechanics of eating with the band as if you have it already. Drinking Water in between meals,cutting out soda and caffeine if you haven't already done that. Starting a low impact exercise program like walking and get a little further every day and this is good for your heart as well. To build up to a full program slowly not putting undue pressure on the heart. I started this journey with my husband in January of this year and we weren't banded until May. So we took the time to start learning some of the things we needed to, and remove some bad habits from our diet. We also took some time to figure out what Protein shakes tasted the best and had the best texture for us, and we "practiced" the pre-op diet a few weeks before the actual 2 weeks. We slowly replaced our meals and snack with the liquids so by the time we were in pre-op diet phase we were not missing anything or feeling deprived. Your going to get there and your going to be happy and healthy doing it. 2014 here you come!

I have had a few of those moments. Nothing as bad as getting stuck or PB'ing. Just that discomfort feeling of something working it's way VERY slowly through the band. Then I know I either took too big of a bite or just didn't chew well enough before swallowing. The worst for me is when I wait too long before eating and I am soooo hungry, I go back to old eating habits, and the band always lets me know it.

Greetings all, I'm from Patchogue. My husband and I had surgery with Dr. Geiss and the Center for Bariatric Specialties in Nassau at Syossett Hospital. We are both doing great so far, making progress and each fill really helps. The first few months are really about learning the mechanics of eating, and healing from surgery. As you get more fills along the way you will start to feel the band really working with you and keeping you feeling fuller longer, as well as helping to reduce the amount of food you need to help you get to that feeling.

That is a very interesting placement. Something like that would have worked well for me. Where my port is right under the left breast but close to my waist line. I have a very small torso, so there isn't much room for placement and sometimes I do irritate it when I move around a lot or overexert myself. Please do follow up with us as yo move forward to let us know how it's working out for you.

My advice given you are on military insurance is to call the insurance company and find out if they cover this type of surgery. I know with that type of coverage there are some restrictions, so find that information out first, and then pursue further with your doctors. Many surgeons have a free seminar you can attend to get more information and many offer free consultations where you can get lots of information. Make a list of questions you might have and don't be afraid to ask them. Attending a seminar or meeting for a free consult does not mean you have to choose that doctor. The more information you have the better off you will be as you go forward. Find a doctor that is familiar with your type of insurance as well that helps with all the pre-op testing. Best of luck to you!

Have you tried chewable? They work great for me. I think there are even liquid forms of those vitamins available with flavoring so they don't taste fishy

I have one and I love it for all the things it can do, but I don't really use it much at all. My nutritionist warned us about making smoothies and other juices that can be high in calories that you just drink down. While they are "good" for the body they are not really conducive to weight loss. Eating the whole fruit or vegie is much better then drinking them down, because with the band the bulk helps you not feel hungry where the juice just slips right through and doesn't stimulate the band. They are also very expensive, a simple blender works for just about everything mushy you will need to be eating. The Ninja is a little cheaper not as awesome as the vitamix (it's not self cleaning) but more cost effective if you don't use it for anything other then mixing up some juice or foods now and again.

I agree. Your starting BMI is not that high, and you have lost a good amount of weight so far. For me...sometimes I don't get enough Protein in, or enough calories in the day and that has stalled my loss. (Though admittedly other days, my calories do go over...) Consistency may be the key...keep at it your doing great.

Thank you! That post made my day! I needed a good laugh and that was it! People like that are just miserable. I have met more then my fair share of those over the years and they are all the same nasty individuals. Female and Male. Glad you put her in her place, and that other people were there to hear it!! Meow :ph34r:

Going to the gym sometimes works for me, but most of the time when I am so tightly wound up I end up pushing myself too hard. This puts just one more stress on my body and it revolts against me and maybe not the next day but by the end of the week I am sick. Usually with a really bad cold or infection, something that literally forces me to shut down for a while. I'm working on not beating myself up too much, and trying to do what Hazel suggested. Make good choices, and taking deep breaths. I think I will make a cup of green tea this afternoon as well it can't hurt. I actually got out of the office this afternoon into the sun (I was feeling like a vampire! I'm always inside actual sunlight is shocking!) I went to get the blood tests the Dr. ordered. It wasn't a "fun" break but it was nice to get out. I had a bounce in my step on the way back to the office. Thank you all for the support, and advice!

Has anyone noticed that when you are going through an extremely stressful time that you do not lose weight? I have not lost any weight in 2 months. These last few of weeks I have not be able to get to the gym. I suppose that is a bit of an excuse, but the reality is that I am under so much pressure that going to the gym is just going to be one more stress that I know my body will not tolerate right now. It usually happens that I push myself harder when under this stress, and hit the gym for some stress relief and then what happens is that the second the emotional stress lightens up my body crashes and I end up sick for weeks. I'm taking all the necessary Vitamins and trying to keep breathing…long deep breaths, just curious on how others find stress affects them after WLS.

Get up and walk around. Don't just sit there being in pain. Get up and get moving. Put some ice packs on the area of the port site they help a lot, but the best thing to move gas and help your body heal is to move. Take Tylenol, that worked for me. If you really need something stronger call your surgeon.

That is not a bad gain, you could gain that just b/c it's that time of the month. Don't stress over it sometimes after surgery there is a bit of a gain as the body heals. Your doing great!

