JustWatchMe

I didn't have a puréed stage per se. I had six weeks of full liquids followed by solids. But on liquids I could put anything into a blender that I wanted and liquefy it.

Zero at surgery. 4.5 first fill. My band is 14cc. I later had another 3.0 and then a third one of either 0.25 or 0.5. Can't remember. I have another tomorrow. Honing in on my green zone.

I would be independently wealthy and travel the world and be a motivational speaker. Hey, you asked!

Omg this made me laugh out loud. Here's my variation. I'm one of those embarrassing moms who carries her phone in her bra, on the side. Why? Because I only wear stretch pants that have no pockets. I know I've had WLS because I can't fit my phone in my bra anymore without it being visible. Smaller bra. Not as much room. Phone sticks out. Yesterday I panicked after leaving a restaurant. I couldn't find my phone. I searched my bra. I searched my purse. I searched my car. My daughter dialed it and my butt rang. Mom, you seriously didn't check your pocket first? I forgot I had pockets in my new shorts. Life is good.

Hi Bandsters! I just took a bike ride. My knees are p!$$3d off but the rest of me is ecstatic. Being able to chug up a hill without panting is priceless. Being able to coast down a hill is exhilarating. My personal goal for September is to feed my soul. I'm going to start a thread on the general forum for this. By the way, this Banders #6 thread definitely feeds my soul.

Please share! Today I took a bike ride. How long I've neglected my body and pretended it didn't exist. I hid it and was ashamed of it. I put it behind closed doors and fed it garbage and didn't move it. I pumped it full of pharmaceuticals and acted like it wasn't part of me. My spirit was dying and I didn't care. I didn't understand that my body and my spirit are connected. Until I began to care for my body and heal it, I had no interest in healing my spirit. I only cared about how I felt at any given moment. If I felt nervous, I had to fix my nervousness. If I felt happy, I had to pump up my happiness so it wouldn't end. I didn't understand that these reactive impulses were not benefiting me. They were survival techniques but I didn't know I was merely surviving from one feeling to another. Today I look at and care for and watch and pamper and plan for and decorate and embrace my body. I find myself wanting to do the same for my spirit. I'm understanding that they go together. It's not a task on a check off list. It's a change in perception and awareness. How many times have I said that nothing will change unless everything changes? I know it in my head. Now I feel it in my body, and I sense it in my spirit. How do you feed your soul?

I chose my band because I was fearful of stomach rerouting and cutting. My mother had stomach issues at my age due to arthritis meds and I took arthritis meds for decades too. I was fearful of messing with what might already be a compromised digestive tract. That said, I realize banding messes with it too, but less drastically. The flip side of getting the band is that there is a lot more medical aftercare and continual adjustments. I don't think the habits we learn are all that different than those needed by sleeve or RNY patients. We just have the added factor that we can have a band slip or medical emergency from crappy band cheating habits. So vigilance is key. I won't speak to vigilance on the other surgeries because I'm not knowledgeable about them, but I suspect you can really mess up your body by cheating around those tools as well. I have come to realize on this forum that my band may not last forever and may have complications down the road and may even require surgical correction or replacement. I suppose I wasn't understanding that back when I chose it. But if I had to choose again I'd still choose the band. For me, it's been wonderful so far and if I have issues I will address them as they arise. Meanwhile I'm going to treat my band with respect and follow the rules. If I have medical complications I will hopefully recognize them and handle them promptly.

Do they know how and why it leaked? How long did you have it before the trouble started? Did you have weight gain or other symptoms? Sorry you're going through this.

Do research all your options and talk to your surgeon. Go to an orientation at a Center of Excellence. Go to some open support group in-person group meetings and listen to people talk about real experiences. You're already on your way. Be happy that you are investing in yourself. Good luck and stay connected here! The right surgery is different for each person. They all have pros and cons. The more you learn the clearer it will become.

Name, real or screen~ JustWatchMe Goal weight for September 30th~ 205 Weight on September 1st~ 213.6 Age~ 53 City/State~ Chicagoland Dietary goal for September~ fewer carbs Exercise goal for September~ bicycling and walking Personal goal for September~ feeding my soul Date banded~ March 13, 2014 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~ 88 Favorite Fall Activity~ shuffling through crunchy leaves

213.6 09/01/2014

Hey everyone! Living life today and happy. What a gift!

I just had my adorable fix for the day.

You will, you will, you will! It won't even take a year. Just wait. The first thirty pounds gone and I could sleep again. Just THAT alone changed my energy level. I started walking the day after surgery. My nurse was strict about it and boy did it make a difference. 8 weeks post op I went to Italy and WALKED everywhere. Up and down hills for two weeks. I wasn't out of breath at all. You know all of those crazy dreams you have about what you're gonna do when the weight starts coming off? They're all going to come true! I rode a bike. I rode a HORSE and he wasn't the biggest one in the stable either. I fit in a movie seat with room to spare. I cross my arms. Love this one. I can shave my legs sitting in a tub. I fit in a tub. I can reach my ankles. I accidentally waited too long to try on my tight dress slacks from the back of the closet and by the time I did, they were too big. Had to donate them. Invest in YOU. It's never too late. I was banded at 53 and this is the best year of my life. I have so much to do and I'm not waiting anymore. Welcome and keep posting!

Dealing with this now. Track everything. Be honest about it. Stay connected here. I weigh daily but that's a personal choice. If that makes you crazy don't do it. It keeps me accountable. I didn't look at a scale for years. Such denial. Celebrate the successes. Really celebrate them. If you have a day of great choices and stayed on track, be joyful and share it. MyFitnessPal is a good way to stay connected with other people who are tracking daily and you know you're not boring anybody by posting it. Slow down each meal. This is hard but key for me. If I stop and wait a minute or two after my first one to two bites it makes SUCH a difference in being able to notice satisfaction during my meal. This is so hard to do but can be learned. I think of this as interrupting my meal. I discovered this by accident at work. Although I try not to eat at work sometimes I have no way to get away from my desk for lunch so I have to eat there. I had to wait for a phone call one day. Two bites into my lunch the return call came. I was busy with that for about five minutes. When I came back to my food, my strong hunger was already gone. I ate some more of my lunch but I could feel satiety signals better. I listened and obeyed. I didn't need to finish all the food I had brought. This was such an eye opener for me that I try to do it intentionally now. Take a couple of bites, walk away for five minutes (bathroom break?), then resume the meal. We are such physical and emotional and habitual creatures. We need to modify all three areas if we are to succeed. Don't put danger foods in your path. If it's an item you have trouble controlling, say goodbye to it. It's not worth it. It will derail your weight loss. Be kind to yourself. This is a daily process. You won't graduate. You'll deal with feeding yourself every meal every day for the rest of your life. Accept it. Embrace it. It will get easier if you build strong habit muscles. Some days will be hard as hell and will suck. They are just days. A fresh choice is made at every meal. Never ever give up on yourself. Help somebody else. If somebody asks you here how you succeeded or failed at something tell them. It keeps these facts fresh in our own minds and reminds us we are NOT the only ones struggling and learning and failing and succeeding. The ones who keep at it are here on the boards. The ones who gave up are gone. Be here. Hope this helps you. Writing it helped me. Good luck.

@@gmanbat said, "In my life the offensive people that I have the freedom to escape are normally dealt with my best defensive tactic.... my not being there. When I see their name, when I hear their voice, I occupy other space and experience other environs. My life is fraught with trouble enough without subjecting myself to self-torture." Yep.

Ouch! I have excellent insurance coverage. Paid minimal out of pocket for banding in March and pay small amounts after insurance for each fill. I came home yesterday to find I owe $764 dollars from a routine 6 month blood panel ordered by my PCP in June. I was sure it was a mistake. The gross amount charged was $870. Nope. I called the number and they said my insurance benefits have maxed out for the year. Yikes! I have a fill scheduled with my LapBand office Tuesday and was planning a mammogram in November. I need to call the insurance office Tuesday to see what will and what won't be covered for the rest of 2014 but I did not need this bill right now. I was so happy that WLS was covered so well (major medical had my max out of pocket as $2500) but I never thought to check the other coverage. It might just be maxed out in certain categories like blood tests. I had a lot of that this year due to WLS. Trying not to worry.

Goodwill all the way. I'm losing now and in the same boat. I bought nine blouses last week for 38 bucks. A few too small but I couldn't pass them up and they'll fit soon. Try it!

There's never a "perfect" time for WLS. But you won't regret it. Go for it. You'll be amazed at how things will fall into place. Congratulations on your happy news!

Many of us older WLS patients have tried several appetite suppressant or fat blocking meds over the decades. I beg you to think of the long term effects on your kidneys and heart. When I was younger I always thought those side effects couldn't mean me. As I age I watch obese family members deal with life threatening heart and kidney problems. I've been on three meds in my life that were later recalled. Two for arthritis and one for weight loss. I'm grateful that today my tests come back fine. But I don't know what damage may have been done. WLS is drastic. But the drugs are too. Please think of the future. Good luck.

I hear ya. This has been my experience recently. It's a struggle but we will prevail. Good luck to both of us!

Traveling this weekend. Needed to read this so I don't overindulge in the restaurants. Great tips!

Congrats on your banding. I was told I could sleep however I was comfortable. For me that was on my right side. My port is on the left. I was back to sleeping on my stomach in a few days. It was a little sore but I sleep better that way. Many folks sleep in a recliner the first week. I wasn't that sore I guess. Good luck!

So glad you're doing well! Hope your recovery is smooth and soon you'll be enjoying your new banded life!!

Congratulations ! Stay connected here. It really helps!