Catherine55

Welcome!! I wish you the best in your LB journey! Catherine

Welcome!! This site is a really great place to get support and answers to band-related questions. I had my surgery on October 23, 2008, so I'm about a year ahead of you in the process. A year ago, I was filled with hope about being banded and how that would let me get control over my weight, but I don't think I fully understood how positive, amazing and great it would really be! I've lost 73% of my extra weight already and am on track to be in my "ideal" weight range by Christmas. Earlier today, I bought a pair of size 12 jeans from The Gap and I'm wearing them now! A year ago, it was hard for me to believe that it would be possible to get to this point. You have an exciting year ahead! I am very happy for you! Welcome to band land! Catherine

My OBGYN was the same way when I told her. But, I researched my doctor and also talked to two of his patients, so I did not have the same concerns. I had my surgery on 10/23/08 with Dr. Roberto Rumbaut. He is also banded, so I felt like he had a great perspective. He has also done more than 6,000 of these procedures and is well respected in the field, and I found that very reassuring. Dr. Rumbaut was able to hook me up with the doctors at NYU who wrote Fighting Weight with Mohammed Ali's daughter. I arranged my first post-op appointments before I even had surgery, which made me feel much better. The hospital he uses (Ortiz probably goes here as well, though I'm not 100% on that) is amazing -- brand spanking new and state of the art. I was really impressed. Also, since their business thrives on private pay patients, the level of care was OUTSTANDING. I never had to wait even a whole 60 seconds after pushing the nurse call button to have someone there to help me. They also made up a bed in my (private, brand new, gorgeous) hospital room so that my mother could spend the night there with me. I can't speak highly enough about Dr. Rumbaut or the care I received. If you aren't set on Ortiz, you might consider him as well. BTW, I put photos of the hospital on my blog (at the very beginning), so feel free to take a look if you are interested! Catherine

I agree with the other posters. I'm 10 months post-op and have already lost 73% of my extra weight. In fact, today I went to The Gap and bought a pair of jeans in size 12! I was wearing a tight 20 when I started this process. If you are willing to follow the rules of being banded (within reason -- you don't have to be perfect all the time), you are going to lose weight and you are going to keep it off. Funny -- I just put up a video on my blog about this (how mind-boggling it is for me to realize that the weight isn't coming back). Feel free to check it out if you want! Good luck with your decision! Catherine

These are so great!!! I love it that so many people had so many different ones to share so far! Kdub -- I'm doing the Susan G. Komen Race for The Cure (raising money for breast cancer research). ThereItGoes, I bet this will cure your compartmental syndrome! I can't wait to see that in your NSV list! :biggrin: Catherine

I also wanted to suggest that you go on-line to look at the restaurant's menu (or call the restaurant and have them e-mail or fax it to you) before the lunch. There may be something on there that will work with your diet. Even if you go with the plan to treat that lunch as your dinner, I find that it made me much less anxious (and much less likely to screw up) if I planned what I was going to order in advance. Good luck with the meetings! These sacrifices are going to be SO WORTH IT! :sad: Catherine

I'm glad to hear you say that you are getting back on the wagon right away! Your post made me afraid for you! Still on liquids and eating candy bars and milk shakes? Leaving aside the risk of causing your band to slip, you don't want to be putting on weight during this early phase! Anyway, I'm not going to flame you. But, you should give a lot of thought to what made you want to sabotage yourself like that and what you can do to stop from doing it again next time. I wish you all the best in your lap band journey and look forward to seeing you do very well after this little blip! Catherine

Welcome! Well, you're in the right place to start out! There is a ton of great information on the boards every day, and this site is a great source for support. BTW, there is a board with success stories, and I like reading that every once in a while. It's very inspirational! You might want to read up on "Bandster Hell" if you haven't yet -- you'll be going through that short period before too long (i.e. the time when you are hungry between post-op and your first fill). Welcome aboard! Best wishes for your success! Catherine

Congratulations on doing so well! I was banded around the same time as you (10/23/08) and am down 55+ pounds. As far as what it should feel like when you eat, for me, that varies depending on what I am eating and how tight my band is at that particular moment. Sometimes, certain foods seem to sit heavily in my pouch, which I find uncomfortable and don't like. Other times things go down just fine. I definitely get full on much less than I used to, and overeating has lost its appeal for me (I guess I must have found it appealing on some levels in the past, since I certainly did it often enough)! Welcome to LBT! This is a great site and a really good source for support. Best, Catherine

A few people say to bring a pillow to the hospital for the ride home (to hold against yourself). I didn't need that, but I did bring my favorite down pillow with me -- I just sleep a lot better with it! Best wishes for Thursday and a speedy recovery! You're just about on your way! :sad: Catherine

Hi, Jojo! I go to Dr. Ren (Dr. Fielding's partner and wife -- though my surgery was in MX with Dr. Rumbaut) and they are OK with alcohol in moderation. Definitely check with them on timing though. The shakes are pretty gross -- I hated them, so I got Isopure Protein drinks (taste/look like Gatoraid) from GNC, which was SO much better (42 grams of protein, zero carbs). That did the trick. As for good mushies, you can still have everything you had during liquids (Soups really carried me through liquids & mushies), and other things I enjoyed were mashed potatoes, refried Beans with cheese, pureed turkey chili, cottage cheese, and yogurt. Best wishes for your success! Catherine

Here is a way to reframe that. You are 55 and have the self-awareness to know that you need some help getting your weight under control, based on your past experience. Next year, you are going to be 56 years old. You have three choices. Either you can: 1. Accept yourself as you are (and the possible health problems that will go along with the extra weight); 2. Try to lose on your own (statistically speaking, most people will regain that weight, though you could be in the 5% that does not); or 3. Have the surgery, commit to making your band work and hit 56 looking and feeling better than you have in years. I would recommend making a pro/con list and really putting a lot of thought into it. For me, that was very helpful and made my decision an easy one. I have been banded now for about 10 months, am down more than 55 pounds and am probably in the best shape of my life. I needed help to get my weight under control -- that is for certain. But, I got that help and feel so positive and successful with every step that I have made toward my goal during this process. This is the first time in my post-adolescent life that I can remember feeling good about my weight every day and not beating myself up inside my head about not sticking to my diet, getting heavier, etc. This is a big decision, and you are right to think about it carefully. If you are worried about how others perceive your decision, just remember -- you don't have to tell anyone you don't want to tell. I wish you the very best in your decision. Hang in there! Catherine

I got banded with a 37 BMI in Monterrey as well. Are you going to Dr. Rumbaut? I had such a good experience and was VERY impressed with the hospital and hospital staff. This is the best decision I ever made for my personal health. So far (knock wood), I have not had any problems or complications, and the surgery was so much less of a big deal than I thought it would. I can't remember if we've corresponded before, but there are photos of the hospital and some before & after (well, current!) pics on my blog. If you are feeling nervous, it might make you feel better to take a look. Best wishes for a successful trip, surgery and beyond, Catherine

First of all, the only way you are going to fail at this is if you self-sabotage by drinking milkshakes or something crazy like that. It is TOTALLY NORMAL not to lose until after you get to good restriction. Hang in there!! And, stop with the negativity!! :biggrin: I felt frustration during Bandster Hell too -- and when I've plateaued in the past. But, why don't you take a look at my blog -- I just put up some photos that will give you an idea of the kind of progress you are going to make in the future. This IS going to work!! Start believing in it -- and I totally agree with AbingdonGirl -- some group (or private . . I'm a big proponent of it!) therapy would really help you to get through this! Can't wait to see what you are posting 1-2 months from now when you see what your band will help you accomplish! Best wishes, Catherine

I waited about a week -- and all was fine. I would stay clear of carbonated drinks like beer (or gin & tonic, etc.), but wine works very nicely.

