Where is everyone?

[want_so_bad 0]

ahh, i have to admit i was surprised to see my name mentioned in the original post! thanks a bunch, gave me a big smile!

i was kind of mia. i was feeling discouraged with myself and just all out bla about it all. but i am starting to feel better. i am back on track, eating properly, i have started exercising somewhat. each day seems to be getting better. i had been stuck at the same weight for what seemed like forever to me, and finally have broke through that. and that makes me so happy :tongue:.

plus, i am becoming more accepting of what my restriction is. i am super tight in the am. i can drink coffee/liquids ok, although, some mornings that is out too. i can eat very soft things/soup in the early afternoon (that's my lunch time). like today, right now, it has taken me like probably a little over 1/2 an hour to eat maybe 1/4 cup Soup. some nights i seem to have no restriction and other nights i am tight, but not as bad as during the day.

my discouragement comes from the fact that although i was/am not eating much, i wasnt losing. well, duh me....i was drinkin high calorie drinks--lemonade, ice tea, fruit punch. and not my crystal light either! stupid stupid. i have now restocked my desk w/ crystal light packets and a 24 pack of Water bottles sits under my desk.

glad to be back!

[OregonHolly 0]

Hi gang - I haven't posted in forever. Me, one of the original "tenacious tens!" I haven't been very tenacious.

I'm glad to see so many doing well, losing weight and staying positive! I personally am not doing well. I've had 4 fills and no restriction yet. I begged and argued and complained loud enough that finally the doc agreed to fill under flouro, which will happen Monday Feb 4th. Waiting months for the "tool" to start acting like a tool has been discouraging to say the least. Frankly it broke my heart and my spirit.

I can't even hardly remember what it was like those first few postop days when a small amount of food was filling. If it weren't for the 5 scars, I'd never have known I had surgery at all. It's just back to yo-yo dieting for me. I hope and pray that Monday I'll finally find out what's going on, and maybe they will fill it up until it's restricted.

If you go over to the "fills" folder, you'll see many, many people who are just like me. Many people go 7 months before they are restricted, needing up to 7 - 8 cc's to notice their "tool" working, and when your doc will only fill you at 0.5 cc per month, it takes a LONG time to get there. I wish I'd have known this before I had it done. I did a LOT of research, but I still only expected to wait a couple of months or so to notice the restruction that I paid dearly for out of my life savings. I had no idea how LONG the wait would really be. The whole time I'm wondering "What the heck? Is something wrong with my band? Maybe they poked a hole in the tubing during a blind-stick fill? What's wrong with me? Why can't I stick to my 'diet'?"

It's been hell gang, a very unhappy experience so far. I hope to find the light at the end of the tunnel, and get to posting again with regularity. Oh, I'm down around 22 lbs or so, give and take a pound. I haven't lost anything since..... I'd say the end of November. Everybody else, you're doing great and I'm really happy for you - especially you with aggressive doctors who are generous with fills!

To those of you who have just lost weight because you're tenacious - well, that's what we came together to be I guess. I need to kick myself in the rear end and remember......... I AM A TENACIOUS TEN. Not a failure. Tenacious means that I won't give in to despair and give up.

[countrygirljtl 0]

Wow Holly,

I can sure relate to you, almost to a "T". Today is my 4 month anniversary, was banded on Oct 4th, and your story is identicle to mine, and Yes I get incredibly discouraged, even thinking if this does not work for me soon, I want it out of me!! I go for my 4th fill this Thursday, only because I keep calling and bugging the NP's also. Anyway, I do pray that my band as well as yours does start working for us, I cannot imagine what I would feel like if I paid out of pocket. You stand up for yourself and keep up the good fight, I don't understand why they can't be more generous with the fills either. Keep in touch, let me know if your next fill works and I will do the same. I think my last fill gave me a slight restriciton, but I also have been suffering from Chronic heartburn due to my overeating in the evening probably, so the band obviously is not working, in the mean time though I feel like I have pneumonia from the pressure in my chest, they say that is the restriction but not enough if you ask me!!!

Anyway, we can do this, we have to. Don't give up and know you are not the only one who feels the way you do, I'm with ya girl

Janet

[MizPeppy 3]

Holly and Janet,

I'm so with you both. I've had 2 fils, 6 ccs in a 10cc band and nothing! My last fill was 6 weeks ago. I missed my next appt. since I was so dicouraged but a friend got me feeling more positive and I made another appt. I hope I get the restriction I need. Beth

[hatmama 0]

well, I am with you too. Banded Oct 4, I've had 2 fills and the dr only wants me to come back every 2 months! LB dr left 4cc in a 10cc band, my first fill was 2cc, 2nd was .5cc. Last time I called dr and got in 2 wks early and I'm going to do that now, I think. This is so discouraging, I too am back on the yo-yo, except I have not felt any restriction after the 1st day or so after a fill. I am trying to stick to a sensible diet but the reason I got the band was to use it as a tool to help with my over eating! I am a self pay also. And it is really hard when I go into some of the chats and they are all losing weight or, even worse, if you complain, have some one post a nasty reply about not whining or belly aching which really gets me down. So I just don't post very often. I mean, if I can't vocalize my worries about the LB with you guys, who am I supposed to "belly ache" to? I'm going to call my dr right now to see if I can get in earlier. Thanks for listening to me. Good luck

[MizPeppy 3]

Amen, Hatmama, I got the lapband so it would help me lose weight. I feel like I got a saw with no teeth and they are adding 2 teeth at a time and people are telling me to saw harder. My tool is not working yet, it sucks! I can't wait til it does. The important part is not to give up, there are many of us out there and many of us feel discouraged. Let's keep going until we have restriction! We can do it!!

[Mandyw 0]

Hey everyone. I haven't been on here for awhile, so I thought I would check in and see how everyone is doing, and let you know how I'm doing. I was banded Oct. 3rd. I'm doing great. I love my band. Now I do anyway. It took awhile to get used to it. I had restriction from day one, and have never had a fill. My band and I argued a lot in the begining. I would try to eat something, and my band would say, "No, I don't think we should eat that." I try not to fight with it too much anymore, because I usually lose. But now, my band has become my best friend. I don't even want to eat the stuff I used to. Before I would look at the food on my plate and say, "There is no way that is going to fill me up." Then I would get some more. Now I put my cup of food on my plate and say, "There is no way I'm going to be able to eat all of that." Then I put some back. Everything has been such a learning experience. I have learned to cook differently. I look at menus in a restaurant differently. I really do feel for those of you who do not have restriction yet. But when you finally get to that point, it is so worth it. Just hang in there till then. It will definately get easier.

[Saintluver 1]

I am surprised to see how much you all have in your bands already. I go in every 2 weeks for a fill. My dr. gives me .5 cc's at a time. I only have 2.75 cc's. I have resriction, am losing 1-2lbs a week and do plenty of Pbing. LOL... I had the flu this weekend and was very worried with the vomitting. But I think everything is ok. I have been doing terrible with exercise. I work 11 hour days and by the time that I get home at night, make dinner and all it is time for bed.

[sfeiner 2]

Hi Holly, Janet, Beth, Hot Mama, I am right there with you. Can't get anything down in the am . By night when I should just go to sleep I'm starving and could eat everything in the house. However you gals have done better in the losing dept. Hopefully we'll all figure out how to work this thing. I wouldn't mind eating the same thing everyday if I could just figure out what would work.