Donna34

Yes, I do believe Tom will be showing up soon. I'm generally VERY RESTRICTED when it's time for him to come around! So, I can only guess I was so HUNGRY the past few days, due to his upcoming arrival as well! LOL #-o

Donna

Just DISREGARD everything I said before. My restriction is BACK in full force. Just got some scrambled eggs stuck, and am in pain at this moment. I hope this post shows up. This is my THIRD ATTEMPT!

Donna

I don't know what's going on. I've had two fills, as you can see below in my signature. My restriction is TOTALLY GONE. I mean I have no restriction at all, and my weight is creeping back up. I feel like I can eat more now than before I EVER had my 1st fill. Has anyone else experienced this? I know I have a very small fill amount 1.28cc's AFTER 2 fills. I'm scheduled for my 3rd fill on Sept 7th. I'm going to have him pull it all out to see if I have a leak. I'm so paranoid! I was using my AbLounge a few nights ago, and now I'm terrified that I pulled the tube loose from the band, and maybe all my saline leaked out! I guess I'll see that on the fluoro! I do tend to worry a lot!

For some of you who have been here before...is this what it feels like when you REALLY need another fill?

I was so HUNGRY yesterday, and I pigged out all day! I would have never been able to do that/or want to, after my last fill. I'm just nervous.

What do you all think?

Donna

I'd appreciate some objective thinking on whether I should go through with this. For those of you on other forums, I apologize in advance for the redundancy!

Thanks, Danielle

Danielle,

If you have decided that weightloss surgery is the WAY you want to lose weight, then definitely go through with it. You will not be dissappointed, and Dr. Ortiz, and his staff are the best! If you just decided to do this on a whim, and didn't research the procedure, or really think about the changes you will have to make...maybe you should hold off on it for awhile, and think about it.

I was desperate to lose weight, and I'm SO GLAD I had this done, and I'm so glad I had Dr. Ortiz to do it!

As for the last thing you said, about posting this on other forums....I really wish you hadn't done that. People who go to MX for surgery, and the MX doctors that DO lap bands always get such a bad rap, from people on these other forums. They really tend to bash anyone who goes to MX for surgery. You will see after you have the surgery. And for a patient to be upset about things involving their decision to go to MX....well, that just adds fuel to their fires.

I'm certain that you will be pleased with your trip, and surgery, and the staff there as well. Try not to worry, and just relax. It will all be OK. We'll be here for you!

Donna

Don't worry, you will know everyone REALLY well, before you leave! They will become your band sisters/brothers! You will all be together all the time. It will be lot's of fun! Let us know how it went!

Donna

Hi, and welcome!

I know what you mean, I wore out Dr. Ortiz' book too. I still read it a lot. It's a great resource! You will not be dissapointed that you chose Dr. Ortiz, he is great, and his staff is too! You will enjoy your experience! I can't imagine being a military mom! GOD BLESS YOUR SON FOR DEFENDING OUR COUNTRY! I will pray for his safe and speedy return!

Good Luck with your band!

Check in often!

Donna

I don't have any of these diseases, but I can only imagine that weightloss would HELP the problems, not hurt. Your first step would be to decide if you REALLY want a band, secondly, choose a doctor. I can tell you from experience that Dr. Ortiz is AWESOME! Then go from there. If you choose Dr. Ortiz, give Carolynn or Lori a call, and they will give you all the information you need. NO PRESSURE AT ALL. They will not try to talk you into anything, they are very helpful. You should be able to find out pretty quickly if Dr. Ortiz would be willing to operate with your conditions.

I can't speak for everyone, but I think the average weightloss is 60% of your excess weight the first year, although I know many who have lost 100 or more the first year, and were at goal. It just depends on how motivated you are.

My cousin has had her band for a year and a half, and has lost 80 pounds. She wasn't planning on losing that much. She weighs less than she did in highschool, and looks great! She didn't exercise, or anything, and she ate whatever she wanted. BUT, it does help to exercise, and make healthy food choices!

Good Luck with your decision!

Donna

Mine have been extremely crazy since getting banded! Sometimes I skip, and it shows up 2 weeks later. It ends and starts again. Crazy! But that is normal with surgery. Everytime I've had surgery, I've had the same thing going on. My last two fills were probably not the best due to the erratic starting, RIGHT beforemy fill. I have to try to GUESS when it's NOT going to happen, and that doesn't work most of the time! LOL

Donna

Hi Lynn,

I hope I get to go with you, but it's not looking too good right now. You will LOVE Dr. Vitello! He's GREAT. He's very nice, and he does a great job. Have you had a fill yet, or will this be your first? I thought it was cool because I got to see EVERYTHING. I felt like I was gonna PB, and I could see what my pouch was doing at the same time. Kinda strange. You'll like him, he's great! You two, don't wait for me if you get a suitable date. Go ahead and go. I think Dave said you were really in need of a fill. I'd hate for you guys to reschedule because of me. Maybe I can catch up with ya for the next fill, if there is one! LOL

Donna

Hey Banding Sis! It looks like you are doing well Donna. 33 lbs. is nothing to sneeze at. I'm down 25.5 lbs. now and lately it seems to be dropping very steadily. I have a goal of 2 more lbs. before I start back to school on Sept. 4 and hopefully I'll make it. I'm with you, I don't eat like I'm on a diet, I just eat smaller portions of whatever supper is. We are just wrapping up our kitchen remodel and I can actually cook and bake again, so that could spell trouble for me though! My family still has no clue that I was banded because I've had no problems with PBing or anything like that. I just eat slowly and chew things to death. My husband is going to gain weight though if he keeps eating everything I can't finish...I had 1/2 a quesadilla the other night at a local carnival/food fair and he finished the rest, as well as his dinner too.

I keep thinking I should get a second fill, but since I'm losing I just figure I'll stick where I am at a 1.8 cc fill.

As for exercise, that's something I've been doing religiously. I hit the gym 5 days a week, usually do cardio a minimum of 3 days a week, weight lifting all five days, and then I added in a water aerobics class two days a week too. I don't think I'd be losing the weight without the exercise. I'm down to 177.2 lbs. and just loving it.

Time to head to the gym. Take care girl!

Janice/Twigs

Hey Sis!

I'm finally down 36 pounds! YAAAYYY Sounds like you are doing really good too. Especially with the exercise! I know that you are glad that your kitchen is almost done! I'm going back for another fill around the first week of Sept. I think this one will find my "sweet spot."

I hope so anyway! I'm still at 1.08 cc's. Maybe I'll get a good one this time.

Talk to you soon!

Donna

Donna, Hi, I did check out your blog, you are very talented and also an awesome photographer !!! It sounds like we have a lot in common - I don't like to exercise either and I have not exercised yet. Walking would be my choice of exercise and it is just WAY too hot. Right now I am just starving, today I have eaten 2 scrambled eggs with mushrooms, a little bit of green pepper, tomatoes and some cheese mixed in. It was delicious but that was hours ago. Can't think of anything right now but the pizza that my daughter said she was ordering. No, can't do it !!! Pam

Hi again! Do you want to know what my first solid meal was???? LOL This is bad, I know...PIZZA. Yep, we were out on the town, and my hubby decided to take us to the Pizza Ranch. I thought well, I can have some mashed potatoes/gravy, or something else soft. The potatoes went down just fine, and that pizza was staring me in the face!! Well, I did it! But, I chewed that pizza so much that I wasn't able to eat much at all, because my jaw was so tired! So, don't deprive yourself TOO much! You are probably like I was though. I didn't want to gain an ounce before my fill. Miraculously I DIDN'T. I ate what I wanted too!

Yes, walking is my exercise of choice, and I agree it is ENTIRELY too hot. I know that's no excuse when I have a treadmill downstairs, but oh well. I'm gonna TRY my best to do better! LOL

Donna

One more thing, if you'd like to compare notes, (which is really discouraged) LOL You can check out my blog. I try to keep it up to date, and it kinda shows the timeline of my weightloss. If you're interested...

www.lapbandforlife.blogspot.com

Donna

Donna, I was banded 7/18 and the first week the weight just fell off, I think 10 lbs. But then it has slowed down significantly and my total so far is 17 lb. I weighed about the same as you going in so I'll probably have the same type of results you are having. It would be nice to at least get under 200 in the next few months but I don't know. What are your eating habits like? Have you had any problems at all. I just started solids a couple of days ago and tried some whole wheat toast this AM - BIG MISTAKE !!! I never thought it would go down and it really hurt !!! I guess no bread of any kind for me. Yesterday I had some chips and salsa and it went down just fine, so did some bites of a flour tortilla. Anyway, I'm going back for my first fill Sept 4, back to Dr.Ortiz. Carol from Utah is going at the same time, she had surgery same day as me, so we'll have some Mexican food the night before for sure !!! Pam

Sounds like you are doing pretty good! My goal is DEFINITELY to get under 200 in the next few months! I can't WAIT to be 199!! I guess that will be my day of victory. I'll do a happy dance FOR SURE! I haven't weighed that since before my daughter was born 6 years ago!

