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As Jessie Ahroni says, you can't get pizza from a Chinese restaurant. She just doesn't have it to give. Aren't you glad you aren't her. It must not feel nice to be like that.

Dionna, I've lost virtually nothing since surgery July 30. And I don't have the excuse of having less to lose than others! I lost 10 pounds and gained most of them back waiting for my much needed first fill las Wednesday. I am losing some now, though, and it feels good to be undoing the damage. I have several more pounds to go before my ticker isn't lying any more! LOL This is a process, and one of the requisites seems to be patience. I guess we also need a little faith that this will work, and some kindness for ourselves as we learn the new band related skills and habits we need. We can do this. It will take as long as it takes.

WOOOOHOOOO!

Long2bThin, we walked into Lowe's a couple of years ago and saw two gorgeous high end ranges sitting out, marked down a lot. We went home and did our research then returned and bought the GE Profile. Both of us are still amazed at what a difference a better range makes. It has four burners of different sizes and BTU's, ranging from a little simmer burner to a big, quick-boil burner. The oven is great and offers both convection and regular settings. It has been a great investment in terms of improving our lives and making the kitchen look terrific. In short, I recommend upgrading. :crying: You can tell him I said so!:smile2: Orea

It IS major surgery. You'll be feeling better every day, and this will be a memory in no time. Until then, be patient with your self and listen to your body. Rest as needed. Everyone is different. Some snap back very fast. I was a little extra tired for several weeks. Keep us posted re your progress. Orea

I used to do punch needle rug hooking. That was fun! I may just pick it up again sometime. I still have the needle. :-)

How exciting!

I'm a longtime sewer and have done a little quilting, mostly jackets nd vests. The most notable piece is a quilted jacket that I made a number of years ago. It's all done in a landscape design, brilliant sunset sky, shoreline and waters reflecting the colors. I reverse appliquéd it front, back, and sleeves, and outlined the pieces with a very close satin stitch. Then I free motion embroidered it all meander style in a variety of rayon threads. If I may say so, it turned out absolutely amazing! I'll be able to wear it again in another 50 pounds or so. LOL But I've never made an actual quilt! I've actually been in Jinny Beyer's house once long ago, though I didn't realize it until much later. Remind me to tell you about it sometime. I'm glad you are quilting again. I need to get back into my sewing room and set things right and start sewing again. My husband rearranged things a couple of years ago and it's never been the same since. I can't find a darn thing. That makes me crazy! I think it would be great fun for us to have a get together like the one I go to. People sometimes think we are crazy to go meet someone from the Internet, but truthfully, we tell each other things that our local best friends don't always know. We have had several long distance baby showers. The first baby we showered just entered kindergarten and we are all in shock! The first night after school started, he dad was supervising his bath when he announced that he wasn't going back to school any more. He'd just go to museums and learn from that! I still wonder what his dad replied. I think I'll go look at patterns...

It's quite a revelation, isn't it?

Well, one reason I got really quiet was that my computer died. It took several weeks to get the new one, then came a couple of weeks of fun getting my stuff (I call it my brains!) moved in. DH really only got it done on Sunday. (That was probably my best birthday present!) I lost count of how many reinstalls he did before he got it figured out. So I took it as nature's way of telling me I should step away from the computer for a while and balance my life a bit more. I've been reading here almost daily on DH's computer, and staying on top of my email, but not talking much. And I decided to make most of my Christmas cards this year, so I am working on that a bit every day so it remains fun and doesn't become a chore. Then, next weekend is my annual weekend in the Poconos with the girls. We all met online maybe six years ago, at a diet website (Diet Divas) and became fast friends. Four years ago we did our first annual October get together in Luray, Virginia and had a wonderful time. There was absolutely no oddness or discomfort in meeting face to face for the first time, we just picked up our conversational ball and ran with it! For the last three years, the Poconos has been more centrally located, so we've been renting a house there. It's one of the highlights of my year now! We have had ladies flying in from as far as Denver and San Antonio, and driving from Canada and Long Island and Connecticut. And we come from Virginia. So there are preparations to be made for that. I haven't touched my arts & crafts hobby for quite some time as I was so absorbed in the whole lap band qualification and learning thing. Only a few weeks ago did my desire to play and create. return. It feels like a healthy sign to me, a healing of sorts. And a return to "normalcy." That is where the Christmas cards fit in. :tongue: DH's interview and testing went okay as for as he can tell. He likes the place and the people. It looks like we can stay with Aetna but of course we have to check that there is no exclusion so they'll cover my lap band followup appointments. So my fingers are crossed for him.

Beverly. it sounds to me like you are too tight. This is not good for you, your stomach or your band. You should be able to eat solid food without a problem, and you will lose better when you can. Call your surgeon's office and tell them what you told us. My day has turned into a "liquids in, liquids out" situation. I've been running back and forth to the john. At least it is exercise! My 24 hours of liquids is up and I'm nibbling crackers to hopefully slow down the inner rumbling.

I'll be careful! My band is already telling me I need to. BTW, DH has an important job interview this afternoon, so please send good thoughts an prayers his way. He hasn't been happy in his current position for years, and this one sounds promising. Hugs to all! Orea

Thanks, Kimali. I worry, as many of us initially do, that I'll be the one this doesn't work for. I want to see this get started, so I can relax and enjoy the process! I already love and enjoy the foods that are good for me. I'm gradually increasing my strength and stamina. But I really need to see the scale going down again to complete my happiness.

Nys, I was supposed to go on a course of progesterone shortly before surgery and I was not to, as there is a relationship between that and blood clots. There may be an answer for you, so talk it over with your doctors. Good luck! This is so worth doing. My first fill is settling in nicely, 18 hours later. I'm already anxious for something in the way of solid food.

My first fill went well. I got 4 cc. in my 10 cc. APL band. Dr. Halmi says he usually puts in 4 - 4.5 initially, and he could feel some resistance at 4. I'm on full liquids for 24 hours and I can really feel the difference. I know that for most of us the first fill doesn't last, but for now, it's good. I've been here reading, but not much to say. Watching the scale go up for the past month has not been fun, nor has the constant feeling of hunger. I'm hoping that the New Year brings me a consistent weight loss. I'm willing to do the work as long as I'm not screamingly hungry! At least the first step hqs been taken.

Sandi, I'm right where you are. I've been crazy hungry since about four weeks out. I'm either still hungry after my meal or hungry within an hour. I have been gaining, and I hate it. I hear it's normal, but I don't have to like it! I miss the restriction/appetite suppression of those first few weeks. I get my first fill on Wednesday, but I know this doctor is conservative, so I don't expect it to do much. I saw my urologist last week, and in the course of our conversation, she told me that it takes a full six months for our incisions to fully heal, that you can tell if you biopsy them at different points that they aren't "done" yet. She cautioned me to still take care not to strain those muscles, two months out. I had no idea. I wish someone had told me. So I am sharing this with you!

I doubt it. I think they are looking for serious breathing problems. Orea

I don't get my first fill until next week. I'm sooo hungry! And I am gaining. My guess is that the doctor who will do my first fill will be very conservative. that is both good and bad. NOTE! I just learned this in conversation with my urologist today. She says it takes a full six months for our incisions to fully and completely heal! She said if you biopsy them, you can see this. -- So keep on being careful what you do! It's still early days for us.

I highly recommend Drs. Halmi and Tran of Virginia Weight Loss Surgical Center. They have offices in Vienna and Woodbridge. They have a great dietician (who lost 100 pounds!) and a good nurse practitioner, as well as a plastic surgeon on board. I was well educated in terms of knowing what this was about, and what it would involve. I don't know their policy about accepting patients banded elsewhere, but it's worth a try. I have a high degree of trust in both doctors. The receptionist in Vienna makes an effort to learn everyone's name. :-) Woodbridge: (703) 878-7610 | Vienna: (703) 865-8120 Also check out Fair Oaks Hospital, a Bariatric Center of Excellence, for their support options. Good luck! Orea

{{{{Big hugs}}}} I'm so sorry.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbdown:

Your picture may be too large.

I just keep telling myself that the band is a process, not an instant fix... (darn it!) It's killing me to see my weight creeping up while I wait for my first fill. I'm keeping my ticker at the lowest point for now. It's too awful to have to change it upward. Orea

I'm there in bandster hell, too. I'm trying not to gain, but I've put a few back on. I am not eating junk, I'm trying not to eat more than a cup at a time, but I am ravingly hungry again in an hour or two. No fill until October 2. All I can do is keep trying and stick to healthy, high fiber stuff. Ack.

I'll be 54 soon and had more problem with nausea from the pain meds than the pain itself. I never had shoulder pain, started sleeping on my stomach within the first few days, and felt pretty darn good by day 5. I'll admit that 100% took longer. I know lots of bandsters your age and older who are very successful. Check out the 50's and Older thread to meet some of us, it's a friendly and supportive place. Good luck! Orea