mshooper

Thanks aspen, I've been focusing on baby and not so much on me right now. I haven't had any problems with my band so far and I'm about 4 months in now. I have done my fair share of swimming and walking this year and I just hope to keep it up. Congrats on the baby! They are indeed blessings from above :biggrin:

Hello Fellow LapBanders, I havent been on here in a looong time. So I'll make a long dramatic story short. So I was banded in July, 2008 and have lost approximately 22 lbs with this thing. I honestly didn't understand the nutritional classes, not that I could really go to them. At that time, I had just gotten a new job, a new car and a new apartment and my only means of support system, my mother, had just moved 13 hours away to St. Louis with me still in Richmond, VA. (job related move). I just don't think I was in the right place to have the surgery then. After a year or so of fumbling through Band-om, I tried to talk my doc into switching my band out for a RNY. He said that I haven't tried hard enough and if I couldnt get this right, then the RNY would probably kill me. Ok Doc, gotcha, I'm a tough cookie and can respect a blunt answer. Fast forward to Jan 2010 and I'm ready to get it in gear. Got a band fill, started eating better, and even started training for 10k in Richmond. Lost more inches than pounds really. But a week before the marathon, I fell down my steps in heels and sprained both of my ankles. I decided to move to St. Louis to be with my mother and would move at the end of June 2010. At the beginning of June, I find out that I'm pregnant. Soooo my question or discussion is.....I want to continue exercising but I'm worn out all the time. I know that exercising now will make delivery easier.....I dont know, I guess I just need some motivational help. It's been a rough last few years and with a baby on the way (by the way, I have 12 yr old twin boys already), things are going to be even more hectic. I'm in a new city and am turning to my online community to help me out. Thanks in advance for your support and sorry for the long post. The next ones won't be so bad. Peace and Blessings!

Thanks so much Atl for responding. Sometimes, it seems like we are all alone out here when you hear so many successful stories. Since I found out I was pregnant in June, I'm actually down 3 pounds. I guess the change of environment helped. (The food in St. Louis tastes strange to me and forces me to cook and they have TONS of farmers markets.) Thank you for the encouragement. I really dont feel like exercising at all. My boys (12 yrs) get me out the house by asking me to take walks around the neighborhood with them. But that's about it. After I drop my precious cargo, then we gone get it in gear :thumbup:

So Im back on the site for the first time in 2 months. I was just banded in July 08 and have only lost 25 lbs. All of those pounds in the first 6 weeks. Ive fluxuated 10 lbs or so in the last 2 months but really just maintaining. When I saw this thread, I didn't feel like such a moron. It really helped to know that others are sharing some of the same difficulties that I am going through. Because I'm going through basically the same thing (not eating right, not enough restriction, etc) I cant really offer any advice or anything. I just really thank all you guys for your thoughts and experiences. You all inspire me! Im going to just get back on track. Do this 5 day pouch test thing, stop eating all these sweets and um well, that's a big start for me in itself. Thanks again! We bandsters rule!!!!!

I am sooo glad I found this post!! I thought I was going crazy. I can see my port too. It sticks out a bit, like an egg. Cant see it when I sit down, but when I stand up, it's definitely noticeable. I have the Realize band, which they say has a lower profile port. I'm hoping as the fat leaves my middle, that sucker will smooth out. At 290, I already have enough bumps and rolls to contend with. I really dont need anymore LOL.

Is anyone able to see their port or feel it from the outside? I was banded 3 wks ago. I have no pain, the site is a little tender, but it is protruding out a little. I don't know what this is. Its not like I've lost a whole lot of weight yet. I'm kinda nervous.

Thanks for the encouragement. I am focused on these pounds because I'm so ready for them to be gone. Not getting on the scale is the best advice for me. I mean, it was totally ruling my moods. When I lost, I had an extra spring in my step. When I gained, it felt like a dark cloud over me. I'm just gonna focus on this new life of mine and be okay with my body and my decision.

