gentylwind

From the very beginning of my weight loss journey I have lost an elephant's penis. Ew. Since LB surgery, I have lost the average amount of pizza an american eats in a year plus half of a guinea pig.

If you go back to any given month (I picked May of 2008) you will see the posts from people at the stage we are at post surgery complaining that they are not losing. Most of those people's tickers are down 45 lbs or more now 8 months out. So we just need to hang in there and keep doing what we are supposed to do...eat right, exercise, get our fills, follow the band rules. It will come!

Down to 218.5 as of Sunday night.

Yes, this is exactly my same situation. TLCEdge did nothing for me other than book the initial appointment. They seemed very disorganized and made me some false promises about when my surgery would be in the day. Dr. Castro is WONDERFUL. He has the same pricing as TLCEdge and you don't have to go through a middle man. His office is great and his demeanor is wonderful. I was banded 11/21/2008 and deal exclusively with Dr. Castro's office now. He does all my fills and I doubt I will be back at TLCEdge again. In fact, I have my second fill this afternoon down at Dr. Castro's office. After I have exhausted my six fills that came with my surgery price, Dr. Castro will only charge me for an office visit to do any further fills I need. The TLCEdge pricing included everything but the pre-op diet and the psych eval, which was $250. Dr. Castro did not require an all liquid pre-op diet, just low calorie, low carb. He gives out a wonderful booklet that answers every question you could possibly have about the pre-op, surgery and postop time period.

I have noticed i have this when I consume too many carbs and when I eat some kinds of dairy. I definitely have some food sensitivities that I didn't have before surgery and if I avoid those foods that make me feel bad, I have no trouble.

I am so sorry this is happening to you. It sounds miserable. I had 3 cc left in my band at surgery and have yet to ever vomit, get stuck or PB. Let us know what's wrong and how it goes.

I have money set aside for plastic surgery after I reach goal. I anticipate needing a tummy tuck as I already have very saggy skin on my lower belly from my pregnancies and I don't anticipate any amount of exercise will fix that.

The same stuff that affects rate of loss before surgery affects it afterward.....food choices, amount of exercise, metabolic conditions...all still there both before and after the band. The band can limit the portion sizes of certain foods and result in greater satiety when used correctly. The ability of any given individual to use it correctly largely affects rate of loss along with any medical conditions and activity level. Don't compare one to another. Nobody else matters...just you!

I have my second fill today and am nervous. I don't want to be too tight, but I definitely can eat too much still and get hungry within 2 hours. I want that 1/4 to 1/2 cup serving ONLY to work for me too! I hope getting filled is the right thing to do. I can eat much less than I used to be able to but still more than I think I ought to be able to. I started working out this week too and that has felt good.

My face and neck. I seem to lose from the top down. Bah!

Today B: Two eggs scrambled with 1 oz cheddar S: One small grapefruit, innards only L: 2 oz leftover pork chop, 1/2 cup steamed broccoli D: don't know yet - probably another 2 oz of pork chop and a spinach salad

I had severe back pain after my surgery and it was the only "real" pain I had. My surgeon said it looks like my port was attached on top of some nerves that run to the spot in my back that was hurting. That seemed odd to me at the time, but it did fade in time. However, upon accessing my port for my first fill, the pressure of that triggered the exact same back pain in the exact same spot, so I guess there is some credibility to it. I was very relieved when the pain went away. It never bothers me now.

Yes, I did...Dr. Manuel Castro. I get my second fill on the 7th too...but I am doing it through Dr. Castro's office rather than TLCEdge. 17 lbs is GREAT, especially over the holidays!

Embarassed no. Private yes. I don't care to share my surgery with anyone.

Yep, far too serious for anyone to play doctor on the Internet. May or may not have anything to do with your band, but blood from the GI tract on either end warrants expedient medical attention. Best of luck.

I had no idea about gulping water! Thanks for the heads up. Sipping will be an all day endeavor then to get enough Water in! I am in a learning phase I suspect. I am kind of falling into a habit of letting the band tell me when I am full rather than stopping at 1 cup of food. Going to start working on that more. I am also probably having a little more wine than I should and of course, ate too many snack type foods over the holidays. My loss is at a stand-still. When I do eat properly, I am getting hungry two hours after a meal, so I know I need another fill. That is scheduled for the day after tomorrow, thank goodness. Guess this is where the hard work of it starts!

Maranda, I just wanted to give you a hug. Validation from family members can feel SO important, especially if you have been the "big person" in the family for a long time. I wonder sometimes if we subconsciously think we will be more lovable after some of the weight comes off, or less invisible somehow, and so we are looking hard for the signs of that happening...and when it doesn't, it just crushes us. It is not conceited to value your own opinion. It is healthy and an important part of this journey I think. We are rebuilding our self esteem as we rebuild healthier bodies. We are learning that we do deserve good things in life and as that happens, those who are used to us being a certain way in both behavior and physical form are probably going to be forced to re-evaluate something about themselves and our place in their lives. People often identify themselves by those around them...and when those around them change, nothing quite feels the same. You are doing fantastic. Don't worry. Continue on the path you are on, and they will have no choice but to notice. Whether or not they comment really isn't the issue. There is no way to gain or lose 25-30+ pounds and more without it being noticable.

I have 5 cc in a 10 cc band and was banded on 11/21/2008. I have had one fill since surgery. Right now, I can eat a standard dinner plate of food before I feel "stuffed". Meaning, about 4 oz of meat, I'd say 1/2 cup of veggies and 1/4 cup of a starch. I do try to eat my meat and veggies before taking in a starch. Apparently this is still too much food for me, as the scale is not really moving at all. I have another fill coming the day after tomorrow. My significant other pointed out that I am waiting for the band to tell me to stop before I quit eating, rather than only taking in the one cup of food that is recommended and stopping there, so I have been watching that more over the last two days. I am finding I get hungry again in about two hours, so I think this fill will be a good one.

Yep, I dropped 20 pounds in the first two weeks and I too was thrilled and a little scared by it. Its a great feeling! But as RM said above, it doesn't stay that way, so don't let it upset you when it slows and/or stops. It will, usually around week 3-5. Then the real work begins! Congratulations on your band and your success so far!

I lost my 13 year old son to cancer (leukemia) on 01/10/2007. That's not quite two years ago. He was sick for about 18 months prior to his death. I saw a vital, healthy, beautiful young man get sucked up and murdered by his disease. He would have loved to have a healthy body and a long, healthy life. He was not ready to die. Watching him do so changed what I am willing to put up with in terms of my own behavior and health. I researched the lap band many times over the last four years. I got counseling for my grief, got a fantastic surgeon, rallied my supporters and decided it was time. It is part of honoring my Joseph. I am in a place in my grief now that I am ready to move forward with life and for it to be as healthy as I can make it. There are enough things on earth that can steal our vitality away, at any time, at any age. I won't court them purposefully. They have had enough impact on and power over my life already. So I decided to control what I can. I lost 80 lbs on my own prior to Joseph being diagnosed. I gained 40 back at the end of his illness. The lap band will help me get that off and get the rest of the way to goal. www.caringbridge.org/visit/josephmorrison Best of luck to everyone.

Yes, I was self pay. I too went through TLCEdge but would not do so again. I am dealing exclusively with Dr. Castro's office at this point. His price is the same as TLCEdge, so no reason to use a third party. Total cost was $9990. This included pre-op testing, all surgery expenses and six fills in one year. After the six fills are up he will bill my insurance for fills thereafter as an office visit only and I will pay only my usual co-pay.

WannaB, you stop that! Its wayyyyy too early to make a declaration like that, even to yourself. We are only just getting started! You wouldn't let a friend talk to herself that way...don't let yourself. This is going to take time...we all knew that coming in. I lost big in the first two weeks and since then have bounced around a lot. Its the holidays, I am hungry, and my body is adjusting. So is yours. Get to six to nine months and if you aren't seeing a difference, THEN you can evaluate whether this was a good idea. Five weeks after surgery isn't even officially out of the immediate postop healing period. Patience and persistence. Have faith in your decisions and keep plugging ahead. :hug:

This really belongs in the "complications" forum, not in the Introductions forum. I am so sorry your band has not been what you hoped. There are definitely pros and cons to any procedure and believe that anyone who can lose weight without weight loss surgery SHOULD. There is always a risk with surgery and anesthesia. I wish you well in the future.

Time back to work varies from person to person. I was back in four days. Others have needed two to three weeks. Its highly individual...nobody reacts to surgery the exact same way. I personally did not feel weak after getting the band. Just normal postoperative recovery type fatigue. Yes, there is some pain involved. You have incisions from the surgery. The band around your stomach feels very tight in the chest until swelling goes down. Abdominal and shoulder pain from gas blown into the abdominal cavity during surgery affects most people at some point and it can be very unpleasant. Again though, the degree of pain depends on the person. Some people need narcotics for a few weeks. Others a couple of days. Others not at all. I was banded in the Dallas area by Dr. Manuel Castro. I am extremely happy thus far.

Sometimes a complete unfill allows the stomach pouch to return to normal size. But if you don't address the behavior that caused it to stretch, you probably will stretch it out again.