LFERLAND

LOL, yes, I have experienced more gas (not fun) and rumblings... though I think the extra rumbling kind of funny! Ever notice that you can feel and sometimes hear the food dropping from your pouch into the bottom portion of your stomach... that makes me laugh too... simple things amuse me

I was on Optifast for 3 weeks and lost about 25lbs. I was able to eat a few veggies but those got old very quickly! You don't want to weigh yourself very often either as you may get discouraged if and when you don't see much weight coming off. Good luck to both of you. This is just the beginning...!

LeslieLee you are truly an inspiration and I want to thank you for helping to motivate so many people. My goal for July was to not spend any more money on new clothes... and I broke that the other day when I found $9 pants at WALMART!!! LOL, being able to shop somewhere other than Penningtons feels great... too great... I am worried about the clothes shopping addiction that I believe is nearing...! Goal #1 for August: NO MORE NEW CLOTHES!!!! Goal #2: Don't break goal #1 Goal #3: Start exercising more

LOL, the thought of Optifast scattered my brain... I forgot about the disclosure question! At first I was quite reserved in who I told about my having the LapBand. I quickly realized, after I had begun to tell a few people, that the vast majority of people were supportive and were quite interested in the band and my journey. We should be PROUD of our decision to improve our health! I have the attitude that if someone does not like the route I have taken to improve my health and life then "oh well, their problem, not mine". We have absolutely NO reason to be ashamed of being banded!! Don't worry about what others MIGHT think. I found that the people that I thought were going to object the most were actually very supportive. I decided to begin telling people because I did not like lying to people as to why I was drinking "that pink stuff" (the Optifast with flavouring) and how I was losing weight. I think of the hundreds (I work in a hospital in a very busy unit) of people I have told I think maybe 5 have only said "oh" and that is the worst response I have heard. I believe that with all the education out there most people are trying to understand that this is an addiction and needs to be treated accordingly. When I tell people that before the band I had never felt full, they were very surprised and seemed to gain an understanding of why I was obese to begin with (not to mention an obvious addiction). I feel great when I can educate others about the LapBand. I believe that ignorance can only be changed if we educate, and educate I do!! Try not to worry about what others think and just be proud of yourself!!

I completely understand your issue with the Optifast... I could barely gag it down (even with crystal lite) before I bought flavour extracts (yes, that is allowed)... and even after that I was not thrilled! I found blending it with ice did NOT make it taste any better, in fact it was a lot worse because you had to deal with the froth on the top, and that was completely disgusting. I did find it better with lots of ice to make it very cold. You can find solice in the fact that after a week or so you will probably get used to it. I had to drink it for 3 weeks and it was not so bad after I found the right amount of flavour extract (the Bulk Barn has a variety)!! Experiment, you will find something that makes it bearable! Good luck!!

I am sorry to hear that you have fallen into a depression, I know the feeling and wish you all the best. I have always found that writing has helped me through the depression I have been through. Take care of yourself. I hope the people around you are supportive and give you lots of hugs!!! 55lbs and 16"... that is wonderful!!! You have to be very proud of yourself, I know I am!!!

Good luck! There is no need to be nervous... it is nothing!! I did not feel any restriction after my first fill but it did help with my hunger. keep up the good work!

I stuck to the post-op diet completely because I was scared that if I didn't then I could cause myself problems. Also, I have it in my head that I got the band for a reason and if I am unwilling to do what I have to to work with the band then there was no point of my getting it. It takes will power to work with the band and I decided that I MUST cooperate from the pre-op Optifast onward... no exceptions. If I don't believe it completely then I will not succeed... I know me very well by now... if my heart AND mind is not in it 100% then I will 100% fail... and I have NO intention of failing!!

I would love to give you a kick in the butt but I only walk as well. Granted my walks are at least an hour long but you are right... with a bunch of weight gone it should be easier to get out there and exercise. I have no good excuses for being lazy. I think I will take some of the suggestions posted here to help me out too!!

You have nothing to worry about when it comes to the fills. They are not at all painful, only discomfort and a feeling of restriction. As for the band working... you have to work with the band in order for it to work. If you are not 100% ready to change your eating habits then this is not the time to get this done. If you are ready and willing to change then there should be no problem. The band does make it hard to NOT follow the new diet. If you overeat then you quickly learn (through throwing up) not to! Try to calm your nerves by reassuring yourself that you are doing something for your health. Remember, you are worth the 20k regardless if it works or not!!

It appears that they are links to post your comment on the corresponding website. I clicked on the first one and it took me to a site that did nto really define what it was... I did not want to go any further! I personally think they are ads from sponsors... like at the side of the page.

I was only occasionally hungry during this phase. I have to admit, I never thought that I could have eaten pickles because of all the salt and additives... I wish I HAD thought of it!!! Just some advice... don't go overboard on the veggies early... I got so sick of them after the first week and a half that I could not stomach them for the rest of the Optifast phase (3 weeks). I hope this does not happen to you!!!! Don't worry about ketosis, it is when you are in this state that you are not hungry any longer (I was actually looking forward to ketosis). Wikipedia defines it as "A stage in metabolism occurring when the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies which can be used by the body for energy."

