Vidahlia

I should be receiving my Fitbit tomorrow (Hooray!). I chose it over the Bodybugg for several reasons. I read the Ambassador of Wellness comparison several months ago and really liked her honesty about the two devices. The main reason I chose the Fitbit was bang for my buck. For just under $120 ($99 + $18 tax & shipping) I get a pretty nice, feature rich, device that will help me track my steps, activity level and sleep patterns. I don't have to pay a monthly subscription fee to use it, nor pay extra for a display. It is also very small and will upload the collected data automatically (wirelessly) whenever I pass by the charging station. Once I get it and start using it, I'll let you know how much I really like it. :scared2: There is a Fitbit forum located on their website. You do have to register in order to have access.

Finally! I have that appointment! It took days of phone tag with the appointment admin to finally get an appointment only to find out the PA who usually does my fills is out until July. I also had to have blood work done first before they would see me. After blood work it was a wait of 10 days so they can get the results. Anyways, I have an appointment on Monday, June 28 with a different fill nurse. And I signed up for a 5 week fitness class to get me back on track! I WILL get this done! No more excuses!:thumbup:

I am with you! I have put on 30 lbs in the last year and have had no fills in a year. I've been running as well and I am trying to lose at least 15 lbs so it doesn't look so bad going back to the doctor. However, after reading the replies you have received so far, I just called to make an appointment. I have the tool!! I spent so much money to get it that it is ridiculous to not use it and continue to struggle as I did before my band. So, I will take whatever admonishments my physician gives me and start over!

I look at it this way.... I needed help to become healthier... the band is the help I need.... Do I tell everyone I meet?.. nope... When I started this only my husband knew... I did get a little nervous about having surgery and possibly dying on the table so I told my kids still at home about the surgery... otherwise, I have not told my co-workers, supervisor, other family, etc., to include my oldest child and my mother!..... While I don't tell people close to me, I have no problems telling complete strangers about my band! Am I embarrassed? No way! This is the best thing I've done for myself!

I am excited about my NSV today! I suggested a motorcycle ride to my hubby this morning since it was such a nice day, just a little cold (38F). :tt2: So, I put my leathers on and... Yippee! I can actually put on my chaps all by myself! :thumbup: Previously, I had to have hubby "dress" me and it really took some doing to get that leather zipped around my thighs! I had to have a 4" extender for the waist and that is now gone! :mad: I can now "dress" myself!!! I got the chaps on and tried on my hubby's leather coat, it fit too! It was a GREAT ride!!!

I have the Realize band too! I am going for my 2nd fill on Jan 6. I have lost 17 lbs since being banded on 10/02/08 in Reno.

I just had my first fill yesterday and while it felt really weird, it didn't hurt. He numbed the area and it was just a little tiny stick, no pain. Then he put in the big needle. Didn't feel anything but pressure. What was really weird was that this particular PA kind of flushes the band so that he knows exactly how much saline is in there. He took some out, put some in, took it all out, put it all back in and then he was finished. I had 1 cc already in there and he added 3 more for a total of 4 cc's in a 10 cc Realize band. Now it's back to liquids for 3 days and mushies for 4 days. He told me he's pretty cautious with fills, especially for people that live in the outlying areas (I'm 1.5 hours away from the clinic).

I'm almost exactly one month out and I've lost 15 lbs. I lost 30 pre-op (only had to lose 16!). The nutritionist that I saw suggested getting to-go boxes right away as well. I have started doing it and it does work pretty good! Especially since my eyes are still way bigger than my stomach! :smile2: So I put 2/3 or even 3/4 of my meal away right away and then I concentrate on eating slow and chewing. Another 10 days until my first fill! I am sooo excited! My portion sizes are starting to creep up and I don't want that!

Checkin in.....So 9 days out, I'm feeling pretty darn good! Almost normal... I can sleep on both sides without a support pillow but not quite yet on my stomach.. :thumbup: I have stopped taking the liquid tylenol and still feel pretty good. I did work only half days this week so that helped a lot! I had my follow-up appt on wednesday and was down 11 lbs from surgery day. That was good! I definitely didn't feel hungry at all this past week but am finally starting to feel it now... and I can eat mushies now! Solids next week if they are cut up VERY well... Mashed potatoes never tasted sooo good! :smile2:

I was banded on Oct 2 and I slept in the recliner for the first two nights. I slept in my bed last night, I took my lortab and made sure I had pillows for my side. My bed is a sleep number bed and I lowered the number to help support me better. I actually slept on my left side with a pillow propped under me for support and it felt ok. Not great, but better than the recliner. I doubt I'll sleep on my stomach for at least a few weeks! Everyone is different! Listen to your own body and you'll get through it.

Bratty Nicole... I'm with you! Lane Bryant used to carry a lot more tall sizes and I've only been able to find one pair of slacks in the last 5 years that were long enough to fit me (I'm also 6' tall!) I look forward to: Going to Disneyland! Not worrying about whether the seat belt will fit or not More fun with my hubby! Being a lighter rider for my horse's sake & mine! Living to see my kids grow up!

Lonestar.. Nope, didn't know about the hernia beforehand. And I am going to only go 1/2 day on Tuesday & Wednesday but have a meeting that was planned 8 weeks ago on Thursday that I am leading for all of our out of area employees. So, I guess I have to go to work most of the day on Thursday. :thumbup: Especially since my co-worker totally forgot about the meeting and decided this week is the week to go visit her mother! I know how you feel about getting up to do something and then stopping. :tt2: I started to do dishes, but decided bending over to load the dishwasher would hurt too much! I actually had my son find my trash picker upper thing so I could pick up stuff without bending over! I am glad to hear that you're feeling better today too!

My surgery went pretty well. We live 1 1/2 hours away so left at 4 am and arrived at 5:30 am. Checked in, met the nurses, changed, had a swap out of the leg things due to a study being done on a new style, got my IV, met the doctors, got rolled in, and woke up to my husband talking to me. :tt2: I did have some nausea which showed itself during the x-ray ( I threw up the nasty liquid!) and I've been pretty sore the last few days but it's getting better and I'm moving better. I did wake up and wonder what the heck I did but I'm glad I did it! I haven't been hungry until today but have been drinking broth, Water and soupy, blended oatmeal. I've also been adding Benefiber to everything I eat.

Thanks for all the well wishes! I made it! A lot more sore than I thought but evidently I also had a hiatal hernia repair and that has added to the soreness. I decided to not be a hero and stick with the liquid lortab for a few days so I've been sleeping a lot. Lots of water and GasX strips too. I do get up and move but it hurts, especially to breathe in deep (probably because of the hernia repair). I feel better today (Sunday) and have switched to liquid tylenol. I did sleep in the recliner for the first two nights and slept in my bed last night with a dose of Lortab and a pillow under my side. I'm also moving better today, actually felt like picking up the house. :tt2: But I didn't... I'm not sure if I'll make it back to work on Tuesday or not.

Here's my story... Beat the alarm at 3:30 am and took my shower with the anti bacterial soap. Got hubby up at 3:50 and we left at 4 am to be at the surgery center at 6 am. We got there early at 5:30 and finished the check in process. The receptionist was getting ready to take us to the elevator and I asked about when I paid my co-pay. She looked it up and had me pay $675 (it is supposed to be $887):tt2:. I'll get billed later for the difference. Went up to the surgery center, introduced to one of the nurses, was shown to a curtained room, removed my clothes, put on the gown & socks and waited. The nurse told the CNA to put the leg things on, which she did. Another nurse came in to start the IV and decided the CNA had put the wrong leg things on because of a study the center is doing on a new type. So, I got soft blue ones instead of the white plastic ones. After the IV, Anesethiologist and Doctor visit, I headed to the OR. The last thing I remember was the room was wiggling. I woke up to my husband talking to me. I was in at about 7:45 and out by 9:15-ish. I also had a hiatal hernia repaired so it took a little longer. I had a hard time waking up but they finally woke up enough to go to X-ray where I kept that NASTY liquid down long enough to get an x-ray done then promptly threw it back up! That HURT! They made me do it again and I was able to give a good pic before throwing it back up. :thumbup: I went back to my recliner chair and slept a couple more hours. The nurse said it was a combination of the pain meds and anti nausea meds. I was home by 4 pm and that included the hour & half drive.

