mckelmer

My surgeon was and still is Dr Tony Kierath, he is not far from the city and i love him!!! he is fantastic, no muckin around with him, he is straight up!! Good luck :blushing:

Hello everyone, I havent posted in almost 2 years now, and never posted much anyhow. Just thought I would share with you all my story... lost 30kg (66lbs??) the first 18 months, then stopped getting filled, was pretty sick of not being able to eat or drink normally and had stalled on loosing anyways... gained back 6 kg (14lbs??) and decided it was time to get a fill again, so in December I did. My doctor was actually quite happy with me, he thought I would have gained alot more than that, anyhow, got my fill and could not swallow lol went back 3 days later and got some taken out... have now lost the 6kg and am glad im back on the loosing track. But have to be so so honest, ever since I have had the surgery all the bad stuff stays down and all the good stuff comes back up, sad!!! Also, I play tricks on the band if I want to really eat a meal, I will eat Ice Cream or chocolate to get the band to "open" then I can eat a decent meal, not sure why it works, but it does. I do that about 3 times a week so I can make sure i get some sort of vitimans to stay down...??? I know its not the right way to do it, but after having the band in for so long now, everything else I tried never works. Oh well, thats my update... Glad everyone has done so well :thumbup:

Hi everyone, hope you all had a very happy and safe Christmas. I am pretty happy that I managed to loose 2 lbs since my last fill, considering the holidays season. But have a question, does anyone have horrible abdominal cramping since being on the band. I dont have it all the time, about once every six weeks and it is HORRIBLE, i cant walk for two days because of the cramping. I am using a fibre powder in the mornings and thought this would help with the lack of fibre in my diet....???? any suggestions?

Great news about your ring!!

Hi everyone... just had my 4th fill, not sure why he filled me again, but am extremely happy. PB alot, my own fault. Doctor says WELCOME to the world of the lap band, when I told him some days I can eat some thing and other days NOPE...lol, it is quite funny tho.. looking back at all the older pages just makes everything we have all gone thru so far so worth it!!! so many encouraging stories when we all think we arent doing well then you see more and more happy people. I am one of them, 25 pounds to me is like a mini person I have lost, and not wanting it back!. I think I am coming to terms with "slow" isnt so bad at all. The last 2 days I had 2 people say I have lost alot of weight... FIRST real compliments I have gotten, what a great feeling... MERRY Christmas to everyone, and may we all have a great new year!!!

Hi Melissa, well just had my 3rd fill last week and HOLY COW, the restriction is huge... have tons of PB's, but im actually starting to fiqure out when to stop for awhile then I can finish my meal (very small meal). This is the sort of restriction I was hoping for, is taking some time tho to tell my mouth to stop or ELSE! lol... so im hoping this will all mean something on the scale next week when I weigh in. Just makes me feel alot better and am thinking that I should have no problem loosing again. Whats new with you?

Well, this band does funny things to my head... have only lost 20lbs which disappoints me immensley!, but then again, am sooooo happy to have gone down 2 pant sizes! such a huge amount of mind games I seem to be playing with my self. happy but not happy...lol oh well. have had my second fill on the 27th of Nov, have no restriction to how much I can eat, have had a few PB's, but never with the same food... once again a head game... i eat anything i want still, when does it start really restricting? i know there is no general answer but its nice to vent frustrations to people who go thru the same things that no one around me would understand... thanks for listening fellow bandsters. :confused:

I read in one of the other forums ???? that alot of people dont really start loosing until after the 2nd fill, but I will say this stage really sucks!! I lost all my weight in the first three weeks too!! and I know all my hunger is in my head and I am not a will power type person otherwise I would not have needed the band! grrrrrrr I am sure it will get better after the next one but until then, you may have to see me on here everyday giving my sob story LOL...good luck to all of us. and now i regret complaining about the first 5 week liquid/mushie stages... HA HA

Hi everyone, well it has been 2 weeks since my first fill and I am eating like a COW!, it makes it worse because I have had the last 9 days off work and seem to find the easy path to the fridge....OMG, really disappointed with the fill not being restrictive. It was the first 2 days but now I can eat everything in site. I do find that I dont eat a huge meal but I think thats cause I am snacking and I dont go back to work until Saturday...I did finally start walking 2 miles every evening but seem to use this as a rationing to eat??? holy cow, just dont know what to do...

Hello everyone, here is what I eat. Let me first say that after the mushie/soft food stage, I cannot eat or even think of SOUP or TUNA, so what I have been eating for the last two weeks is Protein shake in the mornings when I work and eggs when I dont. Lunch is usually left overs or avacado w/ cottage cheese and dinner is always steam veggies of some sort and fish three days a week, and have advanced to finally trying whole pieces of chicken (thigh). I do not measure what I eat, but I know that it isnt much. Got my first fill last night, so not sure how much this will change, but doc said I could eat anyhthing I wanted (as he snickered) stating that he knows whatever it is, IT WONT be much! LOL, anyhow, knowing this, I will at least make sure I get the protein needed first, and if I get lucky enough to not be FULL, I might try a little piece of chocolate... GOOD thoughts for all us bandsters!!

