HeatherO

I agree with you. I probably should have wrote something more along the line of failure with #3 can eliminate the benefits of the band, but it should never be an exclusionary factor pre-band. Really this just goes along with failure to fully understand and being capable of committing to necessary lifestyle changes.

I was very, very emotional as well. I would say up through the first several months it was like super long-term pms or being pregnant. Part of it was hormones being released, part of it was saying goodbye to food, part of it was saying goodbye to me as I used to be. I find that whenever I am feeling a little uptight . . . I find a good tear-jerker of a film, watch it alone in my room and bawl my eyes out. This releases the tension in a way that allows my family to still tolerate cohabitating with me, lol. The last one I saw was called "Pay it Forward" . . . strange film but definitely a great tear jerker if that is what you are looking for :0)

I agree with everything orea15 said. You need a fill when you stop losing 1-2 pounds a week on average, and when you are hungry in between meals (physically hungry not mentally hungry). However, it is important to keep eating the protiens first because they go down slow and help you to feel satisfied. It is hard to get the Water in but you have to make a conscious effort to always keep the water bottle near and keep sipping all day.

Up a pound, down a pound, stall a little, down a pound . . . and repeat repeatedly is the story of my banded existence. It is normal for it to be this way and as long as you are not having any lasting gains this far out you are doing OK until you get your first fill. I was exactly the same but have made it to goal . . . so don't be discouraged. If you keep doing the right things consistently, the pounds can't help but fall off, even if they do so in their own time.

I really think this is personal and it depends on curing what ails you to begin with. I am much happier than before . . . but I can also say that my life was wonderful before banding with the only real bane of my existence being the excess pounds. With that being said, I also know that not everyone is happier. Sometimes there are underlying issues in a persons life . . . bad relationships, low self-esteem, self soothing through addictive behavior that is not improved solely by losing weight. Sometimes counseling or other actions must be taken to overcome these issues. So, my two cents worth is, you can be a lot happier without excess weight . . . but I think you must work on yourself as the "whole" person to find satisfaction throughout your life. We are all more than just our "weight" so to say less weight automatically equals happiness is an oversimplification.

The band can assist you in losing weight but it isn't going to fix any esteem/confidence/coping issues that were there before. In fact, you will find as you lose the weight you will be confronted with this even more as time goes on since you have lost one coping mechanism. You are now almost two months out. If you are turning to liquor now, now is the time to seek assistance before it becomes much more difficult to control. Most of us who are banded have food issues or are food addicts . . . we are at a very big risk of trading addictions. If you were self-soothing with food before, which is damaging in itself, turning to liquor may just cause a steeper decline and more angst than food ever could. Seeking counseling is excellent advice and I agree with RestlessMonkey. You have already taken steps to improve yourself by getting banded. Now is an excellent time to get everything in order, most especially any psychological issues. Getting started might be easier than you think. Support is also important and being an active member on a forum can help. Seeking support through family and friends may also help. Good luck with everything.

I had a fairly nice shape before banding but they were a little long. I still have a fairly nice shape but they are still just a little long. I am OK with them the way they are because they are decent. If they were already saggy, I think it is impossible for them to lose the sag. You might lose bulk or a cup size but the length and the sag will most likely not change.

You need to be really, really careful with being too tight. Having restriction is pointless if you end up getting a slipped band from being too tight too long. If you can't get 3 sips down, it probably isn't going to get any better. I made the mistake of getting too tight a fill, could drink but not easily, and thought I would give it a few days . . . pb'd a few times and then my stomach swelled until I could get nothing down. I then had to have a huge unfill where I had no restriction to allow my stomach to heal. By waiting, I not only made the problem worse, I had to go back to less restriction than I had for many, many months. Don't wait, call your doctor. Always remember . . . fluids are the most important. If you can't keep them down in small quantities, you have a serious problem and time may just make it worse instead of better. Why risk it???

It is funny how you get tired of the sizes you dreamed of attaining in the past. I got down to a comfortable size 8 in pants - with pregnancy I started pulling out my 10's again because they are comfortable. I didn't realize how sad I would be going up a size, even though it is for a wonderful reason and I haven't gained any weight. I can remember how ecstatic I was to get into my first size 14's as an adult - now the thought of a size 14 fills me with horror, lol. I am not crazy about Becky for a nickname either - it is too common but Becca is really cute for a nickname. Isabella - Izzy is adorable. I do like the name Brianna but I have a cousin with this name who's nickname is Bri (sounds like Bree), she is vivacious, smart and a cheerleader. She always goes by her nickname and it is really a cute name. On the other hand, I knew a talkative, busybody who could be a little annoying named Natalie and I always think of it when I hear that name. I think sometimes we just like/dislike names because of who we have known previously :0). Violet is a top 100 name? I have also never heard of a real person who's name was Violet . . . it does seem strange. I have to start thinking about names as well, but I can't find any that really sound like "the" name. What is strange is that I can think of lots of options for girls names but am drawing a complete blank on boy names. . . does that mean that subconsciously I think I must be having a girl??? I can't wait to find out if it is a boy or girl!!! I guess tomorrow is the big day when you will find out.

I would suggest calling the doctor as well. It sounds like the pain is significant and if you didn't do anything very physical to induce it, it is best to get checked out.

14 pounds is still going in the right direction. I was told to lose at 1-2 pounds per week . . . you are doing that and you are probably healthier and less prone to hair loss than those of us who are losing more. Charting might help you as well if you are not sure how many calories you are getting in daily . . . sometimes I find when I chart I am ingesting more than I thought I was because a little bite here and there does add up. Exercise will definitely kick the loss into a higher gear for you. Even if you are working a lot of hours, it is still good to get it in, even if you start with 30 minutes 3x's a week. You can always get a 30 minute workout video at the library . . . this is free so no initial investment. Sometimes you just have to shake up your routine a little to break a plateau or increase the rate of loss. You are already doing the right things . . . a small tweak to your routine might yield a big difference.

I was walking right away. I was cleared for normal exercise at 4 weeks and I started going to the gym regularly again. I had some port pain with abdominals and my doctor said give it another two weeks for abdominals but aerobics were fine. I was a little weak and slow weeks 4-6 but by week 7 I felt pretty darn good and exercise was no problem at all.

MacMadame and Jachut, you both have excellent points and I couldn't have said it better myself. Weight loss is a struggle for all of us, we wouldnt be here if it wasn't. I was one of those people who kept returning to somewhere around 200 or so for the past 10+ years, but staying there and not rising above was a complete struggle. I have gone to they gym for years and years, have always been physically active, have been eating a generally low-fat high quality diet for those years (only obviously I ate too much of it . . . too much of a good thing can still be too much. I could always drop my weight anywhere from 10-70 pounds at a shot, I could never maintain it. I have spent years obsessing over my weight . . .and where has it gotten me. Well, in all honesty it did get me somewhere. My younger sister never exercises, she eats what she wants with only the occasional thought towards dieting and she is 300+ pounds. I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that if I would have just given up completely, I could have made it to the 300's. Marieg, I was a lot like you about 3 years ago. I started investigating wls, jumped through the hoops, was about to go through bypass and scared myself out of it at the last minute (and I am happy I did because banding was a better choice for me). I did consider wls a last resort and decided to do it myself one more time. All I did in my own case was waste my time. I lost 70 pounds, kept it off for a while . . . and then the inevitable happened, pound by desperate pound. You mentioned that you have been struggling with your weight for 25 years or so . . . I didnt want to do this for 25 plus years. The end of the last year I was so depressed about it because I had to accept that my final push failed miserably even though it took two years for me to lose and get back to 200+. I really wish you the best of luck with your last attempt. My personal feeling is that the band is an excellent tool that should be available to everyone who struggles with obesity. 200 pounds on one person can be as miserable as 400 pounds on another depending on stature and circumstance . . . who am I to say one is more deserving than the other, they are both deserving. I feel that the only people who should not have wls are as follows: 1) Those with psychological issues that are likely to prevent eventual success with the band or could cause more damage to themselves (bulimia, anorexia, body dysmorphia, etc) 2) Those who did not do research and do not have a full understanding or the ability to commit to what banding entails. 3) Those whose lifestyles or eating styles will not lead to success with the band (heavy sugar/liquid calorie intake, constant grazing, etc) I really don't care if it is health or cosmetic issues that are the strongest underlying reasons. All of us have some cosmetic reason for doing this as well. Statistics say that obesity will most likely lead us to initimate knowledge of suffering with comorbidities in the future anyway. Why not nip it before it ever even starts?

Congrats on your banding and happy losing!!! It seems unusual to require 6+ days of heavy pain meds. My script when leaving the hospital was for 2 small pills, of which I only took one and saved the other for when I felt really bad . . . which I never did. However, I know everyone tolerates pain differently. I hope you are feeling fine now that you are a little further out.

That is a great NSV. I noticed everyone in all the stores are more helpful now . . . strange what a difference a few pounds makes.

Congrats and good luck!!! It will be here before you know it. It is also perfect timing for New Year's resolutions, lol.

I agree with what she said :wink_smile:

I think too many of us have suffered reflux issues, slippage, pain after eating, etc. just by having unrealistic expectations of what restriction should be. The band should help you but not cause suffering. I think this is an excellent article and thank you for sharing.

If you are having pain you should get checked out sooner rather than later. Waiting might cause things to get worse. Unless you can find a new doctor and schedule something over the next few days you should consider going back to your surgeon.

Sometimes they just don't know how to react. I know there were times in the past that if I was feeling down and my hubby made me an ice cream sundae . . . I would have been happy about how thoughtful he was. They just have to get used to how things have changed, and they have to adjust just like the banded person does to the whole change in the concept of food. You just have to talk to him until he learns . . . and if he is anything like most men, you may have to talk about it a few times and subtle and even not-so-subtle hints often do nothing. My husband is the opposite now. I couldn't get him to get me a piece of pizza or ice cream cone now if I threatened his life. I think I must have trained him well, lol. He is even strong when I am weak and hungry.

I don't have anything like that on my back - but I do have a small bulge of fat near my port in between my rib cage and my belly button. It doesn't seem to go away and I have now lost enough that I don't have any rolls or bulges except for that one. It just wont go away even though everything else has. We might all have one or two problem spots . . . but they all might be in different places.

I dont know of anyone who has been diagnosed, yet I know plenty of people who have it. I would say that most of us who have been banded or have had other versions of WLS have a touch of food addiction. The band for me has been a partial cure along with lots of self work. I have not gone to conseling but I read and discuss the issue quite a bit and feel I have made great progress. I think I will always be a bit of a food addict . . . remove my band and I have no doubt whatsoever that I will be obese again.

I am past due for resizing as well. I have started wearing a smaller band on top of my wedding ring or it slides off when I am changing clothes. I think this thread is just the kick in the pants that I need to go do something about it, lol.

Documentation is sooo valuable. You can almost think of this as good luck for the tummy tuck to be down the road, lol. It is worth going.

Carbonation should be avoided. I don't think the Cosmopolitan's would hurt you at all as far as digestion or the band is concerned. The biggest reason to avoid alcohol (other than the carbonated varieties which must be avoided) is because a lot of us became obese due to food addictions, emotional eating, etc. Anyone who suffers from any kind of addiction can be predisposed to switching addictions when the usual choice is no longer available to us. Also, some mixed drinks are swimming in excess calories. I am not a drinker, but I had a little virgin eggnog over Thanksgiving and found that a tiny half cup stores a whopping 300+ calories. That half cup was yummy but I am afraid to buy any now, lol.