Windus

I am looking for others who have this condition along with the lap band. It is not caused by the band but it is aggravated by it. I just had to have half my fill amount taken out and am going to a gastro doctor as I was no longer able to swallow a lot of the time.

It has nothing to do with hiding, being embarrassed or anything else. I just frankly think my personal decisions and medical procedures are none of anyone's business. I am doing this for myself, no one else, and I don't need anyone's praise, support or their judgment. I have told Personally, I get a little tired of people who choose to tell the whole world thinking they know the motivations of those of us that don't.

Went out to dinner with my executive assistant the other night. Now, this is a woman who can talk for hours and never knows when to shut up so I don't usually go anywhere with her but I digress. I got to hear a 1/2 hour tirade from her about a woman in her church who got the lapband. She went on and on about how it was cheating and not healthy weight loss and how sick she looked and her skin is flabby, etc. etc. And then she proceeded to go on and tell me how she talked to the woman and told her that she should be doing it like her boss (me) and losing weight the healthy way. I about choked on my food but needless to say she still does not know I had the band over a year ago and I never intend on telling her!

The people giving you negative feedback are just

1. Jealous

or

2. Negative Nellies

It is just like when you are pregnant and everyone and their sister comes out of the woodwork to tell you their horror stories or that of a friend, of a friend, of a friend.

I am just a little over a year post-op and I would go and do it again tomorrow without hesitation. The band is directly responsible for my being able to walk again without pain in my arthritic knee and even for my finding my husband and getting married. Had I not gotten banded we would have never met.

So, don't listen to the naysayers and do it for yourself. This is one of the many reasons I told next to no one about my surgery. To this date only about 5 people know!

I bought a new pair of heels today and was astounded to fit into a size 9. This time last year I was wearing a size 11. I tried on a couple of other pairs just to make sure it wasn't just the shoe I was buying but the 9's fit in all of them. Has anyone else experienced such a drastic change in shoe size?

Thank you friends, I needed your advice. Mothers dislike disappointing their kids. I will have to make alternative arrangements for the boys. My husband will not go....

This is the first I heard about not driving. Is there a driving restriction after surgery?

I concur with everyone else - I flew home 24 hours after my surgery and while it was not comfortable ir was bearable. The only restrictions I know about are driving on the same day as your surgery as the after effects of the anesthesia would compromise your judgment. If you can't postpone the surgery for a few days I don't think you have any choice but to tell your son you don't feel well enough to go - which will be the truth!

Well, my wedding and honeymoon are over, we have packed up and moved and life is starting to settle down a bit. Unpacked the scale today and got back on it after more than a month. OUCH! I have gained seven lbs. since the wedding! Guess it could have been worse but definitely going the wrong way.

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my being banded so it is time to re-commit, start exercising again and coming back to this forum. Probably time for another fill again as well.

So, I am back and hope to re-establish some acquaintances and meet some new people who have come on board in my absence.

anyone know of a doc in MO that does fills on foreign bands?

Weight Loss Surgical Center in Overland Park and Independence will fill bands put in elsewhere. Last time I was there it was $250 a fill with flouroscopy or you could do a contract for 6 months unlimited for $1000.

Personally I would never have a feel without fluoro. If they can't accurately see what your restriction is then it is all guesswork, I prefer to not guess. Have you called all the band doctors in your area? I don't know where you are in Iowa but I get my fills here in Kansas City and I was banded in Mexico. Paid $1000 for unlimited fills and appts for 6 months.

After only losing 4 lbs. last month it quickly made me realize that if I don't pay close attention to what I am doing every single day that it is not a good thing.

I gave myself the excuse that I was busy with wedding planning but that is only an excuse. Oh, and yes, the day spent at the wedding fair tasting a bazillion different bakers wedding cake samples was definitely a bad idea.

But, to be at my goal of being 100 lbs down by my wedding in March I am going to have to lose 2 lbs. a week, every week. Which is very doable if I just pay attention.

I am glad to have this forum to be able to publicly post things and get support - I need to make sure I come here a lot more often than I did last month! :drool:

I put my vote in for oatmeal too. I put a few almonds and some craisins into it and it is awesome. That or a Protein Shake - I love the premier ones from costco - are pretty much my breakfast staples.

Thanks everyone for your support. If anyone is interested in our rescue website it is Wheaten Terrier Rescue!

Still loving my band! Check out our new wedding website: Wendy and Rusty

Hello fellow bandsters

This request is totally off topic but I hope no one will be upset.

I am the president of a dog rescue - we rescue Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers.

We are trying to win a contest that will give us massive amounts of free advertising and allow us to help a lot of dogs.

I would really appreciate anyone who could take a second and click on the link below and vote for us!

S’Wheat Rescues

Thanks!

Sounds like you never got to proper restriction. Others had said, and I found it to be true, that when you get to restriction you will not physically be able to drink while eating. That is certainly the case for me.

I was just banded in April and have had I believe 4 or 5 fills so if you have only had that many in 6 years time I would say, frankly, that you failed to work the band, not that the band failed to work.

However, the great thing about the band is it is still there and you can choose to begin working it properly anytime you like. I certainly would put my effort into that 100% before I went and had major surgery and cut out parts of my body. Especially since people eat around and fail after bypass as much as they do after lapband.

It is all up to you, you have to do the work to get the results and not expect it to happen without any real effort on your part.

The liquid tylenol is D-I-S-G-U-S-T-I-N-G! Sorry I just cannot live without my Advil, it is the only thing that takes down the swelling in my knee and gets my headaches so I use the softgel capsules and have never had an issue.

I get 6 free fills with my current doctor, after which I must pay about 350. I will definitely consider finding a new doctor. The flurouscope thingy sounds like a marvelous idea. I'm sure it's costly.

Wow, that is a lot of money for a fill! Especially a blind one. I know we live in different parts of the country but I was only paying $250 with flouroscopy. Now I signed a fill contract with them, paid $1000 and I can have as many fills as I want for six months. I can go in every:tongue2: week if I want to.

I am very pleased. I was banded on 4/23 and have lost a little over 48 lbs. Hoping to hit the -50 mark by the first of the month. Next goal is another 50 by my wedding in March. Doctor says it is very do-able - in fact he thinks I could have it all gone by then if it keeps up as it has.

My fiancee and I are joining a gym on Friday so we can kick each others butts into shape before the photographer gets hold of us. Hopefully I won't hate getting my picture taken so much by then!

I lost a shoe size as well so far. But my biggest problem right now is I am in between on bra sizes 40 is too big and 38 is too tight and there is no in-between. Thankfully so far the cup size has stayed the same.

I usually do not eat or drink anything but not for any medical reason. I just want the scale reading as low as possible. LOL:tt2:

Thank you everyone for your congratulations. I can safely say I have never been happier in my life.

And, I love hearing about everyone else who loves their band too. Like a lot of you I get really tired of all the Debbie Downer posts on this forum.

I understand everyone needs to vent at times but I firmly believe everything in life is 90% mental and if you throw out positivity it comes back to you. Same thing goes for negativity.

So everyone please tell us why you love your band and what it has done for you. Maybe we can help some people change their attitudes around and make positive things happen in their lives as well.

Let me count the ways it has changed my life:

First it has helped me lose nearly 50 lbs in 4 months. But it has done so much more than that...

Feeling better got me motivated to exercise.

Exercising alone got me thinking I wanted to have someone to exercise with so I posted an ad under activity partners on craigs list.

The ad resulted in a response which from the first email I knew was something special and has magically and wonderfully resulted in my meeting the man I have been waiting for all of my life. Two days ago asked me to marry him and 10 seconds after t hat I said yes. He is my soulmate and would not care a whit if I did not lose another pound but has been very supportive and just wants me to get to whatever weight makes me happy. What more can you ask for?

Now I just want to lose another 50 by March 19th of next year so I can look smoking hot in my white flapper dress!

So, yes, I LOVE my band - it has brought nothing but good things into my life.

Hmmm not much of a morning person - the Independence one is at 6pm - a more civilized time of day

What meetings is that you guys go to? I planned on going to the one at WLS in Independence earlier this month but something came up. But I would love to meet some of you.

We should be twins lol. I started at 288 and day before yesterday the scale said 239.9. Definitely did a happy dance for that. Have not been on the scale since then so I don't know exactly where I am today. Right now my goal is to weigh less than my BF who weighs 214 so I am working hard at that. :cursing: