chazpbg

I'm nearly four years post-surgery and feel like I've had the oddest of lap-band journeys. I lost about 20 lbs in the first year -- didn't really pursue the whole fill thing as aggresively as I should have. But last year (start of 2012), I hunkered down and got to a fill level where things started to click in. Dropped another 23 lbs. in 2012 and have since gotten another fill -- I kinda started stalling out around Sept. 2012. Now things are working again. I'm down 51 lbs. in all. I guess what confuses me is that I always figured if I got this surgery, I'd really lose the weight (or a good chunk of it) in the first year. I didn't truly realize how much of this depends on your constantly staying on top of fills. Well, I did realize but chose to ignore it, I guess. Part of me wonders if my surgeon was too cautious with the fills, but I suppose I could have been more diligent in the follow-up. (I've since moved to another state and like the team that's been doing my fills a little more than my surgeon.) Either way, after having now lost 51 lbs. and being nearly halfway to goal, it's starting to occur to me that I'm no longer the lap-band "failure" I long considered myself to be. The damn thing really works, so long as you work with it. Even if I just lost another 25 lbs., I'd be truly happy (it's about at that point that my cardiologist says I'll at least be at a relatively okay weight). Do I love the lap-band? Not quite. I'm still one of those silly souls who tests its limits all the time -- meaning I get stuck a lot. But I simply don't believe I could ever have lost the weight without something that made it difficult to eat. I just had no willpower -- was never a yo-yo dieter; basically, I just kept adding weight over the years. When I started to realize I was 100 lbs. overweight and when a therapist first mentioned the surgery, I finally dove in. Again, what puzzles me in all this is that the lap-band is now only beginning to make full sense to me -- nearly four years after my surgery!!! I also now am beginning to see it as something of a lifelong tool -- as much as I'd love to get rid of it one day, I suspect it's the only way I'll ever curb my worst impulses. But the feeling of being lighter -- even though I'm still plenty heavy -- is worth that. Anyone else out there have a similar, non-linear story like mine? Again, I always figured I'd win this war in the first year.

Thanks for the thoughts and advice! The journey continues...

in no particular order, here they are: 1) i see some people are already on pureed foods/mushies at five days out but my doc has me on liquids for first two weeks -- does this mean a little "cheating" won't kill me? (i mean i literally thought if i had something with texture i might start to choke -- i had a couple of mini bites today of something and had no such problems...) 2) i'm craving a glass of red wine. so would that kill me? (hey, my diet allows for four ounces of juice!) 3) is it normal to have a certain amount of queasiness/sour stomach feeling at this point? i've got gas, too (which i hear is fairly common), but the gas is just weird -- it's as if the air is all coming from my shoulder blades to throat (if that makes any sense). i can deal with it for now, but i'm wondering if this is something i'll be experiencing for a looooong time... 4) reflux is just terrible -- i'm really getting a burning in the throat. (i have gerd, but this is about as bad as it gets). again, normal? i realize my first two questions conflict with my second two -- as in if i'm having some stomach issues, why would i want to veer off my diet? so please don't scold me... just looking for some honest answers. on the flip side, not really hungry at all -- and i've dropped 8 lbs. in five days!

i love that phrase "head hunger"! that's exactly the way i feel... and it's the scariest part of having had the surgery. i'm worried i will continue to feel that "head hunger" even as i make it to the "regular" diet -- because it still limits so much of what you can eat (and how much, too). but i've heard from folks that your feelings for food really do change eventually... and i take the fact that something like only 3 percent of lap-bandees have the surgery reversed to be a sign that people are happy with it.

Got banded on Monday (March 30). Lots of mixed emotions... The surgery itself was not a big deal, but coming home and realizing I'm not going to be eating any solid foods for two weeks has been a little daunting. I was definitely one of those who lived to eat (rather than the other way around) and my profession is in the food industry. I've heard that lots of banded patients lose their desire for food -- I'm hoping I might reach that point. Right now, mentally, I'm still the old me. Physically, I feel a little tight (mainly gassy) and not really hungry at all... But I am thinking about food. Which means I'm missing it. Also -- and I'm being honest here -- I can't completely give up caffeine (I was told to really try to cut it out in the first year). I get awful headaches without it. I've read some banding patients have no problems incorporating a cup or two of coffee a day. Right now, I'm limiting myself to that cup or two. And what about wine? I'm told that's a big no-no, but some people incorporate a glass or two. I'm especially confused since my post-op two-week liquid diet allows for a little fruit juice (which I don't really care about). Would it be terrible to substitute a small glass of wine for that? I know, I know -- I'm thinking about cheating already, but my calories are so low and wine is something I love so much, it might help me keep my sanity as my one "treat." Anyhow, those are my thoughts as of right now...