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Dearest Joanne: You will be in my prayers and thoughts as well. I thought about you today actually ..(even when I was not on the computer!). The words sexy sixties came into my mind. I am currently helping out with make up in a community play my daughter has a role in. What a blast ..you should have seen all the sixty, seventy and eighty! year old going to auditions every night and having a blast. There is some much life and love to yet to give. I wish you all the love and health you deserve in this life ! Marg One week to go... gulp!........

THAT WORKED!!! I got busy and didn't think to much, i went through the first week okay now the second week has began. i can't wait till mushie

Thanks for your replies. I had my first appointment for the diet yesterday. The doc put me on a 2000 calorie diet and told me to exercise 3 times a week. I can live with that. Good luck everybody!

There was a thread here a few weeks ago that talked about baning fast food and advertising. I just found this article today and I think it's worth the read. Very interesting. http://www.slate.com/id/2139941/nav/tap1/?GT1=8019

How can I tell if i have over ate. I am out 5 weeks and eating a little more. But tonight I feel odd. I want throw up but can't. Help! Please

First of all I am proud to be a member of this site. It is wonderful to hear the stories of those who have been banded and those in pre-band status. It helps to read forums about the successes and the concerns, the achievements and the lessons learned. However, I wanted to reach out to those whose journey to Lap Band was slightly different. You see, My journey began at birth. I was born with a defect that was not treated until July 10th but caused me many issues throughout life. I was never an overweight child or teenager. I stayed active and in shape BUT I was sick. As a baby, I couldn't digest most formulas and I had a hard time with breast milk. Ended up with PET milk and karo syrup. As a young child, I had multiple stomach viruses. At the age of eight, I learned that falling asleep after I ate lead to choking in my sleep later on. This was chalked up to having a weak lid (whatever that means) and bad family history. During my college years, I began to develop ulcers. I was placed on a daily regiment of Protonix and sent home. By 30, I was experiencing fatigue, slight hair loss, and pain whenever I ate certain foods. At 31, I had enough and I requested to be sent to a specialist. I had an Upper GI which confirmed the presence of a hiatal hernia. One I was born with. Told that I could live with it and sent on my way. At 32, the list of foods I was unable to digest without pain was growing by leaps and bounds: NO fruit, no raw vegetables, no cakes, no desserts, nothing with tomato paste, no spicy foods, limited greasy foods, no carbonated drinks, no alcohol. I virtually had to watch almost everything I ate. I was in pain when I ate and pain when I wasn't eating. My vitamin levels where awful and my immune system not the best. I was exercising but not losing weight. I was surviving off of starch. I met with the specialist who performed and EGD - or scope on my stomach. Afterwards, He said he understood why I was in pain. The hernia had went from small to moderate size, Gastritis, GERD, reflux, and signs of Sleep Apnea. My stomach was a hot mess. All relating to the fact that my Hernia was never treated and 33 years later the damage was evident. My part in it all: Im sure I sped the process along with my awful College eating habits - aka eating when I had a chance and not getting anything remotely close to proper rest.) I remember sitting through my Pre Surgery Informational Class shaking my leg because I was in so much pain: I had just ate chicken and mashed potatoes and cole slaw. Yes I know: not the best - but anything I ate caused me pain. Well, the doctor sat down and discussed my options with me. LapBand seemed the best option. As of July 15th, I feel so much better. I actually rest when I sleep now. My thoughts are clearer. Outside of the pain of surgery, My stomach feels much better. I did start the protein shakes a month before my surgery. Two shakes and one meal for four weeks, which greatly helped with the abdominal pain and agitation. Two weeks before surgery, I had a protein shake every 3 hours and water in between. NO food. Yes I lose 24 lbs before surgery: though I was not very thrilled during the process. My doctor informed my loved ones that not only where things better than he anticipated during surgery, but my surgery went well and everything looked good. I wanted to share this story with those who are experiencing the same issues. Please note that your journey may be slightly different: It may not have started with the desire to lose weight or high blood pressure or diabetes or bad cholesterol, BUT I want you to know You are NOT alone. Many adults suffer from Hernias they know nothing about. They are not aware of the symptoms and just think they have stomach viruses and ulcers. If you are living on Maalox or Pepto or Mylanta: I am talking to you. If Nexium and Protonix are not working: I am talking to you. PLEASE get checked out. Have your children checked out. What seems like a small problem may lead to very bad complications later on in life. There is a better way of life available to you. I am and aim to continue being a witness to this fact. Thank you for reading this. Good luck on your Journey. Most importantly, Love yourself ALWAYS.

