Jess55

I totally get you. And yes I'll join you in the minority too. I hate having the band. For different reasons, I have no restriction. Never went looking for it (not that I haven't found it yet). I now worry about complications. I wish I had just tried harder pre surgery and never gotten this band. Though I am happier with my life than I've been since I was a kid.

Because I realized all I needed to do was get my head in the right place. Which I guess the band helped me with in the beginning since I had semi restriction just with the band for the first 4 months and it taught me to eat better. After that I basically had no restriction. I did get one fill, but realized I didn't want anymore. I wanted to lose weight normally. I found a love for exercise and kickboxing. And unlike others that I've seen, if I feel a pain, I push through it. Not be like OMG I can't workout due to this pain. I keep messing up my knee in kickboxing, should I let it rest, well probably, but without working out I would be a miserable b***h. So at the advice of my trainer/friend/kickboxing instructor, I've been wearing a brace during class. But I've gone off topic. I have not had any complications from the band, but I do get a stockfish feeling when I eat sometimes (mostly chicken at night when I'm at work, and it doesn't happen very often). But that pisses me off, since my band has like 0.75 mls in it. I now worry about erosion, and stuff and complications down the road. If I could I'd get the band taken out tomorrow.

Huh?? Not sure what you are getting at. I've been banded 1.5 years and don't hold myself back from anything. I said in the first few months I had twinges but now nothing and I do not let anything hold me back. Oh and I haven't been back to my doc for nearly a year, since I totally regret getting the band.

I started on weight machines about 4 weeks out. I started doing real ab workouts when I started doing kickboxing at about 2 months out. For a number of months after I felt twinges of pain near my incisions during my ab session but nothing unbearable and I just ignored it. So don't worry if it's a bit sore, just push through.

Kickboxing! I am addicted to it. I go 6 days a week. And I have to FORCE myself to take the 7th day off.

I see absolutely no reason for this. First of all I would NEVER wear one, I am not open about my surgery and 99% regret getting it. People say for the no blind NG tube placement. All NG tubes I've seen (at least in animal medicine) are very flexible and I don't see any reason they can negatively effect the band. No NSAIDs, well if you're unconscious they are not going to be giving you anything orally and that is the only way you shouldn't take NSAID's. (though my doc has no problems with me taking them). So why else? Odds are before they do anything they will do an x-ray and then they will see the band. Not to mention my port is very easily felt and actually when I lie flat on my back I can see a bump under my skin.

I managed to switch my work schedule and so I've just signed up for the NJ one. I can't wait. I don't care if I finish dead last, I just want to prove to myself I can do it. So July 14th I'm doing Warrior Dash and July 20th I'll be doing a 25 mile bike ride for a program called Wounded Warrior.

My mom brought me home from the hospital and stayed with me a few hours (took my dogs out when we first got back) after that I was alone with my 2 dogs, American Eskimo and Pomeranian. She came by a few hours the next day but other than that I had no problem fending for myself. But then again I've always been a very independent person.

Well, technically they can if you think about it. I guess not totally directly, but still. If you get filled to tight this can lead to vomiting which can cause slippage. Or it can also cause erosion due to the chronic pressure on the stomach. Which I'm wondering now if that can happen without fills too.

I would think if they stay still it should be ok, but if they are like kicking and throwing themselves around it would not be. To be honest I work with animals. I took off my first week post op. So my second week I was back I did lift like I think up to like 23 lb dogs up and was fine. (Not to mention I shoveled my car out from under over a foot of snow my first day back to work). I did not pick up any larger dogs until like 3.5 weeks post op, then I started back to picking up 50+lb dogs and had not complications.

I live in NY too but its closer for me to do the Jersey one. 1 hour 45 minute drive as opposed to 3.5 hours

I totally agree. I find it hard NOT to go work out! My trainer/instructer is trying to get me to back off a tiny bit because I keep straining my knee. She told me if you tear your ACL you're not gonna be able to workout for like 6 months and then even the dogs (I am an LVT) will be cowering in the back of the cage because you'll be a cranky b***h. I found this hilarious, but she's right, I would be. I have to force myself to take one day off a week, but she says I keep hurting myself since I really don't give my muscles a chance to recover.

There are some people at my gym who are doing it. I thought about it for a second, but was like I hate running and so I can't run that long. But then someone told me I can walk most of it, so I've been debating trying it again. I'm gonna talk to the people I know who are doing it. Was it fun? The obstacles on the website look fun.

The only way to know true calorie burn is a HRM, or body bugg or Bodymedia fit, etc. 1600 for movie furniture is definitely way to high.

They will not see your band in a full body scan. That is not an x ray machine. It cannot see under your skin.

Even for those who haven't had WLS should be taking a multivitamin.

I got one a number of months ago. She is one of the trainers at my kickboxing gym and she recommends doing train to failure. I tried doing it myself and wasn't able to push myself as hard as I wanted. So I asked her to help me, and I feel doing it with her help makes me push myself a lot harder. I don't want to give up when I'm with her. Last week on the leg press I did 40 reps with a 10 second hold at the end at 309#. I would have never been able to do it without her support. She did have to slightly help with the last 5 reps, but I managed to do it even though my legs felt like they were going to fall off.

About the sitting and hurting, I've had that happen to me a few times. I've come to realize it was the was I was sitting kind of bend over forward a little and it was my underwire of my bra really hurting me (I initially thought it was my stomach). I'm not sure if it was surgery related at all as prior to surgery I never wore an underwire. Sorry no help on the other problems. Hope they get better though!

Some people just have low blood pressure. I went to the doc last week and when the nurse took my BP it was like 98/64 (or something like that) I asked isn't that low, as I to though 120/80 was normal, and she said last time I was 100/? so she said I just naturally run low. It may be you're just not used to it. When I first started working out years ago the first few times I got off the treadmill I was a little dizzy too. It might also be the intensity you're not used to. I've had a couple times in the last number of months I've felt dizzy/nauseaus during a workout. My trainer said it probably was the intensity I pushed myself to. The first time this happened I was talking to her about it and she said if you have to vomit, go ahead and then go back to your workout...LOL. (Knowing me I probably would too.)

I've been using my Bodymedia fit for 8 months now and I love it!

It could be illeus (basically the GI tract stops moving). I'm not exactly sure of the cause. I've seen a few cases of dogs having it (yes people can get it too). In fact a month or two ago my dog had it, she vomited food that she had eaten 11 hours previously. Which I got very concerned about since the stomach should empty in a few hours. A few days of reglan and she was fine.

I was working out at the gym for years prior to my surgery. Though it was more like blah I should go to they gym. I didn't really want to go. I'd been dieting for years, and was actually 60 lb lower than my high weight prior to my initial consult. Now I LOVE working out. I look forward to going to kickboxing 6 days a week. I've been working with a trainer once a week and doing train to failure. Been off from that the last 2 weeks as I just finished the 10 weeks and she recommended a 2 week break before we start again. I've started taking a bootcamp class once a week (though I think they only do it during the summer) I walk to the grocery store since it is like .25 miles or something away, I find it silly to drive. I think the key is finding something you love doing. I love the way working out makes me feel.

Honestly sometimes I think my knees are worse since losing weight. But that's because I'm addicted to working out now. I kickbox six days a week (sometimes more than one class) and now added in a bootcamp class. Also just got a bike to ride and I've been walking more too. So my knees are taking a beating.

Once I got home my mom stayed with me for a few hours and I think I stayed up during most of that time, but after she left I was in and out of sleep for til the next morning.

Most times when you get bloodwork done you need to be fasted. A jolly rancher is going to effect your blood glucose (sugar) level. Also a nutritionist handles diet and such, a gastroenterologist handles your gastrointestinal tract. You will most likely need an EGD (an upper endoscopy). You may need other tests too. I had a EGD, chest rad, EKG, Echocardiogram, stress test, and more.