LollyMoe

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! "May your stuffing be tasty. May your turkey be plump. May your potatoes and gravy have nary a lump. May your yams be delicious and your pies take the prize. And may your Thanksgiving dinner STAY off your thighs." author unknown. God Bless you all and remember to count your blessings today.

It's really hard to learn what your body/band will like and what it doesn't. It also frustrating when it likes one thing on Tuesday and hates it on Thursday. Forgive yourself, make better choices, and know that you aren't alone in all of this journey. We all have a learning curve and it changes often.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone wherever you are! The poem is so cute! Thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I feel so blest b/c of Dr Helms in Pell City. He is my PCP and he suggested in Dec 2008 that I needed to have the lapband surgery. I told him that I was too old for it b/c of information I had received from a New Orleans seminar a few years ago. He assured me that I wasn't too old and if I didn't have it done, I might not see my 70's at the rate my health was failing. From there, I went to see Mr Les Miles in Birmingham and after all the insurance requirements were met, I was banded on August 11th. I am now down 57 lbs and I feel so lucky. I am thankful for the people on this forum that are so helpful, informative, kind and really concerned about each other. This year is ending so much better than last year and I am now looking forward to 2010 to see what it brings me. I just know that it's going to be filled with many blessings.

My doctor doesn't gum at all. However, since you're a newbie, you probably don't have any saline in your tubing and therefore are more open than you will be later. It could pass w/o difficulty but in the future, I would re-think chewing gum. Is it worth the possible problems it could cause you?

Congrats on starting your new journey. Don't be surprised if you have some problems but we are here to answer anything for you. Take it one day at the time and remember to start walking right away.

I got my first fill two weeks after my staples were removed.

Go to your doctor at once! Don't wait. If might well be infection and you don't want to risk it. I too am confused why your family would make you relax your band completely. Aren't they concerned at all about your health or are you so skinny that they fear you have gone too far in your weight loss. I think there some issues here with your family that you also need to address for your own sake. Don't let others control your life. Please seek the attention of your doctor and then let us know what he says. We are concerned for you.

Can you use a heat pack at your desk? You know the kind that you squeeze and get heat for several minutes. It will help the pain. Also try using a pillow to help you sit upright.

I told everyone! I was so shocked that my doctor recommended it for me. I had gone to a seminar in 2003 in New Orleans and they wouldn't do it on someone over 60 yrs old. So, I had just given up and thought I would die a old fat woman. When I told I could have it and my insurance paid, I went for it and I told everyone what I was doing. I am the type of person that does well with a good support system and I have it in my family and friends. Anyone that isn't supportive doesn't get my attention. I am fortunate in that I have six people in my church that have had it done and we all help each other. Just remember that it's your body, your health, and your decisions. Don't let family bring you down. Explain that you are taking control of your health by eating less, slower, and making better choices for yourself. If they can't understand that, then you need to evaluate other issues between you and them. Hang in there and do your best. You can do it.

Hi Everyone. I am a new post-op as of Aug 11th. Doing well. Getting staples out tomorrow.Dr Les Miles from St. Vincent's East in Birmingham, Al did my surgery. I live in Ragland, Alabama. How exciting to be on this:blushing: new journey at last.

Deekel, you did good when you realized that you needed help and then went for a walk. When we are disappointed, food is what we turn too. However, the brain can be re-taught...it just takes hard work to do it. As for Christmas, you know the reason for the season and you can make it a Holy one instead of gifts, gifts, gifts. It might not be a huge expensive holiday but try to find ways to make it fun instead. Last year, our family celebrated a "garage sale" Christmas. Everyone bought gifts that they would put in a garage sale (not junk & not new), we held it in my SIL's garage (Birmingham, Al) and we played the Santa game. She had put up two strings of lights that looked like stars. She didn't have a tree or any other decorations in her house except a red cloth on the food table. We bought finger foods and we all had a wonderful holiday. We even invited some people that we knew were going to be alone. Go to the dollar store and buy a table tree with lights. They have some that look pretty good, aren't expensive, and are festive looking. Put a $10.00 limit on your personal gift to each other. There is always something that you can buy even if it's rather small. Don't start the tradition of not giving to each other. If you can't give to the person that you have committed your life too, why would you want to buy for others? Put on your thinking cap and go for it....you can do it.

