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ValJean

Gastric Bypass Patients
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Posts posted by ValJean

  1. Posted

    I had a very similar experience--I went back to my surgeon and found that my band was too tight, which had caused my pouch to stretch and become inflamed. I say get in to see your doctor ASAP. With an unfill, my pain went away immediately, and the inflammation and stretching corrected itself within a month. I'm now working my way back to restriction. Please don't wait to see your doc!

    Val

  4. Posted

    Dear Sandi,

    I can't quite find the words to express the joy I feel for you in your amazing success!!

    I am year out, 100 lbs down (40 to go) and am stuck on a 3-month plateau. Going for another fill today, after being too tight, getting a complete unfill, filled back past good restriction to too tight AGAIN, complete unfill AGAIN--this will be my second fill since this last unfill. Struggling to get back to the sweet spot. I've been very dedicated in my exercise routine, but have definitely fallen away from the basic rules of eating. I'm trying to process why this is. Partly it was the problem with keeping food down, I would think, it's probably going to come back up anyway, why not just eat something I really like/want? Foolish, I know. I was fearful to get an unfill for awhile, finally gave in and am so glad I did, as my pouch was inflammed and I was on the road to some severe problems.

    But more than that, it's been almost like, as soon as people started noticing my weight loss and saying how good I looked, I kind of panicked and felt "exposed." I didn't want my friends/family to see how my eating had changed, I wanted to just be "normal" and do what everyone else around me was doing. Even writing this I'm not sure that I'm expressing the feeling/impulse accurately, but it's like I reached a point where I no longer feel that everyone stares at me thinking "what a fat woman" that I want to just "blend in" with everyone else, not be seen as vain or obsessed with being thin.

    Does this make any sense? I realize I just went on a ramble, and am tempted to just delete and not post, but I am so inspired by your success and journey, I'd be grateful just to hear your thoughts.

    Thanks for listening.

    Val

  6. Posted

    Dr. Elly is my doctor now, too. I was banded by Dr. Galvani, but he left the practice recently. So far, I think Dr. Elly is great.

    I've had some ups and downs. Was too tight for awhile, and having some pain/vomiting problems, so I got a complete unfill a month ago, was unfilled for three weeks, went back last week for a fill, and am not feeling much restriction so I'm going back on Friday for a little more.

    My first two months were definitely a challenge, especially before I got some restriction--definitely felt hunger--but I was so excited about having the band, the excitement kept me on track until I got to a good restriction level. Up until November I was losing really steadily, 10 lbs a month. Have been stalled at my current weight since then, pretty much. Trying not to get discouraged--hoping to break through this plateau soon!

    I really think Day One's aftercare is pretty good--Lauren, the nutritionist, is really nice and helpful, as is the rest of the staff there.

    Hopefully I'll see you at the next support group meeting (Feb 16th, I think?). In the meantime, feel free to send me a private message if you ever want to chat or have questions.

    Best,

    Val

  7. Posted

    Hi Reneez,

    Congratulations on getting banded! I too was banded at Day One. Who is your surgeon?

    I have actually never gone to the support group but think I should get myself to the next one.

    What time is your appt on Friday? I'll be in for a fill at 3pm. ;-)

    Take care,

    Val

  10. Posted

    Dear Amy,

    Congratulations. Such a wonderful post--thank you for your clear, honest, and very important information. Though I don't know you, I feel such pride and joy for you and your success!

    Today (1/28) is my first year anniversary and it's amazing how many emotions are coming up. I simply can't wrap my head around the fact that a year has passed. You've inspired me to write up my own "bandiversary" reflection!

    Again, all my warmest regards to you on your life-changing year!

    Val

  13. Posted

    Yes--absolutely! I love spin--it was one of my favorite workouts back long before I got the band and it was great! Beware that you will likely experience some "saddle soreness" in the beginning; but, from what I understand, pretty much everyone has that experience, whatever their size.

    Have fun!! It really is a fantastic workout!

    Val

  14. Posted

    Lisa, you're doing great and have so much to be proud of! Please know that you're not alone, I think we all feel this way sometimes. I'm 100 pounds down, and yet still in the "obese" category, with 40 more to lose, and have been stuck at a plateau for two months. I do bikram yoga every day, and the front wall is floor to ceiling windows. I'm always one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) women in the class, and it's so hard not to compare myself to those around me. That's when it's so important to remind myself where I was a year ago, and how far I've come. No one else in the room may know what I looked like before the band, but I KNOW. We have to remember to Celebrate our victories, not measure them against others. (Easier said than done, I know! But I keep trying to remember! ;-)

    You've had wonderful success up to this point, and with all your hard work, you'll surely continue to do so.

  16. Posted

    Hi Chaka,

    Quick question--how is your restriction? I know the first couple months, between recovering from the surgery, going through "bandster hell," then finally getting the fills I needed for restriction, my loss was kind of slow and unpredictable (I'd have a great week, then a couple when the scale did not move at all).

    I agree with thebandedgirl--keep doing what you're doing, it'll kick in! And it's really great that you are keeping in close conversation with your nutritionist. It's also a great idea to keep a food and exercise log.If you continue to feel frustration, take your log to your doc / nutritionist so they can see clearly what you're routine is and hopefully they can give you some "jumpstarting" tips.

    Also, I'm in Chicago too! Where were you banded?

    Hang in there--I'm here to help if you ever need to chat!

    Val

  17. Posted

    Name***********Starting****Current******Goal******ToGo

    Astrasmom.............254...............254...........170..............84

    Babe......................265...............265...........199.... .........66

    Band_Groupie........172.5...........167.5..........158..............9. 5

    BetsyB..................226.6.............226.6.........109...... .......117.6

    BobbieND..............224...............221.6.............175..... ........49

    Brigette.................198...............198.............150.... ........48

    crzytchr.................217...............217..............180.... ... ....37

    DANA36.................233...............233..............160...... .....73

    destined4thinness...215.5.............215.5..........150.............6 5.5

    ericanda1973..........198.5............198.5...........130......... ...68.5

    HummingBird..........204...............199..............150........ ....49

    jenibeni.................224...............221.5..............165..... .. .......57.5

    Jennih...................232................232..............130.... .......102

    KDEE....................240................240...............150...... ......90

    Lisa65...................174.5............174.5.............145..... ......29.5

    lotzasunshine.........247...............246.2.............175........ ...71.2

    newdicarlo.............187...............187................135...... . ...52

    ol55andahalf........184.................184................144........ .....40

    RandaPanda...........194...............191................150........ ....41

    scoutmama............270................270...............180........ ....90

    SNDYCNRD.............207...............207................140......... ...67

    TARASGIRL.............305...............302................225........ ....77

    TeriLu....................215...............215................150.. .... ......65

    TIGGER71G............224...............224................130....... ......94

    Tabithan...............244...............234................190....... ......44

    Valerie...............190...............190................150....... ......40

  18. Posted

    Hi Bethany,

    I was having similar symptoms recently, and finally saw my surgeon this week. Turns out I was too tight, and as a result I had stretched my pouch slightly and had some inflammation (food just wasn't getting through). He deflated my band some and told me to come back in 3 weeks, by which time he thinks the issue will have corrected itself, and I can get a fill. So I now have very little restriction, and I have to be very careful to monitor my portions so I'm not overeating between now and my next visit. I felt immediate relief with the unfill--no pain after eating and no reflux the past two days!

    Of course, your situation might be different--but I just wanted to share my experience and HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you see your surgeon sooner rather than later. In my situation, if I had gone on too much longer I could have done much more serious damage.

    Good luck to you!

    Val

  20. Posted

    Hi everyone,

    Was anyone banded by Dr. Galvani at DayOne Health in Chicago? I was banded by him about a year ago. I had my last appt with him about two months back, and called in last week to schedule a check-up since I'm coming up on my one year anniversary in a couple weeks. They told me that he no longer worked there--I was shocked! Shouldn't they have contacted his patients and let us know this? I should have asked the receptionist for more information but I just made an appt with the doctor who is taking over. I see him next week, but this has really been bugging me.

    Just wondering if anyone has more information on Dr. Galvani or advice/thoughts as to how to handle working with a new doctor.

    Thanks!

    Val

  22. Posted

    Hi Jan bandsters, I got banded on Jan 28th--can't believe it's almost been a year! So far I am down 100 lbs, with 40 more to go. 20 of those was lost in my pre-op diet, so 80 since surgery. Right now I'm down to pretty much the lowest weight I've been in my adult life, and have stalled over the past few weeks. Maybe it's a psychological thing? That, and all the holiday food temptations don't help, of course... I wasn't prepared for how easy it would be to get away from my routine around the holidays. Am really trying to keep on track with my exercise, but since Thanksgiving it's been hard!

    That said, I am so happy with my band and excited to Celebrate one year since I started my new life! Good luck to you all and congratulations!

    Val

  25. Posted

    Thanks everyone for your supportive comments--it's so great to have so many people cheering for you!

    In response to several questions:

    1. Habits: For the first 6 months, I wrote down every single thing I ate, religiously. I also wore a GoWear Fit (like a body bugg) to track my caloric output. I will admit that I got a bit obsessive, and eventually decided that I wanted to take a break from that--so for the past couple months, I've stopped both, just to see if I had trained my brain to do these things on my own. And I have been staying on track--but if my weight stalls or starts to go up, you can bet I'll go right back to those tools, because I know they were integral in my success from the start.

    I still weigh in once a week--same day same time-- and my bf takes my pictures at that time as well (in underwear, front, back, and side). While the scale isn't the "end all, be all" in my mind, the pictures don't lie! ;-)

    On those "down days" when I am not feeling that great about myself (those days when I still feel like the "old" me, and I have those days, trust me), the best remedy is to pull up my very first picture and look at it next to my most recent picture. It reminds me how far I've come, where I am at, and what I am capable of. I HIGHLY recommend it!

    2. Food: again, in the beginning I was VERY strict with myself, and followed my doctor's menu plan to a "t." I tracked all my food and had a set calorie restriction (800-1100 calories per day). This was so important both as I worked towards proper restriction with fills, and as I learned a new way to eat and relate to food. Once I had good restriction, and had found that my thinking toward food had begun to change, I started to open up to the idea of introducing "regular" foods back into my diet. I stopped drinking Protein shakes, too, and focused on getting my nutrition from "real" food. My bf and I got a farm share for the summer, which meant fresh veggies delivered every other week, so we cooked at home a lot and ate out rarely. But when we did eat out (or order in) we were sharing Entrees rather than ordering two full meals. He eats 2/3 and I eat 1/3--and am totally satisfied. I truly believe that w/o proper restriction, I would not be having the success I've found with the LAP-BAND®. Before LAP-BAND® I could eat and eat and eat...and then eat some more. It was as though I was never full, never satisfied--until I got to the point of completely overstuffed and in pain. Once I had good restriction, it was joyful to find satisfaction and fullness after eating only 1-2 cups of food. It was such a weird and happy sensation--I felt like celebrating every time I had food left on my plate! I guess it was just because I had never felt that before. Now, I don't feel like celebrating--it just feels normal. I eat when I'm hungry, and I'm no longer hungry all the time. For me, that means I eat the foods I want to eat, and am not afraid to enjoy them. My enjoyment no longer rests on being able to eat every last little crumb. I cannot stress enough--this is truly how the band has changed my life, in a way that no other diet/program/insane gimmick I've tried in the past has worked.

    3. Exercise: I have to say, I really love working out. I always thought I hated it, but that was because, from a very young age, I was afraid to participate--because I was always heavy. In my adult years I've ebbed and flowed. I'd get on a workout/diet kick, then would crash out on the diet and the working out would follow. I can't really explain why, because when I was in a workout routine, I always felt so amazing, and vowed I'd always remember that feeling and stay with it. But I didn't. Crazy how the mind works, I guess. That's my best insight... ;-)

    This time around, for whatever reason, my mind is different. I truly think it's the change in my relationship with food--and the feeling that the change is REAL and here to stay--that has kept me motivated to exercise. That, and the fact that I have seen real results. I started out just riding my bike to work (8 miles one way), then joined a fitness group in the summer that did outdoor "bootcamp style" workouts--I'd do 1-2 a week. In the bootcamp, one thing I had to do was run a mile. I didn't think I'd be able to do it, but I did. Which made me want to run 2 miles, which made me want to try a 5k. After the first 5k, I decided to do more! And after four 5ks, I decided to try a 15k. And I was able to do it. Every small victory has spurred me on. Plus, I just FEEL so good. I've also taken up bikram (hot) yoga, which I practice a couple times a week. It is like a complete cleansing for my body and mind--not to mention a killer workout. I leave there feeling so amazing in my own skin. I don't need to look in a mirror to see that I'm thinner--I feel different inside and know that my body is healthier. That keeps me going.

    I also have to say--and I'm of course only speaking for myself here--but the most important thing to come of this journey, and the key to making it a true life change, has been learning to not obsess! I used to be a compulsive overeater and binge eater. That was my outlet for a lifelong obsession with hating and judging my body. Once I got the band, I still had that obsession--for the first couple months I became fixated on every calorie I put in my mouth and every calorie I sweated out. Maybe I needed to do that in order to change, but that's not where I want to be forever. So recently I've really been trying to understand moderation, in all its forms. Rest, relaxation, and fun are essential! I don't want to think of exercise as punishment, and I don't want to be afraid of food. These are adjustments that might take a lifetime to make, but I am really trying to work on them every day--and take each day as it comes. So funny, just last night I was watching the show "Intervention" and heard this little saying "Inch by inch, it's a cinch. Yard by yard, it's pretty hard." I am taking this inch by inch (literally and figuratively!), and enjoying each day and each small victory. However you measure your success: by pounds lost, by inches lost, by clothing size, by something that doesn't have a number attached to it at all--just by how you feel about yourself--I think it's so important to see each step on the journey as a goal, and each small goal as a triumph. The thought of losing 140 pounds was terrifying for me--it felt so far away. But losing 2-3 pounds...I thought, that's easy enough, right? And every 2 pound victory gave me confidence to lose the next 2. Now I'm 100 pounds down. And I'm so excited for the future--102 down, here I come!

    Val

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