Cortney75

Okay September Bandsters, When are you all going in for your first fill? I don't know when mine is yet, but I am sure I will find out tomorrow and can't wait!!! So who has dates and when are you going in!!! Yeah to first fill!!!! :mad2:

I think it would be great to have a folder on here for a clothing swap or place to sell groups of clothes. Since so many of us frequent this board it would be nice to have a place to post clothes we would like to offer or sell to fellow members that are losing weight at the same time. Could have sub folders for different sizes, 14/16, 18/20, 22/24 etc... L, XL, XXL, etc... and then a folder just for men. Don't think we would need sizes for them but just a folder that says mens. Think this would promote swapping or helping each other out. I know as I lose weight I won't be able to afford a new wardrobe, but someone that is a few sizes down might be able to offer things to me that I would like. Better than having to dive through eBay and the purchasing or member getting the clothes would be responsible for paying for shipping if nothing else. Just a thought. :thumbup:

I got the band in hopes of losing enough weight to get pregnant. I will be 35 in April and shortly after my husband and I were married we did see a fertility specialist. It was then that I learned about the band. Because of issues that were also found out at this time about my husbands health we have been putting off having kids until this year when I finally decided we can keep waiting any longer. So I started B.C the day after I was banded. I am hoping that in 6 months I will be able to come off of them in hopes of conceiving. I won't be using fertility pills at first, I will use a soy pill which can be purchased in the Vitamin section. Use it days 5-9 after you period and it works like clomid. I also have my husband on zinc and L-Argenine(sp) which helps promote health sperm (takes 3 months though to clear out the plumbing) So hopefully I will be joining a few banders and getting pregnant within the year. :thumbup:

I would love to join in on this. I have a set of Walk at Home DVD's that I need to start using. So since I just got banded 4 weeks ago and this will be my first month, I am going to say my October Mile's will be 45. Hope I am not trying to aim to high...but that would be a nice starting goal I think. Can't wait to start logging my miles. :thumbup:

I did start a yahoo group for all of us in September. I am including Aug & Oct, specially the ones at the end of Aug and beginning of Oct. My thought...those in August are a little more ahead of some of us and then we can help the ones in September. One big happy family and push and encourage each other. I choose Yahoo over, Windows Live and Google groups (I created a group on each one) because Yahoo has the biggest storage of photos!!! Also their storage for files is also pretty big and does not count against your photo storage space. I will still come to the board to post. But I thought this would be a really nice way to keep in touch, share recipes, encourage, do challenges with each other, photos, etc. Since we are all going through this together and at the same time. Plus you can get everything emailed to you and reply right through the email to the whole group. So if you would like to join and have a nice Bandster family come on over and sign up! You do have to have a Yahoo ID to be part of the group. To get one sign up here - https://edit.yahoo.com/registration?...oups.yahoo.com Also when you apply to be a member just let me know you are part of the lap band forum or when your surgery date is/was. I don't just want to let anyone join at this time. Okay hope everyone had a great weekend. If the link to join below does not work I will edit until I can get it to work. :wink2: Click to join banded909 - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/banded909/join

Welcome to the group everyone, I try to approve right away, had some internet issues today sorry if it took a little longer to approve some. :smile: Welcome to the Yahoo group it is a great place and wonderful support!

WOOO HOOO way to go fillers. I can't wait to hear from everyone after their fills and how they are doing. CO Mom how are you doing post fill. I think you are the first one to be filled so far that has posted. I am next week Wednesday and I can't wait!!! Can't wait to have some restriction as I have NONE!!! :smile:

I am in the same basket, I have cheated a bit here and there too. Specially the past few days. I am 4 weeks post op and SOOOO hungry, and my monthly friend came so I had some cinnamon rolls the other day and a chocolate shake the next day. But I have gotten back on track and I can't wait for my first fill next week. It won't come soon enough!

I love reading all of your blogs, I just recently started one myself on my journey with my band. Please take a look as we share in this journey together. You all are great inspiration to me! I have all of your blogs in my favorites and love reading them. Thank you for sharing your journey with all of us. :biggrin: Cortney My blog - The New Adventures of Lap-Band-Laney

I am type 2 diabetic also and since starting this journey I have gone from taking 2/1000 avandamet twice a day to just taking 1000 mg metformin once a day. My sugars the past month have averaged around 120. I got the lapband put in 09/04/09 and my PCP believes I will be off all my meds shortly. With my current numbers and the fact that I am still in the liquid portion I think I will be on the met a little bit longer but I am guessing before the new year I will no longer be taking met.

Oh wow that is AWESOME, the nurse at the office I used was the 2nd person to get the lap band done with the surgeon and because of that she calls herself a guinea pig because her first fill was done like that so she hit her sweet spot right away. Need an adjustment later in the year with the weight loss as it got a little lose. Pray that you hit that sweet zone right away. I got my date today. Oct 7th :tt1: YEAH!!! Only 3 weeks to go. I was surprised when he said to come back in about 3 weeks, usually they push for 4. Can't wait just around the corner now...feel like I am in the home stretch!

I am not saying I would do self fills, but for everyone that comments about training, insurance allowing, and hazards (infections etc) If you are trained well you should have no problem doing self fills. If you have to pay co pays etc to have the doctor do it or self pay at 150 to 200 a fill this could be very cost effective. I say all this because my husband is in kidney failure and does home hemo dialysis. We are both trained how to stick him with his needles into his port, set up and disconnect his machine and emergency situations. Now to me if insurance will cover this, that is life threatening if we do anything wrong (in the beginning I had to call 911 once due to it) I don't see why insurance would have an issue covering self fills. (Benefits them as no doctor visit charge etc) Obviously you have to know yourself and what you can and can not do. If you are going to sabotage yourself and un-fill here and there to eat more and then fill back up than you would not want to do this. But if you think you could handle this or that your spouse or someone else could for you than why not go for it. I think if I did it I would have my husband do it. Just like the band is our tool we have to use it right to work, I just see it to be more empowering and taking my own success into my own hands. Just my thoughts. :tongue2:

I understand how frustrating it can be when you are so close but yet so far away. My advise if you have no co-morbidities know, is to have your PCP write a letter that they think the surgery would benefit you because of current risk factory that run in your family history. By doing this it may help them approve it to avoid costly treatments for this. Also one thing my surgeon said about being close to the bmi factor is stuff you pockets with coins or anything you can do comfortable (not noticeable) to step on the scale with and give you that push. Like I have shoes that weigh several pounds, were heavy clothing. If you can't qualify due to 15 pounds, the other suggestion is to gain the weight knowing in the long run the benefits you will receive. Hope it works out for you.

I also am on clear liquids for 2 weeks post op and than full liquids for 2 more weeks. I just passed my 1 week mark and needed to start adding more to it. Based on lap band's actually website post op they suggest 2 weeks liquid (full and clear together) and 2 weeks mushy and 2 weeks soft. My doctor goes from the 4 weeks for liquid to soft foods there is no in between step. Thankfully I have talked to a lot of people that used my surgeon that all said they only did one week of clear one week of full and then moved onto 2 weeks of mushy and then 2 weeks of soft. So that is what I am planning on doing because I feel just like you and am going crazy with no really food. The total calories I am getting right now is about 500 to 600 a day. No real Protein or carbs. I have been losing weight but have started to get hungry again in the evening, so that is when I usually do my cream Soup. Hang in there, what is your next phase?

Maalox Total Relief - Maximum Strength worked wonders for me. That and a heating pad on my belly when I slept. While I felt bloated the pains where never unbearable for me and I think I lot of it has to do with taking the Maalox, the heating pad, also getting up and walking as much as he can. That will help get everything out. Also sipping on warm broth helped too. Hope that helps him feel better.

Hi Courtney - Just wanted to say Hi and welcome from another Cortney (just no U) and we are the same age. Small world. I just got banded but I am dreading the day I plateau. I have a little more weight than you so post op here I have been losing pretty good. From the start of my pre op diet to now I have lost a total of 22 lbs. It is not even a month yet for me from the start of my pre op diet. I just hope it keeps going like this. I love walking, it is just hard for me down here because of the heat (which seems to be less frazzling to me lately) and where I live, no sidewalks and street I live on is a danger zone for walkers, riders, etc. I have a Wii and before surgery I did get My Fitness Coach for it and look forward to starting to try that and see what that does for me. What do you like to do? Dance? Aerobics? Think of something you like to do and then try doing it. For awhile I was putting on my favorite cd and just started dancing around my living room to it. Moving and bending, just doing my own thing for at least a song or two with the intention of working up to the whole CD which would be about a 45 to 60 minute workout depending on the CD. I was going to get some arm and leg weights to help too at a point. Still think I might do that. :laugh: Just thought I would share that with you to see if that gives you a few ideas to change it up. I am always happy listening to music and singing to myself. :cursing: Oh side note, my husband and I want to move to NC. We have good friends in the Charlotte area and I have wanted to move to NC for awhile. We have looked from Raleigh to Greensboro to Hickory. (Getting that feeling of having a double out there...now if you say your birthday is in April we are going to have to talk.) :biggrin: Look forward to getting to know you! :biggrin:

What I was told by my surgeons office is that they don't want me to drink 30 minutes before I eat because it will make me feel full and then not eat the proper amount I should to get my nutrients for the day. Granted I can just eat more later, but I think they just want to get us into a habit of no drink with meal so that we eat the Protein that we need and don't just have a liquid diet. But I don't see a problem with drink up to shortly before a meal. I never know when I am going to eat so I don't know how to gauge when to stop. Doing the hour my surgeon asks for after won't be a problem. Let us know what you find out. :thumbup:

I am in :thumbup: I just need to update my Halloween ticker to the Turkey Day Challenge. :frown: I added my information to the spreadsheet but it did not calculate the information just FYI. Looking forward to losing with everyone :seeya:

broth it will be your saver in the liquid phase. I get the bouillon cubes and dilute it a little more than required. 2 cups of Water and 1 cube. Specially when you get sick of the sweet tasting stuff. Other than the broth, water, crystal light type drinks, SF Jello, SF Hard candies and SF Gum there really is not much. The broth is what helped me specially days 3 to 5. Sipping it and drinking a ton of them because the warmth just calmed my tummy down. It will all be worth it in the long run :thumbup:

Restless - wow that really puts it in perspective. Pre and Post and Filled. Thanks for sharing that. I am so glad I have this band in me now. Thanks again for sharing with us. :w00t:

I think you just have to work up your stamina slowly. Just try and do 5 minutes a day for a week or so and then increase it slowly back up, Add 5 minutes the next week. Like others said remember you just had major surgery and even if we are feeling good our bodies still need time to heal and adjust. I would just take it slowly and you will start to see your energy level come back up.

I was banded on Friday and was moving around right after surgery. The nurses were like can we get some vitals on you first before we let you up. LOL. Walk as much as you can that will help. Since you will be mostly sitting I don't see an issue. As long as you are not on RX pain meds also. After surgery I had one dose of morphine but everything else was liquid tylenol for me. I stopped taking the tylenol on Tuesday. Think RX pain meds might hamper your driving abilities also your concentration just a little bit. Best of luck to you :w00t:

I think they might be thinking about major re-routing surgeries. RNY, Sleeve, DS. Those do adjust to the body after about 2 years. But the band does not adjust because every calorie you eat is absorb by the band. Where the others mentioned for the first 2 years don't. That is one of the big reasons I choose this type of surgery. Is because so many that have had bypass etc have gained the weight back. I know there are plenty that are successful but with the band I have started talking with people that are 5 years out plus that still have kept the weight off. I know lap band states you can except to lose 55% of your excess weight. But my surgeon said that if I am using the tool right and keep diligent on realizing when I am able to eat more and not feel full that I need a fill that you can have great success with this surgery and it will work for you for the rest of your life. What sold me on the band was being told that every fill is like re-having surgery, where others if they start to fail all the dr can do is try to push you to get back on track. I know if I was told what you were told I would be freaking out too. Hope some of our comments help calm some of the nerves.

Hi banders - Glad to read everyone is doing good. Today is post op day 6 for me. I am feeling so much better. Most of my gas is gone. I have add a little bit of full liquids to my diet yesterday. I just needed something a little more. So yesterday did egg drop soup and a bowl of that really filled me up. Also did one sugar free pudding. Tonight I am going to try a cream soup. My goal today is to do a half gallon of water. I am almost there. I just need to push myself on the water. I am drinking easier. I weighed myself today and through this whole process now I have lost 22 lbs. I am so happy. I don't want to see it to start creep back up at all. So when I start the mushy phase I should feel good enough to do some exercises that should help keep the weight falling off. I am so glad I had this surgery. I have named my band Laney. She is going to be my best friend for the rest of my life and I know at time my worst enemy. But she is forever part of me now to help me on this journey. I am thinking of starting a blog...the adventures of Laney. :w00t: Here is a question for all post op banders. Every morning I wake up to a tightness in my chest. I am guessing this is the band and how most have talked about not eating in the AM because of the tightness. It goes away about an hour or so after waking but I was just curious if you all feel this too or if it is just me. TZN my doctor said the strips can come off 7 days post op if they have not fallen off. I had a gauze pad type band aid over them for the first 24 hours, but that could come off after 24 hours. They mentioned if I take a shower that day to leave them on then take them off. If you are not sure I would check with your surgeons office. ( I was told there is no harm in leaving them on just my surgeon will remove them at my first appointment if still on. ) To everyone going through or into surgery. Good Luck, I will be thinking of all of you and prayers will be with you. Those of us post op. I hope to keep reading how we are feeling better each passing minute. Knowing that it is all worth it! :blushing: Cortney

I know what you mean. That is why I did not want to tell anyone about my surgery. I did tell my sister and grandmother and a very close friend. But other than that the only one that knew was my husband, brother in law and step son (hes 6 and don't think he is going to run around telling anyone) I am glad I didn't since my husband not thinking posted his status message on FB when I was in surgery that he was waiting for me to come out of surgery. Since I have had several questions and just don't know how to answer them. I have kinda blown most of them off. I still don't want them to know until I start losing to say see this is why I did it because it works where everything else has failed me! Good luck to you but I know how it feels.