MarcyLoo

Yikes, what symptoms are you having? Prayers all is ok...

It was the thing I first noticed! Weird huh? I had assumed my going from a 9 to a 10.5 was from having kids. A couple weeks back I had to buy a new pair for work, in a 9.5 and now they feel loose...which is sad cause they were about $80 and I love them. Maybe I'll buy thicker socks haha

Just remember bread in moderation, as with all carbs...for optimal weight loss. And yes, chew chew chew. If I want a special treat and know it's a hard food to eat, I sip hot tea with it. It helps a lot. The hot liquid relaxes the stomach, and mositens food that is likely to get stuck.

Super cool! Congrats!

I've never been diagnosed, but I have an issue with profuse sweating on my upper lip (well above my lip). My oldest son sweats really bad on his scalp & face when active or sleeping.

My doc told me to take 1 Flintstones vitamin a day...I use the Costco comprable (chewable dinosaurs)

Completely not band related...but my 3 yo cracked my 6 yo's head open tonight. It's a tiny skin wound, plus a goose-egg, and it's oozing. No signs of a skull fracture or neurological issues but I'm pretty upset about it. Since it's oozing, as a nurse, of course I fear the worse (cerebrospinal fluid leaking) even though I'm sure it's just having problems clotting since I used neosporin on it. I hate it when crap like this happens.

The only food I really truly miss so far is big burgers from Jack in the Box & Wendy's ... and I know the bun would be a no-go. My substitute so far has been well seasoned turkey burger patties using crisp lettuce as the "bun." also the occasional boca burger ("chicken" substitute or mushroom burger patty with some cheese melted on top) I know in time I can still have very small portions of my favorites but mentally it's too soon for me to do too much fantasizing And on that note I think I'll make turkey burger patties for dinner.

I had my first follow up visit few weeks back...they just did my weight, looked at my incisions, and asked me how things were going. My first fill was last Wednesday. The fill wasn't at all painful. She said my chest may feel odd for a second, like going over a bump in a car, but I didn't feel much of anything. The doc did feel my port cause the night before I popped a stitch.

Just FYI I've lost 15 pounds since surgery just over a month ago...the other 12 were fromt he week preop diet...

So my surgeon wants me eating 3 meals a day, no snacking. I've been doing pretty well with this. Today though I woke up really early and ate Breakfast (they also want me to eat w/ in 2 hours of waking to kick my metabolism into gear). My band is keeping me full for 3-4 hours. So, it's most likely I'll be wake for long enough today to really need 4 meals if i go based on true hunger. Do you all think that's ok to do on occasion? It's been 4 hrs 15 min since breakfast and my stomach is realllly growling...but I'm going to try to wait 45 min anyway to eat an early lunch. Or would it be healthier to go ahead and eat when the hunger starts and end up with 4 reasonable meals?

Dave, great idea on breakfast! Mornings are hectic for me. With getting my kids ready & off to school eating within an hour of waking is TOUGH for me. I usually have 2-3 servings of eggs ina carton (30 cals a serving) with chopped onion and 1 serving of sliced deli ham (60 cals) with 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, but I may do a Protein shake first thing them have my eggs (alternate is greek yogurt & granola) mid morning from now on. i do eat 4-6 meals a day on nights i work and am awake for >24 hours, and my surgeon knows about that...but I mke those meals much smaller than usual (the 10, 2am, and 6am meals) i ended up starting my exercise routine around 11am, so stretched my morning 6 hours....and overate at lunch. So I can see now how bot doing that would be wise.

Expected weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week, so you're right on track. Some people see no loss inthe first 2-4 weeks. You may notice more loss (and quicker) after your first fill but it may take a few fills to get there. Try to keep in the back of your midn that it's not a race, weight loss after a band tends to be slower than with other WLS's, but it's the long term goal that's important. hang in there!

elizabeth: we flew to hawaii last November. On the return flight, the flight attendant appraoched me as I was putting my overhead bags in the cabinets and arranging the seats for my kids and said "excuse me miss do you need this?" I look at her like "what the heck?" I thought I had dropped something. She was holding (discreetly) a seatbelt extension. I was MORTIFIED. I actually was able to buckle the belt without it, but have had some seat planes & belts that would not reach. At least she was discreet, but having any attention drawn to my weight really embarasses me. when is your Disney trip? CA or FL?

CAN YOU CALL AND ASK TO CLARIFY? i HAVEN;T HEARD OF A 6ML BAND?? Oops sorry for the caps...

I'll tell you my story in hopes it helps (hugs) I was TERRIFIED to tell my husband. We've known each other for more than 11 years, have been married almost 9, and he's never known me skinny (neither have I lol). He's always told me he LOVES my body just liek ti is. The one and only time we've veer really discussed my weight issue was him asking if I thought my weight might be making my back issues worse. Discussing my weight with him for whatever reason has just always terrified me. Even knowing he's ok with me being fat. So, I decided that I really had to tell him. I had talked to women at work about WLS but that was it. My stomach was in knots but one night at bedtime I brought it up...asking him how he'd feel about me looking into weight loss surgery. Within about 20 seconds it felt so right. I knew he was the one person I SHOULD be talking to. He reassured me he's ok with my body as-is, understands the health benefits to losing weight, shared his concerns over surgical risks and the financial aspect, etc. He's become my biggest supprt in this journey. Next I told his mom, knowing we needed help with the kids the day of surgery. She also responded only with support and encouragement. Later on, I told my 7 yr old (he's very mature) but not my 6 or 3 yo's till a bit later and in simpler terms. I showed them diagrams that helped. The boys are great about it. My fmaily I opted to not tell just knowing they'd be judgemental...but the week before surgery I decided that my parents and brothers needed to know since it was major surgery. To my utter amazement that have been 210% supportive...encouraging, supporting, and not in the least bit judgemental. I'm not sure I could be doing this without everyone's help. It is ok to not tell people, but I really would encourage you to talk to your husband. You'll need him. Even if you need to write him a letter.

I admit that I see myself in the mirror (I still se emyself at my highest weight and not so much 25 pounds less) and think to myself that I'll be pretty damn hot if I'm ever skinny. I've never known myself SMALL, but I think other than being fat I'm kinda pretty. Or could be. Anyway since I made the decision to do the band I admit I've been wearing more makeup, doing fun things with my hair. I've never had long hair and am growing it out so am doing fun new things with it. I'll never think of myself as better than anyone, of course, and i see beauty in all people (one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen was maybe 85 and all wrinkly)...but I can't wait to see myself small with a thin face.

way to go girl!!!!! I just had htis happen not long ago with my 26's to 24's...the 26's finally got just way too big so I am oficially not in them at all now. Maybe not quite as exciting as getting into 18's but don;t these NSV's feel great??? Be so proud!

I think that sounds like a great idea. I really like dmy psychologist but she isn;t covered by my insurance. If things get rough for me down the road I might pay out of pocket (but it's $250 a visit) or see someone on our plan...she did say she's happy to talk to BOTH of us if we ever feel it necessary. She's also banded. Also, are you going to support groups? I haven't yet but know I need to. Life is just so hectic between work and 3 kids...but I do need to go. Remember this group too...it's not the same as in person but hopefully we can all lean on each other. I know just knowing I'm not alone helps me. Speaking of uppers...before being banded a woman at work who was banded then switched to bypass made me feel really bad about going baand vs bypass. She commented on my facebook page "way to go girl" on my 20+ pound loss., It made me feel so good. Soemtimes it's the little things.

Also remember everyone that it's normal to have daily fluxuations in weight...for everyone, banded or not. My weight is up 1.4 pounds today but I never adjust my ticker because I know it's not me actually gaining fat back...but probably from indulging at dinner last night with my mom and now holding onto Water weight. (we went out to an awesome steak house and even though I was careful and only got thru 2 ounces of steak, green Beans, a few sweet potato fries and 2 smal pieces of fried zucchini I know it was an indulgence) Before being banded this would have really bothered me and even caused me to fall off the diet wagon but I'm trying really hard to ignore these fluxuations now and not let them get me down. It's sure not easy. Spouses/sig others. My psychologist warned me that things can get tense. They might feel jealousy over our success, or even some anger over our "splurging" on "elective" surgery even though we all know this elective surgery is in our best health interests. They might become insecure as our bodies change and fear we'll leave them for someone else or that others may take notice of us. And that fear may show as anger toward us. Even in the most stable of relationships. My husband told me he'd be ok with me doing this surgery, but 'I know deep down he has a fear of being cheated on or left (even though I've never give him reason for these feelings). He's assured me that my body is perfect as-is in his eyes and he'd be ok with the surgery but doesn't think I need it. He's expressed his fears over my changing body (mostly what if I lose my bust lol..hey I appreciated the honesty). The other morning I told him I've lost 25 pounds. He said "thank you" then realized what he had said and changed it to "I mean good job." It did leave me wondering though if he really would prefer me skinny. I know he loves me like I am, but maybe he would prefer a skinny wife. It just left me feeling a little sad that maybe all these years I haven't truly lived up to his physical expectations despite what he's always told me.

Leftover gas (air they pump in during surgery to infalte the abdomen so they can see) actually sits in the abdomen free-floating (not in the stomach or intestines itself). It can't get into the chest because the diaphragm separates the abdominal cavity from the chest cavity. So, this leftover gas is uaually only felt in the shoulders and sometimes the chest (usually the shoulders though) is because it's sitting along the diaphragm (the muscle that helps the lungs breathe) and those nerves referr the pain to the shoulders. If your chest pain is happening when you eat or drink it's most likely the band hitting the phrenic nerve on the stomach, or because you're tight from either surgical swelling or too full a band. I'd call your doc for advice, though. They may be able to empty your band...or it could be referred gas pain in which case walking is the best way to get it moving and absorbed. are you still on liquids? Also try not doing really cold drinks and see it really warm tea (sipping) helps...warm liquids tend to relax things a lot. huge hugs

Doesn't sound so much like leftover gas to me but more like pains fromt he band itself--either rubbing on the phrenic neve or from food/liquids getting stuck.

Fly....yay!!!! Dutchee....man, that sucks. I'm sorry. have you considered using a fill center?

One of my favorite indulgences is going to a movie by myself and eating popcorn and a Cherry Coke. I only do it about 2-3 times a year, and I know popcorn, Cherry Coke, and snacking are off limits now that I'm banded. I haven't ctually attempted popcorn, but I imagine it'd get easily stuck but movie theatre popcorn is sooooooo high inc alories so for me I won't even go there. Anyway, today I'm taking our 3 little boys to a movie-somehting we're starting to do more often. I'd like to incorporate snacking at the theatre into my meal plan today since it'll actually be my lunchtime. I'm not at all opposed to sneaking in my own food. Ay suggestions on what to sneak? I usually eat a serving of granola with a greek yogurt for lunch, so I'm thinking maybe a baggie of dry granola, a Protein shake, and I'm kinda hoping for another food option...maybe raw veggies? I'd love to hear other suggestions!!! thanks everyone

Thanks guys!! I had a NSV yesterday too. Went to see a movie and fit in the seat It was still snug, but I was in the same theater about 6-8 weeks ago and it was a BAD fit then...had to really wriggle to get sitauted. Yesterday I could sit down from a normal standing position and not have to squish my butt into it. It felt so good!!!