bandpal

Congratulations to you both! It feels great, doesn't it? Enjoy the accomplishment!

Welcome to LBT, Kathy, and congratulations on making this big decision. With a little (okay, sometimes a lot) of patience, acceptance , follow through and the aforementioned good luck, the band can be nothing short of a miracle. This site is an endless source of information and support. Read the relevent forums, paying special attention to stickies and faqs. Identify the threads that are meaningful, and go through them searching for whatever you need – don't just read the recent posts – some of them go back a long way, and some of the information there is still quite valid. Read peoples' profiles to get an idea of who's been around for a while, who is walking the walk. And join the April 2009 Bandsters Forum to share this experience with others who are going through it at the same time. Here's the link: April 09 Bandsters - Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum Best of luck!

Name............Start.......Current...........Goal..........To Go Momto1plus1...173...........163.............159................4 Bandpal..........151.14..... 148.5............150................ - Cindyg...........190...........190..............175................ 15 Hi All, I reached my goal weight of 150 two days ago and am now actually a pound and a half below it. I'd like to make it down to 145 by April 2, when I have an appointment with my lapband doc. At that point, I'd like to try a small unfill. I have a little anxiety over this - what if I gain weight, what if the band opens too much, what if it doesn't close again later on, blah, blah, blah... but I know I have to have faith and give this a try. For one thing, I want to see if the habits I've developed hold up once I have a little more wriggle room; for another, I'm just too tight, something I haven't admitted to myself up 'till now. I couldn't see holding steady at a given weight the way I am now. I'm a little subdued today because I binged last night, or what passes for binging these days - eating and pb-ing most of it back up. I have to keep telling myself that the habits I am trying to rid myself of, both on the level of thought, feeling and action, are among the most deeply seated I have. I have been practicing and perfecting them for years, and a year and four months, even a year and four months of dramatic change, is not going to make them go away overnight. It's very hard for me to forgive myself, temptingly easy to adapt the mind set of "well, you screwed it up tonight, let's go for broke tomorrow". But today I know that it doesn't have to play out that way. The band enabled me to break that pattern - I know that a bad night doesn't have to lead to a bad day the next day, a bad week, a bad month... I actually excercized yesterday, too - walked and ran for a mile and a half. I'm going to try to do that two more times this week. Anyway, look - Momto1plus1, I look forward to meeting you in the promised land soon. Cindy, thanks for your kind words, take all the motivation you can get. You're pretty inspiring yourself, you know - closing up shop at school and producing a bar mitzvah is a tall order, and I am sure you are doing a great job. I hope you can manage to stay off the Phentermine - that sounds like strong stuff. I'm waiting for a picture of you in that dress. I miss everyone here too. I truly don't think I could've pulled this off without the support of people who were going through the same thing and at the same time as I was. You are all very special to me, and I am saddened that we've grown smaller - especially because this is, for me, where it starts to get "interesting" - maintainance. I have lost weight before, but I have never managed to keep it off. Living life as a thin person, cementing the new habits and continuing to eschew the old ones, dealing with the challenges of sexuality, and trying to set limits to emotional and thought-based excesses which once lead to eating; kind of like developing a "lap-band for the head and the heart" which works as effectively as this one has. These are the challenges which I am facing now, and who better to share with than you guys, who "knew me when". You are such a rare and wonderful resource for me - please don't go away! Thank you to each and every one of you - I couldn't have done it without you.

Shanyab, congratulations on your progress. Successful "closet shopping" and not breaking out in a cold sweat at the thought of putting on a bathing suit are only two of the many benefits of the band. Enjoy them. Now, about those people. Some of them may actually be trying to hold you back, while others may be sincerely complimentary when they say, "you don't need it, you're fine the way you are". But all these comments are meaningless, and ultimately they just have to be screened out. Just as the band helps me to define my limits for what I put into my body, we have to define limits for what we put into our heads. Maybe these people are sick, vengeful, sexually frustrated or well-meaning; the important thing is that their comments can have no effect on me or relevence to me unless I allow them in. For me, one of the reasons why I got fat was because I didn't have enough skin - and I allowed the world to enter my body (sounds freaky, but think about it) by allowing outside events to influence me to the point where I would binge over them ceaselessly, a never ending cycle of anger and humiliation. Like I said, we have to let the band affect our mindset as well as our stomach. If you hear something you don't like, don't swallow it - spit it out! This might be a little graphic, but it's from my heart. One more thing - the best weapon against people and situations like this not a snappy reply but your own sense of humor and compassion. Best wishes for continued success, sorry for the long and rambling reply (actually, not sorry at all),

