momlambert

yes, me, too. I get a numbing shot first and that stings for about 4 seconds and then they do the fill and I don't feel a thing. I have a bruised spot for a few days so the needle must be big enough to cause a bruise but, because of the angle I lay at with a pillow under my back and the way they bring the needle to the table, I never see it. It's very easy and painless!

WOW! You guys are all doing AWESOME work with your weight loss, exercising, water, protein, etc., etc. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MARCHIES!

I take Centrum Silver chewable vitamins, chewable calcium, and liquid orange-flavored fish oil every day. I order them through drugstore.com. If anyone wants more info I'll get the bottles and give you the details but I found them easily on the drugstore.com website by searching for liquid or chewable vitamins, calcium, and fish oil. I was really worried about the fish oil tasting fishy but it's quite good and has no fish taste whatsoever. It's really helped with my cholesterol (even way before banding).

My experience is that, yes, it does. But it also could be my age (57). I just know that compared to my "bandsisters," I have only lost about half of what some of them with higher BMI's have lost. So, FWIW. But, a pound is a pound is a pound--no matter how long it took to lose it, right?! Good luck!

What wonderful news, Puddin! GOOD FOR YOU! And good for Aaron. Hope your friendship and commitment to your values stays strong. YOU CAN DO THIS! Way to go.

Congrats, Wen. Yes, that shoulder pain was the worst part for me and lasted the longest of all the pain/discomfort. I just had my second fill yesterday so I'm on mushies today but I think I might actually feel some restriction--HOORAY! I didn't think it would take this long (2 1/2 months) to really feel the band working. Don't know how I missed that--I thought I would start having restriction around May 1st when I got my first fill but I didn't get a fill at my first appt. and so just had my second. But I know it all takes time--patience! Right?! Good luck going back to work. Hope your incision isn't infected--maybe some neosporin or bag balm would help with that. I use bag balm for everything! Thanks for checking in, Karen

Welcome, Cathy! Glad you joined us here in the age-challenged group. You are right--we certainly have different issues than the younger set! July will be here before you know it--do you have to wait for insurance approval or are you self-pay. I had to self-pay so, the good news is, I didn't have to go through all the hoops some of the insurance companies require. I'm a fairly new bandster--2 1/2 months. Just had my 2nd fill this morning and am hoping that it really did the trick for me--it's hard to tell with the liquids today but I'm very hopeful. Keep us posted. Congratulations on your decision to live a healthier life!

Alexandra, so sorry about your problems. I gained 37 lbs. back in just a few months last year after falling off the Weight Watchers' wagon--it is just so depressing and such a helpless feeling. But I hardly took time to admit I was gaining--good for you realizing what is happening and working hard to rectify the situation. Whenever I feel scared I think of Paul's words to Timothy in the Bible: "God has not given us the spirit of FEAR, but of POWER, and of LOVE, and of a STRONG MIND!" So embrace your inner power, know you are loved, and keep working on solutions--you CAN get through this--fear is just not an option.

Glad you popped back in, Puddin. I don't think you are bringing anyone down--it's up to people to choose what threads they want to read! I hope things are going better for you and that you have found some help. You have lots of people pulling for you! Keep us posted--I hate to invade upon your blog if you've made attempts to make it more private. I'm thinking of you and praying for you--you CAN overcome this!

Good luck with your appointment, Janet. Ask lots and lots of questions and be sure you understand the answers. I've only been banded two months so I'm not an authority. Weight loss for me has been slower than most who were banded around the time I was. I don't know if it's my age, the fact I've only had one small fill, or just that I'm a slower loser. I'm eating between 1,000 and 1,500 calories a day and exercising 3-4 times a week (although I've been sick for 10 days so haven't exercises for a week now). So the band is not a miracle cure, for sure. I'm having another fill tomorrow and hoping that will really help me start to lose. But, on the other hand, I've lost an average of 2 lbs. a week and started at a lower BMI than many who were banded when I was (and who have lost over double of what I have) so I'm quite satisfied, even at this point. We are all different. My doctor said to expect a loss of 1-2 lbs. per week so I guess I'm doing fine. We all want results NOW, don't we??? GOOD LUCK!

Thanks for sharing, Juli--that's awesome success! And Katy, too. You guys are all doing great. Of course, tammyj just keeps on losing, too. I'm the turtle in the group but I've lost an average of 2 lbs. a weeks since surgery with no restriction yet (hopefully my second fill on Wednesday will change that) so I'm not complaining. Jealous, yes. Complaining, no. Keep it up Marchies!

I always make myself an Isopure protein shake for breakfast--I just love the chocolate flavor. It give me lots of protein (one scoop mixed with 1 1/2 c. of 1% milk give me 37 grams of protein) and is easy to drink in the mornings. For lunch I often have a frozen entree (Lean Cuisine, Weight Watchers, etc.) because I'm at work and can pop it in the microwave. Sometime I do that late in the day and count it as dinner, depending on my time and the calories I have left. I track my food intake and my exercise on sparkpeople.com and it really helps me stay focused on my goals. I try to stay between 1,000-1,200 calories per day but sometimes I'm up to 1,500. I'm not restricted yet (hopefully with my second fill on Wednesday I will be) but I do okay with the hunger as long as I have at least 60 grams of protein per day. Anyway, FWIW. Good luck to you!