What kind of foods do I eat? Well....I know I should eat better, but I want to eat normally too, not feel like I'm on a diet. I got this band so I wouldn't have to diet! LOL I eat pretty much whatever I want. I don't buy cookies, chips, or cakes. Those things go down VERY EASILY, so I don't let them come in my house. For the most part, if I fix spaghetti for the family, I have spaghetti. If we order pizza, I have pizza. I have added more salads though. They go down really well too, so I try not to add too much junk to them.

My biggest downfall is EXERCISE. I have always hated it. I know I'd probably lose faster if I exercised more, but I guess I'm just LAZY. I try to walk about 3 times a week. So, most likely your loss will be faster than mine! My cousin had this surgery almost 2 years ago. She lost VERY slow in the begining. SHe told me, she was going to be the ONLY person who couldn't lose weight after weightloss surgery! LOL

After her 3rd fill, she took off! THe weight just started falling off. She weighs less than the goal weight she set for herself, and is still losing! She's JUST like me, we could be sisters! She didn't do a lot of exercise either, and she never stopped eating the foods she loved. AND, she didn't limit the chips. SHe loves chips, and says she ate WAY too many. Nonetheless, she lost 80 pounds the first year!

So, I'm just looking forward to hitting my sweet spot!

Donna

I FINALLY got some of the DVD projects completed, so I have a little time left to breathe once again! My weightloss has slowed to a CRAWL. I think I lost 2 pounds last month. Yeah, REALLY crawling! I know I probably need a fill, but I'm trying to hold off until Sept. Last time I only got .08 cc's and it's just too expensive to drive that far, and pay that much for a fill that small. So, I'm hoping that this next time I will get a decent amount, and will FINALLY be at my sweet spot. How awesome THAT would be!!

So, let's hear it! How are the rest of you losers? I'm anxious to hear how much you've lost since I've been gone!

Donna

Ladies --

I totally understand the TOM thing - altho I traded in my TOM for a hysterectomy 2 years

ago (yes, that IS the Hallelujah chorus you hear !!) but if I hadn't, I think I'd be there too -

I used to bloat up like crazy! Sorry guys --

I have come to the conclusion that I need another fill, or at least "topped off" ! I'm very very

busy at work and don't know if I can sneak off from DC to TJ just now --- I'm also personally

moving, so I should lose a little weight pulling out all of my hair.

Thanks for all the feedback, guys and gals !!! Its great to be in this company of experts !!!

Hi Lisa,

I feel your frustration!! I had surgery April 3rd. My highest weight was 247, my pre-op weight was 234, and TODAY I weigh 212!!! Well, I was going to say I KNOW how you feel, but actually you are behaving much better than I am.LOL

I'm not making the BEST food choices. I eat what I want, except I try to avoid buying cookies, chips, and other junk type food that goes down ALL TOO EASILY. ANd as far as exercise goes, sometimes I do, and most times I don't. I know, shame on me! At first I WORKED really hard at it, and then I said, ya, know this is gonna take awhile. So, I just kinda relaxed. Now the weight is DEFINITLEY coming off slow, but it is coming off. I KNOW I need another fill though, but I'm trying to wait until Sept.

I'm hoping this next one will make ALL the difference in the world.

My cousin was lower bmi, and lost all her weight in a year. Total of 80 pounds, which was MORE than she planned to lose! She didn't do anything major either. Ate what she wanted, and walked some. She lost REAL slow in the beginning, and stressed JUST like we are now. Then after fill #3 she started losing like a madwoman! LOL I'm not saying to stop what you are doing. YOU ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING!! LOL I need to get in gear. Anyway, maybe the exercise is building muscle, and we all know that muscle weighs more than fat. I'm guessing you are still noticing a big difference in your clothes!

Hang in there! We'll get there eventually!

Donna

BTW Fur Elie

I KNOW what you mean about TOM. I can't hardly drink a glass of milk when he comes around! Restriction x 10. I guess that's a good thing though, cause that's when I USUALLY tear the house down looking for junk food! Not anymore! LOL

Thanks so much for the information. Very, very helpful.

I see Dr. Vitello too! He's GREAT! You'll love him!

Donna

Sounds like you found an excellent 'artist.' Good for you.

My restriction is moderate. But I'm still losing weight (although very slowly) and most of the loss has come from just drinking protein drinks for almost a week, not the lap-band restriction. The first opportunity I get, I'm going to get another adjustment. I'm not sure I'll go back to TJ, though. If it's all guesswork (or artistry) anyway, I might be better off somewhere closer.

