shortgal

As far as comparing your weight loss to others, please remember that some people do a two to four week PRE-OP diet and others don't. some start counting their weight loss from their highest weight and some from the first Dr's appt and others from the day of surgery. Additionally, the person's starting BMI and weight will matter, the more you have to lose, generally the faster you'll lose in the beginning. More factors: the person's age, level of activity, male vs, female etc. Don't be too harsh on yourself, as long the scale goes down and not up, you're doing something right.

I actually didn;t know if I would have the surgery until about a month before it happened. Was waiting for insurance approval for over 8 months and then decided I would just self pay. Once we made that decision, the surgery date happened fast. So while I had time for "last suppers". I really didn't want even MORE weight to lose after, so I was careful to eat as healthly as I could. I ate at Thanksgiving but watched my portions and had only one glass of wine. We are always so impatient about how fast we are going to lose weight after the surgery, but how can we moan about that if we are going to overeat before. Plus the goal before surgery is to be sure our livers are healthly and small, so they don;t interfere during the surgery. High fat, high calorie meals are not good for the liver. We have to be ready to say goodbye to the old eating habits that got us in the position to need this surgery, so does stopping the overeating a month earlier really matter? I say just be careful about how many and what kinds of food are in your last suppers if you choose to indulge.

You must read the post by Wendell. It's listed at the tp of the main forum page under FAQ and it's about how the Lap band works with fills etc. It really helped me to understand why we feel full at first and then get hungry and the cycle can continue. Newbies should find it very helpful.

Have you tried going back to liquids for a couple days to let things calm down? Maybe eating every two to three hours is just too much. Reflux pills like Nexium etc can actually take a day or two to start working, they are not quick like tums etc.

Have you called your Dr? Did you have any post op offive visits yet, where you can ask these questions? I suggest you call the DR. At three weeks out constant pain and not sleeping doesn't seem right.

Having surgery to lose weight is a big step and I think we must listen to our Dr's and follow what they tell us to do before and after. Follow the diet your Dr gave you. Dr's hate non-compliant patients. Why go to them for their help and advice if we're not going to listen?

when I first went for the consult my Dr. was doing a low calorie, low fat diet for two weeks before surgery. By the time I was scheduled for surgery, it had changed to Optifast type diet for 2 weeks prior, but I dont' know they changed it and they just told me to stick to what I was told when i first came in. I did have to be on Clear liquids for two days before surgery. My starting BMI was just at 40 and my pre-op bloodwork showed my liver function was normal, which would help to indicate I did not have a fatty liver. A fatty liver can be reduced quickly with the pre-op liquid diet and the liver can get in the way during surgery, so that's why Dr's want patients on it, plus it jump starts the weight loss. Just follow the Dr.'s instructions and you'll do fine.

Hi, Just got back from my first fill. Needle hurt a "little" but totally tolerable. They put in 2cc and I found out I have an Inamed 10 cc band. I had no clue to ask about that before the surgery. I have to be on full liquids for 2 days and soft foods for two days, then back to regular but softer foods. I was told not to expect restriction with this fill, but I have an appt in two weeks and they will fill again, another 1.5cc if I am hungry. I am happy that the office seems to be ok with fills if hunger and ability to eat too much is there. I am feeling a little weird in the midriff area. Hard to describe but just different, almost like the gas pains in the beginning but milder. Not sure what that's about and hope it gets better. Banded 11/27/07 5'0" First Appt/Surgery/Current/Goal 216/ 212/ 202 ?? Inamed 10cc band First fill 12/20/07 2cc

Has anyone consodered she might have a mental illness? Her early posts sounds like she was compliant with the band and Dr's instructions etc. Maybe she was just too immature to know at the time the band was placed what the long term requirements etc would mean. Or maybe she was/is just not mentally stable to make the decision in the first place. Personally, I am (mostly) against those under 21 getting a lap band. I would be in favor of it for people 18 to 21 if they had very high BMI's.

Surgery was 11/27. Down 16 since pre-op appt and 14 since surgery. No pre-op diet required except Clear liquids 2 days before sx. Had one fill on 12/20 of 2cc's and was told I would not get restriction from it and haven't. Next fill is 1/3/8. The band is helping me have more willpower than I've ever had OR is being afraid to eat too much and get PB's or vomit? Not sure, but whatever it is I'm happy about it. Goal is to get to 198 by 12/31, one week and 2 pounds to go. Got thru X-mas pretty well. No overeating at all and NO drinks or dessert.:clap2: On the downside, I have not exercised at all.

MY OWN NSV! Went to BIL/SIL house today. Ate 2 shrimp, 1/2 of the inside of a stuffed cabbage, a little potato salad and a little creamy Jello stuff ( cool whip, pudding kind of thing). I had no dessert/ no wine or drinks. One other meal today (b'fast) scrambled egg and one piece whole wheat toast. Feel so good that I had control (this year at least). I have one week to get below 200 (aiming for 198 by 12/31) and I so want to be there.

I am 56 years old and have to say for the first time in a long time, I actually have hope that I can lose and keep off this weight. I'm only a month post op, but I have NEVER lost this much weight this quickly and I still don't have good restriction. Do the years of previous attempts and failures make me afraid it won't work? Of course, I'm human and I know humans can fail, but this time I really do have hope. I know the first hurdle is getting it off and then the real challenge of keeping it off will begin. I am hoping my band will work like it has worked for others. Do I worry about how fast the weight will come off? Hell yes! But as long as the scale goes down and not up, I am headed in the right direction. Like "regular" dieting, I am using this recovery time to my fullest advantage and trying to make the best decisions about how much I eat and which food choices I make. I am trying my best to remember the rules of pushing Protein and Water and chewing well, so when I reach tighter restriction, I'll be ready. The band is a tool. A hammer is a tool. A hammer cannot do it's job unless the person with the tool in his/her hand uses it right. Same thing with the band.

Thanks! That's was so much fun! Merry Christmas

Since I'm short, to get my BMI to where I'm NOT overweight, has to be pretty low and my weight would have to be under 140. Just wondering how many long term banders have been able to acheive and maintain a weight between 130 and 140.

LOL. Yes, I'm very vertically challenged at 5 feet tall. I used to be 5 feet and 1/2 inch, guess I'm shrinking in both directions now. Just wondering how realistic it is to hope to get and mostly to MAINTAIN a weight under 140. I'd be very satisfied to be and stay at 140, but my doctor is saying 150-160. I guess he thinks it's probably going to be hard to stay under that as well. Less weight, less food, it IS hard. Exercise could make the difference and I do like to walk, but winters here make it tough to walk all year.

That happened to me the first week. For me, I needed something with a little carbs in it. Are you drinking enough water?

Hi, Dr. Ehrlich did my surgery on 11/27/07. First four days after were the hardest from the gas pain. It felt like an elephant sitting on my chest. I also had a little lightheadness a few days after from just not getting enough liquids in. My incisions never gave me pain. I followed the post op food plan with Clear Liquids first, then "full" liquids etc. I was not very hungry the first week. Hunger then started to return slowly each week, but I did find I was able to keep my calorie intake down. Willpower or help from the band, not sure? I had my first fill 12/20 ( 2 cc's ) but the office explained I should not expect restriction from it and I don't have any or very little. Not sure which because I do not try to push my band to any limits. My next fill is 1/3/08 and I was told it would probably be 1/5 cc's. The fill was just a little needle stick, not that bad. I am just trying to take each small step along the way. I am still catching myself drinking after eating, so I am working on that before I get to good restriction, so I'll be ready. Post again, if you have a question or when you get a surgery date. Good Luck.

Gallbladder pain was THE WORST PAIN I ever had. When I had mine out they were not yet doing it laproscopically and the traditional "open" type surgery was not fun either, but at that point I was ready to rip the thing out myself.

Sue Sue and TX bandit. I think you'd have to expect a slower weigh loss as your BMI are both low and let's face it, weight loss gets slower as we get older :rose: You're both doing great. I will Celebrate my own little victory soon ( I hope). I am about one pound away from "onederland" and it's been many years since I've been there.

I had the Lovenox injections in the hospital ( one before Sx, one after) but never had to do any at home. Did you have a condition or previous clot that they wanted you to do more? They were kind of painful, but then I only had two. Hope you're felling back to normal son.

I guess what I mean is I dont; think the band will be a magic bullet to keep the weight off. That is, it will help me help myself. I just think I'll still have to work at it ( even my "normal" friends work at it), but I think the band will help.

From your "signature and ticker info" it looks like you waited a long time to get your first and only fill and it hasn't made a difference? But you've lost over 70 lbs.! Guess it's: good for you you've lost, but not so good that you don;t have good restriction. Does your Dr. fill based on weight loss? Mine fills based on hunger and I have hunger.

Longhorn, That is EXACTLY what happens to me. I get that same hiccup. I was feeling satisifed longer on less, but that is starting to diminish as well. I do feel like I have more wilpower than I did before ( mental maybe). I have also been very afraid to push the band and find out what might happen. I want that same physical limitation ( not too much of course) that seems to be the sweet spot and just hope it doesn;t take months to get there. I just know I will have trouble dealing with that! Slow weight loss is ok, but stopping altogether or gaining will be devastating for me right now. I also know later I will probably struggle to keep it off, but I know I need to get it off first and deal with the other battle later.

Yikes, I might have a long way to go. No cc's at band placement.2cc's first fill. The PA said the first fill would just "prime It". Next fill is 1/3/8 and she said would probably be 1.5. So I would still have less than your four. Did you feel any restriction even for a few days at the first fill of 3 cc's. I'm hoping to get more responses to get a feel for what the average amount of cc's needed. I wanted to do a poll, but didn;t know how to find that. Thanks for replying.

You've lost 12 pounds in two weeks! Celebrate instead of beating yourself up for it not being more. You're doing great. We were probably all FAST GAINERS, so we expect to be fast losers, but we know it doesn't usually work that way. If you feel you can exercise, go for it. Just don't over do it, if you weren't exercising before surgery, start slowly. I think Walking is good and avoiding lifting weights until you're healed.