adagray

Congrats!!! I was 'overweight' for like a minute the last time I lost weight on WW. It was a great feeling so I know what you mean. I can't wait to be 'overweight' again! ;->

You know how sometimes you have a 'good hair day'. Well, today has just felt like a 'good body day' all day. The scale has not budged, but I feel skinnier. My jeans were loose when I put them on this morning and so was my shirt. It was windy and kept blowing in the wind like it is all flowy on me (not sticking to my bulges like normal). LOL After I had my kids off to school, I stopped at Ross to return a shirt I had bought that just didn't work w/the outfit I had imagined it with. I decided to do a little shopping as long as I was there and everything looked so good in the dressing room. My stomach just looks slimmer and not so bloated anymore. I got a great deal on three new tops... all a little snug so room to shrink. :biggrin: OK, now its time to hop on the treadmill and get my 30 minutes in! :thumbup:

You know how sometimes you have a 'good hair day'. Well, today has just felt like a 'good body day' all day. The scale has not budged, but I feel skinnier. My jeans were loose when I put them on this morning and so was my shirt. It was windy and kept blowing in the wind like it is all flowy on me (not sticking to my bulges like normal). LOL After I had my kids off to school, I stopped at Ross to return a shirt I had bought that just didn't work w/the outfit I had imagined it with. I decided to do a little shopping as long as I was there and everything looked so good in the dressing room. My stomach just looks slimmer and not so bloated anymore. I got a great deal on three new tops... all a little snug so room to shrink. OK, now its time to hop on the treadmill and get my 30 minutes in!

I have this same issue. If you haven't tried this already, I'd highly recommend doing an 'exclusion diet' for a couple weeks. Search IBS and Exclusion Diet online and you will find different versions. By going through this process, I learned that I have some lactose intolerance and also some intolerance to wheat. I can have a little of either, but am better if I avoid these or take lactaid w/any dairy product. It turns out that its very common that dairy and wheat can cause or aggravate this form of IBS.

Yes, if you are self-pay for the initial surgery, then you would have to self-pay if there are any complications and also for fills. Many surgeons include fills for the first year w/the fee you pay them for the surgery. Definitely check w/your specific surgeon, though, to make sure. I've heard that some surgeon's may begin to offer their own 'insurance' in a way... basically, you pay extra for the surgery (like $1k extra) and they will guarantee that if you have any complications where they need to do a port revision, etc., that they will then do it at no additional fee. This is not common, though, so definitely ask around. The main reason I fought so long w/my insurance company for them to cover this is not so much because of the initial surgery fee. Yes, its expensive, but I know it would be worth it. But, the idea that I would be taking an unknown financial risk for my family (as far as complications and additional fees down the line) was scary to me. But, doing nothing is also scary when you have comorbid conditions. I would just encourage anyone who has insurance to fight your insurance company for coverage. I was denied twice and was granted coverage on the second appeal. So, no does not always mean no.

I bought a digital scale years ago when I was on WW. Its very useful to have, whether you are dieting or not. Even just for cooking, you can put a bowl on there, zero it out, and add liquid ingredients without a measuring cup (8 oz = 1 cup). So, if a recipe calls for one cup of this and half a cup of that, you can just pour straight into the bowl and zero out in between. Its also good for learning what a serving size is so you can figure out how much Protein you are getting. For example, the first few times you eat cottage cheese, measure to see how much you normally eat and then you can calculate how much protein is in the serving YOU eat (since what you eat may be different than the serving size on the back of the container). Same w/meat... you can figure out how much protein you are getting in the amount of chicken, fish, etc. that YOU are eating. I am definitely averse to weighing and measuring everything since I have done WW so much. And, my dietition says she would not want us weighing and measuring everything w/the band because the whole purpose of the band is portion control. Its the one thing that the band DOES do very well once it is adjusted right. But, a digital scale is a very useful tool in any kitchen I think. (you can even use it for weighing small packages to calculate postage yourself)

