Jnlebean

Hi Everyone, Well I have come full circle, a place I never thought I would be at again in my life. I took the big step on January 15, 2009 to have lap-band surgery with Dr Ortiz. The best thing I ever did for myself, I was young and ready to start living my life. Little did I know 2009 would be a very tuff and awarding year for me, and with that I was not strong enough to continue my weight loss focus. The best thing was meeting my now husband. Problem is we both have the same food demons so it was easy for me to slip back into my old habits. Since meeting December 2009 I have gained 50lbs and my husband has put on 100lbs. I told him a few months ago, I was going to stop loving him to death, and if we didn’t get our demons under control we were going to do just that "love each other to death". Everything we do revolves around food. But we also have dreams and passions and if it wasn’t for our weight we would be living a more active life, I know it, and I know we will. But with change and uncertainty comes many questions. My husband tried to support me in the beginning when we met, I wasn’t quiet a year out from having my surgery, he has seen my struggles, the sometimes embarrassment that comes with not using the band as a tool. When we made the decision to have the gastric sleeve surgery, we made it as a team, but with one big hesitation. We will have eating troubles like I do now with the band? My questions to you are: I currently get food stuck, almost like my band is to tight, although I am completely empty. Do patients with VSG, get food stuck, like Lap-band patients? Do you have to chew the food until there is just nothing left to chew, like you do with the Lap-band? Are there no no foods, like there is with the lap-band? It was years before I could eat a sandwich after having the lapband put in. I still to this day can’t eat dry meat, like steaks or pork. Are you able to drink when you are eating, unlike the lapband, where you should wait at least 30 min. How long was it after your VSG surgery until you could really eat solid foods? How much food can you eat? Let’s say a year after surgery are you still only able to eat 1/2cup of food at a time? Can you go out for dinner and order a meal? We know the long term health benefits outweigh all these questions and concerns, but eating is still a part of life. We love to travel and try new foods at the places we go, I would hate not to be able to eat the local cuisine. I guess we need to start looking at food as a survival tool and not entertainment. Thanks for reading, loooking forward to your insights

Hi everyone, I am hoping that there is someone here that can relate to what I have been going through. I am an old lap-band patient from January 2009, over the last few years, if I’m not careful or mindful of how I am eating I get stuck. And it SUCKS!! My husband hates it, he is concerned for me, having to get up from the table and 'throw the food up", it's not fun and it also hurts some times. We are now going to have VSG done, he is a surgery virgin and I will have my band removed to make way for the VSG. My question is, do VSG patients get food stuck like lap-band patients?

Thanks Jazzy, I am going to the doctor this week to talk to him about it. I will let him know what you said to me, It has me thinking as well. It took about 2.5 hours and I finally went back to sleep. I will keep you posted. Jenelle

Hi Everyone, At the begining of June was the first time I got this pain, I had it again mid June and again two weeks ago and tonight. It is 4 in the morning and I cannot sleep. My stomach is very swore, and the pain is shooting straight into my back. At first (the first 3 times I had it) I thought that it was from constipation, but tonight I am not sure that is the problem. I have been banded for 6 months and never in my life have I felt pain like this. Ok to to discribe it, it feels like I am bloated in the stomach, I can drink water and the pain does not weaken or get worse and the tension goes straight through to my mid back. It will last about 3 hours or so and then poof its gone. Does anyone have any idea what this might be?? I am hoping this is not signs of a slipped or moved band. HELP, I am going to talk to the OCC as well, but I thought I would ask here first. Jenelle

Good for you Jazzy!!

Stormy, I think you look great! Just like everyone else. Im going to :cheerleader: you on.

Bring some cash with you (american will do), when you are at the clinic you can ask the staff there to order you lunch or dinner. There are lots of resturants and such in the area and I am sure they would be more than happy to help your mom out. When I was there someone had the staff get them subway if I remember right. They also had coffee at the clinic, again if I remember right, my mom said it wasnt great but it was coffee. I hope that helps you, I would contact the clinic they are so great about getting back to you and helping you out, and confirm or ask them about what I have said. Where in AB are you from? Sorry if we have talked before, but it is hard to remember everyone. When is your surgery? Good Luck, Let us know what the outcome is, Jenelle

It is a long hard process, you are going to want to eat BUT you are so worth all the happiness and healthly lifestyle that 2 or 3 weeks of hard work and mental anguish is WORTH IT!! Dont worry and make yourself sick if you dont lose all the weight that you need too, it just makes it worse. If you go into it with the attitude that you will do your best and stick to it, thats all one can ask for. You can do this and you will lose the weight you need to!! :cheerleader: I am cheering for you, Jenelle

