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The Mystery of where the band starts at for fill level?

Well had my first post op follow up visit today, and they told me that the AP lapband comes with some fluid in it. It is so inconsistant that they don't try to say how much it starts with.   Instead on Feb. 17, I will get my first fill and they will start by taking out whatever is in there to see what I have. The final goal will be to have 4cc total after my first fill and still have a good result on the flouroscope.   I think this explains the real reason so many people feel so different before the first fill. It is basically because on top of the differences in people, the band itself doesn't have the same exact start point?   I am now on mushies, but I still like my soups. I can eat about 6 cups of food a day now.   It has been one day short of a week and I'm feeling almost completely normal otherwise. I do get tired a little easier then normal, and my back has been a little achey, but I'm feelling great otherwise.   I really like my fill nurse. She is a great lady and everyone at the place where I go for follow up care is really nice.   They will also do fills and aftercare for people who did not get surgery from them. I think that is a sign of a great facility. I can't believe some of these places won't.
Jaffa

Jaffa

1
 

Results after one month of tracking in and out

I have now tracked everything I have eaten for one month. I also, tracked, via the bodybugg everything I have burned.   I'm just a little bit disappointed. The calorie defecit should have resulted in a 12lb loss for the month. I officially only lost 8lbs during this period.   It could be that I gained 4lbs of muscle??? I did maintain and average of 2 hours a day of excercise, so maybe? But I think it is most probably a combination of the bodybugg over estimating my calorie burn by 2lbs and maybe 2lbs of muscle.   Overall I'm pleased, but I was really hoping to make it to halfway to my goal this week. but maybe next week??   I did get a fill today, and I was able to take another 1cc. The last fill lasted well, and I think this one will last even better.
Jaffa

Jaffa

1
 

pre op diet working

Well, as is usually the case for me the diet is pretty easy. My low carb diet is going well and I'm down to 239. I have never really had trouble with diets, just trouble keeping it off afterwards.
Jaffa

Jaffa

3
 

Explanation of my name and Introduction

Well I thought I would start my blog with an explanation of my log in name.   My wife and I are huge Stargate SG1 fans. When I was researching the lapband I started to refer to it as a symbiote. Like a Jaffa has, and it kind of became a running joke.   I have been reading on this site for about a month and have just scheduled my surgery date of Jan 14th at the WLS in Kansas City.   I am self-pay so it was important for me to get someone who had a price that included the first year fills and was convenient. They have a filling station for patients in Des Moines.   I have been buying some protein supplements and such to find out what I like and don't like. I will be on a presurgery diet starting the first of the year. But I have actually started watching what I'm eating now.   Here are the things I like so far. Low carb milk chocolate slim fast. Unjury strawberry and chicken soup. I bought some other stuff but can't remember the names yet. I will post later.
Jaffa

Jaffa

1
 

A strange mental change??? Will it last?

I realized the other day, that I have for the first time since I was a little kid felt a kind of piece.   The lack of being hungry all of the time and not being so hungry before a meal is somehow making me feel so much more at peice.   I sit down for every meal and worry at first that this will be the time that I eat and don't get full on very little, or that I'm still hungry after I'm done with my portion. But when it doesn't happen, it is such a relief to feel in control, that it seems to make everything better.   I hope this continues, but still fear it may end at each meal. I never imagined an actual change in my mental state because of my ability to control my eating, but it is definitely there, I hope it stays.
Jaffa

Jaffa

5
 

Day after Surgery

I had my surgery yesterday. I stayed overnight since we live 3 hours away from the sugery center.   Now I'm on a liquid diet for 3 days, then thick liquids for two weeks, then two weeks of mushies.   My follow up visit is local and is next week. First fill I believe isn't until week 4.   I'm doing great....so far my pain is really just a little discomfort and soarness....about a 1 or 2 out of 10. I was worried it would be way worse then this, but it really isn't bad at all. It is a great relief. I'm taking pain medicine only at night to help with sleeping, but I'm just fine in the day.   I had chicken broth with unjury chicken soup added in for protein today. I'm not hungry at all....but I know I need to get liquid and protein in for healing.   I found out my original surgeon had cornea transplants.....good god, how bad were his eyes? The replacement surgeon was awesome, he had about 20 years of doing these types of surgeries.
Jaffa

Jaffa

1
 

Steady but sure, I'm gaining weight.

Well, I got home from being gone all week. Man, being in a hotel room all week away from my routine and my food made it really tuff.   I am still doing ok for morning, but night time is like not having a band at all. I can eat anything at night and pretty much at any speed.   It's a good thing I get a fill on tuesday, because the food is going right through at night.   I sense that I'm one of those people who will be very very tight in the morning in order to be at the right restriction in the evening. The evening is when I fall, so if it does work out that way, I'll be just fine.
Jaffa

Jaffa

3
 

Oh great, now I'm getting tighter right before my fill

Well last night was the first night in two weeks I felt any restriction while eating dinner. Unfortunately today is my second fill. I hope this up and down nature of restriction is too much to deal with long term.   I also think that a lot of my weight gain was from eating soup at the hotel restaurant last week. I think this because in the two days since I got back I dropped 3lbs? That has to be water weight, so I'm thinking the soup had a lot of MSG in it or something?   I say all of this because it could be that the MSG also was making me retain water and making my restriction less? It could all be related?   I am predicting a .5cc fill today? I know I am still not at as good of a point as I was a week after my surgery, so I know I'm really not to the sweet spot right now.
Jaffa

Jaffa

4
 

5 days to Sugery....I'm going to Disneyworld for a couple.

