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Hi, My name is Mike or Big Mike to most people. I have been getting ready for the lap band procedure for the past six months. My banding date is on Aug. 26th I am very nervous. I have been on a 1200 calorie diet for the past month and I have lost 31 pounds so far I like it, but the thing that keeps popping through my mind is, if I can lose 31 pounds dieting is this the right thing for me? I have struggled with my weight my whole life. I have done all the diets... weight watchers, slim fast counting calories. you name it I've probably done it. I joined this forum to make sure I am doing the right thing, and also to talk to other people in the same situation. So if you have any advice or would like to talk don't hesistate to drop me a line or say hi. More than happy to talk to anybody. Mainly I hope I meet a lot of people that are in the same situation or have already gone through it, to get great advice. looking forward to talking with everybody. Take care. Mike:cool2:

Losing just hit the nail on the head. Most if not all of us are here because our weights yo yo'd and we never kept the weight off. I lost 52 pounds 2 years ago on my own and then started eating again..

Fear not! January will be over soon and the weight loss rush will slow down as New Year's resolutions fade...

I chose the band because it doesn't have the malabsorption issues, the weight loss is slower and more natural to me. The commitment to make sure I eat right will help both me and my family. I like that it is adjustable to fit my needs. I am hoping to have less excess skin with the slower weight loss. I was banded 11 days ago and am SO happy.

This may seem small to others, but I went hiking! I am pre-op right now at 359 and I managed to go hiking two days in a row! This is the first time I've ever done this. It's times like these that makes me so hopeful for my new life post op. If I can do this at my current weight, what will I be able to do when I'm on the losers bench. All of you who have shared your amazing success stories have motivated me to push myself to be prepared for surgery. Thanks to you all!

LOL dork. :confused: just kidding. me too. When I go back to work it is going to take me another 4 hours to devour all the posts here and on the other 2 boards I belong to. LOL DH will never see me. He said one surefire way for me to lose weight...attach the laptop to the stationary bike. LOL

I do not know how much sodium is recommended. Though I will say that when I eat salty foods my weight loss slows down. When I stay away from salty foods I loose faster. So you are not alone in this!!

I had a band done just over 2 yrs ago and have stayed static for the last yr and a half.i haven't lost or gained. I had an adjustment in the summer as I felt I was able to eat more, and also felt I wasn't benefiting from the band, the fill went ok and seemed to be helping as was restricted again. Then out of the blue 6-8wks later I couldn't get even liquids in I really felt I had some thing stuck. After having telephone calls I had 0.2ml removed and was instantly better.the nurse agreed there must have been something stuck. It wasn't a nice feeling having something stuck but I was also conscious that I had less in the band and once it had settled again as I was just in my plan still I had 0.1 put back in. I have been fine since and I still would like another fill, but not sure if they will do it? Also I haven't lost any weight for at least a year, I'm not sure if I've had a slippage or if I just don't have enough in the band as there is only a minor restriction- like I have to eat slower still but can eat anything really. Any ideas what to do? Or how to find out if I've had a slippage? I do get the occasional reflux, but not bad,I think as some do on here I should maybe have had a sleeve as I still haven't lost as much as I would like to,to date 3 stone but another 3 to go.any ideas anyone?

Hi there! I am 9 days post op and I gained 2 pounds as well. I feel as though as soon as I started the mushie stage my body was starting to switch out of the starvation mode it was on during the liquid diet. I think all our bodies need time to adjust (i hope) to the band. I mean, if I'm eating 700-800 calories a day, there should be no reason that I should gain weight right? It's impossible. Try adding more physical activity in your day? Today I went grocery shopping and felt like I had a work out because since surgery I've barely walked more than 50 feet in one day. You're not alone! Nicole

I think we all went through those feelings. But to run away; well, that will only get yourself further away from being healthy. I started my weight loss journey 2 1/2 years ago. I was afraid, too. I live in Wisconsin and went to Texas to have my surgery. I was lucky enough to find a FANTASTIC surgeon and I to this day, still fly down there for all my fills. You need to remember, the band is just a tool; it is up to you to use it correctly. But I think you're ready. Bless your little heart; I've been there and now how scarey it is. I started at 305# and now I'm at 127#. I will keep you in my prayers and hope all went well for you!! Michele

Went in to see my dr. for my post surgery appt. All is going good and now I just have to wait till Oct 15th for my first fill Checked out the accuracy of my scale with the dr's and they were the same, so I guess I am doing ok with the weight loss. Plus I got the ok to swim, so I will be adding that to my daily walking. Hope everyone else is doing good too.......Dave:whoo::whoo:

The official Inamed position is your Band should be deflated completely. However, depending on how much you weigh (usually the more the better for this case), many docs will play with your fill level in order to ensure that you don't gain too much weight, but gain enough. This is a decision that needs to be made by your surgeon and your OB together... so you really need to contact both of them. Even if they want to keep a partial fill in, many surgeons recommend unfilling during your first trimester due to nausea issues... and some will unfill just prior to delivery as well as one often vomits during transition. Please contact your surgeon and talk with her about it. The first trimester is critical for development... so this is not something you want to procrastinate about. You can unfill now adn then refill in your second trimester, if it seems like you are gaining too fast. Can you take prenatals? There are some chewable ones out there, or at least there used to be? If not, at least find a chewable with 600-800 mcg folic acid.

I went to my seminar today and it was GREAT! The Dr. and I agreed that this is what I need to lose weight. This will be a great tool for me to use to achieve my goal. So now its a waiting game for the insurance company...and they require a psych eval. so i gotta do that and whatever hoops they make me jump through...we'll see!

You go girl! You look great! How has your weight loss progress been monthly? How many pounds are you losing each month?

I've made adjustments and I'm losing weight. I'm down a total of 69 lbs, but the one thing I have noticed is if I turn too quickly or change directions too quickly it's almost like my body isn't programmed to handle less weight than its use to. I finds myself almost falling on my face if I stop too quickly. I don't feel dizzy at all, just a little unbalanced. Anyone experiencing this?

Had surgery on 12/27/11 weight was around 255, stepped on scale today and it was 199.4 It hasnt been easy but that scale sure makes it better. I think I was in Jr High last time the scale started with a 1 Just had to share. Donnie

