DivaStyleCoach

Good morning Tina and Banded Friends! It's been a while since I posted as well, but your message made me jump on this morning, Tina. Blessings to you and your family and continued prayers for your full and complete recovery. Thank God for the tests which can show what you are up against, but that does NOT mean that you will contract any of the diseases they indicate. I pray your treatment goes well. I'm so glad you are happy in your new relationship - you DESERVE to be happy. Do what your doctor orders and what you know to be right for your health - don't live in fear, dear friend, walk in strength and power knowing that you will be completely healed. I claim it on your behalf! EbonyRose (aka Dianne)

Good morning Herb, I am two years out with my lap band, and was formerly on two oral medications plus Lantus insulin for my Type II diabetes. I was banded in November 2008 - I did not come off of the medication right away, but by the time I reached my 1 year bandiversary, I was med-free. Now I control my diabetes with eating right and exercising and I am SO much happier because of it. You'll find that what you can and can't eat is very individual - some people can have bread, others cannot (I'm one that cannot eat bread very much at all). I water down sodas because the carbonation gives me problems. I drink a LOT of water - but then, I've always been a big water drinker. I have had no problems at all with my band - and I think it's because I followed my doctor's orders pretty much to a T - I started walking soon after surgery, kept up with a regular exercise program, followed the pre and post-surgery eating plans strictly, and I don't try to push things when I'm eating. Don't let yourself get too hungry between meals - that makes it easier to avoid taking too big a bite the first time around and getting stuck. Certain foods will give you trouble for a while and then you'll be okay. Flexibility is key to living a successfully banded life. Let me know if you have other questions or if I can help further.

Wow...it's been quite a while since I posted here. I'm doing just fine - continuing to work out, working my way through head issues and the occasional setback, but doing really well. I'm hovering at 190 lbs - I'd like to be smaller, I think - perhaps 10 - 15 lbs, but I'm not 'beating myself up' about it. I'm wearing primarily size 12 and 14 clothes, down from a 24 at hy largest. I feel great - I continue to run (weather permitting - I'm still a wimp about winter!) and have created quite the home gym. I have a gym-quality rower, an home-quality elliptical, and a Bowflex Ultimate for strength training. I'm up to 50 min solid on both the rowing and elliptical, and I know the last 10 percent (or 10 pounds) would come off if I dialed in my eating a bit more. I'm at a great fill level - I can eat normally, just in smaller quantities, and I'm not hungry all the time. It's been a little over 2 years since my surgery - actually, April will be my 2 1/2 year bandiversary, and I still LOVE my banded life. I know without the band, I'd either be the exact same size I was before - at 265 lbs - or I'd be regaining the weight I lost. This is my solution for LIFE, and I'm nevery going back to that unhealthy lifestyle I had before. This site was SO helpful to me during my journey - I could not have done it without all the people here who helped me, commented on my posts, or just let me know I wasn't alone. I'm going to be a more regular visitor, because perhaps I can help someone else be successful on THEIR banded journey. So I guess what I'm saying is...I'm BACK...and this time, I'm staying! :-)

Glad to know the thread is still alive and kicking, and that people feel free to express themselves, ask for advice, and offer their opinions. If you are reading this and offended by the title of the thread or the content, DON'T OPEN IT ANYMORE! Simple...problem solved! :party: Bert99 - had to LOL at your post...men say the funniest things at the oddest times...gotta love 'em!:smile2: It's been said many times here, but bears repeating: Go slow Take your time Relax Use plenty of lube (love the organic coconut oil idea, gotta try that) Go slow Relax With a trusted and gentle partner, it can be marvelous...it's a semi-regular part of me and my DH's repertoire...:thumbup::wub::tt1:

Welcome to all the new Bandsters! :thumbup: Well, belld - if your doc wants you on liquids for 3 weeks, I'd definately DO it. We are all such individuals - though we all have bands, the pre and post-surgery instructions are often customized for us by our doctors. Maybe your doc is on the conservative side, but at any rate, please follow the doc's instructions. I was told before surgery that I would be on liquids for two weeks after, then one week on mushies, and one week on soft solids, then I could EASE back into 'regular' food. The barium swallow is to help them "see" your band via xray and to make sure it's positioned correctly. Not a big deal, though the liquid doesn't taste very good - it is an essential step. I wouldn't forgo the hernia repair - just make sure you've got your prescription for pain meds filled BEFORE you go home so that you don't have to do without, and take it on schedule. Don't try to be stoic...take those pain meds! Blessings to you dreamskin - I pray your surgery goes quickly and without incident, and that you have a wonderfully easy recovery and a great start to your new banded life. I'm excited for you - I remember when my surgery was approaching...it seemed the days moved SO SLOWLY! Check in when you can and let us know how you're doing...:thumbup: Good luck on your surgery Ocnlvr - may your recovery be smooth, your tummy pain-free and your banded journey a rewarding one! Hey BigPops - sounds like you made it through just fine, and your loss before your fill is great! Keep up the good work, and I'll be looking for your updates!:thumbup:

