Calling all upcoming bandsters...

I just wanted to start a thread where everyone can post their surgery dates and we can start to compare notes.

I am scheduled for 9/12. I have ALL my pre-op stuff next Wed & Thurs, including psych eval, sleep consult, lab work, 4 hr nutrition class, and pre-op appt with surgeon. It is going to be a couple of very full days.

My parents are coming for a visit the following week, and I don't plan on telling them about the surgery, so I am rushing to get through all of that before they get here.

How is everyone else doing getting their pre-op stuff scheduled?

Here is the list of September Bandsters: I'll try to keep it updated for everyone.

9/1 okiegirl

9/1 TexasBr@t

9/1 TruBlueSue

9/1 finallyonmyway

9/1 ashley

9/4 JamesA

9/4 SLHarrison

9/5 Em1125

9/5 kittylover54

9/5 mcw12985

9/5 chabutter

9/5 BigBZ

9/5 TamifromAL

9/6 Ashlee

9/6 Cole

9/6 Kathy S

9/6 r2ht4u

9/6 Gjdf52

9/6 babyjessica

9/6 P McDonald

9/6 harlito

9/6 kareyquilts

9/6 LindaN

9/7 bibytz

9/7 kristyinusa

9/7 sunnshyne411

9/7 MICHELLE43

9/7 cassandra

9/7 green

9/7 happykat

9/8 dovie6523

9/8 valgal1968

9/8 PattyMartin

9/9 mary9

9/9 msgoat4949

9/11 cindyn

9/11 BJean

9/11 SheryBery

9/11 SherryA

9/11 RHCPgirl

9/11 lamamama

9/11 PHAT TX

9/11 drcollier

9/11 fraleyk

9/11 Dana Kwt

9/12 want2lose

9/12 ItsGottaGo!

9/12 TxAngel

9/12 HopeWorks

9/12 kattiegirl

9/12 brendab

9/13 katt

9/13 jewel

9/13 avasa

9/13 whlatimer

9/13 twiceblessed

9/13 suleehci@yahoo.

9/14 gonnabethin

9/14 mom of many

9/14 spike6

9/15 swanny

9/15 fugnick

9/15 coryW

9/15 ericergoman

9/15 melissa0915

9/18 Linstadt

9/18 tayvia99

9/18 April

9/18 Turmoil

9/18 LovinColorado

9/19 vv0710

9/19 susoue

9/19 Elaine53

9/19 reredc

9/19 missSD

9/19 sweet31eve

9/19 lisalee

9/20 mariecarmen

9/20 wantlapband

9/20 samos

9/20 labradoodle

9/20 ErinS

9/20 beechpad

9/20 lifelongband

9/20 mejomojogolow

9/21 jgandg

9/21 WandaKay

9/21 Dallasmist

9/21 JewelsInLove

9/21 YellowRoseKnows

9/22 diane5467

9/22 kellieatkins30

9/22 Lila

9/22 shell04937

9/22 venetiaann

9/22 butterfly1973

9/22 teachmath

9/23 tgjones

9/25 buzz321

9/25 sandranoelle

9/26 marie noone

9/26 christy

9/26 Lin

9/26 The Woman

9/27 Bettina

9/27 tommygirl

9/27 GettinThinMan

9/27 MimIN

9/28 Tracicat

9/28 jumbojet

9/28 "D"-n-OK

9/28 rbabcock61

9/28 Lisa99

9/29 Lapoli7

9/29 ratgirl

9/29 sweetsue

9/29 chattanoogabrat

9/29 phw72

9/29 JessyInSD

9/29 Chrissy "O"

ItsGottaGo: I hope you are tight (in a good way), but I'm going to pass on what my doctor has me do after a fill. The first day is all liquid, the second is blender food, the third day is soft food and the fourth is back to regular diet with the caveat that if anything has a hard time going down, to go back to stage before. Sounds like you have so swelling Or tightness and maybe you could use this information. Good luck!

Thanks Karey. I'm sticking with soft food for the rest of this week I think.

