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

HarleyGirl, I didn't even notice that until you mentioned it, and I even saw her before and after pix today! Good eye...:biggrin2:

I find it truly amazing how we all have gotten pretty much the same procedure but our stories are all unique. I was banded on March 28th and after a few days I was losing 3-4 pounds a day. Now I am on "full liquids" and have lost nothing, in fact I have regained 4 pounds. I got my tape measure out and saw that I've lost 8 inches total so I am not freaking out as much as I was before. I wish I had followed my surgeon's pre-op advice to lose weight before surgery. He did not tell me it would shrink my liver. If he had I would have done it for sure. As it was I was in surgery an extra hour because my liver was very hard to work around.

I read in this forum that my band is not filled at all. I thought it would be. I wish they had told me that before. I haven't been feeling any restriction(nor even close to "full") at all and I have been tempted to eat more because of it. But I haven't. The fear of slippage and/or reoperation is enough to scare me to not cheat. Why go through all of planning and testing and waiting and pain just to test things to see what happens. My calorie intake is well under a 1,000 though and tomorrow I get moved up to the pureed stage. I am both looking forward to it and not. So my questions today are:

If I am not losing any weight at all on full liquids what will happen on pureed?

Is it really true that I shouldn't even expect ANY weight loss until my first fill?

How will I know what's normal if everyone is different?

Will the meds I am on still make it more difficult to lose weight despite the band?

I will keep searching for answers to these questions in here and through my support group meetings. BTW I love "Shrinking Shamrocks" being a little Irish and wanting that extra luck!! *hehehehe*

HarleyGirl, I didn't even notice that until you mentioned it, and I even saw her before and after pix today! Good eye...:biggrin2:

Trained Observer....:wink_smile::biggrin:

hey everyone:biggrin2:

i was banded in 2532008 & i lost total 10 kg, 2.5 befor the op & 7.5 afther the op

i notice myself since yestrday am feeling realy hungry ,want to eat everything,but i can't:sad: so i taste everything little bit ,any one like me?

& the scale it doesn't move since friday,mom said that's normal but am little depressed of that when i was in liquid diet,am losing v.fast but not now

i didn't get my 1st fill yet it will be 254

Just remember that "LBT's" (licks, bites and tastes) can add up rather quickly! Track them for a day or so and you may surprise yourself how many calories you're really eating!

A lot of us are in Bandster Hell right now.....just have to muscle our way through it!

It's "Boo Boo Kitty", she's a bandster here that has been EXTREMELY successful.....I was delighted to see her at the top!!!

Oh man! I feel awful now. Can I delete that comment???

Things I have learned thus far....

1. Get that liver shrunk!!!It will make your surgery that much easier.

2. Accept any and all support...fellow bandsters, group meetings, friends, family, counselors...

3. Counseling can help you find out why you are overweight/obese. That is key to keeping it off.

4. Patience!!! pre-op and post-op (easier said than done, today in the U.S it's all about instant gratification)5. Hide the scale-get on once a week. (not easy-just do it)

6. Get your Water any way you can. Do not skip the Protein, Vitamins and Calcium or risk losing your hair!!..noooooooo!!!!

7. Incisions will itch like crazy. The better care you take with them the less scaring (from my experience)

8. You could get hives for a few days post op from the added histamines (keep benadryl or claritin on hand but check with your doctor first)

9. Preparing food in advance will keep you from straying. Make a special food section in the fridge.

10. Coughing may hurt post surgery but pneumonia has GOT to be worse.

11. It's only food. It'll be there when you can have more of it. The industry will not shut down just because you are on liquids for a few weeks.

12. Try everything and anything to get you through:make it a game, set up a reward chart, hang skinny pictures on the fridge, buy a bikini/bathing suit in the size you want to be and hang it where you can see it everyday, experiment with spices to keep things exciting, use your fast food money to start a new hobby,go to the movies, buy books, go on weekend jaunts, have extra sex etc

13. Make a trigger list and then work on avoiding them. The first thing I learned on the clear liquid phase was what my triggers are. Nights and weekends are still hard for me because I made them a time for enjoyment for me and my kids and enjoyment always equaled food (read: overeating/unheathy eating). I've asked my kids to eat the unhealthy stuff in their rooms if they need to have it and now I see they actually eat a lot less of it.

14. Be proud of your lap band decision when you go out to eat and explain to your server any special needs. Most places will happily accomodate you to keep your business. Ask for boxes at the beginning of your meal and pack up at least half of it. Just think you can enjoy your meal twice!! Ask for your beverage "to go" Unless you explain things you will keep being asked if you are sure you don't want a beverage.

15. Better to go thru a battery of tests beforehand than to suffer complications afterwards. My surgeon gave me a long checklist including support group meetings, nutrition counseling, a pyschiatric session, sleep apnea testing,x-rays, ultrasounds etc. It was exhausting but now I have the added bonus of knowing that despite my weight problem the rest of me is in good shape (heart, liver, lungs, kidneys....)

more to come.....

feel free to add or make your own list!!

My parents suprised me Friday night and bought me a body bugg for getting my degree done in school!! It's in the mail right now and I can't wait to get it. I can't wait to see how many calories I'm burning a day. I switched jobs a bit before the surgery. Went fom a desk job to one where I walk all day long. I believe that is the biggest reason behind my steady weight loss.

I guess I look at the scale differently, in the past I've stopped weighing myself because I know that I''ve been messing up on my diet and don't want to face reality. So this time around, I have been weighing myself each day. I have the weight watchers scale so it doesnt calculate your weight until your balanced on the scale. It's also digital, and some days I've only lost .1 lbs, but it's still a loss

I'm just 2 1/2 weeks out from surgery but I definitely fill some restriction. Especially in the morning. I can only eat about 1/2 a scrambled egg before I'm full. However, by night I can eat about 1/3 cup of egg salad. If I eat more then that I get that uncomfortable chest pain.

I'm also getting a bit of pain every now and then on the left side if I twist the wrong way when getting up, but nothing too badly. All of my incisions have pretty much healed. My surgeon is awesome! The four incisions are sooo tiny, maybe a 1/2 an inch at the most. The larger incision is about two inches and it looks a bit indented for now. Hopefully it will smooth out as the weight comes off.

I use My Food Diary :: Online Calorie Counter w/ Diet Journal & Exercise Log it has a huge library of foods and restaurants, a good exercise minutes tracker, a forum for discussion and reports of your progress on calories, protein, carbs, fat, etc. It is $9 /month and I've used it for 2 years.

JENCYS - I have that same uncomfortable feeling on my left side. I called my DR today and was told it is still internal healing. excessive bending, twisting, turnig agravates the muscles & tissue. Once I got home this evening I put on some loose clothes and much of the discomfort subsided. So I know tomorrow I am looking for a pair of my lose fitting pants. Most of my clothes i am wearing now are what i had pre op, but I wore a new pair today. they fit great, but think i may need the loose ones for a bit longer!!! I am only 4 weeks post op..and everything else is great, eating mushies, doing more walking and feel GREAT>

I just finished my taxes.....anyone have a vicodin left over??

MagiKelly,

Thank you so much for all the advice and info, it really was helpful. I am only 2 weeks post op and it helps to read these posts. So many people here are wonderful to give advice and info to help others. Thank you all so much.

Ann

You are quite welcome Anne. I figure whatever we can do to help each other is a good thing. Plus it helps me personally to write my thoughts and ideas out. We should stay in touch since we were banded so close together! Same with you Jencys. It seems we are experiencing a lot of the same things. This forum is invaluable to me. I don't know anyone in my family or circle of friends that have done this so there is no one to turn to. This is a huge thing in my life and I want more than anything to succeed!!

Yes I find wearing a bra aggravates it during the day as the band is just above the incision sites. If I twist to my left I feel a lot of pulling on the right side. I see the doctor tomorrow for my first fill. Hooray!!!

sharon:)

I'd just like to give a little birthday shout to my friend Sheri (aka Lattedah) who is not only a tax-day baby but also a fellow Shrinking Shamrock. Just think what a great gift you've given yourself this year by getting control of your weight with this band, and imagine how amazing you're going to feel next year at this time! Happy birthday, girlfriend! :biggrin2: