LittleOleMeinFL

Thanks Apples~ You have done amazing as well! Good job! You are right about the weight fluctuations. I am premenopausal and any given day can +/- 2 lbs in fluid. I guess I would just hate that the one day that week, would be a +2... when actually I had been down 4 and then up 2 and evened out. I completely avoided a scale for the last year and that's how 70lbs snuck in in that year! And I am a NP... and walk by scaled all day long! I know the other thing I did last week was take some Aleve. Which on a normal day for me will make me retain... but post band it REALLY knocks me for a loop. I had overdone the lunges and squats with my trainer and my legs were so sore I felt and looked like I had knee braces on my legs! We both should have known better. With everything... .food, exercise... it's moderation, huh? When you were in the first few months what calorie range did you aim for... and grams of Protein? What do you aim for these days? Thanks... Laura

Janet~ I wanted to thank you for always posting such useful information. Your profile and albums are such an inspiration to those of us who are just starting the banded part of our journey! I had a tough week last week, having gained 3 lbs of the 25 lbs I had lost since surgery on 3-2-09. But this morning I weighed and I was back to 277. I've been having 750-850 cal/day. Keeping my quantity to 1/2 c per meal and working the rest of the Protein and cal to fluids. It's been tough. I had my first fill on 4-7, only 3cc in a 10cc realize band. Here's where I wrote about the experience... http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/calling-all-march-09-bandsters-we-need-name-86511/index51.html I will certainly join this thread, as it is so useful to read from someone who has been there and has TONS of wisdom and experience. : ) Gracias! : ) peas out! laura

Hi all~ I am a march 2 banster... but was reading your thread and feel your frustration. During the week I switched to solids I gained 3 lbs although I was eating only what I was supposed to and didn't go over 800 calories! I am also working out with a trainer three times a week. Now, this week, that 3 lbs finally came off and am back to the 25 lbs lost total since surgery. (35 since I scheduled surgery). I had my first fill on 4-7. I wrote about it on another thread. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/calling-all-march-09-bandsters-we-need-name-86511/index51.html But am basically bummed that I have no restriction yet. Now granted I haven't "tested" it with really large amounts. I am talking that instead of exactly 1/2 cup I had another 1/4 of butternut squash last night just to see. nada. The seroma I have around my port is bugging me. Although it was drained.. it has filled back up and is now tender. I was supposed to go back two weeks after 1st fill, but I think I am going to call and see if I can go earlier to have one... and have this seroma drained. SIGH. Is everyone prepared for Easter? I have a 5 year old boy who can't wait for the Easter Bunny to visit! I think the bunny will give more toys than chocolate this year. : ) peas out, Laura

Hi guys~ At my incision I have the same hard feeling. It feels thick and about 2 cm down and 1cm wide. I also thought it was my port. When I went for my fill on Tuesday I found out that mine was scar tissue. My port is actually 3 inches below my scar. My surgeon told me that they often cut out some of the fat on top of the muscle layer that is just below the ribs. It gives it a firm place to "anchor" it. Causing it to stick out less if they make a little nest for it. All that cutting though is what caused my seroma (the fluid to collect around my port). Depends on the type of band you have.. whether it's easy to feel the port. The lap band port is higher in thickness and is easier to feel than the lower "profile" of the realize band port. Hope that helps. On another note~~ how is everyone doing? How are we going to get through Easter without attacking a chocolate bunny?! The Easter Bunny has to visit my 5 year old.. but he will put more toys this year than candy. I just cannot have too much choc. in the house. I don't love jellybeans.. so I will be ok there. ~laura

Hi all~ I've seen a couple of you on the other thread. I am 36 days post op and have lost 25. Last week after starting solid foods I had actually gained 4 lbs back! I was only eating around 800 calories and exercising, so it truly freaked me out. Now... today, I am back down to the -25. I had my first fill on Tues.. and am bummed that I don't feel any restriction. But my dr said most don't until 2nd or 3rd fill. I am motivated right now.. and am able to get past the hunger. When I get a real hunger pang...I eat one of the little individual 1 oz. tubs of weight watchers cream cheese. For some reason, it sticks and instantly makes me feel ok. They are 60 cal. and only 2 gms of Protein.

Hi guys~ For some reason... I found the "March 09 Bandsters- we need a name" thread and it's the only one I have been one. Too confusing with all the different threads. I too was having port pain. But more than pain, I was having swelling over it and by the end of the day (after gardening or going to the gym or cleaning house) I was noticing that it was red. It was also kind of hard and painful to palpate. I had it during the first week and when I saw my surgeon he was not concerned. He said that he had taken out some fat in that area to have a place to anchor the port down. And that it was swollen and was healing and that I might have a seroma. Well, fast forward 3.5 weeks (week 5 post op) and I went in for my first fill. I definitely had a seroma. I already wrote about it.. here is the link from that page. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/calling-all-march-09-bandsters-we-need-name-86511/index51.html Well, after it was drained.. and I had the fill. I was feeling GREAT. Now two days after it has already filled up again and will need to be drained in two weeks when I get fill #2. I wish he had put more than 3cc because I feel zero restriction! But I have not really "tested" it. I am only eating around the 1/2 cup recommended food. I am too afraid of my band slipping. I've heard horror stories of people pigging out on pizza and stuff and the band literally going to the esophagus. Hope you guys feel better soon. And if concerned... ask to be seen. It's hard to tell over the phone and they will just tell you it's this or that. But really.. until they see it they don't know. peas out, Laura

Aurelia ~ welcome. I didn't know about the other group. Should we join or just make a new one for both? BTW, we are almost neighbors. I am just north of Jupiter in Stuart! Aussie ~yeah, I found it comforting to know that we are all in the same boat. The nurse told me yesterday that it is VERY common during the transition to solids to stop/slow on the losing. Butt Cracks ~ok you guys. If you have a tiny opening at the top layer of skin (like a deep paper cut) it's ok. If your crack goes several mm down... like through the whole first layer of skin and you see a hole... then you need to see your dr! It can be the start of wound dehiscence. It can start as a tiny hole and then turn into a big open wound. The worry is always infection. If it isn't read or draining and you don't have a fever... ur prob ok. Still get it checked out. I had a deh. on a belly button incision after a lap for endometriosis and it took forever to close. fyi ~it's spring break here in FL and it's 50 degrees right now! burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

hi guys~ regarding the strange feeling in the throat. Hmmm. trying to think what you guys are describing. Does it happen spontaneously or after you have eaten? I've heard of this happening... if you have eaten too fast... or eaten too much. The fill, i actually felt a tiny bit.. because he had numbed basically a lot higher than where the port actually was. But honestly even without the numbing medicine I could have handled it. IT's no big deal. But keep in mind... 1) I stick needles in people all day for a living. 2) I had 10 IVFs (in-vitro fertilization) for infertility. I had to have blood drawn every other day and sometimes every day... and had to give myself several deep IM injections a day for several weeks at a time. I have sort of developed a tough skin for needles. I wish I had restriction though. I had this false sense of security ... if I can just make it to my fill! SIGH

pezo~ can you take a photo of it? email it to me and I will take a look.

OK..... I survived! It took way longer than expected. Do you guys remember me complaining about a swelling over my port site? Well it ends up it was a seroma. Seromas are REALLY common after any kind of surgery, especially abdominal, breast and colon. Word of the day: "Seroma is just a gathering of serous Fluid. Serous fluid is the pale yellow straw colored fluid that is produced by lymph vessels and by the tissues that lie beneath the skin. You'll have seen serous fluid if you've ever had a blister on your hand or foot - the fluid that comes out when you puncture a blister is serous fluid." The good news is the seroma didn't open to the outside of my skin. Sometimes they can cause the wound to not heal and actually leak and it becomes an "open" wound that has to be packed and is a wound clinic nightmare. The bad news is it will likely return and have to be drained again. After I was on the exam table... prepped with betadine and a sterile drape placed... my surgeon then palpated the port area. He agreed that my "swelling" wasn't within the normal and decided to see what he would find. (Medical people like to stick needles in things to see what's in it). So, he numbed up the skin first. Then he took a 20cc syringe. Stuck it in and it filled instantly. He asked his nurse for another.. and another and another. He got out 120cc! He said there was probably more but he didn't want to poke too deep. The fluid was clearish yellow (normal) and no sign of infection. Then he went on to find my port. The seroma had actually displaces things a bit. My port ended up being lateral to my belly button a clear 3 inches below my port scar! I got my 3cc and was instructed to be on liquids for 2 days then mush.. then back to normal. I have to return in two weeks for fill #2 and most probably another seroma drainage. It already feels as if it has filled back in some. I will try to post some photos of before and after. He told me very few patients have any restriction with the first fill. 3cc in 10cc realize band. But that they don't do more because of the increase incidence of nausea. So, I spent my morning feeling like a pin cushion. It really wasn't that bad. After about 10 min. my Dr. said, "you might be one of those rare patients that I have to do under fluoro." This guy has done thousands of bands and bypasses. He teaches surgeons all over how to do them. I honestly think he could do them with his eyes closed. My gut (no pun intended) instinct was something ain't right. But... he said he wouldn't have drained it earlier anyway... b/c it just increases risk of infection. I had a shake early this morning (6:30am) made with light soy milk, unjury Protein powder (20g protein per scoop), 1/2 banana and Divinci raspberry flavor. For lunch I had a Muscle Milk Light (pre-mixed), 160 cal, 20 g protein. For afternoon snack I had a Yoplait light Fat free yogurt, 100 cal, 5 g protein. I haven't had any Water. I am hungry. But this too shall pass. I don't have the energy to exercise today. Guess I will give myself a break today. I'll keep you updated! peas out!

Hey guys~ I have to tell you a funny story. Today I was hanging out in my yard doing some gardening. My tomato plants are really doing well! My 5 year old was playing in his sand box. It was a nice sunny day here in FL and with a cold snap of 40s coming tomorrow I decided to get some sun... so I was walking around in a bathing suit. (I have no modesty and no shame, BTW!) Anyway, this guy pulls up in a pickup truck with a freezer in the back bed. He is selling meat and seafood in bulk (the high quality stuff... like Kobe beef and stuff). I laughed at him trying to sell me 100lbs of meat when I am trying to get rid of 100lb of meat! I realized how rude I was coming across with the laughter and told him I had stomach surgery and had a stomach the size of an egg. He tipped his hat to me and took off speeding down my road! LOL. I did go in and defrost a rib eye for dinner. My hubby ate most of it.. but I had 2 oz cooked med. rare. I also ate some green Beans and a sweet potato (sm). I had more than I have had in a while.. but tomorrow starts liquids (my doc doesn't want us eating at all the day of the fill)... So I had one more "last supper". I was hungry just a bit ago and had one of those individual fat free cottage cheeses. I still only had 765 cal today.. but 91 g of Protein. I didn't change the ticker or profile thing.. but I am 35 days post op and 24 lbs down. I had a big work out today with the trainer... and those couple extra pounds did shake off a bit. Still one up from the 25 of last Tues. I will be sure to update tomorrow while I am sipping my liquids and testing my band. jennibells~ good job today. pezo~ glad you had your SLURP... crawfish! Conetha~ glad you are feeling better! : ) mdepauw~ welcome back thinner/karen~ thanks for the well wishes I feel the love! peas out

hi all~ Tomorrow @ 9:30am is my first fill! I am excited and ready! I will wake up and have only fluids. I will update you guys after. Wish me luck! peas

Kygie~ Wow, sorry to hear what happened to you @ work. Glad you got re-banded and are back on track! Snereb27~ I also found myself sore the first week if I stayed in the same position for too long. Especially sitting. I had the least amount of pain up and walking around. As for the pain in your back, behind your shoulder pain. Hmmm.. it wouldn't be the anesthesia. But it could be the gas that they inflate the abdomen with.. but this usually goes away in 1-2 days. If it gets worse or is intolerable call your dr and get rechecked. The ticker... I usually go to Quick Links... then to edit profile... and change it there and then save changes. I am one month post op and the only place I have pain at times is at my port site. It's swollen a bit and sticks out as my abdomen is losing weight. My biggest fear is that I will get thinner and I will have this big bump of a port! Hey perhaps it will come in handy and be a shelf for me to place my water bottle on. : ) Linlayni~ I have had a major plateau these last few days. It has been a week since I switched to regular food. Also, I began working out with a trainer. I had been doing cardio/walking/biking/swimming on my own. She has be doing a circuit type routine to keep my HR up for an hour. Tons of lunges, squats, elliptical, weight machines...etc. I have been REALLY sore since that first workout... and wonder if that has something to do with my weight stall. I also took some Aleve (which I was advised not to take, but I did anyway), because the pain in my quads was so bad. Anti-inflammatories always make me retain fluid. So... SIGH... I didn't change my ticker.. but I am actually up two pounds and I have not gone over 900 calories any day this week. So, I hope this normalizes. It just sux when you are being so good... and then GAIN! 48 hours until my first fill! I CAN MAKE IT.... (repeating this over and over)! Conetha~ Yes, if your dr. said it's ok... then it probably is. It is frustrating that every practice has a different time line for liquids/mush/food... and for fills. Some will fill from the get go... others in 2-3 weeks and then others wait 6-8 weeks. I heard one theory for the clear liquids and full liquids (beside the obvious... that the stomach needs to heal)... I have heard that they use this time for us to be on the least amount of calories... because it is the MOST MOTIVATED time we will ever have. We are in complete fear of popping band stitches or dilating our little new stomachs. It is a poweful will power tool... fear of screwing up what we worked so hard to get! Keep strong my fellow march bansters.. lucky losers! Peace, Laura

Conetha, My surgeon has us on Clear Liquids for the first 7 days (with the addition of protein powder and/or protein drinks or soups that are clear (ie. Bari Wise Chicken Broth- has 15 gm of protein). We were allowed "no added sugar" fruit juice, like apple or white cranberry. (but in limited quantities, and organic if possible). Then weeks 2 & 3 "full" liquids- which includes skim milk, yogurt (no fruit chunks), sugarfree/fatfree custard or pudding, thicker lowfat cream or other soups (no chunks though- have to strain it), & V8 juice and pureed stuff that was thin (one recommendation was baby food, stage 1 & 2- but I had to pass on that!). Then week 4 is soft mashed. This could be mashed sweet potato, soft scrambled egg, egg salad finely chopped, tuna finely chopped, , soft poached fresh fish, Soft veggies mashed a bit, apple sauce, mashed banana, anything that was pretty much chewed up for you. Then week 5 full regular diet.. but with the addition of only one new food a day... to be able to see if you tolerated it or not. So basically, the analogy is that we are learning to eat just like a little baby. Gradually increasing the textures. Now that I am on regular food, I am feeling so much better. I am feeling some fullness after meals. Not sure if it is the band, since there is no fill... or if my stomach just "shrunk" from not eating real food for a month. Where are you in all this? Are your week 1 or 2, when did you have surgery? In my opinion, if you are doing ok... it is ok to start something a couple days early, but they don't want your stomach having to digest too much too early.

I found this blog a couple weeks ago. It's a lap bandster from the UK. She actually explains things pretty well and it's interesting to read. Theresa's Gastric Band Blog

wow...that was a long message. Sorry! :welldoneclap:

Hi Lucky Losers! Welcome to some of the newbies... hugs to those of us who are frustrated... and high fives to the ones who feel great, feel better, or are losing! I've had a very frustrating last 3 days. I hopped on the scale 3 days ago before heading to the gym. I had gained 5 lbs! I had not eaten or drank a drop. I had not pooped either. I am NOT PMSing, I had my period a week ago. (sorry men for TMI), I did not have an unusual increase in sodium, and I had not eaten off my allowed amounts/calories. Sun/739 cal./63 g Protein, Mon/776/83, Tues/911/76, Wed/704/70, Thur/933/76g, Fri 830/61g I have the realize band and it has the online program that has a food and exercise diary (which are very user friendly) and recipes and hints, etc. But there are a bunch of online food diaries. My dietitian and surgeon's nurse BOTH recommended keeping a very accurate food diary. ESPECIALLY in the beginning. We didn't get morbidly obese by eating a couple extra yogurts. (I didn't at least). That being said, it is very easy to eat more than you think you are. I am measuring EVERYTHING I eat & drink (when I am home.) I bought the Biggest Loser scale at Bed bath and beyond. I think it was $15 or so. It's very easy to zero- you put a plate on it and then turn it on and then just put your food on. After you add your first item- you just shut it off and on and then it zeros again for the next item. You stick to 2 oz. of a protein item and then 2 oz. of other. I found it difficult to measure stuff in measuring cups.. as I only have one 1/4 cup and am not going to wash it 10 times a day. My nurse told me to aim for 800 calories a day. 600 being the absolute lowest and 1000 being the highest. 3 meals a day (4 oz. total) and no snacking in between. The only "snacking" is liquids or protein supplements in liquid form. If I get hungry, I first try a sugar free Jello or Popsicle. If after 20 min I am still REALLY hungry, I brush my teeth. (then food doesn't taste as good)... after that if I am still really hungry I have one of the weight watchers 60 cal. yogurts. I do have soy milk (I like the light vanilla versions) 8th Continent Light is only 60 cal. a cup. I add a scoop of Protein powder like unjury (that has 20g of protein) and then 1/2 cup of a low cal fruit. (like no added sugar frozen blueberries or peaches). This usually helps zap my hunger. If I am not near my magic bullet/blender then I drink a Muscle Milk Light. (160 cal and 20g of protein). If I am still hungry I leave my house... go for a walk or bike ride. So, all that being said. If I am sticking to low fat, sugar free items and staying under 1000 calories... how the HE!! do you gain 5 lbs?! Well, the only explanation is Fluid. I did forget to take my BP pill for two days. Maybe that had something to do with it. I didn't drink as much Water the day before the gain... that has a lot to do with H20 retention and the #2 issue. I took a good healthy dose of metamucil... and (I know TMI) but lost 2 lbs. the next day. I am still 3 lbs up. I also started working out with a trainer this week. (sudden starting of exercise can lower your metabolic rate... but only temporarily) I did all sorts of things my body hasn't done in a LONG time. (lunges, elliptical, weights, etc..) Perhaps a combo of all of these are factors for the gain. I'm one of those obese people in the health care field. I know way too much about all this stuff and am proof that knowledge regarding health does not mean power. But I will tell you a few things that may or may not help explain this. The first week after surgery, when we are on a clear liquid diet with only protein powder... our bodies are FREAKING out! They think we are on Survivor on a deserted island. We go into a sort of semi-starvation mode. Our metabolic rate does slow down but it doesn't stop. A sudden decrease in calories causes our bodies to catabilize (devour our muscles and other lean mass). That's why it is so important as soon as you can, to exercise. The body will use energy from your liver and other organs first... then lean muscle.. and then fat. So you have to keep building up your muscle. Now, we are losing some fat too, just more muscle than fat. That's also why it is so important to get adequate protein. Now, your protein source is important. When choosing a protein supplement.... look at the ingredients. The preferred kind of protein is ISOLATE... not CONCENTRATE. Isolate Proteins are more easily absorbed by the body. They are pre-digested so that 90% or so can be absorbed as opposed to concentrate where only 20-30% might be absorbed. That's why when you drink some of the cheaper prepared Protein drinks (like slimfast or EAS or Atkins advantage) you can get bloated and sometimes get diarrhea or have to go to the bathroom really fast. They are simply a lower quality protein and aren't absorbed as easily. So when choosing your protein supplements... if your Dr sells products in his office- they usually are some of the best choices. Most of the products designed for the bariatric patient have isolate protein whey. Sometimes it may have both.. just try to pick stuff that has isolate first then concentrate 2nd on the ingredient list. A friend of mine who had the band back in November told me that whenever she hit a plateau or worse, when she was gaining, that she would stop eating regular food and switch to bariatric stuff. She said it always kicked her weight loss back into gear. www.bariatricchoice.com or www.wlsvitamins.com I don't work for any of these companies and am not selling their stuff. It's just where I got some of my stuff. I also recommend the obestityhelp.com and their magazine. One lady at my surgeon's support group ate ONLY bariatric stuff for the first 3 months and lost 60lbs. Also keep in mind you guys, just like on Biggest Loser, it's not HOW MUCH you lose.. but percentage. Those of us who are bigger are going to fall faster... than someone who is 100 pounds lighter. Also someone who has been dieting before surgery is going to lose weight slower than someone who has not been. My Dr. didn't require a pre-surgery weight loss diet. I think that is one of the reasons the first 30 days the weight came off so easy for me. Getting back to fluids. It is soooooooooo important not to drink anything 15-30 min before you eat. And the most important thing is to wait 30-60 min after you eat before drinking anything. Otherwise you wash the food right through the first stomach... and then you are hungry again. I will hop off my soap box now. I hope this info helps a little. If anyone has a specific question... or wants to send it privately in a message, I would be more than happy to try and answer it. One thing I know for sure... your dr's office works for YOU. If you did not get answers to your questions, call them and ask to speak to the nurse or nutritionist. IF you didn't have a pre-op appointment with a nutritionist/RD then make an appt. They will really help look over what you are eating and help you get more bang for your buck (calories). Also, if your dr gave you different advice than what I am saying... then PLEASE do what your dr told you to do. I am ONLY telling you guys about my experience and what my dr advised. I wish someone would put me in a drug induced coma until my fill. SIGH. And I hope my fill on Tuesday helps this hunger. This Suc&s! Peace my fellow lucky losers, Laura P.S. I was in Peace Corps about 15 years ago. I lived out in the middle of bumfudge in South America. I went from 230 to 160 lbs during those 2 years. I had no electricity and no running water. If I wanted veggies I had to buy them in the nearest city an hour away or grow them in my garden. I only ate tuna or Beans because the meat they sold in my village was not refrigerated. There were no restaurants where I lived. Everything I ate had to be cooked. I had to walk or ride my bike to get any where. I thought I had this obesity thing conquered. It was the best weight loss program EVER. I returned to the U.S., started grad school, started my old bad eating habits... and shot up to 250 lbs in a blink. Anyway, that's where the peascorps name comes from.

