Bandista

Hi Jake, good luck to you -- here's to a new spring and summer of health. It will be great to have these issues behind you. Let us know how it all goes! Best wishes.

Hi Shane, way to go on choosing yourself and your healthy future -- that's the important thing. To me, weight loss surgery was about reclaiming my life and I am so glad I did it. I chose the Lapband because it is minimally-invasive and reversible. If something ever does go wrong, it can easily be removed. Now that is a complication I can wrap my head around. I was not prepared to do anything more drastic but that's just me. I would never choose plastic surgery, for example, whereas there are lots of people here who end up going that route. I don't even like going to the dentist. It's really a matter of figuring out what you feel comfortable with. Lapband requires a lot of followup in the first year. I was on board with that because it gave me accountability. I went back for all of my appointments and I've been very successful. It was 11 appointments with my surgeon. People who don't do the followup are not as successful or have complications, no question about it. Not all surgeons want to spend that much face time with a patient, so Lapband is not as popular as it used to be. You will get a lot of responses to a post about which kind of surgery to elect. These days since the forum has combined under the Bariatric Pal umbrella Lapband is in the minority. Many successful banders have moved on because of negativity and I'm sorry that there are not more positive posts about WLS in general. People like to promote their own surgical choice because it helps reinforce the decision they made, but we are all different. It's great if you have medical professionals who you like and trust to present all of the options.

Congratulations on choosing yourself and your healthy future -- weight loss surgery (whatever kind) is so empowering! It's an amazing thing to get the appetite monster off of your back once and for all. We all get it about the years of failed diets, beating ourselves up, etc. No more of that. I think not looking at the scale is a great plan. For me it was much better to pay attention to how my pants were fitting (or not fitting!). Keep that in mind as you go forward and way to go on the exercising. I stepped my working out up prior to surgery and I know it made me heal faster and kicked my body into a new mode. Good luck with all the great things ahead of you!

Just noticed we have very similar stats.....

Happy happy joy joy! I love your list and your excitement. At sixteen months out I am still jumping for joy and totally in love with my band, too. Going to a party this weekend and wearing a shortish dress with tights and boots. I feel so good now. Damn, we are something! PS my husband is proud, too -- loves me just the same but I like how he smiles when I'm undressed. Oh, and even though I looked like I had been in a knife fight post-surgery, I can't find all my scars now. Little dots, really.

Hi there, so exciting! I stepped up my exercise prior to surgery -- it really helped to walk off some of that nervous energy and gave me something to step into after surgery. I mean right after, too. As soon as I woke up and felt like I needed to pee I took my IV pole on a little stroll. Went a bit farther down the hall each time. I had flip flops to slip into easily -- didn't use the robe I brought as they had one there. Once homes. Kept up the walking and I really think that kicked my body into healing mode. And shedding. Can't think of anything else. You are going to do great - keep us posted!

Wimping out on the lake this morning -- below freezing and so windy this morning and I Just can't do it. Saw the fifties on the thermometer yesterday and nearly wept for joy -- spring is definitely on the way. Meanwhile PT exercises with enthusiasm and some indoor walking somewhere later. With verve.

Happy Birthday, Joe. Here's to your health!

Wow, Julie -- you are so brave! Way to go. And here's to Lidocaine. I use the Patches. Debbie, sorry for your losses -- good for you pulling the eating thing together. You are doing beautifully! We have blue sky and much longer days now -- so happy to have winter behind us. Yesterday I did my four mile walk at the lake for the first time in ages. Felt great! A lot going on in my life just now -- had to help a friend check into the hospital for depression and alcohol issues, trying to find the right facility for her. Occasionally my mind goes to the acquiring of food -- my old mode -- and I remind mysef I don't do that anymore. What a relief! When my husband was in the hospital for two and a half weeks a couple of years ago I self-medicated with bread and cheese, muffins, etc. Being in that environment again triggered those desires but my band is there -- sometimes I think it's on my brain. A reminder. Have a great day, all. I'm going to go manufacture some more endorphins now.

Hi there, have you gone to all of your follow up appointments? Way to go on joining the gym and losing inches feels so great, doesn't it? Don't ket that scale get you down!

I got out to walk last night and that felt good. Maybe I'm pulling out of my slump. Love how we help each other here!

