strikeuptheband

I have the realize band and it really is a benefit to have access to their website. My doc's nurse and the nutritionist can access what I have recorded for my meals and that helps me be honest if I know someone will actually see what I did. Once you are banded you get full access to the website and can log in your food...it calculates all the calories, fat, protein etc so you dont have to. You can also log in your exercise progress, weight loss and even set up goals to keep you on track. Many times I have been tempted to eat something I shouldnt, but when I think I will have to write that down, it keeps me from straying. (most times...lol).

I am now known as Dorfus Chickenbutt.

kzibutis, I am so sorry you are going through this. Unfortunately it happens sometimes. It takes two to make it work and I am sorry he won't go to counseling with you. I think it would be very helpful for you both to get your feelings out that way. I would suggest if he won't go, at least you go so you can sort out your feelings and maybe the counselor can help you deal with his behavior. Please take care of you and don't let this undermine your weight loss goal. keep posting here and I know you will get tons of support. We are all rooting for you.:smile:

I was self pay and mine was $12,500 which included everything including one overnite if neccessary (I took it since I paid for it!). I got the realize band and the deal was at that time (June 08) if you chose realize band, he gives you free fills for life. In return you have to keep up with the realize web site and log in your food and exercise. Pretty fair deal, I think. Not sure if the free fills deal is still going on but if you live in the area you could call my doc.

Thanks Long, I will get through this. Woooo Hoooo collarbones!! I can now feel my hipbones (only when laying on my side lol). Things are changing because of all the walking I do. Its good, but the belly is still very much there! My face doesn't look anything like my work ID pic that was taken before surgery. I need to post a more recent pic. My pudgie cheeks are gone!

Thanks, Cathy. It sure helps to know I have support here. I know things will get better. Its sure hard to be positive when I haven't slept since friday!:thumbup: I have noticed some more restriction lately and not sure why. Usually for breakfast I can eat a hard boiled egg and maybe 2 strips of bacon. Last few days, the egg is enough and because i eat it too fast, it gets stuck and hurts in my chest for a while till it goes down. No PBs yet but my little band is making itself known finally. Not sure if its tighter because of stress or something else but I am glad to finally be feeling it. I am now down to where my ticker says i am.:thumbup: I think the next .5 cc might just get me to my sweet spot. Next appt is Sept 21. Thanks for your kind words. I am sure I will get thru this, its just a b*tch until i do.

Depends on if he's pissed you off lately! Usually its Dear Hubby.

Slow and steady wins the race, Cathy! Looks like we are neck to neck in the race! :smile2: I am feeling some chest pain when I eat so that slows me down. I also had the good fortune of being downsized at my job so I will be out of a job at the end of Sept. I got that nuclear bomb on Friday so all weekend I was devastated. Going to work today was also very hard. They expect me to train my replacement. They hired someone else at a higher rate than I am making, and call it a budget problem??? And expect me to train her???? Makes no sense to me. If I didn't need a few more paychecks so bad, I would tell em where to shove it. The stress of that has kept me from eating (or sleeping) much all weekend and I was down another lb this morning. I had to sell my house and talked to a realtor tonite. The market stinks. I am not happy. But, on the upside if there is one, BF is really coming around and being supportive. He has offered for me to stay with him (large town, more job opportunities, no rent, etc). We will talk more about it this weekend. Think I will go walk a couple of miles and wear myself out so much I will sleep tonite. Hope things are better where you are.

Or for you trekkie fans, some alien force once called us "ugly bag of mostly water." Sounds sexy, eh?

After the mammo, you look like this.

Pretty bike! I am going for the kind with the handlebars higher and straight. If I tried to ride yours I would feel like I was upside down!

OMG Wheetsin, ya made me wet my pants. :cursing: What gets me is usually the next thing after a post like that, is "Should I call my doc?" NOOOOO just wait till ya throw up the kitchen sink. THEN call yer doc. Geez some people. .........still laughing hysterically.

Today after visiting my doc to get another fill, (.5cc) BF and I went to a bike shop and looked at bikes. I saw a Cannondale womens bike that seemed to be calling my name.:cursing: He saw a few he liked too. We are still in the researching stage, but like the service they offer at this store. I forgot the name of it but its in Columbia, MO. Now to scrape the money together to get 2 bikes, 2 car carriers, helmets, and all the other fun bells and whistles. We didn't test drive any but someday soon we will have to. Yikes, I haven't been on a bike since early college years, many years ago. Anyone here have a review on Cannondales? What do you like about them? any drawbacks?

Went in for fill #4 today and got another .5cc. My port must be sitting at a wierd angle because again she had a heck of a time finding the middle of it. I could hear the needle poking all around the circumfrence and I am sore and bruised from her pressing so hard with her fingers. I still don't feel much in the way of restriction. With 5.5cc's now you would think something would start to change. I didn't even lose any more weight. But I have build up my endurance and am able to walk 2.5 miles now. The dietician gave me some good suggestions for my problem part of the day....suppertime... so I am going to focus on getting more protein at that time instead of fruit to see if that changes anything. The phys therapy witch was just that...a witch. Instead of giving me kudos for getting off my arse and walking a lot every day, she nagged about I should be doing weight lifting on top of all that. And she thinks I should get up earlier in the morning to do it. Aint gonna happen. By the time I did all that, cooled down, showered, got breakfast and got to work, it would be noon! Here's hoping for a restrictive tomorrow!

