ok so i got my 5ht fill in dec. i was doing just fine, until 2 weeks ago. i got sick and was on antibiotics for a week, also TOM came around the same time. well my band got super tight and i'm guessing with both of those things happening at the same time caused this. well i thought once TOM left and my sickness left i would be ok. NOT! i was hoping it would loosen, but not so. i am used to not being able to get things down in the morning unless its' a liquid, but now lunch is hard and so is dinner. last night i was awaken by coughing and choking as if i had swallowed water and it went down the wrong pipe. i have an appointment to get a slight unfill and i know this is crazy but i'm soooo scared i will not be able to get to the green zone like i was before i got sick. i am one size away from making my goal by my one year anniversary! i just dont wanna get a slight unfill and be able to eat like i'm crazy! ugh! i lost 6 weeks once before with being too tight, too loose and not being able to see my doc. ugh! why now!
has anyone else had it where they got sick, band got tight and didnt get loose after the illness went away?
jennifer
well happy new year all. i hope everyone had safe holidays. well it's been almost a month since my 5th fill. it's kinda been crazy. so days i think i need a slight unfill and then with in that same day i think i'm fine. the scale is finally starting to move. i have upped my gym time from 4 days to 5 days a week. i dont know if this is normal, but like i said some day i can eat what i feel is good for a bandster and some days i can barely get in 2 teaspoons. i have decided that this is how my band is going to be. I'm content. I just never expected it to be so different from day to day. I wonder if others experience the same thing. I thought when i got goo restriction it would be the same all the time(well except in the am i cant eat anything solid till after 10am), but not to change so much even within a day. i mean one day i eat something and the next day it wont go down.
Are me and my band crazy or is this normal?
Sooooo I finally got approved for my revision from lap band to VSG!!!! I am soooo excited! I have my pre op appointment this wed. and I will have to speak with the NUT, anesthesiologist and my surgeon. I am hoping my surgery date(which i wont know till wed) is in March!!!
Well the day is FINALLY here!!!!! I cant believe this day is finally here. I'm not nervous at this point, not sure how i'll feel once i get there. So in the 11 days I've been on the pre-op liquid diet and lost 13 pounds!!! I cant believe that I made it the whole time and didnt cheat. I pray everyone has a successful surgery today. I'll try to check in later to let you guys know how it went! Thank you guys for allllll your love and support during this time, it has helped me sooooo much! love you guys like my family!!! MUAH!
Well i survived my first week of my pre-op liquid diet!!!!!YEAH ME!! Nobody is dead, missing limbs and most importantly i'm not in jail!!! LOL! I have officially lost 11.2 pounds that i will NEVER see again in my life!!!Thank you Jesus! I told a friend of mine about how much weight I lost and she actually said see you dont need that surgery! REALLY! And who can live on liquids for the rest of their life! anyway I have had my temptations, but nothing was able to knock me out for the count! I'm soooo shocked and know that it was God that has given my this determination. I've gone to the grocery store when i was "hungry" and had another event that would cause me to eat "emotionally" and i didnt. So I'm here to offer encouragement to other's on this part of their journey or have it coming one day. WE CAN DO THIS! If you find yourself being tempted and you're near your compter get on LBT and go thru the before/after pics to remind yourself what you are working on! If you're not near the computer I found that if I could distract myself for about 10 minutes then the desire to eat would go away. I found out this past week that I only had hunger pains once(last night), all the other times if my stomach growled and I drank something I was fine. I figured out how many times I was just eating in the past cuz I thought I was hungry, it was time, i was bored or hell the sun was shining! I am learning to eat when my body needs it, not when my mind or eyes say eat.
Wishing everyone has a good week! 4 more days and i'm a bandit!!!!
Ok since I found this site I am obsessed. I used to log on to Facebook whenever I got on my laptop, but now it's always here first. I'm not only obsessed with the site, but with the whole process period. I'm so excited to finally be getting my band and just wish the day would get here already. I cant seem to think of anything else. Right now i'm not sad about the food i'll be losing but the health i'll be gaining. It seems that all my friends that know wanna "eat with me one last time". they act like I'll never be able to eat again! LOL! i understand where they're coming from though! LOL! Just thought I'd shar my thoughts.
ok so i went in to te get a small unfill on monday. i feel sooo much better. my doctor is very pleased with my progress so far..that was nice to hear cuz at one point he said "we need to get this moving.". i'm so glad he listens when i tell him what i feel i need. it was sooooo crazy after the unfill as soon as i got to the car my stomach was growling. WTH! i havent heard that noise in months. it was so weird. so far right now i think mentally i still think i cant eat and might get stuck, but i have tried like a salmon burger(just the burger) and it went down fine. i am happy that right now my appetite is staying at bay adn i'm wondering if after an unfill is there swelling since he takes the fluid out and puts it back in to make sure it's all still there. i made sure i had no slippage as that was my biggest fear. so now i'm trucking back along and i'm hoping that once TOM leaves I will be in onederland. KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED.
