Ok so I forgot that everyone needs a hand.  I went away from here during the summer and so I came back to help me refocus.  So far I'm down 33lbs I love that.  It's taken awhile.  All summer I've been at 30lbs lost.  I was back into some bad eating habbits, all the swelling went down, and I was left with an open band.  Sometimes it behaves and sometimes not.

At this point I'm at 7ccs in my 9cc Realize band.  I think I'm going to head in for another .5ccs and see.  Its like I'm so close.  After coming back on here it seems that on this band a lot of people need to be in the upper range to get the right fill.  I'm glad I know that as I was starting to feel a twinge of buyers remorse.  

I'm still in good spirts about this though.  I'm down 33lbs yes it's take awhile but you know it's nice cause it's 33lbs that I'm sure I'd not be down without it.  

We've got an Alaskan cruise booked for next July 11 which will be my 18month Bandaversiry and I'd like to be down another 33lbs!  Much closer to 200 if it's possible.  I didn't book it that way but it happen to come out like that.

So I'm back on the water, trying to edge out sodas and bad for me stuff.  Yes I drink soda.  TBH I think it's nuts to think bubble will move my band.  I also am going to go for another fill and make more on an honest try at the "rules" like not drinking with meals and watching my portions more.

So I wanted to tell how the surgery went so I could remember this whole process. 

 I went in Monday morning I think around 10am or so.  I wore some comfy clothes and was taken back weighed and put in a holding cell or hospital room.  The nurse couldn’t get my IV so the anesthesiologist got it.  Dr. Nick stopped in and said hi and then we were off not to long after that.

I woke up in recovery and was in and out.  My throat hurt more than anything.  And I hate that they want you to rate your pain.  I think I told them more pain because of the throat than anything.  They gave me some time and then I went back to another room.

I did finally get Christy back there and she said I was in and out for about another hour.  They forced me to eat some jello.  I swear it was strawberry banana.  –Horrible- I also had to drink some which wasn’t an issue because my throat hurt. 

Finally she got me up and I was walked a short distance which seemed to make the nurse happy.  So I got my clothes on and got to leave.  As I hate hospitals I was too happy to get the crap outa there.

We stopped at Sonic and I got a lime slushy.  I now think that was an odd choice as it was cold, and I’m surprised my tummy didn’t hate me for it.  However it went well and I lived on lime slushes for that first week.

Tuesday I was too happy to barf up some pills I had taken.  That disturbed my mind and make me rather upset for the morning.  I took two small pills and I think the combo of it being early and tighter also taking the pain and pepcid together made for a barf.

Later Tuesday I was in a lot of pain from the horribly gas.  Which I think they should be required to squish out of you before gluing you back together.  I think we should all suggest that.  I was on my back in bed and not happy because I couldn’t get up and then I was crying and that made it worse.  Tuesday night I also tried to eat some jello which caused me to slime!  Now I hate jello. 

I woke up a lot at night Tues night but Wed morning I was better.  I stopped taking those darn pain pills.  I was in pain from the gas not the surgery so much. 

I also ended up going to a friend’s house Thursday for most of the day and I felt lots better because I started blowing out the gas.  I was crazy happy about that.  I had some beans from Taco bell.

By Friday I could put my Jeans back on and things were good.  I got dressed and went with some friends for about 2hrs on Friday to Frys.  It was nice but tiring to get out of the house.  That was also my first day alone.  I have to say I was super thankful about  Christy being home those 1^st 4 days.  For those who go home alone… hats off to you as I was so very happy to have someone there with me.

I think it was Sat or Sunday though I was super hungry and really not able to eat enough protein to keep me from being crazy hungry.  At one point I was so upset I cried about being hungry.  All I can say is drink that protein powder.  Just do it.

Things have gotten better each day then each week.  I am now eating very normal.  No more weird hamburger problems or anything like that.  I can eat about ½-3/4 of what I used to and that’s been good.  I have little to no restriction as of now.

Each day I lost about a pound for the 1^st 2 weeks.  I lost 19 total.  From the time I started the process.  I have kept that 19lbs off.  I go in tomorrow and get my first fill.

ok so it's the 2nd day of my pre-op diet.  The 1st day went well, and this second is being a pain in my ass.  I keep dwelling on food.  I'm not hungry per-say but I'm really dwelling on food. 

I can't hardly believe I'm now at the 2 week phase of this.  Just 13 days away.  I am having a hard time figuring out what I might be saying about this in say ... a month or 3 months, much less 6 months.  I hope its good stuff and that I've lost weight.  I really want this to work, but I've found so many people that have such vaired results so I'm not sure what to expect.

I have to go Friday for all sorts of test.  Lab test, and a upper GI test, plus a trip to the nut.  We'll see how that all plays out.

Good post.  I agree that the band is not perfect, far from it really.  However it has major advantages over some other procedures.  The best one to me is if something better and down right the best ever method to lose weight happens to come down the pike in 10 years... I have a great chance of having this reversed if I still need to do it.  I was very gun-ho for VSG and my insurance would pay for the band but not that, I finally came to terms that the band leaves me with options where the other's don't so I'm headed for the band in Feb.

The part where you say your active, and don't eat like a crazy loon is me too.  I am active darn it, I get out and do stuff, I do, I don't ride the couch, I don't eat 3 pizzas and a gallon of chocolate milk for dinner and I AM TIRED OF FEELING LIKE SOMEONE WHO DOSE.

Band here I come

Well I'm still feeling a little all over the board about the band.  I am still having issues with the idea of a plastic thing in me.  I am having a hard time understanding how it's susposed to help.  I'm being a little negitive there.  I know it can help and will if I make it.  I know if I do the pre-op and post op diet I have a reasonable change of dropping 20-30lbs right off and I should be able to use that as a way to keep the lbs coming off.  Nothing like getting some sucess to help you pull though.

I have read that lots of people have lost lots of weight with the band.  Sometimes I have to do a double take.  I am trying to "know" and not just read that this can help me.  I think I got over the stress of getting to the doc, and now I'm playing a long waiting game because I'm not getting this done till Feb 11th.