gowalking

wow...thanks to all for your feedback. That's why this forum is so helpful...I really like the exchange of thoughts, ideas, and personal stories. I especially liked your take on the topic hazel...very insightful.

It's wonderful to feel normal. So glad you enjoyed your summer and I bet that water slide was a blast.

uncomfortable as in bringing attention to yourself? If yes, not to worry. No one cares what you are eating...they only care about what they are eating. I eat out a lot with friends and family some of whom know I am banded, and some who do not. No one has ever said a word.....and I always have the old standby ready....'oh I'm just not that hungry'.

I truly feel your pain. My hair was/is also falling out and a couple of weeks ago, I too saw scalp and panicked. I went to the nutritionist and she said indeed, I was not getting enough Protein so I now take a packet of unjury Protein powder daily along with the Biotin and Iron as well. Things seem to have stabilized in that the hair is not coming out like it was...I'm not picking up clumps of it in the shower like I used to and I'm hoping the hair will start to grow back soon. The nutritionist assured me I wouldn't look like a chemo patient...which of course is what I feared. I'm also scheduled for major surgery in October and I surely don't want to be dealing with hair loss on top of everything else. Good luck and keep us posted.

Good luck to you Journey. Your story resonated with me because I've had a bad knee for several years and finally knew that I'd need it replaced and heard the news I suspected but didn't know for sure. At 267 lbs. I was not a good candidate for knee replacement. I knew at that point that I needed help to lose weight and I went forward with the band. I'm banded now a little over 7 months and was cleared for surgery when I got to 200 lbs...some six months earlier than anyone expected. I'm now at 182 so I've even gone well below the 200 number and I know the more I lose, the better my rehab will go. I've since found out that my hips are also involved and while the doctors feel that there is an underlying systemic cause for my joint degeneration, I know in my heart and my gut that carrying around that extra weight for so many years surely didn't help any. Keep us posted on your progress and know that there is great support and information on this site.

oh I've always been able to feel my port and now that I'm down 85 lbs., I can feel it quite easily. I don't even have to press..I can just run my hand over the area and feel it.

So very very sorry you are having such terrible complications. I do hope you get better soon.

you have a great attitude and seem willing to do the hard work. I bet you are one of the true success stories. Can't wait to hear of your progress post banding. good luck!

she's right lell....it doesn't look like you. it's almost impossible to see it's a before and after shot. it's really amazing.....

yeah...the chicken pot pie is real thick...more like a stew than a soup. I'm sure thinner consistency soups would puree better. When I was on all liquids, I pureed the veggies that came in the broth, dumped it back into the pot and heated the whole thing up. That worked pretty good.

Hi Jenny. I'm not a big yogurt fan but I do like hummus alot. It's all protein but of a smooth consistency. I don't know that it is a slider food as I think of slider foods as high calorie but....I can tell you that for lunch I often eat 3 oz. hummus with a lowfat wrap...something around 120 calories maximum. it's not alot of food....and prebanded I'd have eaten that as a starter before going on to the next item, but postbanded, I eat the hummus and the wrap and it's plenty. I'm not full....that's a big difference after you are banded, but I am satisfied, and that's the goal. Hope that helps some...

Hi Holly. I've been losing my hair for a while now and it's pretty thin at this point. I was banded in January and am down 83 lbs. so while the weight loss is significant, it wasn't so quick that it would explain the hair loss. Plus I still need to lose another 35 or so so it's not like I'm starving myself or anything like that. I've spoken with the nutritionist and I am taking my multivitamins and Calcium as usual but have now added Biotin and an Iron supplement. I've also upped my protein...am taking a scoop of the unjury and that gets me up to about 70-80 grams. I was closer to 50-60 and she said that wasn't enough. I'm going for bloodwork so they can see if I need anything further but I've also been assured that using this regimen, it will stop and start to grow back. Good luck...I know how horrifying it is to have this happen. When I was able to see my scalp, I freaked. Oh...I was also told to wash my hair every other day, not daily.

....and this is why alot of posters do not tell others that they had/have WLS. BTW, you were probably right not to say something. People like that think they know all the answers no matter what.

oh cb...I can't reiterate enough what the other posters have said. You need to change the way you eat or you will not have the success you want. I know people who are still eating the wrong foods and while they have lost weight initially, they do not keep it off and often have complications because they are not compliant. Don't worry about damaging the band...worry about what you are eating. Yes....track everything. It is an amazing wakeup call when you see what a little here or there adds up to. Good luck. You can be successful as long as you do what you know you are supposed to do.

I know you don't like the before pic but it is a beautiful photo so don't be ashamed of it. The difference is that the current pic shows a woman much happier with her transformation. You look wonderful. Congratulations.

I would never try to influence you...this is your decision. But I can tell you that with the band, you get what you put into it. My primary doctor also wanted me to get bypass because she said I wouldn't lose enough weight. I've lost 83 lbs. in 7 1/2 months and she has since apologized for not having faith in me. Follow the rules, hopefully get in the green zone, and believe me...you will succeed. Yes, there are complications but they are rare and yes, you have to be very vigilant with fills, and aftercare. But for me, this was the perfect WLS solution. Find a lapband doctor to get a balanced information. Don't forget that doctors will try to steer you to a direction that they prefer. Good luck with whatever you choose.

it can't hurt to call the office and ask. I was supposed to be on all liquids for 2 weeks but was doing so well that I started mushies 10 days post op. How wonderful to eat food again!! I never had a more delicious few spoonfuls of tuna in my whole life.

good luck to you both!

that's an easy question to answer. it was the least invasive of the weight loss surgery options. the band is not permanent and the other surgeries were.

Don't worry Debbie, you are so not alone. I've been banded since mid January and I know that it's so hard to imagine not being hungry all the time. Not eating like there's no tomorrow, eating so much food that it literally makes you sick....eating constantly. When happy, when sad, when bored, when...ever. Also...so you know, I was not 'in a good place' psychologically so it wasn't like, hooray I can't wait to be banded. I did this kicking and screaming. It's hard to explain, but when you are correctly filled or in my case, not filled at all but still at the green zone, you just are not as hungry as you used to be. Yes, you get hungry and yes, you are tempted all the time, and yes, you have to deal with head hunger. But.....if you're not starving, you can make good choices and eat foods that are better for you and stop overeating. You may have ups and downs, but I don't think you will fail. When the hunger is under control, you become in control. And it gets easier...at least for me...to eat band sized portions and be good with it. Oh...and I needed to lose around 120 pounds and am less that 40 away from goal. I'm in sizes I haven't been in in years and am just about ready to say goodbye to the plus size section. I'm just about there.... Good luck to you and keep us posted on your journey.

I'm actually in the throes of hair loss right now but like Missy, I've upped my protein, am taking Biotin and iron and hoping for a reversal as has been promised to me. While hair loss is not fun, neither is being overweight or obese. I've lost 82 lbs. since the beginning of January and I love that. I'm wearing sizes I haven't worn in over 10 years and I'm experiencing 'normal' again. You know.... fitting into a booth in a restaurant, or a plane seat. All those things we got too heavy to do but can now do again...what a great feeling. good luck!.

yes...I'm trying to understand why you are isolating yourself. Are you losing weight and finding this is difficult somehow for you to comprehend? I would really suggest that along with taking anti-depressants, you should also be talking to a therapist about your issues and how to overcome them. Good luck and please keep us posted.

Congrats!! Great job..

I have severe arthritis and take Voltaren daily. I also take Prilosec to help coat the stomach. My lapband doctor is well aware of this and understands that for now, it's a question of my being able to function somewhat normally. I'm getting hip and knee replacement so of course the hope is that I will go off the NSAIDS once I'm recovered. It always comes down to risk/benefit...which is why you must check with your doctor and follow his/her advice.

Hi Friends. As many of you know, I had lapband surgery to get ready for knee replacement. I did so well that I am 6 months ahead of schedule. I saw the surgeon yesterday and was given a diagnosis that I never planned for. It seems my hips are just as bad as both knees and I have to get a bilateral hip replacement before getting my knees done. So...I went from one knee to both hips and both knees needing to be replaced. Obviously I am very upset and devastated to hear that I've got so much damage. The surgeon insisted I did nothing to bring this on...it's just arthritis and it happens but I know better. If I hadn't gotten so heavy, and hadn't futzed around for three or four years, I might not have gotten this bad. I'm looking at 3-6 months of recuperation based on doing one or both hips at the same time. We're not even discussing knees right now since the hips are more critical at the moment. I know there are folks on this forum who've had knee and hip replacements. If anyone can offer me some insight into what to expect, I'd be most grateful.