jenrobbar951

Hey! You are DEFINITELY not alone, as you can tell. I too, have lost A LOT of my hair. Infact, if you were to look at my forehead, you would see a lot of shorter strands of hair...the new hair growth from all that I lost. It started about the fourth month after I had surgery and it has slowed......BUT, I didnt do what I was supposed to have done to prevent hair loss, so I wasnt surprised when it started to happen. Now I make sure to take my Multi-vitamin each and every night, and also take Biotin. It has really helped with the re-growth of my hair and I am not losing as much as quickly. I barely notice that I am losing any hair at all. Dont worry about it too much. It is normal. Hang in there and this too, shall pass! Best of luck!

I was told that you could drink up until you take your first bite of food. THEN you had to wait 45mins to drink after you eat. I was never told that you couldnt drink BEFORE you eat. Perhaps that is attributing to part of your hunger? I too, am still hungry after 4 ounces. I had my first fill and barely any Fluid was put into the band. The fluid got stuck at one point, so they had to take most of the fluid out. I barely have any restriction still. However, I find myself still able to eat almost as much as before my fill. Like people say, it takes several fills to find that "sweet spot." The difference between me and most people is, I didnt have a fill for nearly FIVE months after my surgery. My Mother died the week I was supposed to have my first fill and I chose to spend the days she had left with her and cancelled my fill appointment. THe next available appointment with my surgeon was TWO months later. I have since lost 47 pounds and the doctor was amazed that I lost that much weight...even without the resistance. He said that at the rate I am losing weight, that I should have NO PROBLEM hitting my goal by my one year. Each person is different. Dont feel frustrated. I could have easily lost double my weight. I havent been exercising as much as I should be because of my Mother's passing. I am depressed. But I am still happy that I am losing something. Even if it isnt as much as I would like it to be. Hang in there and dont get frustrated just yet. IT takes time to work!! Good luck!

I am so sorry to hear all the difficulties you have had in trying to get the band slippage fixed. I would be soo angry! I hope the surgery to fix it goes well! Out of curiousity, what are the symptoms of band slippage? Besides the not being able to keep things down part.

Thank you for the words of encouragement. Congrats on your weightloss as well! 52 pounds is a great achievement. Are you still drinking Protein shakes? If so, what kind do you like. I havent found any that taste very good. And how about hairloss......I have been losing some of my hair and have increased the dosage of Biotin to help prevent it. Yikes! Best of luck with the weightloss!!!!

Okay, so I had my lapband surgery on October 27th, 2009. Recovery was fairly easy. Went to all of my post surgery appointments when they were scheduled....EXCEPT my first fill. I dont recall what date it was scheduled, but I believe it was in December. Anyway, on December 14th I received a phone call from my Dad telling me that my Mom wasnt going to be receiving chemotherapy any longer. That her Oncologist had told her to "go home, get comfortable and spend her remaining time at home with family and friends." I packed up my kids and moved back home temporarily. During that week, I had called my surgeon's office to reschedule my fill. I felt that spending time with my dying mother was MUCH MORE IMPORTANT than driving three hours to have a fill done. So I called the surgeons office and spoke with the receptionist. Here is how the conversation went: Me: Hi, I was wondering if I could reschedule my fill. I wont be able to make it to the appointment. Her: When was it scheduled? Me: (whatever date it was....I dont recall) Her: You know, it is like a TWO MONTH WAIT to get a fill. THE SOONEST WE CAN GET YOU IN IS IN FEBRUARY, 2010. (And she said it with attitude) Are you SURE you want to cancel? Me: Yes, I am sure. My mother is dying and I want to spend as much time with her before she passes. Her: WELL, MANY people call and cancel for no reason. Are you sure you want to cancel? Are you sure you cant make it in? Me: YES!!!!!!!!!!! I AM SURE. I CANT HELP when my mom dies...give me a break. (Starting to get angry..._) Her: Okay, well we cant get you in any sooner than February 11th. I guess I could give you a call if there is anything sooner.....is THAT okay? Me: That is fine. Thank you. Her: Bye. OOOOH, she pissed me off. My Mom was dying and she couldnt get passed me having to reschedule. Who cares what the reason is???!! As long as I call in the required amount of time BEFORE the appointment, I shouldnt be asked my reason for having to change it. Okay, my question is this, knowing what she said, should I mention something to the surgeon about her rudeness? Part of me wants to find another place to get my fills done, solely because of the way this woman treated me. What would YOU do?

