Hello Junbies ......

I haven't seen a June Band Crew thread yet so thought I would start it .

I'll be banded on June 9th in Texas. I'm getting very excited about it. I know that the band is just a "tool" to aid in my weight loss journey and it will take a lot of hard work on my part to make it successful. I've been overweight my whole life with the earliest memories being around age 4. Although no one else in my family is overweight, I am extremely fortunate to have full family support in my decision. I know that there are many people who's family doesn't offer the support they need. I would love to meet other pre-bandsters being banded in June to walk with me to the banded side of life and offer each other support.

I wish you all the best.

Melissa Lea :hippie:

Pre-bandster 240 lbs

June 9, 2006

Spivak

self-pay

well, the grits didn't come up at all. just the saliva. i just tried some bean soup and that has worked nicely. no saliva or anything at all. i took my time and went slow with them. i figured they might be better as well since they weren't dry. you know, they had some "juice" with them. i feel really full. i am so glad it went down better than the grits.. boy, i NEVER want to experience that again. i can't believe i pb on the very first thing i tried. and i had been going along so nicely the first 2 weeks.

Finally had my first fill yesterday. No pain or difficulty so far. Only 1.5 cc in a 4 cc band. Hope it works! Feeling great and hungry:hungry:

I had my fill on Thursday. I too only feel mild restriction. I am trying so hard to fight the hunger. I did go to bed hungry last night. :faint:

I guess the attitude that I'm trying to maintain is --I can fight through the hunger for a few months until I reach the "sweet spot". I guess another motivation for me being self pay is it's costing me $120.00 per pound to my goal. That makes me think twice before putting empty calories into me :speechles .

I took up a new hobbie last night. I finally learned how to use my digital camera. I'm also creating online photo albums from all the picture CD's I've gotten over the past few years with my photos. That's keeping me busy and my mind off food. I've also been reading a lot of great books!

Hang in there with me!!:help:

Restriction Bound.............

Melissa Lea

My recommendation for protien is the ISOWhey Breezer brand, not thick, light flavours, it's a powder that mixes smooth in water to make 'juice' or they have an iced tea flavour too.

With fills and restriction, remember you have to be on solids to find out how much restriction you have, liquids will always pretty much go right through the stoma to the stomach below. You won't feel full and not hungry until you have solid food sitting in the pouch and then slowly emptying into the stomach below. That's why the Dr.'s don't want us drinking liquid calories once we're on solids, and why they don't want us drinking with meals, shortly before meals, and not for at least an hour after meals. Can't wait for my fill on Wednesday! My Dr. doesn't do it under florou, just has you drink water to make sure you're not too tight and the water is going down well while you are there in the office. I'm so looking forward to the first fill.

XO

Leila

OK - you June Bandsters -

I am beginning to think I am a freak over here - has anyone else experienced what I have since being banded.

Long story short - surgery date 6/20/06 - started at 267

Surgery went great - I had terrible reaction to anethetics though. Dry heaved for @ 5 days after.

1 week check was great - my only concern was lack of appetite (if that really can be a concern). Doc said most people get that back after a few weeks.

Finally, after 2 weeks of recovery - I began feeling like myself but again no appetite. I force myself to eat just to make sure things are getting in. I have no real energy level either.

Last week Sunday - Wed - I believe I had stomach flu :sick (yes, fun ) and dropped 6 #'s.

As of this morning - I am at 235 (a 32# loss in a month) again, I am not complaining! :eek:

BUT - this not having an appetite is starting to bother me. I go grocery shopping for my family and come back with hardly any food. I try to eat things - soft foods at this point - on the verge of real food - BUT after one bite, I have no interest. Soup has been a regular food supply - and an occasional bowl of rice krispies in milk (my only :hungry: craving so far).

I believe I go back in August 8th for my 1st fill - BUT if this feeling stays with me I will not get a fill in August.

:clap2: A POSITIVE NOTE : I did buy a new outfit last night and wore it for my Mom and my 11 yr old daughter this morning - and my daughter cried. She couldn't believe how good her mom actually looked in clothes that fit - not the oversized baggy stuff she normally sees me in.

So - anyone out there with no appetite.

Thanks

Tracy

Gosh Tracy - I've been ravenous since the second week out from surgery. I was also banded on 6/20. I think I've lost 4 pounds since surgery. Can't wait for that first fill - Aug 1st.

I hope this is not because your sick. Maybe you just got really good restriction right from the start. If you don't think your getting enough calories, don't hesitate to call your doc. Don't get run down, but seems your doing really great with your weight loss!!!

Terry :eek:

Some people are restricted with just the band. My stalkee, Jack, did not get a fill for several months post op.

Today I have had a 6" sub from Subway, without the bread, one taco from Taco Bell, and Beans and cheese, and 1/2 an Isopure shake. I think that is restriction, what about you? I know they were not the best choices, but we were out all day...

Happy Sunday Morning to all,

I got my first fill on Thursday morning. It was an eye opening experience for me. Up until the fill I have been eating pretty much anything I want. If I didn't chew good enough there were uncomfortable moments and only one time did I get real uncomfortable and did the slime thing.

The fill needle was only a little uncomfortable as I am still pretty tender at the port site. She filled me with 1.5cc. I then stood (with needle still in) at the flouroscope and drank the barium...........nothing went through. She withdrew .3cc and I drank again and it went through very slowly so she withdrew another .2cc.

Just watching the liquid go through the band area gave me a whole new prospective on chewing. The gal said the opening is now about the size of the cap that she took off the needle or smaller than a pencil. That is small! I now understand why we can't take pills without crushing and why we shouldn't drink and push our food into the "tiny" opening. Consequently I have been very very careful. I've had mostly liquids. I ate some crablegs with butter on Friday night and I chewed it to pure mush.

As of Thursday I'd lost 20 pounds and I've lost a couple more since then so I'm not complaining. Like everyone is saying, it's like we are just now beginning this journey for real.

The area around my port was pretty tender after the procedure and later that night it got real sore. I worried that the saline might have been leaking out. Did anyone else notice that?

Please keep posting your experiences. I look forward to reading how everyone is tolerating things.

Think thin!

I was banded on June 22nd and within the first 2 weeks after sugery i lost 15.5 lbs and nothing really since...I am scheduled for my fist fill on August 4th and am hoping that it gets me started on the right track again...The only bad moment that I have had since my surgery was with a flour tortilla and i thought i was going to die, but now i have learned my lesson and never plan on doing anything like that again

Well I guess I now can say I know how a REAL bandster feels and I don't like it. I had no restriction from my fill on Wednesday. I was just having liquids until Sat. Saturday I could start mushies. I had a scrambled egg in the morning, some chili con queso late afternoon. I had 4 pretzel bits that had Peanut Butter in them. I chewed and chewed and chewed. At 6 I was having some cream of potato soup. I baked a potato and was putting a few of the pieces in the soup. I had two sips and wham. A little piece of potato went down and got caught. So began my journey. I PB and PB and slimed. I hurt and hurt and hurt. I burned and burned and burned. Five hours later still having problems and pain. Slept sitting up and still had pain. This morning I can't get anything down. I tried a little coffee, cool, at a sip at a time. I keep it down, but its a little painful. I finally took my actifex as I couldn't stand it anymore. I'm trying to take little sips of Water to keep hydrated, but this is no fun. I never, never want to repeat this. I hope this is not a sign of things to come.

Just glad it happened while I was home. I wouldn't want to have to go through this while at work. Today I'll try to stay hydrated and maybe some broth later. Postivie side effect is no longer hungry.

I think you can be good and still get in trouble. You must be aware of each bite you are taking and make sure it is liquid before you swallow.

Guess I'll wait for another fill.

Oh Lord Barbara, that sounds terrible...I guess we never think about what it will really be like after a fill...Before the first fill you dont really have to consentrate so hard on what you swollow or how you chew...I guess that after my fill my jaws will just be so tired of chewing that i wont want to eat so much...I hope you get to feeling better real quick, and no repeats

I was just wondering how many mg of protien everyone was getting in each day because I found some chewable protein tablets on the website for puritains pride with 250 mg each...Was just wondering what others thought about these or if they have used them

I was banded June 21st. I thought I was in heaven. I have lost 27 pounds. For 2 weeks now, I have been able to eat anything as was starting to get worried until I read this post. I guess I am normal. I hardly have any restriction. I am getting my first fill on august 22. I am trying to maintain the weight loss until then. glad I am normal. I appreciate you guys.

When I read the posts of people losing 20 - 30 pounds, I feel jealous.

I'm just past 10, and yearning to have a big drop.

Maybe after my fill?

Randi don't get discouraged or jealous. Be happy for everyone that is losing. I know that it is so hard :faint: not to compare your success to others. I'm just as guilty of it. But each person is different and each person will lose at a different pace. Your time will come. Compete only with yourself by setting mini-goals. This isn't a competition. We are here to support one another (and yes we all know easier said than done).

Barbara so sorry to hear about your horrible PB experience. I must say, I am not looking forward to that experience. I had one small PB episode with pasta --will not be doing that again soon.

I had my fill last Thursday and I'm finally starting to feel some restriction. I've noticed a decrease in portions from pre-fill. Am I at my "sweet spot", I'd so not yet. But I'm happy where I am at thus far.

Good luck to those having fills this week.

Melissa Lea