shortgal

I'll see if my daughter in law can send me the photo so I can attach it. But facebook is fun, you should consider joining :tongue_smilie:

Thanks Foofy, you are sweet to say that. The truth is sometimes I lament the loss of my band and other times I don't miss it a bit. There are times it's nice to know I don't have to worry about that foreign object and port inside in. Mostly my mood on that depends on how hungry I am on any given day. Which makes sense. I never wanted a band that was too tight, so I understand why the thought of another fill and going through the tightness, makes getting a fill, a hard choice sometimes. Like you, I used to lose best after a fill though. I do find that even if you don't or can't exercise, moving as much as posible during the day and keeping active helps. I often eat from boredom, so keeping busy ( as long as the activity is not baking, haha) can help. Needlework, cleaning out a closet or drawer, arranging photos, mending clothes, playing word games on the computer, anything to stay occupied and hands busy is good. And some of us are just slow losers, period! It's ok, it's not a race. You are headed in the right direction and that's what counts.

Don't ya hate when computers do that! Congrats on the weight loss and making it official. My ticker shows 2.5 pounds less than I have been for about a month. I am determined to get back to my ticker and already put in a five mile walk today! My feet look it, too! At my height I have a long way to go before I hit just the "overweight" range. And "normal" weight at my height is almost ridiculously low. In my entire life, I don't think I was ever at "normal"!

Foofy, As a fellow slow loser: It's not just how much you can eat, it's also what you can eat that tells you if it's time for a fill. By your ticker it looks like you only have 3.5 cc's in your band and I think most people need more than that to feel restricted. while you're figuring out if you need more fill etc and you're hungry, just have your husband fill your plate with a generous portion of green veggies, that way he fills your plate, but it's more of the healthy stuff and you get a few more bites to fill you but of lower calorie food. My husband is the cook in our house, too and he is a big guy and likes to serve BIG portions, too. I know they don't put it in our mouths, but it is like putting a big plate of food in front of a hungry dog and telling it to just eat a "little"! Shalee's suggestion of the small plate is also a good one to use, but I think you probably need more fill.

Does it say you need a facebook account to open the link? The photo is not on my computer, so I put a link from my new daughter in law's facebook page. Did you try just clicking the link?

Hopefully this is a link to a photo from the wedding! Login | Facebook Still going betwen 173 and 175 for several months now. I can maintain but losing is hard without a band, even with all my walking. I just have to get more serious about reducing the food. Back to the dreaded dieting. As if you didn't know I'm the short one! Ha!

You got that right! But for my height, the 170's is still too much. Just can't get lower even with all my walking.

Hi Foofy, I haven't lost either. I am stuck between 172 and 175 and go back and forth constantly! Glad I can maintain but was hoping to lose a bit more. It is quiet these days with the November group. I guess that's to be expected now after almost a year.

How are you feeling today? Better I hope. I'm curious which band and how much fill you had in it. Were you placed on a special diet for your stomach after they removed the band? I also wonder what tests they did when you went in that Friday and which test was it that determined the band was eroded. I only had my band eight months as well.

I don't know why you think you'd get kicked off the board? Have you had a problem here before? I'm sorry you've had problems with your band. What foods are you able to eat? If you've gained 30 pounds then obviously you don't vomit all the time and some foods are going down.

I did not need or use a recliner. I had some pain after surgery, which I expected but was able to sleep in my own bed and sit in a regular chair. The Gas x strips did not help me at all. It is not gas in your colon, the gas is in your belly ( they "inflate" the belly with gas so they have more room to work inside you. Some people are bothered more than others by it. It bothered me ( mostly in my left arm/shoulder) for about four days. I have a blender but did not use it. I picked up chewable Vitamins and Atkins shakes and Isopure Clear drink for the first couple weeks and lived on that. I skipped the pureed week and stayed on the shakes for that week instead. There was no way I was blending and "drinking" chicken anyway. If you are motivated enough to REALLY want this and lose the weight you will follow the pre-op diet. It is important to shrink your liver so it does not get in the way and possibly get injured or worse your surgery gets halted in the middle because your liver is too large. You will be "inconvienced" by the whole post op diet for about a month. Big deal, one month, you can do it. Just get your mind set that it is important for your health, your surgery, your success to do the two days of liquids ( because it is) and you can do it. A cup of Chicken broth was a nice change at night for me after cold, clear liquids all day. My last piece of advice is to eat sensibly until you get to the two days of liquids. You do not need a "last supper", you WILL eat many normal foods again, just not for a little while. So step away from the Chinese buffet. Too much salt anyway. Good Luck!

At least you got 2 or 3 cc's at each fill. My copays were smaller but then I would only get 1 cc or .5 cc's so I needed more visits ( either way we pay, right?) Sounds like you if you have some restrcition now, you'll start to lose but don't expect fast results or you'll just be disappointed. As long as the scale goes down ( not up) and goes down consistently, one day you'll wake to find yourself close to goal. Sizes are a funny thing because it can matter where you might retain some of the fat and where you lose it. I can't get rid of my belly fat, so I need to wear a size larger to accomodate that because my legs will fit into a smaller size. It's hard when you're young to be patient sometimes, but the lap band process can be slow. Remember almost 30 pounds is gone. Try to find something that weighs 30 pounds and hold it for a few minutes, you'll see how much that is!

8cc's in a 10 cc band and you don't feel restriction? I would ask for an upper GI test to check the band and see how liquids flow through. 8cc's is a lot to have put in your band in such a short time, it took months before I reached that level and I believe ending up with a lot of fill in my band was partly the reason my band had to be removed. In the end I was sorry that I did not insist on more testing sooner to find out why I needed so much fill. Does your Dr. withdraw all the Fluid to check for leaks and to be sure they didn't miss the port with the fill? Your ins. should cover an x-ray and an upper GI and even an endoscopy if one is needed. I also would have some blood work done about this thyroid problem you briefly mentioned. And I agree with some of the other posters, you might need to consume a few more calories, not less ( assuming the band and thyroid are not the problem). If you have an active lifestyle, you should be eating more than 800 to 1000 calories. I found that mixing the calories up helped my body. Some lower calorie days and an occasional spluge day ( to 1500 calories) seemes to "confuse" my body on how much food to expect. But to lose 29 pounds since your surgery is not bad at all. Your "copay" for the fill is ridulous!

I found your PS thread a few days ago and I'm following it. I am stuck between 172 and 175 ( my lowest was 171) and cannot seem to get past that point either, so I know what you mean. I'm definitely interested in plastics but don't know how much I can afford to do. I am still walking and that has reshaped parts of my body but like you, some areas of fat don't go away. I'll be watching your thread for your progress.

Thank you for the quick reply. How many facelifts (with neck lift) do you do in an average year? If the incision is the same (with just the added chin incision) then it makes sense to do both neck and face together. How long does the procedure take? How many postop visits are involved after the procedure? I am in Fairfield County, so I could go to NYC for the procedure. I am more concerned with how many trips I'd have to make down there. I will check out your web site and the ASPS site as well. Thanks.

I'm sorry to hear about the problems you've had. I also had my band removed suddenly. I lost about the same amount of weight that you have and I am now happy to say I have been maintaining my weight for the past few months. Walking has been a life saver for me. Both to maintain my weight and for just feeling better in general. I know exactly how you are feeling right now (devasted, hurt finances, worried about gaining the weight back and the pain of going through a second surgery). You are probably feeling depressed, which the anesthesia can exacerbate. I can say I felt all those things, but today I am feeling better about it all (except for the financial loss). Feel free to PM me, if you have any questions.

Good Morning Dr. I am interested in several procedures but the first one I am interested in is a neck lift. This seems to be one of the lesser common ps procedures so how do I know how to choose a competent surgeon for this particular procedure? What questions should I ask of the Dr.? I have a very crepe like area hanging and I believe I need the neck muscle tightening as well. Will a neck lift improve my jowls? How much scarring is there for this type procedure and is it well hidden? Is there a surgeon in Ct you can recommend I consult with? I am also interested in a panni and thigh lift ( but will not consider a thigh lift unless the scar can be hidden in the groin). I am not at goal but I am ready for the neck lift. I had my lapband only eight months and it was removed (long story) so I never lost all the weight I was hoping to. I have been at the same weight now for five months and would like the neck lift done in January. What type of recovery time can I expect for a neck lift? Thanks for any info you can provide.

Thanks Shalee, Look at you going for a TT already! Did you start a thread in the plastic surgery section on the forum, so I can follow along? I'd love to have some PS.

Janet, I have a great DIL and SIL ( my daughter was married six years ago). We also get along really well with my DIL's parents. Her Mom and I walked down the aisle together, after the ceremony, with our husbands behind us. So much easier for everyone, especially our kids, that we get along so well. It was such a beautiful wedding and reception. Thanks for checking in on me!

There's a whole thread on the forum dedicated to higher BMI bandsters. You'll find a lot of support and info there.

Hi Janet, My son got married this weekend! There has been a lot of celebrating all week and the scale is up. So enough of that! I am back to my walking (5 miles) today and logging my food. It's honestly a job just to stay at the same weight. I go up a few pounds and then work to get them off, but taking off more is really difficult. I don't post much on the forum except for with my November group, but I still subscribe to a few older threads.

Papaya Enzyme tablets. You chew a couple when the food is stuck. They work like a meat tenderizer to break down the food.

Sorry to hear of your Uncle Sades. Glad you don;'t have to wait too long for the fill. The wedding day has come and gone and what a success! It was all so beautiful and we were lucky the rain held off at the most important times, so the couple got some outdoor photos. I can't even believe I did not hand my camera to someone to catch a photo of my husband and I! I will have to wait for the photographers photos. I was so busy taking photos of the couple, ceremony and wedding party. I did post a few pics on my facebook account of the wedding party and bride and groom. If you have a facebook account, just add me as a friend to see them. The bride looked absolutely beautiful. Her dress was all lace with a cream sash, on the back holding the sash was a rhinestone brooch, which looked very pretty as she stood at the altar and you could see the back of her gown. I ate and drank ( and danced) a lot, but not enough dancing to work off what I ate! Time to get back on track and get back walking! The kids are off to Hawaii, I'm sure they need the rest!

Cindy, I'm glad you're getting a little taken out. I don;t read many threads on the forums anymore except for the Nov group, but previously I would read people posting about getting stuck and being too tight. They would never want an unfill because they thought they would gain but they weren't losing having a too tight band either. Everyone would convince them to get a slight unfill and once they did, they would feel better and lose a few pounds. That's why it sounded like you were too tight. Maybe you need something in between the 2 and 2.25 cc's? With or without a working band, this losing weight thing is not easy but we've all done well. I hope your pants are not falling down these days!