untfluter

I was banded on May 19th. First pic was taken the night before and 2nd pic was taken on Aug 20th. http://www.facebook.com/untfluter?ref=profile#/photo.php?pid=30403624&id=1412254575 http://www.facebook.com/untfluter?ref=profile#/photo.php?pid=30620499&id=1412254575 sorry, I couldn't figure out how to actually add the pic to my response..

I just found the May bandsters... so I'll start w/my weight the day of surgery was 346.6 but my pre-op weight 2 wks prior to surgery was 358.5. I was banded on May 19, 2009. I had my first fill on 6/12 with 2CC's... I was down to 334.5 by that point. I went for my 2nd fill on 7/22, 1 CC and I was down to 313.5. I had to go back the next week, I was too tight, they took out 1/2CC leaving me with a total 2.5 CC's in my band. I go for my 3rd fill on Sept 9th. By my scale two days ago I was down to 308.4, so I hit my total since surgery is 38.2 but a grand total of 50.1. I am THRILLED!!

Erica, you hit the nail on the head.. she enjoys being the skinny one... she enjoys being the one who gets the attention because she is the skinny pretty one and you are the fat pretty one.. and now she is afraid that YOU will be the skinny pretty one and take the attention away from her... I TRULY believe that.... My best friend, who was skinny when we met but has gained weight over the years and is/was close to 250lbs has been SOOO supportive of me.. she lives in Houston but calls me all the time and tells me all the time how proud she is of me...THAT'S what a true friend does...

sometimes it takes a few days for the restriction to be felt and sometimes you will be more restricted a day or two later and then it lets up a little... give it a few more days and if it still happening call your dr. I had the same problem after my 2nd fill and wound up getting 1/2 CC taken out a week after my fill. I got for my 3rd fill on Sept 9th.

you are only a few days post op. They use gas to lift up your organs, so the belching is normal because your body needs to expel it.. it is also normal for it to hurt a little. I am 3 months post op and I found that Gas-x helped. The pills are VERY small and easy to swallow.... but I do still belch quite a bit even though I am 3 months post op... it's embarrasing sometimes.. LOL

Meechbethy, since there are no support group meetings w/in 100miles of where you live, check out bariatriceating.com this is actually the website for a store here in the Ft. Lauderdale area but they do an online support group meeting weekly, that might be an good option for you.

wow... she's one of those that think that they don't need to change their way of eating, they will just eat less.. that doesn't work.. this band is a tool to me... and like an alcoholic in AA, I have to work this program EVERY day of my life for the rest of my life.. I hope she get's her act together for the sake of her and her children.

I had an issue after my 2nd fill. I have a 10CC band (I believe) and they put in 2 CC on my first fill and 1 CC on my second fill. I ate something the day after my fill and didn't feel great, I felt ok, but not great, that was a Thurs night/Fri. On Saturday, I couldn't eat more then 3 bites of solid food w/out having pain and then throwing up. I spoke w/my surgeon's nurse on Monday and she agreed w/me that my band was too tight... So I went in and he took out 1/2 CC, and I was fine.. it's not an exact science... so that could be the problem. I go for my 3rd fill on Sept 9th. Wish me luck!

I agree w/Unforgetable. During the week I also eat Greek yogurt for breakfast... I do drink protein shakes but I use them to suplement my protein intake, I drink them in between meals. I have 2 a day, at least during the week. I use the Pure Protein brand and in my opinion don't have any funny smell to them. I stick w/the chocolate flavors and I get a big jug in Target for like $18 and it lasts me a few weeks. I usually eat 1-2 hard boiled eggs a day, that also gives me a lot of protein... and I also eat Morningstar brand Veggie Patties, which have like 14 grams of soy protein and I also eat a lot of chicken breast (deli style) because it is protein. I take in on average 75-100 grams of protein a day...

I was banded on May 19, 2009. I arrived at the hospital around 10am with my dad and my sister. My mom showed up about an hour later. They took me back to pre-op around 11:30 or so. I was so ready and sure of this and calm that when the RN took my BP, it was like 120/80. The anestesiologist told me that when I woke up I might be a little nausceous. I was the 3rd procedure of the day for my surgeon, so I was not actually taken in to the OR until between 1-1:30.... I was so not nervous.. I was ready to rock and roll, but my family, they were a nother story... ....I remember them asking me to scoot over to the table and them putting the mask over my face and the next thing I remember is them waking me up in the OR, telling me it was over and that it went well... they asked me how I felt... I told them that I was nausceous, I don't know if I really was or if it just stuck in my head from earlier... but they gave me something for that. I don't remember them taking to to PACU, but I do remember eventually waking up, the RN asking me how my pain was on a scale of 1-10. I think I told her about a 6, so she gave me a shot of morphine... I felt back asleep.. LOL just before they were ready to take me up to my room, they hooked up my morphine pump... I liked that! LOL I actually didn't use it TOO much... I was up in my room about 5:40 pm.. my parents and sister and friend where there.... I work for a travel nurse staffing company and I vaguelly remember talking to the nurses about that and them asking me questions.. LOL I did ask for some ice chips because I wasn't allowed anything yet, so they gave them to me and they eventually brought me a tray w/crystal light, some broth and some jello and of course, water.... I wasn't hungry but I was thirsty, so I drank the water and the crystal light, but small sips... I eventually had the nurse heat up my broth about 11pm because I knew I had to eat. I had a few more friends show up to see me and I remember hitting the morphine pump while they were there and I had this big grin on my face according to them.. LOL My nurse took me to walk about 10:30 that night and then again in the morning before the change of shift. I remember the pain wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, it just felt like I had done like 500 crunches... I found that I could really only take one bite of jello and that had to wait for a while before I could have more because it made me a little sick to my stomach... but the next morning I was able to handle the jello better.... I went home the next day around 2pm. I have been reading everyone's experiences and a lot of you had an upper GI to make sure that the band was in the proper place, etc.. they never did that for me... but so far so good... I am about 3 months post op and I am down 34.4 lbs since the surgery but a total of 48.5 since May 4th, which was 2 wks before my surgery...

Lizabeth, you are right.. anything that gets you moving is great.. I enjoy walking but I live in S. FL and it is hot as hades MOST of the time and is just too hot to get out and walk.. LOL and the gym at my complex is only open M-F 9-5, lot of good that does... LOL so that's why I enjoy working out in the pool, plus I find I am more likely to work out in the pool because I enjoy it, so I don't make excuses to NOT excercise... LOL

I like what Indiogirl said... and I have always had that mentality too.. the band is just a tool... we still have to make good choices.. I know I do protein before I do anything else.. I had my surgery on May 19th and since then I have lost 34.4 lbs since the surgery and a total of 48.5 since May 4th, two weeks before my surgery... I have very few carbs, which to my surprise, I don't miss as much as I thought I would.

I had my first fill at just under 4 wks, only because of the date of my surgeon's fill clinic... and I went back a month later for my second fill but had to go back a week later to have him take out some because I was too tight... I will probably get my 3rd fill in about 2 wks. I have the AP Standard, which I believe is a 10CC band but at this point I only had 2 1/2 CC's in my band.. but I have been losing on average close to 3 lbs a week, sometimes more.

don't worry about the initial weight loss. I know for me, once they did my first fill, the weight started coming off a lot faster....so just start with the work outs and that will definately help but once they do your first fill, you will definately see a difference...remember, PROTEIN! LOL

I am about 3 months post op and I live in Florida, but I LOVE to work out in the pool. I take a water aerobics class every Saturday morning and I work out usually twice on my own in the pool weather permitting. I do aerobic things like walking, jogging in place, etc to get the heart rate up and I do a lot of toning excercises, like crunches, leg lifts to the front, back and side all in the water. I can do squats and lunges in the water and I couldn't do these excercises on land, at least not yet... but I can in the water... plus the water is great resistance which helps w/toning... I would suggest that you try to find a water aerobics class nearby... I know that a lot of LA Fitness locations have pools and offer water aerobics... I take my class in the city pool and it is only $3 a class, so I am very lucky....

I have to agree w/you. Dr. Wizman did my surgery on May 19th. The best day of this journey was the day that I found Dr. Wizman. His staff is great and he is so caring and just a great surgeon.