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I've added everyone so far! So glad to be friends with all of you! Such motivation for me. I was sleeved 10/19/15 and all of you help me sooooo much!

This Lapband Tool works if you work it. Low carbs~~HIgh Protein~ Low Fat. No bread, no potatoes, no rice, no donuts, no cake, no candy no soda, no high carbs= weight loss, smaller body and a happier and healthier life. This is not a partime situation. It is a lifetime thing. Today I had a cookie. It was one from out Europe trip. JUST ONE....BEFORE~ I WOULD HAVE HAD 10 AND WANTED MORE. I STILL AM NOT PERFECT....I NEVER WILL BE. BUT I WORKED FOR WHAT I HAVE AND I AM HAPPIER. If i wanted bread or any off the above mentioned things (which I don't) I could have them **just a tiny bit*** hugs.

I can see how age factors into weight loss. I lost before and for the next two weeks. I seem to be stuck.....probably ready for a fill. I was banded on Jan 19.

I was banded on January 19, 2007 and I have had those pains too! I have also had trouble getting down adequate fluid and food (pureed). Today was my best day at 25oz. This is so hard. I am thirsty! I did contact my Doctor's who promply sent me for a Barium Esophogram even though their feeling was that I was on the "outer edge of normal" I was so upset and fearful of doing the esopghogram because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to drink enough barium, but I followed my Dr's orders and drank one small sip at a time and held it in my mouth a few seconds before swalling. It went well, and my Dr. is reveiwing the films himself Monday. (The Doctor who did the test thought that all was okay) Once I got home from the test, I let out a series of burps, and the pain lifted! Now I wait for Monday morning. No one told me that I was going to have this much restriction for so long after surgery. Will that diminish?

I'm in London and it's just been confirmed I'm being banded on 8th October!!! I've just booked my tickets it's definately happening, just 10 days to go!!!

It's Halloweenie! Since I'm still on liquids, I bought no candy for trick or treaters. I had one come up though my light wasn't on. Ignored. Then I had some middle schooler come up at 10:50pm. WTH! So anyway, I have one week left on liquids and it's REALLY getting old!!! I know my stomach is healing and all that but still - I wanna chew my damn shoe. It's funny b/c I'm craving a scrambled egg and I don't even eat eggs that often. Lulu told me that she has, for the most part, lost the desire for snacking. Please God, let that happen to me!!! Oh and I weighed yesterday and am down 16.5 pounds. :mad2:

I very truly feel your pain. I was sleeved in 2009 and I did fantastic the first 6 years. I lost 149 lbs and 9 dress sizes. At first, I wasn't even exercising and the weight just melted away daily. When I got down to the weight limit that could not be exceeded on an elliptical machine that I borrowed from a sister, I started exercising on it. Eventually, I was using the elliptical for an hour, non-stop, 5 days a week. Everything began to change in December 2014. My father passed away and he was the be all end all of existence for me. I am the youngest of 13 kids and was totally a daddy's girl. He was very ill already, but he ended up dying on my mom's birthday from a heart attack in his sleep. I was the first one to get to his house after my brother who was taking care of him called us all. When I got to my dad, his eyes were still open. My brother was dealing with the coroner and the police officer. I really freaked out and thought I'd better close his eyes before my other sisters or my nieces and nephews saw him. So I did. I closed my father's eyes. My heart broke in half right at that moment. I kinda lost my sh*t. My doc ended up putting me on Xanax and Ambien. Fast forward a few months to April 2015, I ended up getting divorced. Then 15 months later in July 2016 my mother died. Her heart stopped, and during CPR administration, her ribs broke and one pierced her lung. It filled with fluid and because she'd had respiratory issues most of her life, they couldn't help her. She died after 3 agonizing days in the hospital. Then in 2017, I was transferred from one job post to another. They weren't even going to tell me until right before I showed up for work, I found out sooner by accident. I'd been at that post for 10 years. It was a retaliation from a supervisor who knew that I knew too much information about illegal activity that went on under his nose. Literally, every year something horrible was happening to me. The anxiety, depression, and meds led to me not giving a sh*t about what I ate and a lot of drinking. I was drinking every night. I wasn't exercising anymore. I was eating anything I wanted to eat. It was still very little food, because I had a lot of restriction. But I was eating every kind of junk food you can think of. I was eating at all hours of the day. I was grazing, as they call it. I could eat every 3 hours. And the alcohol was just straight shots of tequila. By 2022, I had regained most of my weight and gone back up 6 sizes. You can lose weight again. You can detox from carbs. You can go back to protein shakes. This past May, I started dieting (on my own) because the doc wanted me to lose weight before he'd do the revision. I was drinking a protein shake for breakfast and for lunch, then I was eating a good, solid, very low carb (even zero carb) dinner. No alcohol. In 30 days, I lost 30 lbs. And this was before my surgery. It is absolutely possible, but you have to make the effort and you have to have the discipline. The first 3-4 days are tough as you detox, but then it just gets easier and easier. I wish you luck, friend.

Just hoping someone could explain this to me, please. I know to stay away from slider foods such as ice cream, shakes, etc. but was wondering how the stomach differentiates between well chewed foods (ex: Soups, crackers, and even salads) if we're supposed to chew them until they're applesauce consistancy? Went to Olive Garden for their Soup and salad special the other day and couldn't eat the soup even though I chewed very well (Soup Fajoule, but it was very, very think - stew consistancy) but the salad went down great. I had to stop when I thought I had enough because I really didn't feel my band helping me out like I usually do with other foods. Hope my question makes sense. Thanks in advance for any responses! Banded 10-7-08 320/284 as of 12/17

I put in my vitamins. Mainly so I can remember to take them. But they count as almost 10 calories. Lol.

I've recently had a horrible experience, need to vent, and wondered if anyone else went through something similar. This past Sunday, I got stuck and vomited. Not the first time it's happened, so I expected to spend the next couple days on liquids. Monday morning I tried a couple sips of warm tea and it came up almost immediately. I called my MD's nurse and explained the situation; she asked me to come in Wednesday at 1PM and she would get me worked in. (My MD is in the clinic all day Monday and half a day on Wed/Fri, other days he is in surgery, doing rounds at the hospital, or at a nonbariatric clinic right on the same block as the bariatric clinic. Also, he is the only person who does fills/unfills. He has no partner or another person trained.) I agreed with her suggestion thinking that the band would loosen up enough to dring at least by Tuesday morning. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I couldn't swallow my own spit much less Water. So, I called the clinic again on Tuesday. By this time I'm desperately thirsty, I've lost 10 lbs since Sunday, I'm vomiting up what little spit I'm producing and accidentally swallowing at least every 2 hours. My temperature is over 100 and my skin turgor is getting worse; my eyelids and skin over my knuckles would stay up in a little peak if I pinched them. I was peeing in small amounts sporadically. I knew I was dehydrated and voiced my concern to the nurse. She responded that he was in surgery all day, and she would try to get ahold of him. And, if she didn't call back, come in the previously arranged time on Wednesday. I responded that I didn't think I could wait that long. Her answer to this was to go to the ER. I was astounded! During the year and a half that I've been a patient, the MD and staff have constantly hammered into me to just give them a call if I need anything . I take this to mean that if an urgent situation like this arises, I can call and get their help quickly. I was very wrong. She did call back and told me to be at the clinic at 0830 Wednesday morning; the MD would come in between hospital rounds. I was so tired by this point and agreed. The next morning my husband drove me to the clinic (by this time I'm very weak, I'm down 12 lbs d/t Fluid loss). I check in and am told that it could be one hour or even three hours before he comes by. By this time I'm so tired and dispirited that I can hardly think. I burst into tears and say I'm going to have him take out all of the fill, I haven't had anything to drink in nearly three days, I've tried to get an appointment for the past two days, my husband has to be at work at 10, etc... I can't even completely remember everything I said, my brain was so clouded. I sit and the desk clerk tells me he has been paged. By the time I see him, it's nearly 11AM!! I had him take all of the fill out although he was initially going to just take a bit out to "decompress", but I insisted. I have a one-month appointment made, but I'm really debating going back. I love my band and don't regret having it done, but don't wish to risk a repeat of this experience. I am about 20 lbs away from my healthy weight and have learned a lot of great habits, so I don't doubt that I could do it. It would just be more slowly. Has anyone else had an experience like this? How did your doctor respond? Sorry so long and thanks for reading:redface:

Howdy folks - I'm looking for some input. For the past month, I've been having a few very uncomfortable post-op issues. I think I may have developed a hernia. When I sneeze, or cough (or even sometimes just sit), I notice tenderness/pain in my abdominal area behind my navel. I've done some research, and have learned that hernia's are an issue some folks deal w/afterwards. (possibly from the belly-button incision, and that being where part of the stomach was pulled out from - but I'm wondering if it could be from all the vomitting I did the first 2 months). I recently got laid off, I don't have any health insurance at the moment. Pain level fluctuates between 7-10 daily/consistantly... but other than that, no issues. Wondering if maybe its urgent enough to go to ER? Curious to know if anyone else has experience anything similar. Any input would be greatly appreciated!!

I did some of that too. Then I went on a 2 week liquid diet & then toward the end I had my wife fix me" Crab stuffed Devil eggs". A recipe I saw in a Weight Loss book. I talked for 10 days how good that last meal was going to taste. My wife fixed 2 dozen of those little bastards! They were the most tasteless thing I had eaten in years! After eating 6 of them they went in the trash.

HI all- Was banded 10/15. So far with pre-op and post op I'm at 34lbs lost. YAYYY!! Getting my second fill Nov 30. I have no restriction and have absolutely no problems. I have lost 6 lbs the last 2 weeks since fill 1 but that was all will power. I usually feel I satisfied after Breakfast and lunch but by the time dinner rolls around... I could eat a horse. I do have an issue getting 64 oz of Water in. I don't know way. Some days I can some I cant. Good job everyone!! Here's to a productive December.

<FONT color=#00bfff size=3 face=Georgia>Hey! Well, I was banded 10/25/2010. I have no restriction, but I am trying to make good choices. Sometimes I fail at that miserably.

All good things for all the October 3rd Sleevers! This is the big day for the beginning of your new life, and since the day is already in full swing, you will probably not see this message until a couple of days out. But know that we are here for you when you do check in. My surgery is scheudled for 10/17, but you are now the first of my Official October heros!!! Please let us know how you are doing, Peace and love, Phyllis, aka Hopeful Spirit

Thanks for the feedback. My doctor did a VERY thorough blood work up (thyroid was okay; no vitamin deficiencies) The vitamins I take are Bariatric Advantage (chewable) Multi Vitamin / Vitamin D / and Calcium Chews (daily) I teach school so I am awake each morning at 5:45 a.m. I am NOT a coffee drink and avoid caffeine for other health reasons. My normal bed time is 10:00 p.m. Thanks for the responses Yes, LEE my triglyceride levels are a tad high and I do have sleep apnea. This was an issue before surgery and I am not sure when it will get better ?

Hope everything went well for the other Jan 10 sleevers. I just got back from a walk around the Med/surg floor. Like everyone says, walk, walk, walk! It really helps with gas pains. I've been burping a lot and have some incisional pain but it's tolerable. Taking in 50 mls each hour I'm away, Protein and Water. I hope my surgeon releases me today! I'm ready for my own bed and environment. I'd love to hear how you're all feeling. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I totally agree with u....... I didn't do so good on preop.... I cheated a lot................. It was hard for me............. Girl just breath cause in the end u will look great..... I've lost 10 pounds so far..........

You may not want to stock up on post-op foods just yet. I remember my taste buds being out of whack for a few weeks and things I liked pre-op just didn't taste the same. Pre-op, I bought a case of chicken Soup - 6 months later, I gave it away. I never want to see chicken soup again! :-p You will also be surprised at how little you are going to eat post-op. I had to keep reminding myself of that when I was planning for post-op eating. My 1st 10 days, post-op meals consisted of sugar free popsicles, sugar free Jello and Crystal Light. If I were to do it over again, I'd buy a few bottles of my favorite Protein shakes, sugar free jello, and sugar free popsicles and maybe some chicken broth.

Went for my consultation and basically went like a seminar about how and what surgery is he didn't really mention if I was or wasn't a candidate BMI is at 39.4 I have Gold Coast health plan more like medi-cal the rules are the same to qualify I know but he is asking for 10% weightloss by next appt and an appt with psych and dietician which are scheduled after my weight update does that mean I am in the process of surgery? So confused, how was ur experience?

I've lost just over ten pounds. If I were only 10-20 pounds overweight, I'd be jumping up and down. But since I'm 120 pounds overweight, ten is no big deal. I figure it'll be at least 50 pounds before I can really tell a difference. For those who've lost gobs of weight already - how far along were you when you began to see the difference in your mirror?

I'll be having surgery in 8 days!!! I'm 6 days into my pre-op diet and I've lost 10 pounds. I feel really good about that, because I've been sticking to the diet really well. Four protein shakes during the day and one healthy choice dinner. Add veggie or healthy choice dessert if I'm still hungry but no more than 1100-1200 calories per day. Some of the 10 pounds is probably water weight and I'm counting from weight that I just gained from having "last meals". The first two days are pure hell, but after that, I have gotten used to drinking my meals instead of eating them. I really haven't been hungry much at all. My boss took me to lunch on Friday, and he knows I'm having surgery, but I didn't tell him what for. I ate 1/3 of a grilled chicken sandwich really slowly and he didn't seem to notice. Then, I just drank a protein drink for dinner. I've been meaning to get to the gym but it is COLD. I mean really COLD for Florida. It's been in freezing temperatures the past few days. When I get off work it's dark and cold and I just want to stay inside and be warm and not go back out. I will definitely start going to the gym after my surgery. I think I can do cardio fairly soon after and weights after 6 weeks or so. I'm really looking forward to losing this weight and starting the new year off right!! I've only told two people at work that I'm doing it and only a few friends and my family. I actually am going to have a month off work counting the Christmas vacation I already scheduled, so I hope to come back to work much lighter. Let the rumors begin!!!

ok, so I had my surgery with Dr. Kirshenbaum in Denver because my insurance would not pay for the surgery and I had to pay cash. I wanted someone with experience but not someone who was out to rob me blind. So... Dr. K was both and about $15K cheaper than anyone else I could find with his experience. One thing I found at my first fill was that he wasn't so good at after care. He didn't know how to tell me to know that I was filled correctly...so frustrated and water logged, I left with only 1.5 ccs in a 10cc band. That was 10/31/08. ON 11/07, I decided to call Fill Centers to find out what doctor they had available in Las Vegas for fills. They set me up with Dr Ricciardi a "Bariatric Physician", not to be confused with a "Bariatric Surgeon". I chose the annual plan with the promise that if I didn't like him that I could go to anyone else in the Fill Center network. Cool. Appt set for 11/20 at 9am. I was very impressed by his staff and by him. Turns out he is experienced and young and he trains other doctors across the country to be "aftercare" providers for bariatric surgery. How Cool! He listened, talked for about 30 minutes about what I've been trying and told me that I come to his office now for all aftercare. Awesome! So, he fills it 1.5 cc's and is amazed that I can chug a full water bottle with 3.0 ccs after only 8 weeks. I personally felt like he should put more but thought I should trust him and see how it goes. Next day all is well and I am eating around 1/4 - 1/2 cup depending on how much water I've had that day already. I think I need a little more so I'll set up an appt to go back in another week. Let's see how much I can lose this week without much restriction. I see many others who had surgery the same time as me are at 3.5 or 4.0 and have good restriction so I don't want to waste too much more time waiting for something to work... I'll give it til after Thanksgiving to see and then I'll make an appt. All in all, I was very pleased with my fill center experience. They gave me a lifestyle guide, access to recipes and other things on their website and called me for a follow up to see how everything went. I am pretty impressed.

You know I am in a complete different mindset now that my weight is dropping with my LB. I use to plan which restaurants I would hit, what food I would cook, and what grocery's I would consume on the weekend. Now I plan on what I can get done, where I am going to walk, and who I will visit. I have made amens with many, including my Dad that I have not spoken to in about 10 years. I think I carried so much guilt on my shoulders with my weight that I had forgot who I was, I have to say again the LB is life changing. Hope everyone gets the same results.