ihvbzs

I found that all of the whey powders caused SO much gas and really didn't taste that good!! After spending ALOT of money trying them all, I finally gave up and tried other things to get the protien needed. karen banded 3/2004 241/182/175 but not in a hurry...life is good in size a 12 or 14 !!!

Hi Everyone, First of all I love my band and I am very thrilled with the weight I have lost so far. I keep a little bi-monthly journal that tells the date from day one, how many weeks, how many lbs. lost and when I have had my fills. I know the loss has slowed down alot (1st. 4months 34lbs...second 4months 13lbs) but I was sitting and looking at it this morning and realized for the first time that the lesser loss coinsides with the fact that at age 52 I haven't had a period for 4 months !! I think that the weight loss has made my periods stop because I know that the heavier you are the more apt you are to produce estrogen or I have been told that. I have been peri-menopausal for over 5 yrs but still having periods. Has anyone else had theirs stop and then slowed down losing ?? I am not in a huge hurry but would still love to get at least another 25 off by my year anniversary in March and I don't want to set an unrealistic goal for myself because I feel like such a winner right now and don't want to lose that feeling of success. Thanks for input !!

I was wondering if anyone else had this pain.........on the right hand side, more painful standing, tender sitting but no pain lying down? I had my appendix out 2yrs ago and it is very similar & close to the same spot not quite so low. I saw my GP yesterday and he said I should call the surgeon. I am out 6 weeks and have felt great so far. Thanks so much for any help. karen 3/8/04 DR Borao 241/215/175 first goal......

CONGRATULATIONS on your ins. approval !! Don't let anyone rain on your parade !! In the next month you will begin an amazing journey that you never thought possible.......don't let uninformed people get in your way. When all is said and done they will agree that you did the best thing for YOU !! I chose to only tell my closest friends that I knew wouldn't have discouraged me (if they did disagree) because they knew the energy I have wasted in my life wishing for a cure to my weight problem. My DH has been incredible and so have my children and in the end those are the ones who worry the most about you and know you best. Enjoy this time and prove the negitive thinkers wrong !! DR Borao 3/8/04 241/207/170

Hi Christine, I am in NJ and my DR is wonderful and has an excellent reputation in this field of weight loss. Dr Borao & his office staff are just GREAT. I have horizon B/S & B/C and have only paid $33. out of pocket . I have also had one fill and so far no bills for that either. I know he takes patients from other DR.s because we have had a couple at our support meeting who orignally had surgery up north and has changed to DR Borao for fills. He is located in Long Branch and has a Baratric center located in the medical offices at Monmouth Medical Center. His phone # is 732-923-6070. It is so important to feel comfortable with a DR and I am sure he would be worth the distance traveled. Good Luck to you.

Today my scale hit a wonderful number !! In two months and 10 days I am down 30 LBS !! I am on cloud 9 today !! Only 40 more to go and I will be wearing that beautiful red sweater instead of the standard black at Christmas dinner !! I LOVE THIS WONDERFUL BAND !! YAHOOOOO !!! karen 03/08/04 DR Borao 241/211/170..........

I am sure this has been discussed before but I have missed it along the way. I have been keeping a food journal on fit day and I really like being able to look each day and keep trackof everything. Here is my ??? How many calories should we be consuming per day as not to put our bodies into a starving mode yet keep it low enough to lose at a 6-10 lb rate per month ??? I know high protien is important for our well being and keeping low carbs is also important..........I just hate to have to put out the $$ to the nutritionist if someone out there has an answer. Thanks in advance !!

Thanks Donali.....you sure make sense. I am going to look a little more into it. I have never heard of a basal metabolism. I came up with the ##6-10 only because that is the numbers my surgeon had said he is comfortable with and I really don't want to lose too fast because my skin just can't take it at 52 !! It's just that some days I only get in about 700-800 calories or less and other days I am at 1200......my concern is my health because with my wonderful little band i know i will lose the weight eventually !! Thanks again

Thanks, Sue, yes I am doing fine. The pain came from too much excercise too soon. I had a hernia repair at the same time as my banding and even though the surgeon said I could go back to it after 6 weeks I probably did a little too much ! Thanks so much for asking !!! :mad:

I was banded on 3/8 and I am down 25 pounds but my DR told me last week that I have a large loss in that short time . He said that 25 pounds is usually 2- 2 1/2 months out. He said I should be happy with 6-8 lbs a month and as long as I am losing at that rate that I really don't need a fill. I do have alot of restriction though without a fill so I am not considering it yet. I really don't want to lose too fast and I am ready for it to slow down now a bit.........that is one of my reasons for choosing band over by-pass........I want to save my skin and muscles as much as I can & at age 51 I think a slower loss will help me do that and that I will look healther. As far as the cola goes.....I was told it will stretch the new stomach as will caffeine and I wouldn't take a chance that a drink could mess up the loosing process. I do know of people that take the fizz out and drink it flat !! Good luck in your journey !!

Small bites ............I have already mastered eating slower but I HAVE to take smaller bites !! We are going to resturants again and I have no trouble wrapping for the next days lunch & then when I am full throwing the remainder away......I can only manage about 1/3 of a resturant meal at a time ! My husband says I am a much cheaper date now. Both he and my dear friend say that they are going to gain weight now because I am always saying " I'm full, finish this up ! " LOL !! I am 6 weeks out and 25 lbs lighter.............I LOVE MY BAND !!!

I just came from my 5wk post op visit and I am down 24 lbs !! I am so excited and it gives me so much modivation to keep on track and use this wonderful tool !! With this loss the Dr said I probably will not need a fill for a while even though he said I could call him when i felt like i didn't have enough restriction. He also said I could begin excercise so that is a great feeling too !! Nothing could ruin this DAY !!! Thanks for always listening and being soooooo supportive !!:banana :banana :banana karen 3/08/04 241/217/175 for starters !!

Thanks for all of your support !! This is such a great place to share the ups and downs of the lap band !! Kelly......I have 2 sons...... so, " I have boys" .....ihvbzs !! LOl !!

Hi all, Well i was banded last Monday afternoon expecting to be in the OR 50min and home the next morning. The DR found a large hernia and said it would have caused my band problems within a couple of months so he took care of that and that lead to another night at the hospital. My swallow test was good the morning after surgery. Wed. morning I felt very bloated and when the DR arrived he started throwing out instructions and had be back to X-ray so fast. He took another swallow test all was well w/the band..no slippage, no turning, perfect postion........another x-ray showed air in the lower stomach & intestine and it was near rupture !!!!!!!!!! Right there he inserted a tube down my nose into the stomach and you wouldn't believe the sound of air escaping. I was then hooked up to a pump on the wall 2hrs per day for 2 days. My surgeon who is director of laproscopic surgery had no answer for me. He consulted w/ colleague in NYC overnight and they all said it was a mystery because it was so low and not near the band !!They are sure IT IS NOT BAND RELATED!!! So I finally got home Saturday, am sore and I get full sooooooooo easy !! I am already down 9 as of yesterday but not the way I would have wanted.................nothing by mouth for 4 1/2 days !! But all is going good NOW !! Thanks for listening !! karen 241/232/170

Hi Joyce, I am not quite sure what you mean by what they do before and after the surgery so I found this question & answer site under one of the other posts and thought it might help you. It is a very exciting time indeed.......good luck to you !!! http://hometown.aol.com/texasrosey/

Hi Candy.........I too am from Long Branch and I had my band placed last Monday by Dr Borao. Hopefully the new center will be more helpful than the office was. I too haven't told anyone other than my closest friends. This is something that is very private and it required alot of thought to make this decision. I don't need anyone thin trying to tell me "if only you had more will power" or telling me about a new diet.........I know they all mean well but to understand you have to live through the years of diet, diet, diet !! I had someone say to me "if you just cut down on sweets".....I know she didn't believe me when i said I only have dessert on holidays and birthdays !! ANYWAY I think it is so cool that you and a sister can do it together. My friend had BY Pass by DR Borao 5 weeks ago so we are helping each other !! GOOD LUCK TO YOU BOTH. karen 241/226/165-170

Hi Chris, Yes I was banded last Monday and all went very good with the band but the DR found a large hernia when he was in there and repaired it so I had to stay an extra night, .... then the next morning when he came into ck me out he found my stomach very swollen from air and ready to rupture....................from there I ended up with a tube down my nose connected to a pump 2 hrs a day for a couple of days, NO FOODS NOT EVEN Water , morphine drip............6 full days in the hospital !!!! My surgeon is head of laproscopic surgery and trained in NYC and has a wonderful rep. and he insists that it had nothing to do with my band..........I happen to be one of those stats i guess. BUT now I am feeling good except for soreness from the hernia and came home from the hos. losing 9lb because of the circumstances. Now i am down 6 more since I just today went to full fluids. I am sure it will slow down now but that's OK I am looking toward the fall when I can tuck in a shirt again !!!!!!!! HURRAH FOR US !! So glad you did well and are on your way !! karen DR Borao 241/226/165

I have to be at the hospital today at 12:30 and surgery is at 2:30 ! Will this morning ever end ?? I had hoped it would be really early this morning but playing on the computer will make the time pass fast !! Talk to you all in a couple of days !!

Hi, I am 51 and had the psych eval & dietician appointment which is required to rule out eating disorders and to let you know how important healthy diet is because you will be eating so much less and healthy choices will be so very important for your body. I also had to have an endoscopy because i have a hitial hernia & he wanted to make sure it was small enough as not to interfer w/ the banding. I had a cheast x-ray because of my age and a lung x-ray because I was a heavy smoker(7 yrs ago). I think those 2 x-rays and the blood work is all part of ANY SURGERY, called pats..pre admission tests. Don't panic ..they are just a few steps required for a better life !! Good Luck

I was told that we are expected to eat a balanced diet but that we should eat the meat or protien 1st so we get what we need to avoid hair loss and muscle loss due to the small amounts our stomachs can hold , if there is room go to the veggies then fruit. This was explained to me by the nutritionist and the DR at my pre-op visit Wed. My band goes on Monday morning................I am so excited but also concerned about getting that 60-90 grams of protien in a day without over eating. I have seen a couple of people at my support group that look very unhealthy .....pale skin color, hair dull...almost ill looking and they are the ones who stay quiet when MOST EVERYONE talks about good food choices, vitimins and exercise............these are the ones who have lost well and have changed thier lives and look WONDERFUL..........I pray I can make those life changing choices beginning next week and for the rest of my life !!!

Hi, I went to our support meeting last night. It meets once a month and I will be banded by the next time we meet. I see my surgeon on Wed. for my pre-op visit and my date is the following Monday.....can't believe it is less than 2 weeks away !! Well this is my question........I am 51 and a hair dresser, 3 yrs ago i had my appendix out by lap and was ridimg my bike in the smokey mts 10 days later so I thought that this would be a similar recovery.........I was planing on working the end of the surgery week since surgery is on Monday, starting on Thursday then Friday and Sat. I was going to do minimal work and stand a max of 4-5 hrs and only work 3 days that week..........do you think that is impossible or really a bad idea or even dangerous ?? Last night at the meeting everyone said that it is too soon. I have to start rearranging my app. book if I have to take off. I really don't plan to tell anyone so I will have to lie about a misterious test or ailment and I am SO BAD at it !! What do you all think ?? THANKS !! karen

Ok my friends, today I found out that my insurance IS covering the surgery .........so I am now a definate go !! Had all my pats, have my pre-op appointment for next Wed the 3rd and my surgery is the 8th.........WOW I am sooooooo excited ! We are going on a cruise with 14 family members in Nov. to Celebrate my Dads 80th BD and 6 I won't see until then because we are on the east coast and they are West, so I am hoping to have at least 40 off by then (8 months).....is that unrealistic ?? I have only told my 3 closest friends and of course my DH and my sons.........I want to be successful before I start to talk about it. I am so happy that I have a support group for that reason and you all have been so very much help. I am so ready for this life change, how could i fail ? !! surgery date 3/8/04 240/--/165

Hi Melissa, I am in Nj and my surgery will be at Monmouth Medical Center. I assume we will find out about a pre-op diet on the 3rd --if there is one. I know with By-pass there is but I don't remember what the dietican said at our meeting. I can't believe it is less than 2 weeks away !! I am so excited !!GOOD LUCK TO US !! karen

Hi Chris, I know exactally how you feel.........my date 3/8 so we are almost surgery buddies and we are almost the same size--I have 5 lbs more---but close enough to share our losses ..........Good Luck to us both ...YAHOO !! karen surgery date 3/8/04 DR Borao 240/--/165

I received my phone call today.......March 8th.....now it is starting to feel like it is really going to happen--by Christmas I will be lookin' mighty good in my red sweater, NO MORE black !! LOL !!