Sweet Pete

Exactly what Betsy said! I know some women who had it done but won't admit it for nothing. And when asked they say "diet and excersise". BS! It is so hurtful and mean to insinuate that "I did it w/diet and excersise and YOU can too." I have struggled w/weight forever and that avenue obviously didn't work for me and to lie like that just to save face for oneself while bringing another person down is cruel. Why not share the info w/people to maybe help save their life? I sing like a canary about it especially to friends/family I know that are obese. Lap Band is saving my life and it can save theirs too. I just don't understand why someone wouldn't share this infomation with others. If I knew a Dr who had a cure for Cancer, wouldn't I run and tell everyone? Of course I would, so I don't see how the Lap Band is any different. So it's a social "issue" to some therefore private. We can't keep ignoring that in a room of 40 people 75% of them are obese and 20% are morbidly obese. I'm sorry to go off, but this topic really irks me. It's not like people we know didn't know were were obese, it's not a secret. So why the weightloss be a secret? I've already been approached by several people about the procedure. 2 have made appointments with my surgeon and 1 is already doing what needs to get done for insurance approval. She's ready to change her life. I'm so excited that by me talking about it so much that soon she'll lose the weight and get off her cpac machine and live a longer healthier life. Did I save her life? No, she & the surgeon are doing that but I will gladly take credit for helping her on her journey.

I"m 5'8 and I feel shorter. My kitchen sink & counters seem taller. And I've had to move my car seat closer because I feel so far away from the wheel.

Ditto! I only lost like 3 lbs after the first 2 weeks of the fat melting off after surgery. I walk 30 mins daily and I too am not taking in 1/3 of the calories I used to and yet, I can't lose anymore. Ugh. I too am hoping that it'll all melt off now that I got my band filled today. Hang in there!

You should talk to your Nut. Mine gave me some info about caffeine...it's a diuretic so all that water your drinking to flush out fat is for not because it's not in your system long enough to filter anything due to the coffee/soda pop. Also caffeine is an appettite stimulate. OMG, right! I live in the Seattle area and everyone jokes that our tap water has a triple shot. I used to drink 3 pots of coffee a day by myself! No, seriously. I slowly got myself off of it and now I only drink decaf and maybe once a day if that and no pop. Try to get off of it all together. You're half way there, you can do it!

Wow! Ya'll look GREAT!!!:smile2: Don't be discourage, we're all just in this less than 6 months. I know in all my past diets, there was no way I stuck to it that long or lost that much so ya'll are doing great! I started my pre-op diet on Dec.8, 2009 & Banded on Dec.22, 2009. I'm down 30lbs. **gosh, sorry these pics are so dang big, I have no idea how to resize. Sorry.

When pureed carrots & chicken never sounded so good but 2 weeks post op; you'd eat ANYTHING pureed.

You should ask your dr first and foremost. You're doc. insurance personal know which insurance companies approve what and what exactly the criteria will be. After all they just as much as you want approval on 1st request. Having that said, my ins. required that I see the NUT 3 times before the paper work was even submitted. Ask your dr. to recommend a NUT because they will only send you to the ones whom they've had sucess with for approval. Call the NUT right away and schedule all your appts at once. In our area all the good NUTs are booked 4-6 months in advance. I know a lot of other bandsters that had everything ready but their visits w/the NUTs. And you can't rushthose appointments. If your insurance says 3 monthly visits, it's literally to the day, 30 days. It gets frustrated so be prepared. Good luck!!

You go w/your bad self!!:thumbup::blushing:

Thanks all! I was getting worried. The pain is under my left breast to below my rib cage. And yeah, it feels like pulling. It's no where near my port so thats where my concern was. Sometimes I run my hand along my ribs under the breast and it hurts to even touch. Weird. I'll be patient (or at least try to be)

Thanks! You're right, it very well could be the gas from surgery. I just worry because that's the area where I have a small fracture (due to carrying all the weight in the front) and now it's hurting in that area where it never had before. I only had lower back pain in the past. So it just concerns me. But naturally I don't want to a chiro who's going to try to pop my back or bend me all over the place and damage my band or whatever. Thanks again, I'll wait.

At my post op appt the LPN told me to leave them on for the full 2 weeks. She said patients who left them on till then had less scaring and the strips helped with that. So I've just been clipping the edges, tues will be 2 wks so I'll take them all off then. Besides, any longer than that I would imagine that could get unsanitary don't you think?

That is good to know Willowcat! I was banded 12/22/09 and my upper back between the shoulder blades is killing me! I keep thinking maybe it's the way I have been sleeping or something. Can I ask, what type of things did your chiro do for you? I love my chiro, he's great but I'd like to stear him in the right direction. Thanks! OP, I'm sorry your back hurts so bad. I truly and literally feel your pain. It seems that I'm not hurting when I'm hunched over and I don't want to do that! I keep trying to suffer through the pain but I really don't want to live this way either. I hope you find a solution soon.

I was banded 12/22/09 So I'm not even 2 weeks post op but when I move or bend or something like that I can feel the band! I feel it pull a little so I stop that movement right away. I'm not doing yoga or nothing, but I notice at times I can actually feel it. It feels a little like something is scratching in the inside. Is this normal? I don't feel the port from the inside out but I do the band.

Everyone is different and their bodies react differently. And those who have the most to lose I notice lose a lot fast. The body is going into shock, a person who used to take in 3000-5000 calories a day (it's not that hard if you including soda pop) is now down to 500 calories or less. So yes, it is possible to lose that much weight. Also, exercise plays a KEY role. If someone who has the band doesn't do a very good diet or excercises much then they naturally aren't going to lose as much at their counterpart. Or someone has a very very slow metabolism. Also, another person used to be thin and healthy before they became obese..the body has a great memory so their metabolism may kick in to over drive and the weight melts off. There are a lot of factors. ETA: as for your first example, the woman who lost a lot of weight in 5 days. She most likely didn't. She may be including her pre-op diet weigh loss. Most surgeons require you to lose some weight before they do the surgery. For example, I haven't lost 28 lbs since the 22nd (surgery date) that total is inculding the 18 I lost in my 2 week pre-op liquid diet. So that's where you might be getting mixed up. Hope that helps. I have lost 28 lbs in 21 days!!! It's crazy, I know but it's true!! Everyones body is way different.