Bandista

Hi Norma, great post -- thanks for the inspiration! I love my band, too. Changed so much for me I ways I didn't expect. We are so lucky.

Hi there, congratulations on your upcoming surgery. Pre-op was no fun. I hung in there with thoughts that fir the first time ever I would not see the weight come back on again. I love my band. Getting the appetite monster off of my back changed more than my waistline (and I have one now!), it changed my life. Good luck with all and let us know how you're doing. Sometimes when there are lots of new posts one can get lost. Sorry yours went so long with no answer. There's a thread called Banders #7 where you'll find LapBand peeps. We are a minority on the site and that's one place we find each other. There is such great support here.

Dear Julie, sending condolences and lots of cyber-love your way. My Dad is 90 and in a special care unit for dementia patients. I'm an only child but my mother would not consider letting us have him live with us, even though he really did not want to be in a locked unit. I had to fight hard to be able to take him out for car rides and visits to my house, exposure to "normal" life. You and your brother gave your father a wonderful gift. Be gentle and tend to yourself -- one grief often brings up another and you've had such a hard year already losing your husband. Life can be so poignant sometimes. Beautiful, brutal, amazing and agonizing. Hang on to all the happiness.

Hi there and congratulations on choosing your healthy future -- I am almost two years out and am so happy with my band. I'm not perfect but I do pretty well and I am now at a "normal" weight which feels really good. One thing that helped me was paying attention to my pants sizes rather than the scale. And of course the band is all about follow-up. I knew going into the process that I would have eleven visits with my surgeon in the first year. I made sure to go to every single appointment. Good luck with all and so glad you're here. Great place for support.

Interesting!

I'm someone who benefitted from therapy. I was 52 when I had weight loss surgery. It's not as though I hadn't done a lot of work on myself already -- including therapy here and there, all kinds of reading, journaling, etc. This time was different, though, because I was taking such a big step in choosing myself and my healthy future and weight loss surgery was such a big decision. The therapist helped me break down my triggers. It was tedious and I didn't want to do it sometimes but boy am I glad I did. I found that going deeper into the specifics helped me identify exactly what I was doing. I ate to prepare myself for stressful situations, to reward myself for doing something I didn't want to do, out of boredom, joy, sadness, etc. Getting he onion layers pulled away got me realizing just exactly when and how it would happen -- that awareness really helped me not do it anymore. That and having my appetite dimmed. It is wonderful to be out of food jail. I hope you find just the resources you need -- you can do this!

Love those pictures Liz and Joe; beautiful children with healthy grandparents. The weather is turning here and it's going to be time to get out the fall clothes soon. I need to prepare myself (and the basement) for exercising indoors when i can't get out to do my lake walk. Habe to make friends with that treadmill again.......and maybe some kind of class, though I don't seem to be good about getting out to those. My husband just set up his wind trainer bike in our bathroom. I've been bugging him to exercise but maybe I will use that, too. Yesterday we took off for the beach and that was fantastic. Went out to Breakfast and then a picnic and kind of a grazing supper (corn on the cob, cheese, hummus, alcohol), but I'm down two pounds this morning. Working on losing the few I gained and then another chunk this fall. Determined to fit into pants I bought quite a while ago -- two pair long linen size tens, one in red and one a deep purple. I have them hanging in view -- one pair in my office and the other in our bedroom where I can see them when I wake up. Have a good Sunday, all!

My doctor has me drink a cup of water before leaving the office to make sure there are no difficulties swallowing. Some people have their fills done under fluoroscopy so the doctor can see exactly what is going on. I love that idea but don't have that option where I live. The link below in my signature helped me understand that the band is all about dimming the appetite, not about restriction. I am always able to drink -- I glug down bottles of water and drink a lot of iced tea. Sometimes first thing in the morning an iced cold drink can be a little funny. Be sure to tell your doctor everything so you get your band nuanced just the way you want it. For me, the signal for satiety comes along with chewing and swallowing. When I'm really mindful of that then I get that signal and know my band is working perfectly even when I'm not always perfect. Good luck and let us know how you're doing!

@@intelirish nice to see you.....

#1 Tip-Off for me is when my mother is promoting something -- she is a canary in a coalmine in that regard. Get-Rich-Quick meets Fountain-of-Youth is too much for some people to resist.......

I know what you mean, Liz -- I can get grossed out watching people eat. Sometimes, well, sometimes it's just not pretty. In the old days I didn't notice because I was too busy focusing on my own food, which is a good reminder for me that people are not really paying attention to what I'm eating/not eating/doing. I can do what I want! Today we were out to lunch and I ordered a tuna burger with no bun. I didn't realize were were getting a complimentary appetizer so by the time my entree came I had no appetite. Instead of taking a stab at it I just left it whole to bring home. Newsflash, I don't have to worry about offending the waitress, my dining companion or any one else. I can do what I want! And what I want is to stop when I'm satisfied. Yay!

During this stage I really worked on listening to my body and noticing everything I could about my appetite. I was such a fast eater and I had to learn to slow way down so I practiced techniques for that. And chewing. I learned to chew, chew, chew and to listen to the signals for satiety. The links below in my signature are to sources I found very helpful as I was learning about banded life. Maybe they will help you, too. Protein first -- dense protein well chewed. Small bites. Stretching out the time it takes to eat and discovering being satisfied. I didn't know what hunger really was before because I ate at the first twinge of anything -- tamping down emotions, etc. For me I had to learn that hunger is okay, it's a good thing. The idea is to eat when I'm hungry and not eat when I'm not hungry. Some one here calls the latter "sport eating" -- that term resonated for me as I was some one who just ate for fun. I still love food but now only in small amounts at appropriate intervals. You will get this -- it just takes a little while and, for me, it took several fills. I was glad for the time in-between as I had so much behavior modification to address.

That one made me laugh, TMF. Husband snoring away next to me is doing very well these days but we had years of pain management around his various surgeries (car accident guy -- rebuilt spine, plastic shoulder, etc.). Of course there were scrips being written out like crazy and he never responded well to pain meds. We call them Jerk pills. Thanks, Liz, for starting a new thread for us! I like having this safe place to check in with my lapband peeps and the connections we have here. It definitely helps me keep my head in the game. When CG first had the thread going in the 100+ to lose category I formed my goal over that -- 152 from 252 because I coukd see that this thread was where the really successful people were hanging out and I wanted to be a part of that. Now that I'm on my way down I don't know if I will lose 100 after all as that would probably be too thin for me, but I'm here anyway. I've been bumbling along and not sure why -- perhaps I've needed to let myself level off at my current weight to adjust to being in a normal range. I still have weight to lose, however, and I am readying myself for getting off the next chunk. September has always been a great time of year for me. Maybe it's the back-to-school energy from childhood and having routine again. This was a tremendously busy summer with way too much socializing. I am looking forward to quieter times and better evening habits. Need to work on that. Gorgeous day and a holiday Monday, yippee! I am meeting a cousin up at the lake to do a four-mile walk that is my regular exercise but we had a lot of company and I've missed that for several days. I did a lot of production cooking and running around setting up, serving, cleaning, etc., so that counts for something, but I need that dedicated walk to unwind. Grateful that there was no production eating going on for me. Plenty of tasting, etc., but my band doesn't let me get carried away and the dimmed appetite makes it easier to be smart-ish about my choices. Enjoy your day, all!

Yippee! So happy for you. Having a waist again is a wonderful thing.

@@gail10 glad to hear from some one else with the jaw thing -- I rarely have any acid reflux issues but if I do I discover that first because my jaw and teeth are hurting. Weird!

The Cosmic Clock is lining up perfectly for you -- sometimes it feels a little off but then in retrospect we might find out why something is way better. This timing was iffy for you and now there's a new date. Work toward that! I was really glad I upped my exercise prior to surgery. It gave me something to step right into after surgery, literally, and kicked my body into healing mode. You're going to do great!

Hi there, I filled my prescription for pain medication but did not need any. Discomfort, sure, but not as bad as something like a root canal, etc. walking really helped. Be prepared for not being able to get up and down from the couch/bed easily due to the laparoscopic incisions, they heal quickly but many people find a recliner to be best those first few days. Don't overdo so you recover quickly -- take it easy. Let people wait on you even when you're feeling so excited. Use your energy for walking -- all you can and a little further each time. This will kick your body into healing mode and help release trapped gas. Many people experience left shoulder pain from that gas pumped inside of you for the surgery -- sometimes it's right away and sometimes days out. Windmill arms, happy baby yoga pose, rolling, moving. And speaking of moving, watch out for constipation. This is something I wasn't prepared for and I had to take something day four or five. Boy did I feel better after that. I considered getting the band to be a gift to myself and I still feel that way. Good luck tomorrow -- you're going to do beautifully. Follow your surgeon's instructions to the letter and don't be afraid of asking questions or calling in any concerns. That's what they are there for. You're starting a new chapter in your life!

Rainy? Sorry, I can't edit on my iPad. That was meant to be a DAINTY eater. Here's to that!

Hi there, I am very private about my band and am adept at eating out, going to parties, etc. In my case, I think instead of looking like a person who eats like a pig (the old me wanted a little more, a little more), now I appear to be a rainy eater. Getting that appetite monster off of my back is the best thing I ever did. The links below in my signatures are sources that were helpful to me when I was in the research stage. I am very glad to have gotten my life back. Best wishes to you!

Hi there, sorry I'm just seeing this post now. Sometimes a thread gets lost when there's a lot of activity on the boards. Congratulations on choosing weight loss surgery and a healthy future for yourself. I love my band -- it really changed my life. Surgeons have different protocols and there are others who had no pre-op requirements. I had to do a two-week liquid diet to shrink the liver. The main thing is to follow your own doctor's plan to the letter and don't get side-tracked. Follow-up is very important with the band. I saw my surgeon 11 times the first year to check-in, get fills as needed and keep on course. The accountability was great for me. So, your surgery is SOON! I was nervous -- I'm 52 and had never been an overnight patient in the hospital before. It was all so much easier than I thought it would be. I filled my pain medication prescription but did not need it. I did a lot of walking and that is so helpful. Keep us posted!

Hi Briefs, happy for you!

Here's to having that appetite monster off of my back! http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/30/opinion/diet-advice-that-ignores-hunger.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

@@Jellybean67 definitely! I tended to constipation before getting my band and now that I eat so much less in terms of salads, etc. (I ate HUGE bowls of veggies), I have to be sure I'm getting enough Fiber. It took six months or so for me to find a new normal. I eat chia seeds which really help me and drink aloe Vera with my cranberry Water. And I bought a Squatty Potty, which is basically just a high stool so the knees are up for better positioning. There is good data out there about how we are meant to squat, not perch -- anatomy of the colon. The time right after surgery was serious constipation for me -- even though I didn't use pain medication, being put under really slowed my digestion and on day four or five I had to take something for it. I was surprised in all the pre-op this was never addressed. Good luck to you!

Hi there, some people put blocks of wood under the head of the bed -- had those for my husband at one time and while I didn't even notice the slight slant it seemed to help him with his GERD issues. Also there are people who cannot eat too close to bedtime. I wonder if something like a cup of warm chamomile tea or some other herbal tea would help. Hope you work everything out soon and get just the right balance.

Hi there, not sure what kind of surgery you are having and of course your doctor will give you specific instructions -- I couldn't lift weights or anything like that which coukd open up the incisions from band surgery (like bayonet te jabs with one larger one for the port). But as for fast walking, I was doing that from day one -- the more the better. It really helped me heal quickly. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery and choosing your healthy future!