bluekygirl

I guarantee that if you get this surgery and you start losing a bunch of weight, your two friends will follow suit and want the surgery as well. Oh yeah, and they'll talk behind your back about you at first, because let's face it, girls are like that. But you have to take care of you. Keep a positive attitude. Hopefully you'll stay the same person on the inside, and they'll see that. As for the guy, it sounds like he's wanting to keep it casual by dating other girls as well. If you can stomach that (no pun intended), then date him and see where it goes. All the while, you'll be losing weight and eventually you won't have to worry as much if a girl is thinner than you. I have been jealous of other women in my boyfriends' lives as well, but you can't live in fear of that and not find out if he's worth keeping around! Just try to outshine those girls with your personality and gain some confidence. I know from experience, guys really dig a confident woman. Oh yeah, and you don't have to tell him that you're having the surgery if you don't want to (unless your friends know him and will blab). Wait til the time is right, and tell him in your own time. You can come up with every excuse in the book not to go out to eat with him until your liquid phase is over. I'm sure he won't give it a second thought. Good luck with everything!

Sushi is my favorite food ever! I don't know what I'd do if I was at full restriction and couldn't eat it, since I've heard some people have a problem with rice. I guess that's an excuse to go and try to savor it in the next few days until I get my 2nd fill, just in case...

My doc has a "no eating 3 hours prior to a fill" rule.

This was my exact experience with my first fill. It was no problem at all.

I got my 1st fill on Monday, April 28. After one day of liquids, then soft food, on the third day, I could tell that I definitely ate less. However, it's far from a "sweet spot" that I've been hearing about. I would say that right now, I am eating 1/3 to 1/2 less than I would normally eat, depending on how I feel each meal. Tonight, for example, we had pizza for dinner. I ate two slices. However, I used to eat 4 to 5 slices. And I shouldn't have even had the entire 2nd slice because after I finished the 2nd piece, I started to get this awful feeling in my chest. Then, I am assuming I PB'd (some food came up my throat). And the weird chest pain has continued for about an hour and a half now. I guess I know not to eat two slices of pizza again. Awesome! It's like, even if I want to eat more, I phyically can't. That's a good feeling. My doctor has a great way of explaining why it takes an average of 3 fills to get proper restriction. And I'm hoping that it goes this way for me, if not, better. He said, "On your 1st fill, I find your neighborhood. On your 2nd fill, I find your street. On your 3rd fill, I find your house".

I too, have a food addiction. But, I can't figure out my triggers at all. Well, I do know ONE of them - boredom. I do eat when there's nothing else to do. Although, I've gotten much much better at it. But I've never noticed that I like to eat any more than usual when I'm happy, sad, nervous, etc. I just like to eat, damn it!! Why is that? And I have to agree with LosingJusMe - any ol' food just won't do. When I'm craving something, it's always bad for me. Fried foods, rich food, any type of cheese (love it), chocolate (love it even more), etc. And something else I have noticed for years, even if I get a satisfied feeling half way through my meal, I will continue eating until everything on my plate is gone and I'm stuffed. And, No, my parents never told me when I was little that I had to "clean my plate". So, go figure - I don't know why I do it. I got my first fill this past Monday and I don't feel a lot of restriction, but I do notice I am not eating everything on my plate now, so that's a big deal to me and makes me think, "hey, this thing may work after all". Maybe the band won't destroy my cravings, but hopefully it will keep them under control by lot letting me overeat when I have them.

Very good question - I'd like to know how much I should be eating as well. When I went to my 1st seminar, one doctor said we should only be eating about 1/4 cup 3 times a day. But the surgeon that actually banded me said that I should just eat until I'm full, but to start out eating about 1/2 cup each time. Now, I'm reading that some people can eat 1 to 1 1/2 cups at each sitting. I'm really confused about this, because I want to do this right. I go for my first fill on April 28 and want to follow the rules - but I can't get the rules straightened out! Right now, I notice that I am able to eat a little less than pre-band, but I'm hoping to notice a bigger difference with my fill.

Hi, my name is Jenny. I was banded on March 26th. I live in Louisville, Ky, where I was born and raised, with my husband and beautiful little girl who just turned one. I am a stay at home mom, but I also work from home part-time for my brother's mortgage company. I get my first fill on April 28th, and looking forward to having some restriction, hopefully!

I'm still having bad gas pain in my shoulder and neck and it's been 5 days since surgery. Anyone else had/having this experience? :confused2:

Charity, I'm in the same exact boat as you - got banded yesterday, and was extremely nauseous in the hospital. Gas pain was horrible yesterday, but fine today. Port incision hurts today, and it bled through my clothes last night. I'm doing pretty well. My mom is here chasing after my 11 month old, thank god. I don't think I would be feeling as well if I had to get up and down a bunch to care for the DD. Best wishes!!

I am having surgery on the 26th as well! 9 AM. Best wishes everyone!:biggrin:

Okay, not saying this is okay, but I have not cheated on my pre-op diet as of yet, but my surgery date is Wed, March 26, and tomorrow night (Monday), I plan on having sushi with my husband as a kind of farewell to it (I have read that I may not be able to tolerate it after surgery, but who knows?). After that, I am going back to being 100% on track, but I'll only have 1 full day left. I am allowed a few solids such as cottage cheese, raw veggies, and fruit. But I just read from a few of you that an all liquid diet will help most with the fatty liver, so I plan on going all-liquid Monday (except for the sushi dinner) and all day Tuesday. I hope that will counteract the sushi. Am I horrible for wanting to do this??????

I plan on going to consignment shops to buy most of my clothes. My mom buys most of her business suits and dresses from there, and they are designer brands and are really cheap. But I probably won't have to do that for at least a few months because due to my weight loss yo-yo past, I've got three different sizes in my closet right now. Looking forward to wearing things out of my own closet that I've only been able to look at!

Just wanted to say "Hi" to everyone. I just got a surgery date for March 26th! Looking forward to going through this with people who are in the same boat.

Okay, sorry to say that I don't have any advise on this subject, but I just wanted to say "Hi" to a fellow Kentuckian. Well, I guess you won't be a Kentuckian for long, Ms. Hawaii! Don't know if you've been there yet, but Hawaii is my favorite place in the whole world. Been there three times and never wanted to leave. Everyone there is so relaxed, not to mention, all the beautiful scenery. I even got married there (in Maui). I hope that you are able to get your approval before your surgery! Good Luck and Aloha!

Hello All, I will be banded late March and have an 11 month old baby. I have read that I cannot pick up anything that is heavier than a gallon of milk, which I think is about 8 lbs??? So, of course I have enlisted some help from others while my husband is at work. How long can I expect to need help with my daughter? When is my weight limitation lifted? Also, aside from not being able to pick her up, is there anything else I should know? Am I making a mountain out of a mole hill?

Thanks, that's all great advice. I will certainly talk to my surgeon about it as well. But it's sounding like I will be able to hold her with no problem and perhaps even pick her up in certain situations. She is actually walking everywhere and getting into everything, so I'm glad I'll have someone here with me to help chase her around. I am thinking that will be the worst part during the healing process. I just don't want to put this surgery off any longer. Good luck to all!

Thanks for responding so quicky, LJM. Not being able to carry her will be hard, but at least I can still love on her:wub:. Wow, I didn't realize that it would be for a couple of weeks. That's longer than I expected. But she'll definitely benefit once I'm able to be more active with her. I've been quietly reading your posts. Glad that things are going well with you. You are an inspiration.

QuincyGirl, I too, will be self-pay because my insurance doesn't cover it. Have you researched any doctors around you instead of going to Mexico? Don't get me wrong, I've read on this site about many successful lap band surgeries in Mexico, and how much less they cost. However, in my situation, the doctor I am going to has it in his policy that any complications for the rest of my life are covered for free (that's just the surgeon's fee. the hospital will only cover complications for 2 years and then will charge after that). He says complications are such a low percentage that he's willing to cover them so that self-pay people aren't scared away. Also, for three years, all fills are included in the initial price. After that, I get 1 free fill a year. To me, even though the surgery costs about $10,000 more than the average fee in Mexico, it's worth it since my insurance won't cover complications and also because I don't have to pay for fills and/or doctor visits until at least the third year. I am assuming that my doctor is not the only doctor that has this type of policy. Granted, it will takes a whole lot of fills/doctor visits to add up to that extra $10,000, but just knowing that if I have a slippage, erosion, port problem, etc., it will not cost me any extra.

Okay, don't have any tattoos, and actually had never planned to get any, but I think a clover on my rear would be awesome if/when I get to my goal weight! We could all belong to a secret society of butt clovers!:biggrin2:

I am supposed to be banded anytime from March 21 to March 28, so I guess I am an unofficial March bandster until I get a solid date on March 11. And I will be oh so happy to post my official date upon my return from the surgeon's office. I hear a lot of people out there saying they're scared, which is TOTALLY understandable. But for some reason, I feel like jumping on my surgeon's exam table and screaming "CUT ME, DOC, I'M READY!!!!" I guess it helps that I've already had a gallbladder removal and a C-section, so I know kind of what to expect.

April, don't get discouraged just yet. Not all insurance companies are the same. Perhaps having a BMI over 50 isn't a problem for your insurance company. And if it is, perhaps you can find out what BMI they will cover and see how hard it is to lose that amount in order to have surgery. Of course all our attempts to lose weight have resulted in gaining it all back, which is why we're all here on this site in the first place, but it only has to be short-lived enough for your doctor to record your initial weight in most cases. Just a thought. But I know how you feel - My insurance has a direct exclusion and will not cover any type of weight loss surgery. So, I decided to self-pay. Although my husband is having a major cow over the cost, I consider it an investment. He'll reap the benefits too! Lots of luck, and don't give up!

Cerrin, I like hearing that Dr Lusco is agressive with his fills. Makes me feel like he wants great results too. He did say in his seminar that he handles fills differently than surgeons at other hospitals. I have a question for you...Do you live far from St Mary's? The reason I ask is because although I live in Louisville, I'm a good half hour away and I wonder if the twice a week exercise program is very worthwhile. With gas prices being as high as they are, and with my terrible gas mileage, would it be just as productive to just start an exercise program of my own? Did you attend all the classes?

Pip, I am jealous that you got your surgery for free! But I guess I don't mind paying since I expect the outcome to be so good! No really, good for you. Especially if this was the only way you would be able to do it. I'll bet you are really excited. Welcome to LBT!

Cerrin, thanks for the invite...perhaps I can make it. How often are the support group meetings? I already met Dr Lusco at the seminar - and he does seem very nice. I'm looking forward to talking to him at my first surgeon appointment.