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HELLO!!! I saw October and even December Bansters but no November...so I thought I would start the November Bansters! I called the Insurance company and I got a verbal approval. If all goes well I will be banded on November 14, 2011. Woo-hoo!! 11/11 will be the beginning of a WONDERFUL NEW LIFE!! I can't wait to do this for ME!!

I had a check up with my lap band Dr. this morning. I was thinking I might be needing a fill ( I've been a lot hungrier and have been eating aprox 300 calories more per day) and she suggested taking Fluid out of my band. Apparently, Austraila - which has been doing lap-band surgery longer than anyone, has done a study showing that if you eat and you feel the food sitting on top of your band your esopogus is working extremely hard to push that food through the band, eventually this will weaken your esophogus and it will lose some of it's strength to contract and push food through the band. She said that they are finding that it's the feel of the food going through the band, not the filling of the pouch that makes you feel full. If you over work the esophogus it could permanently be damaged, hence, affecting the band. She said that you should be able to feel each bite go through the band before you take another bite. My food definately sits on top of my band, sometimes anyway. I don't know what to think, I told her I didn't want an unfill but I would do it if she thought I should. We decided to go two weeks, really think about each bite. I don't know that I can feel the food go through the band but she said I should be able too. I'm going to experiment for 2 weeks then we will make the decision. She said the Austrailian study "rules" for eating are. 20 - bites. 1 bite per minute. You should feel each bite move through the band before taking the next. I said I didn't know if I could feel it but she said I should be able to, if I eat a few bites and can feel the food sitting on top of the band ( which I definately can at times) then my band is too tight. I left feeling sort of deflated. I don't know why, scared I guess of being able to eat too much. We'll see what happens the next couple of weeks. On a brighter note: I weigh 297 pounds!!! I started this journey 1 year 4 months ago and and have seen my weight start with 3 different hundreds now - 400 - 300 and now 200. Don't know if I'll ever see Onederland but I'm gonna give it my best shot. Uff.... not sure what to think!

I am very excited for my first fill! I'm 5'8 and started my journey at 293...I am now 269 (goal weight is 150) and 3 weeks post op today. I started my pre-op diet about 2 weeks before surgery and lost a lot of that weight in that time frame. I am now eating full foods. A lot of protein from meats, cottage cheese, string cheese, sugar free pudding, yogurt, veggies, soups, hummus, some lean cusine meals. I feel like I could keep eating but stop after my serving is done. I havent really been sitting down and eating 3 square meals a day. More like 3-5 mini meals. I've also been a lot more thirsty than normal...I had my first really uncomfortable feeling the other morning. I guess my band was a little tight because I ate some meat and OMG...I thought I was having a heart attack! I felt extreme pressure and so much of it in my chest. I immedietly stoped eating and was fine in about 5-10 minutes. I do feel tighter in the mornings so I am trying to just stick to my protein shake and coffee for breakfast... I am really anxious to see what this fill is going to bring. My surgeon says I should feel full longer and at times may not be hungry at all. I feel hungry a lot now so I hope it works out for me. I would love to hear about everyone else's first fills if you don't mind sharing?

I am putting on the full-court press from this point to get to 101 lost in 6 months. I have decided to go past it another 10 or so because I can see 218 will still be a little heavier than I want at 5 11 1/2. However, until November 10th it's going to be 700-800 calories a day again (down from 1000-1100 now) I truly want to grab the brass ring in 6 months! Anyway, follow me at my external blog: michaelwasfat. blogspot.com or friend me at FB: Michael Pickert

My stomach rumbled too. I figured it was complaining about what I'd done to it! LOL

I promise, it gets MUCH better. I think things started to turn around for me about the 5th day after surgery, so you're getting there! I took the pain medicine to combat the pain, but it sounds like you can't do that, and that sucks. They say to walk, walk, walk, so force yourself. Burping/hiccupping is exactly what I did for the first 5 days, and they HURT! Miserable. But it gets so much better. Try to distract yourself with TV and books, and remind yourself why you took this dramatic step. It also helped me to surf the internet and this website for success stories. Good luck!

Hi Prisoner, I just joined the fb nov banding group. I understand what you are talking about. The fb group is total private to the members that are accepted into it. I am doing a life changing surgery. I need the support of our nov group because we are doing it together and we will want to discuss things that we are going through together. I also want to talk here and be able to get help from anyone or maybe I might be able to help someone else in the future. Of course it isn't private like the fb group. I am happy for both of them. I hope you will join. It is a great bunch of people. Linna

It's the thin woman in me finally get the chance to shine! I haven't become a health nut but I am loving the changes and the fact that I can do more than ever before - so I am doing as much as I can. I'm not sure what the difference is except that I have made a major investment financially, physically and emotionally in getting the band. If I want to live with any quality of life, I have to make this succeed for me.

You only went once in two week you better take something. Yes it is normal for weight loss to stop once you upgrade your diet it will start again

I am getting er done November 30th 2011. Cant friggen wait!!! Go us!! PS: I started a secret facebook group (only members can see/ post/ read in the group) for us November bandsters. Add me as your friend and send me a private message saying you are getting banded and I will add you to the group.. Stacey Diederich-Speager!!! Lets be losers together!!!