orcidgrl

Hi! my goal was to loose 100Lbs in 1 year, but unfortunately, I didn't exercise, which I think is entirely the reason that I didn't attain my goal. During the Xmas holiday, I went to Disney, and we walked around 6-8 hours a day, and even though I ate alot, I managed to loose 5 pounds in just a week, which really convinced me how important exercise it. Unfortunately, on my return I got sick for a month, so was not able to jump start my exercise routine. I will be starting tonight...treadmill 3 times a week, hoping that this will help me accelerate the weight loss. I must say however, that I am really pleased by my present success, even if I didn't reach my goal. I know that it's all possible, the success is all within my own hands. I have alot of restriction, and manage to eat all kinds of good stuff, but have had to give up alot of food, which I'm okay with (well except maybe for the sushi). I still eat chocolate, but with moderation, so things are good.

Just curious as to how all of you have been doing since ur surgery in January? Are you happy about your band? How do you love bandster life? How close are you to your goal? Do you exercise everyday? Do you PB alot? So far, I've lost 60 pounds, and I love my band. I have another 100 pounds to go and I loose around 3-4 pounds per month. I've had to make alot of adjustments on my food consumption, because i'm quite tight, and when I get stuck, it takes a long time to clear up. I still sometimes forget to chew if im having dinner conversation! But I still think it was worth it! I PB about 1-2 times a week. My only regret is that I don't exercise at all, I'm stuck in a rut and have so much trouble getting my butt in gear on the treadmill. I'm working on it though, and I know that once I do regular exercise, I will loose much faster. I eat more than half the quantities of food that I used to eat before the surgery.

I hope I don't make you mad or anything, I'm just throwing this out there, in case it could help anyone else out...but your story sounds juste like my friend. She was going through something similar, but then found out she was pregnant! Hope it's not the case.

Just a thought here, but maybe your big weightloss has had an impact on your medication, for example, you weigh less, so the same dose is now much too strong for you...I'm not a doctor, but you never know, that might explain why suddenly your medication is effecting you in new ways. Are you nauseous when you eat? Can you force yourself to eat a healthy meal? You should definately talk to your family doctor.

Wow...you guys are doing great!

Hi! I just did my first one this Sunday...took me 6 hours as well...90% of the clothes in there wouldn't fit anymore! The funny thing is that there was a big section of the clothe, that I had put aside a long time ago, because it was too small, in hope of maybe one day loosing some weight...turns out that the clothes was too big..awww so sad! I went down from a size 6X to a size 3X...and I'm not nearly done! Plus my closet is super neat now...and...airy! hehehe!

I haven't really kept myself from going out to restaurants, but i'm very very carefull about what I order, usually fish, or something else that doesnt give me problems, I also drink my glass of water, just before I eat, just in case...which I know is a no-no, but I just don't want to take a chance getting stuck in a restaurant. Once, I got stuck and was on the verge of throwing up for 40 minutes, had to stay in the bathroom, while the staff kept knocking on the door, asking if I was alright. I was sooo embarassed. Getting stuck is awfull, but getting stuck in a public place is worse! So, i'm very very carefull what and how I eat. Also, like the others stated, the problem is not as much the food as it is the distractions...I guess I still haven't quite go the hang of it...I sometimes forget to chew a bite to death, then swallow...then it's too late!

3-4 days after surgery, I was able to gulp liquids just as I had always done before the surgery, and that didn't change, until my 2nd fill...then everything changed...I take a sip and it takes 3-4 seconds before it goes through the band...I can feel it and I can hear it...if I take big gulps, it doesnt hurt, but it take longer to go through, in fact, if I drink a glass of liquid, I feel satiated and not hungry for a good 10 minutes sometimes, especially in the morning. Now if I take a sip of liquid with some food...that actually hurts, and has been known to cause a PB.

I remember that when I went though this stage, it was very hard mentally, because for the first time ever, food was not a fun, good thing anymore, it kinda turned into pain (psychologically speaking)...I went from looking forward to every meal to being scared to eat...but slowly it got better and now I enjoy food again, but it was a big issue that I had to deal with. I know that I discovered that bean and lentil salads were awesome, super filling, full of good protein and went down easy, and also fish was great toonice and healthy...funny how i never liked fish before but now i love it. ...unfortunately I also discovered that I would have to give up my adored sushi for ever and had alot of trouble with raw tomatoes. This is also the period when you really discover what it means to get stuck and have to PB! :(Good luck and remember that its all worth it.

During the first few weeks after my surgery I really had alot of back pain due to the gas...so I went in for a massage, but I still didn't feel comfortable lying on my stomack yet...so they put my on a special massage chair (like the one they use for corporate massages). About 2 weeks later, I was ok to get a real massage and it was amazing...I've been getting them ever since, and in fact it's been alot easier since the surgery, because of all the weight loss, I have a much easier time lying on my stomach. The only thing is that somethimes, the massage therapist wants to massage my stomach area, and I didn't like the feeling of that, I could feel my port moving around, so I told her to stop and haven't let her do it since.

