kym828

Hi PRBrooksie, Sorry it has taken so long to respond - i have been busy with the holidays and just catching up on the posts. Well, we are in the exact same boat. I have not lost anything in about 9 days now - i was doing great - down 16 lbs since surgery on nov 2nd and now i am struggling VERY hard to keep the 16 off. I too have decided to go ahead and get a fill and i am also scheduled for Dec 13th with the doc - i cant wait!! Even though Inner Me gave us a wonderful reminder that this weight loss in the first 6 wks is a bonus, i am still beginning to panic thinking i spent $8500 out of pocket for failure. My parents are extremely supportive although last night my wonderful father made a comment that has stuck with me... i had a normal dinner - since i have no restriction i seemed to inhale the food, but no seconds or thirds like preband days. As i reached for a too large slice of key lime pie he said "you get the band and now you will gain 50 lbs" and then he laughed - i know he didnt mean to hurt my feelings because he was laughing but it did sting a bit. I have been walking on the treadmill 5 days a week for 45 minutes to try and keep the wt off but with pies and junk in the house during the holidays it is painfully hard and obivously i have zero will power. i rent out the basement in my parents home so i dont have too much control over what kind of junk is brought into the home. i know Jan 1st they will get rid of all junk food so it will be easier then. I do have a question... when i eat too fast i sometimes get a pain between my shoulder blades in the middle of my back. Does anyone ever experience this? i always have to stop, slow down, and wait a few minutes before i continue to eat. i know i am taking way too big of bites and eating too fast - this part is going to be the biggest adjustment for me i think....

Hi November bandsters, small update... i am down 15 lbs since my nov 2nd surgery.. i have not lost anything in a week though... but thats ok because i have officially gotten my big butt back into my 18 jeans without even laying down. i had completely out grown them and my 20's were getting very tight. so i am excited to have more choices in my closet right now. i have started walking 2 miles a day on the treadmill to force myself to walk at a faster pace. i also started eating my first solid meals on monday. i ate half a jr hamberger from wendys and 5 fries and i was stuffed. i could have eaten more but i could feel things starting to back up inside and knew it was best to stop. i have no fill yet and i will wait until i am at a complete standstill with no wt loss for 4 wks in a row before i get a fill. that is my own personal strategy as i dont want to be so tight that i cant enjoy regular foods. i want to live with this tool, and eat like a small person and so far it is working. i just wanted to share my happiness so far with my band. thanks, kim

Dr Ortiz in Mexico does the lapband on teenagers. he has a website at www.obesitycontrolcenter.com i am not sure if he would take on your daughter's case though because like many have mentioned above, the band does not cure the depression and the issues that your daughter is dealing with... it is an option to look into, but i dont want to give you or your daughter false hope - there is no magic pill or band that will fix the stuff going on in our heads. good luck to both of you.

i started therapy about 3 months ago and i want to continue until i think i got it.... i am only 2 wks post-op so the living with the lapband part is still new and i am not sure what issues will be coming up. the one thing my therapist is focusing on right now is helping me make better decisions on who i am friends with... i have a few friends that are "toxic" and an ex-husband too that is "toxic". these people bring absolutely nothing positive into my life and they are the hardest for me to let go. she is after me non-stop to get out there and meet new people and to be unavailable for the "users" in my life. it is a daily struggle as i like the comfort of the known rather than the anxiety of the unknown. i am getting there and the lapband is helping and i think is a positive in my life.. i now try to look at things differently and ask myself "is this a positive situation for my life or negative?" - if it is negative i try to remove myself from the situation - if it is positive i try to embrace it and go with it no matter how uncomfortable i am with this change. i need my therapist for now to help me stay focused. the lapband is not just about getting the weight off to me, but just one of the tools i am using to try to become a healthy, positive person in this society. kim

My doctor said wait 6 months after banding... then the occasional soda or beer is ok - but not all the time.

Sunsreturn, I feel wonderful. no problems at all and i am down 15 lbs since surgery on Nov 2nd. i am looking forward to eating solids on thanksgiving day though (my first meal) - i am getting a little sick of Soup and yogart. Good luck on your surgery... i am sure everything will be just fine. Here is one for you... there was a couple of ladies that had surgery around the time i did... they were also on Clear Liquids and the day after surgery they drank a bottle of white wine together in the hotel bar where we stayed for surgery. i assume they are fine because i havent heard anything. i personally took 2 weeks off from drinking anything and i think my liver really liked the break.

I too go to happy hour every friday. i used to have to drink alot to feel a good buzz (5 or 6 mixed drinks) - probably from all the appetizers that come along with the drinks!! now i am a light wt and 1 maybe 2 mixed drinks will do me for the whole night. i know it slows the wt loss but i am one of those people that want to be out there partying with my friends and if it slows down my wt loss i am ok with that as long as the number keeps getting smaller. i plan on living with my band forever and although i am tweaking my lifestyle and making better choices i still want to live and be me - which includes partying. becareful in over doing it though... i have a terrible fear of throwing up from drinking too much with my band so that alone makes me not push it like i used to. btw - yes i am still on full liquid stage, but to me alcohol qualifies as a liquid and yes i did discuss this with my doc and nutrionist prior to banding. i definetely stay away from all beer and soda.

hi all, my name is kim, 38 and i live in Colorado. i was banded nov 2nd and loving this so far... i have been divorced for 3 yrs myself. I have to agree with Karen on this one. I know lots of bigger women that are always busy dating. I have alot of single guy friends and i can honestly say the good guys of the group seem to be much more open minded towards a larger woman because larger women tend to have developed better social skills and personalities. my motto as a big woman has alway been 'fake it till i make it!" what i mean is i suffer from low self-esteem and worry what others are thinking constantly, but i act like i am the most confident person around. it works beautifully with younger men as they often are sick of insecure young girls that have to be constantly reassured. i dont date often by choice - i want to focus on me for now, but when i do date it is always a younger guy. also, because of my own insecurities of not trusting my judgement on picking a good man my age- i choose to date younger guys knowing we are in totally different places in our lives and not compatable long term, but the initial ego boost is great. i want to eventually start dating men closer to my own age but i will have to learn to trust my judgement before i can ever do that. i know i know i am crazy but it works for now...

Kristi, i too had the same exact experience as you. i had been on the pre-op liquid diet for so long i wanted one final real meal the night before surgery. i ate lite compared to what i "normally eat" but no bowl movement for the next 5 days was the most painful thing in the world. the gas was trapped inside with no place to go. that is very good advice to any of the pre-op people out there. becareful on the last meal.... Kim

hello everyone, i just wanted to update you guys --- i am doing much better today with the gas pain. i think it is finally all gone!! yay!! that really is the only bad thing i have to say - otherwise the days are going by quickly and i am still not hungry at all. i find that i have to drink some liquid yogart or so soup just to keep up my energy level. i am down 11 lbs and i know that pace wont continue but its a nice start. Sunsreturn - you will love Dr Ortiz and his staff. i really felt like a VIP the entire time i was in Tijuana. Dr Ortiz is the type of person that immediately makes you feel comfortable and you really understand that he loves what he does and they will all make you feel special. i cant wait to hear how it goes for you. if you have any questions about the clinic or about anything just ask and i will gladly tell you.

i was self pay and i went thru efinancing solutions on the internet. i pay it back a $220 per month. it was worth it to me.

hi everyone, i am a new november bandster and i wanted to ask you guys that are few weeks ahead of me how long did your gas pain last? i am 6 days out and i thought the pain was getting better, but today is my first day back to work and having to sit at this computer all day is really hurting. any hope on this ending anytime soon?

6 MONTHS!! oh dear Lord i will die of the pain of gas!! ok 5 minutes it is every hour. thank you so much for that advice. i usually heal so quickly i wasnt expecting this gas pain to be so miserable.

Hi Everyone, Kym here... i am 6 days post surgery and feel pretty darn good. i am back at work today and have no complaints about anything except i still have the gas pains - they come and go. any idea how long the gas is suppose to last? i forgot my gas-x at home today so i cant wait for lunch so i can go get some!! i am down 10 lbs so far and the surgery itself really was the easiest surgery i have ever had. good luck to everyone - i hope you all have a positive experience like i have had. kym

Hi Everyone, My name is Kim and i am getting banded by Dr Ortiz next Thursday. I am very excited and cant wait to get to bandland. I have updated my profile on here but i cant seem to get my picture to show up.. Any suggestions on how to get it to appear? Good luck to all the newbies and thank you to all of you that have been in bandland for awhile that share all your information with us newbies. Kim

Hi Jess333, i will be at OCC the same time as you since i am scheduled on nov 2nd for surgery with Dr Ortiz. We have the same starting wt too! i am having such a hard time on the pre-op diet - i have only lost 2 of the 10 lbs Dr Miranda wants me to lose... how are you doing with the 2 shakes and 1 lean cusine? is anyone going with you? kim

Christie, We have the same banding b-day!! Goodluck to you - i am sure it will be great for both of us. Kim

wow - i have been lurking for awhile and i just have to say i am one of those kids that came from WONDERFUL PARENTS - i cannot think of one memory from my childhood that wasnt really a good memory... my parents were and are happily married and always there for me and supporting my goals and dreams... i was a straight A student, an all-conference basketball player and BOTH my parents were at every single sporting event or program i ever had. i never saw any adult drink, smoke, or do any drugs my whole childhood - not parents, grandparents or aunts and uncles etc... nobody in the family does these things even now... however, my parents believed every word that ever came out of my mouth - and why wouldnt they with my sterling reputation of straight A's, good kid, good athelete and never caused trouble... there is not a thing in this world that could have stopped me from experimenting with drugs, alcohol and sex. i made these choices at 16. i could care less what someone thinks of me but to say that my parents were bad parents for not controlling me is the most ignorant thing i have ever heard. I did manage to balance sex, drugs, rock and roll, drinking with straight A's and athletics. i made those stupid choices and i own them -

Hi Everyone, i start my preop diet today. i leave for MX in 9 days - i am so excited.

DeniseC who is your doc? i am also scheduled for Nov 2nd. i am suppose to start the pre-op diet 7 to 10 days prior to surgery. i find myself going to all these places i know i wont be able to eat at for awhile... i will have to stop that soon!! good luck to you!

hi everyone, i am a prebandster and i have a question about some of the struggles you guys seem to be having... i am trying to be prepared as much as possible for this experience so the question is.... when you think you eat more than you should like in gen ant us example with the oreos or maybe with snacking too much through out the day - are you drinking water to push those snacks down or still just eating till you fill the full feeling in your pouch? it sounds like all of you eat such small amounts that i cant imagine the snacking or a few oreos (compared to the whole bag i can currently eat!) can be adding on pounds. i can see it slowing the wt loss but not adding pounds.... can you guys give me some insite on this??

i already have a skinny little friend - 5ft and 95 lbs size 0 that is angry with me all the time now... seems she is afraid i wont be the fat fun friend when we go out - she is afraid the guys will pay me too much attention...oops as a matter of fact i already get alot of male attention due to a good personality and big boobs. so she is really threatened at the thought of my size 20 ass some day being a dreamy size 10... i keep telling her there are plenty of men to go around and honestly i dont want one right now - which btw drives men crazy to be told you arent interested and they try even harder!! its a crazy cycle... when you want one you cant find a good one and when you dont want one they are everywhere. i just want "me" time to get healthy and feel good for a change - no real time for men right now. sorry for the ramble but yes Angela, i believe alot of changes lie ahead not just physically but how we are seen and treated by new and old friends.

thanks for the tip about atkins - i will try my best... do you think eggs would be ok? - i am trying to post my post picture on here but havent figured it out yet... any tips on how to do that? also, i too got weighed in junior high - a mortifying experience i might add... i was in 7th grade and all the girls were lined up and as we were weighed they would yell our wt to the person taking the stats.. i weighed 153 lbs and was the biggest of the them all - it was a scarring experience to say the least... what i wouldnt give to be 153 now!!

Hi Angela, Dr. Ortiz wants me to lose 13 lbs before i get there....so i am suppose to start a liquid diet 7 to 10 days before surgery. i am going to start atkins next week because i usually drop pretty fast with that diet and then i plan on switching to liquids 7 days prior. i am researching docs right now in colorado and i have a long list of names to call to see if they will do my fills if needed.

The reason I have choosen to go to Dr. Ortiz in Mexico is because of his experience. He has performed over 4000 lapband surgeries. The cost of the procedure was great too considering i am self paying. If i had found an experienced surgeon in my area that has done even half that many lapband procedures i would have considered that option and paid more for local care but i believe i am making the best choice possible considering everything involved. It does take planning... i want all my followup care done by Dr. Ortiz so i will be flying back and forth to tiajuana over the next year or two. i am concerned about an emergency and finding a local doctor that knows anything about the lapband here in colorado springs. If i can wait a day or two for treatment i will definitely fly south to the boarder. Kim