Isa Bella

Hi Sandra, glad your feeling some good restriction. Today Im 4wks post-op and my 1st fill in 2 wks & cant wait. Are the support group meetings in Brea for any SWL patient or are they for the medical group where you had surgery.

Congrats to everyones weight loss. Keep up the great work. Bella~ How exciting to be so close. You can do it! Twoderville...here comes Bella:thumbup: Leigha~ all I can say is WOW!! seen your pics of your amazing journey. What an inspiration to all of us. Today is my 4wk bandiversary & trying to be very, very patient. So looking forward to getting my 1st fill in 2 wks. Till then I make healthy choices and exercise.

1 more thing. Take measurements of yourself. Even though you might not show a weight loss you will be amazed at how many inches you will lose. You will start to notice your clothes getting looser which is a great feeling. NSV~ Im 4wks post-op today & yesterday I got into a dress that I no longer fit into. :cursing:

My Dr. warned me also of the possible weight gain. I did not have 2b on a pre-op diet but I lost 12lbs 1st week. I knew that once I started incorporating food again some weight wld come back on. I decided not to weigh myself at home until my next appt on Aug 31st which is when I get my 1st fill. I have also read on here that it can take 3 or 4 fills b4 feeling good restriction. Dont get dissapointed. The weight will eventually start to come off. From the time the swelling goes down after surgery to your 1st fill is considered "bandster hell" cuz you have no restrictions, you get hungry & you dont lose any weight or gain a bit. Make wise healthy food choices and exercise, drink your 64oz of Water & drink your Protein drinks. I try to stay within 800-1000 calories a day. Good luck & be patient. Take this time to learn new eating habits & enjoy the journey 1 day at at time.:cursing:

Sorry Sooz. Glad they found out what was causing all that pain. Hope you feel better soon.

Hello to all Cali bandsters. Moo~ Hope your feeling better. Keep us posted:) Emjay & Hottie~ I saw both your profiles Congrats to you both for your accomplishments. What an inspiration u2 are. Im 4wks post-op and my fill is coming up in 2 wks(cant wait) So far Ive had a good experience. Im taking it 1 day at a time but at the same time cant wait till next year. Hoping I look 1/2 as good as you both.

Dawn~ I totally can relate to your frustration. I only told my parents, sisters & 1 friend who have all been very supportive since the beginning. HOWEVER....my friend who lives few blocks away whenever she see's me always asks me how much I lost & tells me It does not looks like you have lost any weight. She told me this 1 week after surgery. The surprising thing is Her sister had it done a year ago & she knows how it works etc. I keep reminding her "Its just a tool & its a slow process" but same thing happend next time I saw her. I decided for at least a short while that I wld just text her & walk my dogs in opposite direction. I never thought I would get excited going into a new food state but would always looks forward to what new item I could add to my menu. ) Im 4wks this coming Mon & have been doing really good. Never had much of an appetite UNTIL TODAY!! I have increased my exercise as of yesterday & may take me a couple of days for my body to adjust but Im keeping full by drinking lots of liquids. I am eating 3 meals a day with 2 snacks. taking min 70 grms protein and around 800/1000 cal. I do not get my 1st fill for another 2 weeks. Im hoping this hunger is just a temporary thing. Worst of all I have been craving popcorn since yesterday also. Dont know if its just the salt or what. I have the Weight Watchers 1pt individual packs but not sure If I shld even try it. IM HOLDING STRONG!! :<{

Wow! I was not aware of this. I learn something everyday. I get my 1st fill in 2 weeks. Does everyone gurgle after they start getting their fills? just curious.

I had the hernia repair same day also. The pain your feeling is due to the gas. It tends to settle in your chest shoulder area for some reason. Walking helps alot. I bought Gas-x b4 surgery cuz everyone on here was tellling me it would help & sooo glad I did. Gas-x either chewable tabs or dissolving strips work great. Take it 1 day at a time. Dont try to do to much. Your body needs to heal. It will be 4wks for me on monday & you will be feeling better very soon. Best of luck on your journeys and looking forward to getting updates from all of you. This is a great forum & go to the chat room also. They have been very helpful.

Hello everyone! Had my C.T.scans & lab work yesterday & soooooooo very happy to say all test results were very good. No new tumors & existing tumors have remained stable for 5 years now. White blood cells count very good. I have to tell you that the prep which I had to start the day b4 was quite difficult. Having to drink the 8oz Barium (YUCK!) every hour for the last 4 hours b4 the test was a task. Its nasty tasting even though they give you "Berry" flavor & you all know how nasty it is. Was not quite sure if I was going to be able to keep it down. I kept telling myslf I had to cuz I was not about to reschedule & next time might be even more difficult cuz I wld have had my 1st fill. Whew...anyway got thru it and just so very happy to share my good news with all of you. I got to see the band in the CT films. Was quite interesting. My Dr's were happy about my decision to get the band. I had discussed this with them a year ago when I 1st started to look into it so I had their ok. Thanks again for all your words or encouragement & support. Blessings to all.

