Kalipso2

congratulations on your journey! i've been banded for almost 3 years and there are so many cool people here... don't be afraid to ask questions

i didn't have one but i kinda wish i had. that was my first memory waking up after surgery. i had to pee. the nurse assured me i didn't have to go and i insisted i DID have to go... but i wanted to get UP and go. she put me on a bed pan. needless to say, i couldn't go. and she said "i told you so". when i was in my room after surgery, it hurt so bad to stand up and lay back down that i would have put up with the pain from the cath being taken out. and it seemed to take forever to even GO pee. anyway... probably too much info lol

wow, 2 days might be pushing it. you'll more than likely still be on pain meds! i had my surgery on a monday, spent the night in the hospital (my choice) and didn't feel "human" gain until day 4. i also have a desk job and i didn't go back to work until the following tuesday. with the bending and leaning and pushing with your job... you might need more time off.

my question is... are you losing weight?

i like that your doctor is encouraging you... when i hit 171 pounds at my 2 year anniversary, my surgeon told me i wouldn't lose any more weight and he considered me a "success" because i did lose 60% of my weight but i wasn't happy with that. so the past 10 months i've lost an additional 26 pounds bringing me to 145 pounds which is "normal" on the bmi chart. it's funny because people are starting to say "you're getting too skinny" and i make them clarify... am i looking skinny or TOO skinny? that makes me smile inside because it's been over 20 years since i've been skinny! YOU need to be comfortable with who you are. if you're happy now... just start maintaining. you can always lose more weight down the road!

to be honest with you, i didn't follow the pre-op diet either BUT it is VERY important for you to follow the post-op instructions your surgeon gives you!!

a slight unfill of .25ccs could possibly fix the problem!

just think of what you're going thru right now as a learning experience and it can only make you stronger!!!!! i was the only overweight person in my family and friends... even coworkers. thankfully, my friends were VERY supportive and my family had accepted my decision to needing more help other than willpower. i'm almost 3 years postop and i've never exercised. it took me 2 years and 10 months to lose 68 pounds though since i didn't exercise. so, you CAN lose weight without exercising but it will come off much slower.

i grew up skinny but as i entered my mid-20's the weight started sticking. i tried every diet under the sun and they worked... while i was on them... but once the diet stopped the weight came right back. almost all of us can lose weight, it's keeping it off that's the problem! being banded by no means is an "easy solution". this is the most difficult thing i've ever had to do. it's not a diet at all... it really is a lifestyle change. i will never be able to eat an entire pizza ever again. i will never be able to eat a regular meal at a restaurant ever again. i will never be able to have cocktails with my friends and eat at the same time ever again... i have to choose one, eat or drink. it's a struggle every single day. with that being said, i couldn't be happier with my new body. i can cross my legs without having to pull my leg over. i now wear a size 8 or smaller. i don't diet but my band won't let me have bread or hamburger but i can eat small amounts of what ever i want. and... the surgery is reversible if it just doesn't work for you. no other weight loss surgery is reversible!

congratulations!!! just be careful... i'm now addicted to shopping! i now fit into size small tops and the thought crossed my mind... what happens if i lose more weight? if i'm in a small now how will i find anything that fits right?? such a dramatic difference to once trying to just find jeans big enough to fit over my hips! ohhh the bat wings! i've been lucky... i don't have any saggy skin except for my arms! ugh... i pull the skin back and look to see what my arms would look like after a bit of lipo but i doubt i'll ever be able to afford that since my surgery was selp pay!

it's acid reflux... i had the same exact thing happen to me! i would wake up choking on my own vomit and it would scare the crap out of me! i got a slight unfill and i take an acid reflux over the counter medication just to be safe.

i seem to get that pain only when i've over eaten... i actually have it right now because i ate way too much at lunch. it should eventually go away after the food passes thru the band.

there are no guarantees in life but most people lose weight all over. in the past, i always lost weight from my face, then boobs, then tummy, then thighs. after surgery, my boobs didn't get much smaller but the rest of me did. i had 70 pounds to lose and its taken all of the 2.5 years that i've been post-op. every one is different when it comes to how fast the weight falls off. good luck on your journey!!

i think we all "fall off the wagon" at some point. i'm just so glad you're back on track! you have a rough work schedule so i can definately understand your struggles!

i was the only overweight person in my family so i knew i was going to have a lot of explaining to do. 1. do as much research as you can so you can answer every question that they can possibly ask. 2. don't make it sound like you are asking for their approval... you don't need it. 3. be confident in YOUR decision. 4. have your fiance there for support. having him by your side will strengthen your decision. i found that my friends have been very supportive. hopefully yours will be too. from what i've read from others, skinny friends are accepting but overweight friends get angry, jealous, envious, etc. just remember... this is your journey and you deserve to be healthy AND happy!!

it's sad to say but i've never worked out. i'm almost 3 years post-op and it's taken me that long to get to my goal weight probably because i haven't exercised. but... i haven't gained any weight back either. i guess i just felt this was a more realistic goal for me. i knew i'd never keep the exercise up and i didn't want to gain weight when i stopped.

shopping is my new addiction too! i started my journey in april 2008 and each spring and fall since then i've had to replace my entire wardrobe, shoes included! i'm seriously out of control! to the point where my one credit card company lowered my credit limit to the amount i have charged on it even though i pay on it religiously every month. my entire taste in clothes has changed too. not only am i wearing more form fitting clothes, i'm wearing patterns and bright colors! i LOVE getting dressed every morning compared to dreading getting out of my pajamas 70 pounds ago : )

i had a lower BMI before my surgery so i knew my weight loss was going to be slow. i had 68 pounds to lose to be "normal" on the BMI chart and i just hit my goal this week... almost 3 years after my surgery. it was frustrating in the beginning and i've had to work for every pound that i've lost but it's been worth it!

it's only natural to be scared... especially your parents. i was 37 when i had my surgery almost 3 years ago and my entire family tried to change my mind. not that they didn't want me healthy, they were afraid of the surgery itself. i'm the only one in my family that is overweight so they didn't really understand the concept behind the lapband. i had dinner with my older sister the other night and she said, "you don't eat enough" so she still doesn't really get it. thin people usually don't "get it". i NEED the band to help me stop eating. luckily all my friends have been supportive and i get teased as being a "cheap date" because i either order off the kid's menu or i share their meals. just do as much research as you can before you have the surgery. you may think you'll be okay only eating a half to a cup of food at one sitting but it's more difficult than you think! your brain wants you to keep eating because the food is good or there's so much left on your plate but if you don't "listen" to your band you'll throw up. it's a total mind game for me... even after 2.5 years. also, you might not be able to eat the foods you love anymore, even in moderation. i can't digest bread or ground meat so that means NO pizza, NO burgers. EVER. my 2 favorite foods in the entire world. i've gotten over hamburgers but pizza is still hard for me because it's everywhere... at every party, every family meal, etc. BUT, i love my new body! i went from a size 18 to a size 8. sometimes i can even fit into a size 6 pair of jeans! i haven't done that since high school! its nice being able to cross my legs without having to grab and pull the leg over. i love walking without sweating. it's amazing how i can take the stairs at work without a second thought. it's life changing!

when a band slips, the lower part of the stomach pushes upward past the band. usually the doctor will unfill the band completely in hopes that the stomach that slipped up thru the band slips back down past the band. if it repositions itself, you can get fills again. if the stomach doesn't reposition, surgery is necessary to fix it.

i'm almost 3 years post-op and have had no "equipment" problems!

what irritated me was this quote, "With gastric banding, doctors insert an adjustable silicone band around the upper part of the stomach, giving the patient the illusion of fullness with small meals." i'm not hungry after small meals. that's the truth, not an illusion!!

actually, having an unfill could help you start losing weight again. you need to eat to lose weight (the healthy way). when you're overfilled, you eat less because you're afraid to eat. just concentrate on protein and water and you'll start losing again!

my friend and i had weight loss surgery a week apart. she had the gastric sleeve done and i chose the lapband. she had over 200 pounds to lose where i only had 70 to lose. she lost 160 pounds the first 1.5 years after surgery and i lost 50 pounds during the first 1.5 years. she and i just met for lunch this past weekend. she has gained 30 pounds back and i've lost an additional 20 pounds this past year. so... she lost 130 pounds in 3 years when she needed to lose over 200 and i lost 70 pounds in 3 years and obtained my goal. it's true, the band doesn't work for everyone. i'm sorry it didn't work out. i wish you the best of luck with the bypass!!

shoot, eat while you can because you won't be able to after surgery!! not that it's a good idea not to follow your surgeons instructions, i didn't follow the pre-op diet. i just couldn't stomach the medi-fast food they gave me and it's hard only having liquids. it's a little easier post-op though. now... post-op is a totally different story. please follow his instructions after surgery. that is SO important!!