MookNana

"Located near the cafeteria" Haha! Someone has a sense of humor at CDH...
Thanks so much for sharing the info. I'll be 4 days post-op *knock on wood!* that day, so I may have to catch my first one in October, but I will definitely be checking it out.

Sunday is my day in front of the tv watching my team "seahawks" play. i had something to eat and it didn't sit well. since walking is usually my answer to everything wrong with me and the band but I didn't want to miss any action i got on my treadmill. i walked, screamed and cheered my team on and before i knew it 30 min's had passed. i have a date with my treadmill every sunday now. easiest 30 min's ever!!!!

5.0 Gotta say I think I'm finally there

Ok so get this. Just left my first post op appointment. Doc says I'm doing great and excelling better than normal. He told me to do whatever I want from here. Told me to call him up when I feel ready for my first fill. Told me to take it slow, introduce foods one at a time and keep things soft progressing to regular as I felt fit. He basically told me that no matter what he told me to do it wouldn't matter because my body is my body and it will let me know what it can handle. I'm just supposed to use my judgement and listen to my body. I'm thinking I love this guy for the freedom but it also seems like giving a fat guy the keys to the donut shoppe. Wish me luck!

I don't know the whole story, but the literature we got from our doc did recommend that we carry the appropriate fill needle with us if we were traveling somewhere outside of a major metropolitan area in the West.
I know that's not why they were asking, but it could explain why someone would want to know about the appropriate fill needle.

WellWellw Well let's just get it straight. Obamacare was Romneycare and passed by the congress with more republican votes when it was **** Mitt Romneys idea. For those who think that people should not have insurance then something is wrong. There is absolutely nothing wrong with people being able to purchase health insurance because frankly I am tired of my home taxes going to local hospitals to pay for these damn people who need their drugs and take up valuable beds in the ER and never pay their bill. Say what you want but if you didn't have health insurance you would be glad to have it. Most people do not research they only talk from blogs they have read. Go to the government website and see what it offers. I am sure if your children or parents had no insurance you would be glad they could get it.

I don't know the whole story, but the literature we got from our doc did recommend that we carry the appropriate fill needle with us if we were traveling somewhere outside of a major metropolitan area in the West.
I know that's not why they were asking, but it could explain why someone would want to know about the appropriate fill needle.

The weight on my license was such an arbitrary number to begin with. I was embarrassed to admit my actual weight at the time, so I rounded down to a nice even number. I just realized that I'm now below that weight! My license doesn't expire for another year and I'll be proud to put my real weight on it at that time!

Hello newbies. there should be a rule...no weighing yourselves for at least a month post op. you are full of fluids, gas, and god knows what else. You've just had an invasive procedure that is playing havoc on your body. Do not, and I repeat, do not focus on the scale. Just focus on healing and the weight loss will come. Really...I promise. Good luck to all of you. Oh and Kelli...your hubby's posts are great. He'll be a wonderful support for you during your journey.

I guess I have to respectfully disagree. I see the advantage of both positive and negative information. But I believe the quality of the reviews speak for themselves. I give about as much credence to unsupported positive reviews as negative ones. And to be honest? Lap band really has been a terrible choice for some people. It's good for me to hear about these stories so that I can think about the way I live, my risk factors, and make a judgment about likely I am to suffer a similar fate.
Something that's a little related... has anyone noticed that bariatric surgeons, in general, seem a little less candid and neutral than a lot of other doctors? I spoke with five different doctors in considering gastric procedures, and all of them were frankly, a little too optimistic. Not one told me I should reconsider surgery or highlighted any possible complications or negatives unless I directly asked about them first. And even then, they glossed over them, dismissing them fairly quickly, often intimating that they were the result of patient non-compliance or true flukes. They weren't as able to give me dispassionate clinical statistics regarding how many of their patients had kept off a significant amount of weight for five years, how many needed revisions, etc. I guess they're selling the dream. The before and after pic. But again, I feel like many bariatric surgeons walk too fine a line between plastic surgeons and other surgeons who offer mainly non-elective procedures and have no problems discussing potential risks in a very candid and thorough way.
I probably wouldn't have done lap band if it wasn't for these forums, and the ability to do my own, independent medical research so that I felt like I knew what I was getting, warts and all.

