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Isn't that weird?? Finding out we have bones is such a trip! LOL Thats a wonderful NSV! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Welcome Barb! I can only imagine your frustration at trying to get advice and encouragement from bypassers! Welcome to a great bunch of bansters, although most of us here have the lapband. Different procedure and all but I would imagine the eating lifestyles would be similar. I think you'll feel right at home in no time. Ask lots of questions and browse through the boards. There is so much here to see! VBG - Vertical Banded Gastroplasty http://www.homanmd.com/Vertical%20Banded%20Gastroplasty.htm LapBand - Adjustable Gastric Banding http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/cs/divisions/obesity/surgical_lapband.html

Xann, tell your mom that its very normal to gain a few pounds prior to your first fill. You body has been in shock from surgery, you had a wide open band (no fill, no restriction once the tummy swelling goes down), and you had been on liquids for crying out loud. When you return to more solid foods, its only natural to expect some weight fluctuation. Besides, your body weight can fluctuate by 5 pounds on a daily basis, depending on Water retention, pms, what you ate the day before, etc. This is why I only weight once a week - rather, I try to, Im such a scale addict! but it can get depressing to watch it daily. You are doing just fine. And now that you have your fill, you shouldn't be so hungry and will begin to see that steady drop in weight.

The port incision will be the most tender of all your incisions. And it will take a while for your appetite to return. As Sunta said, it will return! Sip, sip, sip for now. Every day will take you closer to "normal" again. Um.. wait, let me rephrase that. Every day will take you closer to what you will come to think of as "normal". *laughs* The old ways are gone. Wave bye bye!

Glad to hear it passed, Doug. *snickers*

A man stumbles up to the only other patron in a bar and asks if he could buy him a drink. "Why of course," comes the reply. The first man then asks: "Where are you from?" "I'm from Ireland," replies the second man. The first man responds: "You don't say, I'm from Ireland too! Let's have another round to Ireland." "Of Course," replies the second man. Curious, the first man then asks: "Where in Ireland are you from?" "Dublin," comes the reply. "I can't believe it," says the first man. "I'm from Dublin too! Let's have another drink to Dublin." "Of course," replies the second man. Curiosity again strikes and the first man asks: "What school did you go to?" "Saint Mary's," replies the second man. "I graduated in '62." "This is unbelievable!" the first man says. "I went to Saint Mary's and I graduated in '62, too!" About that time in comes one of the regulars and sits down at the bar. "What's been going on?" he asks the bartender. "Nothing much," replies the bartender. "The O'Malley twins are drunk again."

*laugh* *snort* *laugh* laughing.bmp

Welcome to the Gone for Good Club, Kaybug! I'll get you added to the members page. Diane! I knew it!! LOL I am ready for those girls in green! :painkiller: :flame:<--- former cookie dealer

Besides being unhealthy nutrionally, won't staying this tight run the risk of slippage or even erosion?? Geesh, ladies. Don't settle for the extreme and possibly end up with no band at all. Like Vines said, get UNFILLED. Even a little can make a big difference. Don't sit there starving yourselves and ruining your band life. Your weight loss will only be temporary and the damage you could do to your bodies long term.

*laughs* You didn't piss me off, Donna. In fact I agree with you. At our support group last week (which really is kind of pointless at only 1.5 hours per month in a group of 25 people) several people talked about what a crock the psych eval was and how stupid the questions on there were. They pointed out how many questions about drugs and alcohol were on there and asked how in the world that pertained to getting the band. I guess what they were overlooking was that while those questions might not be relevant to them, there is a very real chance that they might be very relevant to the next person. I too have a very hard time with blanketing everyone with the same conclusions based upon the "normal" or "typical" responses from a test study group. Everyone is an individual and letting a stranger speak to you for a few hours out of your life to determine something so important about you is down right scarey. I guess it comes down to this. They'd rather be safe than have us be sorry. Getting a bit healthier, mentally or physcially, before going through something so extreme can't be all bad. It's not a permanent "NO", it's just a "Get a little better first so you can have better success" kind of a thing. Like Crystal said, it's not a patch you can pull off and return to old habits. I was just reading and posting on the thread about what others think of your weightloss, and it really hit me. It's time for some serious issues in my life to be dealt with as I progress to my physical goal. Otherwise, my mental state will have a heck of a time dealing with my physical state. I think those pre-tests picked up on that - for me anyway. And his advice was right on the money, "Whether it be me or another counselor, you need to start seeing someone to help you through this."

Mm.. great thread. DianeChef, do you remember that thread where we talked about weightloss chaning us from the cheerful, entertaining, comedians to something different? You said your family used to ask you to tell stories and entertain them when they were around, but now they don't. If I remember correctly, you were the largest in your family then. I see this subject very closely linked to that thread. And I know exactly what you mean about family and friends over-doing the compliments! I have one friend, bless her heart, who goes on about it so much I just stopped believing her. I lost 60 pounds about 20 years ago and at that time we had a large group of "friends" (Amway in North Carolina - huge social thing). Anyway, I had lost 40 and even 50 pounds before anyone said a word to me about it. My clothes were hanging off of me and not one of the women I was around a LOT said a word! I couldn't believe it. And started wondering if the work I was doing was even going to matter. Then one day I went shopping and bought size 12s and the comments started - from the husbands! Ack! I was so uncomfortable with that! Only one woman made one comment to me and I'll never forget it. She said, "You look better every time I see you!" Her compliment meant a great deal to me.. whereas the men could have just shut up and I'd have been fine with that! One husband pulled me aside from a group and whispered, "You sure are looking good." and I just wanted to run.... Spot the girl who has a history of sexual abuse. Oh yes, there is a HUGE amount of psychological impact on us with weight loss. It's no wonder I never kept it off before! It was scary down there! Amen sister.

