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

I don't know what has happened ... in the last week I went from being at my sweet spot to not being able to eat anything! I'm even having a hard time getting liquids down now. The really odd thing is I usually go in for a fill after I lose 15-20 lbs because the band has loosened up. Anyone else had this happen to them? I'm really hoping the band has not slipped! I'm going in on Thursday to see the doctor and maybe have some taken out. Which really bums me out because I've been loving the weight loss I've experienced of the last two months! Ugh!!

The opposite has happened to me. Sorry to hear you are going through this.

Sounds to me like you are too tight and having things get stuck causes more inflammation/swelling. If you been doing liquids for a couple of days with no relief get a bit taken out and give your tummy some time to heal and you'll be losing again soon.

Hang in there.

Christine

I think it would be good for us to be sure we are sharing with others that have alot to lose with the lapband that we are hitting the 18 months point and some of us are having some adjustments of up .25 cc, down .5 cc, etc. For me it was after 6 months of being at the same restriction level where we felt good then started seeing the reflux. Same with another poster saying she was happy for 2 months at a level, getting good weight loss, then noticing it was too tight. It has to be where the fat and weight are coming off our bodies internally that affects where the band is positioned, etc. So, that is the truly Adjustable aspect of the adjustable gastric lapband procedure we signed up for.

Trying to stay positive but its hard leveling off when I know I have 60 lbs more to lose. I'm trying to mix it up with different exercise. Stress on the job is better and I'm hoping I can at least lose these stubborn pounds keeping me in the 230's right now by January 1. Wow, lose 5 lbs in 2-3 months seems like a low hurdle to set but it has been a struggle now.

I am doing good not eating junk. Yesterday I ate a corned beef, saurkraut, and swiss cheese sandwich on rye bread toasted and I took about 1 hour to eat that but it tasted good and that was all I could eat. I like trying different flavors for variety.

Sometimes I can eat a whole bag of popcorn - like 5 cups.

Last night I ate a Wendy's mandarin chicken salad with the almonds and noodles and the dressing package over the space of an hour and a half while I was at my Bible study.

I was hungry an hour later and had a Protein shake. I will go online here shortly and add up the calories eaten yesterday but I know its more than I should have eaten. I guess I need to discipline myself to allow 30 minutes to eat, and what I havent' eaten in that time, I put away. If I let myself have longer to eat, I can do the whole salad or the whole sandwich.

I can eat a whole apple as a snack and I can remember when I could only eat half of an apple. But is that really so bad to eat an apple as a healthy snack. Trying not to beat up on myself for an apple.

I'd appreciate others sharing what amount and what type of foods you can eat in a sitting to help me compare portion control.

So after a crappy day of not getting even liquids to go down I finally saw my doctor. I could tell just by looking at my crackly flaking skin that I was totally dehydrated! So we talked and he is concerned that the band may have slipped,, especially because of how fast I was losing weight! So he took some out.. I went from 6 3/4ths cc to 5.5 cc in my band. I was sooo happy to drink again... I drank a 32 oz gatorade that was in my car on the way home (20 minutes) with no problems at all. So I tried some food... ate about 1/2 slowly... felt some restriction so I stopped and waited. Yeah it all went down.. no pb'ing, no sliming, no vomiting! So I'm pretty sure it hasn't slipped it was just way too tight.

So I'm gonna take a week to enjoy eating again and then I'll go in and have him put .5 cc in. I was 6.3 CC before the last fill so I'm thinking I should be able to do 6.5 again eventually. To battle off gaining any weight I've got to really push it on my hikes and at the gym. I didn't go through all that pain and misery for nothing!

Anyways thanks for listening to my trials

Hi Jencys -- glad to hear the unfill helped.

Hi March friends -- I'm past my crazy crazy work deadline, but not past my "sloppy eating" habits I picked up while rushing around eating. I'm doing better getting on track.

I won't see my surgeon again until October 20 but I can tell I am much less restricted on eating with that .5cc unfil that I thought I would be. I ate some beef barley Soup for dinner and within 2 hours I am hungry again. Trying to drink a big glass of Water to hold off hunger but its hard.

I am on a 2 month plateau right now and it has been hard. I am hoping with less stress and more commitment to avoid/reduce carbs where I can that I can do better. I think it is true that once you start eating carbs like spaghetti again you crave even more carbs. I guess I am going through carb withdrawal!

Greetings!

I know what it is like to get your band a little too tight. Then you eat something that causes swelling and it gets so tight you are drinking all your food. I gave it a little time and it worked itself out. I still may get a little unfill. Sad to say, I still have no problem getting enough calories in!

Christine - I think that slipping into bad habits is something that we will have to work on for a while. It took me many years to get where I was, I figure it will take a lot of time and conscious eating to get back where I want to be. Bummer you have a lot of junk food around! I sometimes have that problem at work. I try to stay out of the kitchen.

UGH!! The Halloween candy has emerged. Always around at work, right there to grab a piece ot two when you walk by...HELP, SELF-CONTROL...I need it bad. Go see surgeon on Friday, may need a tiny little fill. will have to discuss it with her.

Just got back from a great mioni-vacation. 2 days of wine tasting, car travel and relaxing..couldn't have been a better way to spend 4 days with that someone special...

I'm scared of Halloween candy! I stay far, far away from the stuff. I look at it like it's a rattlesnake!

I won't buy the stuff until the day before Halloween and I ask my son's father to haul the bag of loot away and hide it!

I bought the candy that holds no temptation for me this year. Tootsie roll goodies and Skittles bags. The kids picked them out. I usually go for all the chocolate stuff that I love. I usually end up eating much of it. So glad I've shown control so far.

My band has gotten VERY tight the past few days. Since Friday I have pretty much been on mushies and liquids. I was getting very concerned, but today I got my period, so that explains the tightening. I remember back to before my un-fill, I would get super tight the week of my period. (sorry to all the men out there)

Christine

Finally losing again....almost down to my signature weight.....

Hi Christine, I hear you about the monthly thing. I can not wait for this week to be over so I can go back to feel "normal" again.

I can not wait. I have my PS pre-op next Tuesday 10/20/09. My friend is going to take my pre-op pictures. So I will post them once I get them.

I am soo surprized that I am still losing weight. I would have never ever thought in a million years that I would have successful weight loss. It is still weird getting used to the new me. I am still having some head issues with the new body size. At times I do not want to believe that this is me and that I am not in a dream. :thumbup:

Wow Potatie...you have done very well! GOod luck with the PS. I can't wait to see pictures. I could use some positive motivation.

Christine

Potatie - good luck with PS appt. I am 2.5 months post op from my TT and thigh lift. Feel great. Have an appt in November for a bit of revision on my thighs.

Thank you Christine and Lynn for your well wishes. I am hoping that I can get over my cold before Tuesday. I am taking Emergen-c and comtrex. I am beginning to feel better. :thumbdown:

Also Christine, keep your chin up and move forward everyday. Positive thoughts to myself have really helped on the days that I felt that I was not successful. You will get to the place that you want to be. Everyone is different. Try not to compare yourself to others. That is the thing that I really have taken to heart. I was having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that my doctors want me down to 130lbs. I am working on myself to be ok and accept myself if I do not get their goal. My own personal goal is have a BMI under the 25 range.

Lynn, Good luck with your revision. When did you know that you would need a revision?

Katie K.

Wow Potatie 130 is really low. I am right at a bmi of 25 now and my doc is thrilled. He was happy when I had a bmi of around 30. Best of luck with your surgery.