jennifer
OK i know some of you are waiting to see how I'm doing. The surgery was yesterday and I was a little nervous, but i prayed a lot and that helped calm my nerves. I'm gonna write my full story in the surgery day stories so I wont write it twice. I've gotten a lot of support from my friends and absoltuly none from my sister. I was in tears cuz she has not once called to check on my or shown any interest in if i'm alive or dead! I asked my mom why she's treating me like this and the only thing we can come up with is jealousy!
Anyhow. I'm in some discomfort more than pain. I have 3 incisions, one so small i thought it was a scratch till i touched it and felt the dermabond. Getting out of bed and back in is the worse!!!!!Can anyone offer any suggestions that will make it easier. I've been sleeping on/off since I got home. Still taking pain meds, just cuz i'm afraid if i stop i'll be in a lot of pain.
I'm so glad I did it. I gainded 4 pounds back after the surgery! Did this happen to anyone else? I'm guessing it's the gas. All in all I would do this again and I'm so excited to start my new life. My friend who took me to the surgery gave me a visa gift card to buy my first "skinny" shirt and I cant wait to so that!!!!
Does anyone know if we can video blog on here? I started that yesteday before I went to the surgery, not sure what i'm gonna do with it though.
Hope all is well with everyone. Feel free to PM me if you have further questions. I could not have made it without you guys, thanks for your support and concern!!!
Well today I started my pre-op all liquid diet. So far it's 6pm and i'm ok. I hear my stomach growling, but it's nothing I cant handle. I had a muscle milk shake for breakfast, chicken broth and SF jello for lunch, just ate a SF popcicle and will have a protein shake for dinner. I've been drinking crystal light as well. I even went to the gym and did 40 minutes of cardio. I'm totally shocked and hope that I can keep this up!
Ok i know this may sound crazy, but since i know my band is tight in the morning i dont try to eat. Some times i can eat 2 pieces of bacon and i can always do a protein shake or slim fast if i'm being lazy. but later in the evening i can never tell if i will be able to eat. or what i will be able to eat. i dont need an unfill cuz it changes on a daily basis and i can eat. if i'm going out with friends i find myself literally praying LORD PLEASE LET ME BE ABLE TO EAT! lol am i the only one who prays they will be able to eat..LOL ijs!
Ok so today I went for my second fill. I had one last Friday and I felt NOTHING! I was able to eat whatever and was always hungry like 2 hours later. Well I went in for my fill today. My doctor ran an hour late for my appointment, but Jesus himself would have had to drag me out of that office without getting my fill! LOL
I went through the usual routine of getting weighed. I LOST 5 POUNDS SINCE THE FIRST FILL LAST FRIDAY! I was totally shocked! What a wonderful surprize! I am now down 33 pounds from my heaviest weight of 258 and 17 down from when i started my pre-op diet. When i drank the barium(yum yum right) this time it felt different. I felt it stop in the middle of my chest, pause for a little then disapate! HOW I'VE LONGED FOR THIS FEELING! I told my doctor this feels different this time. I now have 7.5 cc's in my band, still dont know what size band I have. I actually dont even care about how much is in it as long as i get restriction and stay full longer. I cant wait to try some real food(on liquids for 2 days, even though he didnt technically say that, i'm sure it's the same from the first fill.) I went to the gym again to work out some frustration from a comment from my mom that really hurt. I'm focused and ready to kick this into full gear!!!!! SIZE 12 HERE I COME!!!
Went shoe shopping...I normally wear a 9 1/2...today I was able to buy 8 and 8 1/2!!!!!!! Totally forgot the feet would shrink..and wasn't expecting that much:-)
Well tomorrow I go for my pre-op testing: blood work, EKG and anastesiology clearance(not sure what that means). Also this weekend I'll go grocery shopping for my wonderful liquids i get to have for two weeks. It' kinda cool that i get sugar free fudgsicles...too bad it's not summer time though! I feel like this is becoming more and more real now that I'm going for the pre-op testing. I have a whirlwind of emotions, but none of them are regret or turning back. I am moving full steam ahead!!!!
Ok I havent blogged here in a while. There hasnt really been anything big to report. I now know my band does not like white meat chicken or egg yolks from boiled eggs! I must take small bites and chew chew chew. Yeah i know this is bandster 101 stuff but it bears repeating, well to me anyway. I got some not so good news at the dermatologist today about my hair loss(not band related) and I cant relax my hair, wear pony tails or any type of weave, only wigs. ok this may seem stupid to some but i was literally crying leaving the doctors' office. my hair is such an important part of me to me. i dont care if that sounds shallow, it's how i feel. any how, after i talked to my mom and another friend i got over it and decided to not focus on that.
While at walmart i decided to pick up a pair of XL scrub pants to see how close i was to squeezing into them. well i got home and they fit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN WEAR XL SCRUB BOTTOMS (and i'm a sista with a lotta junk in the trunk, so this is huge too me)!!!!! yeah me!!!!!
just wanted to share that with everyone!!!!!
Hello,
My name is Jennifer. I am 36, live in the Chicago area, single with no kids. I work as an Occuapational Therapist on a traumatic brain injury unit. I have been reasearching the lap band for over 5 years. I've been obsessed with this site for 2 months and just found this whole blog thing! LOL! Well i'm scheduled for surgery on May 20th in chicago at Day One Health with Ddr. Elli. I start my pre-op diet on May 9th. I am sooooo happy I'm finally getting this done. It's so sad that my family doesnt support me, but my friends do. so between God, this site and my friends i think i can make it. I look forward to this new journey I am embarking on. come and follow me.
Ok me and my band are at odds right now. For the longest time i was too tight in the morning to eat anyting other than liquids, which i hear is pretty normal. and i was cool with that. then i was barely able to get anything down(even some sliders) at lunch and dinner was iffy. (all this was 2 weeks after being sick)..ok so starting this sunday i have been able to get a half way descent lunch down and a reasonable dinner. but now later in the evening my band is tight again WTH! i have gained like 3 pounds in the past week and i dont get it. i have an appointment to see my surgeon on monday and i'm gonna talk to him about a small tiny unfill. i just dont get how the band can be so inconsistent. UGH!!!!! plus i'm like super paranoid that i have damaged something with the recent/frequent bouts of throwing up.
Can anyone tell me who had a band slip, what were your symptoms? I'm tryn not to drive myself crazy. i would think if my band had slipped or i had a pouch that i couldnt keep anything down, right?
OK OK OK OK so it finally happened. I got stuck( not the first time) but the sliming this was new! I'm a therapist and on mon. wed and fri we having staffings with the doctors. Well that means i'm running around to different conference rooms meeting with dotors and writing my documentation and eating lunch. Well today I had some string beans a turkey patty with no bun or anything. I was walking down the hallway and mindlessly eating. Well apparently the piece of turkey patty I bit off was to big and i didnt chew it well enough. Someone noticed I was walking funny and i told her I had some food stuck in my throat. ( i couldnt tell her really why i was stuck cuz only 3 people at work know i had the band and she wasnt one of them.) i've been stuck before but never like this. I was in the bathroom for 10 minutes hanging over the toilet praying i wouldnt throw up. I ended up sliming(yeah pretty gross) It was sooooo painful until it finally went through.
What lessons did I learn today!
1. no matter what i must cut my food into small pieces...i can no longer trust myself to take small bites if it's not already cut up
2. i can no longer rush and eat because then i'm not paying attention
Ok these may be lessons I should have learned a while ago, but after today!!!!!!! trust me i have learned them well!
Well today is day four post-op and I'm doing quite well. My friends cant believe how go i'm doing being up and mobile. I was going stir crazy in the house so i ran a few errands and i felt ok. Sometimes when i first get up after having sat for a long period of time my port site hurt and it feels like gravity is pulling it down. It only feels better if i support it with my hand and rub it. Spoke with the nurse yesterday and i'm right on track. I may return to work on Thurs, but i'm not rushing it.
I am still amazed that i dont have an appeitite! where the hell did it go! believe me i'm not complaining, but i have no restriction cuz my band is empty, but i have no desire to eat whatsoever. I am still making myself drink my liquids as i can start mushies on sat. i want to go to the gym tomorrow and just walk on the treadmill. we'll see how that goes.
How is everyone else doing that was banded recently?
Ok so I started back with my trainer last thursday and we did legs. i had the regular muscle soreness for the first 2 days, but then my left hip was hurting far more than i thought it should. Long story short I have a hip sprain! i'm soooooo upset. i was doing so good with working out consistently, now this! Also after my cycle left i have gained 5 pounds!!!! wth!!!! i called my doctor's office for another fill. right now the only thing that stops me from eating is myself. i know the band is not a cure all, but i only feel like i have one when i dont chew something well enough or drink a too large sip of water. I am trying not to get frustrated right now. I am almost 2 months out and i cant even get to a 20 pound weight loss!!!! i'm happy for others that are consistently losing, but i want to be one of them! ugh! i just needed to vent. thanks guys!
Well i start my pre-op all liquid diet tomorrow. I will admit that i took this weekend to have the last of my favorite foods, one being pizza. This is the one food that I dont think i'll be able to have ever again cuz of the bread componet. And I'm ok with that (i think)! LOL! so I am going through the fridge tossing everything out that is isnt a liquid at this point or that wont keep(frozen) till i'm able to have it again. I'll have a moment of silence and i toss all my comfort foods in the trash! I tried to get my sister to come raid my fridge but she wont and i think it's cuz she doesnt want me to hae the surgery. Oh well! Not trying to be cold, but i'm doing this for me. So with that said I start the liquid diet tomorrow, so i'll check in if i havent passed out by the end of the day! LOL
Oh gosh! My not having an appetite is sooooo over! This thing came back with a vengence!!!! I'm soooo upset. I know this may sound ridiculous but i am obsessed with the scale. I went for my 1 week check up on friday and i weight 227, i started mushies on friday and this morning (sunday) i weight 229! WTH!!!!!!!!!!!! i am totally freaking out. I'm trying to figure out what the hell happened. I have feared that once i started eating food i would gain weight! is this normal!!! somebody please tell me this is normal and will not continue. i emailed my dietician, cuz i need some help planning these mushy meals. i have been living on mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, refried beans and tuna. I know my portions have been more like 4 ounces but i havent added veggies yet cuz i dont know what pureed veggies would be tasty. I do not want to blow this....i've been doing good so far and now i feel like i'm failing. I just wish i could have a fill so i could have restriction now! plus i know i have slacked on my liquids. i was so glad to have real food that the liquids kind of took a back burner.
did anyone else gain weight once they started eating foods before they got their first fill?
So I am almost 6 weeks out and i still have the dreaded shoulder pain sometimes. I've read in other threads that's how some people know they have eaten to much. Hmmmm today at work i had to rush through lunch, while making doctor's appointments, car appointments, writing a report and trying to talk to a doctor about her patient...needless to say it wasnt fun. I had made some chicken salad. I noticed shortly after eating that my shoulder was hurting. I'm starting to wonder if that's my sign for eating too fast or too much. I will have to pay close attention to that.
I had my first training session since April. I was so excited. then i told him i wanted to continue cuz the first year of training i had so many things going on....finding out i had hypothyroidism..trying to get my levels correct...some slacking off and then the lap band. I want to up my sessions to two per week and we've worked out a deal! I'm gonna do some laps in the pool tomorrow since i'm eyelash and weave free for a minute anyway! LOL!
Hope eveyone has a great holiday weekend.
Hi all! Nothing really new to blog about, just thought i'd check in. I think this restriction is great! The only frustrating thing is never knowing when or what i will be able to eat. I have given up on breakfast..just enough liquid to get down my medication. I have found i dont ever eat what is considered a full meal, therefore i try to make protein my first choice. I sat down and calculated that from my heaviest weight ever i have lost 51 pounds and 35 since being banded. WOW! it's amazing how i look back on old pics and i'm just embarassed actually. it's definelty a motivation to never go back! New goal is to hit that 14 by feb 14th! LOL! I think this weekend i'll buy something in a 14 to see how close i am to making it, hopefully it will be motivation and not make me cry if i'm too far off. LOL!
Ok today dec 12th i finally got my 5th fill. on oct 28th i got my second unfill and have had nooooo restriction since then. I gain 7 pounds in those 6 weeks, but i'm not complaining cuz it could have been much worse. My clothes are actually feeling looser. I dont get it and I dont care. as long as i'm not gaining! LOL! this band has been such an experience. I'm nowhere near where i thought i would be almost 7 months post, but i'm not where i was 7 months ago and for that i'm grateful. Now that my band is back where it needs to be, let's get this ball rolling.
Currenlty I go to the gym 4 days a week and my goal for next year is 5 days. I told my trainer that jogging on the treadmill isnt all that bad, and i'm no longer too embarrassed to do it. But now of course he's like it's not good for the knee joints. now me being a therapist i kinda already knew that, but i figured that moslty applied to running on concrete. oh well, he said not more than 2 times a week and i'm ok with that. well that's all for now.
Jennifer
I cant believe it's been one whole week since I've been banded. I returned to work on Thursday and it wasnt that bad. My doc says i'm doing fine. I've lost 15 pounds since May6th(the day of my pre-op testing). I'm really proud of that. I started mushes/pureed foods today. I cant explain how excited i was to have scrambled eggs for breakfast! LOL! I go back in 3 weeks for my first fill. i explained how fearful i was of the fill and he reassured me i wont feel it cuz he will numb the area. I'm so pissed cuz i forgot to ask about my hernia, where is was and how large was it and most importantly will i get another bill!!!!! LOL! Well hope everyon has a great weekend. i have to work but i'm off on monday!
