Bandista

@@lisacaron you have a book in you! So eloquently put. @@DanaKat, pre-op is so hard. All those emotions come up to the surface. We have all used food to tamp them down and the thought if. to having that available can be scary. That on top of all the appointments, the paperwork and arrangements and for many people a pre-op diet, oh my goodness. I can tell you that I had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before (and I'm almost 53). It was all SO much easier than I thought it would be. I took a good sense of humor along with me, and a positive attitude. For me the surgery and recovery was better than things like dentistry, which I hate. Or having my back really out or severe menstrual cramps, etc. And it wasn't like I was sick or had an injury -- I was getting the band as a gift to myself. It was a tremendous act of choosing my health, myself, my future condition. And I am so glad I did it. Best wishes to you and we are here -- glad you are, too. This site has been so helpful to me.

OMG! The waiting was brutal. I started my process last June and knew just what I wanted. But then I missed the mandatory information session which for our little hospital (rural area) is every other month. So I couldn't do that until August. I was finally banded in November. In hindsight, I'm glad for the extra time as I read so many posts, did lots more research on how it all really works, etc. Plus I got a therapist and for a few months we really worked on breaking down my triggers. It was tedious but I'm glad I did that. I felt very ready and aware by the time the surgery came about. I'm so glad I found this site as this is where I got my real info. Love my hospital, surgeon, etc. But it was the veteran Banders who got me through. If there were negative posts I just skipped them. It got to be so I could spot patterns for who was very successful and why. Congratulations on choosing YOU, putting yourself first and seeing to your health.

I agree -- let them know what's going on. My surgeon does very small fills as well but at whatever frequency I need. I am going tomorrow and this will be my eighth one. I have been in the green zone but then i find myself hungry, looking for food, increased portions, etc. That's how I know I'm not in the green zone anymore and need an appointment. I worry about overfill issues and they like it that I'm worried but reassure me that is not the case and there's plenty of room left in my band. Good luck to you!

Way to go! I feel so good when I've walked.

No, no, TMI TMF! Lol.

Hi Hayley, the band works by dimming the appetite so you can listen to your body and make good choices. If I were you I would get in to see my surgeon to assess for a fill. He will ask you questions. Mine looks for the patient being satisfied on a tennis-ball sized portion of food and not hungry again for 4-5 hours. I would have one but not the other and we keep at it to achieve both, which is the green zone. None of us here were successful dieters -- that's why we got the band. But if it's not adjusted properly it is just a diet. I try to be sure to have real food well chewed, no sliders like shakes, crackers, chips etc. that will just go right down. Keep at it -- be proactive. We really have to be our own advocates. If the surgeon cannot see you for a fill assessment then you will need to find a new practice. They may just not be sure what you're after when you call.

Hi Cherie, the log roll technique is pretty good for those first few days when you are sore -- and holding a pillow tight on your abdomen when you get up. Some people do better in a recliner that first night or two. You will feel better each day. Congratulations on your surgery and choosing your healthy future. A few months from now you won't be able to recall this discomfort -- you will be thinking like the rest of us how worth it it was to go through the whole thing. Pat yourself on the back for all the research, the zillion appointments, pre-op, the surgery itself and now the recovery time. You are doing beautifully and that part is all behind you now.

Way to go! What a great transformation in a year. You exude health and happiness -- and you're an athlete now. Have fun with that cutie-pie beside you. Two cutie-pies (love the rainbow fairy skirt!)

I still really enjoy my food -- maybe more than before because I'm taking my time and savoring it, chewing it rather than wolfing it down while thinking about more, more, more. I find I really appreciate what I am having in a really new way. And I am not deprived at all -- with my appetite dimmed I am satisfied after a small portion and I still think that is a miracle. I was a big eater -- well, obviously. You are not alone and I think many of us had the same worries. You will be surprised!

Great post, Lisa! So happy for you......and inspired by you. Way to go. Accomplishments are definitely where it's at. Not that damn number on the scale.

Hi Debbie, love reading your pieces. The grazing sure resonates with me -- that is my downfall also. One thing I do is count off four hours after a meal and register that time. So if it's noon, one finger then two, three, four and I say out loud four o'clock. I repeat it to retrain my brain. That's the time at which I might be hungry again. Otherwise it's just grazing. And to tell the truth, when I do feel hungry I usually find that more than four hours have elapsed. Exercise. I walk an hour nearly every day. Nearly every day I do not want to do it and then afterward I feel great and am so happy I did it. Still some work to do in that part of the brain's reprogramming. But meanwhile the doing it anyway means my jeans are falling off. Love that!

@@mytime86 I am a November 2013 bander, too. 72 pounds is great! Pat yourself on the back. @@nursejess2010 the shoulder pain is very common and it will go away....some people benefit from a heating pad. Walking is where it's at to release any trapped gas and get everything moving right again. You will feel better each day. @@scooterbyrd looks like you've found some iBand peeps....good luck regrouping and so glad you're here.

You are in good company -- some of Banders wish we had known about Plication. Not that we aren't doing beautifully, we are. But it seems like Plication reduces the need for fills. Keep chiming in -- we are glad you're here! Congratulations on your surgery, on choosing yourself and your healthy future.

You're so active now, Di. Don't worry....be happy. Will there be dancing on board? You're going to have a blast.....deb, great pix!

Lisa, way to go -- so happy for you! What an accomplishment. I have registered for a 5K in September but I think I will be fast walking rather than running. I don't think my joints can take running at this point. I walk nearly every day so that part is not an event -- the real milestone here for me is being a part of a big group exercise activity and feeling comfortable doing it. That is huge for me and something I never would have considered before. Glad to catch up on this thread. I lost it for a while but here it is. I need my peeps!

Thanks so much for this. I read the summary but now will go get the podcast. Have meant to figure out podcast world! Meanwhile, I believe in being my own advocate and knowing all I can about anything to do with my body. I trust and respect my surgeon but he's just one guy with a skillset. Medical professionals enjoy working with patients who have taken the time to educate themselves as much as possible and they learn through our feedback.

My surgeon is of the small frequent fills school -- maybe she will see you every other week for a while to get you up to the green zone. I can't eat rice and choose not to eat bread or pasta, though I have a bite of gluten-free versions once in a while. And I don't eat in the mornings as I'm just not hungry plus I feel tighter then. It's such a process, isn't it, figuring out our individual modes? Many people "reset" with the five day pouch test, a way of getting back to basics. Good luck -- you're on the right track! And steroids, what a nightmare. Tats how I got fat, too, many years ago. Until the band I couldn't budge it no matter what I did. I wonder if your surgeon is concerned about you getting too tight too fast because of the steroids. Just A random thought.....best wishes to you!

You are choosing yourself and your healthy future and that is a wonderful thing. It's time to put yourself first and if that means you no longer have a relationship with a friend who is already demonstrating selfishness and a lack of support for you, well then so be it. You will have so many new friends as you get healthy.

@@HealthyNewMe that sounds like an absolute blast! There's a high heel drag race in DC that is along the same lines -- mostly drag queens in unbelievable costumes running.....

I find if I'm chewing for a really long time and sort of straining the food through my teeth rather than swallowing it (sorry for the too sensitive info), that is my body telling me I'm done. Don't swallow, don't have more. Done. We are all different and have our own signals -- trick is finding your own. Sliming is so personal. I only do it just prior to a major episode. If the slime comes I know I'm in for it. But I think for some a small amount of slime can be an indicator. A stop sign?

My surgeon is looking for satiety after a tennis-ball size portion of food and not hungry again for 4-5 hours. I am noticing an increased obsession with food -- thinking about it in a different way (old way) and I'm hungry too soon. So I'm calling for an appointment tomorrow.

Guess we shouldn't worry about the scale -- the pants are where it's at! Unless you're @@HealthyNewMe -- eight new dresses, wow! Happy anniversary. What is the Red Dress run? And @@pink dahlia enjoy those flirty jeans! @@chrissy10 way to go - - we are rocking this! @@blacktxbelle you make an excellent point. I have been walking an hour every day. It's working! But now to get out of the nineties into the eighties.....so close. Driving me crazy, just like entering Onederland. Hover hover. But who cares? We are doing it! And it will take the time it takes.

I am also ready for a teeny tiny fill.......calling tomorrow. It's been obvious, but I wanted to give it a few weeks to be sure it wasn't just me being restrictive or rewarding -- the two halves of my psyche. So happy for you -- and seven pounds, yee ha!

It's normal to feel anxious prior to any surgery. I think a positive attitude and good sense of humor go a long way. Like others, I was surprised how easy it was. I am 52 and had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before. To this day, I would rather get another Lapband then go for dentistry. And I only have one root canal and crown!

This is a great thread. Of course there is the given impossibility of just stopping food, vs. alcohol or heroin, etc. And how black and white all that is. We need to be able to eat healthily, so in that way it's a completely different animal to negotiate.....but our behaviors? I know that I have an addictive personality. I have to look at my decisions from that point of view.