starting over

My fills are done under flouro. I've had 2 so far. Did you ask your doctor about the low profile port? I did and said I wanted it instead and he gave it to me. Just like that! I think you have to have low stomach fat to have it though cause they would have a hard time finding it otherwise. I had a tummy tuck years ago and so my stomach is still really flat and the larger port would of stuck out. Good luck

Randi, No, I live in Arlington Texas and was banded 30 minutes away by Dr. Robert Snow in Hurst, Texas at the surgery center. He has a reputation for being quite aggressive. Meaning he lets you get filled up pretty quick. I had my 2nd fill today after waiting only 2 weeks. Are you having a hard time finding a Doctor that will give you a low profile port? Just curious. I hope you find what you are looking for. starting over

I did the exact same thing. I had it appoved in less than 5 minutes with Capitol 1. I pay $400 a month. My BMI was not high enough for insurance to pay for it. I had my surgery 8 weeks ago and have lost 23 pounds so far. It was so worth it!

Faybie, I am so glad that everything is ok! Thanks everybody for all your support. I was just at the YMCA today enquiring about a personal trainer. It is so reasonable there and much more affordable than 24 hour fitness. I just wanted to consult with a trainer and get on the right work out program to help me achieve my weight loss goals. I don't want to be doing stuff that isn't going to work. I walked for 1 hour and 5 minutes tonight on my home treadmill while watching Everybody loves Raymond and part of Dancing with the stars. My heart rate according to my newly purchased heart monitor said that my maximum heart rate was at 95% the whole time. I could breathe just fine and talk without a problem, so I knew that I was ok. If I slowed down, I didn't feel like I was getting a workout. It helped that my day started off with a 1lb and a half weight loss from just yesterday. My 2nd fill went fine and I am looking forward to hopefully having restriction this time. We'll see? Good luck to my ABC bandsters, you are all doing awesome! Many Blessings, Starting over

Thank you so much for your sweet encouragement! You are the only one that has responded to my post. I weighed again this morning and was down a pound and a half since yesterday. So of course I was estactic! I just had my second fill today and will be on liquids for 5 days so hopefully that will help escalate the weight loss as well. Thanks, Starting Over

Hi everyone! Well, I bought a new digital scale 2 weeks ago and today I got on it for the first time. Let me explain... I was banded 8 weeks ago this coming Friday and I weighed before surgery and I was 200 pounds and I am 5'6". I have been keeping track of my weight loss on that scale all this time. I have been getting on the doctor's scale backwards as to not see the difference in the scales. But the doctor did confirm that I had lost 20 pounds as of 2 weeks ago. Good right? Right? That is what my scale at home said as well. So this new scale I bought also reads your BMI and since I don't weigh myself but every 2 weeks that is why I hadn't weighed on it yet. OK... I weighed on the old scale 178! Down 22 pounds so far. I only lost 2 pounds in the last 2 weeks after working out like crazy every day and following the eating plan perfectly. I don't know what possessed me to weigh myself on the new scale but I did. It read 186! An 8 pound difference! I called my doctor's office to get my weight from them and compare which scale is actually acurate. They confirmed my weight on surgery date was 208 not 200! Though both scales detected a 22 pound loss it puts my weight loss goal 8 more pounds away. I know I should be focusing on the victorious weight loss of 22 pounds in just 8 shorts weeks but I just needed to vent about my discouraging day. Being at 185 and 5'6" put me in the overweight category and out of the "obese" one. Now the reality of 186 and the "obese" label is taking its toll. Not to mention that only 2 pounds after all the hard work of working out every day in 2 weeks sucks to me! I was hoping for at least 4. Oh well, thanks for letting me share. Please don't think I'm stupid for being upset about this. I just hate that I saw the 170's so briefly and am now back in the 180's overnight! I'm going for my second fill tomorrow, so maybe that will help jump start the loss. I've had absolutely no restriction. Thanks for listening! starting over

I don't mean to scare you but you asked for honest answers about what to expect from breast augmentation... All I can say is that a C-section, nose job, tummy tuck and lab band surgery that I've all had are all a piece of cake compared to having a breast job! I had it done 10 years ago and it was the most painful thing I have ever gone through! Again, I don't want to scare you but help prepare you for the reality of what you are going to endure. The put the implant under the muscle therefore just by lifting your arms to your chin is like pulling teeth. Would I do it over again? In a heartbeat! It just was so painful and the recovery was very intense! Beauty is pain. Everyone has to determine how much of it they are willing to go through to achieve it. I wish you the best and beautiful breasts!

I have the low profile port. My band is 9.75 and holds 4 cc's. The low profile port is the size of a dime where the regular port size is the size of a quarter. I had a tummy tuck years ago and therefore my stomach is still really flat. I had concerns about the port showing through so I inquired about the low profile port. My doctor confirmed me needing it but it was like $700 more as I was self pay. It is pretty tiny compared to the regular size port. I hope this answers your question

Julie, Thank you so much for that info that really helps.

Thank you so much for that information. I have been wondering the exact same thing. Did she say exactly how many grams of protein you are suppose to have each day? I've heard so many conflicting things. Again thanks.

Lcain and whoever else, I too, was concerned about stretching the pouch and working out and eating right and not losing weight. I recently bought the trainer for Dr. Phil's weight loss challenge's book "Make over your Metabolism". I was having trouble getting motivated working out as I hate it more than live itself. But I knew that in order to lose the weight I had to start excercing. So, to make sure that whatever excersice I did start to committ to, would work. I knew that taking in very little calories would slow my metabolism and his training involves only 30 minutes a day of excersice 6 days a week. His name is Robert Reames if you are interested in checking out his book. I started his program on Monday and I can feel such a difference and feel really great. I don't weigh myself but every 2 weeks so I won't know what kind of weight loss I'll have for 1 more week. I've lost 20 pounds since being banded 6 weeks ago. I just read about all the weight loss stalls on here and wanted to be pro-active to try and prevent it happening to me. If I am going to excersice it better well work for me and not against me! haha Just thought I'd share that with anyone who hates excersice as much as I do.

Candy, Thank you so much for your support. I am not trying to starve myself by any means. In fact that is what my concern is. I am definitely getting my protein in because that is all I eat. But with being advised by my Doctor's office to only eat a cup of food 3tx a day I am concerned about the low calorie count. My goals are for only 10 pounds a month. I feel like that is really realistic. I actually gained my weight really quickly due to depression after losing my husband in a car accident. 35 pounds in about 3 months. I am re-married now to a wonderful man. I feel like 10 pounds with proper diet and excersice 6 days a week is an attainable goal. 6 day a week excersice program is what the trainer with Dr. Phil reccommends. But only 30 minutes a day. Before lapband whenever I wanted to lose weight I would go on a 1200 cal a day diet and worked out and lost over 10 pounds a month. I just wanted the lapband in place this time when I lost the weight so that it would help me from gaining the weight back again. Again thanks for your sweet support.

My doctor told me to go on Liquids for 5 days and then mushies for 5 days. No thanks! I just was just getting my metabolism somewhat back to normal. He said I could get another fill in 2 weeks if I needed one. How will I know if I am only just eating liquids and mushies for 12 days. So after 3 days I tried mushies and it was totally fine, no problem. So the next day I went to soft foods no problems. I don't feel any differently since my fill. I actually slowed my weight loss after surgery in the mushy stage and wasn't looking forward to being back at the stage and not losing. So far no problems, I'm still not getting near enough calories in a day to be healthy. That concerns me. I was very disciplined with my eating even though I had no restriction 2 weeks after my surgery. I limited myself to the cup of healthy food 3 times a day on will power alone. I haven't cheated at all. No soda, no bread, sweets, rice, etc. I lost 20 pounds in less than 6 weeks. I started at 200 pounds and now am at 180 at 5'6" with average bone size. My final goal weight will be 130. I hope to have 10 more pounds off for October goal. I am going to the bahamas for Christmas break and want to be at 150. I look great at that weight! I hope to be at final goal by March. I bought the weight loss consultant for doctor Phil's patients book, "Make over your metabolism" . Now I just have to get motivated to start working out consistently. This whole fill thing is wierd though. I don't really know what to expect. I know that I am dieting and doing everything so far by sheer will power. When I went in for my last doctor's appt. He took a look at my weight loss and said, "Wow, you make this look easy". I said, "Easy?" I've been dieting my ass off!" He said well not anymore that I've had my fill. But right now I stop myself from eating more not the band. But everything I read says how dangerous it is to go below 1200 calories and I know I am not coming close. How do you get all those calories in? Also not being able to poop is getting to be a real drag! It's pretty sad when you get teary-eyed after being able to go the bathroom. lol I wouldn't have any problem not taking in the calories if I was to drop weight like crazy, but it clearly states that it messes up your metabolism. I read about people on here all the time about not losing weight because of not eating enough calories. Sorry, I'm just battling with that whole thing right now. Also, I have been getting headaches I assume are brought on by not eating enough. If you can only have 1 cup of food total 3 times a day. That's suppose to be 400 calories a cup. Well do the math lean protein for 3-4 ounces of chicken is like 120 cal and steamed veggies are only about 50. Where do the calories come from then. Your'e not suppose to snack or drink calorie filled drinks? I don't want to be in that starvation mode but in fact getting healthy and strong. It just doesn't feel right. I could eat more than a cup easliy, but they said it was stretch out my pouch. So I don't even though I'm still hungry. So if I'm not taking in enough food or calories now, even though I don't have restriction , then what would be the purpose of another fill. My sister in law had it done in Mar and she has had her last fill and is way too tight. But she says she is losing weight now even though she can barely get down liquid and throws up a lot. I am worried about her. I told her she was too tight. But she didn't lose for so long and now she's losing so she doesn't care about not keeping anything down. I just worry about the damage she is doing to herself and body. Thanks for lettle me ramble on here tonight. I read a lot of posts, but rarely post them myself. My husband was a way a lot the last 3 weeks and he came home on Friday and coudn't keep his hands off of me. I sure did enjoy all the praise and attention. It was very genuine and he made me feel beautiful again. My BMI is now under 30 and I'm only considered "slightly overweight" according to those bmi calculators That feels so good. Having the word "Obese" besides your name really takes a reality toll on you. I didn't like that reality at all. My 14 size jeans are fitting loose and it too feels wonderful. I'm not ready to buy a new wardrobe just yet, but will definitely be looking into it soon. Thanks for listening to me ramble.

