Brewa2000

Rep- I'm sure you'll catch up, the second fill really helped me. I had a couple nice losses over the past month. I tend to lose in bunches, then nothing for a while. Still have a "spare tire" around my belly and the guy boobs. When do they go away or at least shrink? Johnny- Congrats on being banded. Feels good to go out and do some exercise, doesn't it? My doc says no booze until you reach your goal. I have had a couple JD and waters maybe 3 or 4 times since I started preop (1/15/07). If you guys would like, we could start a new Mens' Challenge on 6/1. Rep will be ready after his second fill. This is for fun only and we can root each other on. Every one's a loser! I'd love to keep the BEST thread at this site active. Enjoy the rest of the weekend! Bruce

I think most of the port problems happen relatively soon after beening banded. After a couple months, you will be as good as ever and lighter. In the past 3 months, I've been handling 50+ lb bags of seed every day and I hardly know my port is there anymore. I do notice it a little when our saint bernard dog lays on my stomach while I'm in bed. I think you could do a lot more damage to your body (stroke, heart attack) trying to rescue some one as an obese person than you would as a much lighter banded person. Bigsexy- My father-in-law ask if I was going to quit brewing. I told him I'd do some for him and a couple others. Not drinking beer really hasn't bothered me as much as I thought it would. I went to a brewers meeting last month and drank Water while they sampled their lastest. Didn't bother me not to join them. OK, maybe it hurt a little when my friend was pouring his latest Czech Pils. BWD- I imagine you could stub your toe on your surf board, huh? Stand strong brothers! Bruce

Aaaahhh Kauai!!! We only spent a day on Kauai, but it was my favorite of the islands. We took a big rubber raft and explored the (Napali?)coast. It was awesome! The native people were much friendlier than on the tourist traps. Anyway, as clynnc told you, work should not be a problem. I slept in a recliner for about 4 or five nights. Take a pillow with you to the hospital. When you come home it helps to hold it against your stomach on bumpy roads (or bumpy landing in your case). I own a small seed business. I had my surgery on Wednesday, I was going to stop by work for a couple hours on Friday but my wife still had my car keys so I stayed home. I went in on Saturday morning for a couple hours and worked all day Monday. I was doing some lifting of bags (50#) after 3 weeks. I was pretty much at full strength at 6 weeks. Now I'm better than I've been for years. Fills are no problem. Kind of like a bee sting. Take care.... Bruce

Hey Guys! Been a little slow here at "Guys Only". Anybody got any exciting plans for the weekend? Nothing too exciting for us. I plan on watching Indy, a Sunday BBQ and I do have a bunch of stuff to do around the "ranch". Definitely won't be on the road. I hope all you guys have a great and safe weekend (especially Chris in case he tries the acrobatic thing). Bruce

A friend of mine said the same thing after he finished his month's supply. I'd rather eat less real food. Bruce

Hey BWD! Welcome to the site. You will find a ton of information here. The Band and the weightloss that goes with it has been great. I feel like a million bucks! I invite you to check out the "Guys Only" thread as we deal with some of the guy issues. If you have any questions, fire away.... Which island do you live on? We've been to Hawaii twice and will probably be back before too long. We like to meet exchange students we've had from Asia and Hawaii is a great halfway point. Have a great weekend! Bruce

Hey Bandguy! I know you have probably read all that I'm going to say, but it's really quite simple: eat less and/or exercise more. Are you eating a lot of carbs? They will cause me to crave more carbs. food choices make a HUGE difference to me. Plan activities in the evening that keep you busy and away from the fridge. I like to walk, mess around the yard or play with our dogs. Keep track of your intake (some use fitday.com). You probably need a fill. Tell your doc of your stuggles. Have him or his nurse outline a diet and activity program you can live with. Are you getting in at least some exercise. Start slow, with a walk around the block, then go from there. Are you going to a support group? They can help by meeting people with similar problems. I don't know about you, but I had to pay a lot of money (and time) to get this band. I want to give it every chance to work. You can do this! We all want you to succeed! Good Luck! Bruce

Neal- you're looking great! Thanks for being there to inspire us! Joe- all I can say is "WOW!" You got banded a week before me and have lost 101 lbs! Super! Bruce

I'm not doing South Beach, but definitely watching my carb intake. I KNOW that for me, eating carbs stimulate hunger for more carbs. I'd rather eat heathier whole foods. Bruce

Hey Cascadian! You're really dropping the pounds! The restriction after my first fill didn't last very long. My second, I started feeling restriction, the third was better yet. I had a "top off" of my third fill on Thursday (now have 8.5 cc). I hope this lasts, cause I'm where I want to be. I eat about a 1/4 lb meat patty, maybe less. I have to keep sipping Water as I can't chug any more. Hang in there, it'll happen! Bruce

<p>I went through the life without beer thoughts before my surgery in January. It was a tough decision for me as I was a homebrewer. Since being banded, I haven't had any beer. </p> <p> </p> <p>I even went to a meeting a couple weeks ago with my brewing buddies and drank Water. When I told them I had a LapBand, they supported that (a few were asking "why?" I'm sure). One of the guys suggested a Guinness and even set one in front of me but I said I'd like to try it at home first in case I had problems with it. Guinness is actually a relatively low carb/low alcohol beer. </p> <p> </p> <p>I have had a couple Jack Daniels on the rocks on a couple occasions and had no trouble.</p> <p> </p> <p>That said, I think drinking and the junk food that goes with it (i.e. chicken gizzards, pizza,burgers, fries, chilidogs, chips) is a good part of the reason I ballooned to almost 300 lbs. I'm committed to be very careful not to go down that road again.</p> <p> </p> <p>Good luck with your decision! BTW, I'd very happy to be 59 lbs lighter and beer free!</p> <p> </p> <p>Bruce</p>

Congratulations JohnnyRay! Ah yes, the gas... It will eventually go away. Great pictures Pat! Looking good 4 weeks out... Ray- Welcome. Many of us put our BMI in our signature. BMI takes height and weight into consideration. I'm kind of pumped up today as I've reached my halfway point to my goal. Weight loss has slowed lately, but when I think about how I was feeling 5 months ago, it motivates me to keep going... Have a great weekend guys! Bruce

Hi Ray! Congrats and hope for a speedy recovery. The graphs are easy; just click on mine or any one elses and follow instructions. Good luck and come on over to the Guys Only thread in the General Discussion area. Bruce

Hey Guys! Hellvez- Congrats on joining us. Glad it went well. Good luck on your journey. Woodguy- Hope all goes well. Keep us posted. JamesA- Glad to hear you're turning it around. I fight head hunger at night. I think staying busy really helps. Dave- Hang in there buddy. Most of us went throught the time when we could eat anything. The first fill helped me, the second has been good so far. I could probably use a tiny bit more but will wait a couple more weeks. Jake- I started with a hand full of people knowing. Now, almost everyone knows. No big deal and frankly, I don't give a rat's behind what they think. I've done the diets to lose weight. I've done the heavy workouts (ok, in my twenties) to lose weight. Still, five months ago I was "Morbidly Obese". I'm hoping that staying active (light exercise) and eating reasonable and with a little help from the band, I can get to and maintain a healthy weight. Stand Strong Brothers of the Band! Bruce

Rep- Sorry to hear about your job. That is kind of a volitile market. 221 sounds good! Neal- We appreciate your comments whenever you can contribute. Just looking at your avatar keeps me going. I CAN do this! Phil- I'd tell your son to lay off for a couple more weeks. Things are still kind of tender in there. You can open a can of Woopass then... BTW Congrats on being banded. Cory- Yes we want you looking good at the poker tourney. I would have trouble (gas wise) sitting that long at a table full of people. I guess that's another story... Chris- Good luck on getting your ducks lined up for surgery. You might post in the General Discussion Area for info about your Dr. There aren't near as many guys here as gals (Oh REALLY). FYI I'd do it over in a minute... Have a GREAT weekend Guys! Bruce

Hey Rep! Where are you hiding? Bruce

We live in Central Washington. Because I have a fused neck, I am difficult to intubate so they sent me to the Auburn hospital which was great. My wife was banded in Richland. They are a great bunch there too. I'd do the same thing again. Bruce

I was banded by Dr Earl Fox on 1/31/07 and my wife was banded by him on 2/22/07. We have throughly enjoyed working with him. The fills have been no worse than a small bee sting. We were self pay and it was $8,000 less for the two of us to get banded than a Westside clinic was asking. Sure you have to pay for the fills ($225) after the first one, but you can get many fills for 8 grand! Hope that reinforces your choice.... Bruce

That's super Joe! Yes, Neal is a folk hero around here. Bruce

Good for your wife! If statistics prove correct, she will probably lose at a slower rate than you. I say this because my wife is somewhat dissappointed at her rate of loss. I tell her we are all different and that it's not a race. I have had 2 fills so far. I'm thinking about having a third. Today, so far, I feel like it's working just fine. I had about a cup of some pork that I BBQed yesterday. A few months ago, I'd have eaten a lot more. Bruce

55 lbs. since pre op, 36 since surgery. I seem to lose in bunches, I've been at a plateau for a little over a week, but feel a good loss coming on. Would like to be at my mid point (59 lbs) at week's end. I might go in for a slight fill next week. Glad your feeling good. I was more tired than anything. Except the gas, I felt bloated for a couple days. My wife had some pain for a few days. Does your wife have a date? It's good to go through it together. Bruce

Welcome Kevin! Congrats on getting your date! My wife and I self paid too and don't regret it. It's a great investment on your health. I was banded on 1/31/07. I feel great and can move around much better. We save a bunch on our food bill. Good luck! Bruce

There is still a lot of healing going on. I'd do what your doc says. I drank a ton of protein shakes (3/day), soups, broths, etc. Believe it or not, it will pass quickly. For the bar, click on some one's www.TickerFactory.com logos and follow instructions. Good luck! Bruce

Hi Jake- Check under "Gallery" at the top. I've never gone there, but I think that's where you'll find pictures. Phil- Welcome to the challenge and I hope you lose a lot of weight. I weigh myself almost every morning too. Others- It's not too late to join us! This is a competition in which you want to lose. What's at stake? The smallest loser has to post under one of the "touchy-feely" threads or watch Oprah (We are humane; we won't make you watch Rosie, that falls under cruel and unusual punishment.) and give us a report. Good luck to all! Bruce

Neal- be sure to stop by every now and then to keep us on track. I hope to be there next year too. Bruce