Starting over, 5 years after surgery

[Jackie07 5]

Hilary,

You seem to have a good attitude about your visit. I always get frustrated when I don't get what I want. However, he did make some good points. I work night shift and it is always hard for me to eat the way I should on the days I work. Sometimes I think it's even a subconscious thing that I just eat to try to find something that will make me feel better. I am a nurse and I hear all the time patients tell me they either love or hate their cpap. It really will make you feel better if you can get used to it. You have a great plan. Make it happen. You can do it!!

Good luck!

Kari

[TheCurvyMermaid 51]

Hi all, here's a bit of an update on where I'm at. I had my initial visit back at the doc, and the PA gave me a 2CC fill to start with on 2/19. I didn't feel much of anything as far as restriction goes, so I went back on Monday the 25th and got another 1CC. I've been working HARD at keeping my portions under control, and I'm eating mainly Proteins and veggies, barely any carbs because I'm staying away from bread/pasta/rice, etc... as I figure out where I'm at with my band. I've started tracking my intake on the "My Fitness Pal" app, which I LOVE. I still don't have good restriction, and my small meals aren't keeping me full by any stretch of the imagination, but until I have good restriction with my band, I'm restricting *myself* to 1200 calories a day. I've been tracking since Monday, 2/25 and I've been working hard at getting 90g+ of Protein a day. So far so good, and I'm seeing results on the scale.

But... I'm still super hungry all the time. Last night I had a 7oz piece of salmon, a handful of asparagus spears, and a small slice of garlic bread for dinner, and within half an hour of eating, I was hungry again. Earlier meals in the day were a cup of low fat cottage cheese over a handful of spinach, and I feel like I'm losing weight because of my diet efforts, and not necessarily because of my band. I think more restriction could make a huge difference for me, and I know I won't be able to maintain such a low calorie diet for too long without a little more help from my band. I'm starting to feel a shift in the way I've viewed my band... previously, I counted on restriction to do the work for me, but this time around, I feel like I'm actually using it as a tool to help me along, rather than as my magic bullet. My doctor's office doesn't really care about counting calories, or really tracking anything other than protein: they care about portion size. They want me to be able to eat a small portion and stay satisfied/full until the next meal. I'd say personally, I intend to keep both in mind. I like knowing what I'm eating, and when I'm tracking it, I feel like I make better food choices.

My next appointment is on Monday, March 11th, and I will most likely get a bit more of a fill at that point. Until then I'm just going to do my best to stay on track.

Suzi, good luck with your fill!

Hillary, I wish you the very best of luck with that CPAP and adjusting to the eating schedule. It seems like a lot to keep up with, but it's definitely worth a shot.

[TheCurvyMermaid 51]

Oh, and Hillary, I'm totally guilty of the "coffee for breakfast" thing too. I've never been a big Breakfast person, and I've never been one to eat much until I've been awake for two or three hours, so I totally get it. Which reminds me... I should probably find something solid to eat! LOL!

[Suziecat 379]

Hilary,

We just got home from my appointment with the band Doc. And it went just like your appointment. I didn't get a fill either. She asked me a lot of questions and I answered as truthfully as I could. Had to, my husband was in the room also. Anyway, she said she was not going to give me a fill and she said that she had heard that I had already made an appointment for 4 weeks. So in that time I need to follow her instructions about eating and what to eat. Protein first and then the other food. She wants a Protein shake in the morning and then regular meals for lunch and dinner but Protein first and chew chew chew. She said the reason she wants to do this is tofind out if the band is working right and she will be able to gauge how much of a fill I will be needing.

I agreed with her. Didn't want to. Heck I drive all the way there and paid my co-pay and walked out with nothing. But I told my husband on the way home that I was upset with not getting a fill but I was ok with it. I told hm the reason why was because I had read your post and realized that we are both kind of in ths same boat. Thank you so much for sharing your appointment with us. I was able to handle my appointment better. If Hilary can do this, then so could I.

So when we left the office I bought the Protein Shake mix. And then we went to the grocery store on the way home. I got a bunch of meats and tuna. and I bought fruit so I can mix it in with my Protein Drink. Strawberries were on sale so I bouhgt a bunch of them. I'm so ready to start this next step. I need to get my log book out so I can write all of that down. It sure is going to be hard to give up my popcorn, dang.

So, Thanks again Hilary and Kari for the advice and help and for just listening. It means alot.

