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I can't believe it! I have lost 69 lbs. My goal was 90 by now, but I think I've done pretty darn well and that I'll get at least to 85. It hasn't been an easy year. Some of you know what's been going on. My husband's been ill for more than a year, and he got so sick in August that my band literally froze up, and I've had problems ever since. I've had 3 unfills! I am proud of myself for being a "responsible bandster" and getting unfilled when I was way too tight instead of trying to ride it out. I am grateful for lining up good aftercare BEFORE being banded Mexico. I am happy I chose Dr. Ortiz & that he's been in constant touch w/my doctors here to resolve my stupid nutcracker problem. I'm happy that I've been a positive example for my daughter. I think I'm doing better with medication and looser fill. A looser fill makes me more aware of what I eat. And believe it or not, I'm happy that I've lost so much weight that I have to have my abdominal surgery (related to my mastectomy) revised to remove the majorly buldging stitches and that it will result in a tummy tuck. That's why I might have to stop at 85 lbs.; if I lose too much I will bulge again. What a problem to have! On that subject, I am happy that my plastic surgeon, who will perform that surgery, is so amazed by my weight loss. I've taught him (and my internist) that bypass is not the only successful WLS. Surprisingly enough, when I saw him the other day, I brought along a detailed image from of a banded stomach & the port location so he doesn't damage it when he "peels back" my previous surgery. The area is from just above the pubic area to just below my belly-button. He said, "Karen, I know where the port is, I've helped some other surgeons re-position them". That really blew me away and gave me peace of mind. I'm grateful for the past year and in light of people's recent problems pray that I will be able to keep my band. Besides marrying my husband and having my two wonderful children, it's the best thing I've ever done. I'm happy that I've made friends on this board, and I'm very grateful for your support and encouragement. Thank you.
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Oct 2015 RNY....How are you doing?
shadowsoldier replied to fullange's topic in Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums
It could be that your husband sees you every day so it's a little harder to notice. That's one thing about diets/losing weight in the past, it was too hard for people i was around all the time to notice unless I didn't see them for a few days. Just know the scale is moving and you are losing. I would also recommend taking measurements with a measuring tape because that will clarify your loss there too. My surgery was 10/23 and I'm still having a little left over pain in my abdomen, I only need pain meds at the end of the day when I've done a lot of walking, which i have been doing the last 4 days. I haven't had any dumping but my Protein drink made me really sick the one time I had it, so i know im not getting my protein in. I start lunch meats tomorrow so I'm hoping to start making up a little of the protein. I even had a sweet tea (with very light sugar) 2 days in a row to help with my fluids and i was okay. What did you dump on? Congrats on the weight loss, that's pretty awesome. I was 353 on surgery day so we aren't too far from each other. -
Top Forum Fun Things..........What Is Yours?
zenandnow replied to Beach Lover's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Best piece of advice........from the vets: not everyone loses 100 lbs the first month! In other words, be realistic about your rate of loss. And don't panic when you stall! Funniest post you ever saw...........the 'SEX' post with Pokeychic and BigCountryAbs!!!! Whatever helped you the most............posts from people like Laura-ven, CheriCLK, Butterthenean, Fiddleman, Lsereno, and all the other vets who come back regularly to share their experience & advice. Priceless, in my opinion! -
How often do you take measurements?
SKCUNNINGHAM replied to Kami's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I take my measurements monthly - on the first of the month. I kind of make it a pampering kind of thing - take either a long hot shower or soak in a tub - get rid of the hair on my legs and underarms, cream my entire body - then mesure and record on my tracking spreadsheet. Once that is all done and I am dressed with makeup on - I take a picture for my records. Occasionally - if between measuring times - I notice some body part seems to have shrunk - I might take an interim measurement - but I don't record it. -
For me....I have no interest in food, and no interest in eating most of the time...in other words, no hunger...I know may people say no hunger between meals, but remember the band is adjustable and no 2 people are the same....so for everyone it is their choice... Also, I can eat just so much, then I have to stop....making my portion sizes automatically set...AND making it impossible to over eat.... When I have those 2 things going for me, then I have good steady weight loss, which equals complete patient satisfaction.... It was hard work for me to get to that perfect balancing point, took a good 4-6 months after surgery with aggressive fills....there were a few times I wanted to give up and go and get some Fluid taken out to make things easier...but in my case, I'm glad I did not because things did settle down and I found that "Groove" I believe many people choose not to pursue it but fall short..which is OK because that is one of the good things about this surgery is YOU finding YOUR comfort level...and where YOU choose to be is not right or wrong, and should not be considered the ONLY avenue as some here believe...(Their way is the only way) But once I did get through that difficult struggling period (Bandster hell)...it has been all an effortless coasting downhill ever since!!! Another perk I enjoy being in the Green Zone....for over 2 years now, consistently with no problems what so ever... But again, it is important to know that everyone is different....there is no right or wrong, just examples of how everyone has found their success and happiness.....or lack thereof...and it is up to you and your Dr. how you want to proceed wit tis journey...no one Else's.
