SimSim

I was banded on June 6, 2008. Frankly, the whole story about how I got the band is pretty interesting. I was working for a man who, for 48 years of his practice, never had a 'big girl' that worked for him. I was good at what I did, came highly recommended and so he hired a fat girl. Over four years I heard comments about my weight. He would give me cards to surgeons (I was a single mom, there was no way I could afford the surgery), he would have his friends - who were doctors - come and talk to me about my weight 'issue' and tell me that often fat people are fat because of some type of sexual disfunction. He would hang photos of skinny women in almost nothing bathing suits and put notes like "what real women look like" etc. One day one of the other staff actually said she would rather be dead than fat. Now I have never written that in a public setting and I haven't told many people that story. Before you get riled about it and ask why I didn't leave immediately, it was a great paying job, I was a single mom and words are words - I can let them hurt me or I can not. In January of 2008 my insurance, Aetna, decided to start paying for the lapband surgery. During the first 30 days predetermination was not required - because they had a flaw in their benefits. I had 30 days. I was misreable in my job and misreable in my body. I went to my boss (legal field, very established firm, crazy money) and just flat out said, "put your money where your mouth is" - I would get half the surgery covered but he would have to pony up the other half. He did. So - I had the surgery February 8th - I left my job March 7th. I have to admit I didn't feel bad about it. So - after I was banded I lost about 20 pounds, fell and injured my ankle, was on crutches, didn't get a fill, met the man I married this February 2011 and pretty much ignored having the band for awhile. I gained all the weight back. In July 2009, I got my first fill. I've been filled twice since then. It is not easy. The band is not a magic wand that makes it all better - the band is a tool for a journey. To shorten the story, I have to really watch what I eat. I know that some foods let me cheat and if I do then it's not a weight issue - it's a me issue. I have lost almost 100 pounds. That's ten sacks of potatoes. That's a whole other person. I have about 50-60 more pounds to lose. These are going to be even harder than the first 100 - but look! I'm more than half-way there. I joined this group because I'm beginning to excercise more, I'm really watching what I put in - good stuff in, good stuff out. I really enjoy reading this site when I google lapband questions and it seems to be such a positive forum. I like that. Look forward to interacting with all of you. - Simone

After joining this site I looked and looked for photos of myself before the surgery - you know what I discovered? For a big girl, I was really adept at being invisible to the camera. It has been very difficult for me to find photos of myself at almost 300 pounds - I apparently was like a photo-lens ninja - if one came out - I disappeared. It dawns on me that there are probably hundreds of thousands of people like me. We're were pretty invisible to the photo world - and I can't tell you how many times I just deleted images of myself out of other people's cameras. I think about that now and I shake my head - I was so worried about how I looked that I deleted myself. That's terrible. Just thinking aloud - hope everyone is having a great weekend. - Simone

I never thought this would happen. It happened. Yesterday I almost fainted at work - left, was instructed by my doctor and was told to go to the ER - my pulse was out of this world and I was just ... ick. I was dehydrated. Explained that my band was probably too tight, I haven't been able to keep much down. My ER here locally couldn't help so they sent me about three hours away to Wichita Falls to a doctor there. First let me say: DR. WARNOCK YOU ROCK THE HOUSE! I loved this doctor and although he took all the Fluid out of my band, I loved this doctor and the whole experience. I have never felt more... encouraged... than I did when I met with him and left his office. So - no fill, just me and the band hanging out - he wants to see me again in about 4 weeks and we'll do an x-ray and such at that time to see if band placement is an issue or if we can begin filling my band again slowly. I feel good about this. Didn't think I would, but I do. So - here's the plan, I'll get up tomorrow, excercise with these fantastic new vibram five finger shoes and get to work with my feet on the ground, head held high and a reminder that I'm making this body my own... because it was mine (not the food's) all along!

I love the french onion laughing cow in a salad - I just break it into pieces and it takes the place of a dressing easily. We did this last night with a grilled chicken breast and spring salad and it was divine! Thanks for posting these. I plan on using them - all of them!

I agree, Bobbi. I'm curious if any of you use myfitnesspal? I used it a lot before the band and I've started to use it faithfully now that I need to really watch what I'm putting in my body. It's a great accountability system.

Thanks, everyone. It is scary when you have to get a total unfill. Today I watched my intake of food very carefully. I noticed two things. First, my stomach growled today. That hasn't happened in 2+ years. I wish someone could have filmed my facial reaction - I'm sure it was priceless. Second, I drank more Water today than I have in a very long time. When I felt hungry, I drank more water. I could never drink quickly - especially in the past few months - so today's water was a treat in many ways. My beautiful 19-year-old daughter made a homemade apple pie. I took one small bite and thought, this is good, but a size 16 would be so much better. Onward and upward!

I never thought this would happen. It happened. Yesterday I almost fainted at work - left, was instructed by my doctor and was told to go to the ER - my pulse was out of this world and I was just ... ick. I was dehydrated. Explained that my band was probably too tight, I haven't been able to keep much down. My ER here locally couldn't help so they sent me about three hours away to Wichita Falls to a doctor there. First let me say: DR. WARNOCK YOU ROCK THE HOUSE! I loved this doctor and although he took all the fluid out of my band, I loved this doctor and the whole experience. I have never felt more... encouraged... than I did when I met with him and left his office. So - no fill - he wants to see me again in about 4 weeks and we'll do an x-ray and such at that time to see if band placement is an issue or if we can begin filling my band again slowly. I feel good about this. Didn't think I would, but I do. So - here's the plan, I'll get up tomorrow, excercise with these fantastic new vibram five finger shoes and get to work with my feet on the ground, head held high and a reminder that I'm making this body my own... because it was mine (not the food's) all along!

Darn computer - wrote out my first blog, hit submit and it was gone. ARGH! This will be a short one - mostly because I have to get off to work. Tried out my new Vibram Five Finger shoes this morning when I got up at 545 to get a speed walk in - it was less speed and more walk - but eveyone says it takes time to break in the shoes and your feet. I have to admit I'm digging these shoes. It's becoming obvious to me (and it's really obvious to everyone) that to be successful in this I have to excercise. Hmmn... instead of excercise, I'll call it moving - I have to keep moving. Still having a heck of a time keeping food down and I spent most of the night last night waking up from choking and coughing - I need an unfill. I'm going to work on talking to doctors in this area and if worse comes to worse, I'll just have to drive the 200+ miles to a doctor who will see me. Lovely. Boost is becoming a main-staple in my house. I am out of protein powder and boost seems to have just enough protein in it to make all the calories seem worth it. Let's just hope I can keep it down. So that's it - I'm normally a bit more wordy, but a quick shower and work calls. Making it beautiful today - and moving - gotta keep moving. Much love. §

Setting the band aside - just for a second - something I've come to realize more and more is that it's not the band that's losing the weight it's me. If I want to meet the goals I've set - I will need to excercise. I'm not a fan of it, so I'll take my music with me, which I love and make it more of a music push your body time. I'm having problems with my band right now. More than 70% of the time I can't barely keep down liquids - forget solids. I live in an area where we had two bariatric specialists and now there are none for hundreds of miles in any direction. I know it's too tight - but I don't know why it's so tight when I haven't had a fill in almost a year. We come here to each other to realize that we struggle from similar demons and our fight - to feel fabulous - leads us to less fabulous paths. So we keep our heads up, keep swimming (just keep swimming, just keep swimming), and we realize that there's a lot we can 'blame' on the band... but a whole lot more we can place at the feet of the person wearing it. (I'm wearing one too...) ... just keeping swimming ...

I'm so glad I happened upon these posts. Do you have your initial consult in Mexico first or can that be done over the computer? Thank you for the information!

I was never big on egg drop soup - frankly, I thought the consistency left much to be desired - BUT - I saw a recipe and it's great for a good shot of Protein. Heat up a cup of chicken broth, when it comes to a boil add a scrambled egg, toss a little corn starch in for thickening (not much) and top with pepper, a little salt and I always throw in green onions. It's been a long time since my surgery, but this is still one of my favorite foods when my stomach needs a break from solids. Good luck!

Zannie - tried this - loved it! Thanks for posting.

I am sorry about your difficult journey with the band. I have to admit, I found it encouraging that you describe things I've gone through (the night choking etc) but have not read others post. It is hard. The band is not an easy fix - it's changing our whole relationship with food and with our perception. Good luck. You can do this.

I am sorry about your difficult journey with the band. I have to admit, I found it encouraging that you describe things I've gone through (the night choking etc) but have not read others post. It is hard. The band is not an easy fix - it's changing our whole relationship with food and with our perception. Good luck. You can do this.

Thank you, Rachel. I'm excited about being around people that understand a lot of the ups and downs of the process. I chuckle with I read the part where I left too - he wasn't happy - but who deserves a witty, smart, professional fat girl around when they're such an associate.... without the ociate.

I work in Abilene & live in Clyde. Where will you be banded?

Agreed with everyone above. Go slow, don't push it and remember that part of the problem we have is not that we're starving - but it sure feels like it sometimes - but it's that we can't have the food we were so used to eating. Go read. Take a walk. Start knitting - you're a guy - guys knit. Go see a movie. Don't let yourself sit too long thinking about the food you're not having. Take it slow, slow, slow in the beginning!