Hey there everyone. I haven't been on in a while, and I'm really, really frustrated. I've had one fill, and the only thing that has changed for me since pre-op is that I can't eat as much at one sitting. I'm hungry about 2 hours after I eat. I hope with my 2nd fill I don't experience hunger so soon after a meal.

Hey there everyone. I haven't been on in a while, and I'm really, really frustrated. I've had one fill, and the only thing that has changed for me since pre-op is that I can't eat as much at one sitting. I'm hungry about 2 hours after I eat. I hope with my 2nd fill I don't experience hunger so soon after a meal.

I still get hungry every 2 hours too. I just had to learn the self control. I don't drink until an hour after my meals. I try hard. I hope that your fill works out for you. In my office we can get fills as many times as needed. I hope you can too. :eek:

Hello Kiddos! I see some of us are keeping up the Great Work and Me well lets just say...I stayed the same. I need to get another fill. Here is the latest on the Challenge! We are very near the deadline and I do see that some are going to surpass it. Everyone here is a winner in my book.

Challenger’s Start weight and Weekly Loss<O:p</O:p

Lamamama219.5/-4/-3.5/-4/-2.5/-3/-3/+3/-3

TamifromAL 243/-5/-3/-4/-2/-2/-4/-3 /+1

Sandranoelle302/-3/-3/-0/-6/-3/-3/-2

MimIN235/-2/-2/-3/-.5/-7/-5/-2/-0

Mom of Many 226/-1/-1/-2/-6 /-1/-1

Want2lose208/-1/-1/-1/+4/-4/-1/+2/-3

Valgal1968 252/-0/+1/-0/-0/-0/-1/-0<O:p</O:p

BJean 192/-1/-1/-2/-1/-1/-1/+2/-2

Gonnabethin194/-0/-0/-0/-0/-2/-2/+2/-2

TruBlueSue190/-3/-2/-2.5/-.5/-2/-1/-.5

Diane5467 283/-2/-2/-0/-0/-2/3<O:p</O:p

R2ht4u 180/-2/-0/-3/+1/-1/-0 I think I missed last week, please give the number of pounds lost instead of current weight. Thanks<O:p</O:p

Tommygirl248/-3/+1/-2/-.4/-2/+2

Lifelongband310/-2/-0/-2/-5/-4/-3<O:p</O:p

Lisalee238/-2 /-2/-.5/+.5/-5/-3/-0/-2

Kareyquilts198/-2/-1/+1/-3.5/-0/-3

Wantlapband190/-4.5/-3.5/-1<O:p</O:p

Cassandra258/+2/-2.2<O:p</O:p

Fraleyk176/-1/-0/-0<O:p</O:p

SLHarrison209/-.8/-2.2/-4/+1/-2<O:p</O:p

msgoat4949 227/-1/-2/-2/-3

April 253/-1/-1/-1/-1/-1/-0

LindaN/-9.5/-1/-0

Tanya67/303/-5<O:p</O:p

sweet31eve233/-2/-3

Em125 217/-3/-1/-0/+1

Katt288/+3/-6/-1/-0

Lapoli 7370/-3/-0<O:p</O:p

Jgandg 266/-0/-0

Bettina/-3

I am looking forward to having a reunion somewhere Next Year in September, I'll keep you all posted.

ItsGottaGo: I know what you mean about that feeling of restriction. I've been cruising along since my last fill with a decent amount of tightness.

Recently, I've been catching myself coming and going to get ready for family here at my house for the holidays...it's been so busy and I have so much to do before then. This morning I woke up and felt tight. It HAS to be stress, even though it's fun and exciting stress. Even mushy foods have to be eaten very slowly, or I get the slimes. I have heard about this but am suprised now that it is happening to me. And yes, it can get uncomfortable. But, I'll take it while it lasts.

I really thought I would be gearing up for another fill soon. This band is fickle and varies so much from day to day. I've gotten only 1/2 cup tuna salad and a protein shake down today.

BTW, when people PB do they regurgitate the food eaten? Or is it just the slime? And a lot of the food? All I have experienced is a very thick clear PB which lasts about 10 minutes. Will that cause slippage? Or is "protective" good?