i am not banded yet, but i feel this will be my biggest hurdle to slow down and eat. i have thought and thought of how to do this, i don't want to have to rely on a timer, and i don't want to have to use one in public either. So i am going to approach it this way. Take your bite, put down your utensil, and then silently i will sing twinkle twinkle little star it has thirty seven words in the song. and if you make note to chew to each word your food should be where it needs to be before you swallow and prepare for the next bite...now mind you this is just my 2 cents....lol...and it will probably make some laugh....but this is how i am going to start my process of learning...It's like when i learned CPR we were told to do the compressions to the rythm of the song "If your going to play in Texas, You got to have a fiddle in the band"...it really did work...lol...anyway that's my thoughts....

I'm sorry you've had to go through all of this. That sounds like a very rough road. I really hope things get better for you.

I dont think anyone would know I have the band from watching me eat either. I intended to get the band and never get a fill and so far I have succeeded. My band keeps me from binging but I control the quality and for the most part the quantity. Some people who do know I have the band wonder how I eat what I eat because they think that it keeps you from eating anything...not the case. LOL ... So for the holidays I plan to make healthy versions of the favorites and plan for my weekly guilt-free day to be on the holiday You can do ALOT with 1000 extra calories!! Also, I will plan to have early meals...like around 3p instead of 6 or 7pm. The earlier I eat those extra calories the better!

That is so me too. last night i woke up with the worse hunger pains i have ever felt.. It felt so bad that at first i thought it had to be something else.. thankfully i'm allowed pudding at this stage post op so there i was at 3am eating a cup of pudding which did in fact cure the hunger pains and allow me to go back to sleep. Right now i'm just fixated on being allowed to eat scrambled eggs.. only a few more days and i can start adding things with a little thicker consistency i'm down 12lbs since i started the pre op diet so i'm all happy with that. i know the WL right now is stunted from one.. not enough calories being consumed and that my body is still adjusting. looking forward to being on solids. being able to do more than walk
Stay strong we can do this.

Ok I'm a week out and can honestly say I would punch a baby for a ham and cheese sandwich right now! Does this get any easier or should I just suck it up? I have another week of thin liquids then 2 weeks of puréed liquids before I get solid food! Good news is I've lost 16lbs since surgery day (9/17) so I can't complain about that!!!

Just wanted to second this. Disneyland and Walt Disney World are very size-friendly vacation destinations. At 5'10" and up to 370 lbs, the only issues I've ever had with fitting on anything was leg room on the Winnie-The-Pooh ride at Disneyland. It can take some agility to get in and out of some ride vehicles, but almost all rides can be stopped or slowed and wheelchair and ECV accessible vehicles are available on a lot of rides as well.
Cast Members are happy to show you to alternate entrances if turnstiles are an issue (they've been removed from a lot of rides too) and are sensitive and discreet about handling it. There are belt extenders available on rides like Dumbo and The California Zephyr, and while some of the old theater seats are tight, newer attractions were built with wider seats or bench seating for barrier-free access.
The Disney parks really are the gold standard in accessibility for theme parks. There's a very helpful website about this too called WDW At Large: http://allears.net/tp/ridsiz.htm

Just wanted to second this. Disneyland and Walt Disney World are very size-friendly vacation destinations. At 5'10" and up to 370 lbs, the only issues I've ever had with fitting on anything was leg room on the Winnie-The-Pooh ride at Disneyland. It can take some agility to get in and out of some ride vehicles, but almost all rides can be stopped or slowed and wheelchair and ECV accessible vehicles are available on a lot of rides as well.
Cast Members are happy to show you to alternate entrances if turnstiles are an issue (they've been removed from a lot of rides too) and are sensitive and discreet about handling it. There are belt extenders available on rides like Dumbo and The California Zephyr, and while some of the old theater seats are tight, newer attractions were built with wider seats or bench seating for barrier-free access.
The Disney parks really are the gold standard in accessibility for theme parks. There's a very helpful website about this too called WDW At Large: http://allears.net/tp/ridsiz.htm

