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Donna ~ Congratulations on being banded. Happy to hear all went well with your surgery and you are feeling well. :thumbup:

I have a 10cc band, 2cc's were put in at time of surgery and then I got my first official fill of 1cc at 6 weeks after surgery. My doctor recommends every 4 weeks for fills, but I have been scheduling them for every 3 which he is fine with. I had 1cc for the second fill and .5cc for the last 3, for a total of 5.5cc's. Seems like such a slow process, but I guess there is a method to the madness. I have fill #6 scheduled next week and hopefully it will be another .5cc's and will do the trick, I feel like I'm just about there. My doctor said on average his patients get about 7cc's. So yes, there does seem to be a lot of different approaches.

Long ~ I wish it was me that hit the 50lbs, that was jdrocks you owe the congrats too...LOL However, I am just 7 pounds away!!! And yes I have worn that coat, it's gotten very cold here in Michigan this week. 31 degrees this morning and I actually had to defrost the car windows...ugh i hate winter.

Congratulations on hitting 50 pounds, that is great! Hopefully I will hit that in the next few weeks. What a great milestone that will be.

Snuffy ~ I made your chicken Chili recipe today and it was excellent. Very spicy, the way I like it. Thanks for sharing. Nancy

I too have been eating a lot of chili. Here's a quick and easy recipe below. You can substitute the beef with ground turkey or cubed chicken. I usually double the recipe. When doing so, I add one can each of dark and light kidney Beans and the same for the corn, one white and one yellow. Just makes it more colorful. Enjoy! :tongue_smilie: TACO SOUP 1 ½ ~ pounds lean ground beef browned 1 ~ cup onion 1 ~ packet of taco seasoning 1 ~ 15 oz can kidney beans with juice 1 ~ 14 oz can corn with juice 1 ~ 28oz can stewed tomatoes with juice 1 ~ 8 oz can of tomato sauce Brown beef drain and add onion to brown. Add remaining ingredients simmer for 20 minutes Serve with tortilla chips and shredded cheese.

Long ~ Too funny, I did get mine at Kohls! Not the red one though, red is not my color. After a long debate with myself on the color, I chose a brown short double-breasted, belted trench. Could be worn Spring or Fall. Mine was half off for only $50 and I got the $10 coupon too. I actually worked at Kohl's for about a year in the Jewelry dept. for a second job. Just quit a few months back, because it was conflicting with all the extra hours I put in with my "real" job.

LOL! I had the same long debate too on whether or not I should squeeze into the Large vs. XL! I instead chose the less expensive jacket just in case I need that Large before the end of the season.

Long & Allie ~ I'm right there with you in the jean sizes down from 24 and also gone from DD to D. Unfortunately I prefer Levis and they tend to run small so still in a 18 in those, but other brands a 16 fits! Also went shopping for a new fall coat last night and was so nice to be able to fit in a XL, the coat I had bought last year was a 3X! So much nicer to be able to shop in the Misses department instead of Womens, much more to choose from. Weight loss has slowed, but inches are definitely been coming off.

blue ~ i also experienced a itchy rash a few weeks after surgery which spread to my chest, not fun at all. I had steri-strips that were still on and the dr. said i probably had a reaction to them and removed them. I treated with some OTC anti-itch cream. It still took a few weeks though for it to clear up. Best thing to do is call your doctor.

I had surgery 4 months ago and only my husband knows. In my opinion there is really no reason for any one else to know. People have commented on my weight loss. and those that have asked how I've done it my response is I've been making healthier choices by exercising and portion control. I don't say that I am dieting, because there are those out there will question what I'm eating and is it allowed on my diet. I still pretty much eat what I want but just smaller portions. As far as work I told no one, not even my boss. I just submitted a request for FMLA which is all kept confidential and salary was then approved by CIGNA so I was paid for my 3 weeks off. When people at work asked where I had been, I just told them I was off on FMLA or personal leave. It all comes down to a personal choice. But I feel there are more risks with telling people. People can be judgemental, look at you as a failure and tell others you didn't want to know.

Teresa and anyone else going through the approval process...I recommend you request a Health Care Advocate through BCBS to assist you with the approval process. I too was getting the run around, every time i called I would get a different answer. And when I started this process, BCBS at the time was requesting 12mos of supervised dieting within a 2 year window and then of course at 11 months in they reduced it to 6 mos. Oh and between all that my company changed my BCBS from MI to TX, which TX BCBS had different guidlines. Any way the Health Care Advocate was a big help with getting the paper work and approvals pushed along. She coordinated everything between the Dr and BCBS. This is a free service offered by BCBS. Don't wait until you are ready for approval, call on day one. It took me 15 months to get through all the beauracy and could have been shortened if I had contacted a Health Care Advocate in the beginning. Good Luck!

I don't think they are bade for you. My nutritionist has recommended them to assist getring my daily water in. I really don't like plain old water. I recommend trying the Special K or All Bran since they have the added Protein. When I drink the Crystal Light I add a scoop of protein powder to it. Drink up! :wink2:

Donna~ Congratulations on your surgery date! My surgery with Dr. Krause was a 23 hour stay and when it came down to it, I was there a day and a half. So keep that in mind, unless you have some other arrangement. Yes there is definitely a driving restriction. I think it was at least a week. I started driving before that though. All depends if you are taking meds and how you are feeling. As far as how you will be feeling, that is all an individual experience. I felt fine when I came home. I even went out and did some gardening! Which I should have not been bending. So know your limits and listen to your body and don't push yourself. Good luck!

