SkinnyMiniMe

Are you using anything for the scars? Looks Good!

Can you tell me what the name of the prescription stuff is??? have 4 scars and there are darker than my skin. I was banded on 12/12/11. My husband who was banded a week before me is completely healed, you can't even tell he had surgery. SO UNFAIR! My doctor told me to use pure Vitamin e and I decided to use mederma. It has help a bit but I think I am going to splurge on the silicone sheets like scar away. Also you have to constantly apply the vitamin e and mederma to see some sort of results. Also the vitamin e will stain your shirts so careful. Here is the vitamin e I use http://www.drugstore...00-iu/qxp186909 regular mederma http://www.livestron...with-vitamin-e/ I looking for any suggestions or solutions myself. THANKS!

I feel like my old self was always there just trapped in this big body. Not for long though the "REAL" me is on her way BTW how is your sister in law? Is she supportive? I hope so!!! Something tells me your will both need each other for support. Good Luck on your Journey & Keep us posted!!!

WHAT?!?!?!?! 10lbs is fantastic. Don't listen to your Dr. crazy talk!!! Be proud of that 10 pounds. When you go to the grocery pick up a 10lb bag of potatoes and that should put into presepctive how much you are NOT carrying around anymore. I just got my first fill. I went in beating myself mentally for not losing a lot of weight. I only lost 4 pounds in 4 weeks. My doc told me the first 6 weeks is for HEALING not losing. I didn't even have a fill yet. Well since yesterday's fill I lost 3 pounds. I am sure most of it was water I was retaining. I know we want to lose fast and compare ourselves to others but my Doc said that he is happy if I lose 1 pound a week. I did tell him that for a fat person 52lbs in a year is not cutting it lol...But then he said well a person needing to lose 100lbs will get to their goal in 1 1/2 yr-2 yrs. We need patience onces we are properly filled I am sure the weight will come faster. Congrats on your 10lbs. and don't forget to get your fills. Good Luck!

Well I am almost 6 weeks post opt and figured I would update. I can now finally say that I did not have any gas or shoulder pains what so ever from the surgery. In fact the only pain meds I took was tynenol with codine for the first 4 days. I was back to work (desk job) 5 days post opt. My scars are still a little dark, but pure Vitamin E and Mederma have helped. I constantly applying to the scars. I finally got my first fill yesterday. I have 3cc in my 10cc band and he added 1 cc so I have a total of 4cc in there now. I did feel the needle prick but nothing unbearable. My weight loss was slow after my surgery. I am in a mental and was in a physical “bandster hell”. I really was not feeling any restriction what so ever. Emotionally it is a roller coaster that I would like to call a mind f*ck! I actually gained one pound last week and shed quite a few tears. Well I am still on liquids 2 days after my fill. So far since my fill I have lost that gained pound and 2 more pounds. So I am now officially under 100lbs to get to my goal. I am now in a 2x and not a 3x and so long to my 20 size pants, I pulled out my 18’s and I am wearing them comfortably. YEAH ME! I have got stuck and threw up 3x since being banded which I am pretty sure it’s because I didn’t chew well. I am crossing my fingers that this fill will help but I will be back in 4 weeks for more fill if needed. So far I can get soups and water down no problem. The only thing I will say is that I was very upset with myself about the weight loss after surgery but after speaking with my doctor, he informed me that the first 6 weeks is not for weight loss but for healing. He is happy if I lose 1 pound a week, which as be put it in 1 1/2year-2years a person needing to lose 100lbs will get to their goal. I did tell him that for a fat person 52lbs a year is not cutting it lol. So I have to start to do my part and hit the gym or just move more and hopefully I will get into a weight loss grove again. This time I plan to keep it off.

So I have been around here for a couple of months and it's finally my turn to pay it forward to all the newbies just now starting. Of course I am still a cub lol but I have been so blessed to share this journey with my husband who also was banded on 12/5 and have the support of so many "inspirational friends" (you guys)!!! Without the support I would have never made it to the OR table. In fact, I am beginning to think that so far (up until now) in my journey that was the hardest part. I am 5 days post opt and already driving and I survived NYC potholes lol. I am also back to work. Still a little sore like I did 1 million crunches. The first 2 nights were the roughest. I have been officially weigh in by my doctor so I will update my ticker after Wednesday but just so you know I have lost weight!!! YEAH ME! So since the surgery I have not been hungry but I get these strong cravings. Almost like when I was pregnant. Like right now I am craving ham, go figure lol. I cook with joy for my children and with sense of empowerment over food. Benefiber has help tremendously (gas relief) and poops are not the same. Internal hiccups happen a lot especially when I get up but they don't hurt and it's usually just one hiccup. I take break eating my broth somewhere around 6 oz. I really try to listen to the band since I don't want to throw up. I have 5 small incisions that I call "Hopey Will's" (my band's name) birth marks. I got my fitbit to keep me on track so I make sure to walk and my Thermos Intak cup so I make sure I drink my Water with Mio. If this is my "so-called" honeymoon with the band, well then I am running with it and enjoying every moment. I knew that once I was banded I would hit the ground running. Many times I doubted myself and my husband reminded me everyday up until the my surgery day that I would succeed. At time he had more faith in me than I did in myself. Well not any longer. I am so thrilled that I am on the other side. Before being banded, I feared failure of the unknown. Now that I see how it works, I have so much faith now that we can all do this!!!. I know that everyone heals differently. We will all get there on our own time. I am so excited for my future and all of our futures!!! Today driving to work, I had a smile from ear to ear and shed a couple of tears of joy. So far not 1 regret. Only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. I am so proud of myself and all of us for making this life changing decision. Good Luck to all the upcoming bandsters and stay positive because if we believe we will achieve.

Banded on 12/12 as of this morning I am down 22 pounds since the beginning of my journey. I have less than 100 pounds to lose to get to my goal YEAH ME! I just got a fill yesterday so I have 4cc in my 10cc band now. My weight loss after surgery has been slow but I am losing. First time I didn't gain weight during the holidays, that is a victory in my book.

This is what I needed today. For this very reason I named my band "Hope" THANKS!!!

Good Luck!!!!

2 co-workers of mine and my husband have all failed with those e-cigarettes.

I quit 9 years ago cold turkey. I was pregnant and the morning sickness made it easier to quit. But I knew if I ever made it 24 hours without one I would never go back. Its too hard to quit. I enjoyed it but I know I am better off. My husband on the other hand is still a smoker and he was banded 1 week before me. My doctor wanted him to quit but he couldn't quit. As a matter of fact the my husband's unsuccessful attempt at quitting is the reason why our surgeon refused to go the gastric sleeve on him. BUT when we were doing the pre-opt appointments the pumologist made a good point, he asked my husband, "if you are getting the band to live longer then why are you still smoking?" In fact he got my husband to commit to him a quit date and to come back 2 weeks before that date so he can give him a plan to quit. The pumnologist told him that even if he has nicotine gum for the rest of his life he is ok with that, but in the meantime he is going to give him a plan and possibly medication to help me quit. So my only advice is why don't you see a doctor that can give you the proper to tools for you to quit? Doctors are always quick to tells us to quit without giving us the tools. It's worth a shot. Good Luck!!!

Anyone here use the Fitbit? I wanted a more affordable alternative to the BodyBugg. This seems like it but I am wondering if its worth it? Usually when I exercise I use heart rate monitor (when I spin). I do swim too so I don't think the FitBit is water proff. Just curious about it. I thought it would be neat to know exactly how much calories I burn and compare to what I consume. Right now I am pre-op and I keep gaining...can't have that after the band!

I have the fitbit and I love it. No membership required.