Lizalee

Ditto. Mine was much the same as above. NO stress, they just talk about all the options, a little bit about what lifestyle changes you would need to make, the surgeon talked about different procedures, risks and benefits, success rates, average weight loss, etc. They had several patients there who shared their success stories and anwered questions regarding their experiences, would let you feel their port, etc. And the best part is, you don't feel 'fat' there - 'cuz everybody is! :-)

OH, I agree! I weigh myself every day, and get so frustrated because it doesn't seem to change. But, when I look back at recent weights, I am surprised to see that I've lost 30 pounds in 2 months. Gosh, that's not bad! Like you, I want so bad to get under 200! And patience has never been my strong point! We'll get there! YOU are SO CLOSE!

I guess my question is, did you need a fill? Are you feeling hungry between meals? Eating a larger volume than before? If not, then why get a fill? Over fills lead to pressure, pain, and PB's. They are not pleasant! As long as you are doing well...and it sounds like you are with loosing 8 pouds...then why get one? Or are you working REALLY hard and being hungry to loose those pounds?

Does anybody else ever felt like this? You betcha! I think all of us who need to have WLS have some component of 'food addiction" and a lack of a 'stop eating' switch! That's how we got this way!!! I used to love to eat, and eat, and eat. One cookie, piece of candy was never enough. If it tastes good, I want more. Think of the credit card commericial that lets you check your balances - their theme song - - I want it all, aI want it all, and I want it now! For me, the band provides that off switch! Hooray! Can't eat more or it will come right up...painfully. Yup, that's a good off switch. (And I'm not in a really good resriction zone yet) The amazing thing is, when I am not feeling so hungry all the time, I think less about food. When I think less about food, I eat less often. When I feel full now, I'm able to stop. Then, when I eat less, I start to loose weight. For me, the more I loose, the more motivated I get. Now I am obsessed, basically, with eating healthy to get my Protein in, required nutrients, and I don't have room for candy, Cookies and sweets (most of the time). It's a new addiction, but a great one! There was another thread about the pre-op eating binge somewhere...many people ate many "last suppers." I think what you're going through is a normal phase. You will need to make changes, no doubt. The band will help you do that. But it won't always be easy, and you still have to work at it. You will need to tune into your body and listen for that voice saying "stop...I can't handle any more in this tiny stomach!" That's why eating slow (which I'm not good at) is helpful. Follow the post-op rules, work with your dieitian. Good luck! Don't give up!

Ah, that stinks! And you waited so long for 'good restriction'! Maybe just a tiny unfill will put you in 'the zone"? Good luck!

I feel your pain...both the overfill tightness...and the scale not moving x 3 weeks! I hate that!!! :-) I'm controlling my diet, controlling my exercise, why can't I control the scale too! LOL

I wouldn't wish getting something stuck on anyone! I was overfilled during my fill last week, and when I drank 3 oz of water, had an instant terible pain in chest, burning, and panicky feeling, which didn't go away till it all came up. It was NOT fun! Since my port was malfunctioning (tubing kinked) I had to have a port revision to get unfilled several hours later. You will know when you get the right fill....6cc in 9cc balloon was enough to completely occlude me at this point. Just hang in there!

HI KPlant: When you say 40%, do you mean your BMI is 40? My insurance used a BMI of 40 as a cut-off. 30 - 40 BMI you needed at least 2 co-morbidities (hypertension, sleep apnea, diabetes, etc) The order I did my pre-op was dictated by the Bariatric Center of Excellence that was in my insurance plan required. The ONLY way I could get into the program was to start by doing to a learning seminar to learn about the band, options, meet the surgeon, etc. I was a group thing, and they gave lots of statistics and information on insurances, etc. After that, I could make an appointment with a dietitan. I then was able to make an appointment with the psychologist. My insurance required a 3-month supervised diet within the last 2 years, and since I had given up on dieting, I had to do that. I had to provide 2 years medical records, and a letter of recommendation from my primary care physician. Once ALL that info provided, passed the pysch visit, proved I could successfully alter my eating habits by loosing weight on the supervised diet and follow their recommendations - like trying Protein shakes, buying chewable multivits, etc, and kept all my appointments -- would they submit my case to insurance. Those months were agonizing, since with a BMI of 54, multiple co-morbidities, and motivation to succeed, I KNEW I was going to be approved. But I had to go through the painfully slow process anyway. Once my insurance approved, then, and only then, was I allowed to make the consult apt with the surgeon. That wait was also agonizing. I had thought I would be banded by January - then Feb....etc. Now that's it over, I realize that it was important to go through this process to reallly learn about the band, adjust my lifestyle, and appreciate the seriousness of what I wanted to do. But I wouldn't have said that a couple months ago!

I didn't tell them what the surgery was for. I just said I was having "a surgical procedure" and left it at that. Most people understood that this mean it's NOYB. Now that I am obviously loosing weight, people are asking me all kinds of questions - how am I doing it (Answer: I eat less and exercise more - TRUE). How much have you lost? (I will never answer that question!) My usual answer is "not enough". Two weeks ago somebody actually confronted me - saying - OK, did you have a weight loss procedure when you were out? I just answered, surprised, "You mean my hernia repair?" (True, I did have a hernia repaired) At church, somebody asked my Mom if I had 'one of those lap bands in Mexico." My mom said No (half true, I did not go to Mexico.) I told only those who needed to know - my boss. My employee health nurse - who keeps making comments and asking me about it before meetings/when others are present, even after I tell her it is a confidential and I'd appreciate her not talking about it. ( I was required to tell her! ) As it becomes more obvious, I may tell some people I just don't want to have them watching me, evaluating how much I lose. After I am nearer my goal, I may tell people I can trust, and make sure they know that even though I have the band, I am still doing the work!! And it isn't easy just because you have a band. Some people may like to tell coworkers and then appreciate their support. For me, I don't like to be the center of attention and find it embarassing - sort of like pointing out what a failure I was at weight management that I needed to have the band. What I do apprecate are people who say things like "I don't know how you're doing it, but you're looking great!" :-) In the end...do what feels right for you. In truth, It's nobody's business unless you want it to be. People react differently to knowing - some are great, some are jealous, some are just curious, some are just being nosey. Good luck w/ your journey!

I agree with you so much! I try not to focus on how much more to go, but enjoy the wonderful changes I've already experienced with my weight loss. The sucess I've already had inspires me to continue! Sometimes I get bogged down in plateau's. I get frustrated with what seems to be slow progress. Normally this would be enough convince myself to give up, it's too hard, there's too much to loose, I can't do this...eat that candy, Cookies, steak, etc 'cuz you know you want it! Now I've got the band to say...well, you're not really hungry, you can't fit any more in, so don't give up now...look what's you've accomplished in only 6 short months!

Well, I learned a valuable life lesson yesterday... Went for my second fill - Dr. couldn't seem to figure out if he was in the port or not - could not get Fluid to draw back. Put in 1 cc. Called in his partner - same story, put in about 2cc trying to figure it out, couldn't get it back. Tried to drink Water after that....Oh my -- now I know what you all are talking about with your PB stories!! Instant severe pain, thought I was going to pass out (vaso-vagal response) and finally up it all came. BUT....they couldn't get the fill out. So, I had to have an emergency port revision last night - found tubing had kinked. But here's the kicker: One of my daughters graduated from high school last night, 60miles away in our home town, while I was 60miles away at the hospital...the same time I had to have my surgery!! My appointment had been in the morning, plenty of time to get back home...or so I thought. Couldn't get the surgery until night... The moral of this story- Never schedule a fill when you HAVE to be somewhere that day! Guess I'll be on Clear liquids today and mushies tomorrow - so much for the parties we're having this weekend! I was hoping the fill would help me stay on my diet...well, I guess it will REALLY do that! I can laugh about it now, but it didn't seem as funny last night.

Hey, thanks for the support. I watched the video today...the good part was I could fast forward through the endless speeches! :-) It's all good. I'm hoping I've had my 'complication' now so everything from here will go great! Best wishes to you all.

When I was on mushies, I was so surprised that pureed food - though it looks disgusting, actually tastes pretty good! Especially after a few days of clear liquids! Go for it! I still use Protein shakes some days because it's a quick and easy way to get adequate protein when you are away from home, at work, etc., when you don't want to mess with homemade pureed food.

Well, my doctor/program was strict about absolutely NO carbonated beverages - during pre-op phase to change the habit of using carbonated beverages, and definately post-op to prevent stretching of the pouch from the cardon dioxide gas that is released. You can drink it if flat. But it doesn't taste nearly as good without the fizz! There are lots of different recommendations out there...consult your bariatric program/dietitian/surgeon. I find that crystal lite, special K Protein Water, etc., taste pretty good when you want something other than water. Good luck!

Hi Dogluvr I do believe he said he has been doig WLS for that many years (per my memory), starting with bypass and stapling, of course, and was among the first to do adjustable bands when they originally came out. Now, I don't know what year the lap band came out...but a long surgical record for weight loss surgey certainly. He has never had this particular complication. He is great, and has a wonderful track record with a low complication rate, which is one of the reasons I went to him PS: I have edited my post, because I don't want to mislead anyone unintentially. He has been a surgeon since the 70's!

Hey, I wish they would have stitched MY hunger nerve! LOL! Can't wait till my 2nd fill on Friday...I need it! We have a party on Sunday, have to make lots of food - this way I won't be tempted to eat much!

My new addictions... 1. Logging every bite I eat on The Daily Plate. I don't think this is a negative addiction, since it helps me plan what to eat, and adjust for changes in the plan, without just totally blowing it off. Yeah, it's like the old wildpower dieting, but I am just happy that I'm back in the 'diet' mode after giving up on weight loss. I have my second fill this week, and so I'm hoping for better restriction again. I had some restriction after my first fill, but it went away rather quickly. 2. This web site. I find myself checking in more and more, and posting more and more. I does help keep me in the weight loss zone! Long-term I don't know if I will always do these things, but right now it is working for me. PS: I generally restrict myself to weighing once daily. However, today I weighed myself twice out of curousity. Within 2 mintues, after a bathroom break, it actually went UP .2 pounds. That tought me a valuable lesson -- home scales are NOT that accurate, depsite what they say on the advertising. This was is supposed to be SO accurate...! Daily weights should be taken as a general guide.... I was skeptical if the lap band would REALLY be the tool that would once and for all help me have success in loosing weight. SO FAR, I have done better than I have in the last 30 years! To me this has been truly amazing and it gives me hope that I haven't had in forever. We all CAN do it if we keep at it, don't give up, and use this tool!

I'm with you. There is something about that salty, crunchy, cheesy treat that just tastes so good...but monderation is the key. Out of sight, out of mind works for me. I find that if I can pass them up in the grocery aisle, I don't think about them. But, the other day at a lunch meeting, I did eat a 'snack bag' of SunChips cheddar, thinking they were healthier. Sure, they tasted good, but didn't satisfy my hunger. They COST me like 230 calories (lots of fat), and then I couldn't eat something else that would be heathy and satisfy my hunger. So if it's cheetos you're craving, by all means have some (baked preferabley). BTW - I like Twinkies too...and other chemical laden junk foods...and when it's one of these addicting snack foods I crave, no snow pea, beet or mushroom will do the trick!!! But I'm happy to say, I can walk away from these 'junk' foods now, when I've got a good fill and I'm not feeling hungry 24/7. I believe that's the beauty of having the band.

Skinnyhappymommy, Thanks for the picture! It really says a lot. Recently I tried on clothes that I wore up to about 3-4 months ago - and couldn't believe it. Jackets that I wore to work look ridiculous on me now. T-shirts I lived in at home hang down to my knees. It's so much fun to see, but really an eye opener on how big I was. And I still have really far to go! The scale is great, when it moves, but pictures like yours really say more. I'm keeping just a few of my huge clothes, and in the end, I'm going to compare them like you did! Hope you continue to have great success!

Hi - I've heard some doctors use the glue to close the skin instead of stitches. It could certainly be this glue that you're seeing - it's like superglue for skin. Eventually it falls off...or you can pick it off once it become loose. You can cover with a little band-aid if it gets caught on things.

I had the same thing. The suture they use is absorbable - meaning - it will eventually breakdown and fall out but it took over a month, and then one day I gave it a very gentle tug and it detached. My doctor saw it and said not to worry, it will fall off. Snip it if it bothers you. Call your doctor if it drains pus or becomes red.

Becky in Texas You lost 300 pounds in three years? You are my inspiration!!! Way to go!

