Makulafamy

Kim-you know we can't answer that question for you! BUT...here is the deal. The other day I stumbled across an article on a blog. The author was talking about how she is anti-WLS...blah blah. And the comments were full of ignorant people stating the dumbest things. It made me so mad that I made a little video response to the article and the people who thought that if "fat people would just go buy a treadmill and get off their fat asses".... You can click on the link to my blog (it's in my signature) and then scroll down to find the post called video rant. What you have to do is realize it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of you choice to have WLS or the band. It does NOT make you a failure. Do you know the stats for people who lose weight the "traditional way" and keep if off for over 5 years? About 5%! That means the other 95% fail. If you are like lots of us, you have lost the weight on your own before...sure....but you gain it back. The band will helpfully HELP you learn new eating habits and start feeling better about yourself. You will get healthier and feel more in control throughout your journey. There will ALWAYS be people who think you took the "easy way out". Tell them...you are right! It was EASY to choose LIFE and HEALTH! This decision is yours to make. Be proud of taking control. Of choosing to make a difference. Of trying something new. Do it for you. We all support you! I wish you the best of luck--Amy

You know, we all worried about slipping our band when we were first banded. But, if your doc wasnt concerned that is really reassuring. What is probably going on is: You were just banded and your stomach is irritated and a little angry. It is probably swollen in mulitple places and this is making you tight. Add on all the puking you did...that is enough to make some of us "longer banded" folks get tight for a few days. All that swelling, irritation, stress....all of that makes a difference with how tight you are feeling. Just try to relax and take things slow. It just sounds like right now you are tight. You arent going to stretch your pouch or anything on liquids. If you continue to have concerns though, you can always call and talk to your doctor again. Good luck and holler if you have any questions--Amy

I lost weight....at a good rate...without restriction. But, that's not really the point (I mean it shouldn't be all the doctor goes on). The reason I lost the weight without proper restriction was bc I was relying on willpower. I knew I could eat anything I wanted, but for the most part...I didnt. It was like I was on a diet. And like other diets, I did real well the first few weeks. BUT, my doctor gauges fills on how much we can eat not on how much we can lose. So when I went in for my first fill, I told him I could easily eat a sandwich, bread and all! But, if you feel full quickly and stay full for 3-4 hours, maybe you dont need a fill. Is it possible your doctor "primed" your band or put some Fluid in it at surgery? Mine was empty, but I know some people get a little in there. We are all so different. However, if you ARE physically hungry,can eat anything, etc...you need to tell your doctor that. We are paying them (or insurance is) good money to help us. Good luck!

Hey gottadance, I just wanted to add that you will quickly learn on here that everyone is different and so are their doctors rules. Tina reminded me of this with her suggestions. Lots of docs, (even those doctors that are banded themselves) allow soda. It goes right down while it it doesnt have any nutiritional benefit, the myth that it will stretch out your band due to carbonation is just a myth :tongue2: I try to stay away from it though bc it makes me want to snack. There is a great bloggin community out there that revolves around the lapband, and Jenny has a great post about drinking soda. here is a link Life's Little Journey: Reasons Why I Love Dr. Fielding Also, many bandsters drink. I dont bc it has so many empty calories, but...ask your doc (when and if you get one). I dont know why you would get drunk faster. One of the best things about lapband is that we still absorb everything like normal. People with gastric bypass do not, and thus get drunk really fast...the drinks dont have a chance to absorb... :w00t:)

Well hello and hi there! I started at 327, pretty close to 330! Listen, everyone (well, almost everyone) freaks out a little about this. I have been blogging for over 10 months and there are so many people out there thinking the same things as you! It is natural. You are making a very big decision and it's full of "unknowns" and "what ifs". But hey, you are taking control of something that is out of control. YOu are changing your life. Surgery is scary all by itself, but WLS surgery involves the possibilities of losing one of our best friends. FOOD! But with the band, it's not really lost, we just hang out with it less. Holler if you have any questions. This is the beginning of a new chapter of your life! xoxo, Amy

hey gottadance! Welcome. I am 10 months out and if you have any questions just ask. The great thing about lapband is that you can still enjoy almost all of the foods you enjoy now! Until you get good restriction, you will be able to eat most everything and sometimes you will be able to eat quite a bit of it. However, once you get tight restriction, some things like bread, Pasta, or really dry meat might be difficult. I find pasta goes down well, but can set above my band and swell. I can nibble at bread and I have a super tight restriction. When food gets "stuck" a couple of things can happen. You might start to slime. This is your bodies way of trying to lube up your throat/esophogus (spelling?) so the food will go down. When it doesnt, the slime usually comes back up and sometimes with the food that is stuck. THis is called PBing...or productive burping. Sometimes it's not that bad, sometimes it's not that fun! Some people rarely do this. Some people have it happen more often. It depends on a lot of things like how well you chew, what you eat, how tight your restriction is, etc. Good luck on your search! Amy

Everyone's doc is different, but preop there wasnt a limit on how much Clear liquids like broth I could drink or have. I think you should be fine!

*I posted this this morning on my blog, so forgive the double posting...but I thought it might be nice to share. I havent posted on here in awhile and thought what the heck!! Can you weigh your worth? No. But we do don't we? Every time we step on the scale we wait...to see what we weigh...and to see what we are worth. It doesn't sound right to type that or read it does it? We know better. Right? Are value, are life, how much we give, how much we love, can't be measured on our scale. But yet the damn thing, and those 3 numbers that pop up, can beat us down or lift us up. That is a lot of power we give away...in this race of ours. And what exactly are we racing for? I am not even talking about racing each other. We race ourselves! Hurry, must lose faster, faster, faster, not enough. Why? Are we racing for health? To fit into pants or an airplane seat? To get a date? To prove that the band works and that we made the right decision. Are we racing away from something? Fear, loneliness, fat rolls, a relationship? Do we just want to hurry up and be skinny already? I hate to tell you guys (and remind myself) that we did not pick the quick fix WLS. Oh sure, it is quicker and "fixier" then no WLS, but we chose the lapband...and I think we all knew that was going to be slower then gastric bypass. And I don't know what we are racing for, or why we let numbers determine our day, week, or life. For many of us, it has always been that way. For women in general, we learn at an early age that our weight matters. But somewhere along this weight loss journey I think we have to stop once in awhile and give ourselves a good old bitch slap in the face. We are getting there. And yes, it is not overnight. And yes, it is slower then some of our blogger friends. But it's happening. So breathe. Look at where you started. Look at how many times you have failed and realize this time you are not failing. Recognize that if the scale doesnt move for a day. Or a week. Or worse...if it moves up a little...that it will be okay and it will start moving down again. But more importantly, remember that you are just as wonderful at this weight as you were 5 pounds heavier. AND, you are just as wonderful at this weight as you will be 5 pounds lighter. Sometimes we get so caught up in what's not right about our situation that we fail to recognize all the gifts we have been given. And as some wise woman once said....I dont know who....but that doesn't matter..... YOU BEST RECOGNIZE! xoxo Amy

Hey lil miss diva-I just realized we both started at almost the exact same weight!

Thanks Beth. I have to remind myself so often. lately though I have been a little more relaxed when I go astray. I know if I eat bad foods that there will be a weight gain, and I know when I get back on track I will lose it plus some. Sometimes it feels like two steps forward and one step back...but at least I am still making progress!

This is a really good question. Full takes on a different meaning with the band. The nerves that are located in our stomach that tell our brain when we are full are located at the top of our stomach. This is why we get full faster and stay full longer with the band. And that is why before the band we would fill totally stuffed by the time our brains told us to stop. You will not get that lower stomach stuffed feeling anymore. Instead u will have to learn to listen to when u are no longer hungry. And that can be tough for those of us who have never done that! U will learn what full feels like. As for first fills, most docs are 4-6 weeks after surgery. Hope that helps!

Sometimes I think that primary care docs are a little disconnected to WLS procedures. There are many lapband bloggers out there for example who were, and still are, on meds for depression and anxiety. In one case, one of them had to meet and agree to a few steps, but otherwise....the psych eval is not to really punish or prevent someone from getting the band. Just be honest. Good luck. Let me know if you have any questions.

I started at 327 and I say You Are Kicking A&^! Keep up the good work! -Amy

hey deb, you are fighting the good fight...one which I see lots of people win when they really stick to it. Just like everyone else said, it differs from place to place and from insurance company to insurance company. I have BCBS as well, and I just pay my standard copay when I get a fill, which is $35 for me. But with my doc, my fills are free, no charge for the copay, for the first 3 months. That was nice! Holler if you have any questions--Amy

You aren't going to need luck! You can do this! Welcome and kick some ass!!!

Do you know what is great about life? You have a choice everyday to make your life your own. To start new, to choose your path. And that is coincidently, what is great about the lapband! For those of you trying to decide, or for those of you who have committed to this journey...welcome! You are making a choice to change...and for the better! The band is certainly not the answer to all of our problems. It is not a band for the brain, but it is a tool to help us make better decisions. And it is awesome! Is it the easy way out? Uh....hell no. But it can make things easier. And that is what matters. Who cares what other people think! As one of my fellow bloggers says(Sarah) when people tell her she "took the easy way"...she says "You're right...it was easy to choose life". Sometimes, even with the band, you may feel like you can eat a horse. And when you try to eat that horse, you may be able too! But that will change over time, and with more restriction. It doesnt matter why we choose weight loss surgery. Maybe we want to play with our kids, or rock hot pants. Maybe we want to be able to breathe or walk without pain. It is your choice. I know it can be scary at the very beginning. Surgery, recovery, the fear of losing one of our best friends (food), but we make it through. Some of lose weight fast. For others...is is a slower loss. But we are losing. And with the loss of the weight comes the addition of other things. Confidence. Exercise. Lung capacity. Freedom. Life. This is a fantastic forum for finding answers. There is an awesome blogger community as well. I just wanted to wish everyone luck! I hope you find what you are looking for. I am one of those people that believe you can achieve it if you can dream it. You are not a failure for trying diets that have failed. We have all been there. We are resilient. We are making a comeback! I don't regret a minute of this journey so far. You can do this~!!! -Amy- banded January 27, 2009. Start Weight: 327 pounds Lost so far: 107 pounds

I will echo what everyone else is saying. I think it is refreshing to read a post on here where everything is upbeat and positive about the band. You are certainly an inspiration and I also love the way you write!

Hey everyone! Dr. Friedman and his staff at Baptist Hospital are GREAT! I would be happy to answer any questions :eek: Amy

*I originally posted this about 6 months ago, I recently got a request to repost it! Hope some of this helps! Welcome all newly banded, soon to be banded, or bandsters new to the site. I was thinking this morning, now that I am a little over 9 months out, I could share some information with those of you just beginning your journey. Some of this is kinda common sense, and some of it is info I wish I had understood better before the band. 1. before get very far into your journey, take some measurements. I forgot to do this and now I wish I had my beginning measurements. This is good, bc sometimes when the scale is not moving...you are still losing inches! SO MEASURE YOURSELF! 2. Take some before pictures. I take pictures all the time, but I know some people hate the way they look presurg. But you will wish you had some before pictures after you start losing :thumbup: It's only going to get better afterall! 3. This is really important. And I didnt have a clear grasp on it before surgery. After surgery, and after you heal...you will still be hungry. AND most likely, you will still be able to eat whatever whenever you want. The period after banding and before you first fill is referred to as BANDSTER HELL. It's hell because you have to rely on willpower. What's that you say? I know I know...if we were good at "dieting" then we wouldnt need the band. But for a few weeks at least, prepare yourself to practice restraint. Just bc you can eat it...don't. 4. Know that after surgery, and when you start to eat mushies and real food. Your weight loss will probably stop for a week or so. Your body is going from a really low calorie liquid diet to actual food. It needs time to adjust. So dont get discouraged or give up. Hold on, watch what you eat...and more importantly...start moving. 5. Which brings me to this one. Exercise. It doesnt have to be anything huge! I started walking and I HATE walking. But I set a goal for myself. I wanted to do a 5k. I started walking 1 mile. The next week I added 1/2 a mile and so on. In March, 2 months after my surgery I did my first 5k. Is was a nonscale victory (NSV). Exercising will help your scale start moving again, and even when it appears you arent dropping pounds, you are changing the shape of your body. 6. Start a blog. It's pretty easy. Blogger is one great one. The link to my blog is in my signature. If you go check it out, you will see all of the other ladies that blog. Blogging or reading blogs lets you get to know fellow bandsters on a more personal level and see progress and share experiences. 7. When you go to your doctor ASK QUESTIONS! That's what they are there for...and that's what we (or our insurance) is paying them for. 8. Realize that all doctors are different. You will learn that really quickly on this site. We all have different instructions. 9. Dont be afraid to call and ask your doc if you can change something, move to the next phase sooner..etc. All they can do is tell you know. 10. FILLS! Most of us dont feel any restriction after our first fill. I didnt feel anything until my 3rd fill. My doc is pretty aggressive with fills, if that's what his patients want. I had 4ccs my first fill. I called back bc it didnt do anything for me and went in 2 weeks later for my second fill. He gave me 1.5cc's. Still didnt feel much so I called and went back in one week later and got .5cc's. 11. There will be times, even when you are doing everything right...the scale won't move. Stay strong and stay focused. It will start moving again! And finally. 11. Love yourself! Dont be ashamed of the band. It is a TOOL. You DO have to work at it. You CAN cheat it. IT IS NOT THE EASY WAY OUT! Be proud of who you are and who you are becoming! Hope some of this helps! --Amy