Where did you find the recipe for that? Sounds yummy.

That is awesome! Best wishes to you and your intended!

Good Afternoon fellow Bandsters! What is everyone making for dinner tonight?

To be honest I think the stress hormones are keeping the weight on. My body is in fight for it's life mode, so it's not letting go of even one ounce of fat for fear it might get eaten by the next Dinosaur!

Thank you, this is a great place for support and venting I totally agree with you there! I am always torn between what's "right" and what's right for "me". With the help of my husband and my friends (all of you!) I am learning the difference and making better choices.

Thank you Tracy you are the BEST! I am feeling much better, and this too shall pass I know

I would still give your doctor a call. If you do have something stuck or lingering around there causing a partial blockage you want to know and clear it if it can be. You may need to be on liquids for a bit to rest the area again. In week 3 and 4 we were told to eat mushy and then soft foods. I am 4 months out now and I have no trouble eating salads, though I do cut up the chunks of salad even if they are precut and shredded lettuce can be a bit stringy and that tends to get hung up in the stoma. Best of luck to you, hope you're feeling better soon!

These last couple of weeks have been a few of the most stressful that I have had since surgery in May. Stress never seems to ebb in my life as much as it flows. You would think that over time this girl would be used to it, but there is no such thing as getting used to stress. You can roll with it and that's what I do, so that I can deal with the issue at hand and so it doesn't drive me insane. However it does drive me to some things that hinder my journey and even have the potential to harm me. I liked to think of it as comfort, but I know my thinking is warped. I want, no rather I need to find comfort in things other than food when life gets tough and curve balls are thrown at my head. The hug of a loved one is good, the escape of a good book, TV show or movie is great, but nothing brings me the comfort of being in my bedroom with the door to the outside world closed, eating a box of skinny cow, or munching on a vat of peanut butter pretzels. I want to run away and hide where no one can find me, but instead I try to heal the wounds so I can keep on going, and the bandages I use to cover up those wounds are food. It's bad..yes BAD because I am hurting myself by doing that. There are times that I will even pull my husband into it with me. I don't let too many people into my sanctuary, he is a willing accomplice that is until we realize that I am hurting him by sharing this unhealthy habit, and that makes me feel twice as bad. Since I have had surgery and before the latest disaster struck, I was working on NOT eating in bed. NOT eating in my bedroom. Keeping meals and snacks in the kitchen and at the table where they belong. It becomes difficult and feels impossible when I feel the need to hide. I want some peace a moment of relaxation, so I run to my bedroom and barricade myself away from the un-relenting caterwauls that come from outside. If it's not one of the 5 kids, (all over the age of 18-actually 4 over the age of 20!) it's one of our parents, or siblings that claw and vie for attention. Usually something life threating, just so you know it's not just the usual hey what's for dinner or I can't find my key kind of stress, those things just compound daily and sometimes cause the force of the stress to be 10 times worse then it actually is. There are days when I feel as though I have PTSD and just the ring of the phone, the whisper in the hallway or the knock on the door is enough to get my heart palpitating, my head pounding and my brow sweaty with anxiety. I know I should lace up my sneakers and go for a walk, or hang a punching bag and beat the ever loving sh*t out of it. Tape the person of the day to it, and punch away. However, when I am emotionally spent and physically exhausted the only thing I fixate on is the drive to the store to buy that box or container of comfort food. When I get home all I want to do is close and lock my door, curl up under the covers and dig in. This week, as I feel myself calming down a bit from the last two weeks of high anxiety and stress I am re-committing to working on these goals. I am hopeful that enough practice even if it is in between crisis I will be able to overcome my need for comfort foods, if not my need for escape, and learn to soothe my stress in more productive ways. After 42 years, I am learning the power of NO and the definition of boundaries. I am practicing using the word NO more often, putting and keeping those boundaries firmly in place. I am also thinking of investing in that punching bag. It could be a fun way to blow off steam! I wonder if they have one I could put on my desk….

Your looking Marvelous darling! Keep up the good work! I'm losing it slowly but surely and I'm feeling great about it!! I hope you are too

My doctor's office always asks me if I plan to be away in the couple of weeks after a fill before they administer it. I would let them know you are going to be away and then go and enjoy your vacation. Don't stress about weight gain etc. Try your best to make good choices and just enjoy! That's what vacations are for. You can always get a fill when you come back. Have a great time and a safe trip!

My doctor did not recommend a fill for 6-8 weeks after surgery to ensure that everything internally had healed. The band is placed and usually the stomach tissue is stitched around it to keep it in place. They like the band to settle into its new home before putting Fluid in which could shift it out of place and pull on the sutures. Giving your body a chance to fully heal is not a bad thing and it will bring you over all long term success and that is what we want. Even though right now we want that instant gratification. That is not really the way the band works. Try not to compare yourself with others, this is YOUR journey and they are on theirs. Best of luck to you.

You can try some liquid Motrin or Tylenol that might taste a bit better. A nice ice pack on the belly near the port site will help with the hurting and soreness. Get your rest, and when you can walk walk walk. It will help move the extra gas and bloating out of your system as well as any lingering effects of that anesthesia and soon you will be feeling better. I also found that warm tea helped move things for me, and ice pops were a life saver. Hope you are both feeling much better very soon.