Catherine55

Welcome!! I am glad to hear that things are going so well for you! I read the blogs of two girls (ok, women!) in their 20s and thought you might like them too -- here are links: i am in repair... (she just put up a great vlog that you might find interesting -- I thought it was really inspirational, very honest and gives great insight to her process) The other one is: Changes I hope that you enjoy this process and wish you the very best!! Catherine

Congratulations on your decision!! I hope it goes really well. Welcome to bandland! :laugh: Catherine

One more thing I forgot to mention! This site is actually a HUGE source of support and information for me. If you aren't getting the kind of support you need from friends and family, I think you may be surprised to find how great the support you get on here is. :laugh: Catherine

I didn't tell most family and friends until after I'd made up my mind -- and some I didn't tell until after the surgery. There were a few select people whose input I really wanted to consider in making my decision, and I was lucky that they were all really supportive. Honestly, I'd expected a fair amount of nay-saying and "why can't you just go back to Weight Watchers" in the mix, but I didn't get that at all. For me, getting banded has put an end to YEARS of feeling bad about my weight and feeling powerless in the battle of the bulge. Even though on the way up, I felt huge at 177, now I'm thrilled to find that I fit into size 14 again, and shopping has become fun again. I know myself well enough to know that there is no way I could have adhered to any diet for the nine months it has taken me to get to this point. And even if I'd been able to make it through nine months, I can't imagine that I'd still feel as motivated, positive, and ready to get the rest of the way to goal (and keep it off for life) that I do now. I'd recommend that you keep researching the band and show your husband the blogs of bandsters who write about their progress and post their photos (you're welcome to show him mine, and I'm a big fan of many others, including Lise the Loser and all the other ones that I follow). Also, there is a book called Weight Loss with the Adjustable Gastric Band (sold on Amazon.com) that I found really helpful when I was making my decision. By the time I talked to most family and friends, I had really done a lot of research about the surgery and weighed out the pros and cons. I think that helped show them that my decision was well-reasoned and thought out. I'm not sure if you used that approach already, but if not, give it a shot! With best wishes, Catherine

P.S. If it makes you feel any better, I actually gained 5 pounds during the period you are in right now. But it's long gone now! Catherine

Totally don't worry -- you're just not at good restriction yet! Hopefully they will get you there on the 4th. Once that happens, you'll start losing and will be out of "Bandster Hell" for good! Best, Catherine

I didn't have this with someone who was mean to me, but just had one with someone who totally broke my heart last weekend. I saw my ex-boyfriend at a wedding -- the whole time we dated, I was in the 220-230 range. He never took issue with my weight and told me all of the time that he thought I was beautiful. THAT SAID. . . running into him 50+ pounds thinner and feeling fit, healthy and vital was really great. He looked totally blown away and told me several times how great he thought I looked. I actually posted photos from the event and some before/after shots on my blog during the last few days. Feel free to take a look! Catherine

Good luck! It's a great tool! Sometimes I think of my weight loss in terms of years (i.e. years of damage I did by gaining so much weight). I'm pretty much back in 2004 at this point! :biggrin: Best wishes, Catherine

Hi! What you are feeling is totally normal! I went through the same thing. I even took the time to write out a pro/con list, which was really helpful. I looked at it whenever I was doubting my decision, since it set out all of the facts plainly and made it plain to me that getting banded was the right thing for me. If you want to see the list, you can find it here: Chronicles from Band Land: Reflections on my Pre-Op Journal. I'm sure you've got your own pros & cons, but writing them out can be a big help! Best wishes, Catherine

Congratulations! I went with a doctor who a friend had used (Dr. Rumbaut in Monterrey -- I was self-pay) and who had very good reviews on this site and an incredible amount of experience. One book that I really found helpful before I had my surgery was this one -- Amazon.com: Weight Loss Surgery with the Adjustable Gastric Band: Everything You Need to Know Before and After Surgery to Lose Weight Successfully (9781600940026): Robert Sewell M.D., Linda Rohrbough: books -- if you're looking for a good guide on what to expect, mentally and physically, I found this to be a great resource. I hope it goes well with your Dr! Catherine

Welcome!! That is really so nice of you -- I'm sure your husband must appreciate all of your support! I can recommend a good book for you -- it's called Weight Loss with the Adjustable Gastric Band. I bought mine on Amazon.com and I found it really helpful. Best wishes, Catherine

You are on full liquids, right?? No reason for you to be hungry! Go and buy some turkey chili from a Soup place (or some other hearty soup) and put it in a blender with some chicken broth to thin it out a little. You can use Greek yogurt (I like the Fage brand) as sour cream. Yum! You do not need to go hungry during this period -- time to start finding some soups that you like! One thing I will say is that . . if you put hot soup in a blender, REMEMBER NOT TO CLOSE THE TOP ALL OF THE WAY, or it will pop off and splatter hot soup everywhere. I have some good soup recipes on my blog -- the Mexican chicken one with cheese is really good, and you can blend it before eating. Hang in there! Catherine

