willowcat

Yea, I remember feeling that sensation you just described. I think it's probably going to get better with each passing day. You've just had surgery and everything in that area has been a little traumatized. Go easy on yourself and work on just getting better. :smile2:

I felt the same sort of "pulling" sensation. I think it's just the stitches holding everything (port, band, skin) in place. Plus the swelling. My bet is that it'll be gone before too long. But, as always, if it persists or gets worse, call your doctor. Best of luck and congrats on your banding!

headin_to_mexico, My fills/unfills are "free" for one year from my surgery. I'm not scheduled for another fill for three more weeks. I don't think I can wait that long though, at least not with this level of hunger still. I feel nothing from my 3ccs. My husband thinks that my doctor spreads out the fills so much to save money on his end--this way he's not doing as many fills/unfills in one year's time. The upside of all this is that I'm losing some weight. Still I can't stand to be this hungry all the time. The only thing keeping me sane is the thought that this isn't going to last FOREVER and that there is some light at the end of the tunnel--unlike with a diet that I knew I couldn't stay on for the rest of my life. Ps. Glad to see you're still here with us. :smile2:

the gas!!!

Michelle, I'm sorry your port is still sore. I know what you mean about bending over. I was trying to touch my toes in a yoga pose (I may be "morbidly obese" but I'm still very flexible) and I couldn't do it because of the pain in my port from bending at the waist. Otherwise my port site is beginning to feel mostly normal to me--except the skin directly on top of the port is still numb to the touch. Weird. You said that it feels like it's still swollen around the port--does it feel hot? you know, warmer to the touch than the rest of the skin? I would be worried about infection if it were. I agree with lbndoc that you could ask your surgeon at your first fill--or earlier if you feel like there is really something terribly wrong. Be well.

"The marriage appears likely to survive in most cases where the patient was of normal weight at the time of marriage." Enote, Very interesting. So...the weight loss is the new "unknown" in the relationship if the relationship was established while one or both partners was overweight. BUT, if the wls patient had originally been thin and while in the relationship gained (or in my case regained--I joke with my husband that I was "thin when I needed to be"!), then returning to a thin weight does not rock the boat with the same emotional intensity because it's not a big unknown. Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

lbndoc, Did you get any restriction from your 3cc? I also got 3cc two days ago. Nothing. I feel just like before. I feel like my stomach is a sieve and I feel like I could eat anything. My band is a 10cc band. What's yours? I didn't look at the needle, but you're right, it didn't hurt hardly at all (I'm a pain wuss).

You are being lied to by Insurance Companies. Single Payer will provide more choice and more cost savings to the average household. The only group that will suffer form this are the Insurance Carriers, and they will tell you every lie they can to stop it from being implemented. I don’t have a lot of sympathy for these companies. I don't have a lot of sympathy for these companies either. Our health care system in America sucks. I was so happy to get my first real teaching job, because it came with insurance benefits! BUT, I didn't get to pick which insurer our school district went with. And in my 16 years with the same school district, we've changed carriers 4 times--because of rising costs. This last time, I had to drop the doctor that I had had for 15 years--our new insurer was not able to come to a financial agreement with the doctor's group that he worked in. I didn't have a say in any of this. This new insurer covers 50% of the cost of my lapband (in some ways I'm grateful that they cover lapband at all, but then I also feel a little jeolous of people who don't have to pay any out-of-pocket for their lapband). My hospital estimated my costs to be $9,000 for the surgery only. I'll still need to pay the surgeon and the anesthesiologist their 50%. For the longest time, my husband didn't want to be on my insurance because he didn't want to spend the money on the higher monthy premium. I was terrified that he would get in a car accident or develop a serious illness--THEN what would we do?! Finally, he agreed to let me add him. I can't tell you what an enormous relief that was for me. My father had a small business for several years that was not a big money maker. My parents went without insurance for years, but still needed medications. They got them from Canada. Neither of my parents had a physical or any screenings done during that entire time. One should not have to play Insurance Russian Roulette with one's health--daring Fate to spare you a tragedy while you're uninsured. Also, there are people who have posted on this board that they CAN'T AFFORD to get a fill/unfill because they don't have insurance or insurance doesn't cover it, or something along those lines. I remember reading a post of Jachut's (who lives in Australia) where she said that her fills and unfills are free for the rest of her life. My "free" fills and unfills run out after the first year of my surgery date. After that I'll have to pay for them, too. When I was in Europe 20 years ago, I remember meeting some Germans on the train who told me that they couldn't believe that our "great" country allows people to go without proper medical care. They couldn't see how that could be possible. Doesn't a great country look after its own people?! Twenty years later and I still couldn't agree more. Something in this country has definitely got to change!

Godshelp, There is a ticker tutorial on lapband at FAQ. This is the link to the turorial: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f5/ticker-tutorial-pictures-41782/ I needed to use the tutorial myself, because I got stuck midway making my exercise ticker. Good luck. Glad you're joining us! It really does help to be held accountable to someone else.

Headin_to_Mexico, You know you'll always be a part of the June Journeys, and we wouldn't be bored by your pre-surgery jitters--we know just where you're coming from! But I do get how you want to talk to others who are in the same place. Good luck to you and all the other July Freedom Fighters (cool name!)! Stop in every now and then and keep us up to date on how you're doing. :eek:

My nutritionist said that it takes 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain that it's "full." Therefore, I'm supposed to take 20 minutes to eat my one cup of food. I can't do it! I didn't think I was a fast eater, but I guess that I am. I set the timer for 15 minutes and really, really try to stretch out my meals (like putting my utensiles down and just sitting for a minute or two). I can't make it to even 15 minutes let alone 20! But I'm still trying. I've only been banded a month and even though I've had one fill, I still have no restriction. When I finally sit down and eat one of my three meals, I feel like I'll never eat again and I guess I eat too fast. Aren't 3 meals a day and no snacking between just part of the "bandster rules"? That was my impression. My BB (Before Band) life was just one long graze from morning to night. Actually, I think I'd read somewhere that grazers and fast eaters aren't "good candidates" for lapband. But I've got the band now anyway and so it's time to make it work (at least that's what I tell myself when all I want to do is EAT)--I've got to learn a new way of living because the old way wasn't working that's for sure!

pinkpassion, I visited your profile--wow! You two are gorgeous together! I don't know who's better looking--you or him! And damn! but you make 287 look great--no wonder your guy is getting insecure--he's thinking how amazing you're going to look at 150! Let him know he has nothing to fear (he might also feel a little insecure after you said you'd rather wait on getting engaged) and let him know that you love him and appreciate him for all he's done to support you in all the other areas of your life so far. I'm totally singing a different tune now, I know--But with what you've told us since you're first post, I'd be willing to bet that he'll be there for you through this too. Good luck with your surgery later this month. Looking forward to seeing how everything works out for you. Keep us posted. Also, I really like the quote in your signature.

Thanks Restlessmonkey! I feel less stressed now! :redface:

2911, I don't know how many tickers we can have. I guess you could just try another ticker and see if it will work or not? It looks like both of your tickers (very nice tickers, by the way) show the same information. You could choose one or the other until the end of July and then edit your signature again to go back to the way it is now. Just some thoughts.

I made a ticker for this challenge--that way I'm accountable to myself everyday. See y'all on Wednesday! We can do it! :redface:

I knit, paint, make mosaics, and hand-build with clay, but my biggest "hobby" is my job as a teacher!

I tried water aerobics about 2 weeks after (my surgeon said I could), but my stomach was bouncing up and down in the water too much and it didn't feel good on my port. It's been almost a month now and I still haven't gone back. But I have been riding my exercise bike instead. With each passing day, my port feels more and more like a part of me. I'm thinking of trying water aerobics again on Thursday.

Register at Lapband.com. That's where I got mine from. It takes a few weeks for it to come in the mail. Before lapband, my husband and I frequented an "all you can eat" Chinese buffet near our house. My husband loves their crab legs and sushi (as well as many other things). He wants me to try to use my card there so we can pay less for me, but you know, one time I sat and watched this skinny couple eat what I considered to be a very small amount of food (hence the "skinny"?!) and they paid the regular price--I guess that was all they could eat! LOL! I don't know, I feel really weird about even thinking about using the card at restaurants.

I'm not going to be as nice as Jachut. Your boyfriend is immature and w-a-y insecure--about himself. He has no problem changing himself (to get more definition), but uses emotional blackmail on you. "If you loved me, you wouldn't change," is basically what he's saying to you. Where's his respect for YOU? Sorry, but that's the same in my book as saying, "If you loved me, you'd have sex with me." Be strong. He is insecure and probably afraid--having you fat lets him rest on his laurels (he doesn't have to try as hard in the relationship--sounds to me as if you're the one doing all the work anyway). I hope that you have friends and/or family who can support you. Also, unless you and he can get this resolved before July 17th, don't expect him to be understanding after surgery (when you're in pain and struggling--sorry, but I can just hear him saying something along the lines of "see, I told you"). He'll either grow up, change his tune, and be supportive--or sorry, but he just might not be the one for you--you want to be with people who are in your "Hallelujah! Choir" and on your team and not with people who are working against you. Good luck.

I like my local Y--the people working out there come in ALL sizes. I think that's way cooler than having a lot of overweight people (mostly women would be my guess) all eye-balling each other to see who is or isn't losing weight--or "she's not working out hard enough, no wonder she's not losing weight" kind of thinking/chit-chat going on. Not to mention that bypass patients lose weight a lot faster. Sorry, but depending on the size of the gym, I could see it getting too much like junior highschool for me. That's my two cents worth. I wouldn't sign up--but that's just me. Good luck with whatever you end up doing, though! :thumbup:

Funny! Except be forewarned that it probably won't weigh accurately unless it comes back to room temperature first--you'll have to hide it from him now! LOL!

NewSexyMe, I thought I was the only one who was paranoid about the hairdresser and those foot pumps! LOL! Oddly enough, I'm looking forward to shopping in thrift stores. People give away nice, expensive clothes--and I'm sick and tired of paying for what I consider to be high-priced, UGLY, plus-sized clothes just because they will cover up my body. I love the thrill of the hunt at thrift stores, and whenever I see something really nice, it's always in a tiny size (you know, can't be too rich or too thin). I won't ever be rich (teachers don't get rich!) but I'll be damned if I won't someday be thin--and I'll happily wear the rich lady's hand-me-down clothes. :tongue2:

Three hours does seem awfully long (mine was an hour and I thought that was long). Mostly, I think, they are looking to see that you don't have an eating disorder, that you have realistic expectations for the band, that you don't have severe mental illness (like delusional thinking or hallucinations), that you don't have a drug or alcohol addiction, that you are getting the band for the right reasons (for yourself). They want you to be successful. Probably with the three hours they will talk with you about "head hunger" and using food for things other than strictly nourishment; might also talk about what to expect after you lose your weight (during my psych evaluation the therapist talked about the high rate of divorce among wls patients). They also will probably talk to you about your weight loss/gain history. They are not going to be concerned that you take an anti-anxiety medication--especially if your anxiety is controlled (I have clinical depression, but it's controlled with my medications, and they didn't blink an eye about it). Don't worry. They won't think you're crazy. :tongue2:

Americans are fatter now than they were 30 years ago. When I see teen girls now, they are almost always WAY heavier than I was as a teen (5'2"/120 lbs. and I was called the "fat" cheerleader). Depending on which state you live in, it might be very "normal" to see overweight/obese people. Take the naysayers comments in stride and forget about it. If your husband continues to give you grief even after you've told him that you're perfectly healthy--or after the doctor's given you the thumbs up, then I'd start wondering why he's trying to undermine your success? Here's a link to CDC data on BMI rates for each state (I find stuff like that interesting): BRFSS Prevalence and Trends Data - List of All States