Astrasmom

Just tell him that you are on a very strict diet that doesn't allow you to eat too much and you really don't want to screw it up because you have done very well so far. You love his food and you love that he takes you out, but you can only eat so much. After you tell him (when the time is right) about the band, then he will understand. And like everyone else says, if he is Mr. Right and a wonderful guy, he will understand. If he doesn't, sorry then you need to find some else with positive renforcement. Good luck to you. I wish you the best with your relationship and your weightloss.

Hi Vicky. I'm Dawn from NJ. Congratulations on the start of your journey. I wish you much success. Please keep us posted on your progress and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Hi Tereasa, I'm Dawn. Congratulations on the start of your journey. You are a couple of years younger than me but let me say that I was borderline everything, plus had sleep Apnea and open heart surgery for an aortic anuerysm and valve replacement in 2001. I will need to have the valve replaced again because I had a pigs valve put in, which unfortunately they don't last for a lifetime. I did this because I just didn't want to take blood thinner for the rest of my life. So next time I'm getting a mechanical and taking blood thinner because I honestly don't want to get it done again after that. Anyway needless to say I had my lapband on Oct. 23, 2009. I have successfully lost 102lbs, am no longer borderline anything and I no longer have sleep apnea. I just went 2 weeks ago to the cardiologist and he told me that my valve is functioning at 100% and that I have probably prolonged my surgery. So my point, it's normal to be nervous and it's normal to ask yourself all of the questions that you are asking yourself. I can't say that you won't be starving because you will be. When you start the liquid diet you will be starving, tired and cranky. Once you have your surgery you probably won't be hungry for the first week. When the swelling goes down you will start getting hungry again. Some people feel relief after the first fill but to be honest with you, it takes about 3-5 fills before you start feeling satisfied. Here's how you get by all of that. You have to make up your mind that you are going to do this. Go into it with the mind set that the lapband is a tool that will help you to reach your goal and keep the weight off. It's not a miracle cure it all. It will not take away your bad habits. I would suggest now trying to educate yourself on the difference between real hunger and head hunger. It will ultimately help you in the long run. As for your family, they will get by. You will be surprise how much your family kind of falls into your good habits after you get banded. My husband is actually losing weight because I am not eating as much and I am not eating all of the bad food that I used to eat. Check out my blog. It might help to answer some of your questions. Right now is the best time for you to read up on everything. That way you will be aware of what is going on and how to deal with things as they arise. In all honesty I only have 1 regret. And that is that I didn't get this done sooner. I couldn't be happier. I haven't been this weight since 1987. You will be so suprised at how your self esteem comes back once you start losing the weight and people start noticing you. I have completely lost a person on the outside but I have gained a person on the inside (my self esteem). You will too. I wish you much luck on your journey. I would also suggest a local support group if you have one in your area as well as coming here. Please feel free to ask questions. And DO keep us posted on your progress. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Just wondering how you are feeling today?

Sorry I also don't know anything about your surgeon but I wanted to also wish you good luck on your journey. Please keep us posted and if you have any questions along the way please ask.

Sounds kinda like you might have a little bug. Take your temp. If you spike a temp and definately if you have any discharge from your sites I would call your surgeons office before you go to the hospital. Sounds more like a bug to me rather then anything with the band. But I'm not a doctor so I can't really say. Keep an eye on it and try and drink plenty of fluids. If you can't swallow pills you can try some liquid tylenol or something.

Did you have surgery recently?

Thanks so much. After 21 days I have finally lost another 2 lbs. So now I have 17lbs to go. I really would LOVE to get in Onederland. Only 3 lbs to go for that. I haven't been there since 1987. I think when I get on the scale and it says 199 I will literally pass out.

Glad to hear that you have some support and very sorry to hear about your dad. As for your Aunt, I know it's easier when you have support but you have to remember that you are doing this for you, not for anyone else. Alot of times, as someone else stated, you might be suprised how much support you will get. I would also suggest a local support group if you have that available in your area, as well as here. It does help.

May I ask why you had to have a complete unfill? Sorry just curious.

My doctor doesn't tell me how much he puts in either. He feels that if you know how much fill you have in there, the closer you get to max. the more you might panic. So in a way I guess it's good to keep guessing. As for the unfill. It sounds like you definately need some taken out. I felt the same way you did about getting some taken out. I thought I was going to start eating everything in site and gain weight back. It didn't happen that way though. I was also having night regurgitation and night coughing. Plus it was painful for food going down most of the time. So I called and had half taken out of what the doc put in for my last fill. He said we will be taking it slow from now on. The point is that if you don't get an unfill when you are in the redzone, you can start gaining weight back, plus you are also not getting enough nutrients in your system which is also bad for you. Good luck to you.

Sleep Apnea is really nothing to worry about. Even if you have to use a CPAP, you will be off of it in no time. I was on a CPAP for 5 years. I had a moderate case of Sleep Apnea. As of last month (7 months after my surgery) I no longer have sleep apnea. So if you do indeed have a mild case, chances are it won't take you that long to get rid of the sleep apnea. It's common in people who are over weight. Good luck with your cardio and the rest of your tests. You will get there. :cool: I had to wait 6 months for my surgery. And I thought it was forever. But once the day go here I couldn't have been happier. The wait is well worth it. This is the time to ask as many questions as possible and read all that you can so you are prepared when your day arrives. Hang in there.

You might want to try a heating pad. Sometimes that works for people. You might be experiencing some gas pains to. Try some Gas-X strips. Congratulations on your surgery and I hope that you feel better soon. Be sure to get up and walk as much as you can.

I would simply say to them, "Although I really appreciate everything you do for me and I love you. I have made up my mind that I am getting the lapband procedure done. It's something that I need to do to live a healthy and productive life. I have tried all of the diets and they don't work for me. It would be great if I could have your support through this but if not I hope that somewhere down the line you can understand why I need to do this for me. Please do not try and change my mind because as I said this is something that I need to do for me in order to live longer." By the way I admire you for getting it done at a young age. You have your entire life ahead of you. I wish you luck. And if you have already told your parents before this reaches you. Please let us know how it went.

What a great post. I am proud to say that I was banded on Oct. 23, 2009. I have lost 100lbs since my surgery. I have 19lbs to go until the doctors goal which I am hoping to reach by my bandversary but if not that's ok because I have already passed the 50% weightloss in the first year that my doctor said they wanted to happen. I would like to lose a few more pounds after that. I plan to increase my exercise more. I've also been at a plateau for the last 4 weeks and haven't lost anything but the point is I haven't gained anything either. So I hope to get out of this rut soon. My big goal is to hopefully be an inspiration for others along the way. Good luck to everyone. I hope that all your goals, dreams and hopes come true.

Congratulations!! I wish you a speedy recovery. Please keep us posted on your progress.

Exact same feeling that you described. Restriction is also not chewing your food properly and getting stuck. That's when you know you have some restriction. Also as you said, being able to eat so much and the feeling slight pressure which lets you know that you are full. Sometimes this is followed by the soft signs of fullness. Mine happens to be hiccups. That's when I know that I am full.

This is a wonderful site. Everyone is like family on here. Never hestitate to ask questions because someone will always be around to answer. And remember the only stupid question is the one never asked. :cursing:

Doesn't it feel wonderful when you lose that much weight in such a short period of time? I bet you are getting several compliments from people? I bet yourself esteem is much better now too? Congratulations on your weightloss. It only goes to prove what I keep saying, you get what you put into it. Anything is possible if you work hard and believe in yourself.

Congratulations on your band. I wish you much success. And you have the right attitude. Also congratulations on your weightloss. Keep up the outstanding work. :cursing:

I am so lucky that I found my doctors office. They are wonderful. The doctors are out-of-network but they only take in-network- fees. Meaning they don't back bill. They accept whatever my insurance gives them. Also the longest that I've ever had to wait was 30 minutes. And the doctors themselves are so down to earth. I always look foward to going there.

Wow that's awesome and congratulations. I wish you a very easy and speedy recovery. Please keep us posted. Be sure to get yourself some Gas-X strips and a heating pad.

Find the picture on Facebook you like. Right click on the picture with your mouse and click "Save as". The pictures are usually saved to MY PICTURES on your computer. Then go to Lapbandtalk and at the top of the page go to USER CP. On the left hand side of the page you will see "Edit Profile Picture". Where it says add a picture click on the "BROWSE" button and find the picture in My pictures that you just downloaded from Facebook. Click on the picture and hit ok. Then at the bottom of the page click save. Your picture will then be displayed.

First congratulations on the start of your journey. I wish you much success. 1> When you attend the seminars they will explain to you the differences between the weightloss surgeries. Lapband, gastric, sleeve, etc. They will also explain each surgery. This is the best time to ask questions. 2> I was able to make the appointment at the seminar. All offices are different. 3> You probably won't know about insurance until your consult but my suggestion would be to call your insurance company directly and ask them if they cover weightloss surgery. Usually most insurance companies will cover WLS if your BMI is over 37 or you have other medical conditions. Unless of course your work has a clause that they don't cover WLS. 4> What to expect...A life changing experience. Go into this with the mind set that the Lapband is a tool. It's not a miracle cure all. It does take alot of work on your part, but the band will help you reach those goals easier then a conventional diet. The lapband is NOT a diet but a lifestyle change. Everything in moderation. I would also suggest attending a local support group if you have one in your area. Good luck and if you have any further question please feel free to ask. Keep us posted.

I had surgery on a Friday and went back to work the following Monday. I was a little sore but it was an easy recovery. I'm a Instructional Assistant in a special education setting. So I move around alot. My suggestion is listen to your body. You'll know when it's time to go back.