mosean6278

my 1 year bandiversary was yesterday, 9-1-10. i know alot of us had surgery that day. i am proud to report that i have lost a total of 88 pounds! my starting wt. was 235, and yesterday i was 147. it has been a struggle with the band and learning new ways of eating, but i don't regret any of it. i just wish i had done it several years ago. i hope everyone with the 1 year anniversary this month is doing well and losing wt. still. and if you are at a plateau, don't give up! the band is a wonderful tool, but not a miracle worker, it is still up to us to do the work. HAPPY BANDIVERSARY SEXY SEPTEMBERS!!!

i havent posted in months, but i am happy to see everyone doing so well. Dont give up, never give up!! We can do this!

i think i am at my sweet spot!!! not sure yet, but i feel great restriction and am not hungry at all. i have had 3 fills for a total of 7cc's. the scale is finally moving and i feel great. i have a 14cc band. i hope this is it!!! i am so excited! I wish everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

I got my first on Wednesday. I had to argue with my Doctor to give me 4cc's. He only wanted to give me 2. He did give me the 4, but said don't blame him if its too tight. Well. I don't feel any different than before. No restriction. I have a 14cc band and it was not filled at all during surgery, so I have 4cc in. It was not painful at all, just in case anyone is nervous about it. Just a needle prick. I have heard that sometimes the restriction starts a few weeks after the fill, so I hope that is the case. Anyway, I am a bit dissappointed. I was really hoping to get at least a little restriction!!

i started my period the day before surgery. i wore a tampon to the surgery center the day of surgery and told the nurse that was getting me ready for surgery about it. i was not on lovenox prior to surgery, but did get a shot of heparin before going to the OR. The nurse didn't say anything about removing the tampon and wearing a pad, but when I got up to use the restroom after surgery, to my surprise, i had no tampon and a pad between my legs!! talk about being embarassed! i felt violated! that all took place while i was under anesthesia. and no one ever said a word about it!!! so I would wear a pad, and take a tampon for after.

I am a little confused. If she felt it go through the band to the lower part of her stomach, why would it still cause problems? And, I too am heading to Walgreens first thing in the morning to get my Papaya enzyme. I was just banded on 9-1-09 and am still on liquids, but that is too scary.

I know just how you feel. I have been thinking about the lap band for 5 years now. and talking to everyone who I know that has had it done. I talked to the surgeon everytime I saw him ( i work at a hospital ) and I would get the same responses. ex: why dont you just try wieght watchers? Well, because I've done WW so many times, I could teach the class! or, all you need to do is exercise more and eat right. Yes, I know, I am not stupid!! I was banded 9-1-09, and I didnt tell anyone but 1 friend. AND I only told her, because I needed a ride home from the surgery center ! I even threatened (lol) the Dr. that he better not say a word, of course he knows not to, but I was just making sure. :w00t:

Colorado and SOCO, i dont want that weight back on either, but was told several times not to get discouraged if it does before my 1st fill !! I am trying very hard to keep to the protien shakes and lots of water, soup, etc. but my 1st fill insnt until Oct. 11. The surgeon said it had to be exactly 6 weeks from the surgery, not a day before ! Even though he said I could move to the mushy stage and then regular food. So I am very nervous about the next 4 weeks. Any suggestions!?:w00t:

sorry for the spelling --- healing--:blushing:

Good Luck to all new bandsters !! Hope everyone is feeling and heeling well. Lets try to remember that this band is the first thing to a thin thing!:blushing:

Hi Colorado, yes I am feeling a bit hungrier too. It really hit me hard on Monday. I just have to remember why I did this, and that I am self pay, that kinda of put me back in the right frame of mind !! I had my first post-op appt. today and all is well. I lost 12 lbs. since surgery. They did say that if I gained all of it back, it wouldnt be unusual, because I havent had a fill yet. That really scares me.

I need help too !! I am so computer illiterate, its embarrassing. Would someone add me to the list ? I was banded 9/1/09. thank you. mosean6278

i would do the same thing. if i lost weight in the morning, i would be more apt to stick to my diet. if i gained weight, then that was an excuse to eat because if i didnt lose on the diet, then why diet? Just a stupid game i played that got me to where i am today with a lap band. that is why i got rid of my scale. I get weighed tomorrow at the dr.s office for the first time since 8/27/09. try to get weighed once a day at the same time. that is the best weight to go by.:thumbup:

Soco 9/01/09 ________________

Cortney, I think you started the group on Yahoo, right? I've read some posts about listing our names and band dates, and if I was'nt computer illiterate, I would explain that we already have that in place on the Bandsters Unite site. Would you post the info again for the new September bandsters? I like having our own group and I'm sure it is helping everyone with all the info being shared!!

i completely understand. its almost like an obsessive compulsive thing. it just kind of sucks you in when you get too close to it!!

i would be doing the same thing.. that is why i dont have a scale anymore. i would weigh myself everytime i went near the scale. i want to wait to get a scale until i am closer to my goal weight. i am just going to get weighed at the drs. office scale. that way i can prevent driving myself crazy.

i have the same regret as most of the others, i wish i had done it sooner!! all those years of dieting only to gain back all and more. I do have a friend that almost died from her lap band. Her lap band cut through her stomach and she was in ICU several times. It took a little over a year for her to recuperate from all of it. Of course that is the short version of the story. The point is that there are risks to every surgery, and there are good outcomes and bad outcomes to every surgery. Dont choose to have surgery based on someone elses experiences, because thats just what they are--- someone elses experiences, not yours. I even went to the same surgeon as my friend that almost died, because i know that what happened to her was HER story, not mine. Good Luck with your decision!

I am so glad you asked about not having a BM since before surgery!!! I havent either so am curious about others. Even though we have had only liquids, I would think that we should still be having liquid BM's. Sorry, i know that is TMI!!!

good morning, to everyone having surgery today, good luck. and to those of us already banded, YEA!!!! you know when your skinny friends used to say " i havent eaten all day, i dont even think about food". or " i forgot to eat today". Believe it or not, that is how I feel now. Not sure if it is just a mind thing or what, but I feel like I have to force myself to drink. Colorado or Soco, do you feel that way? I have no appetite at all. I dont feel sick, just no appetite. I always wondered what that felt like to not think about food almost constantly. :smile2:

I dont have much of an appetite either, so I have just had a few fudgesicles and the protein drinks. And lots of iced tea. My throat was more sore than the incision I think. I am so happy that all of us that have banded so far have had good outcomes!! Wish I wouldve done it sooner!

coloradomom, your abdomen looks great after the surgery! I don't see where you need to lose weight. that tummy looks pretty flat!!! I am lucky I got the one incision surgery, wasn't expecting it. Right before the surgery my Dr. told me about it. I havent had very much of the gas pain, so I think he must have taken most of it out after the surgery. Anyway, like I said before, all that worrying for nothing. It truly was a breeze!! :biggrin:

I am more sore today than yesterday too. I think its because all the meds have worn off from the OR. It still is less painful than I thought it be. I am not hungry either. I wish everyone good luck with their surgeries coming up in the days ahead. GO SEPTEMBER BANDERS !!! have we come up with a good name for us yet? :blushing:

Hi everyone, my surgery went well also. Was banded yesterday with only 1 incision!! My surgeon, Dr. Erbella, said it is the newest proceedure for the lap band. I have just had some neck and shoulder pain from the gas, but otherwise, just some soreness at the incision site. All that worrying for nothing. And for everyone beating them selves up about the pre-op liquid diet, DONT!!! He said my liver was perfect! I say that because I know how hard it is to be on liquids only for 2 weeks, and I wasnt able to do it everyday, and like I said, it was a text book perfect surgery. I am very tired, but otherwise feel GREAT!!! wish i wouldve done this sooner. Oh well, things happen for a reason. I guess this is the right time now, not earlier. Good luck to everyone whos surgery is today!! And I have to say Dr. Erbella is the best!! :thumbup:

my Dr. said to drink at least 3 protein drinks a day, and as much sugar free liquids as i want. juice and low fat milk in moderation. also allowed sugar free popsicles or fudgesicles, yogart and cottage cheese. i have been drinking the slimfast and eas protein drinks and sugar free carnation instant breakfast.