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What does the term "Rep Power" mean? It is located on the left side of each person's post, underneath their name, age, join date, number of posts, etc. I can't find an explanation anywhere. Thanks, Mary

I'm still pre-op, but I have only told the five most supportive people in my life. When I was low carbing and lost around 80 pounds (regained lots of that), people would ask how I was doing it. I was glad to say because I had such success, but some people would then want to debate the pros and cons of a low carb diet. I found myself defending my decisions at a birthday party and at a gathering of friends. At this point, I really do only want support. I have done all of the research, educated myself, consulted with healthcare professionals. I know the risks and know that the benefits outweigh the risks for me. So, for me, it's more a matter of privacy (at work) and not inviting negativity (from well-intentioned?) friends. I also figure I can always tell more people -- but I can't untell someone who ends up being a goofball about it.

I agree! lol...too many people speak without thinking and cut others down!

Okay...been dealing with rather large band issues for a while now, and got SOME finality around it today. So it's time to share, I guess. I've been having issues since my last fill, which you already know. I had a slight unfill, which you also already know. However, problems started back up. Trouble eating anything at different times, different days....no real pattern, and very annoying. I just dealt with it. Got VERY stuck late Monday night...lasted hours and hours. Dry heaving, trying to PB...nothing helped for many hours. Since then, nothing goes down well. Even Water gurgles and makes me burp for an hour. So today I get fed up and call at the last minute to talk to my NP. After giving her the scoop, she gets me in right away. Sure enough. My pouch has stretched. We believe it occured from Monday night, as my flouro pics from a few weeks ago showed my band/pouch were top notch. So I had to make a decision. I had them remove all Fluid from my band. I go back May 15th to check it under flouro again. If the pouch is healed, they can start putting fluid back in my band. They said it usually takes two fills to get all my original fill back. If its not healed, they will wait one more month. If at that point it isnt healed, I go back to my doc to discuss redoing the surgery from scratch. HOWEVER, this could be an ideal opportunity for me. With no fill, I will see how much of my loss has been band and how much willpower I really have. If I can swing it, and manage to lose even five pounds by May 15th, I will likely never bother with any of this. I will leave my band unfilled. Here's hoping....

I have never done this, and the companies around here are few & far between. No one answers phones, so just waiting for anyone to call me back. I have 1 quote so far, and nothing to compare it to, so wondered if any of you have any idea if I'm getting hosed or not. We are sodding our backyard with bermuda. It is currently overflowing with weeds & red clay.. and rocks. They said it's 200 yards, $2.25 per yard + (Originally he said $350 prep work) but I got it down to $250 for prep work. Total to sod the 200 yards is $700. That seem high or right, anyone?

How about on the Wide World of Webs? In fact, it's still the most common WLS. There are definitely people who make WLS a big racket. It's discouraging to me because I hate feeling like if I don't pay attention every single second, I'm going to be taken advantage of. Plus when I started on this journey, I figure it would be like any other medical procedure ... now I've got insurance issues, am petrified I'll pick a surgeon with a high erosion or slippage stat and lots of other crap I wouldn't have to worry about if I were just getting my gallbladder out. It wasn't that good. It was just "go listen to Tony Robins". I don't hate Tony Robins as much as I hate Dr. Phil, but I still hate him enough not to go listen to him. :wink2: He never said his colon was perforated. He said the port had separated from the band and traveled to his colon. I think it's likely he's telling the truth. Lap bands do erode and once they are in the stomach, they can travel. But I think there are lots of things he's leaving out. Like the port sticking out ... I bet that happened before the incision healed 100%, for example. And that stuff about how he's in danger of dying from the operations .... sure, taking a lap band out of the stomach isn't going to be a piece of cake, but I wonder if at least half of the 'I might die!" is because he has a really high BMI and any surgery would be dangerous. If he had just come here, posted in Lap Band Complications a straightforward version of his story and left out all the drama and the condensing preaching, it probably would all be more believable. It sure as hell wouldn't have been half as annoying. Ha. If he does that, we'll be all over him like ants on honey. There are several photographers on here who can spot a photoshop fake a mile away.

If you liked someone's post enough to give them credit for it, you can click the little scales next to the "online" indicator. Leave a little message and click "OK". Your rep number will go up with every time someone clicks the scales for you.

My take on this, if you are a BMI of 30 who has been fighting it, like I did my entire life, I feel for you. There are people at BMI's of 30 who are "morbidly obese" just wait a few years. I have been a size 8 longer then I have been morbidly obese in my life. But I knew, even at a size 8, healthy BMI the second I let my guard down I would become like my mother, my father and many other relatives. And ya it was a battle I eventually lost BIG TIME ( no pun intended). I was not morbidly obese until the last 5 years and I put on the weight in the snap of a finger. I couldn't fight it any longer. Perhaps I don't get this...but my take on some of the comments in this thread took me back. I mean I get it to a point, I just feel there is a bit of prejudice against op because her BMI is low. I was taken back, if she were a BMI of 40 I think the answers would be very different. I mean as far as those who said she should seek therapy, that binge eating is not solved with the band, etc. I totally think ya'll were sweet in your response I just think maybe it would have been different if her BMI was higher. Should she wait until she has a 40 BMI with comorbids and has been that way for 5 years? Sounds to me like she yo-yo's but has been much higher then she is now. To the original poster. I honestly feel you deserve a quality of life NOW. If there are credible Doctors who will perform this procedure for you why wait? I was in your shoes not so long ago and if this could have saved all the medical problems I am having now I would have jumped at the chance to have it done at a lower BMI. We all know dieting doesn't work for 96% of those who try it, and eventually it just makes you gain more....drrr. Not to knock therapy because I do feel it is invaluable but if it were enough why would anyone here need the band, we could all simply find great therapists, right? The OP talked about emotional binge eating, that is a hard one that I feel if we are honest we have all done at one time in our life. But this sounds like a big problem for you. Is this more because you are dieting and just get famished? I don't generally feel full-so ya I can diet and then I can binge because I'm going to die if I don't inhale some food really fast, not really emotional binge eating but if we want to be technical there is no physical explanation why my 5'2" frame can eat more then my 6'7" husband and still not feel full. Some would call that emotional binging even though I swear I am physically hungry. I would be willing to bet most on this board have had a binge episode, even the ones who are successful with their bands. I feel most people in general do a little emotional eating. I, however, unilke my friend who can have one cookie during an emotional eating binge, won't feel satiety until after the entire box of Cookies is gone. Big difference.

Hahaha I am sitting here at work grinning and giggling like a school girl. Too funny and too crazy. Although I do not know much info on the DS weight loss surgery and up until today had no idea they had that issue but I do not understand why someone would opt for that surgery vs band or RNY. You may lose weight but eating high fat foods cannot be good for you in other ways. Crazyness.

I am amazed that people think like that. How could a healthy diet not be desirable? Maybe my thinking is warped. After all, being a healthy weight is not unattractive to me, I exercise daily and I like eating a balanced diet.