Calling all A11s!!

[Trevebyn 1]

Thanks. GG. Have had a stressful week and it just got to me yesterday. I know what I have to do but just the old habits seem to have come back with a vengeance. Part of it is because I am scared stiff about having to have another op. Never mind the thought of having to go through the agony of them trying to find the access. Unfortunately my hosp does not believe in using lidnocaine at all

[ncgg-5 2]

WELL, ADD ME TO THE LIST! (I BARELY MADE THE MONTH) MY NAME IS DANETTE, 36 YRS OLD, NOT MARRIED, ONE SON, 17 MONTHS!

I WAS BANDED AUG 31ST 2011!! PRE SURGERY WEIGHT WAS 287, PRE SURGERY WEIGHT WAS 279, CURRENT WEIGHT IS 258!!

IVE BEEN WEARING A 20 FOR QUITE SOME TIME, BUT CAN FINALLY SAY I FIT IN AN 18. THIS HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING 7 WEEKS AND LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING THIS JOURNEY WITH ALL OF YOU!!

DG! <3

Welcome Determined!

Looks like from your stats you're doing well. It feels good to get out of a size 20 doesn't it! Congratulations. We'll look forward to sharing with you too. I bet people are noticing your weight loss now. I seem to remember from one of the many times I did Weight Watchers we go down a size about every 15 lbs. I spent most of my afternoon yesterday cleaning out my closet and 16's are starting to get loose! I still am wearing some 16-18 tops and they are OK for now. Yeaaaaah for me! Pants are the hardest for me to find because I have an upside down butt. It's larger at the top below my wait and practically nothing down below that. Just like my Mom. I guess I need a butt lift or one of those butt lifter/fillers to fill out my pants at the bottom! Keep us posted on your progress.

Blessings,

GG

[ncgg-5 2]

Thanks. GG. Have had a stressful week and it just got to me yesterday. I know what I have to do but just the old habits seem to have come back with a vengeance. Part of it is because I am scared stiff about having to have another op. Never mind the thought of having to go through the agony of them trying to find the access. Unfortunately my hosp does not believe in using lidnocaine at all

Those old habits are hard to break but we can all do it. food is our stress reliever and that's whee we turn when we are stressed. I sure understand and so does everyone else.

I would tell them firmly you would like some lidocaine. It takes all the stress out of the fill (for me) and if they are going to be poking around looking for the port you certainly should have it if you choose to. We all have to remember these Dr's and their staff are working for us. We are paying them, I know a lot of you are younger and do not have a lot of hospital experience but I do. You can be firm and polite in what you want but also tell them and insist they do it your way or give you a very, very good reason not to. I did 6 months of chemo for breast cancer in 1989 with them sticking me every 3 weeks. With chemo your veins collapse and roll and it's hard to find a vein. I would get stuck sometimes as many as 6 times. It was a nightmare and the thing I dreaded the most. Now they put in ports like we have and it's nothing. After doing chemo and 4 other operations I was in the hospital a few years later for a DNC. I told the anesthesiologist my dread of needles and why. He said he would give me lidocaine and not to worry. I asked him why no one had ever offered it to me before. He said he didn't know, it was available all those years. Now I insist on it for any IV'S and for my fill my Dr does it routinely. I'll get off my soapbox now. It just irks me that some Dr's act like little gods and treat women badly sometimes. I bet they would not do that to another man. No offense guys out there. That's another reason I use women Dr's when I can. I love my Dr now and find him very compassionate and have no complaints other than he gives teeny tiny fills! LOL

Blessings,

GG

[ncgg-5 2]

I know this is not the recipe thread but I thought somebody out there in our Aug group might like to have this turkey chili recipe speciality of my hubby's. It's a little on the hot side so taste it as you go along. He browns all the ingredients from the first part of the recipe and puts that in the crockpot and throws in all the other stuff and lets it simmer all day. We have even frozen it. Everyone that has it asks for the recipe. Really good with corn bread. I broke the whole thing down in myfitnesspal.com and it's not too bad calorie wise. You could substitute Spelenda for the sugar and use low fat Peanut Butter too. Let me know if you try and like it. I didn't realize it was turkey the first time I had it.

Touchdown Turkey Chili

2.5 lbs. ground turkey - 93/7fat content

4 T. olive oil

1 large onion

3/4 cup red wine

2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced or 1T prepared minced garlic

3-15 oz. cans black beans

1/4 can chipolte pepper in adobe sauce

1 tsp. cumin

2 heaping T. peanut butter

2 tsp. salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

3T. sugar

3 tsp. Chile powder

1 pkg chili mix

2 3/4 c cup ketchup

1 large can Tomato sauce (22 oz)

2 T cocoa powder

2 T oregano

Serves 21, 1 cup serving

Brown meat, garlic and onions in hot oil. Add wine and deglaze, scraping up any bits from the bottom of pan. Then add tomatoes and stir. Add all other ingredients except salt and pepper.

Cook over low heat 30 mins. covered. Uncover and add salt, pepper and cilantro and cook 15 minutes….or put in large crock pot and cook on low for 1 day, better the longer it cooks.

Serve with:

Grated cheese, sour cream etc.

1 cup serving = 186 calories, 26 carbs, 6 fat, 10 Protein, 12 sugar & 4 fiber

[Trevebyn 1]

Gg you are right. food has ALWAYS been my escape route when life has become rough. I have to find an alternative other than the chocolate/sugar rush. For the past year it has Bern playing my trumpet but when the band was fitted they found a hernia so I am only just beginning to play again and 10 mins is about the maximum at present. As for the docs and lidnocaine I will certainly have a good try with this new one. Hopefully he will be more obliging as I really do hate being a pin cushion. Lol

[healthywoman 2]

Hi, Healthywoman here. I haven't had time to post since early Sept ,just read all the posts since and see we are all in this together. Some of the posts are so funny, some you can feel the frustration, others the joy.

Thanks GG for your major support and encouragement to everyone here. I see a few people I recognise from other sites as well, pre surgery.

I am 2 months post, hit a plateau at one month post, and took solace in the fact that i was hovering and not gaining for 4 weeks. I was down 20 lbs and stuck at that point. I had my first fill Sept 30, felt absolutely nothing, and continued to be hungry. So after 9 days I called to schedule another fill which I had two days ago. I immediately felt a tightening, and a small "fist" in my chest-I was soooo happy to know I would feel at least some restriction. I was given 3 cc's for my first fill, already had 4 cc's in from surgery, and was given 1 cc this week. All of our bodies are different, and the size of the fat pad around our stomach is really what determines how much restriction we feel.

I am now losing again every day. Yes, I weigh every day.I know we aren't supposed to but it keeps me on track.

I am seriously wondering about my surgeons office after hearing your stories. Do you know I haven't seen my surgeon since the day of surgury. I see the nurse who removed the staples one week post-op, and has also done the fills. My doc isn't even in the office when I go. The nurse used hand sanitizer to swab my tummy before she did the lidocaine, then the fill which was no problem. I didn't have any infection from it but really, hand sanitizer??? I'v e really had no support from this office either. I'm calling around to the local bariatric centers to see if I can join their support groups as I have to drive 40 minutes to my current office. Has anyone else switched offices midstream before? Thanks again to all of you who read and support on this site. We August bandsters are doing an awsome job so far. Yea to us!! Blessings for all today!

[ms.lady 3]

Hi, Healthywoman here. I haven't had time to post since early Sept ,just read all the posts since and see we are all in this together. Some of the posts are so funny, some you can feel the frustration, others the joy.

Thanks GG for your major support and encouragement to everyone here. I see a few people I recognise from other sites as well, pre surgery.

I am 2 months post, hit a plateau at one month post, and took solace in the fact that i was hovering and not gaining for 4 weeks. I was down 20 lbs and stuck at that point. I had my first fill Sept 30, felt absolutely nothing, and continued to be hungry. So after 9 days I called to schedule another fill which I had two days ago. I immediately felt a tightening, and a small "fist" in my chest-I was soooo happy to know I would feel at least some restriction. I was given 3 cc's for my first fill, already had 4 cc's in from surgery, and was given 1 cc this week. All of our bodies are different, and the size of the fat pad around our stomach is really what determines how much restriction we feel.

I am now losing again every day. Yes, I weigh every day.I know we aren't supposed to but it keeps me on track.

I am seriously wondering about my surgeons office after hearing your stories. Do you know I haven't seen my surgeon since the day of surgury. I see the nurse who removed the staples one week post-op, and has also done the fills. My doc isn't even in the office when I go. The nurse used hand sanitizer to swab my tummy before she did the lidocaine, then the fill which was no problem. I didn't have any infection from it but really, hand sanitizer??? I'v e really had no support from this office either. I'm calling around to the local bariatric centers to see if I can join their support groups as I have to drive 40 minutes to my current office. Has anyone else switched offices midstream before? Thanks again to all of you who read and support on this site. We August bandsters are doing an awsome job so far. Yea to us!! Blessings for all today!

Hey Healthwoman! First of all using hand sanitizer to prep an area were you are to puncture the skin is ludacris! I would definately address the issue. With the things you are describing I would surely look into finding another physician and staff to deal with. Personally I have never considered going else where for service my surgeon office is ok, and see see only him. I also drive about 35-40 minutes to the office. I extremely happy for you that this last fill has you progressing and losing again. And I agree GG is the best, I always look forward to reading her posts, she is so positive and encouraging!!!

[Jess527 0]

I haven't written anything on this A11s topic thread since I had my surgery back in August (8-25-11). It seems like a lifetime ago, I am stuck at 205 this morning. I was 207 at my first/last fill almost a month ago. I am up to 5cc's in my 10 cc band. I am writing in this topic board because I know you were all filled with me in August. I do not think my body wants me to see onederland. Feeling frustrated, I feel like people are looking at me like "shouldn't she be dropping weight" and in fact my mom mentioned something along those lines the other day. I have thought about trying to do all liquids again to jump start the weight loss, but it just doesn't satisfy me. I have my second fill next week, 10-25-11.

Any suggestions?

[kauai bound 1]

I haven't written anything on this A11s topic thread since I had my surgery back in August (8-25-11). It seems like a lifetime ago, I am stuck at 205 this morning. I was 207 at my first/last fill almost a month ago. I am up to 5cc's in my 10 cc band. I am writing in this topic board because I know you were all filled with me in August. I do not think my body wants me to see onederland. Feeling frustrated, I feel like people are looking at me like "shouldn't she be dropping weight" and in fact my mom mentioned something along those lines the other day. I have thought about trying to do all liquids again to jump start the weight loss, but it just doesn't satisfy me. I have my second fill next week, 10-25-11.

Any suggestions?

[kauai bound 1]

It's such a relief to hear others are stuck as well. I have weighed the same fir two weeks now. I'm six weeks out. I've lost thirty pounds. It's hard to be stuck when you were having great loss. The thirty includes the pre diet. How ling di we plateau? I can eat anything I want too right now.

[Stroganoff 2]

Regarding the hand sanitizer.....I am a nursing student in the Houston area and hand sanitizer is just as an accepted practice as washing your hands. In every hospital that I have been so far there has been hand sanitizer in all of the rooms. I know it might not sound wonderful but you have to realize tht these nurses are also washing their hands several times through out the day on top of using the sanitizer. These nurses typically wash their hands before and after every patient .....the hand sanitizer in the room is just a bonus! Hope it helps you to feel better about it.

Hi, Healthywoman here. I haven't had time to post since early Sept ,just read all the posts since and see we are all in this together. Some of the posts are so funny, some you can feel the frustration, others the joy.

Thanks GG for your major support and encouragement to everyone here. I see a few people I recognise from other sites as well, pre surgery.

I am 2 months post, hit a plateau at one month post, and took solace in the fact that i was hovering and not gaining for 4 weeks. I was down 20 lbs and stuck at that point. I had my first fill Sept 30, felt absolutely nothing, and continued to be hungry. So after 9 days I called to schedule another fill which I had two days ago. I immediately felt a tightening, and a small "fist" in my chest-I was soooo happy to know I would feel at least some restriction. I was given 3 cc's for my first fill, already had 4 cc's in from surgery, and was given 1 cc this week. All of our bodies are different, and the size of the fat pad around our stomach is really what determines how much restriction we feel.

I am now losing again every day. Yes, I weigh every day.I know we aren't supposed to but it keeps me on track.

I am seriously wondering about my surgeons office after hearing your stories. Do you know I haven't seen my surgeon since the day of surgury. I see the nurse who removed the staples one week post-op, and has also done the fills. My doc isn't even in the office when I go. The nurse used hand sanitizer to swab my tummy before she did the lidocaine, then the fill which was no problem. I didn't have any infection from it but really, hand sanitizer??? I'v e really had no support from this office either. I'm calling around to the local bariatric centers to see if I can join their support groups as I have to drive 40 minutes to my current office. Has anyone else switched offices midstream before? Thanks again to all of you who read and support on this site. We August bandsters are doing an awsome job so far. Yea to us!! Blessings for all today!

[ms.lady 3]

Regarding the hand sanitizer.....I am a nursing student in the Houston area and hand sanitizer is just as an accepted practice as washing your hands. In every hospital that I have been so far there has been hand sanitizer in all of the rooms. I know it might not sound wonderful but you have to realize tht these nurses are also washing their hands several times through out the day on top of using the sanitizer. These nurses typically wash their hands before and after every patient .....the hand sanitizer in the room is just a bonus! Hope it helps you to feel better about it.

Hi! Congrats on nursing school. Healthwoman said that the nurse put hand sanitizer on her abdomen prior to her fill. Not that the nurse used it on for her hands. Is that acceptable?

[ncgg-5 2]

A lot of us are experiencing plateaus now. It's very discouraging to be staying on the program and doing all we are supposed to do and still not have any weight loss. It's just like every other diet we've all been on. I know I was expecting this to be different too. I've only lost 17 lbs and that's including pre and post op. I am older than most on here so it will take me longer to loose than most of you. But, I am not going to let this be like all the other diets I've been on and I am not going to be discouraged. Now we have our bands and we just have to be patient. Remember, we did not get this way overnight and we will not loose it overnight. Plateau's are normal in every diet but I think this one is going to take some time for our bodies to adjust. We loose fat that has accumulated around our actual stomach and that makes the band loose. That's one of the reasons we have to get fills. We also have to remember we are still only a few months from our surgery. I was told it can take anywhere from 3-6 months for our bodies to fully adjust to the surgery and to find our own "green zone". Initially some of you have lost a lot of weight and that's terrific! Now just lay low and let your bodies figure out what's going on and don't freak out and eat a lot of things you are not supposed to eat. Drink your Water and step up your exercise and that plateau will go away. Think of how much weight you have lost and keep up the good work. Remember this is a temporary situation. The band will work, it's just resting now I guess! If you are eating the same thing everyday try changing that out. In Weight Watchers, they tell you to do that when you hit a plateau. Most importantly remember this is not going to be like every other diet we've ever been on. We have our bands now and that will make the difference this time. I could never have lived on 900-1000 calories a day before my band. I would have gnawed my fingers off. We will all succeed this time if we do what we are supposed to do. I am saying this to myself too. In the greater scheme of things this is but a little blip on our weight loss journey. This time next year we will be far more healthy and happy and laughing at the newbies. We can do this!

Blessings,

GG

[Budapatti 0]

I haven't written anything on this A11s topic thread since I had my surgery back in August (8-25-11). It seems like a lifetime ago, I am stuck at 205 this morning. I was 207 at my first/last fill almost a month ago. I am up to 5cc's in my 10 cc band. I am writing in this topic board because I know you were all filled with me in August. I do not think my body wants me to see onederland. Feeling frustrated, I feel like people are looking at me like "shouldn't she be dropping weight" and in fact my mom mentioned something along those lines the other day. I have thought about trying to do all liquids again to jump start the weight loss, but it just doesn't satisfy me. I have my second fill next week, 10-25-11.

Any suggestions?

I am right there with you Jess! You aren't alone... Surgery date for me was 8/23/11 - I am filled at 5.5 cc in a 10cc band. 15 pounds lost and that was due to pre surgery diet and liquids after surgery. My next fill is also on 10/25. I am really hoping I feel restriction after that one as I am very frustrated also. I didnt tell anyone I was getting the band except for 3 close friends and my husband. My husband has made a comment about my lack of weight loss. We are both frustrated becasue we paid out of pocket! I know it will happen and I was warned that the first 2 months were very tough and discouraging. Doesnt help when you get on the A 11's and see all of the weight loss going on!! Sheesh...

BUT then I see a post like yours and I know I am not alone!!

[Jess527 0]

Thanks Patti, gives me hope too! I had a good work out today, I just need to keep it up and do it every day and I think I should see the weight loss I want. Good luck on your fill, you will have to keep me updated! Good luck with your weight loss!

I am right there with you Jess! You aren't alone... Surgery date for me was 8/23/11 - I am filled at 5.5 cc in a 10cc band. 15 pounds lost and that was due to pre surgery diet and liquids after surgery. My next fill is also on 10/25. I am really hoping I feel restriction after that one as I am very frustrated also. I didnt tell anyone I was getting the band except for 3 close friends and my husband. My husband has made a comment about my lack of weight loss. We are both frustrated becasue we paid out of pocket! I know it will happen and I was warned that the first 2 months were very tough and discouraging. Doesnt help when you get on the A 11's and see all of the weight loss going on!! Sheesh...

BUT then I see a post like yours and I know I am not alone!!