Welcome! It seems to me that the fact that you are so introspective is really going to help you on this journey. Don't worry about the surgery -- it was so nothing compared to what I had expected. I've been keeping a blog since I started this process and encourage you to do the same (or at least keep a diary). It's great to look back on the types of thoughts like the ones in your post as you get farther along. I also very highly recommend that you take your measurements ASAP if you haven't done that already and keep a chart (I use an Excel spreadsheet) of measurements and weight. That has been fascinating to watch, and you will get a lot of satisfaction from being able to measure just how far you have come as you progress toward your goal. One thing I like about the band is that it fits in with your therapist's philosophy -- nothing is totally prohibited -- you will just be making better decisions about quantities. I love my band -- it has made losing 55+ pounds possible for me (and much less difficult than losing on my own has ever been) -- and will also ensure that I keep it off once I get to goal. I wish you the very best in your decision! Catherine

I just ate some rice -- you don't have to give it up! I can't eat doughy bread (unless it is toasted) b/c it gums up in my stomach and tends to get stuck, but other than that, I haven't given up any foods. One thing I did that I found very helpful when I was making my decision about the surgery was to make a pro/con list. I put it up on my blog not too long ago -- maybe it will help you to make your own list (here is a link: Chronicles from Band Land: May 2009) I was really worried about feeling deprived, what I'd have to give up, etc. In all honesty, it has not at all been a big deal. I still eat what I like -- I just eat less of it and I am full faster. I am so happy that I had this surgery -- it has made a big difference and, for the first time in many years, I finally feel good about my weight and how I am doing on that front. Good luck with your decision! Best wishes, Catherine

That is so great! I had 2 incisions and wish I could have had the single incision surgery -- how great is that?! I go to NYU for my fills (Dr. Ren) -- great group of doctors. Welcome to Band Land! Best wishes, Catherine

Hi! I did something like this on my own for other bandsters who I know through my blog. I have a lot of nice clothes (and plenty of gently worn Gap/Old Navy clothing), so I put together some care packages of items that I thought would look good on different people, based on the photos I had seen of them. It's been a lot of fun to do this, and my only condition on sending the care packages is that the bandsters who receive them have to send the clothing to someone else when they are done (or if they don't like a particular item). I definitely recommend doing this! I may be foregoing the tax writeoff for those items, but it feels so great to help someone else who is going through this same process. Best, Catherine

Hang in there! This is the best decision I've ever made for my overall health and appearance. The band works. It's not a magic wand, but it's pretty freaking amazing what results you will have by this time next year if you just work with it and follow the rules as best you can. To fail with the band, you'd actually have to try to fail (e.g. drink milkshakes, fail to get fills when you need them, ignore your doctor's instructions). So, if you are committed to putting effort into this process, you will succeed. The healing phase is such a bummer because you don't really see results for a while. Just make it through these few weeks and I am sure you will be amazed. Also -- if you haven't taken your measurements yet, be sure to do so. It's so great to be able to see how many inches are coming off (especially when you are exercising and building muscle -- during that time, inches are a better way to see progress than the # on the scale). Best wishes for your success, Catherine

I love raw oysters, but I've been afraid to try them post-band because of the difficulty chewing them and the fact that I only eat raw oysters when I'm in restaurants (as opposed to at home). It just seems like they would get stuck, and I haven't wanted to risk that while I'm at a restaurant. I'd love it if you would let me know how it goes! (You can message me through the site or post on my blog.) I miss oysters! Catherine

No reason to starve on the mushy phase! Eat something hearty for lunch. Don't overdo it on the calories every meal, but why not have some mashed potatoes with cheese and use non-fat Greek yogurt as sour cream? Or, have some refried Beans with cheddar cheese melted in -- yum! Or, get some turkey chili and blend it up until it's smooth. There are lots of filling things you can eat during this phase. No reason to feel like you are starving! Hang in there -- you can do it! :wink2: Catherine

I was back to sleeping on my stomach 2-3 nights after my surgery and it was totally fine. Congratulations on your surgery and welcome to bandland! :wink2: Catherine

I thought I'd put up this post to see what co-morbidities people have been relieved of since their surgery. As for me, I had compartmental syndrome (issue where my fascia on my calves would squish my muscle if I ran (b/c muscle would want to expand, but there wasn't enough room) such that my nerves would get pinched and my circulation would get cut off. Now that I'm 50+ pounds down, I don't have any problem with this at all. In fact, tonight, I ran 3 miles on the treadmill without stopping or slowing to a walk, and all was just fine! What a major NSV!! I had been worried that if someone was ever chasing me that I wouldn't be able to run to safety! But now, that problem has completely disappeared! Thank you, Band!! Catherine

This is so great!! And I love the comment about just sitting on the person chasing you! :biggrin: