jen_1381

Pretty random, huh?! Since yesterday I've had episodes where it feels like my heart is beating in my throat. I've had SVT in the past (super fast heart rhythm) so it was a little concerning, after two heart ablations I can't have another, I'll need a pacemaker, so I was a little worried (pacemaker at 28 - NO THANKS!!). I met with my PCP today and she thought that it could be a few things, either the vagal nerve getting irritated by my band, not eating enough calories, or dehydration. I could buy into the vagal nerve thing because it does affect me after fills. I'm only taking in around 600-800 calories a day and burning about half with cardio daily, but I'm drinking around 80-100 ounces of water a day. My heart was in normal rhythm, blood pressure was great. Her suggestion was to up my calories or try to correlate the feeling to something specific. Hmmm...not sure what to do. Plans! I'm a total planner, but I never have anything to do. Make sense? When something comes up to do, I plan it all out, but really my life is boring and all I do is sleep, work, jog, repeat. For some reason, maybe because I'm finally living my life, I have SO much to do. Every weekend for the next month and a half I have "stuff". New concept for me, I love my free time, and I kinda feel like being committed to something and having things to do puts me back into my OCD-ish mode of becoming a control FREAK. (In case you're new to my journey...after the psych eval for WLS, it came about in a round-about way that I have PTSD from a childhood trauma, and my way of dealing was to ALWAYS be busy, never sit still, and if I HAD to sit still I would keep my hands busy by eating...and got to 243 lbs). After seeing a couselor for a few sessions, I took on a whole new lease on life. I go with the flow, relax, read more, only clean my house every few days instead of for an hour every day (no kids to mess it up either, just a little over the top about cleanliness). Having things locked down that I have to do kind of sets me into this frenzy, I realized today. Hmmm...something else to think about a solution for. And lastly and most importantly, I just have to say it feels SO great being successful with my lap band journey. I've never dealt well with failure, and tend to dive into things head first and never come up for air, so seeing the scale slide further and further down feels AMAZING. For the first time in my life, I think I feel proud of myself! My husband asked me last night if I was sure I wanted to have my goal so low (it's at 160, and I'm 5'8", he's worried I may look too thin). I assured him that I don't want to get too thin (what a concept to think about though!!) and I would see how I felt once I got there. I may want to go lower, may want to gain a few pounds (another mind-blowing concept!). My coworker asked today how much more I would like to lose and when I said 35-40 lbs, she said she thought that may be too skinny. Again, people with this skinny business!! Although I value their opinion and concern, this is something I'm doing for me, and assured them that when I get to a weight that I feel healthy I will try to maintain. Have any banders at goal gotten any reponses about being too thin? How do you deal with that?

My husband has always been a strong beliver in mind-over-matter, and that's how I've been getting through my Hell phase. My last fill, bringing me up to 4.5 cc in an 11 cc band, has helped some but I've managed to stick to my diet plan and have been losing the lbs. I just tell my stomach, too bad, get over it, you'll eat when I feed you. Enjoy this water instead

CB2, there are a lot of reason why the band does and doesn't work. I can only tell you what I know personally. My experience so far has been amazing. But, I'm also the "compliant patient" and I do exactly what my doctor and nutritionist says. There were probably reasons that your friend was throwing up all the time that may not of been the bands fault but really her own. There are rules you must follow to be successful with the band. Eating slowly, not combining food and liquids, chewing like crazy. There will be foods you won't be able to tolerate post-op, but most times they're the foods youl shouldn't be having anyways (breads, chips, Pasta, etc). As for your nerves about surgery - completely legitimate and completely normal - but the best thing I found is to make a list of pro's and con's. I know you said the surgery wasn't really a choice, that it was critical to your brain improving, but unless you are 100% on board with this procedure you can fail at it. And lastly, most programs have a psychological eval you have to go through; I highly recommend taking advantage of time with a therapist. If you are an emotional eater, or have a food addiction, you really need to work through it before surgery. Placing the band does not stop hunger, and it won't screen your choices for you. That was a BIG learning curve for me. I wish you all the luck in the world, and keep us posted!

I hear ya there. I had strep throat and the flu when I was supposed to go in to meet my surgeon. I had to cancel since I couldn't talk, and it moved it back 10 looooong days. Hang in there!

I also didn't know I had a hernia, and apparently it was "significant" and took longer than the band to fix. Who would have thought?! I had constant heartburn for months before surgery, but that was my only symptom. I didn't notice any specific pain post-op. My pain wasn't bad at all, I came back to work on Post-Op Day 3. I'm not sure what was hernia repair pain and band placement pain. I did notice that keeping a rotation of hot and cold packs across my abdomen did help, but that was mostly for air and incisional pain.

I LOVE my FitBit. It is this super fancy pedometer that uses the same 3D motion detection that the Nintendo Wii does. You can wear it on your hip or on your bra. It tracks steps taken, the time, how many miles you've walked, how many calories your body has burned, and how many flights of stairs you've climbed. Plus, it comes with a wristband and if you wear it at night, then the next morning plug in what time you went to bed, it will tell you what time you actually fell asleep, how many times you woke up, and the quality of your sleep. The preset goals are 10,000 steps a day (which equals about 5 miles) and 10 flights of stairs. It has TOTALLY helped me increase my activity. I want to hit my goals every day, so I find myself running up and down my staircase at home and running in place instead of sitting.

Oh if we could only pick....I've said for years I want to have the fat lipo'd out of my thighs & tummy and put into my butt. So far I've been lucky to lose porportionately, but my boobs took the first hit. I've lost a full cup size, which is fine with me...but I hope they don't go any smaller!

Well it hit me like a ton of bricks this morning when I stepped on the scale and the first number was a "1" instead of a "2" that this is really working! I don't want to say the band is working for me, because I feel like I'm working with it. I'm doing more than my fair share - jogging or hiking 3-4 miles a day, counting calories like a mad woman, taking my Vitamins religiously. The band gives me that gentle reminder to slow down and eat responsibly because I may not get to eat a whole meal - only eat what my body needs, I can't afford to waste hunger on crap food. I can't say my journey thus far has been hard or easy, but it's been different. Making myself a priority in life was a huge change, and this whole process from the seminar to today has been life-altering. I feel very lucky to have such an amazing weight loss team. Beyond my surgeon, dietician, and coordinator, my team includes my husband, parents, sister, even my coworkers...they all offer their support in different ways and I means the world to me to have it, since before I was the girl that didn't want support. I wish everyone out there in Band Land a successful journey.

I started out at a 40 D, and after about 9 weeks I'm at a 38 C. I pointed out how much extra room there was in my bra the other day to my husband. His response? "I'm so proud of you...but remember, I didn't sign up for THAT!!"

I did surgery, then 2 days of water/protein drinks, 2 weeks of full liquids, 2 weeks of mushies, and then onto regular foods. My "regular" foods consist only of protein, fruit, and veggies. The key with trying new foods is to introduce them one at a time, in case you have a bad feeling after one you'll know which one it was. I'm trying to find ways to spice up my eating plan, but I've kept it pretty basic so far.

That's too funny!!

I would start with your surgeon. You almost sound like you need to start back at the beginning. Make sure your mind is in the right place to lose weight and work with the band though. I'm not criticizing at all, I'm offering support, but saying that ice cream goes down easy, and the Pasta can sometimes go down makes me question your food choices. Unfortunately, the band won't stop you from eating, or trying to eat, anything. It's a combination of the band working to help you feel fuller, faster, and you working for your band. You've got to be committed to the protein/veggies/fruit regimine (or whatever your nutritionist/surgeon recommend). If you're absolutely done with the band, your surgeon might have some better ideas and they can work with your insurance company if you decide on another WLS. Again, please don't take this as me being critical, everyone lives their life differently....I would just hate to see you go through something like the sleeve or bypass and have it be unsuccessful.

Basically the sugar goes straight to your intestinal track instead of being processed through your stomach and you can get very sick - headache, nausea, dizzy, etc. Such a reaction that most people cut out sweets completely if they trigger the dumping syndrome. I was told that it is extremely rare to happen with the band, it's most common with bypass and has been known to happen with the sleeve.

It could be many things - some harmless and some you may want to pay attention to. I would put a call into your doctor and just run it past him or the nurse. I get dizzy spells every now and then but I also have a heart arrythmia issue (I've had two ablations already). Is it related to any certain time a day? Like, maybe you're going too long in between meals? You could be dehydrated, low blood sugar...the possiblities are endless but if you run it past your doctor, and explain you're going out of town tomorrow and it's a concern, he may have some advice for your.

I find that certain...positions...are not as comfortable because of my port placement. Not pain per se, just uncomfortable. But only when I'm bent in half or scrunched up. Okay, yeah, TMI...

Xsentrick - Office Space is the best! That copy machine...

I'm not a pre-bander, I'm about 9 weeks post op, but I do have a "bucket list" for when I'm at goal. The little celebration I've already had was losing enough to fit comfortably in my Victorias Secrets. Funny as it may sound, I bought them a long time ago and never got to wear them, so I did a happy dance when I finally had the nerve to try them on and they were almost too big. On to serious goals - when I hit 160 lbs I'm going to go skydiving. I'm going to buy a whole new wardrobe. I'm going to buy that "little black dress" and hit the town with my sister-in-law. I'm also going to do some sort of organized run - not a marathon by no means, but something smaller. I figure mixing fun rewards in there, along with my serious ones, I'll stay motivated. So far so good.

I have a few of the "10 Minute Solutions" DVD's. My favorite one has pilates, ballet, boot camp, kickboxing, and yoga. I love them because 1) it's only 10 minutes per session and 2) there is a variety of workouts to do. I'm an Insanity girl though. Love it. And TMF - I bought the Hip Hop Abs one...yeah right!! Even at my goal weight I won't be able to move like that!! That, and I have absolutely no coordination

I felt hungry for the first time at about 6 days post-op. I was on a 2 week full liquid diet after surgery (then advanced 2 weeks at a time). I noticed that cream Soups really helped the hunger, but you have to watch the calories in them. If your Protein shakes are getting bland, try adding a splash of sugar free coffee syrup to them (like the Torani's carmel or vanilla). You're starting the trip through "Bandster Hell", the time when your band is either empty or not tight enough, and you have to rely on your willpower to make it through. And you will make it through

Welcome to the forum! Congrats on things moving right along for you. It's a very exciting but also intense time. And you've gotten the best surgery day EVER! (AKA - my birthday!) My husband also changed his eating habits, even though he was only about 15 lbs overweight. The support feels so nice. Good luck to you!

What kind of phone? If it's an iPhone, just go to the app store and search for My Fitness Pal and download it. I'm not sure about Droid phones.

Also - Kiwi - my surgeon highly favored the sleeve. I asked him why, and he explained that besides it being easier to do than bypass, it kind of took the control from the patient. It's becoming the most successful WLS as far as quickness of weight loss and longer term results. He felt that the band patient had to be in the right frame of mind. Out of his 10 post-ops, 2 were well ahead of expectations, 5 were right on track, and 3 were not doing well at all with weight loss. I assured him that my mind was set on the band and that mentally, I was ready. He thought for my starting body type (I started at 243 lbs) that the band would be alright. I get no greater pleasure than going in for every follow-up/fill and proving to him that I'm totally ROCKING this Lap Band!! He's always full of positive compliments for me and my progress.

Very discouraging! I didn't really even tell my PCP until she received some labwork that was abnormal from my pre-op testing. When she asked me about it, and commented on such a thorough work-up, I explained that I had it done as part of the WLS program and that I was getting the lap band. She was both excited and curious. She's relatively new and wasn't completely "up" on bariatric surgery. I've seen her once since surgery, and I had lost 35 lbs, and she was SO happy. If this doctor is an important part of your care, I would either 1) sit and talk with her, let her know that this was an important choice you made for yourself and would appreciate her support, or 2) give her one last try before switching. I've worked along side doctors for the past 8 years and the one thing that I've learned are doctors are people too. They come in a wide variety, but you should never be afraid to speak up to your physician. You've essentially put them in charge of your care, and your opinion deserves the right to be heard.