HappyOne

I bought a very simple medic alert bracelet on eBay for $15. It has "Lap Band, No blind NG tube" on the back and the red sign on front. I bought this for now. There is a smaller cute charm that you can get to put on a charm bracelet.

Congrats Taismommmy, I hope your restriction lasts until the next fill. I had my feel 2 weeks ago with a little restriction but now nothing. Next fill is Thursday. It's kind of funny how I know I shouldn't eat more than 1/2 - 1 cup of food, yet just because it "fits" I keep eating. I also felt that weird feeling. I guess a gurgle is a good word for it. It from the pressure of the needle in the band and then they take out whats in and then put and more back. The only thing I didn't like about my fill, and it's really a minor thing, is that they had me lie on my back with a pillow under my lower back. I understand why, I just don't like my head to be so low when I lay down. It won't keep me from getting my next fill though.

EVERYBODY CALLS ME: Lesly MY PRIMARY RELATIONSHIPS INCLUDE: My daughters: Kathy 16 and Kellye 11. I'm also very close to my parents. MY NON-HUMAN FAMILY CONSISTS OF: 1 cat - Mexi, a pound puppy name Promethius, and a turtle named Thomas. I LIVE IN: San Antonio, Texas - home of the San Antonio Spurs. OCCUPATION: I am an insurance claims service manager. I also work part time at different sporting (like Spurs games, concerts, etc) as a 'volunteer' to earn money to keep my girls in private school. AVOCATION: I love to learn - history being one of my most favorite topics. In my spare time (yeah right!!) I like to read. Most of my non work time is spent at band or sporting events for my girls. FAVORITE EXERCISE: My exercise passion is playing volleyball and softball. We have leagues courts/fields where I work and I play on teams for both sports. Of course, we play by the "old and fat" rules. :smile: I COLLECT: About the only thing I really collect are unique salt/pepper shakers. I have one set that is a toaster with toast, I have flowers, houses, hamburgers, ice cream cones. All salt/pepper shakers.

Congrats. That is sooo awesome.

I thought I'd start the exercise thread for the week. I know I can use all the encouragement I can get and I need someone (everyone) to hold me accountable or I just never get around to it. Here are my exercise goals for this week: Monday - walk 30 minutes (did this during lunch today) Tuesday - use eliptical for 30 minutes Wednesday - walk 30 minutes Thursday - eliptical for 30 minutes Friday - I have to work at my 2nd job so I'll be standing for 6 hours or so. Saturday - rest from night before Sunday - walk for 30 minutes I hope to increase the amount of time I walk or the distance each week. Right now I can walk about 1 mile in 20 minutes. Good luck to everyone!

b - Atkins chocolate shake l - 1 cup sesame chicken with rice d - 1 cup sesame chicken with rice s- 12 oz decaf coffe w/lf creamer and splenda I think I'll have to have a yogurt in a little while because I haven't had enough calories. Who've thought - I can't eat enough. lol

Hey PatticNJ hope you don't mind that I started the thread. I need to do everything that I can to get and stay motivated. I hope that by putting what I plan to do in writing for everyone on here to see that I'll stick to it. I have to update my plan for the week. I have softball game Thursday night, the first one since my surgery. Here's hoping I don't pull something or get hit in the stomach.

I had salad last night and again tonight for dinner. Ranch dressing last night and Italian tonight. My salad didn't have onion. I know my doctor said if I tried to each salad to be sure I cut it up to less than the size of a quarter. Something about it doesn't really get chewed up that well and can cling to the side of the pouch. Give it a couple days and try again. It may have just been you band acting up.

Happy St. Pat's. I've never been a big fan of the corned beef and cabbage so you all can have my share. Today I had b-Atkins shake (chocolate of course) l-2oz Tuna w/ff mayo and 5 saltines d-1cup spaghetti w/meatsauce small salad with carrots and tomatoes and italian (ff) dressing I'm not really sure that I have much restriction. I'm just too scared of pb'g to eat a whole lot at one time. :thumbup:

I guess all doctors really do things different. When I went for my first fill yesterday - 4 wks post op - they asked me what I wanted. They showed me the yellow, green, red chart that you find on the Allergan website. They asked me if I get hungry between meals, how much I am eating etc. I felt I was doing okay since I don't really get hungry and I eat about a cup of food at each meal. I've lost about 1 lb a week since surgery. The doctor suggested that I go a little conservative on this first fill and I agreed. I'm more scared about the pb'g or sliming than anything and I didn't want to take a chance on getting too tight. I also found out that I already had 3.6cc in my 10cc band just from surgery. We agreed to put in .5cc yesterday and I think it was a good decision. I was allowed to eat soft foods today and I normally could eat 4oz of tuna but today only got about 3 oz down before I had to stop.

I have only had my band since 2/15 - 4 weeks. I went in for my first fill today and they placed .5cc. Apparently they had already put in 3.6cc during surgery. Was I still feeling restriction pre fill - not really but I'm so concerned that I will pb or slime that I seriously watch what and how I eat. I have not been hungry between meals and eat about 4 oz of Protein and veggies each time. I barely get in 800-900 calories a day but my protein averages 60grams. I try to avoid all carbs but the green ones. It was my choice on how much they would add today. I decided to take it a little slow. As long as I continue to lose 1-2 lbs a week I will be happy. Too much too fast will only cause hanging skin and I really don't want to have another surgery to remove that.

nthomas, Good luck on the 17th. Everything will be great for you. I only had 1 week pre op diet from the date the insurance approved and until surgery. I actually had to give up soft drinks (coke) and carbs. I think I did great. Lost 8 lbs in that week, got past the headaches and tiredness and my surgeon said my liver looked great and didn't get in the way. Be sure to come back and let us know how you are doing after surgery.

I had my first fill today. It was a small one .5cc but a fill none the less. Tomorrow will be 4 weeks to the day post op.

Okay I guess if I would have read the 'sticky' thread on fills I would have had my answer. As you lose weight the fat pad around you stomach shrinks which loosens the band, requiring a fill to gain back restriction. Makes soooo much sense to me now.

If a fill reduces the opening that the food passes through (is that called the stoma?) why would you eventually be able to eat more than before? Does it stretch some how or is it just that you learn to chew better or eat slower? I can understand that it may take several fills before you get the right restriction but once you are there will you lose it eventually?:confused2:

Hi everyone. My doctor forbade me to weigh myself more than once a week. What he doesn't know, doesn't hurt me.:smile: He and the nutrionist also forewarned me about the week 3-4 plateau. They said we have to eat between 800 and 1200 calories per day to keep our metabolism up. I seem to have a really big problem reaching 800 calories, forget the 1200. I figure that's part of the reason I have only lost 2 pounds in the past 2 weeks. My one fill concern is that I will eat even less than I am now which could throw my body into starvation mode and it will save everything it can and I will either gain weight or not lose.

I live in San Antonio Texas - GO SPURS GO. I too would love to take a trip to Alaska. I've seen some awesome pics taken on some cruises in the area. I have an uncle who lives in Chelan Washington and I'm hoping to make my way up there in the next year or two. If I do that, Alaska's right around the corner.

would you make one for me too. Lesly Thanks so much.

This is a great thread. I absolutely dispise the feel of coconut - can't stand it in or on anything I eat if I know it's there. my 16 year old daughter is actually more interesting a subject than me. Some of her quirks are: -if there are several things hanging (like I hang my work ids from the rearview mirror in the car) she will move the cords until they are perfectly even. -at restaurants she will line up the salt/pepper shakers, napkins, whatever else is on the table. -silverware has to be set just so - forks with tines up, knives with cutting edge against the fork on the right, spoons to the right of the knife. She does this no matter where we are.

For me it was about 3 days after the surgery but not very much. Now that I'm on soft foods I'm returning to my pre surgery routine if you know what I mean.

Congrats to both of you. Each day it gets easier and easier. I was banded 2/15 and had my first post op follow up today. I have been officially moved off all liquids and can begin with soft foods. My first meal was DELICIOUS!!! Only problem (not) was that I was only able to eat one piece of the fist, about 2 oz, and 3 or 4 bites of tomato. Maybe I'm still a little scared that I'll over eat and cause problems. Anyway, I have the wonderful people on this board who will help me through all the rough spots. I don't know you guys, but I love ya.:rolleyes2:

Got my date for the first fill today. March 13th. Becca------------------March 6th Shinyhappymommy------March 6th Enchantedruby----------March 7th Jaxbanster--------------March 11th Angie4b1g--------------March 11th CynthiaMcc-------------March 12th Sadie-------------------March 13th Marathinner-------------March 12th Happy One--------------March 13th Sharon160--------------March 17th mhazelrigg--------------March 17th terri guilford-------------March 17th Viridesence-------------March 18th Nicolek-----------------March 26th Ponomimi---------------March 10th Jennyxo----------------April 3rd StLouisGal--------------April 3rd LilMissBand-Aid---------April 10th __________________

Congrats STLouisGal. We were banded on the same day and I too feel great. Got outside yesterday and did some light yard work. (Did I mention it was 92 degrees here in Texas today!) I go for my first pre op on Thursday and am on creamy foods until then.

It's been just over a week for me (10 days to be exact) and I am still having the tummy rumbles, just not as much. I think the anesthesia slows down the normal digestive actions and once it is out of your system things start moving again which causes the rumbling. It still happens occasionally but nothing like the first 2 days. I didn't have diarrhea so I'm not too sure about that but it may just be that the only going in is liquid so that's how it's coming out. Hang in there. I was sleeping on either side by 4 days out and am pain free today. Unless I push on the site where my port is I don't even "know" it's there. I'm really surprised how well I am feeling already.

Hi everyone. I had my surgery at about 1pm this afternoon. I was scheduled for 3:00 but got a call at 11:15 asking me to come on in, they were running ahead of scheduled. I was also the last surgery for them for the day. Got there at 12:00 and did all the required paperwork. They took me back pocked me 4 times to try to get the IV line in until the anesthesiologist came back and did it on the first try. Vitals taken, twilight added and I was wheeled surgery at 1:00. They had me out and in recovery at 1:45. Didn't have any trouble waking up, very like pain - mostly just discomfort as everyone else has indicated. Didn't need any of the pain meds. After about 30 or 45 minutes they had me walk to the xray room for the barium xray. That stuff is nastyyyyyy. Then I went to the recliner. At the center I used, I'm not sure why it's call a recliner because it doesn't recline. It was not very comfortable.:biggrin: I only had one real bout of nausea - which turned out to be a burp - but they gave me phenergram in the iv and it went away really quickly. I left the surgery center at 5pm and was home by 6. Doing okay for now. just a bit sore but nothing too bad. I had a c section in 91 and this is a piece of cake compared to that. Thanks to everyone who posted their experiences because it made today a whole lot easier for me.