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So apparently I am an Inspiration...or at least that is what I have been told
jfran replied to jfran's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
Sue: Thanks so much and wow you have had amazing weight loss too! Keep up the great work! -
Any assistance would be appreciated
CowgirlJane replied to BethinPA's topic in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
I also searched for "Massive weight loss" and such key phrases. What I thought was important was a surgeon who had lots of experience with my type of situation. I lost a lot of weight..and had a goodly amount of skin. I consulted with eome great local surgeons but went to Mexico in the end. -
Any assistance would be appreciated
Sunshine22 replied to BethinPA's topic in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Dr Joseph Capella in Ramsey NJ was one of my choices. He deals with massive weight loss patients. Maybe check into him? Think Ramsey is only a couple hours from Philadelphia. Good luck! -
A little more than 5 months out and I'm eating about a 1/2 cup regardless of the food. If I eat much more than that at a sitting, then I'm going to be very uncormfortable for about a 1/2 hours. On another post a few weeks ago I remember reading about listening to your body's queues, i.e. gurgling, belching, etc. It's your body's way of saying it's time to stop eating. I don't always listen to it, but I should. Once I started on regular foods (as tolerated), the weight loss slowed considerably. I keep my calories to as close to 1000 as possible and still get in 60-100 grams of Protein. Because of the focus on protein, the carbs stay low by default. I want to achieve "Onederland" by Memorial Day so I've been working on refocusing my food and exercise in order to get there. There is a Memorial Day challenge started so I signed up in the hope it will keep me more motivated. Good luck to you in your journey!!! It is a learning process.
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A bariatric doctor would know. Here's a link to the symptoms: http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/weight-loss-surgery/dear-doctor-i-think-my-band-slipped-what-are-the-signs What do you mean you're having trouble eating? What kind of trouble? What are you eating? Many people gain weight if their bands are too tight. They tend to gravitate to slider foods that won't benefit or aid in weight loss. Some people find it difficult or impossible to adhere to the band eating lifestyle and also eat the wrong foods and eat like a Bandster. A good doctor can help you get back on track but it's still your responsibility to follow through with the plan. Good luck and I know where you're coming from. I too gained weight the last 6 months but an adjustment has me back on track again.
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Well I've waited and waited for this day to come... where I can see the surgery is within a few days and now of course.. FEAR HAS SET IN... UGH Dang it .. GO AWAY! I'm having alot of mixed emotions... I started this journey at 279lbs and I'm now down to 251lbs in less than 30 days so I know I'm doing everything right .. right now.. but I also don't have the small pouch yet. So in talking to my friend who just had the sleeve in Dec and might I add she looks AMAZING she's lost over 85lbs to date... I'm learning all sorts of new things.. like the leak test.. what on earth do you do if you can't take that barium syrup... I've never been able to take it ever there's something in it that makes me projectile vomit as soon as it hits my lips.. that frightens me cause I sure don't want to damage my new stomach... is there an alternative that will get the same results? And of course the million dollar question we all ask.. "Can I do this.. I mean REALLY"? ... I'm so afraid of failing and I love forums but we all know there is MUCH more negative then there is positive and I KNOW there's ALOT of positives out there ... but did anyone else really feel the same way, scared of losing hair, failing, giving up I honestly think I'm more worried about losing my freakin hair and how flippin shallow and stupid is that... Well to explain that.. my daughter has special needs and has no hair... so she plays with mine and braids it, pins it up, gets it all KNOTTED and ties it in knots LOL... I'd hate to lose it and she has nothing to play with... she dreams of being a hairstylist I hope she doesn't tie anyone else's hair in knots LOL So will someone please tell me that "I" am NORMAL... please... cause I'm not feeling normal right now... Have a blessed Sunday.. I'm going to have a Protein shake.. YUMMY *Gag* LOL'
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Weight gaining....what gives...generally speaking?
