So it’s nearing the end of April and I’m officially down 70 lbs. I’m proud of this because I know how much effort I’ve put forth in this process. However, my goal was to be down 100 lbs by my band anniversary on July 7th. It doesn’t look like I’ll reach that goal, so I’m going to reset my goal and hope to be down 80 lbs by then. That means that I’ll only have 30 more lbs to lose until I reach my goal weight, and I plan on giving myself another 6-9 months to reach that goal.

So I called the clinic yesterday because for the first time I had pressure in my chest when trying to drink liquids (mainly coffee with some milk). This really concerned me, which I’m sure any of us fellow Lap Bander’s would have been alarmed. I had a pretty strong fill two weeks ago, and I knew that my band was substantially tighter than before but I would have never imagined it would be that snug. So they told me more than likely there was a lot of swelling from the dinner I had the prior night. So here are my directions for the next 2-3 days:

2-3 ounces of liquid only wait 30 minutes before repeating. Do not ingest additional if you have chest discomfort- wait until the discomfort subsides. Make sure that you are sipping.

Do not go over 6 ounces within an hour.

Allow yourself to sip only. The following liquids only for today:

plain water, warm broth- no chunks, skim milk only

Tomorrow, same above but try for 3- 4 ounces. wait 30 to 45 minutes.

Same as today.

Sunday- let's try to add some Atkins shakes- only 4 ounces at a time. Drain soups so you can have the broth only but make sure that you measure- no more than 4 ounces. You can still have the above.

Call or email on Monday....depending on how you are feeling with the liquids, we will have Laura progress you to five shakes per day before adding in softs.

:confused: Take care and I appreciate your willingness to attempt to work through it so we can access if it is a tight band versus some swelling.

So let’s just say that last night’s Girls Night Out wasn’t nearly as much fun as it could have been. I decided that since I wouldn’t be able to eat, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to drink (even one delicious glass of wine). So it’s looking like I’ll just try my best to do my part, and hope that my band isn’t too tight because I really don’t want to have to get an unfill (though I also know that this can be part of the whole process).

Changes since the Lap Band:

*That I will do everything in my power to never settle again

*An understanding that if I do my part, the band will do its part and together I can keep the excess weight off for the long term

*That I can cope and soothe myself without food

*That Zumba is a super fun high energy exercise class

*That it feels great to have so much energy

*That I can complete a 5K Race

*That yoga is not only challenging but also very relaxing

*That I truly enjoy cooking. Veggies are so yummy!

*That I’m a truly beautiful person on the inside out

*That my dog Adrie is now a much happier pup, because we go for walks and hikes almost every day

*I actually enjoy shopping for clothes

it was nice reading your changes... except for the 5K and the Yoga I am still working up to that.

I have lost 35 lbs in 7 months , its going very slow but i still have no restriction. I did tell my Dr i wanted to be conservative about the fills since i did not want to experience discomfort in a daily basis. With 3 small kids if i should get Stuck i would not be able to 'stop and relax' wich is what my Dr and nurse tell me to do if i should ever get pressure...oh yeah and spit.

Good luck to you

You sound as if you are doing everything right. 5K? I can't wait to walk 25 steps without breathing heavy. June 21st is my first day of my new life and I can only pray I can do as well as you seem to be doing. I just joined a gym and will try out their Zumba class - it sounds like fun. Keep up the good work. Good luck to your continued success.

LOVED ALL THE POSITIVE THINGS WRITTEN. CONGRATULATIONS U SOUND AS IF U ARE DOING VERY WELL! 70 POUNDS OF WEIGHT LOSS IS AMAZING! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND STAY POSITIVE!!! I WILL BE HAVING LAP BAND SURGERY JUNE 18TH- AND I PRAY THAT I DO AS WELL AS U!!! RIGHT NOW I AM 240 POUNDS- MY WEIGHT GOAL IS 150!

Keep up the excellent work. I love your positive attitude. This is so so important on this journey. Keep the head in a positive light. Helps keep the food in its place. I love your energy too. My one year is coming up on June 29th and I have not got to the big 100 goal yet either. If I do not make it it will not be the end of the world. As everyday is first day of the rest of my happy LB life. I am enjoying it to the max. Best wishes. imaluckydog

Thanks for all the positive comments. Yesterday my Dr. had to remove 1/2 of the most recent fill that he gave me. I'm not sure, but I think he had to take .5 cc's out. I tried working through it for almost a week, but it was just too tight. Today was great, and for the first time in a couple weeks I was able to eat a cup of food for lunch. Anyways, I want to congratulate the two of you that will be having surgery in June. I can't wait to hear about all your success.