KimberleyP

So sorry for the sad news. Blessings to you and your wife as you weather this new storm.

We really like to Unjury Chocolate Splender. Yum! There are other flavors too. My husband boosts the chocolate flavor with Chocolate syrup which I find to be too much. Tastes great and got us through the pre-surgery diet and is now supplemental when we are short on protein.

Good for you in deciding to do this and who should know is completely up to you. Usually I share most everything - except when it comes to my weight. For that I long ago gave up having everyone in my business. My family knows and they also know I don't want others (more distant family) to know. At work only 2 close people know. Everyone else I will discuss very little. I'm in a very prominent position at work and didn't need absolutely everyone watching everything I do. My weight is slow to move and come off. I've been glad so few people know because no one is now wondering why I'm not losing more. I don't want to explain several times a week why my body is not losing what some one else would expect to be normal. We are all are unique in how we respond and what details our journey includes. We may each be in a unique position to share or not to share. Accept your uniqueness and do what is best for you.

I've not used it, but have it if necessary. My Dr. has a printable one available on his website. We got a plastic Patient ID Card from Allergan, the makers of LapBand, when we sent in the product registration with our serial number. The card identifies the LapBand serial number, size, etc. It has a "Note to restaurants" statement on it, but I keep it in my wallet more for medical identification purposes. I am also glad knowing that the serial number of my device is registered so that if there are any problems identified from the manufacturer I would be notified. So far we are eating out less, so I'm not sure if I'll need it. So far when we have gone out I love the left-overs.

Way to go!! Keep it up - whatever you are doing it is working for you.

Interesting - I went for my first fill 7 weeks after the lapband placement and my port was almost completely upside down. He also told me I was only his second patient in 10 years. He did the revision right there in his office so he could do the fill. It is healing nicely and feels more like it should. I just hope it doesn't flip again. I went back to work the next day, but had a rough day and actually went home. I think it was more the pain med than the actual pain from the incision. I didn't take any more meds after that first night. With the placement in the ribcage area it will be easier to access and less likely to ever flip again. I deal with IV ports in the chest. After the initial swelling and healing, they do quite well. I think you'll be surprised that it will become no big deal. Good Luck and Speedy Recovery.

There is most likely a specific form that HR will provide for you. You are allowed the time off for a medical procedure under FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act). The Dr. will state why you need the time - Laproscopic surgery. As for the HR department - they have confidentiality requirements not to discuss that sort of thing. I wouldn't worry about that. Take the two weeks and focus on your healing. It is worth it.

Hugs - Hugs - Healing Light! I wish you speedy answers to your questions. You've gotten some great advise from those before me, so I can only chime in with support. There are answers somewhere - keep searching. I do agree that keeping your surgeon in the loop is important.

I focused on the "end game" - knowing this was for only a limited time and that it would make surgery easier, I could do it. I did think of my liver being more pliable and safer for the surgeon to work around. using broth and the jello were also a nice variety. Good Luck! It will be worth it!

Thanks for sharing your success. What a great achievement. I will also share this with my husband as I'm sure he will be inspired also. We banded together, only he doesn't do forums. Great Job!

Being a "newbie" I do find all this very interesting. I'm still just trying to figure out how most the stuff on the site works. Who knew there were points and counters and such. I do look at profiles and how successful someone is to place some "value" on an opinion - but all the opinions do help me make up my own mind. Without more sides to a story we may not get a full picture. Then there are the abbreviations - I'm way out of the loop. So at the risk of looking very dumb: what is IMHO?

I may be a little late to this discussion, but so glad to see you changed your appointment. You are definitely not the crazy one. Keep up the good work and stay encouraged. You deserve to be treated with respect and have your concerns addressed. 1lb a week is good progress - and that is to be an average. That means it may not be every week. We need to stay focused on the long run and not just the short term gains. Good for you for seeking encouragement and standing up for yourself. You will do great! Blessings to you!!!

Thanks for sharing! It is encouraging. I hope to be such a success one year from now. Blessings to you!!

Hello, Just saw your post. I'm not in Lewistown, but I'm in Belgrade, MT. How long have you had your band? I got mine in Dec.2012 and had my first fill last week.

Our Dr.'s pre-op diet was not about proving you could do anything, but more about preparing your body for a safe surgery. We had to do a 2 week high Protein, low fat special diet. I've seen different versions by different Dr.s. The purpose was to allow the liver to be a little less fatty and rigid, allowing it to be more easily moved out of the way for the laproscopic procedure. It was not too bad and I figured I could do anything for 2 weeks to improve the safety of surgery. The by-product of a jumpstart on the weightloss was a great bonus. Just another perspective on that pre-diet.....

Hello, This has been an informative site with lots of supportive people. I would like a buddy/mentor to share with and learn from. I'm not real savvy on social networking, but am getting better all the time. I am a good friend when it comes to old fashioned communication methods, but feel I fumble in this social network arena. I live in Montana and know my best option for finding a new friend going through this journey, or who is further along this journey, is by reaching out beyond my comfort zone. So here I am :-) I was banded 12-13-12 and my husband was done two weeks later. It is good to have each other, but I'm more social and do find I could use some other interaction with others on this topic as I move through the life changes. I look forward meeting a new friend.

Hello ShannaH, Desert Diva, and Shady2121, Nice to meet you all. Now I have to figure out how to add friends and the best way to communicate. For me, I would resort to e-mail, because that I understand. Part of my challenge is I can't figure out whether my challenges with the website are with the actual website or with the IPad app. When I can't seem to make something work on my IPad, I've been going to the website from my computer and I have better luck. I'm going to try and "add friends" and "personal message". If all else fails, my e-mail is: kputzke@gmail.com More intros as I figure this stuff out....

Beautiful and inspirational! Congratulations on your success and thanks so much for sharing. Love the pictures!

My mind and matter are struggling over a plateau. So, I can relate... Intellectually I understand the calories in, calories out theory and can see it needs time to make a difference. My body doesn't seem to be good at that math. I worry a little that if my body can't seem to let go at this caloric need level for my weight, what is going to happen when I weigh less? If your caloric needs go down with your weight, then I'll be needing to eat nearly nothing to keep losing. I got down 30#s (total with pre-surgery work and initial post-op) and then went up 3 - now I'm hovering in that range and not really losing. I'm 5 weeks post-op and not due for my first fill for another 2 weeks. I was doing fine, until I returned to work. OK - I probably got back to some old snaking and habits the first week. This past week to 10 days still no budging. I have been tracking my calories, increased my activity, working on my mental game. I'm stuck and frustrated. I know there is nothing anyone else can do, I'm venting and glad to see I'm not the only one.

I'm an RN and currently work as an Administrator in my niche field of Infusion Therapy. That means I'm an IV nurse, working with intravenous drugs as part of a IV pharmacy. I manage 3 sites across Montana, servicing Montana and Northern Wyoming. I've been in the specialty for 25 years and love doing it in this rural state. It does add a different flavor to business operations to cover such a huge area. Sometimes the corporate office has trouble seeing that life here is not the same as in Chicago, LA or Seattle. We have less than 1 million people across the 4th largest state in the U.S. Same quality and standards, but less resources and lots more space to do it in. I love my niche. I get the nursing part of helping people get better and the analytical side of figuring out how it all works together across the multi-disciplinary teams and offices.

Hello! I am new to this forum and to the Lap-Band. I also am not real familiar with or adept at social networking. That said, I do recognize that I could use the extra information and support that this platform can provide. I have been overweight my entire life and many years ago reached a place of "size acceptance". For me that meant loving who I am, regardless of my physical appearance. I have not let my weight hold me back from getting what I want in life and being the best "me" that I can be. Once I reached that point I at least stopped gaining and riding the roller-coaster of diets. So here I am - having made the tough decision to have a lap-band. I still honor who I am, but want to get away from the medications and other health issues that my weight brings with it. My husband and I are doing it together so that we can both make the life-style changes and support one another. I live in Montana so there is not ready access to face to face support groups. In fact we are 3 hours away from our surgeon. I welcome the addition of this group on my journey to a new me. Already I have found a lot of helpful information. Thanks for being here! May I be able to contribute to the positive journey of others as we travel this road together.

Good for you! Making this decision, or any major life-changing decision, can be hard and it looks like you are owning your decision. I am new to lap-band, but not to the issues around size, weight, and judgement. I've been very selective about who knows that I had this done 12-13-12. Having gone through lots of judgement and misunderstandings from very well meaning people, I decided to limit those that know. As I lose weight I'll know when the time is right to share how I did it (or not). Be open and accept the positive support where you find it - let go of the rest.