Dear Community, This is a brief account of my surgery experience and first weeks after. I am 54, need to lose about 100 pounds, and researched this procedure thoroughly beforehand. My surgery date was 5/9. I just want to say that overall, it was (surprisingly!) much easier than I expected. I did NOT have a great deal of pain or discomfort, nor am I finding the post-sleeve eating and other routines to be that difficult. I'm so happy to have done this. As with most people, having bariatric surgery certainly WAS NOT my first choice! In fact, I was a bit shocked and insulted when my PCP suggested it to me 4 years ago. But since then (2009), having lost about 50 pounds and regained it TWICE -- and having developed some serious health issues -- I realized this had to happen. It did take a while to get my family on board. Since I've already told my "pre" story, I won't go in to all that -- you can read my earlier post. But suffice to say, I went in to this with "eyes wide open." I prepared an advance directive and a living will, too. It was difficult for me to know how to respond when the nurse, nutritionist, or someone else would say, "Are you excited about your surgery?" Well, no. I'm actually pretty scared. This is a desperation move, not something I'm doing for "fun." The pre-op "liver shrinking diet" was difficult for me, but I followed it pretty closely and worked at being in the best possible shape. My heaviest weight was about 255. I lost around 12 pounds in the 3 months it took to get prepared and "approved" for the procedure -- about 4 of that the last week. By the time May 9 rolled around, I was very happy the wait was over. Here are a few things I'd like to share about my experience: 1 - The doctor fixed a hiatal hernia I didn't know I had, which made the surgery a bit longer. That was something nobody had prepared me for ahead of time. Luckily for me, I didn't have much pain or trouble as a result of that secondary (necessary) procedure. A little chest ache was all. 2 - I was DYING of thirst every moment from the time I woke up until about 9 days after the surgery. Sipping ice Water was no problem for me, whatsoever. I asked for water in the recovery room -- they gave me ice chips. I had no problem swallowing water the night of the surgery, and icy cold water felt best. 3 - The only really "bad" moment was when I first woke up from surgery. I felt like I had been hit by a truck. Also, I was discombobulated -- the clock said 3:30! My surgery had been scheduled for 10 a.m. but started late. Still, it seemed really late when I woke up. 4 - I felt stupid having my own pajamas and all these toiletries in the hospital. I used NONE of it. I was in a gown, and they wouldn't let me change out of it. My bathrobe did come in handy though, for covering my hind quarters as I walked around the floor. They brought me to my room around 4:30 p.m. They got me up to walk at 3 a.m., and I was discharged at 3:30 p.m. the next day. I had an upper GI exam that morning and also needed to be able to urinate and drink before I could leave. No problem. Was VERY glad to get that JP drain pulled and IVs out. 5 - When I got home, I didn't know what to do with myself. I was pretty spaced out. I wandered around the house a bit. My stomach was very swollen. I looked like a pregnant woman who had been in a knife fight. Spent a lot of time the first couple days drinking water and taking short walks and napping. By the third day, I was able to take a 15-minute walk outside with my dog. 6 - Someone told me it's best not to weigh yourself for the first couple days. That's good advice. I couldn't resist and felt very glum when I noticed up was UP six pounds three days after the surgery. I said to my husband, "Do you think I'll really lose weight with this? Or will I just stay fat or even get fatter?" He said, "Well, if you get fatter, they'll be marketing you to third world countries, because that's just not logical." (I had taken in a total of about 500 calories in the first 3 days!) 7 - At my two-week checkup, I had lost 17 pounds. I think about 15 of it was post-surgical. I lost about a pound a day for the first 2 weeks. The third week (last week), I had lost another 4 pounds. My policy is, I weigh myself on Thursdays. 8 - I was incredibly happy to get off the "liquid diet" phase. Those Meal Replacement shakes were starting to make me ill. They get OLD. The best thing I had during the liquid phase was cream of chicken Soup jazzed with non-flavored Protein powder and mixed with some homemade chicken broth. I'm REALLY glad I made homemade chicken broth and froze it in 8-oz containers prior to the surgery. It came in really handy. 9 - My husband has been so supportive. He says I already look a lot better, and I think that's true, too. I'm even moving better (already!) -- more lively and energetic. I know I'm lucky to have time to adjust to this. I am a college teacher and don't teach during the summers. 10 - I didn't know I would have to inject myself with blood thinners for 14 days. That was unpleasant. I did get used to doing it, though. I found it easiest to do when I first woke up, and I would just lie on my bed and give myself the shot in my stomach. They also prescribed anti-nausea medicine and hydrocodone for pain. It was difficult to turn over or sleep on my side for the first 4 nights or so; but the pain wasn't bad. After about a week, I didn't feel like I needed any pain meds. (I stopped taking them during the day after about 3 days.) 11 - I bought a mortar and pestle yesterday to grind up the Calcium citrate tablets. It just seems ridiculous, to me, to spend up to 20 cents per pill for chewable calcium, when you have to take so much of it -- it was costing about $1.20 a day just for calcium chews. Now, I pulverize the hard tablets and put them in applesauce. 12 - I've eaten a couple things that made me instantly sick -- things with too much "texture." It's taught me that it's really best to follow the doctor's guidelines. Not fun throwing up. 13 - I drink about 6 oz. of coffee in the morning. My doctor's office says it's OK, and it makes my life happier! 14 - My next BIG GOAL is for the first digit of my weight to be a "1," which is something that happened briefly in 2008, during my "diet pill" attempt. I have about 20 pounds to go before that happens. 15 - This is weird and different for me. The thing I like best is not being very hungry, and also feeling full after eating about 3/4 cup of food. But it's a big adjustment, because prior to this, I was a bulk eater and a snacker. I know the new reality will have its challenges. 16 - My fear is that I'll eat small amounts too often and stretch my stomach or just take in too many calories. I have to be very vigilant in avoiding Snacks. Since this surgery cost me a LOT of money, I'm just going to think of that bill every time I'm tempted to snack. 18 - I am finding it difficult to get 60 grams of protein a day in and for now am simply doing the best I can. (40-50) I know I could add a Protein shake at around 4 p.m., but quite honestly, I'm so turned off now by the thought of those shakes (after almost 4 weeks of drinking Boost, Glucerna, and Ensure!) that it makes me nauseous even thinking about it. I do have unjury powder when I need it -- chocolate and unflavored. 19 - I've been going to bed kind of early and also napping/reading some in the afternoons. Maybe I'm lazy, but I feel like I need time to heal, and I tire a bit more easily than before. 20 - Overall, I'm THRILLED with the progress so far. It's hard to be patient sometimes -- you want everything to happen at once! But I had a lot of fears of the unknown, and my experience was really not bad at all. Most of my recovery and first weeks have been smooth sailing. Thanks for listening. I just wanted to share that it's been really good so far for me.

I've gone to see Dr. Gornichec. He seemed to be really nice. I also got to meet Janice. She seemed really nice as well. I got all my materials together and got them to Dr. Gornichec's office. I'm so glad that I mailed my medical requests off way before I saw the doctor. That way the insurance processing seems to be going fast from the get go. No papers to wait on. Today I got the phone call saying when my psychological is scheduled for and my blood work and x-rays, etc. I sure hope that my insurance company will move this fast as well. I'll try to remember to post again after each of my appointments this week. :kiss2:

I am so bummed. I had the lapband put in July 3rd. I have lost around 50. And I was starting to feel so good... but lately I have been feeling like I am failing. I have been so hungry all the time. I went to my surgeon 2 weeks ago and he told me to wait another month before a fill. I have only had 1 fill and I just think it was a big mistake. I have been eating way too much. I am just so worried I am screwing everything up, and then I am getting so worried that I feel like everything I have been eating is terrible. Blahhh - I just wonder if it is PMS :mad2: that is what I am hoping.... hehe- But I absolutely can not wait until my next fill. Then I was chatting the other day on here and the people in the chat room made me feel even worse. So now I am even more concerned. Does everyone never eat anything bad for them? I mean I VERY RARELY have had a "treat" but that still must be too much. I feel like I have fallen off the wagon or something... And then I wonder - well why is it so hard for me not to eat... why am i hungry all the time.. I wasnt feeling this the past 4 months. Well I just have to be patient until the day before Thanksgiving - my next fill! And thank God! None of that junk for me then!

I was banded just a few days before you were and I definitely notice the port whenever I bend over multiple times. It's exactly like you described it: a poke! It doesn't seem to bother me as much as it did even 1 week ago, but perhaps I'm just getting used to the sensation.

JayTee-You CAN receive the H1N1 vaccine even if you've received the seasonal flu shot. The seasonal flu shot DOES NOT protect you against H1N1, just the same as the H1N1 flu shot or nasal mist does not protect you against the seasonal flu. As a nursing student and in my humble opinion, I definitely think that individuals should receive BOTH the seasonal and the H1N1 vaccine. I did. I received the nasal mist. I had absolutely NO side effects. Mostly I chose to stand in line for hours at the county health department to receive this vaccine because I am exposed to the healthcare field as a nursing student, am included in the age group most at risk (6 months-24), and have nursing clinicals at the ONLY children's hospital in my area. They send all of the children suspected of having H1N1 to this hospital to get tested. Also, I am doing clinicals in L&D and did not want to risk picking up H1N1 from one of my pediatric patients and carrying it to the newborns. The biggest thing to keep in mind about H1N1...is that you become CONTAGIOUS even before you realize you have the "swine flu". P.S. If one were to develop Guilliain Barre from the H1N1 flu shot, it would be evident much, much, much sooner than years down the road, more like hours, days, maybe but probably not... weeks...and to my knowledge, there have not been any reported cases of Guillain Barre associated with the 2009 H1N1 vaccine.

Hi, Canada: The answer to your question: It depends! I got mine free -- but I had to wait in line for three hours with a couple thousand other people to get it. If you want the shot at no cost here you must pay for it with your time. You have to get there early and be prepared to stand in line for hours. There are a lot of people who fall into high-risk groups that simply aren't willing to do that. My GP told me flat out two-months ago that he's not going to offer the vaccine and that if I'm interested, I should contact my county health department. I would have preferred to pay for the vaccine and been spared the hell of standing in that line; however the usual outlets that sell vaccinations such as pharmacies and so forth won't have any vaccine until late November at best. I didn't want to risk the wait.

I got the regular flu shot, I don't think you can get the H1N1 shot if you had the regular. I got sick a couple weeks before my surgery like another poster I went to my GP and got antibiotics and alergy medication it worked and I had my surgery on schedule.

Stephieeve...That sucks that you didn't get a fill. It really sounds like you could have used one. You feel like you have been failing? Have you gained? Hey don't let anyone make you feel worse. Some times things get tough. That is a way of life. We all have to understand that there is going to be a time that we find this monster (obesity) a harder fight than we planned. Did you fall off the wagon? That's okay. You are okay. Do you remember what it was like in the beginning? My pre-op diet was tough to start, but made me feel so much better. I know it seems like a long 3 weeks to wait for another fill, but no matter what that day will get here. One day at a time. Every time you want to eat ask yourself "Am I hungery?" That seems to help me most of the time. Make sure you are getting enough protein to help fight off hunger. That helps me a ton too. You can keep doing this. Put an extra 30 min of exercise into your week. You can do it! You have lost 50 lbs. Take out those old picture and take a look at where you were and how far you've come! You aren't alone. Stick with it. I have my fill the day before you do. I updated my signature with a count down. I am looking forward to it. Stay on the boards an keep looking for that support. You are a strong woman. You can make the most out of it...and not beat up on yourself for the slip-ups.

I was banded on 17 August 09.. Everything went well.. I was on the treadmill.. and decided it was time to start jogging.. so I began, and felt this pull feelingnear my port...two weeks later, I finally went back to my Doctor, after feeling this pain intermittently.. and also like a bulging near the port site... they sent me over to the hospital for a cat scan same day.... and its a pocket of fluid surrounding my port... in time my body will absorb it.. they also started me on an antibiotic.. they can drain the fluid.. but with me getting ready to move to colorado if 5 days, its better to let me absorb it.. if its a continual issue.. it cannot hurt to have your Doc check it out.. what could have been a big mess for me, was easily thwarted by an appt, a cat scan.. and a confident surgeon!

Your tummy is still numb from everything. It will take a few weeks before it heals completely. Give it time to heal. I rather be happy, healthy and skinny versus feeling my belly button. I opened this thinking i was gonna read about a 3rd nipple popping out of somewhere lmfao. Embrace the good changes and stop looking for the bad. Just like @NancyDec20... Look for non scale victories. Like jeans you couldn't get into 2 weeks ago. I'm almost 2 weeks out and i got my hair done today took a pic with the bf and compared it to one i took 2 weeks before Surgery. Things like this will give you motivation but if you stay at home wondering why your belly button is so deep and start looking for other defects you'll just bring yourself down and won't be able to focus on the original reason why you got sleeved. Good Luck and keep your head up!!! Forget about your belly button for now and embrace the new you!!!!

Weight/strength training and cardio are 2 different types of exercise. Cardio is for burning fat and strengthening your heart/lungs while weight training is solely to increase muscle mass which will, in turn, help you burn more calories at rest. I cant speak it's effectiveness in raising metabolism, but I do a cardio work out 5 to 6 days a week and add weight training 2 days/week for double exercise on those days. Have you looked into burst training (interval training)? My trainer has me do this when I use the elliptical to help speed up my metabolism and keep it elevated for a longer period after I'm done working out. http://www.draxe.com/burst-training/

I'm at about 5 weeks, I can eat tuna, but only as tuna salad with a lot of mayo. I haven't even attempted any red meat yet, I haven't gotten to that phase in my diet plan.

@@joei0005 @@OutsideMatchInside is correct about the quality of trainers. Those who fall into the "anyone can get certified" category have taken an online course and passed an online exam. Some will be more serious than others, but they still will be limited. Their training is geared to working with the general population, not people with specific concerns. I don't see that a trainer who has worked with WLS people is any advantage if those people have no particular physical conditions. if you have a mobility issue or anything else, then special training and knowledge would matter. In that case, you might look for a physical therapist who moonlights. It would take a bunch of phone calls, but you may find someone. If you're in treatment for an issue, ask the doctor or someone else on staff if they know of a suitable trainer. As to expense, it isn't necessary to have ongoing sessions. You can have one or two to get you started with a workout routine and thereafter a session each time you're ready to step it up. You may also learn enough to be able to increase your workout level on your own. A free option is sparkpeople.com. You can browse the articles and videos until the cows come home and learn a lot. If it's applicable, they even have a three-part article with a title something like "Am I too heavy to exercise?" The answer, of course, is a resounding "NO!" There's also livestrong.com, similar in breadth to Spark, but with which I'm less familiar.

I've started working out at the gym. I wear a heart rate monitor so I know how many calories I burn. I also use myfitnesspal to monitor my food intake. If I eat 800 calories in a day and burn 500 during a workout, is that going to be a problem? 300 calories net seems too small of a #. I'm not sure though. I'll see my doc on Feb 1 for my 2nd fill. I'll ask him then but just thought I'd throw it out there to you guys. Thoughts? Also I am 6 weeks postop

No, but I did sleep pretty much all day for the first week after surgery.

it seems like benedryl is the only thing that works but i haven't tried other things maybe ill get a little tylenol pm to try. I cant take an actual sleeping pill because I need to get up with my son at least once a night unfortunately. it is getting a bit better than it was when i first got out of the hospital but not enough. i chalked it up to the 22 days of constantly being woken up every few hours but I'm on week three out of that and you'd think my body would let me sleep!

Patience my dear, patience. The body is a wonderful thing and when calories are reduced so drastically it pulls a few tricks in order to preserve all the fat that it has so diligently packed away for years by slowing the metabolism and stopping other functions altogether - hair growth and some cell division for example. The body cannot STAY in this "starvation mode" forever or else organ shutdown and eventual death will occur. You are still eating and providing SOME nourishment so the body will eventually resume all it's functions and you will start losing again. Some people are lucky and this rarely happens, others seem to lose in fits and starts all the way through. Keep up what you're doing. I am of the firm opinion that there is nothing that you can do to "break" a stall, it just takes time and anything that we do to "break" the stall just happens to coincide with the time that it takes for the body to start to lose again. Don't get discouraged, just keep up the proper diet and exercise and you will start losing again.

It's definitely lifetime if you want the best results for your wright. When you drink while you eat, my understanding is that you can wash the food down so you don't feel the restriction and feel "full". I think it can also affect your digestion. Something about diluting the enzymes. My (uneducated) guess is also that it would expand/stretch your pouch eventually. I'm three years out and I can drink while I eat. I do occasionally sip wine during a meal on very special occasions, but only very small amount. I also have water with some meals to take my medication with food (it helps with nausea triggered by medications), but again only a small amount to gulp down the pills. I do better maintaining my weight when I avoid drinking with meals. If you can, I would definitely aim to stick with this rule for life!