kimmyv

Ok--- Here is my take. I also work 50+ hrs/wk and went the personal trainer and nutrionist route as a final last ditch effort. I was totally committed to "doing it right" but lost like 10 lbs in 5 months working out every day. Not that I didn't lose inches or was stronger or more in shape-- i had all of that. But it didn't solve the problem of controlling the eating. That was the last straw. I know that you can relate because when you work the hours and add that in but have what seems like minimal results it is like being punched in the face. Frankly, I don't have 2 extra hours a day to work out like that. 30min-1 hr-yes. But I cannot make the gym my life. I feel like my band is the ultimate tool that will finally help me. Is there risk in surgery? yes. Is there risk in NOT getting surgery? yes. For me--- the risk of surgery out weighed my future health risks that were inevitable with out help. I know I cannot do this on my own-- I really did try. So how are you not prepared? You already are committed to excersize at least 3x a week and have the drive and the desire to lose. Bottom line- does your trainer actually know what it is like to be fighting his/her weight for like 20+ years? Mine didn't. Fills-- I just had my first one and it was no big deal. In and out in 45 minutes tops. Just with anything- Follow up is the key to success. I know in my job it is and I am sure with your career it is as well. Think of fills as follow up. As for learning how to eat with your band-- well (for me) the healing process etc helps teach you how to read hunger etc. I am 5'3 too and only 30lbs less than you-- Risk vs Reward. Either way we'll have health issues. I like my odds with the band vs with out. I know I have done with out it and it equals gaining 10-15 every year or more. The future with out the band holds more health issues than I could ever imagine. The stats of complications with the band are much less than the health issues with out it. My one last thought--- where do you think you will be in 2 years if you don't get the band? Where were you 2 years ago? Good luck in your journey-- do what you think is best for you.....

I just had my first fill last week... And I am experimenting with food too. Who knows what will work and what won't! Maybe when I have my 2nd fill I will be more restricted and won't be able to eat what I am able to at this point. I have fill #2 next week so we'll see. Just too be the devil's advocate here---And please don't take this the wrong way. But--- how about instead of 2 chicken wings you have 2oz of grilled chicken with some buffalo sauce and 2oz veggie (like really super steamed broccoli tops). I only say this because it's still the same taste (kind of) but much better version. And veggies have good fiber. My doc recommended that I have 4oz total for meal. 2-3oz of Protein and the rest veggie. I have a digital scale at work and at home. Breakfast-- 2 scrambled eggs with a little cheese in the microwave. Little (like 3 spoons) of yogurt. Lunch- half a south beach or lean cuisine-- equal parts of meat and veggie with a little bit of cottage cheese- to equal 4 oz. Dinner-- Saute chicken cutlet with various seasonings and steamed broccoli (really steamed) to equal 4 oz. Or tonite I made bake spaghetti with beef/mushrooms. Maybe the chicken is something that you cannot easily digest at all and there is another protein that you should try.... I have seen alot of people on here that cannot eat chicken very well. I am just not sure if nutrionally wings are the best bet.... We bandsters need all the good stuff we can get in a small amount of food.

Terry Goodkind-- I have 2 books left in the series of 12.... OMG. I haven't gone and bought them yet because I need to ration because I only have 2 books left and I raced thru the first 10. I was up all night a couple of times... And had to order the next books from the book store ahead of time because I knew I couldn't wait. It is kind of like Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings meets a seriously adult content commentary on social/political/racial issues with magic/wizards etc...... SO GOOD. And let me tell you-- I was an English lit major in college and really love 17th-18th century English literature (ie- Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, etc). This serious is WAY out of my usual reading. Love it.

Hey--- I was banded 9/15-- so about a month before you all. I just got my first fill on Wed 10/15. And I can tell you it was none too soon. I wasn't that hungry the first 2 weeks but oh my goodness... Once you are healed it comes back big time. The term on here is "bandster hell". Yeppers and how. In my short experience... Make sure that you are really trying to stick to the portion size your doc says. For me- 4oz meals 3 times a day. I think that this really trained my mind to get adjusted to the portion size-even if I didn't have restriction. The rest of the time I drink (hot tea or water) thru the hunger. It is MUCH better now that I got a fill. I can already tell I need more fill but it is a learning procss too about what foods keep you full. (I am getting hungry at like 3 hrs and wanting to snack). During mushie/semi solid stage and even now-- no mashed potatoes-or potatoes at all for me--makes me more hungry. But I am a carb addict. Use this time to break the old habits and food addictions. Good luck! We can do this together!

Miralax is a lifesaver.....

