Any Long Islanders?

[Sooverit! 1]

Happy new year fellow LIers. Glad to read I'm not alone and that these holidays were tricky as per usual but not as bad as when I didn't have my Band. I never eat Cookies....but come December they have a way of slipping into my mouth (all 2 doz.)!

Finally, I get my first fill this Monday and it couldn't come sooner! I was a bad girl but I'm still thrilled with my initial weight loss albeit small.

Marg

[susancarole 0]

Hi Shrinking Chris, Chris, Fran, Marg and Everyone else!

Ok, I finally went back on the scale, and I was up 3.5 pounds over the last 2 1/2 weeks. To be honest, I thought it would be worse. So, as of Sunday, I am going back to my approximately 1000 calories per day. My fill of 3 ccs really has not provided all that much restriction, so, it's back to the willpower for me.

Shrinking Chris, I am telling you, find an exercise that you really like, it is key! If it is volleyball that is wonderful! And I am telling you, when you do both the light meals and the exercise, it gives you extra motivation. Keep trucking girl! I have faith in you! Enjoy your brother's wedding.

Chris#2....Glad some of your issues are over! You and me, back to the treadmill. That's what my husband promised me for xmas gift. I have to wait 2 more weeks to get it because my basement is being re-carpetted. It was great to hear from you!

Fran...don't get discouraged! OK, so you got your fill. I will tell you this....I think I felt more restriction after about a week after the fill. Hang in there hon...and, I can't wait to meet you.

It is so great that Shrinking Chris has a wonderful place for us to meet! It was so nice last time.

Let's all keep eachother motivated in the new year.

Happy New Year to all!

Sue

[Messy 0]

Hi Everyone!

Happy New Year!

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the recent posts. I may not write much but I read everyday. I also have been struggling a bit over the holidays and it was nice to read that I am not alone.

I am looking for to my next visit on Friday and hoping for my first fill so I don't feel hungry as much!

Wishing everyone good health and success!

Debbie

Banded Nov. 13th - Dr. Geiss

[fatgirlinNY 0]

Hi All, hope your holidays were great. Im 2 appointments away from being scheduled for surgery. I have to get my upper GI and gallbladder/liver sono. Im getting excited and less apprehensive. Im just praying my insurance approves me, Dr. Mehta thinks they will with no problem but I have a low BMI (im right on the border). Here is a question for you, how ling should I have my Dh take off of work? I have 3 kids but none I have to lift

[nycm00 0]

I was pretty much back to business as usual within 3 days after surgery. My DH left for Hong Kong for 3 weeks when I was 4 days out. It was hard because I had a daughter under 2yrs old at the time and she got sick and went from miss independence to needing a lot of help.

So, it really depends on how old your kids are and what their needs are like. I wihs my DH could have been home at least a week, but mainly because my DD got sick.

Good luck to you!

Christine

[fatgirlinNY 0]

Thank You Christine. Also, my other worry is the liquid diet I must follow 5 days prior to surgery. Lay it on me........how bad was it?:wub:

[mo18 0]

How do you feel with your 1st fill?

[mo18 0]

Hi Debbie, Happy New Year!

I am also a Dr. Geiss patient. I struggled BIG time during the holidays . I was also very anxious about my first fill however, they did not give me a fill because I lost and still had restriction. So..keep in mind if you are still losing they may not give you a fill even if you feel you need it. Good Luck!

[shrinkinmom 1]

Hello Friends of Betty ( you will have to meet me so I can explain that),

I am glad to see some familiar faces back on our thread and would like to welcome the new ones.

Fatgirl...congrats. Your surgery will be here before you know it. Once I got my date the time flew bye. I agree with nyc I was back up and moving 3 days after I was home. I had my surgery on a Wednesday and had help with my girls on Thursday and Friday. I went back to work on that Tuesday.

To be honest with you the liquid diet before surgery was no problem. You are going to be so excited that you wil do anything they ask. I did my liquids over Thanksgiving and survived. The week after surgery liquids are not a problem b/c you will have all kinds of weird pains and you will be afraid to eat anything. The second week after surgery was really hard. I felt better and I felt hungry and I just really wanted to chew something. It is all doable though.

So I think we need to try to meet again soon I find it so motivating to talk to others who are in this same situation and really understand. We have met in 2 places so far...Starbucks in Sayville and at my office in Farmingdale. Both places are good for me and I am also up for any other suggestions. Lets start to throw out some dates. What is easier a weekend or a weeknight? Where do we want to meet?

Sending everyone <<<skinny vibes>>

Chris

[Musicmir 0]

Hi everyone! It's been forever since I've posted - I've been so busy! I'm doing pretty well. Down 26 pounds since surgery on 11/21. Went and saw the PA (Deirdre) yesterday and it didnt go quite as I expected. I've actually been having a hard time gettin in enough food. I had something stuck once, 2 days before I was to start solid foods (a little over 3 weeks ago) - and it was HORRIFIC. I have no idea how it happened, as I'm always careful of chewing to oblivion and eating slow. Anyhoo, I was ok after the episode and started solid food no problem. Well, except for the fact that I could barely eat because I was getting full so fast. My weight loss slowed down to a crawl (only lost about 2lbs since starting solids), and I was getting in *maybe* 700 calories on a really good day, usually averaged around 500-600 calories a day. So I went and saw the PA yesterday, and she took out the fill that I had from what Dr. Geiss put in during surgery. Dude, I had 3cc's in there! She left in .5cc's - and told me to do liquids for 3 days and soft foods for a week! WTH!!! Does this sound normal at all to anyone? I know after a fill/unfill you should do liquids for like a day or 2, then soft for a day or 2, but liquids for 3 days and soft foods for a week!? I'm so cranky, and it seems so counter-productive to losing weight, because the problem was that I wasnt eating enough! Oi vey. I'm going to soft tomorrow because I seriously can't stand liquids, makes me feel inhuman, and I feel perfectly fine. I'll stick with the soft foods for a couple of days, but I'm going to call the doctors office back probably tomorrow to ask for an explanation again. She was trying to explain it to me in the office, but it really didnt make sense. That and i was so pissed off at the thought of not being able to eat solid food that I think I tuned her out lol.

Hope everyone's new year is going well so far! I still would love to meet up at the next meeting.

Chris - I'm sorry I didnt make it to your office, I got stuck at work, and my stupid toush deleted your email! :-(

Talk to you all soon! :-D

-Miriam

[ajoneen 0]

Dude, I had 3cc's in there! She left in .5cc's - and told me to do liquids for 3 days and soft foods for a week! WTH!!! Does this sound normal at all to anyone?

-Miriam

I think with your history of not getting calories in you need to take it easy and let the inflammation go down. That being said you still need to get in your calories/protein. Having a Protein shake in the AM and PM is important if you're not getting what you need from solids.

I can only speak from my own history. I never really wanted to go below 1000 calories (on average) per day. Problems started showing up; hair falling out, nails growing in weak, sleeping badly, no energy for exercise. Like a starvation mode. Cravings really hit hard. Not worth it in the long run. I don't want to live like that. Gotta find a healthy balance.

It is frustrating finding what works for you, but well worth it.

[ajoneen 0]

Im looking forward to another meet/greet too. Weekends or weekdays all are good with a little notice.

Is anyone interested in going to the Drs support group on the 20th?

[susancarole 0]

Hi All,

fatgirl, we all had to do the liquids for a week, not five days! They want to rid your liver of fat, so you really have to follow the liquids. And Chris is right, you will be so excited that it will not be a big deal for you!

Miriam, you have to get in more calories (that has never been my problem) even if you do it with the soft foods until your inflamation goes down.

When can we all meet again? Any weekday night but Thursdays and Fridays are good for me. If we choose a weekend, Starbucks works!

[nycm00 0]

Hey guys, I too would love to get together. Since I am in Sayville with Chris, Starbucks works for me too, but next week DH returns from his 3 weeks in Hong Kong, so I'll be able to go out without 3 kids in tow more easily.

Fatgirl (I feel bad posting that tag line) the 5 days liquid fast is not too bad. I had 2 weeks and then an additional 2 days of clears before surgery. It really does help shrink the liver which helps the surgery go more smoothly.

Best of luck to you!

Christine

[Musicmir 0]

Hey all! I'm doing a bit better - started soft foods last night, and even made myself a Protein smoothie! I'm really anti-protein powder, they make me gag, but I forgot that I had a sample pack of the Unjury brand unflavored - it's amazing!!! Doesn't taste like Protein Powder at all! I blended it with some skim milk, frozen strawberries, bit of banana, splenda and a dash of vanilla extract - deeelish! I ordered more online today. I really have to commit myself to drinking at least 1, if not 2 protein smoothies a day, because I know for sure I'm not getting in what I need to, and I'm starting to feel it. I'm feeling a lot more tired the past couple of weeks. We got a Wii Fit for Christmas, and I've been exercising on that for at least a half hour a day, but then I feel like napping right away! This is all definatley such a learning process.

I'm game for any kind of meet up - my only issue is that I work nights - my days off are Sunday and Monday though. I could really use some in-person chat about this whole experience, as I don't know anyone else that has gone through this. My mom had a gastric bypass 3 years ago and is doing amazingly, but it's not the same.

Back to work for me! Hope everyone is having a good week!

For all of those with surgeries coming up soon, good luck! It's sooooo worth it!!!

:-D

-Miriam