There is obviously a variety of views on this subject. My doctor had no problem with coffee or caffeine, so I continued to drink coffee and tea post surgery, up until today. That having been said, I don't drink nearly as much of either as I did before. I think the general idea of redefined limits is central to success with the band.

Dear Capn, You've already received some excellent advice here, but I wanted to chip in with some of my own. I really felt for you when you mentioned that your parents paid for your surgery and are now pressuring you for results. I have had my parents (wonderful, loving people) pay for various attempts at losing weight. For me, their good intentions aside, this led only to pressure, humiliation, guilt, anger, frustration and failure. Even though you might not be able to pay your parents back in the near future, is there any chance that you could make a commitment in principle to reimburse them at some point, or to pay them a symbolic sum monthly? This is not only to get them off your back - you need to know that this is your battle, that you are doing this for yourself and not for them. I'd be concerned that no matter what other efforts you make to "rehabilitate" yourself, the harmful dynamic of this situation will keep bringing you down. Having a fill done under flouro sounds like the right thing to do. I hope all goes well. Once it has been established that you pouch is working, maybe you could ask your doctor for guidelines regarding how much you should be eating. It's good that you recognise that this is the core of the problem, rather than what ever muscle weight you've been putting on at the gym. For me, the band is a tool to reestablish limits and change my relationship to food – how much I eat, how fast I eat, why I eat. It can't do the work for me, and if I choose to agress against it and sabotage myself, then I will ultimately succeed. Cap'n, it looks like you want to stop before you get to this point. Like Plain said, you can. One more thing – stop lurking, start posting and build yourself a support system here. I couldn't have done it without the people here. Isolating, which you've already identified as a sign of trouble for you, will get you only to bad places. You don't need to be ashamed of anything here . We are all in the same boat. Keep us in the loop.

Brad - here are some threads from the site which may be relevent - some of them deal with Juarez and some with Mexico as a whole. Either click on them or paste them into your browser - hope you find what you're looking for, best of luck - http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f18/juarez-mexico-jan-16th-84145/?highlight=juarezhttp://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/dr-rodriguez-juarez-mexico-reviews-81726/?highlight=juarez http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/surgery-mexico-57747/?highlight=juarez http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/dr-jose-rodriguez-juarez-69033/?highlight=juarez http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f18/going-2-juarez-64330/?highlight=juarez http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f178/mexico-danger-89029/?highlight=juarez http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/has-anyone-used-dr-natera-cd-juarez-mexico-surgery-87990/?highlight=juarez

Good luck is indeed wished. With a little (okay, sometimes a lot) of patience, acceptance , follow through and the aforementioned good luck, the band can be nothing short of a miracle. Advice? There's more of that here than you'll ever need. Read the relevent forums, paying special attention to stickies and faqs. Identify the threads that are meaningful, and go through them searching for whatever you need – don't just read the recent posts – some of them go back a long way, and some of the information there is still quite valid. Read peoples' profiles to get an idea of who's been around for a while, who is walking the walk. My own thoughts: Take time after the operation – not necessarily from the pain (I didn't think it was too bad) but to readjust. Life gets different right away. You might need to mourn, to accept a new relationship with food. Follow your doctor's instructions to the T – that's really important. And reward yourself by knowing that you have made an affirmative life-changing choice. It's a long adjustment – habits of a lifetime do not go away overnight, but slowly, with the help of this marvelous tool, we can learn a different way, Wishing you all the best,

This challenge will run until June 21, which is the first day of summer!! Name............Start.......Current...........Goal..........To Go Momto1plus1...173...........163................159................4 Bandpal..........151.14.......151.14............150................1.14

I'm also going to end this challenge without reaching my goal - one pound off the mark. But I know that the next challenge is the one for me. All in all, we lost 27 pounds together according to the latest updated total - not too bad, everyone!

