Makulafamy

nene! it is so funny you posted today bc I just pimped your blog out to another newbie post look for other aussies! love you!

Hey! I saw your post and don't know if you read any of the lapband blogs out there, but it is a great way to get info and has definetly been my support group. here are a couple of Aussie lapband blogs. The first is Cara THE DASH And here is NeNe From Fatness To Fitness There are more out there....I just wanted to give you a couple to get started. my blog is in my signature. Good luck! I am sure between LBT and blog land you should find some support!

You know, just the thought of pureed meat makes me sick! Yucky! Um, I ditto that all docs are different and after my 1 week follow visit when he said I could move to full liquids, he said just to proceed at my own pace...so I went from full liquids to mushies to meat in about 1.5 weeks time. Whatever you decide to do, just go slow.

I think that this is a very valid and common fear. You will have to rely on some good old fashioned will power until you get restriction. And I don't know how I did it, but I do. And I think most do make it through that time of bandster hell. I can tell you that I am at a much different, and BETTER place now then I was a year ago. Good luck and holler if you have any questions! Amy

Can I ask you Factory Girl, how did you gain 60 pounds back. And I don't mean "how could you let that happen", I mean what were you eating or like Parrot said....were you to loose, etc? This is a scary post not only for newbies but for those of us a little ways out...but it is good to be honest bc anything is possible with that band. I was just wondering what changed from your 120 pounds loss to your 60 pound gain. Thanks in advance.

It depends on what you want to pay. I started shopping at victoria secrets instead of lane bryant for bras. Some of their bras start at 40DD. Their underwear starts at XL, and I am a size 18 right now and they fit real nice! IN undies I would think you are a size 8 "regular"...you can find those at target or walmart. Target also sells some nice, cheaper bras! Good luck!

I love my spanxs. I get the ones that have shorts and go all the way up to under my boobs. However, for REALLY great support I have what I call "power panties" that I got years ago from Lane Bryant. They are underwear that go all the way up to under my boobs, black, shiny, snap crotch and all! They do not roll if they are the right size and go up far enough. They are wonderful!

All I can say is that I drink pop all the time...and I don't let the fizz out bc that is what I love about it. It has never given me any trouble. I burp just as easy when drinking pop as when I am drinking Water.

Sunny, you are fine, and your band is fine. 9 pretzels arent going to hurt anything. Throughout your entire journey there are going to be times when you slip up, or revert to old habits. The only reason that it is "bad" at this point is bc you are still healing and just want to be careful. Docs usually put people on liquids and mushies, etc so you can get used to your band and don't get anything stuck...which would lead to pbing or throwing up. But really, slap yourself on the wrist and realize that we are all weak! We need help and we have chose the band bc we recognize that! It's okay. Now, don't do it again :smile2:

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!

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!

*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

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