Search the Community

1) i would say i'm probably more sensitive at times hence more irritable. You know how an infant can become over stimulated from being passed around, etc. I feel that way sometimes, like i just need absolute quiet and less activity around me. keep in mind i'm an only child. 2) normal my sleep is good. This last month i had some issues with waking up very very early and not being able to go back to sleep. but that is the first time i can remember that happening. 3) my sex drive is pretty low but has been for a long long time. so really there has been no change there in the past 6 years or so. 4) i would say i'm fairly financially responsible. We have no credit cards so that helps. I do know i can't manage credit which is why i don't have it. We pay our bills, and we live with in our means. There are times when shopping is indeed a high though. I love to shop! i think i love to shop more than i like to eat, lol!! I have to tell you i had an appointment with a new therapist last night. i was crying about 10 minutes into the appointment and she talked more than i did. But wow, I love her. We primarly dealt with my parental issues but she said things that clicked in my head. I felt so much better when i left. I really think she is going to be able to make a difference. I'm already looking forward to my next appointment. and she said what you've said too, what difference does the bipolar II lable make? i'm very optimistic that i can make things better. oh she was just marvelous! thanks to you guys too!! it really helps to be able to talk about all of this!!

Hi Ashley, My name is Julie, I was banded on 6/7/10. I'm feeling pretty good today. That first 3 days was rough, I'll admit. The gas almost killed me. I'm like you, very caution, and scared to death of this band. I was only on a liquid diet for 24 hours then on to a pureed diet for the next 2 weeks. Having a pretty hard time with that because I don't puree foods. Kinda makes me sick. So I have been really just eating things that look like they were pureed. And adding in Protein shakes, which I can't hardly stand the taste of!! ON the lookout for a good one, let me know if you find one you like. Julie

1. Doesn't involve putting foreign matter inside me - i am both a cancer survivor and have multiple auto-immune diseases. Titanium staples aside, i want NO foreign matter inside my already overly-inflamed body. 2. Simplest of the available ops that doesn't involve putting foreign matter inside me (ie: no malabsorption or severe dumping, no band with known and significant failure rate including complications that can be v severe) 3. Simplest long term management - no regular drs visits for band fills/unfills, no ongoing Vitamin shots etc 4. Weight loss success better than band and comparable with RNY 5. Fits with my total weight loss requirement (100 lbs) 6. Have significant co-morbidities and need "serious" action with likely success in the short to medium term (ie: was getting to the point where my life was in danger if I didn't act) 7. Am older so reversible solution not essential 8. Can be revised to DS or RNY later, if necessary 9. No difference in cost and no insurance company issues where I live, so I was completely free to make my decision on the basis of all of the above. 10. I soooo wanted to get rid of a large part of stomach and to tame my surging hunger. Hope this helps.

We'll hold you to that promise, you know. Early 2019 is👶time for TexasMommy80, her Texas Daddy and l the Little Texan in her house. Just promise me they won't be Austin, Houston, Crawford or even Greg Perry, that would be too much, sorta like Lukenback with Waylon, Willie and the boys.

I am currently living out of a hotel and I am bored to death. I miss my baby girl and boyfriend, and I am ready to be home with them. Anyhow, the puréed stage is going really well. I’ve had applesauce, oatmeal and puréed chicken tortilla Soup. My surgeon said that he has never heard or seen of a leak after four weeks, so I hit my four weeks next Monday. I have so much anxiety about that, and I know that there are people on here that had later leaks, but I feel like 4 weeks is a good time to stop worrying so much. Outside of that, I did have my first instance of eating too fast. I came up to my hotel room and ordered chicken tortilla soup. It was so good and I ate too fast. Luckily I didn’t eat too much, but I was miserable for a good half hour. Another thing is that I am surprised at how little of an appetite I actually have. I have not been hungry since having the soup (at 2:30), and it is 10:30 now. I just forced myself to have a little applesauce because I am getting so few calories. I can’t do Protein Shakes anymore so I have been depending on GENEPRO this week. I am going to buy some syntrex nectar next week and give that a try. Age: 37 Height: 5’6 Starting BMI: 37 VSG: 4/16/18 Starting Weight: 241 Surgery Weight: 229 Current Weight: 213 (17 days post op) GW: 160 MFP: Fit4LifeAR