Thanks everyone for your replies. I will post some more thoughts and things that I have learned. Let me think of them. Jenelle

I am so happy to see so many people have come up on their bandiversary this past 2 weeks or so. I thought that I too would share with you what I have learned over the past 6 months and maybe some of the points will help you. I have learned that when you are feeling down and blue, and you just want to eat...dont, stuffing your face just makes you feel worse. Theres the guilt and of course the phyiscal pain and 9 times out of 10 when I do this I end up PBing. So I learned to deal with this to drink a glass of water and change the activity that I was doing. Maybe instead of watching TV I will go check the laundry, or pick up a book, go for a walk. I have learned that when I think I am eating to much, I am. When I am eating to much I need a fill. I have learned that this is harder than I ever imagined. I am unable to eat a lot of foods and most time all I end up eating is soup cause at least I know I can. I have tried over the 6 months to eat breads or sandwhichs, beef, pork and many other items but with no luck. It is hard to deal with this, to mentally get over it. I knew going in to it that this would most likely be the case but until you cant do it all you want is to be able to do it. I have learned that you dont lose weight unless you exercise. I have learned that if I dont drink a ton of water and watch what I eat, I dont go to the bathroom for days...then the chest pain kicks in. I now watch the type of foods I eat so that I get enough fibre naturally and I dont have to rely on fibre tablets. I have learned that I am glad that I did not tell a lot of people and I was very selective in who I told. The people that do know have been supportive, but in not so many words they have hintted at the fact that I am losing slowly and they thought this would be happening faster. I feel the same but I have lost a pound a week or so, and to tell the truth exercise is not number one on my list. I could only imagine if I told the family and friends that are more negitive people in my life that they would be more negitive to me. "oh you spent so much money and you still cant lose weight, what a waste" I knew that about those people before hand and decided to avoid that pain. One person I did tell, my aunt, who has also had a hard time with weight, not as much as me but she is always trying to lose the same 20 pounds, has been a bit hard on me but in a loving hard motivating way. I take it with a grain of salt. I have learned to respect myself, I cant yet say that I love myself but I am getting there. I have learned that even though I still have weight to lose I no longer have to ask myself, "I wonder if that chair will hold me, I cant buy that...I might break it." It is amazing how many times I said that to myself without even knowing it. Perfect example, 3 years ago my family went to Mexico. I was near my heavist, and swollen from the heat and booze. My Brothers and Dad begged me to join them on the zip line canopy tour, but I thought there is no way the line will hold me IM NOT GOING, I never told them that but I stuck to my guns. I am a very daring and adventurous person and cried insdie when I felt that I couldnt do it. 3 weeks ago I was back in Mexico at the same resort with my family minus my two brothers, my dad, sister and I decided that we would go on the zip line and I felt ok with it and could not wait to go, after all I have lost 50 pounds. We got to the place to jump on the bus and there of course was the waiver form. The max weight allowed was 260 pounds, I was 245. 3 years ago I would have paid got all the way down there, they would have wieghed me and in front of 50 plus people would have told me sorry because you are to heavy, I would have died. (by the way they dont weigh you unless you are border line to 260lbs, I was not wieghed beacuse I knew my wieght) I am happy that I am getting out of the danger zone. We had a great time and I would go again and again!! I have learned that even with a little bit of exersice over a long period of time changes your breathing and of course the shape of your body. I mean I have done so little I cant imagen how HOT I would and will look once I pick it up a notch or two. I was vacuuming the other day and notced that after moving all the furniture I was not out of breath and sweating. I have learned that FAT people do get held back in the professional work place. I was laid off 4 months ago (not because of my wieght) and I am still looking for a job. Should hear back from one next week, that will change my life. 50 pounds ago I would have never had applied for that job because I would have said to myself I cant do that! I love being a Landscape Architect. Well I am sure you dont want to read anymore, so I will stop. I am very happy and proud of myself, Jenelle

You are still healing, give it time. This pain is also the reason why we dont do ab work for the first 3 months. Trust me you will be able to get it on....LOL Jenelle

Im a long ways away from needing one but in the little bit of weight that I have lost I can see that I will need one. I am doing all I can to exercise that area but it is hard to do. Let me know what you find out. Jenelle

Thank you and to update this post....I had to buy a new belt, there were no more holes in the one I was talking about back in February!!