JuneAct2

You guys hang in there! This isn't a crash diet this time. This is the rest of your life. Make an eating plan to get you through this first phase and do the best you can to stick to it. Go back religiously for your fills until you get good restriction. Yes, it stinks right now, but eventually you'll get to the point where you're not eating much at all and you're not hungry! Be patient. To keep from eating a huge amount, don't order a huge amount! BTW, unless you eat the hashbrowns, bacon, and toast...a cheese omelet is not that bad! Next time ask them to make you a 1 egg, or 2 egg omelet. Or, split it with someone. The band is a tool! You have to learn to use the tool properly! I'm not preaching, I struggle too. I am apparently having a better day than some of you and want to help pick you back up! Good luck to you!

My husband and I solved the eating out part by sharing a plate. He's a meat and potatoes guy, so we order a steak with his potatoes and a side of veggies for me. I cut off a small piece of his steak, eat my veggies and watch him go! He's happy...I'm a cheap date now! I also told my daughters this weekend (age 20 and 22) that when we go out to lunch, if they want me to pay then they have to share their food with me. Saturday at lunch I ate a 4oz cup of chili ($2.99) and the total food bill for all of us was $27.00! Hey, I get what I need, and they don't overeat at the same time! Works for me!

Be sure you are sipping, not gulping. And try to exhale before you swallow to reduce the amount of air you swallow. I also found that sitting up REAL straight seemed to help as well. You still have swelling (our stomachs don't like to be poked and pulled), but it will get better. Don't worry about weight gain/loss right now. Your only concern for the next 6-8 weeks is HEALING! I cannot stress this enough. You will have the band for the rest of your life. Be patient. The first couple of months can be difficult until you get enough fills to get restriction. Between now and then, be patient. Follow your doctor's orders. Make an eating plan to get you through the rough days, and you will do fine.

My surgeon would have cancelled my surgery if I didn't have someone to drive me home. I had surgery on Friday, and didn't drive again until Monday. Even then it was only 8 blocks to my office. There is no way I could have driven the 2 hours home from the surgery center by myself. They doped me up for the ride home!

Only you know the relationship you have with your son, and how the two of you handle issues that come up. I raised 2 daughters alone after our divorce and our deal was we would always be honest with each other. When I had surgery the first time, I explained what I was having surgery on, but not all the details, to my oldest daughter. She didn't need that, she just needed to feel certain that I would wake up afterwards. I felt that had I not told her and something DID happen, she would feel I had betrayed her trust, and she would have carried that for the rest of her life. She came to the hospital with me and she cried when they took me to surgery. My best friend (her second mom) stayed with her and reassured her that I'd be okay. Everything turned out fine, and today she is more honest with me than I would like! I hope this helps in some small way.

Heather, My heart goes out to you. I cannot imagine my husband not being supportive of my band choice. It has been the greatest thing I could have done. That being said, my husband did say that he could see himself being jealous after I lose the weight. He went through a short spell of worrying that I would "ditch" him after I got "all skinny and sexy again". It's possible that your husband has a few secret worries of his own. I am a little over 2 months out and I've only lost 25 lbs, but it has already made a tremendous change in our relationship. I am able to get out and do more and we are starting to really have fun again. Make sure to reassure him of his importance in your life and let him know you'll be there. As for the side effects you mentioned, I have had NONE of these. I have not lost a single hair due to my band, have not PB'd a single time (I chew my food extremely well), and my gallbladder is rocking along just fine. The worst thing I had was shoulder pain from the gas lodged against my diaphram after surgery (downward facing dog helps this). I have 4 small scars less than 1/2", and one less than 2" across my belly halfway between my breasts and my navel. All have completely healed to thin pink lines that fade more each day. Show these posts to your husband, talk about them, and listen to what he is really saying. Putting it off won't change the risks involved. And, yes all surgery carries risks. I have had several surgeries involving different parts of my body and this was by far the easiest recovery I have ever had. I wish you all the best.

As hard as it is to believe, you are right on target. I just had my second fill yesterday. I had lost no weight in the past 4 weeks, and the PA was happy with that. I was banded Nov. 6, and made it through the holidays without gaining. For me that is a victory all by itself. (BTW, when I got on the scales this morning I'd lost 2 pounds!):wink: I feel SOME restriction right now, but it may be from my stomach swelling from the fill. I'll know in a couple of days. From what I've read, it can take 3, 4 or more fills to reach good restriction. Just be patient with yourself, exercise, and drink lots of water. Remember, this is not another diet. This is a complete change in your life that will last the rest of your life.

There is a great website that deals with hysterectomy, menopause, hormones and all that goes along with it. Check it out. www.hystersisters.com And, for anyone who thinks a hysterectomy rules out menopause... sorry! If you keep your ovaries you can still have menopause symptoms when your ovaries "play out". If they take your ovaries, you will be in instant menopause, and can have all the symptoms. :thumbup:

My dr. says no food for 4 hours before a fill, nothing to drink 1 hour before. Then I am on liquids for 2 days, mushies for 2, then normal food after that. Every doctor has their own way of doing things. Please be sure to follow YOUR doctor's orders.

Mim, Thanks for sharing that. I go this afternoon for my second fill. I will pay more attention to how I feel knowing what you just experienced. I am SO ready to get this show on the road and feel some restriction. I don't think I've lost any weight this month. Thank goodness for NSV!

It also works post-op to help relieve shoulder pain from the gas. Only, don't do this with your husband around!

Click on anyone's weight loss ticker and it will take you to tickerfactory.com. There you can create your own. Keep that page open and switch back to LBT and go to the page to edit your signature. Copy and paste the link for your ticker into your signature. Remember to save your changes.

Any idea why your insurance denied you? I checked and your bmi is 44.8! That should be enough even without co-morbidities to get you approved. If I were in your place I would appeal their decision and find out what to do to get approved. Yes, it will take alot of work, but it would be worth it. Get your doctors office to write letters and make phone calls. Have them document all your weight loss efforts. I had surgery in November 2008, and I don't regret it for a minute. For the first time in my life I made it through the holidays without gaining 8-10 lbs. I know this is my year! Good luck to you.

Stay on the diet your doctor prescribed! Your stomach needs this diet in order to heal properly. So, if you have to drink more protein shakes, so be it. Don't progess without your doctor's approval. Now, what those ladies told you is TRUE in a sense. After the first few weeks your hunger will return as the swelling subsides in your stomach. From that point until you reach restriction (and it could take 3-4 fills or more to get there) your stomach will accept just about any nasty junk you want to put in there. And, OH Lord, you're going to want that pizza, and ice cream, and/or whatever you normally crave. This is what we call bandster hell! It will be up to you to have a plan in place to deal with it. Plan your meals, keep HEALTHY snacks available, ban all junk food from your world. Make up your mind ahead of time that you WILL follow your doctors orders. And try to make everything you eat a CONSCIOUS choice. The first few months may not be easy, but this time next year you'll have a different outlook. Best of luck to you.

Although swimming/water aerobics would be the best, you might consider using an elliptical machine instead of walking. That would be non-impact and it's about as close to walking/running as you can get. Best of luck to you!

I was self pay, too. I went through TLCEdge in Plano. The staff was very friendly and supportive. They took care of setting up all my appointments. I went in on Oct. 21 and had my surgery on Nov. 6! I didn't go to a regular seminar. They have a "one on one" orientation available. My cost to them was $9990. The only other expense I had was the psych evaluation. It was $365, and I could have gotten my insurance to cover that but decided not to deal with the hassles. Several of the women there have been banded so they understand our struggle. Oh, and the price includes 6 fills in the first 12 months. I have had one fill so far and I am scheduled for my second one on Jan 15th. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. I know alot of people have had good experiences going to Mexico, but I was concerned about finding a doctor for aftercare. Some of them won't touch a patient who were banded in Mexico. Do your research! Best of luck to you!

I am at 176.5!!:smile2::w00t::biggrin: My first fill is tomorrow 12/18, and I am SO ready to get moving downward again!

Congratulations! You are doing great! It's great to hear success stories!

8 lbs in 2 days sounds like water retention to me. Make sure you're not overloading on sodium, and drink as much water as possible. Also, count your calories for a few days to see what's really going in. My weight loss stalled when I started on mushies (at 3 weeks post op) and only this week (6 weeks out) started to drop again. Be patient with yourself during this healing time, and be sure to have an eating plan in place because until you get fills and get restriction you WILL be hungry.

One quick suggestion - if the apricots are too tough you can pour a small amount of hot/boiling water on them and let them soack for a few minutes. That will make chewing and swallowing alot easier.

Call your doctor. Ask about getting an un-fill so you don't damage your band/stomach. Also, ask about something for nausea. Hope you are feeling better soon.

Maybe you could try this to get started: 8 Minutes in the Morning - Yahoo! Health I am going to try it when I get back to real food. I am still on liquids for another week, so I haven't alot of energy right now. Good luck to you.

Just a quick update! I am 8 days post op. Weighed in this morning at 180.5!!! Not sure if I posted surgery weight of 189.3 ( I think). Everyone have a great weekend!!

Don't stress about it:thumbup:...Ask your doctor? But, remember that this surgery isn't about stitches and staples...it's about getting your life back and being the healthiest YOU you can be. I wish you all the best.

I didnt get a small chili bc the small looked really tiny and didnt think it would fill me up. Just a thought...Make it a personal rule to ALWAYS order the smallest size. You can always have a snack later if you are still really hungry. Best of luck to you.