Welcome! And, congratulations on your surgery! Mine went really well, too -- I just had that nagging shoulder pain afterwards, and that was the worst part (the pain was no where near as bad as I thought it would be)! I hope all continues to go really well for you! You are in for some exciting positive changes. Catherine

Ug, yes . . the gas pain! Horrible stuff! That's interesting that Dr. Fielding is doing the 2 incision surgery with one through the bellybutton. I go to Dr. Ren (his wife, who shares his office) for my follow-up work (had my surgery in Mexico with Dr. Rumbaut. I had the 2-incision surgery, too, but the main incision is about 2 inches long, so it's not quite as attractive as if it was hidden in my bellybutton! Be sure to say hi if you see me in the waiting room at the Dr's office. You'll be feeling much better in a day or two. Congratulations on your surgery! Catherine

Welcome to the club! I gained 5 pounds during "Bandster Hell," too! A lot of people gain during this time. Don't worry -- just stick to the diet as well as possible and any gain will come off once you are filled to decent restriction. Hang in there! Check out everyone's stats -- plenty of us who gained like you are doing have lost a ton of weight since that time! Catherine

I also had 75 lbs to lose when I was banded last October. So far, I'm 52 pounds down, and I'm only nine months out (almost to the day). Exercise is NOT a problem -- I do a very boot camp program that involves running, weights, pushups and situps, and have not had a problem at all. Also, my doctor told me it was fine for me to do this. (Check out my blog if you want more info.) I love my band. I love it that it was a less invasive surgery than the bypass and that it could be reversed if I hated it (which I don't). It helps me to manage my hunger and stops me from overeating. I also love it that most people who are banded do not regain their weight later on. For me, this was a great decision and I am very happy with my choice. Also, since you only have 75 lbs to lose, bypass seems pretty drastic to me. Definitely ask your doctor about that. Best wishes for you to make the decision that is best for you, Catherine

Best wishes for a safe surgery!! Welcome to band land! :thumbup:

I know that some BCBS plans cover the surgery. I went private pay (about $8K), but my insurance covers my fills anyway, much to my happy surprise! Definitely call up your carrier and ask -- you probably have to do a 6 month physician monitored diet before you can qualify for coverage. So, better to figure that out now and start the clock ticking while you are making up your mind! Best wishes, Catherine

It took until I was about 25 lbs down for anyone who didn't know about my surgery to notice. That was more than 10% of my body weight (I started at 230), so it sounds like that may be the magical point! Definitely take your measurements if you haven't already. It feels great to be able to see how many inches you are losing, especially when (a) the scale is moving slowly; and ( you have a hard time seeing the change on yourself because it is so gradual. Photos are good landmarks, too! Congrats on being 30 down! Catherine

Some time before I hit 50 pounds down, my shoe size went back to an 8 1/2 -- when I was at my heaviest, I was wearing a 9. Catherine

I'm there too -- 2.85 ccs in my 5 cc band did the trick! No pain at all, and I can eat enough so that I don't look weird when I'm out to dinner with people who don't know I am banded. I could be better about not drinking with my meals though! Catherine

Definitely take your measurements so that you have something to chart your progress against! It's so fantastic to be able to count all of the inches you are losing (not to mention interesting to see where you are losing from)! Also, one thing I did that one of my lap band books recommended was to write out a "Post Op Plan for Success." It's just a list of the things I committed to do to help myself make the most of being banded. I posted it on my blog about a month ago -- feel free to take a look if you are interested. That was very helpful. Also, I printed out a calendar and marked out my pre-op diet, post-op liquids and mushies phase. I found it helpful to have it all right in front of me like that, and that also helped me figure out how to deal with social commitments during the weeks right after surgery. 2 days of liquids is not a bad pre-op diet at all. I had to do 3 days, and it was totally fine. The only thing that was stressful for me was being around other people who were eating. I carried boullion cubes in my purse and found it really helpful to be able to have some broth when I couldn't avoid being with others who were eating. I hope that helps! Congratulations on your surgery! Catherine

Not to worry! Scientifically speaking, if you follow the rules and get an appropriate fill, you can't help but lose weight! I love my band -- it has made this process so much easier. My loss has been slower than some, but I am still very thrilled. If I had spent the last 9 months un-banded, I'd probably be up at least 10 lbs from my starting point, instead of down more than 50! Best of luck to you, Catherine

BTW, I also really recommend taking your measurements now so that you have a record of your starting point. I've really enjoyed seeing how many inches I've been losing, especially when I go through a plateau. The pro/con list was great for calming me down when I was having doubts, too. And, in retrospect, the things I was scared about turned out not to be a big deal at all. :cursing: Catherine

Hi! Congratulations on your decision!! I was really nervous before my surgery, too. One thing I did was to make a pro/con list and I even took it into the hospital with me, just in case I wanted the reassurance of reading it! As it turned out, everything was just fine. The surgery really wasn't that painful (only real pain was from the gas they used, and it wasn't that horrible). And, 9 months and 50+ pounds later, I can tell you that it was completely worth it!! I blogged about my surgery back in October and posted my pro/con list about a month ago -- feel free to check it out! (Link below.) Best wishes to all the newbies who posted on here!! See you in Bandland! :cursing: Catherine