MeredithMcFee

I have LCN's and I didn't have to take them off, as long as it was clear for them to read the pulseox while under anesthesia. However, I had a pedicure which they took off nail polish from the both big toes so they can also keep an eye on things. Nothing for infection.

Thank you Sasha, I never thought of that. It's getting better but it still hurts some what. This too shall pass.:-)

Just a little 'ditty' I found in the First magazine and thought I would share with my January bandsters. 'It's not cellulite, it's my body's way of saying I'm sexy --- In Braille'.

Thank you TMF for the info. I also had a craving for cyrstal lite lemonade all day yesterday and I'm sure the acidity didn't help the situation. :-(

Hi Everyone and happy bandiversary to the latter Jan bandsters, including Horsegirl who is the 30th of this month. Glad to see most of us on here the past few days. Goals, schmoals! We're doing great! Like Nicole {I think} suggested, instead of weight goals, how about behavior goals. Why set ourselves up for disappointment if we don't meet the weight goals? We're all doing great no matter what we're doing, what stress is in our lives, etc. It's still a learning game with all of us. I agree with Chrissy, God bless whomever invented this tool. Again, it's not a panacea, but a tool to help us make better choices from here on in. I've been on a plateau for a good month myself but I can only blame myself and not my body. Slacking off on exercise early in July, like others, due to heat, laziness, tomorrow's another day, munching on chips, etc, take your pick. BUT I'm back up in the saddle {for you Horsegirl} and back into tracking food, eating enough protein, {have been losing a lot of my hair :-( } and working out. Still, with all the wrong choices I've made, I'm just up and a lb or two on any given day. That in itself is amazing! Kymie: congrats on your fill and your major loss this week. Keep it up, or shall I say, down??? Continue to enjoy the honeymoon stage, and thereafter. :-) Horsegirl: Love the LS 5 mile fat burning dvd. I have 3 different dvd's of hers and I have to say, when I first got it a good yr or so ago, I thought it would be a piece of cake! {I was once a roller skating nut going 10 miles a night 3-4 nights a week, back in the day} and then speed walking 4-5 miles on weekends on the Jersey Shore boards for years. DUH! Ok, I'm older and much heavier now, but her dvd gets you and your heart rate going! I now just use the 5 mile one and now, having lost lots of weight, and have my endurance, I enjoy throwing this into the mix of cardio workout dvds. I have to say, I think her dvd is the one thing that has contributed big time in shrinking my booty by a good 10 inches! I've used lots of different dvds however, her's is the best when it comes to walking. Oh yeah, plus the Firm like JDI has said. They really get your lower body burning too! Good luck with it. Nicole!: enjoy your much needed vacay. Hopefully you'll have some time to step away from the family dynamic and take a walk by yourself. I have issues with my stepdaughter who is visiting for the summer from time to time and her dad, instead of going to the fridge as well as a drink or two, I now walk away to the bedroom, close the door and read a book for the time being. It's been working. Good luck. Speaking of stepdaughter, she decided to sign up for a 3 week class with LA Boxing nearby. I take her and sit there and read while I wait for her. OMG, it' a heavy duty class of conditioning for a good 45 min and then either boxing, or doing martial arts for the next 15 minutes. The owners are trying to talk me into signing up but I'm still on the fence. Still think I'll wait until I meet my goal weight, get more endurance under my belt, and maybe, just maybe I'll take her boxing gloves and sign up in the winter months! Meantime, I'll get out my kickboxing dvds and practice!

Steve, I think you just might have a idea for a book there! Sounds great to me!

I had the same question when I was thinking of getting the lapband surgery. I had thyroid cancer 8 yrs ago, no thyroid at all now, but just taking meds. My Endo keeps me hyperthyroid which is overactive, hypo IS underactive. {to keep the cancer at bay} on high doses of thyroid meds. I've lost 50lbs in 5 mths, I'm 57, not a young 'chick' but still young. My Endo has been decreasing my medication each month as I've been losing weight and so far so good. I've plateaued for the past month but I believe it's due to my not working out due to the heat. I am back working out and know I'll see the numbers on the scale going down. Besides making the right food choices, exercise is crucial with keeping on the program losiing weight and maintaining. Good luck.

I decided to incorporate my work outs with the pool and it felt soooo good. I actually put on a one piece bathing suit {probably a good 10 yrs old and just to wear in the backyard} socks, sneakers, fitbit and sportswatch {what a sight that was} and did a fast 2 miles of Leslie Sansone's fatburning DVD. No way could I do all 5 miles today in this heat and no a/c in my gym room. I was drenched afterwards and just took off the accessories and dove into the pool!

Nicki: The Firm DVD's are tough so I commend you on doing them. And like Chrissy said, we shouldn't deny ourselves of anything. Moderation and portion control is what it's about. I am not a major ice cream person myself but this summer for some reason, I am enjoying a large soft vanilla ice cream cake cone once a week from a summer ice cream shop near the ocean. Don't know the calories so can't track them but I do put it in my journal for the day. I'm sure it's a good 300 calories. I should just enter a generic one in and go from there to keep me honest. I also agree with you Nicki that this band keeps us positive even when we have a negative going on in our lives. Even if we fall off the bandwagon, mentally, for me anyway, I don't get all upset over it. Yesterday I had some potato chips because we had them in the house. I'm more of a cheez doodle person myself so not sure if it was a test but I only had a small bowl full instead of taking the whole bag outside with me while reading like I've donw before WLS. That's a good thing. Water weight is just that. It'll always be an up & down with that. Again, as long as we're seeing it in our clothes, etc. a pound or two isn't going to be a big deal. It's all about inches as well. Chrissy, I recall you saying you do not have a DVD player. Walking, Jumping Jacks, ok, just saying. For my biceps and arms, my arms are too weak to do pushups, so I do them against the kitchen counter {wall, anything shoulder length} in between commercials at night. I also do the tricep workout on an ottoman as well to firm up the upper torso. One of these days, I'll be able to do a military pushup and if I can't, that's ok too. :-) Walking in the heat we're having is just no fun. So, I did 20 min of the JM Yoga Meltdown. Oy! I couldn't finish the last 10 min but got a good workout in just the same. Amazing how it builds cardio as well as strength. I had my 'WonderWoman' sportline watch which has pulse, calorie, pedometer readings and my pulse got up to 148+. Looking forward to alternating this DVD with my Leslie Sansone DVDs. I'm back on track and in the saddle!

Chrissy, congrats on the NSV, and yes, going down a size is definitely an NSV. Don't beat yourself up over the scale not moving. There is no way any of us could lose that amount of weight, you being the most, and 2 days before my surgery, in such a short amount of time. { 6 mths this week for you & I} I think we're all doing great, learning to live with our new found friend, the lapband. We've all had ups & downs in our lives but as long as we're learning to control our {eating} emotions, it's a NSV all the way. I agree with Nicole, to change our goals to being more aware of our bad habits and turning them into positive ones. The scale will follow. Now, my goal today is to get my arse up in the gym. I bought Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown DVD to get me inspired. Haven't looked at it yet, but just looking at her picture of the cover of the DVD scares the hell out of me! LOL

Hi Gals, I'm back as promised. Had some company the past week so just threw an eye in here and a quick post. Nicole1: I like the idea of behavior changes as a goal, with or without losing weight because in the end, if we continue to change our old habits, we'll eventually lose the weight! I've been slacking off with journaling, tracking, Water, and exercising. Not even my FitBit got me motivated! No excuses but I can name many but that would be an old behavior now wouldn't it? :-) I got back to working out, bought all new Vitamins {I stopped with them too} got the Fitbit on, and getting my mojo up and running. Did Leslie Sansone's 5 mile burning fat DVD yesterday. One would think walking is a piece of cake but I have to say, she can kick your butt and feel a great workout afterwards. Kymie: thanks for the website re: calculating our weight loss. I'm at 21.28% so far. I never like numbers before when it came to weight but I do now!!! Erica: Glad to hear you had a great vacay and you didn't let your lapband get in the way. Although you enjoyed what you ate, it was a treat, and not a treatment as my mother would say, and you worked out on the beach and burned it off. 2lb gain is not bad and now you even lost it. I lived a block from the beach before moving and every weekend, I would walk barefoot in the sand before the world got up. It was a great workout as well as being blessed to be at the Jersey Shore. I also agree with the other's here re: betrayal at work. Shame on them but glad to hear you rose above it! They'll all be enying you as you continue on your journey to become the Lapband model! :-) JDI: Talk about work outs, the Firm really is an awesome workout! I haven't seen the newest version of the DVD's but have the old 'cassettes' and they surely pack a punch when it comes to the hips, thighs and butt! You go girl! Chrissy: What a dilemma you have, what with your skirts getting too big! Don't you just love it? Of course, it's an added expense but well worth it in the end. During the summer months I've always worn the mid thigh broomstick skirts since I would never wear shorts and couldn't find cropped pants that would fit properly. I've noticed now, the waistbands are stretched out somewhat and actually hiding my 'thinness'. I mentioned here earlier in the week that I bought hiking shorts and just love them and feel no one is looking at me saying or thinking 'who does she think she is wearing clothes like that'? Too late in the season to find cropped pants but that's ok. I'm sure I have some in storage for next summer. {size 10}. Chrissy, hope the humidity has broken where you are and in Kentucky and all across the country. We had a few storms and our humidity finally broke. It's 70 deg here this morning at the Jersey Shore and it's gorgeous. Slept with the windows open last night which I love to do so I can hear the birds chirping early in the a.m. Ladybandito: Glad to hear the irritation is gone. I think we can all relate to that at one time or another. Your doctor sounds like he/she is very conservative with their philosophy on WLS. My Dr is and I'm ok with that. Are you losing in inches? I don't get crazy about the numbers on the scale. Since doing the surgery, if I've gone up 2lbs at anyone time, I'm am over joyed. Prior to surgery, I could go up a good 5lbs at any given time, and continue! I mainly go by my clothes and how the fit as well as the scale. Speaking of which, I am at a plateau for the past month and now stepping up my game and bought a Yoga DVD to get me inspired. I use to do yoga back in the day. It seems to be the rage around here so I thought it would be good to do on my non cardio days. I had another NSV yesterday which will stay with me for a loooonnnnggg time. My 16 yr old step daughter is visiting from SC. We've had our differences over the years like lots of step moms/daughters. She use to always say things to me or about me re: my big butt!. She came home at Easter time and was surprised my 'big butt' wasn't so big. Yesterday, I happened to be in the bedroom with a tank top and undies getting ready to change and she came in. She said, :omg, your butt"!!! I I looked in the mirror and thought it grew over night when she said, "it looks awesome"!!! LOL Ok, flabby but much smaller and awesome! I'll take it!!! LOL

Hi Gals, I'll get back to you all after I catch up on your recent posts. I had a nice NSV moment today. We go off road jeep riding in the fall with about 100 others' up in the Catskills. I always admired other women wearing Columbia hiking shorts and convertible shorts/pants but could never get them in my size. Besides if I could get them in my size, they certainly wouldn't look good like the much thinner gals. :-( I decided to go shopping in a normal store today and went to the Premium Outlets near by. I passed Lane Bryant and Dress Barn and never looked twice before heading to the Columbia store. Not only did I get two pr of khaki hiking shorts, $16@ on major sale, but also bought a pr of convertible hiking shorts/pants in size 16 khaki's which are still snug but know they'll fit by the end of Sept when we go to the Catskills. And, they were only $29.00 on sale. So, now that's my incentive to get my ass and my side hams in gear and get moving and thin them out some more. Those pants are not made to 'give' and look so much better with less meat on the thighs. :-) Can't wait to wear them!

Nicole1, my husband said the same thing but amazingly did the trick.Although, I fear I might be able to eat more then I should be. This weekend wasn't a great time to 'test' out the band since we we're off our routine. Food shopping today and getting back on track will be the test for me, mentally& physically as well. I have stopped posting on MFP and Fitbit the past few weeks which isn't like me as well as not working out. I think I need to get my ass in gear before it starts to get big again!!! LOL Getting bored eating the same ol' same ol' foods and running out to Barnes & Noble to get a cookbook for 'banders" today and start thinking out of the box and find some healthy recipes with great garden fresh foods, herbs & spices. They don't call the NJ state the Garden state for nothing! I had a mini reunion the other night. The town nearby where I grew up had a major fire and 51 families are without homes {apartment complex}. They were asking for donations of all kinds. Both my DH & I went through our closets and donated 3 huge hefty garbage bags of 'big'clothes to the township. I finally got him to get rid of all his big shirts he still wears since losing 30lbs after lapband surgery in March. It was a win-win for all! God bless them.

Finally, I can eat after having 0.3 cc's taken out yesterday with no problem. I went out to dinner last night with friends, ordered my favorite pasta pesto dish with crumbled sausage fennel. Knowing full well I couldn't eat it after just having an unfill,and drinking liquids, I took it home with me and ate it tonight. Now, the big problem is I was able to eat more then I probably should have! I'll chalk it up to drinking liquids the past 24 hours and by body craved it. :-) My husband brought home a syringe from work filled with water just now to show me exactly how much 0.3 cc's is. Photo attached. Amazing that little amount really can wreak that much havoc on one's body.

LadyB, good luck with the band and hope it's nothing serious. Please keep us posted when you get back from the doctor's. Long post?? My everyday posts are long! Sorry guys, I am a talker. :-)

Kudo's Nicole with your NSV list! I can definitely relate to most of those on your list. We have to remember, it's just not the numbers on the scale but how we feel, look and all the extras that come along with the lapband. I finally went for another unfill this morning. He took out .3cc's and told me he could see it was needed. I asked him if it's possible to be in the green zone with such a small amount of fill {as Nicki} mentioned and he agreed, it does happen. We'll see how things go in the next few weeks. I'm just so glad to finally say, "Uncle", as I was fighting it for some time just thinking it was the way I ate, chewed, bit, etc. It was periodic but this week it seemed everything I put into my mouth, I got stuck and PB'd 3-4 times. Not good. Hope this does it so I can eat normally, as well as getting enough protein in me. I'm losing my hair and I'm not liking that. This too shall pass. Onward and upward. Thanks for your words of encouragement, support and love. Sweet blessings today to all!

I'm 5.5 months out from lapband surgery. Lately having problems with getting stuck from time to time. Drinking less protein drinks, and eating less food for the most part. I'm losing my hair and getting acne on my forehead which never happens anymore. Starting to eat a little more and trying to get in one protein drink in a day but wondering if anyone has taken prenatal vitamins in place of One a day's etc. I would think it has more vitamins then any normal one a day plus more but not sure. Anyone here take any and if so, what's your feeling on them?

LadyB, I will! Good luck with your upcoming fill. Any reason why you've waited so long in between fills? You have a good outlook on your slow weight loss. Better to lose then to gain is correct. I'm looking at your signature and I notice you have 2cc's in you. I'm at 3cc and finally going in tomorrow to get another unfill. I've been having lots of stucks and PB's this past week that it's just time to give up the ghost as they say. Actually, tomorrow is my 6 week follow up for another fill but I just can't do it. Looking forward to be able to eat again without any problems and hope there's nothing wrong with my band. Again, good luck to you and keep the positive attitude.

So true, Chrissy, I second all that you said. Just think about it ladies, when our weight has fluctuated with the lapband, I know I can speak for myself, I can put or 4-5lbs in a nanosecond if I go off the diet {before WLS} and then get discouraged and then continue the eating frenzy. From what I'm seeing here, if we gain, it's only seems to be a pound or two and that's nothing. Nicole, even though you went "down under" for a bit, you were teetering on a 2lb gain in the past month! That's awesome in my book! We also have to remember, being banded is just a part of our world, we all have a life surrounded around this new journey. If we had financial, marital, kids, career, etc etc. problems before, the lapband doesn't change that. We have to change it or work with it. I have my down times too from time to time. I've been bad and haven't really exercised although I'm still losing weight. Our "gym" room is not a/c'd. I really need to get up there early in the a.m. when it's cooler but I haven't. Shame on me. I will and I'm not going to beat myself up about it. Like Chrissy said, "we are an awesome group of women" who are bonded together due to our band and hope we continue. Whether we go on everyday and post or through an eye in, we all know we're there for one another. Love you guys! Now for my NSV. Going out with HS friends for dinner tomorrow night and tried on a pr of size 18 LaneBryant cropped pants I bought 1.5mth ago. Tags still on. Tried them on and they literally fell off me! Took them back today w/receipt. No more summer clothes there however, I found my favorite Seven Jeans they carry there on the sales rack. For my 30lb loss I treated myself to a pr which was a size 18 and paid an arm & a leg for them knowing full well I wouldn't be wearing them forever but I just had to have them. Well, they're too big even to be tailored so I gave them to a friend who could use them. I found a pr, size 16 and they cost $19.00!!! When I saw that, I ran back to the rack and got the last size 14 for that price! What the heck, at those prices it was a steal! I have to say, I've been wearing my prairie skirts, {my uniform lately, with tank tops} and haven't worn slacks in 2 mths. When I put those jeans on, I was shocked to see how thin I was. I say that because I am pear shaped so of course that's always the last to go! Like Oatknam,and other's I'm sure, I still see the 235lb matronly woman in the mirror some times. Not today! I looked like an 18 yr old with great curves! Not only will I be having dinner with HS friends tomorrow night, { they've seen me at my 30lb loss} but we have a mini reunion on Saturday night with a good 100 HS people I graduated with 39 yrs ago. They saw me last year at my heaviest. Even one of the guys I knew from the neighborhood was surprised how heavy I had gotten. That's ok, he was kind to me. So, this year, I can't wait to see them!

Ok, my Savannah goal will be 7lbs, 180. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....

Thanks, Nicki. Didn't know one can be in the green zone on such a small amount of fill. Of course, I'm wondering if it's the very spicy blackened filet tips I had the other night that started this off. Perhaps I didn't give it time as I nibbled on more spicy food {almonds} yesterday. Duh! I probably should've just gone back to basics, drinking protein drinks all day yesterday to calm down the lapband, esophogus and stomach. Even drinking liquids wasn't easy to do as I was tight, and gurling all day and night. Feel a little better today, not as tight. So, instead of calling the doctor, I'm playing doctor and doing liquids all day and seeing if things calm down. Just a little blip in life. :-) Chrissy and Amica: It's weird to think there are so many places to shop now. I went to the mall last week just to look around. I never go to the mall. I shop online and LB mostly. I think I need a lesson on Shopping 101 for a thinner me! I'm still wearing my old broomstick skirts {elastic waists} with {small} tank tops and belts now. Haven't really gone out to check what's out there for me. I'm not working right now so I'm ok to wear yoga pants and shorts and my go to skirts to get me buy for the summer. Fall will be a different story. The dreaded jeans shopping hopefully won't be so dreaded. :-)

Lucy, go with your gut instinct. There will always be people out there telling you horror stories. I'm in medicine and have worked in a fast pace eye surgeons' office for years. Everytime some new procedure came out that was FDA approved, our docs researched it to the nth degree before deciding on performing on their patients or for that matter their families. The news and magazines would put a negative twist to the procedures and we just bit the bullet and waited for it to die down. Research your surgeons', nutritionists, etc in the group. Make sure you have a great support system with them. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Listen to what they say. I learned a lot of info on here that the surgeon's practice didn't tell me since there's so much to know and learn. Be patient with the lapband, and yourself. It takes time to understand the workings and everyone's experience can be different. It's a tool that you will always have to work with, it doesn't do the job for you. My cousin had her lapband done 12 years ago in Atlanta and she still has it and has had no problems what so ever over the years. I wish you well in making the right decision for you. It's the best thing my husband & I did and we wish we did it sooner, like so many other's on here say.

Great advice from all here which I am taking literally. I've been having some difficulty lately as well. Only have 3cc's in my band and after my fill 5 weeks ago, I've had a few stuck episodes, blaming my not chewing enough, but not sure if it's that or the band. Finally this weekend, ate some blackened filet tip which went down well after consciously chewing, then 20 min later had 2-3 sips of coffee and I've felt that feeling in my throat all weekend. The meat was real spicey which I like but wondering if the spice set off some irritation and swelling. Stupidly, I ate spicy almonds yesterday and some spicey chips last night, yes, I did say stupidly, and I had a major PB. Still feel the lump in my throat and tightness this morning but the latter is normal for me. Thinking of calling surgeon today to get an unfill. Crystal, I hope we both are able to get the relief we need. Good luck to you and again, thanks to all with the great advice. I thought I was the only one with such a small amount of fill in me since my surgery in late January.

Need to call the surgeon's office tomorrow and get in for an unfill. Don't know what's going on but I can't keep anythig down without discomfort or gurgling. I only have approx 3cc's in my band! Hope I'm not having a problem with the band itself. It is what it is but it sucks right now! Sorry guys!