Hi all, well its been 13 days now since my surgery and I have moved myself onto mushies! I have never ever been a soup person, so I just couldnt handle it anymore. I find that I am craving MEAT soooooo bad but have no idea how to have any?? sugestions anyone??? also, for you that have been banded longer, is your appitite fully back? I find that I am eating well, not huge amounts but breakfast is scrambled eggs, lunch is 15g tuna and cottage cheese and dinner is fish and veggies, is that rite? Any help you can give PLEASE.. Thanks

Thanks Nilsa, I used to be a coke freak but thank goodness I stopped that years ago or else I know I would be in major trouble lol. Well after writing my post I had three fritos with bean dip and chewed chewed chewed until nothing, then added some water and WA LA it was fritos soup in my mouth!! omg tasted so good, I fiqure that was my treat. So now I must behave again..

Hey Newgirl07, what was your banded date? I am scheduled for my first fill on the same date, but I was thinking that was to soon for me?? I know that my DR has a good rep, but he doesnt explain or tell me anything. I was banded on the 20th.

I WAS BORN IN: Sun Valley, CA AND GREW UP IN: Sparks, NV I MOVED AWAY FROM HOME WHEN/BECAUSE: 12 because I was a wild child. Luckly survived and have no regrets only cause I am 41 now and mellow SINCE THEN I'VE LIVED: Costa Rica (mother is from there) and now Australia I TRAVEL AS OFTEN: as we can, hubby loves to travel FARTHEST I'VE EVER BEEN FROM HOME IS: Australia BEST VACATION EVER, THAT I'D REPEAT IN A HEARTBEAT: Costa Rica WORST VACATION EVER, THAT WILL HAUNT ME TIL I DIE: Mt Shasta, rented a house boat and our dingy sank, it rained (monsoon) for 6 days solid. DREAM VACATION IF TIME AND MONEY WERE NO OBJECT: anywhere is South America except Columbia (to much bad media) SPECIAL PLACE I NEVER GET TIRED OF GOING BACK TO: Costa Rica, cause my whole family lives there.

Hi everyone, im 8 days out of surgery and starting to feel HUNGRY for real food... thought I was doing well but the SMELLS are killing me. Just feel like locking myself up at times lol... hubby has been real good and waiting for me to go to work until he cooks his steak! I know not long to go to the mushy stage and most of the time its ok, but when I walk outside in the evening and everyone has their BBQ's going, I am so sure they are doing it to tease me... No pain, no more gas and physically feeling fantastic. Good luck everyone, I know we can all do it. Thank goodness for this encoraging site!

Hiya Stephanie, last night I was at a ball and they were serving finger foods and that was the first time since I had surgery that I WANTED some so bad. And then I realized it was because of the smell, it wasnt because my stomach wanted it, once I realized that the thought of it made me sick!!! Unlike some, I have not been told how long I am on liquids, I am just going to asume that it will be the 2 weeks, then I will go to mushies. The worst part for me is that I have never ever been a soup person, and have discovered I STILL AM NOT lol... hope it gets easier for you...

Hi everyone, I just found out I am a Crazy Ate whoo hoooo.... banded on the 20th, feeling way to good..cept of course the gas. I used to be burping queen but cannot seem to get one out (bummer) so now I have given myself a new title farting queen, and I love this gas bubble that is in my back, such a nice accessorie! My doctor said to me "eat anything that can fit thru a straw" well that has left some confusion in my brain, because I see most people are eating Clear liquids, but im not. I have my morning coffee (with milk & sugar), cream of wheat for Breakfast 1/4 cup. then at lunch I eat 1/4 cup of cream of something soup and the same for dinner. Also, he hasnt said anything about the amount of time, or when i go to mushies (if at all??) and my next appointment to see him is on the 26th of SEPT...do you guys think that will be my first fill??? should I just assume that after 2 weeks of liquids I can start my mushies?? Thanks anyones opinion is more than welcome... AND I am so very happy to be a BANDSTER!!!

Hi Michee, thanks for that. It does get very confusing at times because so many different doctors with different instructions. OH well, at least it seems yours has said the same as mine, except he doesnt believe in optifast. for whatever reason... :-) thanks..

Hi all, am newly banded 20/08/07 and feeling very well. Am a bit confused over the liquid stage tho. In the hospital I was given a thick creamy soup and Jello and yogurt for my 2 meals. All my doctor said to me upon my release was "anything you can eat thru a straw"... but in reading some of your threads, I see some say clear only??? Help please, I have to make myself eat, not even hungry, but I do not want to ruin this. I have no feelings of vomiting either, (fingers crossed) but sure cant wait to get rid of this gas, which has so kindly made its way to my BACK... Any help would be greatly appreciated... Thanks