jjsmiles replied to midwestchickie's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
I think Plain is right on. Head hunger is by far the largest issue I have had to face. You also need to consider that in order to lose weight you have to eat less calories than you take in. Science says that in order to lose just 1 pound a week, you need to cut your daily calorie intake by 500 (1 pound = 3500 calories). Some people who get banded just eat less of what they always ate. This may work for people who were maintaining their weight pre-surgery, but for those that were gaining weight every year, they would need to really cut back on quantity to effect weight loss. Also, when you first get banded, in all likelihood you will not experience much (if any) restriction. Some people take 6 months or more after surgery before they reach the restriction they are comfortable with. During that time, they need to carefully monitor what they eat and change their eating habits or they will not lose weight. This is often referred to as bandster hell. I have also read on many many many occasions where people talk about being so restricted that they can't eat solid food, but who are afraid to get a defill. It seems that many of those people stop losing weight, for whatever reason. I know for me personally, I don't seem to have any restriction when it comes to the foods that got me morbidly obese in the first place. As far as I can tell, chocolate melts through the band and potato chips get chewed into oblivion and also pass right on thru :confused_smile: so I can't rely on the band to control my portions. In my experience, what the band does for me is help me to not be ravenously hungry between meals. In fact I sometimes say that I am starving, but I don't really have the same insatiable hunger that I had continuously before. That does not stop the head hunger or the automatic stuffing my face if food is around. I am the only one who can make the choice of what I eat (or don't). One of the things I always suggest is that people journal what they are eating and how much, because I don't think we are often aware of how much we are really eating, because so much of it is unconscious. I exercise a lot, but I believe that exercise helps me get fit, feel good, and look better, but I am not convinced that it really helps me lose lots of weight. However, I am hoping that it will help me maintain my weight once I get to goal. -
Hi Jenna, good for you----11 lbs. wowee. I got banded on 3/22 and lost 6 1/2 lbs. since I got home from the hospital. That is an accomplishment for me, believe me. I started on pureed foods on monday, and am having a hard time getting all my water in. Could that be why I am hungry again after 3 hrs. of my meal? And also the reason my weight loss wasn't as great as yours, right? I will try today to drink more water. I am doing that now, before my coffee and breakfast. It is just hard planning my meal, and when to stop drinking. I have never been on a schedule before for eating. Also, any ideas on soft foods for this week? I pureed roast beef last night-no problems with any PB, but it is early.
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Just a little curious...
Sailor59 replied to MustangMama's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
My doctor does band with or without plication. At first I said no to plication until he explained that there is no extra down time. No extra cost and I could still do it on an outpatient basis. So I have decided to go ahead with the plication. He also said that immediate weight loss with plicatation banded patients has bee comparable to that of bypsass patients. -
Hey guys I'm looking for some advice.i am 4 1/2 months after my gastric sleeve and I'm at a complete stop I've only lost about 45 pounds 20 of which were from the first month and after that very slow weight loss a couple of pounds at a time and then I just stalled and I can't figure out why my body doesn't want to lose anymore of the weight ? I have been very stressed out Leavy so I'm guessing it's the stress but does anybody have any ideas of good ways to go about getting over this stall? Any advice is appreciated I'm going crazy trying to figure out why its so hard to get over this stall .what it is I work out here and there maybe I need to be working out a lot more but I see that some people walk and are having okay weight-loss. ??
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Stall vs the end of weight loss?
James Marusek replied to carmar23's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
My initial weight was similar to yours. I had RNY gastric bypass surgery. I transitioned quite naturally from the "weight loss" phase to the "maintenance" phase at around 6 or 7 months post-op. The strategy in the 'maintenance" phase is different than the "weight loss" phase. I am 33 months post-op at this point. And even in the "maintenance" phase it is possible to lose additional weight. I lost around 20 additional pounds in the "maintenance" phase. I wrote a short article about the "maintenance" phase. Here is a link. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery2.pdf -
I have been under anesthesia several times to include open heart surgery and have never experienced hair loss. I am a little two months out and will be interested to see if I experience hair loss.
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Today was physical hunger. I guess because it is the first time that this has happened since I started this journey; I got scared. Thank you the weight loss has been a long time coming. My Heaviest was 330 and lost 24 pounds before surgery. My doctor was trying to get me to be a candidate for a new procedure. From 2 days before surgery till now was the 15.5 lbs. I am afraid to see if anymore has come off. I think that might be why I got scared when I got physical hunger. Thank you for sharing your experience, PonyUp, it helped a lot
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Magic asked my progress; so here's a recap. I started researching Lap-Band in August. At that time, Dr. V's future was very uncertain. Dr. Bauman is further away than I prefer to travel. The only other Lap-Band surgeon I could identify is Dr. Kuwada at CMC. I'm 5'6" and +/- 236 pounds. My BMI is 38.6. The bad news is my co-morbidities aren't very significant. The good news is my insurance coverage through work is among the more liberal for WLS. Saw PCP in Aug; he's in full agreement of my desire for Lap-Band, refers me to a weight management specialist. See weight management specialist in Sept; he concurs and wants a repeat sleep study. In Sept I also have a consultation with sleep specialist and schedule sleep study. In Oct I have my initial consultation w/surgeon. Note: He's new to this area and has to be re-certified by Inamed. Even if approved, this could delay surgery date because he has to have multiple (2-3) surgeries scheduled together before Inamed will send someone to proxy his technique. In Oct I also undergo a repeat sleep study. Although somewhat worse, my apnea still isn't severe enough to treat with a CPAP. Study does confirm that my Restless Leg medication is working perfectly, and also makes specific recommendation of weight loss. I have my psychological and nutrition evaluations in Nov. Both agree that I'm a fine candidate for surgery. I also have blood work done. Good cholesterol is low; bad cholesterol is high; but total cholesterol isn't that bad. Otherwise, my labs are normal. I had my endoscopy last week. There were a couple spots of mild inflammation in the bottom of my stomach that were biopsied. The gastroenterologist seemed completely uncerned about these findings, stating biopsies were standard procedure. Having said all of this, I was told over two weeks that my letter would go out to the insurance as quick as the doctor dictated it. I have called my insurance; they have yet to receive a letter. I called the doctor's nurse practitioner two days ago, and she has yet to return my call. Get me through insurance approval, and I'll be less anxious, even if I should have to wait for a surgery date.
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I have not told my parents. I am 4 months post op, they know of my wt loss, but I just told them I am changing my lifestyle, especially my diet. They wouldnt understand. My mother also yo-yo diets, and has my whole life. My dad bugs her constantly about her weight. I just don't want to hear it from them. It's my decision, and I will never regret it!
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Really stressing about the hair loss aspect of this...
Katrina replied to twobluecats's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I swear if all my hair would fall out I would jump up and down with delight. I have THICK THICK THICK hair (that currently falls out for the fun of it) Since I am pre-op I am so looking forwards to some of this head weight comming off of me. I know odd, and watch in 5 months I will be back here crying my eyes out cause my hair is falling out LOL... I bet you all! -
Really stressing about the hair loss aspect of this...
Inside2Out replied to twobluecats's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I know it's been awhile since this was posted, but thank you all for your comments. I am truly afraid of how much hair I will lose and how it will be lost (patches, bald-spots, etc...). However, hearing that you have all been able to cope with the hair loss and still do not regret the decision to have the surgery is great. I have already started researching wigs and extensions. -
Pregnant 3 months after surgery?!?!
sleever427 replied to sleever427's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
That's what I was thinking too. Thank you for the input. Isn't the first year the most vital to weight loss for the sleeve? Obviously pregnancy is going to stall that weight loss. I'm trying to figure out if it will effect my long term weight loss goals. Hmmm. -
Congrats on your success! What a great story! Good luck with your business and continued weight loss!
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2 months post op questions
LipstickLady replied to maddie86's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Why do you eat till you're stuffed? A sleeve's capacity will grow over time with healing, especially noticeable as new as you are. By a year, you should each max capacity according to my NP. Sleeves won't stretch much as most of the stretchy part of your stomach was removed leaving the muscle. That said, if you constantly over eat, you can and will stretch the part that remains. Add to that the fact that you are still healing and you are asking for trouble. Over eating is dangerous both physically and to your potential weight loss. Weigh and measure everything to avoid over eating. Stuffing yourself is what got you to this point in the first place, I assume. Change your habits now while you have this awesome opportunity.
