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It looks like Dr. Weaver is way down in Lone Tree - I think that's even farther away than Dr. Metz in Parker! I need a fill and will miss being able to get to Dr. K's office in Aurora. I'm lookng for a new doctor up north. Anyone know of fill doctors in Thornton, Northglenn, Brighton? So if Dr. Weaver took over Dr. K's charts, I'll need to get my records from his office?

I had major problems with constipation for about two months after surgery. It was on and off. Get some fiber meds that you can add to your drink, also, there is a tea called "smooth move" that helps. Drink A LOT of water and hang in there. This is a stage that you will get through. Once you start eating and can include more fiber in your diet, your system will straighten out. Remember that this is a far healther option than by-pass because your system is intact. It just needs to adjust. Good luck!

One of the things my Doctor told me about the pre-surgery weight loss is that is shrinks your liver. This is really important prior to the surgery and makes it go much easier. He put me on a restricted carb diet for three weeks, I lost 11 pounds and had no problems with the procedure. Best thing I have ever done for myself. Best wishes for your surgery. I hope your experience with the lap band is as good as mine has been!

I am in the US, Dr. Kirschenbaum did my surgery in Nov of 2009 and I am down almost 60 pounds. He recommends a balanced diet that starts with protein first. Then veggies, fruit, dairy and oh yeah, grain. Whole grains are best. I don't have any trouble getting pasta or rice down, and enjoy the whole grain and brown versions of those. A little trick I learned from the old Weight Watchers days was to use a small plate. It really helps. I bought four assorted salad sized plates in an antiques mall. They are very pretty - and just for me. They fill up with a small quantity of food, which is enought to fill me up. When we are out at a pot-luck, or a buffet, I still have trouble with portion control and end up leaving a lot of uneaten food on my plate. That makes me feel wasteful. Mary

You amaze me Julie.Ann! More than 100 pounds in well under a year. I loved your blog about surprising your family. How awesome was that! Remember that muscle weighs more than fat, but takes up less space. You may be in better shape now than when you graduated from high school, which is why you wear smaller sizes at the same weight. I also read an article that said that clothing sizes have changed, and are larger now than they were 10 or 15 years ago. Depressing thought. Hey, Sarahp626, I agee with you! Everyone has an opinion about what I should be - it gets old. I'm a lot older than you and Julie.Ann, and am worried about having all that loose, stretched out skin. So I am deliberately going for a slower loss. I'm right at 50 pounds off, and had the surgery on Nov. 24 - so that's 9 months, right? The bottom line: I'm not hungry, I don't feel deprived, I feel and look a helluva lot better and I'm not done yet!!! Mary

My experience has also been 1 or 2 pounds a week since restriction. I am happy with that. I still find myself wanting to have a bite of this and a bite of that and the band doesn't stop every habit. So be prepared for that and have some strategies to combat Snacks. I have a dumb question. How do you get the weight loss ticker to show on this site? I set one up on the ticker factory, but couldn't get it over onto my page. Mary

Hi Cristy, I expected some pain with the first fill - the needle is a bit intimidating. BUT - it really hardly hurts at all. Honestly. I had a fill each month for 4 months after surgery. It was the 4th one that did the trick. Everyone is different, and I kept asking myself (and others) "How will I know when I have good restriction?". They all said "You'll know". And they were right. I was frustrated because I really felt like I could eat almost as much as ever, but in fact I wasn't. It wasn't until this last fill that I really feel a bit of a "slap" when I gobble things too quickly. It keeps me full for a good 3 -4 hours after I eat one to one-and-a-half cups of food. I have been losing weight slowly but steadily. I am happy with that because it took me 56 years to get to my pre-surgery weight and its going to take awhile to get to a healthy weight. I was banded on Oct. 24 and I am 1 pound short of a 40 pound weight loss. By the way, slower weight loss generally results in less loose skin - so be patient! The lap-band has been the best tool I have ever had to help me eat better. Best of luck to you! Mary

Remember that your band is a tool, and it is telling you something. It is an ally in your weight loss struggle. If you occassionally feel pain, is it because you took too big a bite, or because that particular food no longer agrees with you? Sometimes I feel like my band is "scolding" me - but I have a lifetime of bad habits, and the not-so gentle reminder I get is necessary. 30 pounds is nothing to sneeze at. Visualize 30 pounds of butter - that's what you have lost. I get frustrated sometimes because my weight loss is slow. BUT - I am also changing. I know I must do that to be successful in the long run. Good luck!

Julile Ann, I had my surgery with Dr. K. on Nov. 24 2008. After seeing your posting on the LabBandTalk site, I came to your blog to find "the secret" to your success. I was working my way backwards from your most recent post and found this letter. It really hit me too. Somehow, I keep looking for a magic solution; I keep looking for the "secret" to succes. In fact (like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz), the power has been with me all along! The band isn't the magic wand, but rather it is a tool - just as Dr. K. said it is. My job is to work WITH it and not expect it to work all by itself. I have to keep in mind that every time I put something in my mouth, I am making a choice. So why would I try to work around the tool that Dr. K. put in place? (And I paid so dearly for). Like you, I have to condition myself to live with my new, unhungry self. This is so new to me. Thanks for sharing so much on your blog - you are helping others with the struggle of our lives! Mary

The pain that I have is from straining to eliminate. I don't want to be too graphic here, but my stool is like clay and just seems to compact in my rectum. So my pain is not up high at all. I have started using the Miralax, which has helped tremendously. I tried another, natural brand of stool softener and was in trouble the next day. I love veggies and eat whole grains too - so I think I'm getting as much fiber as I can without sacrificing Protein. I had my surgery with Dr. K. as well. What a terrific guy.

Very best wishes to you skinnyminney! I had it done on Nov. 24 and it really wasn't too bad at all. Do follow the diet your Dr. gives you, and be patient. This is a tool that will make a huge difference, but you may still have to address some of the head-hunger that we all have. I just had my 3rd fill yesterday (by the way, the fills don't hurt at all), and I feel like I am there. I couldn't eat an entire healthy choice frozen meal for lunch because I got full! I lost about 24 pounds leading up to this third fill, which I think is about right. Do drink the fluids to avoid constipation. Good luck, and I'll look for your posts!

The only time I have ever had kidney stones was on Atkins. I had done Atkins in the late '70's and lost 45 pounds. When I went on it about 18 months ago, I developed kidney stones. So I agree with you PMCFarm - check with your doctor about kidney strain! Good luck

Many thanks to my fellow Bandsters! I appreciate the good advice about the amount of time between eating and drinking, as well as fiber recommendations. I'll stop by Walgreens on my way home. By-the-way Ms. Sue Magoo...may I just say WOW!!!!! 146 pounds off and only 8 to go. I'd love to see your before and after photos. Congratulations on your hard work!

I had LB surgery on Nov. 24. Just this last week I had a terrible bout of constipation - painful! I've never experienced anything like this before and I REALLY don't want to experience it again. I have been trying to get a lot of Water down, but it is a challenge when we aren't supposed to drink for about 3 hours before/during/after a meal. I love veggies, and think I get plenty of Fiber. So what gives? Any suggestions or tips you can give me?

Right now, I have 4 cc's in a 14cc band. There isn't anything that I can't eat... I have noticed that if I take too big a bite of any kind of meat, that I can feel it going all the way down very slowly. Breads, Cookies, Pasta and rice haven't caused me any problems at all. The band definitely helps me feel full on less food, and stay full longer. But I wish I had more restriction when it comes to Snacks. I wouldn't be in this position if I had good will power, right? Any suggestions?