Way to go on the 65 gone, gone, gone. Don't beat yourself up -- you've really grabbed a hold of of your health and you're showing up for yourself. Looking reward to spring. I agree this is a difficult time of year as far as getting out to exercise, etc. I need to reboot as well....mentally and physically. I have a new pair off jeans that are too small. Sometimes a goal like fitting into something works for me -- I'm going to hang them on a hook in the bathroom where I will see them all the time. It's good to remind ourselves of what we want and for me something smaller and achievable is easier to wrap my head around then, say, my goal weight. .. Sending best wishes -- keep us posted!

Hi there and welcome! Choosing myself first was such an amazing life-changing decision for me -- and of course every one else benefits from that because I'm centered and happy. (Wish I had figured that out years ago!). All those issues of being deserving, worthy, etc. Getting WLS was me saying I Choose Me! I am showing up for my life and it feels GREAT. I say all of this because I hear it in your post above -- you are going to do beautifully. Good luck with the whole process. You are really grabbing a hold of your health and your futures. Way to go.

I also find it helpful to check in and hopefully to help some one out a little in some way. Keeps my head in the game. I was discouraged to see more anti-band talk this morning. Usually I can laugh off the foreign object nonsense but right now I find it frustrating that newcomers see all of that. Guess I can't take it on every it time. The trying to add my upbeat view of what's worked for me without bias...etc. This week I slipped into a bit of the blues -- not sure why. Quite a bit of elder care just now, overwhelmed by paperwork and so very sick of winter. Started taking a supplement that usually works well for me but so far just trudging through waiting to feel like myself again. Exercise program hit then skids -- I need those endorphins.

Yippee! So happy for you......

Right there with you -- I think I got a little complacent this winter. I'm counting on a spring reboot when I can really get exercising again properly. Can't advise on diet as we had different procedures -- for me it's a head game. I know what my bad habits are (evening grazing) and I need to want the last weight off badly enough to do what it takes. We can do it! And we know how good it will feel not to be carrying around at last sack of potatoes. Energy!

Hi there, congratulations on this new chapter in your life -- I am so happy with my band. Like you, m first fill appointment was a month out. I am some one who needed several small fills -- it was a good way for me to do it as I had to address behavior modification in-between. Like slowing down and chewing thoroughly -- I had to practice on a clock at first, putting down my little fork, etc.

@@finding_me_again sending best wishes -- a traumatic beginning, so sorry. I have so,times been envious of Plication but not this morning. The band feels very uninvasive to me. I hope now as you heal up it will be that way for you, too. Don't worry about the hunger in these early days. It's good to learn to listen to it -- I had trouble even identifying hunger at first because for so long at the first signs I would tamp every feeling down with food. Now I actually welcome hunger -- it feels healthy, not my enemy. Took a while to get to that place. Your doctors will be watching you carefully after everything you've been through -- I really believe success with the band is all about the followup. Glad you're here on the forum -- keep in touch!

@kyrickchick64c. Hope you're feeling better! For me the side effects of medication are so much worse than the discomfort; I went without, too, and really was fine. Even still I had to address issues of constipation around day four or five. @@blbaltazar congratulations to both of you -- I had no problems staying hydrated post-surgery. I sure loved my Popsicles during that time, and tea. You are on your way! Best wishes -- and walk, walk, walk, it really helps!

That's how it works for me, too -- finally a process that feels intuitive: eat less, rest the system and have less appetite as opposed to the old days of eat less then be Ravenous and eat everything in sight. But your thought about salt is true as well -- watch out for that sodium! If I'm retaining water I have a hard time budging the scale.

Congratulations! I had a a notebook and took it to all my appointments -- a place to track everything. They will have a process and each place is different -- mine was a mandatory info session and meeting with program coordinator, then a visit with the nutritionist and a psych eval (did those the same day), then I met the surgeon, then a second visit with nutritionist to go over pre-op, then the surgery itself. Followup is key -- keep all your appointments for after-care. I also wrote down my goals, a list of reasons I wanted the band. Fun to look back on those!

So sorry this happened to you -- now to find out what your new insurance covers and get the followup care you need. And congratulations on 38 down. If the clinic is closed, who is billing you? I would dispute.....

Just got more snow, ugh. It's been quite the winter -- I agree, Julie, I think there's a snowbird inside of me waiting for a time when I can go back and forth to some sunny locale.....Have fun, Liz, in that wet suit, lol.

Banded at 52 and so happy with the fifties "me" -- woukd habe loved this solution in my thirties or forties but here it is now. Thank goodness! I would never question being too old for WLS -- too young, maybe (not sure where I am on that)....

Me, too -- I usually feel differently around day 4 or 5. Best wishes -- you are on your way!