U_go_gurl68

Do you think you are truly ready to be banded at this point in your life? You have a statement that says you had become one with your fatness and now you feel like you are turning your back on yourself? I have never felt like I was comfortable with being fat or one with my fatness as you stated. Even though I had researched the band for several years it took me awhile to commit because I wasn't sure my head was right at the time. I know it is a new experience and something that takes changes and time to learn a new lifestyle, but I believe in order for the band to work for you, you have to be truly ready mentally. This isn't just another diet you try. I am by no means saying you aren't committed as I don't know you and having fears before surgery is normal. But if you are truly ready for a change then you don't have anything to fear or hide behind. You LIVE and you enjoy your new life and you feel better everyday. I think that is what losing weight does to a person, it frees them to be whatever and whoever they want and there are no more excuses. You have some really great motivational quotes on your profile. I too love to read encouraging quotes and stories. Just keep writing down your goals or if you haven't started yet then do so. Cut out motivational pics from magazines. Visualize a new and improved person, doing what he loves most. Surround yourself with positive images and people and you can't go wrong. I wish you all the best for your upcoming surgery. Hang in there and keep visiting this site often for support and encouragement. Sincerely, Stephanie

Congrats on your weight loss. I can almost hear your excitement through your words. Best wishes for your upcoming surgery. I can't wait to read about your continued progress after you're banded. See ya on the boards, Stephanie

The point here to all this is that the original poster has learned her lesson and knows what to do now. From all the posts I have read here on LBT, there have been many people eat far worse and even sooner. I am not saying doing anything outside your docs orders is ok, because they aren't, but at the same time, all this is new and takes trial and error to get right.Sometimes at a great cost. If WE were ALL able to follow orders, diets, exercise programs, etc in the first place, there would have never been a need for the band. We are here to support each other and share our own experiences. If we don't help each other, who will? The best thing is to share all of this with your doc and see what he or she thinks. I think the lesson has been learned and support is needed from here on out. Best wishes to all of you, Stephanie

I was put on Optifast and I hated it. It made my stomach so irritated. Have you tried any of the drinks by EAS? They have some RTD cartons and powders you have to mix. Those aren't too bad. The powder I really like is by Designer whey. Maybe try blending them really well with some ice,flavored yogurt, fresh fruits, or just different artificial flavorings to give them a better taste. I also tried those Protein shots they have a GNC, YUK and double YUK!!! They are too thick and taste so bad. You just have to get creative with those Protein Drinks so that you will be able to get enough protein in. One of my favorites was using ice, chocolate Protein Powder, coconut flavoring, and almond flavoring to make an almond joy flavored drink. I mix my powders with Water instead of milk to cut down on the calories, but you can mix with FF milk or soymilk. Anyway, I hope everyone has a great day. Best wishes, Stephanie

Perhaps it was just a gas buildup from eating Beans and cheese. When I have something that would normally cause me to be gassy, even in small amounts, it makes me hurt pretty good. I guess that is another reason why they want us to add foods slowly, not just so they won't get stuck, but to see what you can tolerate with your band. Some people develop food intolerances where there was no problem before. I am not certain what it feels like to have a slipped band, but it is very uncomfortable to eat something my new stomach can't tolerate. I don't get the feeling that something is stuck and it doesn't hurt, just doesn't feel right either. To me, in the pre-band days, it is like trying to drink a soda too fast and you get that instant bloat feeling in your breast bone area and upper stomach. That is the best way I can explain it or like you have eaten way too much, even though you know you haven't. This may be or may not be what you are experiencing, but if you are worried, check with your physician. Best wishes, Stephanie

Hey Linda, Congrats on your weight loss and reaching your sweet spot. I still need to get my first fill. At the moment I am still not feeling too hungry, but I am sure I need to schedule a fill anyway since I have been at a standstill for over two weeks. See ya on myspace. Stephanie

I know how you feel, but your surgery date will be here before you know it and then those other anxious feelings will come about. I wish you all the best and hope everything goes well for you. I look forward to reading your posts in the near future. Sincerely, Stephanie

Well you have come to the right place. There are many people on this forum who have felt the way you have or are just starting out just as you are. I was self-pay because I didn't qualify for insurance purposes, but I didn't have any co-morbidities either. I did have the aching joints, but not much of anything else other than a bad family history and fear of getting all my family's problems. My surgeon said I was smart to get a handle on things now before the problems really started. My bmi was about 37. You may still qualify for insurance because of your co-morbidities, but there are other factors involved as well. Have you checked with your insurance company to see what they require? Some want a history of physician supervised weight loss attempts and many other tests. Not only was I not able to get insurance to cover my surgery, but the docs in my town wouldn't do it because they followed the requirements set by insurance even for self-pay. I had to go see a surgeon in another town 2 hours away. I hope you will be able to get the surgery either way and I can't wait to read your story in other posts. Whether or not the other posts apply to my situation, they are all helpful and encouraging. I wish you all the best. Sincerely, Stephanie

Wow I can't believe it is taking so long. I could see that if you were relying on insurance. I am in Texas, but when I made my appointment for my consultation, they scheduled me for my consult with the nutritionist, labs, and ekg all on the same day. After that they were ready to schedule me for surgery in less than a week. Since I was self-pay, I didn't have to get all the other tests done or the psych eval because I didn't have to meet insurance guidelines. I don't know if they are requiring such a wait with all the tests because of your bmi, mine was about 37. Or maybe your surgeons office is just so busy. That could be it too. So many people trying to get in during the summer break. I wish you all the best and hope that you are able to get in for your surgery before going back to work. I had originally thought I would have my surgery on Friday and go back to work on a Tuesday, but I am glad I took two weeks off. There is no way I could have gone back any sooner (pediatric nurse). Stephanie

I am sorry all this is stressing you out so close to your surgery, but it will all be ok in the end either way. You have to do what is best for you. I know that may be easier said than done, but in the long run you will be glad you went ahead with your surgery. My fiance was all for me being banded until about a month before my surgery. He even offered to pay for it. I didn't know how strongly he objected to it until about a week out. I was supposed to have my surgery a month before I did, but when we were on the way to the pre-op appt with the surgeon, he had major issues with his car and we had to wait several weeks for him to get his car back. Since I was relying on him to pay for my surgery, I didn't think it was fair to ask him to come up with money for his car repairs and my surgery all at the same time. So I put my surgery off for awhile. I guess that bought a little time and it made him happy for awhile because we didn't discuss anything related to surgery. After he got the car back, I went ahead and scheduled my pre-op appt. When I had mentioned it to him, he got upset and thought I had dropped that silly idea. He said pretty much the same things your husband said. He said I didn't need to have surgery and when I got upset he told me not to be getting mad at him just because I wasn't disciplined enough to exercise and diet. I didn't waver, I told him this is something I am doing for myself, like it or not. He kept finding reasons for putting me off in regards to getting the money for my surgery, so exactly a week before, I went to the person that handles my 401k account at work and discussed my options with him. I was able to borrow the money for my surgery and in fact, had it in my account in less than two days. Imagine my fiance's surprise when I told him I had the money to pay for my surgery and didnt need him to worry about it any longer.:thumbup: My surgery was going to be the last one for the day, so we didn't have to get up and leave too early (2 hour drive). After we were dressed and ready to leave he said he didn't think he could handle all of this and didn't want to be in our relationship anymore (6 yrs). I got angry for him doing that to me right before surgery but I stood my ground and told him I was sorry he felt that way, but I was still going with or without him. He thought he was going to intimidate me into not having my surgery, but it didn't work. He said he still wanted to drive me, because he had promised to be there with me through the surgery. We didn't talk the entire trip. Once I checked in, I told him he could leave, but he wouldn't. Before my surgery he just sat there teary eyed and didn't know what to say to me. After surgery, he was totally different. He told me he didn't know what to say to me at that point and I told him I thought he said all he needed to and he just apologized to no end. I found out that not only was he jealous about me having surgery because he thought I would lose weight and leave him,he was worried and didn't want me suffering any pain. He had all these emotions bottled up inside and he didn't know how to express them to me, so he got angry with me. He has helped me and supported me ever since and he is glad I didn't just give up. He sees how happy I am with him and myself and now he believes it was all worth it. He also sees how hard all this is and commends me on my efforts to make this work. He didn't realize how many changes would take place and how it WASN'T that QUICK FIX. I think your husband will come around. Just try to be patient and understanding with him. He probably has fears himself and doesn't know how to express them to you. You know what is best for you, but looking back on my situation, I wouldn't change anything. For me, this actually made my relationship closer. I wish I was close to you, so I could be there to support you during your surgery. But if you need someone to talk to, I am here. Sincerely, Stephanie

Pat, I couldn't help reading that post on the other tlc thread. WOW!!!! Talk about getting defensive. I didn't think anything you said sounded hostile, but I guess that person was already upset, so it didn't matter what you said, if it wasn't in agreement with their experience. I hope he/she gets their problems resolved. Everyone I have had contact with has been so professional and courteous. I have yet to get my first fill, but I have confidence it will go well. I also didn't get to make the support group on Saturday. It was just too hot. I am sure I missed a good meeting and hope to make the next one. I don't do extreme heat too well and I would have had a two hour drive in my black, heat attracting car to get there. I need to find a lighter car. I can't wait to meet you and everyone else. Sincerely, Stephanie

Does anyone know anything about the tlcedge multimedia community. I noticed that was part of the services and I didn't know if that was the same thing as the yahoo group or something different? The only thing I received info about, after surgery, was DFW bandsters on yahoo. I hope everyone is doing well. Stephanie

Glad you joined the group. There are many stories to read and many people to share with. Even though we are all at different stages in our journey, we can all continue to inspire each other. I am sure you will have many times to encourage and help someone else. Logging in to this website has become a daily thing for me. It is the only place I know I can come and feel comfortable with my thoughts or experiences related to being banded. My fiance is very slender, my kids are a little chunky but busy teens, my friends are for the most part cute and skinny and well the family members that know about my surgery are somewhat supportive even though they didn't think I needed to have surgery. So no one close to me quite understands how I feel, except one of my co-workers that had gastric bypass surgery. So this place is MY safe place and some of the people I have met here have become like my second family even though they are scattered all over the place. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. And much thanks to your friend for leading you here. Best wishes, Stephanie

HI Debbie, I am a Registered Nurse from Waco. Thanks for sharing your website information. I read through your entries and I can't believe you were allowed to eat all those wonderful foods so quickly after surgery, WOW!! I can't wait to read about your progress with your Gortex nonadjustable band. Best wishes, Stephanie

Sandibly, I loved your story. Thanks for sharing. I have had similar comments from friends and family, but they are seeing that it isn't all that easy for me. Sometimes, I don't know if it is from them really thinking it is an easy way out or if it is just the thought of what they feel they would be depriving themselves if the shoe were on the other foot. Maybe it is a social thing for some as well. Many celebrations, fun times with the girls/guys, work meetings, etc...most often center around food. Now that we are more conscious with the band way of life, we aren't apt to indulge as others would and it makes them feel self conscious about themselves or we no longer seem as fun to them. I use to go on lunch dates with my girlfriends or we would get together and have dinner and drinks, but now I don't get invited as much, because they figure I can't eat anything anyway. It try not to let it bother me because I suppose it helps both sides. They can't hurt me by tempting me to eat foods I don't need to be eating and they can in turn enjoy their meals without feeling self conscious about their own bad eating habits. I do have one co-worker who had gastric bypass and she initially did very well. She was starting to get off track, but now since I have been banded, we keep each other on track, so she has been a blessing to me. Nothing about this lifestyle is easy and I believe we are all brave people for enduring and persevering through all the negativity. God Bless you and best wishes to you and everyone else. Sincerely, Stephanie

Much congrats to you. I know you must be ecstatic. Can't wait to hear about your other victories once you are banded. I had to use money from my 401k, since my insurance wouldn't cover my surgery. My bmi was too low and I didn't have too many problems, mainly just a bad family history. They would only for the surgeons around where I live and to top that off, the surgeons wouldn't do the surgery if I didn't meet the same guidelines as they use for insurance purposes. I am happy it all worked out for you. I will be paying this money back for the next 5 yrs, but it was an investment well worth it. Best wishes, Stephanie

Hi there, Congrats on your banding. I was banded on June 30th. I need to schedule my first fill pretty soon. I have had good restriction for the most part, but now I am starting to get hungry more often. Still can't eat much at one sitting, but the hunger strikes sooner. I know how you feel. My scale barely moved 1/2 pound in the last two weeks. I guess it is because I am eating more regular foods now and well, because I had a lower bmi and it sounds like you did too, if all you have left to lose is 65 pounds. When you are heavier the weight comes off a little more rapid at first, but for people with a lower bmi the process could be much slower. That's what my surgeon said anyway. I am trying to be patient, it is just that people keep asking me all the time how much weight I have lost, not to mention wondering how I could spend so much money on something that takes forever to work and hard to do as well. I hear all the time, how dieting would have been just as effective. If that were true I would have been at my goal weight and stayed there years ago. I guess I shouldn't have told anyone. I should have known when I told one or two people at work, everyone would end up knowing. Just hang in there. I still believe it was all worth it. Even if I don't lose all the weight, I am learning better eating habits and getting healthier. Of course I would like to be thinner, but it is more about just being healthy or healthier than I am now. Best wishes, Stephanie PS By the way, I love San Antonio. I will have to hit you up sometime for referrals on places to go eat or hang out. We like to go every few months. I am from Waco.

Maybe you should try taking in half the amount of soup you were trying to get down. I couldn't do tomato soup. I tried it once and it was just too acidic for me. Kept feeling like I was going to reflux. I was banded on June 30th and my stomach growls almost all the time, but I am not hungry. From what I have read recently, alot of people seem to be experiencing a great deal of gas, even after several weeks post-op. This is more than likely due to the high Protein diet or maybe new food intolerances. Don't know, but it doesn't correlate with being hungry and it isn't left over surgical gas either. Best wishes everyone, Stephanie

I am a nightshift nurse and I will be so mortified if I have to sneak in room during the night to check on one of my pediatric patients and let one out. As it is, I get so embarrassed when my stomach makes all these strange noises when I am trying to talk to the families or during and IV start. I love this thread too. All you guys are awesome.

My surgeon was Dr. Victor Gonzalez in Dallas. I loved him. Very sweet man and answered all my questions to my satisfaction. The office staff and nurses are also a very nice group of people. I went through TLCEdge and he is the surgeon they scheduled me with. They work with many great surgeons in the DFW area. Best wishes on your journey, Stephanie

I read somewhere that a high Protein diet also causes a lot of gas and I guess that is true because I tend to be more gassy on days when I am actually having more protein in my diet. If I cut back, it isn't that bad. I have never been so gassy in all my life. I hope it does eventually go away. I read the average person farts 14 times a day and I think right now,mine is that x's 3, LOL!!!! I didn't think I would ever pass gas more than my youngest son.

nikole, Congrats on being banded. Sounds like you have alot of questions that should have been answered by your surgeon before surgery. All the things you are asking are appropriate pre-op questions. Also I would be mad if my surgeon hadn't come to see me or give me any information on what to do next after being banded. My surgeon gave my fiance several pages of things to do from immediately post op until my first 6 weeks checkup, all of which he had to sign saying he received them. I would wait at least two days before showering and when you do, just use plain soap. I wouldn't use any of those fragrant soaps or shower gels, because they could be irritating if you have any open areas. As far as the replacing the gauze, I would leave the incisions open to air unless you start having some drainage, then cover them up so that you can get a better idea of how much drainage you are having. I was told a little is normal, although, I had skin glue. I am just going by what we do at work with fresh incisions. Also I would say you need to get up and walk around the house more. Don't try to do any heavy lifting or anything like that, but you do need to move around more and don't crouch so much. If you stay in that position and don't move around you will take longer to heal and be in pain longer. Not only that, but you need activity to keep your lungs clear. Did your surgeon or nurse give you breathing exercises to do for the first several days? If not, you need to practice doing them to avoid getting pneumonia. Take some really deep breaths in and out and after 10 try coughing. Use a little pillow on your stomach to help lessen the discomfort. You can also use a party horn, a straw or blowing bubbles. These are all things we use on kids on the pediatric unit where I work. If you are hurting a great deal, and heck even if you aren't, take your pain medication. It is easier to prevent pain, than it is to get it under control once you are hurting extremely bad. From my own experience, I would recommend taking your pain medication as directed for the first two days, just so you are able to get up and around. My surgeon put me on clear liquids for the first two days, then full liquids, which included cream soups for 2 weeks. You have to be careful not to push yourself during the healing process to prevent any complications. These are only a few guidelines, but I think the best advice is to call your physicians office and tell them you need to know what to do now. Nothing you get here is a substitute for your surgeons guidelines, just our personal opinions or experiences. I wish you a speedy recovery. I noticed you are in Austin, I am in Waco, not too far from you. Nice to find someone not too far. I have met people from the DFW area, but none from Central Texas area. Best wishes, Stephanie

Don't give up. What do you mean, What's the use? You are important and your health is what's the use. Contrary to what people outside of the banded circle think, this is hard and takes a lot of dedication and discipline. We don't have the band as another "magic" solution to lose weight. It can be a long and difficult journey when you have to change your lifestyle, eating habits, old way of thinking, whatever the case may be. Your health and happiness is what's important here. Maybe start a food journal if you haven't already, and write down every morsal you put in your mouth. When I started doing so, I found I put more in my mouth than I thought. Look for those hidden calories. Walk a little more. Drink plenty of fluids. And make sure you are eating enough. I know that may sound silly but sometimes in an attempt to lose weight we try to starve ourselves which causes the body to retain Fluid because it doesn't want to let go of the weight. We have taught our bodies how to be bigger for so long, now we have to work harder to un-teach them and teach them a healthier lifestyle. Don't give up, we are all here for support. Sincerely, Stephanie

Sounds like you should qualify to me. They may require you to be on a supervised diet first, if you haven't, but I would think with your history and current BMI, you would definitely qualify. Good luck. Sincerely, Stephanie