[laurigee 545]

It's so hard to hear things we don't want to hear! I guess we need to put our faith in the surgeons we chose and hope for the best! I remember when I was having a hard time with getting fills. Even .5 was too much! I was so disappointed to know that there was nothing that could be done to correct it. It was putting to much pressure on my vagus nerve and it was just to hard on me! It caused severe pain in my back, neck, shoulder and gave me horrible headaches. I trusted my surgeon and trusted the process and was able to lose over 100 pounds. I recently gained some back and am working to get that off. I guess my point is, sometimes everything doesn't go exactly like we want it, but if you stay positive and focused it will work out! I wish you ladies the best!

[HilaryInRC 116]

Hilary,

You seem to have a good attitude about your visit. I always get frustrated when I don't get what I want. However, he did make some good points. I work night shift and it is always hard for me to eat the way I should on the days I work. Sometimes I think it's even a subconscious thing that I just eat to try to find something that will make me feel better. I am a nurse and I hear all the time patients tell me they either love or hate their cpap. It really will make you feel better if you can get used to it. You have a great plan. Make it happen. You can do it!!

Good luck!

Kari

Thanks Kari! There was a time when I worked nights, 11pm to 7am shift. It was tough!

As for the CPAP, ay yay ay! I don't wanna! But, I've got to make it happen. I can pout all I want, but I have to start wearing it. Andrew told me that being sleep deprived is managable now because I am young (32), but that if I don't get my sleep and weight under control that I will die earlier than I should. He said that the quality of my life will go down as I age, but that if I get these issues under control now he expects I will be healthy when I get older. He said that I need to decide now what my life over the next 50 years is going to be like. He said that you don't see people in their 80s or older that have crazy sleep patterns and untreated apnea, that those people are all dead. I believe him because when I met him a decade ago, he was working at the sleep center in Santa Barbara that I went to. So, wow, that was a wake up call!

Getting my sleep regulated and eating breakfast are going to be really big challenges for me. My sleep pattern has been a mess since puberty. I've never ever had my sleep under control.

Anyway, thanks for the encouragement!

-Hilary

[HilaryInRC 116]

Hi all, here's a bit of an update on where I'm at. I had my initial visit back at the doc, and the PA gave me a 2CC fill to start with on 2/19. I didn't feel much of anything as far as restriction goes, so I went back on Monday the 25th and got another 1CC. I've been working HARD at keeping my portions under control, and I'm eating mainly Proteins and veggies, barely any carbs because I'm staying away from bread/pasta/rice, etc... as I figure out where I'm at with my band. I've started tracking my intake on the "My Fitness Pal" app, which I LOVE. I still don't have good restriction, and my small meals aren't keeping me full by any stretch of the imagination, but until I have good restriction with my band, I'm restricting *myself* to 1200 calories a day. I've been tracking since Monday, 2/25 and I've been working hard at getting 90g+ of Protein a day. So far so good, and I'm seeing results on the scale.

But... I'm still super hungry all the time. Last night I had a 7oz piece of salmon, a handful of asparagus spears, and a small slice of garlic bread for dinner, and within half an hour of eating, I was hungry again. Earlier meals in the day were a cup of low fat cottage cheese over a handful of spinach, and I feel like I'm losing weight because of my diet efforts, and not necessarily because of my band. I think more restriction could make a huge difference for me, and I know I won't be able to maintain such a low calorie diet for too long without a little more help from my band. I'm starting to feel a shift in the way I've viewed my band... previously, I counted on restriction to do the work for me, but this time around, I feel like I'm actually using it as a tool to help me along, rather than as my magic bullet. My doctor's office doesn't really care about counting calories, or really tracking anything other than protein: they care about portion size. They want me to be able to eat a small portion and stay satisfied/full until the next meal. I'd say personally, I intend to keep both in mind. I like knowing what I'm eating, and when I'm tracking it, I feel like I make better food choices.

My next appointment is on Monday, March 11th, and I will most likely get a bit more of a fill at that point. Until then I'm just going to do my best to stay on track.

Suzi, good luck with your fill!

Hillary, I wish you the very best of luck with that CPAP and adjusting to the eating schedule. It seems like a lot to keep up with, but it's definitely worth a shot.

Well, 3 ccs in your band total isn't a ton. But, it isn't nothing either. When you said that you are feeling like your weight loss is due to your diet efforts and not your band, well, I can relate to that. I'm not sure how much this crazy band is helping. I told my PA that at my appointment and he said if I lose weight it is because of me, not the band. He said the band is like the spedometer in your car. The spedometer only works if you pay attention to it. But, just because you have the spedometer doesn't mean you will never get a speeding ticket. If you didn't have a spedometer, you would surely get more tickets. But, it will never keep you from speeding if you don't consciously go the speed limit. Well, he said it much more eloquently, but I hope you can see the analogy there. If not, it is my fault for not explaining it correctly.

Well, 10 days until your next fill. That is exciting! It will be here before you know it. Keep up the good work on making healthy food choices and tracking your calories and nutrient values. It is hard work to be hungry and tell yourself no and stick to the plan. Sometimes, I find that to feel impossible. So, good work! You are doing exactly the right thing! Maybe you should plan a non-food reward for yourself. Massage? Mani/pedi? New movie or book?

-Hilary

[HilaryInRC 116]

Hilary,

We just got home from my appointment with the band Doc. And it went just like your appointment. I didn't get a fill either. She asked me a lot of questions and I answered as truthfully as I could. Had to, my husband was in the room also. Anyway, she said she was not going to give me a fill and she said that she had heard that I had already made an appointment for 4 weeks. So in that time I need to follow her instructions about eating and what to eat. Protein first and then the other food. She wants a Protein shake in the morning and then regular meals for lunch and dinner but protein first and chew chew chew. She said the reason she wants to do this is tofind out if the band is working right and she will be able to gauge how much of a fill I will be needing.

I agreed with her. Didn't want to. Heck I drive all the way there and paid my co-pay and walked out with nothing. But I told my husband on the way home that I was upset with not getting a fill but I was ok with it. I told hm the reason why was because I had read your post and realized that we are both kind of in ths same boat. Thank you so much for sharing your appointment with us. I was able to handle my appointment better. If Hilary can do this, then so could I.

So when we left the office I bought the Protein Shake mix. And then we went to the grocery store on the way home. I got a bunch of meats and tuna. and I bought fruit so I can mix it in with my Protein Drink. Strawberries were on sale so I bouhgt a bunch of them. I'm so ready to start this next step. I need to get my log book out so I can write all of that down. It sure is going to be hard to give up my popcorn, dang.

So, Thanks again Hilary and Kari for the advice and help and for just listening. It means alot.

Hi Suzie,

How funny that we both ended up not getting fills. I wasn't happy about not getting a fill either. I really wanted one and definitely did a little arguing with Andrew. But, he said that with my other problems/habits, a few drops in the band wasn't going to make any difference. He said if I get those habits under control, that will work way better than a fill. So, begrudgingly (and with some frustration) I said okay, we'll see how this works. At the end of the appointment he asked me if I wanted to punch him or hug him. I said, "A little of both." We both laughed about that.

So, anyway, I know you must have been super frustrated to leave with nothing more than a conversation and a new appointment. I felt that way too. Did I seriously drive for 3.5 hours to talk to my clinician for an hour? But, when I mulled it over on the 3 hour drive to my next destination, I realized that that conversation was way more important than a fill. If I had known I wasn't going to get a fill, I wouldn't have done the trip. But, this feels like one of the most important appointments I've had.

So, getting back to you, even though your appointment was a dissappointment because you didn't get a fill, I hope you at least had a valuable conversation and it sounds like you got a good game plan out of it. And, I'm super proud of you for getting all of your supplies to make the next few weeks a success - tuna, meat, protein drink! You should feel really good about yourself for taking this step. You go girl!

On a totally seperate note, when I got home tonight, waiting for me was a package that contained my new protein drink that I ordered. It is Syntrax nectar brand in Cappuccino flavor. And, wow, it is yummy. I could see myself having one as a dessert! I used to drink Syntrax Nectar when I first had my surgery, but then stopped somewhere along the way. I like it because it doesn't upset my stomach like other brands.

-Hilary

[Purrplelover 48]

I am so glad that I saw this post. I am right where you are. I was banded in 4/2010. I lost 114 pounds. I have managed to gain 37 pounds back. That may not seem like a big deal, but I went from a loose size 12 to a size 16. I am back working with my doctor and nurses to get back to where I need to be and to start working with my band again. I know it will require a lot of work on my part, but I am determined to work with the tool I was given.

[Suziecat 379]

Well welcome, Prurrple. It's nice to have you here and I hope we get more to join us. Hopefully you will be encouraged by us and we by you. It's not an easy road but we all know we can do this

Hilary, last night my sister asked me if I felt like I was being punished. That it was their way of saying if you don't do your job and follow the band rules then we aren't going to give you a fill. I didn't feel that way. Yes I was dissappointed but it lasted 2 seconds when I remebered reading your post. Thank goodness you posted before I left for my appointment, otherwise I may have had a fit in the room. Are you kidding me? I crawl in here with my tail between my legs and admit I was not a good Bandster and you refuse to help me. And like you I had to admit that she was right. She has no idea what I have done to my band in the last year and a half. The more she eplained to me, the more I saw she was right and agreed with her.

I ended up buying some Protein mix when I left there. I'm going to start using it this morning for my breakfast. It's called "truestarhealth". It's got 120 calories and 18 grams of Protein in it. I haven't opened it yet but she said I could drink it plain or I could add some fruit to it. Well, I have some bananas here and I bought some strawberries yesterday at the store.

Hilary, I bet that was a real eye opener when he was talking about you dead before your time if you didn't treat the apnea and weight loss. How scary. That is what the Band Doc had told me about the hiatal hernia. I was waking up with the stuff in my throat and then I would just grab a rolaid and go back to bed. He then told me that eventually I wouldn't wake up. That I would just aspirate and die. I really hope that you take this seriously and follow their instructions. I'm sure it's not something you want to do and find it a nuisanse. But I hope his words will be a push for you.

Thank You to all that have stopped by and offered your encourageing words. They are deeply appreciated. With good wishes and prayers we will do this and get back to losing and feeling better.

Suzanne.

[Suziecat 379]

Update: Uggggghhhh, that is nasty. I tried the Protein Shake and I'm not sure I'll make it for 30 days. I opened the container and it smelt pretty good. Had that vanilla smell to it. I thought well it's starting out good. So I mixed it in the blender and took a little taste and whew. So I took about 3 strawberries and put them in a turned the blender on. Well, it helped a little bit but not much. So I think I will alternate this daily with the Protein shake I got from my trainer. It at least taste good.

[Purrplelover 48]

Thanks Suzie. You guys have already helped me to feel like I can do this.

Sorry about the nasty Protein shake. I need to start doing this too. I do not eat Breakfast either right now so I guess I will start adding that to my list of things to change. I am starting to watch my portion sizes and increase my Protein. I also need to do more activity, so I am planning on doing my walk away the pounds DVD tonight since it is miserable and rainy outside.

[TheCurvyMermaid 51]

Hillary,

Thanks for the encouragement, and the spedometer analogy *does* make sense, I get it. =) 3CCs isn't nothing, true, but I don't feel like I'm getting any benefit from any restriction at this point. I'll keep being a good girl. I could eat anything now without a problem, and I promise you, it's not my band that's keeping me away from the fudge cake, potato chips, and SIX BOXES of Girl Scout Cookies my roommates have had on the kitchen counter this week! LOL!

[Suziecat 379]

My non-gallbladder has let me know twice now that it doesn't like the Protein drink. Well, it's just going to have to get used to it for the next 30 days.

I used ot be a big breakfast eater. But after the Band, I harly ever eat breakfast So this drinking the Protein Drink is hard for me to do. I usually don't eat till noon.

[Suziecat 379]

After having my first bout with the Protein drink yesterday I decided to tr some of the recipes that came with the mix. So this morning I used 6oz. of Water, a half of a banana and a tbsp of lite Peanut Butter. I'm telling you, it was awesome. I even let the family try it and they liked it. One thing I thought I could do is make it and put it in the freezer for a few hours and then have it for a treat.

So I had that this morning and then for lunch I had a chicken tender and leftover salad from my dinner last night. My hardest part through all of this so far is the Water intake. I can't drink 30 minutes before eating and an hour after eating. That is turning out to be the hardest for me so far.

Last night we were invited to a fish fry over at a friends house. I ate my Protein first. And then barely had enough room for a few sides. But the fish was really good.

The sun has finally come out after not being here for about 6 days. Unfortunetly I can't do any walking. We are still snow packed and the street barely have enough room for two cars to pass. But as soon as the sidewalks are clear, I'm gonna be out there.