This is something that you definately cannot and should not try to hide from your husband. You will NEED his full support. You should ask him what he thinks about it... you never know, he may ned up being more supportive than you think he will be. I'm sure he would be much more upset with you if you spent $16,000 behind his back!!! If he has concerns, ask him to explain what they are. Tell him exactly why you want to get this done. If he cannot understand that that this would be a positive change for your health and only has selfish reasons for hindering your decision then you may want to re-evaluate your relationship (I'm sorry if that came off as judgemental, I truly do not mean to be). You should be proud of yourself that you want to make a commitment to bettering your health. Don't be afraid of what others might think. As for payment, I personally got a loan through my bank. If you go this route then you will need to get a bank draft from the bank to give to your surgeon. I truly hope you will be able to discuss this with your husband and he will be supportive of this. Whether or not you have this done, please do not let anyone discourage you from making a positive change for your life. I wish you all the best and good luck in whatever you end up doing.

I am pretty sure Dr. Cobourn said that everything was covered for 5 years (hospital charges are your responsibility though).

I found the hernia repair very painful. The shoulder and chest pain was almost unbearable. I often had to sleep sitting because I could not lay down. Regardless, it was definately worth the pain as my GERD is MUCH better!!!

Denise, maybe you should have the volume in your band decreased a little... your food should not be getting stuck that easily.

I was on Optifast for 3 weeks and I lost 24lbs. I did not cheat, although I really wanted to!!!

DO NOT count yourself as a failure!! I am quite disturbed at your statement: “Does the fact I am not full and craving more food mean I need a fill ASAP or just that I am a lapband failure and I am never going to manage to be thin?” You are extremely hard on yourself. DO NOT count yourself as a failure!! We ALL have problems with our emotional hunger… if we didn’t then we would not have needed the Lapband!! It is OK to have a temporary lapse in food judgment. You were stressed and in normal fashion you ate to soothe yourself. It is natural to feel miserable after “cheating” but that is because you know how hard you are working to change your life. Remember: It is very easy to learn an addiction and VERY DIFFICULT to UNLEARN it. Give yourself time to make the psychological change. DO NOT count yourself as a failure!! You CAN and I an sure you WILL succeed. You have obviously been trying for the last 5 weeks… You have already lost 20lbs and that is GREAT!! Keep up the good work! Don’t forget to praise yourself for the hard work and great job you are doing! Don’t just beating yourself up for the temporary lapse in food judgment. As for the not feeling full that particular night… I think your mistake was eating soup first. Liquids go straight through the band and do not fill you up. You therefore had extra room for the snacks. Not to mention that ice cream, once in your body melts and, like the soup, goes straight through the band. So, of what you ate, it was only the cheese and Nutella that COULD have filled you up. If you are experiencing “not full and craving more food” on a regular basis then yes, you are in need of a fill. Ok, I know… long winded, but I hope it helped.

I love this. I want all of that for everyone who knows exactly how Rosie feels. Thank you for sharing.

I am very much the same in the way that I did not have very much will power to not eat all the time... not to mention I very seldom felt full. For me, one of the largest advantages of the band is the fact that I physically cannot "pig out" anymore unless I want to be in a lot of pain and throw up. Also the feeling of being full after a little amount of food is wonderful. It does not feel like a diet for me at all. You can do it if you put your mind and band to it!

All I truly wanted was a Dairy Queen Oreo Blizzard. Kept promising myself that I would have at least one before my surgery... what was the one thing I didn't have??? Yeah... my Blizzard... I'm still very upset about this!!

I was banded with Dr. Cobourn. He was very informative and professional. He was able to answer all questions I had and made me feel very comfortable. I did not speak to any other physicians as Dr. Cobourn was the closest for me.

I immediately went off my GERD medication and although I have needed Rolaids a few times I am not in constant pain either! Just for that alone this all has been worth it!! I have always kept my clothing at various stages of weight loss/gain. I am currently down just over 40lbs and "shopping" in my basement last weekend was great!!! I found a ton of clothes that I can wear again. At the same time I got rid of a bunch of now big clothes... actually knowing that I can get rid of them is great!! I look forward to being able to go off my hypertensive meds... but I guess I actually have to TAKE my blood pressure to know when I can go off them... Maybe I should start!

Hmmm... I did not know that you could claim mileage on takes too... that is good to know.

This is all absolutely correct. I had my banding done by Dr. Cobourn in Mississauga on Feb 28. He is very nice and explains things very well. I do highly recommend him. It is true that the cost of the Optifast is additional, but when you are already spending $16k then a couple hundred more is not that much of a difference!!! Unfortunately, OHIP does NOT cover any portion of this. I still do not understand why the Canadian government covers the dangerous gastric bypass and not this... However, you WILL be able to claim this as a medical deduction on your income taxes next year!! As for paying, yes, the balance (minus the $200 consult and the $500 down payment) is due 2 weeks before surgery and a credit card CANNOT be used. It must be done through bank draft... that is if you are not getting it financed through their service. Although quite expensive I would do this all over again. Good luck if you decide to go through with the Lapband procedure. P.S. Not to deter you but the Optifast is horrible (three weeks of that stuff was not fun)... make sure to get flavour extracts, they REALLY help!!! On the plus side, the Optifast really helps you lose a bunch of weight!!