tutornmom

Hi Kristen, I would love to know how many fills you have had and what you eat. You are really shedding the pounds and mine seem to have stopped! Rachelle

Thanks Lellow! My children and I have been really sick. You read my mind because I was hoping to do the list and see how we were going to check in but have not been able to get it together. The 30th and 15th sounds good to me!

Thanks for asking! I would love to hear from you as well. I am loving this band. I love my doctor but I wish he wanted to go a little faster. I started with about 3 ccs and he added .5 ccs with my fill on 11/4/08 and told me that with the weight I had already lost he didn't want to do another fill until January. I am feeling very little restriction and losing very little weight; maybe I am just discouraged because this week is PMS and I always have lots of water weight gain. On a brighter note, I have lost about 30 pounds and when I exercise, I am still losing. I am so glad I did this! I am never going back only down! I have not really had any problems. I have had a couple of experiences with "nothing" going down but when it happens, I can tell you exactly what I did wrong. My hair and nails are not in good shape but I think it is just because I need to work harder at getting protiens and eat less carbs. I am eating prunes or taking fiber every day. I started a challenge for New Year's. I really want to weigh 225 by New Year's. If you look under "August 08 Bandsters", you can see that. Lots of people of joined me in this challenge with their own goals of course. I have got to be serious about what I eat from now until December if I am going to do this but I really would like to. Rachelle

Hi all! I had my surgery on Friday. Yesterday was rough. Besides the normal pain, they really messed up my ?uvula? (the hangy down thing in your throat) with the tube in my throat and it was hurting and gagging me all day yesterday. I am so excited! Tricare Prime was great! The hospital, doctors, and staff were great! Someone suggested that every month on my anniversary date I take a picture just for myself. I can't wait until 9/22. I think I am going to go in there now for todays picture since I didn't take one on surgery day.

Hi Debbie, I certainly understand your frustration. I love my lapband. My weightloss is going slower than I would like but my surgeon is very pleased. It has been 3 months since my surgery and I have almost lost 30 pounds. I am not sure about surgeons in your area because I near Montgomery. I used a surgeon in Pelham south of Birmingham, Dr. Sherer. His office and his staff have been great. I didn't have to do a bunch of seminars and medical tests (sleep apnea and stuff). I did have a slight problem getting my fill but we worked it out pretty quickly. Don't expect quick results (insurance decisions or weight loss) but it is worth the wait because it is permanent! I wish you the BEST in everything! Rachelle

I know this thread is kind of dead because the moment has passed but I had a similar situation last weekend. I sing with a group of ladies that I only see twice a year (usually). Some noticed that I had lost 30 pounds and some did not. I made the decision to be open about my surgery and I actually saw hope in the eyes of some of the heavier ladies. They had lots of questions and I was able to spread a good word for lapband surgery. I hope some of them will check on it. I know that I am happier and healthier with it so wouldn't it be great if they could join me on this journey. There are some people who have been nasty about my weight in the past and I simply didn't want to tell them but I didn't have the energy to keep up with who I told and who I didn't so I tell everyone who asks. Rachelle

It is Saturday but simply didn't have time to look at the internet yesterday much less post. I didn't lose. It was looking like some good losses (234) on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday but TOM did me in and I simply maintained 237. Even though Thanksgiving in coming - I know next week will be better - although sometimes my extra weight sticks for 2 weeks and then drops dramatically. I am not getting the exercise in. With the time change and some crazy schedule stuff with my teenagers. Things should slow down between 12/1 and 12/19 (my 41st DOB and my 13yos pectus excavatum surgery). Failure is not an option!

All the time!

WOW! We have had a great response and some of you have incredible goals! GO FOR IT! I guess I need to try to make a list! Let's keep each other on track! I am having a good week with food but not with exercise! Rachelle

Hi! I am hoping that it is ok. I haven't been doing this but I need the motivation and support. I didn't lose this week. Not to make excuses but I had a death in the family and got almost no exercise. Next week will be better! My weight breakdown goes like this 265/237/149.

Hi, I was Tricare Prime and I can only tell you what I did. I went to my PCM and said, "I want to have a lapband." She asked me what I had done to try to lose weight and gave me a referral. I was only 115 pounds over weight but I do have some co-morbidity factors. I took my medical history including the comorbidities to my surgeon, they filed the surgery referral, and I was approved. It went really easily for me. I am so glad I did it. I will never go back! God has given me this second chance to be able to feel better and have more energy to work for him and I am going to run with it.

My doctor's office staff said that Tricare says it takes 48 hours and it did for the office to hear and 3 days for me to hear. I wish you the best. This is the best thing I have ever done for myself. Thank you, LORD for opening these doors for me!

Hi all, I have been gone for a while as well. Like Clempie somethings in my life are on hold (my husband's job) and others are flying by me at mock speed. I have lost 27 lbs in the 2 months since my surgery most of which was lost the first month. I am going to get a fill on 11/4. I am not too discouraged by the slow down in loss because in the past with the kind of challenges I have faced over the past couple of months I would have packed on 15 or more pounds but this time I am actually losing. PRAISE THE LORD!

Hi, You are not far from me. I live in Tallassee. Having the lapband was the best decision I have ever made. In past, I have always packed on the pounds when I was stressed and depressed (I know that I am too blessed to be stressed and depressed but I won't go into details to save space). I have had 2 very hards months since the lapband (nothing due to the lapband) and I have still lost 27 pounds. I have not even had a fill yet. I am scheduled for my first one next week. I didn't use the doctors you are using but there are plenty on this site who have. I have not regretted this for one minute. I would love to talk more and encourage you but I have to go for now! Feel free to contact me! In His hands, Rachelle

I honestly don't know what type of band I have. I know I should have been more attentive to that. I looked at one on a fake stomach but I didn't pay attention to the details. About the saline already there, my doctor explained it like this. He said that with each band he has to fill it with saline to test it before/during the procedure to put it on. He said that he removes the saline but there is probably 1-2cc left. I have not had a fill but I have good restriction. I am eating about 3/4 of a cup of food until I am feeling full and sticking with high Proteins. I am not drinking any shakes unless it is what fits with my schedule that day. I am eating that 3/4 of a cup of food 4 times per day instead of 3. My days are long and I just can't make 3 last all day. I lost 4 lbs last week (5th week post op). :tongue2: I am exercising almost everyday. My doc told me at my post op appointment that as long as I felt good restriction and was losing 2 or more pounds per week, he will not do a fill. I am supposed to check back with him sometime between October and December when I think I am ready for a fill (ie losing 1 or less pounds per week). In His hands!

Hi all, Today is the start of my second week of mushy's and 3 weeks post-op. I have really done well according to my doctor's standards with 18 lbs lost. BUT I have lots going on that I don't know if it is related and what to do. First, I am dealing with Bell's Palsy or some other sort of facial nerve problem and spent several hours in the ER the other night. They put me on prednisone (for my face) and bactrim (because they found a kidney infection and I have kidney disease). My potassium was also low. I have been drinking G2s even though I don't care for them because I felt like it was low. Any other ideas for potassium, I have eaten all the mashed potatoes I can stand. I am going to get some yogurt and bananas for homemade smoothies? Putting all this together. The first few days it seemed like I could eat more than a cup at a time (3 times per day) but yesterday and today. I have fixed my portion and even this morning tried to go a little smaller (probably 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of soft scrambled eggs made with peppers milk and cheese to make them crumbly) and after I eat I have a pinching feeling under/right below my left rib cage. I haven't had a fill so my restriction should be only slight should I roll back the amount to 1/4 cup and see what happens. Part of my soreness could be too much activity. I did an "walking" exercise video and might have pushed it too much on Wednesday and then yesterday I visited with a friend who has an 8 month old and I held her while standing a good bit. Is this pinching because I have eaten too much?? Has anyone else had these Bell's Palsy type symptoms? Mine really don't seem to be responding to the steroids. I am supposed to see a neuroloist next week. I love my band but figuring out this new body is taking some time. In His hands!

Hi, I have been thinking about short and long term goals. I set my first short term at the weight (249) because I haven't been able to break 250 since I put the last 100 lbs of this on 12 years ago. I got my nails done and have a plan to keep them done as long as I am meeting my weekly goals. After that my rewards are in 25 lbs increments with increasing rewards, at 225 I am going to get my hair professionally colored by someone who can do what I want not just what I could normally afford. At some point my reward will be new clothes but I will probably stick with thrift stores until I am really close to the final goal. My serious rewards are riding roller coasters with my children (I want to find a new park that we have never experienced before and go for it.) getting on the bone marrow donor list (I tried to get on this list in 1998 when my weight first sky rocketted and was turned down because of it. It will be my first stop when I am under 175.) In His hands!

Hi! My name is Rachelle. I thought I had already replied to this thread maybe it was another. I am a proud veterans wife of 21 years and homeschool mom and math tutor. I was banded on 8/22 and I am going very well. I have a kidney disease and have been overweight most of my life. I am looking forward to being more active and spending more time playing and enjoying life. I am confident that I will succeed this time with God's help and blessings! In His hands!

I am fighting with my ticker. I have lost 14 pounds as of yesterday.

Hi! I made sure I had those liquid things but also plenty of protien options for me. Protien is really the key to controlling hunger for me and with all the low carb diets that are popular, it is easy to find protien alternatives in liquid. I also bought lots of "healthy" brothy Soups. The thought of plain broth was not appealing so I open a can of Soup and drain off the juice. That broth is much more tasty than plain broth. There isn't much of it but I have found that I don't need much and I could add regular broth to it if I needed to. Also, I found cheap sugar free popsicles which have been a lifesaver. As for my family (42, 16, 13), I made sure they had plenty of quick type meals. My husband cooked hamburger helper or Breakfast or they ate out the first few days; then I started cooking again and I had made sure that I had crockpot or other easy put together type things to fix. I am planning to slowly blend my meals and theirs as I can eat more. I get to start mushies on Friday. The past 2 weeks of liquids only have been really easy for me. Yes, my family's food looks and smells good but it is really not desirable because I know it is simply not an option. We were out-of-state this past weekend so they ate out a lot and I did fine. Our waitress at Cracker Barrel even brought me a bowl of the liquid part of their soup. I did buy a large container of good egg drop soup and strained off the egg. It was really good. I also bought minestrone soup at Olive Garden and strained off the broth; it was good. I hope those options help. I have really tried to think outside the box. WAR EAGLE! In His hands!

Hi Jason, Every doctor and hospital are different. I had the clear liquid diet only for the day before I was banded. Then when I got home the next day, I could have any liquid including thin low-fat milkshakes. To be honest, I couldn't have eaten that the first day. I had Water, ice, and Vitamin water on the way home. Then I had a High Protien Slim fast before I went to bed. It took me almost an hour to drink most of the can of Slim Fast. I am up to about 3 cans of protien drinks a day with water and flavored water in between. I tried to drink a thin milk shake yesterday because we were out and about getting some stuff done and I only got 1/4 to 1/3 of it down before my stomach said it was enough. I am really trying to listen to my body and I am not trying to push the limit on what I can eat. What I mean by that is that some people try everything just to see if the new stomach can handle it and I think it messes them up. I want my new stomach to STAY my NEW stomach so I am not pushing it. Today is 1 week for me and I haven't weighed this morning but I know that I have lost over 10 lbs and I have only had one really weak feeling day. The key for me is getting my Vitamins and enough protien. Hope that helps! I did find a packaged Chinese Sweet and Sour Soup last. I made it without the egg and strained out the onions and stuff after it was cooked and I really enjoyed it.

Hi jclang, I will be praying for peace for your husband. My husband was very apprehensive but after attending my surgery consult he really found peace with my decision. He has doubted that peace a couple of times over the past couple of days because he hates to see me sick or hurt and post-op days have had their moments but today feels like it will be much better and it is only day 4. Give it God and hang in there! In His hands!

Thanks Heidi and Lanakila, I am trying to still your August All-Star banner. I can't figure out how to get it to work. I am posting this to see if I got it. I hope you don't mind me using yours.