Four years out here and never had a problem. My weight loss averaged about 1.5 lb a week for the first year, although I tended to not lose for weeks and then suddenly lose 5lb. I started out with a BMI of 36 so I didnt expect the fast weight loss some had and I also refuse to EVER diet again, so no protein or calorie counting for me either. The second year I lost the other 25lb or so very gradually. I exercised very vigorously all the way through and still do so I never needed to be very tight or dip down below 1500 calories a day or so. Consequently, I have pb'd probably 10 times in 4 years and have never been overfilled or had any issues at all. My band simply makes it easy to eat proper portions and i can eat any food. I didnt get fast loss and I worked darn hard for it exercise wise, but I found the eating side of the equation quite simple - I ate less and lost weight.

Squeal! I know! I'm still excited, but I'm prepared for that "omg what i am doing" feeling to creep up. I am doing so well on the pre-op. I think I'm able to stick to it better than my other attempts because I know that it's gone for good. My pre-op diet is no carbs, no sugar and lean Protein. I've gotten very sick on Atkins before so my nut. ok'd some carbs. I've lost 9.5 pounds in 7 days. I bought a new battery for my scale yesterday because I was worried something was wrong with it! lol How is your pre-op going? What type of pre-op do you have to do? You only have 11 days left! @@Fat2FiveK - Haha! I am getting really excited! I don't have to start my diet until tomorrow. My surgeon requires a 10 day pre-op diet. It consists of 3-4 Protein shakes (with a brand that they approve ), atleast 64oz of Fluid - Water, crystal light, broth, sugar free Popsicle, sugar free Jello, and 1/2 cup of non starchy vegetables. I have been doing a modified version of this for the past couple of days - a shake for Breakfast, a Light and Fit Greek yogurt and 1 cup of non starchy veg, and then a reasonable dinner. Since Monday, I am down 5lbs! Can't wait to see what I am able to achieve on the full pre-op diet! GREAT JOB!! 9.5lbs in 7 days!! That's SO fantastic!! Just think of how great you're going to feel when even more comes off!! Did you have to do a 6 month pre-op? @Erin414 - Welcome!! We can all be buddies!

I say every other day I made a mistake but everyone around me or friends who had this to are 10-11yrs out and say hang in there so I am going to try and I'll try to be ur rock and tell u hang in there to guess losing weight better than gaining right?! I'm sorry about the loss in ur family !! I was asked to go out with friends to but make up tons of excuses y I can't , my depression got do bad I missed my sons game over my own self pity but I felt worse missing do haven't since but my social life is also non existent I sure hope urs goes better! I to don't understand how we aren't sticks by not eating lol but hopefully soon we both can be where we want! Let's do this for each other and ourselves!!!

I changed my coverage from an HMO to Empire BCBS effective for 01-01-08 just for the sole purpose of this surgery being covered. I am super siked that 01-01-08 is almost here so I can finish getting everything needed. My dr. office also said they are great to work with. According to my dr you need letter from dr showing why surgery is med. nec., nutriotional counseling, pysch evaluation. I have already had my nutritional counseling (paid out of pocket) but the psych eval was so pricey I had to wait until coverage begins. I am calling 01-02-07 to get pre-cert for the psych eval. I am scheduled for eval on 01-08-07. Once completed, all paperwork can be turned in to BCBS for approval!!!! I AM SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEW YEAR!

I dont know why I went and read a bunch of threads from people who are years postop. Now im worried that like some of them I will have all these issues many years down the road. Are these supper common that 10 plus years down the road ill have all these Iron issues or ulcers. I will talk to my surgeon but just wondering yalls take. It makes me worried about having it done. Plus it seems many of them after the first couple years struggle to keep the weight off. Like they can eat the amounts they use to. I know its a tool and not a solution, but is the tool really worth it. Just got all my preop classes and such done and now waiting for them to submit it to insurance. Doubt is creeping in my head..

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't responded. Just an update...I went back to my therapist on 10/30/18 and we're going to start sessions again. I used to see him pre-surgery and he specializes in eating disorders and OCD. I'm hopeful and will keep you posted. Thank you so much for all the feedback

I'm also a teacher, I had my surgery on 10-11-08. I took off 3 days from school and we also had a 3 day weekend so I was able to stay home and recover for 6 days. This amount of time was plenty for me. Two weeks seems excessive. Good luck!

No need to worry, just pulling myself out of the fog..... My surgery was Monday, 10/3 with Dr. Aceves. Since my surgery was the 2nd of the day, I was given a sedative to relax. The rest of the day is a blur. I remember people coming in to get me....blur........I remember looking up at the ceiling as I was being wheeled to surgery......blur.........I remember someone telling me to turn on my side and bend my knees for the spinal block....blur.....and OUT. I don't remember recovery at all. The next thing I remember is being back in my room, thinking it must be over and then falling back asleep again. I was in and out of sleep for the rest of the night, knowing that nurses came in and out, taking my temp and blood pressure, but not really ever becoming fully alert. Sometime early Tuesday morning, I told one of the nurses I needed to use the bathroom. Although I stumbled a bit, I made the trip successfully and immediately fell back asleep. Later that morning, they brought me those infamous 4 little cups of blue "apple juice." They weren't good, but they were tolerable. I sipped and slept, sipped and slept, sipped and slept for hours. Several times that day, Dr. Aceves, Dr. Campos and the nurses came in and told me to try to get up and walk. I'd answer "Sure, ok." with every good intention of doing it, but I'd always fall back asleep. I really had a tough time coming out of all that med-induced sleepiness. By late afternoon Tuesday, I finally got up and walked the halls. I was completely pain-free (yes, really.....it must have been the spinal block), but I felt unsteady on my feet and climbed back into bed about 5 minutes later. Tuesday night was pretty much the same as Monday night, but I woke up Wednesday morning feeling alert and energetic. I took a shower and even put on a little make-up! Wednesday, I walked several times, visited my neighbors, sipped tea and finally got a bowl of that wonderful chicken broth everybody raves about. Yes, it IS that good. By the time I left on Thursday morning, I felt pretty good - minimal pain and absolutely no nausea. It may have been this sense of well-being that caused me to completely overdo it on Friday. BIG Mistake! I met up with a friend Friday afternoon to do a "little" shopping that turned into a 5-hour shopping spree. I thought I was listening to my body.......I sipped Isopure all day........I took sitting breaks pretty often, but by the time I got home, I felt awful. My abdomen was completely swollen with Fluid and gas. I looked 9 months pregnant and felt equally uncomfortable. That was the first time all week I broke down emotionally. I remembered reading somewhere that Day 4 after surgery was the worst..........and that was definitely true for me! So, I sobbed myself to sleep Friday night and woke up Saturday with renewed energy and renewed resolve. I really took it easy that day. I stayed in all morning, sipping Protein and napping. By 3:00 pm, I felt good enough to take my son to a birthday party. It was a huge event, and EVERY single person there must have told me to eat......twice! But I politely told them I had eaten before I came and continued to sip on my bottled Water. The party lasted about two hours and I was definitely ready to come home by then. I went to bed about 7:30 pm, slept pretty soundly, and here I am at 5:00 am on Sunday, finally getting on the Internet for the first time since surgery. To sum up, I've really had a fairly easy recovery. Considering the mess my Band had made of my stomach and liver (Dr. Aceves told me it was NOT and easy revision) I've had very little pain except for the incision sights. I've experienced none of the shoulder "gas" pain I had with the Band surgery. I've had no nausea or stomach pain......just a lot of gas and gurgling. No doubt about it, those first four days kicked my butt, however, I think I'm over the "hump" now. I have one more week of recovery before I have to go back to work and I'm sooooo glad I didn't try to rush it and go back any sooner. I hope all my fellow October sleevers are well, whether you are just home from surgery or about to have it. Take it easy and follow the rules........you'll do great!

Wow Awesome. I am seeing green too! I have completed everything they require. Just waiting on the psyc report to be sent to my pcp so everything can be submitted. He said it would be ready by 01-15-08 but I think I will start bugging them since you said it was quick for you.

Vegas and a size 10 in very jealous lol awesome victory ebony ur trip

SO, I've been feeling a little down lately with my plateau at 40 lbs out. I've been slightly depressed with some life events and what not, and my scale just doesn't move. I am in Vegas now with a friend for a girls weekend. I have no shorts that fit so she grabs me a pair. Now, I started my journey wearing a tight 18. Today I put on a 10!!!!!! I've been wearing a 12 for awhile now so this was huge! It has shown me that the changes I've made recently are in fact making changes. I couldn't believe I put on a pair of size 10 jean shorts. Definitely feeling good about myself!

19 days post op and the soup and liquid yogurt and protein shakes do not satisfy me! I'm glad I get to have real food on Friday. I'll have to watch my portions for sure. But is this what is called Bandster Hell???

Pure protein, chocolate peanut butter About 3/4 oz sharp cheddar (nibbled as I was cubing it for a salad) About 3 tbl pasta salad Half a pack (about 1.75 oz) Jack Link's buffalo chicken jerky 10 wasabi & soy almonds Half a bottle isopure grape protein

I see you are down 19 pounds though and that is fantastic. Hope you can chew soon..best of luck Melinda in Florida

It's been with in the past 10 lbs (so >80 total) but multiple people are now saying things about my weight. I still have > 90 to go so it took a long time before it became really visible in the size clothes I was wearing etc

My sis and mom could tell in my face after 10 or so......... my boss after I hit about 25............ my df said my butt looked different at about 30 and has been smacking it a lot more now.. at 40, a lady in a different department said........... (as she was walking behind me in the hall) Tracy you are losing weight again arent you? I just smiled and said.. I'm TRYING!!!!!!!!!! they've all seen me lose it before (and gain it back) so this time........ they will all be waiting for me to gain it back again.. but this time I have a little silicone fist to help me keep it off!

Have fun on your buying trip! Must be fun to go buy a bunch of stuff other people are going to end up buying from you! Between the Flu and my second fill, I feel like I have lost about 10 pounds... we will see on Wednesday when I get to weigh in again. I hope it is not just my mind playing tricks on me. I truly feel like I have the beginning of good restriction... Yippy!!!:eek:

TxArcher................360........................346..........345....1 Shortgal...................198........................192.6.......192.....1/2 (now I'm aiming for 191) Trixie...................264.......248..........244.....4 tyman311...........168.......161..........150.....11 Shalee04............218........208.........206......2 Steph...............203.5......188.5......188.5....0 hungry..............227.5......218.........215.5...2.5 Longhorn............211........205.........199.....6 plump_princess........237..............228................227........1 Momto1plus1.............241.......................235....................6(229) ellbrookes 191......181.......175........6 just got weighed and measured today at the gym. it has been a month. lost 10 inches!! good luck everyone

I would like to know what everyone is being charged for their fill visit?? I have insurance with blue cross of CA smartsense I have seen an EOB dated the same date I went for fill charge of 450.00...ouch I couldnt believe the 10 minute visit was billed out at the amt!! Does this sound right to you?? I have now reached my "out of pocket max" so no charge to me now!! whew! tell me what is going on with fill charges?? By the way, my unfill has proven to be what I needed. I am at 5.4cc in my 10 cc. Doing great with the hunger!

It looks as if we have some of the same issues. Have you contacted your insurance vompany regarding requirements? For me, if your bmi is between 35 and 40 you have one of the following: sleep apnea, blood pressure requiring three medications, or type 2 diabetes. I have the bp issue and I am scheduled for a sleep study on 7/19. I attended orientation yesterday and have my first appt with the doctor on 7/23. I too was wondering about having to maintain the weight during each office visit. That's a lot of food. ..