greytz

I totally agree with Big Momma is Shrinking and tessieKay. You were not at the gym for his opinion and it is usually a waste of time to educate someone like that. Forget it girl and move on. You are obviously doing great and working hard for your weight loss success. It seems there is always someone out there trying to derail anyone who is trying to better themselves in some way. Don't worry about the nay sayers. They don't have a clue.

One more thing I didn't see on hear is a soft cup bra. I usually wear underwires and there is an incision that is usually right in that area just under the front of your bra. The soft cup really, helped for awhile until the incision healed. I use a rice bag for heat. A trick my mother-in-law taught me and I still use it all the time. Take an old pillow case and cut it the length and size you want. I have several different sizes and lengths and use them for different areas of my body. Sew it together leaving a small entry hole and fill the hole with uncooked rice. Leave some room in there so the bag is flexible. Place the bag in the microwave for about 2 minutes and you are ready to use it. I like it because I can use it in bed and not worry about the cord. They are great. Also, the bullet is fantastic as Aivey said. It saves the day in the mushy stage.

Bless your heart. You have been through so much you may want to consider giving your body a rest. I had cancer many years ago and chemo has come a long way since then, but I have had several family members who have had to have chemo. I am no expert but based on their experiences I am aware that there are certain kinds of chemo that put weight on and bloat you out. My uncle was a very small person and gained a lot of weight while on chemo. It is very hard to lose. I was on oral steroids for 2 yrs for a skin condition and had to wait a time before they would even talk to me about the band. I currently have hypothyroidism and I have to keep it checked regularly or it will defeat my weight loss with the band. I was banded on 06-19-19 and have lost 20 lbs so far. Gotta change my ticker. I know you are probably tire easily right now but exercise may also be a big help to you. Good Luck and Hang in there.

I think you can find horror stories about anything you choose to do. Your probably have since you have done so much research. As with anything too much information is sometimes confusing when you are trying to make a decision about something. I did research the band about a year ago when a lot of people I know were having gastric bypass and I even went so far as to sign up for a seminar and backed out at the last minute. I wasn't ready at the time and completed research off and on throughout the year. I then had that defining moment based on something that happened in May and that was it. I made the decision and went on and did it and I am so glad I did! I am on my way down the scales instead of up them. I have lost 20 lbs so far. Gotta change my ticker. You are the only person that can say for certain what is right for you. Now that you are armed with information all you have left to do is make the choice and go through with it. Good Luck!

It sounds like since you are feeling stuck that the stress is getting to you. That is a rough place to be. Maybe your surgeon can tell you if he/she thinks you need a fill based on what you are saying.

It also has to do with what your insurance company requires. Some require a period of self-diet before they approve. Also, you will have to have pre-op testing and some insurance companies also require a sleep study. I have good insurance and was approved and in surgery in less than a month but I really stayed on top of it and pushed them. Insurance companies and plans are so different it is hard to say how long but just keep at it. It also depends on your surgeon's schedule.

I am typo crazy tonight. That was supposed to be www.tickerfactory.com and then the rest as above.

Go to www.tickerfactory.comand follow the instructions. Then save it to your desktop and copy and paste into your signature box.

Sorry, I meant to say they taste just as good.

Try the freeze popsicles with no sugar. They test just as good and don't have the sugar. You still have the calories, usually 60 but they are so much better for you. Also, there are sugar free fudge pops if you like chocolate like I do and sugar free italian ice which has become my absolute fave.

Hi Kimsmif, I was banded on 06-17 and don't have a fill yet. I was supposed to get one last week but had to reschedule. I am scheduled now for 08-04. I have lost 17 so far. I had a setback and gained 6 lbs. back and had to lose it all over again but I am back down to the 17 as of today so I am thrilled about that. Don't worry, you will feel the restriction and if you don't just keep working with your surgeon until you do. I am just like you getting so bored with the food. I am allowed to start solids on 07-17 but I have decided to stay on mushies until my first fill because I did have the setback and don't want that to happen again. Hopefully, I can stay with that. I have been alternating between tuna, chicken and soup. It gets old but my doctor's office began carrying high protein powders and food so I bought some of that last time I was in and that really helped to break up the boredom. Good Luck and keep in touch.

Wow! Congratulations!!! That is fantastic! And continuing to try to lose after you reached goal is very ambitious and I think that is great! Good Luck!

I was given a choice and chose the Lapband Allergan. I liked the fact there are two sizes Standard and Large. My surgeon decided which size once she got in there. She chose the Standard for me which holds 10cc. I liked the port on the LapBand better. It is higher. I liked the fact that the Lapband has the separate pillows for saline containment. Most of the seminars I attended had both available to look at. The LapBand does have a website it just isn't as interactive as the Realize. But I was more interested about what I put inside my body and didn't care about the website. I did get a full package from LapBand and the option to register. I registered on the website and received an permanent plastic card to cary with the serial number of my band, the name of my surgeon and her phone number.

You should feel good about it! What a wonderful day for you! Congratulations!!!!!

Don't forget to post your own story when you are ready.

Thank You for that Grandma26. When I read this I laughed myself silly because hot dogs were one of my favorite things. I loved them steamed in a bun with nothing on them. The Varsity in Atlanta called that a naked wiener. We didn't do July4th picnic just for that reason. Too Funny.:sad:

My surgeon never said no coffee. In fact it was on my list of things I could have along with tea. I am a decaf kind of girl but I never read anything that said I it was a no no.

It was one of the things I asked my surgeon about. Her advice was not to eat if you aren't hungry. I am the same as RM sometimes I am busy and don't even think about lunch. I usually just have an early dinner and don't eat the rest of the night. I don't put the calories in just to put them in. I still lose weight.

I also ate a lot of crab and tuna and chicken salad (no chunks of course). It is soft and mushy and I would think a cruise line would have quite a bit of fish type choices. I just kept remembering what my surgeon said which is anything that dissovles easily and has a melt factor.

The wonderful thing about this site is that you can be proud of yourself and everyone understands/gets it. It is so great to look at yourself and see the changes. Congratulations!!!! You work hard and see the results and that is something to be proud of and everybody here understands how great that is. Glad you shared it with us!

Find something to do to keep your mind off of the food. It is perfectly normal to feel that way before your first fill. I get on the computer and read this site and post some threads when I feel the hunger taking over. It helps me get my mind off of the food and after awhile, I don't even think about it anymore. Also, if possible you may want to adjust your time schedule temporarily if you can. I started going to bed a little earlier so I don't have all that empty time at night. My husband goes to bed fairly early because he works really early in the mornings so it has really helped me to go to bed when he does. It took a few days to get used to but now it is second nature to me. The first thing I do when I get up is chew my vitamin and drink my protein. It gets me ready for the day. I starting writing. It might be helpful for you to either pick up an old hobby that you have let go or start one.

Drink the protein shake before you go to the wedding and politely refuse the food if asked. You can drink other types of liquid while there (no alcohol of course). It is really important to stay on track before the surgery. You could run the risk of your surgery being postponed.

What sucked the most for me was getting stomach flu right out of the hospital. I thought OMG, I have really messed up getting this band. Once the flu was over, the only other sucky thing was the liquid stage waiting for the mushy stage. Once I hit the mushy stage all was right with the world. Every day I hit the scale I have lost a little more. That is my reward and my undies getting looser and looser. LOL. I will say one thing I have said over and over on these threads becuase you said you are going to a seminar. I visited several seminars before I found the surgeon that was right for me. I am so glad I took the time to go and make sure. Her care and the office staff have been one of the best parts of this process. I don't regret one minute of it.

I am not ashamed of being banded at all. It is not about that for me. I am proud of doing something to get healthy for myself and my family. My decision not to tell the whole world was because I don't feel it is necessary to open myself up to unnecessary criticism. Who you tell is a very private matter and only you can decide that. Some of us have nothing but supportive people in our lives and others of us have people in our lives that are not as supportive. I believe it is a very personal decision. I like this forum and appreciate everyone's opinion about things and I like sharing information. Sometimes if I get down, this forum helps keep me on track. Seminars and surgeons are for educating people.

90% is a really, really good insurance company. Mine paid 85% but I still had to come up with a $1,000 for my surgeon and around $1,500 for co-pays which was a lot for me but some people on here have had to come up with major bucks. But, most including me figure out a way to do it. I think most on here have tried all the diets in the past that didn't work, just like RM said, I did the RS deal and meal and the Atkins, Weight Watchers, South Beach and the list goes on. My defining moment was at a wedding I attended that lasted the weekend and all the "Beautiful People" were there, some from LA, etc. Anyway, that was when I said "This is it!" I was banded on 06-17-09 and could not be happier. My ticker is wrong so I have to fix it but down 20lbs. so far. Good Luck!