I'm sorry to be ignorant here. But what is NSV? I've read it quite a lot and still don't know what it means. Thank you

I have to know... is that picture of you? I've been dying to know.

Starting over here. I haven't posted many posts here but I read every night. Faybie, Thank you for doing all that hard work. Could you please change my surgery date. It is listed on August 17th. But I actually had my surgery on Friday August 18th with Dr. Robert Snow in Hurst Tx. I had my first fill in a 9.75 low profile band yesterday Sept 27th with 1 cc I have lost 20 pounds since my surgery Thank you so much.

Jennifer is the miss USA! Willa the pop star was in the bottom 2 I too am obsessed with that show.

I had my surgery Aug 18 at the Hurst surgery center with Dr. Robert snow in Texas. I was originally scheduled with Dr. Carter and as they were wheeling me into surgery he got real sick and had to go to the emergency room and they sent me home un banded. He rescheduled surgery with me and then had to cancel it again the day before. So I said forget that and switched doctors and was scheduled the very next week. I didn't have to do the pre op diet. My BMI was only 32.1 I have a lot of port pain and gas and am taking pain meds quite often. I haven't weighed yet because the scale is too much of a trigger for me. Plus I feel really swollen and bloated still. My stomach is actually bigger than when I went in for surgery. I am not hungry at all and have only been taking in about 600 calories a day since surgery. I feel real great though even though I am really sore. I have a low profile port because my stomach is pretty flat already. I just am big every where else. Especially my boobs! I can't wait to see them go! I don' know how to do the ticker things yet. Maybe my husband can help me with that. Blessings August Banders starting over

This is my first post here. My surgery is scheduled for this Friday am. I was suppose to have my surgery 3 weeks ago but my doctor got sick as I was being wheeled into surgery and they sent me home. I was rescheduled for last week then he cancelled again. Long story short I switched doctors! I am self pay so they took me right away. Anyway... The day before my surgery I looked longily at my last soda and taquito from 7-11 and started to cry. I also cried as I pulled away from Mc Donalds at 11:00pm that same night. (I couldn't eat after midnight) I felt like I was saying good bye to a lover. I was actually weeping. I knew then just how messed up my relationship with food was. I felt like the woman who stayed in an abusive relationship even though it was killing her. Food has done nothing good for me but has in fact ruined my life. I think its something I can't live without and that it is the only thing that is ever really there for me. Yeah it's there for me alright, but leaves me hurt and sick every time, just like an unhealthy relationship. I understand what you are going through. I have been in mourning for 3 weeks now. It makes me mad that I am actually mourning food! But it is the painful reality. I want to have my lap band to help me attain freedom once and for all. I am tired of always taking back my abuser time and time again. This band will keep me from sabotaging myself and my journey to recovery. I hope that you will be encouraged to say good bye once and for all. Many blessings, starting over