sara31

I dvr'd the show when it first started airing and I was really wondering if they were going to show the other side of the spectrum with people that are more like me. I was just banded 9/15 but my eyes were opened after I had my psych test - showing that I had an eating disorder - something I never even thought about since I didn't fall into the category of anorexic or bulimic. You are so brave to talk about your journey. I hope it helps you with healing and moving forward, it sounds like it already has. I think you will find that you will have many supporters that wish you well after the episode airs.

Last week went great - 2 miles on the weight loss program on the elliptical, 4 days a week. Tonight is the 2nd night this week, will do two more this week. My Fridays have been packed as of late. I need to find a way to get more exercise in though.

Mine has too! I get my first fill today. I am pretty nervous. How much did you lose after your fill?

After trying many (from powder to premade) I have come to the conclusion that EAS Myoplex Lite tastes the best (the chocolate). It doesn't have an aftertaste. In fact it tastes just like chocolate milk. The other thing I like about it is that I can run into any Target or Walmart and buy it. I still drink one or two a day and have been banded for about 6 weeks now. Its been my breakfast every day (its something easy to grab on the way out of the door)

How is everyone doing so far?

I never thought that might be why my nose was running! Interesting!

I saw where a lot of people bought recliners - rented them (like at rent-a-center) but I personally would not have needed one. The pain was uncomfortable but nothing that bothered me so bad that I had problems getting up and down. Someone else said that using the bathroom would be torture too because of getting up and down but it didn't bother me in the least bit. Everyone is definitely different though.

I am 6 weeks out and was craving one something fierce yesterday. I normally don't eat cheeseburgers so I don't know why I was wanting it as bad as I was. I ended up ordering a big mac snack wrap and just ate the patty out of it. It was only half a patty with cheese but it certainly helped the craving. Thinking about a cheeseburger - I miss taking a big bite of a sandwich (or cheese burger, chicken sandwich, etc). There is something that is fulfilling to my brain to take a big bite or a full mouthful.

I lost 19 lbs from the time of my first appt and surgery and then lost another 15 right after surgery. I had my two week appointment where I was allowed to eat food again and now 4 weeks after that I have lost 7 more lbs. I get my first fill tomorrow so I am hoping it doesn't stall again (even though I do need to get it in my head that 7 lbs in one month is just fine).

I didn't have to answer any question like this in my Psych eval - thank goodness! But it did start me to thinking... I had surgery just a month ago, so I have lost 21 lbs since then (surgery day was 254 now down to 233). I have leveled off the past two weeks to have only lost about 5 lbs during that time. So knowing that, if I lost an average of 1.5 lbs a week - lowered it because I know 2 lbs is prob unrealistic, by 6 months hopefully I will be another 30 lbs down, around 203 lbs (I hope more! but being realistic). Maybe by 1 year if I drop the last 6 months to 5 lbs a month then I would end up at 173 lbs at the end of 1 year. I hope my guesses are accurate!! I don't know how anyone could expect you to answer this off the cuff! I had to really think about it. Maybe they were looking to see if you answered that you would be at 125 lbs in a year - to see if your expectations were off kilter or something?

I was banded 9/15. Love this thread! I am holding myself accountable to working out as much as I can. Before I got surgery I did a boot camp program to try to get into as much shape as possible before I had the surgery. I LOVED it (not during, but after each class I was exhilarated). Anyway - I started again Monday going to the gym 4-5 times a week. This week I did 30-40 minutes on the cross training level on the elliptical and then did the adductor and abductor machines for my legs for about 10 mins each day. Let me tell you my legs are sore! But I love it. I have plateaued the last couple weeks. I saw the dr for my two week check up on the 30th and since then I have only lost about 5 lbs. I have a fill Tuesday and am so excited to get it going again.

Julie I am the same way - except mine is right above my bellybutton in the center. I couldn't find mine for a couple weeks after surgery, but after all the swelling went down I was able to locate it. I have plateaued the last two weeks, staying between 233-235. I have my very first fill Tuesday, so I am getting excited about the scale moving again. Thanks all for commenting

Written 9/16: I had my surgery yesterday. Got to the hospital at 5:30 am. Got admitted, weighed in (254) then headed to a private room where I changed into my gown. The nurse came in and tried to start the iv. Apparently my veins were not cooperating, so 5 tries later another nurse got it started. There was so much going on in that last 30 mins before surgery- nurse working on the iv, anestheologist talking to me while another nurse was strapping the foot pumps to my feet. Apparently my Dr does the surgery with me in a mostly vertical position- that was all new to me. They came and got me and wheeled me back to the or. They slid me over to the table, then lined my feet up on a platform and then the next thing I know I hear the recovery nurse calling my name. I stayed there for about an hour. I did start feeling some pain and all I did was say so and they gave me some pain meds. After that hour they moved me up to a regular room where I started to drink my 1oz of water and protein drink every fifteen mins. After I was able to pee, they started the paperwork to discharge me. I got dressed and then headed home. As soon as I got home I took a gas-x strip and took a lortab pill. Also am having to do the breathing exercise every hour. Stayed on the lortab every four hours until I went to bed. I stayed steady sore all day with some shoulder pain when the pain pill started wearing off. I layed flat on my back in bed most of the afternoon but sat up on the couch to watch survivor and big brother. After that I got in bed and decided to see if I could lay on my side. After I was able to get over onto my side, it seemed like everything shifted and once it settled I could breathe deep breaths and went right to sleep. I slept better than I thought I would, I woke up about every 4 hours but I didn't take any more lortab after 945pm. Woke up this morning and am feeling much better. Still moving slow but I just took liquid tylenol only today. Lots of phleghm this morning and temp has been running in the mid 99's. They said only worry if it is over 101. I plan on getting out to walmart today to get some walking in. Also I live upstairs and was able to climb them when I got home yesterday, no problem. Definitely better than I expected. I still can't figure out where my port is yet, I don't have a bigger incision up top, but I'm not going to poke around on them yet either. No bruising and the infusions are glued. That's my story!

I know exactly what you mean. I have had people that have had good success with gastric really look down on me because I chose lap band, including my doctor! I finally figured out why my dr wanted me to have gastric bypass instead of banding - I finally got out of him that he didn't want me to be disappointed in my results because it took longer to get the weight off. Really with that?!? He even told my mom in the recovery room that he isn't going to tell me I told you so. Well, the stubborn person I am, there is no way in Hades that anyone is ever going to be able to say "I told you so"! Come heck or high water I am getting ALL of this extra weight off of me. Maybe they are using reverse psychology on me :cursing:

I have plateaued also. Been at 234 for 2 weeks. I FINALLY lost one today - but I also just started, so hopefully that has something to do with it and the scale starts moving again.

So I don't forget! 5/13/10 - Seminar 6/14/10 - Nutrition eval, X-Rays, Bloodwork, Pics Official Weight: 273 7/6/10 - Doctor Referral Letter 7/7/10 - Psych Eval 7/14/10 - Barium Swallow 7/21/10- Tricare submitted, waiting for approval 7/23/10 Tricare Approval! 9/15/10 SURGERY TO BE BANDED!

I'm in! I want to lose 22 lbs by the new year. As of today, that would put me at 211. Going to make an addition to my signature right now!

Old Navy has their jeans for $16 a pair - I am in an 18 in theirs when I wear a 20 in Lane Bryant - their jeans run big. Here is the link for those: Clothes for women, men, kids and baby | Old Navy Then Walmart has tees that fit well in Danskin. They run small (I wear between a 14-16 in the top). I had to buy a 3X in this tee for it to fit correctly, but it looks good and is cheap! Walmart.com: Danskin Now - Women's Plus Dri-More Cap-Sleeve V-Neck Tee: Women's Plus Also Old Navy's cardigans run big - I have been wearing the XL in size and it fits great. I missed what size you were at, but if you are in the size 20 range, definitely check out Old Navy.

My pre-op paperwork said they would not do the surgery if I had shaved before surgery. They said it was because they wanted to minimize all risks of staph infections. That scared me so bad that I didn't shave anything for a week before surgery LOL! I apologized for my hairy legs and told them why and they laughed with me

I am pretty newly banded. I had the same problem but only when I tried to start the pre-op diet myself. I guess I self sabotaged. Once the dr. gave me the "official" orders to drink two shakes a day and one lean cuisine at night I stuck to it. I was paranoid that my liver would be fatty and too thick to do the surgery so it scared me straight! It's been pretty much the same since. I am too scared to do something off plan because I don't want to mess anything up. It's amazing what five holes and a piece of plastic can do to your mind! It just existing makes me stick to it. I did have one episode where I didn't chew shrimp well and guess what - that scared me right back to making sure I chewed well enough. It will happen again I am sure, but yeah, thats what makes me stick to it!

I have Tricare Standard and have had no issues, but I met all the requirements (40 BMI and 2 co-morbidities). Overall I have only paid about $800 out of pocket.

I had an episode two nights ago with my first "stuck" issue. However mine differs in that it happened about an hour and a half after I had eaten. I had laid down and gone to sleep when this major pain woke me up. Its exactly like how everyone has described their stuck episodes (sliming, hurting bad in the chest, tons of saliva, body thinking about vomiting). Most everything I have ever read though explains it happening as soon as something gets stuck, while they are still eating at the table or whatever. Have any of you had it happen a while after you ate? It was boiled shrimp by the way (scared of them now!)

Everyone seems to be doing pretty good! I am at 4 weeks out tomorrow and last night was my first "stuck" episode. Let me tell you IT HURT! My face and chest were flushed real bad and I was in pain. I got on here to see what some of the remedies were - tried them all and when that didn't work I just got in the shower and got the water as hot as I could. That help distract the pain. I was finally able to lay down and go back to sleep. It was crazy - the sliming they described, kinda like when you have a runny nose and it runs down the back of the throat but your nose isn't runny at all. Then the sliming part was crazy - I felt like a dog who tried to eat a toad! I haven't had ANY problems and was getting pretty confident in eating what I wanted (no bad stuff or bread / rice / peanut butter / pasta / raw vegetables) But these shrimp, man they did me in. They were just plain boiled shrimp. I guess even if you try to chew them up well they still didn't set well with me. I'm still sore this morning. I'm timid to eat anything! Anyone else have an episode with NO restriction?

Same as above, I use Ricotta but you can prob do the blender thing with the cottage cheese - I take a good scoop of part skim ricotta and half a can of pumpkin in my bullet blender with two packs of splenda - it is AWESOME. Tastes like a cross between pumpkin mousse and cheesecake.

Ok, so I walked out and forgot my lunch at home. I am still in the soft foods phase - where do you go? I am perplexed. I am tired of Wendys Chili and there is not much else besides something with bread. So far my Dr. has me not eating anything with bread, rice, peanut butter, pasta or raw vegetables. Help? If you had to run somewhere and grab something quick, where would go go?