ericsmom

Hi everyone! Ooooh, Kari! What a great NSV! I've noticed the lbs dropping since I can finally exercise since getting my new knees. I'm doing awesome...walking better than I ever have with no aides. It's amazing the little things I can do that I couldn't before. And I don't ache!! I am wearing 1X capri's this summer That's a 14/16. I was at 234 the other day (down 107), but after my TOM gets over in a couple days, I'll weigh again. I want to be in the 220's, even if it's 220, by Aug. 27th when I have to go back to work. I only have 4.5 weeks of my summer vacation left. Sherri Jo - you have NOT lost ONLY 80lbs! You are doing GREAT! Keep it up! That's nothing to sneeze at for a year total Everyone - keep up the good work! I'm off to bed Oh - Leona - YOU GO GIRL!!

DonnaMarie - so good to hear from you! You're doing great Congrats on tying the knot, too :eek: I am happy for you that you have such a supportive husband. Keep up the great work! Mary, hang in there with your mom...she's lucky to have you there with her. Sorry to hear she's having so much pain issues. I had the greatest NSV ever today - I was in the waiting room to be called in to see my lap band PA, and the girl that called me in opened the door and saw me sitting there and said "OMG look at you!" super loud in the waiting room. It was so cool! Then I walked through the door and all the nurses and my PA were standing behind the desk right inside the door and they just looked at me and their mouths opened and no one said anything, so I went "ta-da!" They all were laughing. My PA said I'm doing "phenomenal" about 6 times and said I am ahead of schedule and losing more like a gastric patient. He said he was very proud of me. That made me feel so good. Just wanted to share Oh - I'm down 107!!!

Has anyone had knee replacement surgery since you've been banded? I have bilateral degenerative osteoarthritis in my knees as a result of my weight. Now that I've lost over 100 lbs, I am having BOTH knees replaced at the same time. I know - you're thinking "Is she nuts?!" Well, we're doing minimally invasive - they do not cut the quad muscle, they go out to the side around it. Then they control the pain with an epidural...they are both so bad that we have to do them at the same time because one isn't strong enough to handle the stress while I rehab the other. I don't work in the summer because I work for our school district, so I will have 10 weeks to do nothing but rehab. I'll be staying in a rehab center for up to two weeks. Surgery is June 15th. So, I was just curious if anyone has had knee (or any other joint) replacement surgery since being banded? If I hadn't have gotten the band, I wouldn't be getting this done! What have been your experiences?

Serena - my scars aren't any smaller because it was called minimally invasive...they are a good 6" long. Minimally invasive means they spared the quad muscles and went around them. Typically they cut through the quad muscles and that trauma to the muscles is the major thing that you are recovering from during the long, painful rehabilitation. Because they spared those muscles I am doing really good. Minimally invasive is also about pain management. I had an epidural for 2.5 days after the surgery to manage the pain to both extremeties while I attempted to get up and move. As for which surgery you should have first, I wouldn't begin to know. I'm sure your doctor will help you figure that out While I don't doubt that you did extremely well, I am really surprised that you were bending 117 degrees when you ENTERED rehab...I am at 108 degrees on both knees 3 weeks post op and they tell me that is practially unheard of...so congrats to you for doing exceptionally well! Yes, I did the recommended exercises for my quad muscles prior to surgery, but as I said in my above reply, with minimally invasive surgery they spared cutting the quad muscles and that has aided in my progressing quickly in my rehabilitation. I will see my surgeon tomorrow and then I'll find out how well he thinks I'm doing. My physical therapist and I am amazed how well I'm doing, so hopefully he will be, too!

K - Congratulations on scheduling your surgery! You're on the road to a new life and it sounds like you're ready to go after it with guns a blazin'!! It's key to have a positive attitude and a strong support system. Your friends will be key in your journey. Keep them close when you need them and ask for space when you need it, too. I hope you find a group of bandsters around your age here for more support, but the older gang is going to be helpful, too Best of luck to you!

Brandi - best of luck to you as you embark on your journey to bandland!

I kind of thought the same thing...the doctor said she was a prime candidate and that she didn't have any other problems or sleep apnea. I don't know about you, but the more co-morbidities I had going for me the more I became a prime candidate. I, too, am wishing to be in the 220's. Fortunately it's only 6 lbs away to the high 220's I couldn't believe how he, who was bigger than her, was so against her having the surger because he didn't want a "bone" for a girlfriend. Maybe she got smart and realized he would hold her back. Maybe he got smart and realized that the band could help him, too. Definitely a situation heading for sabotage.

Hi Jennifer - welcome to LBT...anything and everything you need or want to know you'll find here. By the time you have your surgery you'll be very educated. Good luck to you!

Congratualtions, Beth! So happy for you, your daughter and your family! That's such great news... I am doing good...exercise is still my number one daily priority as I continue to rehabilitate from my knee surgeries. I ride my recumbant bike 10 minutes at a time, 3 times a day. Plus, I do my exercises I have been shown to do laying on my bed and from the side of my bed. I have lost a few more pounds as well. The scale is starting to move now that I can do some exercising. Something I was never really able to do before. I am 235 now...the lowest I've been. At 231 I will have lost 110 lbs. It's coming slowly but surely. I have physical therapy tomorrow morning and then I have to have X-rays taken before seeing my knee surgeon. I am still not allowed to drive because of my medications, and I have lessened the amount I take considerably, so I am hoping he'll release me to start driving again soon. Hope everyone is having a good day.

Well, I'm almost a month out from surgery and things are going very well...Having both knees totally replaced is almost unheard of where I live, so I was a bit of an odity at the hospital and rehabilitation. I am rehabing ahead of schedule right now. It's amazing how much better I feel. Yes, there is achiness from the surgical healing, but the fact that the arthritis pain from the actual joints is totally gone is indescribable. I just had my one year bandiversary and I lost 102.6 lbs and this knee replacement wouldn't have been possible without having the lap band first. Time to go ride my recumbant bike!!

Me on July 21, 2006 - two weeks post op (Surgery was 7/5/06 and I was busting out of 4X pants and tops) and today wearing 1X pants and top

My surgeon likes to keep you over one night and I was very thankful for that. I stayed in the PACU and was tended to by very caring nurses and the long night was made a little better by the morphine they offered me!! The other surgeon in the same hospital that does this surgery sends people home the same night if they "seem" okay to go home. I am glad I stayed. I was home by 10am the next day.

Yes, I am so glad I lost the 100 before the surgery. I saw him three years ago and he said lose the weight or I won't do it. My employer then wouldn't change their insurance to help me, so I got a new job. Turned out it was my calling...My range of motion on my right is 110 degrees and my left is 105 degrees. The goal is 110 - 115 for each. The right was the one that was behind by almost 30 degrees in the hospital (the right one was much more damaged and so the surgery took longer and was harder), so I'm surprised it's taken the lead now. I go to PT two times a week, do exercises faithfully here at home (it's my full-time job while I'm off for the summer) and ride my recumbant bike. Edie - yes, I know you are paying me a compliment. You've made me cry with your kind words...I see pictures of me in my late teens and early 20's and wonder where that person went. I am slowly seeing her emerge - as a 40-yr-old, of course . I have lived here in Superior, WI for 19.5 years and everyone I know has more or less known me as overweight, so they are seeing the transformation, but didn't know me before when I grew up in the Twin Cities. It's definitely an interesting journey. Thanks again for your kind words.

Thanks Kari! I have missed you all SO much! It's been a long haul, but with the support of family, friends, co-workers and LBT, I'm succeeding a little bit every day... You're doing great, too! Keep up the good work

<p>Okay everyone - don't die of shock! Yes, it's me...I didn't have Internet directly in my room at the rehabilitation center, and I've been home for a week continuing to rehabilitate here. On June 15th I had both of my knees totally replaced. The right one was more damaged than the left, so the surgery was a bit more extensive on that one and took a bit longer, and rehabilitated a bit slower, but I'm doing really great today and functioning WAY ahead of schedule. They did the surgery in a non-invasive way where they didn't cut through the quad muscles, so the recovery is quicker in that regard as well. I spent 5 days 6/15-6/19) in the hospital while they worked on getting me up on my feet, bending, and walking while controling (and sometimes losing control) of the pain. Then I went and lived at the sister hospital's swing bed rehabilitation unit for 8 days (6/19-6/26). I had PT and OT twice a day, had my own private room, and spent all the down time exercising on my own. I kept the attitude that I wasn't there for a hotel stay, so I worked really hard. Only 5% of people ever have both knees done at one time. I just didn't have a good one to rely on; rehabilitation would have been ineffective on the one that we did do if we had only done one. </p> <p> </p> <p>My days now consist of exercising, using the continuous passive motion (CPM) machine to bend each knee 4 hours per day per knee; walking outside, and riding my recumbant bike. I go back to work on Aug. 27th, so I consider this my full time job for the summer. I go to outpatient PT twice a week. I got to have my shakes twice a day at rehab and I continue to do that at home because I am on coumadin for a month after surgery and my diet needs to stay consistent and the shakes have Vitamin K in them and you can't have a lot of VK, so as long as I'm consistent with it, they adjust my coumadin level by my blood INR readings. I stop the coumadin next Friday the 13th. </p> <p> </p> <p>In regards to my weight - my one year "bandiversary" was July 5th and my grand total for the first year is 102.6 lbs. When I checked in on June 15th I was 244 (I had been stuck at 244 for almost 2 months). When I checked into rehab 5 days later I was 252 (retaining Fluid and new metal knees). On my bandiversary I was 238.4...so I was very pleased. I have been exercising and having 2 shakes a day, so hopefully the scale will continue to move.</p> <p> </p> <p>Here I was 2 weeks after surgery and then today <img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/happy.gif" border="0" alt="" title="" smilieid="60" class="inlineimg" /></p>

I am experiencing a lot of the same great changes that have already been listed above. The band has afforded me the weight loss to be able to get my knees replaced. I have surgery coming up on June 15th. I wouldn't be able to do it if I hadn't gotten the band and lost over 100 lbs. When you ask if it bothers me not being able to eat whatever I want, I say I can eat whatever I want, I just CHOOSE to eat better things and CHOOSE to have a treat once in a while. I also eat to the point of satisfaction, not to the point of being full. There is a big difference. I am healthier, for sure. Happier, I'm not sure yet...happier than I was - sure. Happier than ever? No, not by any means. But getting there. Physically things are better, but mentally I think we all, somehow or another, need to work on that side of it.

OMG, you are totally living my life right now! The only difference is I can't really exercise right now because I am having both knees replaced on June 15th, and right now I'm in a lot of pain...too much to exercise. The exercise will come later when I am in rehab. Anyway, I have been fluctuating within the same 10lbs for the past two months, too! Up and down, up and down...I still do Slim Fast shakes once to twice a day, too! I'll be eagerly watching for advice from others as well!

Congrats on you upcoming surgery! I felt the same way as you do - I found this site well before my surgery and felt very informed when I went in. In fact, I introduced my lead RN, nutritionist and doctor to LBT and now the recommend it to thier patients! They also recommend FitDay, too. They love to be able to recommend somewhere to go to ask and get answers to any question you could possibly think of. My surgery was July 5, 2006 and I can tell you this has been the best year I've had in 20 years!

Congratulations! You will be just fine :myscared: It will be over before you know it and you will be back here telling us what a piece of cake it was. I'm coming up on my 1 year bandiversary on July 5th and I've lost 105 lbs so far. Because of the band I am able to have both of my knees totally replaced this coming June 15th. The band saved my life. Keep us posted on your progress!

I am almost a year out from being banded and I still have at least 1 if not 2 slim fast shakes a day. I mix the powder with 1% milk and add chocolate Protein powder and ice and mix it in my magic bullet. I LOVE them. My doctor approved me having the Slim Fast because I couldn't stand the Carnation Instant Breakfast. I also do not care for SF in the can. I'm even having my knee surgeon prescribe the SF for me so I can have it when I'm in the hospital and the rehab center. Yes, it has sugar in it, but not enough to sabbotage your weight loss efforts. I know there are a lot of others that can suggest alternatives if you really want to stay away from the SF.

Jen, I am so sorry for your loss. One of my best friends had two mild strokes a week apart from each other and just came home from the hospital this past Wednesday. She was a heavy smoker and drinker and has had a big-time wide awakening...I am so sorry your friend didn't get the chance to live with the risidual effects instead of having the stroke take her life. LBT is full of support and advice. You did the right thing by coming here and asking for help. Take deep breaths, go for a walk, call a friend on the phone, talk to your pastor/priest...Your friend, I am sure, was a big supporter of you getting the band and she wouldn't want to be the reason you sabbotaged your progress. It's okay to binge a bit, but now that you've recognized that it is happening, try not to let it become a regular thing. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your friend's family.

Well, July Bandsters, my double total knee replacement surgery is two weeks from last night. I am sure I'll be pretty scared when I'm going in to the hospital, but if my knees feel like they did last night for the next two weeks, they have to go. I will not be allowed to take my Naproxen anti-inflammatory pain med after Tuesday, so it will get worse befor it gets better. They are doing both because I don't have a good one to rely on while the other one rehabs. I have 9 weeks off this summer to rehab. I will be having my surgery at St. Mary's in Duluth, MN and then come back here to Superior, WI to the St. Mary's branch and staying in their Swing Bed Rehab Unit for about 1.5 weeks. They are doing minimally invasive surgery meaning they spare the quad muscles and the recovery will be not as traumatic. I hope the weight loss will kick in again, too. I haven't been able to exercise at all because of the pain, so when I'm exercising for rehab it should kick things into gear. I have been stuck at the same weight for over a month. I'll have Internet access at rehab, so I can check in with you all. I can't believe our 1 year bandiversary is only 1 month away!

I like this...I can relate to what you mentioned... What I don't miss: The sides of my thighs don't touch the edges of the chair when I sit at work. I don't miss not being able to see my feet when I look down. I don't miss my size 4X clothes... I don't miss having to have the seat all the way back in my Blazer and having my stomach still touch the steering wheel and pushing the gas peddle with my toes. I could go on and on...

Checking in...it's been about a week. I've been experiencing a lot of PBing and heartburn...like stuff is stuck and doesn't want to go down, even with drinking a lot of water to get it to go. I have had to take TUMS a lot. And if I eat too late into the evening, I wake up with reflux...I am wondering if I'm too tight, or if because my TOM is this next week and I have a lot of PMS that that might be why. I've heard of people saying they are tighter during their TOM. If I'm not better by next Wednesday, I'm going to go in for a slight unfill, I think. That would be a first! Kari you look awesome! You're beautiful! It's 1:08am, so I'd better head to bed. TTYL!

Mary, you look great! You're doing awesome. Glad to hear the Claritan is helping you. Time2Live - glad you've checked in! You're doing awesome, too! You said "so many of YOU are going to make your goal this year"...YOU WILL TOO!!! I'm doing okay, I guess. I've learned not to eat anything too late because then after I go to bed it refluxes on me and then I'm dealing with the reprucusions of that and all it entails. The scale still isn't moving very much, but it's not going up, so that's a good thing. My knee surgery is less than 1 month away and after that it should start to move with all the rehab exercise I'll be doing. Keep up the great work everyone!