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i take paxil and clonopin. my daughter does also. long history of depression in my family. yes, depression meds do make you put on weight. but i never ever ever again want to feel like i did before i started my medications. i used to feel like my life was meaningless and every day was just a boring repeat of the day before. now i am happy with myself which makes me a much kinder person. its like anything else with the meds you have to take the good with the bad.

i'm so glad i could help. the band is like a new toy, and i am still learning how to use it myself. you will learn so much from the great people on this forum.

i took off 1 week. but i easily could have gone back sooner. i had hardly any pain at all.

you werent tighter yesterday, you didnt chew it enough and got stuck. then after you brought it up you were irritated and thought that was a full feeling. that has happened to me. when i chew carefully or eat soft foods that go down easily i can eat a lot. my surgeon told me to stay away from soft stuff because it goes right through the band, and then you can eat too much.

my surgeon told me before she even banded me that she would start documenting skin rash problems so that my belly "flap" could be removed after i lost the weight. i was banded at montifiore hosp. in new york.

believe me you are not alone at feeling overwhelmed. after i first left the surgeons office and found out all that had to be done i just decided to forget about it. then 5 months later i was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. so back i went with my tail between my legs. as i went through the process they discovered during my abdominal sonogram that i had a tumor on my adrenal gland. i never would have known i had it because it produced no symptons. it was 9cm and benign when they removed it. but had it been left there the story could have been quite different. i know it is hard to believe but once you get started the process goes pretty smoothly. and the results, ahh the results make it all worth while.

i know just how you feel because i want the weight off fast too. i tease my surgeon and tell her to tighten me up so all i can swallow is spit. but she is the same as your doctor. she told me 1 to 2 pounds a week is good. it is safer that way. as long as it keeps coming off just be happy.

my pcp wasnt in favor of any type of wls. he was very discouraging, saying everyone gains it back. but i got my band and i'm losing it. i can eat just about anything i want but not the mass quantities that i used to. thats success to me.

i am an ice cream addict. i can resist just about anything but ice cream. and its just my luck that its band friendly. if its in the house its gone. sometimes i crave it so much i can't get it out of my mind until i have it. so my new strategy is to buy only low fat and flavors i dont really care for. i say dont care for because there are none i dont like. woe is me.

i had seminar, meeting with surgeon, bloodwork, echo, medical clearence from pcp, chest x ray, psych eval, abdominal sonogram, 6 month diet with nutritionist, 2 support group meetings, 2 day liquid diet before surgery, and i was good to go.

i'm not a newbie but i still get a thrill from hearing GOAL!!! congrats!

i have been overweight most of my life. what triggered me to get the band? when i went for my physical and the doctor told me i had diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. too bad i waited that long. i can only pray that others get help before they get the medical issues i have. by the way when they did my abdominal sonogram they discovered i had a tumor on my adrenal gland. it was producing no symptoms but once they go over 4.5cm they have a tendency to turn cancerous. mine turned out to be 9cm and not cancer. if i hadnt gone for the sonogram in preperation for the band surgery i never would have known i had the tumor. and things could have turned out a lot differently.

if you are getting depressed that is not good. this is the beginning of a new life for you. and you should be happier than you've ever been. i think its good that you had some creamed soups. thin them out with a little milk and blend them some more. you will feel like you just had a feast. your spirits will soar. good luck and stay focused.

since you've written in you definately want to get back on track. congratulations! don't dwell on the past. it's gone you can't look back you can only look forward. you have to figure out what will help to keep you eating the right foods. if you make bad choices the band gets beat. we all slip up. it would be a good idea to plan your meals and snacks ahead of time for the day. this way you don't have to make any spur of the moment choices that could be the wrong ones. this is a battle that we are going to fight for the rest of our lives. and we have to make ourselves win so we can have the quality of life that we deserve.

my first fill didnt hurt at all. but i didnt get much restriction from it either. doctors usually go slow with the fills. but it gives you time to get used to the whole lap band way of life.

did you go to a seminar? they are free and usually the seminars tell you everything you need to know. and then they have a question and answer period where you get to hear other peoples questions too.

everyones skin is different. when i was in my 20's i lost 100 pounds and my skin was fine. not the same today after 2 kids and 30 years, i'm saggy.

same dilemma here. i have 1.5cc in a 4cc band and i'm going in this coming tuesday for a slight fill.

i was banded on 10/15/07. i have 1.5cc in my band now and had good restriction, but i am starting to be able to eat more than i should. i will have another fill hopefully this coming tuesday.

i live in new york and 61 is not too old here. just call and ask at the hospital you are choosing to be banded at. if you haven't chosen one yet call a hospital in your area that does bariatric surgery and ask. i think it would be more of an issue getting medical clearance from your primary care doc, since you have a lot of medical problems.

would i do it again? not only would i do it again i wish i could do it again. to wake up from surgery and realize i finally got the help i have needed for so long was an amazing feeling.

i have a yellow nape amazon named Holly. these birds are also great talkers just like the african grey. and smart as a whip. when we are eating dinner she will say "i'm a good girl" so that we will give her some of our food. and she knows exactly what she is doing because if she sees a pizza box come into the house she calls out "i'm a good girl". they are great additions to the family. just handle her/him often so it will stay used to your hand and not bite.

stuck hurts. its like a golf ball stuck between your breasts. but if it happens, relax, because it will either eventually go down or come up. you'll understand the feeling of being full easily once you're banded. its nice, you feel full but not bloated. one of the things i love about the band is it stops me from eating so much that i am bloated and dont want to move. yes, that is the way i used to eat all the time, until i couldn't stuff any more in.

thanks for your replies. i worry sometimes that i am too tight. but i believe my problem is i just eat too fast and don't chew enough. old habbits are hard to break. but inhailing my food is how i got fat so i'm grateful for the band being my constant reminder.

i've got a question. how do you know if your band is too tight?