mariecarmen

Attend any support group meetings your lapband surgeon hosts. There's strength in numbers.

I lost 76.5 lbs since my surgery in 9/06. Doc tells me I'm at goal, I figure another 10-15 lbs. Eating well, exercising semi-regularly with a buddy, getting nice compliments, shopping at decent clothing stores. All the perks of being a normal weight. Then, the week before Christmas my kitchen and 3 other rooms in the house flood from a faulty dishwasher connection. Rooms are gutted and most meals are prepared/microwaved or restaurant/diner. Fast forward to this past weekend (152 days later). scale is returned to kitchen and I am 14 lbs heavier!!!! I just went on a 152 day LSD food trip. It's back to square one for me--shakes all meals for a week and I'll gradually build up. I'm astounded at myself for so easily slipping into such awful eating behaviors and food choices. Any advice, encouragement?

Salsa, thanks for your words of encouragement. I really do hope others see how easily this can happen. I was joking with a newly banded friend yesterday about the gain. I said, "Do you know how much effort is involved in gaining weight with a lapband? Apparently not as much as you would think!" I guess pulling myself up by the bootstraps beats throwing my hands up in disgust and taking up residence at Baskin-Robins. On a positive note, I got on the scale this morning and am down 5 lbs. I know it's just the inital Water loss, but it's motivating. Today I'll give my surgeon's office a call and schedule a check-up. I'll consider a fill if I find continued losing becomes a challenge.

I've lost a good amount of weight. When I compare photos of me at my heaviest and now, I can really see a difference. However, realistically, I am NOT skinny. Skinnier, maybe, but not skinny. When I hear the word skinny I think Olive Oil or Twiggy. I guess I look like a normal 50 year old woman now. I do continue to get comments from people I don't see on a regular basis about how great I look, how thin, how young, how skinny. I smile, say thanks and change the subject. I'd rather my weight not be the subject of people's conversations. It's embarrassing to me that I let myself get so fat I had to have a foreign object surgically implanted in me; that my lack of self-control got so far out of hand. MC

My surgeon's office holds a monthly maintenance support group and we met last night. Many discussed the frustration of attending the regular meetings because of all the seemingly foolish questions from prebanded and newly banded patients. They felt they didn't have a firm enough understanding of what changes were needed for success with the band. The facilitator assured us the program has expanded their educational classes and all patients are fully informed prior to surgery. Maybe they just want to hear it from people who have "walked the walk?" Maybe here, on an anonymous forum, they can ask the niggly little thoughts that haunt them. Maybe they want a little attention and reassurance. Let's face it, we all managed to eat ourselves into WLS criteria. We all have some demons whispering in our ears. When I see silly (to me) questions or comments, I scroll on by or try and answer briefly.

It's a fancy medical term for a tummy tuck. After you lose your weight, depending on your age and how overweight you were to begin with, you may find yourself the proud owner of a thin body and an apron of loose belly skin. A plastic surgeon can cut that off and make your belly as flat as a 12 year old child's. It's really neat waking up from that surgery. Especially if you, like me, have been overweight most of your life.

Ghost/Diane, I'm interested in that link. Maybe it will help get my head and the image of me in a mirror a little closer. Thanks, MC

I've tried several times over the past year to consume something other than a Protein shake for breakfast without success. It's just a given with my band--nothing but liquid till lunchtime.

I'm officially at my surgeon's goal as of this past Friday. He wants me to continue to come in every three months to see him. He also wants me to attend the maintenance support group sponsored by his office. Even though he says I don't need to lose any more weight to be at his goal BMI, I want to lose some more.

I wear a labcoat at work and the comments didn't start until I was down about 30 lbs. I never made the lapband surgery a secret and most of my coworkers were aware and watching for results, I'm sure. It was when I started wearing clothing that was more tailored that the comments really started. Before I wore blousy, loose tops over elastic slacks. Once I began tucking blouses into skirts with waistbands, people took more notice. Double-edged sword is right. Part of me thinks, "Hey, stop LOOKING at me so close," while the another part thinks, "Hey, don't I look GREAT?" Pity they don't do some brain surgery while they're in there banding us, isn't it?

The last thing I said was 98. Anesthesiologist: Count backwards from 100 Me: 99, 98 Recovery room nurse: Wake up, it's all over! Right before they wheeled me in I started crying, too. A nice, thin nurse was standing with me and whispered, "You'll be fine. It was the best thing I ever did." Then we were moving.

Every morning for the past 345 days. It works for me.

My surgeon required that I lose 12 lbs in order to qualify for the surgery and didn't specify how. I lost the 12lbs plus some more. I didn't eat enough during that weekend to jeopardize the surgery. If you're concerned about it, just call the office. They're there to help you. I don't want to give you the go-ahead and you end up not having the surgery because you put on too much weight right before your lapband insertion.

I had a tummy tuck (sounds almost cute and petite, doesn't it?) Depending on your age, your amount of years, your excess weight and how you carried it you will or won't have a problem with excess skin. Mine was going nowhere without surgical intervention and gotta say--Good Riddance!

Well, I wouldn't call it a Pig-out day, but I'm sure many of us had what was kind of a farewell dinner of sorts. I visited my mother the weekend before my surgery and asked that she prepare some of my favorite foods. She lives far away and always cooks special meals for us when we visit. I didn't eat massive amounts of food but I sure did enjoy the meals knowing it would be a year before I tasted most of them again. I told my mother and sisters about the surgery before I went home and they were all very supportive.

I guess if you're nuts, you're in good company. I keep my fattest picture on record posted on my fridge and damn if I don't look in the mirror everyday and not see much of a difference. The Cunning Plan sounds very appealing to me. I'm down to 160 but haven't updated my ticker. I know I look thinner to people and believe I graciously accept thier compliments. Inside, however, I think, "They're just trying to be nice. Now if I can get down to a size 8 or 10, THAT'S thin." Then I'll lay in bed and realize the remote is uncomfortable on my hip because it's right against my hip bone. Or I take a bath and can't get comfortable because my spine and coccyx are right against the hard tub surface. I don't have enough fat padding to protect my bones! Yet, standing or dressed, it seems all I can focus on is my hips. Or the little pad of fat above my belly button. People say 'skinny' and all I can give them is 'thinner, but not nearly thin enough.' And somehow I'm blaming myself for not following all the rules and losing more weight. Paging Dr. Freud!

Thank you so much for posting your scar picture. I just had a panniculectomy within the past 2 weeks. My left hip comes to a point where the end of the scar is and the right side has a lesser noticable bump. The hips smooths out when I put on underpants and who sees me naked but DH? I see a slight angle at your right hip. Was that more pronounced earlier in your recovery? My PS said he'd do liposuction to the area if it bothers me too much (it doesn't). You look awesome, by the way. I'm so excited for you!

The beauty of the band is that it's always there, ready to help you. Get a fill, lose some weight and see if that doesn't inspire you to continue. We're always here to cheer your efforts.

I had my consult with the plastic surgeon yesterday and he explained everything to me. Now the only thing to do is get insurance approval. The surgical coordinator asked me to get letters from my primary and lapband doctors explaining the need for the panniculectomy. Anyone go through this before and have a good letter to share? When I was going for lapband approval, the surgeon's office gave me a sample letter for my primary to complete and sign. I was approved in 2 days. I only hope this approval goes nearly as smoothly. If not a whole letter, what else should be included besides rash history? Thanks in advance. MC

Know what the great thing about being banded is? It's permanently in there available to help you get back on track whenever you're ready. Yes, it's a waste of time to gain weight on vacation, but come on--what's a few pounds in the face of your entire lifespan ahead of you? You'll get back on track. The extra pounds and more will melt away. Don't think of this as a steady run downhill--it's a lifelong journey with hills and valleys. And there's no one standing at your goal with a stopwatch judging you. Please be gentler with yourself.

I lost a lot of hair from the time of my surgery till about 7 months and 70 lbs out. I tried it all--the Biotin, extra protein, special shampoo. Nothing seemed to make a difference. After 7 months it just kind of tapered off and now, 11 months from surgery and my hair is back to normal and my loss is no more than it was before. Lots of adjustments for your body to make--weight loss, diet changes, exercise (or not), hormonal shifts. Talk with your doctor but mostly, give things time to level out.

I'm not sure this is what you want to hear. If I went through the effort to lose all the weight, made the decision to have plastic surgery and paid $8000 dollars--cold, hard cash--I'd demand more than 'good enough clothed.' Personally, I think you looked great before the surgery. But if you made the decision to have implants and reconstruction there was a specific look you had in mind. I'd start saying something to the doctor each time I saw him. Is this imbalance permanent? Will things even out? I expect symmetry, not one nipple looking up and one straight, not one breast fuller, one more squat. Most importantly, if this is the final result--what will you do to rectify it? Make it clear you expect some kind of action. Natural imperfections are one thing, you're born asymmetrical. You PAY for improvement. Do you see your $8000 worth of improvement? It's your call in the end. Do you want perfection? Can you live with what you see? What was your expectation going into this? Me? I'd ask for some money back rather than have more surgery, but it's your body and your decision. MC

Good morning local ladies. I work in Goshen and live in Montgomery. I got to Planet Fitness every Saturday and Sunday morning and try and go at least once after work during the week, but rarely actually get there. Dr. Kwon did my band in Port Jervis and Dr. Winski will be doing my TT next month. I've had slow weight loss--months of no scale change alternating with periods of good losses. During the plateaus, my measurements have changed. I'm officially at goal weight, according to my doctor, but I really would like to go a little lower. Maybe after this belly goes, I'll be nearly there. Nice to meet everyone, MC

I'm not new to this whole band thing, but something different is happening right now. I had a small fill about two weeks ago and everything was fine. Did my days of liquids-->mushies-->solids as usual following a fill. Tuesday afternoon I ate a few Pepperidge Farm goldfish at work and started feeling uncomfortable, a slight golfball feeling. That night for dinner I was preparing chicken patties (soft, homemade) for dinner and took a bite while cooking. The golfball feeling got worse. Worse to the point of pain. I tried to drink to wash whatever was in there down and that was a huge mistake. Started 2+ hours of hanging over the sink sliming. DH took me to the store in search of meat tenderizer and pineapple juice, although I couldn't fathom what could be blocking me so badly. Neither worked and the meat tenderizer made me vomit immediately. Still no relief. That night I woke up with pain in my back and a feeling of being full of stomach gas. I even came on here to look up symptoms of band slippage. I put myself on liquids only with some relief. However, every time I swallow something my stomach starts to gurgle. I have this constant feeling that if I could just give up a really good burp, there would be immediate relief. No pain, just this full, gassy feeling. No matter how I bend, turn or press, I can only burp a tiny bit, with a tiny relief each time. I know I can't be blocked at this point. Think I need an unfill? Some GasX? Any ideas?

The letter did the trick! I read through all the reasons people here were approved. Since I had most of the symptoms described but hadn't considered that the cause could possibly be the large pannus, I included them. I've been approved and now look forward to gazing down at the top of my thighs. I think the last time I saw them from that angle was in high school. Wish me luck! MC