Hi Jmcambra, Glad to do it...it helps ME, too! Thanks for the compliment...now I really GOTTA work this out, cause my fellow banded folk are watching! LOL Have a wonderful evening - and check in periodically - let me know how you're doing, and I'll do the same. :thumbup:

Love the Lane Bryant jeans...but now that I wear a size 12, they don't fit me quite the way they used to...I still have a couple pair that I rotate, but for me... Wrangler Q-Baby "Ultimate Riding Jeans" fit the best of any I've ever had. And they come in a 36 inseam, which is perfect for me to wear with my cowboy boots, high heels and whatever else I want to wear on my feet. I get them at a nearby Tractor Supply store, and I've also seen them on EBay and online. I strongly suggest trying them on before buying your usual size, because I wear a size smaller in these than in any other jeans I've bought. They have a wide elastic band inside the waist that helps keep your shirt tucked in...LOVE these jeans!:wub::wub:

I'm thankful for my band because... ...I am no longer on medication for diabetes or high blood pressure ...I am, by clothing size, half the woman I used to be! ...I can run a 5K anytime I want and my knees, feet and back don't hurt! ...I can buy clothes in any store I walk into... ...I feel SO much better and feel I'm setting a good example for my children.:wub::wub:

Good morning Everyone! Glad to find this thread again...started doing the C25K last summer, and ran my first 5K in October 2009. Planning to do another this fall, and in the meantime, I've done part of the C28K program. I'm at the point now where I can run a 5k just about any time I want...that feels really good! In fact, I ran the distance on Sunday morning and chopped 5 min off my time from the 5K I did last fall. I'm not the fastest runner - my first 5k I completed in about 47 min, this Sunday I did it in 42 min. I hope to get my time down into the low 30's eventually. It fits the amount of time I normally have to run, so it's perfect for me. Don't know if I'll go back to the C28K - I stopped because the workout were taking almost an hour! Nice to see everyone's progress and hard work!:wub:

Please follow YOUR doctor's orders - re-read the information given to you about post-op eating and follow it to the tee. You may have escaped a problem this time, but don't tempt fate. It's important to let your body heal and also to prepare your mind for the change in your eating habits that must now become part of your life. Don't let the stomach upset tempt you into eating off your plan again - call the doc's office and ask them what you should do. maybe an antacid would help, or they might have another suggestion. Please take care of yourself - often, how we start is how we will continue.

Tough call... I would arrange for other child care and let your mom decide what to do about her dog. This may have been a one-off incident, but you don't want to risk a reoccurrence. The dog may indeed have been snappy because of the heat, but that's no excuse. You cannot demand Mom get rid of the dog, as the other posters have said, because its her dog and likely her ties to it are very strong, since your Dad picked it out. I also agree with BetsyB - your mom is not choosing the dog over her grandchildren or you. It's not that cut-and-dried. I wish you and your family well in deciding how to handle this...

Hi Everyone, Yes, the first few days (maybe up to 2 weeks) after surgery you will feel something like 'restriction', but it's partly swelling from the surgery itself. Please follow the post-op diet TO THE TEE! Don't take a chance on ruining your health or your new band by eating solid food too early. This is the time to get your head wrapped around your new eating style and portions, and it's an important practice time. It takes 21 - 28 days to create a new habit - use this time to establish a really good eating habit and stick to it. I am nearly 2 years out and very happy I did this. Be well! :wub:

Justrite...first, thank you for sharing your story - it's important that we hear both sides of the story, and know that because we lost the weight, it doesn't necessarily mean our head issues will be gone as well. I feel ya - I've literally lost half my self (clothing size wise - down from a 24 to a 12) and still have some of the old 'head' issues I was dealing with before. I pray you are able to find a counselor or coach to help you with these issues, and that you find your way to 'middle ground' and a happy, healthy life. Please take good care of yourself and know that you are NOT a bad person - you've just been through a bad time...:wub:

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to come in, say hi, and encourage everyone to keep up the great work. After I was banded nearly two years ago, I started walking with a purpose - I did go to the gym, did some walking, but obviously not nearly enough! :wub: Now I walk a minimum of 2 miles a day, and often more than that. My DDog is my walking partner and never fails to go with me - rain or shine! Last October I ran my first 5K after completing the Couch to 5k program. I repeated some weeks and took my time. Having a race to prepare for really helped with motivation. I've been running a couple of days a week, but increased my running lately because I've been having trouble maintaining my weight after a slight unfill in April - I'm having the fill put back in, but my appt isn't for about 3 more weeks. Best recommendation I can give for new and continuing runners is to get GOOD SHOES! I can tell the difference in my good running shoes and my cross trainers - especially during a 3-mile or more run! Have a great week everyone!

Hi Stacy and Nicole, Hang in there, ladies - it does get better! For gas pains - try short periods of walking - it really helped me when I was banded in Nov 08. I'm coming to my second bandiversary and I still occasionally get gas pains from something I ate (especially if I haven't had it for a while). The gas pain from surgery will eventually go away, and activity helps that. Take your little ones with you - the walk will do them good and you may find yourself with a new walking partner! Follow your doctor's orders regarding lifting anything heavier than 10 lbs - and that means your kiddos too! Don't be afraid to ask for help from your family - and if they resist, then DEMAND help - you just had major surgery - no matter if it was laparascopic! You are in recovery for the first 6 weeks - and the pattern you set now will follow through the rest of your banded experience. Put yourself FIRST for the recovery period - allow your family to step up (and dare I say, grow up) while you are recovering. You may be surprised (and them too) at how capable they can be. Good luck to you both and welcome to Bandland!:wub:

Hey Everyone, When I was first banded, my husband and daughter did my liquid and mushie phase with me - gotta love them! It was a chance for them to re-set their own cravings and eating patterns and they did pretty well. Now that I'm eating more 'regular' food, because I'm well past my surgery (my 2nd anniversary is in Nov) I eat pretty much what they do. We eat more vegetables (salads and such) they eat the low-fat Protein that I prepare, and I eat smaller quantities than they do (at least until my unfill, but that's another story). If you don't tell them it's low-fat, low-sugar and / or high-Fiber, generally they won't be able to tell, and it gives them a chance to try something new without their prior food prejudice getting in the way. Give them a chance to be supportive, but if they can't do that quite yet, then eat what you know you should and tell them you are doing this for you and that's that!:wub:

Oh Plain....I am SO sorry to hear that. :wub: There are no words for how hurt you must feel, and I ache for you, my friend...((((hugs)))) Hang in there - keep doing what you are doing to stay physically healthy, and know that the emotional part will be difficult for a while, but you are strong and you can make it through this. Living well is the best revenge...take good care of yourself, my friend. Though it's been a while since we 'spoke', know that you've been on my mind and I'm glad I found you here...hang in there!

Good morning Everyone! Still struggling a bit...the slight unfill I got affected my hunger level greatly - I have an appointment to get the fill put back in, but not for about 3 weeks. I encourage everyone who is struggling to re-visit the reasons you wanted the band in the first place. Try to return to the state of mind you were in before you were banded, and how hopeful you were that this solution would be the one you'd stick with for life. I was there too - and when I got my unfill, I failed my band by going back to some of my old habits - drinking with meals being the primary one. It's easy to 'wash' food right through the pouch and then you not only can eat more, but what you DO eat doesn't stay with you long enough to register with your mind as being full. Start over again, fellow bandsters - treat today like it's the first day of your banded life again; you are post-surgery and need to go on liquids for 2 weeks. Then ease back into mushies, then to soft food, then back to solid food. Literally start over again with logging everything that goes into your mouth, eating your Protein first, and NO drinking during the meal. If you didn't start off that way, now's a great time to re-start and do it right. You CAN make this work for you - and no matter how long it's been, you can start over. If you haven't had a fill lately, get an appointment for one, and then start with the liquids. Don't put off using the tool you worked so HARD to get - and don't let it sit idle in your body and not help you. If you are not exercising - start TODAY. 10 - 15 min of walking is better than nothing. Make a promise to yourself (and log it) to exercise at least 4 days a week, and 6 is better if you are doing short-duration or low-intensity activity. I've been running 2 days a week, walking the rest - now I'm running at least 4 days a week, with a long run (5K or longer) on the weekends. I re-subscribed to my Bodybugg monitoring program and am writing down EVERYTHING I eat again - I've been overeating my exercise and activity, plain and simple. Part of the reason is that I CAN eat more, and part of it is that I WANT to eat more. I am turning this around TODAY - I'm not waiting any more. Not gonna wait for my fill or anything else to get back on track. Will it be hard - YES. Can I do it? YES! Come join me...:wub:

Good morning Notorious Novembers! Been a while since I checked in...I've had my challenges this past couple of months. Got a slight unfill so I could add 'bulkier' food to my eating plan (salads, more fresh fruit) and partly because I was getting a lot of "you're too skinny" comments from trusted friends, family and even my DH! Big mistake - when I got the last fill removed, I was fine for a couple of weeks, and then the hunger came roaring back, along with 20 extra pounds! I'm now hovering back around 200, and can't get in for a fill for another 3 weeks with my surgeon! YUK!:frown::wub: I'm hanging in there, but not happy. Most of my clothes still fit okay - a testament to my workouts and to the fact that I've exchanged SOME of the extra pounds to muscle, but not nearly enough of them! Trying to hold steady or lose a little between now and my fill - it's really hard when my old friend 'restriction' is nearly gone. There are still some things I can't eat - and that's a good thing - but far too much that I CAN. Hang in there, Notorious Novembers - good to hear so many of you are doing well!

PointBeach - you are on the right track to 'working' with your Band. I highly recommend the 5-day pouch test. Essentially, its liquids for two days, mushies for two days, and then soft foods. I did it recently and lost 10 lbs, plus I feel like I've re-set my pouch to a smaller level. I'm back closer to my goal weight (yep, I hit it and then got a slight unfill so I could eat salads, and the 'hunger' came roaring back). The pouch test helped me to reset my head as well as my smaller stomach. I've lost the 10 I gained, and I'm back on track to lose a few more. I've decided I want to get about 10 lbs below my previous goal weight - my 30-year high school reunion is next month and I'd like a little 'extra' room on that scale! LOL You CAN do this - November will be my 2-year anniversary of being banded, and I have to say that without my band, I'd still be on diabetes and heart medicine, I'd still have stiff and sore knees, and I would NOT have run a 5k last fall and be looking forward to running a 10k this fall. As long as you keep moving and keep working on it, you CAN succeed at this. I have had my own troubles with my band - I was very hard on myself at times - and I still sometimes feel badly that it took me 14 months to lose the 85 lbs...but it IS gone, and I'm not putting it back on. Stay strong, ask for help when you need it, and keep in touch with your doctor and nutritionist. Feel free to send me messages via this thread as well - I want to help!

Updating...haven't been here in quite a while! Things are great between my DH and I now...his online activity has dropped down to nearly nothing. He said it wasn't worth losing me over it, and it wasn't that important. We're celebrating our 20th anniversary next month along with our 30th high school reunion. We both laugh at how long we've known each other and that of a lot of our friends, we have the longest-lived marriage. That's actually kinda sad... I'm glad I opened the lines of communication and asked the difficult question - it was NOT easy to do, and the work hasn't stopped there. I still ask the difficult questions when the need arises (about many other things besides our relationship) and the communication can get tough (the economy, politics, our children and their adult mishaps) but through it all we continue to TALK TO each other, not at each other. If you are struggling, and cannot have an honest conversation with your spouse, then that's a definate danger sign. If they haven't done anything to betray your trust, try to let go of your suspicions - they can drive you crazy with maybes. Once you have 'proof' (and you are the only judge of what 'proof' is) then you have to deal with it, or it will eat you alive. Was it easy? NO! Was it worth it? YES! Wishing you all happy, fulfilling and long-lived relationships!

Morning All!:eek: Update on my progress: I'm holding steady, weight wise - sometimes I bounce up a few pounds but they go away again, so I'm not too unhappy. The exercise / walking / jogging / running is definately making changes in my physique. My legs are shaping up really well - I was even asked if I was a runner a few weeks ago - talk about an ego boost! I am still strength training at least 3 days a week, walking every day, and now running 3 - 4 days a week. It sounds like a lot, but by working it into my daily routine, it doesn't feel like a lot any more. I will definately need plastic surgery on my midsection - the excess skin just hasn't gone away. That will have to wait, unfortunately, until I have the funds. Until then, I'll just keep working at it!

Kat - thank you for that reply - what you went through, NO ONE should have to deal with. I am glad you made it out the other side - but I've told you that before. Tina - please, please, please get those locks changed! If you have to ask your parents for the money to do so, or have the locksmith go by your house when your Dad is around to let him in to do the work, PLEASE do so. Take the advice to call the police and have them do a civil standby - I'd never heard of that, and I think it's a great idea! You may even want to call someone OTHER than your friends, because if the idiot ex-boyfriend makes a stink about it, he might try to claim bias on their part because they are your friends. Continue to document EVERYTHING - print out the text messages. Call your phone company and see if they will archive the messages but not let them through to your phone so you don't have to see them, but there will be evidence. Present that evidence to the police and send an extra copy to someone else so that you don't have the only physical copies. I pray you are all right - your last post was several days ago - please let us know that you are okay!