Wanted to inform people of my situation at Disneyland this weekend during my five year wedding anniversary celebration. To start, I am 470lbs (down from 550lbs last year.) and 5'8". I carry most of my weight in my torso, particularly around my belly. (Super pear shaped.) I have a long torso and very short legs. With that being said, I has no problems with most of the rides!! I rode everything but the Matterhorn and Space Mountain. Nor did I ride the teacups, anything in toontown, or rides geared towards the littlest of children. This go around I went did not go on big thunder as it was closed, but I did go on it last year. I only had two issues. 1. The Jungle Cruise. The line corrals are very thin and there's a turnstile that I had to sorta hop over (got my leg stuck for a second.). I would recommend seeing if you could get in through the disabled's entrance. 2. Leg room. Even with my short, short legs, they were still a bit cramped on most rides. Not enough to not enjoy the rides, but enough to tire my legs out quicker than normal. I work retail and I'm on my feet for the better part of 9hours a day, 5 days a week, so walking wasn't an issue, but if you don't have the ability to go-go-go for a couple hours at a time, there are plenty of places to park your bum. Also, utilize that time by going on the train or monorail to get where you want to be while sitting down. Just some info and pro-tips. I hope this helps you make the decision to go, if you've always wanted, but thought you couldn't!!

I am 5 weeks post-op this week....I have lost 31 pounds so far ( that includes 2 week pre-op diet)....I am very excited about that however I am most excited about the fact that I now weigh 8 pounds less than my husband! Lol.....May not seem like a big deal to some but it is to me....we have been married for 17 years and he has not gained 5 extra pounds opposed to my gaining over 100 pounds....so it is nice to weigh less than him for the first time in 13 years......

I can't say it enough. Don't fear hunger. You should be hungry, it's normal to be hungry. As long as you are satisfied on your band sized portions, you're good to go. If you are not, then time for a fill. In time, you will also be able to distinguish real hunger from head hunger. Also...don't know if anyone else feels this way, but being hungry is a good feeling for me. And I mean real hunger. It's not something I was used to what with my eating all the damn time. But now, I look forward to it because I know it's a signal which I listen to, act on, and then move forward.
I don't know how to explain it other than to say that being in control is such a high..and a way better feeling than losing control and overeating or eating poorly.

I never thought about putting MIO in yogurt. What a great idea!

Mine is Gladys...as in "Gladys is over" (the surgery) and "Gladys is here" (the band to help me change my life).
On her second day on the job today, Gladys is a bit sore. :-)

Mine is Gladys...as in "Gladys is over" (the surgery) and "Gladys is here" (the band to help me change my life).
On her second day on the job today, Gladys is a bit sore. :-)

My first question to my doctor was "I hear that many couples split up after WLS. Is that right?" And he answered me honestly that it either brings them together or pushes them apart. I am willing to have either happen because I don't want to die this way. Enough is enough.
My husband was not on board either at first. He said he wanted me to show "commitment" to diet and exercise before getting the surgery. I tried to explain to him how the band would help me have commitment--I can lose 20-30 lbs at WW like you, but then my hunger turns on about a month or two later and then that's when I gain it all back plus 10 lbs. The band would let me keep going instead of bouncing me right back past the starting line.
And, have him talk to your doctor because obviously s/he will have much more to say than the gym guy who has no medical degree. Yeah, for some working out is the only thing you have to do. But for many of us, it's just not enough.
What has ended up happening with my husband is that we basically did the pre-pre-op diet together (low carb) and he's lost quite a bit of weight, as has our daughter. Me too! He now gets that I am excited about losing weight and being active. He loves that I'm on my new bike all the time, going to the gym, and eating right. And he's not looking too bad himself. LOL
Good luck to you. Remember, it's YOUR body. Yes, you need support, but it's YOUR body, YOUR life.

Mine is Gladys...as in "Gladys is over" (the surgery) and "Gladys is here" (the band to help me change my life).
On her second day on the job today, Gladys is a bit sore. :-)