Five days to go and I will be in surgery.   I'm still doing good on my preop diet. Lost a couple of more pounds.   Its hard sometimes when I don't have time for 6 hours to really eat. I get too hungry and then overeat. I eat the right things, just too much.   I'm going to be spending 3 of the 5 days at Disneyworld. My plan is to just do a lot of walking and riding the rides to keep my mind off of food. My fear is the park will have food in it that I want. But I will be ok, I'll just eat protein only.
Jaffa

Jaffa

2
 

Morning just right, evening meal is quite a fright

Well, my band is close but no cigar yet. I feel perfectly restricted in the morning, but so loose at night that I could eat anything.   This morning I ate at the breakfast buffet at the hotel and I was so happy to only want a cup of food. I took an entire plate of food out of habit, but just left it.   My problem right now is at night everything is pretty much slipping straight through. I could eat just about as much as I want, but am trying to control myself until my next fill. I will get my next fill next week.   ONE thing I have realized, is that for me getting a fill in the afternoon versus the morning is going to be a must. I wouldn't mind being so tight in the morning that I can just drink a protein drink, as this is all I usually have time for anyway, but dinner time is when I really need to be in complete control with a band. Getting the fill in the afternoon should get me closer to ideal restriction for that time of day.
Jaffa

Jaffa

5
 

BodyBugg Day 2 and I'm already learning

I bought the bodybugg more as a learning tool and tracking tool, to help keep me motivated and not look at the scale so much.   Well, I have already learned a couple of things. First off, I'm only burning about 2200 calories a day so far after two days. I haven't excercise in those two days.   What I hadn't even planned on doing was using the daily food log. I have never done this and have always just added up the calories. Right off, I noticed that after logging everything I was actually consuming about 20% more calories then I really thought. My goal is 1200, and while I did that the first day, I really thought I did 1000, and on the second day, I thought I was around 1200 and I was really at 1450.   Wow, what an eye opener. I'm thinking this bodybugg is the best 200 dollars I have spent yet!!!   I'm actually going to use the food logger since I'm not nearly as good at keeping track of the calories as I thought I was???
Jaffa

Jaffa

1
 

My first fill is over!!!

Well, I found out today what a fill is like. Not bad at all.   I also found out that my 10cc band had 2.8cc in it from surgery day.   I really wanted another 1cc, even though the fill person, looking at my barium swallow, thought I should have more like .5cc.   After putting it in, I was too tight, so she took .5cc back out, and I'm pretty much perfect now.   I feel really sorry for those who don't have a fill to start from the surgeon. Heck, I think I'm already to my sweet spot for my current weight!!!   I was really worried about my weight loss, but the scale showed 10lbs since my visit 3 weeks ago, so I'm doing just right. I feel so sorry for those who struggle for months on end to get to this point. I have heard the realize band takes much longer to get to this spot....so I'm super glad I picked the APlapband.
Jaffa

Jaffa

1
 

Disneyworld Review....One more day to Bandland Sugery

Well, I just can't believe anyone would really want to make Disneyworld a vacation. I went to all 4 in two days, and found it to be mostly boring.   Each park basically has two decent rides, the rest is just a tourist trap. I feel sorry for anyone who makes that place a vacation. I would rate it about a 1.4 out of 10.   A big word of warning also about the Century Pop Hotel. It is clean and nice, but it is also very very old. It has paper thin walls and you can literally hear people walking outside of your room. I had to go to Wally world and buy a fan just to drown out all of the noises. In the end, I wouldn't go back unless you paid me, and paid me well. But it would be fun for an 8-12 year old.   On a positive note, I did walk about 5 hours a day....good excercise!!!   I'm now on the clear liquid diet for my surgery tomorrow. It is noon and I'm not all that hungry yet, so I'm guessing in another 4 hours I will be starving.   I have to get up at 330 in the morning and drive 3.5 hours to kansas City for my surgery. Should be lovely this time of the year....8 degrees light snow and dark until the last thirty minutes.   I'll post again after surgery....well unless they kill me.
Jaffa

