Hi, Everyone!

I'm so excited to have found ya'll (from Ohio, near Kentucky - LOL).

Had my nutrition class today and am scheduled for surgery with Dr. Curry on March 16. Starting the preop diet on 3/9, following an out of town weekend when which I intend to eat whatever I want!!! Is that bad???? Please, please, please share any negatives - otherwise, this is my plan. LOL!

What else can I share? I weigh....OMG cannot believe I'm going to type this....256...and my initial goal weight is 170, although I really want to get down to 150. I don't believe I've been there since...grade school. Ouch.

Anyway, looking forward to "meeting" you all and wish everyone the best of luck!!!

LapLady09

Thanks Bernadette!

He offered the numbing stuff after the second poke, but it really wasn't that bad so I passed on it. I'm just a little sore today, but not bad at all.

As far as restriction, I'm not sure yet, but I think I have some. This morning I wasn't hungry, but I ate half a boiled egg and 2 slices of thin turkey lunch meat. I'm just now starting to get a little hungry. This is good! I usually eat a lot more for Breakfast and get hungry much sooner.

As I lose the fat that he said I had around my stomach, I'm sure I will lose any restriction I may have. Oh well, It's a part of the game I guess!

I hope everyone else is having a great week! Let us know how your doing!

Thanks Fab by 50 Bernadette, that makes sense to me and I may have to consider it as well. While I am doing fine, if I wanted to cheat I could BIG Time, so I am going to have to ponder this and maybe insist in a fill. Thanks for your advice as always.

Hey!

My name is Julia

I was banded March 16th as well. Had my first fill two weeks ago, it seemed a little soon for it? I do not think they put very much in, because I am still feeling pretty hungry, pretty often, and can eat quite a bit. Im trying to keep my calorie intake between 1000-1200 a day, but feel I could probably eat more! Any one else having this issue?

Welcome Julia!

I can't belive that you had your first fill after 3 weeks, thats incredible. Did you feel restriction after it? How are you doing on your weight loss? There are alot of March 16thers so you will probably get alot of other people welcoming you too. How has your journey been so far? You will have to write back and get us updated on your weight loss story too.

Bernadette:thumbup:

Hey!

My name is Julia

I was banded March 16th as well. Had my first fill two weeks ago, it seemed a little soon for it? I do not think they put very much in, because I am still feeling pretty hungry, pretty often, and can eat quite a bit. Im trying to keep my calorie intake between 1000-1200 a day, but feel I could probably eat more! Any one else having this issue?

Welcome!

I think most of us feel the way you do. I feel I can definitely eat more than I do. However, since my fill a couple days ago, I don't seem to get as hungry as quickly as before. I hope that stays for awhile and not just swelling or something from the fill!

Take care and keep us posted how you are doing!

Gregnir

I could not sleep last night so I ran across your blog, that is great! I love the way you outlined the process and then the actual surgery and recovery. I should have done that too it makes it easier to remember everything if you write it down. I have been thru cancer and I kept a journal and it is soo wierd to look back and remember all of the feelings that you had. Keep up the good work!

Bernadette

Hi Julia,

I was banded on the 16th and I don't have my first fill until May 6th. You and others who have had r first fill r fortunate. I've lost almost 28lbs since preop and banding, but I am so hungry most of the time --just like I was pre-band. Glad to have you with us. This is trully a good group of people striving to reach our goals and dreams.

Hey all! Thank you for your warm welcome! Its nice to talk to people who were banded on the same day!

My brief band history.

I was banded in NYC at NYU by Dr. Fielding. I had two incisions one up by my chest between the breasts, and the other under my bellybutton. The incision beneath my bellybutton is about 1 inch? its kind of in a smiley face so I have no idea how big it really is. the one by my chest is tiny. The first 10 days were the hardest, but it gets better day by day. I had my first fill 2 weeks ago, I wasn't told anything about how big my band is, or how many cc's the fill was for. My Dr. is not the most forthcoming with information nor is he wonderful with his bedside manner which is frustrating! I have lost about 30lbs though which is really exciting! As for feeling restriction after my first fill.. In the first week I was could only tolerate liquids, but now I can pretty much eat anything... But I have stayed away from things like bread and tough meats, so I do not know how those would fare. I don't really feel too much restriction, I get hungry only a few hours after I eat, and I can definately eat more than the 4-6oz of food they say you will only be able to tolerate! Even so, I have been trying to monitor my calorie intake to 1000-1200 calories a day, so that seems to be doing the trick for now!

How about exercize? Has anyone started an exercize routine yet? are we allowed? Also how about healing, I still have some swelling around my belly button and stomach where my port is... Nothing major but it doesn't seem to be going down any more?

Hope to hear from all of you! Thank you again!

Julia

Hey all! Thank you for your warm welcome! Its nice to talk to people who were banded on the same day!

My brief band history.

