GirlBarb

You look great, I see a big difference in your face!

thanks for the great protein information, I will check out the site to see what I might need,

Thanks Jann, good support to the weight loss process. barb

Awsome Hedi, You are so pretty, wait until you go back to teaching this Fall, you are going to knock off the kids soccer shoes. Be prepared for people to make a fuss Keep it up. I go for my fill this Friday, and you?

Thank you so much for all the kind words, I will keep up the good work with all of you doing the same. Love Barb

Hi Kim, I was wondering the same thing. My provider is Anthem blue cross and sheild.

Try looking up all the gastro docs in your area and you might find another one. One lady that was banded at the same time as me did this too. We found gastro doctors in our area that will fill for 55 (hers) and 50 mine. There are lots of doctors that are gastro that will help you if you are concerned about this...I would be a little cautous.

Thank you for asking that question, I will be looking to see the answers too.

Mamamichelle and Kim, I notice the two of you a lot online and love reading all the supportive things that you say to encourage others....You guys are the best ....thank you so much beautiful women.

[url="http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r447/barbsawy12/5weekspost.jpg"][img=http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r447/barbsawy12/th_5weekspost.jpg][/url] Maybe this one will be big enough. Thanks for your support, Barb

[url="http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r447/barbsawy12/5weekspost2.jpg"][img=http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r447/barbsawy12/th_5weekspost2.jpg][/url] I hope this one comes out larger, sorry, I am learning how to do this. I am having a very sad day and don't know why. Barb

I would love to wear any top without a bra, it has been my dream since I was a teen age mom and lost all firmness in my boobs. It will take surgery, not sure I can afford the cost, getting the weight down for health reasons is more important to me. I would love to show my arms but they have gotten too old looking, lots of cellulite there at that top and in the itop of the inner thighs too. Skin is loose. How can I get that firmed up? The tummy is great thanks to a tuck 15 years ago. I also want to wear skirts, I am getting the veins fixed too.

I have found that if you are a coffee drinker, that adding the whey (vanilla) to my drink helps boost the protien. It makes a nice rich creamer.

I only do the tread mill, I was told to wait until 3 months before doing anything that used the stomache muscles and no lifting 25 plus for the first three months too. I am afraid that my port will flip. You have a life time now, this is the healing phase. Good luck

[img=http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r447/barbsawy12/5weekspost2-1.jpg] [img=http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r447/barbsawy12/5weekspost-1.jpg] [img=http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r447/barbsawy12/5weekpostbackside-1.jpg] I hope these pictures came out. I wore these pants June 6th, surgery date, they were sooo tight that they pulled in all the creases and on my thighs. They are too big and too long to wear now. I haven't lost a pound in about 3 weeks, but I am firming up. I go for my first fill this Friday and am hoping that will break this very long phase of no weight loss.

I am going for my first fill on Friday and was wondering what to expect, I can tell you that if I feel like there is a golf ball in my gut, I WILL NOT OVEREAT. I'll be glad to move on from bandster Hell, but on the other hand I will miss the food. I have been able to NOT gain a pound going off the liquid phase, and the inches keep dropping, I've lost two sizes but not lost an additional pound and will post pictures as soon as I figure out how. I love to see others post photo's, the happy faces are the best! Love you all. Barb

Hedi, you look so different already, keep up the great work...you were cute to start with.

I know that lot's of us bandsters struggle with money for clothes that will only fit us for such a short while. But I have an idea, how about using Goodwill and Salvation Army until you settle on a more permanent size. You will be helping out the less fortunite and can return the clothes when they to get too big for smaller sizes. You may not get a whole wordrobe, but you could find some peices to fill in with the full priced items. I just bought a lambskin coat for 12.99. Just a thought for us who are creative with the money.

Mine does move too.

Same thing for me

I think you are doing great, you have lost lots of weight in a short time, maybe your body needs to adjust and is going thru the shrinking now before it loses more. You are doing good keep it up.

You look great! I think that you will be fine, you are in the post three month time frame that Ortiz said not to use your stomache muscles too much. I have 6 weeks before I can exercise my tummy. Have fun. Barb

I am so glad that somone brought this up. I can relate to wanting to get filled ASAP. I will be at the six week post op on the 18th and have an appointment for the 22nd. I am so hungry that it is making feel like a bad person. I don't just want to eat, I want to stuff. I lost a total of 25 pounds since the week before surgery and I feel that my body wants that back and is nagging me to eat. Has anyone every gotten a fill before the six weeks? I could use one now. I feel so week and guilty about the food. I am in such a bad place mentally aoubt this. Sour Puss.

Hi Dennis, did you chew real good? I got banded 4 days before you, maybe your site is still swollen, Everyone says and I have read that the period between the swelling going down (no restriction) and the first fill has been given the nickname : "Bandster Hell". I have no restriction and it is as if I never had any surgery at all. I try very hard to watch my eating and use chop sticks to keep it slow. My first fill is on July 22. Like when I was waiting to get banded, it's a mix of excitment and fear. be well, Barb

does anyone have any good ideas on how to fix this and if it will effect my weight loss, or how i am feeling, what to take for it. my surgry report said i had a fatty liver and a thick omentum does anyone have experience with this? Barb