A New New Dawn

So glad you are "healthy" and getting back on track. Try not to beat yourself up as it won't solve anything. You did this once, you can do it again. I agree that getting back in to see your surgeon is key. Start getting fills again to help with that hunger. You can do this!

That is great news!!! Congrats to you!!! Thanks for the inspiration too.

Truly inspirational!! The pictures are amazing, especially since you aren't even recovered and guessing swollen. Wow!! Happy Holidays to you!!!

Yay Polly, I see you found animated images and got it to work!!! Watch out!

yay!

Well, I don't think you can add a picture to your signature but you can add images. So I find ones online and sometimes you have to open the image then right click to paste and post it under "edit" signature. So if you are trying to add an actual image (photo) I don't think it will work but it does for the graphic images. If I google and find an image I like, sometimes it works if I just right click, copy then paste under edit signature. Other times nothing happens so I have to click on the image I want to paste to open it, then right click, copy, then paste. If that doesn't work, pm Alex and they should get back to you. Once you get it working it can be addictive.

Polly, when you go into your signature are you scrolling down far enough to go into the "edit" signature portion? The top half of the page you see your signature and it looks like you should be able to type there but you have to scroll down further and it shows your signature section again where you can actually edit. I think maybe you are trying to add under the wrong section and not the edit section. Just a thought. good luck.

I feel for you as many of us feel or have felt that same way. Does your insurance carrier not cover the procedure at all or are they not covering it for you? If it is specific to you, then I would find out the reasons why. This is a struggle and we have to look forward as we cannot change the past. Even making small strides will go far, such as going for a walk, omitting certain things (regular mayo, fried food, etc). If you have a smart phone, there are a couple great apps called "lose it" and "my fitness pal" they are great tools to help track your food so you know what you are consuming, where you can improve, etc and your activity level. Also, there is another great app called couch25k (couch to 5k) that is meant to gradually get you active from sedentary to being able to walk and/or run a 5k. It has helped a lot of people. Try not to harbor resentment towards yourself from the past and see what you can do going forward. This is a huge emotional journey, but taking little steps can even get you going in the right direction. Best wishes to you!

What I was told is Protein has a few (huge) impacts on the body a) aids in healing and recovery, so very important while healing b.) keeps us full longer c) promotes weight loss, by helping to maintain muscle so your body burns the fat - I have seen many people here that posted they improved their weight loss by improving the amount of protein they took in. That being said, you are very newly banded so it's likely you are having trouble getting the recommended amounts of anything in (as you are still swollen). It comes and each day you will gradually be able to increase your protein intake/water/food/etc. What stage of the post-op diet are you in (liquids, mushies, etc)?

Well said!

that is awesome!!! congrats and continued success to you!

Oh my goodness, so happy all is well and you are feeling "good". Happy recovery!!! Congrats!

Congrats to you!!!!! Enjoy today, tomorrow, and every day thereafter. Great profile pic too!

Glad that's all it was. But definitely a reminder of the lap band basic rules. It takes us months to get it down, get in the groove and then get too comfortable and have to relearn them again. Thanks for sharing!

What an awesome story. Thank you for sharing that and you said it quite well!! Congrats on your success personally and physically.

I am so happy for you! You deserve this and have worked so hard. I cannot wait to hear about it after you are recovered. You are a great inspiration to many of us here! Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

I am sooooo happy for you!!!! Congrats on your new journey!!!! I will do the happy dance on your behalf, while you rest it up.

Merry Christmas! And I hope there is a lot less to see of me in the New Year and to you as well.

Well, first I am glad you are exploring your options and wanting to take control of your weight and health. It is a huge challenge many of us face. That being said, I would hate for you to proceed with the surgery if you are not comfortable doing so. My coworker put it well to me before I had it done and said "this is no silver bullet, but it's as close to one as I can get" as he is 4 years banded. The band will not do all the work but it is a great tool if you work with it. Speaking of my experience, January 2011 I began looking into the band. My mother had the bypass and I wanted no part of it and didn't know much about the sleeve. I went through some appointments to prep. I had a lot going on personally so I decided to hold off as I knew I wasn't in the right place emotionally to do it and couldn't be focused appropriately. Fast forward to this January, I was in a better place and decided to pursue it again. I had the surgery 7/25 and couldn't be happier. It hasn't been a walk in the park but it has been a Godsend for me. I had days I was in tears after being banded as the first couple of months I struggled learning to eat differently, and struggled mostly w/ my emotional relationship with food. Before having the surgery, I truly hadn't dieted in years, hadn't exercised and had just "thrown in the towel". Since having this, I am not craving the junk I used to eat. It just went by the wayside. I still have an ocassional treat (in moderation) and that satisfies me. I cannot overeat if I try (not that I do) but my band keeps me in check in that regard. It does do a lot of the work and as long as you don't cheat it (eating "slider" foods that get past the band easily such as candy, icecream, chips, etc) it is possible to lose most of your excess weight. The other thing I would like to add is many people feel w/ the band the weight just falls off (like with gastric bypass). There are some people that have this type of results but the typical expected weight loss is 1-2 lbs per week. So, if you do proceed, make sure you have realistic expectations. Lastly, if there is a seminar and/or support group in your area, I would encourage you to attend to talk to people that have been through it and get real life experience. Good luck on whatever you choose and to a healthier you.

From my experience and many others I have seen, eggs do not work well. I can eat an egg over easy or over medium but scrambled or boiled eggs gets stuck no matter how small of bites or how slow I eat. They are the worst for me. I can eat chicken and meats much easier than eggs. They seem harmless being "soft" but many people struggle with them. Also, hotdogs are probably not a good choice either. I have read of many people and have a coworker getting stuck on these. Ideally, if you take small bites and eat slow, pausing between bites you should be able to eat anything but I know eggs tend to be problematic. Also, as we get more restriction, we need to refine our eating habits even more. What may have worked earlier, may not work now. It doesn't necessarily mean you are too tight, it may just be you refining and eating even smaller bites. My NUT says to chew each piece 20-25x. Like Cheryl said, put your fork down between bites. This is all a new learning experience for us so it isn't uncommon to have some struggles like you have encountered until you get it fine tuned and figured out. I have been right there with you. At one point I thought I must be too tight and realized I just needed to modify my eating more. Lastly, if you have had a stuck moment or thowing up, you can have irritation and swelling for a day or two which can cause you having even greater difficulty getting stuff down. After I have had a stuck moment, I had to stick to mushies for a day or two to let it settle then resume regular eating. For meats, I would start w/ some ground meat (soft) then progress to more solid (and moist) meats. Be careful not to eat any meat that is dry (overcooked) as it can get stuck very easily and be very painful. Good luck to you and much continued success.

Very well said!

Definitely this is a personal decision. I chose to tell a few people and it has worked out ok but it's really what your comfort level is. Just keep in mind that you may get questions if you are not eating or hobbling around. Not saying you have to tell them why, just be prepared how you want to field those types of questions if they come. Congrats on your upcoming surgery!!!

That is awesome! I have found myself crossing my legs recently and it is a weird feeling to do that after so many years but freakin' awesome to be able to. Congrats to you!!!

I think there may be a couple reasons. From your other posts, you are under a tremendous amount of stress right now. I have read about several people that felt their bands were tighter under extreme stress. Also, once we get closer to that infamous "green zone" and have more restriction, we can no longer gulp or chug water. I have to sip water or I feel that "lump" in my throat. Also, if you have irritated it by being stuck on any foods lately, that could be causing it to be tighter. Try drinking smaller sips and see if that helps. If not, you may need a slight unfill. I have been tighter too when my allergies and sinuses were bothering me in case that may be going on w/ you. Best wishes to you! I hope this passes soon.

I would strongly suggest you track your food and calories. You may be taking in too little or more than you realize. It can be an eye opening experience and you should be able to see where changes can be made. My NUT recommends about 1000 calories per day and 60+ grams of protein per day. Also, definitely up the exercise as that will help. Since you just joined the gym did they give you any time with a trainer or do they have workout classes you can do?