Hey 50 & over gang We have a new spot

[angelshere 0]

Orea: Sorry, but our posts must have come in simultaneously, so I didn't get to read yours until mine posted. Sounds like you are doing really well. I suspect that the temperature thing is just your body adjusting to the band. If you get a fever, or if it continues, just call your doctor. Welcome to the world of the bandsters!

Nancy

[harmonygirl 0]

Hi everyone

I am getting banded on Aug 29th. I am scared and glad at the same time. I am going to have a type of filter put in on Tuesday due to having vein disease. He also is requiring me to have my throat scoped. Now that the time is getting closer, I am starting to doubt my decision. I would love to hear from some of you that are banded and how you feel about your decision now. Thanks for listening.

[sunshine531 0]

Hi Orea, so glad all went well for you. I guess I have been very fortunate with my band surgery, or I have a Dr who doesn't give alot of instructions before the surgery. I had my surgery on May 21, 2008, was told not to eat anything after midnight the night before. Was on no kind of diet before. The day of surgery, I just had sips of Water and ice chips. Went home the next morning, and drank water, broth, and Soups for 7 days. Then to pureed and then soft diet. I have never had any problem taking my meds (9 at a time) and some are big. In fact when I went back to the Dr, I asked him if I really had the band, because I didnt hurt, had an appetite, etc. I had my first fill after 6 wks (2.5cc) in a 14cc band. I still feel no restriction, am losing about 1 lb a week and can eat just about anything. So tomorrow when I go for my next fill (I hope), maybe I'll start losing a little faster, and feel some restriction. I've been very lucky. I hope you do as well. The surgery for the band was my 64th birthday present to myself. Couldn't have gotten anything any better. :thumbup:Linda

[NLONLIFE 0]

Hi everyone. I was banded on July 16th and I am so happy I found this forum. I was 360 in May when I first went to see my doctor for the consult and today I am weighing in at about 315. I feel as though the band has given me my life back. I lost 30 lbs. before the surgery, the rest after the surgery and I feel better and better every day.

[NLONLIFE 0]

I was scared to death before I had the surgery. 2.5 weeks post-op I can say it was the best decision I ever made. Hang in there - you are doing the right thing.

[lynnt1215 1]

YES, this is the best thing I have done for myself, too... I feel great, love getting the compliments on my weight loss and buying new clothes. but especially, I know I did this for me and not for anyone else. And even my PCP that was not in favor of me getting the surgery has become a big supported

[chicks3 0]

Hi Everyone,

I too am new to this board and new to being banded...6 days post surgery. I am amazed at the different pre and post surgical instructions by different doctors. I guess we just all have to do what our specific dr. tells us to do. I am looking quite forward to the mushies as the liquid diet is getting to me. When I first came home from the hospital I could have cared less about eating, but as each day passes and I feel better and better I want to eat. But I am sticking to my dr.'s rules. I go and see him Friday, maybe mushies for the weekend! :smile: I am so excited about this new "tool" to help me loose weight. The pounds are already coming off, it is so nice to see the scale going down instead of up. Hang in there all of you, and thanks.

Carol

[BeverlyDiane 0]

Hi everyone

I am getting banded on Aug 29th. I am scared and glad at the same time. I am going to have a type of filter put in on Tuesday due to having vein disease. He also is requiring me to have my throat scoped. Now that the time is getting closer, I am starting to doubt my decision. I would love to hear from some of you that are banded and how you feel about your decision now. Thanks for listening.

Welcome NLONLIFE and Harmonygirl!

nygirl, I too had doubts all the way up to the moment I had surgery. It just kept running through my mind that this was too drastic and I could keep doing it on my own as I was doing. Then a little voice would whisper, but yes you have done it on your own many times! This is when I would stop all the wavering because I wanted this to be the last time and I knew I could not do it without my new friend, Bandy. I have not regretted it once since surgery and I am 7 days post-op. Already, with the weight loss I have achieved pre and post-op, my back no longer hurts, nor my knees, and the muscles in my legs have quit contracting and twisting in knots. My blood glucose and blood pressure are lower. Yes, no doubt, I am blessed.

[angelshere 0]

To the new people: Welcome to this forum...it is such a great support system and source of inspiration to so many of us. I had my band installed June 10 and have lost 45 pounds. Even though I have much more to lose, I know now that I can and will do it. The band is such a wonderful tool. At my age, it is slow going, but at least the scale is going down, however slow. Before the band, I exercised, watched what I ate and maintained....very frustrating. At my age, it is a miracle to be able to finally get healthy. I am off of 14 medications (blood pressure and pain) and feel wonderful. I cannot wait to get to my goal! Even if it takes two years!

Good luck to you all. You can do it...just follow your doctor's instructions.

Nancy

[Great2BThin 5]

To the person asking if I would do surgery again, yes, yes, and a thousand more yeses!! It's the best thing I've done for myself. I am no longer on medication, I got off my b/p medication one week to the day after surgery. I'm down 49 (I want that 50th so bad) pounds (39 since surgery, lost 10 before) and am just thrilled. I am having to have my gall bladder removed, the weight loss may have had a little to do with that. I will be glad when this next surgery is over with (Friday). And welcome!! There's great support here.

[southerngal_07 0]

Hello everyone! Its been so long since I popped in to post. I have had a long bout with Bronchitis. It lasted for several weeks. Took a ton of antibiotics. I had to go in and have Fluid taken out of my band two times because I was coughing so badly at night, I was vomiting my saliva and at times it would shoot through my nose.. YUCK! I did ok for a bit with the fluid being gone from my band but then I could eat and I tried not to but I could not help myself. I tried to get back in to get a fill but I had to wait until my appointment. So, I got back in a few weeks ago and had gained 3 pounds.. I felt that was terrible but the dr. said it was not bad at all since I had not had a fill since April and had had two unfills. Well now, I have lost the 3 pounds I gained and a pound more. I am back on track I think. My band is tight but not too tight. We are going on vacation this Thurs. the 7th to Alaska. I am looking forward to it but not the plane ride. Didn't I read somewhere that flying affects the band somehow?? If so, what should I expect?? Good to be back on the forum. What's going on with everyone?? Brenda

[lynnt1215 1]

glad you are feeling better and back on track.

WOW, vacation to alaska... I am envious..

[JoannMarie 0]

Dianne, I love the new picture. You look really cute! It's so good to hear you are doing well. Banding agrees with you!

Long, I wish you would be more outspoken with your feelings about the lapband. tee-hee. Here's to 50 pounds - bet you will be there plus a little bit more THIS WEEK!

You are all doing so well. I can't wait for my turn...

[peaches9 3]

Long: Good luck with your gall bladder surgery. Since you are having it done by the same surgeon that did your band, I know you will do well with it.

Again, I am in awe of how well everyone is doing.

Sadly, I had a big slip-up....:thumbup: Craving ice cream and found that Blue Bell no sugar Mooo bars are low carb and yummy....ok, I can have one occasionally and that worked out ok. Then the greedy part of me wanted regular ice cream, so I found Blue Bell no sugar added banana Split ice cream.....hmmmm, same carbs and calories, ok, I bought some. In only 3 sessions, I managed to eat the entire half gallon! I felt ashamed and sick (and it wasn't all entirely psychological). Now I know that "slider" foods aren't always just Haagen Dazs or Ben & Jerry's....even allegedly low carb foods can be dangerous for me. So if I want ice cream, I refuse to buy it in anything more than single serve portions (for some reason, I can ignore the rest in the freezer, until it is reasonable to have another treat).

I'm still doing the low carb plan, but rather sheepishly now....sigh....

Nancy

:cool2:

Oh yeah, we all try to 'test' the band at some time or another... we are human and you just have to put it behind you and wake up tomorrow with a firmer resolve.

One cheat will not end your progress or ruin your journey...

[IndioGirl55 32]

janet it's so good to see you. I was afraid you were too busy on other threads and were going to give up the 50's thread!

I do very well with the 100 calorie packs. I have never opened up another one. Sometimes these I just eat 3 of these little tiny Walmart brand of Cookies that come in 100 cal. packs. It takes me 3 days to eat the bag so I figure I am getting about 33 calories and it satisfies my sweet tooth.

Denise - Ya I am still around :thumbup: You haven't been to super active either now you got a BF :biggrin2:

Maybe I don't understand your post right, are you saying in order to live you have to have Blue Bell ice cream? :confused2: :confused2:

It's because I want to live and live healthy at that, which drove me to have the surgery and avoid those type of foods. I will have the occassional 'treat' but that's very occassional, no more than once a week and only one thing according to my nutrtionist. Maybe that is what you are saying as I type this out.. Excuse me if I got it wrong.

On this subject - I can say that I now eat to live and no longer live to eat

Janet, Thank you for your encouraging words. I thought I was safe if I only had acceptable foods in my house, but clearly there are even "safe" foods that are not safe for me! I will not allow even sf ice cream in my house now. It is just too dangerous for me. I admire people who can take only 1/2 cup and leave it at that. I don't know if I will ever get to that point. In the meantime, I will only allow foods I know I can safely handle in my kitchen. Today, I am back with it full speed ahead....a nectar Protein Shake for Breakfast. With my ac out, I know I will go to the mall (but taking Water and a light babybell cheeseling, and 1 oz. almonds in a baggy) and a movie to cool off. I plan to eat some Protein (chicken or fish) in the food court, and that is it for the day. I feel so much better when I know I am in control of my eating and I plan to stay there!

Nancy

Nancy I totally understand - some food are just to dangerous - Good for you - you can do this - !!:thumbup:

Dear Long2Bthin,

I didn't get that she had to have the ice cream...just that she enjoyed a 1/2 cup and it was enough to make her happy. She said it wasn't all the time. Just think, if we could all have a 1/2 cup of ice cream now and then- even a couple of times a week. We would then be normal, and probably at our target weights.

It's an interesting discussion, though. My BIL,who has lost over 110 pounds since banding, eats whatever he wants, just in tiny portions. And I mean whatever! I was just there for a week, and the kitchen was full of cake and crackers and cookies and pretzels, etc. It was a landmine for me because I have an entirely different philosophy with the band. Mine is to go for heart healthy foods and stay away from the junk. He says his doctor concurs with his food choices as long as he's losing. I mentioned it to my doctor and he said perhaps it was the only way to get my BIL to lose the weight and that may be why his doctor condoned it. But it's not my doctor's view and definitely not for me. I do like a couple of tablespoons of frozen yogurt or frozen soy dessert now and then, but mentally I'm better off without. In fact, I count calories now- something I NEVER did before. I stay between 850-1000 most days. I'm doing fine and have lost 52 pounds over 3 months (I think I need to update my weight loss siggy today).

We may never be able to do this one our own- but we have this great tool now, and it really helps. As does the great support here.

dgf - Men just seem to lose weight better/faster than us and some pple who are banded do choose to eat the same way as they did before - just in smaller portions - it's what works for each person - But I too took it that the o/p was still in the live to eat mode and not the eat to live mode. You are doing great with your 53 lbs in 3 months - keep up the good work

I tried to have the low cal, low fat ice creams in the house, but founf myself going for more than 1 a night. so no more will it come into my house. So far it is the only thing that I can be truly tempted by,

I did try a small piece of thin crust pizza tonight, it didn't get stuck but felt really uncomfortable.

scheduled for a fill on Friday. may end up being just a small. Also, have to discuss this new hernia that i have developed since surgery..

Glad to see you are still here Janet. we are all extrememly busy lately. and there are so many posts to read when we miss a day or two of being here.

Lynn - herina??? Yes if you miss a day or 2 - there are so many post to reply to

:thumbup:Hi Nancy! Thanks for the encouragement, I agree, we can do this!!!

Good job on beating the heat! Great ideas! Today was a girlfriend's birthday and our tradition is ice cream cake from Culver's. So....I went and got it, got a small one, and told the other 2 gals I hang with that I wan't having any. They understood and waited until I left! Wasn't that sweet! AND, no temptation.

I've been doing Atkins for a little over a week and doing pretty well. I want to keep it up. I set a goal of losing 30 pounds by the end of October (we're going to Disneyworld).

WE CAN DO IT!!!:thumbup::thumbup:

Sue Stenzel

Sue you will do it -and feel so empowered by acheving your goals..

Hi everyone

I am getting banded on Aug 29th. I am scared and glad at the same time. I am going to have a type of filter put in on Tuesday due to having vein disease. He also is requiring me to have my throat scoped. Now that the time is getting closer, I am starting to doubt my decision. I would love to hear from some of you that are banded and how you feel about your decision now. Thanks for listening.

Harmonygirl - I can tell you it's the best thing I have ever done I am just a little over a year out (banded 7/17/07) and I am 104.50 lighter - I am no long on a cpap machine - I am no longer on blood pressure meds - I feel 10 yrs younger - have 200% more energy. I have muscles that I never had before. I am more confident - I am loving life.. I am attaching pic to show you the diff - but let me tell you I did this for my health not for the looks - I want to extend the yrs I have left on this earth - see my grandkids get married and maybe even a great grandchild (not for a few more years but I would love to be around when they do come)

Hi Orea, so glad all went well for you. I guess I have been very fortunate with my band surgery, or I have a Dr who doesn't give alot of instructions before the surgery. I had my surgery on May 21, 2008, was told not to eat anything after midnight the night before. Was on no kind of diet before. The day of surgery, I just had sips of water and ice chips. Went home the next morning, and drank water, broth, and Soups for 7 days. Then to pureed and then soft diet. I have never had any problem taking my meds (9 at a time) and some are big. In fact when I went back to the Dr, I asked him if I really had the band, because I didnt hurt, had an appetite, etc. I had my first fill after 6 wks (2.5cc) in a 14cc band. I still feel no restriction, am losing about 1 lb a week and can eat just about anything. So tomorrow when I go for my next fill (I hope), maybe I'll start losing a little faster, and feel some restriction. I've been very lucky. I hope you do as well. The surgery for the band was my 64th birthday present to myself. Couldn't have gotten anything any better. :thumbup:Linda

Linda

a pound a week is very good - you are doing great :thumbup:

Hi everyone. I was banded on July 16th and I am so happy I found this forum. I was 360 in May when I first went to see my doctor for the consult and today I am weighing in at about 315. I feel as though the band has given me my life back. I lost 30 lbs. before the surgery, the rest after the surgery and I feel better and better every day.

NLONLIFE - Welcome !!! you are doing great - I agree with you 100% I too feel that I living again for the 1st time in years...

Hi Everyone,

I too am new to this board and new to being banded...6 days post surgery. I am amazed at the different pre and post surgical instructions by different doctors. I guess we just all have to do what our specific dr. tells us to do. I am looking quite forward to the mushies as the liquid diet is getting to me. When I first came home from the hospital I could have cared less about eating, but as each day passes and I feel better and better I want to eat. But I am sticking to my dr.'s rules. I go and see him Friday, maybe mushies for the weekend! :cool2: I am so excited about this new "tool" to help me loose weight. The pounds are already coming off, it is so nice to see the scale going down instead of up. Hang in there all of you, and thanks.

Carol

Carol Welcome !!! Yes each doc is diff and we have to follow our doc's rules and I really don't get why - but I am glad you are feeling so good - I got to move to mushies after 10 days and yes it was a good thing

Hello everyone! Its been so long since I popped in to post. I have had a long bout with Bronchitis. It lasted for several weeks. Took a ton of antibiotics. I had to go in and have Fluid taken out of my band two times because I was coughing so badly at night, I was vomiting my saliva and at times it would shoot through my nose.. YUCK! I did ok for a bit with the fluid being gone from my band but then I could eat and I tried not to but I could not help myself. I tried to get back in to get a fill but I had to wait until my appointment. So, I got back in a few weeks ago and had gained 3 pounds.. I felt that was terrible but the dr. said it was not bad at all since I had not had a fill since April and had had two unfills. Well now, I have lost the 3 pounds I gained and a pound more. I am back on track I think. My band is tight but not too tight. We are going on vacation this Thurs. the 7th to Alaska. I am looking forward to it but not the plane ride. Didn't I read somewhere that flying affects the band somehow?? If so, what should I expect?? Good to be back on the forum. What's going on with everyone?? Brenda

Brenda - Sorry you were sick - but glad to hear you are doing better..

I have flown twice now once to vegas and then to St Paul for my Mall of America trip and it didn't bother my band at all. Some say it gets tighter but I guess just like everything else - for some it does and others it doesn't

PJ - Prayers are with you for a safe surgery and speedy recovery...

Ok gang got the results from my biopsy - All Clear - No Cancer !!!

Thanks for the prayers and good thoughts.

Well, I gotta go pay bills I am 3 days late :eek:- Had a good time Sat Nite danced a little and got a good buzz enjoyed going out it felt good - saw my Nephew and friends and they were shocked at my weight lost - some of them have never seen me this thin (haven't been in the 140 since my early 20's) Saw some pple from high school who I hadn't seen in years.

Going to have to get out more often...

Well I will TTYL :thumbup: