TulipStar

Wow!!!! What a great feeling.... <BR>

I feel naked when I don't have it on. Another NSV-- I have officially went from the larger strap to the "normal" sized strap for my arm! Hooray!

I got 5 cc's my first fill. Now I am up to 7.4 cc's after 6 fills. I go in every 3 weeks for a follow up and usually they give me a fill. I think I am at about perfect restriction right now though.

IMO, I think you should check out to see if there are any lapband seminars in your area. This is the first step that I took (besides researching via internet) and it was very informative. They actually did everything..including getting my insurance approval. I went to 3 different seminars for 3 different dr's until I found one that I liked Good luck! It will all fall into place. It seems like this is the longest part...getting insurance approval, etc., but it is well worth it!

That's funny bc I am so sick of people NOT asking me what I can eat. Like my family around the holidays....didn't even take into consideration my dietary restriction. But, in all honesty I probably prefer it that way. I don't like people to make a big deal over me.

It took me about 3 full weeks until I felt "100%" again. I was still a little tired and worn up until that point.

I probably would avoid carbonation. I drink wine once in a while...My dr said I could though.

yes it will change. you are in the period known as "bandster hell" where you don't have proper restriction. I know that I felt just like you and was super hungry all the time...could eat anything too.

Do something to take your mind off the food...reading, walking, knitting...take up a new hobby

yes yes yes, eventually you will be able to sleep on your side and then your stomach again. I was sleeping in a recliner for 2 weeks po. Some can get into bed right away, but my bed is really high and I couldn't boost myself up. hang in there...you will sleep again!!!

Yes, you definitely have a right to be annoyed. My hubby told me to eat what he was eating...to just chew it and spit it out! I was so peeved when he came home with 2 pints of Haagen Daaz the day after surgery...I accused him of sabotage! Hang in there... tell him to at least not eat it in front of you!

Yes you should do it!! 88%??? that sounds really high. When I did my research I found that that most complications rates were under 3%. I did have a complication, my port flipped. The revision surgery was covered by my surgeon as part of the intial surgery...most surgeons give you a "warranty" period where they will give you fills and and provide any needed revision surgery. You should do it! I am so thankful I did! The only thing I regret is not getting it sooner.

mine seems to have slowed down in the last week. I started upping the protein. I always go through shedding periods, so I wasn't sure if I was just shedding or losing hair, but I am pretty sure I was losing hair.

I have one on my ankle and have had it for 13 years....I have lost/gained 100lbs and no changes, but my ankles don't really change in size. I do have a friend who had a frog around her belly button and after pregnancy it stretched out and the excess skin made it look really funny.

Yes, it is a distorted body image. Like others, I always thought I was thinner when I was bigger and now I think I am still bigger than I am. I have been avoiding these pair of workout pants that my MIL gave me bc by the looks of them, they are too small. I put them on for fun yesterday and they are almost too big! Whoops. Take lots of pictures, try to get acclimated to who you are now by looking at them. It takes a while and I think that all of us feel the same way.

It's weird, but I have NEVER had reflux since being banded. Before I always had reflux.

Everyone is different. I know some people who have NEVER worked out and lost all their weight with the band. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people :thumbup: I have a more difficult time losing weight so I had to incoporate exercise early into my program to see results. I work out 6 days a week for about 1.5-2 hours a day of cardio and then I also do an additional 4 hours of strength training a week. Increasing your muscle mass will increase the rate you burn calories. Sometimes just a little movement will boost your metabolism to get weight loss going again.

6 months and 65 lbs lost since the bodybugg...and what looks like a permanent bodybugg indention in my arm :thumbup:

There are a lot of banders doing WW on this thread. I think there was a thread about this a couple days ago. Just search by the term "weight watchers".

katiebug, I have heard of Trichotillomania and know someone who suffers from it, but I have not experienced it myself nor do I know someone who has it who is banded. I just started to really notice the hair loss at 6 months post-op. I think I took the survey originally at 4 months po and said I had no hair loss. Oh well...it's just hair and I did have quite a bit to begin with...

NO, you can't see mine at all or feel it. But my dr. did put a smaller port in when I had revision surgery in November 07. The fill dr always has a problem finding it unless he/she is very experienced.

A lot of people have their opinion about this. Personally, my Dad has GB 7 years ago and he almost died from complications. Then he quickly lost the weight, but he looked sickly and he always had horrible diarrhea (AKA dumping syndrome) and he would have to run to the bathroom during every meal. Then he started to eat "around" the surgery and has put back on over 100lbs of the weight that he lost. He stretched out his stomach. So he asked the dr to go back in and make it smaller again and the dr said no bc the stomach lining was too thin now. So, I guess my main reason for getting the LB instead of GB are: 1. less complications 2. Adjustability, if I find myself gaining I can add more fill or I can also remove fill if I get pregnant or want to go on vacation and eat. 3. reversability if I need to 4. slower weight loss is healthier

No regrets except I wish I would have done it sooner. I was also mistaken that I thought it would be so easy. It is really something that I have to work on.

I LOVE EAS Iron-Tek 100% whey protein in chocolate. It's a powder and when you mix it, it tastes like a chocolate milkshake. I usually mix it with water, and a couple ice cubes and put it in a magic bullet. yum

Sometimes they give you a little fill to start. My band holds 10cc and I didn't feel good restriction until about I was at 6cc fill.