SpecialK

St Patrick's Day was my surgery date so I'm always celebrating on this day. Today I finished a 4 Miler walk and I'm tired but logged more than 17,500 steps on my FitBit today. I often wonder how others I felt so much support from on this group. I'm down 95 lbs from my starting weight so that is great to still say but I've got about 40 lbs to get to the lowest weight I had achieved in 2010. At that point several things drove me back to some bad eating habits but I feel back in control now. Using WW for weekly accountability weigh ins.

I asked my surgeon why the lapband fell out of favor and he said slips and other reasons that many had been converted to gastric sleeve or RNY so he's glad I'm still working it!

Any of you convert from lapband to other procedure? Which did you choose and why?

Best wishes to all the Shrinking Shamrocks of March 2008!

Unfortunately I'm sad to report Dr Price died of cancer last year but Dr. Miller is still with the practice in 2016.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am using a Fitbit now to track my steps and it's fun that I can do challenges with others who are also using Fitbit. Won a Sneakers award today for getting in 12000 steps today.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm healthier now at 60 than I was at 50! My Lap band rocks.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I would do it again in a heartbeat ...8 yrs out now post op

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi there this is my 8th year as a lapband patient. I joined WW in October 2015 and have lost 25 lbs to now be back to the 95 lbs lost mark from where I started pre band. I find the weekly weigh in accountability and peer meeting support is helping me, not like band restriction helps, but more emotional and motivational support. My hospital's bariatric program has a monthly support group but it's a travel constraint and inconvenient time for me for the last several years but I changed jobs about 7 months ago and will try to reconnect to that as it was informative and helpful to see others who are trying. Go Columbus Ohio go!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I would suggest getting counseling from a good professional who works with bariatric patients as it sounds like you didn't get enough pre-op support and post op too. Never too late to talk with someone that might be able to help you make a documented case for medical necessity to have it removed. I'm 8 yrs post op and haven't regretted it but I have my band adjusted now and no reflux issues but restriction. It is a balancing thing for me that I want another adjustment to have more restriction but need to commit to that. I'm doing WW now more for the weekly peer encouragement and weekly weigh in accountability than anything else. My bariatric program only had a monthly support meeting and the travel and time this was offered didn't work for me so I stayed in touch with other lapbanders thru email and now social media like this. I had to reach out for support. I'm a stubborn one that tries to go it on my own.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Go girl Go! Never too late to get healthy

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

This story is incredible and I wish you much success. I am post lapband 8 years now and have kept off 95 of the 140 lbs I lost and am now doing WW for weekly accountability and have lost 25 lbs slowly and with moderate walking exercise since October. My size 24 pants were literally falling off this week and even jeans could be pulled down without unbuttoning or unzipping them so it's definitely time for new smaller pants. Keep hanging in there everyone. It's all about being healthy. At 60 I'm dramatically healthier than I was at age 50 so it isn't too late to try. God Bless!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Happy 7 year Bandiversary to all my St Patrick's Day lapband buddies that called ourselves the Shrinking Shamrocks! For March 2008. Still glad I made this choice and though my own choices resulted in some weight regain, I'm still 75-80 lbs less than my pre-surgery weight in 2008. I'm trying hard to pull my choices in line including getting the exercise my surgeon emphasized from Day 1. Have a great day!

I was 52 when banded and I lost well over 100 lbs ...so YES!

Add me to the 6 years out post surgery and I absolutely would not be where I am now without my band. I'd do it all over again for sure. I come here for encouragement for myself and to help others.

I'm getting ready to walk in Making Strides cancer 5k in about 30 min! Burn those calories and I had 2 scrambled eggs for Breakfast about 7 am and I just finish this Apple Pie Greek yogurt snack that has 12g Protein, 9g carbs, and 80 calories! Pretty decent and I might add a touch of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice if I was at home but this is a great portable snack for me! Taking a bottle of Water and heading out soon.  

I'm in Columbus OH area

I am changing my phone screen lock to this photo to remind myself multiple times a day that I made good behavior choices then some bad, and I want to go back to the successes good choices earned for me.

I am doing better now, getting my thoughts on track to put with an unfill of 2 cc's by my surgeon and then 6 weeks later he gave me a 1 cc fill so I'm working my way back up to restriction again. I'm also now seeing a counselor that works with bariatric patients. I am feeling positive again and got up today and did a 45 min walk to warm up for a 5K I'm doing tomorrow for Making Strides for Cancer.

I just made this my phone screen lock photo to remind me that my behavior had consequences and good behaviors will bring good things

Love the follow up care I have had for my lapband from Dr. Miller for 6 years . Just saw him today and it was a good appointment.

I had my lapband surgery in Columbus, Ohio on St. Patrick's Day and i was so proud to be a 'Shrinking Shamrock' and i went from my high of 355 to a low of 217 and i was incredibly looking forward to being under 200 for the first time in decades. Then the wheels came off on my life, lost my job after 15.5 yrs, got a new job but it was incredibly stressful, a trio of close family members decided to shun me and not speak to me, and then the worst of all i had a sister commit suicide last july and every holiday and special occasion in the past year has been very painful. I am getting counseling and am doing okay in functioning in my life, but i used food again to deal with my emotions. i'm back up over 255 now and i'm so scared of gaining it all back. i still have some restriction when i eat the right things but i keep making wrong choices. now i'm dealing with a 40+ years friendship where her husband just got diagnosed with cancer in 5 areas of his body including liver, lung, spine, brain so i know this is going to be really sad and i don't want to keep eating so i'm coming back here and going to blog my way back to where i should be on eating.

i decided to come back to the March 2008 forum as the place where i had made so many encouraging friendships and see if i can turn this eating thing around. Clearly there is always going to be huge life events that put us in stress and i can't keep eating junk.

Hello to Mt. Carmel Bandsters -- I hit my 4th Bandiversary today - March 17, 2008 to 2012!

Keeping about 120 of the 135 total I had lost off and fighting with 15 lbs but I'm not giving up. I am figuring out what a Lifetime commitment means.

I had a 2 cc unfil in December and it allowed me to eat almost anything my heart and attitude desired through the holidays and up to mid-February. Than I got a 1 cc fill and got some restriction back.

Going back for another follow up appointment with Dr. Miller and will see what he says because I haven't lost weight since the new fill but I want to take it slow and not get too tight.

Anyway, here is a picture on my bandiversary today with the Care Bear I took to the hospital for luck!

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/gallery/image/43758-kathy-4th-bandiversary-with-good-luck-bear-2012-0317/

Hello to my March 2008 Bandsters. I have not been online here at LBT in forever and thought I'd post a little picture and thank you here as St. Patrick's Day 2008 was my bandiversary -- 4 years -- can't believe how time has flown by. I'm maintaining about 120 lbs of my loss and fighting with 15 lbs I want to lose and never see again. Hope to hear from anyone else still posting here.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/gallery/image/43758-kathy-4th-bandiversary-with-good-luck-bear-2012-0317/

Hello to the March 2012 Bandsters from a March 2008 bandster who is 4 years out and 120 lbs less than I was when I had surgery on St. Patrick's Day March 17, 2008. Hang in there - I would never want to go back.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/gallery/image/43758-kathy-4th-bandiversary-with-good-luck-bear-2012-0317/

Hi ladies and Fenton -- I wanted to check in and let you know that I'm doing better! I finally got over the shame of my regaining about 15 pounds and I made an appointment to see my lapband surgeon for another fill in a week or so. I feel it can be a difference for me. I am working out in the gym. I am getting some counseling help to get over the crazy family stress I have been under in the last year and a half. I am proud that I made it through some big storms of life and am still where I am but it feels like I have turned a corner. Will check back in and let you know more.

I'm still glad we have this forum to keep reaching out for support. My family has lost interest when I stopped losing, same with some friends. So I have to do this for me!

Sorry you had to have your band removed but I hope your esophagus heals and you can decide what's best for you.

Fenton - congrats on not letting a woman get the best of you. I'm hoping I can say the same if the right man comes along that I won't get hung up on wanting to lose weight to please him and then get derailed. Stay strong.

I am in the same general boat as you except I'm further out and have more to lose in total- I've lost 140 lbs and I have 60 lbs to go and I got too proud of my accomplishments because of the compliments I was getting, I was learning what foods were easier to eat, and I also went through tremendous stress with losing my job, a parent, and just losing focus. I decided to go back to my counselor that I can see for depression and she is really helping me and I am getting back on track with wanting to do this for me - for my survival, for my health. I finally called my lapband surgeon's office and have an appointment for a fill. I had been staying away because I had gained about 15 lbs back and was ashamed but I talked to another lapband person I really trust and she said, go see him! I am also considering going to an OA meeting with that friend - I really still have a desire to overeat when I am under stress, I just choose the wrong high calorie foods that are easier to eat. I can't go back to not knowing what those foods are, I just have to decide to let them go for another period of time to get this last 60 lbs off. I have been working out in the yard and walking throughout the summer here in Ohio but now I've had to get back inside to the gym. I got 5 days out of 5 at work at our gym and I'm so proud of myself. I now keep looking at sweets and high calorie foods and thinking do I want to blow the calories I burned off or do I want to see that scale go down! Down baby down!

Hope this helps you. Bottom line, we have to choose to do the right things and it is hard!

i was banded in march of 2010. i had gotten down to having lost almost 60 pounds, but had some issues with my band and had to get an unfill back in january. then i didn't go back when i was supposed to and since then have only had one "baby" fill. i've gained some and it's frustrating. i know it's me though as i've gotten back in my old eating habits since i have more "room" to eat these days. i can't eat anywhere near what i did pre-band but i sure can eat. and i love eating.but i'm getting so fed up with not losing anymore. in fact, now it's to where i've only lost 45 pounds since my surgery and it's getting close to the two year mark!! i haven't been exercising at all really or drinking Water like i should. making horrible - and i do mean horrible - food choices. everyone says i shouldn't be so hard on myself since i've had so much going on in the past year (stress and etc.) what should i do? how do i get motivated again and stay that way? i got this surgery for a reason and it's not so i could be 190 something for the rest of my life. my goal is 150 and i really wanna get there! any suggestions?

I can relate - 4 years ago when I decided to get information about lapband on my own and get all the way through the qualifications process, the last thing I did was get the records from my Primary care doctor sent to the surgeon's office as part of the 5 years of documenting my weight history and related medical supporting issues like high cholesterol. She was a doubter right up to the day I had the surgery but interestingly enough, she is pretty darn happy I have lost 140 pounds!

Hang in there and do what is right for you.

My primary MD is against me having the lap band procedure done. He suggests I "try running around the park and eat less". Then come back to him in 3 months and see what happens. I wish it was that easy. I already explained to him the terrible pain I feel when I walk, forget about climbing stairs. I am morbidly obese, but luckily do not suffer any major health problems. I guess that the reason he does not want me to do the surgery. Anyway I am in search of a new doctor!!!! Can anyone help me find a doctor within the NY area that is willing to refer me for surgery. I have already completed my psyche eval, and my nutritionist consult, I even did my lab work but no refferal letter (the only thing I need to get a date for the procedure). Someone please help. I am feeling so discouraged .