I drink warm tea with lemon ALL DAY..... I started it right after my surgery and have continued to do it to help from my stomach from feeling empty and hungry. When I drink really cold anything it make me feel more hungry for some reason. Also--I feel full longer when I drink a low carb Protein shake (i drink myoplex low carb-23g protein in one) vs Carnation and take like 30 minutes+ to drink it. Really little sips at a time. You will only start to get more hungry- Progressive with each week until you get filled. It is trial and error to see what foods stay with you and which ones make you hungry faster. Mashed potatoes and mac/cheese did not stay with me. I believe you are beginning what is called "bandster hell"--it's the time after surgery when you have no restriction and lots of hunger. I just had my first fill yesterday and THANK GOODNESS. With the soft foods--- Eggs!! FOr me-- nothing better than 1 egg w/yougurt or 2 eggs only in the morning. As of right now I don't have issues with tightness in the morning. Keeps me full and I don't eat till I am really hungry. Just drink away my tea. And I even did 1 eggs with a little mushy corned beef hash for dinner one night. I am limited to 4oz cooked food per meal and even on soft foods stage I measure every meal on my digital scale. No snacking-- Personally--when I have snacked in between meals it made the hunger worse. I had to really train my body and mind to get into this. My 2nd week was 2 Protein shakes a day and then yogurt or Soup for the 3rd meal. So I would do Protein Shake for breakfast, soup (tomato or brocc/chz) and shake for dinner. Same on mushie too. Hope it helps! Good luck- Hang in there and drink (water, warm tea, propel etc) thru the hunger!!

What about asking your doctor about taking actual Iron supplements vs a general vitamen with addl iron in it...... I was fortunate-I was ok when my blood work was done right before surgery but it was luck of the draw for me. When I get really anemic (and I can tell even without bloodwork-I am sure you can too) I have to take the little iron pills (from CVS/Walgreens) 3x a day to get my levels back up. That is triple the dose on the bottle but that is what my pcp told me to take. It isn't enough sometimes for me to just take my regular vitamen plus iron (post band I take Flinstones chewables with iron) and eat protein/iron rich food. I think the reason your doc asked about your periods (they asked me too due to the anemia) is to see if you're bleeding more than normal AND anemic or just anemic..... I don't really have issues with bleeding so my doctor said he wasn't concerned.

I got banded just 4 days after you and lost 10lbs right way but (and I haven't updated) I gained 3lbs the last 2 weeks since starting solids. But- I am very happy to have lost what I have. And the wierd thing is that my clothes are more loose but the scale hasn't moved. I HAVE to stop weighing myself everyday because it is driving me nuts. For me at least-- I know that I will lose slower because I am a lower bmi and have less to lose. My doc told me to hang in there and make sure I really get in the exersize and stick to 4oz a meal 3x a day. I am not going to lose as fast b/c I don't have as much to lose as some other people. Hang in there!! It will kick in-- This is a journey not a race!

Jessica--- Please don't give up! I hear you on the personal trainer thing and all the diets... Have you applied for any outside financing for the 3k? Capital One does medical financing.... Also Care Credit. You're not asking for the full amount etc so I wonder if you'd qualify. Does your doctor offer any in house financing? Typically a 3k revolving payment is going to be around $90. Is that something you could budget for? What about talking to the docs and or nurses in your new clinic to see if they have any connections to other docs that do the lap band and would be willing to work with you with the out of pocket stuff? I understand though if it is not somehting you don't want to bring up with new co workers. From docs that I know they do want to help though..... Just some suggestions. Keep fighting for you-- you are worth it.

Hey! I was banded on 9/15- I am 1 month into this journey and I can tell you... It is a roller coaster! Each week is different as you progress from your surgery. I thought I was prepared. Nope. I grieved the loss of the way things used to be- I celebrated the way they are going to be. And then the hunger came back and I freaked that nothing had changed. I got my first fill today and I am so glad. What you have gone thru and about to go thru will prepare you and START to train you about hunger, recognizing cravings and control etc. All the other diets etc are out the window. Take each day at a time. You are 1 week out.... The hardest week EVER. I couldn't eat pureed or mushies till week 3....You're lucky with that (every doc is different). For me-- withdrawals from everything--sugar, carbs, solids, fats, etc etc those weeks was really hard. I just wanted solid meat or bread. What are you having doubts/regrets about?

Hey--- I felt great at like day 4-5 and then boom...random piercing pains in my abs/side... and shoulder too. I took half doses of my pain med during the day (i was back at work) and a whole dose to sleep. Usually more of the pains in the morning after I was laying down all night. Honestly- they went away after the 2nd week... I really think that it was gas pains and just the healing of all the tissues. While the incisions are locations I am sure there was more that went on in there than just those spots. And headaches too-- but I attributed that to caffenine withdrawel and the fact that I couldn't even think about coffee with out wanting to puke after surgery. Never hurts to call your doc if your scared though....

Welcome!! I had my surgery on 9/15... This is a great site!! Good Luck fellow Bandster! When is you first fill? Mine is tomorrow and I can't wait! ' Yippee for u!

I lost 10lbs but am up 2lbs now---Surgery was 9/15. But I am on solid food now and am trying to keep things on track so I don't gain anymore. My first fill is tomorrow and I am totally ready for it!!! Time for some serious exersize too! But I am a low bmi'r and am not anticipating (or getting my hopes up) for huge losses at one time.....

No worries-- I really didn't think that you didn't want this. Sometimes this whole email thing doesn't really express our personalities well enough. This is a really big thing for all of us... And I cannot even imagine having it drag on for months only to be let down and given the run around. It's totally stressfull, exciting, nerve racking etc etc..... Keep strong and stay the course-- you'll soon be a band sister!!! It's storming like crazy at my house-- I am logging off before my house gets hit by lightning.... Have a wonderfull night-- tomorrow is another day!

I wasn't assuming that at all actually... And I completely understand your feelings about paying for insurance--Believe me. I've been paying for insurance too. And they told me to take a hike. I guess what I was trying to say was that if it was a doctor that didn't waste your time or that maybe treated you better etc then the fee that insurance didn't cover wouldn't seem like such a rip off or something. From what I gather from this site alot of docs have separate fees that insurance doesn't cover. Please don't get me wrong---I was NOT saying you didn't really want this. If you didn't want this you wouldn't have even gone to a seminar-- or gone thru all the other stuff to get to the point of surgery.

Hi! I am in Melbourne and was banded by Dr Fusco too.... 9/15--- He is AWESOME and so is his whole staff. I have my first fill on Wednesday...... Honestly- there are going to be some things that insurance won't pay for. I couldn't get my insurance to pay anything and did self pay--- I refused to go another year and gain another pound, and I have been lucky so far with no co-mobidities--but it is only a matter of time. "Shop" around and find a surgeon and program you are comfortable with. If there are extra costs then it will come down to a choice for you. I have a feeling if you find the right doctor and get more comfortable with your choice the cost will seem a little less...... Good luck on your journey!!! Slimteacherin08--HI fellow Fusco lifeshaper!!!

I had my surgery at 9am at a surgery center and was home by about 2pm.... (i was a little doped up so I may be off an hour or so). But--- I am not on any meds, have really no issues that warranted me being in a hospital (heart, lung blood pressure etc). I didn't feel any risk with coming home to recoup and was SO happy to be in my own jammie pants with my own couch and bathroom. I could not WAIT to get out of there. But it is about what you and your doc are comfortable with and your personal feelings and medical situation. If your doc thought for a minute you needed to stay he will have you stay. I made sure to drink alot of liquids, do my breathing with that thing, and I took my pain meds every 4-5 hours and slept.....

Oh.... I forgot-- the gas pains. Everyone is different with if the get them or have them. For me-- wowza. But it goes away. Don't worry.

I didn't have to stay overnight-- but I will say I am glad I had a variety of things to drink.....I got a bunch of kinds of Gatorade and apple juice, lemon for my Water and warm tea..... and popsicles. And Jello. I also had a really bad taste in my mouth so the popsicles were crucial for me. Also--really comfy pants to put on when you go home and a shirt that is dark so you don't have to attempt the bra. I found that it really helped me to use an 8-10oz glass and MADE myself drink at least 1 every hour that I was awake. Sipping and sipping and sipping..... But I told my fiance not to get me anything-if I wanted it I had to get up and walk and get it. That way I was forced to walk around. Every 15-30 min I would try to do the breathing machine thing (which totally blows but actually really helps). Take your pain meds and sleep. CONGRATS!

OMG--- I did the same thing as you and broke down. Ok... the pain meds didn't help the situation at all (not exactly in the right frame of mind to see the scale go up like 8 lbs). I refused to weigh myself for like 4 days and voila! I was down all that post surgery "weight" plus another 2 lbs. I am now holding steady and haven't lost any more but I have my first fill in like 5 days-- And that can't come quick enough for me. Take a shower-- sip your broth and look foward to the day you are done with jello forever....

Call your doctor immediately..... It is NOT good for you to be throwing up-- both for your band and for dehydration. Are you feeling sick after you take pain meds? Sometimes they can make some people really sick to their stomach.

Also-- we "midwest" gals need to stick together-- I grew up in Iowa--maybe it's all the steak and pork chops I ate!! :biggrin: