Ale78

1. Would you do it over again? The quick answer is YES! But there have been moments where I wondered. I have a lot of emotional attachment to food that has been hard to get over and the band doesn't help with that until your fills start to kick in and really help with the "full" feeling. So bandster Hell is real and for some lasts longer than others. 2. How long post-op until you feel normal again? Do you ever "forget" you had the surgery done? I went back to work within 5 days but I would say it was two weeks or better before I felt normal. I can't remember how long it lasted but I really felt like I could feel the band in there. It was strange but it gets better. I used to forget all the time but now that I am a little more serious about "working the band" I think about it more often. 3. Are there any foods you CAN'T eat post-op? )I heard veggie and fruit skins, pastas, popcorn?) I have a hard time with potatoes...just the white ones not sweet. They just feel really hard to swallow. I suppose that is the "stuck" feeling. But Popcorn is fine and I haven't found any fruits or veggies I can't eat. 4. Do I need to give up coffee and soda? The carbonation from soda can mess with your new little stomach so I would say yes on this plus you are trying to get healthier and even Diet soda does nothing good for your body :smile2: That said I drink coffee every morning with a healthy does of FF French vanilla Creamer! lol I gotta have the coffee! 5. Do you deal with heartburn or reflux regularly? I have never had any trouble at all with this. 6. Can you have this surgery and NOT tell your whole family, friends, and co-workers? I only told my husband and one close friend. It was very tough at times because I am a very open person and very close to my family but I am SO glad I went this route. Then when I was stalled in Bandster hell! I didn't have to face any questions from people about why I wasn't losing. It was hard enough without that. 7. How is it you DONT lose weight immediately after surgery? I want to say the 1st week after I didn't lose but then I think the next 20lbs came off fast. Everybody's bodies are different. Some people lose fast all the time, some lose slow all the time and some go in spurts. It really just depends on your body and your ability to follow the guidelines. 8. What type of band do you have and are there any differences in the manufacturers? I have a lapband. The one that holds 10cc and I am currently at 6.8 9. No liquids with meals, whatsoever? I sometimes sip a couple of sips but really if you are keeping yourself hydrated throughout the day, not drinking at mealtimes won't be too hard. 10. Post op diet consisted of? Are you asking for specifics? There are quite a few threads with ideas but a lot of thin Soups until you slowly move into more solid foods. Some people really struggle during this but some like me have no problem with being on a liquid diet. 11. Anyone have a doctor they can recommend in the LA, Ventura area? No sorry...good luck on your search and I hope we are all helpful! It is a big choice to make. ~A

You haven't failed until you give up. Don't give up! Getting this whole Lap-Band thing to the elusive "sweet spot" is not a quick and easy task. Others have suggested you talk to your provider but if you aren't comfortable with them or feel like they are being critical of you, is it possible to look for another provider? This is going to be such a close relationship that is seems silly to spend it with someone you think is judging you. Good luck and Don't give up!!!:smile2: ~A

I seem to be stuck at 253...ARG! Still not too bad really! I get another fill next week so I am sure I will start dropping again. I am finally starting to see what fills can do for you! Happy New Year every one!! I hope you are all doing better at staying away from the goodies than I am! ~A

yikes....I hope you can go to another Doctor. You need their support not to get crap from them. She should be giving you better ideas in a conversation not reprimanding you like a child. Good luck...I hope you can find better. If I were you I would not step foot back in that office. ~Amy

The above looks to be about the same as what my surgeon does. All I know is they take like 12 vials of blood....ewe! I would seriously look into it because as we eat so little it is easy to become deficient. Lucky for you, your PCP is more than willing to work with you! ~A

Man, all I can say is I stand behind you buddy! There is a huge amount of support here. I used to watch a LOT of TV and my habit in watching it was to mindlessly eat crap food. First I cut way back on the tv and still slowly working on the nightime snacking. Sitting in front of the tv or the computer leads to mindless snacking for me. Does it do that to you? I didn't want to give up my shows but I didn't want to give up on me either. I won out in the end. I want this to work! You need to figure out what is more important for you. Having time to work out and cook healthy meals or WoW. I know it's tough, I really feel for you. Another thing I would do is see if you can find another counselor in your area. I know you said you live in a small town but what if you go to another town? Find someone that works for you. That is such a personal relationship. You need to be happy in it. I get so much help and advice from mine. The first one I went to was like the opposite of helpful. The one I see now sees a lot of people with weight issues. SO maybe ask at your lapband Drs office and see if they have any recommendations. Never give up, never give in!:eek: ~A

Hello!! I struggled for quite a while over the summer and into the fall. Getting fills was horrible and turns out the Fluid wasn't even getting into my band! So I have now had a port revision and two fills and I can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel! It was one of those things...I didn't realize how far off track I had gotten until I got back on. I actually can't eat whatever I want anymore....makes it so much easier to make better choices! I am going to try to go to a local support group this weekend. I say try because they meet at 8am. Seriously? I am so not a morning person but I want to have some friends that have gone through at least some of what i have. I think it makes all the difference in the world! So anyway YAY! us and keep up the good work everybody!! Oh and I want to be at the 100lbs mark for my bandiversary too! So I have to lose about 4lbs a week. Not even sure if that is possible but I might just make that a serious goal!:scared2: ~A

Hey!!! I have been poking around this site for over a year now and it's amazing to me how quiet us Minnesotans are! I am in the Golden Valley/Crystal/New Hope Area. I would love to know if there is anybody out there near me. A by-weekly get together would be amazing. I haven't told anyone except my husband that I have a lapband so just having "partners in crime":cool2: would be really cool. I have really struggled. I lost a lot fast and then stopped losing over the summer. I was having absolutely no restriction....well a port revision and two fills later, I am FINALLY starting to understand about the sweet spot and how I am getting closer! So to those struggling it will get better! For a little bit there I was really questioning what I had done to myself. I had my surgery in St. Louis Park with Dr. Wetherill. I really like him.:thumbup: ~A

Hey everybody...I haven't posted for a few weeks. I had a port revision and then Thanksgiving and my weight was really going up and down but I have been pretty solid now so I will post :thumbup: 254! Only 5 more lbs to go to be under 250 for Christmas...yay! Keep up the good work everyone!!! ~A

I am sorry you had a bad experience today...I did too! :w00t:( Both my PA and I discovered a couple things....my port is deep and I make scar tissue quickly. So scar tissue covers my port and it makes it painful to get fills. So once she numbed me a bit deeper it went much better. Still a little rough. I hate fills...seriously! This was my fifth one and the only one that wasn't pretty rough was the first one and I know it isn't the PA because I have seen a couple of them but it is just the way my body heals over it. I hope it doesn't cause problem long term. If I were you, I would asked to be numbed first. It makes the whole thing much less painful if you are sensitive. ~A

So I have been having troubles getting fills and they decided through x-ray that my port was slightly tilted and that I had excess scar tissue. I went in at about 11:30. They were just going to give me mild sedation. I vaguely remember waking up and saying ow..ow. So they ended up putting me totally out. I don't remember the pain at all but I remember saying ow...funny! He checked how much was in my band 2cc...it was supposed to be 6cc lol I knew it wasn't! So he put 6cc in thinking it would be fine since I am so far out. I woke right up in recovery and was ready to go. My surgeon stopped by to see how I felt and told me that they had indeed put me under general anesthesia and that there was way more scar tissue than they had realized through x-ray. After he left they moved me to another room and offered me something to drink....yes please! Water! After a few tiny sips I knew it wasn't going anywhere...yikes! My first time getting stuck and it was on Water of all things but really if it's gonna happen I would so way rather it be on water than food. What a miserable experience. I burped like 1000 times and started burping up foam. Kind of scary but it felt so much better out than in! My surgeon had gone to another building to do another surgery and I had to wait for him to get done and come back since there wasn't anyone there able to do an unfill. It ended up being a lot faster than I thought it was going to be and he thoroughly apologized for not making sure I could drink before he left. He took out 3ccs leaving me with 3cc. He really is a good guy and I know he felt bad about it. Instant relief. I could drink water no problem! So I got dressed and got the heck out of there! I am more sore today of course but not unbearable. Not really very hungry at all, just trying to keep my fluids up and get some Protein in. Other than getting stuck it really wasn't too bad at all. OK onward and downword! (weight that is :thumbup:) ~A

Hello! To be honest with you, that doesn't sound right at all. I think first thing tomorrow you need to call the clinic you go to and speak with someone until you are completely sure what your "meal" plan is. I got a calender just for this or use whatever calender you have and write on it while you are talking and have them help you nail down specific dates for what you can eat,drink or what ever and when. This is how it usually goes...10 day pre=op some sort of liquid diet (with protein) or a mix of liquid and very healthy dinners POST-op Clear Liquids (no protein) -->Full Liquids (Protein yay!)--->pureed Foods--->Mashed foods--->Soft foods to Normal...YAY! Or something like that...now the post-op I think varies more than the pre-op. Some doctors take months to get through the stages but with my Doc, I was through them before two months was up. Our clinic give out a handbook to help you understand all of this and I had an apointment just for this information alone. It is very improtant to know what you need to do so make sure you find out and understand all of the stages. You can do this!! :thumbup: I have a wicked food addiction and it was very impowering to know that I really could control myself when I put my mind to it! good luck! ~A

I weigh 259 this AM down from 261! yay!

