Chelley

You do check out of the hotel Best wishes! Chelley

I had my surgery back in April and the handout Dr. Miranda gave to me, she wrote on and detailed it to my specific needs. You should consult Dr. Miranda by phone if you are having this many questions to make sure you are following the plan per her recommendations. Otherwise, the plan is as written. Hope this helps. Chelley

I purchased my copy of Lap Band for Life by Dr. Ortiz from amazon.com. As of this morning, they still have issues both new and used. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=br_ss_hs/104-9...p+Band+For+Life Chelley

I'm so glad to see another family on here that was banded together! Mom, Sister and I were all banded in April and the support we give one another is invaluable. We discuss and cuss the band regularly! Isn't Dr. Ortiz just wonderful? I'm sure you will agree after meeting him he has the best bedside manner and you can just tell he is doing the work he was meant to do in life. The best advice I can give you is be kind to yourself during this transition phase, especially if you've used food for comfort and throw your scale in a closet and forget it .... weighing daily like I did is very demoralizing. Best wishes! Keep us posted. Chelley

Thanks! I'm not giving up ... but I am trying to step back and relax a little because I'm so stressed out hitting this plateau so early in the weight loss. Nurses make the worse patients second only to doctors! I do have to say even though my weight loss has been less than satisfactory, I have maintained my blood sugar levels. My caloric intake is such paired with my activity levels at work, that I don't need the insulin anymore ... and haven't since surgery, so I am still very happy with that. Hair loss seems NOT to have worsened this week with the new shampoo kit I've been trying, the Biotin, protien shakes, and a multi vitamin. But I'm still scooping a wad out of the shower drain every day and cleaning the bristles of my brush out every few days... way too much loss... and it's not breakage ... it's letting go at the root. Lori Becky is in the process of scheduling a telephone conference with me with Dr. Ortiz, so maybe he can make some recommendations regarding the hair loss and ways to jump start my weight loss again. I did hear something interesting on an Oprah re-run the other day from her trainer, which was that little voice in your head and that feeling in your tummy that sends you to the kitchen and says "I want a little something" is actually your body telling you it is ready to eat (burn) your fat reserves, but if you feed that little feeling/voice then you have sabotaged your weight loss for the day because your body will use those calories instead of your reserves. Made a lot of sense to me. They recommended if you can get busy doing something else and let that pass you will see weight loss as long as you are active. Oh and, bummer.... Bob Greene said that activity and exercise are not the same thing.... an activity is swimming, tennis, ect.... but it takes aerobic (heart rate sustaining) exercise to loose weight. Just lovely... I knew I was gonna have to sweat. Chelley

Ivory soap and water do wonders for wounds, but I would encourage you to follow up with your local physician. The reason why? Tripple antibiotic is great, but could be keeping your wounds too moist and add to the risk of them openning up further. It's best to be safe than sorry ... see a doctor right away.

You guys made me laugh... I sure did need that! Where do you sign up for the "fat, bald and miserable" group??? Lori - You are so funny ... you and your water thing... and I was impressed with the clinic during my banding, but after being banded I feel very much on my own. Aftercare could be better at the OCC. And who mentioned b__bs! Should we alter the name of our club to "fat, bald, miserable and sagging"???? Sry fellas... it's just sick female humor. Thanks for the laugh! Chelley

Thanks for your pm's and your posts. I'm not giving up, I'm just frustrated. I've immersed myself into this world of being banded for 4 months now and I think I need to step back, relax, and just take a break from all this before I'm bald headed. From postings on lapbandtalk about a typical day of eating, those who've been banded longer than I have seem to think I'm malnourished because I'm taking in less than 1000 calories a day. Malnourished and fat... what a combo! Oh, and soon to be bald. And here I was thinking by October I'd be looking HOT! If I keep this up, I won't need a costume for Halloween ............ oh come on, I have to laugh/grin/giggle/smile!!!! Also, guess what? You do have to diet on this band for it to work .......... I know, dirty words. From what I'm learning from those who have lived with the band for a long time, you end up eating a high protien diet and you have to .............shhhhhh ............ exercise! Failure with the band is linked to taking in too many carbs because they go down the best. Where was Dr. Atkins before I plopped down 10K? Well, I can't really blame it on that, because I did try the Atkins diet, lost 25lbs (more than I have postband) but I couldn't keep up the all meat diet... the carbs were calling my name. So, perhaps I'll have more control with the band. It certainly restricts the volume you can eat, therefore restricts calories to some degree. At least pre-band I could enjoy a grilled steak.. now I have to settle for boiled or slow cooked to slop. Most discouraged, and still pissy about it Chelley

Sorry I haven't posted because I'm most discouraged and I didn't want to be a downer on the forum. My hair is falling out ... my long, beautiful dark hair which is/was one of my best features, is thinning dramatically. I've been taking Biotin 1000mcg now for 3 weeks with little results other than my nails are growing, using a special hair loss shampoo, and I've increased my protein intake through protein shakes and still there is a wad of hair at the bottom of the drain and crammed between the bristles of my brush. I e-mailed Dr. Miranda because I know it's due to protein loss. I PB everytime I try to eat meat unless it is cooked very tender. I'm depressed. I'm not loosing weight. I'm still at 210lbs ... my weight fluctuates 2-3 lbs up or down any given week. I eat like a bird and I'm so miserable I just have to question if I've made a huge mistake by having this band. Dr. Miranda forwarded my e-mail to Dr. Ortiz and no response. The post-care at the OCC is very poor and there are no local lap-band groups for me to attend since I live in a very rural area. And Lori, God help you if you post "are you drinking enough water" ... I just might rip out what is left of my hair! Very Pissy Today, Chelley

Rid - Welcome to the world of the Lap-Band. Sometimes walking does help your body shift around that excess gas and sometimes it doesn't. Rocking in a chair sometimes helps too. Don't worry tho, it will go away in a few days time. Juice isn't too bad when you use 1 part juice to 1 part water over ice ... I did that a lot. I also found I liked warm sugar free jello and I also ate it cold. Thanks for the pm's ... I'll try to post a little more, but to be honest ... there is more post-band support on lapbandtalk and as I'm struggling, I find I get more information there. Chelley

Awwww Rid! I feel your frustration, but don't dispair... you'll be banded soon enough! Best wishes to you! Chelley

Lexi - I'd definately discuss this with your doctor. It is the doctor who makes the choice of what band to place based upon your individual circumstances. Are you going to get your second banding done by Dr. Ortiz? If so, express your concerns before you have surgery. Chelley

Rid - You are about to graduate to Bandstander status! Congratulations!!! Best wishes with your surgery! Keep us posted!!! Chelley

Seabreze - I've never had "food" dreams until I was post-op! I recall dreaming that I was eating a home grilled hamburger during my liquid phase! When I woke up, I had the giggles thinking about the pure bliss I'd had in my dream munching on that burger!!! LOL! For me, a home grilled hamburger is some of the best food you can eat! So, you aren't alone. If you can't eat it for real, then at least enjoy it in your dreams. Chelley

Hi! I was worried about my 1st fill too and it actually only took 15 minutes to complete. There was minimal pain, just a stick as Dr. Romero placed the needle in the port, but it wasn't that bad. It's actually neat to watch the restriction happening on the fluro screen. The best advice I can give you is to be kind to yourself as you enter the transition phase of being banded. This takes patience ... a quality which I am in short supply which has lead to some uneccessary distress for me. Educate yourself on your band and accept that your body is transitioning but like Mary said, every step you take is important because it is one step closer to your goal! Old habits, thoughts, and feelings don't change just because you have had a surgical intervention ... that is up to us and girl, it is hard. The band helps you not overeat ... period. The rest of it is up to you ... and sometimes it's like stumbling through the dark until you find what works for you. So, don't worry so much about the fill... it's a peice of cake. Make sure Dr. Romero knows you have the VG band so he will give you a nice big fill! Best wishes! Chelley

I feel blessed actually to have the support on this forum. Thank you seems like such a little word for the gratitude I feel, but thank you again for all your kind words and encouragement. I've readjusted my attitude as I mentioned in my last post and I am determined to look at food choice. It never occured to me that I might have to ... shhhh ... nasty words .... "diet and exercise" ... but here I am finding myself at that spot. The plate method doesn't work for me because I can't eat meat that well and it's too time consuming to cook a well balanced meal for one. All that cooking makes me ravenous. My enemy is head hunger. I find myself eating when I'm not hungry and there is no excuse. I don't have a family to prepare meals for and there is no reason I should look at the clock and say to myself, "it's noon - time to eat". So the last couple of days I've tried a little experiment. I drank a Slim Fast Optima - High Protein within an hour after waking up and then I did not eat again until I felt the first tummy rumblings .... and guess what time that was? Often not until 4-6pm in the evenning! Then, this is the hard part because I'm use to attacking my food when I'm hungry, then end up PB'ing. I made a sensible choice once I was hungry .... salad with tuna one day ... green beans and a boiled egg the next day. I have to make sure to take small bites and eat slowly and be mindful of what I am doing. My work environment is stressful and often breaks are interrupted so one learns to gobble their food. But I was proud of myself, when I would get interupted, I would store my meal in the fridge and come back to it when I had a few more minutes to spare. My tummy usually doesn't growl again until time to get off work around 11pm. I've chosen to make a fruit choice at this time because I can eat a bananna, apple or whatever on the drive home as long as I chew it very well. In between these times of hunger, I'm drinking water. If I still feel hungry once I get home, I drink a small glass of soy milk or have some yogurt. I'm down two lbs............. YAHOO. I can do this, if I learn how to deal with the head hunger that sends me to the fridge with every bad emotion I don't want to deal with.

Thanks again for your support. I'm so pleased to be reading posts from others on this forum who are also transitioning with the band. What is it they say about hindsight .. that it is 20/20?? I really wish I hadn't told everyone at work about my band. If you are at all on the fence about telling folks other than your family or dearest friends, my advice would be DON'T. Give yourself that breathing room where you can eat without being monitored or asked daily "how much weight have you lost". I think the reason I told everyone was I thought the pressure them knowing about my my surgery would help me conform to my new lifestyle, but I never dreamed it would be this hard. Four months post-op and I've maintained a small margin of weight loss. I really thought by August I'd be down at least 30-40lbs... false expectations. I rarely fail at anything and I'm not going to fail at this... I'm determined to do whatever I need to do to make this work. So, no more pitty party... it's time to do the hard work. Dr. Ortiz isn't a fairy god mother and this band isn't a magic wand. It's still up to me to make sensible food choices, get my water in and to..... uggggg ... exercise.

I did my research on the Inamed lapband website. I wish there was more information about the VG band. The band size is made at the discretion of your physician depending on several factors. I would definately recommend that you discuss this pre-operatively with your doctor. As I've mentioned on this forum before, I never considered I would have a VG band based upon my weight, but as I've learned that is not the only factor. I'm an apple shape with the majority of my weight around my middle. Dr. Ortiz felt the VG band was more suitable because of the fat distribution around my stomach. Chelley

Pammie - I had the same concerns, but none of my things were tampered with. I'm not sure the folks at the OCC realize how distressing it is to walk off and leave your suitcase in the lobby with strangers while you do your consultations for the pre-op. Afterall, we are in a foriegn country and these are our only possessions. Things are a little more secure in the surgical center. There is only one door in and out for patients and some patients are by themselves whereas others may have one family member with them. It isn't like American hospitals where the halls are congested with visitors. I did not take anything of significant value with me other than one major credit card in case of emergency, my birth certificate and drivers license, oh and my cell phone. I would like to make a suggestion for the OCC. It would make patients feel more comfortable if you could make an area available for patients to store their luggage where there are perhaps small lockers so one could lock up their wallet or other small valuables. I've seen this done at the radiology clinic where I have my fills done. They require you to disrobe in a locker room, place your personal belongings in a locker and take the key with you which is on one of those stretchy telephone cord wrist bands. Just a thought. By the way, I've never had to use the credit card stlye card that I was given at the OCC that is suppose to be a pass for ordering off the kids menu at a resturant. In fact, I've found that the kids menu may be smaller in portion but in most places the food choices aren't suitable for a banded patient (grilled cheese, chicken fingers, french fries, corn dogs). Food portions are so huge here in the USA that often, I'll just split a meal with a friend or family member. Since Mom, Sister and I were all banded together we often order one meal with 3 plates which gets us some looks since we are all large women. LOL! Chelley

Deb - I am so pleased to hear how well you are doing. Congratulations on your weight loss and smoking cessastion. Chelley

Kel - Thank you for your honesty. As you know from my thread under the newly banded topic, I too am struggling. I was 227.5 before the pre-op diet then I dropped to 215 and since then I've lost and gained from 204-215 several times over. I've had three fills and although I am miserable unable to eat hardly anything at all the scales will not budge. I think there are more of us out there than are willing to admit in this transitioning period. I'd like to see more of us post and help each other along as we seek that magic sweet spot and start losing weight! I applaude your efforts on the treadmill and wish I was as motivated.

Gum sometimes is the only thing that saves me from that ugly beast known as "head hunger". You get the satisfaction of chewing without filling your tummy.

I'd recommend that you do research on the sizes of bands and discuss with your surgeon which band they may place for you. I never anticipated having the larger VG band which holds a max fill of 10cc. My starting weight was 227.5 and I was 215lbs on the day of surgery. Dr. Ortiz placed the VG band because the majority of my weight is carried in my abdomen and it made for a safer, easier placement. I wasn't every educated on this VG band which is typically used for morbidly obsese patients. I never considered that I would have one. My lack of education on this size of band did cause me some distress, especially when I'd gotten two fills and had no restriction. I later found out that it sometimes takes up to 3cc of fill just to prime the VG band. I thought my band was leaking! The decision of which size of band to place is up to your surgeon. Communicate with your doctor pre-operatively and ask which option is best for you. Chelley

Thank you all for your encouragement. Sorry to post a downer, but this is an adjustment period and not many lapbanders talk about this part of the process. Being the blabber-mouth that I am and honest to a fault I'm not going to gloss over my experience. I'm still glad I got the band. Although I am struggling, my blood sugar levels are within normal limits and I'm still free of those dreadful insulin injections and that is wonderful to me. I've read testimonials from other lapbanders so I know my experience is not unique, but it isn't the instant gratification I had wanted. In this transition time, food no longer is your best friend. I'd heard that statement before and thought it was cute and just didn't realize the profound truth of that declaration. I'm finding myself confronted with my emotions daily whereas I'd self medicate with food in the past. In many ways I agree with the testimonal of a lapbander in Dr. Ortiz's book and feel like the old Chelley is dying and a new one is hopefully on her way out of this fat suit. My sister is almost at the 50lb weight loss mark after our surgery in April and has only had one fill so I know this thing can work! I'm not doing anything differently than she is except it has taken me 3 fills to her one to get restriction since I have the larger band. I also work with a nurse who was banded last year and after a 5 month struggle, she finally started shedding the pounds and has lost 65lbs. So, I do still have some hope that this will work ... tho my patience has dwindled and so has my enthusiasm. I know I don't drink enough water... I'm working on it. I've never had to be mindful about drinking water but now that it has to be sipped, it is work to get in the daily requirement. I am using alternate sources of protein since I have such a hard time with meat. I've been trying things such as cottage cheese, soy milk, legumes, peanut butter, boiled eggs but I'm limitted to baby bites or this stuff just won't go down. So far I've found that crunchy works best for me and many times my best meal is dry Cherrios. I'll consider calling Dr. Ortiz if things don't improve for me in the coming weeks. However, the credit card is completely tapped out and I'm not able to fly to TJ at the tune of $400 roundtrip for a consult plus fees for hotel and transportation.

I'm so very discouraged as it seems I am floundering with the band and this fill business. I'm rather dissatisified with the lack of support for patients transitioning with the band. This is hard .. much harder than I'd ever anticipated. I regret having told just about everyone about my decision to have the band because I get asked daily, "how much weight have you lost?" and the answer hasn't changed since they asked me a week ago, a month ago, three months ago. I'm too embarassed to confess that I've gained since my inital 25lbs weight loss. Since the third fill in July I've maintained my weight and I just don't understand why because I can't eat half of what I could before. In fact, my hair is starting to fall out which is incredibly distressing so I know I'm not getting the nourishment I need yet the scale does not budge. I've started taking supplements to help with this. I can't eat per the plate method and I've tried and tried. Everytime I try and start off with a meat I PB painfully. Do you know how awful it is to PB while your stomach is growling? The physical hunger is bad enough but the mental hunger is even worse. I'm so very frustrated and I just don't know what to do next. I can't imagine getting another fill right now and I'm not sure an unfill would be wise at this point. My activity level is adequate because I get 10,000 steps in routinely at work because my job as a nurse requires me to be on my feet the majority of my 8 hour shift. Suggestions anyone?