As scary as it is, you have to concentrate on solid foods and stay away from liquid or mushy foods...the solid foods are the ones that will keep you feeling full for a while. If I eat soup or yogourt, it goes right thought te band and I am hungry 30 minutes later...same as any other slider foods. Once I got my last "good" fill that got me at my sweet spot, it took me at least 3-4 weeks to get used to it and as I remember, I was getting pain at almost every meal, because I was pushing it too much or discovering that certain foods got stuck very easily, and they weren't what I expected. Like for me, I can't eat soft salad or scrambled eggs, because they are too soft and sticky. There is alot of trial and error during this "funky" period, but you will get through it! You'll eventually figure out what works for you and can keep you full for a while.

The way I look at it is that you still have the tool, and it's still in good order and can work if and when you are ready to start using it properly again. It worked once, it can work again. So don't ever loose hope! In fact, just remember that since you did it once, you can definately do it again...where did you read/figure out that if you gained the the lost weight back...that was it, your chances were over? it just doesn't make any sense. I had to self-pay my own lap band and at a price of $18,000, I figure that I'd better not take any chances and get psychological therapy as well as all the usual support group and aftercare stuff. I didn't think I had any food/eating issues, but it turned out I did, and by dealing with them, it's helping me out alot with the weight loss. Nicotine is a very strong addiction, but trust me, food is an even bigger and stronger addiction than nicotine! I am sorry if this sounds very blunt, but if you are finding ways to eat though your band, and can't stop yourself, then maybe you could get some help.

Keep in mind that with today's surgery procedures, the surgeon is supposed to stitch the band in place. This has reduced drastically the number of band slippages. Of course, right after surgery, while you are still healing, it's a good idea to hold a pillow or cushion on your abdomen while you sneeze or cough...but once it's healed, you shouldn't have to worry about it. It it slipps after a sneeze, it's probably because the stitches are loose in the first place, and the band is not properly scarred in place.

I started loosing hair at 2-3 months after my surgery. It lasted for 2 months, and was mostly in the front part of my head (bangs). It has really slowed down alot now, and is starting to grow back. It's not just caused by the lack of Protein, and ketosis, but also due to the anesthesia. There is nothing that can be done to avoid it, however keeping ur protein intake up, and taking ur Vitamins helps. I also found that the shampoo called Nioxin helped salvage the hair that was still there, this shampoo although expensive, did help, even helped slow down my husband's balding. It all grows back. I also found that my hair was alot greasier. Talk to your hairdresser, he can help with a good haircut to lighten the load. it's all worth it! The hair comes back but the pounds don't!

Yes I do... - I use the VitaBand Multi-vitamins, in Lemon-cream..and am getting very sick of the flavor, but they are very good quality vitamins (in chewable form) - I also take the Chewalbe Iron in Chewable Passion Fruit - tastes great - B12 supplement in sublingual format I don't take their Calcium supplement because it was very expensive and for a much cheaper price I can get several other kinds of Calcium. - finally, I take about 2000mg of Vitamin D (in chewable format)

Good luck Kash!...please let us know how it went...I will be thinking of you! xox

Hey...sorry it took so long to answer. Yes I did a preop diet, it was a liquid diet provided by my surgeon called Optifast. It was very hard to do this because it was right in the middle of Xmas...but I never cheated and lost 15 pounds before surgery.

Hi! The cost of the tests & everything else is ALL included in the price (which was $17,500 for me). It also includes all fills for the first year. Post-op services were good. The surgeon and his assistant gave me their direct page number and told me to call anytime if I had any problems. But that was not necessary. The Surgeon and the dietician came to visit me the day after the surgery, and I had to call the surgeon's assistant before I left town to go back home (since I was 2 hours away from Montreal). I had a post-op appointment 2 weeks later, then I booked a fill appointment for 5 weeks after that. The care in the private hospital was excellent. I have a feeling that if I needed help post-op, they would have given it to me, but they didn't call me to ask me how I was, they were expecting me to call them...which was fine by me. As for how I felt when I woke up...much better than I thought I was....I was making jokes and didn't feel any pain at all. I was groggy. I got up about 1 hour after I awoke and managed to walk around, and that make everything better. I couldnt feel the band, but I did feel tightness, say like if I had done 30 sit-ups the nite before...sore like that. And I felt SUPER bloated! that was the worst. I had trouble breathing that nite, because I had to sleep on my back and am not used to it. Not much other pain except the expected gas pain in the shoulder and the back pain, but this started 2-3 days post-op.