I stayed overnight and so did everyone else who was banded by my doctor that week (we were all in a pre-op class together). In the pre-op class, they said most insurances require you to stay the night so even if you don't have risk factors, that may be why you were scheduled to spend the night. Other reasons are if you have sleep apnea or more than one comorbid conditions (high bp, diabetes, etc.). They said the typical band patient leaves after 23 hours. That's conveniently right under 24 hours so must have something to do w/cost or insurance. Now, was I glad to stay the night? YES!!! Even though they do wake you up during the night, you have a whole staff at your beck-and-call for anything you need, you have an adjustable bed, nurses that remind you that you should be walking around, and you get to talk to your surgeon and assistants when they do their rounds. I also found that a lady who I made friends w/during the pre-op class got her band the same day (right before me) so it was nice being able to talk to her. I also have two little kids at home. Now, if it was gonna cost me a lot to stay overnight, then I wouldn't bother. I could've made it OK at home. I just think its better for your recovery if you can spend the night.

My mom just joined lapbandtalk.com. She is 'Kakaako Joan' and got the lapband two years ago and has lost over 100 pounds. We actually have the same 'bandiversary' (12/17), but mine is just two years later. And, that was all just a crazy coincidence because I certainly did not choose my surgery date. I had to go through two appeals w/Aetna and when I was finally approved, I hounded my surgeon's office until they would give me a date. :thumbup: Anyway, I was writing my mom an e-mail tonight and realized that I should've just posted this all to my blog here so I could update you all who I am sure are all on the edge of your seats waiting for an update. So, here it is... My weightloss has slowed down. I'm holding steady at 11 pounds lost right now (18 if you count what I lost from my highest weight), but if that's all I lose until my fill, I am happy w/that. Its more than I could lose doing anything else for one month. I have no restriction at all now that the swelling has gone down. I get my first fill on 1/22. In the meantime, I'm just following the band rules as best I can, trying to stick to only three meals a day, no desserts, very limited starch, lots of protein, and walking on the treadmill 30 minutes/day. But, its kinda like being on WW right now cause I'm hungry in between meals. I just try to distract myself or eat protein for a snack if I get really hungry. Can't wait to get a fill and get this band working for me! I am very happy that I've healed up so well now, though. I feel like I could do Jazzercise already, but will wait to get the OK from my doctor at my next appointment since they said absolutely nothing but walking for the first month. My stomach muscles are all healed, though. No pain and I can even sleep on my port side.

My mom just joined lapbandtalk.com. She is 'Kakaako Joan' and got the lapband two years ago and has lost over 100 pounds. We actually have the same 'bandiversary' (12/17), but mine is just two years later. And, that was all just a crazy coincidence because I certainly did not choose my surgery date. I had to go through two appeals w/Aetna and when I was finally approved, I hounded my surgeon's office until they would give me a date. Anyway, I was writing my mom an e-mail tonight and realized that I should've just posted this all to my blog here so I could update you all who I am sure are all on the edge of your seats waiting for an update. So, here it is... My weightloss has slowed down. I'm holding steady at 11 pounds lost right now (18 if you count what I lost from my highest weight), but if that's all I lose until my fill, I am happy w/that. Its more than I could lose doing anything else for one month. I have no restriction at all now that the swelling has gone down. I get my first fill on 1/22. In the meantime, I'm just following the band rules as best I can, trying to stick to only three meals a day, no desserts, very limited starch, lots of protein, and walking on the treadmill 30 minutes/day. But, its kinda like being on WW right now cause I'm hungry in between meals. I just try to distract myself or eat protein for a snack if I get really hungry. Can't wait to get a fill and get this band working for me! I am very happy that I've healed up so well now, though. I feel like I could do Jazzercise already, but will wait to get the OK from my doctor at my next appointment since they said absolutely nothing but walking for the first month. My stomach muscles are all healed, though. No pain and I can even sleep on my port side.

Well, I was a social smoker too and, honestly, I cannot even remember when my last smoke was... maybe one month before surgery. But, I never declared myself as a 'smoker' to my surgeon because I didn't think smoking 1-2 cigarettes a month really meant you were a 'smoker'. And, I don't know all of what they tested for when I went for my pre-op testing, but they said my results were all good including my chest x-ray. As for alcohol, I used to drink almost daily. I cut that out about one month before surgery, but I still had a couple glasses of wine w/my friend about one week before surgery. I had surgery on 12/17, then had wine again on Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years Eve. My surgeon did not give any cutoff date for drinking alcohol. The dietition did say to try to avoid it after just because of the calories, but that it wouldn't hurt the band. I feel good that I was just able to give up my daily habit w/it and it didn't turn out to be as hard as I thought it would. I feel like I have a lot more respect for my body now that I have this band and a chance at getting my health back.

I am 5'5" and am going for 149 which would put me right on the very edge of the 'healthy' range. My surgeon agrees that this is a good goal for me. Ultimately, I'm gonna end up where I end up, though. Me and my body and this band are only going to do so much before we say enough is enough. I am willing to do a lot to get there... follow the rules, exercise a lot, etc., but I won't overtighten my band so much that I have complications or misery from it.

The way my surgeon explains it, the band works well for people who are willing to follow the rules and also exercise. As part of my psych eval, the psychologist wanted some examples of things that I did in my life that were hard and took a lot of time and dedication because this is what the band requires. My personal observation is I think the band works best for people who are capable of losing weight on their own (meaning they can stick to a program long enough to lose a sizeable amount of weight such as 30+ pounds), but can't keep it off (meaning eventually they get too hungry). This is my opinion only. I don't know if your surgeon does other WLS such as RNY or the sleeve, but I would highly recommend you talk to him/her about your own specific struggles w/food and weight to make sure lapband is the best solution. With WLS, there is certainly not one best solution for everyone. I wish more people would at least go to a seminar given by a surgeon who does ALL of the procedures so they would understand how the surgery you choose has to really be specific to you. Simply put, not everyone can succeed w/lapband. It takes quite a bit a discipline and its important to be honest with yourself before going under the knife. I seriously considered RNY because I had doubts about whether I really had the discipline in me. It took me a long time to come to grips w/it all and feel confident I was making the right decision w/the lapband.

I refuse to call it 'Bandster Hell' because its really not that bad. Heck, its just like I'm trying to diet like normal (pre-band). I refuse to journal, weigh, and calculate all my food and activity because it gives me bad flashbacks from Weight Watchers. But, I do keep a pretty keen mental awareness of how many grams of protein I am getting in, water, and calories. And, am being diligent about following the band rules. I'm trying to stay under 1500 calories per day and 70+ grams of protein. :thumbup: I've been doing pretty good for the past couple days since NYE and all the holidays are over now. I woke up feeling like I had lost weight this morning so I got on the scale and found that I lost ONE more pound! YAY!!! :thumbup: OK, I was trying not to get on the scale more than once/week and Thursday was gonna be my weigh-in day so I certainly didn't do too well w/that seeing as today is Sunday. Maybe I better go find the SWA group now. LOL :smile2: Oh, I also had an interesting conversation w/the cashier checking me out at the grocery store yesterday. She told me that this year she is going to climb Camelback Mountain... that she's lived here so long and its so beautiful and its about time she did it. Now, this is a short, but strenuous hike (very steep). The beautiful skinny people of Scottsdale run up and down this trail for a workout. I would probably die of cardiac arrest if I tried to even walk up it right now. But, as she said this to me, I quickly replied, 'You know, I think I should do that too.' And, it got me thinking about how much I used to like hiking and how I miss it. I even started looking up trails on the internet. I think I will pick out some easier trails first and work my way up to Camelback Mountain. And, then later this year maybe I can hike Camelback Mountain. And, if I can't make it, then the beautiful skinny people will have to carry me down! :confused:

I think different surgeons classify different things as sliders. Mine has the same definition as you. Even though Protein drinks, yogurt, milk, etc. are all good for you, she would rather have you eat solid protein instead because then you are really utilizing the band. I still eat some of these 'sliders', but w/the awareness that it is not gonna stay w/me as long as a piece of chicken or fish would.

Totally normal! I am in the same boat. I felt some restriction for about a week after I could start eating real food (day 4 post-op for me). I even had the stuck sensation very briefly after eating some dry turkey meat. But, by two weeks post-op, all of my swelling was down and I have had no restriction since then. I refuse to call it 'Bandster Hell', though. My doc told me that this first month, I should just be focusing on healing anyway and not worry about the weightloss. So, I call it 'Bandster Heck' as in heck, I have to just diet like I used to if I want to take off any weight between now and my first fill. Even though we may not lose a lot during this time, we can still practice the band rules and start exercising. My surgeon doesn't give any limits as far as the quantity of food. She says that the whole purpose of the band is portion control and that will eventually happen automatically for us when we get fills. So, instead of measuring things out, she has a rule that you just don't eat longer than 20 minutes for a meal and you don't 'snack' between meals. I've been able to stick to this pretty well without being too hungry. And, if I do need a snack, I just try to pick something Protein or a piece of fruit so at least it is healthy.

Wow, I never felt anything except some muscle pain where the port was stitched on. But, even that is feeling much better now that I'm a couple weeks out.

In the post-op class that I took, they told those of us w/CPAP to keep using it for 6 months, then ask for another sleep study to be retested before stopping it. Truthfully, I never got used to mine and never regularly used it before or after surgery. I know that is bad, but I just hate the thing. I did use it the week before surgery and in the hospital because my surgeon required it, but I just can't get used to using it all the time. And, my husband says I don't snore unless I sleep on my back. So, I make a point to sleep on my side or stomach.

In the pre-op class I took, they warned us that we could gain 10-20 pounds from the IV fluids and swelling alone so not to freak out at your weight right after surgery. I'm so glad they did tell me that because I left the hospital 10 pounds heavier than I went in AND it took a full week to just lose that water weight and swelling before I saw any real weight start to come off. Then, for a few days I dropped like crazy (10 pounds less than my pre-op weight) and then it slowed down a bunch and I've only lost one pound in the past few days now. But, this is also to be expected since my swelling is gone now and I have absolutely no restriction. So, I might not lose anymore before my first fill on 1/21. But, my doctor said not to worry about how much I lose this first month anyway. She said this month is all about healing and not to worry about actually losing until I get a fill.

I remember the leg wraps being on before surgery, but I was so groggy after, I don't remember them after. I don't remember the breathing tube at all. I do remember that when I came to in recovery, I felt very nauseous and I let the nurse know immediately and she put something in my IV to make me feel better. I remember they gave me something to relax me right before they wheeled me to the OR. It made me feel all nice and warm and happy right away. They were asking me questions about my kids and I was yammering on and on about them. I think they had only wheeled me about 30 feet and then I don't remember anything, but my surgeon's assistant told me the next day I was so cute and talkative. I hope I didn't say anything embarassing! LOL

13 months, but that's mainly because I didn't exactly meet the insurance company's criteria (because my BMI went below 35 two years ago on WW). After my first denial, I thought I'd just wait it out until 2010 (then my 2007 weight wouldn't matter anymore). But, later in the year, I got diagnosed w/more comorbid conditions and decided to fight the denial. I did two appeals and they went pretty fast once I decided to do them.

It took me over a year to get mine approved and I'm 40! So, although I am not anywhere close to your age, I understand how frustrating it is to deal w/the insurance. In my case, they denied me twice because I lost too much weight two years ago. My BMI had gone below 35 because I was starving myself on Weight Watchers. It was very frustrating to realize that had I NOT tried to take off the weight that last time w/WW, then I would've been approved easily the first time. On the other hand, if I had not tried to take off the weight that last time w/WW, I would not have felt confident that I had really given it my full try before resorting to WLS. So, kind of a damned if you do, damned if you don't sort of situation. In the end, I got approved, though, and my head is in a really good place because I had LOTS of time to research it first and prepare. So, as frustrating as this process is, just try to see the passage of time not so much as a waste, but as a time for preparation and readying yourself emotionally, physically, and mentally for the journey ahead that will be the rest of your life. Best of luck to you and I hope you get your approval soon!

I refuse to call it 'Bandster Hell' because its really not that bad. Heck, its just like I'm trying to diet like normal (pre-band). I refuse to journal, weigh, and calculate all my food and activity because it gives me bad flashbacks from Weight Watchers. But, I do keep a pretty keen mental awareness of how many grams of protein I am getting in, water, and calories. And, am being diligent about following the band rules. I'm trying to stay under 1500 calories per day and 70+ grams of protein. :smile2: I've been doing pretty good for the past couple days since NYE and all the holidays are over now. I woke up feeling like I had lost weight this morning so I got on the scale and found that I lost ONE more pound! YAY!!! :eek: OK, I was trying not to get on the scale more than once/week and Thursday was gonna be my weigh-in day so I certainly didn't do too well w/that seeing as today is Sunday. Maybe I better go find the SWA group now. LOL Oh, I also had an interesting conversation w/the cashier checking me out at the grocery store yesterday. She told me that this year she is going to climb Camelback Mountain... that she's lived here so long and its so beautiful and its about time she did it. Now, this is a short, but strenuous hike (very steep). The beautiful skinny people of Scottsdale run up and down this trail for a workout. I would probably die of cardiac arrest if I tried to even walk up it right now. But, as she said this to me, I quickly replied, 'You know, I think I should do that too.' And, it got me thinking about how much I used to like hiking and how I miss it. I even started looking up trails on the internet. I think I will pick out some easier trails first and work my way up to Camelback Mountain. And, then later this year maybe I can hike Camelback Mountain. And, if I can't make it, then the beautiful skinny people will have to carry me down! :smile:

Congrats on your first step on embarking on this journey! I am also in AZ and was banded by Dr. Robin Blackstone of Scottsdale Bariatric Center (Scottsdale Bariatric Center). I don't know how much you have already researched surgeons, but I just wanted to give you this link in case you are still comparing and deciding. Different surgeons can be very different as to what they require pre-op and post-op, the education, and support they provide. SBC is a 'Center of Excellence' and there is no liquid pre-op diet required prior to surgery. Also, I was allowed to start eating real food 4 days post-op. I feel like the care I have gotten from SBC has been top notch. If nothing else, maybe just go to her informational seminar in addition to Dr. Simpson's because she explains all the WLS procedures which I found very informative and made me more confident that I was picking the right one by choosing lapband. Best of luck to you! We are all worth it!!!

This is such a great discussion I have to post again! LOL Even though I am in the 'tell all' camp, my motivation is certainly not to hold myself accountable to these people. I agree that, ultimately, we all must be accountable to ourselves. Accountability to other people only lasts so long. I remember when I did Weight Watchers how it used to mean something to me that I was 'accountable' to the person weighing me in. But, after years and years of WW, I learned how to work the weigh-in person. Oh, its my time-of-the-month or I ate something salty and must be retaining Water. Or, I'm gaining muscle. Oh yeah sure, who was I kidding?!?! LOL Not saying that accountability to others doesn't help a little at the beginning, but its not gonna carry you through in the long-term. In the long-term, you know there is only one person you have to answer to and its you. As for my pride and will I be terribly embarassed if I fail after I told all these people and want to crawl under a rock. Well, I've given up my pride a long time ago as far as my weight goes. All of my family and friends know how hard I have tried and they have already seen me lose lots of weight and gain it back. They love me and they share my pain in that. So, if I was to fail again w/the band, then for me, I want them to be there for me through that too. That will be a very sad time for me if it happens, but I won't be devastated. I will have to pick myself up and move on and I will want my friends and family there to help me through it. Most likely, I would have revision surgery to RNY or the sleeve. My comorbid conditions are too numerous and severe to not do anything. Ack! But, let's not even think about that now!!! I'm gonna work this band as hard as I can and feel very confident that it will work.

I would contact your surgeon's office ASAP. It should not take 4 days to finish 12 oz and should not be so painful to get down. I had plenty of gas pain, but no problem drinking fluids at all. You should already be up to drinking 64 oz per day. Please don't mess around w/this. You could become dehydrated. Most bariatric offices have someone on call who you can talk to in an emergency such as this. They may send you over to the hospital to get an IV started and then meet you there to figure out the problem. I wish you all the best and hope it is something easily corrected. You may just need more medication to reduce the swelling.