Bandista

My hospital had a mandatory information session. It is only held every other month (rural area) and I missed the one in June so had to wait for August. By then I had done a lot of research, including extensive reading of posts on this forum where I learned so much. I was banded in November and I'm very happy with my decision. I did not meet with my PCP either, although I love her. I think part of me wants to waltz into her office with a significantly slimmer figure and have her burst into tears of joy. She knows what a difficult time I've had with weight and associated issues over the years. Congratulations on deciding on a healthy future for yourself -- choosing that is very powerful. I think most if not all of us here have felt so beaten down by a series of failed diets and declining health. What a great thing it is to turn all that around!

I've had four fills -- latest one yesterday. First was six weeks after surgery, then the following week, two more weeks and two more. I will go back in two weeks to reassess. My band was not primed and I believe these are small fills but frequent whereas some surgeons do larger fills less frequently. My doctor does not share the amount of the fill with me. He thinks I'm right on track and that it takes most of his patients 4-5 fills to reach the green zone and we will just do it a step at a time til we get there. No fluoroscopy. He also doesn't believe in dieting -- repeats that the point of the band is to eat when you're hungry and not eat when you're not hungry. Amount he describes is the size of a tennis ball and duration is 4-5 hours.

Yippee! What a great success you have had in this first year. I always enjoy your posts and comments, Terry, and wish you a very happy Bandiversary!

Hi there, recent article on sleep: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/29/sleep-health-benefits_n_4461303.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009 For many of us it's easier said than done -- we know we need better sleep but have difficulty achieving it. What I liked about this article is the idea of committing to the idea of better sleep, reducing screen time at night, having a regular bedtime routine, etc. Best wishes, every one, for good sleep and excellent health in this coming year......

Lucky guy -- and he knows it. All the best to both of you and this new chapter in your lives. Here's to LOVE! It's the best there is.

Hope you can go to light duty or partial days this week so you can recover fully! Every one is different as far as recovery time, etc., but one thing we all have in common is our bodies will tell us when we need to slow down! Best wishes to you -- what a great time to be banded at the beginning of this brand new year.

So happy for you! You are doing beautifully........ Going for a fill this afternoon and really hoping to reach the Green Zone. I can do the work, but I need the Assist! Best wishes to you.......

Hi Dreamer, congratulations on a surgery date. So natural to have pre-surgery jitters and also to worry about not being able to make it work. I worry about that -- those feelings of "what if I don't have what it takes," etc. This is because I have not been a success at so many attempts when I have had to work so hard only to regain the weight, etc. It's different now that I've made this choice. I feel so much more powerful in my life and I don't have those nagging food obsessed conversations ruling my life. They are there to some extent -- the volume goes up and down, which is how I know I need a fill. Just know you are not alone with these thoughts. You are starting a new chapter in your life and ushering in a time of health and happiness. Good luck to you!

Yippee MzEboni! What a great decision. We have a recumbent bike in the basement that is part of my workout routine. Now, there is another bike in our house. Upstairs. A regular bike but on a stand so it can be ridden indoors. I think I'm going to move that down to the TV area now that Christmas is over and there's more elbow room -- I need to get more mini-workouts in and heaven knows if I spent ten minutes on that every time we sat down to Netflix I'd have a lot more calorie burning going on. Thanks for the inspiration! And I have a friend in Chicago -- totally get it about the nasty weather. Here, too. A lot of frozen yuck this morning. We need these inside options for our climates. Best wishes to you Eboni!

Hi Khelm -- big day nearly here! So happy for you. I was very happy that I walked all I could as soon as I woke up. I needed to pee -- or thought I did -- fairly frequently so I just used that opportunity to grab my IV Pole and have a stroll up and down the hallway. You will want a bathrobe for this and maybe some slip-on sandals or whatever. I had my flip-flops with me. I'd walk and walk then lie down and fall in and out of sleep for a while then get up and do the whole thing all over again. When I went home the next day I kept it up by going around the driving circle. It helped my body regulate -- needed to shake off the anesthesia and kick off the healing process. I was so ecstatic over this decision for myself -- this choice to be healthy was kind of like reclaiming a part of myself. There was a fierceness that made for such positive energy. I will go look at your blog now -- fun that you are doing that. Best wishes for a speedy recovery and a wonderful beginning to your new banded life.

Best wishes! I am so happy with my surgery and the promise of a healthy happy future. Glad you found the forum. It has been so helpful for me to read through threads, ask questions and get input from so many different people. Much more info than has been available to me through the medical community......

Yes, congratulations on your engagement!! Here's to a healthy happy future together. We had so many get-togethers throughout the holidays and it's only just started to let up. One thing I found was that at every party there was something appropriate for me to eat. Usually this was something to do with Beans. I ignored the sweets and tried to stay away from cheese as much as possible (a real downfall in my pre-band life). Before I was banded I worried that I wouldn't be able to go out and have a "normal" life -- this proved to be a silly thing to worry about. I did pretty well but I really only maintained my weight. It's hard to tell if this plateau was just going to occur anyway or if it had to do with caloric intake. Either way I'm happy not to have gained weight during the Merry season. I was banded in November and have lost almost 25 pounds. I am happy overall but wishing for the next chunk to start disappearing. This afternoon I go for a fill and I know I really need this as I am quite hungry and able to eat more than the tennis ball sized portion my surgeon recommends -- plus I am hungry again soon after. Not sure why this has changed like this as I did have more satiety earlier on, but it is what it is. Oh, and I exercised on Thanksgiving Day and New Year's Day and as many other days as I could swing it. That is a major milestone in my life. Next year I hope to be wearing sassy little pajamas on Christmas morning when I open my stocking, and I'd like to wear a great Christmas outfit somewhere, not my usual all-black ensemble. That made me laugh, Sharpie! It's so slimming, right? And Terry, the Moose Munch sounds like the crack cocaine of the snack world. Way to go removing that from the house. Great blog, Debbie, you are doing beautifully. Speaking of beauty, are you the Debbie that took the photo at the top of that blog? What a garden!

Hi JDunn, glad you're here on the forum! I hope you're able to get your band working well for you. I'm going for a fill this afternoon. It will be my fourth one. I was banded in November and while I have been able to be "good" for most of the time through the holidays and so forth, I know the band is not really doing anything until I can get to the Green Zone. Most of us have never been able to sustain a diet and chose the LapBand to get out of that vicious cycle of deprivation and rebounding to the world of food. But there are choices we have to make, like no slider foods. I am also seeing a therapist to discuss food issues and why it is I sometimes sabotage myself or just want to throw in the towel. It's been helpful for me to address that head-on, to face up to addictions and have an objective third party to talk to once in a while. I think it is helping me with self-esteem and choosing myself and my health first. We can do this, JDunn -- we are here for each other! Best wishes to you......

Hi Wendy, My starting weight was just over 250 -- my goal is to get down to somewhere under 150. I was banded in November and have lost almost 25 pounds. I expect to be able to get the other 75 off in the next year but if it takes a little longer that's okay with me. My main goal is health and vitality. I am plateaued right now but can feel my jeans are looser -- down from a size 18 to a size 16 and thinking about picking up those 14 Longs soon, to have them on hand. I am pretty sure exercise is the key to losing inches as well as pounds -- my body wants to be healthy but it's been so mixed up over the years. I think that it will get the idea that it's okay to shed the weight. The famine is not coming after all and this stored fat can go. One day at a time! Best wishes to you -- you will do beautifully. Just believe in yourself!

Hi there and congratulations -- Wednesday is almost here! I was banded in November and I am so happy. I really believe in the walking all you can to kick off the healing process, release any trapped gas, etc. Really helped me. I had filled a pain medication prescription but didn't use it as I didn't want the side effects. Was fine on a little liquid Tylenol and Ibuprofen. Popsicles were nice to have at home. It all seems like so long ago and that's the way you'll feel a few short months from now. Best wishes to you!

I was a vegetarian for 17 years. Now I eat poultry and fish and some red meat, but not pork. Even pre-band I just didn't eat it -- couldn't eat it. It's amazing how many people think this is a religious decision and want to make a "thing" out of it. Um, no, I just don't eat that. The great thing about the band is the listening to our bodies -- when I do this, I really do know the difference between a craving from that old mindset of overeating or the need/desire for something particular that my body must need. I'm learning to trust that. When I first got banded I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to have dairy afterward, at least not cow dairy. I have had various issues with dairy over the years and I think of it as an excluded food. But it turns out I am okay with dairy, at least for now. Since it's been a major trigger food for me in the past, I know I need to be watchful, but I like it that I can be "friends" with cheese and not feel overriding compulsions for more, more, more.

I am taking this to heart. And possibly taking my scale out to the barn. The other day I woke up very early -- 5:30 or so and weighed myself. Weight up. Went back to bed for a couple of hours and then weighed again. 2.5 pounds down. What? Who weighs themselves multiple times to try to get a better number? A Scale Junkie! I really want to stay focused on how my blue jeans are fitting. I'm down a size and these are no longer tight. I think the weighing in at the doctor's office is probably a great plan for me. Currently I plug the weight into MFP every morning and it's that frustrating up two down 1 up three stay the same, etc. I don't want to drive myself crazy -- that's why I got the band, so I can relax, eat the right foods in small amounts and let the weight come off. It's that simple -- why do I have to over-complicate it? Thanks for the post!