Hi! I went to my first visit with Dr. Christou on November 26th, and I did all my tests that same day, because I live 2 hours away from Montreal, and did not want to do more than 1 trip. I did the following tests: at the Hospital...a blood test, a lung Xray and an electro-cardiogram Then I met with the surgeon, who answered all my questions, and we booked a surgery date...he was about 3 week early, meaning that I could have booked as early as 3 week from that day, but I wanted more time to prepare myself. Thn they sent me to the Psychesoma clinic, where I had a Psychological evaluation, an "exercise" evaluation and met with a Dietician for 1.5 hours. And finally the dietician gave me my pre-surgery Diet kit with is basically some milk shakes, that I had to live on for 14 days before the surgery. It was a long and tiring day, but it was very well organized. then 2 weeks before my surgery (once they had received my cheque!) I got a detailed email with instruction for the surgery itself. It can go very fast if you want it to. Good luck!

Hi! I had my band installed by Dr. Christou at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal. I did it privately and it cost $17,500 and I could've had the surgery within 3 weeks! the surgery went super well, and so have the post-op visits even though I live in Gatineau QC, near Ottawa, and have to drive 2 hours to get a fill. The surgery was done at a private hospital in Montreal where they do plastic surgery and sex-change operations (gasp!) The clinic where the did the surgery was great...I received excellent care, and stayed 1 night. What I also liked was that his nutritionist came to visit me after the surgery to review my nutritional needs. What I liked the most about Dr. Christou is that he does both the gastric bypass and the Lapband, so I could really choose what was right for me, instead of what he offered. I think he is one of the surgeons in Montreal that has been doing the procedure for the longest, and in fact other surgeons get trained by him. I also like that he is perfectly bilingual. The only downside is that the Royal victoria hospital, where I get my fills, is super old and frankly, looks like one of the dirtiest hospitals that I have ever seen!

The gas pain was horrible for 2-3 weeks, mostly in my left shoulder. The only thing that truly helped was taking alot of Tylenol for pain. Gas-X didnt help, neither did walking, well at least for instant relief. Only the Tylenol children's chewable, taken in adult doses (ask your pharmacist). After the gas pain, came the back pain for another week. Then it was all gone! Unfortunately, it's been almost 6 months since my surgery, and when I have gas, I still feel it in my shoulder some days. it's all worth it though!

---start of rant--- Well, after my 2nd fill, I have had some food stuck, and I have also slimed, but nothing could prepare me for my first post-band experience with sushi. I looooove sushi, and have been craving it since 1 week before I got my 2nd fill. I knew I would probably have problems with it, but I could no longer resist... I bought a very small portion of the smallest, tiniest rolls that I could find. I cut them in half and I took a small bite of that and chewed until there was nothing left to chew. unfortunately I kept on eating at the same pace, and was glad to find that it was going down...or so I though! Until suddenly I started feeling that darned pressure in my chest, and then the saliva started coming...Oh great I though...I am stuck! but NO, this time it was worst! I thought I was going to die! Luckily I was very close to the washroom and I was alone. I barely made it...it came out like a launched missile! You'd think I would have learned my lesson then. But NO! 15 minutes later I was back for another fight. Thinking maybe just the raw fish without the sticky rice. It was my last hope! Not sushi! I couldn't give it up! Well, sure enought...another missile! OKay that is it for me...no more eating today, and no more sushi ever! what bugs me is that I was going around today feeling like I had to grieve the sushi...How ridiculous is that!! I can't belive how much power this darn food has over us...it's worst than the cigarettes used to be! I mean I threw up...and took a 15 minute break, and tried again, failed again and felt sad about it!! For heaven's sake what is wrong with me!! I am stronger than this! ---end of rant---

I've found that any cold Fluid will not go down easy, but hot liquids just slide down. I can't drink more that 1 small coffee a day, and green tea is good but still has caffeine. So I bought a bunch of herbal teas that don't have caffeine, and drink that most of the day, like pear, peach, almond even ginger tea. I can get alot more fluids down this way, and I am told that it counts as Water. I add splenda to sweeten them and they are great. I also have alot of Crystal lite later during the day, when my band is less tight.

After my 2nd fill, everything changed for me and suddenly I am having to re-discover what I can and can't eat... certain super healthy foods that go down easy: Lentils Quinoa (new wonder food for me, super high Protein and whole grain at once) cottage cheese anything cooked in a slow cooker chocolate (unfortunately!) steamed carrots pickled anything Foods that don't go down easy: any form of cabbage (darn!) even braised tuna salad (unless its slathered in low-fat mayo) raw tomatoes (this one is very sad for me!)

it's a very common thing...unfortunately. My very own sister has said this and I just found out that one of my close friends (who is also very obese) has said the same thing. To them I usually say..."I didn't do the "easy" way...I did the only way what that worked!...this was a case of life and death. I don't care what you feel, I added 10-20 years to my life expectancy...so F$%/?" off!" We were talking about this at my support group meeting, and it's a very common thing...especially from close family or friends that have weight problems of their own. It's sad but they are simply jealous and envious and it often pains them to see us having success at loosing weight because it reflects poorly on their own failure at it.