moonbeam

and what the hell was that good wife bad wife thing? Seriously??? Like those girls don't have bad enough self esteem to begin with they have to tear them down just a little bit more? And wife? What about career woman? Why doenst' have have to take bad husband good husband. sheesh. yet i'm watching the show.... lol

Hi Mandine. I know how you feel. I felt the same. "If I can do all of that I wouldn't need the band!" I guess the trick is view the band as a tool and not a solution. Here's what it does for me, now that I'm at a fill level that seems to be effective. 1)Slows down my eating big time. This keeps me from the mindless munching I like to do in the evenings. 2)Gives my body a chance to feel full before I over do it. 3)Keeps me fuller longer. 4)I am mindful of what I buy at the grocery store. I am trying hard to find high protein items that are filling and trying to avoid slider foods. Here's what it doesn't do. 1)won't keep me from buying and eating slider foods. If I'm determined to eat crap.. I will eat crap. This is one that dissapointed me. I was unhappy that I will still have to utilize self control, especially when it comes to the "good stuff" 2)It doesn't change my head hunger. I have years and years of bad eating habits to overcome. I used food and over eating a coping stratagy and have noticed that I'm getting a bit depressed now having my stratagy interupted. Those two are my biggest downfalls. I look at it this way. The band is taking care of the physical difficulties I had with eating. ie eating fast, mindlessly and too much. But I need to address the head issues. I am doing that by going to councelling. Hope some of that helps!

Congrats Mandine! To answer your hair loss question. Yup. I went through about a two week period where I started to wonder if I should stop combing my hair! It was coming out big time. I've made sure I'm more diligent with my vitamins and that seems to have helped. I've been at a plateau for a while now. I lose 3 gain 3. I'm hoping this last fill will have done the trick and I'll start to lose.

The pain for me has subsided. Every now and then I get some twinges. The doc told me it wasn't a big deal and that it was normal. I would ask yours though, everyone is different and that may not be what's going on with you. Better safe than sorry.

That's totally not normal. At least not in my experience. I've had no blood at all with my fills.

Hey, I have that too. My doc told me it's scar tissue forming around my port. Sometimes the body reacts to foreign bodies like that. They call it a capsule. It makes it a bit harder for fills because they have to put more pressure on it to get through it.

Mandine, I went to cibc, but I too had to jump through a bunch of hoops to get it. Maybe a co - signer? Good luck!

Hey guys, What are some of the slider foods you know of? I would like to make an effort to avoid these and not even buy them to keep in my house. Here's what I have so far: popcorn chips cakes Cookies ice cream (sounds like all the good stuff to me! D'oh!)

Oh Goody! A chance to vent about this show! It made me so mad! At first I thought it would be a good show to watch, focusing on the average girl, more realistic. When the girls started to cry and whine about being fat and nobody has ever loved them I was dumbfounded! It ticked me off that the angle of the show is feeding the stereo type of the fat chic who can't get a guy unless the guy is also fat and a kind soul who won't judge. OH PLEASE!!! And WTF about the height and weight?? If it's not about weight, then why obsess about it? Then entire show is centred around being fat and hating yourself. It's not about self acceptance and being beautiful at any weight! And another thing!.. what is so good about this guy that these girls are throwing themselves at him, quitting jobs to go and compete for a perfect stranger! If you ask me.. he's pretty average and acts like a martyr, being the nice guy who accepts fat chicks. PPPPLEASE. Ahh feel much better now!

It took up to 6 cc's for me to feel any effect from the band. I went up in 1 1/2 increments. A 4cc fill is a lot at once!

Well... I had reason to worry. I don't know about any one else's experience but mine was not pleasant. My appointment was for 9:20. I went in to see Terry the new Nurse Practitioner at 10:30. She's really nice, seems to know her stuff. She took a bit longer discussing things than the doc's do, but that's not a problem, it's actually nice that she takes the time. The problem arose when she could not hit my port right. She tried for what seemed like hours but probably was only 5 min, poking me quite a few times. IT HURT. Eventually she gave up and let me know the doc's would do it. Another hour wait... I finally get the doc to do it, who does it in record time, and I'm out of there. I think I got too much of a fill ...but I'm going to stick it out for a few days, I don't want to go back! All in all I spent 3 hours there this morning. yikes.

Well I'm totally nervous about my fill tomorrow! I'm really hoping she knows what she is doing. I'm uneasy not just because of the technical skills required to do this relatively painlessly, but this person doesn't know me, didn't do the surgery, and I'm just worried about the level of experience she/he has. Last time I got a fill it took Dr B a bit longer because he said scar tissue has been forming... oh dear.. I'm going to drive myself nuts.

Hi Soon2be, Yes I'm close to there as well. Almost everything I eat causes some discomfort, but like you I can eat way more than a cup of food. I was wondering like you if that's what it's supposed to feel like, if this is it. I hope not!

Anyone going for fills on Tuesday? I'll be there at 9:20 a.m. Say "hello!" in the waiting room!

Hi everyone. I've had 3 fills and no restriction. Not losing. Kinda bitter about it. I feel like I fool for spending the money on this. Right now this is just another weight loss strategy that I've tried and failed at. Sorry for the downer post, but it's how I feel.

Hi Mandine. So far I don't regret it, but I'm not over the moon with the results either. It takes a long time and a few fills to get to a point where the band even starts to work(this is my experience only) and I have noticed that by the evening I can pretty much eat anything I want, and that unfortunately is when I need the most help with over eating. I'm going to wait to give my verdict, perhaps it's just a matter of waiting for the right level of fill for the band to start working in a manor I assumed it would. I would ask some of the folks who have had it for a year or more and see what they say.

Oh geez. Great. I was worried about that. How long ago was that? Maybe by the 11th she will have had more practice and be better at it....

I've lost 17 pounds total. I was banded in May, but the first 11 were post opp on the liquid diet and the next five were the first week after surgery. Since then I have lost 2 pounds. I've had 3 fills and am at 4 1/2 in a 10 cc band. I'm feeling restriction, but not with the stuff I need help with. (chips cookies etc) I don't know, but I'm pretty sure I"m not at my sweet spot. I don't feel full fast and for long periods of time. I can certainly eat more than a cup of food! I'm told patience is a virtue in this case. Hang in there.

Hi! Nice to see you found us. :smile: It was about a two month process for me, from the time I first spoke to Jenn until I had the surgery. I would remind Jenn that you are waiting.

My ticker moved! my ticker moved! (except I can't remember my password and can't get it to move!!! arrrg) I'm excited, that darn thing has not budged for over a month. Two pounds. This last fill had an effect. Question though, even though it's doing something I still don't feel full fast or for long periods of time. The weight loss is due to me being scared to eat stuff because some stuff is getting stuck and I'm very cautious what I eat, and how fast I eat it. I don't want the docs not to give me a fill just because I get the odd PB. Does that even make any sense?

For dresses try Sears! I bought a few sun dresses there this year. I also like to shop Winners, but they don't have many dresses in the plus sizes. I find costco work out clothes do fit...but they are so tight! I need miracle clothes that make my butt look like I've already done a few miles on the tread mill! lol

How's this for twisted thinking.... I finally get a fill that has me feeling my lap band, but I know I am not at my sweet spot yet. I have started to lose a bit of weight. Now here's the twisted part... I worry that if I lose weight the doc won't give me another fill so I start to sabotage myself so I DON'T lose too much weight and the doc will give me a fill! Sometimes I feel the strength to do this, to eat right and exercise and not binge eat, but then I almost talk myself out of it because I'm scared that my very expensive tool won't be utilized! Twisted right?? :thumbdown:

Glad I'm not the only one! I think part of it has to do with the fact that I'm self pay, and I would really hate to think I paid as much as I did and then not get to "use" my tool. I've got some restriction now, and I do have to watch what I'm eating, especially early on in the day, but I'm not getting that full feeling and am getting hungry fairly soon afterwards.

I was looking at the plate of food on the table and wondering how I could possibly get some of that in my stomach! My body was full but my brain wanted MORE MORE MORE! I think it's a matter of conditioning and habit and telling ourselves we're being deprived. I wish I had an answer for you. I am hoping with time I will just get used to it. My skinny friend commented the other day that that's what "normal" people do.. stop eating when they are full...

Ok Manitoba People! Question of the day... Where do you buy your work out clothes! My quote for the day "even fat people want to look good when they work out!"