marfar7

I don't recommend using crystal lite however. I made homemade ones last year and they're like a rock. Not like a popsicle. These r a very good idea!

I know exactly where you're coming from. I was banded in Oct 2009 and originally lost 104 lbs (9 lbs from goal of 135) last year. Then my band had a minor slip and they took some fill out. I gained 18 lbs. Then, 2 months ago, I had a major slip and they took out ALL of my fill (awaiting revision to sleeve in late June) and I gained another 12 (8 of them on my 7 day Alaskan cruise last week). So I've gained a total of 30 lbs in about 18 mths. Wow. I also thought once I lost it, it would be easy to keep it off. I don't fit into many of my clothes anymore. I'm not trying to lose weight but I'm also trying not to gain weight before my revision surgery. I know that I'll lose what I have left after that. Good luck taking it off. It sucks to think you're a failure (you're not, btw) Marci

Dr Tersigni is great! And AJ (the PA) and Robin (his nurse) are amazing. I'm having revision surgery (to sleeve) in late June and looking forward to it. No clue how much it is cuz insurance pays for it. I'm actually kind of sick of driving 6 hrs round trip and paying $160 per fill, so relieved to get the sleeve. Good luck! Marci

8 lbs! Wow. 3 previous cruises I didn't gain a lb. This is the first one with no fill in my band (slipped last month, waiting till late June for a sleeve revision). I ate with no abandon. eggs Benedict and corn beef hash for Breakfast, the buffet for lunch, a lavish dinner - and has anyone had Carnival Cruise Lines warm chocolate melting cake? It's to die for. I ate it EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. Then at about 11 pm, I'd order another dessert from room service- just because I could. Didn't go to the gym even once. Walked alot in ports, but obviously not enough. So it's official. I've now gained 30 lbs since getting married Dec 2011. It just crept up on me. About 1/2 of my closet doesn't fit anymore. I was down to an 8 and now I'm wearing about an 11/12. Hubby keeps telling me I should cut my carbs (he's a carb-a-phobe), but I feel like "hey, I'm having the sleeve done next month. Why not eat whatever I want?" I'm going to the dr on Monday to get my surgery date. I'm so embarrassed at my weight gain. And to top it off, we lost our camera on the last day of our cruise. All 500 pics of our week is gone. All those memories. No one turned it to lost and found. At least we have the memories to keep in our heads. What would you do if you were having the sleeve done next month? Try to lose weight or say to heack with it? I know what I'm going to hear "If you're not ready to change your diet then you're not ready for the sleeve". I AM ready. My band failed after 3 1/2 yrs (totally my fault, frequent vomiting) and I NEED something to help me take off the rest and maintain forever. It's why I got the band in the first place. I hate dieting. Marci

8 lbs! Wow. 3 previous cruises I didn't gain a lb. This is the first one with no fill in my band (slipped last month, waiting till late June for a sleeve revision). I ate with no abandon. eggs Benedict and corn beef hash for Breakfast, the buffet for lunch, a lavish dinner - and has anyone had Carnival Cruise Lines warm chocolate melting cake? It's to die for. I ate it EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. Then at about 11 pm, I'd order another dessert from room service- just because I could. Didn't go to the gym even once. Walked alot in ports, but obviously not enough. So it's official. I've now gained 30 lbs since getting married Dec 2011. It just crept up on me. About 1/2 of my closet doesn't fit anymore. I was down to an 8 and now I'm wearing about an 11/12. Hubby keeps telling me I should cut my carbs (he's a carb-a-phobe), but I feel like "hey, I'm having the sleeve done next month. Why not eat whatever I want?" I'm going to the dr on Monday to get my surgery date. I'm so embarrassed at my weight gain. And to top it off, we lost our camera on the last day of our cruise. All 500 pics of our week is gone. All those memories. No one turned it to lost and found. At least we have the memories to keep in our heads. What would you do if you were having the sleeve done next month? Try to lose weight or say to heack with it? I know what I'm going to hear "If you're not ready to change your diet then you're not ready for the sleeve". I AM ready. My band failed after 3 1/2 yrs (totally my fault, frequent vomiting) and I NEED something to help me take off the rest and maintain forever. It's why I got the band in the first place. I hate dieting. Marci

I lost 104 lbs following the lapband. I went from a size 22 pants to a size 7/8. I went from a 3x (or 44DD) to an XL (40D) on top. When I was fit for my wedding dress over a year ago, they measured my bottom half at a size 4 and the top at a 16. I've always had a harder time getting the weight off the top of me. My legs and butt lose the quickest. I always say that I'm like a marshmallow being held up by 2 toothpicks. It's heredity. My whole family is bigger on top (Swedish), so I've learned to live with it. Good luck!

I find out on Monday what my revision date is (hoping late June). Keep ya posted!

Great post! I luv the fact that ur no longer on a diet. I was banded 3 1/2 yrs ago (awaiting revision to sleeve) and lost 104 lbs eating everything, just smaller quantities. Its why I even had wls _ so that Id never have to diet again. I luv being able to eat anything (including Taco Bell and Jack in the Box) and still lose weight. However, since my band slipped, Im counting calories. My band is totally unfilled and can eat alot more. So I've gained about 22 lbs. My fault. I own my mistakes. But if I wanted to watch what I ate and count calories I wouldn't be having the band or the sleeve. Im having the sleeve done because Im no good at watching what I eat. I've proven that recently with the weight gain. Congrats on ur achievment. I hope to be u when I grow up!

Thanks. I downloaded 4 bariatric books frrom Barnes and Noble for my nook the other day. Leaving for a cruise tomorrow so Ill have something to do. Looks good

I'm soon facing a revision to a sleeve (3 1/2 yrs with the band) cuz my band herniated. I don't remember the pain of post op lapband. What I'm wondering is: is it equal to, more than, less than the lapband surgery? Any advise u can give to a fellow lapbander?

I knew I saw that somewhere! I can't believe you can live without a stomach. And her drunk friends were talking outside her door "she's gunna be so skinny! Yeah!"

Oops...sorry. Had I read a little further, I would've noticed that! Lol at your wife's comment!

I think the i actually stand for imbrication (or plication as it's known around here). It's where they stitch the stomach up (kind of folded) so u have 1/2 of a stomach. I'm having sleeve revision soon as my insurance won't pay for the band with plication (still investigational). Wish it had been offered to me in 2009. Maybe then I wouldn't be dealing with a slip now. Good luck to you! CG has the plication. Maybe she'll chime in Marci

I don't think she meant that the surgery causes cancer. I think she's just concerned if she gets cancer in her stomach, she won't have anything left. I thought of the same thing. What if something happens to my stomach. I have nothing left of it. Don't worry, I'm sure most of us have thoughts/dreams of something going wrong. Somebody else is thinking the same way!! "What if's" are part of life tho...

That wasn't the truth. I could've eaten my right arm at about 48 hrs post op. I literally cheated on my post op liquids phase (was sposed to be on liquids for 4 weeks) - I added mashed potatoes at week 3. But it was different being banded than sleeved. They didn't touch my stomach. With the ghrelin taken out (I guess that part of the stomach makes about 80% of your bodies ghrelin), I'm not sposed to be hungry, right? Why do I read all these post op stories of people who are starving post op? Now I'm scared I'm gunna be starving. Were you hungry or not?

I'll get my date on May 20th - hoping for a late June surgery. I'm revising from a band, so I have to wait for the inflammation to go down so they can do it at one time. Plus, we're going to CA for 2 weeks in June and I don't want to be on a liquid diet for our visit! So, yes - a June surger is in my future....I hope!

You can get them at GNC and The Vitamin Shop. I've never seen them at Walmart or stores like that. Good luck! It should be less than $8

Wow! Thats almost 10 lbs a week! The sleeve is looking better and better to me!

About 18 mths ago, I went in for a fill. I had 10cc in a 14cc band. My PA put .25cc in and said that was all it would hold. The pressure inside kept pushing the syringe out. Said I was to capacity and that I had to do the work myself, my band was done. Thank God the fill worked! I couldn't believe my band was at capacity at 10.25cc when it should hold 14cc. I think had my band not slipped, I might have been able to put more in over time, however. Good luck to you! Marci

Nope, not from Alaska, but heading there on Monday for a 7 day cruise from Seattle! So excited! What are the "must see's" in Ketchikan, Skagaway, and Juneau? Can't wait to see your amazing state! Coming from Oregon. Good luck with your question. No clue!

Do u have a dog? Walk him/her! My dog loves to go for walks. My husband and I joined a gym and we go 3x a week. Sometimes having someone else to be accountable to helps. I can't just say "I don't feel like going to the gym today". Doesn't usually work! I say just start out walking. It's free, easy, anyone can do it. Work your way up to 45-60 minutes a day. If you feel that you need more (strength exercises), then look it up on google and see what you need to do! Good luck! Marci

Before being banded 3 1/2 yrs ago, I was on Celexa, Wellbutrin, and Abilify. Over the years, as I started to lose weight, my dr started weaning me off of them. Now all I need is a 1/2 dose of Celexa! If I stop that, I feel really blah...I'm not really depressed anymore. Could it be that I was depressed cuz I was FAT? When I started taking antidepressants in 2000, I started on Prozac. It affected my sex life big time. Haven't noticed any changes in weight tho. I guess I could blame all my weight problems on my meds tho...

After losing over 100 lbs, I've never been able to fit into anything from VS. You know what their secret is? It's that they don't carry a higher size than a 4. You'd think since I wear a 40D that I'd be able to find something, but the highest I've seen (in store, haven't checked online) is a 36. Even tho I lost all the way down to a size 8 on the bottom, I'm still a 40D on top. I look like a marshmallow being held up with 2 toothpicks! Congrats to you! Hopefully someday I'll have the same nsv! Marci

Carbonation is a no-no for lapbanders (sposed to erode ur band, altho it never actually touches the band so I don't really understand that). I've been banded for 3 1/2 yrs and have had occasional sips of hubbys soda when out to eat. Never actually finished a whole soda - ever. I'm hoping that when sleeved, I'll still be able to sip.

WTG! You look fabulous!