I had my second fill yesterday. I can't really tell if I have any better restriction yet, but I lost 2lbs yesterday! I know, I know, its water weight since I'm on liquids for 2 days. But, I'm 2lbs away from Onederland!!! Tuesday will be my 3 mos anniversary. I hope to be 199 which will mean I lost 30lbs in 3 months.

My Dr. did say that he started feeling a lot of push back on the syringe at about 1.9cc, which usually means that is getting close to an "ideal fill" or sweet spot as we call it. He said to fill past that resistance usually results in needing an unfill.

want2lose: I've never heard that before about the push back on the syringe. Makes sense. I'll ask my doc about it. Be nice to know that he has some indication of where we are with fills.

I just had my 3 mo. anniversary and have lost 30. I hope you learn that you have too!

I had my 3rd fill on Tuesday. I am not having the golf ball or PBs, but I'm feeling like I am satiated much sooner. That might not be ideal or as good as having the "sweet spot" but it's definitely an improvement over not feeling any restriction and being hungry a lot.

Anyway it sounds like you're doing very well! I'm concerned about the Christmas challenge, but I hope this fill will help me reach that 25 lb. goal. Keep up the good work!

At this point I will have to lose 1 pound per day to make the Christmas Challenge. Not very likely, but then again this is the season for miracles, right?

Knock on wood, I haven't had any PB incidences. I have been stuck 3 times from rushing and not chewing enough or taking too big of a bite. Fortunately my golf balls only lasted about 5 minutes each. I don't think I could have survived anything longer.

My golf ball experiences are only about 5 minutes also. You gotta get relief, one way or another. I can't imagine having one for hours. I've only PB'd once - in a restaurant restroom. But today for the first time I've read where people have actually spit up at the table!! OMG, I would surely die. I'm going to be very careful not to eat too fast after hearing about people having a reaction that caused a PB that fast.

I haven't figured out how many lbs I need to lose to reach the Christmas goal. Guess I ought to do that. But I hate to find out that at this point it's impossible. Yeah like you said, this is the season for miracles! I believe!!

Has anyone experienced really good restriction for a decent period of time and then poof - it's gone? I had my second fill about a month ago, initially it was kind of tough but after a week or so it was perfect. I was seldome hungry and eating 1/2 to 3/4 cup of food and feeling satisfied and thought for sure I was lucky and at my 'sweet spot' after just 2 fills. I was wrong, A few days ago I realized I did not have any restriction at all, I was eating quite a bit at one sitting and constantly hungry. I gained a couple lbs between Monday and Wednesday and freaked out. I emailed my Dr, he told me what I was experiencing was normal and I probably just needed a fill - so today I got my 3rd fill of another .4 cc.

What I don't understand is how one day the restriction is perfect and then the next it is gone, it boggles my mind!

MimIn: I have heard of a loss of restriction. I experienced it somewhat. My doctor said that I had lost some of the fluid in my band. How? I don't know. I think that bands are a little fickle. Also, I wonder if our stomach shrinks as we lose weight? Anyway, hopefully this fill helps you out!

Karey, I was told that the fluid sometimes will absorb into our abdomens...actually seeps out of the band. And yes, our stomachs do lose weight, just as the outside of our bodies do. Dr. Spivak gave me a picture of my insides during surgery, with and without the band. My liver has a rounded edge, most are sharper and that is due to fat. Also there are globs of fat inside the abdomen wall and hanging onto my stomach. At my last fill he told me my stomach had lost weight, hence the need for more saline (actually, I got something thicker that does not leak out of the band...I don't know what it is.) We actually lose weight from the inside and out. Amazing.

LIsa: Great information! Thanks! I love learning new things.

At my last fill he told me my stomach had lost weight, hence the need for more saline ... We actually lose weight from the inside and out. Amazing.

That's why I don't understand why the main determination of whether or not a fill is needed is based on whether you are losing weight. If you are losing weight, you may need a fill for the reason you mentioned. Yet, because you're still losing, they may not want to give you a fill. It's like you're being penalized for being successful.

Tami