auntlucy

SunriseinPA, you are definitely an inspiration! Thank you for sharing your story with us. I'm sorry to hear you had to go through all of that, but you should be so proud of yourself for making the lilfestyle changes as if you had the band. You must be so incredibly proud of yourself! Keep up the good work! We all know the band is just a tool and then it's up to us. You are doing it without the tool! Way to go!

Hi! I live in McKinney, TX and work in Dallas! I was banded in March, and so far things are going well. It has certainly been an exciting journey so far. Good luck tomorrow! Who is your surgeon?

One thing I've definitely learned from this site is that every doctor is different. For 6 weeks after surgery, I was on liquids (and that seems pretty normal). That included low fat/sodium soups (tomato soup, cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, etc.), sugar fee pudding, sugar free jello, protein drinks. Once through the 6 weeks of liquids, the doctor had me food process (to consistency of cole slaw) lean chicken and fish, vegetables, and certain fruits. After those two weeks, I eat lean protein (fish, chicken, lean beef/pork), certain fruits, certain vegetables. Alot of people on this site say they eat just about everything they eat before...just smaller portions. I also have a lot of work events that I go to, and I can almost always find something that will work for me. I do carry protein supplement with me that I can add to water in case nothing works. I hope this helped!

Hi Tx Chelsey! I was also banded by Dr. Hamn (on March 10th). When I met with Dr. Hamn during my first post-op visit, he told me to not worry about losing weight yet. He told me to focus first on letting my body heal from the surgery. Once my body was healed, he told me to focus on making the lifestyle changes. I also gained about 5 pounds after I started solid foods and that 5 pounds came off pretty slow at first. Your body is adapting to all of the changes and stress that it's been through. Try not to worry about that. Instead, put your energy into making the right food choices. Dr. Hamn told me to stick to lean Protein, salad, veggies, and fruit. For the most part I have done that, and I'm doing well. Is it coming off as fast as I would like? Of course not. But, it is coming off at a healthy rate. I take my own food weith me almost everywhere I go. That way I know I will have a choice if the food there does not work for my new lifestyle. If you feel like you need more of a fill, I agree that you should call Dr. Hamn's office. I'm sure they will talk you through it. Good luck! You can do this. Feel free to reach out to me any time if you need some support!

I had to take it slow and easy when I first started back on the reformer and particularly any of the exercises that involve a lot of articulation of the spine and core. Simple footwork on the reformer didn't seem to bother me much. Just listen to your body! Let me know if any of you check out gyrotonics. I absolutely love it. When I do it, I completely get lost in my own world. I can't even keep count of how many I'm doing because I go off into some la la land. You can get such great stretches in your back. That's actually why I started doing pilates...back problems after a car accident. The 2nd place I went for physical therapy does pilates-based PT, and they also have gyrotonics. The equipment for it is really strange looking...some say it looks like a torture device. And the movement on it is equally as bizarre at first. It uses a lot of the same principles as pilates. If you check it out, I hope you enjoy it...it's certainly not as common as pilates yet.

My surgeon didn't do my fill until 2 months post op. All of our bodies heal differently and at different rates. gdf18, when you go for your appointment, tell your doctor that you still feel swollen and that you get full very quickly. If you don't think you need a fill yet, I wouldn't get one. I'm a big believer that we need to listen to our bodies, and if yours is telling you you don't need one yet, I wouldn't do it. Good luck!

I've also only had one fill, and I'm scheduled for my second a few days before yours, Judy! I don't feel much restriction either. After reading some of the stories on this forum, I'm glad that my doctor doesn't fill very rapidly and just does a little at a time. I'm sure you and I will both find that perfect fill before long. It sounds like you are doing fantastic! Who cares if you aren't restricted yet...you have lost 45 pounds in 2 months!

I used Dr. Hamn in Plano. It has been a great experience and I would highly recommend him. Good luck with your decision!

I lived off of Tomato soup, especially in weeks 2 through 4 post op. I was limited to the soups I could have b/c my doctor told me he wanted me to eat low fat, low sodium soups--fortunately, many tomato soups fit that bill. I specifically asked him if I could have it, and he said I could. What's funny is that I didn't even like plain tomato soup before the surgery (of course I liked the high fat variations of tomato basil), but now I crave tomato soup. Last night I was talking to a friend who was going to pick up pizza and breadsticks for his family, and I thought, "Yuck...that doesn't even sound good! I think my body would reject it at this point." But then, my mind went straight to wanting tomato soup.

I've experience that too...I have to go at least once an hour. My commute to work is a little over an hour each way. Even though I go before I leave work, there are days I have to stop somewhere on my drive home b/c I just can't make it until I get home. There are times I'm in a meeting and have to excuse myself multiple times to go to the bathroomo. Sometimes it's worse than other times. Hang in there!

AmyJoy, don't beat yourself up too much. You did it. You know it was a mistake. Now you can choose to do what's right for your healing and health moving forward.

I was also told it could dehydrate you and that is more of an issue after surgery since you can only take in so much liquid. They probably want you to get off of caffeine before surgery so you don't go into withdrawal.

Hang in there Sarah8714! You will adjust to this...it just requires you to change just about everything you do! :biggrin2: I was banded 3/10, and I've found that if I put my fork down between every bite and forced myself to chew each bite until there was nothing left to chew that I did a lot better. Sometimes it takes me 40 minutes to eat my tiny portions. I'm also a TX girl! I live in McKinney (30 miles north of Dallas). Unfortunately I have more to lose than you, but I'm on my "weigh" down! Way to go for getting the tool you need to be healthier! I'm sure it will make all the difference in your life (and your daughter's life)!

My surgeon recommended fingernail polish remover. He just warned not to get it too close or in the incision. I have to admit that I didn't do that though. I thought it would be too painful if it got in the incision. :thumbup: Plus, I found out I was allergic to the adhesive strips they used, and I had big whelps where the bandages were. So, I just used soap and water and worked on it a little each day until the residue was all gone.

I've only had one fill so far, and am not very restructed. But, here is my typical menu: Breakfast: 21 g New whey Protein Bullet mixed with 20 oz crystal lite...I sip on it for a couple of hours typically Lunch: 2 oz protein (usually chicken or fish); 1 cup salad (mixed greens, shredded carrots, a few nuts, etc) with 2 T fat free dressing Dinner: 2 oz protein and 1/2 c cooked veggies and small piece of fruit if still hungry Snack: if I'm hungry during the day, I may have a small piece of fruit or a sf pudding or yogurt

I had a very similar experience. Keep doing what you are doing and you will see the results again. I lsot 18 pounds the first two weeks after surgery. Then, the doctor put me on mushies/shredded food, and I gained about 4 pounds back. I just told myself that my body was reacting to the changes and that plateaus are normal.

I'm not trying to talk you into doing it, but I did think through some of those things before I made the decision. My surgeon also told me that the average is 50% of excess weight. But, I told myself that was the average...if I really committed myself to lifestyle, eating, behavior, and exercise changes, my chances of losing much more than the 50% were strong. Plus, my weight has only increased over time. So, if the band can help me maintain a healthier weight in the long run, then I would be doing well. It sounds to me like you are having second thoughts...very normal. I had a surgery date 3 years ago and cancelled it a week before the surgery. It turned out it just wasn't my time. Good luck with making a decision that is right for you!

I saved for some time to get my own equipment. It was definitely a dream realized for me. The studio I go to doesn't have night (after 7) or weekend hours, so I was constantly struggling to get there. And since pilates is one of the only forms of exercise that I not only enjoy but CRAVE, it was important to me that I'm able to do it when I want to. Plus, I thought it would help with my weight loss and toning. Have you tried gyrotonics? If you love pilates, you'd probably like gyrotonics just as much.

wsw27, I'm glad there's another pilates junkee out there! I've been doing pilates with a reformer and trapeze/cadillac for two years. I was very nervous before my surgery that I wouldn't be able to do it after being banded. My surgeon assured me that I would be able to get back to it, and I did! I followed the same rules after surgery as before...if it hurts, stop. It did take a rew weeks before I was able to get back to all of it, but the good news is that I am back to all of it now. As a matter of fact, I just bought my own reformer cadillac combo so I don't have to be confined to the pilates studio hours! Good luck!

beth443, While the band will limit how much you can eat at one time and will have consequences if you don't follow them, you need to keep in mind that the band is a tool, and not that magic wand that we all wish was available. If you went to the hardware store and bought a hammer, it's up to you to use the hammer the right way to achieve the desired results. The band is the same. You have to make changes to what, how, when, and why you eat. There are definitely ways to eat around the band, and I think that's what jrg1979 was referring to. Good luck with your decision. It took me a few years to make it, and so far I'm glad I made it. But, it's definitely a personal decision that you need to make sure you are ready for.

Congratulations! I know that does feel great. I've been wearing clothes that I haven't worn in some time. My mom started saying, "Is that new?" And I answered, "Yes, I went closet shopping!" Now she just says, "I haven't seen that before. Closet?":lol:

Yesterday I had to rush to the ER, but not because of something I ate. I had a kidney stone. I've only had one previous experience with a kidney stone a few years ago when I went on Medifast, a high protein liquid diet, for 3 weeks. Since I'm taking a lot of protein supplements, I've been concerned about getting another kidney stone, and unfortunately that happened. I've been drinking a lot of water since being banded. Has anyone else had problems with kidney stones after lap band surgery?

You can do this! No one ever said it would be easy, and I'm sure we have all experienced similar feeling. Two weeks after surgery, my doctor told me to let him worry about me losing weight. He said my job was to focus on healing my body. Once my body was healed, he told me to worry about learning how to eat the right foods and how to change my behaviors. I too do not feel very restricted (I've had one fill), and there have been days when I've wondered if I'm losing weight fast enough. But then I remind myself that the band is not a magic wand--it's just a tool, and it's up to me what I do with that tool. If you are really struggling with depression through this, you might want to reach out to a counselor (did you see one pre-op)? It might help you to be able to talk openly and honestly about what's going on. I went to a great counselor pre-op, and I told her that I wanted to be able to call and schedule an appointment with her post surgery if I needed to. I haven't yet, but I know that she is there if I need her. Also, I journaled some when I was feeling a little depressed after my surgery, and it helped to get my feelings on paper. I also keep a food, drink and exercise log to stay on top of what I'm putting in my body. You really can do it! It's normal to have these feelings.

Well, this is my second time to reply to this thread...the first time my response was deleted when I hit spell check. : ( Oh well, here I go again: 1. how long did it take before you returned to eating normal food -- My doctor had me on liquids for 2 weeks. After that, he had me on shredded and mushie food. Basically I had to food process my approved foods to the consistency of cole slaw for 2 weeks. He had me do that to learn what the consistency should be to help know how much to chew. 2. are there some foods you still can not eat??? -- I only eat what my doctor told me to eat, so I'm not really sure if there are some things that I can't handle. I'm primarily eating Protein (chicken/fish), vegetables, certain fruit, yogurt, etc. 3. did you really give up diet pop??? -- Yep! The hardest for me was giving up sparkling Water. I still crave one, but I've done well with it. Like the other poster, I drink a lot of crystal lite now. There are a lot of flavors, and you can keep it with you and use it in bottled water or at restaurants. 4. how long did it take you to learn to chew your food??? -- probably a week...that wasn't difficult for me. Of course, I've only had one fill and it may be harder as my band is more and more restricted. 5. is vomitting a part of your new life?? -- I have not vomited even once since my surgery. 6. how long after surgery did you return to work?? -- One week (it seemed a little fast for me...it was hard going back to work, but fortunately I have the most understanding boss in the world and she would make sure I left early or worked half days my first week back. Good luck in your decision. I hope my answers have helped. I just encourage you to really think about why you want the surgery. It is not a magic fix. You still have to make the right choices. You just need to view the band as a tool to help you through your journey. I wish you all the best!

I agree with the previous post! You are doing great. 3 lbs in a week is fantastic. I was banded 3/10, and my weight loss in that 11 weeks has definitely had its slower periods. Your body is still adjusting to all of this. The thing that has worked for me so far is to just follow the plan the doctor gave me exactly. He told me to eat protein, vegetables, and fruit...and that's what I eat. He also told me not to worry about losing weight for a while, but to first focus on letting my body fully heal and then focus on changing my lifestyle. He told me he would let me know when to worry about losing weight. (He may never have to tell me that b/c of course it's going to happen when you change the way you approach things. I've only had 1 fill (a few weeks ago) and my second is not for another 5 or 6 weeks. I don't feel restriction. I can eat more than I feel like I should. But, I try to listen to my body's cues of when I'm hungry and full. I don't feel hungry all the time, but I also don't feel full. I'm kind of enjoying the lighter feeling of not feeling stuffed! Hang in there! You really are doing a great job. Tell yourself that!