For the LIFE of me... I can't get my photo next to my name... only in my signature. It keeps saying error. Any suggestions?!:smile2:

Hi y'all! (Although I live in FL... I am originally from NC.) When I was on full liquids.... I got REAL tired of all the slider foods and was constantly hungry. Finally one night (4 days early) I made a soft scrambled egg. It was the most full I had been in weeks! The other thing that holds me when I am just soooooo hungry is one of the little tubs of Weight Watchers "cream cheese". I eat it slowly with a spoon and I guess the fat in it just sticks to the ribs a bit. Someone else said the Laughing Cow Light Cheese does the same. Tonight I had 2 oz. of lobster tail for dinner and some veggies. Advice from experienced bandsters... the few nights before the first fill.. eat some of the foods that you will not be able to eat when you're tight. (within the 4 oz. recommended amount). So I might have to work in some steak (filet) tomorrow. The other downer is many don't have a lot of restriction after the first fill. It may take several fills to reach the "sweet spot". SIGH. Hang in there all..... we can do this! We didn't come this far to give up! Peace, Laura

Wow... First Mom2Six.. so sorry to hear you are having such pain and nausea! I hope you have taken the earlier postings' advice and called your dr. You absolutely want to do everything you can do NOT to vomit. They should have sent you home with some Rx. Someone mentioned a patch for nausea.. others get Phenergan suppositories. All of the narcotic pain medications can cause nausea, so it is usually recommended to take your nausea medication 30 min prior to your pain medication. That should help. If the pain is still intolerable... go to the ER/call your dr. It should be sore and hurt but shouldn't be so bad you cannot get up and down. Hope it gets better and I don't think you made the wrong decision. Pezo- OMG.... crawfish?! There are a LOT of things I am craving right now... but that didn't even make my top 100. yuck! I would be careful with that. Those are bottom dwellers and eat all the debris that other smarter fish won't eat. If you can, I would wait a bit longer before being so adventurous. Also, aren't they a little rubbery? They say to avoid lobster and shrimp.. and the texture just seems the same unless you are sucking out the insides. GROSS! Good luck and let us know what happens! Pezo and others.. re: calories. I just met with my surgeon's nurse today. I have the Realize band and am really digging the onine support. The diet diary is one of the easiest I have used. It gives a nice summary of daily calories/protein/fat etc. The nurse was able to pull this up at the office and see what I was doing. She said to aim for ~80 grams of Protein.. but to keep calories around 800. She said if I could do 600ish it's even better. The max would be 1000. I have lost more than average for their office. (but the higher you are.. the farther you have to fall/lose and the faster it goes). Since I just started regular food.. she warned me of a pending plateau. She wanted me to brace myself.. because this is when most people get frustrated. I won't get my first fill until next week (on the 7th). I cannot wait!!! The hunger has been pretty intense. I have always been good at losing weight.... it's the keeping it off that avails me. So right now my will power is stronger than the hunger. I hope things will feel better after the fill. ok to all my fellow lucky losers! Keep on punching! WE WILL DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!! Peace out... peas. Laura