Jaffa

1
 

Bypass versus Lapband Argument with my Doctor

Well I told my regular doctor yesterday, that I am getting the Lapband. I was a little surprised how negative he was, and how much he tried to push me towards a bypass instead.   I am 100 lbs overweight, and my biggest problem is how much I eat. Yes I also need to change what I eat, but for the most part I need the band to help me control the amount I eat. I don't snack and I'm very capable of saying no to certain foods, especially carbs. This seems like a perfect solution for me, but boy he wanted me to look a bypass.   He also argued that the information I had received about the weight loss for band people being about the same as bypass at the end of 5 years was not true. I kind of think he might be a little outdated in his knowledge about the lapband.   My brother had the bypass way back when they were relatively new, and he died. I just can't do a full bypass....too scary for me....although he say's they are way safer then they used to be???????? I don't think there is any way possible I could overcome my feelings about bypass.
Jaffa

Jaffa

3
 

First post op follow up visit

Well tomorrow I have my post op follow up visit. Then I move on to the thick liquids stage. Next week will be mushies, and then solids.   I'm down to 228, which is good. I have been trying to get up to 1000 calories and 60grams of protein a day, but have only been able to do half of that so far.   I'm still tired, but went back to work today.
Jaffa

Jaffa

3
 

Post fill and waiting to see how it turns out.

Well, I already feel about the same as I did before the fill.   Don't get me wrong, I had some restriction before the fill, and adding 1cc made me not able to swallow water during the fill....so we took out .5cc.   But, now two days later, I feel back to completely like I did before the fill. Not totally, without restriction, but I'm thinking I'm not at my sweet spot yet. Of course, I personally believe the sweet spot moves with weight loss anyway.   I'm limiting my intake to one cup of food at at time and I'm back on regular food tomorrow, so we will know more then.   I'm at 222 right now. My original goal was 145, but after telling people I want to get down to 145 and seeing the reaction, I'm thinking maybe I should just shoot for 160. Everyone is definitely against seeing me down to 145?? I'm 5'9", so this would be in the low normal range....I guess time and effort will decide it partially.   I was cleared to start swimming again, which I already started and love. I may be fat but I can swim like the wind blows. I swim a 600 in the same time that is expected of an 18 year old certifying for being a lifeguard, so I love it. Just think how fast a slimmer me will be in the future.
Jaffa

Jaffa

2
 

Should I be worried? Whats really going on?

I'm having my surgery at the WLSC in Kansas City on the 14th. They called me today to tell me that the original Dr. (Dr. Nigro) had a problem and wouldn't be able to do any surgery for about 4-6 weeks. So they wanted me to go with another Dr. I guess it doesn't bother me too much, but it does make me wonder, what is really going on? They said he had an accident??? I don't really want to start my preop diet again, and I don't really want to wait that long, so I'm planning on going ahead with the other surgeon. I wish I could remember the name of the surgeon.
Jaffa

Jaffa

1
 

The frustration of a plateau

Well, my weight loss has been bouncing for the last 2 weeks. I have started going up a couple of pounds and then down a couple of pounds.   I know the problem isn't so much my calories eaten as it is my excercise level. I started to swim again, and got a terrible cold for the last week.   I think with some regular excercise this week, I should be able to push through this. I really want to lose another 20 pounds in the next two months, so I'm going to have to get some excercise to get my metabolism going.   I will start today by walking for a couple of hours, and maybe a short swim.
Jaffa

Jaffa

2
 

Uh oh, time to quit spagetti o's

Well I gained a pound....and I'm sure it is partially water retention, but also the fact that mushies mean starch to me.   I should have done a little more prep and research on mushies that weren't loaded with carbs, but I didn't, so in they went.   Two days to my first fill, and that should really help....that and I will be strictly low carb from that point on, until I get to goal weight.
Jaffa

Jaffa

1
 

Restriction gone, but maintaining weight

Well the swelling in my stomach has gone down and I have virtually no restriction. Along with the fact that I am now on mushies, this makes things more difficult. I am now eating about 2 cups of food at a time, because it pretty much slides right through.   I know I am just healing and not trying to really lose weight, so it is all ok with me. I am happy that I'm not gaining, and doing well.   I have my first fill in the next 10 days sometime, so all is good.   My incisions are almost healed. They only have a tiny red line left to them and the swelling has almost completely dissappeared. The incisions will hardly show when they are completely healed.
Jaffa

Jaffa

1
 

Shrimp...the ulitmate diet food?

I just had 8 shrimp and one tablespoon of coctail sauce.   The total calories were about 300, and I got about 40grams of protein.   I hope I continue eating shrimp when I get more restriction....it seems like a great way to get my protein and have low fat and calories.   Heck, 42 grams of protein via New Whey bullet is 190 calories.   It's funny my new style of eating is more of a strategy of how much protein can I get with the lowest amount of calories and fat.   The rest just seems to take care of itself, if I'm trying to get my protein in and I'm watching the calories and fat.   I'm lucky....I haven't had a fill yet and 8 shrimp do fill me up.
Jaffa

Jaffa

1
 

Going to the movies....a challenge ahead.

I think I will take my Atkins peanut butter bar with me. Usually I eat resus peanut butter cups....but I know they are just mostly sugar.   At least this way I won't be tempted and I can get 20grams of protein at the same time.
Jaffa

Jaffa

1
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