Bandista

Congratulations Angie and KC -- great to see some December bandits....glad all went well and whole new life ahead. I am just five weeks out and soooooo happy. Best wishes for a fine holiday season.

Glad you took today off, too -- that's what the time is there for and of course teaching is such a stressful profession. You have a good weekend and feel better -- unwind and see where you are. I've read about the five day pouch test and know there are others on here who go all liquids once in a while to give their band a rest or give themselves a reboot. Good luck and enjoy your downtime - I find breathing helps me stay calm and with a name like Pura Vida I'm sure you're doing all that. Best wishes!

Being able to see some on regularly is going to be great. Can you call the place near your parents' house and ask what the fill schedule would be like for some one banded in July with no fills as yet? I am going in weekly right now -- can let go of an appointment if I feel like I don't need another fill yet but they are on the calendar. Have had two so far. I think this is fairly aggressive. Of course every one is different but the idea is to have a medical professional to track closely with you. The idea of Friday appointments regularly then moving to less frequency and having that whole Saturday option is pretty compelling. You want a relationship over time so if you're in college and life is crazy one thing you know is you can go for a fill when you're home. Call your insurance company or go online to make sure the new places you're considering are covered. Good luck -- you are going to do great! As for the twenty off, way to go. That is something to celebrate, for sure!

Yippee! I am five weeks out and so happy with my life. It's not just the weight loss but the getting out of food jail, the relief.....

Wow, Barbie nailed it -- frustration over other people having something and we are not having it, and so the soothing foods come out of the pantry.....this is going to be a great support group for you! I am trying for 4-5 hours between feedings and those need to be as high in protein as possible. No difference really between a snack and a small meal -- and they are all small now -- so gotta make it count. Grazing cannot be part of my formula or I will do what I've always done -- starve myself all day and graze all evening. Sure can pack it on that way!

Guess the post-fill time is also about really tuning Into the body so we can interpret those signals -- what is hunger, how frequent -- and, for me, are those just old habits telling me I should have something to eat? Good to sort all of this out and be willing not to have food. The band doesn't prevent us from eating, it just dims our appetite.

Congratulations! You are getting there......sounds like a pretty sweet pre-op diet to me. I was in shake works for two weeks. As for caffeine I think you will be fine on decaf which still has caffeine -- and your chattering brain if it's anything like mine may be happier without the extra stimulation. I'm really happy I forced myself to kick up the exercise prior to surgery so I could step right back into that after. All the walking post-surgery is so helpful for every reason. Best wishes to you -- and what a way to usher in the New Year!

Hi Flo, so happy for you! I am thrilled about my band -- what a great decision for health and happiness. Hope you are able to rest well, watch all the movies you want and walk like crazy. I'm pretty sure the walking is the magic ingredient, not only for speedy recovery but also kicking the body into shedding mode. Keep us posted on how you're doing!

Hi there and happy holidays all! Today I went for a follow-up appointment with the surgeon and had a second fill. The last one was a week ago today. I wasn't sure that I'd get another fill so soon as I am satisfied with a small amount of food. However I am hungry again after a couple of hours. My surgeon's goal is a serving the size of a tennis ball and not to be hungry again for 4-5 hours. We went for it, and, just like last week, it was very easy. I was glad to have him inspect the port site because it is tighter and harder now that it has some saline in it and I wondered if that is normal. Yep. He marked the site with a pen then cleaned the area with alcohol and gave me a shot. That is a pinch. Then he did the fill and, voila, I was drinking my little glass of Water to make sure it went down well. It did. I am not feeling hungry at all, but what I am feeling is GRATEFUL. And HAPPY! I am so relieved to be out of food jail and able to just make good decisions without the input of a committee in my brain telling me what I should and should not do. All that chatter has really dissipated. Yippee!

Hi KC, we have very similar stats, too -- amount we want to lose, etc. Like you I am not feeling afraid of the holidays, etc. And I'm not stressing about how long this may take. Isn't the feeling in control a wonderful thing!? Cheers to us!

What a great post -- thank you so much. You are rocking this new lifestyle. I am so excited and inspired. Loved reading this update!

Hi B-52, not sure how many cc's total for these two fills -- have an appointment next week as well which I can cancel if I'm feeling satisfied on the tennis ball size every 4-5 hours. I like your fist comparison -- that is helpful. I think it's about 3/4 cup to one cup. Am trying to go slow and be careful to stop before full. I have had to spit out food a few times when I realized that one more bite might be one too many. Trying to refocus my energy on exercise, which I'm pretty sure is the magic ingredient.

Sorry for the delay -- good luck with next Friday. You are getting there! And congratulations on making this big step toward good health.

Take it easy -- maybe try to reduce stress any way possible? I know, sounds absurd as of course stress is stress. But can you get some down time, hot bath, have some one rub your feet, etc.? Thinking of you. Hope this liquids only does it for you.

This would worry me, too. I just had my second fill this afternoon and peeled off the bandaid to see what's what. Just blood in my case. Why not call this in and get the worry off of your mind? Last week after my first fill the port area felt so hard. I was worried that this might mean something but today when I inquired I was told that is perfectly normal. Hope this helps!

Of course it's important to adhere to your doctor's post-op protocol and it's fascinating how that can vary so much -- but post-op I really enjoyed Imagine brand potato leek Soup (comes in a carton and is in the natural food section of our regular grocery stores). I also had chicken stock which I dolled up with ginger, garlic, tamari and chili to make a spicier broth. My surgeon had written down Egg Drop Soup and I had that, too. Always in pretty small amounts as I'd get full quite quickly. And I guess I wanted those savory things. On the sweet side I enjoyed popsicles, especially MinuteMaid brand soft lemonade. They have sugar in them rather than artificial sweeteners which I do not like. Calorie intake is so low post-op that it didn't really matter to me whether I was having 70 calories vs. lower....... I was prepared for a return of hunger which did arrive -- I think this is different for each person. I am at five weeks now and have had two fills. I'm so happy -- and the walking helped with everything: the happiness factor, the weight loss and speedy recovery from the surgery. Best wishes and happy holidays -- what a great gift to yourself!

Hi there, don't you hate that 10 pound per year gain? Hate that, and know it well. I was banded 11/5 at 248 and I wish I had done it years ago. I am 52 and have struggled for two decades and am a dieting expert. I'm happy to report that I am not on a diet. I still love food, too, just in very small quantities and at intervals. It's a behavioral change for me to stop grazing, going back for more, etc., but I have to say that I'm not hungry and I am very happy to be out of food jail. I am just five weeks out and know very little except for my own experience. When I decided to get a Lapband last June, I had to go through a five-month process. While I was going through the various required appointments I also started seeing a therapist to try to nail down those food issues once and for all. I'm glad I did that as I was able to identify the areas that are difficult for me -- the ways I've used food to get through various things, etc. I am not doing that anymore. The best thing I did pre-band was kick up my exercise routine. I did it but did not enjoy it -- but I'm so glad I got moving more anyway. Then once banded I started walking at the hospital and that helped with everything (any gas from surgery, etc.) plus it just turned me into a walker. I believe exercise and walking are the secret to success. Problem was that prior to banding I just didn't have enough will power. Now I do. I credit the band with all that. Be positive and know that you are choosing yourself and your health -- that commitment to myself has made me into a much stronger and happier person. I feel that I have what I need to make this a success and I am enjoying every minute of my new banded life. Best wishes to you -- so glad you introduced yourself and that you'll be a part of the forum.

Lisa, do you work at a gym? This is hilarious. I sense a book coming on, or a film.

So happy for you! What fun to have a new haircut, etc. to Celebrate this milestone. And an event this summer to keep you cranking on the exercise, etc. Our son is graduating from high school next June and I have that in the back of my mind. I may not be at goal then but I'll be a lot closer than I've been in his lifetime, that's for sure. Looking forward to looking good but already celebrating how I'm feeling good. It's not just my initial weight loss either (love that, of course) but it's my mindset. So different. I feel different having made this choice, this investment in myself, my health. It's so empowering!

Well you sure busted through that plateau -- way to go! Good for you for taking the time to look at what you may be missing and what will be a good maintenance mode for you. Because you know what? You're almost there! Way to go.....and way to inspire those of us beginning. Thanks for the lift this afternoon!

Hi there, I think this is the Dr. Simpson who wrote an excellent piece that a few people here have links to in their signatures -- The LapBand Is Not About Restriction. I've gotten a lot out of that article and I'll bet there's lots of free Simpson stuff on-line.

Glad you are healed up now -- you know you are kind of famous now......can I have your autograph? Do you work on Saabs? Hope your band journey is going well!

Hi Dustin, how about a letter now, from this perspective? You write beautifully and I imagine you have some amazing things to say to yourself, for now and for the future. I loved reading your post!

KC, you are no wimp -- I'm surprised you are back at work so fast and walking doggies is harder than just walking yourself -- take it Easy!

Well there's nothing like a new generation coming to make us want us to be healthy -- you'll be chasing the grands around in a year or so! So happy for you. When will you get your date?