jhawkchick75

That is my hope. Not that I want to get sick or stuck, but after it happens once, i'm sure I won't be interested in eating it again!

Hi there! Yea for other MO folks! If you all ever come this way definitely let me know. I have good friends in STL so I end up out that way quite a bit. I hope your healing is going well. That is so great you had a friend to go with you. It sure helps a lot if you can have someone else to share the experience with. It's really hard for anyone else to understand. I have many family members that went to MU so I get crap a lot. Actually, I work for the UM system! But yes, I have KU stuff in my office! Please feel free to throw me a line anytime! Good luck with your weight loss and if you need anything let me know. I'm still fairly new in the process, but have my 2nd fill tomorrow so hopefully it will kick in. Take care!!!!

Ditto...it will come back off. After surgery you hold a lot of water and gas. I didn't get on the scale for a bit after coming home because I knew it would be up. I know it's hard, but try to stay away from the scale for a bit and once you are on it take it with a grain of salt. Since going on solids i've only lost like 3lbs. But everyone is different though.

Congrats on your decision to research it. It is the best decision I ever made and I don't regret it for a moment! Here are a few responses to your questions: Will I feel empowered by this choice or will I feel like I gave up on losing weight on my own? This is completely up to you. If you go in educated and feeling confident in your decision then you will be fine. But it is just like any other weight loss, you have to WANT to do it for it to work. It is not a magic pill and takes work and dedication. I feel confident in my decision and nobody can change my mind of that. After surgery you have a port just under your skin. Will I feel it when I move? touch it? If I push on my stomach I can feel mine. Can I still go jetskiing and tubing or will I dislodge the band? After you are healed, there isn't much you can't do. Just no major ab workouts. Will I have a ton of flabby, hanging skin after a while? Totally different from person to person. Drinking lots of water and exercising helps, but nothing will completely fix loose skin unfortunately and many folks have plastic surgery afterwards. What are the side effects? Again different for everyone. I can belch and fart with the best of them now and of course many foods I can't eat anymore. I also get one large hiccup about 30 seconds after I am done eating. So all kinds of odd things. How fast will I lose weight and how much? Again very hard to say. Just depends on how much you have to lose and how dedicated you are to the band. Also depends on your fills and how aggressive your doctor is. What else do I need to know?! I encourage you to read through all these posts - go back quite a ways. You will learn a lot. Good luck!

I can eat anything right now and i've had one fill. But my hopes are after my 2nd fill tomorrow that will change. But of course everyone is different. Just take is slow. I have been seriously reducing my bread i'm eating in anticipation of restriction. I only have multi grain bread in my house now.

That is fantastic...thank you for sharing! Keep us up to date on your future success!

Congrats! Definitely take everyone's advice and don't push yourself to fast too soon. Rest and relax!

Congrats!!! Get lots of rest!!!

Congrats! Welcome to the really exciting part of the journey!

Exactly the same experience for me. I have my 2nd fill on Monday so hopefully i'll have a little more restriction. It's definitely been all willpower on my end. Although my appetite reduced significantly during the liquid diet so that helps.

Agree with what everyone else has said. I've been to several dinner outings and it's only been questioned once. I told them i'm being more mindful of what I eat and eating really slow and chewing a lot. I remind them that your body doesn't know that you are full until about 10-15 min after you hit that spot, and if I eat slow then I know precisely when I am full and can stop in time. They all buy it and have no problems with it. I"ve been on about a million diets so they figure it's just another crack at it. Actually, the questions have been why I wasn't drinking with my meal and that was harder. Just said I wasn't thirsty.

Congrats! I have heard of many people getting pregnant post-band. Most likely feeling a little more spicy in the bedroom as well as the healthy eating helps your fertility. Here is a link to a video blog of a woman who has lap band and is pregnant. This is off the website of the dr I see for aftercare. Every doctor will be different, but you can see what she is going through! Congrats! http://www.malleysurgical.com/testimonial/teresas-story.html

Congrats on your success...that is so fantastic! Can't wait to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel! Congrats!!

I had mine with me there but never used it. I was brought there before the hotel so I had everything with me. You are so busy prepping and then surgery you won't really get a chance to use it. Then, you are nice and drugged so when you aren't sleeping you are walking so I just made a pit stop at the kiosk and sent some very jumbled emails - thanks drugs! You will definitely want it at the hotel though. It saved my life. It was either that, a Sunset Tan marathon, or Footlose in Spanish!

That is really unfortunate that you have felt uncomfortable writing. Please continue to post and if I see it i'll stick up for ya! The only time I get crabby is when someone asks the same question that was just asked in a previous post - as in literally 2 posts ago or just the day before. But even then I really try to be polite about it. Please post away and no question is a stupid one!

I didn't get a massage, but my mom did. The lady will have a station in the lobby at the Lucerna and you just arrange it when you get there. My mom was in heaven! She had hers just right down in the lobby, but you can have them come to your room too. Wish I would have done it!

Totally normal!!! As time goes on it's gotten less and less for me, but it is still there. I had a dream one night that someone gave me a beer and after a couple drinks I remembered I couldn't have it and freaked out. The dream was really vivid!!! That is one of the hardest parts for me about this process. It's the mental stuff - you never notice how many commercials there are on TV with food until after the surgery. Kind of like once you buy a new car you seem to see it everywhere!

That is really fantastic that you both are doing well. Keep up the great work and keep us posted!

Sorry you are going through that. I had terrible shoulder pain too and really all that helped me was taking some medicine and sleeping it off. The massage sounds like a great idea though - I hope that helps. Also, just moving around as much as you can. I would rub mine as well and do shoulder rolls to try to help work it out. Good luck and do know it does go away I promise!

I am so sorry to hear that, but at least you got it taken care of before something serious happened. You have come so far, i'm sure you will be at goal in no time!!!

I am a chronic over packer as well so I understand!!! Definitely don't worry about your hair dryer. Take some tennie shoes and comfy clothes and of course your bathroom stuff. I bought bottled water there and took special K2O packs with me. I bought broth and jello from the hotel and they had it all ready to go and knew if you were an OCC patient what you needed. It's been a bit so I might forget stuff, but here is what I brought: - 2 to 3 days worth of comfy clothes - I took flip flops, but if you are down there in the winter you might need regular tennies - bathroom stuff - liquid tylenol (what they gave me at the OCC did nothing for me, but might work for you) - heating pad - special K20 packets - camera - birth certificate, ID, etc... - all necessary OCC paperwork Right across the street is a convenience store where you can get bottled water, gatoraide, etc... Another hint I learned, call the front desk and ask for extra pillows! I felt most comfortable when I could basically sleep sitting up and the pillows helped. Taking the heating pad and putting one pillow on top of it helped me too. If you have a laptop or can get one, take it with you too. Lucerna has free WiFi and that saved me. There are only a few English speaking channels on the TV, so that helped me keep busy between walks around the floor. Good luck! Man, it feels like it was just yesterday I was there. The folks at the front desk will take good care of you!

I bought the Wylers as well, but it is still sitting in my cabinet never opened b/c I ate from the hotel the whole time. But I do know many people that took it and heated it in the coffee pot in their room, so it is up to you. I also used regular soup and drained it after a bit. Towards the last of the 7 days, I would gag just thinking of regular broth, but like folks said, do not let yourself eat any of the other stuff in it! Stick to the plan! I know many folks that also took some ramen and just heated the powder and got rid of the noodles, but I didn't do that b/c i was reminded about the high sodium content in that. But many have and did great. To be real honest, everyone is different but I wasn't very hungry while I was in TJ. The special K20 water and the broth in the hotel did me just fine. But everyone is different of course so as cheap as the bullion cubes are it wouldn't be a big deal to take them with you. I can mail you mine if you want!!!

Definitely measure! Like I said i'm really kicking myself for not doing it right from the get go. Even though I'm a couple months in, I am going to dig out my measuring tape and do it anyway. I've had many folks tell me they have had the same experience where they aren't losing, but clothes start fitting different and people start noticing. Whatever can help with motivation i'll take it!!!!!

Too funny! I thought I took a very minimal amount, but once I was there I didn't use half of what I took! I did buy a few things while down there - thank god my mom was with me and could help me carry stuff back! I am definitely a shopaholic too!! But I was sore and crabby so luckily I got pissy and didn't shop much. No matter how much you try, you will take way too much. But that is OK, try and take as little as possible. I know there was a thread on here about what to take so be sure and check that out. Remember, the Lucerna has a hairdryer and what not so don't bring that. Why I brought mine I have NO idea!

I came straight to the OCC from San Diego, so I had everything with me. I didn't wear make up there, but I don't think that is an issue. I have a best friend of almost 15 years and i've almost never seen her without makeup, so I totally understand!!! In general I brought as little as possible, and had it all in a suitcase with wheels so pulling it wasn't a big deal. I pretty much wore 2 t-shirts and 2 pairs of stretchy pants over the 4 days I was there. It really helped taking as little as possible.