Ginnyvinny

My diamond engagement ring came off my finger! :thumbup: It's been there for 34 years--stuck. I've always told my children that before they close the lid on my casket to ask the mortician to cut off my finger so they can have my wedding rings. Genius #2 said, "Mom, when they drain your blood, it will probably slide off!" (Thanks, son!) Well, it came off last week (after 72 lbs. lost). I'm still waiting for the wedding band to come off. It's loose. Genius #3 told me to Celebrate by taking it to a jeweler and having the rings professionally cleaned. I like that suggestion. I think I'll do it!

Great News!:grouphug: I got 2 cc. (from 7 cc.) removed yesterday and I feel wonderful! Y'all were right! My doctor didn't have to completely unfill my band. I am now back at 5 cc. and can drink again. I think my body was in starvation mode because I had lost 20 lbs. since April 15--way too fast. I'm at peace with the fact that I will lose very slowly again. When he took the 2 cc. out, the nurse & I heard a sound that sounded like a smooch or a kiss and then "something" flowing through to my stomach. It was instant relief. My aha moment was on Sunday when I had to get up in the middle of a church service & go to the restroom because the Lord's Supper wouldn't even go down. My husband is the pastor and he was looking at me like, "Oh brother, here we go again!". So thanks to all of you for the good advice. I'm on liquids for 3 days and then 3 days of soft foods. That's a breeze considering what I've been through.

I am so glad that I found you Vicki! I was banded 4 days after you (8/28/09) and I am having the same problem. On a good day, I throw up once. Yesterday was a very bad day--5 times. I would love to have a couple of bites of fish or vegetables but how can I when cranberry juice comes back up? I am sitting at my computer, typing this reply in the middle of the night, nursing a protein shake. I am SO hungry! I've managed 3 sips in 30 minutes. Yes, I am too tight. So why would an intelligent, 54 year old woman put up with this disgusting secret for almost 3 months? I don't want to gain any of my weight back. I've lost 64 lbs. and my doctor made it very clear that if you have an unfill, he will take everything (7 cc.) out and I will have to start over again. I don't want to be fat again! The old feelings that made me overweight are still there. After a very unpleasant dinner tonight at Texas Roadhouse where I ate 2 bites of sweet potato & 1 bite of chili, I had an embarassing sliming scene in the car on the way home. My sweet husband came to me and said, "Ginger, you have got to call the doctor on Monday morning. This is no way to live. Maybe he will take out .5?" Of course, DH is right. This is no way to live. Whether my doctor totally or partially unfills me, I have got to go see him and get this taken care of.

No advice! I just wanted to comment because your story sounds like mine. I was banded 3 days before you--Aug. 28, 2009. I lost 40 lbs. from Aug. til Christmas. I got a fill a few days before Christmas. Since then I've only lost 10 lbs. even though (like you) I'm exercising 5 days a week and eating 1000-1200 cal./day. I went back to the doctor yesterday to see what was wrong. He gave me .5 fill. I'm now 7cc. in a 9 cc. band. I hope this kickstarts my weight loss again. The doctor also told me to stop eating a couple of spoonfuls of Peanut Butter or a couple of handfuls of peanuts every afternoon. Even though they have Protein, he thinks the calorie count is way too much. I know how you feel. I've been at the same weight for 2 months now. There must be something that we are doing (like eating peanuts) that is incorrect. Honestly, in my heart of hearts, I thought I WAS following the rules and doing the right thing. Keep me posted on what happens in the next month, Little August Band Buddy! :ohmy:

Hi Viv, Your group sounds like what I'm looking for. Too bad you are too far away. I signed up for the April 15 support group meeting at Dr. Spiegel's office. We'll see if they cancel this time. I get my fills in his office next to the Galleria. I haven't had one since Dec. so I plan on asking a lot of questions when I go on the 15th to see if I need a small fill. I'll keep you posted. Ginger

I'm in NW Houston (Copperfield/Cypress). I was banded Aug. 28, 2009 by Dr. Felix Spiegel. I've lost 50 lbs. so far but only 10 lbs. since Christmas so something's not right. I'm going in for a tiny fill in 2 weeks. I think one of my problems is that I don't know anyone personally that has had lap band surgery. Lapbandtalk is great but I desperately need a face-to-face support group. I feel like I'm the Lone Ranger doing this by myself. I'm sure I'm making lots of mistakes but just don't know it. Dr. Spiegel offers a support group but it has been cancelled almost every month since August. In Oct., I went to a group meeting down at Methodist Hospital with Mary Jo Rapini from TLC's "Big Medicine". It was fantastic but I drove 52 miles round trip and paid $8 for parking. I just found a support group on www.Obesityhelp.com that is forming on April 29 in Katy. I hope that will be what I need. That group is all WLS patients--not just LB. Does anyone know of a support group in Houston just for lapbandsters like ourselves?

I went to a support group 2 weeks ago and asked the same question. On Thanksgiving, I will be seeing my parents for the first time since my surgery and they do not know. I kept telling the group that I hated lying to my folks. The counselor told me, "Don't lie. Tell them that you have decided to start making some wiser choices about your life. You are trying to eat better & exercise more." This is the truth & I feel very comfortable saying that. There is so much emotional pain wrapped up with my skinny parents and my eating/size over the years that I do not think I will ever tell them about the surgery.

I was banded yesterday, Aug. 28. I kept reading on here about different people's experiences, "It's a breeze...a piece of cake...it went so smoothly". I would describe my experience as brutal. One of the worst days of my life. They found a 5" hiatal hernia in my stomach which had to be repaired first. I was not allowed to drink Water for 20 hours. When I woke up, the first thing I said was "water". They said, "You can't have water until you do the barium swallow and they won't do that for another 2-3 hours." I looked at the clock, it said 10:00 a.m. I thought "I can't make it until noon or 1:00 without an ice chip or sip of water." My mouth felt like cotton. I got very dizzy, light-headed over the next few hours. I was getting so dehydrated that I was looking forward to drinking the barium! They finally came for me at 2:00. I couldn't wait to get back to my room and drink some water, but they said, "No, we have to wait for the results." My sweet little preacher husband started yelling at the nurses around 2:30...3:00...3:30. I wasn't allowed to drink after 8:00 p.m. the night before. It was getting inhuman. In all of the yelling, I think he let a few bad words slip out of his mouth! The results came back at 4:00. I finally got to drink wonderful ice water. I also got a 3rd bag of intraveneous Fluid for my severe dehydration. After the 3rd bag of fluid, some morphine, & some sleep, I felt wonderful around 2:00 a.m. I am now home & everything is fine. I don't know how people who get this procedure as day-surgery cope. It took my body 24 hours to settle down.

Thanks so much for your encouraging report! My surgery is in the morning at 5:15 a.m.! Your words were just what I needed on the eve of my procedure. I've been thinking of a Bible verse that I learned as a little girl. "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee". I keep reciting this over and over. I know, with God's help, I can get through the next 24 hours. You have helped my fears this evening. Thank you!

I think you're on the right track with the peanut butter. My hair is naturally thin and my daddy & brothers are all completely bald so I'm concerned as well. Let me know if the flaxseed or omega 3 work. I plan on buying some this week. Good luck!

I hope it helps! I wasn't sure if you were supposed to take Flaxseed oil AND zinc sulfate together or just choose 1 of them to take. I wished I had paid closer attention to this part of her lecture! I have heard Richard Simmons say for years that his hair fell out during his weight loss because he cut out the fat in his diet. Maybe this is the key? I'm a math teacher, not a doctor/nurse so I don't know.

I am being banded on Friday, Aug. 28 so I got out my notes from the dietitian this afternoon to reread them. My dietitian is at Methodist Hospital, Houston and she works with Dr. Robert & Dr. Garth Davis on BIG MEDICINE. This is what she had on her powerpoint: hair Thinning/Loss * Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency * Usually seen 3-6 months after surgery * Can last 6-12 months * Faxseed oil 15 mL/day OR Milled flaxseed 1 tbsp./day * Zinc sulfate 15 mg/day In my own handwriting, out to the side, I wrote "Flax seed or Omega 3 for hair loss." There was so much information given that July day that I can't remember anything else that she said about hair loss. I hope this info helps.

I just got my surgery date today. I will be banded on Friday, August 28. I am going through a surreal shock right now, realizing it will be happening in 1 week. It all began in January and I've been jumping through CIGNA's hoops for 7 months now. Months & months of doctor's visits. It's hard to believe that I have come to the finish line. WLS was always in the future--sometime down the road. Then yesterday, I got the news that I have been approved and it will be in 1 week. I'm excited but right this minute, I can't wrap my mind around it. I'm in a fog.