Nibblet

12/01/2008, early in the morning, I had my surgery. 12/01/2009 I wake up with 23 pounds towards my goal. I love the outdoors & am able to bike, kayak, hike, run & snow shoe comfortably. I don't dread buying / wearing the clothes for these sports or feel like I stand out because I'm the fat girl any more. Cheers to us all sharing this journey to ourselves.

I had my surgery om 12/01/08. I can totally relate to the pain. When I went out to take my walks my port area would feel like it was going to bounce out! I tightened up my binder & sometimes even held the port area, but it went away & all is well. Hang in there, you'll be eating a little bit of anything pretty soon. Get yourself an extra protein shake or two, you'll find if you get enough protien & calories and make yourself walk your energy will come back. Good luck

My BMI was comparitively low, 34, and I had no health factors at all. I didn't qualify for my insurance to pick up anything but the hernia I had no clue I had! I didn't want to lose a bunch of weight again only to gain it back, plus 15 - 20, until I reached the proper BMI. My surgery was Dec. 01, 2008 and I have lost around 25 pounds with two fills. I'm happy & starting to recognize the person in the mirror. Good luck with your decision.

I guess I never gave it a second thought. My partner & I are just that - partners. We act as any other couple act. We show up together, ask questions regarding the procedures, laugh, she tells embarrassing stories about me & etc...I never felt the need to announce it or hide it, but the pregnancy test cracked us up too. It shouldn't make one bit of difference to your doctor or the staff. If you get the "I hate homo" vibe there are plenty of other places to spend your money.

That sounds just aweful! Whenever I've gotten a fill my doctor asks me to stay & finish a cup of water & if there is any discomforfort he wants to know right away so an adjustment can be made. Asking you to wait it out while you are choking on your own saliva doesn't sound quite right. Make them slow down & answer all of your questions. They are getting paid too much money to treat you like they are doing you a favor. Good luck

I am going for my second fill tomorrow. I'm excited & I wanted to give a shout out to all of my couragous sisters out there. It's going very well & people who I haven't seen for a while are starting to notice. My very last pair of "fat" pants (that were getting oh so tight) finally have a bit of room in them...even right out of the dryer! I have short plans for small victories & I'm grateful for such a cool forum where I can get & give support to people whom I have a bit more in common with :thumbup:. Take care all, Terri

Hi Bubz, I was banded on 12/01 & just wanted to say hello & see how you are doing. I'm going for my first fill 01/09 & am kind of creeped out about anyone touching that area, but all else is well & I am enjoying the journey. Keep in touch & just ignore the vikihong's of the world!

Hi Cara, Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I've been on vacation. I am hoping to toast to success next New Year's Eve. I'm hoping for sooner, but I know the really stubborn weight is going to take a while. I look forward to my first fill on Friday (01/09/09) and getting the ok from the doctor to start exercising hard (shoveling show & etc...!). Keep in touch & let me know how you are doing. Terri (AKA Nibblet...it sounded funny at the time I was registering!)

I used Slim Fast - Low Carb & found them at a very reasonable price on Amazon.com with free shipping. The shakes can get a bit boring, but I have blended them with ice & added extracts on occassion (orange or coconut) a piece of banana, spoon full of peanut butter & I have heard of adding instant coffee, but haven't tried it yet.

I was able to shower right after I got home. Dermabond was used on the incision area, so showering & blotting with a towel was fine. I had my surgery December 1st & had heard the same thing about hair loss. I haven't experienced any loss yet, but heard it could happen immediately or 4-5 months after. The reasons varied from the shock of the surgery on the body, rapid weight loss or lack of proper protein intake & etc... A vitamin called Biotin was suggested as well as Zinc so last week I started taking a bit of both & make sure to get enough protein. I hope that helped & kudos on donating your hair.

Thanks everyone. I will be off to GNC, Walmart or Vitacost.com today to check out a Vitamin B Complex with Biotin. Further research also suggests Zinc tablets or Nioxin could be helpful as well as keeping in mind a minimum protien intake of 60 grams.

I was banded on 12/01 & all is going well. I remember reading about almost unavoidable hair loss that will occur at some point due to the trauma of surgery & etc...I also remember reading that some people would take something called Biotin, I believe, to treat this. (I was just unable to locate where I had found this info on the site again). Could anyone enlighten me? How much Biotin should I take? How long should I expect to have to take it? Should the hair loss/thinning thing pass. I haven't experienced it yet, but would love to avoid it if possible. Thanks :biggrin:

Thank you so much. I look forward to getting my life back.