Juliansmon, please don't be down on yourself and make comments about not being able to do this. You CAN do it..it just takes a lot of work. You can't eat a lot of carbs (subway sandwich) and expect to lose too. Let go of those carbs, eat more protein. You can do it.....

Erin, I thought you were going to have your band removed????? What happened or do I have the wrong person? My doctor said NO STRAW b/c of the air you take in. Also no gum for same reason. It makes you more bloated. I ordered Chair Aerobics from SmartSavingsCenter.com. Cost is about 16.95. We had a physical fitness instructor come to our group last month and this is what he recommended for rainy days, people that can't stand on legs for long, etc. It's a pretty good workout, much to my surprise. You can do it in your room and no one will see you. To make it more advanced, you can hold hand weights, wear ankle weights also. Try it.

I sorta had a celebration to say goodbye to the old me. I made of a list of all the things I couldn't do b/c of the weight, a list of my meds I plan on losing, and took lots of before pictures. I didn't measure inches but wished I had since sometimes the pounds don't show but the inches do. Good luck. Be careful over the holidays. No sense in gaining just because you're having surgery. That's more weight to lose in the long run. Oh, clean out all the junk food in your house the day before you have surgery so it won't be there to tempt you when you get home.

I forgot to clock in last Monday but with the two Mondays, I have lost 5lbs of the 12 I need to lose.

Kiz gave you some good advice and I hope you will look into it. When you don't eat on a regular basis, the body goes into starvation mode and you won't lose. In fact, you may even gain some b/c the body is protecting itself. It may take more than just a one mile walk...you might have to increase your distance. Most people that are losing regularly are walking at least four miles a day. I don't quite understand how you gained it all back with a bad fill however. Could you explain? At any rate, you have lost it before and you can do it again. It just takes a lot of hard work and then more hard work.

The vomiting probably caused some swelling around the band. Call your doctor to make sure.

Everything you are feeling is completely normal. It gets better every day. Walk as much as possible, ask your doctor for something for the nausea, buy some Gax-X strips, consume your protein and water. I promise, it's all normal and will get a little better each day. Just hang in there.

I am taking Bariatric Advantage per doctor's recommendation. It a complete multi formula with 1000 IU Vit D3, Complete B complex and essential trace minerals. They are a berry flavored chewable. They taste so good I could eat several a day! I would think that if you ask a pharmacist, they will be able to recommend a good chewable for you. It is important for you to get your vitamins in every day, so go look for some soon. Good luck.

Please don't obsess with the scales. They are very fickle! You'll go up and then down and it's very aggravating. Just do what is right per doctor's instructions, do your exercies, drink your water, and stay off the scales except for once a week if you can. Also remember that around the "time of the month", you're going to be heavier. You can do this and I just know that you're going to be successful. Hang in there and congrats on what you have lost already.

I am so impressed and happy for you even though I don't know you personally. Thank God for your hard work and your encouragement to us that aren't there yet. It's an amazing feat! Wow!

Walking helps the gas, so does the Gas-X strips. Read the box instructions carefully. If you can put yourself in the knee-chest position w/o too much pain on the incisions, it will really help with the gas. We would put our post-op patients in this position when they were having so much gas. Hope you're better soon.

I've had three fills since August 11th and I'm down 52 lbs. My doctor says that it may take several more fills to get to the right spot. I don't think I'm too far off the mark as I do feel somewhat of a small restriction now. Hang in there and be happy that you have lost so much weight already. It will come. Just be patient.

Busdriver (Kristi) and I were at group today. We missed the rest of you of course. They had a plastic surgeon that does body sculpturing as the guest speaker. Dr. Al Cohn. Very nice man and very informative. The before/after pictures were really revealing. Next month they are having a clothes sale in the hallway if you have any clothes for sale. Veronica has decided NOT to have the fair that she talked about last month. Only four people emailed her to offer help, so she isn't having it for now. The room was really full today with people that came to the seminar. Post-op people were only about a 1/3 of the room and the rest were all pre-ops. I love hearing everyone's story of their journey. Well, it's bedtime....church tomorrow. Take care everyone.