I was banded in NYC at NYU by Dr. Fielding. I had two incisions one up by my chest between the breasts, and the other under my bellybutton. The incision beneath my bellybutton is about 1 inch? its kind of in a smiley face so I have no idea how big it really is. the one by my chest is tiny. The first 10 days were the hardest, but it gets better day by day. I had my first fill 2 weeks ago, I wasn't told anything about how big my band is, or how many cc's the fill was for. My Dr. is not the most forthcoming with information nor is he wonderful with his bedside manner which is frustrating! I have lost about 30lbs though which is really exciting! As for feeling restriction after my first fill.. In the first week I was could only tolerate liquids, but now I can pretty much eat anything... But I have stayed away from things like bread and tough meats, so I do not know how those would fare. I don't really feel too much restriction, I get hungry only a few hours after I eat, and I can definately eat more than the 4-6oz of food they say you will only be able to tolerate! Even so, I have been trying to monitor my calorie intake to 1000-1200 calories a day, so that seems to be doing the trick for now!

How about exercize? Has anyone started an exercize routine yet? are we allowed? Also how about healing, I still have some swelling around my belly button and stomach where my port is... Nothing major but it doesn't seem to be going down any more?

Hope to hear from all of you! Thank you again!

Julia

Julia,

I find it fascinating that you only have two incisions. Is this a new type of lap band surgery? Most of us have 5-6 incisions.

Thanks Fab by 50. I sometimes wonder if anyone reads it, but I enjoy talking to myself I guess. So it helps me out so much. I am glad you enjoyed my thoughts. I also read your thread about the water. My water is my treat, so I have no trouble getting down a gallon or more a day. I use the Special K protein packs you pour in the bottle. They have pink Lemonade (my favorite) Strawberry Kiwi, and a tea flavored (which I don't drink tea). So twice a day I add a pounce to my water and that is 10g of protein 30 calories @ to add to my diet. I also like the Welches, flavored pouches, which I have in another two water with only 10 calories @. Two each of those and I have my gallon of water in, then any other water I drink in the day.I find both of them at Walmart.

I really enjoy reading about other peoples journey. It gives me an insight into everyones everday challenges.

About the water, I still did not get a complete answer about guzzling it. I can drink it very fast but wanted to make sure that it won't hurt my band. I have always been a huge water drinker but if I have to sip I don't seem to get all of my water in. It does not bother me to drink alot of water at one time, no upset tummy either. I do get an upset tummy if I eat too much. I will finally get my first fill next week, can't wait to see what restriction feels like.

Bernadette

Hey everyone. hope that you are all doing great! I was so excited this morning I was finally down 30 lbs, I can't believe it. I am getting my 1st fill on Tuesday, thanks to all of you who have posted about it, still kinda worried but am really ready.

I haven't posted in awhile, but have been keeping up with everyone. Didn't want to be whining when weight loss is going so well. I did have my CT scan done to try and figure out why the shoulder pain is still here, everything appears to be where it is suppose to be, Dr says hopefully in another month or 2 things will get better.

Fab by 50, I also am a water guzzler, I love water, but don't get enough in if I sip, so am also interested if it is damaging to not sip the water. Also, am a cancer survivor (breast) so we have more than water in common. This was my 10th surgery and never had issue with other surgeries like I have this one with my shoulder.

Well hope we all have a great week! Good to hear from you all!

Hi New Beginnings

Wow you have done great on your weight loss, I wish that I was at 30 lbs. I have my first fill tomarrow and I can't wait to have it done.

I still am not sure about the water thing, I have no problems drinking fast and I only do so when I have no food in my tummy. I hope it is alright. I love my water and had a tough time the first couple of weeks when I was unable to get enough in.

So you have been thru the big C too? I have battled it twice and have had 9 surgeries, 6 months o chemo and 2 months of radiation. It has been a life changing event, I have slowed down some and learned how to relax a little. I tend to be a very busy person (type A) so it is good that Im relaxing more.

Take care, Bernadette

Julia,

I find it fascinating that you only have two incisions. Is this a new type of lap band surgery? Most of us have 5-6 incisions.

I think it is relatively new? The surgeon I used said that he had recently started doing the procedure with two incisions. The one by my chest, is tiny, but the incision under my bellybutton, where the port was put in, is much larger. I figure that is the case with most people, that the port incision is larger? I still have some swelling in the port area, but I am hoping it goes down soon!

Good luck to everyone getting there first fills next week!

Well had my first fill and it was easy. I am so happy to know that it isn't a big deal. Don't think that he put much in. When I asked my Dr. what he had put in he told me not to get hung up on a number, that it is all about how you feel. So I think that it was only a little bit, I am not really feeling any restriction when I eat, maybe a little less hungry, but also didn't have any problems after the fill.

I did ask about drinking water too fast. He gave me about 10 oz of water to drink after my fill and I told him I felt like I had been drinking too fast. He said it should take about 3 minutes to drink that amount of water. So I probably need to slow down a little bit, but still he made me feel that it was ok to drink more that just a sip at a time.

Fab by 50 hope that you find out the same thing from your Doctor for us. Glad that we are both doing so well to be able to have banding done at this time in our life.

I also had lots of chemo treatments and radiation that lasted almost 9 months. I couldn't understand how I could gain weight having chemo treatments once a week. So many other people lost weight. But I have always been overweight even as a child.

Well I am off to SIP some water, take care to all!!!