SpecialK

Hi Catmom -- I'm a cat mom too with my 2 kitties usually sleeping beside me as I play or chat on the computer. I had my surgery at age 52 and did fine. I'm very glad I did. I had alot of knee pain and had one arthroscopy to fix one knee and knew the other knee would be needing fixed too. I have alot less knee pain now and still have a ways to go, but I'm glad I did this. I was able to get off my cholesterol medicine after 3 months and am maintaining okay off that now a year later. Didn't fight the high blood pressure or diabetes challenges and I'm thankful for that. Good luck.

A lapband friend recently gave me two pairs of size 16 jeans and one is a Calvin Klein pair and I have them hanging on my bedroom door for motivation. I remember Oprah being so proud fitting into I think size 10 Calvin Kleins and I'll be just as proud to get into a 16 in jeans. I'm at the size 20-22 now and started with some of my pants in 30/32 so I can't wait!

Our hospital has a monthly support group meeting and I try to usually go. It is a mixed group of both lapband and RNY patients and initially I felt a little funny because it was about 10:1 ratio of bypass to band people but I tried to have an open mind and listened to each story, learned about what they did for exercise, portion control, the mental struggles they have, etc. and I came to have a broader understanding and respect for whichever WLS someone chooses. A secondary reason I like to go to the monthly hospital bariatric support group meetings is that with my track record so far on my lapband, now surpassing 115 lbs and going on down :thumbup: I want to be a promoter of lapband as a viable and valid option for those with a higher BMI because I think alot of surgeons do recommend RNY to those of my size and sell it as the faster way to get the weight off. Last, I sometimes need the support of others to encourage me along, and sometimes I am the support to give someone else a hug and encourage them. That I can't get through a website.

I guess to add my two cents.... I think we feel the pressure and restriction sensation in our center chest, between our breasts and a little up from that because that is where the bottom of the esophagus (throat) begins to connect to the stomach pouch. When that upper stomach pouch is getting filled, there is a pressure sensation exerted that wants to force the food back up the esophagus to get the excess out to relieve the pressure until more of the digested food passes through our opening from the band to the lower stomach. That is why I try to sit and take it easy if I feel overfull pressure and allow the stomach to do its work to move the food down if I can rather than do what is called productive burping to bring the food back up to spit it out. P.S. for the newbies -- it absolutely does NOT help to sip Water to help relieve the pressure sensation or to try to move the food along -- it makes the pressure worse!

Lemon -- that's a cool background and don't worry, it was a good memory of my Dad!

Congrats Susan. I was at the 30/32 size when I started and I am now in size 18/20 mostly now and still have a ways to go but recently bought 1 jacket/blazer that was a size 16 and it buttoned. I was dancing around the store showing my mom. That is the clothing benefit but more importantly, my health is dramatically improving every day, the joint pains are easing off, my cholesterol is better, etc. BTW -- Lemon Pie avatar and LemonPopTart -- why did you choose that login? Interesting. My dad loved lemon meringue pie -he's been gone now for a number of years but it made me think of him when I saw your posting.

Best wishes. Yes, so many of us have fought this weight battle for our whole life. Many of us thought I'm healthy, just overweight. Well, I can tell you my experience is that the effect of the overweight is cumulative over time, starts to cause joint pains, other complications we wouldn't have considered. So, wishing you all the best as you go through your analysis and testing phase.

Kimberley - its a little early in the stages for you but I would tell you that being further out in my band experience, getting hiccups when I am eating is a band signal to me to slow down my eating and/or quit eating - its a full signal for me. Maybe try sipping your fluids if you are taking larger drinks? Good luck.

Congrats on your surgery date Sillypuddy! On pre-op diet, most of Dr. Choban or Dr. Price's patients aren't told they have to do a pre-op diet. I did one voluntarily myself for 2 weeks pre-op to give myself a mental "get ready" test, to make my liver in the best condition it could be like you, etc. I went with the canned protein shakes for breakfast, lunch and a lean meat and vegetable dinner. I made sure I drank 64 oz water daily. If I was too hungry, I had another protein shake and was able to lose 10-14 lbs. The bummer is that even though I count my total weight loss at -116 lbs now including that, the surgeon's office doesn't give me credit for what I lost pre-op, they just focus on where I am post op. I had an office job where I have to get up and walk around but I can sit down the majority of my day and I was able to have surgery on Monday and go back to work the following Monday. Another person that had surgery about the same time as me was a nurse and she had to be off for 3 weeks because she helps lift patients as part of her job so that wasn't okay. Ask the doctor when you see them. On your feet for 12 hour days sounds pretty tough so I think I'd ask them to write you a time off note for 2 weeks minimum just to be sure. Yes, Mt. Carmel keeps all their lapband patients in the hospital overnight one night and turns you lose the next day. I wish they would have let me go home same day, I really think I could have, but they want to make sure you are doing okay and I'm okay with them being cautious.

Another Friday has rolled around and I'm still hanging in there at the same number of pounds. Still exercising but also been eating a little more so I'll just keep at it. Hope all of you are doing good. aJoneen.........................-080 pounds lost! Bandana....................... 0 92 lbs lost BrandNewLisa............0 97 pounds LOST forever!!! evelas5000...................0 50 pounds Lost Desdemona...................0 67 pounds lost Fenton...........................0 102 POUNDS LOST !! HarleyGirl....................0 90 pounds LOST! Hopeinapril................. 0 55 pounds lost Kpodski......................... Lynnt1215.....................0 64 lbs lost NurseNiki......................0 Nycm00........................ 0 -66 lbs lost Potatie............................0 149 POUNDS LOST!! Scrappy_Friend........ +5 177 POUNDS LOST!!!! SpecialK........................-0 116 lbs GONE forever! Sugarbean....................0 117 POUNDS LOST !!! Sharona.........................0 stellabella......................0 75 POUNDS LOST! Tess415..........................0 -80 lbs lost Thin2bme...................+1 100 POUNDS LOST!! WestCoastMom............0 Wishin4...........................-2 86 pounds gone!

Special little get together planned for Thursday July 23 at 6-6:30 pm or so at the Polaris Mall to catch up with our bandster OHJuli and to help celebrate her post PS skinny "petite" little body. We all can't wait until we see her. Corner near Chik-Fil-A and Great Indoors of the food court, same as usual on the Saturdays.

Lyn - congratulations! I'm sure you are looking and feeling fabulous. Last time I saw Darla she was chugging along and looked great too.

Trystelle, it is always so inspiring to me when I meet someone who has lost the amount that I am trying to lose, who hung in there for the long haul. Congrats!

Hi Amy -- congrats on your surgery. Your post caught my eye because you want to get skinny and I do too but more importantly, I want to get Healthy! I am loving being able to fit into smaller size clothing but I am even more so loving the decreased pain on my knees from losing alot of weight, the mental boost it has given me in self esteem, the opportunity to do things physically I couldn't do before, and I got off my cholesterol medicine within 3 months of surgery and haven't needed it since. I didn't have diabetes but I've heard so many positive comments about that illness being eliminated or drastically reduced from weight loss after lapband too that I would just encourage you to set being skinny and healthy as your combined goal. God Bless.

Melissa - I was really fine just a few hours after surgery, as a matter of fact, I think I could have gone home and slept in my own bed and been happier but our hospital's program requires an overnight stay. I have an office job and I had surgery on a Monday and was back to work the next Monday. I could have done light tasks even Thurs or Friday but it all depends on what you do. I'd say 1 week for an office type job is usually fine.

Hi Dbaby6 -- I am another Columbus lapband person and had my surgery at Mt. Carmel but I'm very good friends now with a bunch of lapbanders that went through Riverside and Dr. Meyer and they are great. Look under the USA Local Support Groups - Ohio forum section and check out the Columbus thread and you'll find HeatherA and also under that Ohio thread, you'll see we have an informal group support we do at the Polaris mall once a month that represents pre and post surgery lapbanders at all the different locations and its been great support and perspective, we swap clothes, etc. Next group meeting would be the 2nd Saturday in August 2pm at the food court area. :scared2:

Hi Paige. One of the guys I work with is over 400 lbs and he mentioned that he challenged this trainer who was telling everyone to exercise and he said, well I can't because I can't walk very far or stand for long. She said are you willing to learn? He said Yes and she said come and sit on this chair and I will show you how to start exercisng gradually using a chair to sit while exercising. He said he took her up on that challenge and has tried to keep it up. I found this link for a book on chair based exercise regimen if you would be interested. You can also Google for other sitting while exercising ideas. The Sitting Exercise Training Manual | Fitness and Freebies God Bless and just take it a day at a time a step at a time.

DJK - yep I felt the same after the full liquids stage that I wanted something to chew - a piece of leather, anything.

A coworker of mine had gastric bypass in April 2008 and he had complications and a laprascopic procedure turned into an open RNY and he was out from work for quite a number of weeks recovering. He of course lost drastic amounts of weight quickly. I saw him today and asked how he was doing. He shared some very interesting info. First, his bariatric surgeon has left town (he thinks the guy got fired) and he is regretting he went to the bariatric center he did because he ended up not liking his surgeon, evidently the nurses there were not good, etc. So, he now has been diagnosed with a hernia (I wonder if this is due to poor surgery techniques during the open RNY) and now he is going to my hospital's bariatric surgeon to get the hernia fixed. He's going to ask the surgeon while he is in there to just look and make sure the other surgeon did things okay. He said his original surgeon told him he had adhesions and that is why the laprascopic procedure got converted to an open RNY but he said that just doesn't make sense because he'd never had any surgeries before to have adhesions. He thinks it was just the skill level of the surgeon not being able to handle the laprascopic approach. Whoa. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have confidence in my surgeon post op. So anyway, my coworker is at -130 lbs and he said he has leveled out and even recently gained some back. I am so happy I chose my lapband because I'm still going down steadily and I know I can still get adjustments to keep the right restriction going until I'm done. I'm anxious to see long term how he does compared to how I do since we had the two procedures around the same time.

Chrystina - good for you for hanging in there. I also had a PCP doc who turned me away about 4+ years ago when I wanted her referral for WLS which happened to be gastric bypass was the only option I knew about at that time. She adamantly refused saying I was too young, didn't know what I was thinking, it would be too hard to live the rest of my life, she had seen too many complications, etc. Then three years later, my OB/GYN was the one who suggested WLS and I've been a person who had irregular periods, etc. and he felt the surgery would really help even though I was past the point of being able to consider having children any longer. So, I did my own research, found about lapband, went to the surgeon on my own, and then "sprung" it on my PCP doc in a lettter saying I needed her 5 years of medical records sent to the surgeon's office documenting all the attempts and things I had tried for years to lose weight. At that point, I didn't need the PCP referral, thank goodness. I went ahead with the surgery and I've been the happiest little lapband lady since then. My OB/GYN hasn't seen me this year but I'm sure he will be shocked when he does see me. My PCP is happy for me for losing 100+ lbs but I think she still has thoughts that if I had tried harder, after 1000 tries at WW!!!-- I could have lost it without WLS and I'm just as convinced now that this was the right thing for me. I am the first lapband patient my PCP has had any exposure to so I'm taking this opportunity to educate her on it, and hopefully some other poor woman will be told by her that lapband is an option to get a significant amount of weight off, particularly to cure diabetes, and to get pregnant if that is their dream. Good luck.

DJK -- great to hear you are doing well! Congrats!

Seems like the summer is keeping alot of us busy and not much activity here on the Friday weigh in accountability thread but I still have a long way to go so I'll keep it going. Maintained this week. aJoneen.........................-080 pounds lost! Bandana....................... 0 92 lbs lost BrandNewLisa............0 97 pounds LOST forever!!! evelas5000...................0 50 pounds Lost Desdemona...................0 67 pounds lost Fenton...........................0 102 POUNDS LOST !! HarleyGirl....................0 90 pounds LOST! Hopeinapril................. 0 55 pounds lost Kpodski......................... Lynnt1215.....................0 64 lbs lost NurseNiki......................0 Nycm00........................ 0 -66 lbs lost Potatie............................0 149 POUNDS LOST!! Scrappy_Friend........ -3 182 POUNDS LOST!!!! SpecialK........................-0 116 lbs GONE forever! Sugarbean....................0 117 POUNDS LOST !!! Sharona.........................0 stellabella......................0 75 POUNDS LOST! Tess415..........................0 -80 lbs lost Thin2bme...................+1 100 POUNDS LOST!! WestCoastMom............0 Wishin4...........................-2 86 pounds gone!!

When I had my first sleep study session, it was a little weird thinking they were watching me try to sleep and I told them it was hard to fall asleep and they offered me a dose of Lunesta sleeping medicine and that helped relax me. So if you really don't think you can sleep without some help, ask.

How wonderful for you Dawn that you and your husband are looking into this journey together. Talk about having a great "band buddy"!

Hi Debbie. It is natural to be nervous and be reflective about this life changing event. I don't regret my decision one bit. As far as VSG goes, in my case my insurance didn't offer it as an option only lapband or RNY and I was sure I did not want RNY so this was good for me. Now that I know more about VSG, if I ever lost my lapband due to some reason it had to come out, and I can't see it happening now, I definitely would talk with my surgeon on what was the next option for me and I know there are lapband folks on this board who got to goal with their lapband and their tag line is "lapband got me to goal, my sleeve is helping keep me there" so it definitely is a surgical option to revise later to VSG. Hope you find peace this weekend. Here is a list of some mind distracting things and others can join in and give you ideas to keep busy and Monday will be here real soon. 1. Read a good book 2. Take a long walk 3. Take a bubble bath Sunday night 4. Do your craft projects - if you do something like scrapbooking, knitting, etc. 5. Read your Bible 6. Call a friend 7. Give yourself a manicure/pedicure - I painted my toes green on the day before my surgery since it was on St. Patrick's Day. I figured it would give someone a laugh if they took those surgical sockies off and saw the green polish! 8. Post on LapbandTalk.com -- your friends will be here for you. 9. Sort out your sock drawer (but only if you are really bored!) 10. Clean out the refrigerator or pantry of all foods you don't want to see while you are on full liquids or mushies that might tempt you (that is if it isn't somethin your family needs). 11. Start a journal - sit down and write out your thoughts of how you are feeling, what your dreams and hopes are. You'll be glad to have it to look back on a year from now and however long into the future.