Kalipso2

i remember the first few weeks after surgery, i spent SO much time trying to feel the band around my stomach... even though the thought of feeling it freaked me out! of course, you can't feel the band at all but it did drive me crazy for awhile. i can feel my port but that doesn't stress me out anymore... it relaxes me to touch it and know why its there. if i were still overweight people would probably think i'm pregnant because when i walk around the office i find myself running my fingers over my port. it's only natural what you're going thru... you're second guessing your decision but it will all be worth it when that first person asks "are you losing weight?"

i'm almost 3 years post-op and when i started my journey i needed to lose 68 pounds to get me to "normal" on the bmi chart. it took me the entire 2 years 10 months to reach that goal but during my first year, i was overfilled for too long and my pouch stretched a little so i had to get unfilled for a month and then slowly refilled for the next 3 months. i also don't exercise and believe in indulging every once in awhile instead of staying strict with the no sugar. i'm okay with losing slowly though. i have yet to gain 1 pound back and i'm still losing! i hope to lose another 5 pounds before starting to maintain. i think what you want to do is doable but it will take a lot of hard work and discipline! good luck!!

my port is in the same place as yours... and if i lean up against my desk, i feel it too. i don't look at myself naked often because i just don't like what i see (in general) but my port scar is pretty visible and i think it sticks out a little. i embrace them though. when i need reassurance that i did the right thing, i reach for my port location and it makes me feel better. does that sound crazy?

yes, you might gain a few pounds back but it won't be 20 pounds... so don't worry. you're entering what is commonly called "Bandster Hell" because you are banded but have little to no restriction... so you're going to be hungry and able to eat somewhat normal until you begin having fills. try not to get depressed over it... the weight will come off!!

you have to learn to trust your band... and learn to know the signs that you should stop eating. i've said this before, it's almost like having the devil (your brain) on one shoulder and an angel (your band) on the other shoulder. the devil will tell you to keep eating because the food tastes soooo good and the angel will tell you that your body is satisfied and not to eat another bite. if i listen to my brain and eat that one extra bite, i WILL throw up but if i listen to my band i'm left feeling depressed because i WANT to continue to eat. which will you listen to... the devil or the angel?

i'm almost 3 years post op and its taken me almost the entire 3 years to lose my weight. did i indulge? umm YEAH. did i lose weight slower than people who don't indulge? probably. but i'm okay with that! congrats on maintaining... i'm jealous that you ate pizza though. my band doesn't let me have bread : (

i had to wait 6 months post-op before i could have carbonation and alcohol... after that i had no restrictions. you just have to always remember... you should NOT eat and drink at the same time. even almost 3 years post-op that is hard for me. when i go out for work happy hour, i have to choose whether i'm going to eat or drink... and honestly, i usually choose drinking lol it might make things more difficult when you travel... but you can start drinking again about 30 minutes after you eat! i'm a believer that you can have anything in moderation... but it might cause you to lose slower.

i just went shopping at kohl's last weekend because i needed some new work pants. i tried on a size 6 and they fit so i bought one pair of each color. i wore a pair this week and by the end of the day they seemed loose (you know how pants stretch after being worn). i'm a bit freaked out about exchanging them for a size 4. i never, Never, NEVER thought i'd fit into a size 4! even in high school i wore a size 6 and that was 20+ years ago!

i've been a slow loser so i've had to work for every single pound that i've lost... i'll take one pound lost over one pound gained any day!!

congratulations on your journey! don't be afraid to ask questions either... that's what we're here for!! Did you have pain right when you woke up and/or later? i felt no pain in the recovery room. i don't even remember being transferred to my room. (i chose to stay overnight since i live 4 hours away from my surgeon). getting up from the bed and laying back down after being up were the most painful moments because you're using your stomach muscles. you learn to roll off the bed and fall back on to the bed. How bad was the pain? all i can say is, take your medication as prescribed! i called the nurse every 4 hours for the pain meds. when i went to leave the hospital, i tried to hold off on my last dose until right before i was going to leave because i had a 4 hour drive back home (with my parents driving). i waited too long and i was in enough pain to make me cry... which made my mom cry and yell at me for waiting too long lol. my advice, don't let the medication wear off. take as directed... that's why they give it to you! Did you feel nausous and/or did you throw up the day of the surgery and/or the next few days following the surgery? i did not feel nauseous at all and i had no gas pains either (knock on wood). What did you do the first few days after the surgery? i stayed with my parents for 2 days after my surgery and slept most of the time. i couldn't stand my mom hovering so i didn't take my pain meds so i could drive myself home. once home, i just relaxed, watched movies and slept. i had surgery on a monday and i didn't go back to work until that following tuesday. Could you walk around your apartment? yes, i could walk around just fine. maybe not as straight and tall as usual but by 2 days after surgery you're able to get around okay. it will still hurt when trying to stand or sit but it eases up after awhile. Did you just rest and watch tv? yep... thats basically it since you won't be eating ; )

i understand your frustration. at work, thursday is donut day. i try really, really hard to avoid the kitchen on that day. yesterday was thursday and i had a HORRIBLE day at work... i made a major mistake and i was really upset with myself. i walked into the kitchen, having forgotten it was thursday, only to have myself stop dead in my tracks and stare at the 4 boxes of donuts sitting on the counter. i was stressed, upset, depressed and had a choice to make. eat the donut (or 2) and get even more angry and upset with myself or walk away. i walked away. was it easy? NO! but whenever you're tempted, stop for a minute and THINK about what you're about to do.

my friend had the sleeve done at the same time i got the lapband. she had 200+ pounds to lose and i had 70+ pounds to lose. she lost 160 pounds very quickly. it took me 3 years to lose 69 pounds. almost 3 years post op, she has started gaining her weight back. i have continuously lost weight and am still losing. in the beginning of our journey, my friend used to tell me i'd be sorry that i didn't get the sleeve because she was losing quickly and could eat anything she wanted. i was very limited in what i could eat and how much i could eat. i had a difficult time with not over eating. in the beginning i threw up a lot while trying to find foods i could eat but had to learn about the foods i could no longer eat. what it comes down to is what YOU feel comfortable with. it can't hurt to do research on both procedures but the lapband isn't permanent. i haven't gained any weight back. so i'm happy with my choice!

i'm 39 and have lost 69 pounds... i'd still like to lose another 5 pounds... i'm almost 3 years post-op. i don't have much sagging skin except for my arms... and its not bad enough for me to do anything about it (right now at least)!

i'm 3 years post-op and i still occasionally get depressed because i miss using food as a reason to feel better. today, i made a HUGE mistake at work... a $3,000 mistake... and my first thought was to go find something to eat. holding back from doing that was SO hard but... 6 hours later... i'm glad i didn't binge!

ugh... i remember the pureed stage. that usually means baby food consistancy which usually means using a blender. the thought of eating pureed chicken or beef or veggies made me want to gag so i chose to extend my full liquids a week and skipped the pureed foods all together. i did 1 week Clear Liquids, 2 weeks full liquids, 1 week mushies... then had my first fill so had to go back to 1 day clear liquids, 1 day full liquids, 1 day mushy and FINALLY real food! it was a rough month but something i highly encourage everyone to follow right after surgery. cheat all you want before surgery but always follow the post-op instructions from your surgeon!!

hmmm that IS strange! all my unfills have been clear. usually they take all the fill out and refill with the increased amount to make sure there is no leakage. did your doc think that the color was the only thing strange and not that you were missing .3cc? i guess if your doctor isn't worried you shouldn't be either but i think i'd go back in and have it checked in a month or so.. if you don't have to pay for fills.

i LOVE what ElfiePoo said, "A failure is someone who gives up completely and stops trying. You were just taking a vacation." this journey isn't easy for some of us. it took me 3 years to lose 70 pounds. if you break that down, that's 23 pounds a year for 3 years. you're NOT a failure! i hope you receive good news from your doctor!!

i had a starting bmi of 36.6 and i was self pay. my surgeon never questioned my need for surgery because according to the bmi chart i WAS obese! being self pay helps a lot too... be prepared for things to move pretty fast once you decide for sure to have the surgery. i had my surgery within 5 weeks of my initial consultation since i was self pay. having a lower bmi could mean a slower weight loss so be prepared for that.

everyone tells me i'm getting "too skinny"... it's something i can't really wrap my mind around. i know it's possible but the thought of ME being skinny is very strange. having my sister calling to ask if i have a dress she can borrow because we're now the same size is unbelievable. we haven't been the same size in over 20 years! so... enjoy being the "skinny bitch"!!!

welcome... and congratulations!

i had a friend that had the sleeve done the same time i got banded (3 years ago). it was hard not to compare how fast she was losing to how slow i was losing.... BUT 3 years later, i'm still losing and she has started to gain weight. just remember, slow and steady is the best way to lose weight! so... be patient! it WILL happen! you've lost 37 pounds and that's awesome! when i'm in a funk i try to do something nice for myself. i'm single with no kids so it's probably easier for me but take some time out for you. get a manicure or pedicure. have your hubby watch the kids and go see a movie by yourself or with friends. buy yourself something pretty, even if it's just a pair of flip flops. YOU need to feel good about YOURSELF for this process to work.

everyone is different when it comes to the types of food their band won't allow. i eat chicken, Pasta, pineapple, lettuce... just fine. the only foods i can't tolerate are breads (unless VERY toasted) and ground meat... so no pizza or hamburgers for me. everything else is okay. while i can't eat a piece of pizza, i can eat the crust off 1 piece and the toppings off 2 pieces... which is the best part anyway. you WILL learn to adjust to what you can and can't tolerate. don't put too much into what your band won't tolerate.

ahhh it gets tricky at this point.... do you not get a fill and not lose weight or run the risk of being over-filled? if i were in your shoes, and i have been because my surgeon is 4 hours away, i'd go to the appointment and let your doctor decide.

you know, i have thought about going to an OA meeting. i went as far as finding a meeting close to home but now i'm at my goal weight and i don't want to offend anyone by attending. i don't want to be judged by them thinking... what's this skinny girl doing here? and then to admit that i had surgery... i just don't know.

oh maddy, my heart aches for you! i have a 13 year old niece and while she's a normal weight, i can see how poor her eating habits are. but i'm afraid to say too much because it's a delicate age and i don't want to worry about her beginning an eating disorder. kids your age can be SO cruel to each other. the thought of those girls bullying you makes me angry! if your parents are in agreement, schedule a consultation with a surgeon or attend a free seminar. "we" have nothing to really say if you're old enough or not... only a doctor can do that. you're doing research and asking questions which is GREAT! you know if you choose the lapband, everything about eating will change drastically and coming from someone who is older and has been banded for 3 years, i still struggle with food. i have lost a lot of weight and i feel good about myself and that's exactly why i had the surgery. good luck and let us know what you decide!