Starting weight: 283 Height: 5'8" Starting BMI: 43 Goal: 150ish. I'd be happy with higher if I thought I looked and felt good. I guess it depends on where my body feels comfortable. I have been overweight all of my adult life and really, as long as I can remember. I feel like I've been on some sort of diet forever. The first diet I can remember is at the age of 16, my mother sent me to Weight Watchers. I've been on Jenny Craig, Richard Simmons. I've taken Redux and just about any over the counter "dietary supplement" known to man. I've been able to lose weight with these things but I've never been able to keep the weight off and the pounds usually bring a few friends back with them. It's really amazing when I look in the mirror. I don't think I look that bad, but when I see photos of myself I am shocked at how big I look. I'm ashamed of what I look like. I am looking foreward to the day when I have the lap band as a tool to help me keep on track. I was born with a condition known as congenital hip dysplasia (my hips weren't formed right and were dislocated). I'm told that I'm lucky to be able to walk, but I had a good doctor as a child and with many surgeries, I'm whole again. It's hard for me to participate in high impact exercise, but I walk, ride bicyle, swim and try to keep active. I enjoy reading and music. My favorite author is Stephen King. My husband and I own a travel trailer and do a lot of camping in the summer time. That keeps me active with walking and bicycling. I had my surgical consult on 1/14/05 and am currently waiting for insurance approval for adjustable gastric banding. 2/3/05 I got word that my insurance approved me for the lap band. Hooray!. 2/9/05 I've scheduled all my pre-op testing and dietician appointments. They tell me my surgery is scheduled for 4/4/05!. WOW. This is happening faster than I thought. The nurse from the office had told me yesterday that 4/4/05 was a possible date but didn't tell me they were going to schedule it. 02/11/05 I got a letter from my doctor's office and from the hospital advising me that my surgery has been scheduled for 4/4/05. What a way to notify someone. Well, at least it's official. Now the waiting game begins. I'm trying to follow the post banding diet so it won't come as such a shock for me post operatively. I'm "in training" so to speak. I think I find the no drinking with my meals and trying to time my fluid intake around my meals the hardest. 2/23/05 I had my first appointment with the office nurse who does most of the follow ups. She was doing my lap band teaching. All the pre-op, actual operative and post op advice I understood and was prepared for except for one thing. She told me to start eating with a baby spoon and a pickle fork so that I could get accustomed to small bites. I don't even know what a pickle fork is!. Is this something I'll have to do forever? I can't find anywhere on the forums where anyone has been advised this except for other patients of Dr. Duckett. I guess this will just become part of my "in training" whether I feel good about it or not. How am I gonna explain those utensils to my co-workers since I've tried to keep the whole surgery from them to begin with? 2/26/05 Had my consultation with the dietician today. It took 2 hours! Who knew it would take 2 hours to go over food? She made me feel very comfortable and she gave me a lot of hand-outs on the different types of diets should I ever stray. There's even examples of menu's. Although, that's exactly what I've been researching ever since I decided the lap band was for me. I felt very informed going in and very confidant going out. OH, and one more thing. I weighed myself today. I'm down to 272.5!. That's 9lbs gone since I've started trying to follow the lap band diet after my consultation with Dr. Duckett. WooHoo! 3/2/05 I found this on a post tonight and thought that it spoke volumes for my situation. I wanted to save it in case I forgot all the reasons I chose lap band. Once in awhile, someone will come around asking for the reasons why I chose the Band, so I'll compile my reasons here: More natural rate of weight loss: * Minimal sagging skin * No "window of opportunity" * Plenty of time to develop better eating/living habits, including exercise Least invasive surgery: * Lower rate of complications or death * Complications are easier to manage * Quicker recovery time; less painful * No cutting/rearranging of body parts * No changing the natural digestive process * No necessity of taking vitamins or supplements; I can get all I need from food Most innovative technique: * Adjustable for permanent weight-loss aid * Removable, should something more effective become available * "Cool" factor Generous but effective learning curve: * Better eating habits must be adopted from day one - no coasting * Has been labeled as "thinking person's WLS" * No punitive "dumping syndrome"; may eat like a normal person * Ability to drink normally and get in enough water * Safety-net effect; may put weight loss on hold to concentrate on other matters without gaining I never seriously considered RNY. When I heard about the Band, it was like a light bulb going on for me. By the way, I weighed myself again. 270.5! Another 2lbs gone. I don't want to get in the habit of weighing myself more than once a week, but I couldn't help myself, and I stepped on. 3/18/05 I had the upper GI and venous doppler studies today. Man, I felt like I was playing twister on that x-ray table for the upper GI. It was like, "turn left, more left, turn right, more right, now on your stomach, bend your knee, roll over." Venous doppler was a piece of cake other than the goo they use for the ultrasound. It was kind of hard to get all of it off. I haven't lost any more weight, but on the bright side, I haven't gained either. Once I'm banded, my portions will be significantly less and with the liquid diet required, I'm sure I'll get moving again. 4/2/05 I've been on the full liquid diet since 3/30/05. Sometimes I feel like I'm being tortured. I dream about food. Is that sick or what? I feel really sorry for those individuals who have to do this for longer than the 5 days I'm required to follow it. 4/6/05 I'm home and banded. I read about this gas pain, but geez it really is the worst. I'm not nauseated or anything. But the pressure in my chest and upper abdomen feels like I'm having a heart attack sometimes. I try to walk it off, but last night it was even hard to breathe. I'm trying to sip my water and eat a little at a time, but really I'm not hungry. I'm only eating out of fear that I'll get run down and not feel well if I don't. 4/8/05 Feeling better today. I've been up and about the house. The only discomfort I've had is from moving too quickly. I do have an odd sensation of bloatedness. It seems like I have it all the time. I'm trying to learn the language of the band but it's hard when everything feels like different levels of full at this point, even when I'm only consuming liquids. 4/16/05 Feeling back to my old self for the most part. I'm up and around, even starting to feel hungry. I have 2 more days of full liquids then I can move onto pureed. I can honestly say I'm really looking foreward to that as I'm getting tired of soup! I plan on going back to work on 4/18/05 and although I am physically ready, I would like more time off. Who doesn't like being home and relaxing? 4/25/05 Gee, the last week has gone by so fast, I haven't had time to blink let alone update or post. My husband's grandmother passed away on 4/18/05 so, we had to leave for Texas on very short notice. I've been on mushies and let me tell you, traveling on mushies is a difficult task. Especially to Texas where there is GREAT Tex-Mex food available. My husband's family doesn't know I had surgery, so I had to make do. I had some cold cuts, chewed really well and some very well cooked roast beef (also very well chewed). I didn't have any problems with them, other than some extra gas, but I didn't push it and tried to stay with very soft, mushy or even foods that boardered on liquids for the duration of the trip. I got on the scale today, and I've lost 3 more pounds! WOW! I never thought I would because truthfully, I didn't think I was getting enough calories in and I definately wasn't drinking enough. I've also been fortunate enough to have some sort of cold or bronchitis and haven't been feeling up to eating or drinking. I guess, I must have done something right! This journey is so unique. 5/3/05 I had read other member's NSV's but I didn't really realize the significance of them until this morning. I had dressed for work in slacks that zipped on the side. They were loose, but I didn't realize how loose they were until...I had to tinkle and when I went into the bathroom I pulled my pants down. I had absentmindedly thought that I was wearing elastic waistband pants! They came down without any problem and as I sat there, I started laughing, my husband thought I was crazy laughing there on the toilet. This has been on my mind all day and I had to share it because I've read everyone's weight loss in the first few weeks and I felt that my own weight loss was a little slower than others. (I know, we're not supposed to compare ourselves, but it's hard not to) I had resigned myself to being a slow loser. I must be losing inches and because I hadn't measured myself, I'll never know exactly how many inches I've lost. Oh well, I can feel it in my clothes and the way I move. 5/23/05 Just a quick update. Feeling good. The weight is slowly going down. 250.5 today. I think it's been 2 years since I've weighed that. Over the weekend, I cheated a little and had some Doritos. Not a lot, just maybe an ounce or 2. Just the same, shouldn't have had them. Well it's just 1 day along the road. "one day at a time" 6/5/05 I've been 248 for about a week now, just didn't update. Hope to see some more loss soon. I haven't had a fill, so I don't really have much restriction. I follow the diet and I do feel satisfied for about 3 hours. I can't say that I'm hungry a lot or "starving" or anything. Still trying hard to get all my water in every day. 6/10/05 I weighed myself today. 244.5! I've been out of town for work and I've been eating all my meals out. I feel I've made mostly good choices, a lot of grilled chicken salads though. I do log everything I eat in a program I have for my PDA, it's called Balancelog. It's O.K., although I'm sure no program's perfect. I've been staying about 1200 cal or less. :-P once in a great while I'm over, but not by much. I've also been doing better with the water because it's been so hot here. 7/18/05 I haven't updated in a while because I've been stuck for about a month. In fact, after my last post, I gained 4 lbs and had to lose them again. I've been more active with exercising and I've been doing well with my eating habits, but still I was stuck. So...I scheduled a fill. I had to convince the doctor's office nurse first, but I did it. Today was my first fill. It wasn't so bad. The doctor did it under fluoro at the hospital where I had my surgery. BUT, I'm filled to 2.8 or "just under 2.8" according to the doctor. That seems like a lot. I watched the passage of barium through the band and it went through, albeit slowly. The doctor reminded me several times to take it slow and to call anytime, day or night if I have spitting or problems. I'm a little scared. I've been on clear liquids since the fill this morning and haven't had any problems getting those down. I guess I'm just nervous. I've never had a PB and I don't want to. 7/29/05 Oh my God! Yesterday I thought I was going to die. Or at least I wished I had for a time. I've still been on mushies. The doctor told me to take it slow after that fill and I've been ever faithful to those orders mostly out of fear. I had very finely shredded tuna salad and one of those breakstone's creamed cottage cheese with fruit for lunch. It went down fine and I took my time. I had eaten both of those items before and wasn't worried. About an hour and a half afterwards, the pain started. It felt like something was stuck. I started to walk around. I even took a couple sips of water, which I know doesn't usually help but I have found it's kind of instinct. When that didn't work, I kept walking. I walked for nearly a half hour straight, sometimes leaning over a sink hoping and wishing I'd vomit for the pain to go away. I finished my work and got in my car. By this time, an hour had passed and the pain was so bad I could hardly breathe. I called my DH who called the surgeon and told me to get to the ER to be checked. The ER is an hour from my home and I was more than a half hour from my home! That drive home was the most painful torture I have ever experienced. The pain only seemed to get worse and worse. Then, about 2 miles from my house, I felt a "pop" and suddenly the pain and pressure was gone. When I got home, DH and I decided to go to the ER anyway mostly because we were scared. I had never experienced anything this extreme (nor do I again, thank you). The doc checked my band under fluoro and to my amazement, the 2.8cc he said he put in is now down to 2cc and everything is moving just fine, band has not moved. What happened to the 0.8cc? And, what the hell was all that pain? 8/13/05 Gosh how time flies. I didn't really realize that I hadn't updated my profile since "BLACK THURSDAY". I've come to the conclusion that the pain on 7/28 was probably some solid food that I hadn't chewed well enough that had gotten stuck. My Dr. thought maybe I had eaten too fast or swallowed too much air in the process, both viable possibilities. No matter what the cause, I WILL be chewing better and eating slower. I did mushies for a day or 2 after that then continued on soft foods for another week before going back to regular food. I'm doing fine now. I was amazed to find that I can still eat bread, rice, red meat, etc. I really haven't found anything that doesn't go down...yet. I haven't lost any more weight. I'm still at 234.5, but that's o.k. I feel great. I've been kind of bad at getting my water in the last couple of weeks, my work schedule has been weird. I'll get back on track and I'm sure my weight will get moving again. 8/22/05 Been doing O.K. Weighed on Friday. I'm at 232 lbs. I'm doing about a pound a week. I'm very happy with that. I'm in a size 18 comfortably right now. Today, I had to try three pairs of pants to find one that fit well enough to wear to work. The others were so big I looked bad. What can I say, I'm too cheap to buy all new just yet. I think I'm going to have to break down and buy a couple of outfits. I've been telling myself that as I got fat, I also gathered plenty of clothes that got me there. Well, I think I skipped a size or two because I can't find many in size 18 in my closet. Darn, shopping will be such a pain I'm sure. I look back and remember that when I started this journey in January and in the pic below I was in a size 24. In January that size 24 was rather snug. 9/13/05 Feeling pretty good about my weight loss. Still doing the 1-1.5lb loss per week. Went to my monthly support group meeting last night. I realized how lucky I am to be losing steady and to be going along so well. I haven't PB'd, just that "stuck" episode. I tolerate any food I put into my mouth and I have followed my rules pretty well. I try to make good choices most of the time, but I do allow myself treats. I think that's what keeps me happy and on track. I am satisfied with smaller amounts of the things I love. This is exactly what I wanted. I can eat what I want, in moderation and still lose weight. I do track my nutritional and caloric intake nearly daily (I may take a day or 2 off on a weekend, but rarely). And, I don't cheat on that log...I track everything the best that I can. I admit I could be doing better with my exercise. 228lbs. 9/22/05 Although, I generally weigh myself on Friday or Saturday I thought I'd post today because I have plans for the weekend and thought maybe I'd be too busy to post later. The last time I weighed myself I was 225lbs. That's a total of 57lbs gone. I can't say it enough...I am so pleased with my surgery and my weight loss so far. I can't even remember the last time I weighed that. I think it was more than 10 years ago to be honest. I don't feel deprived. I have more energy. My self confidance has gone up. How could it not? So many people have noticed the loss and are making comments. Lap band was the best thing I have ever done for myself and I would do it again in an instant. 10/5/05 Well, I can no longer boast that I have never PB'd. I am not proud of that fact, but here goes...Today at work I started to have that now familiar epigastric pain. I had clam chowder for lunch with a small salad and a breadstick. None of those items were new to me, so I had no fears whatsoever. About an hour after I ate, the pain started. This time I even started to sweat. I figured that I wasn't going to put up with this so...(bulemics beware) I went to the bathroom and put my finger down my throat in hopes to feel better. I only brought up mucous. This only temporarily relieved my pain, so I did this same routine 3 more times. One of those, I did bring up some undigested food. This has not been a pleasant banded day. I'm still uncomfortable, but unless I can't stand the pain I'm not doing it again. I guess it's a jello night. 10/24/05 After the last update, I went to the ER and was kept overnight for dehydration because I couldn't keep anything down. Dr. Duckett took out 1cc from my band the next day. I've been really careful ever since mostly staying with soft foods. I did have a salad over the weekend and felt pretty confidant about it. Today I PB'd again. It was the best PB I've had if that's possible. The pain started, I walked, up it came. All in all it lasted about 10 or 15 minutes. If they were all like that, I would consider it a blessing. Not that I really want them. But that torture of 7/28/05 and 10/5/05 made me want to die. I'm gonna cut this update short because I'm a little sore. I'm down to 223 lbs which is good considering my band is looser than before. 11/24/05. Wow, I forgot to check my profile and hadn't realized how llong it had been. I can remember that time like it was yesterday. I feel like the whole month of October and most of November has been brutal torture for me. I had to keep going back to liquids for one thing or another and I sincerely developed a fear of food. On 11/14/05 when it felt like I was gonna get that pain again I called the doctor's office. I didn't go into a full blown attack, but it was distracting to say the least. I felt like I was eating papaya enzyme tabs like candy in hopes to help digest whatever was the problem (although really how could tomato soup and a bit of tuna salad do that?) Dr. Duckett insisted on seeing me. On 11/17/05 I saw him and he felt that what I was having was esophogeal spasms. I suppose they may have originally been started by something getting stuck, but he felt they were caused by increased stress in my life (which I've been having A LOT of). He gave me a prescription for Valium to help calm those muscles down which I'm only supposed to take when I feel the spasms coming. So far, no more really intense ones since 10/24/05 and 10/25/05 but I fear that and would avoid that with everything in me. I've been doing much better ever since. I do have a little bit of reflux, but I think that may be from eating too late at night. I'm down to 216.5 lbs and very happy with that. I cleaned out my closet and got rid of all of the clothes that were hanging on me. That's a good feeling. 12/28/05 Well, I didn't make it to my unofficial goal of "onederland" by the end of the year but that's O.K. I've lost 69 pounds and am very happy with that. Especially considering the last three months worth of trials I've had, I'm very very happy. October started with a hospitalization for pain and inability to keep liquids down that turned out to be esophageal spasms. November was more of the same then turned into reflux that went on and on which convinced me that my band was slipped. After a long struggle with that reflux, I finally called the doctor who (I think mostly to ease my mind) checked my band under fluoro. All was well. I think he thinks I'm a nervous freak-he told my husband that once my mind was eased I should be just fine. Now, my struggle is HOLIDAY TREATS. I haven't really gained any, but I'm truly shocked. Those darn cookies will be the death of me. 2006 will be good for me. My band is in place, once I'm away from the posessed cookies that call my name I'll be fine with my choices and "onederland" here I come. Only 14 lbs to go. 1/20/05 I've been hesitant to update. Not because I'm not losing weight or anything. I've just been down in the dumps about banding. There have even been times I wish I had the damn thing out of my body. I am SICK and TIRED of having these episodes where I have pain and pressure that goes on and on. I'm not exaggerating when I say I've had it for a whole day in varying degrees. I don't have a clue what causes it. I keep track of everything I eat and NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING that I eat is consistent enough to figure out what causes this. Because the pain comes about an hour to an hour and a half AFTER I've eaten I can't say whether it's because I've eaten too fast or not chewed well enough. All I can say is that I try to pay attention at each meal, mostly out of fear. I'm averaging one of these "spasms" about once every two weeks. The doctor says it's consistent with esophageal spasms. Well, FIX IT! I'm tired of having them. I'm losing weight, but not necessarily the right way. Basically I'm starving. I'll eat normally for a week or two, then WHAMO! smasm and then it's nothing to eat for a day (or 2) but maybe tea then slowly work back up to solid foods again. 211lbs 1/30/06 Here I am, still suffering to a certain extent. A couple days after that last entry, I got fed up with the poor answer from my band surgeon to "seek counseling". I started considering the possibility that maybe these attacks were not related to my band. I saw a doctor for a second opinion and found out that I have gall stones. All of these months, at least since October, I have been suffering with gall bladder attacks. I am scheduled to have my gall bladder removed on 2/2/06. These last few weeks I have not felt well, I constantly have a sick taste in my mouth. It's kind of what I thought was reflux before. Now, I'm wondering if I had reflux at all and not some weird bile overload or even infection from the gall bladder. Who knows? I sincerely hope this gall bladder surgery solves my problems. If not, I may just have the band removed. I am tired of being sick and I'm tired of being in pain. 207 lbs 2/5/06 Well, where do I begin? I had the gall bladder surgery. They say that part went fine. Somehow during the surgery they dislocated my artificial hip. Yes, they dislocated my hip. My abdomen is sore from the gall bladder surgery. Generally, I feel better than I did before although I really don't have much of an appetite. The problem is my hip. I am not to bear any weight on it. It's been 3 years since I've dislocated it. I was doing so well. I feel really low, as if I've started all over again with my hip. I hobble around with my walker and my a$$ is really sore from sitting all the time. Weight loss is really not a priority right now, but it's amazing that when you feel so bad or are in pain it really doesn't matter. 3/24/06 Well, I'm fully recovered from the gall bladder surgery. I'm still in physical therapy for my hip. They tell me that the muscles are really weak. I'm planning on going back to work on 3/27, so I hope they're strong enough for that. Other than a little bit of pain that comes and goes, I guess I'll have to go on. I've come to the realization that all of the problems I've had since October, probably even the "black Thursday" mentioned in July 2005 was a gall bladder attack. All of those experiences were variations of the same. Any vomiting I had was only mucous and came as a last resort to relieve the pressure associated with the pain. Although I couldn't testify, I believe I have NEVER had a true PB. Is that possible? At almost 1 year out, to never PB? I would have taken a PB or 2 over the torture of those months. OH Well. Now that I can eat, I do. I'm stuck at 211lbs. Yes, I gained a couple since the gall bladder surgery, but I'm not terribly sad about it. Not happy, but not really depressed or anything. I can eat, Happy. I gained, sad. I think it's also because I'm working out with weights to strengthen muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. It's only 4lbs. I'll eventually get it off. I hope. 4/9/06 I know this is a LONG first entry for a journal, but I wanted to put my entire OH profile on here. I'm told that there's a possibility I may lose it. So...I figured I'd have it on 2 sites. What's the chances of both of them losing it? Anyway, I'm still bouncing between 210 and 211 lbs. I'm thinking that I may be experiencing my first ever real plateau. Even when I've dieted whenever my weight even slowed down I'd give up and return to my prior eating. I've been exercising more, trying to strengthen those weak hip muscles. I have had a bit of Easter candy, but I don't think enough to stall me this long. I'm sure with patience I'll break it, eventually.

I had severe sleep apnea before my surgey (480 lbs) I would have over 100 apena's per hour.. Now I weigh 322.5 lbs and I had to be switched to an auto titrating machine becuase my apnea is decreasing so fast they can not keep up with it. I was 136 on the disruptive sleep scale, now i am a 26.. 20 is normal i hope to be off the machine by 2012. My first pressure setting was 16, now it's 4.2 the machine only goes to 3.... As soon as you start losing weight they are going to have to change the pressure settings on your machine so make sure they give you an auto titrating machine in the first place.... Good luck on your journey it is worth every PITA....

I am super new to this entire journey. Had my very first meeting with a health educator and referral-with strong recommendation for the weight loss surgery and next step to the dietician, scheduled meeting with surgeon all next week. I have no idea what to expect.

No, I haven't had the surgery yet. I have to wait until February when I will be covered by medicare. I think the important points of the book are that the procedure is indeed safe and is reversible although it is meant to be there for life. There is a very high success rate for the prople that have had the procedure and that over a long period of time the weight does stay off. I am 64 and have dieted successfully many times and have gained the weight back even more successfully. At my age, to stay fat will be to die early. The lap band, by far, is the best option for me to finally get the weight off and keep it off. In preparation for my procedure I have bought a new beam scale. The kind they use in Doctor's offices and have my treadmill ready to come into service along with resistence weights. It will be the most important thing that I have done for me in my life and I can't wait to get started. Tom

NSV = non scale victory For me it's being able to wear heels and more stylish clothes. I always felt it was hard to be feminine and morbidly obese. Carrying so much weight coupled with not a lot of clothing options just made me go for comfort. I'm hoping this changes this year.

I had surgery in October 2014. I hit a stall until I started going to the gym. I was very shy about going to the gym. I got over it. I go to the gym at 5am every morning for 30 to 45 minutes a day. I over indulge in slider foods and mini reece cups are my biggest weakness... and if they go in the freezer omg its heaven. I'm still losing weight and haven't gained any yet. I met my goal and then beat it but I'm still losing and working on that six pack for summer vacation so I can make all my relatives jealous. lol. I gave up the Protein shakes but maybe I need to start back on them. I think you have conquered this already... only gaining 8 lbs... I'd say you have nothing to worry about.

Drink your shakes and Lots of water in between goal isn't so much the weight loss but the shrinking of your liver. Good luck stay focused prep diet sucks.

I'm sure a lot has to do with starting weight. Don't forget the larger you are the more you seem to lose at first. On my pre-op liquid diet I lost 20 lbs. I have a friend who is much smaller, that lost 8 lbs on her liquid pre-op.

July sounds like a great month to have the surgery. What else is in July? Independence Day! Not only July 4th but YOUR independence day! You'll get to Celebrate your independence from food and weight. How cool is that?! Stay positive and remember you've come too far to get frustrated now. Congrats on being included in the wedding party. You more than likely will be several dress sizes down by October, so no worries there! Take a deep breath and relax these last few weeks before your special VSG day no matter when that might be. Save me a seat on the losers bench...I've got several months to go.