Um anything. I really don't have one thing that will drive a binge. It starts oh I'll just have a....whatever, something healthy even....but it's more then I need. And that can start a two day "snacking" binge where I will just graze. Not necessarily all bad foods but just more than I need to eat. It sucks! So I need to constantly stay vigilant! Oh and sometimes I babysit for a friend and for some reason that is a HUGE trigger too. I think it's a bad habit from Childhood. You babysit and find all of their snack foods! Right now I am doing a DO OVER! Or a pouch test, whatever you want to call it. So I am using Slimfast for my liquid Protein. I tell my husband it's my Methadone. Since food is like Heroin for me it makes sence that Slimfast would be the substitute to keep me from the hard stuff lol! ~A

I am in. Starting a little late but I know I am going to need some support over the next few weeks. I am getting a port revision on Friday and I am hoping to actually have some restriction along with that. He is going to put 6ccs in. We'll see. That is what I am "supposed" to be filled to now but I am not sure that it always worked. After the first fill they had a terrible time getting into my port. Anyway, I set a small goal but I want to ROCK it! I would love to be under 250 come Christmas!!:wink2: ~A

Hey ja9rhone. I am so sorry to hear about your mother and biggest supporter:crying: Just try to remember when you are struggling, what she wanted for you. You were very lucky to have a supportive Mom! I told my Mom in the beginning of all of this that I was going to see a nutritionist to work on my weight and she said "oh good I was afraid you were going to have WLS. That's such a cop-out" So I haven't told anyone :thumbup: So I am going to give you the advice I have given myself but have yet to follow...lol Join a support group or two. There are other people going through what you have gone through....although maybe not both at the same time. It helps to have someone to lean on. When my Dad passed away I was very lucky to have my Husband for a couple of reasons. He is a great friend and partner but he had already lost his Dad too. It really helped having support from someone who has "been there" You'll be in our thoughts! ~A

YES!! My occasion treat I realized, was becoming my focus and my hourly treat!! lol I have been VERY lucky that my baaad habits have not caused a gain, I am just not losing. Which seriously? If I really work this I bet I will lose very fast, like I did in the begining. I am so glad I got back on here. I was feeling like SUCH a failure. But we are all human and everyday has a new dawn. I am having a port revision next Friday and so until then I am forcing myself to do the liquid pre-op diet. I think this will accomplish two things. Getting my snacking back out of the picture and also a sort of "pouch test". I just want to start over. I had this nailed back in February! I am excited again...like I haven't been for a while. I am so glad we are all here! ~A

Hey February Bandsters....ROLL CALL! It's been too long since anyone posted here. Where are we all at? I have been away from this site but I want to get more active...I need the support.:thumbup: I haven't lost anything for months but I am trying to turn that around! Is there another spot where The Febs have been posting? Hope to hear something :drool: ~A

How are you MN Moms doing? Still on here? I would love updates. I have been away over the summer and I want to get back to being active on this site....it helps to have friends! I have been stalled over the summer...which is better than gaining! I am looking forward to a Winter of losing...RIGHT!!!:thumbup:

Hey been a while.... I was banded Last February and did amazing until about June. Then I started slowly realizing that I have no restriction even with fills. So with all the summer vacations, trips to Grandma's cabin and Camping...I started slowly but surely to get back to the same old bad habits of before LB life. In August I went in for the fourth fill and after the previous two painful fills(1st one was fine), this one was by far the worst! VERY painful! She hit a blood vessel so I started squirting blood...it was terrible. It was decided that my port had flipped and I will be getting a new one next Friday. I feel like I am starting over! I have been so discouraged...I ate so badly for the last couple of months and now I am trying to get back on track and really struggling! Luckily I haven't gained anything since June but I haven't lost any either. To be honest after getting back on here after being away for months...I am realizing that I never have had restriction. I mean I can't eat like I used to but I can eat way more than I should be able to. I try to make the right choices and stop after small portions but if I was good at that on my own I wouldn't have needed help in the first place lol! So any positive words you have for me I would love. Plus by posting I feel a little more accountable! I need to get back into the shrink and join the local support group. I really need help in the head:huh2: for the body! Thank you! ~A

I go in next Friday for a revision. AND mine, they say, is just slightly tilted! But just that slight tilt has given them problems with every fill I have had except the first one. I can't even imagine what one that was totally sideways would be like.:thumbup: Good luck to you! They say it's an easy fix but dang...surgery is surgery to me! ~A

Hey! So I just started my 10 day pre op diet. So far so good. I prepared myself by cutting out Snacks already and having a few trial days of all liquid. My question is this...are there any other vegetarians out there that went through the full liquid, pureed and mushy stages? I am the first at my clinic and they really didn't have much in the way for ideas for me. I also don't drink milk and my clinic is big on pushing Milk at the begining(in between "meals")...nasty! I tried to do a search on here for previous posts of this nature but I feel like it's looking for a needle in a haystack sometimes. Thank you! ~A

Ditto! I only have 4cc so far so I don't know if it's going to change but I had both pizza and Pasta last week...mostly because I was on vacation. I limited myself to a very small portion of pasta and gave the rest to my husband so I wouldn't nibble. Pizza...same thing. One slice and that's it. But really the cool thing about the band is if you eat it slow, all you want is a small portion. I still wouldn't recomend it being a steady part of your intake but ocasionally it should be fine and long a you eat very slowly and watch your portions as both pizza and pasta may expand once inside...yuck AND ouch!

YAY I am so glad that helped...onto recovery )

Hey Ladies, I am in the Twin Cities. Looking to loose 100+ Off to a good start so far. Have you been banded yet? I just got my first fill last week. Some restriction, I still need to fight with myself to make better choices! I am a Mom of one sweet sweet four yr old girl ) Good Luck...We can DO this! ~A