Hey all.

So there's a bunch of us in this group, all split up into our different banding days. I was thinking that it might be a good idea to have one master thread as we move through the month, in which all of us could post as we go, from the pioneers going on March 1st to the finalists on March 31st.

I'd love to talk about our anticipation and any worries as we approach our banding date, for people to talk about exactly what happened from the moment they walked into the hospital door until the second they walked out, about how recovery is going, about weight loss and plateaus, about non-scale victories and challenges.

I was thinking that if we all contribute to one thread, it'll form a more substantial channel for information and support. At the moment, I was thinking that we might be too spread out into individual date, and that a central thread would be a really good backbone for the group, in addition to the date-specific threads.

What do you think?

Fenton

Congrats Amanda on your loss! Sometimes you just need to jump start things!

SpecialK...sounds like a great time. You will make it to your goal. You too are an inspiration. I can't wait to make it to 100lbs lost. I may have to do it with an empty band, but I will do it.

Christine

Ugh - apparently I have a hard head! I went out to dinner last night and ordered an omelet. I ate about a 1/3 of it. I brought the rest home. This morning I got up early and thought cool, I don't have to cook, I'll just warm up the leftovers. So, I warmed up about 1/2 of the leftovers. Then I started eating. I don't know if I ate too fast or didn't chew well enough.....yep, you guessed it, nasty PB.

Now I am on liquids! I don't really care for it, but I'm scared to eat any real food.

Very cool about the gung ho exercise for some of you all! I still love the wii!

Oh and Amanda, I shop at the thrift stores for now. Goodwill and things like that are pretty cheap. And I don't look like some poor bag lady with baggy clothes. (Frankly, clothes that fit look better because people can see the weight you have lost.)

Edited April 26, 200917 yr by hopeinapril

Hope....When I had good restriction I could not do eggs in the morning. Sorry to hear about the nasty PB. Hope you are feeling better soon.

I go for my nuclear medicine, gastric emptying study on Friday. I will eat a radioactive egg sandwich and they will watch to see how long it takes for the sandwich to go from my stomach to my intestines.

I keep wondering if there is a gastric emptying problem will they ever agree to fill my band....but too afraid to ask at this point. We will see what happens on Friday.

I had an appt for a fill scheduled for tomorrow, but had to re-schedule after finding out that I needed more tests. Now my appt is not until May 26th! That is a long way off. So I will be doing Isagenix 30 day cleanse program starting Monday May 3rd. I really want to get below 200 by my birthday June 17 and feel I need a boost right now. Hoping for positive things with the program.

Christine

Christine-

Im sure this is the last thing you are worried about ,but have you been getting some exercise? 15-20 min just walking makes a big difference for me in my mood as well as weight loss.

This morning I weighed in .25 lb heavier. I can’t even say that I’m upset. I mean it’s that time (again… sorry Fenton) and I usually gain then. I did not sit on my butt this past weekend so I’m ok. Of course if I don’t see some weight loss next Monday, I won’t be so chipper about it. I have yet to exercise, but I have been doing lots of house work. I just moved into my new home and I have so much work to do! I hate it, but it’s a necessary evil. Today I am going out into the yard and pick up sticks and branched. I need to cut my grass (for the first time this season). The grass is high now, but won’t have my lawn mower until tomorrow. I hope I don’t run into any snakes. If I do, then I will certainly be getting some exercise then!!!:tt2: This fat chick will be hustling out of that grass so fast, you’d think florence Griffith Joyner (FloJo) had come back to run through my yard rather than just plain ole me:ohmy:.

Christine my restriction is funky. I’m not really sure what’s going on with my band. Some days I can eat whatever and then other days I can’t eat anything. The last time I went in for a fill, I had to have it taken right back out. My doctor told me that I shouldn’t get another fill until I had lost about 25 lbs. I think I’m five lbs away from that goal. I’m not sure but I think I was around 265 then. Well, I still have PBs, sometimes if I drink to fast and sometimes if I don’t chew properly I guess. I am well aware of my band at all times. I hate not being sure if I am going to be able to keep don’t the glass of Water that I’m drinking. Of course I have not been back to the doctor since then. Well, this week I got a letter saying that I was due in for a check up. I made an appointment for May 5th. Who knows, maybe by then I’ll have lost 4.75 lbs to make that 25 lb goal, but I’m not looking to get a fill. In fact, I may ask him to check to make sure my band has not slipped. I really don’t want to know if it has, because I am not willing to give it up or be unfilled. I just don’t want anymore of a fill. Not until I get to a point where I can drink a glass of water whenever I want (I know I cannot drink while eating) without the fear of having it come right back up. I think there is something wrong with the way I eat and drink though. For some reason I take in a lot of air which causes burping. (my doctor says the burping comes from eating too fast, but sometimes I burp even when I eat slowly.

Special K, I’m always going to look at the before and after pictures forum, for inspiration. I look at those pictures and I tell myself that I can do this too. At first I was kicking myself for not losing as fast as others, but now not so much. I just want to do and be my best. So, like you I look at successful people and I feel hope and encouraged. Sometimes I need that. Sometimes I think, “I’ve lost 69 lbs and I’m still FAT!!!:thumbup:” But when I look back at some of my before pictures, I realize that I lost a lot more than 69 lbs and although I am not thin, I am on my way to becoming the best me that I can be. Now THAT pumps me up!!!!

Hi Shamrocks!

Interesting new look for the website....or maybe my computer has gone wonky....

NSV - I was waiting at the deli for my order and I had my sons Snacks on the counter. The cashier walked up and I stepped back and said, "I'm just waiting for my deli order". The next person in line went. Then there was a nice looking man after her. The lady brought out my deli order and he smiled and said go ahead hun. (I'm loving that I get SEEN now!) wasn't that nice?

I'm glad I can eat food now. Everytime I wonder if I have a band, it reminds me.... LOL, I hope I stop wondering! PBs are just nasty!

total frustration, still at a stand still, no loss for several months. Don't think I need a fill as I feel restriction.

Not sure what to do next..I need H-E-L-P

Lynn....sorry you are so frustrated. I too am at a stand-still on the weight loss front. I am embarking on 3 days of liquids starting today. Protein shakes and Water. To try to jump start things. I was doing really well with the South Beach induction, but I have a really hard time digesting hard Proteins, so it was really difficult for me to stick to. Once I learned about why I am having such a hard time with meat, I stopped, because I was really hurting myself. So now I will try the Protein Shakes.....I guess what I'm trying to say is change things up a bit. Keep track of everything. You will get past this. I totally understand your frustration.

Amanda....I have been getting in at least 20 minutes of walking/running/jogging a day AND a 20 minute session of "Crunchless Abs"....(which is a very good program BTW) I am really proud of myself for this! I do my cardio either on my treadmill....in bad weather...or with my 8 yr old son at the school yard while the little one's play on the playground.

Hope....Congrats on the NSV. Amazing isn't it. I had a patient hit on me last month. It was so funny to be flirted with. I really enjoyed it....I can't believe I feel cute again at almost 39 yrs old!

Diva... sounds to me like you don't need a fill. Maybe a tiny un-fill...but that's up to you. I too had a very fickle band. Some days I could eat anything and others I could eat very little. I found it very, very important to remember that after a PB episode you are supposed to do 2 days of liquids to let your stomach settle down. Have you had your 1 yr post OP esophogram? That will tell about any slippage and can check for other problems.

Christine

I was approved for a panniectomy and to have a hernia repaired. I still didn't tell him I was doing it for sure, but I think I will. I have asked for a second appointment to ask more questions and find out more of what they plan on doing. I feel really scared but also excited.

I was approved for a panniectomy and to have a hernia repaired. I still didn't tell him I was doing it for sure, but I think I will. I have asked for a second appointment to ask more questions and find out more of what they plan on doing. I feel really scared but also excited.

I have been told I would be able to have the panniectomny covered by insurance, but know I will also need more. I seem to have 2 bellies. One that hangs low and then the mid section roll. I will need a total tummy tuck to get that taken care of, but knowing that the cost of the procedure will be partially covered is a blessing..

I am going to make an appt with a 2nd plastic surgeon and get their input before I make a final decision

.I have been getting in at least 20 minutes of walking/running/jogging a day AND a 20 minute session of "Crunchless Abs"....(which is a very good program BTW) I am really proud of myself for this! I do my cardio either on my treadmill....in bad weather...or with my 8 yr old son at the school yard while the little one's play on the playground.

Im really proud of you too!!!

I know it is hard to exercise when not feeling well so I think it is great that you are getting out there!

WOW, did anyone notice we are now up over 300 pages on our March 2008 Master Bandsters forum thread! We sure are keeping this alive and helping each other and I'm thankful for that. No scale movement to speak of for me this week but I've worked crazy overtime again and had little time for exercise. Ugh!

I have a funny story to share to pick you up. We don't always have to tell health things do we....

Well I have 2 cats and they both like to stare out the window at the birds especially those birds that hop around in the flower beds hunting for worms etc. Well those cats are stalking those birds outside the windows and their tails start winding up and they get in a stance that they are ready to pounce but know they can't get to them. So, the poor little one, she got on the kitchen counter and made a leap through the air to a shelf hanging on a wall and tackled the fairly real looking bird I had sitting on that shelf and the bird and shelf were on the floor when I came home from work last night.. So busted! Counldn't hide the evidence of what she had been up to. I knew which cat would have been brave enough to try that stunt. Never thought a bird statue kind of thing would give her ideas to fly through the air like super-cat. Ha Ha!!! Hope that brought a smile to your day. "Kids"...what are you going to do! I decided to leave the bird thing down on a side table where she can just walk up to it and I'll find something else for the wall shelf.

Edited May 1, 200917 yr by SpecialK

I would love to have a consult with a plasitc surgeon, just to know how much things would cost. I still have a good 40 pounds to drop before I would consider it worthwhile to do. The tummy tuck is a must, but the boob lift would really be nice too. I have an incisional hernia at my c-section scar, so I know some of it would be covered. I would even consider the panniectomy if that's all I could afford. I seem to scar nicely, so it would not be so bad.

Christine

Diva... sounds to me like you don't need a fill. Maybe a tiny un-fill...but that's up to you. I too had a very fickle band. Some days I could eat anything and others I could eat very little. I found it very, very important to remember that after a PB episode you are supposed to do 2 days of liquids to let your stomach settle down. Have you had your 1 yr post OP esophogram? That will tell about any slippage and can check for other problems.

Christine

What the heck is an esophogram! And does it HURT?

I thought I was through with procedures (other than fills) unless something goes wrong! I’m already having my hip replaced this summer, and I’m pretty sure that I will have to have more uterine fibroids and polyps removed (sorry Fenton) and that’s if I’m lucky!! If not – I’ve had a problem for a while - then I may be looking at a hysterectomy (and unless that comes with a free tummy tuck – I am NOT looking forward to that!). Again I ask… DOES THIS esophogram HURT!!!!! Well I got a call from my surgeon’s office saying that my appointment would have to be rescheduled. Good… that gives me time to research this procedure. I wonder if I can wiggle out of it. I was just hoping for an x-ray or sonogram. I do not want anything going down my throat. I hate that – and “esophogram” so sounds like a let's send a camera or some crap like that down this poor woman’s throat, and hey, just to keep things interesting, let’s keep her awake during the procedure.

Who else in here has had this done? How was it?

Edited May 4, 200917 yr by enjoylife

Lynn - I'm with you. I occasionally change up the amount of calories I eat, but it really has to do with the carbs for me. If I track them carefully (and I do) I see if I go over 60-70 grams of carbs and I don't loose. You could always talk to your dietician. I have found them sometimes helpful.

Christine - kudos for doing exercise even when you didn't feel well!

Scrappy - congrats on the approval. I will also be getting a panectomy. I still have a ways to go! I'm not interested it having it done twice!

Special K - I laughed out loud at your story. I have two cats also and I KNOW which cat would have done that! (The same one that escapes outside every chance she gets!)

Diva - good luck with whatever procedure you have. I haven't had that test at all. It does sound like your band has enough in it though.

Well....I'm a little frustrated about my non weight loss. But, I know it is the carbs. So, I have a renewed interest in keeping the carbs down. I still love my wii fit, so it definitely isn't the exercise. I have had several people ask me if I have lost a lot of weight recently. It is totally the exercise because I am loosing about a 1 pound a week. (if that!) So in the 2 months they think I have lost a lot of weight, it was really the exercise toning me up. Now I have to get more serious about keeping the carbs down. Darn carbs....they just love me so much they stay around forever!