Kalipso2

pre-op and the surgery itself was a piece of cake (yummy lol)... for me it's the post-op that has been hard. you don't realize how addicted you are to food until it's taken away. now don't get me wrong... i would SO do this all over again but it's been the most difficult thing i've ever done. i can have carbonated sodas although i think that's part of the reason i've stopped losing recently. i can't have any bread or ground meat... no more pizza, no more burgers. my stomach just won't tolerate them anymore no matter how many times i've tried. the hardest part for me is deciding whether to listen to my stomach or my head. if i listen to my head that's telling me to eat, eat and eat... well, i end up throwing up but if i listen to my stomach i end up depressed. i still try to binge occasionally when i'm upset. the most recent was last week and i ordered a small double cheese and pepperoni pizza. i figured i'd eat 2 or 3 pieces and go throw up. i couldn't even finish one piece and i swear i threw up more than i ate. anyway, my point is that you have to be 110% sure you can do this. this is literally a lifestyle change. yes, i can still eat real food but i'm limited as to what i can eat. yes, it's strange only being able to eat 1/2 cup of food... not even an entire kid's meal. yes, it's hard to remember not to drink right before, during or after eating. BUT... i went from a size 16 to a size 10 (i'm still aiming for the size 6!). i get compliments DAILY. i feel so much healthier that i can't even describe. i'm even training for a 5k race. i made a lifetime committment to myself and there will always be the negatives along with the positives.

i feel the same way... so no, you're not the only one! i "gave up" dating a year ago this past July because i wanted to get my life in order... lose weight, gain self esteem, work out some issues with my family, stop letting ex-boyfriends just use me for sex. i "told" myself that i wouldn't start dating until January of 2009 to give myself enough time to get my act together. that date is rapidly approaching and i keep telling my friends i'm going to postpone my "coming out" date until i hit a year with my band which will be April 2009. the truth is... i'm scared that no one will ask me out come January. then what excuse will i tell my friends that i'm not dating? i go out with my skinny friend and the guys always want to by her drinks and since i'm her "fat friend" i get included. at least that's how my mind thinks. i know i still have a lot of self esteem issues to work thru because i still see the fat me in the mirror even though i'm wearing a size 8 or 10. maybe join a new social group where you know no one and have to make new friends and start off with people knowing the new you instead of the old you!

i know it may sound stupid but have you tried eating more? with weight watchers, they give you the points so that you use them. as long as you pick something healthy to get another 5 points or so your metabolism might kick into gear. your body may be going thru a starvation mode since you're not using all your points. also, your exercise might be causing the slowing down and even the gain... of course, muscle weighs more than fat. try not to pay much attention to the scale right now and watch for body changes instead.

Hi Ellisa... I was banded by Dr. C. in April! The office actually offered the Care Credit card to me as a payment option along with some other bank loan options. All the loans were basically the same.... payments with interest for a certain amount of years.

thanks for sharing your story. i think it's really important for the newbies to hear storied like this... that you can STILL gain weight even if you're banded! i learned a month into being banded how to eat around it... what i could eat large amounts of without PB'ing (like hot fudge sundaes). this is how so many people fail. it is a constant struggle for me... even being over 6 months post-op. when to stop eating. how to eat slow. how to take small bites. it even got as bad for me to being HAPPY when i would PB because that meant the binged food was coming out. it took my pouch getting stretched for me to re-evaluate my situation. i risked my band slipping. i risked wasting $12,000. i risked all the hard work i put towards losing the 41 pounds already gone. i'm back on track. it's hard but i'm going to do what it takes to lose the other 40 pounds!

i was over-filled for two months... i just didn't want to face the fact that i needed a slight unfill and could possibly gain weight back so i PB'd almost every day for that two months. when i finally went in for a check-up, they checked my band under flouro to make sure my band hadn't slipped. thank GOD it didn't but my stoma had stretched slightly from the food sitting there too long while digesting. i had a slight unfill and have to wait 2 months before i can get another fill to make sure the stoma goes back to normal.

i was banded on 04/21/08 and i've lost 41 pounds... half of what i'd like to lose. it's been a constant struggle... no longer being able to binge (i've tried), no longer being able to eat my favorite foods (pizza, burgers)... but i love the compliments i get and i loved the $500 shopping spree i went on!

