slpcat

I am gettin banded on July 2nd, yippers!! I am currently 220 lbs and 5'6", BMI at 35. I also carry my weight well (if you can carry that much weight well :biggrin:) Anyway . . . I know I will have many comments like "YOU COULD HAVE EXERCISED AND GOT THAT OFF!" or "OH, YOU HAD SURGERY??" or "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT" etc, etc, etc. I need some good comebacks to all of these comments, yall have any????? THANKS!

You rarely hear about celebrities getting (admitting to getting) lapband/gastric sleeve/gastric by-pass. I am waiting for a well-known celebrity to come out and admit that they had lapband surgery. I think that would do a lot to educate people about it. Am I the only one that ever wonders about this?

Well.. my doctor had me on liquids for 2 weeks after surgery :smile2: so ... when I first started eating a meal, I couldn 't eat much bc my stomach was getting used to eating again. But after a week of eating, I could eat anything I wanted and no restriction at all! It took me a LONG TIME to feel restriction. I hav a 10cc band and i now have 8cc in it and I can still eat 2/3 of my plate. One thing the band did right away though for me was cut down on my cravings. I was banded about 14 months ago and I am happy with my weightloss thus far but I could eat normal for 6 months or so after my band and I knew if I had told everybody and their mama, it would be hard to explain why I could still eat normally.

I definately think Oprah would do great with the lapband! I know several celebrities have been spokesmen/women of Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers but I always suspect lapband if they are able to keep it off. I know some people are able to keep off the weight without wls but most people are not able to do that. Just to clarify, I am not judging any celebrity for keeping it a secret but I wish they would be more vocal about it so more people would understand that lapband IS NOT your "typical" wls. It's so much safer and better!!! :smile2:

I wouldn't tell my lunch buddies or boss. Just tell them that you are trying to lose weight and you are doing a liquid diet to kick start your diet. Which is really not a lie because the liquid diet helps cleanse our liver and gets it ready to filter out the fat more efficiently.

I told most of my family but only a few know on my husband's side of the family. I also told one friend. I am glad I didn't make a big announcement or let everyone know because my weightloss has been fairly slow. There have been times I have felt guilty when someone has asked "How did you do it!?" and I say, "counting my calories and exercising!" Both of which are true but I have that extra help from the band. As far as whether or not you should tell or keep it a secret, I think that depends on your personality. If you are an open book and the type to not dwell on what others think, then I would say tell whoever you want to tell. If you are more private and do concern yourself with what others think about you, then I would say only tell people when you are completely comfortable with it. :rolleyes2:

Stupid, Stupid girls!

I was banded at the end of July and I am down 30 lbs so woohoo for u to already be down 34! That's awesome! I have had 3 fills and am currently at 7.2 in a 10 cc band. After the first two fills, I felt zero restriction. I could eat fast and not chew well and everything still went down just fine. Now, after my 3rd fill, I have had 2 sliming episodes and 1 PB. I didn't chew well :thumbup: I am scheduled for another fill in about two weeks. So for me, hopefully, I will be at my "sweet spot" after this next fill. You will get there. Hopefully the next fill will be your "sweet spot"!

I am at 7.2 in a 10 cc band. I had my 3rd fill on Dec 21st. My band is finally working! Hallelujah! I can eat most any consistency except hard cheese and some breads. I have to chew really well and I can eat a little over a cup of food at a time. I have lost around 8 lbs in a little over two weeks, YAY! Here is my question though:confused:. I have varying levels of restriction and I still get hungry about every 3 hours. Do I need a little added? I know it's not healthy to lose too much per week so I don't want to get so restricted that I lose too much too quick. Any opinions would be much appreciated thx

THANKS FOR THE GOOD INFO. I agree with all of it! I def need to start counting calories, for sure! I

I appreciate all of your responses!! So informative! I was able to eat an entire plate of food last night :smile2: but then when I got up during the night to drink some water, I accidentally took a big gulp of water and it went down very slowly??? I guess the variation in restriction is my main concern but maybe that is just the way it is. I will call my dr. office closer to the time of my scheduled fill and ask them if they think I might need a few cc's or not. I definately don't want to be too tight.

I am 5'6" and am currently 190. I was 220 when I started the lapband process. I was banded at the end of July and my weightloss has been at a standstill for much of that time. I do admit that 4 lbs is ALOT in a week. I just want to make sure I'm getting the most out of my band. Maybe I can see if a steady weightloss (1-2 lbs a week) continues and if so, I should just stay at this current fill level ?????

This may be a stupid question but . . . why wouldn't a band being placed around your stomach cause restriction even without any Fluid????? I have 3 cc's and have NO RESTRICTION so I know it is possible to have a band and no restriction :tongue2: but it doesn't make sense to me?????? Anyone know the answer?

Thanks for the "medical explanation" that makes a whole lot of sense!

Yeah, what restless monkey said and . . . you may want to try this lil trick (I learned it with 2 previous surgeries) when you are about to cough/sneeze/laugh, press firmly wth the palm of your hand against your port area (not too hard but with some pressure). Not a nurse or a doctor so I'm not sure why it works but it worked after my c-section, myomectomy, and lapband:thumbup:

Thanks all for the replies/support. Your comments make sense to me. I have 3cc's in a 10 cc band and have zero restriction and that just seems odd to me, but I guess its normal.

I just started my weight loss journey but just a thought . . . maybe you could use your original diamond(s) and get a refreshed/updated ring. My SIL just did that and it looks great :tongue2:

I woke up with hunger pains the day after surgery :tongue2: I was on liquids for 2 weeks and it was NOT FUN AT ALL! Some lucky bandsters aren't hungry for the first few weeks but I was definately not one of them. Oh, and protein shakes did not feel me up, AT ALL :wub: I made it though, you can do it!

Erykah, This may sound "preachy" but God cares about your "little" things, too. I promise. I am so sorry for all you have been through. I read a book not too long ago that helped me heal a little bit. It's called Captivating by Stasi Eldredge. You should check it out. :thumbup:

Self pay - total cost 10,000 outpatient Prestonwood Surgery Center Dallas, TX

My dr has prescribed me a good supply of phenergren suppositories (for nausea). I have them on hand if I get sick to my stomach. Maybe your dr can prescribe them for you??

I agree, you are doing AWESOME! I would say keep doing what you are doing! The band will be there when you need it. That is what is awesome about the band, just having it placed gives us so much freedom because we no longer live in fear of the yo-yo. It really frees us up to be so much healthier mentally, physically, and spiritually. So proud for you!

I had my first fill on 08/28. It has been almost a week. They put 3cc's in a 100 cc and I had none in at surgery. I had it done under flouro and all went amazingly well. It was fast and painless.

Just an observation - Geographics play a part in choosing to eat fastfood or not. I live in a rural area and I have to drive 1.5 hours to get to a "real" restaurant. If I am having a busy day (which happens often), I don't see why I can't have 1 taco from taco bell (it only has 4 or 5 WW points, I think) or an egg mcmuffin from mcdonalds. I just don't see how that will sabatoge me ???????

wow! that makes so much sense to me!!!!!! Thank you for posting that because it will have a great impact on my band journey. My dr told me I would probably only need a few fills my first year, his NP told me to come back every 6 to 8 weeks for a fill, and then his office manager said I would need a fill every 4 weeks! I'm hoping the surgeon is right. Now that I have lost some weight and am already feeling better mentally, spiritually, and physically, I am ready to work hard for this all to work! I have been exercising and trying to make good choices. "The lapband is a tool" is stated so many times on this board but I don't think people really get it. Well, thanks to you and my better state of mind, I am getting it