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Great job, Dave! I am oh, so impressed--quite the accomplishment! Keep up the good work!!!! :clap2:

I would agree that about a week off would be good minimum to aim for if you can. I dragged myself into the office briefly two days after surgery, but not for a long period of time. I was very sore (mainly from the anesthesia) and got tired quickly. I hope you can take some time off!

Hi! I didn't bring much of anything with me because I wasn't at the hospital for that long (arrived at 5:30 AM, surgery at 7:00 AM, was home by early afternoon). The doctor said to have an overnight bag packed and stored in the car of my pick-up person in case I needed to be kept overnight due to any complications. Hope your surgery goes smoothly!

Hi there! I was banded by Dr. Terricina of the Weight Loss Surgery Center on J. Clyde Morris Blvd. in Newport News (Dr. Clark is also excellent). I have not had any complications and the care I have received from the office staff and doctor has been excellent. They have a comprehensive education program that you have to complete before banding and they provide you with instructions about what to eat during the post-op period and beyond. There is also a lap band support group that meets monthly. Let me know if you need any other information! Good luck in your search!

Do you live in or near one of America's Most Obese cities? Check out this article from Forbes magazine: America's Most Obese Cities - Forbes.com I live in the vicinity of both Richmond and Virginia Beach, VA, which both made the list this year...

Hi there! My doctor said the same--three meals per day and drink between meals (no snacking). Eat Protein first, then veggies, then carbs if you have room. Good luck!!!

kiki-w-- I agree with all of the other ladies. Eat lean Protein first and be sure you aren't drinking liquids with your meals. Avoid all junk food--keep it out of the house to avoid temptation. Pack your lunch for work if possible, too. If you need any other suggestions, PM me and I'd be glad to help! Try to set some mini-goals for yourself--so you have something to focus on to keep you determined. You could set a short-term weight loss goal or put a piece of clothing that's a bit tight in view so you can try it on every now and then to see how your weight loss is going. Remember that the band is just a tool--we still have to have the raw guts and determination to do the hard work if we want to succeed! You can do this!

Hi SueSue! I didn't get really good restriction in my 10cc band until my last fill brought my band volume up to 9 cc. Everyone is different--it could be you just aren't at your "sweet spot" yet! In the meantime, do your best to eat healthy--get in your Protein first so you'll feel fuller for longer. I hope things work out for you!

Whatever your doc says should be the rulebook you follow. He/she gave you the instructions for a reason. Keep up the good work!

I meant to write "Forgot" not "Forget"...oops!

losingjusme--Forget to tell you in my last post that I really like the new, enormous Glittermaker lettering in your signature! Don't ever lose that sense of humor of yours!

Jachut--quit censoring yourself! LOL! Tell us what you REALLY think! :heh: josiebies--What's the difference between a "know-it-all" vs. a "non-know-it-all"?

It took me a little longer than 9 days to get back to sleeping on my side or on my stomach. I hate sleeping on my back, too! It may take a bit longer before you can comfortably sleep the way you want--hang in there!

josiebies--I'm not sure I understand what you are talking about. Can you offer some clarification to help me out? What would someone write to become categorized as a "know-it-all" vs. a "non-know-it-all"?

Heh, heh, heh...keep guessing! LOL!

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving! As for me, I think I really like my current fill level. I ate a very reasonable amount on Thanksgiving. This is the first holiday I can ever remember where I didn't "pig out." I ended the day feeling great instead of all bloated! I'm pretty proud of myself--woo hoo! I think I'm starting to feel like a "normal" person (whatever the heck THAT is!). LOL! The best thing is that all of the junk food is now gone! My DS went with his dad and I sent a "care package" of leftovers with them. All that's left to do is freeze some turkey for use another time. Now I can get back on track! I hung up my icicle lights along the front of my house today! I finally found some little clips that I could slip under the edge of the vinyl siding on the soffit under the eaves of the house. I got new gutters last spring and because they are covered, I can't use the normal plastic clips. They were very easy to attach and the wires just popped right in. The worst part was climbing the darn ladder. Now I'm off to decorate my tree! It's so much easier to have holiday spirit this year since I don't have to go in for surgery! I hope I get down into the two hundred and teens soon...I'm getting antsy about seeing some new numbers I haven't seen for years on the scale!! Take care everyone--hope no one got trampled in the mayhem of Black Friday! LOL!

Hi there! My first fill was done about 8 weeks after surgery. This is a difficult period to get through...you've got to hang in there! To get me through it, I focused on eating Protein first, then veggies. I sipped on Water between my three meals. My doctor advised eating 90 grams of protein per day because it helped keep the hungry horrors at bay. I kept a simple food/water intake journal, too. That kept me honest! If you get too miserable, be sure to check with your doctor to see if he/she has any other helpful suggestions! Congratulations on losing 15 pounds already!

Hi there! My doctor advised taking in 90 grams of Protein per day in three "meals." In between meals, I sipped on Water to make sure I drank at least 64 ounces per day. The protein will make you feel full longer. Make sure you don't drink and eat at the same time or you won't feel full for as long. You will most likely continue to feel hungry until your first fill. This is normal once the swelling in your stomach goes down. Let the battle with head hunger begin!!!! LOL! Hang in there--this period you're in right now is probably the toughest part of the banding process! You can do it!

If you don't feel bad, think of it as a gift! At least you're not miserable and suffering like some folks are. LOL!!! Seriously, I'm glad that you are coping well so far--that's a really good sign!

Hi Smiley! It sounds like your life as a new bandster has gotten off to a rocky start! Changing life-long habits is very difficult, so don't waste any more of your energy beating yourself up. Here's my best "tough-love" advice to get your butt back in gear!! LOL!! 1. Change the voice inside your head--I can hear it telling you "I can't do this! I'm a failure!" Knock it off! Replace that old, tired tape with something positive. "I can do this! I am changing my eating habits! I eat to live--I don't live to eat!" 2. Review the eating plan you got from your doctor or nutrtionist. Plan your meals ahead of time as much as possible and keep a simple food log (grams of Protein, calories, ounces of Water, etc. per day). Keep the foods you need on hand like sources of lean protein and nutritious veggies. Try not to sabotage yourself by eating a lot of carbs and keep your salt intake down (think protein first, veggies next, and carbs last). 3. Drink your water/Crystal Light, etc. between meals! If you don't stay hydrated enough, you could retain water. 4. Exercise! If all you can do is walk right now...just do it!!! Go swimming if you can. Ride a bike! If you move it, you'll lose it! Another great side effect of exercise is that is brightens your mood and relieves stress! I hope this little "pep talk" helps! If you need any more information, feel free to send me a private message and I'll try to help if I can. You can do this--it's time to turn things around!

Don't forget that you don't have any restriction yet. The band was implanted, but it wasn't filled. As the swelling of your stomach goes down, you will feel hungrier. Be sure to stick to whatever eating plan your doctor provided to minimize your chances of having complications. I found that eating Protein first help stave off the starvation for me. Hope your recovery continues to go smoothly!

What a great opportunity you have to start fresh in more ways than one! You've been banded so you can take control of your weight and now you can think seriously about quitting smoking! If you succeed in quitting, your health will improve even more! Just think, in another year, you'll be a bodacious babe, able to breathe better, and you'll be able to taste your food better, too! I hope you decide to give up the butts instead of worrying about having complications due to smoking! You know you can do anything you set your mind on!! :clap2:

By the way, I DO realize that it is not medically possible for a lapband to spring out of your body at will or exit through your Veejayjay (or any other body orifices) before somebody accuses me of spreading inaccurate information! LOL! :doh: To help us cope with the TV writers' strike, I think the lapband slip scenario I painted above would make for a mighty fine episode of Grey's Anatomy or House! Why does a penis-fish come to mind about now??? And the couple having sex who got stuck together??? Oh, to have such problems! I can think of a few people I'd love to get stuck to! :heh: I think I could earn some more extra holiday spending money writing obesity-related scripts for TV shows (in addition to the profits from my "Beaded Bands by Transformer" specialty practice in my backyard shed). Coordinate your lapband to match your favorite holiday outfit--choose your colors now!

I gotta agree with you lindata! If I wanted to buy something, I'd call up or go on-line myself! How about this one--bill collection agencies that THINK someone who has defaulted on payments lives at your house! AARRGGHH! I kept getting stupid calls from a 1-800-SERVICE number. They finally left a message that tipped me off that it was a collection agency. I called back and come to find out they were looking for some lady I never heard of. She must have had my phone number at some point, but she never lived in my house (it was owned by the same family until I moved in). The idiot on the other end of the phone had the audacity to ask me if I knew where she was! WTF? How would I know where she is when I just finished saying I never heard of her and she never lived at this address?

You mean I should actually listen to the medical professional I paid to tell me what I have to do in order to be healthy and successful after lap-band surgery? Really? The overall slippage rate among those with lapbands has increased. The failure to educate oneself prior to surgery and a refusal to adhere to the post-op diet and the "rules" of being a life-long bandster all contribute to this change. As with anything else in life, if you do what you’re supposed to, you stay out of trouble. If people insist on doing whatever they want and rationalizing it away as unimportant, they shouldn’t be shocked at the negative consequences that occur down the road. I, for one, am choosing to abide by the rules as closely as possible so I can hopefully avoid a totally unnecessary second surgery to fix a slipped or eroded band. I am too busy trying to improve my health to "test" my band to see what god-awful foods I can stuff down my throat successfully. I also don't have time to figure out how to "trick" my band. I know I'm a total "square," but I intend to play by the rules and continue to succeed! That's what being banded is all about IMHO!