Wow Long, Apples and iteach, you are all Big Losers!!! Just curious, is that your weight loss since banding or in total? If since banding, what's your secret? I just finally hit 41 pounds lost since surgery. Really had to work for the last 5 pounds, seemed to have hit a plateau. Went for another fill today and now have 6cc's in my 10cc band. I hope this finally does it! I have had a few episodes of stuck food, no fun at all! Mostly my fault for not slowing down and chewing the food. In reference to the comment about hair loss, remember to get those good fats in your diet(olives, almonds, avacado, olive oil, etc.) this will aid in preventing hair loss and brittle nails.

Hi all! It's been quite a long time since I checked in. Nice to hear so many of you are doing so well. I've had 4 fills so far and still not there yet. Still have the hunger pains and very little restriction. I have 5.5 ccs and my doctor said with the 10cc band most of his patients get to their sweet spot with 7ccs. So with not having the restriction, the weight is coming off a lot slower now. Only lost 5 pounds this past month. However, the clothes are getting looser and looser. Down 3 sizes and could probably go down one more. So obviously all that exercising is paying off. Trying not to focus on that number on the scale and focusing more on the clothes sizes and how I physically feel. Everyone keep up the good work and you should all be proud of yourselves.

It's all a personal choice. Unless you don't care if the whole world knows, be careful on who choose to tell. And be aware that if you tell someone in confidence, that they will more than likely tell someone else. This is why i chose not to tell no one except my husband and I didn't even want to tell him, but someone had to take me to surgery...LOL. Which backfired on me because he had to go out of town for business at the last minute. I had my 18 year old daughter take me to the hospital and I just told her it was for some female stuff. She had no clue! I told the surgeon just to let her know that surgery went well when I was done and not to be specific about the procedure. Even my employer did not know. There are privacy laws, so don't think you have to tell them the details. Alls you need to state is that you need to be out for medical reasons, you don't even have to say it is for surgery. That's what i did and then I only had to discuss it with CIGNA and they approved my leave and payment. And as far as people noticing that I am loosing weight. I just comment that I'm excercising and cutting my food in take, which is the truth.

Navywife: 4 pounds in 2 weeks is great! Don't forget the expectation is 1-2 pounds a week. I had my first fill 10 days ago and absolutely no restricition. :biggrin: Friday's are my weign in day, I won't be surprised if I gained or stayed the same. I get my second fill August 13th, hopefully that one will restrict.

Had my first fill this afternoon. I had 1cc added to the 2.5 that was added at time of surgery for a total of 3.5cc and go back in 3 weeks for another fill. I really can't tell yet if there is more restriction, I hope so though. Procedure was painless, can still feel a little sting though from the needle. So last night I'm sitting on the couch and all of the sudden I felt this major twinge, like someone punched me from the inside. And of course I start thinking the worst like my band slipped or port flipped. Kept me up most of the night worrying about. I swore of bread, because I ate a very big dinner roll. I invisioned having to go for surgery to fix what ever it was. So when I went to the dr. today he said it was probably just a muscle spasm around my port, thank god! That sure did scare me, I'm still swearing off bread though. :thumbup:

I highly recommend you discuss your protein and calorie intake with your nutritionist and not base on others practices. Your protein needs are determined by your ideal body weight. Based on my weight, it is 73 grams per day and calories around 800-1,000. My nutrionist said not to get too hung up on calories and to focus on getting all of the protein in. And as mentioned by someone elseagain, Protein should always be the first choice. Now with that said, lets just say I have not been doing a very good job. Right now I am eating way too much. So happy my first fill is tomorrow.

Hi! I sympathize with all of you who are experiencing crabiness and hunger. I am right there with you! As Cathy said, I could eat a cow! I have been eating way too much this past week. :thumbup: I can tell my stomach is fully healed because everything is going down just fine and I'm able to eat quite a lot before feeling full. It's been a long six weeks, I finally get my first fill next Wednesday and I hope it is a good restrictive fill. On a positive note, I continue to loose weight. 22 down 90 more to go! Plus I physically went into the office today for the first time in 2 months (been working remotely at my summer home) and one of the guys said you look different that summer must be treating me well! :wub: So apparently that 22 pounds is starting to show! :w00t: Everyone have a wonderful weekend!

Hi All! I can't wait for my first fill on July 23rd!!! I've been doing really well with eating properly and actually hit 20 pounds lost since my surgery. Except the last few days my old sweet tooth has kicked in. A dougnut yesterday and a piece of pie today. I know it's much better than the old me who would of ate three doughnuts instead of one, but I really don't want to get into that mode. I'm at my lake home for the summer and have lot's of visitors who bring these tempting treats. I know I just need to get the will power back and not necessarily deny myself these treats, but keep the portion sizes small or substitute for something else. But easier said then done! Well that's all for now. :wink2:

greyhoundmom ~ I had a rash too that started about 10 days after surgery and lasted a few weeks. My doctor said sometimes people get alergic reations to the glue on the steristrips. I was able to use cortizone cream and the benadryl spray which was a big relief. If there is any glue left on you it can easily be removed with some peroxide.

I'm new to this, haven't even had my first fill yet. But I do know everyones weight loss is different. And on average with the band you are to loose 1-2 pounds a week, so if you do the math 20 pounds is right there. I would suggest you discuss with your nutrionist what you are eating to make sure you are getting in the right amounts of protein, calories, etc. Good luck.