PrincesaJenE

After the debacle with my FIRST first fill I was VERY nervous. I had my scheduled appt which was now six week after I my surgery and 2 weeks after the failed fill attempt scheduled in my blackberry. Every time I looked at my phone for about 5 days there the appt was looming. Even the nurse when I first walked in gave me a pitiful look and gave me some encouraging words. This time I went in - the doctor reassured me. He layed me down and voila - in less than 30 seconds her was in - sans all the pushing and prodding. He said he mapped it the last time so he knew right where to go. He began to fill me as I drank the water - small gulp - nothing, small gulp -nothing. He kept asking if I could swallow and I was like of course I can. Eventually he told me to start taking big gulps. So I did. Big gulp - nothing, another big gulp - nothing. Finally - the gulp couldn't go down. It felt as if water was back up from my stomach, all the way up my esophagus right to where I could feel it at the back of my throat. He was like great - and then - the needle came out! YIKES! I was sitting up as he did the fill so he put me back down real quick. He pushed and prodded on my stomach and finally found the port. It took him about 5 mins this time get the needle back in. The whole time I'm laying tilted back - my head almost upside down feel suffocated by the water that's at the back of my throat. Once he got the needle back in - instant relief - the water went right down. So there I was with my first 4cc fill out of the way. My doc did admit that he got a little scared for a moment when the needle came out - which actually made me feel good - I thought I was the only one. So now I am 7 weeks post op (one week after my second first fill) and my home scale if fluctuating between 3-5 pounds lost. That makes a total of 23 -25 pounds 7 weeks post op.

My 1st fill was a little scary. My doctor had told me after surgery that due to some scar tissue they had to implant the band a little deeper than usual which would make it harder to fill. I was scheduled for my first fill 4 weeks after being banded. Again the scar tissue is the biggest culprit in this debacle. I have quite a bit and its a little painful to touch. Sometimes just sleeping on my stomach can be uncomfortable. Well as you fellow banders know - the doctor has to push on your stomach quite a bit to find your band. Well the doctor was pushing and prodding and he couldn't quite locate my port. Once he did find it he had a hard time getting the needle in. He kept moving me around. He had me laying flat, tiltle backwards almost upside down, for a while he had me sit up and then even stand up. He kept calling the nurse for a longer needle. After like the 4th needle she came back and said - we have no longer needles. That's when the nurse got in on the action. She gloved up and was pushing and prodding to trying to get a solid hold on my port. They must have stuck me at least 10 times. I was a little scared and all the pushing on my scar tissue was painful. Every time they get a hole of the port I could feel it inside me which was making me a little nauseus. Despite this, I was okay until I saw the Dr's hands covered in blood. I started to cry - when my doctor noticed I was crying he called the game. Said that he had put me through to much - this whole process was atleast 30 mins. He said we'll try again in 2 weeks. I left the office and cried on the phone to my sister in the parking lot.

That's what I thought - but last night before writing the post I DOWNED a glass of ice tea cause I was thirsty after playing tennis. I felt so incredibly FULL. And even a little miserable for like 30 minutes and I thought - I wonder if I'm stretching my pouch.

Hmmmm, I have Aetna. I didn't have any problems like this. My doctor had a special team that worked on getting insurance coverage. What I would do is tell them just what you said in your post. If you could prove that both before 06 and after 06 you were heavy just submit a letter that says I went on WW and lost blank pounds. You should be able to submit the documentation for WW with your weigh in information. Additionally, tell them how you gained it all back and how you're looking for a long lasting solution that you believe you've found with the lap band. This is my only suggestion - but I don't see why it won't work. Good luck - I'd like to know how it all turns out.

I'm just 7 weeks into this process but I have to agree wholeheartedly with those who say don't do it. The thing that I've found most extraordinary about having the band is how I had to disassociate food with so many activities. You know "let's watch a movie - and order a pizza", "We're all going for mom's house - what for dinners?", "We're staying in tonight - let's pick up some snacks". I think you're buying into the fat person in you. We have to think like skinny people. Their world does not revolve around food. I understand that food is one of the highlights of vacations - believe me I do. I myself am relieved at the small portions I eat now. I'm embarrassed of the amount of food I used to eat. The amount of food I eat now makes me feel satisfied and that's what food is meant to do. Don't put the onus of this decision on your relatives. They want to see you healthy. I'm sure they'll take note of the weight you've already lost and support you in your efforts towards continued weight loss. My fam are my biggest supporters. They keep the bad food away from me and have even changed their eating habits to ensure I stay on track. I don't think you should expect or accept anything less than that from your family. If you came back from you vacation not having had your band unfilled I can almost guarantee you you won't miss those extra spoonfuls. If you do get unfilled you just might find yourself regretting it. Remember why you made the choice to be banded in the first place. Enjoy your vacation -whatever you decide.

What is the "sweet spot'. I've heard this phrase quite a bit. What do people mean by that? Also, what is a "pb"?

I was told this by my doctor. He said that the Lap band is for someone who only wants to lose 40 or 50 lbs. I was very discouraged after that visit - so discouraged that it took me 18 months to pursue the surgery again. I'm 7 weeks out and I've lost 25 lbs. Imagine where I'd be had I done this 18 months ago. I've heard that bigger patients actually lose more! I've also heard that GB is better at the beggining but after about 18 months to 2 yrs its all the same. I would see another doctor and discuss this with him openly.

The first doctor I went to told me not to get the lapband because someone as big as me could not lose the kind of weight that I needed to loose (200 lbs exactly). He said the LB was for someone needing to lose 40 or 50 lbs. I was so discouraged - I really didn't want to do gastric bypass because the band just seemed so right for me. He discouraged me so much that I didn't pursue the lapband for another 18 months. I am so glad to read about you all doing so well. It reaffirms that I can do it. Imagine if I had done this 18 months ago? I'd be on here with you all writing my success story! 7 weeks banded 25 lbs lost! I'm on my way. Stay tuned - Success Story, June 2010?

I wish I had discovered this website before my surgery. I've been wanting a way to document this process . . .journey if you will and now I have it. So, here goes. I had my surgery on february 13th, 2009. I weighed 372 lbs and had a BMI over 50. I'm 5'11 so my height tempers some of my weight. I'm 29 years old and felt that I needed to do something before I turned 30. Weightloss surgery had been on my mind for the last 6 or 7 years. Though heavy - I've always felt good. It wasn't until I was about 25. I had lost 65 lbs on the low carb diet. Within a year and a half I had gained it all back plus some. After experiencing what it was like to be smaller and have more energy made it very hard. I felt every pound now. Saw how more difficult it was to get around. I've been miserable for the last 2 years or so as the weight has packed on even more. I knew I had to do something. So, fast forward the whole first visit to the doctor, approval process, preop appointments, etc. etc. THE SURGERY Of course I was nervous about the surgery. My biggest fear was that I would fail. The surgery that was to take 1hr ended up taking 3 due to some scar tissue I had. My doctor told me he had to place the band a little deeper than usual due to the scar tissue. I was in recovery for about an hour and whisked home. I live about 2 hrs from the surgery center - I slept all the way home. All I remember was that it had snowed earlier in the day so as we were going through the mountains I would wake up and see how beautiful it all looked but need to immediately close my eyes because I was so nauseous. POST OP The first day I slept. All I ate that evening was a popsicle and some water with my meds. I didn't have an appetite. By the second day I was in a little pain but decided to go off of my meds so that I wouldn't be so loopy. Took some alleve instead. My stomach hurt all the time that first 3 days and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out it was gas. One day I let out a big burp and felt relief. That same day I picked up some gas x, and stopped eating the sugar free pudding and popsicles and haven't had a problem since. The first 3-5 days were the hardest. I lived off of broth, soup at hand, pudding, and yogurt (mostly yogurt). I didn't really have an appetite. The first 3 days was clear liquids - I tended to be hungry all the time and questions whether this was working because I thought the point was this would make you feel full - I later realized this was because my band was open and all liquids just went straight through. I was so scared to take a big gulp of water because I thought it would instantly fill and stretch my pouch. I moved on to full liquids for 1 week. I had a protien shake that contains about 35 grams per serving that I drank with milik. I made it through the liquid phase by living on yogurt whick I would slowly eat for 30 mins. I often didn't even get through 1/2 of the 6oz container. After the first week I moved on to the soft diet phase. Srambled eggs were my saving grace. I could also eat pureed foods - I pureed some chicken soup that had noodles and chicken. I ate a couple of bites but just couldn't do it. I decided to forego the pureed foods and just stuck to yogurt, cream of wheat, and soup.Occasionally I threw in things like cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes - which went down very well. When I got to to 4th week I was ready to do solid foods. For 4 days in a row atleast one of my meals was Broiled Salmon, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and a salad. I ate it all on a small plate and had a lot left on my plate. I was however surprise at how much I could eat. I've felt like this is what a normal person would eat. Another thing I was surprised about was how consumed with food I was. Every activity in my life revolved around FOOD. "We're going over Mom's house tonight - Let's pick up something to eat", "Let's pick up a movie - And order a pizza too", Let's stay in - grab some snacks". I would open my mouth to say these things and realize I can't do that anymore. I physically can't. I didn't make the experience any less though. My first real "come to Jesus" moment was when at a work conference I was confronted by a buffet about 5 weeks after being banded. As I stood in line I found it amusing because usually when present with a buffet my thoughts would be "how do I put as much food as possible on my plate without people noticing how high my plate is stacked". I would look at other people's plates to see if anyone else was eating a lot. As I would eat I would think about seconds, or dessert, or thirds, or what I couldn't fit on my plate. This time I had to think about how do I get to enjoy the BEST things in the buffet in the little amount of food I could actually eat. It was a sandwich bar - so I opted for HALF a sandwich instead of a whole. Didn't SAMPLE all the salads there but just took a small spoonful of what I thought I'd enjoy most. For dessest - 1 cookie - not a handful. I ended up splitting the cookie with a friend. It was that moment that I knew the lap band and I were gonna be good friends. It wasn't just a physical change - its was changing the way I thought mentally and my approach to food. WEIGHT LOSS At my first post op appt 2 wks after my surgery I had lost 10 lbs. 4 weeks - I had lost 20 (Was supposed to get banded but couldn't - see my next post) 6 weeks still at 20 (My doctor said it was because my band was still open - got filled this week)

I wish I had discovered this website before my surgery. I've been wanting a way to document this process . . .journey if you will, and now I have it. So, here goes. I had my surgery on february 13th, 2009. I weighed 372 lbs and had a BMI over 50. I'm 5'11 so my height tempers some of my weight. I'm 29 years old and felt that I needed to do something before I turned 30. Weightloss surgery had been on my mind for the last 6 or 7 years. Though heavy - I've always felt good. It wasn't until I was about 25. I had lost 65 lbs on the low carb diet. Within a year and a half I had gained it all back plus some. After experiencing what it was like to be smaller and have more energy made it very hard to gain the weight and lose the energy. I felt every pound now. Saw how more difficult it was to get around. I've been miserable for the last 2 years or so as the weight has packed on even more. I knew I had to do something. So, fast forward the whole first visit to the doctor, approval process, preop appointments, etc. etc. THE SURGERY Of course I was nervous about the surgery. My biggest fear was that I would fail. The surgery that was to take 1hr ended up taking 3 due to some scar tissue I had. My doctor told me he had to place the band a little deeper than usual due to the scar tissue. I was in recovery for about an hour and whisked home. I live about 2 hrs from the surgery center - I slept all the way home. All I remember was that it had snowed earlier in the day so as we were going through the mountains I would wake up and see how beautiful it all looked but need to immediately close my eyes because I was so nauseous. POST OP The first day I slept. All I ate that evening was a popsicle and some water with my meds. I didn't have an appetite. By the second day I was in a little pain but decided to go off of my meds so that I wouldn't be so loopy. Took some alleve instead. My stomach hurt all the time that first 3 days and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out it was gas. One day I let out a big burp and felt relief. That same day I picked up some gas x, and stopped eating the sugar free pudding and popsicles and haven't had a problem since. The first 3-5 days were the hardest simply because I was tired, restless, and sore I'm not used to being at home all the time. I lived off of broth, sug free jello, sug free popsicles and water. On Vday my sis made me jello shaped into a heart - how sweet! The first 3 days was clear liquids - I tended to be hungry all the time and questioned whether this was working because I thought the point was this would make you feel full - I later realized this was because my band was open and all liquids just went straight through. I was so scared to take a big gulp of water because I thought it would instantly fill and stretch my pouch. I moved on to full liquids for 1 week. I had a protien shake that contains about 35 grams per serving that I drank with milik. I made it through the liquid phase by living on yogurt whick I would slowly eat for 30 mins. I often didn't even get through 1/2 of the 6oz container. After the first week I moved on to the soft diet phase. Srambled eggs were my saving grace. I could also eat pureed foods - I pureed some chicken soup that had noodles and chicken. I ate a couple of bites but just couldn't do it. I decided to forego the pureed foods and just stuck to yogurt, cream of wheat, and soup.Occasionally I threw in things like cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes - which went down very well. When I got to to 4th week I was ready to do solid foods. For 4 days in a row atleast one of my meals was Broiled Salmon, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and a salad - yummy! Pretty much just a tablesppon or so of each. All together about a cup of food. I ate it all on a small plate and had a lot left on my plate. I was however surprised at how much I could eat. But was happy because they seemed like reasonable portions. I did not feel deprived at all. Another thing I was surprised about was how consumed with food I was. Every activity in my life revolved around FOOD. "We're going over Mom's house tonight - Let's pick up something to eat", "Let's pick up a movie - And order a pizza too", Let's stay in - grab some snacks". I would open my mouth to say these things and realize I can't do that anymore. I physically can't. It didn't make the experience any less though. My first real "come to Jesus" moment was when at a work conference I was confronted by a buffet about 5 weeks after being banded. As I stood in line I found it amusing because usually when present with a buffet my thoughts would be "how do I put as much food as possible on my plate without people noticing how high my plate is stacked". I would look at other people's plates to see if anyone else was eating a lot. As I would eat I would think about seconds, or dessert, or thirds, or what I couldn't fit on my plate. This time I had to think about how do I get to enjoy the BEST things in the buffet in the little amount of food I could actually eat. It was a sandwich bar - so I opted for HALF a sandwich instead of a whole. Didn't SAMPLE all the salads there but just took a small spoonful of what I thought I'd enjoy most. For dessest - 1 cookie - not a handful. I ended up splitting the cookie with a friend. It was that moment that I knew the LAP-BAND® and I were gonna be good friends. It wasn't just a physical change - its was changing the way I thought mentally and my approach to food. The 5th and 6th week I even had sushi (no rice - sashimi). Salmon and Tuna and the inside of a spicy tuna roll. The spice didn't bother me at all. I must admit - I have had a fry here, and a spoonful of ice cream there. All in moderation though. For example - before the surgery I could easily eat a handful of 6 or 7 cookies. I ate a cookie the other day and nibbled on it for over an hour before I threw about 1/2 of it away. I felt so good - before I would have eaten the cookies just to eat them. WEIGHT LOSS At my first post op appt 2 wks after my surgery I had lost 10 lbs. 4 weeks - I had lost 20 (Was supposed to get filled but couldn't - see my next post) 6 weeks I had gained 4 (YIKES) (My doctor said it was because my band was still open - got filled this week) WEIGHT LOSS At my first post op appt 2 wks after my surgery I had lost 10 lbs. 2 Weeks later, another 10 for a total of 20. YAY!

I wish I had discovered this website before my surgery. I've been wanting a way to document this process . . .journey if you will, and now I have it. So, here goes. I had my surgery on february 13th, 2009. I weighed 372 lbs and had a BMI over 50. I'm 5'11 so my height tempers some of my weight. I'm 29 years old and felt that I needed to do something before I turned 30. Weightloss surgery had been on my mind for the last 6 or 7 years. Though heavy - I've always felt good. It wasn't until I was about 25. I had lost 65 lbs on the low carb diet. Within a year and a half I had gained it all back plus some. After experiencing what it was like to be smaller and have more energy made it very hard to gain the weight and lose the energy. I felt every pound now. Saw how more difficult it was to get around. I've been miserable for the last 2 years or so as the weight has packed on even more. I knew I had to do something. So, fast forward the whole first visit to the doctor, approval process, preop appointments, etc. etc. THE SURGERY Of course I was nervous about the surgery. My biggest fear was that I would fail. The surgery that was to take 1hr ended up taking 3 due to some scar tissue I had. My doctor told me he had to place the band a little deeper than usual due to the scar tissue. I was in recovery for about an hour and whisked home. I live about 2 hrs from the surgery center - I slept all the way home. All I remember was that it had snowed earlier in the day so as we were going through the mountains I would wake up and see how beautiful it all looked but need to immediately close my eyes because I was so nauseous. POST OP The first day I slept. All I ate that evening was a popsicle and some water with my meds. I didn't have an appetite. By the second day I was in a little pain but decided to go off of my meds so that I wouldn't be so loopy. Took some alleve instead. My stomach hurt all the time that first 3 days and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out it was gas. One day I let out a big burp and felt relief. That same day I picked up some gas x, and stopped eating the sugar free pudding and popsicles and haven't had a problem since. The first 3-5 days were the hardest simply because I was tired, restless, and sore I'm not used to being at home all the time. I lived off of broth, sug free jello, sug free popsicles and water. On Vday my sis made me jello shaped into a heart - how sweet! The first 3 days was clear liquids - I tended to be hungry all the time and questioned whether this was working because I thought the point was this would make you feel full - I later realized this was because my band was open and all liquids just went straight through. I was so scared to take a big gulp of water because I thought it would instantly fill and stretch my pouch. I moved on to full liquids for 1 week. I had a protien shake that contains about 35 grams per serving that I drank with milik. I made it through the liquid phase by living on yogurt whick I would slowly eat for 30 mins. I often didn't even get through 1/2 of the 6oz container. After the first week I moved on to the soft diet phase. Srambled eggs were my saving grace. I could also eat pureed foods - I pureed some chicken soup that had noodles and chicken. I ate a couple of bites but just couldn't do it. I decided to forego the pureed foods and just stuck to yogurt, cream of wheat, and soup.Occasionally I threw in things like cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes - which went down very well. When I got to to 4th week I was ready to do solid foods. For 4 days in a row atleast one of my meals was Broiled Salmon, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and a salad - yummy! Pretty much just a tablesppon or so of each. All together about a cup of food. I ate it all on a small plate and had a lot left on my plate. I was however surprised at how much I could eat. But was happy because they seemed like reasonable portions. I did not feel deprived at all. Another thing I was surprised about was how consumed with food I was. Every activity in my life revolved around FOOD. "We're going over Mom's house tonight - Let's pick up something to eat", "Let's pick up a movie - And order a pizza too", Let's stay in - grab some snacks". I would open my mouth to say these things and realize I can't do that anymore. I physically can't. It didn't make the experience any less though. My first real "come to Jesus" moment was when at a work conference I was confronted by a buffet about 5 weeks after being banded. As I stood in line I found it amusing because usually when present with a buffet my thoughts would be "how do I put as much food as possible on my plate without people noticing how high my plate is stacked". I would look at other people's plates to see if anyone else was eating a lot. As I would eat I would think about seconds, or dessert, or thirds, or what I couldn't fit on my plate. This time I had to think about how do I get to enjoy the BEST things in the buffet in the little amount of food I could actually eat. It was a sandwich bar - so I opted for HALF a sandwich instead of a whole. Didn't SAMPLE all the salads there but just took a small spoonful of what I thought I'd enjoy most. For dessest - 1 cookie - not a handful. I ended up splitting the cookie with a friend. It was that moment that I knew the LAP-BAND® and I were gonna be good friends. It wasn't just a physical change - its was changing the way I thought mentally and my approach to food. The 5th and 6th week I even had sushi (no rice - sashimi). Salmon and Tuna and the inside of a spicy tuna roll. The spice didn't bother me at all. I must admit - I have had a fry here, and a spoonful of ice cream there. All in moderation though. For example - before the surgery I could easily eat a handful of 6 or 7 cookies. I ate a cookie the other day and nibbled on it for over an hour before I threw about 1/2 of it away. I felt so good - before I would have eaten the cookies just to eat them. WEIGHT LOSS At my first post op appt 2 wks after my surgery I had lost 10 lbs. 4 weeks - I had lost 20 (Was supposed to get filled but couldn't - see my next post) 6 weeks I had gained 4 (YIKES) (My doctor said it was because my band was still open - got filled this week) WEIGHT LOSS At my first post op appt 2 wks after my surgery I had lost 10 lbs. 2 Weeks later, another 10 for a total of 20. YAY!

I wish I had discovered this website before my surgery. I've been wanting a way to document this process . . .journey if you will and now I have it. So, here goes. I had my surgery on february 13th, 2009. I weighed 372 lbs and had a BMI over 50. I'm 5'11 so my height tempers some of my weight. I'm 29 years old and felt that I needed to do something before I turned 30. Weightloss surgery had been on my mind for the last 6 or 7 years. Though heavy - I've always felt good. It wasn't until I was about 25. I had lost 65 lbs on the low carb diet. Within a year and a half I had gained it all back plus some. After experiencing what it was like to be smaller and have more energy made it very hard. I felt every pound now. Saw how more difficult it was to get around. I've been miserable for the last 2 years or so as the weight has packed on even more. I knew I had to do something. So, fast forward the whole first visit to the doctor, approval process, preop appointments, etc. etc. THE SURGERY Of course I was nervous about the surgery. My biggest fear was that I would fail. The surgery that was to take 1hr ended up taking 3 due to some scar tissue I had. My doctor told me he had to place the band a little deeper than usual due to the scar tissue. I was in recovery for about an hour and whisked home. I live about 2 hrs from the surgery center - I slept all the way home. All I remember was that it had snowed earlier in the day so as we were going through the mountains I would wake up and see how beautiful it all looked but need to immediately close my eyes because I was so nauseous. POST OP The first day I slept. All I ate that evening was a popsicle and some water with my meds. I didn't have an appetite. By the second day I was in a little pain but decided to go off of my meds so that I wouldn't be so loopy. Took some alleve instead. My stomach hurt all the time that first 3 days and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out it was gas. One day I let out a big burp and felt relief. That same day I picked up some gas x, and stopped eating the sugar free pudding and popsicles and haven't had a problem since. The first 3-5 days were the hardest. I lived off of broth, soup at hand, pudding, and yogurt (mostly yogurt). I didn't really have an appetite. The first 3 days was clear liquids - I tended to be hungry all the time and questions whether this was working because I thought the point was this would make you feel full - I later realized this was because my band was open and all liquids just went straight through. I was so scared to take a big gulp of water because I thought it would instantly fill and stretch my pouch. I moved on to full liquids for 1 week. I had a protien shake that contains about 35 grams per serving that I drank with milik. I made it through the liquid phase by living on yogurt whick I would slowly eat for 30 mins. I often didn't even get through 1/2 of the 6oz container. After the first week I moved on to the soft diet phase. Srambled eggs were my saving grace. I could also eat pureed foods - I pureed some chicken soup that had noodles and chicken. I ate a couple of bites but just couldn't do it. I decided to forego the pureed foods and just stuck to yogurt, cream of wheat, and soup.Occasionally I threw in things like cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes - which went down very well. When I got to to 4th week I was ready to do solid foods. For 4 days in a row atleast one of my meals was Broiled Salmon, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and a salad. I ate it all on a small plate and had a lot left on my plate. I was however surprise at how much I could eat. I've felt like this is what a normal person would eat. Another thing I was surprised about was how consumed with food I was. Every activity in my life revolved around FOOD. "We're going over Mom's house tonight - Let's pick up something to eat", "Let's pick up a movie - And order a pizza too", Let's stay in - grab some snacks". I would open my mouth to say these things and realize I can't do that anymore. I physically can't. I didn't make the experience any less though. My first real "come to Jesus" moment was when at a work conference I was confronted by a buffet about 5 weeks after being banded. As I stood in line I found it amusing because usually when present with a buffet my thoughts would be "how do I put as much food as possible on my plate without people noticing how high my plate is stacked". I would look at other people's plates to see if anyone else was eating a lot. As I would eat I would think about seconds, or dessert, or thirds, or what I couldn't fit on my plate. This time I had to think about how do I get to enjoy the BEST things in the buffet in the little amount of food I could actually eat. It was a sandwich bar - so I opted for HALF a sandwich instead of a whole. Didn't SAMPLE all the salads there but just took a small spoonful of what I thought I'd enjoy most. For dessest - 1 cookie - not a handful. I ended up splitting the cookie with a friend. It was that moment that I knew the lap band and I were gonna be good friends. It wasn't just a physical change - its was changing the way I thought mentally and my approach to food. WEIGHT LOSS At my first post op appt 2 wks after my surgery I had lost 10 lbs. 4 weeks - I had lost 20 (Was supposed to get banded but couldn't - see my next post) 6 weeks still at 20 (My doctor said it was because my band was still open - got filled this week)

Angel, This may sound silly but I want you to go to a bookstore and find the book "Oh The Places You'll Go" by Dr. Suess. Yeah -Dr. Suess. Its a kids book - but it has a very adult message that I think is apropos for you at this time in your life. Read it! The first time I read it I got misty eyed. What you have to understand is that sometimes you just gotta suck it up! Its okay to be sad, its okay to be self conscious, it okay (sometimes) to make poor decisions - what is not okay is to relinquish control of your life to these other things. So people laugh at you at the gym? So what? So your mom is ignorant and naggy - tune her out or listen to her and know that she has no idea what she's talking about. As for excercise if your knee is hurt- exercise with your arms. You have options - you're just too focused on obstacles. You never mention in your post if you've even lost any weight. YOU have to be in control of your destiny - that doesn't mean you'll have the best control all the time. But you have to be responsible for yourself. You have to own whatever decisions you make and persevere through life's mishaps. Good luck! Hope you enjoy the read!

Yay! I'm so happy to hear this! I thought I was the only person in the world who had scar tissue that was affecting this whole process. I'm so happy to hear there are others out there like me! Now, I did not bend the needle . . . but my first attempted fill went crazy horrible bad. My Doc just couldn't get the needle in. He kept asking the nurse for longer and longer needles. He had me laying tilted upside down - practically standing on my head. :blink:He had me stand up, sit down, etc. etc. No luck. All the pushing on the scar tissue was very painful. :cursing:There was blood all over the doctor's gloves and he called in for reinforcements who pushed and prodded on me too. When the doc caught a glimpse of me and the tears running UP my face (from being upside down) he called the game. We tried again 2 weeks later and the needle popped right into the port in under 10 seconds with less than a pin prick of pain. While he was filling it though the needle came out - he had to tilt me back upside down and it took him a couple of minutes to get it back in - all the while I feel as if I'm suffocating on the water that has backed up in my throat.:biggrin: He removed some saline and I was good to go. Feel great - I'm glad to hear that I'm not alone and that we can laugh at our scar tissue debacles!:thumbup:

So you wanna cry - I ACTUALLY did. I remember sitting on the foot of my Mother's Bed (My Mother who was very critical and a little judgemental of my decision to have the surgery) about 4 days after the surgery crying my eyes out to Mommy saying what did I do? I asked for this? LONGED for this? Paid for THIS? I was not necessarily in PAIN but I was all kinds of uncomfortable - painful discomfort! About a day later I realized that my biggest problem was the gas - I HAD never had painful gas in my life. It wasn't till I burped a big burp that gave me some relief that I though - could this be gas? How silly! Gas X took care of it. I took it easy for a good week after surgery. I'm now 6 weeks post op and I literally feel fabulous! 20 lbs down - tons of energy and just plain old excited about the possibilities. I look back on that night on the foot of my mom's bed and chuckle to myself. I hope soon you'll get to chuckle as well!