1. Was your procedure outpatient or did you stay overnight? Outpatient--arrived at 5:30 a.m.; surgery at 7:00 a.m.; released at noon 2. Did you have complications related to surgery? Nope. 3. What you were given for at home pain? How many days did you take it? Loritab. On and off for two days. 4. Pain after surgery for how many days? Some pain (more like discomfort than pain) for a week--shoulder pain for two weeks. 5. Degree of pain...10 being your arm was cut off and 1 being a paper cut? Immediately after surgery probably a 6; next day a 2 and decreasing after that to none. 6. Doctor and state where surgery was done? Dr. Darrin Hansen, Sandy, Utah

Yeah, me, too. I had my first fill almost two weeks ago and NADA, NOTHING, ZIP! I will get my second fill on Wednesday and am hopeful for that but the first was a bust. I have to remember that the first was an important step to eventual success and not success in and of itself. Good luck! We have to believe it will evenually work, right!?

Three more pounds and you'll be there, Battleweary! Good for you. Keep up the good work--slow and steady wins the race!

I don't think it really matters what order you do things in, but I didn't have insurance to cover mine so someone else will have to speak to that. I did call our insurance company and just asked them what I would need to do to be covered but, since they don't cover any WLS, that was a dead end. Starting with your primary care dr. is a good choice. I did that and then I went to a seminar where they told me that my insurance wouldn't cover it (by then I knew that). So you will probably feel like you are going in circles for awhile, but each time you circle about you get new information so it's not wasted! It's just a process that you need to start somewhere. And if you attend the seminar of that dr. and he isn't covered by your insurance, you've gained valuable information and direction toward another path. It's all a learning process. Good luck!

I agree. Puddin, you seem to be crying out for help--you know what you are doing is not in line with your beliefs. Find someone with those same beliefs to help you on a daily basis right now. Have you talked to your Bishop? Can you? He is there to understand and guide you through this period. Give him a chance. I'm happy that you are not willing to change your beliefs to accommodate your behaviors--that shows your courage and strength. You are an amazing woman who has accomplished great things and can accomplish much more. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength. Be strong. "For God hath not given Puddin the spirit of fear but of POWER and of love and of a sound mind." You are in my prayers. Let us know how you are doing.

Yes, this is worrisome. Has anyone pm'd her or called her dr. as mentioned? I do hope she is just having a great time with her new look and is enjoying her life to the fullest. But...it sure would be great to know that! I don't want to flood her with pm's so let us know if anyone has tried that. If not, I will be glad to. SSSSSSSPPPPPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYYYYYDDDDDDDDDEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR, come out, come out, where ever you are!

:clap2:WOW! 40 LBS! :clap2: Way to go, Tammy girl! :clap2: That is just awesome.:clap2: CONGRATS! :clap2:

Tammyj and Thickchick--YOU ARE AWESOME! Not to mention beautiful! Congrats on your success--you are inspirations. Some of my children were here this past weekend and commented that "you look good, Mom." BUT, it's hard for me to believe they really see a difference (they all know about the band and have been very supportive and encouraging). I still haven't lost 20 lbs. yet and I think that is when people sometimes start to notice a difference so I'm skeptical that my kids see a difference yet. It's not that I think they would lie to me--I just think they are seeing what they think they should be seeing. Anyone else have this problem of not believing people when they notice your weight loss? But, now with my first fill, I think I'm on the way to there being an actual, noticeable difference. Right?! Let's hope so! My birthday is in about 3 weeks and I'm hoping to have lost 20 by then--little mini-goal to keep me going. Congrats to all your losers! Keep it up. Karen

Woooooohooooooo! I had my first fill today (banded March 19). It was SO easy--about 3 seconds of sting for the numbing medicine and then a bit of poking that I couldn't really feel, other than the pressure. The nurse doing the fill said she needed to get another needle because sometimes there is a little something that gets in the needle and stops it up so she did that and the second one worked fine and it was over in a minute or two. I got .7cc. She said usually they do 1 cc but, since I am not hungry for several hours after eating still, I probably am not totally unrestricted right now because of the post-surgery swelling. However, I have been able to eat 2 c. of food including steak, bread, rice, etc. without any problem at all so I have to wonder if I'm restricted at all. But today it's liquids and tomorrow mushies and then maybe I'll have a sense of restriction when I start real food again on Wednesday. I sure hope so but, honestly, I'm not very optimistic--based on what others on here have said after their first fill. But I'm on my way to the sweet spot and I'm excited.

Hmmm. I just read Enterprise's quote and, according to her, I should have written (Bad punctuation irks me, too!) I think that can be the case but I believe is only true if that parenthetical is included within a sentence and the punctuation applies only to the parenthetical--then you still need a period after the parentheses. Ex: John told Sue he loves her (can you believe that?)! However, my punctuation rules are archaic at times so she could be right about that.

Sorry, Valley Girl, but it should be "(instead of where it belongs)." The punctuation goes outside of the parentheses in that case. (Bad punctuation irks me, too)! It also bugs me when people but the period outside of the quotation marks when it's not part of the quote. Ex: Sue said, "he better not go there". Argh!

CONGRATS, Cblancha! That's very exciting. And good job losing weight before the surgery--sounds like you are really committed and will be very successful. Keep up the good work! Karen

To change your signature, go to the top of this page and in the blue heading with white letters look for "UserCP"--when that takes you to the next page, choose "signature" or whatever it says (maybe "change your signature" or something like that). Click that and then you will get two boxes--one showing your current signature and the one below it showing it again but you can change that one. Then go down to the bottom and click on "save changes." Voila! I agree that it would be fun to total the loss for Marchies. I'd be pulling the average down but that's the way it goes. At least I'm losing! Good luck on your trip and your big decisions! Relocating is always hard.