sweetbean70

Howdy! I used to sneeze when I ate way too much. Now, I sneeze if I eat too fast. I asked my gastroenterologist about this a couple of years ago and she looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears. :drool:

Howdy! I live in Newark (about 45 minutes east of Columbus). I had my band placed on 6-8-09 in Cincinnati by Dr. Curry. I would recommend Dr. Curry in a heartbeat (especially if you have to self-pay). Good luck with your journey :Yawn:

OMG!!! I'm going to go order some arm sleeves pronto.

Well, I guess that I am one of the lucky bandsters. I have told many people about my surgery and I have had nothing but positive comments. I've had 2 people tell me that they didn't really consider me heavy enough to require surgery. They were both just being honest, yet kind. I have really used my experience to educate others. Most people I've talked with are really only familiar w/ gastric bypass. They really don't know much about the band. When I explain to them how the band works and what a fill consists of, they have plenty of questions to ask. I make sure to stress that losing 1-2 lbs per week is the ideal goal and that I can eat pretty much anything that I can tolerate. I can only eat very small portions and I have to watch my caloric intake (aka slider foods) just like anyone else on a diet. I also let them know that exercise is a crucial part of being a successful bandster. I was banded on 6/8/09 and as of today, I've lost 50+ pounds. I won't know my true loss until 11/6 when I go for my fourth fill. I don't have a scale in the house b/c I was becoming too obsessed with it. Good luck with your journey :cursing:

I live in Ohio and usually about this time I put away all of my summer clothes and pull out my fall/winter stuff. This time around it was a bit different. I didn't put away my summer clothes. I put them into 30 gallon trash bags (3 of them) to be traded for smaller sizes when the weather warms up again. I then decided to also go thru my fall/winter clothes. I ended up w/ another 2 trash bags full. I also ended up w/ about 10 pairs of shoes added to the pile. I kept reminding myself that it is ok to get rid of all these clothes because (for the first time in my life) they are TOO BIG. :sad:

Hello! I was just wondering if I will ever see the skinnier me or will I always see myself as fat. I know that I am losing weight because I am down 3 sizes and have lost 50+ pounds. People give me compliments all the time of how great I look and that they can really see a difference in my size. But, when I look into the mirror I don't see such a big difference. I am also having a mindblock when it comes to shopping for new clothes. I've had to exchange several articles of clothing b/c I bought too big of a size. When I hold up a size 22, I say to myself that there is no way that I can fit into this (I used to be a tight size 28) and buy a size 24 instead. For my birthday in August, my mother bought me some 18/20 panties (longstanding family tradition). I put them in my underwear drawer b/c I knew it would be a loooong time before I could wear them. Well, I decided to wear a pair of them earlier this week and they fit perfectly! Why do I keep selling myself so short???

What a great thread! :smile: Here is a list of what I've lost so far (4 months w/ the band): 1. medications 2. double chin 3. 40+ inches 4. 50+ pounds 5. closets full of clothes 6. shoes, shoes, and more shoes 7. the ability to sit for hours in front of the tv or computer 8. my love of carbs 9. the feeling that I am the largest person in any room 10. feeling like that I do not deserve good things in my life b/c I'm too fat Here is a list of thing I've gained since being banded: 1. smaller, cuter clothes 2. a cute hairstyle 3. the guts to get up and sing at karaoke night 4. more hours in my day b/c I'm not napping 5. tons of compliments from friends, family, and colleagues 6. an extreme love of stir fry seafood 7. a definite "get-up-and-go" attitude 8. a whole drawer of sexy lingerie 9. the ability for my hubby to put his arms all the way around me 10. self-love

Howdy! As of this upcoming Thursday (Oct. 8), I will have been banded for 4 months. I have lost a total of 51lbs and 40+ inches. I have gone from a snug size 28 to a loose size 22. I LOVE MY BAND!! :smile: I have gone off of Omeprazole (stomach) and Metformin (blood sugar) completely. I just had bloodwork done this past Friday to see if I can reduce or completely go off of my cholesterol meds. My blood pressure was 110/78 and fasting blood sugar was 124. I haven't been this healthy for a long, long time. A day doesn't go by that I am not truly thankful for my band.

LOL! I can totally relate to this misery. :seeya: I have found that about 4 Triscuits w/ some spinach dip does the trick for me.

OMG! I have discovered a delicious (and nutritious) snack... Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds. I bought a large container (38oz) at Sam's Club for less that $10. Here is the nutritional info: 150calories/1oz serving, total carbs/6g, dietary fiber/3g, sugars/1g, protein/6g, and cholesterol/0g. If you are looking for something crunchy and chocolately that will NOT wreck your weightloss, TRY THESE NUTS!!! :seeya:

Hello all! I was banded on 6-8-09, so I'm just a little over 3.5 months out from my surgery. I go for my 3rd fill on 9/25 (tomorrow). I had 2 really great/funny things happen to me today. First, I am an elementary school teacher who has recess duty everyday. As I was walking out to my duty, I put my phone in my pants' pocket. I got about 2 steps out the door and my pants almost feel to my knees. I knew my pants were getting too big, but the weight of the phone was just too much. I almost flashed an entire cafeteria and playground full of little kids! My second piece of exciting news is that I can now comfortably wear a size 22 (down from a tight size 28). I LOVE MY BAND!!! :mad:

I can't wait to go to Kings Island and ride the roller coaster again!

I LOVE THE NON-SCALE VICTORIES!! I had a NSV this past weekend. I spent a total of 21 hours (12 hours on Sat. & 9 hours on Mon.) redecorating my parents' bedroom for them. That included moving furniture, scraping, spackling, sanding, painting, removing old carpet & blinds, laying new carpet, and installing new blinds. I am 39 y/o. The last time that room was redecorated was when I was in jr. high. It was in pretty sad shape. I was up and down the ladder too many times to count, crawling on my hands and knees to remove the old/lay the new carpet, and probably walked a total of 15 miles while redoing the room. I had no trouble w/ all of that work... no muscle aches, no fatigue, etc. I guess losing almost 50#'s gives you a lot more energy. I can't wait to see what my energy level will be like after I lose another 100#'s and reach goal! :blushing:

I LOVE READING EVERYONE'S NSVs!!! They are so very inspiring! :thumbup: I had several NSVs this past Friday. I was able to wear an XL women's t-shirt comfortably. I used to wear an XXXL t-shirt. My favorite pair of Old Navy jeans (size 26) are now falling off of me. And last, but not least, I was walking out of my classroom when a colleague was coming around the corner w/ her class. She stopped dead in her tracks and said to me, "WOW! YOU LOOK HOT!" It has been sooooo long since anyone (excluding my hubby) has told me how good I look. I AM ABSOLUTELY LOVING MY BAND AND MY NEW LIFESTYLE!! :thumbup: PS~ My 3 month bandiversary is this Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Howdy! I had my surgery on 6/8/09, first fill on 7/7, and second fill on 8/13. As of my second fill (including pre-op diet), I have lost 41lbs and 39.5 inches! I am a teacher and had my surgery as soon as school was finished. School just started last week. My colleagues were blown away! My best NSV so far came when a little girl I had last year as a student came up to give me a hug on the first day of school and she said, "Gee, Mrs. O I can put my arms all the way around you!"

Howdy! I was banded on June 8, 2009 by Dr. Tace Curry in Cincinnati. I had my initial visit w/ my PCP on April 14 and went down to Cincy for all of my pre-op fun on May 26 & 27. My first fill was on July 7. My second fill is on August 13. As of July 24, I have lost 42 pounds. :smile2: I feel absolutely great!

Unforgettable... Howdy! I saw that you were banded by Dr. Curry on July 13. He did my surgery on June 8. Isn't he and his staff wonderful?! Good luck w/ your journey!

Hi Bill. I was banded on 6/8/09 by Dr. Curry in Cincy. I live in Newark now, but grew up in Whitehall. Its always good to meet some local fellow bandsters!

Hello! I got my first fill today (7/7/09). I now have 3.2ccs in a 10cc band. Since it was my first fill, I had to drink some barium swallow and have the fill done w/ a fluoroscope. I thought I was doing ok until I got REALLY hot, started sweating like a pig, and heard a rushing noise. The nurse had me lay down on a table and put cold rags on my forehead and the back of my neck. After a few minutes, I felt well enough to sit up and drink sips of water. I'm not sure why I got so woozy. I didn't watch the nurse put the needle into my port, but I did watch everything that was happening on the x-ray. OH well... the pain was minimal and I am looking forward to my next fill on Aug 1.:biggrin:

Hello! I just had my first fill today (7/7/09). I was banded on 6/8/09. From my surgery date til today, I've lost 20lbs and 16 inches. It brings me to a grand total (including pre-op) of 33lbs lost. I am sooooo proud of myself! :biggrin:

LMFAO! The "F" stands for FARTING. I have been plagued by these really long burps. I will open my mouth to speak and this "thunder belch" just rumbles on up out of nowhere. My stomach has also been very vocal since being banded (6/8/09). My dog was sitting on my lap the other day when my stomach started gurgling. She started pawing at my belly and cocking her head to the side. As far as the "bottom burps" go, I tend to wander off to a secluded place a lot more often then I used to do to take care of business.:thumbdown:

Hello! So far, I haven't had any negative comments about my surgery (June 8). I was going to keep it a secret, but decided to be proud about my decision to commit to a healthier me. Unfortunately, there will always be someone w/ a negative viewpoint or some sort of horror story. I have sort of gone down this same path when I decided to have LASIK surgery performed. There hasn't been a single day when I have regretted getting my eyes "fixed" and I pray that I will be as fortunate w/ my band.

Hello! I was banded on June 8. So far (knock on wood), I have felt absolutely wonderful since the evening of my surgery. The only way I know that I've had my surgery are my "bullet holes," some wild burping (no pain, just loud and loooong), and my post op diet. I went out today and bought a PowerSpin bike and some resistance bands to start working out with. I have been very careful to take small bites and chew, chew, chew. I've not had any bouts of vomitting, PBing, or sliming. I know I'm sounding like I'm bragging here, but I'm sooo paranoid that I could still be doing something to stretch my pouch and/or cause my band to slip. I do NOT want to go in for my 1st fill (July 7) and have the fluoroscope show that something is wrong! :thumbup:

I have to admit to being somewhat confused by all the different pre/post diets being posted on this site. I had to do a 2 week pre-op diet of Medifast and Healthwise products. I have read on this site that some have had to do a "liquids only" pre-op diet anywhere from 24 hours to 4 weeks before their surgeries. A few lucky souls only had to stop eating and drinking after midnight the day of their surgeries! I realize that the duration of most pre-op diets is usually based on a person's BMI. The post-op diet seems to be totally at the surgeon's discretion. I was allowed only Clear Liquids the day of my surgery (June 8). The day after surgery, I was allowed to indulge in full liquids/soft foods. This coming week, I can eat anything that has been put into a blender as long as I can tolerate it. I have been reading posts on this site that have people on clear liquids for up to 2 weeks after their surgery and then 2 weeks of "mushies" after that. It will be going on week 5 post op before they can even try anything that I'm allowed to have my 2nd week post op! Can anyone shed some light on this topic for me???

First of all, I would like to say... "I LOVE THIS SITE!" I was banded on June 8 and have been avidly reading this site since the end of March when I decided to make the commitment to a healthier me. My journey from beginning to banding was very short b/c I paid for the procedure out of my own pocket. I knew from reading on this site about "Bandster Hell," emotional issues to expect, and many of the physical side effects. I thought that I was totally prepared to face the challenge. WOW! It has been like a slap in the face. I have been through a wide range of emotions (nervous, scared, excited, proud, confused, etc.). I have also been truly mourning my loss of food and my old eating habits. I didn't realize how much food ruled my life. It does seem to be getting better each day though. I have a great support system in place. In fact, my best friend is being banded on June 29 and my mother is having a gastric bypass done in the Fall. We are the three amigos! I also keep reminding myself that the 31lbs. I've lost since the middle of April would not have happened w/o my pre/post diet and band. It has made me focus so much more on myself and what I need and what unhealthy choices I have made for most of my life. PS~I am soooooo craving dill pickles! Do you think it would be a bad idea? I'm allowed to start introducing more than full liquid/soft foods into my diet tomorrow.