JulieNYC

It took getting my third fill and TEN cc's in my VG band before I even felt like I had a band! Now I'm on the losing path. Hang in there. I hesitate to tell you what I thought, but in case it helps on any level, I will. When I finally got restriction, I realized it was like the first time you have an orgasm. You may have thought you had it before, but once you've really had it, there's no doubt. If you're still questioning if you've got appropriate restriction, you don't have it yet. Good luck and consider another fill.

Do NOT allow yourself to think negative thoughts about the band until you've had several fills. It took me to fill #3 to even feel like I had a band. You have to know that going in so that your brain can fight your heart when you're feeling let down in the early days. This is the time for healing, not for weightloss. If it fits with your Dr's instructions, try pureed cottage cheese and marinera sauce (equal parts of each). YUM and filling. Good luck! You'll be on the losing side in no time.

I don't know how you didn't deck him, Cloe. Someone on the street oinked at me once. What had happened didn't really click until it was too late to figure out who it was (it was in midtown Manhattan on lunch hour), but if it ever happened again, I'd deck them. Self defense of the soul.

Hi 30 somethings. I'm Julie, from Alabama but living in Yankee-land (NYC), as my family calls it. I'm a lawyer, single (except for a recurring relationship that springs anew every few months), 33 years old, no children (yet). I was banded in April by Dr. Fielding at NYU. I'm down 33 lbs to date and glad to finally have what I hope will be a good fill. I get to the gym pretty often and meet with a trainer a couple of times a week to make sure I go. My pre-band downfalls were ordering food instead of preparing healthy things. Mexican food is the enimy! Lastly, I'm vegetarian, if anyone is interested in sharing veggie ideas, particularly getting in enough Protein.

My experience was great. I asked for an early surgery so I'd have the choice of going home if everything went well. I checked in, put on the gown and socks the hospital provided (I worried beforehand that the gown would be too small, but it was plenty big), met with the anesthetist, who started my IV. The "worst" part was that the nurse took my eyeglasses before I was allowed to walk to the OR, so she had to lead me into the room. I can't really describe what it looked like because I'm blind as a bat. I remember the anesthetist saying in a minute he was going to count backwards, but I was out before he started counting. I woke up in recovery and the nausia was worse than the pain, so they gave me nausia meds that took effect immediately, making me much more comfy. Got my glasses back in recovery, where I stayed for about 2 hours due to the nausia. Surgery was at 8, I was in my room by about 11. Ice chips are great! I walked as soon as they'd let me and walked every half hour until they discharged me at about 3. I slowly walked up the 4 flights of stairs to my apartment and took to my recliner for the night. I took a pain pill but it made me nausiated and I wasn't really in pain, so I switched to liquid tylenol the next time. Night #2, I was able to sleep on my stomach flat in my bed. Day 3, I went to work because I was bored and tired of TV!

Well, I had fill #3 today and it was great! I was very vocal about how I didn't feel anything, even though I already had 7.6 in my VG band, so they took a more aggressive fill approach. They put the needle in while I was standing, and had me drink Water slowly while filling me until I could tell the water wasn't draining very fast. Then they backed out just a little so I wouldn't be too tight. So, I left with 10.0 in my band. I'm going to strictly follow the liquids and mushies that my doc recommends for 4 days, particularly given how aggressive the fill was. Even if I'm too tight (not that I think I am, just in the hypothetical), I'm glad to feel SOMETHING. Yea!

Hello April group. Sounds like many of us are in the same boat -- i.e. banded and glad about it but looking for that ever elusive "sweet spot." I'm going for fill #3 tomorrow. I'm just not there, restriction wise. I'm full for longer, but still able to eat large quantities. Trying to focus on eating just enough to not be hungry, but then I get hungry faster. Wish I could snap my fingers and be at perfect restriction. I'll let you know how fill #3 goes. Take care,

Congratulations MYCHEVYGIRL!! You rock the house! Way to go and keep it up again this month! Woohoo! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

[withdrawn, but I'll be back next month!] _________________________________

Marcy, Wanna race to Twoterville? It might help us both get there a little quicker and I'm giving you a 7 lb head start! Wink,

I had exactly the same thing! I thought it was a delayed reaction to having been off my anti-depressants for 4 days post-op, but when I mentioned it in passing to my doc, he said it's a common side effect of anesthesia. Go figure. I wish I'd have known because I wouldn't have worried about it so much. I went in for my second fill today. Looking forward to testing it out and seeing if I have some restriction this time. If not, they will just have to give me a third next week! Good luck to you all,

Yes, I'm totally back to normal. I had a very easy recovery. I took a week off work but went back to work 1/2 days on post-op day 3 because I was so bored and felt perfectly well enough to sit at a desk. I got tired more easily for about 3 weeks. After about a month, I had no residual pain at all, no matter how I stretched or slept or lifted, etc. You'll be healed in no time! The hardest part is the infamous "Bandster Hell." I gained back 7 of the lbs I'd lost waiting on my first fill, but I quickly lost those and more. Good luck!

I chew a sugar free gum with a STRONG flavor that I don't necessarily love -- for me, it's spearmint. Kind of turns me off food if the taste is overpowering enough. Also, I eat a fair amount of ice pops. Flavo-r-Ice makes one with Splenda that only has 2.5 cals! You could eat those all day if you wanted to, not that that is the goal....

I make a yummy green curry tofu. Cubed tofu, fried in Pam until as much of the water is out as you like. Take tofu off heat. Pam fry snap peas, carrots and water chestnuts on high heat. Add in 2T green curry sauce (and brand you like). Stirfry for about 5 min then add back in the tofu. My recipe has about 275 cals per serving and I usually can't eat it all.

Actually, Inamed makes 3 sizes. There is a 9.75 cm that holds around 4 cc's, a 10 cm that also holds around 4 cc, and the 11 cm Vanguard that holds around 11 ccs. I agree with you that the Vanguard can be a better band (it has a pillow design in the area that holds the saline that some say allows for more textures to pass through), but my surgeon says that it's really about stomach size. You need the band that is right for your stomach and that often isn't known until they're performing the procedure. I'm so glad your slip was safely and quickly fixed! Welcome to Bandlandia.

I have only told three close friends and (reluctantly) my parents. I wasn't keen on telling my dad because he's a plastic surgeon and, by my perception, has always been among the most judgmental people in my life about my weight. I told him because despite our issues about my weight, we have a good relationship and though this was a very low risk surgery, it's still surgery. It would have hurt me a lot if he'd had surgery and didn't tell me, so I told him. I haven't told my colleagues (except for two close friends), which is a little weird because we're all very close. I just wanted a little time to myself with this to get to know it without having to educate the world. It's so the right choice for me. I'm sure I'll be more open about it when my success starts showing, but for the moment, it feels very personal to me and I'm glad to keep it quiet.

I'm so glad to have this thread. I can share this with you guys and know you'll understand! Today the scale registered 329. This was somewhat of a memorable SV for me as it occurred to me that most scales would now weigh me. Most home scales only weigh to 330. Before I bought my obesity scale that weighs to 440, all I got was an error message. Alas, no more! 2 more lbs and my BMI willl leave the 60s for good. Then 27 lbs from there to Twoterville. If only I could snap my fingers! Take care and Happy Memorial Day.

Hi all! I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian. Vegetarian foods are great with the band. I've had no problems at all yet (knock on wood). I do a lot of stirfry. Firm tofu, snap peas, Water chestnuts & carrots cooked with Pam for about 5 minutes is quick and simple. I eat 3-4 Morningstar chicken patties a week as well. Taco salad with Morningstar crumbles and black Beans is another favorite. I've been cooking a lot more since banding, which is great for the pocketbook and the waistline! Let's keep this thread going. It's hard to find a good vegetarian bandster support system. Take care,

Karen, For my esophogram, the technician flavored the barium. I chose chocolate and though I'd never volunteer to drink the stuff, it was palatable. I wouldn't even call it "choking it down" -- it just wasn't that bad. The whole thing lasted about 45 seconds and you don' gulp continuously. It's a swallow "click", you turn, take another swallow "click", you turn, a third time and it's over. I bet I only drank a shotglass full -- certainly not the whole 8 oz cup they mixed for me. Good luck!

Well, I had my first fill yesterday and BOY was it time. I'd been so hungry and able to eat absolutely everything and in large quantity. I tried not to, but I didn't always succeed. I have a VG band (holds 10+ cc's) and they gave me 6.2 (it had 4 in it from surgery, so it was an additional 2.2). I'm on liquids/mushies for 2 days, so I don't really know how this adjustment feels yet. For any of you who are worried about the fill process, it was NOTHING. I'm not sure I'd have even felt it if the NP hadn't said "you might feel a pinch." It was less pain than pulling an eyebrow hair. I'm down 26 lbs -- would have been more were it not for all the nachos :heh: I ate last week. I'm off to the gym tonight to make amends. Take care all,

I'm definitely afraid to be thin, but not so afraid that I'm not giving it my all at the moment. Part of my obesity definitely stems from a fear of the attention I get when I'm thin. I don't like walking down the street and having men leer at me, shout things, etc. One of the few upsides of obesity (at least sometimes it's an upside) is anonymity. It's not the only factor of my weight problem, but it's one of them. I also greatly identify with the posts that suggest it will be difficult to live life without having the fat to blame for your problems or to provide you with an easy excuse for not doing things. It's been a scapegoat for me for too long.

I'm doing great amourette, thanks for asking. I ordered a scale off Ebay and it should be delivered today, so I can't wait to start weighing. I had lost 18 lbs (including the pre-op diet) as of my 10 day post-surgery appointment, but I think it must be more by now. I don't go back to the doc until May 30th, which seems like forever. At least it's finally THIS month! Other mushie ideas -- 1/3 can of vegetarian refried beans with enchalada sauce mixed in is YUM. Also Total Yogurt (all the rage on the east coast of the US right now) tastes like sour cream and has 16 grams of protein, 80 cals and no fat. It's my new favorite food. Also, for those who have a Trader Joe's in town (a grocery store), don't miss out on the Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper soup that comes in a box. It's the most fabulous 100 calories & 5 grams of protein I know of! Finally, last night I boiled a head of cauliflower, mixed in a Total yogurt and 2 servings of fat free cheese. Blenderized it (in my Magic Bullet -- love that thing), put it in a casserole dish and broiled it for 5 minutes. YUM and only 50 cals for 1/5 of the dish, which is more than I could eat.

When I get to 299, I'm getting a kick@ss haircut at a super fancy salon. Might be as soon as next month! When I get to 249 I'm getting 2 placesettings of my china that I can't really afford but love. When I get to 199 I'm getting the watch I'll wear for the rest of my life (I don't have it picked out yet). When I get to 149, I'm taking a 2 week vacation to Fiji. Wahoo! It's all very materialistic, but it keeps me thinking about the future and not being so caught up in the LOOONNNNGGG journey ahead of me.

Teresita! That is so exciting!!! Congratulations on entering the threes!

I had my lap band placed on 4/10/06 at NYU and I had a BMI of 64. It was a textbook perfect surgery and I was voluntarily back at work 3 days later. As I understand it, the increased risk is with the anesthesia. My doc had done at least 250 people larger than me, so I believe it's absurd for someone to tell you you can't be banded due to your size. Follow the pre-op diet religiously (assuming they give you one) to reduce the risks of surgery. Good luck,