Hi Hi!!! Any College Banders?

[Emmylee 0]

My name is Emmylee and im 20 years old. i got my band January 13th, and im going for my first fill on monday. im nervous and excited. right now im ALWAYS hungry, i feel like i need a fill really bad, because i eat every 2 hours just about. Im also having trouble figuring out a good way to eat healtheir. i dont have much time between activities and class to prepare my own meals, so i usually end up eating chicken nuggets frm whatever place we go to.... i know its bad, but i just havent found a healthier alternitive yet!

anyways im just on here for support and advice, and of course to make other friends!

[anna_ree 0]

I dont have any advice, sorry, but I want some help too! I am about to start my pre-op diet and I feel that that wont be too difficult with my classes, but my post-op diet might be harder.

I have about 15 min between my 3 classes from 1:30pm-9:30pm. I am not sure what healthy food i can SLOWLY eat between those classes.

Good luck with your first fill!

[lfoley 1]

heyhey!! so i'm 22 years old now.. ( can't believe it) and a senior in college ( also can't believe it ) I have absolutely no free time during the week. I am in a sorority. I was president, i had a radio show, I did orientation for incoming freshman and so on and so on. I was banded in August of 2009 3 weeks before the beginning of my senior year, and at first I thought it was a huge mistake. But honestly it was the best decision of my life. My doctor is about an hour and 45 mins from my college so going to appointments is always a hassle, but his office made me top priority since I am so far away.

The first thing I learned was don't cheat! I moved back to school 2 weeks post op. I was just starting mushies and tried to go for bigger and better things such as some grilled chicken and it did not happen. Everyone is different yes, but don't rush your recovery process, do what the doc advises you!! Protein shakes, Soup and applesauce was my life the first two weeks of my senior year in college and every time I get a fill which has been about 5 times. Mind you the first week back I was in orientation, which means that I was out of my apartment literally from 6am until midnight, so I spent from midnight to 12:30am getting my breakfast/lunch and dinner together for the next day. You have to make time!! Trust me you can do it!! I even would make huge batches of chicken Soup and freeze them and then take it out to let it thaw in the AM so I had lunch.

This semester I have a ton of free time so I am able to cook. My school was very accommodating to my new eating style, they switched my to the commuter meal plan, because I could eat full-meals that you pay for it's pretty much just cash that i could spend either at the on-campus grocery store or at the big dining halls.

When I'm in the dining halls I usually stick to chicken salad, tuna, or Soups. I will get those huge sandwiches they make and eat all the stuff from the inside out, instead of eating the bread. I eat a ton of guacamole now with a spoon , i make it homemade and Beans. It is so hard being at school, I am constantly stressing out. My friends go out to eat all the time, so I go online and look at the menus before hand.

Once you start it's not a big deal, its just getting into a routine. My sisters at first were weirded out with me because i was bringing a lunch box ( small one ) with me to lunch, but eventually got over it.

One thing I've hardcore learned though even if you have to eat "bad" things such as a burger or mac and cheese or something like that, look at how much your eating now. It's not a big deal when you use to eat like 2 plate fulls and you can only eat 1/2 of one plate now. Sometimes you have no choice but you just eat healthier the rest of the day! I have definitely noticed when I'm at home I lose so much more weight when I'm at school, but i do still lose its just getting use to eating different!

It's so nice to see this topic! i have no one at school that can relate to me with this, my mom is banded but she doesn't understand how hard it is at school!

Feel free to msg me or whatevs!

goodluck and be strong! we'll lose together!

[Guest BikiniBeachy]

Hi guys....I am about 16 months post op and down 80 pounds, but creeping around on the boards again as I re-motivate myself to lose my last 30 to get to goal. College is super stressful, I'm a super senior and I am BAD and preparing food beforehand. Looking for other post-oppers out there who want to chat :smile2:

[smilelaughlove 0]

Hey guys,

This is actually the perfect conversation for me! I'm a sophomore in college and I'm actually getting banded on Wednesday. ahh, i can't believe it! It's during my spring break and I only have a week and a half before I need to go back to school, eating at college has definitely been one of the most nervous parts of getting the surgery! did you guys tell your friends that you were getting the surgery? if you didn't, how did it go? (i only told my roommate and one close friend).

[LilaZules 0]

Hello All. I am a 21 year old junior in college. I was banded during my spring break last Tuesday (3/14/10), and tomorrow will be my first day back on campus. In addition to taking classes, I am also running for SGA Secretary so I will be campaigning from today until Election Day which is April 6th on top of taking classes, and being a part of 3 organizations on an executive board level.

What I'm most worried about is stopping to eat because I am never hungry. Before surgery, I didn't eat Breakfast because it was too early in the morning, and I would pick sleep over eating any day! I recently started to eat lunch with my three best friends in between classes 12:30 and 1:10, which was something I only did maybe 3 out of 5 days a week so I am changing my schedule to allow for time to eat. What made me stop to eat last year was the fact that I would have hunger pangs or loud stomach growls in the middle of a lecture. Now that that isn't happening, I'm worried that I won't be eating enough. When will my stomach start to tell me I'm hungry again?

Tomorrow, I move to stage two of the liquid diet. How different is it really from the first week diet? I've had about 8 pre-op nutrition classes prior to surgery, but we all know it's not the same once you actually have the surgery done. Can I just stay on my week one diet until I move to the mushy stage?

[anna_ree 0]

Hi lila, I was banded 3/12, and today was my first day back to school too. I was exactly like u, skipping Breakfast and only eating when I was starving in class. Well today during my science test my stomach let ms and everyone in class know that I was hungry. So don't worry it'll tell u. That was at a 2 pm class and I hadn't eaten breakfast. After class I came home and drank an Atkins drink. The full liquids is much different. But u can drink anything and eat Soups. Before it was just broth, but now u can eat creamier kinds. I'm going to make potato Soup tonight. Also I'm eating sugar free pudding, the little snack packs are just 60 calories and taste pretty good.

Good luck!

[anna_ree 0]

I meant me, and I meant the full liquids is NOT much different. Sorry I was typing from my phone

[soXlovely 0]

Hello!

I just got banded May 10 and was back at school 4 days after surgery. I'm having a hard time during this first week of only liquids. Its easier because I dont have to prepare food, but I cant stand the monotony of it especially since I'm used to all the greasy awesome college food which I'll be leaving behind soon.

[lederose 0]

I just got banded on May 11, and now entered college town.. Its not that hard right now since its still summer, so i can get into a habit b4 fall comes in..

[Headur 0]

Hi All,

It's nice to see smart young ladies on here too! I am a 24 year old grad school student in Southern California and I just got banded during my summer week off last Thursday! While I don't have to live on campus and eat their food, I do share some struggles because I live alone, I go to school full-time, work on campus, and try to stay involved with my undergrad sorority sisters and friends.

I am still in my liquids phase, and when I have night classes it is so hard to see my classmates sit and eat their junk food dinners in class while all I've had is Protein Shakes, broth, and Water the past 5 days. I'm sure I will get over it, but it's HARD!!! I just try to think by the end of the summer how much different I will look when fall classes start again!

[taylor2e 0]

Hey, I am a 20 year old junior. and have been banded since Oct 2008. its been really rough for me, I have had a lot of acid reflux issues and went to the ER last spring because of it. Overall I think the lapband is a great idea but its come to points where I cant even keep liquid down. Eating at college is difficult because so often people are ordering in rather than trek through the snow (I go to school about 40 minutes north of Manhattan). I feel most of my weight loss happens during these times when I am sick from my lap band.

I dont know. Sometimes I want it removed because I am tired of getting sick. I feel like I started off on the wrong foot because my surgeon (who since has started his own practice and I chose to pick another doctor with True Results rather than stay with him) put about 5cc's of Fluid in my band from the get go, when usually there is 0-1cc's.

[daniellerhone27 0]

wow, it is nice to see other people my age that are in college who have the band and who can relate to one another.

im 21 and a senior in collge. Ive had my band since November of 2008 and so far ive lost 92 lbs, but did loose 109 but had ALOT of problems.

Taylor2e i have a similar story to yours! and trust me if your miserable and always throwing up and have acid reflux, there something is not right.

After i had my band a while, i went for my 3rd fill and it was WAY too tight...i couldnt even keep Water down for the 3 days it took to get me back into the drs office. That was in may of 2009. i spent the whole summer in agony, constatntly going back and getting more and more Fluid taken out of my band and always being sick, throwing up soft/liquids, horrible acid reflux, and really sleepy/tired all the time.

at first they just said oh, your bands too tight, well just keep taking more and more Fluid out. then they put me on pills because they said i had a spastic stomache and bowls. I was having horrible pains in my left side, and thought it was like constapation or my appendix...turns out it wasnt.

i went to the ER in november 2009 for an upper gi, and they say that they didnt see any problems. (trust me there were problems and i just dont think they understood the band, b/c the hospitol i went too doesnt even do the surger there) then i went again to the ER in december 2009 and had xrays done, again, they didnt read the xrays right and sent me home.

Finally in january 2010, while i was throwing up b/c i couldnt eat somthing, i had this horrible pain in my chest and my dad took me a differnt ER immediately. This time they sawthe slip b/c it was really really bad from the few hours before. The ER doctor took all the remaining fluid out of my band and it was such a relief. They said they would do the surgery that night, but instead i wanted to get it approved by insurance. I had my corrective surgery in march 2010 and Im doing much better now and on my 2nd fill already.

I think your band imight be too tight. maybe you should getsome xtrays done just to maker sure. I too got down to a lower weight while i was sick but it wasnt fun or healthy and when i had the corrective surgery, i gained 15lbs back.

so my advice it to get it checked, because it could be a slip like i had. i dont want to scare you but help you b/c ive been there and it was horrible, not to mention doing all of this while going to school and working. And i never thought a slipped band could happen to me, b/c its happens in such a small % of people, but it did

sorry this post is kinda long...

[taylor2e 0]

@daniellerhone27

I actually just had emergency surgery Saturday the 3rd. They were unable to correct it so I am now lap-band-less. Thanks for the advice. I am bummed that I no longer have my band but its also a relief bc I had so many problems with it.

If its cool with everyone I would like to be able to still post to give my two-cents and because I will DEFINITELY need help w my weight loss now that the band is gone.

[daniellerhone27 0]

@taylor2e

wow, i really hope your surgery went well and that your recovering ok! thats too bad they couldnt correct it...but when i had all my problems with it i actually just wanted it out for good. luckily i got to keep it b/c i realized i do need it after i put on a few lbs after the corrective surgery.

My advide now would be to use everything you learned while having the band in and still apply it. it will definatley be a mental struggle but just imagine you still have your band and try to eat a cup at a time just like you would if you still had it.

you might feel the same way, but i NEVER thought id be the person or statistic that would have the slipped band but unfortunatlely that wasnt the case. figures it would happen to me...

ok hope your doing well! =]