I was just banded on Oct 2 and the doctor told my hubby that I had one as well. He fixed it and hopefully all will be well!

I'm in Northeastern California and had my surgery done in Reno, Nevada, by Dr. Kozar at Western Bariatric. I was scared I wouldn't wake up but I did and everything went fine. The IV went in EASY! The hardest thing right now is making myself get up and MOVE! I'm still sore!

Mamacj - That's what I want to go as.. a (thinner) Biker Chick... I hope to have new leathers at halloween next year. We were at Street Vibrations in Reno today looking at leathers and my husband said I'm going to end up with a set for every day of the week! Maybe one of those leather halter tops too! :biggrin:

I started taking chewable multi-vitamins ( I put them with my deodorant so I remember every morning! :biggrin: I also gave up my almost daily white chocolate mochas, sodas of any kind (all tea, crystal light & water) and started trying different Protein powders. I just found a new one that I'm liking a lot. And I bought a much nicer pedometer that I diligently put on every day now. It measures my actual stride, and tell me not only how many steps and how far but how many minutes of aerobic steps (at least 60 steps per minute with a minimum of 10 minutes needed to qualify) I take each day. The best thing about it is I can download the info every week and print a report for my nutritionist! Now, if I could just get my aerobic steps to increase! Gotta walk around the neighborhood more! :thumbup:

Well, we live in a small town and everyone knows everybody else and knows everyone's business. There's only 3 of us in the office and the boss is only in 3 days a week (a consultant) so then it's the two of us. :thumbup: It can be unbearable at times so I leave and go to one of our remote sites to get away from it. I'm her supervisor and I have to keep having the talk about being professional about business and keeping personal nosiness (why did the customer/employee get a DUI, or go to jail, etc) at home. Keeping my WLS to myself seemed the best course of action if I didn't want the whole town to know! :biggrin::thumbup:

I had to pay a $290 :biggrin: program fee... that covered the Nutrition class, Pre-op class and all the literature they handed out as well as an inexpensive little pedometer... I was hoping to add it to my medical expense list at the end of the year for a deduction on my taxes....:thumbup:

I work in an office of three people. I told my boss that I was having a "procedure" done and he's fine with that. I had hoped to not tell my co-worker but we have an event planned that weekend and I had to make sure that there were plenty of people to help at the event since I won't be there. I told her (since she outright asked me what I was having done) that I had been diagnosed with a hiatal hernia and my surgeon wanted to get it done before he went on a 3 week vacation. Luckily, she has bought the story. Since I started reducing portions and drinking Protein shakes a couple of months ago, I hope she's not suspicious. My husband and my PCP office staff are the only ones who know. Not even my kids or mom.

Me too!!! Two weeks to go and I start my all Protein & veggies all the time diet today! I'm getting nervous! And excited!

I'm happy to be a Smashing Pumpkin! I got the flag already!!:tt2:

I decided not to tell anyone else and it is kind of hard to keep it quiet but I think in the long run it will benefit me! My daughter's friend's dad had gastric bypass and now my daughter (age 15) keeps saying he's getting skinny and looks funny. So, I am glad I haven't said anything to her about it. I just asked for the time off for the surgery and told my boss I was having a minor procedure done. He didn't even ask what it was. I was happy about that! I'm definitely not telling my co-worker! She already makes comments on what I eat or when I eat. I can't imagine what she'd be like if she knew!