healthy and happy

I have had many embarrassing incidents as well. I love amusement parks and my daughter does as well. I got on one of the roller coasters and had a panic attack before the ride took off because I couldnt breathe after squeezing into the restraints. I had to hold the ride up and get off. My daughter wanted to go parasailing when we went to the beach. I wanted to go too but when I looked at the weight limit, I was scared to try so I couldnt go. I went to a go-cart track with my grandson and I couldnt fit the seat belt around me. EMbarassing! My family was going out to eat together one nite and we were all going to ride in the same vehicle (SUV). My grandson starting throwing a fit becuase he didnt want me to sit beside him because I was too fat and it was crowding him. I have skipped several social outings with my co-workers because I was ashamed of how I would look. (fishing trips, amusement parks, etc. My daughter loves horseback riding. We have been on several vacations that we could have taken a tour on horseback but I avoided them becuase I thought I was too heavy to ride. I would always make some excuse like "its too expensive" or "we dont have time" because I didnt want to have to say I was just too fat! I will be enjoying all of these things now. Now I can easily fit on the rides at the amusement park, but I still find myself breaking into a sweat waiting in the line to get on the ride. Amazing!!

Ok I am game! Here goes... Name, real or screen~Agnes (Healthy and Happy) Age~44 Weight on October 1st~205 Goal Weight for October 29th~195 Exercise Goal for October~workout at least 6 days a week with 45 minutes of cardio or more Dietary Goal for October~more Protein Personal Goal for October~run 2 miles without stopping Date Banded~Aug 11, 2011 Total Weight Loss Since Banding~ 48 pounds including pre-op prep

Well I might as well chime in on this too. I had the band with plication two months ago and I will have to say I have had some fantastic results as well. I have had no issues what so ever. I recovered quickly, have not been sick ever, and I have been extremely active. My weight loss is going very well, so I am a fan of the plication. I honestly believe that no matter which surgery you choose, you may have issues. I have a friend that had the sleeve and he stays sick all the time. I think a lot of it has to do with how well you follow doctors orders too. Good luck with what ever you choose!

Wow! You just summed up how so many ppl feel before their surgery! Congratulations! I agree with everyone else. Dont just say good bye! Say hello to the strong, healthy, beautiful new you! Good luck with your journey!

Please tell me what NSV stands for. I see ppl put it on here all the time but I never know what the heck it means..

I had the band with plication procedure done 6 weeks ago. I am very happy that I went that route. My doc put 4 CC's fill in on the day of surgery. I have had 2 post op appointments and the nurse practicioner has not seen any need to do another fill yet. Small portions are filling me up and lasting 4-5 hours. I know it is still early, but My weight loss has been steady and I am very happy with the results so far.My ticker shows that I have lost 45 pounds so far. That is including my pre-surgery loss too preparing for the big day. But my loss since surgery has averaged about 3 pounds a week. Like yours, my doc said that adding the plication has seemed to show faster weight loss and sustained results so far. I do know that I am not eating much more than 800 calories a day and am quite satisfied. I have had no sickness at all (knock on wood), no episodes of food getting stuck, or any other complications thus far and I am more active than I am supposed to be at this point. I was up on the day of surgery in the recovery room walking around and doing so well that my doc let me leave on the day of surgery. And by the way, the 3 pounds a week loss since surgery is pretty good because I only weigh 208 now, so for that weight, I am happy with 3 per week. Good luck with your decision. You are right, though, there isnt a whole lot of information about it on the web. I think it gives you the benefits of the sleeve without the complications of malabsorption and there is no cutting of your organs involved.

Congratulations! And keep on bragging girl! You have earned those bragging rights! I have 8 more pounds to go to put me in Onederland too and you can bet your bottom dollar I will be on here celebrating too. If you cant Celebrate on here with people that are going through the same thing, then where can you talk about it. Besides, its and inspiration to the rest of us for us to know that it is achievable! Keep up the great work!