my surgery cost 12,500 and i get free fills for 2 years. it is definitely worth the cost!

to me Bandster Hell comes about 2 weeks after surgery when you're able to eat real food and you have no restriction because you haven't had a fill yet. so... you've been banded but can still eat anything you want as much as you want... and you may GAIN weight before your first fill.

when i go out to eat with my friends, i don't order anything. they let me pick off their plates. that way i don't worry about eating a whole meal. 2 pieces of pizza isn't too bad... i can't eat pizza at all... but it could be you need another fill! unfortunately eating right and exercise is the only way the band is going to work to it's best ability. find something you REALLY enjoy. i decided i wanted to run. now, i haven't ran in years. i found a trainer to give me tips on what i need to know and she said to take it slow. if i can only run for 2 minutes... that's fine. tomorrow try for 3 minutes and eventually i'll be running a 5k race.

i was banded in april 2008 too! i've only lost 40 pounds so far and seem to have just stopped. i had to get a slight unfill in september and have to wait 2 months before i can get refilled. during these 2 months i gained 7 pounds back because i was able to eat more. i was so angry at myself that i started exercising which i hadn't done previously. i joined a "running class" that stated i would be running a 5k in 8 weeks. needless to say, i'm not ready for any 5k BUT i'm still trying... and hoping for maybe being ready in spring. i've lost those ugly 7 pounds but now i'm at a plateau again and not sure what to do either!

i used the Care Card they offered. can't hurt to see if you're able to get it!

you'll be surprised where the weight will come off! i've ALWAY had wide hips and a smaller waist. i'd have to buy my pants a size bigger just to get them past my hips and they were always too bit around the waist. that's just the way my body shape was... even when i was thin. i still have a hard time with jeans and dress pants but at least i'm having to decide between a 10/12 instead of a 16/18!

20 pounds is okay... the slower it comes off the better! like you, i used to throw up after just about every meal. i was overfilled but i was losing weight (from all the vomitting) and didn't want to gain any weight back so i held off going to get an unfill. i had my body programmed that even if i didn't feel like i had to PB all i had to do was stand over the toilet, bend at the waist, cough twice, and up would come the food.... stuck or not. now, i realize how unhealthy that is and i hope you do too. i really risked my band slipping but losing the weight was almost more important than that. it's been about a month and a half since i had a slight .5cc unfill and i don't PB anymore (or rarely). at first i gained 7 pounds back almost instantly and yes, it depressed me but also made me angry... angry enough to start exercising. those 7 pounds are now gone and i'm at the same weight i was before the unfill but i get to start having fills again in november so hopefully i'm back on the right track! call your doctor!

i only needed to lose around 80-85 pounds... so i'm a lower BMI with no comorbities. i just couldn't stick to a diet/exercise plan and a binge eater. shoot, i couldn't even stick to the pre-op liquid diet. i've never had children or had any surgeries prior to this so in my head things were going to be easy after surgery. i brought books to read, my hair dryer and curling Iron, makeup, pajamas and a cute outfit to wear home since i planned on staying overnight in the hospital. needless to say, i never opened the book. i didn't take a shower so i didn't need my hairdryer/curling iron. i never got out of my hospital gown so there was no need for pajamas. and i wore the same sweats i wore when i went in for surgery. i'm not going to lie... it hurt worse than i expected.. especially the first 2 days trying to get in and out of bed. i had to call in for a refill of my pain meds and i had to take 6 days off work (not including the weekend) instead of just the 5. i haven't been the "model" lapband patient. i've eaten too fast. i've eaten things i shouldn't have. i let myself be overfilled for too long even though i was throwing up after almost every meal. sure i lost a lot of weight those 2 months but i really risked my band slipping. thank God it didn't! to me, the surgery was the easy part. it's the rest of my life that will be difficult. not eating more than 1/2 cup of food even though your taste buds demand more. no longer being able to eat certain foods ever again. i can't tolerate bread anymore... pizza included. it's hard reprogramming your body not to drink while you eat... i still reach for that nonexistant glass that should be there. BUT... i'm down 40 pounds. i just got to go buy a brand new wardrobe in a size i never thought i'd ever fit into again. i get compliments DAILY. i'm actually running and training for a 5k race! even my family can't believe that one lol. so this journey has it's up and it's downs.... it's up to YOU to decide if you can commit to it.

