Mish1908

Hi Sue, thank you and I have added you to my friends on my fitness pal. Kemisha

Also try taking Biotin. I was experiencing the same thing and started taking 1000mg of Biotin daily and my stylist told me that my hair is starting to feel thicker. I never told her that I have a lapband or that I starting taking biotin, so it may be worth a try.

Hi Everyone! I wanted to check in and say that I have joined the ranks and joined my Fitness Pal. I have started logging my food and exercise. My name is Mish1908 on there as well. I can kick my self in the rear because I should have done this from the start. I cant say that I have put forth the best effort in really getting to know my band, but better late than never. I really want to be successful and realize that I have got to put in the effort. I am going to own this and say that my unsuccess is my totally my fault. But, I feel like I am just now taking my band seriously. Reason being, my hair starting thinning and weight was not coming off like others. My doctor told me that I am not getting the proper nutrients and not eating enough or right foods. I came to terms with it and realized that I didnt know what to eat, when to eat it, or how much to eat. After a class with my doctor, I think I am starting to get with it. I started last week with clean eating and signed up for Good Measure Meals. I am learning that planning is the key to success. My doctor told me that I had to make myself eat even when I am tight in the mornings. Because I was waiting to eat around 10:30am or 11am and that was the first no-no that was pointed out. I have said all of this to say that I have lost 8 pounds since my doctor visit on Feb 4th. I have kicked up my exercising. Honestly speaking, FOOD has been my challenge. Eating and eating the right things is where I feel like I am so far behind in the game compared to others. So I am paying for it literally, I needed to see what the correct portions looked like. I am a visual learner, so purchasing the meals are teaching me what I need to eat daily. Thank God for doctors who really care about their patients and their success. Kemisha

I just joined my fitness pal today. My username is Mish1908. I am having a hard time adding friends. It seems to be asking for Facebook or email addresses.

Hello Everyone! Today is my Bandiversary---YAY!!! One year old today. I have to say that we have been through some things, but all is well now. Since some of the Fluid has been taken out, I have been feeling good these days. I will go back for a check up on Feb 3rd. But so far so good. I have purchased the book on carb cycling and will too be joining in on this way of eating. I am hoping that it will help me get out of my plateau. Kemisha

JustDoIt130- thanks for asking... I went this morning at 8:30a for the upper GI and the dr said that my band is in place, BUT...here we go.... As he was watching the barium traveling down my esophagus, it was very slow which is why when I eat and drink it feels like a mack truck sitting on my chest. My esophagus is extremely swollen (my terminology) or bigger than what it should be which he says can lead to a esophagus spasm. Which happens when the esophagus starts acting like a muscle to try to move whatever is stuck in there out. To put this in perspective..it looks like I have a stomach on top of my band (the esophagus) and a stomach below my band. On a good note- I do not have reflux. Which means the prescription prilosec the ENT prescribed me really wasnt doing what I thought it was. He says because of my esophagus issues, its behavior would make one think I had reflux. So he is going to sent the results to my bariatric surgeon and go from there. Basically, he says that more Fluid needs to come out my band...but you know how protective we bandsters are about our FILLs and I am screaming, NO WAY is anymore fluid coming out. I bout had a fit when they took out .5ccs yesterday leaving me at a mere 6.7ccs in my band.

Happy New Year Everyone!! I wanted to provide an update on my status. I just left the doctor's about me not being able to drink and/or eat the last few days because my condition got extremely worse since 12/31. I went to the gym that day and did my cycling and 80 crunches, and having been really sick since. The doctor took out .5ccs to give me some relief and is sending me for an upper GI to see if my band has slipped. I am praying this is not the case. So now I am down to 6.7ccs in my band. I am feeling some relief, but still a little concerned about band slippage. Praying hard for some good news.... Kemisha

Holiday Greetings Everyone!!! OMG it has been forever since I have posted....my my my how time has flown by since we first began this journey. Well, after catching up on all of the post. I can identify with everyone on success and issues. As a matter of fact, I am going through a time now. I only have 6.6 ccs in my band and feeling really tight. The weird thing is that I can eat ice cream, cookies, candy really well with no "episodes" as I like to call them. But when it comes to salad and other healthy foods, I am having "episodes" where I am not able to digest and it comes back up because I can breathe if I sit there. I told my husband that I will have to discuss this with my dr because I can't be successful with this type of eating behavior. I am at an absolute loss here in terms of what to do. I have to eat and can not live on ice cream and sugar. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. I am so proud of my fellow January Bandsters!!! You all seem to be doing really well. I promise that I will stay in touch more often Kemisha

Hi Kymie and others that are plateauing! I believe we are all in the same place and let me help you with what helped my system get back on the weight losing track. A good fitness friend of mine said that my body has adjusted to what I was doing and I needed to shock my body back into weight loss mode. So he told me to eat stuff that I would not normally end. High in calories, e.g. bread. I havent eaten bread since my pre-op diet in Dec. I ate stuff like sweets e.g. a cookie here and there. I did this for about a week and last week I lost 4 pounds. PLEASE PLEASE do not decrease your calories. You are putting your body in starvation mode and when you do eat, it will hold on to whatever food it gets and will not metabolize it properly. Which will put your metabolism back where all of ours were prior to lapband. That was mostly why all of us are overweight. Continuing the excercise but PUSH UP your CALORIC intake. I promise you that will help. I have been distant from the site because I was so down because I hadnt lost any weight for like 3 weeks and didnt understand why. Then this little (which it seemed at the time), but turned into BIG piece of advice has my body in the losing mode again. Love you all and lets keep this losing train moving!!! Kemisha

Although I have no weight change. I have reached and exceeded my goal as far as my dress size. I am definitely in a solid 12W. Can I just say that I have not seen a 12W since I was in 7th grade %%years ago. EXCITED for the little things. This is definitely a NSV....YAY!!! I try to see the happier side of things, since the scale isnt moving and I have had 2 fills. I am definitely seeing the inches melt away. Still happy and excited... :-)

Im coming in at 244 again, no weight loss but, I did lose 1 inch in waist and half inch in hips. So glad I didnt gain....Be happy for this little things All should change though, I got a fill today!!!

Name, real or screen~ Mish1908 Goal weight for March 30th~235 Weight on March 1st~244 Age~36 Dietary goal for March~ Increasing water intake and vitamins Exercise goal for March~ Crunches; working on my stomach getting tone Personal goal for March~ Getting into a size 14 Date banded~1/9/12 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~26lbs What is your favorite outdoor excercise/activity~Walking and Zumba

I need some help on my belly button. I had surgery on Jan 9th. My belly button incision is healing I guess, but the smell worries me. More importantly, I went to clean it tonight and noticed than I can see a flap of meat(so to speak) inside of my belly button. I had my fiance look at it closely to tell me if I need to be more concerned and it appears to still be attached inside my belly button. SOMEONE, PLEASE tell me if this is normal or should I be high-tailing my butt to an emergency room?????

Hi CMD1480, I travel for work every week. And actually I find it quite easy. It is really a mindset change in how you look at food. It helps to plan out where you want to eat. I always look at a menu and make sure I know ahead of time what I am going to order. I also, keep a few bottles of High Protein Ensure with me in case I need it. I try to make my eating while traveling easy, but I admit the temptation is strong. The hardest part for me is walking in the airport. Because I live in Atlanta and this is the one of the world's busiest airport and every restaurant and sweets shoppe is in here. So I have to have tunnel vision when in the airport because the brownies, Cookies, ice cream are everywhere. I never realized until post band but bread and Fried food is everywhere. It amazes me at how most all restaurants cater to sandwiches and hardly no variety of Soup. I eat regular foods, but I eat alot of soup. Surprisingly, I am down 26lbs since surgery Jan 9th and I travel every week(Mon thru Thursday) for my job. So you can do it. You have got to get your mind right before you leave your house!!!

Hello Everyone! It seems that I can't get on here like I did pre-surgery. I had my surgery Jan 9th and first fill on Feb. 17th. I only received 3cc in 10cc band. My next fill is March 16th (tentatively, but I am going to see if I can move this up). But to your point Hannah, I am no longer able to do breakfast either until mid morning. Also, I have issues at night as well. My doctor told me that I am waiting too long between meals to eat. So, I am trying to work on that, but I am not hungry and literally have to remember to eat. However, I think that will change in the next week or so. My hunger didnt start until right before my first fill last month. I am assuming that will be the case this time as well. I will weigh myself in the morning, kind of excited. I travel for my job Monday through Thursday and look forward to the Friday weigh ins. My doctor told me to stay off the scale and go by how my clothing fits versus what the scale reads. I do that, but I kinda like seeing what the scale reads. I hope I wont be disappointed. Everyone keep your head up! Our change is definitely in progress :-) The hard part was getting approved for the surgery....(at least in my opinion). Now is the part where we can show that we can beat the challenge of eating healthier and exercising. Take care everyone! Kemisha :-)

Hello Fellow January 2012 Bandsters! It has been too long since I last posted. I had my first fill today and nothing like I expected. The nurse didnt numb me up before inserting the hooked needle into my port. But it was like a sting and it took all of 5 seconds. I got 3ccs today. So the liquid diet sucks, but I know as of Sunday I can move on to pureed foods. I guess the next 6 days is better than the last 6 weeks. My nurse also informed me to not expect a drastic change until after the 3rd fill. Has anyone else heard that? She said I should really feel restriction after my 4th fill. I only have a 10cc band. So I guess I will hold on until April. My wedding is June 16th, so I am ready to get to that green zone.

Dwiley56- What are protein shots? What is the brand and where do you find them?

Hi Mag! I can sympathize with you on the scale thing. Actually, when I went to postop yesterday the scale went up two pounds to 255. I got real upset and told the nurse. And she said to STOP weighing myself. She had lapband as well and knows what I am going through. She said that what she did was judge by how her clothes fit, not the scale. SO, maybe you and I can do the same. I agreed and said that I was going to try to stop weighing. Also, my menstrual cycle decided to finally show up, she said that is why I gained 2lbs that wasnt there two days before as well. Good job on the meal choice! I am so missing chinese food right now, but I have just graduated to mushie stage. The nurse told me to eat chunky Soup so I can start practicing on my chewing. I tell you what...I have never been so happy to see vegetable beef soup and turkey chili with Beans in all my life....Praising God for the litttle things...LOL.

Lovelee P, You have to get your 60g of protein in even on the clear liquid diet. That is probably why you are dizzy. The protein will give you energy and keep you mostly full. Not all the way, BUT mostly!!! So you can put protein in your drinks, applesauce, pudding. Because that is what I did while on my thin liquid phase because those were items my dr had on the list for that phase. I hope this helps...Good Luck! Oh, CONGRATS on the 57lb weight loss!!!!!!!!!

Well believe or not it, my paperwork was sent to UHC on a Friday morning and it was approved that same day. UHC is very prompt in their responses, from my experience.

Hi Everyone! I was banded on Jan 9th and I am still on the clear liquids. My dr wants you on clear liquids 2 weeks, mushies 2 weeks, and then soft solids 2 weeks. I go for my post op visit tomorrow...excited. I am hoping to graduate to mushies!!! The gas pain will eventually fade away. It was ruff on me for a while. But, I started burping in recovery and havent stopped. To top it off, I hiccup and burp on the end. But, I am learning my band. This usually means I have dranked to much at one time and need to stop and sip. I started excerising this week by doing cardio for 30 mins everyday. I feel so great doing it too. Presently, I seem to be losing 1lb a day. My fiance tells me to stop weighing myself daily, but I can't help it because I am noticing how my body is changing. People who see me out is already telling me that my face looks different. Little do they know I have the lapband. I haven't told anyone except my imediate family. None of my friends know what I have done. Needless to say, I can't wait to see what they are going to say in two months.

I was banded Jan 9th. I can't tell when I have to go urinate, still! And I have not had a bowel movement. I have been taking Miralax, but nothing. I just started passing gas yesterday. But I have been burping since I was in recovery. My stomach looks like I am pregnant. I fell as if I can have a BM, I will feel less bloated and gas pain will subside. Any suggestions for me to have a BM? I walk everyday, so I am definitely walking.

Hello Everyone! Well 12 hours from now I will be heading to hospital to get my band! I am feeling nervous, excited, and scared all wrapped up together. What is really on my nerves is my fiance keep asking me how do I feel and am I ready?! Well, today was the last day of the "OLD" me! The next chapter/phase of my life begins. For 36 years I have been overweight! This is truly an emotional journey because I just got comfortable being obese, feeling pretty and loving myself. Now, I am getting ready to venture into unfamiliar terriority and it's scary as heck!!! All kinds of questions and emotions are constantly running in my mind. I am prayed up and ready for my journey. See you on the other side

I was banded this past Monday (Jan9th). I wore a velor jogging suit that zipped in the front and very loose in the waste. That is what my surgeon told me to wear. His main point is to wear something that zips and shoes that I can slip on. And nothing that is tight around your waist. Hope this helps.

Hi Everyone! I was banded today and I am really sore/in pain. My left shoulder bothered me when I first woke up in recovery, but that is all as far as shoulder pain. Most of my pain comes when I try to cough, get up and sit down. I can not sit upright, but slightly laying down. I do not have an appepitite at ALL! I just had my mom put a scoop of unjury powder in some apple juice. As well as, sipping Water. Im very drowsy from the surgery and Loratab pain medicine. I will keep you guys informed as I progress. Oh, I have not experienced any drowisness at all. Probably due to the patch I have on. Well, I am signing off now as my eyes are crossing as I type. Good luck to everyone having surgery coming up!