HeatherO

My husband was with me the entire time and I would not do it any other way. At first I was thinking we could save a little money if I went alone, but his company was really helpful and he took such good care of me. This will be the first day of the rest of your life . . . perhaps it is better to share it together.

I feel like I have been doing great exercising this month. I have far exceeded my goal - yayyyy!!!! But where is all the weight loss??? I haven't lost much of anything since I have kicked exercise into full gear. I lost about 5 pounds in a month. I needed my second fill and I think I am back on track to losing more. I spoke with the doctor and she said I need to up my daily calorie range by about 200. Oh well :0) I know I am working hard and eating right. I will follow doctors orders and I am sure it will come in its own time. Now I am ready to start May . . . can I possibly lose 8-10 pounds in May. That is my new mini-goal.

I had extreme pain as well, way after the gas had worked its way out. I was miserable for 4-5 weeks. Really it felt like I got kicked by a horse in the juncture between my neck and left shoulder. Towards the end it got less and now it is gone completely. I spoke with the doctor and she did refer to the pain coming from work done around the diaphragm. I also had a hiatal hernia repair fixed at the same time. Only time helped. I also found that a bath helped to take the edge off. I would only run enough Water to cover my neck and shoulder area but not wet incision sites. I took it as hot as possible and it really helped. My husband also tried to help with massage. Massage didn't make the pain go away but was enjoyable none-the-less. After the major pain went away, I noticed I still had slight residual pain that would appear when I was full. I still get a twinge before I get to the uncomfortably full feeling (helps me to know my limit). Now I think it is worth having as a trigger to stop me from overeating . . . there's a silver lining in every cloud :0)

If your in LA, there are options in Tijuana that are not too far and very affordable. It would definitely be worth getting a passport because local convenience is really going to hit you in the wallet. Or perhaps you are just referring to the 2+ hour wait in stand still traffic which is just ridiculous but unfortunately unavoidable.

I think a slight unfill is in order. It probably will not get better on its own . . . and there is no reason to stay miserable. It isn't kind to your band to stay to tight . . . which is never worth risking.

I tried to avoid using too much serious pain medication. I took Tylenol but for some reason it doesnt do squat for me. Even if I just have a headache it has no affect. Liqui gel Advils used to knock out any pain but Tylenol must not agree with my system. I can't use Advil any more post surgery because it is too hard on the stomach . . . but I sure do miss it. Pain was not too much of a problem around the incisions. However I had a lot of left shoulder pain that drove me crazy. The only real relief I got was from taking a bath (of course keeping the surgery site out of the water. I just kept hot water at a low level so that I could soak my neck and shoulders.

Hello Sana, I am a muslim as well and have a lot of family in Turkey (some are Asian and some are European depending on which side of Istanbul you are on). I am living in the US. I don't think there are very many muslims here but now I know now that there are at least 2 :0) I hope you are doing well. I was just banded in January so our surgeries are not very far apart. I have not shared banding with anyone (other than my husband of course). It has been interesting so far. I am not sure how things will go during Ramadan because fasting will be more difficult when you have special eating restrictions. Feel free to send me a message at any time. Best of luck.

If it were me, I would go back on liquids for a week. At least you can have the peace of mind that you are doing the right thing while waiting to be seen. If it is stretched, you would have to do it anyway.

I thought you were going to say it was your port as well :0) I am happy it was nothing serious. What a stranngggee nsv!!!

I was looking for a local fill doctor. I found Synchrony Health who sees patients in areas near Columbus. They are exceptionally reasonable in price. Does anyone have any experience with this group? I just wanted to get an idea of what other patients think about them.

... because I want to lose the 1.5 pounds I gained over the previous week. What on earth happened???? I am well on my way to a wonderful day.

This has been a very good thread for me to read. I am feeling the same as you lately. I seem to be struggling with the same 2 pounds up and down for several weeks now. I am working so hard but my resolve is slipping as HUNGER is starting to take hold again. I neeeed another fill, thank goodness I only have to wait until next Tuesday. It is really great to know I am not alone in this struggle. :0)

I have had my first fill on 3/17 for a total of 6.8 cc's in a 9 cc Realize band. I go for my next fill on Tuesday. I am losing very very very slowly right now, maybe one pound each week. Restriction is diminished right now and I am looking for some extra help in losing a little faster. My goal is 150 before I go back to Turkey on October 16 and I need to lose 1.9 pounds a week to make it. I am exercising vigorously 5-6 days a week and am feeling pretty good. My clothes are looking different on me, from a tight size 18 to a very loose 18 and occasionally 16. I am not even close to my sweet spot yet, I hope it comes sooner rather than later :0)

