SpecialK

Sharon -- we all seem to be hitting that mid-life crisis, as in mid-life stage of lapband post op. Where we want to be done with this losing thing, be skinny, pretty, or whatever and it just isn't magic for some of us. My surgeon indicated I can lose another 100 lb -- talk about a reality wake up call that I could still have that far to go. I am still getting compliments and I am still going down very slowly in some clothing sizes so I am going to keep on hanging in there. Please don't give up. Tell yourself you ARE WORTH IT. You can do this. Post every day how you are feeling and ask for encouragement as you did with your recent post. We need to be here for the long term for those of us still working the program! I look at it like this, at least we are hanging in there, some probably gave up long ago. I never want to go back to where I was 120+ lbs ago but knowing I maybe have 80 lbs to go before I'd have plastic surgery is still a tough mountain to climb.

Hi Christine - my heart goes out to you and I want to extend a big bandster bear hug. I have 10 cc in my 14cc band having just had .25 fill about 2 weeks ago. Restriction has definitely found me again. If you remain band intolerant does that mean you may have to have your lapband removed? Would you be able to revise to RNY or the Sleeve? I wish you all the best. I would be beside myself too if I had what you are dealing with. My best wishes that things get better. Kathy

Kidmeister - congrats. That sounds like a really understanding husband for recognizing how important this is to you. Keep on truckin!

I am finally seeing some progress from my last fill of .25 cc -- very tiny upward adjustment. I am finding I am not too hungry earlier in the day and then I loosen up as the day goes. Yesterday had a sliming episode and I had not had one in probably over a year so I thought I would maybe post here for the newbies who are posting now. Sliming is where the saliva builds up in your upper pouch in a reaction to something you have eaten that is filling up your stomach and the saliva that is generated is adding to the already full sensation you have from what you ate. For me, the pressure in my upper stomach became so strong that I excused myself and went to the bathroom and let the excess out (barfed as they say). Mostly the saliva and a little bit of well chewed food particles and I thought okay, I'll feel better now. Nope, about 15 more minutes later I am sitting at the table in the restaurant and still very uncomfortable again, excused myself again, more productive burping up. Again, thinking I am okay, driving down the road maybe 20 more minutes later and suddenly had the urge to let it out, couldn't stop and just had to use a wad of Kleenex to spit up the saliva. After that, was finally fine. Okay, you newbies are probably wondering, what the heck did you eat? Well, some coffee while waiting, maybe 1/2 cup. Then 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, then I started picking at a small chicken thigh and leg. I was picking off small pieces. I had a couple bites of mashed potatoes. That is it. Then the pressure began. Other days, I can eat much more than this. I guess it was just that I hadn't eaten earlier in the day before I tried to eat chicken or maybe on that day, the cottage cheese alone was enough to fill me up but normally cottage cheese should go down pretty easy due to it being soft and I do chew it also. So, chew, chew, chew to all you newbies. Eat slow. and this 18 month post op bandster better keep to the rules too.

Floridainohio --Congratulations on your surgery! Glad to hear you are doing well. I think I would agree with you that the more I see Dr. Miller the more personable I think he becomes, has a good mind and very good doctor. I'd rather have his style than an arrogant type doctor any day. I don't feel he rushes when he is with me and that is good too. Sillypuddy - yes, as LadyRoz said, it will keep getting tighter and then suddenly you will find your sweet spot. I'd say that 7.5 cc is getting close so hang in there. I have 10 cc in my 14 cc band. Keep measuring your food, diary what you eat, etc. More info you can provide the doctors about eating, exercising and hunger the more they will adjust your band to the right spot. Kidmeister -- great Christmas/gift to yourself to save up and pay your $300 program costs fee. I know I kept working it to find the money for co-pays, etc. but it was all so worth it.

Yes, www.Fitday.com, www.sparkpeople.com or www.dailyplate.com are all good ones I have heard people like. I use a bodybugg to track my exercise and it also comes with a food tracker included but if it didn't I would use one of those I mentioned. It is very good to keep track of what you eat.

Here is the link to the next informal get together of the various Columbus lapband program friends. Will be the 1st Saturday in November where we otherwise have met on a 2nd Saturday. I hope to see some of the Mt. Carmel folks come. I'd be glad to share my experience and or answer questions for those at whatever stage you are at. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f56/central-ohio-lapband-get-together-november-7-2009-a-104279/#post1349065

The invitation is open to all! Whether you are pre-band, newly banded or an old band pro. If this is your first time, feel free to bring a friend or spouse along as we welcome your support system folks too. Everyone is welcome! Where: Polaris Mall food Court When: Saturday November 7, 2009 Time: 2 p.m. Look for us near the entrance to the Great Indoors store in the back corner seating area next to Chik-Fil-A. If we're not there look for a large group of folks sitting at several tables pushed together in the areas on either side of the Great Indoors... that's usually us :-) Hope to see you there! Please note this is the 1st Saturday in November where we have otherwise met on the 2nd Saturday!!!

Dr. Miller is a super doctor. I see him for all my follow up care and would highly recommend him. Dr. Price did my surgery but then asks either Dr. Choban or Dr. Miller to do follow ups due to his other duties at Mt. Carmel as a teaching staff doctor and trauma surgeon as well as all the other patients he has.

BrandNewLisa -- We are happy for you. I am like you that I keep wondering will I ever get brave enough to get out there on the dating frontier again let alone believe someone really appreciates me. Keep posting on this topic. I need to hear how you are overcoming and getting through this. The Mt. Carmel October support group topic was on post weight loss body image! Timely subject. Kathy

Wow, I am envious of the -170 lbs but I am sure you have worked hard for every pound. Congratulations. I saw my surgeon this week and he put back in .25cc to take me back to 10cc in a 14cc band after having taken .5 cc out 6 weeks ago. Resolved the reflux but definitely left me with less restriction. He asked a good question: ARE YOU EATING UNTIL YOU ARE FULL OR ARE YOU EATING A MEASURED PORTION? I had to say I was eating until full and he told me not to do that - to go to measured portions and try to stay with 3 meals a day, 2 Snacks in the day and try not to snack after my dinner meal. Will try this and see if it gets me kicked into gear. He also gave me a mental kick in the butt by explaining to the resident that was in the exam room helping with my fill that I was half way to where I needed to be, what my pre-op weight was, what a normal BMI weight for me is and how much I had to go -- 100 lbs to go not the 60 lbs I have been keeping on my Ticker. Oh boy... now I need to commit even harder to lose more steady. No Halloween candy for this house!

Hi folks. I told Dr. Miller I definitely thought I needed a fill because my portions were growing larger and my hunger was coming back sooner since my last unfill adjustment. He asked me a good question that kind of made me stop and think and I thought I'd share it here: Are you eating until you are not hungry or are you eating a measured portion of food? I had to say I was eating until full and he said to go back to putting a measured portion on my plate, eat 3 meals a day, 2 snacks in the daytime and to try not to eat a night snack unless I felt I really needed it. Trying this approach now and hoping this helps me mentally. Like packing my lunch today and I ate all I had and was looking for something else in there and it was empty! No going to the snacks machine at work. lol Dr. Miller put back in .25cc of the fill amount he had taken out 6 weeks ago and I'm doing fine with no reflux. On day 2 now and eating more foods and trying to see where my restriction level is. I don't know if I will get back up to where I was or if this fill level will be the sweet spot. Wish me luck, I still have a long way to go, maybe 100 lbs according to what he suggested. Yikes, I thought it was closer to 60 lbs left to go! K

Hi Kidmeister! Nice to see/hear from another new Mt. Carmel lapbandster person at the pre-op/investigating stage. Sillypuddy also answered. I went to my information session late October 2007 and that changed my life. At the one I went to Dr. Marcus Miller was the speaker and I was very impressed with him. I have heard they rotate which of the surgeons speak, sometimes its Dr. Choban and I actually had Dr. Price for my surgeon. Dr. Miller sees me for all my follow up care and has been great. I'd recommend any one of the three of them. Hope you take your time investigating your options because being informed is the best thing you can do for yourself. This website is a great source of information. On insurance, there is a Insurance section off the main page and you should check there. Anyone who has a specific kind of insurance can post there and ask others or search in that forum thread area specifically and it should tell you what others have experienced with your insurance company. Best wishes, Kathy:smile2:

Lisaasil9 --See the posting above this from FloridainOhio --getting banded Oct 26 at Mt. Carmel. You can Private Message to connect up via email or whatever. Good luck.

Hi there FloridainOhio -- I bet you are getting really excited. There is a new poster on here named Lisa and she is also an October 2009 bandster for Dr. Choban at Mt. Carmel. You should Private Message her and stay in touch because you will be going through the same stages of things together for awhile now. Best wishes as you countdown to your band surgery date! :confused:

Hi Lisa. Here is a link to the October 2009 bandsters list on this website. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f22461/ I don't know how many other Mt. Carmel bandsters might be hanging out there but at least you'll connect with those going through the same stages as you. When I looked at the one thread, I didn't see any cute logo name for the month group like I think last October was the Halloween Hotties. Maybe you could suggest something or design something and they'd jump on board with your idea. I have always loved our Shrinking Shamrocks logo for March 2008 when I got banded. I was banded by Dr. Price on St. Patrick's Day so that is a special day for me. Something liquid other than sweet shakes like chocolate, vanilla, etc. protein. I have used the Unjury Chicken Soup and its good protein. I also bought the Unjury Unflavored protein powder and it goes in about anything you'd want, e.g. a glass of V-8 juice maybe if that is something you like? Also, I am a whiz at putting things in my blender or using one of those hand bullet blender/mixer things. I buy Wendy's chili and put it in the blender early on and it was yummy. I also used refried low-fat beans for a soft food that is good fiber and protein and I put salsa on it. I also made a soft food meal out of ricotta cheese mixed with parmesan cheese and then put spaghetti sauce over that and topped it with some shreds of low fat mozarella cheese. Microwaved that. and it tasted along the lines of a pasta-free lasagna. I also mixed unflavored Unjury into that dish when it had cooled a little to give it even more protein boost. You have to be careful with protein powders clumping up if you put it in something too hot. Hope these ideas help. Loved Dr. Choban, Price and Dr. Miller is my follow up doc. I see him Tuesday for a small fill and I hope it helps me get losing again. I am thankful for my -120 lbs so far but need to keep losing and I'm a little stuck. We do have an informal group that meets at the Polaris mall once a month if that interests you. Private Message me and I can give you an email, etc. to stay in touch.

I thought I would add that the Bodybugg website is showing the monitor on sale for $199 now instead of regular $249. They also lowered the monthly membership fees to keep synching after the first 6 months and I was happy about that.

I'm stuck on a plateau and I am a bodybugg user faithfully. I log in about 1200-1400 calories consumed and each day hit well past the 2400 calories burned that should be giving me a daily deficit of 1000 calories but I'm stuck. I am going to try changing up diet, going to higher intensity workouts. Just having to tough it out right now and it ain't fun.

For any who might be interested, I set up a Tuesday night get together at the Polaris mall for those who find a Saturday hard to fit into your schedule. I'll be there about 6pm in the corner of the foodcourt by Chik-fil-A and Great Indoors. Pre or post band welcome.

Hi there Mt. Carmel bandsters. The October bariatric support group topic was on body image distortion and how we struggle post weight loss, or in the middle of our weight loss journey for me, to really see what we have truly accomplished and be satisfied with ourselves. I mentioned in posts around December/January that I am keeping a scrapbook of my weight loss journey. I haven't been as good working on it lately. I did find an old journal from 2 years ago when I first started to check out Mt. Carmel's bariatric program, going through all my tests and pre-qualification things and finally remembering the joy when I found I was approved and had a surgery date. If you are someone who is just banded or will be soon, I highly recommend keeping a journal.

Hi March friends -- I'm past my crazy crazy work deadline, but not past my "sloppy eating" habits I picked up while rushing around eating. I'm doing better getting on track. I won't see my surgeon again until October 20 but I can tell I am much less restricted on eating with that .5cc unfil that I thought I would be. I ate some beef barley Soup for dinner and within 2 hours I am hungry again. Trying to drink a big glass of Water to hold off hunger but its hard. I am on a 2 month plateau right now and it has been hard. I am hoping with less stress and more commitment to avoid/reduce carbs where I can that I can do better. I think it is true that once you start eating carbs like spaghetti again you crave even more carbs. I guess I am going through carb withdrawal!

Hi Jencys -- glad to hear the unfill helped.

Give this link a try. I cannot make Saturday but will plan to be the Tuesday p.m. coordinator/person. If there are those who still want to meet Saturday, that's fine. Enjoy! :wink2: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f56/central-ohio-get-together-october-13-2009-tuesday-p-m-103538/#post1341372

The suggestion was made to offer something other than a Saturday for our get together so I'm going to put out a chance for a Tuesday p.m. Hope you can join us. Anyone who has an Urban Active Fitness membership and wants to head over to the Polaris location for a workout after, I'd love to have the group workout support. Kathy ******************************************* The invitation is open to all! Whether you are pre-band, newly banded or an old band pro. If this is your first time, feel free to bring a friend or spouse along as we welcome your support system folks too. Everyone is welcome! Where: Polaris Mall food Court When: Tuesday October 13, 2009 Time: 6 p.m. Look for us near the entrance to the Great Indoors store in the back corner seating area next to Chik-Fil-A. If we're not there look for a large group of folks sitting at several tables pushed together in the areas on either side of the Great Indoors... that's usually us :-) Hope to see you there!

I think it would be good for us to be sure we are sharing with others that have alot to lose with the lapband that we are hitting the 18 months point and some of us are having some adjustments of up .25 cc, down .5 cc, etc. For me it was after 6 months of being at the same restriction level where we felt good then started seeing the reflux. Same with another poster saying she was happy for 2 months at a level, getting good weight loss, then noticing it was too tight. It has to be where the fat and weight are coming off our bodies internally that affects where the band is positioned, etc. So, that is the truly Adjustable aspect of the adjustable gastric lapband procedure we signed up for. Trying to stay positive but its hard leveling off when I know I have 60 lbs more to lose. I'm trying to mix it up with different exercise. Stress on the job is better and I'm hoping I can at least lose these stubborn pounds keeping me in the 230's right now by January 1. Wow, lose 5 lbs in 2-3 months seems like a low hurdle to set but it has been a struggle now. I am doing good not eating junk. Yesterday I ate a corned beef, saurkraut, and swiss cheese sandwich on rye bread toasted and I took about 1 hour to eat that but it tasted good and that was all I could eat. I like trying different flavors for variety. Sometimes I can eat a whole bag of popcorn - like 5 cups. Last night I ate a Wendy's mandarin chicken salad with the almonds and noodles and the dressing package over the space of an hour and a half while I was at my Bible study. I was hungry an hour later and had a Protein shake. I will go online here shortly and add up the calories eaten yesterday but I know its more than I should have eaten. I guess I need to discipline myself to allow 30 minutes to eat, and what I havent' eaten in that time, I put away. If I let myself have longer to eat, I can do the whole salad or the whole sandwich. I can eat a whole apple as a snack and I can remember when I could only eat half of an apple. But is that really so bad to eat an apple as a healthy snack. Trying not to beat up on myself for an apple. I'd appreciate others sharing what amount and what type of foods you can eat in a sitting to help me compare portion control.