"with the band"

Both of you take care and know that soon you will feel better. I know I felt better within the first week. I know it isn't easy (I slept alot just to get through the time) You will be great. Welcome to world of the band!! Nancy

Good for you - I cannot wait to reach my goal and have the feeling inside that this time it will be for good. I am very happy for you and very inspired. I understand your emotion so much - I know how you must feel. Take care - nancy

Any type of soft food from the menu could be ordered. Such as mashed potatoes, gravy. What about a lasagna or spaghetti and cutting it up real small. How bout - A sore tooth. Don't really want to chew anything till you can get to the dentist. Thus your need to eat soft foods. Brilliant - he'll never suspect anything. Take care - Nancy

Welcome CAW - I know it is a hard road in the recovery stage till you get some real food of some sort. You can make it. Just remember that you are protecting your body - making sure that you are healed before you ask it to do a hard task like digest food. Try to make the things you eat worthwhile - I made sure the soups and things I ate were the best - so I truly enjoyed them. It was such a hard time. I just wanted to sleep through most of it. Good luck and let us know how you are doing. Take care - Nancy

That 5 lbs. might be gone if you weighed yourself in another 12 hours. Bodies are weird that way - they tend to do a lot of fluctuating during our day of eating, drinking, working, etc. I know it is hard not to weigh yourself. The mere thought of the possibility gets me excited. I try to change my habits and now I try on a stack of jeans in different sizes that I have so that I can see what I fit in to now - what I almost fit it to (that gives me incentive) and what I still dream of wearing comfortably.....(I admit it - I have a clothes problem.....) Take care, Nancy

I am so so sorry for you Francesca - what a terrible thing to find out. Did you have any type of symptoms that suggested possible erosion or was it a complete surprise. (This worries me) I hope that you will feel well and that you will recovery completely and quickly. Thank goodness you expereinced the great loss of weight with the band that you have. Is it now impossible to have a future band put on because of the damage. What happens now if you have this erosion and band removal? Please know that I will keep you in my prayers and my thoughts. Take care, Nancy

Rubina - Don't be so down on yourself. Everyone is different with the band. Try going on anything that you know will make yourself feel better about your efforts. Don't be trying to measure up to anyone else's surgery or procedure. Your doctor is going to treat you like the individual you are - ( sincerely hope) and help you. 6 weeks post op is still really new to be expecting anything but recovery. Your body is adjusting. Sincerely, Nancy

welcome to the boards and to the land of hope. Good luck on your surgery and your journey. Nancy

Geez - I was an old pro by the time the lap band surgery... Breast cyst removed age 14 Hand cyst removed age 15 Foot cyst removed age 21 Laproscopic Tubal Exploratory Surgery age 25 Tubal repair surgery age 25 Breast cyst removed age 28 Tubal pregnancy surgery age 31 Collapsed Lung (accident) age 32 Laproscopic Surgery to remove left ovary & cyst age 43 Carpal Tunnel Surgery right hand age 43 Trigger Finger Surgery right thumb age 43 Knee Scope Surgery right knee age 43 And at last - Lap Band Surgery age 46 That's a bunch of anesthesia....... Nancy

GREAT!!! I remember the first time I read that about myself at 169 they described me as morbidly obese.....I wish I was 169 now. Screw the labesl anyways. You are beautiful....regardless of the worlds labels. Take care, Nancy

Take care of yourself and I pray you have a speedy recovery and a great trip. I went to Cancun last May - but I shopped at my hotel - Golden Crown Paradise & Spa - they had the best bargains already I was told by the internet site I researched on. Best to you, nancy

You must battle this with your will and realize that you are working within these restrictions. Look at how well you have done already...I think that you are on your way to success. Take care, Nancy

That is great - you will do great. Isn't it nice to be victorious and have something good to look forward to. Take care, Nancy

I will pray for you. I definitely felt the same way and I bet a lot of us did. It is never a for sure thing - these decisions we make during our lifetime. What is sure is that the days keep ticking away from us. Good luck and know that you will be fine. We will all be thinking of you and I will be sure to pray for your speedy recovery and your healthy start in your new life. Nancy

YOU CAN GET BACK ON - You have a lifelong ticket....... Just admitting it was your first step - now just remember that we will be watching for an update from you in a couple of days to let us know how your resolve is going. We are here for support - let us know - we all understand and go through it also. You can be strong....look how strong you were in the first place to make the decision and take the step of having surgery in the first place. We all had to be strong to do that. Good wishes coming your way and loads of support - I know you can do it...you have the tools! Nancy

sleepyjean - I feel your pain....I can relate to your sadness and I am glad that you are here to share with us these feelings that we so much can relate to. It will get better....we have hope now!!! Nancy

I too have suffered depression although I do not take any type of meds. My writing has always been my effective tool to get the junk out and go on with life. I do understand what it is like having gone through at least a bunch of different terrible depression plagued times in my life. Last time was 1999 - I wrote over 400 poems during that year. That speaks volumes in my book.... I am fat because I am a great cook, raised by a great cook, and I spent way too much time "out to eat" at fine restaurants when I was working on the road. I am fat because food has always been a comfort to me. I am fat because I have good survivor genes....not my fault......my genes!!! I am fat because I hate working out and have been a virtual vegetable other than working and housecleaning and the business of general life. (I need to work on this) I am fat because I could never keep off the weight I lost in the past numerous, numerous times.....(it liked me so much....it never forgot me) I am fat because I was in the WRONG LINE SOMEWHERE - SOMEHOW - (next time I'll try to pay attention to the lines I am in) I am fat because I have been on a life long journey of understanding what it feels like to be invisible. Understanding my worth is judged by others dependent on my outside looks. Understanding what self esteem truly means. Laughing instead of crying..... I am fat but I am armed and ready now - "With the Band".....I am ready to be thin - able to walk without limping like an old lady, able to wear the clothes I love to wear, able to move around without getting winded. Able to spend a day not self loathing myself because I can't ever get a handle on this terrible struggle of being fat. That's what I look forward to most. Not having the daily struggle of thinking about how I failed this or failed that. It gets tiring and even the best self esteem gets very very tired of that merry go round. I am fat because I was lucky. It made me who I am and I could never have wanted to change that. It made me love everyone - even the ignorant ones who just don't get it. I just never wanted to be the way some people were to me. Do you know what I mean? Sorry for going on so long......sore subject. Nancy <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Good for you. That is the best....you deserve a pedicure. Nancy

From the stand point of someone who used to work at curves part time - it does fill a need for people who do not want to be part of the meat market gym world. As mentioned - you can hurt yourself if you do not have an attentive worker who will make sure that you are using the equipment properly. As far as the owner - I know he is Christian because all of the Curves literature would have bible verses, etc. I really don't care what he is. I know he started Curves because he wanted to offer a place to women where they could go work out quickly and efficiently because he knew so many women had family, work and so many duties to work into their day. He knew this because his mother died from some obestity related disease and he wanted to start Curves to help people like his mother. (This is from what I can remember reading the story in his book) I belive that any movement is progress. I know that Curves works with some very functional basics and they are sound as far as strength training goes. Good for you and I hope you have much success with your exercise efforts. Nancy

What an initiation into band-land. Too Funny...... Luckily I missed a lot of those complications. How are you doing since surgery..... Take care, nancy

wishing you luck and a speedy recovery. Take care and let us know how you are doing. Nancy

My personal favorite since I was a child - Peanut Butter and sliced thin sweet gherkin pickles. The absolute best. I haven't had a fill yet - but I have toyed with the thought that I need one. My lab band nurse says I don't need on and that I have lost weight without one. She said if I come back next month and haven't lost more - then she will discuss it with me. I just don't want to waste any time and slip backwards. Thankfully - I haven't gained any of the weight back. That is new! Good Luck, Nancy

Just had pizza - I figure it into my diet. Difference is I could only eat one piece instead of the whole pizza. Which I could have done before if I had tried. Welcome to the site. Nancy

Went to see my lap band nurse today to complain about the constant uncomfortable feeling I have by my rib on my left side. I thought this was my band - my port - my something......NOPE!!! None of that. She showed me where my band was (in the middle) I had no idea. And then she had me feel for the port - down lower in the middle toward the left front.....no where near the area of discomfort I kept thinking was my problem. I told her I had thought they had lied to me when they told me I would not be able to feel the band after I healed. I kept feeling this discomfort on my side and I thought it was my band cause I just had surgery July 25, 2005 - so I assumed that my pain was band-related. She said I needed to go see my FP to find out what that was and that it definitely was not band related. I cannot believe that I had no idea where this thing even was inside of me. Now I need to find out what it is over there that is making me so uncomfortable. Can any of you feel your band or port? Is it in the middle?

So sorry to hear that you feel depressed. Try to reward yourself with an activity that you enjoy as a way to lift your spirits. Remember that all of us here hope you feel better.