Catherine55

Same thing happened to me -- I agree with the other posters -- it's a combination of stress and detox! Hang in there -- it will clear up soon. :biggrin: BTW, take your measurements and before photos if you haven't yet -- you will want them later! Catherine

Yikes -- that is terrible, and I'm sorry you are going through this. Sounds like you have been doing really well with your band, and I am sure this won't set you back for long! Catherine

Congratulations on getting to this point!! Be sure to take before photos and your measurements now if you haven't already! You will definitely want them later. All the best, Catherine

Hi, Beba! Working out helps a ton (also with making sure your body looks good as you lose!), so does focusing on getting enough Protein as a main dietary strategy. Also, making sure that you are proactive about your follow-up care and get a fill if you aren't at good restriction (or an un-fill if you're too tight) helps a lot. You should check out a bunch of bandster blogs -- I found that really helpful. There is a link to mine below, and I have links to some of my favorite blogs posted on there as well. Best wishes, Catherine

I loved that poem! It made me tear up!! Thanks for posting it. Catherine

Would you do it again? Absolutely!! In a heartbeat! What would you do differently to improve your success? I feel like I was really well prepared, but it would have been good if I'd read more about "Bandster Hell" and made a plan for what to do during that phase. Suggestions? I wrote out a Post-Op Plan for Success before I had my surgery, which was a really great way for me to think about what I was going to do to make this work. I found it really helpful. Here is a link to it, in case you want to read it (and my comments months later). I recommend tracking your progress. I have been keeping an Excel spreadsheet since prior to surgery, and I keep my weight & measurements on there. It's a great way to track your progress. I only write when I hit a new low number -- I don't track it when the scale bounces up a bit before the next loss. Also, take a bunch of before photos and your measurements right away, if you haven't already. You will definitely want them later! Great way to measure your progress. I hope that helps! Best wishes for your success, Catherine

I broke out before surgery too -- I think it was just stress about making a big life change. But, it went away pretty soon after. Am betting that will happen for you, too! Catherine

Oh man -- the pre-op diet really sucks! But hang in there -- it's so worth it. One thing that helped me was carrying around bouillion cubes in my purse so that I'd be able to have something if I had to be around people who were eating and didn't have another option. That actually helped a lot. Also, if scaring yourself into staying on the diet helps (it did for me!), just think about your liver slopping around during surgery . . or waking up after surgery and finding out that they couldn't band you b/c your liver was in the way. Apparently, the pre-op diet shrinks your liver and makes it less slippery, which means that your liver won't have to be moved as much during surgery -- and that translates into less pain and an easier recovery. Anyway, thinking about that kept me on the straight and narrow. But my pre-op diet was just 3 days. My hat is off to you with seven. But. . I bet you will lose a ton of weight this week! Hang in there -- and congratulations on your surgery date! Catherine

Welcome, Jamie! This is such a great site -- I've gotten a lot of support and great info here through the past 18 or so months. Just wanted to tell you to take your measurements and some before photos as soon as possible if you haven't already! You will want them later! Best wishes, Catherine

I really liked Weight Loss Surgery With the Adjustable Gastric Band -- but it isn't about emotional eating.

Thanks for the nice compliments, Cindy & Gloria! :redface: :thumbup: Healthy1 -- you are right to be cautious about telling people. I decided to keep my band private from people at work and a few others, and am really glad that I did. It's spared me lots of comments from the "food Police" and while I know people talk about the fact that I dropped a substantial amount of weight, I think it's insulated me from at least some gossip -- and probably from some judgmental comments about WLS as well. Catherine

I researched the heck out of it, and then I actually wrote out a pro/con list (you can find it by clicking here) about my decision. Once I did that, the choice was really clear for me. And, it's funny but the "cons" didn't turn out to be that big of a deal. I hit my goal this month, 18 months post-op, and I am incredibly thankful that I found this great tool to help me conquer my weight problem! Good luck with your decision, Catherine

First of all, congratulations on your surgery date. Second, pretty much every bandster I know has had cold feet right before surgery! What I did to help myself with this was to write out a list of pros & cons about the surgery -- the pros outweighed the cons by a lot -- and in retrospect, the cons didn't turn out to be a big deal. Looking at that list really cemented my decision for me, and I even took it with me to the hospital on surgery day. It's been 18 months since my surgery, and I hit my goal earlier this month. I could hardly believe that would be possible at the outset of this process. For the first time in my entire life, I wake up feeling GOOD about my weight and body, every day. And, if I go out for a nice meal, I can actually enjoy it (though I certainly don't finish it!) and don't spend the next few days berating myself for eating too much or not sticking to a diet. The band is really an amazing tool, and I feel so grateful to have been able to get it and make it work for me. I hope you will feel the same! :thumbup: Feel free to check out my blog if you want -- I put my pro/con list up there last spring, if you want to see it. BTW, PBing and getting stuck is not that big a deal. (Especially not when compared to being able to fix your weight problem and know you won't gain it all back again.) Best wishes, Catherine

