jojo in ks

Just checking in with my September buddies. Tomorrow will be 8 months since surgery, and I'm trying hard to stop focusing on the number that I see on the scale... and Celebrate the victories so far. I think the past two months have been the hardest mentally, as I struggle to push on and get to goal. My weight loss has slowed down significantly and I am finding it harder to avoid a little of this and a little of that. It makes it really hard when everyone is telling you how great you look and how much weight you've lost. I worry that I'll get complacent and just stick right here at this weight, and not get to where I really want to be. I am curious ~ have most of you told coworkers, family, friends about your surgery? I haven't shared it with many and I'm just curious how you feel about sharing the information with others.

I usually don't feel the restriction of a fill for 7-10 days. I think everyone is so different with how quickly it takes effect. They always tell me to do liquids for 24 hours to be cautious after a fill, but I've learned my band just doesn't react for at least a week. Weird?

The week of surgery was my most worrisome time. I couldn't sleep. I constantly thought of everything that could go wrong, and your exact thoughts crossed my mind. I worried that I wouldn't wake up from surgery, that I'd never be successful with it, and that I would have a hard time giving up those foods that everyone said I'd never be able to eat again! I spent the last 48 hours before my surgery looking at every before/after photo I could find. I just tried to keep a positive outlook and kept looking for those stories of patients that had seen great success, as I was SO nervous and needed to hear that it does work! In a couple of days I will hit my 6-month mark since surgery, and I am astounded at the progress I've made with this tool. I'm so happy I am literally glowing! If you know it's the right decision for your lifestyle and situation, the benefits greatly outweigh any risks out there. Stay strong! And spend the next couple of days buying lots of low-sodium broth, sugar free popsicles, and G2... you'll need it by the end of the week! Good luck on your journey!

I try to keep Snacks in my purse all the time that have Protein and Fiber in them, in case I am on the run and get hungry. South Beach has a great new snack bar - 100 cal, 6 protein, 6 fiber and comes in chocolate Almond and Peanut Butter flavor. I buy those at my Walmart and they are usually in the Pharmacy/protein bar area. Walmart also has a new "house" brand of protein meal bars that are actually decent. The almonds are great... I just have trouble eating the right portions. I just bought some 100 calorie packs of natural almonds, and some Bumble Bee tuna salad ready-to-eat kits (150 cal., 9 protein) to keep in my stash. I find the further I get along in this journey, the more important it is to always have good choices readily available. It keeps me from getting really hungry and making those not-so-good choices! Good luck!

It has been the best decision I have ever made, but it has to be the right decision for you. The band is such a useful tool in getting the weight off. If you follow what the doctor tells you to do, it works. You will be able to eat "most" things, but will hit restriction after a small amount of food. I too have lost weight several times before (75+ pounds a couple of times), and this is the first time I really feel that I'll get where I need to be. I have such a busy life with work and 2 kids at home. I knew that I needed a tool to help restrict my intake, because I didn't have time to go to the gym or do anything active. Then I lost 30 pounds... and I WANTED to go to the gym. Now I am upset when I can't get to the gym. Look through this site as there is so much insight and information here, and it will really help you make an informed decision. Best of luck!

Dr. Malley! Once I met him, I was at ease. The staff at New Hope Bariatric is awesome, and Karen in his office (she does the fills!) is very supportive and will guide you through the process. Good luck on your journey!

Way to go Sharilo! I just recently went shopping for jeans, and I'm embarrassed to admit I hadn't shopped for a pair in years. The elastic waist pants were the only ones I dared to go out in. Now that I am dressing differently, everyone is starting to wonder what is going on. I haven't told many people about my surgery and everyone keeps asking what I'm doing to lose the weight. Is it easier to share what you're going through? I just worry about the negative perception it might create for those that don't understand what the lap band really is. I am curious how "full" the other September bandsters are at this point. I have had 4 fills so far in a 14 cc band, and am around 8.75 cc's right now. I did not get a fill last month, but have another appointment next week. I am at that point where I'm unsure if I should have a fill... which is the same way I felt last month. The stuck episodes seem to only happen when I'm eating too fast and the meat is too dry. Could this be the green zone? JoJo

I didn't feel anything with the first three fills, but kept trying to stay on track with my eating. Protein, protein, protein! After the 4th fill, everything has been great. I feel restriction just when I need it, and am not having to count every calorie that I eat. Hang in there! Something I didn't realize initially is that they will advance the fill amounts as you lose, so the more I lose at each appointment the more restriction they "can" add. I have another fill scheduled next week, and probably won't have them adjust anything as I think I may be in the green zone? Good luck. Hang in there.

Jackie, Tomorrow is my 6 week! We are band buddies! My first fill was on Monday of this week, and it was a lot quicker appointment than I anticipated. They had to pull all the Fluid out of the band to measure it (3.25 cc's), and then added 3 cc's. I was surprised they added that much! I have been pretty grouchy for 2 days just having liquids, but back to solids today. Keep in touch! JoJo

Stock up on all the things you know are approved to eat in the weeks following surgery... low-sodium chicken broth, sugar free popsicles, sugar free pudding, yogurt, cottage cheese. I bought what I thought would be plenty, and it wasn't. I didn't feel like getting out to go to the store post-op for at least a few days, so make sure and stock up ahead of time. The other things I wish I had done ahead of time - a good heating pad, and liquid extra strength Tylenol. The docs will give you heavy duty meds for the first few days, but if you want to function during the day (and drive) you'll need liquid Tylenol. I had a lot of upper left shoulder pain (they say most get this), and putting a heating pad on it at night really helped me sleep better. Good luck on your journey! Jojo

Hi September bandsters! This is my first post out here. I have been snooping for a couple of weeks, but wasn't quite ready to "register" on the site. I was banded on 9.29.11 and had my first fill this morning. The past two weeks have been tough, as I have been so hungry. I have seen the scale going down, though, so I've just been trying to work through my hunger. I am down 19 since surgery, so trying to stay positive about the progress. I was surprised that they added 3 cc's to my band this morning, and found out I already had 3.25 cc's in there since surgery. I was a little upset that I didn't get to see a doctor today, but I loved the nurse practitioner. Not at all what I thought the first fill would be like. It wasn't painful at all! I go back in two weeks for the next fill (Thanksgiving week?!) so I'm a little nervous about being around all of that holiday food. Does anyone know how to add the weight loss ticker on here? I still can't figure it out.