Lapband Advice and Encouragement

[Guest need2do]

hi its me need2do,i want to thank you for the return message i was aware of your new band and i appreciate your comments i,m 5 days away from my band and i must say the thought of not eating or being so restricted scares me im a intelligent guy but i,m worried about missing the pleasure of food. maybe that sounds crazy...but i,m just being honest. i know all the beneifs of losing the weight but i love to cook and eating is also very important to me. i guess i have to change my life in order to keep it.the weight i,m carrying is for sure going to have a more and more negative impact if i dont get it off..so as the name says need2do i will probabley be a regular on this chat so you and i cant chat now and then if you like thanks again your message did help

[HarleyNana 10]

I have to admit I did miss the taste of food while on liquids and I went through the what have I done moments, but I had to remind myself it was temporary and now 8 weeks later I can eat what ever I want, but I'm very particular what I choose to eat.

Although, with only 24.5 lbs gone I guess I should be a little more particular, lol.

Good Luck

[amoro68 0]

what is pouch dilation? Is it dangerous? what can happen if it occurs? I have been experiences swelling (not all the time) around the port area and it kinda feels like a pain in your side when your walk or run too much. Can this be the reason?

[Guest need2do]

just got banded 2/10/05 surgery went better than expected,now i hope to do my part my doc was the best he is without a dought a very passionate man who more than any other motive,he wants to help people get and stay healthy and i hope to make good the opportunity he made available to me with his skill and knowledge. I,m more than anxious about the future,but I have hopes of success I,m not taking the task ahead lightly or I wouldn,t be on this chat I will a one point or another need a lift a a word or advise and I find comfort in knowing there are others like myself who can understand what its really like to be in our shoes I kind of fell like i,ve joined another family and I already feel the honesty" Need2Do"

[New Hope 37]

Congratulations, Need2do, on getting your band and taking back control of your life! Every day will get a little easier. Please keep drinking those fluids and let us know how you're progressing.

[I'llsucceed 1]

You CAN DO IT Wade!! We are all here for you. Leatha that was inspiring- thank you for writing such a great reply.

[DeniseG 3]

Wade, I am so glad you posted your letter. I feel your pain. I was there and still go through it too! I went from 282 to 232, then back up to 261 after a year. My advice, look at the posts that talk about what people ate that day, see their weightloss monthy, and maybe it might help jump start you again.

[wadeb 0]

Thanks everyone for your advise and encouragement! I have been to the counselor and dietitician twice. Basically, I have come to the realization that my biggest issue is with emotional eating. I do not deal with stress the way I use to when I was in my 20s. I also realized that I no longer like what I do for a living. I am a computer software developer and I sit at my desk for 10+ hours a day and work on the weekends often. I also started to track my number of steps I take in a day with a pedometer and I am only getting in 950 - 1400 steps / day. The counselor is helping me to see what is the root issues with my behavior and how I can change this. The only real problem is now figuring out what I want to do for an occupation now. I feel like I am trapped because I have been so specialized for so long and not sure how to make a career change after 18+ years. Anyways the counselor was telling how if you do something every day that you do not like or totally hate, it can be just as stressfull on you as a high pressure situation. After thinking about it for a while, I agree. The unhappiness effects my stress levels, my desire to lose weight, my family and every other part of my life. I guess this is just part of life's journey and figuring out your path in life changes with the choices you make day to day.

Thanks for listening,

Wade

[Zoe 6]

Wade, it sounds as if you are starting a journey that goes way beyond being banded. Getting your body in better shape is just part of your recreation of yourself. You've taken big steps already; one of the biggest is finally realizing that you don't like what you have been doing for 10+ hours a day. Lots of people are miserable at work and never really come to terms with it. I hope your counselor can help guide you to exploring occupations that may be more satisfying to you.

Need2do, how are you doing now that you've been banded for a couple of weeks?

[Penni60 45]

Wade: I can truly feel your pain and understand about not being happy in your job. I was a cancer nurse for 8 years. I dealt with Bone Marrow Transplant Patients. We would have them on our unit for at the minimum of 2 months to sometimes 6 months. It would just depend on how they recovered once transplanted. LONG process. I got so incredibly burnt out and began to have a laise fairre attitude. That was a shock to me that I was no longer compassionate or caring about my patients. I realized I needed a break. This was after only 3.5 years of working in this field. I took another job of helping to open a Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in the Veteran's Hospital in Nashville, TN. I was out of patient care for about 6 months and this re-vitalized my spirit. I was ready to go back to the bedside. Then 4 years later burn out again. This time my compassion wasn't affected. I had lots of anger at the system for treating our veteran's like guinea pigs. I tried to fight the system and knew I would fail so I left the job.

All that to say, I felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was a different person. I had all those years started eating like a pig and put on most of my weight. I ballooned from a 200 up to 280 before I left.

Keep your chin up. I decided I was going to work with my sweetie in his office till I decided what I want to do. I have dabbled in Photography, painting, writing, poetry, and genealogy since I retired from nursing. All of which I love.

Things will get better. I have faith.

[Jammin & Losin 1]

Wade~ Iwish you lots of luck on your job interview! I'm sure you'll do fine.

Keep staying focused on your weight and it will come off! I think changing jobs is a good solution. It will change your out look on alot of things as well as your daily routine and activities!

[flower 2]

Hi just joined the web site and your original weight was the same of mine and your goal is what I want for mine how long has it taken you to get to 175

[DeniseG 3]

"The only real problem is now figuring out what I want to do for an occupation now. I feel like I am trapped because I have been so specialized for so long and not sure how to make a career change after 18+ years. Anyways the counselor was telling how if you do something every day that you do not like or totally hate, it can be just as stressfull on you as a high pressure situation. After thinking about it for a while, I agree. The unhappiness effects my stress levels, my desire to lose weight, my family and every other part of my life. I guess this is just part of life's journey and figuring out your path in life changes with the choices you make day to day."

Wadeb, I was so glad I saw your post. I am so there.........I know exactly what you are talking about. I know much of my stress eating is my job too. I have had my career for the last 11 years. It is what I wanted to do since 9. I am now finding that I am severely burned out, and wanting to do something new. The only problem.......I don't know what I would enjoy doing. I moved from one goal to the next in my present field, but, I am now the Station manager, so I can't go any further up the ladder, then to own the business. I would love to go back to level 1, which is the part of the job I love but, I can't afford to go back to level 1. Plus the fact, Level 1 with today's technology is going away with the manufacturing jobs in this country.

I am only 35 (well next month) I have accomplished my work goals, yet, I still have at least 30 more years in the working field to go, unless I am lucky enough to win the lottery. I want so badly to have the excitement I once had when trying to work on my past career goal with a new one.

[Guest dawn1]

I am new to this website and oh what GREAT info I am finding here.

I am also having the same problem. I am going on a year now since my banding and I lost 25 lbs. and now I have gained it back. Yes, you heard right, I have gained it all back. I can't believe sometimes that I actually went through the surgery. I feel like, what good did it do? I have since been laid off and lost my insurance and now I can't go back to the doctor to find out what I need to do. I do know that I need to lay off the junk and start moving. I joined a club (couldn't afford it but I did it anyway) a month ago and haven't gone since because I'm embarrassed. What do I do if my pouch has expanded? You'd be surprised what I can eat. I have had 3 fills (amts unknown). Getting to this website may have been an eye opener but I still feel really stupid after spending all that money and here I sit just as big as I was before. I know everyone (my family and friends) looks at me wondering why I don't lose anything. At first they would ask lots of questions and now no one says a thing. What am I to do? PLEASE HELP! I can't afford to go to the doctor right now as it costs $100 a pop.

[La_madam 20]

Hi Dawn first of all you need to ask your Dr. your fill ammounts. It is obvious you need a fill. If you were filled properly you would not be able to eat such large ammounts. You seem to know what you need to do exercise andeat less. Got to get your head back into the game here. The band is not a magic wand, you do have to do some of the work. Better food choices, Water andlots of it, Protein first, lay off the junk food, start a hobby or craft to keep you busy from wanting to eat. Ask yourself when you go to eat if you are really hungry is it true hunger or do I just think Iam hungry. That always helps me. I keep a p[icture of a skinnier me from days long ago on my fridge so everytime I go to open it I see that pic and it helps me to make better food choices.

Seriously though, the band works best when it is inflated , if you do not have nough of a fil land no restirction it will not work to the best of its ability. Callyour Dr and schedule a fill bite the bullet here on the finances of it and just do it. You will save money on food and it will pay for itself in no time. Where do you get your money for the food you eat? think of it that way, if you want it bad enough, you will find a way. You know this band works, you have proof, it is up to you to get back on track and get your head back into it too, good luck, you can do this