I did the same thing! Bought a bunch of books, read a ton of blogs, poured over this site, talked to friends and family, etc. There is nothing wrong with that, but if you are overloading your BF, maybe try to spare him a little and get out more of your talking on here or with other friends. Congratulations on your decision! Catherine

I had an outstanding experience in Monterrey, MX with Dr. Rumbaut. You can see photos of the hospital and read about it at the very beginning of my blog. That said, your BMI seems awfully low for you to be getting banded. Good luck with your decision. I wish you all the best. Catherine

Definitely lip balm -- and I really wish I had had a heating pad for my shoulder! I also brought all of my favorite toiletries, my pre-op journal (with my pro/con list, to read in case I had any second thoughts) and a cute nightgown to wear after the surgery. If you check out the beginning of my blog, you will see what I posted (photos, etc.) from that time. Also, that is great about you making and freezing Soups for post-op! Smart thinking. :thumbup: I wound up doing that a lot post-op, and I posted a few of my favorite Soup recipes, in case you're looking for some new ones. :smile: I had my surgery in Mexico, and my mother came down with me, so I recovered in the hotel for 2 days before heading home. I was wishing I would have brought Scrabble with me and something to crush the pain medication with. Ultimately, we bought a cheap hammer at the store where we got Scrabble and used it! Worked just fine. :tt1: Best wishes for your success!! You have so much to look forward to! Be sure to take your measurements and before photos if you haven't already! Catherine

Congratulations to you!! Don't worry about going too crazy with the last meals. . you'll still be able to eat pretty much everything after you are banded, especially before you get filled to good restriction. BTW, be sure to take before pics and your measurements! You will want them later! Best wishes, Catherine

I think you'll be OK. I wrote about how I felt after surgery way at the beginning of my blog & put up photos, etc. Feel free to take a look. It might give you a decent idea of what to expect. Congratulations on your surgery date! :thumbup: Catherine

You have to allow yourself to have treats during this process. No need to beat yourself up about it! That said, you might want to think about why you had the ice cream and chocolate -- did you really want it, or were you trying to stop yourself from succeeding with the band? I generally try to just let myself have treats when I really want them, and not to have them just for the sake of it. That's worked out pretty well for me. Anyway, the band isn't about being perfect. If you do what you are supposed to about 90% of the time, you'll be just fine. One thing I love about the band is that it's finally let me stop beating myself up about my weight and what I eat and just enjoy things in moderation. You are only 4 months out, so give it some time. I bet you'll be there soon. Best wishes for your success, Catherine

I made a list of all the things I wanted from my weight loss before surgery (here is a link to it) and kept going back to it as I was losing and -- amazingly enough -- everything on that list came true. I just reached my goal about a week ago. At the start, it was so unreal to me that that day would come, but it did. One thing I didn't realize I would get as a result of losing with the band until after the fact was what another bandster called "freedom from the food prison." I love that expression. Basically, for me, that includes two big things. One, I no longer spend time every day (or ever, for that matter) berating myself about my weight, how fat I'd let my self get and how disgusting I felt. And, two, I'm actually able to enjoy eating out more now because having a nice meal doesn't leave me feeling guilty about going off my "diet" or putting on yet another pound. There is so much to look forward to during this process. Shopping anywhere you like, feeling pretty, liking your body, being more confident, not having your feet hurt, being more comfortable, and so much more. So, here is to all of that! Cheers, people! Best, Catherine

Awesome!! Don't forget to take some "before" pics now and to write down your measurements! You will for sure want them later. :thumbup: Best wishes, Catherine

Congratulations!! I love how excited and enthusiastic you are, especially because I know how warranted those feelings are! You have so much to look forward to in the next year -- and beyond. :biggrin: Two weeks sounds like way more time than you will need (I only took a few days off and it was fine), but if you have the time, enjoy it! I say this all the time, but be sure to take your measurements and some before pics as soon as possible! You will for sure want them later. Best wishes for your success, Catherine

I didn't tell anyone at work. As for the surgery, you can say you are having a hiatal hernia repaired. The scars from that surgery are the same as for band surgery. If you do decide to tell your coworkers, you should let them know that the first month or so after surgery is a "healing" phase, not a weight loss phase, or they may bug you (or gossip) about why you aren't losing a lot of weight right away. Personally, I think people at work are too much at risk to become "Food-Police-y" and either comment on or gossip about what you are eating, how you are losing, etc. I just did not want to deal with that at all, so I avoided it by not even telling a single person. I hope that helps! Good luck! Catherine