Brian-LA

To All my fellow Sept 2010 Bandsters -Welcome ! Since we had a pretty big Post in the Pre-Op section with over 23,000 views I thought since it is now October we should switchover here and continue our journey here. WELCOME ! I hope to see all my fellow Sept. 2010 Bandsters like Cathy, Joanny, Cece, Debbie, Lyla, etc etc all here. -Brian :smile2:

Hi Monica & Lisa !!! I am doing fine / I hope you are both doing well. :blushing: -Brian

Hi All ! Sorry I have been gone / not posting for 2 weeks... I have been hard at work / working 7 days and doing some 12 to 13.5 hour days at work. I worked 24 of the 48 hours of Tuesday & Wednesday. Kinda hard to imagine I sent half my day at work / didn't really see sunlight for 2 days. I am doing well / pretty good. I had my first fill on Friday and it was painless / interesting. I got 4cc's put into my REALIZE Band. So far so good. I would like to say everything is going 100% gangbusters BUT that isn't reality. I have had a few slips / lapses into insanity - my previous self destructive attitude toward food. I did eat some bad foods and in amounts I shouldn't. My Band did stop me in a few occasions and didn't in a few. I have had some Band Instant Reality checks in one case I ate a steak sandwich at work - the steak went down ok but the hard bread stopped me cold and after 3 bites I threw up and threw it away. I had the same thing happen last week with an omelet - 3 bites and I just didn't want it anymore / I felt sick. Tonight I went to dinner with a special friend and I had a healthy fish entree but after 4 bites I was done ... at which point I should have stopped but I didn't so on the seventh bite I had to go to the restroom and throw it up. I guess the Band is trying to keep me sane / re-adjust my bad attitude with food. Overall I am still pretty good... I am close to 30 lbs lost. I should work out more / walk but I also walk 8-12 hours a day at my job and go 8-10 hours without a break or food too. But I know I could do better. I have gotten a few nice comments from people like " you look like you lost weight " or " I can tell you lost weight... your face looks thinner " ( I wonder did I have a Fat Head before ??? ). Anyway I am doing pretty good. I hope all of you other September Bandsters are going great !!! I will be back soon / back to normal here soon. -Brian :blushing:

Hi Cicigirl ! Wow thats pretty ingenious ! I also have a to take a couple of pills ( Metromin - I am Diabetic ) but luckily for me I am actually able to swallow all my pills no problem. I don't know how it will be once I get a fill but for now, I am able to. -Brian :thumbup:

Hi Sarah ! Long time no read ! I am glad you are doing well. On my Mushy stage, my doctor allows anything I can mush up on the roof of my mouth, he also allows soft flakey fish. So far so good. Are you basically back to normal ? I hope you are doing well. -Brian :thumbup:

Hi MissJoany ! Great Job toughing it out ! That is awesome you threw out the Klondike Bar... I also did a job " Sanitizing " my home of all bad food. It is a lot easier when the temptation isn't there. As for your Doctor... do you still have time to fill out the Disability forms and turn them in ? I already got my first check and hopefully will get my second check soon. I am lucky in that I get the maximum amount available but I did lose the first week as a waiting period. Hopefully All is well and I wish you the best. -Brian :thumbup:

Hi Kat ! Yeah believe it or not it is nice to be back to work. Strange as it sounds I actually started to miss it. Although it was nice to actually be a bum for almost a month... I have NEVER taken more then 2 weeks of being a bum before I start getting restless and bored. Of course when I am a bum I am a total and complete bum !!! And when I work I work like a machine. I hope your job is going smoothly and you have made a good transition back to work / that you are feeling better & back to normal. -Brian :thumbup:

Hi Lilkrazykat ! So how was it ? Getting filled ? Did they use the Flouroscope / X-ray or just poke around ? I get my first fill in a couple of weeks. -Brian :thumbup:

Welcome Monica / Hi Cathy ! Hi All !!! Well today was my first day back at work after about 1 month off ( 3.5 weeks Post Op Recovery , 1 day holiday 1 day pre-op ) and it was interesting. I got A LOT of " You Look Great ! ", " you lost a lot of weight ", " looking good ", etc. It was pretty nice and encouraging. I didn't get razzled like I thought I would and it turned out I don't think my 4 friends spilled the beans about me getting a REALIZE Band. Today was pretty typical / I jumped straight back in. I had a few crises pop up / I had to handle them / I found out what movies we are currently working, got my usual dose of stress being the boss, etc. Not a bad day . -Brian :tongue2:

Hi OC ! Keep your head up and keep kicking butt and you will go places. I started entry level at my job 8 years ago, worked extremely hard and was dedicated, I've have moved up every year until I got to my current position. Every department I went for I got / had a great reputation and everyone always wanted me in their departments. At one point I got as high as I wanted / my dream job there - working in Customer Service dealing directly with the Studios / Directors / Studio Executives / Producers / Movie Stars and after about a year decided I was nuts and it wasn't worth it for the extremely long hours / stress / crap and for the same pay I was getting for the level below. So I backed down to my previous level and I am pretty happy. Although going out to lunch at a Hollywood elite restaurant with a $1000 lunch tab that I didn't have to pay for was kinda neat:ohmy:. Going out to lunch every day to nice restaurants on the company was pretty cool. :tt2: People / Management always notice the hard workers and they also notice the slugs. Another GREAT benefit of working so much is the money. I worked so much overtime that I basically have no time to spend it / too exhausted to spend it and by the time I am done after a few weeks of long days for 4-6 weeks straight every day including time and a half Saturdays and double time Sundays... I usually have an extra $4-5,000 at least. I am not sure how much you make but when you are slammed by long hours I doubt you spend any and chances are you saved a lot of money too. Just trying to put a good face on it. :tongue2: -Brian :crying:

Hi Brenda ! Great news... I am not sure if you noticed it BUT there is actually a PREGNANCY WITH THE LAP BAND whole section on the main page just below Post Op Section a few rows down. You aren't alone and it has a good number of fellow pregnant Bandsters there too ! -Brian

Hi Wren, I am not a Doctor or knowledgeable BUT GO TO THE E.R. Bleeding and Pain isn't good. Go to the E.R. and get yourself checked out. I am sure it isn't life threatening but get checked out immediately to make sure you are ok / Put your mind at ease. Hope you are Fine. -Brian

Hi All, Well tomorrow is my first day back at work after about a month off ( 1 day Pre-Op before Surgery and 3.5 weeks off Post Op ). I am excited to see my friends but I am a little apprehensive too. I only told four close friends and apparently one or more blabbed. I work in a mostly male dominated company with some macho testosterone hi- jinks and ball busting. I have a friend who is an Italian American old school crusty East Coast Ball Buster who I know will be busting my chops tomorrow. Of course since I am his Boss, I will make his life miserable in turn too :smile2:. Actually overall I am excited I have been off too long and I was getting seriously bored at home. I haven't Not worked for so long that this month off was way too long for me. 2 weeks would have been ok but my job is semi -physical so I did want to make sure I would be ok. Hopefully I am. Everyone have a Great Week and I will see / write & read you soon. -Brian

Hi OC ! Wow I thought I had it bad :smile2:. Yeah I know where you are coming from , again in my job I can be forced overtime too and I can be forced to work 6 and 7th day for weeks at a time... BUT with this year being a slow year for movies ( it usually takes a year or two to effect the Motion Picture Industry ) and because of the economy and the banks were tight lending money to the studios to make movies last year this year is slow. Next year my company is swamped... this year we are slow. Does your job pay you well at least ? Good benefits ? I am paid pretty well and I have fantastic medical / dental / vision through Motion Picture Industry Health Plan *** BUT *** they don't cover bariatric surgery of any kind. Hospitals LOVE to see me and my card and I am kept over pretty long compared to others with lesser insurance. Still sucks that they don't cover bariatric though. P.S. .... I am glad you are feeling better and out of the hospital. -Brian

Hi Dave ! Welcome to the other side ! The pain in your left shoulder could be gas... try walking and or GAS X dis solvable strips. Walking helps equalize you and helps output the gas out of your body. -Brian

Hi Natalie ! & Welcome to our Group !!! If you are having trouble with getting your water down or hydration try the low calorie Gatorade ( I think it is either C2 or G2 ) or better yet Powerade ZERO which is zero calories and comes in Grape, strawberry, Lemon Lyme, orange and some unknown blue flavor . It is great tasting so I think it could help. Crystal Light is good too. -Brian

Hi MissJoany ! Does your Doctor allow you to eat right after a fill ? I don't want to be a spoil sport and for all I know your Doctor is different but My Doctor says I have to do a shortened modified food plan after every fill. 2 days liquid, 2 days Mushies, 2 days soft for me to adjust to the fill. Just like right the initial surgery but only 2 days for each phase. It is tohelp me adjust to the fill. Every Doctor is different as you can see by their eating plans / stages after initial surgery ... so your Doctor might be different. -Brian

Hi Des ! You are kidding right ?!?!? No sugar free low Calories Popsickles or Ice Treats ? That is horrible ! But you live a beautiful country so I think that makes up for it. -Brian

Hi Rebecca ! I don't think you should worry or as I have been told you probably shouldn't look at the scale every day too. If I remember correctly realistic weight loss with the Gastric Band is 1-2 ... maybe 3 lbs a week. You could have drank some Water and gained or whatever. It could be temporary water weight. Etc. In addition are you exercising too or just doing the Band alone? You will lose with just the Band but the Band, food and Exercise is optimal. -Brian

Hi Des ! No so far so good. Although I do feel I am over-doing the sugar free Popsickles... I think I am addicted :thumbup:. Right now I am mostly doing Soups and liquid still. I do some regular food but only a little. I tried to eat a tuna fish sandwich on wheat bread yesterday and finished 1/3 before I felt restricted and then I just gave up and threw it in the trash bin. I was craving it, gave in and then gave up ! In the past I would have eaten 2 sandwiches. -Brian :smile2:

Hi Maxi !!! No I don't really worry so much about food because I have already felt Restriction a few times, I have thrown up twice and I have felt ' stuck ' a few times already too. It wasn't too bad and it just reinforces that I did the right thing because the Band is keeping me honest. I am not really on ' Real Food ' yet but I am slowly inches there. Most days I am still basically liquid / very soft or mushies BUT in the last few days I have started some real food. My Dr. allows soft fish and eggs in the mushy stage so the last few times I have gone out to a restaurant I have ordered eggs / omelettes and fish entres. I was NEVER a fish person but I am actually enjoying fish A LOT. Tonight I had a really nice and tasty Grouper ( sp ? ) which was one of the Chefs Specials. I ate half and took the rest home. I was totally full which is a new experience for me. I am not scheduled for a fill until October 24 or something near there too. I think I will ask to get it tighter. -Brian :smile2:

Hi Laura ! Don't worry it DEFINITELY gets Better. It is only a few days of pain that will go away and you will be on a road to a better life. As for sugar free jello, My Doctor doesn't recommend it for the first month as he says a gob of it can sit in your stomach. I HIGHLY recommend the sugar free popsickles like Dreyers No Sugar Added Fruit Bars. They are awesome. As for the Gas Pain - WALK ! It equalizes you up and helps you to expel the gas. And if needed try GAS-X Dis-solvable strips. They supposedly help too. -Brian :smile2:

Hi Butterfly2010 ! Yeah I think I am starting to feel a little like you . Tonight I went to dinner w/ my special Friend and I am thinking SHE AIN'T THAT SPECIAL ANYMORE !!! She did say " wow ! you are losing a lot of weight " which gave me a smile but I think our relationship is a little ... actually A LOT too one sided on her favor. I just don't think I am getting anything out of it compared to what I do / put into it.... I actually feel a little used now. She is sweet, she is stunningly beautiful, etc etc all an ex-model / actress yada yada whatever. I am thinking I need to move on. :smile2: such is life. :thumbup: -Brian

Hi OCButterfly ! 12 hour days ??? Wow I thought I worked a lot. That is standard ? Where do you work ? I work in the Motion Picture Industry and yes I do have the occasional 12 hour to 13.5 hour day and I do sometimes have to work weekends and I have actually worked every day for 6-8 weeks at a time ( and made a helluva a lot of Money !!! ). As for LET ME IN... I was thinking about seeing it. I saw the original Swedish film LET THE RIGHT ONE IN and I saw that Rolling Stone gave LET ME IN a good review. Hmmm maybe I might just go see the Facebook movie :smile2:. -Brian :thumbup:

CONGRATULATIONS BRENDA !!! Does that mean you are having the Band removed or that you will have it empty and just wait until you and your child are ready ? Just curious. I guess you are on a different journey for a little awhile !!! -Brian :smile2: