Kissmygrits

Congrats Tink! We are preggo twins. I just got a BFP this morning (which gives me a March due date too) and I am excited beyond belief. I am also a little scared of miscarriage (which is the downside of knowing this early) but I just have to hope everything will be okay. We went through a lot to get to this point, so I'm VERY protective of this pregnancy already. Good luck Dewl! Your time is coming soon just keep up the good work (in bed-LOL)!

Congrats everyone! Put me on the list too! I'm 11 days pregnant (which means I'm technically 3 weeks pregnant) (YAY!) but a little scary to know this soon- but the suspense was killing me and I had to pee on a stick ASAP. I am a little worried about the fill issue. I feel fine now and I would really prefer not to be unfilled unless I need to. It's not vanity- it's just that I don't want to gain 500 lbs and end up with gestational diabetes, etc. I think I will wait to see a fetal heartbeat before I talk to my surgeon.

I take Natachew -by prescription from my gyn doctor. There's a generic version that my insurance pays for that is very cheap. They are chewable and a little chalky tasting, but I was worried about getting stuck- so it's worth it. I don't think you can buy it without an Rx.

This is more about trying to conceive than about the lap band, per se. If your husband or significant other is taking/has taken a testosterone supplement (like brandname Androgel) and you are trying to get pregnant, please have him see a doctor immediately! These products usually create male infertility (sometimes permanently). The dosage and the length of time he's been taking it have a huge impact on fertility recovery- so do not hestitate. We had no idea that this is one of the side effects (you'd think that increasing testosterone would help in the trying to conceive department), but using these products often brings sperm count down to zero and possibly leads to testicular death! There are other ways to treat low testosterone/ low libido (we're exploring those options now with a urologist/enocrinologist) that don't have this effect so see your doctor for better options that don't kill your dreams for a family. My question is- has anyone's man used these products and was successful at getting sperm counts back up? There is a course of treatment for this- but I'm wondering how successful it is.

I totally feel your pain but it's mind over matter! I was banded on Dec. 20th- so I was on the preop liquid diet all during the holiday parties, and on the bland post-op liquid diet through Christmas and New Years. It was hell on earth, but totally worth it. Just keep reminding yourself that this is something YOU want to do and you are strong enough to handle it. You will be so proud of yourself after the holidays are over. Good luck!!!

My doc encourages everyone to wait a year and a half to maximize the amount of time to lose weight (I read somewhere that the band is most effective in that time period). But I'm no spring chicken and I just got married, so we just started trying and I hit my 1 year anniversary in a couple weeks. I've read from other bandsters that in addition to what your doc says, you should also determine where you are in weight loss? Do you feel you are at a healthy weight for conception (whatever that means)? Also, you want to wait until the weight loss slowed or stopped- it can be dangerous to the fetus to continue to lose weight while pregnant.

I just think this is another case of fat discrimination. Sure- in theory anyone can lose weight AND keep it off. I'm sure there are no fat people in Sudan, I'm sure- even those who have PCOS. But in our culture, less than 5% of dieters actually do keep weight off successfully. And considering the serious side effects of what PCOS can do to your body (wreak havoc on your ovaries, type 2 diabetes, infertility, uterine cancer, hair loss, hirsutism, acne, etc.), in my opinion you deserve more than a 5% chance at getting your life back. I am all for exhausting every option before resorting to surgery. But let's just face it, overweight people aren't overweight for lack of trying not to be. Most of us have done 1000 diets, exercise programs, shakes, drinks, meditation, hypnosis, meetings, 12 steps, and probably some other things before we even CONSIDERED being surgically altered.

by the way... I also had hypertension which DID NOT change with my band weight loss or exercise. My doctor explained that some things are more a function of heredity than lifestyle, and with two hypertensive parents of African American descent, I would probably be hypertensive no matter what I did.

I listed it as a comorbidity and my pcp agreed (after I educated him) here were my reasons: 1) a significant number of PCOS people will develop type 2 diabetes 2) I had serious unceasing ovary pain caused by my cystic ovaries that really lowered my quality of life 3) I had to take diabetes drugs (Avandia before it got pulled off the market and Metformin) just to keep things under control (drugs weren't cheap) 4) PCOS increases your likelihood of unfertility and miscarriage (both of which are expensive to treat) Granted, not all of these reasons are related to morbidity, per se-- I wanted to give the insurance company a picture of the costs of paying for my band versus paying for all these PCOS issues.

Hi everyone and congratulations to the ladies who got their BFPs!!! It all makes me very hopeful for the future. My husband and I (just got married on Nov. 1) just began TTC. I was banded almost a year ago and my weight loss has plateaued to a point where I think pregnancy won't be dangerous. I am thinner now than I was in college and about 10 pounds away from where I was in high school! I heart my band!! Anyway, I too was diagnosed with PCOS- one of the main reasons I got the band was because my ovaries were driving me nuts and I feared that I'd never be fertile without SIGNIFICANT weight loss. With 60+ pounds lost, I stopped the BC pills this month and I'm still a little fearful that the cysts will return. I am using the Clear Blue monitor to make sure I notice if I stop ovulating at any point. I'm hoping that I can conceive naturally, but if I get the feeling that things are getting funny with my ovaries- I will definitely seek my doctor. I have experienced the havoc that PCOS can wreak if left unchecked and I won't let things get that bad again. My goal is to try on our own for 3 months, then go in for an ultrasound and maybe Metformin to make sure everything stays in line. I'd love to say I'm following the low GI/carb diet and exercising every day-- but I think about it every day! lol! Good luck to everybody!

I eat steak all the time now. I think I first tied it about 3 months after surgery. As long as it's a tender cut and I take small bites and chew forever, it doesn't bother me. If I eat something chewy (like a tough skirt steak), I'll spit it out- I don't want to take chances. Of course, instead of eating an entire ribeye like I used to, now I can only eat maybe 3 fork fulls before i'm done with it. Usually, my fiance will go to Outback or Longhorn and share a fillet or prime rib. I'll eat about 10%, he'll eat the other 90%. lol I can't speak for everybody and I know my band is a lot looser than A LOT of people on this site, but there really isn't anything I can't eat. I'm kinda glad that I can still enjoy the foods I like, just a lot less of them than I used to eat.

I've missed all my fellow Georgians on this site! After surgery I had to step away for lapband talk for while. I don't know why... maybe I just felt overwhelmed and needed to go solo on this first leg of the journey. I stopped weighing myself all the time and thinking about it all the time--then I started losing weight. Anyway, I'm back now. It's good to see everybody again. I had my six month follow up with my surgeon and he seemed very pleased with my progress. My goals now are to get in shape physically- now that working out is soooo much easier and actually (slightly) fun. Band-wise, I've had a few fills but generally I'm pretty loose and I like it that way. I have a serious fear of throwing up and I didn't want to be stuck ever so I basically decided that I would have to stop myself from eating the second I felt "full". I've been able to control myself without having to be stopped by the band, it's more of a reminder that I've had enough. That's been my approach. We all have to do what works for us, I guess. Anyway, it's good to see you all again!!

Don't beat yourself up. Look- we have issues! All of us bandsters do, and nobody knows more than we do how frustrating it is to discover that this band really can't fix any of those head problems we had that led to our weight issues in the first place. Hello--we needed surgery to lose weight. That in and of itself speaks volumes! I say all that to say- we all struggle with this. Even banded, I do stuff I know is counterproductive. I just ate some cake. Lord knows I didn't need it! I wasn't even hungry, to top that off! But I have issues and the band doesn't fix that. I truly believe that this band helps us to at least be more aware of what we're doing so that even though we're not perfect, we let our weaknesses get the better of us LESS than they did before. That's the lifestyle change we have to work on every day. When I go through a self-sabatoging period, I try to remind myself of the following to get past it and back onto the weight loss road: 1) all the money and effort that went into getting this band and how I don't want to mess that opportunity up 2) I'm not perfect so when I mess up, I forgive myself and try to do better the next time 3) how even though it doesn't seem like it, I actually do have control over what I do. Nobody can force me to eat- I have to make that decision. Big hug!

My two cents: I believe you really have to think back to a weight were you looked nice and were healthy. For me, I had to go all the way back to middle school to find this number! LOL. More seriously, I am not a big believer in the BMI or height/weight chart as a measure for how thin you should be. For one thing, BMI does not account for muscle mass or build (which I believe varies considerably in how people look even at the same weight), or even ethnic differences in body types. I know that the recommended healthy weight for me, according to BMI, would probably be unsightly and too thin. A perfect weight for me would probably be about 20 lbs above my recommended BMI because I remember what that looks like on my frame. If you need a more objective measure, I believe it makes much more sense to rely on a body fat analysis to determine my "goal" weight/size than a regular scale.

I was told no carbonated drinks but coffee is fine. I'm not a big coffee drinker anyway so I usually don't drink any. One interesting thing since surgery has been alcohol's effect. Now, if I drink like 1 glass of wine I'm practically drunk. It's a good thing that alcohol has never been my vice (food takes that prize).

I was outpatient too and it was a great experience. I went into the hospital for the surgery in the wee A.M. hours and then left by like 1pm that afternoon. I needed to be wheeled to the car (a precaution due to the anesthesia) but I felt fine. The surgeon made me promise to walk around at home if he agreed to let me go home. I'm a germophobe and hate hospitals and I would do anything to not have to spend the night there. The only down side to being outpatient I guess is that you have to remind yourself to take your pain meds and prepare your own juices, etc., but that just gives you another reason to get out of bed and move around. I don't think you would be given the outpatient option if you were a higher risk patient, so I agree with whomever said that you must be pretty healthy.

I love the Soulcysters website too! I'm sorry to hear that banding has not helped some folks who have PCOS. I just want to share my experience to let people know that for some unknown reason and for some people, banding can help your PCOS. I have (will always have) PCOS and that was one of my main reasons for getting banded. I could never lose weight -even with low carb dieting and exercise and I was not ovulating (really not a good situation for someone who wanted to have a baby some day). I wasn't expecting much from the Band- I felt that my PCOS and messed-up hormones would slow my weight loss, but I have been pleasantly surprised. I have lost weight MUCH faster than even my doctor expected- and it is fat, not muscle. I had an ultrasound a few months after surgery and I no longer have cysts on my ovaries, my PCOS acne went away, my hair stopped falling out, my hormones went back to normal. I never really believed that the weightloss would truly help my PCOS but it has. I believe that if I were trying to conceive right now (which I'm not), I probably wouldn't have a hard time. This improvement was worth the surgery to me. If nothing else got better, getting my hormones and reproductive system in order again is totally worth getting on the surgery table A THOUSAND TIMES. Weightloss and looking better is just icing on the low carb cake!:cool2: It's important to note that PCOS does not get cured. It is an underlying metabolic condition that can only be treated. So, when I need a little extra motivation to work out or skip the 2nd cookie- I think about how much better my ovaries feel now that they are NOT covered with cysts. My advice is get back on the pill for the first 6-9 months after surgery-- this will give your ovaries some rest and a chance to heal those old cysts while you are losing weight. The pill will also help your hormones get back in line.

"You have a pretty face" was one of the most annoying comments. Why do skinny people have to make sure to let you know that you are fat? Don't they think you know that? Since my band and some weight loss some idiot actually told me "you'll live longer now." I understand the effects of extra weight on your health, but isn't it a little presumptuous for anybody to predict the time of your death? I responded to the woman by telling her that she could be skinny and get hit by a truck tomorrow. I guess I sounded defensive, but it just slipped out. LOL

I haven't had my first fill yet (oddly I feel plenty restricted now). I'm one month post-op, but already I can tell what I need to avoid. I'm too paranoid to even try bread or Pasta, but I've tried rice and my old favorite Lo Mein (chinese noodles). Even when I ate them slowly and chewed to death-- they felt really yucky going down, like scraping my esophagus the whole way. Ugh, it took all the enjoyment out of it. I'm pretty sure I'm done with both-- and will be even more after my fill. I can eat a few crackers with my lunch just fine comfortably. Rice noodles are fine, but seems that wheat noodles don't work.

I had to respond with some good news. Today (1 month pre-op) I had an ultrasound at my gyn to check on the condition of my ovaries. Before surgery, my poor PCOS-ovaries were so swollen and full of cysts that my right side ached almost constantly. Today's appointment was really to determine if I finally needed to get some of the cysts lasered off (a procedure I considered before Lap Band). Well, guess what! The doctor found NO CYSTS on my ovaries. Not one! All the PCOS cysts are gone and the corpus luteal (big cysts) I had also are gone. My ovaries are clear and healthy for the first time in 3 years. I feel like I've been given new life! I had a feeling that things had gotten better since I began to lose a little weight with the Band because my skin cleared up, that ache in my pelvis went away, and my hair wasn't shedding as much. But to see a beautiful ultrasound of healthy ovaries is just amazing to me. Thank God for this Band!!! I know that I'm not "cured" since it's an endocrine disorder, but I am happy that it is being controlled at this point (which is more than birth control and metformin were ever able to do for me).

I have been dealing with this pain for about 3 days now. Mine seems to be caused by excessive burping. I found that Mylanta helps and now I"m back to liquids (seems like the right thing to do in case I need to heal). I'll go to doctor this week if it doesn't clear completely soon.

I love the show, the Drs. seem nice but that annoying psychologist seems like a Debbie Downer. Jeez, is she EVER in favor of anyone getting surgery? I hope it's just the editing or whatever that makes her seem like such a killjoy/stumbling block/know it all. The episode that got me was when she said as a young person that she decided to run so that she wouldn't be like her fat relatives. How condescending!

My boobs are definitely getting smaller (had to switch to a smaller bra), which sucks because I didn't have much to begin with (I'm pear shaped). My hips seem as big as ever!

Do it. I was told by a million people that I didn't look big enough for WLS. My BMI barely made the cutoff to qualify- and honestly, after the liquid diet, I was probably already under a BMI of 35. But why wait until your BMI is 45 of 55 to get this intervention? Like you, if I lost 50 pounds, I would be pretty slim, not "normal" according to the BMI chart, but slim enough to look good for my height/ build. To a person with real food problems, 50 lbs is just as hard to lose as 100lbs. So far, I am very very pleased with my band. Now, I eat rationally like people in the movies, instead of like a human garbage disposal. Just regaining that sense of control has been worth it so far.

My first post surgery period just ended and it was the easiest one I've had in years. I was really worried because I'm not supposed to take NSAIDs and Tylenol usually is completely ineffective. But I barely needed Tylenol at all. My guess is that the pre-op diet and my post op loss of a few pounds probably has already helped my hormones a bit and maybe helped my PCOS clear up a little(?).