melinda_205

Shawna, thank you! Where is the meeting held? Saturday will work out really good for me. Hope to see you there. Melinda

Hi and welcome. I was recently banded well kinda recent 7-1-09, so I'm pretty new at this also. Good luck with your insurance. Just jump through all their hoops and dont let them have a reason to deny you! It may take a little time but you will get there.:blushing:

Hi everyone, I am sure that this question has been ask in the past but since most threads get so far off topic over time, I wanted to ask again. Does anyone know of any support groups that may be in any of the following areas, Jefferson Co, Walker Co, St. Clair Co, Anniston, Gadsden, or maybe even Shelby Co? I was banded with Advanced Surgeons but they have two meetings a month and and the day time meeting I am always at class and sometimes work on the evening meeting. I am looking for a couple of support groups that don't mind if someone banded by a different surgeon joins. I would also like to go to at least 2 meetings a month, so if anyone can provide me with a location I would really appreciate it. Good Luck to everyone!:blushing:

I have just found your blog and think I am addicted to it! I dont know if it is bc we were banded pretty close together so I can relate to the things that you are talking about or if it is because I am also a scale whore! I swear I am, sometimes even weighing more than once a day.....thankfully that has just about stopped. Maybe it could also be bc I spent most of my teenage years at the dirt track and still go every chance I get! I was banded on 7-1-09, glad I found your blog...keep posting, its great entertainment!

AlleyCat, 32 lbs is great! It hasnt been 2 months yet. I was banded on 7-1-09 and have lost 28. Personally I think you are doing really good. At first I thought I should be shedding weight faster too but now when I think about it, that is 14 pounds a month for me! I'm happy with that amount. If I can keep that up for a while or at least until I can see a difference I'm happy! I would love to wake up and it all be gone but since I know that isnt gonna happen, I just use the time to try to adjust to all the changes that I am going through. Good Luck!

Hey Me! I am so scared of pain that I do anything to avoid it mostly scared of being put to sleep! However I have had my tubes tied in the past and this surgery/ recovery was much easier than that surgery. I also had a hernia repaired at the same time. I wasnt on pain meds but maybe 2-3 days, after that it was liquied tylenol when I needed it (I still have some in the bottle). I had surgery on 7-1-09 and so far, I think it was one of the best decisions that I have ever made. About a week before the surgery it hit me...OMG I'm getting this done and its gonna hurt and I'm gonna have something inside my body. I almost backed out, but at that moment I thought "no way, I'm doing it". I had to quit thinking about it....I studied more school work that week than I have since going back to college. The morning of surgery I started crying and my mother looked at me and said "if you want this, dry it up, if not get your ass back in the car. This was your decision, its your life but I cant let you go in there if I think you are making a mistake, so what do you want to do" I looked at her with dry eyes and said "let's do it". I have never regretted my decision. I sometimes wish that I could lose faster, or wish that I could eat something, but today I am 2 months out and I have lost 28 pounds and I'm not scared that I will put it back on...just ready to see more go. When my mom was telling me just how things needed to be done, my husband was willing just to talk me into getting back into the car. He has diabetes and now while I am trying to prevent health problems he sits around eating sweets and junk food and watching T.V. I think I made the right decision but you have to decide for yourself. I am pretty new at this also, but if there is anything that I can help you with please let me know. This people on this site is your best source of information....most are more than willing to be open and honest even during those times when you just want someone to agree with you so you will have a reason to screw up. It is also bc of those same people answering questions and giving me information that I knew what to expect...not something sugar coated by a doctor or nutritionist...but the real stories! Good luck on your journey.

It is stories like yours that inspire me. Congrats on the loss! You look WONDERFUL!

Well I made my goal but as I sat around trying to find something on T.V. to watch....and there isn't anything, I thought well thats why I pay for a membership to a gym that is open 24/7....so I'm off to the gym, maybe I will get a little over goal! I'm a night owl anyway so it can't hurt. I will post miles later tonight.

MistyLP, fills are not bad at all! It only takes a few minutes and that includes raising your shirt, getting the fill, putting your shirt back down, answering some questions and swallowing some water to make you everything goes down ok. As far as your husband not giving you the money, I dont think that would be acceptable for me. I am sure that he doesnt just like you the way that you are but he also loves you. However, this surgery was about you and no one else. If I were you if I had to stash it, have a yard sale, of find some kind of work to do for a day or two....I would get it! Now that I had my rant I was banded on 7-1-09 and the last time that I weighed I had lost 25 pounds. I will weigh again in the morning and hope I have lost more. Good luck on your journey!

goal 15 miles actual 15.2 I ask if I could join on August 22nd and set my goal at 15 miles then. I have to admit that I got lazy for a day or two but I said I would do it and I did. I actually missed the gym when I didnt go...and I think that is really a good thing. This challenge has been a really big part of getting my butt in gear so I'm gonna do the September challenge too. I may have to set my miles a little lower than I would like but this is the last semester of school and I have to put my grades before everything else...even weight loss! Everyone done an excellent job...keep up the good work.

I was self pay (7-1-09). I got to the facility at 6:30 in surgery or at least talking to surgeon by 7:00 and on my way out the door by 11:30, with my new best friend (well for 2 days anyway) liquid lortab. I'm glad that I didnt have to stay over night.I'm not saying it didnt hurt but they gave me a couple doses of moriphine before I left the facility, made me drink the pain medicine to make sure I could get it down and shortly after I was on my way home. Stopped by the drug store to get my rx filled and went home and got in bed. I was up later that night but the pain wasnt as bad as I thought it would be. I dont think being in the hospital would have made a difference in the pain. I was gonna have some pain no matter where I was at but even at home I was able to control it with meds. However, I had my parents there and my husband there and even my brother (Thank God I was asleep) to help me with everything that I needed. For the most part all you will want to do the first day is sleep, but you will need some help to care for yourself...just not the entire family! Best of luck with your journey!

Hey less, you are doing great! Whats your secret?

Hey URS99, When I got my first fill my surgeon told me that I may want to try to stay on just liquids for the rest of that day (most of the time I can eat something small and soft) but I am tighter in the mornings than any other time. I have seen on this site that several people have said that they are tighter in the mornings so if there is anyway that you can change the times that you take your meds to early afternoon that would probably help. I wanted to be down at least 30 pounds by my two month mark but I dont know if that will happen...I only have a few days left. I felt better today about my loss, when I put on a pair of jeans they fit much more comfortable than before surgery. Good luck, please stay in touch to let me know how you are doing.

Hi TinyT, I unerstand completely about taking such a drastic step to see such little progress. I know that I didnt put the weight on over night but I also want to see better results. I feel like I am doing my part with eating right and now I have started exercising and not to mention I paid out of pocket. I want to feel like I am getting something for my money and if you break that down by the price per pound....it sucks.

Hi Kristine, we are in the same boat. I am also a full time student and work (I commute 1.5 hrs 1 way to class) so I dont have a lot of time to work out either. However, I have just recently made it a priority to exercise each day. I try to walk between 2-2.5 miles each day. If I have spare time or energy I try to add a different exercise in also. Good luck on your journey!

Hey Less, how much have you lost so far? Just curious as to if we are all falling close together. thanks

Hi URS. I was banded 7-1-09, I have also had 3 fills and have lost 25 pounds. It sounds like we are running pretty close together. I didnt have any restriction until after 4 wks but since the first I have had a 3 fills. I think I would have done much better if I would have started exercising sooner but just started getting serious in the past few days. I found a thread on here called "August Mile Challenge" but it goes from month to month so I joined with them so I have someone else to be accountable to and keep me on track. Please let me know how you progress. I think it would be nice to know how others banded close to the same time are doing. Good Luck!

Planet65 I was the same for the first two fills. It will get better and I was surprised to find out that I actually weighed 2 pounds less at the doctor's office! I know that I am going at a really slow pace but I just reallystarted to exercise. I joined the "August mile challenge" on this site just so I would be accountable to someone besides myself and get my butt off the couch. It carries on from month to month so this isnt the last month to do it. I also found a place on the site that is "July weigh in" and looking at it has helped me to not feel so bad about my weight loss. These are just things that I have done to help me not feel so bad. At least we all are having the same issue so we can vent to each other. What was your surgery date? Just curious. Why is your surgeon waiting so long between your fills? My doctor is very good at letting you get fills he allows me to come in every two weeks until we find my sweet spot, but I had to wait for a month to get my first fill! GO TO THE DOCTOR, THAT IS WHY WE HAD THIS DONE. THE DOCTOR SHOULD BE EMBARASSED FOR MAKING YOU WAIT SO LONG! It will get better. Good Luck.

Hey Teena, sure we can keep in touch by email. You are welcome to find me on facebook but if you are keeping your surgery private for now, I have stuff about lap band posted. We can do this and in a few weeks or maybe a few months we will be so happy to post how much weight we have lost. Good luck!

Hi, I am sorry to hear that you are disappointed but I think we are in the same boat. I had surgery on 7-1-09 and didnt have restriction for the first month. It is better since I have got a few fills but it still feels like I should see more of a difference and should see the scales go down. I have only lost 25 pounds pre op and post op and had started to get really down and out about it but then I thought it hasnt been 2 months yet and at least I didnt gain 25 more. If you dont have any restriction you should be able to go for another fill now. I'm just going by my surgeon's rule of thumb, every two weeks until he finds my "sweet spot". I hope you see improvement very soon. If you would like we can stay in touch. We were banded pretty close to the same time and we are both pretty new. My email address is melinda_205@yahoo.com or face book is melinda ferguson. Best of luck with your band...just remember we are new and maybe once we get the hang of things and our bands finally start working for us we may actually shed some real pounds!

Janai WTG on the elliptical! After I got replies saying that I could join you for the remaining time in August I went to the gym after work, everything went great...the treadmill, the bike, done some strength training with my arms and felt really great and then I tried the elliptical. OH DEAR JESUS...I should have said a prayer before I got on that thing bc I was on it for like 3 minutes and just knew that I was gonna die before I got off of it! So now one of my goals is to actually be able to work up to maybe 10 minutes but I think that may take a while. But when I saw your mileage on it I just thought you really deserved a pat on the back! So how long do you stay on the elliptical at a time and how long has it taken you to work up to this? Im just curious, I would love to be able to stay on for like a 1/2 mile but I really think it would kill me! So I havent mastered the elliptical but I did want to share with everyone that after I got off work last night that went to the gym at 12:00 a.m., and I know that I wouldnt have done that if I was accountable to anyone! Goodnight

Hi everyone, I just found this thread and I know it is very late in the month but I would love to join the "challenge". I think it will be a big help if I have someone besides myself to be accountable to. If you will allow me to be part of the group I will set my goal at 15 milesfor the time left in August and then when September kicks off I can increase it. I really wish I would have found this sooner. I was banded on July 1, 2009 and my exercise pattern isnt so good...just spurts here and there so this would really be a big help to me. BTW, everyone is doing a wonderful job...I had to look at July also and you people are really moving your butts!

Hey, I also had a h/hernia repair when I had my surgery on 7-1-09. I also believe it is gas bc I had the same thing to happen. My surgeon even told my parents that I would have pain in my left shoulder due to gas but it would get better. However, if you feel anxious or scared you should call your surgeon just to be sure that everything is going as it should. If it is gas the only thing you can do is walk, use gas x strips and walk some more. The more you move the better off you will be. Best of luck on your band and hope you have a speedy recovery.

Chinese food was my downfall in my 2 week preop diet. I had surgery on Wed but the Monday before I went to the chinese buffet for my "last meal". But the high protein/low carb is too shrink your liver and make the surgery easier on you and the surgeon so it is best if you stick to it. Good luck!

Ocotillo, I had my surgery on July 1st, I had real pain the first day, the second day sore and since then, I am fine. I dont have any problems unless I turn too fast without thinking or something like that. Right now I really miss sleeping on my stomach, but maybe in a few more days! Also, I'm not hungry at all...but my husband and brother are trying to torture me. I dont even think about food until they cook, which the house smells of fried pork chops, fried corn, gravy and rolls right now(yes, we are from the south). I'm not hungry but the smell is driving me crazy, maybe its just bc I cant have it. However, this sounds crazy you said you were burping, I have tried and I have not been able to burp since I was banded! I havent heard of that before. I dont know if it is normal or if maybe it is bc I had to have a hernia repaired, or if I am just an odd ball! So if anyone else has heard of this please let me know. Also, for anyone else that is pending surgery date..the pain is tolerable. The first day is the worst but after that life starts to get back to normal and this is coming from someone that has a pretty low pain tolerence.