Hi everyone!!!! I was banded on October 27th, 2009, and have only lost about 40 pounds. Although it isnt what I had HOPED, it is something. I am not jazzed, nor am I really disappointed. Afterall, I have not had a single fill yet, nor has my lifestyle changed all that much. I just sit and think about what it will be like when I am able to actually get out and exercise.... So why havent I had a single fill you ask? No, I dont have any Fluid in my band, so there is NO restriction at all. Infact, I can eat foods that I wouldnt be able to eat if I was restricted. I just eat them in moderation. Is that bad? Yes, but at this point in time, I am not worried about it. You see, my Mom just passed six days before Christmas. Things have been really crazy around my Dad's house. I moved back home for the next couple months, and have been working out of my Dad's house. My Dad owns his own company and the books are really messed up, so I have been working 12 hour days trying to get them in order. No real time to do much of anything.... I had to cancel my fill in December because my Mom was dying. The receptionist gave me a hard time about it too. Canceling my appointment that is, and I cancelled it several days in advance. The next available appointment they had for me at the time was February 11th. So, I am due to get my first fill on February 11th, and I am excited!! I cant wait to have restriction! I will be moving back home in April so I can start a regular exercising schedule and start to shed these pounds. Like I said, 40 pounds isnt too bad. I am happy so far. BEST OF LUCK TO EVERYONE ON THEIR JOURNEY!

Definitely possible. I have no fluid in my band and every once in a while, if I dont chew well enough, I make that infamous run to the bathroom. So yes, possible. LOL. It sucks too! Cant wait to get my first fill on February 11th! GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE ON THEIR JOURNEYS!

On March 20th, 2007, my Mother learned she needed brain surgery to remove 5 tumors on her brain. It was her 52nd birthday. Seventeen days later, on April 6th, 2007, my eldest daughter, Kyleigh, was admitted to Loma Linda University Children's Hospital for testing. The next day she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. Over the past two and a half years, my family has had the blessing of no reoccurance of either the brain cancer or the leukemia. My Mom has continually undergone scans of all sorts to monitor any possible return of her cancer, and my daughter, well she just officially stopped her treatments on June 11th, 2009. No more chemotherapy, no more pills, no more lumbar punctures. Just regular, monthly labwork. Unfortunately, this streak came to an end on Thursday, August 13th (just one day shy of the 13th Anniversary of my Grandmother's death. she passed away from lung cancer in 1996), my Mom called with horrifying news. It wasnt brain cancer this time....it was BONE CANCER. The same type of cancer my Grandfather (my Mom's Dad) died of in 1998. All I could do was cry...... My family is horrified, but we remain hopeful. My Mom beat the odds with the brain cancer and we are sure she will do the same with the bone cancer. But this time, the regiment is different. With the brain cancer it was radiation treatments. With the bone cancer, it is radiation treatments AND chemotherapy. A double whammy. My Mom remains optimistic and asks us to not "bury her while she remains alive." In other words, be positive because she doesnt want to hear anything but positivity. I live three hours away from my Mom and really feel guilty that I am not able to be there to help her when she needs the help. But I have offered my support and the idea of help when she needs it the most. I asked my husband to be on "call." To be ready to take a week's vacation in the blink of an eye if my Mom asks for my help. It is the least I can do for the woman who brought me into this world and who continues to be my strength, day in and day out.......

Turns out that the Psychiatric group was mistaken about my eval not being covered by insurance. NOT ONLY DID I PAY CASH for the eval, but they also billed the insurance a couple weeks later. The group hadnt even told me that they had billed the insurance (I assumed they wouldnt when they told me that I had to pay cash because it wouldnt be covered by insurance...) and found out simply because of my explanation of benefits sent to me by Blue Shield. I am now waiting for a $200 refund from the Psychiatric grp......

