stevegoad

Hey, Gang, I'm Steve Goad, and I am the new kid on the block. I had my surgery about a month ago (July 25th). As my signature shows, it is working well for starters, and I am happy with the choice I made. Beyond the lapband, which I am sure will come into many discussions, I am a musician (no longer publicly performing - I got tired of people saying I songs like Bob Dylan, but didn't sing as well). :thumbup: I currently am the owner of ItsaGodGig Music, a Christian recording studio, duplication house, and musician-based web development studio. I got married a little over 2 years ago, and my wife and I have guardianship over a 40 year old woman with Down Syndrome. We also have 3 dogs. My wife, Lisa, is the biggest reason I chose to pay for lap band (Private pay, so I will be paying off this surgery for 7 years). With me being 48, and her being a 51 year old retired teacher, I am looking to many years of sharing our lives together. So that's me in a nutshell. Glad to be here.

I will on occasion have a diet coke. I only do it occasionaslly because it causes me NO discomfort, and since it is easy, I don't want to gey back into my old habit of 4 liters of diet coke a day.

Well, it just came up in my "new posts" search. I didn't even realize it was a private room. Please, bash away, ladies. I will step out and go have a cigar.

Hey... where are all the guys here. I know I am not the only one!

At 5 weeks post op, I have had shrimp (I've had it about 4 times, including last night). Lobster once. No problems at all. But then again, last night, I had shrimp, salad (I was told lettuce was hard to eat) and a bit of Pasta (again, told it wouldn't eat). Since I had all of this at an Italian restaurant, I even had some bread. No problems, except I was reminded that I might consider getting a fill on my band next week. I didn't eat a ton (1/2 my salad, 4 shrimp, 4 bites of pasta, and 1 piece of bread) but it was more than I really should have eaten. But the "trouble" foods give me no problem. (I had a shrimp cocktail last week that was wonderful). Try it. If your band doesn't mind it, it's OK (and shrimp itself is pretty low calorie anyway). :biggrin:

Welcome to the group. I spent a good deal of time around Tyler (I've been though Gilmer a time or two). Just hang in there. I was banded about 5 weeks ago, and am happy so far (I am not one of those "I love my band so much I've given it a name" kind of people). It is a good tool. This list, however, is also a great tool for inspiration to keep going. Use this tool until you are able to get the band, and you might get a good step on forward before band-day. Glad you're here. :biggrin:

I voted yes, though I say that I don't know if this woman is the one or not. I won't get party lines going here, since I have voted democrat on occasion, and I have voted republican on occasion. I will say that the vice presidential race is going to make this a much more interesting election.

I was banded by Dr. Felts a little over a month ago (he does surgery once a month in Houston). I like him. He is more laid back than many I have heard about. I told him that I was hearing of doctors saying no coffee or tea,,, he said that if I wanted it, I could have as much as I want. On the night before surgery, after two weeks of pre-op diet, he told me to go home and have a good meal. And he does a very good job with the surgery too.

I'm not going to sit here and make a "feel good" note. I am a man who in 2004 weighed in at 384. In the next 6 months, I lost to 248 on SlimFast. My diabetes got under control, and I was feeling great. From 2005-2008, I gained it back and then some. I got banded last month, after I jumped to 412. I am paying out of pocket to the tune of 15,000 over the next 7 years. I didn't do it because it was an easy way out, but because I wanted an extra tool to help me do what I knew I could do. Lap band, gastric bypass, or anything, can only help if you want it to. I have made plenty of excuses in the past as to why I ate "I was eating with a group, and wanted to be social." "I was eating alone, because there was nothing else to do." "I was eating when I drove because it kept me awake." "I was eating before bed because I couldn't sleep." But if I fail this, which I can do easily (there is always ice cream in our house) then I am failing myself, my wife, and possibly playing my last ace. The fact is, if you use the tool, it is great. If you don't then you shouldn't blame the tool for the failure. If, on the other hand, that you really feel that you can do better with something else, then go for it. In the end, however, it's up to you.

Well, each surgeon is different. pastas and breads give many people problem with bands. I don't have problems with it, though I mostly try to keep the carbs down anyway.

I am a strange duck that doesn't seem to have any problem with Pasta (a blessing and a curse). I think I will order some tonight and let you know when they come.

I went from 4 liters a day of diet coke to one or two cans a day in the two weeks prior to surgery. I am ALMOST off of them completely, but once in a while (every couple of days) I will have one. I will still drink sparkling Water, though. It might not be right, but as long as I drink it slow, and remember to burp... it seems to be OK for me.

Fit and Active is Aldi's own brand. Their website doesn't talk about shipping, and they don't have any stores in Texas. But if I find more information, I will pass it on.

I might have to send my mother-in-law to the Aldi store in Bourbonaise, IL to get some shipped to Texas.

Name.............StartingWeight....Current.....Goal.........To Go areellady...............189.......................189............159.. ................30 BIGB......................342.......................342............300 .................42 BellaPerdente.........287.......................251............200.... .............51 Boos02..................258.......................226............200.. ...............26 BrownBear.............240.......................240............200.... .............40 Dionna113.............213.......................199.............160... .............40 FeliciaLevy75 ........240.......................240.............190................5 0 GillieBean..............304.......................304.............264. ...............40 Hollie ...................154.......................154.............125...... ..........29 Josie74.................260.......................260.............215. ...............45 klmsilva.................216......................216.............190. ...............26 legster..................183......................183..............160 ...............23 linksmom..............251......................251..............200... ............51 Liquidbluegal.........225......................225..............199... ............26 Liz_hager..............161.....................161..............130... ............31 Luu2008................230.....................203..............153... ............50 MELISSA AGUIRRE..266....................233..............160................73 Melody2006...........223.....................223..............173..... ...........50 odizzzydori............242.....................242..............199... ............43 srknepler...............285.....................285..............255.. .............30 Sunshine2.............177.....................177..............160.... ...........17 stevegoad..............370................341.............. 267.................74 (sorry, Melissa... I see the highest year end goal, and want to beat it by 1) :smile2:

What is normal. I am not looking to reach "the ideal weight" I got close one time in my adult life (1984). I got down to 210 to go into the Navy, and got down to 180 by the end of boot camp. I felt terrible. My ideal might be 160, but the best I have ever felt was about 225... so that is my goal now. (BTW... my wife says that I am far to strange to be normal). But on the subject at hand, Drinking with meals is one of those things that I was told not to do, and I am sticking with that advice. It definitely does seem to make the meals stay with me better. (I do, however, allow myself coffee with my morning Low-Carb Slim Fast) :cursing:

I was self pay... I guess I should say, I AM self pay, since I will be paying off this band long after the weight is gone (like for about 7 years at 9.5% interest). What we won't do to spend more time with the people we love.

down 28 since July 25th. Not too shabby :cursing:

If you feel you need to tell him, then just be an adult and tell him. As for me, my family doesn't know, and won't know (even though my mother had lap band about 2 years ago herself). I just don't feel the need to tell them.

Don't worry. I can't feel my port site. But I went in for my first fill on Friday, they found it right off the bat, no problem at all. As you lose weight, the port will be easier to find.

I have heard rumors that there are people who were acting normal the day after surgery. (I heard this time and time again in the days pre-op). I was not one of those people. I was very uncomfortable for about 5 days, and had tenderness on the incisions sites for about 3 weeks. But I was able to do everything, including Water aerobics, in a little over a week.

Agreed. Many doctors and clinics will tell you that banding doesn't hurt much, that people get over it quickly. Truth is, many of us do have a week or more of pain. I was a good 10 days before I was really starting to feel somewhat comfortable. Hang in... it will pass.

Well, I am new here, but I am a Christian Bandster... been a Christian since I was six, a United Methodist pastor for 7 years (from 1991-98), a professional church media director for about 5 years (from 1999-2004), and now I own a Christian recording studio, focusing on young Christian talent. I've been a bandster for about a month. :w00t: Glad to be here.

Well, definitly hi pro, low carb... but eat anything the band will allow... just eat the protein first.