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Well the swelling in my stomach has gone down and I have virtually no restriction. Along with the fact that I am now on mushies, this makes things more difficult. I am now eating about 2 cups of food at a time, because it pretty much slides right through. I know I am just healing and not trying to really lose weight, so it is all ok with me. I am happy that I'm not gaining, and doing well. I have my first fill in the next 10 days sometime, so all is good. My incisions are almost healed. They only have a tiny red line left to them and the swelling has almost completely dissappeared. The incisions will hardly show when they are completely healed.

not exactly the same thing, but in the same vein (sort of), which got me thinking just now... The Kid also has a 10 year passport that she got when she was 16 yrs old. which means she'll have the same picture until she is 26. I'm pretty sure she's going to look totally different by then, i mean, she already looks different now. i wonder if maybe official documents with photo identifications really SHOULDN'T have such lengthy validities. or maybe we should start using retinal scans, ha!

Hey yall the countdown has started. I have 10 days til surgery. I am so excited! I got everything I need biotene spray, vitamins, tylenol,shakes and everything else. I take my covid test on sunday.

Total: 808 Fat:45 405 51% Sat:18 163 21% Poly:4 40 5% Mono:12 106 13% Carbs:44 150 19% Fiber:8 0 0% Protein:60 239 30% 8 days postop and Ruh Roh. Bandster hell is coming.... I'm getting hungry!!! BUT...I eat a cup of full fluids or mushies and and I'm ok for 2-3 hours....and still only getting in <900 calories, but just spending more time hungry than I was. It's all good. I scheduled my appt for my 1st fill for May 4th. My soreness is almost all gone but still get tired easily. Grateful the wknd is coming. Incisions are looking good. Signed up with a gym today and I'm really excited about that. Hit the treadmill tomorrow. Tried scrambled eggs tonight and they went down fine. Man, did they taste good!! I can SERIOUSLY see how my relationship with food will be changing. Now, when I'm hungry, I get kind of sad that I can't go out and eat a plate full of enchiladas or a nice sandwich or a steak or even my favorite salad. But it is precisely at that moment I am grateful for my new tool. I can't overeat even if I wanted to. So I shrug my shoulders, go have a 1/2 of cottage cheese and Voila! My hunger is cured ....and so is my sadness (that I can't have enchiladas). I sometimes miss that FULL feeling I used to get....but not really. Not after I've cured the hunger with even a small amount of food. I'm over it just like that. No regrets, no more mourning. This is certainly going to be an interesting journey.

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That stuff has black box warning and can be very dangerous. I have not smoked in 10 years now. i am glad that it worked for you.

It's April 26, 2012. In 18 days, my life will change forever, and I can't wait! Let me start by telling you about myself. (Apologies if this is long-winded, but I think it will give a more rounded picture of how I ended up here!) I am 42 years old. I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with my husband (my soulmate...I waited until 40 to marry, and he's my forever love!), and our 2 cats, Rosie and Maize. I was born October 20, 1969, a very very small (1.9 lbs!) and 8 weeks premature. My mother has smoked during her pregnancy and I think it impacted my growth. Back in those days, they didn't have neonatal intensive care units and ventilators etc. for preemies. I was just lucky to survive! Believe it or not, I think that is where my problems with my weight began! I used to drink 2 or 3 times the amount of formula my mother's Obstetrician has prescribed for me. It was as if my tiny little body was demanding more and more food to make up for the lack of size and development during the pregnancy! During my early childhood, I was actually average size and played a lot of sports. But food was starting to be more and more of a focus. I would have eating contests with my Dad. Food was a reward when something good happened, and a comfort when something bad happened. By the time I was 12, I was universally known as "chubby" amongst my family, friends, schoolmates. Despite all this, I continued to play many sports, and excel in all of them! High school brought fresh pain and more weight. I was shunned by the boys (more of a tomboy anyways, they saw me as "one of the guys"). Girls didn't want to be associated with me...I wasn't the right "clique" material. The only thing that made high school bearable was sports (I was both admired and mocked for my athleticism....a weird combination!) and music. I was captain of almost every team I played on (volleyball, softball, soccer, field hockey), but when we went to "away" games, I would hear people in the crowd openly call me names and laugh at me. It was very painful and even if we won and I was the star of the game, I would invariably end of crying on the way home. What would make me feel better? Food! McDonalds, Dairy Queen.....the more calories, the better! Of course, I went though ups and downs. I would try a diet, find some success, lose some weight.....then invariably, gain it all back plus. In my Junior year, a group of my friends and teachers I was very close with chipped in to buy me a birthday gift. Looking back now, it was incredibly generous, kindhearted and really demonstrated how much they loved me. But at the time, I was mortified (though I put on a brave face). They had bought me 10 sessions with a Nutritionist, so I could lose weight. OMG! Even the people I loved thought I was unacceptable the way I was. It put me in a depression and left an indelible mark on my psyche for a long time. I went to the sessions and tried to lose weight and keep it off. Of course, I failed (I didn't really want to succeed and prove them right, unconsciously of course). In the end, I graduated and went on to University and then the real floodgates of weight gain started. I was 198 lbs when I started University. I couldn't afford to go to school without a full time job (at the same time!) so I gave up competitive sports (I had enough talent to make Varsity....but no time to dedicate to it!). I was working full time hours from 4 pm to midnight most weekdays, and every other weekend. No time for regular meals (I would sleep late, skip Breakfast, grab a lunch to go that I could eat in class, then rush off to work). Often eating dinner from the vending machine at work, or grabbing fast good on quick 15 min breaks. My freshman "15" was more like "50". I continued my education after University, and became a Respiratory Therapist, but developed an anaphylactic allergy to latex. At the time, this was still quite rare, and most hospital equipment, etc. was still made using latex (especially gloves!). I had to quit my profession before it even really began! Backup plan was to turn to something I already loved as a hobby. Computers. The internet was starting to really grow (1997) and I taught myself HTML and online design/publishing. The rest (as they say) is history. I am now an E-Communications Analyst with our Provincial Government (yes, a public servant!). Needless to say, this is a very sedentary job. It's contributed to my weight gain. I've gone through numerous diets and was very successful in 2006 (lost 100 lbs!) with a strict 1200 calorie diet and ALOT of exercise. In 2007 my brother (who lived on the West Coast, on Vancouver Island) was getting very ill. He had been diagnosed with Brain Cancer 6 years earlier and was really a miracle case to still be alive! His health was deteriorating and I flew out to help him set up homecare and prepare for when he would need hospice. The stress was intense, and I started to regain my weight. Later in 2007, my mother unexpectedly passed away. She simply went to bed one night and never woke up! At 73, it was very very unexpected and I was suddenly thrust into caring for my father (79 yrs old at the time) who had many health problems and dementia. 5 months later, my brother passed away. The stress of all of this loss, sudden responsibility (caring for Dad, executor for Mom and my brother's estates, etc.) sent me over the edge. I regained most of the weight that I had lost. I did manage to lose 35 lbs for my wedding in Sept. 2010, but it has crept back on and I am now at 318 lbs and miserable. My asthma gets worse with each additional pound (when I lost the 100 lbs, I went off ALL my asthma meds and I was exercising like a fiend with no shortness of breath!). I am desperate to get back to a weight where I can exercise without feeling like I'm going to die from fatigue or lack of oxygen! I'm getting my VSG on May 14, 2012 from Dr. Ramos Kelly in Tijuana, Mexico. It's self-pay and it's the best money I'll even spend on anything (especially myself!). I am psyched!

$$$$--this is the true motivation. I was thinking of the Eddie Murphy and Martin Film--"LIFE". In a scene where one of the immates got the wardens Daughter pregnant....They're going down the line holding the baby to each immates face--(they're black)--But the funny part...They are asked--who's that babies Daddy? Before you know it...almost 10 Men step forward--"I'm dat Babies Daddy"----funny it's not with Nicole--but this is going to be one helluva life story

Anna admited that she didn't take Trim Spa to lose her 70 lbs. People who had taken the diet pill weren't successful with their wieght loss and now there is a lawsuit against the company and Anna for falsely advertising that it was TrimSpa that made her thin. Critics speculate that it was either g.bypass or drugs that caused her to lose her weight so fast. Personally I think it was drugs......poor Anna. I hope her daughter grows up happier than she was. ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/157/160 5'8''

Thanks Krysty Ssilian I have 3 cats, 2 are like 12 the other is like 10. They are all crazy in their own little ways, haha.

Dr. D is my doctor too! I was banded in Mexico in 3/10 and Dr. D has taken care of me ever since. He is the most caring and patient doctor I have ever been to. I am having my band removed and revision to VSG surgery with him on 6/17. Although I am within 10 lbs of my goal with the band, we both agree that the and isn't working for me at all. I have had more fills/unfills than I can count. I am so looking forward to a better quality of life with the sleeve! I will update you all and wish you all good luck in your journey!

I feel like I should write something here. Plus I have to wait for all my B2B pics to upload to FB. There's a facebook group for the support group I go to irl. The topic came up of excess fat. So I wanted to talk a little about it. In an established thread I asked 'how does one determine how much excess fat they have?' The answer I got was 'BMI.' My response was as follows: 'I'm not a BMI fan, but it's probably a good starting point. I was once told by a trainer at the gym who did a body fat pinch test on me that I have 140lbs of everything that isn't fat. So minus the muscle I'll lose as I lose weight that sounds about right based on what I think my sister weighs and my build. But 200 is skinny for me, so anything past that is amazing.' The response was, 'I'll take the drs advice over a gym trainer any day.' I feel like my response wasn't interpreted correctly. Which is ok. I don't feel like getting more into it on there. What my response was getting at: This was like 9 years ago when I had this specific body fat pinch test done at the 24hr Fitness location I used to go to when I still lived at home. According to the guy who did it, I have 140lbs of muscle, bones, organs, etc. Everything else was fat. Not necessarily all excess fat because the body needs fat. Just not as much as I've got. So for the longest time I was under the impression that I will never weigh less than 140lbs. I explained this to my boyfriend probably about a month ago and he said this logic was flawed. Now I don't know his reasoning, but I now understand why it is flawed. But none the less, I must say, it is a good reference point. So it's flawed because as I lose weight, I will lose muscle as well because my body won't need as much muscle to support 280lbs as it will say 150lbs. Therefore, it is possible for me to weigh under 140lbs. My sister and I have the same figure shape. Shes an inch or two shorter than me and we have about the same build, she is maybe a little smaller. I'm probably about a medium build. The smallest she's ever been was a size 6 in college. She is usually about an 8 or 10 depending on the clothing item, but is bigger now because she's pregnant, which is expected. So based on what I think she weighs normally, 140lbs isn't a bad guess for me. Because BMI was brought up, I googled it and looked at 3 sites to get an average number. I'm 5 '5.5". Here are what the sites said: 5' 5" 113lbs - 138lbs 5' 6" 117lbs - 143lbs 5' 5.5" 114lbs - 145lbs (small build, medium build, large build) 5' 5" 117-130 127-141 137-155 5' 6" 120-133 130-144 140-159 Given these numbers I would think that I would be somewhere between 120lbs and 145lbs. I would absolutely love to weigh under 150lbs. And I'm 99.9% sure that I will never weigh under 120lbs. Or if I did, I'd look way too skinny. In conclusion, what the guy at the gym told me is fairly accurate. I just don't think my point came across in my original comment. 209lbs is the lowest I have ever been in my adult life. Size 20 is the smallest I've been (on bottom, I'm pear shaped.) 200lbs and a size 20 is skinny for me. When I get down to a size 18 I can say, "I haven't been this small since 5th grade." If I get down to 150lbs I can say, "I haven't weighed this much since I was 10."

A co-worker of mine told me just now that he heard that she OD'd on diet pills. I wonder if they were Trim Spa? That is so sad...I am so glad that I got my band and don't have to take diet pills to keep the weight off. Obviously they are super dangerous...... ~Liz~ 03/10/06 241/156/160 5'8''

My date is a few weeks out. I originally had the Lap Band back in 2005 and went from 297lbs at surgery down to the 160's. My husband and I had been married for 4 years at that time and we had our first child who had just turned 10 months old. About 6 months after I had my band put in my husband had his put in. He lost 20 pounds to this day. At this time we are both banded. I'm consistantly in the 220's and he is over 350lbs. He has promised me if I am successful and happy with this surgery he will follow me again and have the sleeve done. We didn't have any problems with me being "successful" with the band and especially with him not being successful. We have since had another baby, so we have two kids under the age of 5 and intead of weight loss, we are much more concerned about the health we have and our ability to provide our babies with a happy and active childhood. He loved me fat, he loved me thin, he loves me fat again. I think if your connection is more than just physical and at a deep enough level then it will last. I'm not a person who goes out, I have my babies at home and I have the rest of my life to go "out" but my babies won't be babies forever. That's just my experience with the weight loss and our relationship. I wish you guys the best.

Thank you! It is now day 4 with 10 pounds down and still haven't gotten sick Knock on wood lol

Some foods.....eggs, shrimp I couldn’t tolrate until bout 10 weeks post op. I’ll be 4 months post op on the 12th.

10 days out , just what i needed thxs.

Try not to worry...you are going to be fine! My bmi at surgery was right at 40 and I think it made my recovery easier. I am so happy with the decision I made. 16 lbs down since surgery (10/25) and 33 down from starting the whole process. It will be over before you know it. You have come too far and jumped too many hoops to back out now Sent from my iPhone

My highest weight ever was 368 which was like 10 years ago. I had lost weight over the years and never regained (Atkin's etc.). So by the time I started inquiring about LapBand i was like 320. I lost 20 pounds from the time I got serious about band and surgery day. On surgery day, I was 300.5 & today I am 225. So not all of my weightloss was due to the band. Only about 75-80 pounds of it. I'm in a serious plateau right now but still losing inches. This bothers me tremendously because I want the scale to move some too. People say that is still good because means I am losing fat/gaining muscle but I'm not trying to be a body builder or anything. I just want to see 199.

Wow you both have done FANTASTIC! As of today I'm down 103 lbs! I know I could have done better...but I've fought a lot of emotional eating to get these 103 lbs down! I think I'm up to 6.3 cc's in a 10 cc band. I'm suppose to go back Sept 1 to get a fill...but not sure I need one. I'm at the point where I've only been getting .3 cc's when I go...hate having to pay all that money just for that much...and I wonder how the heck can that much really make a difference but it does! I want to weigh 180...i'm at 238 this morning from 341...So I've got about 58 more lbs to goal! I already have a lot of loose skin ESPECIALLY at my belly...so I will definitely be having weight loss surgery. I just worry about the SCARRING!! How are yours healing? It is so nice to touch base with you and see that comparable that we've done fabulous! Keep it up Smashing Pumpkins!!

Hello everyone. I was banded on 6/23/08 and my story is no different than most. I am 66 y.o. and had tried everything that was ever published to lose weight. I have been obese since age 13. My surgeon is Dr. Paul Ross of Spartanburg, SC and he is a true blessing for me:regular_smile:a kinder and more caring person could not be found! I am doing well and have been surprised by the comfort zone I am in. I need to find a way and the time to exercise (walk) more. I have osteo and rheumatoid arthritis and can only walk for 10-15 minutes at a time. I wonder if my weigh loss is comparable to others at this point in my "journey". I have lost 12 pounds in 5 weeks. Please advise. I'm appreciative to this sight and the opportunity to meet new friends. Thank you. Pat

Be heard many times we are thin people on the inside. Heck,'when I dream, I'm not the size I am. I'm really the size I was 19 years ago. So my question is this... After WLS, do we become a fat person in a thin body? We will always carry the scars and experiences. I even heard a friend say of another who had just had WLS, that she still thought like a fat person. So... What do you think?

Hi Jono 201! Wow, I have been checking on this Lapband talk forum for a week or so and not found any of Dr Neals patients. aND HERE YOU ARE. yOU WERE BANDED IN mARCH?! My surgery is scheduled for June 22nd and I am excited and of course worried as well. Were you happy with Dr. Neal's care? Any tips pre or post op. Lately I have been reading so many stories here on line about complications during and after, but I'm sure for every sad story there are 10 happy ones...I am very confident in Dr. Neal's surgery skills. I just don't know about my skills in managing this new band. I am so worried about not getting enough liqiuds down and getting dehydrated. Also my Birthday and 4th of July are coming up and I will be on Clear liquids...What a bummer that will be... Anyway, please write back. I live in NW Olympia. Bye Josie:clap2: quote=jono201;431738]I too did a lot of research and was also well informed by by surgeon. I also bought, laid out and made convenient any thing I might need post surgery, especially a wide variety of liquid diet items such as creamy Soups, Protein shake powder (chocholate for me), and yogurt drinks. I also made sure I had my magic bullit and plenty of low fat soy milk to thin my liquid meals. The one thing I wish I had been more informed about was the pain in my neck and shoulders from the anethesia. It was not until I woke up that I was informed that the pain would not go away for days. Also, the whole gas issue I was uninformed about, so I had not pre-bought anything to ease it. Other than that-like the other posters write-read read read and read some more.

Your fat requirements are going to be very different than mine as an RNY. I'd really want your RD or doc to tell me what ratios they want for their DS patients. I know that your protein reqs are also way diff than mine. For mine and most VSGs the loose rule of thumb for protein is 1g protein per every 10 calories. So if you have ideally a recipe with 160cals, it needs to have a minimum of 16 g protein to be a good protein bargain for the buck. Then beyond that the only rule they gave is no more than 5g sugar per serving/meal. Any other rule was individual from them and based on status and how we were doing with our diet, diet satisfaction, and if we were losing and/or maintaining and progressing well. I had to be very low fat and low carb/low cal to lose. So I'm a big outlier.