I have been hitting the exercise hard the last couple of weeks. I am aiming for at least 30 minutes of strenuous exercise daily and found the most amazing thing . . . it is getting so much easier. I am finding that my heart rate is not getting as high and I have even been kicking it up a notch at the health club. I finalllllyyyyy am turning it into a habit and not so much an "oh gosh do I really have to do it when there are so many other things I would rather be doing?" I have also noticed that I am feeling really good lately and I think diet and exercise have a lot to do with it. I never realized that I did not feel that great before lapband until I see what it feels like now. My weight loss is plateauing right now but I couldnt feel much better. :0)

My husband telling me how wonderful it feels to put his arms around me :0)

Older post, but great info. I was wondering this at the gym today. I am always in the cardio zone but was wondering what the heck the fat burning zone was for??? It did not make sense to reduce the workout intensity to burn more fat to me. Now I see that high intensity is fine for my fitness level :0)

Typically you pay for both. An unfill still requires you to be seen in an office and for a health care professional to work with you. However, it never hurts to ask if your fill is too tight if you can have a reduced or free visit to adjust it to normal. You never know, perhaps you'll get lucky.

I would agree. The Vitamin should be long gone. Some people find that it takes a day or two for a fill to "kick in" It might be fine for a day or two but then you find that you are just too tight. You may need a slight unfill. I read a lot about others who have had fills that were too tight and waited it out so that it might open up a little. It seems like it doesnt always open up more and if you stay too tight for too long you might risk the health of your band. Definitely call your doctor. Best of luck to you. Congratulations on the 22 as well :thumbup:

I had a bra problem too. The top incision was right were the bottom of my bra rested in the middle. It was one of the smaller incisions but the most painful because of the bra until I gave up and bought a new sports bra. Then it was fine. I paid maybe $5 for the bra and it was well worth it. A cheap one with a little less support feels better after surgery than the ones I use to actually work out in. Fast pain relief with a little extra jiggle was fine by me. I needed something and I never feel comfortable without any bra. I would definitely suggest wearing a sports bra and maybe a shirt that hides some of the lack of definition you find with a sports bra.

I jumped through hoops for most of a year with testing, evaluations, six months supervised physician diet, etc . . . . and my insurance plan changed the month that the everything was done and the final packet was being submitted. Now I had a lovely exclusion. I was so disheartened it was unbelievable. So I decided to try it again on my own (traditional methods to lose weight with diet and exercise). I lost 50 pounds over about 8 months. I never had a problem losing weight, it was just keeping it off that killed me. I am just hungry if you know what I mean. I slowly gained it back and two years later I was at the same point. Then I figured, what the heck. I want this too bad to let anything stop me. Why let a technicality force me to waste any more time??? My husband and I made the decision to move forward. Did research, made a selection and two weeks later it was done. It was so easy and painless, I regret the wasted time so much more. If only I could go back five years and say . . . just do it!!!! I am sure things would be different today.

My TOM started the day before. It was fine. You are supposed to be getting up anyway, so it is no big deal.

I still do it once a week. I am trying to get past it myself by being more careful. It is usually me being too fast on some form of Protein. I have even had it happen with brocolli before. I dont think it is ever because I eat too much, only if I eat too fast or don't chew enough. I am still learning. I think it will get better as my eating habits become more ingrained. Watching tv, looking at the computer or having an interesting conversation with my husband increase the odds of a problem.

TOM is rough for me too. I cravvvveeee things so much and I can eat anything during that time. Not to mention I always go up 2-3 pounds at that time regardless of what I eat (but it dissappear after a few days, maybe it is just Water weight). I am also moodier and more impulsive. It is not a great combination. I just suck it up and try to bear it without sabotaging my efforts. I am afraid of losing 1-2 weeks worth of progress over a few bad days a month.

Check with your surgeons office and the insurance company. I was originally going through insurance and my surgeons office verified that as long as I qualified with the right BMI during the start of the process, it did not matter if I lost weight and had a lower BMI at the end. I remember being scared about it because I just barely qualified. I think this is how if works, but definitely verify it first.

Middle school sucks in that kids are really judgemental and are not afraid to say anything. Sticking up for yourself is the way to go. By the way, it only gets easier from here. Middle school is the worst. High School is a little better because there is a little more maturity and people learn to be more polite. College and life after is sooo much better. You are your own person and can be anonymous if you want. Most people are starting to mature at this time. This doesnt mean you may not have struggles later, it will just never be as bad as middle school. Congratulations on making the decision to do this young. Just imagine how high school will be with a more slender and happy you. You still get to look forward to a lot of things . . . like a beautiful dress for prom. Keep your chin up!!!