Fat Girl Slim

Follow your gut instinct. I told my family and a few co-workers. My family was highly supportive and my co-workers were supportive. I have two particular co-workers that are negative about everything tho and complain alot so if they ask me I am going to straight up redirect them on to something else! LOL! The last thing I need is some old bird buttin into my business just so they can indirectly put me down or be negative!

I was banded 4/20/12, yesterday, and I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone on this website for all of your contributions. Before I was banded I read many posts both positive and negative and the information was soooooooooo beneficial to allow me to learn what I was getting myself into. I have already experienced many positive benefits from the start of this journey! 1) I lost 18 pounds on pre-op diet..went from 217 and weighed in at surgery yesterday at 199 pds., 2) on pre-op diet I had more time and energy on my hands to hang with my kids instead of stuffing my face and then going to sleep after work, 3) pre-op diet made me learn that I eat from boredom and sometimes my emotions, 4) and my legs are no longer swollen after work since I began the pre-op diet! Man! our food choices can really do a number on our bods! Today I have slight pain and feel like I did a 1,000 sit ups......but I am able to walk or for the most part I am functional. I was prescribed pain meds, anti-nausea and am taking gas-x which has really helped. On a pain scale from 1 to 10 I am about a 5. This pain has been completely tolerable but my mom told me that day 3 from any surgery is usually the worst ......yikes! But for now I am okay. I have four incisions on my tummy and they are really no big deal. Basically they are four slits in four different places. My pre-op diet is puro 2 to 4 ozs of Protein shakes for every meal. I am also to consume lots of Water and broth if I'd like. I am becoming a connoisseur on broth! LOL! I still have not grown tired of it either. So yesterday the surgery was a zip. I was in pre-op for a couple of hours due to docs running late......in pre-op the RN took my weight, reviewed my medical hx, answered any questions I had and started my IV gave me prevacid and some med to dry out any secretions in my throat/esophagus via IV. Then when surgeon and anesthesiologist arrived they reviewed my medical hx again and answered my questions. At that point the anesthesiologist rolled me to the operating room and gave me something via IV. He said,"This might make you dizzy." Whatever he gave me started to take affect and I was so scared I could hear my pulse on their monitor going 100 mph! The nurses comforted me and then I was out like a light! And then I woke up a chatter box in recovery ! This surgery was a breeze..........I was so scared though when they rolled me into the operating room. I HATE ! having surgery! And that is because I am afraid that I may not wake up or "they might find something". I am looking so forward to moving along and staying healthy. My initial goal to weigh is 150 and then 130. Good luck to everyone considering the lap band. So far this has been worth every cent I spent. Stay positive and remember you did or are doing this for YOUR HEALTH. Your family and friends need you here! May God bless all of you !

I was banded yesterday. How are you feeling? I feel pretty good so far. Welcome to the site!

I work in the dental field here in Texas, and no I am not a Dentist or Doctor, but the band has nothing to do with teeth turning black. Black teeth are due to a pre-existing condition like decay, discoloration from certain beverages or possible nerve damage within the tooth itself. If you are banded and someone is telling you that you have "black teeth" and that maybe it is due to your diet they are wrong. To put it in laymen's terms......if you have food on your teeth no matter what kind it is and don't brush it off, YA get cavities!

I am self pay also and my surgery is in the morning. What made me consider the lap band is when my nephrologist told me that I will develop kidney disease later in life because of my weight. I am already on Lisinopril/HCTZ for high blood pressure. You need to be healthy for you boys! They need you. I could have paid off my truck with those 10 g's but my health is more important. My kiddoes need me. You know, I came home from work one day and noticed that my legs were swollen......I actually had pitting edema like when I was pregnant. That edema sure as hell was a wake up call! Let's see....I already have hypertension, am overweight and my sis has Type I Diabetes! No thanks! I could already see my grimm future being overweight! I am scared to have the surgery but it's do or die! Stay positive! Consider this......maybe the general anesthesia is still lingering in your system and causing you to be down in the dumps...

I have my surgery in the morning as well 4/20/12! YAY! Good luck to us!

Hello everyone! I will be banded sometime at the beginning of April 2012 and am very concerned about having general anesthesia. I would appreciate anyone's input on what to expect before and after surgery regarding general anesthesia. I have asthma and am concerned regarding how the anesthesia can affect my asthma. I am very excited to take this journey and hope to achieve my goal weight. I decided to get banded due to health reasons and I don't think my poor body can handle 210 pds on this 5'3 frame. My goal is 125 but I will be happy if I simply made it to 140 pds. Everyones input and suggestions are always welcome. Thanks everyone and have a blessed day! Georgiana.

I am getting banded mid-April and want to know how I should feel physically the following 2-3 weeks post surgery? I have asthma so I am concerned. Thanks everyone!

Rachel, you are so right! Being obese is likely to put someone 6 feet under just as well. I am very apprehensive about getting the surgery. But I figure if I do not get the surgery I am jeopardizing my own longevity!

Thanks Miller, Shannon, Toddy, Jen and Mnt! I hope ya'll experience much success w/ the band. I cannot wait to get this over with.

HA! HA! Now you have my kind of humor! LOL! I would have thought the same thing......I cannot wait to get this over with!

I haven't heard of chest tightness due to band but I am concerned about chest tightness due to asthma......I was curious to know if your asthma acted up because you received general anesthesia? Or has your asthma acted up due to getting banded?

Your the best Violet! I really needed to hear this. I should be getting banded mid-April. How did you feel two weeks post-surgery? Any chest tightness?

So how have you been doing since surgery? This is another concern I have......how do you feel the following two weeks after surgery? Does your throat or esophageal area feel swollen or sore?

Christina, thanks for taking the time to respond to my concerns. I deeply feel that if I do not go through w/ this lap band procedure I'll end up "going under" for something else like a heart attack or stroke. My weight is at an all time high this year. I was cleared w/ the medical director last week from True Results to have surgery so I am looking at getting banded mid-April. My first c-section back in 2000 was under general and I simply hate how shallow my breathing was that day upon waking up. I have developed asthma since then and I am afraid "going under" will cause me pneumonia post operatively. I am FORCING myself to stay positive and look at all the benefits the band promotes. Thank you for your support!

Allison thanks for such an inspirational post. I will be banded sometime in April 2012 and I am a little scared but I know in the end it will be sooooooo worth it!