Penelope

I understand and agree with nearly everything you fellow bandsters have commented on with one exception - the one person who wrote that she had the lapband so she wouldn't ever have to diet again. I cannot imagine that working for anyone. I am 14 months out and am hoping to be in ONEderland by next week. I was one of those people who ALWAYS had a salad before my meal, dressing on the side, etc. But after finally coming to the realization that I still have to exercise and count calories to maintain a slow and steady weight loss, I've realized that I wasn't eating more than a couple of bites of the salad I was almost always paying extra for, so I have just started replacing the starch with extra veggies. Most restaurants do this without any extra charge or problem. I am thinking that if the ingredients you all are mentioning that you eat in your salads were steamed,would you consider them a veggie side dish?? So either hot or cold, no matter what you call the dish - veggies are a veggie? Penny

I want to enter onederland by Christmas!

I agree with Brandy. There is no way in the world that I can eat and drink. If I forget and do, the pain is nearly instantaneous and seconds later everything I ate comes back up. This is an area I apparently had to learn the hard way. I have made a resolution that I AM NOT going to drink with my meals - it's not worth the pain.

I have had 5 fills - (3cc, 3cc, .5cc, .5cc, .5cc) for a total of 7.5 cc in a 12cc. band. My doctor would only give me a fill once a month, but at this last visit I decided I didn't need a fill. I am losing about 1.5 lb. a week and yes, I think it's too slow but I am learning to be patient. Even at my sweet spot though, I have had to go back to using weight watchers to keep losing. I eat 24 points a day and journal faithfully. I kinda suck at exercising but I think when I lose a little more and exercising isn't so painful It will be more fun. I just bought the original Richard Simmons sweating to the oldies on DVD. I love that one! Keep your eyes on the finish line and kick butt! Penny

Hi Cathlena, When I started this journey I made up my mind that no matter what they asked or ordered me to do or how unpleasant or embarrassing it was - I was going to do it. I wanted the surgery and nothing was going to stop me. Your experience sounds exactly like mine - only I would have bet a million bucks I did NOT have sleep apnea because I had NONE of the problems listed on the questionaire AND I sleep on my stomach. However after two tests (one without the Cpap and one with the Cpap) they determined I did have it and I had to get the Cpap. Six weeks after surgery I called them and told them to come get the dumb thing and it has worked out great for me - HOWEVER, if you wake up gasping etc. sounds like you need to go the full route. As for the 6 months of weigh in's - they wouldn't accept that I had been going to weight watchers faithfully for the past four years - but they did accept that I had also been going faithfully to my internist for the past twenty years so I got a printout of my weights for the past twenty years (all with Kaiser permanente - now we are with United Health Care) I did the psych (which I really enjoyed - neat guy who had the lap band himself four years ago and lost two hundred pounds) I had the exam, I had the physical therapy appt. I had the nutritionist appointment which I continue to do monthly - and I jumped through every hoop they had and even though they all told me that the band is not magic and it won't lose the weight for you without diet and exercise, I still didn't believe them. I thought that was bull and just by having the surgery all this weight was going to disappear. Wrong. I am three and a half months out and I have just finally started losing consistently - by going back to my old standby, weight watchers. I am not going to the meetings because I have all the literature, etc. here at home and honestly after paying $6k out of pocket for my surgery I think I'll skip the $12 a week. The moral of the story is, if you want to have the surgery - jump through the hoops, and after the surgery follow through with your committment and do what they tell you to. I am so happy now that I did it, but for the first 6 weeks I was so very sorry I did. I had no restriction and eventually went back to eating anything I wanted and felt terrible about it. Now, after three fills (a total of 6.5 cc in a 10cc band) I am in a perfect place where 24 weight watcher points (1,200 calories) fills me up just fine and I am rarely ever hungry. I wish you only the best on your journey and success with your goal and please believe me - it is worth the effort. Penny

My first "cheat" was with taco bell also!Went with family to get pintos & cheese and ended up with that PLUS some. My problem is that it went down way too easy and that only led to more cheating. I have finally hit a good ( I wouldn't call it sweet) spot with my third fill - I am now at 6.5 cc in a 12cc band. Surgery was 3/11 and I've lost 34lb. but I can tell you that I have learned the hard way that the band doesn't do it for you. I am back at the point where I have to track everything and exercise, just like they told us to - to see any weight loss at all. My point in all this is that we all do it - and I like many thought that even though they told us it was "just a tool" I still thought it would do it for me. Now, I am thankful for all those years at weight watchers, because that is exactly what I am doing - but the band has made all the difference in the world in my ability to stay on track. I wish you only good luck, and I pray that you will get through this with a better understanding. P.S. I had taco bell for lunch today - pintos & cheese (3 points) and a crunchy taco (4 points) and felt quite satisfied. Keep your chin up. Penny

Hi Ronnfia, I echo the greeting. Welcome to our group. Please just try to ignore the negativity. I wonder why these people even had to get or use the Lap Band if they were so disciplined in their diet and willpower, as they purport to be here. Instead of needing her "handholding", I would like to tell her where she can put her hand, but since I am above all that I won't! LOL! Keep it positive, and thanks for your feedback! Be kind to yourself. Penny

Saqueen, everything you say is true. We all know that it is a tool, and that we have to change our way of eating. My pet peeve is that everyone needs to remember that this is a support group. It is not a criticize or ridicule or point your finger group. Everyone has their good days and their bad days and this is a forum for them to vent. Do you not think they know their band is a tool? That there is no magic bullet? I'm quite sure they do. We all went through the very same pre-surgery agenda that you did. I am among the group who had no restriction before my first fill on 4/14. I just got off the two days of liquids and Know that I have some restriction now because I absolutely can not eat like I did just a week ago. I too was depressed and was sure my band was a dud, just like Lise in Seattle. I was sure they were going to be disgusted with my puny weight loss of just 7 pounds since surgery, but they were very happy with me. They told me to quit being so hard on myself and take it slow. It is a slow process that is for sure, but at the same time I have now lost 12 pounds in the past 5 weeks and after the past four years at weight watchers where half a pound up and half a pound down, was the norm, that was quite a feat for me. I am much happier with my band now, since my first fill and I am scheduled for another fill on May 12th. Support group at the hospital tonight, I wouldn't miss it and I recommend that everyone stay in touch with their face to face support people in addition to this wonderful support forum, also. Have a great day! Penny

I just got my first fill yesterday and I also got 3cc. They told me that was the max amount for a fill at one time. I weigh myself on Tuesdays and I lost 4 pounds this week. So I guess I'm doing better than I thought and I need to learn this patience thing! Have a good day. Penny

Hi Kids, Well, I just got home from my first return visit with Dr. Jan. I saw the nutritionist (they were pleased with my puny weight loss) I had my upper GI barium swallow thingy ( It wasn't nearly as bad as I had expected, and I had no "chalky" sensation) and then had my first "fill". Lise, I asked what size band I had and they said I had an "11" and the max fill I could get would be 10cc. They gave me a 3cc fill today and I swear I could feel my little sip of water hang up for just a second before it went down, so I suspect I finally have some degree of restriction. I have another appt. on May 16th for my next fill. She didn't even want to talk about what I could or couldn't eat prior to the fill - she just asked "Can you eat bread?" and I said "Hell, yeah! I can eat anything!" So they gave me the 3cc fill. Ok, only time will tell but I do feel so much better now, like "Hey! Maybe this is going to work after all!" I am on clear liquids now for a few days, then they said mushies and this time I actually think I'd better do what they said! Lise, they were amazed at your having had 3 fills in your first 6 weeks, they said they had never heard of that being done. Is the center you go to a COE? (Center of Excellence) There are only a few in the US but luckily Good Samaritan Legacy Obesity Institute is one of them. I do feel confident that I am in good hands. And to the lovely lady from Battleground, thanks for your reply. I love Dr Jan, but I didn't even see him today, just the D.O. (who is very, very nice) and I swear I didn't even feel the needle, with no numbing even. Sure made me feel alot better. How long did it take for you to get in to Dr Patterson? I would have had to wait till the end of April just for my first consult with her and Dr Jan got me in in just three weeks. I had my surgery 5 weeks ago and I still wouldn't have seen her for the first time for two more weeks yet! I'm glad I went to Dr. Jan. Have a great day! Penny

Lise, Do you realize that we got our bands just a week apart and you've had three fills, where I have had none? I guess everything is so individual that there will never be a "norm" And shortgal, I'm nearly the same age as you and I get a cold chill from your response. People with the compassion that you show are the reason I stay away from these boards! Thanks for the commiseration. It really made me feel better!