Name........Start......Current......Goal......To Go CindyG...........190...........190.............175 ...............15 Momto1plus1...178...........163.............159..................4 Shortgal.........176...........175.............168..................7 Shalee04........178...........178.............168.................10 Skinny_Jill.......145...........145.............140..................5 Bandpal..........161...........151.14.........150.............. 1.14 Another half a pound down... I don't know, gonna be close... (thanks for the votes of confidence, Shalee and Shortgal - Momof1+1, I am your biggest fan).

Hi Linda, Congratulations on your upcoming surgery and welcome to LBT. This site is a great source of information and support. Pay special attention to the surgery-related forums (Pre-Operation Lap-band Surgery Questions & Answers, Lap-Band Surgery Frequently Asked Questions and General Lap-Band Surgery Discussion) , there's more advice there than you'd ever want to hear about the operation - preparing for it, recovering from it and how to make the most of your band from day one. Don't pay attention to only the recent posts. Check out the stickies and read through the threads that are relevent to you, gleaning information along the way. On the support side, check out the General Lap-Band Support forum and, most importantly, hook yourself up with a support group (Monthly Lap-band Support Groups), based on when your surgery date is. My own group has been an essential part of my recovery process. Best of Luck to you!

Name........Start......Current......Goal......To Go CindyG...........190...........190.............175 ...............15 Momto1plus1...178...........163.............159..................4 Shortgal.........176...........175.............168..................7 Shalee04........178...........178.............168.................10 Skinny_Jill.......145...........145.............140..................5 Bandpal..........161...........151.47.........150.............. 1.47 5 days to the end of the challenge... can the kid do it?

Hah! That's great! Sorry about the mixup. Charlie, and hello all over again! Your reasoning seems quite sound - even without the other issues you are facing, the sense of freedom I have at not constantly worrrying and being depressed about my weight is immensely freeing. I wish all that and more for you. Please keep in touch. - Bandpal

Congratulations, Brooklyn band! How'd you jump through all of those pre-op hoops so fast, huh? I also was on the fast track - first consult in October 2007 and surgery just a month later. You're right - this site is a terrific resource, and an endless source of support and encouragement. Wishing you a quick recovery and the best of luck! - Bandpal

Hi Charlie, Welcome to LBT. While I am not familiar with the specifics of your health condition, the sentence "I do not think I can do this without help" really resonates with me. That's what I said nearly a year and a half ago at 286 pounds (see my details below). The lapband leveled the playing field for me - gave me some quick success, helped me limit my curb my appetite and change my behavior around food. It's not a magic pill, but it's a powerful tool. I wish you the best of luck, Charlie - you can do it. Please keep me in the loop. - Bandpal

Good luck, vlynn, and welcome to LBT. Anxiety, nervousness and excitement are all legitimate emotions to feel at the outset. Read, make friends, get yourself ready for surgery and prepare for a big change in your life! -Bandpal

Welcome to LBT - Hope that surgeon's appt. and surgery date comes up soon for you. Get ready for a life changing experience! - Bandpal

Hi Melissa, welcome to LBT and good luck on your upcoming surgery. What are the details of your pre-op diet? That would make it easier to give you suggestions. Regarding surgery, check out the site's FAQ (frequently asked questions) on Surgery. Here's the link: Lap-Band Surgery Frequently Asked Questions - Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum Best of luck!

Yes it will, Kirsten! Welcome to LBT and congratulations on your surgery. Tell us more about yourself: where are you from? What caused you to get to the point that you decided to take this step? What was your pre-op process like? Have your friends and family been supportive? This site is full of wisdom, compassion and experience. It is been an essential part of my journey since being banded in November, 2007. Hang in there, and good luck!