Welcome to all the new folks! And CONGRATS to all of you that have your surgery date!!!!!!!! Some of you are monday and some Tuesday! YEAH! I remember the few days before surgery and how excited I was! My only regret was my "last meal". It was a busy weekend (had my 5 year old's birthday party) and was exhausted and we had chinese carry out for my last meal. (In hindsight I would have had steak and a lobster tail!) Although not required by my surgeon but highly recommended by him and others... I did a mild colon prep. (maily to prevent post op constipation). Day before surgery I had a regular breakfast, but then the rest of the day was clear liquids and had some Mag Citrate. So now I completed my first week of "soft foods" and will be on regular next week. During my liquid and mushy weeks, I was convinced I had ZERO restriction. These "slider" foods (protein shakes, yogurt, soups, etc...) gave me great nutrition (calories on target and ~80 gms of protein, but I was always hungry. With more regular foods I have felt some fullness finally. My first meal was a scrambled egg with . oz of cheese. 1/2 a packet of instant cream of wheat. My first lunch was a 2 oz piece of orange roughy and 2 oz. of sweet potato. Dinner was 2 oz. of lean lamb and 2 oz. of butternut squash. Finally a feeling of moderate fullness. I am still having to supplement with a Muscle Milk Light (160 cal., 20 grams of protein) to get in enough protein. I am really excited about the 22 lb weight loss! I know it was due to the liquid phase, but STILL... I am happy. I hope it continues. I am prepared for a plateau during the transition to regular food. I will really boost up the exercise now. I have been active. 6 days a week I am walking 30 min/day. Once I am completely cleared to do ab work and everything, I plan on getting a trainer at my YMCA to help keep me accountable. Is anyone else using the realizemysuccess web site to do their food diary? I really find it user friendly. Good luck everyone with their upcoming surgeries! Hang in there to us that are getting used to our bands and new life! Peace, Laura

Hello All! Finally getting around to joining the March Bansters! I was banded with the Realize band on March 2, 2009 in Jupiter, FL. My insurance had an exemption.... so I paid out of pocket. I am REALLY ready for my first fill. So far just sheer will power keeping me going. Just started soft food yesterday.

Hi everyone! I am a fairly new bandster. I had my surgery March 2, 2009 by Dr. Vaughan and had a great experience. Realize Band 3-2-09 21 days post op 18 pounds lost since surgery! I won't have my first fill until April 7. I would LOVE to be part of a support group. Any other interested members? We could pick the closest spot in the middle of everyone. Peace, Laura

First of all... please don't worry! The bands are comparable. Most of the time it just depends which company is giving the hospital a better deal on each unit. (to be honest). Now, with that being said, I chose the RB. I am really impressed with their website for followup. They make the food diary a breeze... literally dragging the food to your daily log. If you have a custom food, you entire the info once and then it is saved under your food. They will email or text you if you haven't entered a weight in a while. I like this... keeps you accountable. It is newer, so there are less studies.. but it appears there are less tube leakage due to accidental puncture during fills. Here was something that was posted on OH: " The info below was posted by Dr. Brad Watkins from Synchrony Health, Cincinnati, OH on lapbandtalk.com on 12/12/07. Dr. Watkins is also a member of the Advisory Board for ObesityHelp.com. Differences between REALIZE and ALLERGAN bands: Clinical outcomes (slip rate, erosion rate, weight loss, etc) are very similar between the two bands. The Allergan band is the original band (Allergan bought the Inamed band company which bought Bioenterics company - these are the old names of the same band) Surgically, there are subtle differences such as: The Allergan band comes in many sizes, REALIZE band is one size. Allergan has two port sizes; REALIZE is one port size. Allergan ports are stitched to the muscle fascia (the tough white stuff on the outside of the muscle); REALIZE port has neat technology that attaches itself to the muscle fascia and may have slightly less port pain the first few days after surgery. The REALIZE ports have a neat tool that places the port and secures it with a handheld instrument making it really easy on the surgeon. (Don't tell anyone but they could teach monkeys to do this stuff.) Allergan band tubing has little arrows printed on it pointing the surgeon to the tab end of the tubing which is a nice feature in the operating room. Allergan ports are smaller around (circumference) and taller - perhaps easier to palpate for fills. REALIZE ports are bigger around and less prominent. Think small stack of silver dollars versus taller stack of quarters to create the mental image. Allergan tubing is closer to the septum (the area that you aim for with the needle for adjustments/fills) and perhaps more susceptible to needle sticks requiring port replacement. REALIZE ports have the septum farther away from the tubing - the tubing is a little more protected. Both bands are now easier to unbuckle in the event a surgeon has to reposition the band. The REALIZE band comes with a neat instrument that helps to pass the band around the upper stomach. The Allergan AP bands have "pillows" in the inflatable portion of the inner balloon that prevents balloon-to-balloon contact. The REALIZE band does have balloon-to-balloon contact. Some people think that this contact may cause issues years later but long-term studies have not shown this to be the case." Hope this helps! Surgery Date: 3-2-2009 Realize No fill : ( First fill scheduled for 4-7-2009 Highest weight: 312 Surgery weight: 302 15 days post op: 289