Jatoya, That is perfectly normal. It will go away! My first week after surgery, I was thinking "OMG, what have I done? Is this gonna be like this forever?" But it all went away and I feel absolutely wonderful. I walked a lot during my recovery period and I think that helped a lot. I have seen other ppl post on here that they used Gas-x strips to help relieve the gas as well. I didnt use them myself but other ppl swear by them. Good luck with your journey! Remember the first couple of weeks are the hardest; you will get through it. Keep the big picture in mind!

I am with Lisa and Shakey. Get some cardio in. Just because your doctor doesnt want you to lift weights doesnt mean you cant keep moving. I got bored to death with just the walking and started working out on the ellyptical. My doctor said to go for it however his nurse practicioner said absolultely dont do the ellyptical yet because it is a total body workout. Well, I have been doing it because like you, I just had to get up and do something. I have felt great doing it. It really energizes me. But I have been carefull not to overdo it with weights. you do have to give your port time to heal. So pump up the cardio and the time will fly by quickly and soon enough you will be able to lift those weights. Sounds like you have the right attitude to lose this weight! Keep on moving!!

Well I wouldnt say that I am a seasoned bandster but I do have friends that have been banded for over a year and I have been banded a little over 4 weeks. I have to say that me and all my friends are extremely happy with our banding experience. I have had absolutely not sickness, no problems and am losing weight rapidly and evereything seems to be great. One of my good friends just had her one year banding anniversary and has lost 112 pounds and has never gotten sick once. She has experienced a couple of times of getting stuck but she said that both times it really was because she was rushing eating. We did go to the same hospital and surgeon group to have our surgeries but had different surgeons. Good luck! Follow the rules and you will be fine.

I had the sleeve plication with a banding done on Aug 11. I am very happy with it so far. I have had no sickness, I do feel full and satisfied when eating the amount of food that we are advised to eat. I have lost a total of 42 pounds (that includes the weight I lost in the pre surgery prep also), JUst this week I lost 6 pounds and I am not one of the larger patients. I now weigh 211 pounds. I know it is still early in the game for me but things are looking hopeful and I believe that my doctor has helped me make the right choice.

I had my surgery on August 11 and had the plication also (stomach folded in) and I feel great! I am so glad my doc asked me about adding it. He put 4 cc's fill in my band on surgery day and that along with the plication, I have not been hungry at all. I amd eating very little and not wanting more. The weight is dropping fast and I am loving life. I lost 6 pounds this week and I only weigh 211 now. Most ppl at that size dont lose that much that quickly. I am 4 weeks out and feeling pretty normal and I do not regret it one bit!

Catherine, You sound so much like me. I want to see that scale moving down every day. WE women have to realize that our bodies are crazy. That one pound could have just been Fluid that day. I was banded 4 weeks ago and I weigh every day. I was losing 1/2 to 1 pound a day. Then all of a sudden, I went for days without losing a thing. I was getting pretty upset. Then all of a sudden, I stepped on the scale and it was down 2 pounds overnite. I agree with everyone else. Sometimes I have to kick up the food intake a little to jumpstart my metabolism then bring it back down. Water is critical too!! Stay focused and remember we didnt gain all the weight overnite and it wont come off overnite either. Be strong and stay committed!!

I slept in the recliner one night and then tried the bed on night 2. I am a side sleeper, I put a pillow in front of me and hugged it. I kind of put part of it a little underneath me and it kept me propped up a little. I slept a whole lot better like that than I did in the chair. I hope this helps. And just to give you a little hope, I will be 4 weeks post op tomorrow and I feell almost completely normal now. Sleeping is not an issue at all -except it is hard to sleep because my mind is racing with excitement about the pounds that are melting off! lol

Hello, I noticed that you and I had the same surgeon-Dr. Brengman. Where do you live now? I live in Emporia, so it is an hour and a half drive for me to go to appointments too , but I have decided that I am gonna make this be a successful venture for me. You didnt go through this for nothing. Get back in there and get back on track. If you need a buddy to keep you on track, just let me know. I hope that I will continue on with doing as well as I am right now. I have been a yo yo dieter. I have lost many pounds in the past only to gain it back. Thats why i chose lap band. I know I can lose it- I just need this tool to yank me back if I start to stray. Make your mind up to get that fill as you need it and the rest should take care of itself.

I was banded 4 weeks ago. I know exactly what you are talking about. I have not had discomfort after eating becuase I am too scared not to follow what they said to the "T". But I felt the same way at first. While I am eating my 1/2 cup, I felt like I really needed more, but what I have figured out is you need to eat really, really slow because it takes my brain a few minutes to catch up with my stomach. I just ate a 1/4 cup of tuna and 1/4 cup of green Beans. i really ate slowly and savored every bite. It took me about 25 minutes (on purpose) and when that 1/2 cup is gone I STOP. Believe it or not, I feel very satisfied. If you eat quickly though, you will be thinking I am still hungry and eat more because your brain hasnt cut up with how full your tummy is yet. I hope this makes sense. Like i said I am 4 weeks out and eating the 1/2 cup meals has been satisfying me when I use this technique. On a side note, my doc did put 4 CC's fill in on my surgery date and I had plication along with the band, so that may be the difference. Good luck! I hope this helps!

Congratulations!! Just do what the doc says and I will tell you in advance, Be ready to get up and walk, walk, walk. It will really make your recovery so much easier. I was banded 4 weeks ago and I am really happy I did it. It sounds like you have your head in the right place and are excited, so I am sure you will be happy too.

Cindy, I am sure you will do great! I ve told you before and will say it again. You are one of my biggest motivators on this site. I do have a question for you though. Dont know if it is something for your seminar though. When you have gotten fills and gotten to your "sweet spot" as I hear it called on here, are you done with getting fills then or does somehow the Fluid leak out or what??

My doc put 4 cc in on my day of surgery and I havent had any problems at all. I am eating the amounts I am supposed to eat and I feel fine. Not getting too hungry in between.

I was banded 16 days ago also. I had no nausea whatsoever. My doc gave me a prescription in case I experienced nausea but i never had to use it. The pain from the surgery itself was minimal to me. The worst part was the chest pressure from the gas. It felt like severe indigestion but walking helped a lot with that. It took about a week to really feel normal , but it really wasnt anything that wasnt tolerable.

Fantastic!! Congratulations! I am at 215 right now and am anxious to get into the 100's myself. Keep up the good work! Dont ever let that scale get back into the 2's again.

You are describing exactly how I was feeling. Same symptoms. But I am 3 weeks out from surgery now and eating sof/mushy foods and I feel pretty normal. It will get better, I promise. That first week is not easy, but trust me, it will get easier, so just keep remembering the big picture. You can deal with a week or two of liquids and a little discomfort for the prize that is about to come! Hang in There!!

I had band with plication done 3 weeks ago. I was scheduled to stay overnite but was up and walking around a couple hours after surgery so my doc let me go on home. I have had no problems at all. No nausea, no stomach issues-everything has been great so far. I had 4 cc fill the day of surgery as well. My doc also told me that the statistics look better for patients who have the banding with plication. So far, I am a fan! Takes very little to fill me up and believe me I was a big eater before. Weight loss is going well, so good luck. I think you are making the right decision!

Congratulations!!! I know you cant wait. That was hard for me too. I am impatient. When I decide to do something I am ready to go! It will be here before you know it. I was banded exactly 3 weeks ago and I am over the hump with all that liquid mess, so good times are ahead!

I had my surgery on a Thursday and went to work on Monday and I drive long distances for my work. I still had some discomfort but not a lot and I had banding with plication. But hopefully your job is not physically demanding though, because obviously you cant be overdoing it physically. I am a little over 2 weeks post op now and feel pretty much back to normal. Good luck!