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

Hi Zeke... we share a bandiversary of March 17th so I'll jump in and give you some pep! First congratulations for reaching out for help. I have also done that recently. I went to see the counselor who was the person who had to sign off on my clearance for surgery. I told her I felt I needed help, had let stress get to me and was finding foods that could make me feel better -- thus I would recommend counseling to help you see what happened that you got off track.

Second, if you want to PM me, I would be willing to correspond offline with you via email.

Third, I made myself a promise to write out 2 weeks of food plans, literally every bite from January 1-14th and to stick to what was on that paper come hell or high water.... Instead of trying to log what I ate, do the reverse and plan in advance by logging it. I think I can be sloppy about little bits of calories here and there and I want to shape up -- mentally.

Fourth -- consider going to see your surgeon for a fill adjustment if you try the 2 weeks of controlled planned eating and are still hungry - maybe the tool can help.

So, congratulations on taking the first step - asking for help!

Kathy

This is my cry for help. I was banded 3/17/08 - I lost 80 lbs and was doing great. Somehow I got off track and I've gained back 25lbs. I don't know where to go, who to turn to and I feel like a complete failure. I had been following this thread for a long time, just enjoying what everyone was sharing, but never contributed and haven't read a lick since March of this year. If there is anyone out there who feels like they have a good pep talk up their sleeve, I could really use it now more than ever...:tongue:

Okay, well I took the big step at work today to ask my boss to remove me from that project over the next couple weeks that has been so stressful. He was very understanding but I cried like a baby because I feel like a failure and on top of it, I know I've been eating things I shouldn't have, so even though I succeeded at work, I did it at the cost of my health getting better by getting more of this weight off. So, keep reminding me later on down the road, this lapband thing and losing weight is about being healthy -- and even though I am better now than I was, I am still obese - doctors who don't know I've lost alot would still cringe at my current BMI. So, I'm just going to give myself the Christmas present of self-forgiveness and a fresh start!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!! Enjoy time with family and friends

Remind me again what is happening with your band? Has it slipped? I had some acid reflux and they took me down a notch on my fill and that took it away.

Wishing you luck in whatever you do. It would scare me to lose this tool.

Not sure if you remember but Ihave a problem with having a lot of pain when the food just sits in my stomach. I had an empty band from February until October of this year and had lots of testing done only to find that I have delayed gastric emptying. So...even with an empty band my stomach has lost the ability to move the food through.

You would think this would be a good thing...but it's not, because the food just sitting there causes me pain. I'm fine for an hour, maybe two, then it starts and does not stop until the food passes either on it's own in 4-5 hours or by me making it come back up. So, I do soft foods and Protein drinks. I have decided that I really cannot see this as a long term solution and have finally admitted that the band will need to be removed.

I got a fill in October and another in November to see if it makes a difference. I had started gaining some of the weight back with the band empty...17 pounds. The fill has helped, but has also increased the problems. The worst being aspirating on the stuff that will reflux up at night occaionally which causes a day of fever and body aches and feeling like crap.

So, I am going to stay at my current fill for a while and see if I can get another 20-40 pounds off before making my final decision.

My surgeon has said that I unfortunatly fall into that small percentage of "band intolerent" patients.

Christine

Hi to all. I had a good Christmas and while I ate more sweets than I should, I tried to make sure I went for my Protein first and still found good restriction in place. I have started writing out food plan ideas for the next 2 weeks starting January 1 with my traditional pork and saurkraut which is a great bandfriendly meal plan.

I'll post my plan for 2 weeks here and if anyone can jump in and give me ideas to keep on going, I will take all the help I can get.

I got a 15 lb. kettle bell and 10 lb dumbell weights for Christmas and a DVD for each to give me new exercise at home options. I still have a gym membership and I'm promising myself to go today and get in at least 45 min workout.

How are the rest of you doing over the holidays?

Christine, thanks for reminding me about what was causing you the stomach pain. If you get a sleeve, is there a risk that food wouldn't move down it or the fact that it is a tube shape will work different than the lapband restricted donut hole type approach to restriction maybe better.

I read on the ObesityHelp board that there are some folks who had a procedure called Duodenal Switch and I dont' know much about that one. Those who have had the surgery seem to be pretty "militant" about their position that it is the only way to go and they think us lapband people are totally crazy. The fact that they like their procedure better than mine is good for them but it seems they almost put others down for a different surgery choice. I commend you that you hung in here so long with a legitimate complication that I don't think you could have ever expected to see.

Take care,

Kathy

Not sure if you remember but Ihave a problem with having a lot of pain when the food just sits in my stomach. I had an empty band from February until October of this year and had lots of testing done only to find that I have delayed gastric emptying. So...even with an empty band my stomach has lost the ability to move the food through.

You would think this would be a good thing...but it's not, because the food just sitting there causes me pain. I'm fine for an hour, maybe two, then it starts and does not stop until the food passes either on it's own in 4-5 hours or by me making it come back up. So, I do soft foods and Protein drinks. I have decided that I really cannot see this as a long term solution and have finally admitted that the band will need to be removed.

I got a fill in October and another in November to see if it makes a difference. I had started gaining some of the weight back with the band empty...17 pounds. The fill has helped, but has also increased the problems. The worst being aspirating on the stuff that will reflux up at night occaionally which causes a day of fever and body aches and feeling like crap.

So, I am going to stay at my current fill for a while and see if I can get another 20-40 pounds off before making my final decision.

My surgeon has said that I unfortunatly fall into that small percentage of "band intolerent" patients.

Christine

Holiday's were great here. Band keeping me in control very nicely.

Best wishes to all!

I would love to join a group for excersize motivation in 2010. Any ideas?

Christine

How about a New Years to Valentines Day exercise challenge -- 6 weeks about - Posting our number of workout minutes per week and cumulative and a goal we individually set?

I'll have to think about what I will set for myself. Need to make it something I have to stretch to make.

Kathy

Uniquezeke-I am glad you decided to speak out here this time. I am hoping we can help motivate you here. You are a sister in the band with us here at this board and we want all of us to be success stories. You've done well in that you've lost half of your weight so far. Try not to beat yourself up. The good thing about the band is the adjustment factor. When was your last adjustment. Maybe you just need to be tweaked a little to make a difference. Also, are there any support classes in your area that you can attend. I think those are very helpful. I myself haven't attended any of the support classes offered at my hospital since it's 75 miles away. I just can't bring myself to drive there at night for the classes. Please don't give up on the band. Let us know if you have had an adjustment lately. Christine, I think you are amazing. You are still hanging in there in spite of the pains you endure. That is just incredible. Kathy, I for one would like to be a part of the exercise challenge. I workout at the local YMCA here in my town. It's a great place with so much to offer and I slacked off a bit the last few weeks because of Christmas and want to get back into it. I have been having the acid reflux problem myself. I went for a fill last week and my doctor didn't give me one. He said that since I am still getting reflux and heartburn at only 1.5 cc in my 4cc band, he wanted to wait a few weeks. Well, Christmas day as I was getting ready to go to our friend's house for dinner I had a gall bladder attack and ended up in the hospital. They removed my gall bladder on the 26th and the surgeon told me that my gall bladder was most likely what had been causing the reflux all this time. I am praying he is right. I am going to see if I get heartburn this morning after drinking my tea and if I don't maybe I won't take my Prilosec. Then see what happens. Wish me luck.

Kathy

Edited December 28, 200916 yr by wishin4

Hi everyone!

Welcome back unique. I think the best first step was asking for help. I think you have received some great suggestions. Frankly, I had to force myself to become accountable. I don't know what that would mean for you, but for me it meant doing a journal of all my food and being honest about my exercise. I tried to make commitments about exercise. I think you had some great success and can continue. You can do it!

Christine - You have had some horrible problems with your band. I hope whatever you choose works for you. You have done great, keep it up!

SpecialK - I think I am ready to commit to exercise again. I think just saying I will exercise 3 times a week and then doing it will be a good goal for me!

wishin4 - holy cow! Gall bladder surgery! Yikes, hope you are doing better. I hope that was the cause of all your gastic issues!

Everyone - Have a wonderful, new year. May all of us lose the weight we want to and be healthy happy shamrocks!!

P.S. The Cookies got to me. I had to actually throw some in the garbage because I couldn't keep my hands off of them. My weight is higher than my ticker says, but I am hoping that by the end of January that I am in the oneunderland club!!!

I'm back too --- or at least I'm going to TRY to hang in. Like so many other people here - my year has been 1 big blur. So much went on and it was hard for me to focus on weight. I did get BR surg and that helped me a LOT w/body image and feeling much better. I wonder if I let the improvement from BR surg take the place of more weight loss. I haven't gained or loss but I need to get the rest off because it's all belly fat. It's good to see so many people still here.

Hi UniqueZeke. Thanks for coming back and letting us know how you are. Please try to hang in with us.

Edited January 1, 201016 yr by Desdemona

Happy New Year Shamrocks!!

I have my first 2 weeks of food all planned out here and will post soon. Also I will take the lead getting us a weekly weigh in and accountability thread for 2010 started.

Thanks for all your support and thoughts over the past 2 years. I miss some of our early on friends who contributed so much but I really appreciate those of you who have hung in here for the long term since we knew this was a "Lifetime" commitment to have this band. We would have been foolish I guess, in retrospect for me, to think it would all be a bed of roses, but I would absolutely do it all over again!

Here's to Losing Again in 2010!

Kathy

yes, the LB is something I would do again. There are several people at work thinking about having it done and have asked for my input. I try to be honest, give them some of my good and bad issues. But in the end they seem happy to have someone to discuss it with...

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year all !

I have decided to make my January excersize goal VERY attainable, so that alone will be motivation.

I am going to set it at 20 minutes a day 3 days a week. I have been doing nothing for about 3 months now, so let's see if I can surpass that!

Christine

I did pretty good yesterday but didn't get to eat exactly my plan -- maybe January 1 is a little aggressive to start a diet because you are still doing special events with family and friends.

I did weigh myself yesterday a.m. and was thrilled to see I had not gained (or if I did I had lost it) any weight from Thanksgiving to New Years! Now that is a good start to a new year.