faybie

1/20/07 hips: 45" down 1" from 1/07 waist: 36 3/8" down 1 5/8" from 1/07 chest: 41" down 1 3/4" from 1/07 rt thigh: 24" no change from last measurement lf thigh: 24" no change from last measurement rt calf: 13 5/8" down 1 1/8" from 1/07 lf calf: 15 1/2" down 1 1/2" from 1/07 rt bicep: 12 1/2" down 3/8" from 1/07 lf bicep: 12" down 1/2" from 1/07

LOL! Yeah, that was my biggest fear before I got banded that I was going to have to say goodbye to all of these foods before I was ready. It was actually kind of nice to have the band but not be filled for a while because it gives you a chance to reduce your portions gradually. Ha. Ha. I guess I was addicted to food as much as a smoker is to cigarettes.

I was a bread lover too! I could eat bread up until my second fill where I hit my sweet spot. Just like many people have said here, it is not worth it once you reach the proper restriction level. I can each 3 oz of fish or chicken and a couple of bites of vegetables OR 1 bite of bread. I skip the bread because it is just not worth it for me anymore. I eat so little that I choose the best. I actually enjoy eating the Protein and veggies more than 1 bite of bread so it doesn't feel like a sacrifice. Luckily, you will have at least 2 months after banding that you can eat small quantities of bread so you do get some time to reduce your portions you won't necessarily have to go cold turkey.

I was reading my journal. I haven't added an entry in a while. It was quite fun reading my thoughts just after being banded. I was reading my daily meals too, funny I wasn't making very good choices back then. I had cookies for dinner one day... jeesh. I make much much healthier choices these days. I should keep more of a log of my food. I tried on fitday, however it is so hard to find matches for foods that it got frustrating. Just ran my numbers. I am down to a BMI of 29. That was nice to see. I have been up since 5am. I don't normally wake up until 10am on Sat. I want to make breakfast however my family is still asleep. If I grab a small snack it would be my breakfast, so I have no choice but to wait for them to wake up. I am going in for a fill next week. I can't wait! Oh, and I also just took measurements and I went down 7 3/4" in the month of December. Such a great feeling. I remember browsing the site before surgery wishing I could already have results like people on here. Within a blink of an eye here I am reaping the rewards of my journey. I love my band!!!!! I want to shout it from roof tops that I LOVE MY BAND!!!

Hi. thanks Sheila and losingjusme for your comments. I read that most people are nervous before surgery, Sheila, so that is definitely normal. I also just figured out that you can add your own food in fitday.com. Realizing that has made my experience with them much better. After my fill I was talking about, it was a little too tight and for two days before I went in for a slight unfill I ate under 170 calories both days. I wonder what face I would have gotten on myfooddiary.com. LOL.

Wow. I wish I had something more supportive to say. Remember, Einstein failed over 100 times trying to develop his Theory of Relativity. If it truly is your life's hopes and dreams, I would think you would be willing to do whatever it takes and not give up. You have at least 35 years left to go to this dr. and that dr. Would you rather look back in 35 years and wish you had or be glad you didn't? I am a cancer survivor. I had to fight for my right to stay here on this earth. I view every day as special and would not let anything stand in the way of something I wanted. I wish you strength and patience.

I wonder if you could ask to be re-assigned temporarily while you heal. Would your work consider something like that?

I agree too. I miss dessert. I never have room for dessert and when I do have room I still need to get in Proteins or veggies so I choose not to. Late night snacking is gone. Sometimes I feel like I don't get "enough" of something that I wanted and I end up eating it at my next two meals even more sometimes. However all of these desires are reasons I was overweight in the first place and the fact that I even have these deep desires tells me that I would not be able to survive on conventional diets alone. Although I miss these things, I would not trade back the 47 pounds I have lost to live like that at all. I love my band and it was the best decision of my life. I think tired old man is trying to tell you that the band is just the first step, many other challenges follow. Good Luck!

Wow that is a tough one, you should discuss this with your dr. I was told not to lift more than 10lbs. the first month. I sit behind a desk and do absolutely no lifting and I went back to work on day 6. Good luck!

Everything I have ever read about Dr. Ortiz has always been positive. I was self pay however, I didn't know about Dr. Ortiz. I would have seriously considered him had I known about him. Such a price difference. If you don't plan to go back to Mexico for fills, try to arrange a fill Dr. ahead of time. I have heard it is harder to do after the surgery than before. Good luck!

Just last night, I typed that it might take me a while to get to a total of 50 lbs. down. Then I got up this morning and bam! I was down 3 more. I had to go in for a .2cc unfil because I was too tight and I was down 5 pounds on the drs. scale since last wednesday so it was a "real" 3 pounds. I can't wait to meet all of you that will be a lot of fun. Which side of town do you all live on? Are we going to meet on a weekend or weeknight? I live in Sugar Land and I am willing to travel to meet up.

Hey! Don't meet without me, I wanna come! I am six pounds from 50 pound mark, although I think it might take a while.

I have had my 3rd fill and it definitely kicked in. This is going to sound crazy but I ate 151 calories yesterday and only had 168 calories today. I am trying to eat, I am just so restricted that I can only have liquids for Breakfast. Then I had a slice of a deviled egg for lunch. Then 4 pieces of fajita meat and a bit of cheese for dinner. Should I go in for an "unfill"? I don't want them to take too much out like they have other people. I havent dropped any pounds in over 2 weeks. I am not worried about not dropping pounds because I am better off than I would be.

I agree everytime I have called for a fill they ask me if I want it with or without Dr. Spivak. I have full confidence in the surgery center that both Dr. Spivak and Dr. Spiegel use and I haven't had any complications so I tell them that without is fine.

No worries, everyones posts and provided information have convinced me that this Dr. should not be promoting the re-using the fill needle and if indeed he is putting those used needles into a community saline bottle, then he needs to be reported.

very good point kareyquilts, the mention of everyone using the same saline bottle supports that the Dr. was out of line. I might not even want the saline that he would insert because now, everyone else who has agreed to use the same needle has had their needle stuck in the bottle.

Well said!

As I stated it was a "series" of sticks. So 8 to 10 sticks at a time over a 2 month period. Same needle every time and the area was cleaned with alcohol not betadine which is the same thing used in a fill. I still have the needle if I need more injections. Like I said, I personally don't see the big deal if the tissue is cleaned and the needle is cleaned there should be no problem.

Wow! yeah! I would say new needle everytime in this situation...

I personally, do not think this is as strange as everyone else. The "biohazard" of a needle is the tissue that the needle is inserted into. That is why sharing needles is "bad". Sticking the needle into the same tissue will not cause any problems. If the area is cleaned properly and never touches anything but your tissue, then there should be no concern. I am a recovering cancer patient. I have an eight inch scar on my back from surgery where the tumor and 4 layers of margins were removed. I had to undergo a series of "trigger point" injections to "deaden" the nerve endings that were growing into the scar tissue. I was stuck over 50 times with the same needle. Should they have used 50 needles? That seems funny. I really don't see he problem.

I couldn't eat more when I needed a fill either, I was just getting hungry within two hours. In my fill, I learned that I had lost about .5ccs so I defintely needed the fill. So if you are getting hungry too soon, I agree you need a fill. Good luck!

Good morning lower BMI bandsters! I got my 3rd fill yesterday and I am wearing clothes that are too big that I bought in late December. I can't wait until I can wear smaller sizes that I already have in my closet. My favorite store is Ann Taylor, I have a ton of clothes in sizes 12, 10 and 8. Marys, I have two sugggestions for you also. First, take measurements. My first two months of being banded I did not lose weight, however I lost inches and one clothing size. Second, you should track your food intake and exercise on fitday.com, it may help you figure out which areas need work. If you don't see any difference with measurements and fitday.com ask your Dr.'s nurse if you can meet with someone in the office and go over the information you have gathered.

Thanks for the "nut" idea for afternoon cravings instead of protein shakes. I went and bought some low-salt cashews on my lunch break.

I think everyone gets nervous before their surgery. Remember not just to read the bad stuff. About 250 people a month on this forum alone get banded. I am sure not all banded people in the world are members of this forum. So if you read 6, 10 even 20 "bad" stories that is a very small percentage.

I think scar damage depends on heredity as well, I am a cancer survivor and I had an access port sewn into my right upper chest/shoulder area. You have to look very very hard to see the scars now 1.5 years later. If I put some cover up on it, you wouldn't be able to see it at all.