yeah... i'm not sure i believe in the whole BMI thing. i'm 5'4" and my beginning weight was 213 and i'm now 172. according to Mr. BMI my weight should be around 120-140. my goal IS to get to 130 but being at 172 isn't so bad either. people at work don't think i will look healthy if i lose another 40 pounds... but Mr. BMI says i will. i just went shopping for an entire new wardrobe because my size 16's were just swimming on me, even with a belt. i now fit in a size 12 jean, a size 10 dress pant (no elastic!) and a size 8 skirt! i'm happy with those results. don't get me wrong... i'm still going to continue to try to lose but in my eyes and in my heart i look prett damn good right now!

i was overfilled for about 2 months... PB'ing after almost every meal. i knew i should have gone in for an unfill sooner but i was afraid of gaining weight back but then i was also afraid of my band slipping. my stoma was slightly stretched over the band because i was too tight and the food was sitting in the stoma too long and not draining thru the band fast enough. i got a slight unfill and have to wait 2 months until i can get another fill... hopefully things went back to normal!

well... i'm 5'-4" and my highest weight was 213. i didn't exercise at all before my surgery or for the first 5 months after surgery. i lost the first 40 pounds pretty easy. now my weightloss has stalled so i've started adding exercise and i think the weight will start coming off again. it's true when they say that the band is only a tool and that this journey is NOT easy. it's rough not being able to eat the foods you once loved... i can no longer eat bread including pizza. but i look better and feel better and i'd do it all over again!

my company did not cover any weightloss surgery either. i didn't even bother to try and fight it. i wanted the surgery NOW, not after months and months of fighting. being self-pay the process goes by so quickly. i had my initial consultation, nutrition class, pre-op testing and the surgery within 30 days of the free seminar! yes, it sucks i have a huge bill to pay off but it is SO worth it!

yes, you sound too tight. my last fill i had was too tight, but like you, i was afraid to have any liquid taken out because i didn't want to gain any weight back. i PB'd almost every meal for 2 months... and of course i lost a lot of weight. i was rarely hungry and when i did eat it was 2 bites of something. i finally did go in for a check up and after drinking 8 ounces of barium under flouroscopy it was determine that i was indeed WAY too tight and the stoma above the band was slightly stretched because the food was sitting there too long. i got a light unfill of .5cc early september and i gained 7 pounds back because i wasn't PB'ing anymore and i was able to eat more. during this past month i've really had to work at getting those 7 pounds back off... and i finally have... but i can't seem to lose any more. i have to wait until november until i can get another fill to see if my stoma goes back to it's normal size. so... you're not alone but it's not good to be over-filled. can you find a new doctor?

congratulations!!! that is my goal before winter comes. i think that is awesome!!! gives me hope!

my doctor likes to do fills on an empty stomach if possible so i either don't eat Breakfast that morning or only have Protein drinks that day. i find having a fill under flouro much easier because my mind is focused on the xray screen and not the needle but it is weird having a fill standing up. when i had a fill without flouro i laid on my back and had to put my hands above my head to stretch out my torso so the port would be easier to access. they spray lidocaine and then stick in the needle. the spray hurt worse than the needle stick! after a fill my doctor likes that day to be Clear Liquids only, day 2 full liquids, day 3 mushies and day 4 back to regular eating. it gives the stomach a chance let the swelling go back down before starting to eat "normally" again.

what i try to do to get back on track is start from scratch. remember how we never thought we'd make it thru the liquid/mushie stage but our bodies adapted to it. i go back to the beginning and only have Protein drinks for a few day and then add in the mushies for a few days to get the body back on track. you can do it!

honestly... yes, i cheated. i did MORE than cheat. i just stopped the pre-op diet about 5 days into the 12 days. i ran the risk of my liver not being shrunken enough but everything turned out okay. you have NO idea how many "last meals" i had! so... you're not alone! just try as hard as you can to stay on track.