giveyouthemoon

Whooooooooo hoooooooooo! I also got into a pair of jeans that didn't fit just one month ago. That's way big celebration!!!!!!!!! :does the happy dance for you:

Yay you!!! It's going to go great. Post back and let us know how you are doing!!!! Hoooooray!!!!

Whoa, whoa, whoa...he's a doctor and a professional and he needs to take stock of the entire situation before making ANY decision. His job it to look out for your health. Like j. lynn said, you're mad at him before you even know. I had my first post op appointment, my dr and I talked. He said I can't have a fill until 6 weeks but he agreed I need a fill. He told his office assistant "schedule her for a fill". So she called the main office to make the appointment....and she said to them..."this is for a potential fill". See? Even tho my doctor already agreed I need a fill he will STILL assess the situation when we meet in two weeks to determine whether or not a fill is appropriate. Patience, grasshopper.

Delarla, I LOVE your picture threads and I have to say I'm always stunned at what a beautiful couple you and your husband are!! Also....is that nail polish on your pup's toes there in that shot with you and her in the window???? Her nails look pink. If so that's COOL.

Okay...well...you've just majorly disrupted how your body takes in and digests foods and I think it's normal for the ol' insides to whack out for a bit because of it. I had full diarreah for the whole time I was on liquids and now on to mushies I still have it occasionally. Last week I also experienced constipation for the first time in my life. I know my intenstines are kind of sensitive to changes so I'm riding this one out.

Legallyblonde....just quick thought....having been down the OCD road myself. I would suggest that perhaps your breath isn't as bad as you think it is. I think you are obessing on it and you think it's bad when really it's not. Just my .02

Okay, reporting back from Colorado Springs and I have to report that the elevation did affect me a little bit. I did feel a bit more in control of eating there, but it still seems I can eat quite a bit. Tho I was proud to note that two eggs and two sausage links totally filled me up (solids ROCK) whereas in the past it would have taken three eggs, all four of the links that they gave me, toast, potatos, juice and I STILL would have been looking for ice cream for dessert. I wonder if my results would have been different if I had any kind of fill. I haven't had my first fill yet and that may have made all the difference. I was SO proud of myself this weekend because I ate RIGHT while on vacation, never slipped and the scale has rewarded me by showing a couple pounds gone. YAYAYAYAYAY!!

Because the bypass surgery has a malabsorbtive aspect it causes the person to lose weight really fast. But basically they are losing by becoming malnourished. From everything I've read, with a bypass, the weight all comes off mostly in the first year but in the second year slows dramatically while banded patients lose their weight usually over a two year time frame. So compare notes with your friend in two years..... And DON'T get discouraged! 30 lbs is amazing! Don't you feel better with that off? This is not about comparing yourself to others! We do that too often. This is about you taking care of you!!!!

Okay, right after I was banded and still on liquids my tounge had this gross white paste and my teeth would get furry after only a few hours after brushing. I happened to have a teeth cleaning during that time and asked my hygenist if I had thrush. She said no, it was just because of the liquids. Once I went to mushies it went away. I also have "ketosis" breath since I'm low carbing, but that's a WHOLE other thang.

Wow...yay you! Just say "oh I just had some laparoscopic surgery", shrug, act like it was nothing and move on. I can pretty much guarantee you if you are nekkid 1) he won't be looking at your scars and 2) he'll have only ONE objective in mind (and it's NOT asking about your scars) Have FUN!

Hey Zoe..thanks for the thoughts. Yeah, I was out walking the other day (after a refried bean dinner) and found I was doing that old person step, fart, step, fart...and farting without my consent! Not good. The main issue I'm having with all the suggestions so far is I'm really trying to keep to pretty low carbs. I mean not crazy low, but juice, fruit, shredded wheat, prunes, all of that are no-no's. Maybe I scoot out now to the drugstore for some Benefiber.....

Well...head hunger will always be an issue. I've notice now a couple times that when I went on my usual just home from work binge that instead of a whole bag of chips THEN ice cream THEN something else, it's more like....a half cup of tuna with mayo....a lo carb ice cream bar.....and then I'm stuffed. Nice!

Okay, I'm resurrecting this thread......This has been on my mind the past few days. I'm still on mushies so I'm SO not getting fiber in and things have...well.....stopped. I've NEVER had this problem before...I'm regular at the moon and stars. Oh the pain.... So I tried a half scoop of Metamucil with double Water to keep it from gelling up in the small stomach before it went through the band. No progress yet. Prunes suck. Ew. I may go out and find some of that Benefiber that is mentioned on this thread. Anyone else want to share their ideas? My dr just says "are you drinking enough water" and I say yes and he harumphs. What. Ever.

Hoo boy, that gas does last for a LONG time. You are doing all the right things....walk walk walk, GasX....just hang in there...it will pass (pun TOTALLY intended).

Okay....so it's good you're talking to yourself now about this. This is important. In my early 20's I lost a bunch of weight, freaked out about this very subject, about not knowing how to be thin, how to deal with the attention....and it drove me into severe bulimia for about 10 years. That's the extreme end of it. But I just want to say...right NOW is the time to work on this. Your head stuff is MAJOR and could...down the road, disrupt your weighloss progress. Do you have a counselor? A little bit of professional help to give you some great tools to use is HIGHLY recommended. In fact, my doctor who did my band suggests to all his patients that we have professional help throughout this process. You are making STUNNING progress but it's also going FAST (yay you!) so like I said, NOW is the time to just get a little help so you can coast into your goal happy, healthy and ready to take on the world!!

Hmmm, nope, I'm feeling wide open. I'm going to Colorado tomorrow so I'm hoping for some KILLER restriction this weekend at high elevation!!!!

I second THAT emotion. Sheesh, that "Carnal Glow" has been SERIOUSLY lacking in my little corner of the world........

Your health is YOUR business. It's not fair for your doctor to keep any information from you. You have the right to be informed. I don't understand how keeping it a secret benefits anyone. All he needs to say is "don't go by what anyone else said, fills are customized to the person...your band has xx cc's of Fluid." Okay, I had my first post op checkup with my doc and I was struck, again, at how arrogant he is. He's a GREAT surgeon but bedside manner SUCKS. Doctors are funny people.......

Wow...you have to wear that scratchy plastic braclet from now until next week? How rude of them! I mean, indignities ENOUGH that you have to fast and all that! Wow. How interested, I've never heard of that. I got that wristband the morning of surgery and man I cut that buggar off as soon as I could after I got home. Yay on your date. I'm excited for you!!!

Yup. Blows, don't it? I had to do that too. Man....me in line in the CRAZY waiting room for lab work being ALL KINDS of low blood sugary.....it wasn't pretty. I'm surprised everyone got out uninjured.

Have nipple, you don't.

Okay, I'm in that ucky in between time too. My dr won't do a fill until six weeks out (I notice other folks here got fills sooner). So I'm waiting waiting waiting and eating WAY too much. Had my first post op visit today and the dr is super happy with the progress but he agrees I need a fill...I just have to wait......:tap tap tap tap: Sigh. Besides, you've got a LOT on your plate right now. This is NOT the time to get down on yourself. Just do what you can do. The band will still be there if you gain a couple! You can always get back on track! Big bandster hugs!

What are you, the Lap Banded Yoda? Eat tiny bites, I will. Sip and not gulp I shall. Productive burps I won't.

Yay, you DID it! That was such a huge step! Big congratulations!!!!!!!! Sip, sip, sip, walk, walk, walk.....best advice I ever got right here at LBT!!

Ok, so I sat down and brainstormed out questions to take to my doctor for our initial consultation. Even tho my doctor is pretty damn impatient, he did answer all of them. Between my interrogation of him AND all of the research I did online I actually felt pretty prepared. Don't know if this will help, but here was that list of questions. Some of them seem pretty naive now, but they were honest questions at the time and a lot of them brought up other questions. How long does the procedure take? Awake or fully unconscious? What is the pain factor? How long is recovery in hospital? After? How long until back at work? What is the probability that my system will reject the device? Do I have to have someone to be there when I leave the hospital and at home to care for me? Are there things I can do in advance to better my chances of a successful procedure? What is the probability of infection at the port site? How far under the skin is the port? How many of this procedure do you do per year? What are the main factors for success in this procedure? What is the success rate for your patients? I hear 35% to 50% of excess weight lost. Is this only first year results? What sort of diet is recommended after? What are the biggest problems your patients encounter? How many fills are normally required in the first year? Thereafter? Should I coordinate this with my primary doctor even tho my HMO won't cover the operation? What size meals can I honestly expect? Tiny one egg meals like bypass or more volume? Does this procedure help with sugar cravings or just cravings in general? Does feeling more full more often also help stabilize insulin reaction? ie will I get as hungry and lightheaded as I do when I only eat a tiny meal now? What things would you consider I should know in this decision? How long does the device last? Does it begin to break down? Does it get replaced over time or will one device continue to last? How many of these have you done? It seems fairly new and most people have gone to other countries to have this done. Lap band not Swedish band, correct? If while placing the band, the need to proceed to an open incision presents itself, can this be accomplished? What is the band made of? What is the process to undergo leading up to the actual surgery? How long does it take? What is process post surgery? (liquids for two weeks, etc) Concerned about doing this out of my normal health care route. If issues, will they refuse service? Where do I go from there? This is lap band and not Vertical-Banded Gastroplasty, correct?