momlambert

Janet, you make me laugh. it reminds me of many years ago when my three-year-old daughter was staying with my parents-in-law. She took a bath with Grandma, who was then probably about my age now--58. As they got out of the bathtub my little girl pointed to Grandma's boobs and said, "My Mom has those, but they aren't hanger-downers like yours." So funny. And guess what? Mine are now "hanger-downers," too. Grandma loved telling that story--she died last week at 93. I miss her. It's been a trying but good year for me. I had hoped for so much more with the band but with all the stressors I had this year (father's cancer diagnosed the day of my banding, selling two houses, being "homeless" for several months, building and decorating and moving into new house, father passing, mother-in-law passing, and traveling to two opposite sides of the country for the births of two high-risk grandsons, etc.) I'm so grateful for my buddy that really helped me not gain weight. I've had to work really hard this year. I thought I finally got to my "sweet spot" last month but I think I need another fill. I went in last week and told them I thought I was doing fine and finally feeling good restriction (13 fills later) so I didn't have a fill but last night at my grandson's birthday party I was able to eat a piece of pizza--crust and all. That doesn't sound like I'm there yet. But I am close! I just have to be! Good job and congrats on your wonderful losses, fellow Marchies. You are awesome! And Janine, good luck to you on a new part of your journey. I'm so glad you are staying in touch--it just wouldn't be the same without you here! I know I don't post often--I just went back to work full time after, hmmmmm, about 10 years? I'm tired! But I do breeze through the posts every night. Please know you are all inspiring to me! GO MARCHIES 2007!

Oh, Janine, I'm so very, very sorry you lost your band. I just can't believe it! You were doing so well. You are still my hero--you are amazing. Are you feeling better now? I hope you heal well and can be rebanded or do whatever it takes to continue to your goal. Please keep us posted. I'm so glad you are okay--that must have been incredibly scary. Hang in there and trust your instincts and your doctors. Good luck!

so sorry you had problems, slcmommy. Glad you are feeling better! Have you talked to the dr.'s since your ordeal? I'd let them know of your difficulties for sure! They need to correct that if their post-surgical patients can't reach them. That's crazy! I guess I was lucky--never had nausea or difficulty breathing. They did give me a thing to measure breathing and my husband kept insisting that I take deep breaths for the first few days. It did hurt but I guess it's a good thing I did it! The swelling in the port does go down a lot eventually. Unfortunately, the hunger does come back and lasts until you get filled properly--it's called "bandster hell" because you are hungry and are on that horrible liquid and mushy diet and can't eat solid food. It's tough but it passes and is definitely worth it. Some people feel restriction after the first fill--or even before; others (like me) have to have lots of fills (about 9 for me) before they feel any restriction at all. Patience! You'll do great. Good luck!

My doctor actually says two hours after a meal but unlike others on here he says you can drink up until the first bite of food. It works fine for me. I just have to be sure to drink a lot after the 2 hours and before the next meal to get in my day's water--especially since he wants me to eat four small meals a day. Takes some getting used to because I don't like to drink after 6 p.m. to avoid getting up a lot during the night. Anyway, I can usually get in my 64-oz a day if I count the herb tea I drink at work. FWIW.

Congrats on your decision! I love those drs. and their practice. My BMI was relatively low as well and I've lost slowly but I had a lot of other factors going on--amazing stress the first six months and NO restriction until about seven months out. I finally have what I think is proper restriction and it's taken 10 months--14 fills and now 4 cc in a 4 cc band. You might want to check out these threads--one for lower BMI bandsters and the other is the before and after pics you were interested in. Good luck! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/before-after-pictures-pix-only-4642/index75.html http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f140/lower-body-mass-index-ers-2008-a-48150/index7.html#post720940

I can't answer your questions about banding after bypass surgery. As far as how much you can expect to lose and how fast, my dr. says 1.5-2 lbs. a week is a good loss. I have lost almost 40 lbs. in just over 40 weeks BUT I didn't get any restriction until the 10th or so fill and now, after 13 fills I THINK I might be at proper restriction. I'm the same age as you but had a lower BMI when I started. Also, the first six months of my banding were the most stressful in my life. I tried to follow the rules and feel I succeeded very well but I don't think my body wanted to give up the fat because of the stress (father diagnosed with cancer, passed away, sold two houses, built another, lived with children for 2 months, furnished new house, took care of two daughters during high-risk pregnancies and then subsequent births, etc.--it was crazy!). SO, I feel happy that I've LOST weight instead of gained it. I think I'm one of the slowest losers who was banded last March. As far as your Mexico question--MANY people on here have made that choice and are very happy with it. Like you, it scared me to death and my husband wouldn't entertain the idea at all. I was self-pay, too. I lived in Provo, UT (now live in Midway, UT) and went to Dr. Hansen at South Valley Surgical. I couldn't be happier with my decision to use him. The two people in Utah that I am in contact with who went to Mexico have had trouble getting fills and adequate support in Utah. FWIW. When I figured the cost of the airlines, the fills (mine are free for a year--thank goodness-- and then I can pay $500 for another year), and the support (dietitian, nurses, support groups, dinner groups, and a great Christmas party with awards), I feel I got a good deal staying here plus the peace of mind that my drs. are just a phone call or an hour away. Good luck! Those are big decisions. I hope your GI goes well--keep us posted. There is a thread called "anyone in Utah want to talk" that may also give you some good feedback on the Mexico vs. Utah question. Keep us posted!

Welcome to Utah, Shrinkage! I (and others on this thread) use Drs. Hansen and Aldredge at South Valley Surgical in Sandy. There may be someone closer to you but I drive from Midway (Heber area) to see them and think they are wonderful. They have support groups twice a month and the nurses who do the fills are great--they all have bands themselves. I know they take patients who have moved here from other states so you might want to give them a try. Their number is 801-571-9511. Good luck!

It probably is because you are so newly banded but for more information check out this thread: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f78/left-shoulder-pain-36357/index6.html I've been banded 10 months and have the pain whenever I overeat--it's a clue to me to stop eating NOW! Good luck. I hope it goes away soon.

I'm a big Water drinker with meals but had to stop when I was banded--it was tough. My dr. says I can drink up until the first bite but then no drinks until TWO hours after eating. It's tough but worth it--he explained it like Crispy2--you don't want to rinse or push the food through the pouch because you'll feel hungry afterwards. I did learn quickly that drinking liquids is NOT the way to help when a PB is coming on--yuck. It makes it worse, believe me.

I eat LOTS of salad (my dr. calls lettuce "crunchy water"). I have to be careful what I put on them (esp. dressing) but they are great when I go out with friends. I've never pb'd while eating a salad!

Congrats, Janine! Woohoooo! I guess it's just one of those things that you know when you get there? Cuz I'm still wondering if I'm there or not. I do know I'm close and I'm not sure I want to be any tighter but maybe just a little....? I have an appt on Jan 30 so maybe my dr. will have a suggestion. I'm SO happy for you! Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy your boy--time together is precious at his age. Stay warm and keep up the great work!

Congrats, Smiley! You'll do fine. I don't know of anything you can do before banding but after you need to walk and walk as much as you can. It really helps with the gas pains. A heating pad helps as well. Good luck!

Hang in there, ekgray. I'm a really slow loser but I'm losing, so that's good. You've lost over a lb. a week and probably don't have adequate restriction so you are doing fine. Do you mean you have a fill in your 4 cc band or that you have a 10 cc band and your first fill was 4 cc? I use sparkpeople.com to track my food and exercise--it's very helpful. Sometimes those calories really creep up on you. Are you exercising? Lots of people say that is the key. Also, eat protein first then veggies, fruits, etc. and then carbs if you really want them. One other rule that really helps with feeling full is to not drink with your meals or for two hours afterwards but be sure you get lots of water in between meals. I only told my husband and my kids so they are the only ones "watching." That's bad enough. My husband is happy that I am losing. My kids probably expected more but some weren't supportive of my decision so probably think it's just another "diet failure." It's a miserable feeling to feel like you are failing yet again. But you have done something great for yourself and you will succeed--it may be slow but you will succeed!

The scale doesn't show your weight--just the change in your weight and your current weight. So, if you programed your info into user1, for example, they could push that button and it would get ready to weigh "you." If nothing gets weighed it just goes away. BUT, if they were really curious, they could weigh themselves in your program and see the difference in weight loss (it says "-60 lbs." or whatever the difference would be in your last weight and their weight) and they could add the 60 lbs. to their current weight and figure out how much you now weigh. They'll never be able to see your beginning weight. Of course, you would know that they had done that because the next time you get on the scale it would say "+60 lbs." If I were you, I would program myself as user 3 or 4 (less likely for them to use those "by mistake"). Then tell them that to weigh themselves, they just tap the scale in the middle, wait for it to get ready, and step on when it shows 0.0. It won't show them their fat index or the change in their weight but will show them their current weight. Hope this isn't too confusing and that it helps. Good luck!

I would like to see an obvious way to report problems--I have a few and can't figure out how to report them or get support on resolving them. A link a long the top would be great. As long as I'm talking about problems, I have two: 1. Right now I'm not receiving any email notifications for new posts whereas I did in the past. I've checked my settings and it looks like I am still set up to receive instant notifications but I haven't gotten any all week--I have to go to UserCP to find the threads I'm subscribed to. 2. When the email notification is working and I click on the thread to open the new post, I have to log in again even though the link takes me to my last read post. I use a MacBook and gain access to the Internet through Firefox. All my other sites that notify me or that I have checked "remember me" do not require me to log in every time. Once in awhile I do get logged in automatically but then after 1-2 days it's back to where I have to log in every time my computer sleeps or is turned off. Thanks for any help you can give me.

I use the Weight Watcher's scale (but NOT from WalMart since I refuse to shop that store) and it is great. You can program it and it will show you your weight loss or gain each time you weigh plus your fat index. There is room to program 4 different users, too.

Nope, neither of those. All other sites work, cookies are enabled, and I'm only using 8% of my storage space in my gmail account. Thanks, though!

Whitepants, it may be what they call "first bite syndrome." My dr. says to take a bite while I'm cooking or before I go out to dinner and chew it forever. Then wait 10 minutes or so before trying to eat again. I find when I do that twice, I can eat normally (still have to chew and chew, though). I am tighter in the mornings than evenings so I have to go really slow. Drinking a hot cup of tea or sugar-free hot chocolate really helps. My nurse says that the band is kind of like your rings on your fingers--sometimes they are tighter than others just like the band is. Hard to tell when things might not go down. She says to cut meat, chicken, etc. into M & M sized pieces and then chew them until they are gone. That usually works. Adding water or a drink to a full pouch is always disastrous to me. One thing that helps me is papaya enzyme. I've also heard that pineapple juice helps but I haven't tried it myself. Good luck! I think the pain and pb-ing is the band doing it's behavior modification job!

I was banded on Monday and went to work (desk job) on Thursday. However, the day I was banded my dad was diagnosed with cancer and so I spent the day after surgery and the next day (until I went to work) at the hospital. I was sore but was able to keep my secret from my extended family. When they saw me moving gingerly they asked if I hurt my back. I told them I had actually just had a hiatal hernia repaired (which was true). No more questions and they still don't know.

Congrats, hotmom. You will probably find a lot of support at the January 2008 thread--lots of people who have been banded about the same time as you. Here is the link the their thread: 2008 Bandsters - Lap Band Talk Forum - The largest forum for Lap Band Surgery Discussion and Lap Band Surgery Support Drs. are all different as far as how long you stay on liquids, when you switch to mushies or soft foods, and what those are, and then when you can progress to solids. My dr. said mushies were things such as oatmeal, potatoes, squash, salmon, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.--basically anything that doesn't need to be chewed hardly at all. Ask your dr. for a list of accepted foods if you are unsure. Good luck!

Congratulations! Here's the thread, if you still want it: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f15/countdown-onederland-33961/

Good luck, Salee! You'll do great. See you soon in bandland!

Kids really do try us, don't they? Mine are pretty much out of the house now but I still worry about them, of course. I heard someone say once that the hardest time of life is being 14. Then some wise person added, "No, the hardest time of life is being the mother of a 14-year-old!" I have to agree. My oldest is 38 and has bi-polar disorder. We wondered for a long time if she would ever be able to live independently, hold down a job, keep her spending in check, etc., etc. But she is! And has been for about 5 years now. When I get worried again or concerned because she doesn't have money for her meds or whatever, I have to remind myself of how far she has come and how great she is doing. We're very grateful. Another of my children (age 21) had a baby this summer. Not married but living with the father. She was diagnosed with cervical cancer and has to have pieces of her cervix removed so she decided she wanted to have a baby before the surgery because she probably can't afterwards. So she got pregnant. But, again, I count my blessings that she now has a beautiful little boy, she's a great mother, and she and the baby's father are together and seem happy. He came for Christmas and said it was the best Christmas he has had in over 10 years. I am with you, Janine, this is immoral in my mind but I love the three of them and am happy that their lives are working out--of course I worry, though! I could go on and on about our challenges through the years. We've been called twice because two different kids were arrested because they possessed marijuana. Refused to bail them out--felt they had to face the consequences. But I could also go on about our triumphs. Most of the kids have gone to graduate school (two are now getting their master's degrees at Columbia), one graduated from her eMBA program as valedictorian (she was one of my greatest challenges--my nemesis, if you will) and is a wonderful mother and wife as well as having a great job at UBS, etc., etc. I guess my point is: we're all here to listen--no matter what pain we are each experiencing and no matter how bad things seem at the time, there's always a bright spot to be grateful for. Time mends, heals, and improves these rebellious souls (and us, too, along the way). Those child-rearing years are a blur to me now as I sit and read stories, sing, and rock the most incredible grandchildren in the world. Dessert! It was all worth it. This Christmas all 25 family members were here--kids, spouses, so's, grandkids--it was amazing. One day when everyone was preparing for Christmas, fixing Christmas eve dinner, babies crying, kids running, snowball being thrown, etc., one of my daughters turn ed to me and winked. We both started laughing at the chaos and she said, "On days like this, do you wonder what in the world you were thinking to have this many kids?" I tearfully and honestly replied, "No, on days like this I KNOW why I did it and I wouldn't have it any other way." That's the truth.

I had my surgery done at South Valley Surgical, Drs. Hansen and Alldredge. They were wonderful. I had the surgery at 6:30 a.m. and left for home at noon. I really like their support group--meetings twice a month and also a dinner at a restaurant (open to anyone in Utah) once a month. This month it's on Monday, January 21st (Martin Luther King Day) at 6:00 p.m. at the Old Spaghetti Factory--5718 S. 1900 West in Taylorsville. Their phone number is 966-2765. Anyone want to go? Let me know and I'll meet you--I haven't decided whether or not to go because I live in Midway and hate to drive the canyon in the winter at night. But if anyone wants to go and meet me there, I'll go for sure. Let me know!

Congrats on your banding and weight loss, Kin, and welcome to Bandland! I'm glad you aren't experiencing much pain--the gas pains are totally normal. The best thing is to try to walk, walk, walk. As far as the tightness, it sounds like swelling from the surgery. I really doubt it's from the band being tight and it's probably not related to your need for a fill. The dr. moved things around in there and you will be sore for a few days. As far as I know (and in my case) I can't feel the restriction from the band until I eat and I feel pressure up high near my esophagus from the food filling the pouch. Hope this helps--everyone is different! Good luck on your recovery!