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

After putting it off for 2 years because I didn't want to be lectured about gaining weight back, I went to see my surgeon last July. She cheerfully informed me her practice had stopped doing bands in 2010 because the success rate is so low! Based on my severe GERD she unfilled my band right then, rather than adding fill like I'd expected. It was an immediate relief. From 2 Prilosec/day to 1 every 2 days or even longer.

Since then I've done all the steps and paperwork (tedious!) to get approved for a revision to the vertical sleeve. My plan said 'okay', and my surgery is set for April 30! While I'm not looking forward to the surgery, I am really hopeful I'll be far more successful with the VSG. In the meantime I've been working out with a trainer since September and am as strong as I can be, even if my weight has stayed the same. With no fill in the band, I'm grateful for no weight gain at this point.

I'll let you all know how it goes, please all of you do the same!

Edited April 2, 201412 yr by MichelleInCA

I had my lapband surgery in Columbus, Ohio on St. Patrick's Day and i was so proud to be a 'Shrinking Shamrock' and i went from my high of 355 to a low of 217 and i was incredibly looking forward to being under 200 for the first time in decades. Then the wheels came off on my life, lost my job after 15.5 yrs, got a new job but it was incredibly stressful, a trio of close family members decided to shun me and not speak to me, and then the worst of all i had a sister commit suicide last july and every holiday and special occasion in the past year has been very painful. I am getting counseling and am doing okay in functioning in my life, but i used food again to deal with my emotions. i'm back up over 255 now and i'm so scared of gaining it all back. i still have some restriction when i eat the right things but i keep making wrong choices. now i'm dealing with a 40+ years friendship where her husband just got diagnosed with cancer in 5 areas of his body including liver, lung, spine, brain so i know this is going to be really sad and i don't want to keep eating so i'm coming back here and going to blog my way back to where i should be on eating.

i decided to come back to the March 2008 forum as the place where i had made so many encouraging friendships and see if i can turn this eating thing around. Clearly there is always going to be huge life events that put us in stress and i can't keep eating junk.

Hi SpecialK: I admit that I am frustrated by my relationship with food. I lost a total about about 85 lbs. Then I gained some back.

Now, I am trying to get back on the wagon. I had something get stuck in my band and went to my surgeon. He took a lot of the fill out and sent me for a test. The band is fine and I am fine, but now I have to stairstep back to restriction.

The truth is that I know how to beat the band. So, restriction is helpful. But ice cream slides right through. I react emotionally to things by eating. I even know it when I am doing it. I wish I could figure it out.

I remember you and your journey. I know you have a lot going on, but I know you can do this. Maybe we can support each other?

I am doing better now, getting my thoughts on track to put with an unfill of 2 cc's by my surgeon and then 6 weeks later he gave me a 1 cc fill so I'm working my way back up to restriction again. I'm also now seeing a counselor that works with bariatric patients. I am feeling positive again and got up today and did a 45 min walk to warm up for a 5K I'm doing tomorrow for Making Strides for Cancer.

I am changing my phone screen lock to this photo to remind myself multiple times a day that I made good behavior choices then some bad, and I want to go back to the successes good choices earned for me.