Ruthie

for the first several months after being banded I had a really hard time with not drinking with meals. And then I got my fills and now I can't drink with meals. If I do it's an automatic PB. There's just not enough room for my food and Water and the same time. It took about three fills before I felt that restriction. Just be patient. The holidays are hard. You're newly banded. Don't stress about the six pounds. You'll get it back off in no time. Enjoy the holidays and just keep working to get good restriction and in no time you'll be lovin' life! Good luck!!

I haven't done WW since being banded but have done it many many times before I was banded. I love the program. I think it's sensible and doable. I like the accountability of the meetings. I tried to do it online a couple of times and could never stick to it because I didn't have to be accountable. I think the points are easy and I just really really like the program. Good Luck!

You guys are the only people in the whole world I can share this with (except my husband)... Nobody knows I had surgery and they wouldn't understand my excitement anyway.... I did it!! I'm below 200!!!!!!!!!! I haven't been here in years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I"m so happy!!! Ignore the bad nails and the hairy toes (which I did not know were hairy until this moment). Anyway I'm stoked beyond belief!!!!! OH HAPPY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks for letting me share!

Thanks everyone for you kind, encouragin words! I've pretty much been floating on cloud nine all weekend! I appreciate the support here so much! And it's SO nice to know that I'm not the only one with hairy toes! Merry Christmas!

This is my first cold since being banded and I can't find my approved meds list. Are we restricted on taking Cold medicine?

Thanks so much!! I appreciate the help!

Dr. McKeen in Provo does the surgery. He has an office in California and a office in Utah. He rotates offices. I've heard good things about him. I went to Mexico and have my follow ups with a radiologist in Payson. Let me know if you need numbers and i'll see what I can find. Good Luck!

any chance that Dr. Jay does fills and follow ups on Mexican bandsters. I recently moved to the Dallas area and don't have a local dr. he sounds like a nice guy.

That's so exciting!!! Doing a happy dance for you!

I loved my dr in Mexico. Obviously it wouldn't be my first choice but I couldn't afford it here in the states. I researched for months, prayed about it, researched some more, did a lot of praying I'm happy with my choice. It is hard not to have your dr. local for follow ups. And we moved cross county so now I don't even really have a dr. So that its hard. Just make sure that you do a ton of research about the dr. and make sure you feel good abut your choice. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!

It's not a lot. Just a tiny bit. not even taking anything for it. I just have never had it and I'm six months out. I'm just paranoid about slippage.

That's so exciting!! Congrats to you!!!

Congrats!! Keep up the good work!!

Today for Thanksgiving dinner I had about 2 tablespoons of mashed taters, a small helping of green Beans and a small helping of turkey. That's it. No rolls, no pie, no stuffing, just the basics. And I didn't feel deprived! I sat there a looked at my plate that didn't have hardly any food on it and I realized that I was ok with my small amounts of food. Maybe deep down I was mourning a bit but it was so nice not to be stuffed to the point of wanting to puke like I usually do at thanksgiving. Last year eating that small of amount of food would have devastated me but this year it was so freeing. I was so happy and so proud of the progress that I have made, slow as it may be. Anyway it was just such a happy moment for me. And I still may indulge and have tiny piece of pie tomorrow but I just didn't want it tonight and that my friends is a small miracle. I know there has been sadness and disappointment on here in the last couple of weeks and on an earlier post I wrote about how stressed I was if I were to lose my band. But there were some wise words of wisdom given... just get you butt in to gear and take advantage of this opportunity we've been given. Anyway I'll stop rambling but just needed to share my small personal victory.<o ="">></o>> Happy Thanksgiving!

my first fill was 4 cc's. I'm now up to 9.5. I finally have restriction (maybe a little too much) but I'm hoping this is the magic spot.

I have a cushin on my rocking chair that can never ever be turned over. Oh, it's been scrubbed and cleaned to death but my days on Xenical left me a little souvenir.

Do any of you regret having a Vanguard band? I go back and forth. When I first found out that my dr. had had given me the VG band I was surprised and a little disappointed. But then I heard good things about less erosion, yada, yada, yada. I'm at 9.5 cc's and am now just starting to have restriction. Just wondering if I had it to over again if I would ask to be fitted with a smaller band. Not that I don't think my dr. did a great job just wondering if I would be losing a little faster if I had a smaller band. What's your thoughs?? Are you happy with your VG band? Is it hard for you to get restriction? Don't get me wrong, I'm VERY happy to be banded. And I'm going to be successful. Just curious to see what others think of their band.

I am so sorry! I hope that everything turns out ok!

I too have a Vanguard band and have been having my fills quickly. It's frustrating but the Vanguard band takes a lot of fills to fill up! I'm at 9.5 cc's. A lot fuller then I ever thought I would be but hopefully it does the trick!

Doing good. With my work schedule I haven't been able to start a exercise routine. I walk when I can but I really need to committ to do it every day. I'm on my third fil and I"m pretty full. Hoping this one does the trick. Congrats to all the June Bandsters!

I'm having a really hard time seeing any difference in my body having lost 30 lbs. But I got to go home this last week and visit my family and my inlaws. Most I haven't seen since I had surgery and only my mom knows I had surgery. Everyone I saw kept saying "your face looks soo thin!" that made me so happy! My mother in law (who has no clue I had surgery) kept going on and on about how good I look and wanted to know what I'm doing different. I exercise six days a week and I'm eating a third of what I used to eat. Some day when I reach goal I'll tell her I had surgery but she's very overweight and VERY against weight loss surgery. So it was fun to have her notice and go on and on. It made me feel good. Anyway my very first NSV!

Good luck! How full can they fill the Vanguard band?

thank you guys for your encouragement!! here's some pics I found of before and during. I posted this on the Before/After thread as well but thought I would post them here as well... Before -25 lbs

I can't really tell in my body yet but I've had several people tell me this week that they can tell I've lost weight in my face so I found some pictures and I can start to tell a little bit of a difference. A month before surgery down -25 lbs!

would you have to pay for a whole new surgery or would they do it for you for free since they are the one's that put in the bigger band? Good luck!