Hi Thea, you are definitely doing the right thing researching all you can. For me, finding this forum was so helpful. I joined in June and was banded in November. It can be a long process and I was glad that I also got a therapist at the same time. I wanted to have every base covered and I was worried that emotional eating may keep me from being a success. I liked having the accountability of meeting with a therapist to discuss food issues. We really worked on the triggers -- breaking down the desire for food so I came to understand better what I was doing. The band is designed to dim the appetite, so having it gives me the extra mental space and ability to ask myself the questions that keep me from overeating. Do I need that? Am I really hungry? Before I just couldn't do it -- I would jump right into the behavior knowing full well what I was doing but deciding I was going to do it anyway. The band is keeping me from doing that. For me, getting the band was a way of choosing myself and my health first. I knew I needed to do something to change the direction of the way my physical body was going. I'm 52 and have serious joint issues, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. I don't want to age prematurely. I want to have a vibrant full life and I want to be as pain-free as possible. I also really wanted the conversations in my head around food to stop. I felt like I was thinking about food and overthinking eating all the time. Can I have it, should I have it, I'm having it anyway, I shouldn't have had it, etc. Very mixed up after so many years of dieting, deprivation and the inevitable swing back the other way. Getting the band has stopped those voices in my head questioning everything to do with food. I have only told a handful of people about my band. My husband, our son, a supportive cousin who is also my workout partner, and a few friends. I didn't tell my parents. My mother has handed me every single diet book for the last twenty years and I know my weight makes her uncomfortable not just because of my health but because I am not as presentable as she would like. It's a terrible thing to say, but there it is. And I didn't want my parents, who are elderly, to be worried about me. I don't want any one monitoring how it is going unless I initiate that conversation and I didn't want to risk negative feedback. The main thing is you are plugging in to your health and deciding to do something -- whatever it is. You are not glazing over the issues and continuing down a negative path. It's very empowering to be in that place where you decide to take hold of the issue. I think it's good to have a partner in that process and I recommend a therapist. Even though I had done quite a bit of work on myself before, it felt very different since I was fully admitting my inability to diet on my own and that I was eating inappropriately. It wasn't just genetic issues, all the frustrations of dieting over the years, the yo-yo syndrome. It was me, not able to stop overeating. Wishing you the very best and a healthful new year!

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery date -- very exciting! I have always found detoxing of any kind can cause a headache at times. Your body will thank you for this extra TLC. I started my pre-op diet a little early, too -- just wanted to get into the pre-surgery mode and feel like I was on my way. Like you, right now -- you are on your way to health and happiness. Here's to 2014 and all it holds for us!

These posts are so helpful; thank you so much! An important reminder of how easy it is to get caught in that mode of mindless wolfing down of food. After all, we did that for years! Sorry about the stuck episode. So far I have only had one but I am still in the process of getting fills. I am also reminded of how being out in the world can be more distracting and that I should be doubly mindful of how I am eating. Love looking at your stats. Woowoo! Way to go!

The bills for my November surgery arrived. I think I won't hesitate to call them about any little thing at all for years to come -- they are getting paid pretty well for this! Put those medical professionals to work, even just to relieve your worries. Hope you feel better today.......

Congratulations on this halfway mark -- and 55 is tremendous. Way to go! And inches lost as well -- I need to remember how important that is and not worry so much about the number on the scale. Love the fat vision contact lenses -- that is hilarious! We need more compassion when we look in the mirror, that's for sure, and just in general. Here's to an amazing success and to this upcoming year of health and further loss. You are doing beautifully. Thanks for the inspiration today!

Hi Joanie, sending very best wishes for you tomorrow -- so natural to be nervous before any surgery. Hopefully this will be very easy and this time tomorrow you'll be recovering and just so happy to have it over with. Let us know how it goes -- what they find and how you are feeling. Your positive energy is the ticket to healing.......Best wishes!

Happy New Year all! I want to thank every one for their input and support. When I landed on this site last June I was just beginning my research and had never participated in an on-line forum. Nor did I know much about the LapBand or the process I was beginning that would ultimately take five months. That was time-to-surgery, and of course that process is continuing each day as I now learn what banded life will mean for me. I'm very glad to have the voices of so many people here who share their insights and experiences. I'm tempted to single out some who have really contributed to my success so far, but then I'd be afraid of leaving some one out. A community is about the whole. I have been in something of a slump during the holidays. Not a mental slump (well, perhaps a bit), but band-wise. I am in the process of working with my surgeon to get small fills toward the goal we all desire, the Green Zone. Meanwhile, of course, it is basically just a matter of working hard to keep from gaining. And that's not easy during the holidays. I am a good dieter. An expert! Well, of course if I was that great at it I wouldn't need a band. As with all diets, somewhere at two to three months I just can't do it anymore and I feel so hungry. This is where I am now. The elation of pre-surgery preparations and the surgery itself, the initial loss, etc. have all worn off and now I am hovering around the same few pounds going up, up, and down, down. I am holding strong -- exercising all I can and making good choices -- but there's a part of me that worries that the band won't work, that I'll be stuck in this mode forever. Well, I won't. I will get to the Green Zone and experience what I had just out of surgery. I was one of the lucky people who felt no hunger in the beginning, but then of course came the return of appetite. Having glimpsed that feeling of no appetite, however, I really look forward to getting there again when my band is adjusted properly. To all of you out there who are in the same place, we will get there! And again, happy new year and many thanks to each of you for your part in this forum.

The whole "for now" thing might be working for me. Satiety definition is having had enough food for now. Doesn't mean we can't have some later, just that right now I'm agreeing with my brain that, guess what, I've had enough for now. Hoping this will work for me -- it's a completely new thought. Evenings are brutal. We live very well.