happy2lose

Very inspiring Amy. Looks like you are doing really well. My start weight was the same as yours. It is my goal to lose at least 100 pounds by my 1 year bandiversary. Congratulations to you on your weight loss! Donna

My doc says its bad for the band to be too tight. It sure is miserable. I couldn't even take my pills after my last fill without throwing up. In fact, I couldn't eat at all until the evening rolled around and my band got loose enough for me to eat. It's just way too uncomfortable being that tight. I hung in there for about 2 weeks before getting some fill taken out.

Day 4 for me. I'll tell you though, it gets better as I get thinner.

Check with your surgeon on this, but I'm willing to bet he gave you a fill during surgery and this is why you are so swollen. Many surgeons do fill at the time they install the band. You may need a slight unfill. Check your surgical report and see if it says anything about it.

About a week into my post-op diet my daughter made chicken parmesan and pasta and it smelled heavenly. Of course I was still on Clear Liquids and couldn't have any. I kinda hung around the dinner table lurking and sniffing until I finally took a bit off my daughter's plate and chewed it up and spit it out in the trash can. It tasted so darned good! I never cheated again on my post op diet after that incident.

OMG! Your husband is such a jerk lol. You are gonna have to have an abundance of will power to succeed with him around. I feel for ya girl!

Hello Cruzlady, I've never heard of Water walking. Sounds like fun. Can't wait till my pool is warm again so I can add that to my exercise regimen. Maybe you can get yourself a couple of 5 lb weights and do some arm exercises as well. Best of luck to you, Donna

I just had a feeling...........Best of luck to you neighbor. Donna

Congratulations to you! I highly recommend you begin a daily exercise regimen that you will stick with and increase in duration each week. I can totally feel the difference if I skip my morning workout. I feel like I am tired and dragging all day. On the days I work out I feel happy, bubbly and energetic. Enjoy those chicken and noodles because once you have really good restriction you probably wont be able to eat the noodles. I can't eat Pasta, bread or rice at all without getting stuck. I also want to lose 160 pounds and am now half way to goal in just 6 months. This has been an exciting 6 months though. I have proven to myself that I can and will get this weight off and have never been more determined. I can now shop in any clothing store and buy clothes that I like not because they fit. I started at 330 pounds and am now 250. Best of luck to you, Donna

I really like the Matrix 5 protein powder. I put the vanilla powder in the blender with a banana and a handful of ice cubes and it tastes wonderful.

This is a question you really should ask your surgeon. You may need to call your doctor who prescribed the Lipitor and see if there is another medication you can switch to that is smaller or can be broken or crushed.

Swelling is not fun! You are getting a glimpse of what restriction feels like with the swelling. After my last fill I was too tight for nearly 2 weeks before going back for an unfill. It totally sucks to be so swollen you can't eat or drink. Taking my pills was such an ordeal I would rather not remember. Did your doctor tell you to return to clear liquids until the swelling goes down? This is what you should have been told.

Hunger is very normal at the stage you are at. Not much you can do on clear liquids to keep hunger at bay unless you just keep drinking water. The s/f jello and s/f popcicles help some. Are you able to have clear protein yet?

Any drug store should have them in the Vitamin section. I think even Walmart carries them. You should get some papaya enzymes too for when you have stuck episodes.

Jeff, You definitely should not give up and live this way. At 27 years old I strongly urge you to consider having the sleeve procedure if your insurance will cover it. I have seen several people who went the route of the sleeve and they are doing great. I'm really not too sure that you would be happy with the the slow result obtained with lapband. Please do more research on the sleeve.

I have always taken a multi-vitamin and continued doing so a few days after surgery. Just be sure to crush them if you are unable to swallow a large pill. Most people take chewables after being banded. I highly recommend Viactiv chewables. You will also need to take calcium. I take vitamin D and Biotin as well.

I can totally relate to this. Some people are such assholes. Please forgive the language as this is the only name that comes to mind. I have found some of the most educated people are the rudest of them all. In my case, I am pretty outspoken and generally my thoughts come out of my mouth unfiltered when I am around people like this. I wouldn't hesitate to put them in their place if I were you.

You are not alone in either of your issues. I began losing my hair at 4 months post op. Just like you, I thought maybe I had dodged the bullet but no, I didn't. My hair is still falling out like crazy several months later. The loss is not due to lack of Protein in the diet as some speculate. I eat more protein now then I ever have. I take Biotin and other Vitamins and am not deficient in anything. I also feel your pain in regards to my face looking older now that its thinner. I guess we have to take the good with the bad huh? Save your money on surgery and wait until you are done losing your weight. Perhaps you can find a surgeon that will give you a package deal. This is what I am hoping for. Take care and don't sweat the small stuff, Donna

Don't feel bad about neglecting to name your band........I've had mine for almost 7 months and have never even considered giving it a name. How neglectful of me! Hehe.

My surgeon told me to expect the port pain to last up too 6 weeks. I believe mine stopped hurting somewhere around week 4. Hang in there, it does get better.

Wow! We see many inconsistencies from surgeon to surgeon but the no NSAID's rule has always been pretty common between surgeons. I sure hope it doesn't cause you any problems with your band.

You are not suppose to be taking NSAID's. You need to let your orthopedic doc know this. NSAID's such as motrin, advil and many others can cause ulcers in the stomach. This is why we bandsters are not suppose to be taking them. Call your surgeon immediately and let them know what is happening and contact your ortho and ask them to prescribe something that isn't an NSAID.

You should be feeling pretty normal around 7-10 days post op.