Islandlassie

It seems like no one is in the mood to write. I have been slacking myself. Doing ok. Not great. It's like a pound here and there. Sometimes 2 a week other times plateau. VERY slow. Congrats on getting below the 200 mark. I have 6 more months to get below but at the rate I am going, I don't know. I sooooooooo need to get out there and exercise. You know how that goes. Excuses, Excuses, Excuses. So I shouldn't be B'----ing about the lack of wt. loss, eh? Hope to see you and everyone there next wed. Did you get the newsletter? It is on a new Vitamin shop. There are going to be samples and all. Cool. Cheerio

Howdy, I see Mary tonight to see if I am have lost anything. Not doing so well. Found out the pharmacy has been giving me the wrong thyroid dosage. Seeing my regular Doc on Sat to get that all taken care of. Had new blood work done so Doc said I need to see him asap anyway. Going to stop off at the info meeting tonight. Can't stay long but will see what it is all about. Mary said I should go. It will also depend on how I am after I weigh in. I am so sick of tracking but will see how it goes. Cheers

It looks like we all are taking a break. For me, it's just frustrating so I have not wanted to share. I have nothing to share. I am 3 months out and still only 12 pounds down. I am seeing Mary tomorrow AGAIN to try and see what the problem is. Have been keeping a daily log for the last two weeks from the last time I saw Mary & Dr. F. I have been exercising, but I think I need more. I know one thing; the drug store screwed up on my meds and have been giving me the wrong thyroid dosage. I had to go in for blood work last week. I see my regular doc on the 22 to see if we can figure out which dosage I should be on. Maybe that is why my metabolism is so slowwwwwww. I am sleepy all the time. :smile: I have no energy. Who knows, I am just bloody frustrated. So that is why I have not written. Glad to have seen some of you, if only briefly at the monthly meeting. Cheerio,

Hey Sunshine007, Best advice I can give is to come to a support meeting. Talk to the people there. Listen to the topics and see who might be in your area that would like to be a work out buddy. I know how hard it is to get motivated to work out. I am in that boat too. I don't know if you go to the Castle support groups or have access to others, but go. It surrounds you with others who have been there, done that, or in the same boat right now and everyone around can help. Talk it out with fellow banders. Something someone will say will click for you all of a sudden.

Hello Nahealani, How much does it cost even with medical coverage? It depends on your coverage. Some only pay the $600 required plus $250 per fill, which is mandatory. I myself am paying $1500 plus all the testing copay pre surgery. So when all is said and done for me, I will have dished out about $3500. I think that is the max most anyone has paid who has insurance. How much with out insurance? I think it is around $17K for the surgery and then what ever testing you are required to have. How long out of work? I really can't stay out of work to long. It is recommended you take a week, I took 2 only because I personally had a few complications. Nothing major, I just felt I needed extra time. It’s a personnel preference but a week is standard.

Welcome. When are you moving here? Where are you moving. Most of us live on the Windward side of the island. Kailua, Kaneohe, Waimanalo....We meet first Wed of the month at Castle hospital. Hope you will be able to join us here.

Hi Guys and Gals, Hmm, I see Mary this Friday. I am going to bring up the plateau issue with her. I am frustrated because I can't lose nearly the amount of weight you all have. I am stuck at around 10 pounds. So many people I know have lost 25-75 pounds. I wish I could lose at least 25 pounds. I had big plans for this summer but I don't think it's going to happen if I don't lose more wt. Gosh, I hope my body isn't saying, “Okay, you're done”. I didn't go through all this for 10 pounds. I am not going to the scrapbook meeting tonight. I have company in town. That doesn't help at all either. Food, food, food. My frig/kitchen was so healthy but with company, there are things in like waffles, bacon, ice cream, soda, candies, chips...you get the picture. I’m not really interested in the food. But I do find I am eating more often than usual. Like, I ate a whole stalk of celery while people nibbled away all weekend on their stuff just so I’d be doing something while they were eating. Celery is good, better than the chips & ice cream, but WAY more than I normally eat. Anyway must get back to work so if anyone has a revelation to getting the pounds off, loved to hear it.

Hi Guys, Been out of touch for a while. I did end up going and getting another fill while I was still in the 30-day trial and error time frame. First two days were horrible but I am fine now. Yes, Tashie. Dr. F has a new procedure for first time fills I think it is. It is the X-ray/Ultrasound thing. I cannot remember his reasoning but I am sure it is a good thing. I do not know about how the insurance works on that. Everyone is so different. I know I had to pay for 20% of my hospital, around $1500-$2000 give or take. I won't be at the Feb support group. I have company. The meeting will be a scrapbook thing through Ben Franklin. Mary has the information to sign up. You have to do it prior to group, I think. I am not sure what is going on with my body right now. After the second minor fill, I lost 3 more pounds. However, my body just stops losing wt. No matter how little or how much or how long or short I exercise, I stay the same. I basically stayed at the same wt loss since my surgery until the day I went to get my fill and I had gone up 3/4 of a pound on that particular day. Then lost the 3lbs after the 2nd mini fill and that's it. My body says “I’m done” And let me tell you gals, I need to lose a lot more. I am a little frustrated. It's like I can eat a Shrimp, a pea and a crouton, and I am happy, or I could eat a TV dinner and a salad and be happy too. I rarely get hungry. I eat because I know I have to, and then sometimes it is a wee bit more, only because my taste buds and brain says this is yummy. But it's not a problem to stop. I am sure the Doc thinks I am cheating or doing something funky, but I am not....I am just at a stand still. And I am only 3 months out from surgery. Isn't this the time one should be dropping the pounds like crazy???? Any suggestions???? Any comments???

Hi Miriam, I think you are right. I don't think I should get another fill. I think I need to redo my thinking and "KNOW" I am full because I really am not hungry and don't really have the urge to eat. In the past, pre-band days, I just ate because it was good and I could. That is why I needed to be banded. Duh??? Thanks. Sorry you won't be at the meeting. By the way, how is the Lateral Thigh trainer? I hope it was in good shape and worked. Was there a video in the box? I am using my LTT when I watch TV. Not a lot but working up to 30 mins[/font][/font]

Hello, I think that a lot of feeling full is mental. I have come to the conclusion, since yesterday, that feeling full is not always physical. Before getting banded, I think it was our nature to eat until we felt a full/stuffed/unable to move feeling. Now with the band we are not feeling that and assume we are not full. Changing our thinking is the hard part. The band is a tool and we have to put it to use by doing what is required of us. Exercise, eating right etc...It is just like before when I was on diet after diet, I had to follow new routines, change my habits and do the diet. The difference now, is that I don't have the "Starving", "Hunger" feeling. I just feel done when I eat what I should. I have to get into the mental habit of saying it's okay, you aren't going to keel over and die because I don't feel stuffed. This is all easier said then done when my brain says, "Hey, you aren't feeling fat, full and fluffy, eat more". I think having been given a fill I should go with what I am feeling now. The fill has changed how I feel when I eat. It hurts and I think this will help deter me from putting more stuff in my tummy. This is all a learning experience for us. It is going to be trial and error until we get going and get it right for each of us. But we all will. We all can help each other and I know that I don't practice what I preach all the time but I am trying and with your help I know you and I, and all of us will get there. Right???? Okay I am done rambling and giving the pep rally talk. Are you going to the meeting to night at 6pm? I hear it is going to be a good topic. Cheers

Happy New year to all. Hope the holidays were good to all of you. I just got filled last Thursday, Jan 3rd. I had 3cc put in. I am not sure I need another adjustment. Tell me if any of you have had this experience. When I eat, if my bites are too big, say dime size instead of the pencil eraser size, I hurt so badly when the food goes down. I can feel it and it feels like a giant bubble in my chest and my back hurts. All I can do is wait until it passes,5,10, 15 minutes. I feel every movement the food makes as it goes down. I do not get the full feeling like pre band days. I just feel....done, and more exhausted from eating than full. It took me 2 hours to eat a tv dinner. I forced myself but I was so done with chewing I pretty much gave up towards the end. However, I do not have a problem taking my medication as long as I only take a sip of water with each pill, otherwise I feel the full movement effect. I didn't use to burp, but after getting banded, OMG, I could put some men to shame, but now I am back to squeaks for burps. If I could burp when the food is going down I think it would feel better. My dilemma is, do I get another baby fill, because I don't get the "Full" feeling? If so, will I hurt even more if I can't get the bite size right. Or do I just stay as is? I can eat a lot (example: 2 egg mush/onion omelet) or I can eat 1/2c of veggies and feel satisfied with either. Any advice?

Gosh, how did you know I gave the Pier One V&O, Salt&Pepper things? Did I put my name on the grab bag gift? Oops. There was the matching canister someone else got at the last table next to me. I gave that one to Brenda so she wouldn't have to go out shopping. Wow Miriam, you just got all the gift from me last night. By the way, was there a tape inside that box? I think that the one Jennifer gave away was my copy that I gave in case the box didn't have one. The ladies sitting with me, I wasn't sure if they were from this Thread or not. I thought so, but not everyone looks like their picture and some of you all don't have pictures out there. I saw where you were sitting, kind of next to / in front of Phyllis. Where was Tashie sitting? Siri

Hi there, I didn't get to say hello to people last night and screen names and real name and faces didn't click. Miriam, you won the Lateral Thigh Trainer. That was from me, Siri. You were suppose to get a video, but Jennifer told me she gave it away by mistake as a gift. Someone is going to be awfully surprised when they get an instructional tape they don't know what to do with. I am not sure I recognized anyone, really sorry. Hope you all had fun!

I was banded on Nov 6th. My tummy is still puffy and swollen. Especially after I eat, my tummy if bigger and fatter and sticks out more than before the surgery. Does anyone else have this problem? How long before your stomach is back to normal?:rolleyes

Well I am back. I had my surgery last week Tues. Went home Wed and been home since. Decided to take an extra few days off. Going back to work on Monday. All went well. Saw the Doc this morning and he said it looks good. Had a few complications , but on the mend and just need to monitor my port area. But other than that it is great going. I am on Full fluids now. Doing well. Missed the this months meeting but will be there for the Xmas one. Hope all is well for you all. SOunds like you all are doing good. I won't be computer connected until Monday. Cheerio:clap2:

Support Group meetings are the first Wed of every month at the same place you went to have the first information group meeting with Dr. F. Where Mary's office is. Except next month. But check to make sure when next months meeting is. It will be the Christmas meeting and they are fun. Games, prizes, gifts, food etc... If it was like last year, you can bring a small gift, kind of like a secret santa thing. Nothing expensive. Just so that everyone can pick a gift. But it is not mandatory at all.

Tomorrow is the big day. Meeting Jennifer today at 3:00pm. Biggest bummer is that tomorrow, my surgery time got moved from 10AM to 2 PM. That means I will be pacing all morning. Clear liquids today and dumb me ate heartily last night so I am starving this morning. Let that be a lesson to all you newbies that are coming in. Don't do what I did. Me soooo hungry and tummy rumbling. I won't be at this month's support meeting on Wednesday but will be at the Christmas party next month. If you don't know already, next months Christmas support meeting is going to be the 2nd Wed, Dec 12th. This is to avoid the Tree lighting that happened last year. It was a mess with parking and all the people for the Christmas tree lighting. Verify this at this Wednesday's support meeting just to be sure that I didn't get the facts wrong. See you next month!!! No computer at home so I won't write until end of next week sometime when I get back to work. Leaving the office today at 2pm. Cheers

Thank you Kaohinani!!!

Hello everyone, Just letting you all know, 6 days and counting. 2pm next Tuesday I get banded. Yikes, it's almost here. Meet with Dr. F last night. Last two meetings w/Mary and Cindy today. See Jen on Monday and then.......Band day.

Thank you for the welcome Wrmsmiles. Yes, the 6th is just around the corner. I haven't told myself this is real. At least not until I see Dr. F. Having gone through what I did last year I was so devastated with not getting approved, that I have not let myself get my hopes up until Dr. F. actually gives the thumbs up and I am in the recovery room. But I am still a bit nervous. I am reading your post and want to ask, what is PB?

Thanks for the tips on drinks. I have tried two of the Isopure. I like them, kind of. I do not belong to costco. I will have to see what SAMS club offers. I work right down the street from WalMart/SAM near Ala Moana. I found another shake type drink for week 2 and it isn't too bad. Is Carnation Instant Breakfast on week 2??? 13 days and counting. Cheers

I was born in Thailand, and unlike most Thais that are small and petite, I am not. I was adopted and grew up in a meat and Potato, eat everything on your plate family. I currently live in Hawaii. Have lived in many places all over the world, and with that came the desire to eat foods from all over the world. So now I am here and I and I am delighted to join you all. I have not been banded yet. I see the surgeon on Nov 2nd for the all clear and then I am scheduled to be banded on Nove 6th. I am nervous. Congrats to all the other newbies out there!:clap2:

Joining you all. Getting banded on Nov 6th. Meeting with Dr. F on the 30th for my pre-op. It's been a long road. It was almost a year ago to the day when I started out that I got approved. I was (pre Jennifer days) denied twice, and appealed the denial and was again denied. Gave up. Then out of the blue, one year later, Jennifer called and BAM I was approved in Aug, a year after I started the whole process. Of course now it has been the long process of a different kind and that is all the testing and retesting. So far so good. And I gave up smoking the day Jennifer called so it has been exactly 60 days nicotine free.Hope to see you all at the Dec (Xmas Party) support meeting. Won't make Nov since I'll be getting banded on Tues, Nov 6th. Last years Xmas party was fun. Cheerio

I am not sure how to get to a "Thread". Not even sure what that is. Can you walk me through to get to yours. Thnx

:help:Getting close to Band Day. I know the first week is clear liquids and you are suppose to take in 60grm of protein. I am having a hard time finding protein drinks of the clear kind. Any suggestions? Some people say I won't be able to keep the drink I found at GNC down. Therefore, I am looking for alternatives in case that happens. I'd prefer to go to a store and not shop online. Getting things shipped to Hawaii is sooooo expensive, especially heavy stuff, like liquid drinks and with airline security, many companies won't ship here. Cheers