Lola, I absolutely understand your reasons for approaching this issue the way you do, and by no means meant to imply that you were being lying or misleading. I prefaced my comment with "Just for me" exactly for that reason. If you my comment caused you any distress, then you have my most sincere apology. We are all in this together, and I wish you nothing but the best of luck and success on your journey.

Understood, and what you say makes sense. On the flip side, though, I think weight can be a harder issue on women that it is on men. That's the truth, Ruth! We still live in a society where women are expected to never age, never get fat, and never be "less than" in any way, while men are often given a free pass. If an overweight person asked me how I lost the weight, would I tell them? I dunno, maybe. I certainly would never walk up to an overweight person and say, "Hey, I got the band, you should look into it." And neither would I... However, I will share what a poster on this board says, and it says a lot (luluc): The band does not go shopping for good foods for me. The band does not put good foods in my mouth. The band does not make me exercise when I want to stay in bed. YOU have to do all of that. Amen to that. So with that in mind, she wasn't incorrect in what she said. She wasn't even untruthful or misleading. She IS exercising more and she IS eating better and less. Absolutely- for her. It's not my truth but it is hers. I by no means meant to imply that anyone else was lying. Our reasons for telling or not telling are as vast and different as we are. And amen to that as well - I said that this is an issue we all have to decide for ourselves. read below your scenarios about taking the easy way out and how you would never hear people say that chemo was the easy way out of cancer. That is true. However, many do NOT see obesity as a disease like cancer. Heck, I don't even see it that way and I'm fat. Most see it as an inability to control oneself. I doubt it will EVER be viewed by the vast majority as a disease, so yes, for many, we ARE taking the easy way out. Then the many are free to think that - but I won't buy in to that by hiding what I've done - that's what telling less than my truth would mean to me.

Hi D, Welcome to LBT. Where are you from? How long have you been waiting for your surgery? This is a good place- I hope you find as much support, friendship and information here as I have. Good luck, hope the wait isn't long!

Hi Kath, big welcome to LBT. I agree with Susan: there's years of wisdom and experience here. Search the forums for relevent threads and go through them, looking for the information you want. While the band does indeed work properly with a fill, I found I was able to lose weight during the post op period. In fact, I lost 30 pounds during the first month - the restriction I had from the swelling, my fear of messing everything up by going too quickly, my desire to follow my doctor's instructions to the letter, and the realization that I had taken a drastic step (reinforced every time I looked down at my scarred and stapled belly) and needed to back it up with action - all these things combined and enabled me to lose weight from the get - go. There was a period of difficulty (commonly referred to here as "bandster hell") when the swelling does down and the band lies there inactive until you get your first fill. I also found that there was more hunger during this period, but by then my whole approach to food had begun to change and that, along with the momentum of the weight I had lost already, was enough to pull me through. “Life after banding, the good and the bad”, you say? Okay, first the good: The band is a powerful tool which has allow me to change my relationship to food. I eat much less than I used to,am hungry much less than I was, am able to set limits for myself much more successfully than ever before. I have lost 134 pounds in the last 16 months, my BMI is 24.9 down from 47, and all of my co-morbidities (sleep apnea, high blood pressure and cholesterol) have either disappeared or are in full retreat. I am much happier and more comfortable with my body than ever before, and buying and trying on clothing has gone from being the worst torture imagineable to a genuine pleasure. Now the bad news: there are periods of physical discomfort, such as the post operative period which Susan mentioned. It takes a few days to get used to each fill, and becoming comfortable with the new and smaller size of your stomach is a trial and error process, which may include regurgitory incidents which can rival the special effects used in “The Exorcist” (we call these unfortunate occurances "PB's", or productive burps) . More importantly, however, the operation is only on your stomach, not your head. The same thoughts and emotions which caused me to binge are still there,and they must be confronted without the ability to eat them into submission. This, for me has been the biggest challenge. Thank you for such a good question, and the best of luck to you - stay in touch!