Humming Bird

Here is some info for you: Lap-Band Support Group Meets the first Thursday and third Tuesday of the month, 6:30 p.m. Penrose Hospital Cancer Center Conference Rooms A & B 2222 N. Nevada Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80907 Contact: Fran Jackson - 719-776-5359 http://www.penrosestfrancis.org/body.cfm?id=106

There is a support group that meets at Penrose Main Hosp. I'll see if I can find a link for you.

If you are tossing around the idea of talking to someone about it on a regular basis, I think your mind is telling you the need to. The one you mentioned sounds like a good choice since she is banded. If you go a couple times and don't like how it is going, you can always go to someone else. You are right about attitude and success. I'm not sure where they get those low numbers like only taking off 40% of the excess weight. I've also heard 50-60%. In my experience, when proper restriction is met, I don't see how a person could not take off 100% unless they live on icecream and candy bars. Keep in mind that when you reach a BMI of 25 (normal), you have lost 100% of your excess weight. I see your goal is at 23.7 and when you get closer to that you may want to adjust your goal. I think your mindset and attitude sound great so far and you are well on your way to skinnyville!!!

Bobby! Right now, yes I feel full/satisfied when I eat. I'm very tuned in with my full signal. The problem I have right now is I'm very hungry about 30 mins. after I eat. I need a fill. I couldn't get an appointmant for one til the 6th. Do you think maybe you are just eating a bite or 2 too much? Maybe you are eating stuff you can no longer tolerate.... like steak? I would think this far out you should not have pain like that. Maybe you are missing your 'soft sign/full signal'.

Denise, I'm sorry all this is going on, but glad you and DH have each other. The storm will calm with time.

Most of the time I feel normal like there is nothing there, but there are times when I can feel the band. It's like something bumps up against a rib or something. I know it's not the port at those times.

y'all are wearing some heavy clothes! Weigh naked, then put your clothes and shoes on and weigh again. See what you come up with. I bet it won't be 4 extra pounds.

As long as you have dropped some weight pre-op I don't think they would delay your surgery. Long term, my own scale is the one I go by. There have been times when I don't even go to see my doc for 9 months. This time it has been 10+ months. I'm going in on May 6th for a tiny fill and then, who knows, it may be a year before I go back and weigh on the scale there.

Honestly, my relationships with my husband and everyone else in my life have changed for the better because I am a happier person. If your marriage is already on the rocks, it could go either way after a big weightloss. Sometimes the scars in the bond of marriage are too great to repair. I wish you luck with both journeys in the future.

I'm with you on this one. I tell everyone and have from day one. When people notice my weightloss and ask how I did it, I feel like it is only right to tell the truth. My eating has changed so drastically I could have never kept it from my husband. I also had a long recovery time. My son is a grown man and he would have been hurt if I had kept a major surgery from him just as I would be if my mother had. Everyone would have been worried that I had an eating disorder after the drastic changes in my habits and the rapid loss of over 100 pounds. All that being said, only you know the people around you.

Everyone will be different because of our anatomy and how much our docs put in at each fill. I reached my sweet spot or green zone at fill number two. The surgeon also put in some fill during surgery.

I took off one week, but was NOT ok the next week at work. Two weeks would have been soooo much better. The recovery and fatigue kicked my butt. It sure is worth it though

I did this Atkins type pre-op diet as well. It works great, so just go with it. It sure was no hardship compared to the liquid pre-op diets.

My band has been pretty tight for most of the journey. I've never had to chew my food to a liquid or gross consistancy and I've never put things in the blender that I normally would'nt. I do make sure every bite is well chewed. I don't count how many times I chew each bite. It is a learning process, but if you pay attention it's not too hard.

My hunger control? It's out of control. I have not gained any more weight as of this morning, but wish I could get a fill sooner. Of course my mind starts messing with me ..... do I have a leak? yada yada........ I just think It's been a long time and I need a tweek.

Deb, so sorry you are going through all this. Yes, it will get better. Hang in there. My thoughts are with you ((hug)).

Karen! OMG! so nice to hear from you and congrats on the new addition! Vicky! So glad you have joined the thread! update on me....... the new job is going well ! wooo hooo! good-bye stress!

The dreaded "E" word .... exercise

When your favorite thread on the www is 'you know you're a bandster when' !

I hope you are doing better now,,,,,,,,,, You might want to stick with liquids and mushies for a few days now. The fill plus the episode will cause swelling. Sometimes the band is a very crude learning tool.

So true. I agree with what you said. I guess another plus would be much less excess skin issues to deal with.

I went to a BMI calc. site and put in some figures .......... if someone is very short .... 5' 0", and they weigh 155 pounds it puts them just over 30 BMI. If they lose 30 pounds and get to a weight of 125, they have a normal BMI. I didn't have to worry about doing much math.......... I was Morbidly Obese with no comorbid conditions. I quailfied by the old standards just by my BMI alone. I started at 41.3 BMI. ....... something to be ashamed about for sure.

I watched the video clips. I'm not sure I agree with lap-band for people who only need to take off 30 pounds, but they are the experts.

WOW! Great job! It looks like you have lost even more weight than that! :clap: :waytogo: