Buffie

<p>I thought about this a lot before surgery, clothes were a big thing for me too and they still are. Now that I'm getting closer to my goal it's the little things that mean the most to me. Things like being able to cross my legs comfortably, fitting in the car comfortably, being able to bounce up the stairs instead of being in pain while I drag my big butt up, and the BIG one for me is my legs not rubbing and slamming together when I walk. It's amazing how easy it is to just walk now without that, I can jog now, which is a miracle in itself. Good luck to all of you!</p>

Linda! You have a date! Congratulations on your decision, you're on your way. I'm nervous and scared for you, but also VERY excited for you. I'm into a size 11 pant now. Size 11???? I can't even believe I'm saying that. I was a size 24 before I started my pre-op diet. Just remember that no matter what happens, good or bad, you're doing everything in your power to be happy, healthy and full of life again. Not only for yourself, but for your family as well. I'll give you a call at some point before your surgery, I have a HUUGGGGEEEE favor to ask of you about a X-mas gift for Eva that's not available in Canada. It's a Littlest Pet Shop VIP stuffed animal or something, I'll find out and give you a call. I also would REALLY love it if you could bring me a couple of those awesome banana holders next time you come up! I'm so excited for you that I have butterflies!!! Take care, love you, we'll talk soon. Buffie

I'm at 7 cc today and I can't eat anything, it takes like an hour to go down (I'm talking like 2 tbsp yogurt), it feels like there's something pushing up..I'm going for a defill tomorrow. Does drinking warm fluids help loosen the band? I don't want to try it if it doesn't because even drinking water sucks. I managed to get down 1.5 cups after my fill but then it went downhill from there. Any ideas? I know I've asked this before but should I be able to eat comfortably with the right fill level or should there be some discomfort?

I feel for you, I really do. I think about this issue EVERY SINGLE DAY. My band is fine now, but I've only had it for a year, and some day I'm sure something will happen with it. I will do anything, absolutely ANYTHING to keep the fat off. I would go for bypass or VSG in a heartbeat, I'd get a second job if I had to. I can't go back to that life again, I wouldn't make it. I hope you can find an answer that will help you, good luck.

You need another fill. It took me a good 3 fills before I felt restriction.

You are doing great, don't panic and DON'T give up. I've had several fills in the past year, I had no restriction until after the first couple of fills. Weight loss is gradual with the band, for me it definitely comes off in spurts. I think we all expect the band to be magic or something, that we'll be down 50 pounds in the first month after surgery or something. It's frustrating, SO FRUSTRATING to live by the damn numbers on the scale, especially at the beginning when you want results quickly. I had to stop weighing myself every couple of days, I actually started weighing in once a month. You'll see more significant results by doing this and not worry so much about the numbers. Right now focus on getting used to your band and getting used to new portion sizes and foods you can tolerate. Just relax, keep exercising, watch your portions (eventually when you get to the proper fill level the band will do that for you) and keep exercising, you're doing great. I think that there is a such a let down after surgery, we all go through the research for months, anticipation, worry, excitement, and then the big day comes and goes and we figure out that weight loss is still going to take time and effort. You can and will do this!! Hang in there and stay off the scale!!!

I guess the best way to describe my breasts is fried eggs hanging on nails. I definitely point down WAY below the crease *sigh I can't believe how deflated they are after the weight loss, the breastfeeding did a huge amount of damage on them as well. I have stretch marks pretty much everywhere on my body, arms thighs (inner and outer) calves, hips, back, stomach, everywhere. I'll never be rid of them that's for sure, but I just want my breasts to look full. Thanks for the info, you look great!

Wow, you look great! I'm curious about the type of lift you had done, I'm having a lift/implants done and I'm concerned about the vertical scar. Is there a reason you didn't need the vertical incision? I noticed it doesn't look like you have many/any stretch marks on your breasts, mine are pretty much one big stretch mark (2 kids) and they are deflated. I'm a B now, used to be a small C, I want to be a full D. Are you a full D now? You look awesome!

Linda...are you MY Linda?? I hope it is! I'm so happy you're researching the band, you'll love it. Francine/Curt were up this weekend and Francine had a zillion questions about the band, she's considering the band too. I'm SO happy for you, don't be afraid, just take the plunge, it is SOOOO worth it, believe me. You have nothing to lose. Your life and relationship with food will change drastically and you will love yourself again. The band DOES work, as long as you work with it and commit to change. I'm a different person now, a HAPPY PERSON. I feel free, I've never ever felt this way in my adult life. I was thinking about you last night, I'm going to give you a call. Did you hear about Debby yet? She's moving to Yorkton (she got a transfer there), she FINALLY left. WOO HOO!! I'll call you this weekend. Hugs baby!! Buffie

I developed diabetes AFTER an 80 pound weight loss following surgery (which has baffled pretty much everyone), I have about 25-30 pounds left to lose. It doesn't run in my family, I never had it before my surgery. Years of morbid obesity just caught up with me I guess. I'm at a good level of restriction and I follow my diabetic educator's plan. I take Metformin 4 x a day and Lantus long-acting insulin at bed only. My sugars are well under control now. I don't eat many carbs though, at the most 15 grams per meal with 2 15 gram snacks a day as well. I can't handle any more carb than that, my sugars go up. Obviously I don't eat anything white anymore and I never eat any kind of bread (it always get stuck). I would say to follow what your endocrinologist/diabetic dietician has to say about your diet, having the band doesn't make it too difficult in my opinion, it just makes managing diabetes easier since your portion sizes are so limited. Good luck.

Hi everyone, I'm just FRUSTRATED as all hell right now, I've hit a plateau. I know what I have to start doing again, the dreaded E word. I'm eating bandster portions and foods, as well as ultra low carb because of diabetes (which is well under control now) so I don't see how I could change my food plan, or possibly eat any less. I have a real hate/hate relationship with exercise, I went like a madwoman after my surgery, but stopped because I got lazy and was still losing without it. I need a swift kick in the arse. Thanks for listening.

Thanks Enterprise. I don't 'get' how people exercise for YEARS straight, I hate every second of it and can't wait until it's done. The best time of the day is when I'm done the workout, because it's the absolute LONGEST time from then until my NEXT workout. I always feel so good after, but it's getting my ass motivated to go in the first place that I find difficult. Especially since I'm a full time working mom, one of my kids is a mentally insane 2.5 year old who begs me for my time the minute we walk in the door after work/daycare. I feel guilty leaving the kids after I've been away from them all day, and they know how to push my sympathetic buttons, that's for sure. I wish I could be as compulsive about exercise as I am about food, why can't I think about THAT every minute of the day instead of cupcakes??? See, I'm thinking about them RIGHT NOW!!! SHEESH!!

I had a TT a few years ago, after one of my 100 lb weight losses (of course I gained all the weight back again). I live in SK. The surgery was covered, in SK if you've had a major weight loss they will pay for reconstructive surgery (tt, arm lift, breast lift). Check with your provincial health plan to be sure they don't cover the surgery after a major weight loss.

Hi everyone, Is there anyone in here from SK who would be interested in starting a support group? Maybe meeting somewhere once a month? I don't know one person who has the band and I'm feeling a little lonely out here. Since I receive no follow-up from my surgeon (who can afford to fly for fills/follow-up), I figure that maybe having a support group might be the next best thing. I don't know if anyone else is into this, but please post if you are. Thanks!

Hi LTjr, Unfortunately the band is not a cure for obesity, just a tool to help control obesity. The band provides a physical barrier to overeating, but every bandster has to exercise some restraint in their food choices. I've eaten junk food with my band, but not very much at a time. I found that before my band, junk food was a huge crutch for me, the act of eating LARGE amounts of junk was the ONLY passion I had in my life, there was NOTHING that made me happier than being by myself, sitting in front of the tv, and having a huge spread of food around me and I would just inhale it all. In the process, of course, I would just get fatter, setting that whole process in motion once again. That act is not an option now, the band doesn't allow me to eat huge amounts of anything anymore. So eating a small amount of junk doesn't give me pleasure, because I'm always left with wanting more. So I tend to stay away from those foods now, and it's getting easier with time. With RNY you can't eat much of anything sweet or you'll experience "dumping", getting nauseous, vomiting, sweating and feeling really ill (at least that's what I understood when I was researching it) so you physically CAN'T eat sweets anymore. I wan't to be able to eat a piece of birthday cake without getting sick, so that's why I chose the band. My choice for the band was a simple one. I could either go on living my life morbidly obese and miserable, or take a chance and do SOMETHING. The band has saved my life and I feel I've made the right choice. I hope this has helped, good luck in your decision.

I was wondering if anyone in here has breast implants or knows anything about them after weight loss? My breasts were a C before the weight loss, now they're like....where have I heard this before...2 fried eggs hanging on nails? I barely have any tissue left, a lift wouldn't do anything since there's nothing there to lift except stretched marked skin. Does anyone else have this? It seems a lot gets lifts but I don't see much on implants. Thanks!

Hooray Alexandra! I'm so happy for you. If they told you to fast, that's a HUGE sign (I work for a surgeon) that you'll be done. Good luck!

Marcar, you're out of surgery now and proabably sleeping, WAY TO GO!!! You're on your way!

Kwalla, WOO HOO!!! After you've recovered and get back into the swing of life, you'll be amazed with your band. I'm happy for you!

Yoda, so how is Mr. Yoda doing? He obviouly went to the TLBC as well right? How are you doing? Argon, I had a bad fill last summer too, I had too much at once and WOW, did that suck. I couldn't even swallow spit and my throat was on fire. I think I got .5 cc taken out and I felt normal again. What band do you have and how much is in it now? I have a 10 cc band and I think I'm at about 7.5 or so. I think I'm going to go for another .2 cc fill next week, I still feel like I'm eating too much. I think my mind hasn't caught up with all this yet, it's like I feel full 2-3 hours after eating and that makes me think I've eaten too much, when in reality since my last fill I don't think I am because I'm losing. I guess I still relate hunger pain to being successful or something, like I have to be suffering to be rewarded with weight loss. How bizarre is that? I work in a hospital here in the surgery dept. We had an unfortunate pt who had her band placed in Canada (I'm not going to say who operated on her or where) and started with a raging infection a couple of weeks after surgery (her surgery was in March). She was admitted to hospital here and they treated her aggressively with antibiotics, etc. The ending to this is the surgeon here has to remove her band, I'm not sure if it's been removed yet or not. I feel SO badly for her, I can't imagine going through the surgery and everything associated with that and then having the band taken off right away. Especially since she was probably self pay like the rest of us are in SK. I've never spoken with her, but I wish I could talk to her, I can't imagine how disappointed she is. Anyway, I feel really fortunate and blessed to say the least. Is anyone going for plastic surgery? I'm getting my arms done next year, if I jumped off the roof I could fly with my batwings. Sheesh. I still have to lose the rest of my weight first though.

Hi Yoda! Thanks for the comment, I feel great. I've decided that this new diabetes thing is somewhat of a blessing since it's kicked my weight loss into gear again. My sugars are between 3-8 and I feel MUCH better. I was anywhere between 8-19 before. I was kind of at a stall before this all happened. I've gone for a couple of small fills (.2 cc each time, I find if I get any more than that at once it's too much) and that's really helped as well. I was starting to eat too much, too fast, swallowing too fast and too much at once. I'm sure I dilated my pouch because I could eat WAY too much food at once. I wasn't gaining weight but when I really looked at how much I was eating it was disturbingly too much. So now I've tried to slow down and watch portion control again, the fills have really helped a lot. I have question. What quantity are you eating eating at each meal? I was looking through my TLBC literature the other day and it said 1 cup. Is that normal for 1 year out of surgery? Is anyone else eating 1 cup? At Breakfast I can only eat yogurt or pudding, it's like my band is tight in the morning. Is anyone else like this? And why is that?? Thanks again to everyone, it's nice to be back.

Hi Mandi! I hope my port is stitched into place, it sure feels like it is. You are doing INCREDIBLE! WOW, I'm so happy for you! I've been doing much better, I think I told you that I have type II diabetes, it took me a few weeks to get things under control but I'm feeling much better now. I'm on an oral med 4 times a day and I take one shot of long-acting 24 hour insulin before bed. The insulin really did the trick, although I still have to D I E T. I have 15 gram of carb at each meal and 3 15 gram of carb snacks per day. 15 grams of carb isn't much. My weight loss has kicked into gear again though which makes me happy. I finally broke 200 pounds, which I haven't done for 20 years. So how are you doing? How have you been feeling?

Hi Doddie, Uh, I HOPE my band is anchored, I thought that that was the standard practice now. Are you talking about the band or the port? I hope they're both anchored. What happened when it flipped?

Hi Terranne, My family doc does my fills (I've been with her for 20 years), she just watched the video I had from my surgeon (Drs. Yau/Joffe at TLBC) and figured it out. It's really not that complicated, I think most doctors are worried about liability for the most part, she's always had no problems at all with my fills. I was banded June 16/06 in Toronto, I don't regret anything. I love my band!! Good luck with your upcoming surgery, I KNOW how excited you are. Your life will change in ways you never imagined. I never thought the band would "work" for me, but it does and I'm very grateful for it. Good luck!

Alexandra, I can literally feel your anguish and pain with having the weight gain, I've often thought that if I have to have my band removed they might as well do bypass at the same time because I'd gain weight all my weight back like a madwoman in no time at all. I wish you all the best in getting your new band, I pray it will all work out with your insurance company. You helped me out SO MUCH in the past with your encouragement and advice, good luck and my thoughts are with you. Hang in there!