Lawgirl~ congrats on the weight loss. I get my 1st fill on Aug 31st & cant wait. I have not weighed myself at home but lost 10lbs 1st week (1st post-op appt). I know not to expect much weight loss until I start getting fills but the inches are melting off. So happy to be sharing this journey with all of you. Take it day by day. Have a great weekend.

Hello everyone. Just wanted to know how everyone was doing on their journey. Its 4ks for me on Mon and feeling really good. Lets keep each other posted on how were doing on our journeys. Hoping everyone is feeling good.

Hello everyone! How is everyone doing? Im going on 4wks Monday and been feeling really good. Hope everyone is feeling good. Lets keep each other posted on our journeys. Best of luck

Congreats & welcome. This is a great place for support and information. I was banded on July 19th & im 48 yrs young Keep us posted how your doing.

I was banded on July 19th & had hernia repair also. My port is on the riight side which is where I felt a little sore. Beth & KS- congrats on your 1st fill. I get mine on Aug 31st. Cant wait.

Hi Elfie, Im new to this thread but wanted to say how sorry I am for your loss. I was never able to have children so my 2 terriers are my babies. They are my family. I know how difficult this is for you and you do need to allow yourself time to grieve. Dont be so hard on yourself and take it 1 day at a time. As I have read through these post you have lots of love & support here. 1 of the best things about this forum are the beautiful caring people you meet. We are all here to help each other out during lifes tough times.

Hello everyone, I came across this thread couple of days ago and been making my way through it reading all your inspring stories and helpful tips. This forum has made my journey so much easier. I was banded on July 19th & feeling really good. Waiting to get my 1st fill on Aug 31st. A bit about myself. Im 46, single and mom of 2 girls (terriers) the 4 legged kind. I live in Sunny California, borderline Los Angeles and South Pasadena. Ive struggled with overweight since I was 3...thats when my inner thighs decided 2become conjoined twins. I did lose 100 lbs on Lindora back in 1996 and kept it off for 10 yrs then life thru a curve ball . Had been juggling the notion of getting banded since Nov of 2009 & now here I am on this journey with all of you & hoping for the success so many of you have already achieved & that are well on your way. When I started my journey I told myself to take it 1 day at a time. Wishing to get to know all of you better with time. Enjoying the journey :thumbup: but prepared for the bumps along the way.

Welcome to all the newbies! This is a great place to learn from & share your journey & of course get inspired. I was 3 wks post-op as of Monday. I can feel my port. My port is also just below my bra line & rest on the rib cage on the right side. I went to visit my mother & step-father & I had them feel the port. As my mom was rubbing I told her"It's a girl" LOL! we decided to name it baby Suki. I have seen some after pics on this forum where you can see the port but the majority cant be seen. Each day has been a learning experience. Wishing everyone a beautiful day.

Good Morning to all you beautiful ladies. Im so greatful for this forum. I did do alot of reasearch on my own & thought I was pretty well informed but until I came on this site & you hear what someone who has actually been banded goes thru, the ups and downs & read their amazing journeys has made a difference each and everyday. Im inspired, enlightened and so very touched. Ive lost weight b4 & kept if off for awhile only to gain it all back again.This time it has been more emotional. I feel like Im facing my true feelings & association with food. Getting to dig really deep & really see what this relationship with food is all about is quite scary at time. Even though I have discussed my weight issues with my psychologist (who I see 3x/wk) I have been in a sort of denial & know having to face them head on although scary Im hoping that I truly learn & can benefit lifelong from this journey. Like any addiction I know I will need to take it day by day for the rest of my life. I thank you all for your honesty,understanding and support. Together we will get thru this journey. We will shine even brighter than when we started.

I did not have sutures or staples. I was glued. My Dr ok'd me to swim after 2 weeks. I would chk with your Dr. b4 hand just to make sure. Good luck!

I also burp after a every few bites or sometimes just by drinking water. I also get the hiccups when I drink water to fast. My neighbor has 2 teenage boys and now they have some serious competition.

Hi! I will status everyone on my test results. I normally get the results same day. C.T. scans/lab @ 9:30am & Dr flup at 1:00. As for the Triathlon....Girl, I say Go for it! :thumbup: Its about building up your endurance. I would still take it easy till you get cleared for weights but you can start building your endurance on the treadmill/elyptical but remember you need to train outside also. Walking & running on pavement uses totally different muscles. Triathlon is on my "To do" list. Im going to chk and see if their are any in my area. It is a great goal. Even if you dont finish think of all the great exercise & calories you burned. We need to push ourselfs a little harder to see how much we can actually do. You will surprise yourself. Its a win/win situation. I dusted off my WII FIT & did step aerobics for 35 min & marching band :w00t:LOL!! & my thighs were burning. Do you know when we can cycle? I started swimming last week but did not ask the Dr about cycling. Take care