Cleo's Mom

During the campaign of Barack Obama and since his election the conservative movement and republicans have made sure to spotlight their (few) black members - i.e. Michael Steele, Joe Watkins - as if to imply that their race makes their criticisms more valid. It doesn't. Or to show that they too can be inclusive. Many on the right have criticized FDR's New Deal and Lyndon Johnson's Great Society but few of them are willing to acknowledge that social security, medicare and medicaid are successful programs that help lift many out of poverty or at least provide basic care. And isn't it intersting that the motivation behind James W. Von Brunn's violent attack and murder at the Holocaust museum was that his social security check was being reduced. For someone who hated the goverment and believed it was the cause of all the world's ills, he had no problem accepting the biggest socialist program we have. I'm always curious about what freedoms we are supposed to be losing. I am not less free than at any other point in time. But when our constitution was violated by the bush administration I was very concernced. If we've ever been in jeopardy of losing freedoms, it was during the bush's lying, secretive, abusive and failed administration. Capitalism without regulations is just greed run amok. We are living with the results of that every day in this country with the current economy. If you have a 401(k) or are invested in the stock market, you know how much wealth you have lost. We thought that our salaries, our homes and our investments would all go up. Wrong on all three. Just the salaries of the greedy CEO's apparently were failsafe. I have a new motto to counter the drill, baby, drill. It's regulate, baby, regulate. When we had two classes of people - the very rich (they were the owners of everything - the factories, ship yards, mines, etc..) and the people who provided the labor in these places (the very poor) - there was no trickle down economics. The rich had the money and they were keeping it. Do you think they supported worker's rights, a 40-hour work week, child labor laws, workplace safety or a minumum wage? Of course not. So where is this all trickle down wealth theory coming from? Oh, yeah, that's right. The almighty Ronald Reagan. Who got us into the biggest defecit to date and cut taxes for the rich and the rest could eat their crumbs. Wealth is created by the workers who make the goods or provide the services and then paid a fair wage and benefits go out to buy those goods and services. And just so we are clear - I am a white, middle aged, suburban woman (complete with white picket fence) and I voted for Barack Obama because he is a Democrat. Not because he is black or isn't white or was male or for any othe reason. I supported Hillary Clinton in the primary and then Barack Obama when he won the nomination. I support the democratic agenda and so did both of them. That's why he got my vote.

Katie - I would not have my surgery done by this surgeon. The surgical aspect is perhaps the easiest part of the journey. Your aftercare is much more important and it doesn't appear that you will get the support that you need. At the first sign of a problem - they will tell you "I told you so". Plus, you have to wonder why their lapband patients do so poorly. It doesn't speak well for them. You don't want to get into a battle with your surgeon and his staff at every post-op appt. As someone who had to change surgeons after my surgery, I wish I would have done a better job of selecting one to begin with. Go on the forum on LBT for Lapband Surgeons in the US and click on Florida, then Orlando. It lists two surgeons. Good luck. But the red flag has already been raised and you are wise to heed it.

NO, NO, NO!!! You are not alone. I, like you, believe that you should be able to live a fairly normal life with the band. And a healthy life with the band. Isn't that what the band is all about? Those who suffer with daily PBing, vomiting, reflux, heartburn and pain in order to reach some number on the scale do so at their own peril. Having a too tight band and daily reflux could result in band erosion and/or esophageal cancer. Not to mention the quality of life is compromised. I was banded in September 2008 and have only lost about 25 pounds from the day of surgery (10 of those were from that 2 week post-op liquid diet). I might be losing about a pound a month now. My total weight loss from all the dieting I have done on my own and with the lapband journey is about 75 pounds. I am fine with that. What I was not fine with was when I was overfilled and developed reflux, heartburn and pain. When I had a slight unfill, those symptoms resolved. NEVER AGAIN - even if I don't lose another ounce. I count calories, eat healthy, low fat foods, exercise every day, keep a food journal, don't drink with meals and basically follow the lapband rules. I so agree with everything you said. And I'm glad you said it. Take care and good luck.

If there are any surgeons reading this: YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO YOUR PATIENT. THEY ARE AWARE OF THEIR BODY AND KNOW WHEN SOMETHING IS WRONG. YOU MAY SAVE YOURSELF A LAWSUIT BUY JUST LISTENING FOR A FEW MIN. THERE IS NO ONE THAT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT THEY CAN'T TAKE PROPER CARE OF THEIR PATIENT. PATIENT'S ARE NOT STUPID AND WHEN YOU ARE BEING PAID TO TAKE CARE OF THEM, YOU NEED TO LISTEN. I couldn't agree more with this statement. When my former surgeon overfilled me and I developed pain, reflux and heartburn he had an answer (blame me) for every complaint. I couldn't take my pill in the morning - the Water would come back up - then don't take the pill then. I had trouble eating a salisbury steak diet frozen dinner - then don't eat that. Fluid comes up at night - then don't drink after 9 PM. You get the picture - blame the patient instead of listening to them. All this happened right after my second fill (overfill). An experienced doctor would have connected the two dots and suggested an unfill. At the time I thought I had a 10cc band and didn't think 3cc's would cause me to be overfilled. It was only after I found out that I had a 4cc band that it made sense. I can't emphasize enough to be your own advocate. Get copies of all test results. Ask questions. Keep a personal health file with all your information. Your doctor does not care as much about your health as you do. So take charge. Good luck to you.

Also ask how you will get in touch with the surgeon outside of the normal office hours. Does he have an answering service? Is he accessible? Very important!

Millie - as someone who had to change surgeons, I understand your problem. The last time I went to see my new surgeon I met a woman who had been banded in Mexico and a surgeon near where she lives said he would not touch her. Fortunately she found my new doctor. I left my former surgeon because he told me I had a different band than I did (said I had a 10cc when I have a 4cc). He gave me aggressive fills - 2cc and then 1cc and overfilled me and then blamed me when I developed problems until he saw the results of the upper GI - then called me in immediately for a 1cc unfill - his attitude was completely different then. All this, plus the fact that I was only his 23rd banding patient and he is a general surgeon who also does bariatric surgery, caused me to seek a second opinion and ultimately leave his practice. My new doctor does bariatric surgery only. You have the right to all of your medical test results and get the disks of all your upper GI's. These will be helpful for your new doctor. I do wish you a lot of luck and hope you find the care you deserve.

I think it would depend on how tight people are willing to tolerate their band being. Some like it very tight so that they can eat very little - both in terms of quantity and variety. Others prefer it to be looser so that they can eat more of a variety. I am in the latter category. Others will tell you that if you chew food well enough you should be able to eat most foods but others will tell you that no matter how much they chew a certain food they cannot tolerate it. So, in summary there are as many different replies to your question as there are bandsters and you won't know what you can eat until you try the food.

My seminar was October 2007. Met with the surgeon November 2007. Started 6 month diet program in December 2007 - during that time had all my testing done. Surgery was September 2008 - so 11 months from start to finish.

Why did your doctor do a complete unfill? Were you having problems? If not, it doesn't make sense. Much of your weight gain might be fluid retention which might explain the swelling in your lower body. This is serious and something that shouldn't be explained as normal and to be tolerated. What exactly is your body supposed to be adjusting to? Swelling and/or flluid retention and a weight gain of 50 pounds in 4 weeks puts a tremendous strain on the heart. Insist that they address this problem or go to another doctor (maybe your family doctor?).

I was told by my doctor's nurse that I had a different band than I really did. She said I had an AP Standard 10 which holds 10 cc's. When I went to another doctor for a second opinion and he read my operative report, he told me I had a 4cc band. I did some investigating through medical records and backed up by Allergan and I do have a 4cc band. My (former) doctor overfilled me to 3cc because he either actually thought I had a 10cc band or he didn't know how to properly fill a 4cc band. Either way, it was enough for me to leave him and change doctors. So, you need to find out for sure what type and size band you have. If necessary, ask medical records for the information.

I not only know what kind of band I have, I have the catalog reference number and serial number for it. I found out the hard way when my (former) doctor told me I had a different band than I had. I went for a second opinion and this doctor told me what band I actually had. I investigated and got to the bottom of it. Imagine if I would have been a patient who just accepted whatever my doctor told me - or didn't tell me. I am a proactive patient and my philosophy is - if the doctor sees it, I see it.

Congratulations to you and your husband on your beautiful baby girl. Enjoy her. They grow up too fast (I know- mine are both married - where did the time go?). I have been watching your ticker for months and just went on this thread today. Take care and I wish you well.

I was banded in September 08. I have not vomited or PB'ed but I have been stuck twice and slimed. The stuck food eventually worked it's way through the band. Lots of pain, though. Make sure your doctor gives you anti nausea pills to have on hand in case you get the flu or some other stomach ailment.

I am very sorry to hear about Green's death. This terrible disease is taking too many of our good, young people. My beloved husband died almost 4 years ago at the age of 56 of cancer. May she rest in peace.

The band is promoted as helping you to lose 50% of your excess weight. I think most people's goal weights represent a loss of 100% of their excess weight and many have achieved that. Each person's goal weight is different and how they get there varies. Some like extra tight restriction that allows them to eat very little, others like less restriction but exercise more. Each person has to decide where they would like to be and how to get there. Most doctors and nutritionists recommend at least 30 minutes of exercise daily.

I still don't understand why it so important that the school be the vehicle for praying. When there are so many other opportunities and places to pray. Schools are government institutions. Payed for by the taxes of people who might not believe in christianity. We live in a democracy that says that we cannot force a religion on people and having a christian prayer in schools would be doing that. Is your faith so fragile, your morality so tenuous that if a prayer isn't said in a public school that you believe all of mankind is going to hell in a handbasket? My faith in mankind and womankind is supported when I see those that have the power to do so helping the least among us, as Jesus said to do. When I see tolerance of those who are not like us be they gay, a person of color, atheist, etc.. When I see a desire for negotiation and peace instead of war and destruction. I see a decline in morality when we enter into an unjustified war based on lies, secrecy and deceit that kills nearly 5000 American lives. Those are living, breathing people who didn't have to die. I see a decline in morality when our government is highjacked by those evil men who would serve themselves and in the process help to destroy our constitution and democracy. My faith in mankind is renewed when I see a rejection of the above with a new president and Congress that will serve the people by helping the uninsured to get the health care that is their right. When they help us to become better stewards of our earth and make it better and cleaner for future generations. When it helps people buy homes or find jobs. Or helps communities build bridges and roads. These things help to make us a better people. Whether we are christian or not.

Originally Posted by Cleo's Mom I really like the idea of the Texas governor who wants to secede from the union. I think he should do it, make it a white, christian only country, hand out guns to everyone. Marriage between a man and a woman (who doesn't work outside of the home) who have more than 2 children (because birth control wouldn't be allowed). Both would have to be virgins on their wedding day. Divorce not allowed (because heterosexual marriage is so sacred) and all the schools would have prayers. Teenage pregnancies would not be allowed. No one could be a registered Democrat. TV would be censored. Movies, too. Jails would be filled with every type of criminal from jaywalkers to robbers who weren't already shot by the law abiding citizens with guns. I think you ought to look into making this happen because this sounds like the perfect place for you to live. The rest of us will live in the good ol' USA - with the non-christians, non-whites, gays, straights and all the rest who make up this great country. A country I am proud of - especially now with our new president. You are fulfilling biblical prophecy with those words and you don't even know it. God has said that before his return to this earth to set up his Kingdom, the people would reject those that are his and everything that is right in his eyes would be considered wrong by the people of the world and everything that was wrong in his eyes they would consider right. The God I pray to (silently) would not consider my (sarcastic) scenario to be what his kingdom on earth would look like. By saying that this scene fullfills some prophecy you are saying that your god is a racist, a bigot who would isolate certain people (read: your definition of believers) from the rest of the world (read: your definition of sinners). I guess the sinners would also include the Jews. It is not the government's role to spread the word of any religion. That is the job of the religious community. You are free to do that here in America. And you still have not answered my question: Who is stopping you from praying wherever it is that you want to pray? If you decided to pray (out loud) at the mall, in your car, on the street, in a (gasp) government building - who is going to stop you? No one. But because children aren't forced to pray a prayer you approve of in schools, then somehow that resulted in the moral decline in America. Let's just say prayer would be mandated again in schools - would you be okay with the pope choosing that prayer? The Catholic Apostle's Creed, or how about the Hail Originally Posted by Cleo's Mom I really like the idea of the Texas governor who wants to secede from the union. I think he should do it, make it a white, christian only country, hand out guns to everyone. Marriage between a man and a woman (who doesn't work outside of the home) who have more than 2 children (because birth control wouldn't be allowed). Both would have to be virgins on their wedding day. Divorce not allowed (because heterosexual marriage is so sacred) and all the schools would have prayers. Teenage pregnancies would not be allowed. No one could be a registered Democrat. TV would be censored. Movies, too. Jails would be filled with every type of criminal from jaywalkers to robbers who weren't already shot by the law abiding citizens with guns. I think you ought to look into making this happen because this sounds like the perfect place for you to live. The rest of us will live in the good ol' USA - with the non-christians, non-whites, gays, straights and all the rest who make up this great country. A country I am proud of - especially now with our new president. You are fulfilling biblical prophecy with those words and you don't even know it. God has said that before his return to this earth to set up his Kingdom, the people would reject those that are his and everything that is right in his eyes would be considered wrong by the people of the world and everything that was wrong in his eyes they would consider right. By saying that my (sarcastic) scenario above fullfills some kind of prophecy you are saying that the god you pray to is a racist and bigot and would include those who you consider worthy and reject those who you consider sinners or non-believers (you would have to add Jews to those on the outside). The God that I pray to believes in leaving the 99 sheep and going out to find the one that strayed. Jesus didn't come to earth to proclaim the works of saints but to give a message of love and forgive the sinner. All you want to do is condemn the sinner. You still haven't answered my question: Who is stopping you from praying wherever you want - at the mall, in your car, walking down the street or (gasp) in a government building while renewing your driver's license? But, according to you, because we no longer have mandatory prayer in schools, morality in America declined. That says a lot about the lack of responsibility on the part of parents and churches to instill prayer in children. Let's just say that mandatory prayer would be put back in schools - would you be okay with the pope deciding what prayer that would be? After all, he is the head of the largest denomination of christians in the world. How about the Apostle's Creed or the Hail Mary? Somehow I doubt you'd be okay with that.

. ..."the people would reject those that are his"....that's exactly what you are doing. Rejecting God's people that aren't white, heterosexual christians. God was all inclusive and walked among sinners, prostitutes, lepers. He didn't exclude people because they were different. That's left up to people like you to do.

Mellie - I think the upper GI is a good start. The fact that you felt immediate relief when he took 1 cc out could be because you were swollen due to surgery and even 1cc was too much. As for the other pains, I do think it could be gas and just your body healing from surgery - the port placement taking the longest to heal. As long as you are getting fluids in and not getting deyhydrated, I think you will feel better each day. I had pain for weeks afterward, especially the port, but unfortunately my appetite returned but was only allowed the clear liquids for 2 weeks. You've only been banded for 2 weeks - so if you can only do clear liquids that's okay. Just make sure you get enough to drink and let's hope the upper GI can shed some light on all of this. But this is the most important thing of all - you are NOT a failure. You are doing everything right and everyone's experience is different. I was starving 5 days after surgery, had to do those clear liquids, had a lot of surgical pain but no gas pain. Had port pain for weeks. When my 2 week follow up appt. was canceled, I told them they had to advance me (over the phone) to mushies because my cat's food was starting to look good. You're doing fine, just give your body some time. A month from now you'll be posting about eating mushies and soft foods. Good luck.

I really like the idea of the Texas governor who wants to secede from the union. I think he should do it, make it a white, christian only country, hand out guns to everyone. Marriage between a man and a woman (who doesn't work outside of the home) who have more than 2 children (because birth control wouldn't be allowed). Both would have to be virgins on their wedding day. Divorce not allowed (because heterosexual marriage is so sacred) and all the schools would have prayers. Teenage pregnancies would not be allowed. No one could be a registered Democrat. TV would be censored. Movies, too. Jails would be filled with every type of criminal from jaywalkers to robbers who weren't already shot by the law abiding citizens with guns. I think you ought to look into making this happen because this sounds like the perfect place for you to live. The rest of us will live in the good ol' USA - with the non-christians, non-whites, gays, straights and all the rest who make up this great country. A country I am proud of - especially now with our new president.

There are plenty of religious schools in this country. Most of them christian. Parents can choose to send their children there. Not to mention all those who are home schooled for that reason. Our founding fathers sought not to establish a government religion but to allow its people the freedom to choose theirs. Public education is just that - public - and free to the public regardless of their religious beliefs (or lack thereof). I don't want an established religion taught in the public schools and I know that the christian right doesn't want the government to come into it's churches demanding that it post the constitution or supreme court rulings or tell it what it should preach. And I don't want the religious establishment to tell public schools what religious concepts (from bible reading to displaying the 10 commandments) it must have. No one can stop any student if he/she wants to pray in school. So, there is prayer in school. It's just not directed from the top down. And that is how it should be. I am surprised, what with all the contempt the religious right has for public schools, that anyone from that camp would want the public schools teaching their children anything, much less religion. If they think that their children's moral and religious values are somehow diminished by the public schools not teaching religion or at least having a sanctioned prayer, then that says a lot about their and their church's lack of ability to provide their children with the proper moral and religious concepts. We don't live in "Leave It to Beaver" land and our country is a melting pop of many cultures and religions. Families are defined in many ways. People are free to practice religion or not. To worship or not. To attend public or private schools. To vote or not. To elect leaders who they think will best serve them and this country. And while our founding fathers could not have predicted the diversity of people or the advances of technology I think they did a very complelling job of keeping church and state separate. Now, there's a concept I support.

It's your body and I think you not only have a right to know but that it is medically necessary to know. If you had to go to an emergency room with a problem that required an unfill to treat, they would need to know how much was in the band to unfill it or maybe a leak in the band is the problem. I don't understand the secrecy and would be suspicious of any doctor not willing to divulge that information. And I think we all need to be concerned about everything being done to our bodies.

Amber - are you sure you don't go to my former doctor? I got the come to Jesus talk from him. Why should a medium baked potato be demonized? There is nothing wrong with some carbs in your diet. Use whole wheat and small portions and add some other veggies, including salads. Plus some fruit. I didn't get this band to be restricted to protein. My body doesn't need any more protein now than it did before I had the band and protein definitely does not keep me from being hungry. Like you, adding some carb does. A variety of healthy foods should be promoted. Not just one food group. Isn't that what the medical community keeps saying over and over again - more veggies, fruits, whole grains? I don't think a lot of these doctors know much about the after care of banding and even less about nutrition. Which is why my first doctor is now my former doctor. Hang in there.

Kathy; Things may have changed with your band and even though you don't think you are too tight because you are filled to where you were before - you have all the symptoms of being too tight. When was your last upper GI? Aspirating into your lungs at night is a very serious problem and can lead to pneumonia among other things. Discuss this with your doctor. You don't need to put up with this. Good luck.

I agree with all the above posters, but keep in mind that for every 10 pounds you lose, you need 150 fewer calories to maintain that weight. So you lost 70 lbs. which means you now need 1050 fewer calories to maintain your current weight than you did your former weight. And we all know the math to lose a pound. Good luck, you're doing great.