mariecarmen

I'm relieved to hear other September bandsters reaching plateaus lately. My TOM plays havoc on my weight and takes me by surprise each month with a temporary gain. Right now I'm UP 4 lbs and it better be Water. I find I'm craving salt lately. Anyone else?

I stayed the same this week. At least there's no gain.

Stephanie, Monday and Wednesday the group starts at 6:15 pm. Tuesday it meets during the day sometime. Give them a call for specifics. 858-8780.

For art teachers, hmmmm. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I love the look of peter pan collars on an art smock--kind of like an I Love Lucy type maternity top. When I went to kindergarden, my grandmother made me one and I still have the pocket appliques from it. When I'm artistically doodling at home, I prefer a man's oversize white dress shirt.

Try making a monthly appointment with your doctor. You can always cancel if you feel your restriction is sufficient. But you have the security of knowing if you need to see him/her the date isn't too far off. I make mine while I'm writing out my copay check.

I drink 2 shakes a day because of my restriction and not being able to eat at work due to stress. For me, GNC Nitro-Tech at 110 calories and 22 grams of Protein is the best. The chocolate tastes like melted ice cream and I drink it hot in the morning like a mug of hot chocolate. The vanilla is great by itself, but if I add 1/4 tsp of sugar-free Jello, I get any flavor I want. Think orange creamsicles . . . . yummmmmm. Or instant coffee for cappacino. I've tried a lot of shakes and this brand is my favorite.

I think many banded people are very restricted in the morning. The criteria my surgeon uses for needing a fill are: Are you getting hungry less than 2 hours after a meal/shake? Can you comfortably eat more than one cup of food at a sitting? My surgeon said he will fill/unfill me every 3 days until we get to the "sweet spot" of perfect restriction.

My psych eval required me to fill in a substantial questionairre with essay-like answers. The psychologist then reviewed my answers with me, discussing some of them in more depth. His last question was asked verbally and I think was the crux of the whole evaluation, "You've tried many diets in the past. What makes you think THIS will work where the others have not?"

I had surgical gas pain for about 4 days after surgery. The more you move around, the better it gets. No amount of Beano or Gas-X will make a difference, it has to dissipate from your tissues. Keep walking and it will get better.

When mine starts talking to me, it usually means I need to drink something. Once I take a few sips, it settles down and goes right back to sleep, guarding my stomach from evil high-calorie intruders.

My first conscious thought after surgery was, "What the hell have I done to myself?" My insurance company required an overnight stay in the hospital and by early the next morning I was crying in bed. I wanted my husband to be there, I wanted to be home, I wanted not to be banded. That lasted about 45 minutes till my real brain cells took over and gave me a good slap in the face. It was a rough adjustment in the beginning, but I concentrated on following the surgeon's instructions so I healed without complications. One step at a time, eye on the goal and frequent visits to this forum for support. I think you're reacting very normally to such a life-changing event. You'll get past this and find that things may not go 100% smoothly from now on, but you sure are headed in the right direction. Reread this post in 4 months and see how differently you feel.

I agree that it's probably more of a distraction for you than your husband. I think once the launch sequence is triggered they all go deaf, dumb and blind. My very thin sister once told me (after a few drinks) that with her current boyfriend she was hearing "front farts," which made her laugh. Since it was never brought up again, I figured things had worked themselves out or that it wasn't much of a problem for her, just an observation. I would suggest you try different positions and see if it makes a difference. Does the noise level increase with the level of speed and enthusiasm on his part (is he pumping you full of air?). Or are we talking about loose skin flapping around with abandon? Most of all, be proud of what you've accomplished. Try and relax and enjoy your new sexy body.

I had my third fill last evening. While the NP was documenting in my chart, I noticed the photo she had taken 2 weeks before my surgery and I asked to see it more closely. I studied it. Even though the top and slacks I'm wearing in the photo are long gone because they were too big, I don't see a difference in myself. She was surprised, "Are you kidding? You don't look anything like this anymore!" was her response. My husband was with me and said the same thing. It's not that I look in the mirror and think, "Wow, look at that fat woman." It's that I look and see me. The same me. I don't see the difference. Do you see yourself getting thinner when you look in the mirror?

I think the shrines are a physical manifestation of someone's sense of powerlessness; the need to DO something. People who are unnaturally, suddenly, prematurely and violently taken from us shake our belief in the natural order of life. People are supposed to be old when they die, supposed to give some fair warning of impending death, supposed to die in hospitals--not go out for a gallon of milk and never return. When I see the roadside shrines I understand the meaning--a vibrant and loved person died here. A person that was valued and not supposed to die. Please remember this person, please be careful, please hold your loved ones close.

Weighing in for the week: down 2 lbs! I went to Tickerfactory and updated my ticker. When I went to paste it here, it had already transferred over. Something new?

Hi, I was banded 9/20 in Port Jervis, NY. Down 52.5 lbs!

Funny, I was just telling a friend about this. My grocery bill has gone down from over $100/week to less than $50. While I used to shop for 2 adults with bad eating habits, I now shop for one and a third with better habits (I'm the third). I still buy my husband cookies and ice cream sandwiches. A bigger savings is in the cost of eating out. We do a lot less of it and when we do, I can make at least 2 more meals of my doggie bag.

One pound down for the challenge. TOM, too. Slow but steady. Back to the treadmill.

I saw my regular doctor this week for a non-banding issue. He said in the past month he's had to hospitalize 2 banded patients for dehydration. One was vomiting several times daily (for over a week!) and didn't notify her surgeon. The other had severe stomach pains and had stopped eating/drinking for fear of vomiting. Both were hydrated and sent to their surgeons for band adjustments. Just passing on a little warning and reminder--keep drinking and call your surgeon at the FIRST sign of a problem.

I was upfront from the beginning with my immediate boss and confided in my closest coworkers. As the weight loss became noticable and people asked, I told them I'd had the surgery. I'm not a good liar and my memory stinks. Eventually, I figured, word would get out. I didn't want people to snicker behind my back about some story I'd made up. It's a lapband, not a heroin addiction. I'm not ashamed to tell people if they ask.

My doctor gave me my goal weight, which had more to do with a healthy BMI than actual pounds. My personal goal weight is less than his.

Up till 2007, the support groups were a mix of pre and post-ops. We'd go around the room, give our first name, date of surgery and current weight loss. After that was done the moderator/counsellor picked a topic to present (there was usually only 15-20 mins left of the session). The only thing she insisted on (still does) was that we don't discuss food. She wants to stick with feelings. Since the new year, things are more organized. She gives us nametags and handouts and presents the topic up front. More talking now, both from the experienced banders and the wannabe banders. I like the new system much better.

Wow, my doctor says to try and stay around 500-800 calories a day, 60 grams of Protein, 64 oz Water and really watch the fat and carbs. He also wants 30 mins of exercise a day. I have varying degrees of success with this and rarely meet all goals on any given day. But I'm losing so things are getting better!

Not fully embracing and committing to the lifestyle changes needed to make weight loss happen. Somewhere in the back of my mind was the concept that the band would restrict my intake so I would HAVE to lose weight. I figured I could eat a little of everything I wanted I'd have to be successful. Not true.

I went into my fridge for my water bottle and reached right past the box containing several slices of decadently rich carrot cake from the gourmet bake shop. I consider that no small victory. Yay for me!