Bensmum1109

Karen (Giveyouthemoon), where are you?? We have the same doctors. I am not willing to drop below 1000-1200 calories a day. I think it's dangerous. Thanks for the encouragement, Vines, but I am slowing down A LOT. Hopefully the fill will help get me back on track! Otherwise I will be asking for admission to the tribe :-)

I don't know that it is prescription, Mercedes, because I did order it off of the internet. Go on the website and use the link that says "contact us" and see if they have a FedEx Overnight option. If you can't get it, go to your pharmacy and ask for it, and see if they will give it to you. At the very least, insist that your doctor give you a bit of Lidocaine!! Those shots, in my experience, don't hurt much. I will say that even though I felt nothing, the experience itself was not as frightening as I expected. It took 10 minutes and I couldn't see what he was doing at all. I really worked myself up about it, and then it was pretty easy!!

Thanks, guys!! I agree that 7-800 calories is not enough, and I would be starving at 1 1/2 cups of food a day. My husband pointed out to me that my surgeons are involved in a lot of published studies regarding the effectiveness of WLS, and maybe they are super strict because they want their statistics to look good. Lord knows I was impressed with their stats when I started my research. At any rate, I will try to stay on track and look to you all when I fall off the "band" wagon! That being said, more opinions, please!!!

Brenda- you look BEAUTIFUL!

Darla- If you are nervous I strongly recommend the Emla patch. La Madam turned me on to them and you can get them on the internet. I will search my last post and get you the website. Here it is: http://www.westcoastskin.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.search&product_namefilter=emla

So, I just posted on the Fill forum that my first fill went very well. I had a real interesting conversation with the doctor, however, and want everyone's take on it. I know all of our doctors put us on varying food plans following our surgeries, and I realize that these food plans are meant to be permanent. While lamenting to the doctor that I am 4 pounds heavier than I thought, he asked me a series of questions, including: Am I certain I am consuming no more than 7-800 calories a day(I don't count my calories, just estimate)? Am I completely abstaining from bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes at all times (all but potatoes, yes, and I eat them last) Am I only eating 1/2 cup of food 3 times a day (pre-fill and he was serious-my answer was no) Am I exercising 1 hour+ 5 times a week (with a 70 hour work week and a 1 year old, I get more like 30 minutes 3 times a week) SOOOOOO....... I got a lecture. I am to adhere to all of the above rules FOREVER if I want my weight loss to be successful. Don't get me wrong, I want this and I consider myself to be a very disciplined person. But frankly, if I adhered to these rules to the letter I would not have needed the band in the first place. ANYONE who eliminates starch and carbs, exercises 5 times a week, and eats 1 1/2 cups of food per day is going to lose weight, right? One of the things I love about this board is how much I have learned from all of you, and how different your doctors are. I know that none (almost none) of you are doctors, but I am counting on you to advise me. I feel like these rules are a little unrealistic for me, but I want to have success in my weight loss. Thoughts?

All that worrying for nothing. I put on the Emla patch, and when I got to my appointment I saw a different doctor than the one I have been arguing with about numbing me first (see my previous threads regarding my needle trauma :-). This doctor did not know I had patched myself, and after explaining my needle aversion to him (by the way, it's big needles that freak me out, not little ones), he agreed to a Lidocaine shot for me. But because of the Emla patch, I didn't feel the Lidocaine shot. And of course I didn't feel the needle for the fill at all!! I got 1CC and I am home resting. Soft foods and liquids for 4 days. I am so excited to getting my first "kickstart"!! Only bad news is that my scale is off from theirs, and I am certain theirs is more accurate. So I have only lost 21 pounds, not 25. I will have to change my ticker. But not for long!! Thank you to all of my dear friends her who really helped support my fears and got me through the anxiety of my fill. I will not worry at all next time!

Happy Birthday, Theresa!!!

Hey girl!!! Yes, the first few days SUCK. But it gets better every day-promise!!! A few tips that worked for me: Decaf green tea for the nausea sleep propped up almost to a sitting position for a few days (helps the gas pain) Have DH massage your shoulders (also helps the gas pain) Rent a bunch of good movies :-), and buy all the silly gossip mags you want Take as much pain medication as you are allowed to. If crushed pills are too bitter, they make liquid Vicodin, which also tastes kind of gross but you will care less. And please remember, you have all of us here for you to answer any question or concern you have. We have collectively run the gamut of every single possible symptom and issue you could imagine. I am raising my glass of outstanding Oregon Pinot Noir to you, girl!! Here's to a speedy recovery!!

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, Jenna!! ((((((HUGS)))))))) for you and you and Jeter will be in my prayers.

Congratulations, Eileen!! Here's to a brand new better life- starting today!

Hopefully Karen (Giveyouthemoon) will hop on this thread so she can tell me how her fills have gone. She was banded by LAPSF as well. Different surgeon, but I imagine they do their fills the same way. I will bring my husband with me, Theresa, when I get my fill, so I have someone to hold my hand. I am also pretty sold on the Valium idea so he will need to drive.

I am mildly hypoglycemic. I used to sleep with a small glass of OJ next to the bed because I would wake up in the middle of the night sick because my bs had dropped! I have not had one incident since being banded, and I am sure it is because I eat so differently now. But glucose tabs or a glass of juice will help if you have a problem.

Lisa, I have been thinking about this post, and the soda post, etc. I am afraid that there is probably only one solution to this problem that you are having at work. ERIN MUST DIE. :-)

Welcome Fay!! We are here for you and you have made a wonderful, life-altering decision!! Fire away with any questions you have and we will all do our best to help!

It's totally NORMAL to feel this anxiety. I did too!! But this is what motivated me to go through with the procedure (and BOY AM I GLAD I DID!!!!)....... If I had not done this, the chances of dying due to heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and other weight related diseases would have been extremely high for me. I have a family history of all of these things, and even if you don't, being overweight puts you at a much higher risk. I knew that my weight was killing me so it made sense for me to take a chance on something that could potentially save my life, and certainly improve my quality of life! The surgery and recovery ARE NOT FUN (PLEASE GUYS, LET'S NOT LIE ABOUT IT!!). You are going to feel like crap for a few days, maybe even a few weeks. It was a solid week for me of being DOWN. But I feel absolutely fine now and I have lost 25 pounds in a month. I broke the rules a few times. I had mashed potatoes before I was supposed to go to mushies TWICE, and have not followed my surgeons food plan to the letter. His plan is too much like a diet, and if I wanted to diet I wouldn't have had the band. I do follow the cardinal rule of Protein, then veggies, then carbs or fat or whatever. This is easy. You WILL LOSE weight. Everybody does, the speed just varies. You probably will not have complications, a very small percentage does with the band, and if you do we are all here to support you and get you through it. Have a last supper. Relax and don't worry about the surgery. And when it creeps up on you just imagine how gorgeous you are going to be a few months from now and how great you are going to feel!!!

Ditto what Jess and Eileen said. I was always either starving or stuffed. A lot of that had to do with the fact that my job is so crazy that I would go most of the day without stopping to eat (huge mistake), and by the time I walked in the door I was so hungry that I could eat a horse (well ,maybe not a horse, but there were days when my dog wasn't safe-HA HA) Now that I have this band, I force myself to STOP for 15 minutes in the middle of the day to have a protein bar or shake, I do not walk out the door without having had some sort of breakfast- a scrambled egg or yogurt, and I eat dinner, but even pre-fill I can't do much at dinner. I just returned from lunch with my hubby and I ordered an 8 oz. prime rib (YUMMY). I had 5 small bites, 3 bites of potato, 2 cooked baby carrots, and about 1/3 of a dinner salad. I felt very full and have at least 2 more meals left from this in the fridge. To me, this was a pig-out now that I have my band!!! You should have seen what it was in the old days! The lap-band was the perfect procedure for me. I was never a food obsessed type of person, and have always made pretty good food choices. My probelm was that I could eat and eat and eat (all night long and all weekend), and no matter how healthy the food is that you are eating, too much of it is always going to make you heavy. I can no longer eat very much, and I do feel full. Not stuffed, but full.

Lisa- When no one is looking, sneak over and abitrarily shake up as many of those cans as you can. Put them back in random order. Do they tempt you as much when you don't know what could happen when you pick up a can and open it?? And does it make you feel better that you know Erin is going to pick up least one of those cans?? :-)

My surgeon also says no carbonation because it "allegedly" stretches your stomach pouch. I am not a big soda drinker so I am OK with this. But DAMMIT, I will continue to enjoy an occasional good microbrew. Read my thread on how my husband reduces the carbonation for me. He's almost perfect- I just need to talk him into doing this task naked :-) http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=10583

My BMI was under 35 and I did have co-morbidities including hypertension and arthritis, but what got me approved (by my surgeon, I am a self-pay), was my family history of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Try that angle.

We are your support system, absolutely. We can get you through this whole process, and there has to be someone on this board who lives in LA. If not, I am in San Francisco and if it doesn't conflict with my ridiculous work schedule, I'll come down and drive you home myself!!

Hi Stephanie- I am a closet bandster. I told my colleaugues at work that I had an intestinal blockage and needed surgery for it (I actually did have an intestinal blockage, and my post-op liquid diet took care of that :-). This not only explained my time off, but also my liquid diet and subsequent weight loss. Now I am telling my colleagues that I am so happy with my weight loss that I am going to keep working on it. Fortunately when you are banded the weight loss is not as drastic, so it all makes sense.

That's a great NSV!!! You are my inspiration today :-)

Well , I have been hesitant to weigh myself because I felt like I really pigged out this weekend. First weekend back on regular foods, and of course I really can't eat that much, but I did have three meals and two Snacks for three days in a row. Got all my Protein in but also had a few things I probably shouldn't have. Of course, a half a slice of pizza compared to the three slices I could eat before- I'm going to consider that a good thing :-) So I got on the scale this morning- and I have lost 4 more pounds!!! This band really does work- I guess I am eating less than I think! 1.4 more pounds to Onederland!!!!! I think I am going to lower my final goal weight-hence the change in my ticker!!!

I just read the USA Today article (thanks, Yvonne!!). What really freaks me out is that if Sharon did have the band, she could really do herself a lot of damage, because I just read an article where she admits to still being bulimic!! Thats a bad combination.......