Yay Rosa! Very very good news! Well, folks.. its Friday and I've only had one completely successful day this week. Hm, actually not even one - I think. Blah. Here's hoping to a better week ahead.

Wheetsin and Kaybug - Did you all try the suggestions yet? How are you both doing?

Dody - Yup, we sure did. Dr Arnold.

Aww.. *hugs Murphles* Talk to your man. He loves you and wants the best for you both, I'm sure. He's concerned about having his ducks in a row before making such a big commitment. But there's no time like the present, right? Talk to him and tell him what you've told us. Explain that each day that goes by, is one day out of your life that you will never get back. Tell him how much you want to be living and enjoying these days and how much you need this - for you. I'm sure he'll understand and perhaps begin to look at this from a new perspective.

Happy Green Beer Day everyone! I was always told that wearing red on St. Patty's day was a bad thing. Do we get to pinch Vines now? *evil grin* Hey Vines.. there is nothing like Southern Idaho to make you appreciate the color green. Don't you agree?

Heyas Nora - Jack the wise old sage has given you some excellent words. Now, if I might, I'll add this... During the first six weeks of post-op, your body is recovering from extreme shock. There is a lot of swelling and adjusting going on in that tummy of yours. It is important to allow this time for all of the swelling to go down for many reasons. The primary ones being that you heal properly and not put stress on your stitches. Almost everyone feels this way at this point in the journey but rest assured that you'll be just fine even if you gain a pound or two before your first fill - that is very normal. In fact, everyone is told that -any- weightloss at this point is merely a bonus. If you're hungry, go ahead and eat more, but just make healthy choices. Don't drink when you eat - you might be washing the food right through your band, leaving you empty and hungry again. Eat your Proteins first, don't fill up on carbs - they burn off too quickly and will cause you to be hungry quicker. And get a minimum of 60 grams of Protein per day - animal proteins like fish, chicken, tuna, milk, cottage cheese, cheese. I know all too well, that feeling of anxiousness. You waited to get the surgery date, you waited to heal and get back to feeling semi-normal again, and now you're ready to see the results! You didn't get where you are in one month.. allow yourself time to reverse all that your body's been through. Hang in there. Everything happens for a reason. Perhaps your tummy needs the time for healing before any stress is put on it. *hugs*

Hi Victoriaellen! Welcome to LBT.

Actually, I thought it was stupid and a waste of money as well. But after talking with the guy I sort of understood why it was important. Some people just aren't good candidates for the band because of psychological issues that will most likely keep them from succeeding if their issues aren't in check prior to surgery. Also, losing your best friend (food) can be quite an emotional ordeal. Hell the whole process is a rollercoaster of emotions and mental adjustments. I was severly depressed (and so were we) and had been on Effexor for about 4 weeks. Since it takes 6 weeks for that stuff to really take affect, he allowed me to come back in 2 weeks and retest. I was still showing as depressed, but no where near what I had been 2 weeks earlier. I was determined that I was going to answer those questions truthfully and not try to cheat my way through it because I wanted to know where I really was in my own head (so did we). Anyway, I think it may not apply to everyone as something they "need" but the screening is important. There is no point in banding someone who is emotionally not ready for the weight loss, who won't be willing to put in the work it will take to succeed, and who can't deal with the emotional impact of surgery and life changes this extreme. (we agree, listen to her.. she's one smart cookie.. and we know - we live with her)

Great! Get used to that excited/nervous feeling. It keeps growing! Grats.. can't wait to hear about your progress.

You know what Wheetsin? After reading your last posts I do see a big problem with pre-arranging it and making her feel like she has to do it to keep you from losing the money. I also think this has to be a very personal decision, and even though we all agree that it's a wonderful thing that you're offering, it would have to be something your mom really wanted for herself. I think the best way to handle this is straight out. Do you live nearby so you could take her out to lunch? If so, take her out (when you can eat again) and talk to her about your progress and the band, and ask her straight out if she's had any thoughts about getting one for herself. Then, let her know that you and your husband love her and have already decided that if she wants the band, you have the money set aside for it and all she has to do is say she's ready. Assure her that this money is not going to affect your finances in any way, and that it is set aside for her and her alone. And even if she doesn't want it right now, it will be there if and when she decides she does want it. That way, you put the decision in her hands while assuring her that its taken care of should she decide she wants it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oops, I guess you and I were posting at the same time. You just said she did say she would want it. So that's one hurdle jumped. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Holy cow.. I love the journal idea as well. Very much along the lines I was thinking.. but I really like the journal aspect of it. Sorry folks, I was writing the same time you all were.

Dawn, I failed my first evaluation too. But the psychologist agreed to let me come back in a couple of weeks and retake the tests. And then I did better. I find it very hard to believe that he did an evaluation with you over the phone. If you are uncomfortable with this, call him back and tell him that you were having a bad day and would like to speak with him again in a week or so for reconsideration. If he refuses, I would call the surgeon and tell him that this guy did your eval over the phone. That just doesnt sound professional to me at all. My eval was three hours of testing and discussion with the psychologist. If the guy is on the level and your Dr feels that the evaluation was complete and trustworthy, then I guess I'd go with Jack's thoughts and count it up to growth. Don't you all agree, Dawn? *chuckles*

Sounds very positive to me. Always hope for the best, you might get disappointed but at least you spent that time in a positive happy way, rather than wasting time being worried about things which you can't control. Right? Oh, and if you end up in need of bubbles, talk to Kim_8. Apparently she is producing them in the back of her throat! LOL

Wow girl, I think that looks like a reaction to the stickies too. Looks very much like hives. Try some Benadryl (spelling?)

Back off Keri.. that's MY ride! *laughs*