Cindy C

I know exactly where your at. I lost 110 lbs the first year. It's been very slow ever since...about a pound a month. I went to lap band support group last month. There was a rep there from allergan. They introduced me to their web site. http://www.lapband.com/en/home/ You can track your intake, exercise etc. I started using it the next day and poof...8 lbs lost in 2 weeks and going strong. 17 lbs to go. Good luck!

Who on earth told you that? Under normal conditions triglycerides (fat) occupy 5% of the liver. However, obesity (along with alcoholism, steroid use, diabetes and a few other conditions) causes that concentration to go up resulting in fatty infiltration of the liver. As much as we believe that the first place we lose weight is in our boobs its simply not true. The first place we lose fat is in the liver. Losing a few pounds pre-op is very important. It makes the surgery much easier for the doctor resulting in fewer complications for you.

Rachel, after a first fill you're not likely to be too tight. If you are you will certainly know it within a couple days. I would go ahead and get the fill. Have a great time on your cruise!

Being the huge baseball fan that I am my first impulse is to say GO TO THE GAME! But after I saw where you lived and checked the schedule, I'm assuming its a Twins/Angels game! With the way the Angels are playing this year and the problems your M and M boys are having, your team is probably going to lose anyway!!! LOL. Seriously though, You should either push your surgery back a week or skip the trip. One week isn't really going to make a difference!

You haven't lost a lot of weight??? Are you kidding? You're over halfway to goal in 8 months!! That's GREAT!!!! Keep up the good work and congrats on getting off the meds!!

Sounds to me like you're too tight. You're probably in the dreaded red zone. You need to get some liquid removed. Green is the key. Eating 600-800 calories a day will help you lose weight for a week or so but after that your body is going to start holding on to every one of them because it thinks its being starved!

You should ask your Vegas doctor to recommend someone.

It's nothing...just an insurance technicality! 30 minutes with a psychologist to make sure you understand what you're doing and that you can handle it!

It'll be fine. I didn't quit before or after.

1. You're probably drinking too fast. 2. As you can tolerate it. 3. A couple weeks maybe. 4. There is still swelling from your surgery. It will pass. 5. There's really no chance of your body rejecting the band. It's not like an organ transplant. Good luck!

To look at me you would think that I'm the most confident person you ever met. But let me tell you, it's just an act. That little fat girl is alive and well and living in the back of my mind every single day. She never lets me forget the 40+ years that she was in control. It's ok though...she keeps me humble and keeps my compassion for others alive.

3 years out and I still get that port area pain if I over eat! It's normal!

Bailey, on those days when you don't know what to do you are more than welcome to come over and clean my house!!!!

Like anything else, you get out of it what you put into it. If you use it the way it is intended to be used, you will lose all the weight you need!

Hey, Kitten. I'm 51 and was banded almost 3 years ago. 17 lbs to goal!! I'd be glad to help you through. I don't live in New York. I live in Detroit. Drop me an email. Cindy ps....I hope you're not a Yankees fan! lol

How do you win? Can we vote? Good luck!

I lost 145 lbs. The girls went from DD to C. Which is fine with me. My back feels soooo much better!

You'll want some liquid Emetrol for nausea. It's cherry flavored. CVS has a generic. Liquid tylenol for pain is good to have in the house too. Your doctor will write you a script for liquid vicodin but its a bad idea to take it on an empty stomach and since you won't be eating... After a couple days of liquids you're going to have the worst tasting mouth you can imagine. Lemon flavor helps. Get some sugar free hard candy. I found that Minute Maid Light lemonade helps a lot. It comes in 12 packs with the Coke but its not carbonated and only 10 calories per can. Take your favorite pillow or two to the hospital. The ones at my hospital were like cardboard! You'll probably want comfortable (loose) pj's and robe, otherwise you'll be stuck wearing one of those horrible hospital gowns...2 if you don't want to moon anyone! LOL. Get some canned broth. The kind in the carton is best. That way you can just nuke as much as you want and reseal the container. Take something to the hospital to keep you occupied....book, lap top, magazines, knitting...whatever you like to do. That's all I can think of at the moment. Good luck to you. You're about to do the best thing you could do for yourself!

That's funny!!

Absolutely normal. The port was sewn onto a muscle. Until it heals, you're going to feel it. It gets better.

Thank-you. And I'm sure you will!

I found the gas pain to be the worst in my left shoulder blade. I went to the chiropractor every 2-3 days the first couple weeks and had him adjust my mid-back. It helped immensely! Good luck on your surgery.

I just discovered a new snack food. They're called "pop chips". They're potato chips but they aren't fried or baked. They use heat and pressure and they pop, kind of like popcorn. 120 calories per serving (23 chips). 4g of fat and 20 carbs. I eat them with salsa. Makes a great low cal nighttime snack.

I did the same thing Monday! I went to Tigers/Yankees game and ate about 2300 calories of ballpark garbage! But Tuesday I went back on track. Sometimes you just have to treat yourself. We all do it!

Babs, everything you're experiencing is perfectly normal. You should only be sipping an ounce or so at a time. I remember the gas pain. It was awful but necessary. They have to blow your body up with gas so they have room to work during surgery. Unfortunately, it takes several weeks for it to all dissipate. Walking and moving helps hurry it along but what I found really worked was the chiropractor. I went every 2-3 days for the first couple weeks and had him adjust my mid-back. Instant relief!!!! Good luck. I have a feeling that you will be successful!