It has been a week since my Psych eval was faxed to my Surgeon's office. Instead of calling and asking about an update on my file and if it has been sent to the insurance company, I called to see if my PCP had faxed my clearance. Much to my surprise, the PCP hadnt faxed my clearance......ERRR! I wouldnt be so frustrated but I had gone to get clearance on July 16th. Just over a month ago!!!! I had called the twice previously to today's phone call, and they told me that they would fax it over. The woman told me that they had faxed it over, twice, but my Surgeon's office says it never received anything. Hmmmm..... So, all and all, my PCP clearance should be on its way to the Surgeon's office (or is there already...hopefully)....and my file is still waiting to be reviewed....a week later. I have no patience for this crap and get frustrated so easily. Luckily, the rest of the week I will be busy. My 8 year old daughter, my sister and myself are going to a Green Day Concert on Thursday at San Diego State University....and then on Friday, my family and I leave to go camping for the weekend. On Monday the 24th, my two daughters start school and the following week my little man (my son who is 2) starts preschool. HOPEFULLY things get settled as far as the surgeon goes and I hear something by the end of the month. I really would not like to have surgery in October or November if it can be prevented....:thumbup::glare:

Sadly, four months after this post, my Mother passed away. (On December 19th, 2009, just one day shy of her 34th Wedding Anniversary....). She is no longer suffering, but is GREATLY missed. My five year old doesnt understand and constantly asks for "Bebe" to come down from Heaven to visit us. My eight year old doesnt say much. And my two year old, the youngest, the one my Mom thought she would NEVER live to see be born, says, "Bebe die" every time her name is mentioned. They are too young to understand. My Mom was such a strong woman, even at the end. She fought this cancer with every bit of energy that she could. But in the end, it consumed her life. I am just happy that we got this extra time with her. These two and a half years passed the brain tumors being removed. Love you Momma! I miss you more and more each day!

I know what you mean about the change in the weight of your face. My double chin has ALMOST completely disappeared! YAY! No more trying to get my chin up in the picture to hide the double chin....haha. Congrats on the weightloss! I have lost about 36 pounds and no one ever notices. I think that they are so used to seeing me heavy that until I start to really thin out, they wont notice the change. I have only gone down one size, but hey, it is a start!!! Best of luck to all of you on the journey to the new you!

I live in Hemet and got my imaging done at Palm Imaging in San Bernardino. I got my Psych eval done by Inland Psychiatric Group. They have an office in Hemet and one in Redlands, I believe. Not sure where in the IE you are located. Just to let you know, my Psych evaluation was paid in cash, but still billed to the insurance company. I was told that insurance wouldnt cover the eval...but it did. Best of luck with the search!!!!

I was scheduled to have my first fill yesterday....unfortunately, I had to cancel the appointment. The woman who does the appointments gave me a hard time about cancelling too. She kept asking me if I was sure that I wanted to cancel. That the next available appointment wouldnt be for TWO months. I told her that my Mother was dying and that I would be out of town and that I HAD to cancel because I wasnt making a three hour drive there for the fill and a three hour drive back to my parent's house. She still gave me attitude and told me that people were canceling appointments because of the holidays. SO WHAT?! That wasnt my reason for canceling. My Mother is DYING!!!! Scheduled for a fill on February 11th. The soonest the surgeon's office offered to get me in. How nice of them....jerks!! Lost a total of 31 pounds so far. ONLY one pant size though. That is frustrating, but weightloss is weightloss. I will take it! Happy Holidays to all!

My Mom was totally supportive in the beginning, but once she went to some seminar on how to increase your metabolism, she changed her tune. She suddenly told me that I needed to try harder on my own. I explained to her time and time again that THIS IS WHAT I WANTED and there was nothing that was going to change my mind. Magically one day, she got it. She even went as far as to tell me that if it makes me happier and healthier, then she is behind me 100%. I only wish that she would live long enough to see the thinner, happier, healthier me.......she is dying of bone cancer and wont live more than a couple of months. But I am glad that she realized that I was doing this for me. Hang in there. Your Mom may not realize why you are choosing to do this, but in the end, she may get it. And if she doesnt, well, atleast you know why you did it! Best of luck!

Welcome! First I have to say, CONGRATS on the upcoming surgery. I was banded on October 27th and have lost 30 pounds since then. I am five foot five and a half, and my starting weight was 268. HORRIBLY OVERWEIGHT!!! I personally chose to have lapband done because I wasnt happy with the person in the mirror. I had no co-morbidities.......yet. I just wanted to love myself again, and unfortunately, I wasnt happy on the outside and it caused depression within. Each pound lost, each day beyond surgery, is a step closer to a happier, healthier me. Surgery is always scary. This was my second time being "put under" and I was fearful of the anesthesia more than anything. I have had slight problems with epidurals and such and was afraid that something of that sort would happen with this surgery. THANK GOD it didnt and I was fine. I did wake up gasping for breath, but it was because of the breathing tube. My recovery was painful. I had a perfect night/day in the hospital but the day that I can home was horrible. That night I had severe pain in my left shoulder. Gas had collected in the one shoulder and no matter how much I walked, there was nothing I could do about it. I ended up having to sleep in a chair, sitting up with my feet resting on another chair. I slept like that for nearly TWO weeks. It wasnt fun, but it was something I had to overcome in the process. My five wounds are almost healed. Not sure why they are taking so long, but one of them got infected and had to begin healing all over again. Otherwise, I have had no pain from any site. Overall, the experience has been trying, but it is something that you have to face to get to the end result. Each persons experience will be different. You may experience things that others didnt. You may experience things that are similar. It is all dependent upon your body and mind. Just keep thinking, "I am on the way to a happier, healthier me!" Best of luck!!!!!!!! Let us know how things go!

Mine isnt much of a support either. He is convinced I had the surgery done to lose weight so I can leave him....trust me, if I had the intention of leaving, I certainly dont need to lose weight to walk out the door! HAHA! I try to go grocery shopping WITHOUT my husband. He always wants to buy chips, Cookies, crackers, and any other sugar filled item made available. However, his Mom often sneaks in snack after snack after snack. At one point I had like 30 boxes of Oreo Cakesters in my pantry. I did everything that I could to give them away. I even sent entire boxes to school with my daughters, in hopes that some of her friends would eat them. I think that I have like 10 more expired boxes in the pantry. Yep, EXPIRED, but my husband insists he will eat them at some point. I just have to wait for trash day to dispose of them.... I am sure that your husband/significant other isnt purposely sabotaging you. If it is a habit, then he needs to break it. If he brings you cookie dough, politely refuse and remind him that you are trying to be a healthier you. Then tell him what you would like in place of the cookie dough. My husband STILL offers me cake and such items on a nightly basis and I still look at him like, "WTF?!" but then I remind him, "I CANT HAVE THAT....REMEMBER?!" Then he laughs, I roll my eyes and my life goes on. Dont let your husband/significant other have such power over you. I have no will power either, otherwise I wouldnt have had the lapband done in the first place. You have to look at the reasons why you were banded in the first place. You have to look at the possibility of a new, healthier you, and that has to drive you to have willpower. Lapband is a tool. It is there to help you, but if you cant help yourself, then it will fail. I wish you nothing but the best of luck!!:thumbup:Hang in there!!!!!

I was told not to have rice because it expands and continues to expand in your stomach. Not sure how true that is, but that is what I was told. LOL. For those of us who havent had a fill and have no restriction, be careful!!!! You quickly learn that without restriction, you can basically eat whatever you want. But you will pay for it with weight gain, as I did. Over Thanksgiving weekend I gained 6 pounds. Luckily, I am back on track, but I still have to be careful because I dont have that restriction. Best of luck!

My Bariatric Surgeon required that I attend one of his seminars in order to get my surgery date. This probably isnt a requirement of all surgeons. But the seminar is usually set up by the surgeon, as is the nutrition evaluation and the upper GI tests. The only thing I had to set up on my own was the Psych Eval. Oddly enough, everyone else I have talked to on here, had to take a survery or spend an hour or so answering questions. Some had to go back for a second or third visit. My Psych Eval consisted of asking why I wanted the surgery, what my goal was REALISTICALLY, and a quick discussion of my family psychiatric history. Done in 15 minutes. It isnt like that normally. My surgeon also set up a time and date for me to register by. His office did most of the work. All I had to do was come up with the money and show up. I have my first fill on December 17th and I am really nervous about it, but cant wait to have restriction again. Right now I am in a position where I can eat just about anything, as long as I chew really well....and I dont like it. LOL. Finally lost my 6 pounds that I gained over Thanksgiving week. Down 30 pounds......only 100 or so to go! :rolleyes2:

Congrats on being so darn close to your goal! You must be extremely excited and proud. I cant wait until I start to get closer to my goal. Each pound loss is a step closer to a healthier, thinner me. Keep up the great work!:rolleyes2:

was annoyed when the doctor refused to give me liquid penicillin. I know it exists. My kids take the liquid form when they are sick. I explained to the doctor that I had had the lapband procedure done and that if the pill was large, that I couldnt take it. He assured me that the pill was "medium" sized, no larger than an aspirin and that if I found the pill to be too large, to cut it up. When I got my prescription, I looked at the pills and they were pretty large. I had to cut them into quarters to swallow them......and it sucks that I had to swallow FOUR times as many pills with an extremely sore throat. I just wish that the doctor had respected my request and my reasoning. Next time, I am not going to give in. I am going to fight for what I want. (You have to understand, I am VERY non-confrontational and that is why I gave in so easily.....gotta work on that!) Anyone else every had a doctor or other professional give you a hard time in regards to a special request because of the band?

The type of surgeon who does the lapband and gastric bypass is called a BARIATRIC (bear-ee-ack-tric) SURGEON. Just be sure that the one that he refers you too is covered by your insurance. Mine tried to refer me to a specific surgeon and I think it was because he gets a cut for referring patients.....lol. Best of luck!

You are definitely not alone! Over Thanksgiving week I gained 6 pounds because I discovered that I could eat just about anything....as long as I chewed well. I can honestly say, it took me until today to lose those 6 pounds and I am back to where I was while I was losing weight. I havent had my first fill and wont until December 17th, so I am carefully watching how much I eat. I try to eat a couple more times a day, but smaller amounts. It doesnt help that I have tonsillitis right now, and cant eat or drink anything without severe pain. Ice cream is my friend.......but in tiny amounts. It is a tool. You have stated that. Work with your tool. And please be assured, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!! Best of luck!

I have the same instructions for when I get mine. I have mine on December 17th.....nearly TWO months after surgery. I can hardly wait to have some restriction, because right now, I dont have ANY! Best of luck!:thumbup:

I have a Blue Shield PPO Plan in the state of California. It took less than 6 months for me to be approved and do all the requirements for the surgery. But that also includes a month delay from the Psychologist and the month wait between getting my surgery date and having the surgery. The surgery wasnt too bad. I felt pretty good immediately after surgery. Infact, I was out of bed and walking around just a few hours after surgery. I was feeling so good that I only needed the assistance of a nurse for the first few times I had to use the restroom. All the other times I unplugged my IV and did it myself. I even stopped taking pain medicine within three hours of being out of surgery. Now, the pain didnt start until two days after surgery. And boy, it hurt like hell! It wasnt pain from the actual surgery, it was the darn gas. It collected in one of my shoulders and I couldnt move my shoulder, sit down or lay down without being in excrutiating pain. Infact, I had to sit up in a chair to sleep, with my feet resting on another chair. This lasted for nearly two weeks, despite walking. Walking is supposed to help prevent the gas from collecting. I ended up using all of my pain medication, but not refilling once it was gone. My wounds are still healing. One of them got infected a little bit, but is healing just fine. I had surgery on October 27th and had lost 29 pounds in just about a month. I gained back about 7 pounds over the Thanksgiving holiday (I discovered that since I dont have a fill, that I can eat just about anything and not have a problem.....ooopsy!). I weighed myself this morning, and I am back at having lost 29 pounds. Yay! My first fill is on December 17th and I can hardly weight to have restriction again, to minimize what I can eat and how much. I have been paying closer attention to eating smaller portions and drinking more water. My surgeon said no alcohol and no soda, unless it is flat. However, the whole idea behind a soda is the carbonation. It tastes horrible otherwise. I havent had a soda since October 20th! This is a personal decision. Not everyone will have the same results. What may work for me, may not for another, and whatever may work for someone else, may not for me. Yes, the recovery is a little painful, but in the end, you forget about the pain and become excited about the results you are getting. Go to a seminar and check it out a bit more. Best of luck!!!!:thumbup: