Dawn NH

Thank you all for your support. I had computer issues and could not get on line. I have a 10 cc band and it is really nice to know that I am not alone in this slow to start club : ) I would do it all again tomorrow, because I do feel better. I can almost fit into regular size 22 jeans (not the spandex added ones). I am going to start working out. I have always hated that part of getting healthier, but without it I will not get smaller and healthier.

I was filled 1/25 and do not feel a difference. I have to wait six weeks for another fill. I am not sure how big my band is, but I think there must still be a lot of room in it because I can not feel anything.

Jacqui, I am good at following a diet, my body does not let go of the weight. Exercise is going to be key for me. I am eating three smaller meals a day, some days eating a snack at night if I am really hungry. I am eating protien first, hardly anything other than protien actually. I am not sure what I am doing "wrong".

I am just wondering how everyone is doing that was banded in December? I am feeling great!!!! Not as much weight loss as I hoped, but I am not focusing on that as much as how I feel. I lost 9 lbs and gained two back on liquids. They think my body went into starvation mode. I am looking forward to real food and hoping that will start the weightloss again. I am scheduled for my first fill 1/25. My Dr. said that she can not help until then. I have been very hungry as well. I have found that milk is good to drink because it is filling. Hope you are all doing well and have a great New Year!!!!!

I have taken 10mg of Prozac for almost six years. It was seasonal at first, but as my weight got higher I started to need it year round. I take it for anxiety. The anxiety was post-partum and seasonal for years. I am hoping to get off the med completely or at least get back to seasonal use.

Congrats!!!!! Just give yourself time to heal and glad that things went well!!!!!

Vanessa, I was banded just a few days after you, 12/13 and feel the same way about my fill. I am trying to be good about following my diet, but I can also eat anything. I have started to lose again : ) though I can not do anything but walk due to some small surgery complications that increase my hurnia risk. My son loves to go to the YMCA, but he is 6. Does your Y have family time? Mine has family time where they have activities for children so that the parents can either join them or go off an exersize. That may help. Mine had a room for younger kids with activities in one area and mats in another for the kids to be active. My program has told me once on all solid food that I should try to stay around 1200 calories per day, (which is 24 points on weight watchers. I find it easier to count the points than count to 1200. Pathetic I know!!!!) Part of the 1200 calories is 60 grams of protien. I am told to eat all protien first then if still hungry eat other things. I am not having any more children, but also like that I can eat a normal diet and be healthy with a band : ) Hope this helps!!!!!

I will try to do this Weigh in 1/3/06 - 273 NSV - Not giving into emotional eating today!!!!

It is great to hear from all of you who were also banded in December. I am looking forward to my first fill as well on 1/25. I have not had much pain and the pain I have had is not that bad. I experienced my first post surgery I want to eat to make myself feel better today. My son took the bus home, and no one was there. The afterschool program called to report that he was not there. I found him and he was safely at a neighbor's house, but then I wanted to eat to make myself feel better. I did not but realized for the first time how often I must have done that in the past. First of many battles to come I am sure : )

Sarabride2006, Sorry to hear that you are uncomfortable. I know that some people have used some gas medication to help with the gas pain and heating pads. I was very hungry for about a week. I found that my protien shake and drinking lots of milk helped. Not the lowest calorie drink (chocolate milk) but filling and helpful. It does get better. I am only a few weeks ahead of you and I feel great already!!!!

I brought my entire packet from CMC to my Dr. If you attend one of the intro sessions they talk about research on Morbid Obesity. I also spent some time on www.obesityhelp.com and looked at their information and used some of that. Obesity Help is very much a gastric site, but it has some good information on it. If you want more information about CMC you can contact me directly. Hope this helps : )

I was banded on 12/13 and was also very hungry for a while. My Dr. has liquid for three weeks. I was not allowed to use a blender for any foods, I asked and was told no. They did move me to a "mushy" diet a bit sooner, but I also gained some of my weight back on full liquids. I used my protien shake (GNC) and drank some milk if I was really hungry. The other thing that I had was there was stomach growling, but no hunger with it. That was a bit confusing at first. I think she needs to hear what a brave girl she is and she needs lots of praise for her choice to be healthy at such a young age. Good for her!!!!

My only port site pain is if I hit it. It is still bruised a bit and still healing. That is the site that they had to cut more as my body did not want to let the band in. It is still not scabbed over. We are watching it for an infection. TommyO, it is great that you could work out. Don't you have any restrictions? I am only allowed to take small walks and no lifting over 10lbs for two months due to my complication. Great weight loss!!!!! Keep it up

Dr. Connie Campbell did my surgery at CMC. They have set up the Obesity Treatment Center, which is where the pre-surgery meetings are done. I would HIGHLY recommend Dr. Campbell to anyone. There are also monthly support group meetings. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you!!! Good luck with your research and have a Happy New Year : )

I was sore and tired for the first week. I was able to sleep during the day, naps here and there, I did walk three times a day. They were not long walks, I walked my dog around my block and walked my son to the bus. I did not have gas pains so that helped a lot. I was driving a week after surgery, but was able to stop pain meds five days post op.

That is great!!!! I only lost 9 in the first two weeks and gained 2 back.....while on liquids!!!!! I am just looking forward to my first fill : )

I spent the night and did a swallow in the morning. The thing is I was the first that had orders that I could go home same day. My husband was concerned because I was very nauseous in post op so he had me stay the night. If I had gone home, I would not have done the swallow!!!!

I am 32 and just got banded, but like you I have been overweight my entire life. I did every diet there was and took some diet pills as well. I had a Dr. once tell me that until there was a cure, I would be fat and to deal with it. NOW I know that sounds harsh (I was 23 at the time) but that got me through the last 9 years and made me love myself for me. I am the smallest in my family and the first to have surgery. When I first talked to my Dr. she said no. I spent time doing research and went back to her with a packet of information. I had attended an orientation at CMC (Manchester NH) for surgery. ( I looked in your profile and saw you were in MA, but I do not know how far from NH or Boston you are. ) I gaver her facts about how long I had been morbidly obese and what the research has proven about loosing weight and maintaining it. I had my information packet filled out and the entire orientation packet with me. She filled out my referral on the spot. She was impressed with all the information I had about the options that were available. I am also 5'4 and at my highest I weighed 291. Good luck and let me know if I can help in any way. Just don't give up. I am only a few weeks out and I feel great!!!!

I love my band.....I think. No just kidding. I am hungry and I am on liquid for three weeks. I will be on liquid for Christmas and New Years. I did not think this would be a problem as I expected to not be hungry. I saw my Dr today (1 week post op) and she said that things look good but to stick to the diet as given I am down 9lbs since surgery, 20 since this summer. SO....I must admit that I do LOVE MY BAND TOO!!!!!!!

I am fat for many reasons....many I have known for a long time. I had an abusive childhood and learned in my teen years that boys don't like fat girls.....well that was not completely true. I have many different illnesses/addictions in my family. There is a lot of alcoholism, depression and anxiety. I was lucky enough to get the anxiety and some of the health issues such as high cholesterol (from age 14) good blood pressure, but asthma that was not diagnosed until I was in college. I HATE to exersize!!!!!!!!!! My father was always a very big man who treated me poorly because I am a girl. So I can remember him doing many things that revolved around food, such as buying food for him and my brother but my mother and I could not touch it, or buying food for himself. It was not uncommon growing up to go out shopping and buy the big 1lb candy bars for each person, two for my brother and more for my father. In high school I did Nutra Systems and got down, yes down, to 190 which is the smallest I can remember being. I was smaller at one point, but as I said above things were not good for me as a teen. Even when I was smaller, I was always bigger than everyone else. It was the "big bones" on both sides of the family. So here I am at age 32, happily married for 10 years and at 291 being my highest weight this summer, I am the smallest in my family. The only people smaller are active alcoholics. (My grandmother starts every morning and ends every day with a beer. She does not drink anything else) After some therapy with very skilled therapists and a very supportive family I can answer the question honestly.................................... So why am I fat, for many reasons.....a choice made as a young teenager without understanding that I could not take the weight off as easily as putting it on; family genetics (I took Redux until it was pulled off the market at which time...age 23.....my DR told me that I would be fat until there was a cure such as was found so I needed to deal with it) Now many may think that is harsh but what it did do is help me to be comforable in my own skin all these years. I started to go to the beach and wear comfortable cloths and if someone did not like it they did not have to look. I for the record could never go out in a bikini : ) I am hoping that my band will be the last tool that I need to be healthy. I do not care about size or number on the scale (though under 200 would be nice) as long as I am healthy and active again!!!!!

I was just banded on 12/13 and I saw my Dr. today for a follow up a week early due to the holiday and her taking time off. I will answer the ones that I can 1. How difficult did you find the pre-op diet? I did not have a week liquid diet, I had to loose 8% before surgery. I gained some back and my Dr. let me have surgery even though she usually does not allow that. She has cancled surgery before for weight gain. I had one day of clear liquid and that was a bit tough at times. I would suggest getting protien shakes or other foods that are filling and drink lots of water. Can they give you a diet pill for that week. I was prescribed something preop to loose the weight. I will get the name for you. 2. I have had 3 cesareans and my gallbladder laproscopically removed. Does anyone know how the pain and/or recovery is in comparison? I had my gallbladder removed and was prepaired for the same pain, but it was so much easier. I did sleep on the couch for a while but that was because I was afraid I would roll over on my stomach as that is how I usually sleep and did not want to due to my swelling and bruising. I had a bit more swelling and bruising my Dr. said than she normally see's because my body was being difficult and not letting the band and port in through the incision. Not normal. 3. Now this is one I really haven't seen at all and am a bit shy to ask, but it's better to ask now then end up in the ER. How soon can one umm hmmm be intimate and are you limited in well you know <WHISPERS>positions? My Dr gave me a binder at the hospital and this is one of the items addressed. She said as soon as a person feels up to it. I was taken off birth control and so I am going to be a bit careful. No ooppss for me : ) I can not answer the rest but having just done this a week ago, I would do it again in a heart beat. I lost 9 lbs my first week and I was drinking lots of empty calories (apple juice, orange juice) that I am now cutting down on so I can maximize my weight loss. I do not feel any restriction and my Dr. said to just keep with the post op diet and I will get filled in Jan. I drank a lot of soda and that is hard to give up. I drank it up to the day of surgery. If I could go back I would have stopped before that because that is hard now. I know I can not have soda, but I am only on liquids so it is a huge adjuestment.

Thanks everyone!!!! I am doing great still no restriction and just started to get hungry. I am on liquids for two more weeks, but I just keep thinking about the weight loss during this time. My swelling has gone down and I stopped the pain medication today. It is nice to hear that others felt the same way.

I was banded on 12/13 and spent the night due to being very nausious. The operation was 2 1/2 hours instead of 1- 1 1/2. My Dr. told my husband that she had a hard time getting the band into me, but everything was fine after that. I have five openings, one is a bit large. I am swollen and bruised as well. Did this happen to anyone else? I am not hungry, but can drink almost all day and do not feel anything, is that normal? I have been up and moving around since the day of surgery and I feel great overall. I am still on pain medication due to the swelling and bruising my Dr said to stay on it for while, as well as having a patch for the nausia. I also did the silly thing of getting on the scale after I got home. Now I am looking at the scale every day. I just got down to my pre-op weight.

I was just banded in Manchester at CMC by Dr. Campell. She was wonderful. I can not say enough about the staff that I worked with before the sugery, and the nursing staff were so fantastic!!!! I would recommend Dr. Campbell to anyone. She was great in the office and at the hospital talking to me and my husband and did not rush our questions. She came right out to see my husband when she was done, he was very happy that she did not make him wait like he had to prior with another surgen. Hope everyone is doing well!!!

I was banded on 12/13 as well. I have not had any problems with food but I also gurgle and make different odd noises. I have been sleeping on the couch so I do not have to lay flat. I do not have a recliner or that would be my home. I got a book from my hospital and it says that burping is from eating/drinking too quickly and air gets in. I am not allowed straws or gum for quite a while. I feel as though I do not have any restriction at this time, and that has made it hard for me to remember to slow down when I drink. I have stopped the pain medication and still feel great. Good Luck : )