Looking good Lady! I have recently been able to squeeze into 16s! 14s will be my next goal. After getting a fill tomorrow (hoping this one will be the last), I am going to check out a bike shop to do some comparison shopping. I haven't been on a bike for years, never even wanted to, but now I am looking forward to when I can get some exercise that way. You are inspiring me!

I think its Bull! They are so short sighted (ins companies in general), they can't see that paying for something preventative now will save them tons of money when they won't be getting claims later from us for our weight related health problems.

Thanks, hoosierpoms! I recognize some of those brand names. Thurs BF and I are going to a bike shop in Columbia, MO to see what they have. I have also heard that its a pretty drive along that trail. I know I will have to work my way up to doing the whole trail! First around my neighborhood, then maybe a day trip on the trail. I don't even know how long the trail is. Gonna have to google it to learn more. I will let you know when I am ready to hit the trail!:thumbup:

I was nekkid as a jaybird under the gown. But they gave me happy meds so I didn't care! lol I am older so dont need to worry about tom, but for those of you who are younger, I would think a tampon would be enough, maybe? You are only going to be out a half hour or so. Wonder if that would work?

My mom, now 83, has always been up and down. Currently she is too overweight for her frame and has several medical problems that keep her from exercising. But not from eating. I worry about seeing her continue to gain. her feet are so full of Fluid, that also hinders her from walking. She's on a downward path and it hurts to watch it. All my siblings except the youngest brother are overwieght. None of them would support my band surgery; they would just laugh while stuffing their faces. I have only told one sister and she is supportive. On the few occasions (mainly Christmas) that we get together, everyone just gets fatter and complains about it. I am waiting to see what they say when I show up this Christmas a lot thinner than last time they saw me. I doubt if I will tell anyone I had surgery; I will just say I am working hard on it, exercising and dieting....which is true.

Wow! I sure don't have time to read the last 500 pages of this thread but wanted to jump in here to ask a question. I was banded about 2 1/2 months ago and once the healing was going and the soreness getting better, I started walking. I have lost 30 lbs but now its slowing down considerably. Not at the proper restriction yet but I am getting another fill this thursday. BF and I have been talking about bikes and the possibility of riding the Katy Trail (across Missouri) at some point. I KNOW its going to take some time to get in shape for a long ride like that so we may not do the trail till next year. Can anyone recommend a good trail bike? I don't know much about whats good and not. I need something comfortable on my rear and preferably light enough I can lift the thing onto a bike rack. I like the look of the straight handlebar vs the curled ones. I like the thicker tires of mountain bikes vs the skinny racing bike tires. What do you ride and how do you like it? Also, it needs to be not real expensive...I saw some online from 250-400 and its going to take a while before I can come up with that much money! Thanks for your suggestions. In the meantime, I will keep walking!

I have a realize band and the port is attached with some clips to my stomach wall AND sutured as well. And I have examined both before deciding and the realize band is not triangluar; it is a softer type of plastic, more pliable and easier to conform around your stomach, I guess. I chose Realize for the smaller, flatter port. my doc also said they were both similar and worked just as well. I was hopefully thinking that with a flatter port, I wouldnt be having a bump sticking out on my stomach when I got thin!

I was banded about 2 1/2 months ago. I used to be a meat and potatoes gal who never ate much veggies. Now I am finding that I like to try new veggies and fruit. Today I had a fresh peach and I can't remember EVER doing that before! I have been starting out with little things, maybe a slice of tomato on a hamburger, or diced tomatoes in a small taco. Theres still lots I haven't tried but every trip to the store i look for something new to try. If I don't like it, I just wont buy it again.:biggrin2: The only thing I have found that disagrees with me is lettuce. For some reason that gives me diarrhea.:thumbup: Just start trying things and see what you like; you might like some things you thought you never would. Lots of people in here have said that after banding, their taste preferences changed. Its fun and exciting to find healthy stuff you actually like!

Amy, I know how you feel. I keep fighting to lose the same 2-3 lbs over and over. I have set myself a small goal to have those 3 lbs gone by next thursday when I go in for yet another fill. Maybe this one will be the one that gives me restriction. I haven't seen it happen yet. I think its great to make small goals. Easier to focus and tell yourself you can do this small thing. Then when you do it, its wonderful and makes you want to set another small goal. Baby steps work. If i focused on my goal to lose 75 lbs, i would never get there. But by taking small steps, we can do it. I do this with exercising too. Don't focus on getting all around the walking trail....I just tell myself to make it to the next turn or the next tree, then set another goal. Dang thing about our trail, its a loop so I have to go all the way around to get back to my car! lol Hang in there!:thumbup:

Thats hilarious! I want one!

Just had some loose stools after the last fill but I think it was more due to eating a chicken salad sandwich for lunch afterwards. It was on a slice of grilled toast which was probably too much grease for me. Made it home without mishap but I did stop and make a run for the bathroom at a gas station!:wink2: Yea, too much info!