I was banded on July 15th and I can hold like 6-8 oz of food. I go for my first fill on Aug 22. But I feel like I have no restriction at all. I mentioned to the doc on my follow up, she told me that is normal. I just have to control my portions until the fill time. Translation, stay hungry all the time. I have the Realize band also. I don't know if that has anything to do with it, but I saw someone else mention it. Also, my port seems to be sticking out. I mean, I can feel it and see it just by looking at my stomach. I had to do some moving after my surgery and dont know if I've given myself a hernia or something. I don't know, I'm kinda scared and frustrated right now. Anyone have any ideas? Your suggestions are definitely welcome. Alicia

I just logged on for the first time since I went back to work about a week ago. I was also banded about 3 weeks ago. Your post stuck out to me because I was thinking the same thing. Not only have I stopped losing weight already, but when I went to mushy foods, I gained 5 lbs back. On top of that, my port is poking out under my skin. I'm completely disgusted at this point. I'm sorry to be such a downer right now, but it seems like even though I am eating what I am supposed to, the weight isn't going anywhere. But I am scheduled for my first fill on Aug 22 and I go back to the doc next week to see about this port thing. I know that I did this for a reason and I'm not going to give up that easily. I am learning how to eat all over again. I knew the weight loss wasn't going to be fast, but it's easy to become discouraged when you drop 20 lbs out the gate, then start to gain weight back. So I'll tell you, what I'm telling myself now, 3 wks isn't enough time to get discouraged. This is just the beginning of our journey and it's just one day at a time. Besides, this forum is a great place to read about other people's experiences. You will find that every emotion that you are experiencing, someone else on here knows what you are going through. I wish you all the best!

I got banded a little over a week ago and at the seven day mark, my doc says that it is okay to have mushies. Well, it seems as though everyone has a different definition of a "mushy". Some say its only oatmeal, soft eggs, yogurt, Soup, etc. Others say that it can be regular food, only blended. I'm still not sure of how much of each i'm supposed to be eating. For example, I ate a whole packet of oatmeal for Breakfast. Mind you, it took me about an hour and a half and having to re-heat like 3 times, but is this normal? Should I be hungry like this? I've made some extra finely chopped egg salad, but how much should I be eating at a sitting (in oz, as I don't have a measuring cup just those oz cups they gave me in the hospital. I don't want to stretch my pouch. I haven't thrown up or PB'd anything. Everything goes down. I have my follow-up appt in about a week and will definitely be mentioning my concerns, but in the meantime, i'm reaching out to my fellow Bandsters here. Thanks for all your help. PS ( i just made some baked salmon and green Beans that I would love to eat, both are really soft, but don't know if I should or how much):smile2:

Hello all! My name is Alicia, I am in Richmond, VA and I was banded at St. Mary's Hospital on July 15 by Dr. David Elliott who is a doctor in the Richmond Surgical Group. I weighed 300 lbs going into this thing and I hope to drop at least 100 lbs. I am 5'10'' so I'm fairly tall, but just weigh too much. Now that all of that is out of the way, I must say that the worse part of this is the gas. I mean I can hear the gas rumbling through my stomach and it is quite unnerving. Im new to this whole forum thing but I have alot of questions.:confused2:

You all have been such an encouragement. I'm now about 10 days post op and feel completely normal. No more gas pains (I used the infant gas drops...works wonders, immediately). My stomach swelling has gone down. In fact, I'm on mushy foods now and Im doing ok. At this point, it is about making decisions about what food to eat and distinguishing "head" hunger from actual hunger. Like, sometimes I'll think that "oh, its been 5hrs since I've eaten and I only ate 4 oz of food, I've got to be hungry." But then my stomach still felt satisfied. I know they have pre op psych evaluations but I definitely think it's a good idea to have one afterwards, too. But, that's also why we have each other. This is like one great big therapy group!! LOL Keep in touch, I would love to share this journey with you all!! God bless!

Alyson, you are a life saver! I had called my doc's office and they basically told me the same confusing crap that I got in the first place. I'm pretty intelligent (at least I like to think so) and I just could not wrap my head around this whole thing. Also, how often do you eat? I'm trying to space things out about 4 or 5 hrs. I think if I just eat for about 20 minutes and space things out, I should be okay. Thanks again!! Now if I can just get active. I go back to work on Monday so it will take my mind off of food, food, food.

That is my same issue. They don't tell you how much mush to eat. Sometimes I feel like I have messed something up bc, at a little over a week out, I get hungry. I just feel like I'm a diet. I feel a little ridiculous. Thank you so much for posting this. Some of the people I have spoken to in person make it seem like you're not supposed to be hungry for like 5 weeks after surgery. But this same person has gained back about 25 lbs after losing 90 lbs in 8 months. You are definitely not alone in this!!

I watched this video and this girl was ridiculous. I guess I'm echoing the sentiment of everyone else here. You mean to tell me the only thing she could get down was some ice cream and chips????!!!! I can't believe she fixed her mouth to say that foolishness! This makes me so sick. I struggled with the decision of lap band vs bypass for a long time. I settled on the band bc its less invasive and it doesn't effect the way I process foods. (I like chocolate every now and then). The band forces you to make a conscious decision of what to put in your mouth. I know if I eat some regular chocolate ice cream on the band, it will slip right down and I will gain weight. With the bypass, your body just rejects it (all that sugar) and you get sick. At my pre-op nutrition meeting, they called the band, "the thinking surgery". I'm not dissing the bypass patients, but, for me, I needed to know that I am playing a part in my weight loss. Lord knows, I played a part in the gaining. Don't let that mess get to you. Follow what you feel is best for you. God bless, Alicia

Like many of you, I did it by myself too. I have 10 yr old twin boys who I had stay with a friend for a couple of days because I didn't want them to see me at my absolute worse and scare them. My mother flew in the night I came home from the hospital but honestly had to do more for her than myself. A girlfriend picked me up from the hospital and we filled prescriptions on the way home. I made sure to have sugar free popsicles, water, chicken broth, and carnation instant breakfast (oh and some milk) there at the house. Honestly, having to get up to get my own things gave me a little exercise. Now, 8 days out of surgery, I feel great, starting mushies, and my kids are back home driving me nuts. It almost feels like normal LOL. I'll be going back to work next Monday. You'll be fine, hon.

I was banded one week ago, so I just came off my full liquids yesterday. I still drink my shakes, but I feel like I'm grazing like every 3 hours. I can hold the entire 8oz shake. Now that I'm onto mushy food, I can hold about 3oz of mashed whatever for about 4 hrs. Thanks for posing this question bc I do get hungry. A friend of mine who had it a yr ago said she didn't even feel hungry for like the first month. I've lost 15 lbs so far but I want to make sure that I'm not setting myself up for failure down the road. Thanks to all of you for your insight.

Sue, you are my HERO! That is so great to have lost so much weight. I am one of the heavier folk I see up here. I tipped the scale at 305 lbs. I gained weight on the pre-op diet (didn't mean to) and was five pounds heavier when I got home, but after the gas went away, the horrible, horrible gas, I felt better and the weight starting coming off. I'm a week out and I'm just starting mushy foods. Even though I can probably eat some ice cream now, I don't. Its all about choices. Don't sweat it though, as long as you are following doc's orders, you'll be fine! Congrats on the surgery! Get ready for the ride of your life :biggrin:

Thanks HopeEndures! Now I will be able to really enjoy life to the fullest. There is a marathon runner and a moutain climber on the inside, just waiting to be set free! If you do it right, then this can be a truly spiritual experience. I'm discovering that I do have some will power after all. For a person that has struggle with self-esteem issues, drug, alcohol, and nicotine addictions for the last 10 yrs, this weight loss was one of the last things on the super important "to-do" list. Now I can focus on the smaller, more poignant things in life. I just admire everyone on this forum, whether you have had it done or thinking about it. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!!

Well...I had a whole bunch of straws too. I had to take a deep breath and hold it, just to tie my shoes, only to almost pass out from lack of oxygen. Even my "fat" clothes were tight. I like to dress nice, on a budget. When the 3Xs in places like Dots or Rainbow weren't fitting me anymore, I was horrified. My highest weight was 305 lbs, at 5'10'', they say I didn't look bad. I also got the "You're tall so you carry it well." Well, I need to be about 7 feet tall to make 305 lbs look slim LOL. Also, my blood pressure was starting to get way outta control. My dad died 2 yrs ago bc his outta control blood pressure gave him a stroke. He didn't die right away either. He had to live for 13 months, totally incapacitated, eating thru a feeding tube in his stomach. I decided to do this for my life. So that I can have a fighting chance. I have twin boys who are 10 yrs. I can't even take them to the amusement park. I feel like Rasputia from Norbit trying to go down that devilish slide (but you know I did, right :biggrin: I just want to feel better. And I do, just banded a week ago and I lost 12 lbs already. I just hope this continues to go smoothly. Congrats on your decision. Your life will never be the same (in a good way.)

Sweetheart, this is not something that you hide. You are going to have to be really honest with yourself about why you are going this route. Have you spoken to your doctor about any other possible ways to lose weight? The lap band is not a quick fix, one day you get the surgery and the next day you are just eating smaller portions. For the first few weeks after surgery, you are reteaching your stomach and your mind to recognize "full". You will need as much emotional support as possible. If you hide it, then you have no one. Now I'm not saying that you have to shout it from the rooftops that you are banded, but it sounds like you are a bit ashamed of making that decision. Look around on this site...see what you think. Also, I suggest attending a surgical weight loss seminar in your area. Try going on any hospital's website in your area that does bariatric surgery. They should have classes listed there. Some of the classes are for folks, like yourself, thinking about surgery. You have to go thru nutrition classes and a psych evaluation before the surgery. This is so you are prepared or the psychologist sees if you are in fact ready for this life changing procedure. I've been banded one week so far. I'm just drinking shakes and liquids right now. I went to a buffet (I know right) with my family on Sunday. I smelled all that good food, but I ordered a glass of milk and just mixed up my shake right there at the table. You are taking a stand for your life. I hope I didn't come off harsh because that was definitely not my intention. I just really want you to think about what you are doing. God bless,

Hello Bandsters! Six days out of surgery. It's not too bad. I notice something a little different today....hunger. The bad thing is that is a ferocious beast-like hunger. The good thing is that I can drink some water or eat some jello and the hunger goes away. It's like I'm having to make choices already. But, know that before having the surgery, I would've taken that hunger and ran to the dollar menu and bought like 5 things and ate myself into a stupor. Enough about that though. One day at a time. Things are kinda crazy at home. My mother just left to go back to St. Louis, where she lives now. We have her friends helping me and her to clean out this house we just moved from and her friends have taken a stash of money from the house. They had a key bc we trusted them and now they are ducking and dodging phone calls from me and Mom won't call them without me convincing her why she should. I know this has nothing to do with my lap band, but may have something to do with my hunger. (The whole using food to cope thing.) I will drink some water first to make sure that it actually hunger. I know I'm rambling, but I'm a bit pissed that people that you know and trust, will prey on you in your time of need. I believe that God wants me to forgive and forget...maybe they needed that money for something really important. But everytime I think about it, my salvation drops just a little and I'm ready to go back to my fighting days lol. Anywho, I lost 2 more lbs!! Wooohooo! I'm a long way from the two piece, but at least I've gotten on the traveling road. Thanks for reading and may God bless you all so much that you run out of room to receive everything!! Alicia

Hello Bandsters! Six days out of surgery. It's not too bad. I notice something a little different today....hunger. The bad thing is that is a ferocious beast-like hunger. The good thing is that I can drink some water or eat some jello and the hunger goes away. It's like I'm having to make choices already. But, know that before having the surgery, I would've taken that hunger and ran to the dollar menu and bought like 5 things and ate myself into a stupor. Enough about that though. One day at a time. Things are kinda crazy at home. My mother just left to go back to St. Louis, where she lives now. We have her friends helping me and her to clean out this house we just moved from and her friends have taken a stash of money from the house. They had a key bc we trusted them and now they are ducking and dodging phone calls from me and Mom won't call them without me convincing her why she should. I know this has nothing to do with my lap band, but may have something to do with my hunger. (The whole using food to cope thing.) I will drink some water first to make sure that it actually hunger. I know I'm rambling, but I'm a bit pissed that people that you know and trust, will prey on you in your time of need. I believe that God wants me to forgive and forget...maybe they needed that money for something really important. But everytime I think about it, my salvation drops just a little and I'm ready to go back to my fighting days lol. Anywho, I lost 2 more lbs!! Wooohooo! I'm a long way from the two piece, but at least I've gotten on the traveling road. Thanks for reading and may God bless you all so much that you run out of room to receive everything!! Alicia :smile: