Altoonasoup

Just checking in to let you know how great I am doing! I just had my second fill yesterday. I am down 39 lbs from my highest wt. and I am thrilled! The Dr. was pleased that I had lost 11 lbs through the "dieter's nightmare" time of the year (Thanksgiving and Christmas.) This is the first time I can remember getting through the holidays without GAINING! My scale is steadily going down about 2 lbs a week. I have slacked on my exercise through the holidays, but I'm getting back to it TODAY! I am really enjoying putting on previously too tight clothes and finding them too big! Last night I wore a dress to church that fit a month ago, and my friends said it looked like it swallowed me.:laugh: I am still learning what I can eat and what gives me trouble. Through the holidays I tried turkey several times, and it didn't do well no matter how long I chewed. I can't eat apples either (not even applesauce). I guess it is very individual. I hope everybody is as happy as I am with their progress. Tell us about it if you get time!

I don't know if every Dr does it this way or if each has their own unique method. This is how Dr Lusco (Louisville KY) did mine: First he had me lay down on the table and put my hands behind my head. Then he had me lift my head like I was doing an ab crunch. That helped him locate my port. When He had that he put the needle in, but then he had me sit up. He handed me a cup of Water and told me he was going to overfill my band. Then I took several swallows of water until I felt "stuck" I could feel it sitting in my chest and it would not go down. Remember the needle is still sticking out of my port. Then he pulls some of the saline out of the band until I feel the water empty into my stomach. It was not painful, but you are helping the Dr to know when your band is at the "sweet spot". He says it usually takes about three fills before we get it exactly right, but I will have enough restriction that I will start losing weight again. Good luck tomorrow!

OK it's another "Here we go" moment. I am getting my first fill on Monday (11/24). I am very anxious for this band to start doing what it's supposed to! Dr says he routinely does the first fill at 4 weeks. But as you know I was banded on Oct 29, so that means 4 weeks falls on the day before Thanksgiving. He said I should have a couple of days of liquids after my fill, and he didn't want to do that to me to make me be on liquids come Thanksgiving day. He was going to wait until the Monday AFTER Thsgvg, but I asked if he would consider doing it before. I know that if I could eat normal I would end up with another 5 lbs to lose. I am SOOO ready to get this show on the road. Up until now I've lost 26 lbs, but it has been because of liquids and mushies, etc. I have been so pleased with how this has gone so far. I had less pain than I expected, and was back to work quickly. I have been going to exercise 3 times a week. The hospital is giving me two months at their cardio rehab gym, and even though I have a membership at the YMCA I am taking advantage of their program so that I can get in a routine. Are any of you getting a fill soon? I want to see us all get going and let this band get us through the holidays! Good Luck and Happy Thanksgiving to All! :smile2:

By the way I forgot to report on myself. I have done extremely well. I have very little soreness now (day 5) . I haven't had any gas pains. I had the same experience that CMT had. I laughed when she said she "wasted" the yogurt. That's me. Always cleaned my plate, always "got my money's worth" at a buffet. "All you can eat" is not supposed to be a challange! I have not had any doubts that I have done the right thing. I am down 23 from my highest (265) I was 255 when I started my pre-op diet and today I am down 13 (242). My husband tells me "Thats 13 lbs you'll never have to lose again" In some of my pre-op posts I told of my fear that I would be the one person in this world that this would not work for. But now that it's done I am determined that I will make this work for me.

I had several friends that told me I wasn't fat enough to have surgery. But I was 5' 3" and 265, and I wasn't a pro wrestler. Obviously your surgeon was convinced the band was a benefit for you or he would not have performed the surgery. I don't know how old you are (I suspect you are 33), but I know that years of extra weight will take it's toll on your body. Your knees, your hips, your back will thank you. You may have avoided diabetes. You may have avoided or at least decreased heart and blood pressure problems. Consider how this can improve the quality of the rest of your life! Perhaps your girlfriend is just trying to let you know that her feelings for you don't have anything to do with your size. That's a good thing. Take it for that and try to reassure her that you are the same person, but hoping to be healthier.

Well this first step is over. I had my surgery about 9:10 a.m. (they were a little ahead of schedule. I was planning to post earlier, but the phone has been ringing of the hook with our friends and family checking on me. I am not what I call in "pain." It is more of a soreness. The nuses told me that tomorrow I will feel like I have done 100 sit-ups. When I woke up my jaw was what was hurting, but not my stomach. I have slept most of the afternoon. My mouth is extemely dry. The thing that has felt best was rubbing the inside of my mouth with a sugar free popsicle. I am eating broth and drinking Gatorade. I haven't had any nausea, but they gave me medicine to avoid it. I took something for pain, but the dose was two pills. Not thinking I took both at once like I always do. Then it felt like I got a little clue of what people call "getting stuck". Not a pleasant feeling. I won't do that again! Maybe thats how the band makes us learn how to eat - negative reinforcement. Believe it or not after napping all afternoon now I am ready for bed! Goodnight!:w00t:

I am just now getting things together. It is almost midnight and I have to be at the hospital at 7:00 a.m. to have surgery at 9:30. I guess I don't have to be too wide awake and energetic anyway! Hope I sleep tonight. I'm nervous a little, but mostly excited. Kinda like when you are on a roller coaster, and it climbs for what seems like forever, and when it gets to the edge you say "Here we go!":w00t:

Well, I'm supposed to be at the hospital at 7 a.m. to be operated on at 9 a.m. (eastern time) I am pretty nervous tonight. My (very supportive) dh asked if I was second-guessing my decision. If I thought there was another way I would do it. Come to think of it if there was another way I would have done it 20 years ago! He asked me what I would do if I didn't have the lapband. I said I'd sit down and eat and get fatter and fatter until I die. Not a good option, huh? I have researched this. I have worked on it for two years. I joined this forum two years ago. I jumped through hoops with my insurance company, and now that it's here I am wondering if I know what I'm doing. I hope I can get these jitters under control. I don't want to start like this. I want to start with hope and looking forward, but that's just not how I feel right now.:thumbup:

I'm scheduled for the 29th, too. I am on day 3 of the pre-op diet, and I have no energy at all. And I'm just getting over a cold too, CMT! I guess it's a good thing they require this pre-op diet because up until now my mind has been playing tricks on me. It says "Eat everything in sight, you'll never eat again. " Worse than that my mind says "I am probably going to be the one person in the world that this band won't work for. I'll go through all this and just lose a few pounds. And I'll still be fat and miserable." I hope this negativity is just from being low on energy. I really want to go in with a positive attitude.

I was talking to a lady that was in that situation. They wouldn't bill her secondary insurance, because the primary wouldn't pay. Her employer suggested that she drop her primary for a while so that her secondary was her only coverage. Then she could pick up her other insurance again later. Just an idea, but be sure that the other insurance will take you back.

After two years I finally have a surgery date! October 29. My birthday is Nov 3 so I say it's my birthday present to myself!:biggrin:

I can relate to all these things. Here's some of mine: I won't miss ...watching myself (with shame) waddle up to the glass doors at the stores. ...climbing the steps on all fours ...changing my clothes four times because I'm uncomfortable in everything! And of course being winded afterward. ..."shapewear" You might think nobody wears girdles or longline bras anymore. I don't think it really makes an inch of difference though, but it does disguise a few bulges ...not being able to tuck in a blouse or wear a belt because I have no waistline ...taking my measurements only to find the middle number is the largest ...grabbing the nearest child to stand behind for family pictures ...having my 83 year old father-in-law give me his hand to help me get out of the car ...having the entire group wait for me to get up the hill or the steps. ...taking a whole handful of pills every morning. And I don't even want to tell you what a trip to the drugstore costs! Thanks for this thread. Kinda makes me realize the cost and complications of staying the same are far more than I realized. I have a lot to look forward to! :tt2:

Ok, now I'm nervous. They called me to say that my insurance will cover this. I should be happy. But all I feel is nervous. My feet are not so cold that I plan to back out, but I sure could use some socks! I went to see my general doctor today, and she was very supportive. She said I will have to have a stress test before surgery, so she is scheduling it for me. So now I'm thinking, What if I fail the stress test? What if I don't give the right answers on the Psych evaluation? What if I don't qualify for the surgery? What if what if what if... This is not my normal personality. I've had other surgeries, but this is the first one I've asked for. I know I'm blessed with a wonderful support system. My husband tells me that I will be a great success at this. My mother , my sisters, my son and daughter-in-law, my nieces, my doctor, this forum are all supportive. So what's happened to my normal confidence? Worst of all my surgeons are so busy that they say it will probably be September before I'm actually banded. I don't want to feel this way for the next 3 months! :thumbup: