sp70

Hi! I am almost 5 years out from my lap band. I lost 70 pounds during that time and over the course of the last 2 years I have gained about 20 back. the scale hasn't changed one direction or the other over the last year. I was doing ok with this as I workout 5 days a week and run quite a bit. (ran my first half marathon last November). I was diagnosed last month with breast cancer. Thankfully, it was caught early. I've already had a lumpectomy and am currently recovering from a lymph node biopsy, which was clear. My oncologist has recommended 6 weeks radiation therapy and then 10 years of tamoxifen, a hormone blocker, in attempts to prevent the cancer from returning. My biggest fear is the tamoxifen. It has so many side effects that scare me to death. Two of them being being joint pain which could decrease my activity and the second weight gain. I like my body, other than having to get used to the newest scars. I am trying to get myself back on track nutritionally, I have reached out to my nutritionist at my surgery center, so far without success. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to get back on track. Reset my head and diet so to speak. The way I see it, I have 2 months to get the scale going in the right direction prior to starting this new med. Any suggestions or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you so much Sosewsue61! Going to try calling the nutritionist again today, if no luck will talk with my oncologist next week. I have a long list of questions in regards to the risk vs benefit of tamoxifen. I watched my dad suffer through colon cancer which is a totally different beast, but quality of life is very important to me!

Thanks! I was hoping to meet with the nutritionist that had seen me through my band. I see my oncologist next week and that's a good thought, I'll add it to my list of questions!

Feeling lost and frustrated.........this new site is difficult to maneuver around and find things. Difficult to see how everyone is doing. If I had a minute I would pop in and see what everyone was chatting about. I may not have responded, but felt connected to the band world. Now there is a disconnect for me. I am close to goal and my surgeon felt I was in the green zone so he told me to call if I was having any problems or needed a fill. No more scheduled follow ups, which I guess is a good thing. I just feel that I am on my own now and that is a bit scary!

Amazing! Congratulations on all of your hard work!

Way to go...congratulations!

Give yourself a break! You just had a significant surgery and it will take a week or so before you are back to yourself. I took a week off work and found myself taking daily naps! The days I pushed myself too far, I paid for it the next couple of days. Everyone heals differently and each surgery is different. Relax and recuperate, get caught up on some good books or movies.

Congratulations on your surgery. Please remember, which is hard for all of us, that right now is a time for healing. Weightloss will eventually come, but your body is in a state of shock right now and it will take some time before you start to see the scale move. I remember being in tears a week after surgery and seeing that the scale was going up and I was still on liquids! My best advice, don't focus on numbers, focus on healing. If you haven't already done it, takes some measurements. I do this monthly and it's nice to see that the inches that continue to come off when the scale may not be moving. It all takes time and patience, but it will happen!

It was at 6 weeks when my surgeon did my first fill. My surgeon would like for me to go 3-4 hours with satiety. Which I am at and it works for me. In my opinion, fills should be tailored to each individuals needs not a set schedule that works best for the office. So it never hurts to call and talk to them. Good Luck!

My port is off the right side of my belly button. I've had no problems with it at all. I run, do the elliptical, hand weights, planks, sit ups, push ups etc and have had no issues with it at all (once it was all healed!) I'd talk with your surgeon to see where he typically puts them, you may or may not have a choice, plus they take in to account your anatomy.

I didn't get to choose, I woke up and found it on the right side of my abdomen off to the side of my belly button. I've had no issues with it at all.

I know some people have used other doctors they have seen as well, such as their OB/Gyn. Just a thought! Like Missy said, someone should have your records.

There could still be some swelling, so see how you are doing as it gets closer. But, if you are going 4-5 hours between meals, you are doing great! My nutritionist and surgeon ask me how much I am eating, how long I am staying satisfied and we all decide together whether to do a fill or not. I look at my scheduled appointments as a check in/ accountability (for me) visit. Keep up the great work!

For a break from chocolate, I like a vanilla protein shake blended with ice and some PB2 for a good peanut butter milkshake! You can add pretty much anything to vanilla like bananas, peaches, strawberries etc. to change it up. Just get creative and experiment until you find something else. You can always add some yogurt to the shake as well. I'm not a big fan of yogurt, so I don't do that very often.

I like Sexyback by Justin Timberlake!

Hang in there, you've done great so far, just kick up the pace a bit. Maybe find a workout buddy? This may help with motivation. I work out 5-6 days a week and have done it for so long that I feel guilty when I miss a day. I was told by my nutritionist to limit meals to 6-8 oz. So I shoot for 6 oz. Some days I am hungrier than others and so I try to increase the liquid intake. I know my band won't do all the work, I have to do my part as well. You can do this, talk with your doc, go back to the band basics and kick up the activity a bit and I'm sure you'll see the scale start moving some more. You got this! Don't beat yourself up!

My toenails were painted....also got to keep socks on as I have for all my past procedures!

Glad to hear all went well! Praying the rest of your recovery is smooth sailing!

I've always liked ice cream and milkshakes. So now I blend my protein powder with 1/2 cup ice and 1/2 cup skim milk and voila a protein shake that is thick and creamy and takes care of the ice cream/milkshake urge. I've also gotten in the habit of some sugar free pudding mixed with protein powder for a sweet snack. There are lots of substitutions/options out there, it just takes a while (and some time with a good nutritionist) to find them!

Most mornings I stick with a Protein shake. Sometimes I will do oatmeal with Protein powder or some sugar free pudding with protein powder. Your plan sounds pretty restrictive, does you nutritionist have examples...they should be able to help you out. eggs do get old quick! Good luck!

I started losing more hair (than usual) about 4 months out. The key is keeping with good nutrition and lots of protein. I started taking Biotin, but probably a little too late. My nails look better though! My hair thinning out some is an ok side effect for me!

Congratulations! Glad to hear you are doing well.

I would at least put a call into them and discuss what's going on and go from there. Hope you feel better soon.

I don't think you hurt anything, just a bit overfilled. As you are eating you really need to pay attention to your body's signals (which was hard for me when I was used to inhaling my food). The goal with the band is to eat until you are satisfied and not stuffed. It's trial and error, and at first it was a lot of error for me!

I really started shedding about a month ago, which was 4 months post op. Some days it seems to come out in clumps. I had to give my vacuum a hair cut the other day! I went through this with my divorce 2 years ago too. Stress plays a big factor, so try not to stress, it goes hand and hand with weight loss and it will grow back with time. I think I'd rather be bald than go back to the way I was before (unhealthy!)....