HI Sara R. I can see where it will be a big change for you if you can't have those foods that you are used to having. I loved to eat those things to, well, not Pasta so much, but certianly rice, potatoes and bread. However, since I"ve been banded, I have to say it's not that hard to go without some of those starchy carbs. What I found is that with the band you really get focused on healthy foods, with the least 'wasteful' calories, to get enough Protein and loose weight. Even though I'm ready for another fill, I still find I can't eat as much volume as before - so those thiings that take up a lot of space, like bread, pasta, don't appeal as much. Because if I eat them, then I don't get enough protein. Or, the concentrated carb food are so high in calories, that I am actually hungry later and don't have any calories left to add a snack. Having said that, I still eat small amounts of pasta, rice. And toasted bread - I haven't tried soft bread. And if you eat SOME, but not the amount you used to eat, it doesn't seem like you are deprived. As far as boobs, well, never had much on that account so can't help you there! And wrinkles, well, I'm over 50 so I just expect that will be so. HOWEVER, I believe w/ the weight I've already lost, I actually look younger! At least at this point... When I reach my goal, I expect to look like a char-pei! So, start saving for plastic surgery! Best wishes with your decision!

Hi ysabella, I'm not in Florida, so I can't help you locally. However, I started out near your weight last November. I had been thinking about the surgery x 1 year, but didn't think I could make the lifestyle change to quit overeating the foods that I loved. It is a drastic change, however, it's the best thing that has happened to me in the last 16 years! (getting married, having my children do rank above it, but that's about it!) Believe it or not, I don't really miss the food and quantities I used to eat. Since November, when I started pre-surgical supervised diet, etc., I have gone from being somewhat poorly controlled with two diabetes meds down to 1/2 of one -- and I probably don't even need that anymore. I am down from 1 BP bill a day to a half of one, and my BP is perfect. I am off my Lipitor. I feel GREAT -- have energy to do things about the house that I haven't had for the past decade. I walk the dogs without getting short of breath - at one point, the thought of going around the block was enough to keep me on the couch. I walk UP the stairs at work (well, only one flight at this time, because I AM basically lazy!) Never would have considered walking u stairs 6 months ago! There are studies out there now that demonstrate that weight loss surgery is the most effective treatment for obesity. There is also lots of data on the safety of the procedures. Your doctor, or local hospital librarian can get you information on the facts. I'm relatively new at this - only banded earlier this month, but for the first time in my life I actally believe that I can be a normal weight! I've done the yo-yo dieting, but could never stick with it long enough to shed such a large weight loss that I needed, so I always gave up before and then gained even more back. Not this time! Only you can decide what is right for you, and when you are ready to do it. That tipping point is different for everyone. It may take you a long time to be ready - like I said, it took me over a year before I was ready to make the committment. This is something you do for yourself, and nobody can make it work for you. It is not always easy - even with the band - but it is worth it! Good luck with your journey.

Well, congratulations on your upcoming surgery! Hope your experience was as good as mine. Don't be nervous! Every surgeon has his own routine, but here's what it was like for me. Surgery mid-morning with overnight stay - walked out of hospital next morning. Anesthesia gave meds prior to going into surgery - next thing I know I woke up -- very sleepy, not wanting to wake up or move - just so tired. A few hours later started feeling better. Very little pain, really, because the staff was quick to give me meds for nausea and pain as soon as I was conscious. Sure, it hurt to roll over or sit up, but very bareable. Pain meds as needed during the night. Started some liquids that night, and full liquids next day - expect to eat very little - a few tablespoons seems to fill you up. Certainly expect there will be some gas-type pain as the bowels slowly start moving again - from the drugs, anesthesia, and the surgery itself. Walking - short little walks around the house, etc, help get things moving. Don't be afraid to take your pain med - usually a tylenol/narcotic elixer. It will help you be comfortable so that you can move more. After a few days, liquid tylenol was all I needed, except at night. Some people have a lot of shoulder pain, which is generally 'referred pain' from gas left in your belly (the doctor bloats up your abdomen to be able to manuever around inside and see through the scope.) I didn't have too much, but had some tightness in the mid back. Also, achiness of the neck and shoulders from position during surgery. In a couple days you will start feeling much better. I was off work x 2 weeks because I wanted to be - I felt it was important to focus on me, eating right, relaxing, sleeping as desired, rather than worrying about getting to work and not having time to get enough fluids in, etc. I enjoyed my time off...and got plenty of housework done! It was a treat! Within 2 weeks, felt really good, and have felt great ever since then! No complications whatsoever. My only complaint is that you DO get hungry as you heal, and then the fills start - for me, one month after surgery. I was hungry starting about 3 weeks after surgery. But again, every body is different. Good luck - and I'm sure there will be other stories and experiences that people will share. But for me, everything went great and it's the best thing I've ever done for myself!