I met a friend yesterday who had his surgery locally 2 weeks before mine. He's already lost 55 lbs, but he had a lot more to lose than I did. Still, it's a higher percentage of total loss and I'm envious.

I know....frustrating isn't it??? This fill was a good fill, and I do still have some restriction, but I'm just losing SO SLOWLY. Maybe 1 or 1 1/2 lbs. a week. I know that's how we are SUPPOSED to lose weight, but it's just excruciatingly slow! I'm definitely NOT at my sweet spot. After my cousins surgery, she went for maybe 6 months where it seemed her weightloss just creeped along, then BAM! After she finally got to the sweetspot, she took off! Or I guess I should say the WEIGHT took off! She went from 220 down to 133, and looks great. She never thought she would lose that much because she hadn't weighed that since highschool, but she did! Her goal was 150, but I guess she'll just have to live with 133. Must be nice!

We'll get there eventually!

Donna

Are you sure? Dr. Acosta at OCC told me that he can only do adjustments in multiples of .2 ccs which is the minimum the syringe will allow. At one point I asked him to adjust 0.1 cc and he coudn't do it. You're talking about a fraction of that. Doesn't sound right.

.

Hmmmm, I'm not saying you are wrong, but that sounds very strange to me. Maybe a different syringe? I know when my cousin had her fills some of them were 1.07, or .06. She uses a US doctor too. Or perhaps he is guesstimating?? (my doctor that is) He said "I'm going to take out just a tiny drop more." So maybe he was just guessing at how much he actually took out? I don't know. I do know that his fills work like a charm, and I haven't been overtightened, or undertightened yet.

I read about your trip. Wow, that's a bummer! I can imagine how it would have been to have gotten poked that many times in the same spot! OUCH! My first poke was a little more painful than I expected. I can't imagine 4!! Dr. Vitello did say the same thing they told you. He said "Fills are not an exact science, it's more like an art!"

How's your restriction now?

Donna

Pammie,

I ended up going to Dr. Vitello in Chicago. He is GREAT, love him to death. I get to see everything he does, fluoro, barium going down everything! He is very much determined to get it JUST right. I'm glad I found him!

Angelav,

Yes, 1.28cc's is the total amount in my band at this time. I've had 2 fills so far.

I have a 4cc band!

Donna

Has any one experienced hair loss after the fourth month?

Hey, I'm a cosmetologist, so I have had this question asked a MILLION times! LOL

Yes, this is normal. There are several things that can be the culprit. First of all the surgery, any time you have general anesthesia, you can experience hair loss. My hair fell out like crazy after gall bladder surgery! It can also be caused by rapid weight loss, caused by sickness, liquid diets, stress, etc.

And, finally it can just be a phase. Typically a person sheds 80 hairs a day, however during the Tellagin stage, your hair sheds more rapidly, like 120-150 hairs a day. This makes it much more noticeable. However this is a NORMAL cycle.

First thing first....DO NOT PANIC, IT WILL COME BACK. In fact as you are losing it new hairs are replacing the fallen ones.

Secondly....Do not go out and spend a fortune on products promising to stop, or treat hair loss. Remember this is a phase, and will correct itself. You will just be wasting your money.

I did a liquid diet a few years ago, similar to optifast. I lost 36 pounds, and my hair started falling out like CRAZY. I mean I would have a HANDFUL of hair, everytime I took a shower. Anyway, the diet led to gallstones, which led to surgery, which led to MORE hairloss. I literally thought I was going to be BALD. I gave myself a good all over trim, and just waited. After about a month it completely stopped. A few weeks later, my hair felt just as thick as it ever had. So, don't worry, you'll be fine.

Donna

I just had my band inserted by Dr.Ortiz on June 8th and I haven't had a fill yet. I would appreciate any feedback. I live alone(with dogs and cats and my older sons dropping in) I am not certain how to go about having the fill done. Going back to TJ is a really big trip for me and there is a "fill station" within 2 miles of my house here in Florida. There are also doctors in the area who do the procedure. I don't have a contact here that directs me to the next step. After the first 3 days after the band was put in I haven't experienced any restriction at all. I have kept primarily to liquids, esp those with electrolytes and protein shakes and soups.

My problem is I am not certain when to do what. I contacted the TJ clinic and was told fills are done 6-8 wks after the procedure. I don't think I have messed up yet but want feedback please. Not only do I not throw up but I don't know how I can go for another month feeling lack of energy and work my job. Any ideas or suggestions? I would appreciate any info on how this process starts at this point. My personal doctor doesn't even know about the band insertion yet-because that is not the way I found out about the process.

You SHOULDN'T be feeling any restriction right now, if you are on liquids. Liquids pass just fine. You MAY or MAY NOT have restriction after you start solids. Some people DO, but a LOT of people don't! So, when you do start solids, be CAREFUL, but don't be upset if you have no restriction. Make sure you CHEW like crazy, before you swallow any solid food!

You can get a fill anywhere from 6-8 weeks, or LONGER after being banded. Some of the LUCKY ones may not need a fill for 3 or 4 months. You will know, if you can still eat everything with no problem, you need a fill. My suggestions about getting a fill...

I was unable to go back to TJ for my fills, so I found a local doctor that did fills for MX banded patients. It took a lot of calling, and checking, but it was worth it. Choose a doctor that uses FLUORO. I like to see how fast or slow the barium passes through the stoma, and you DR can determine by the timing, how much he needs to add, or subtract.

Don't panic! I think everyone kindo feels a little nervous after surgery. There's nothing to it. As far as the enery thing, I agree with Pammie....add more protein!

Good Luck,

Donna

I hear people talk about Dr. Kuri, but I don't think you'd be unhappy with Dr. Ortiz. His staff is well trained and they do pre-op testing, although I don't recall having blood drawn. I liked that Dr. Ortiz has his own private clinic, which was spotlessly clean. Overnight we each had our own private room with a flat screen tv and a phone for calling anyone I wanted. We did share a bathroom. Another thing that impressed me was the staff on hand overnight. We had a nurse and a doctor for the six of us. Another perk is Mamma Ortiz providing taxi service to and from the clinic and the Lucerna Hotel. She's a riot and how she manages to drive in that horrendous traffic is a testimony to her agelessness. I feel I can drive almost anywhere but I was intimidated by the traffic in TJ.

I returned for my first fill and it was literally painless -- plus Dr. Romero has a great sense of humor that made the whole experience seem like a visit with an old friend rather than a doctor who is poking a needle in me!

Twigs

Silly Willy!! You must have been so excited, or busy talking to me that you forgot you had bloodwork! They took us in there where the computers were. Remember those curtain thingys hanging between those beds? Atleast that's where they did my bloodwork. It was right after my EKG. You probably forgot because it was so painless. I couldn't believe how good she was at getting a vein!

I loved Dr. Ortiz, and his whole staff. They were all very nice, everything Twigs said....

I personally, wouldn't go to a doctor that did no pre-op testing. I would want the Dr. to have enough concern for my health that he would want to see the results for himself, rather than just take my word for it. But that's just me!

Donna

Well, my problems seem to have cleared up with posting. If someone did something, THANKS!

Everything seems to be working properly again. Hopefully this will last!

Donna

Doing good thanks! I got .08cc's. But man, I really feel TIGHT! I could feel WATER going down this morning. Hope I'm not too tight! That brings me up to 1.28 cc's. He told me to be sure and do liquids for the next 3 days, and slowly move on to puree's. We'll see how it goes!

Thanks for asking!

Donna

OK, I got you now! There's NO better reason to do it, than for your health! I gained 100 pounds with my first pregnancy. I gained 30 with my 2nd. I lost the 30, but I'm still struggling to get 70 off. I thought it would be easy enough, after having kids, but it WASN'T. (they are 4 & 6 and I'm still battling it) Right after Christmas, my doctor put me on high blood pressure meds. I have NEVER liked taking meds, but just knowing that I was having to take these because of my WEIGHT, really ticked me off. Diabetes also runs in my family, so I didn't want to take any chances there either.

I tried Weight watchers,(3 different times) LA Weightloss, Nutrisystem, Atkins Diet, Doctors & Nurses High Energy Weight loss Clinic, The Moore Clinic, Slim-Fast, Dexatrim, counting calories, joined a gym, and worked out like a crazy woman, and LASTLY the Cambridge diet, which is a liquid diet just like Optifast. It all worked for a LITTLE while, but then I'd get discouraged, and quit, and the pounds would come back, WITH FRIENDS!! Well, now with the band, I CAN'T QUIT. The band doesn't let me. So, I know NOW when I lose a couple of pounds, THEY WON'T BE BACK!

That's what makes the band worth it to me. Plus did I mention that after losing just 30 pounds, I'm off the BP meds???? YaaaaaaaaaaaY!!!

Good Luck,

Donna