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Alexandra

LAP-BAND Patients
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Everything posted by Alexandra

  1. Alexandra

    Thread Drift

    That's absolutely true, Yana, and I like to see all the casual conversation. That means friendships are being made and connections forged that will help all of us down the line. But I worry about the fact that new people might really want to read a thread on portion size (for example) and stop reading once the conversation has veered off on to home gyms. Then they won't come back if the thread has gone back on to the topic. I think it makes the whole board work better for us and for new people if we make an attempt to keep to the topic in the title. Once some other juicy topic has come up, feel free to start a new thread in the lounge!! Before we know it there will be lots of cool conversations going on there at all times.
  2. Alexandra

    Donali's Up and About - kind of :D

    DONALI, it's so good to hear from you!!! I'm so sorry this was such an ordeal, how unfair that seems after everything. The good news is that it's over and it's all going to get better from here on out. I know I don't have to ask you to stay in touch. Take care of yourself and heal fast!! Onederland is waiting for you!
  3. Alexandra

    The mystery of clothing sizes

    I am so confused about clothing sizes. I've been wearing Avenue clothes mostly, so those are the sizes I use in my sig. I'm wearing size 18/20 tops, 20 jeans, and 18 in the "denim lite" shorts. All of the 22 pants I had are too large now. So recently I went on Avenue's website, and looked at their fit charts. Using my measurements, those charts say I should be fitting comfortably into their size 22/24 on top and 26/28 on the bottom! Now, I can understand making the size numbers lower to flatter customers, but why not have size charts that accurately reflect the size of the clothes?!? Of course people are shaped differently, but I'd think one person's 44 waist is the same as another's. I just don't get it. What has been your experience? I don't care what size I'm actually wearing, but I don't have a lot of time to try things on so I like to shop online. But if I actually go by the size charts I'll waste even more time! Grrrr... And a related rant: Being size 26/28 and 5'10" made shopping for pants easy. There are very few stores offering pants in those sizes that also come in TALL. Now that I'm a 20 (or 18, or 22, or whatever I am) the talls are too long and the normals are too short. Just with Avenue the difference between tall and average lengths is something like 4 inches!! I guess I'm heading to Lands End for custom hemming...
  4. Alexandra

    wow the second fill

    Hey Jeanie, that's wonderful! Congratulations on your wonderful success!!
  5. Alexandra

    The Fourth of July

    Yesterday I was driving to work listening to public radio, when without preamble they did an extraordinary thing. They read the Declaration of Independence, with different radio personalities taking different paragraphs; the voice was always changing. It was mesmerizing! I don't know that I've ever heard the whole thing read aloud. By the time it was over I was moved to tears. We have a lot to be thankful for but most of all is this amazing country we live in. I hope everyone (well, the Americans among us, at least ) takes a minute or two this holiday weekend to think of our brave founders and marvel at their lasting achievement. Have a wonderful holiday, everyone!! :D
  6. Lori, thank you again for being so forthcoming about your experience. Your decision to never try again makes a whole lot of sense to me--I'm sure I would have made the same one. You sound like you've done some soul-searching through it all, and I'm sure you'll be successful at getting healthy again and staying that way. Sue, what great information on hospitals! I agree, having the best facility possible can make a HUGE difference in outcome. And if I were traveling across the border--any border--for medical care I'd want it to be absolutely top of the line.
  7. Alexandra

    Thread Drift

    LOL!!!
  8. Alexandra

    Debating on surgery

    Hi Susan, I was sort of like you. During my year of researching the only thing that almost turned me off the idea was how casually people referred to PBing--some people seem to do it every day, several times a day!! I hate to vomit, and have an Iron stomach so in my life have really only done it a few times. The very idea of having something come back up on a regular basis was horrifying to me. But the reality of it is nothing like I feared. It is indeed possible to avoid, if you're careful. Restriction is a tricky thing, though, and there have been times I was caught unawares. That's probably inevitable, because having that restriction is a wholly different experience and we have to learn how it works. But once we do know how our restriction works, it's entirely possible to be careful enough to avoid PBing. It should be every bandster's goal, in fact.
  9. Alexandra

    Donali's out of surgery

    Lisa thanks so much for posting this. Donali, I hope you're doing well and are home soon!! We're all thinking of you and sending healing vibes to the beautiful city on the ocean. HUGS!!!
  10. Alexandra

    The mystery of clothing sizes

    I know we're lucky, and we have it a lot better now than we did even 20 years ago. As a teenager I was never able to find jeans that fit or were long enough. Men's carpenter pants were the only kind that had the high rise that I needed and came in lengths. Now women have a huge range of choices and for that I am thankful. But after years and years of being 26-28-30 (usually the largest available size in whatever I was buying) it's confusing to be unsure of what to buy. I never did try on clothes either, Michele, but I sure returned a lot! Yesterday I did try on some clothes. In some pants size 20 fit fine, while in another type a size 22/24 was too small. In blouses it's easier, with the 18/20s fitting pretty consistently. Then I went to buy a bathing suit (YIKES!) and bought a 20W, which is too short (oh yeah, I forgot why I don't buy tanks!). Sigh. New Hope, thanks for the tip! I've never heard of Catherine's but will be checking them out soon.
  11. Alexandra

    BCBS in MA approved me in 2 days.

    Kaci, congratulations!! It's wonderful when an insurance carrier actually behaves as though it's on our side, instead of just saying that they are. And Deco good for you!! I had a similar problem with my insurance carrier but it was straightened out in the end. It all comes down to money, every time.
  12. Alexandra

    Totally off topic...long,personal.

    It's not just wives who go through this. My cousin is FINALLY divorcing his wife of 8 years after they've lived virtually separate lives in the same house for 6 of those years. (They have one child who is now 7.) The only reason they stayed together this long because my cousin couldn't get the "mom and dad" picture out of his head. They were both miserable and I hated visiting them because it was just such a painful farce of a marriage. Both of them will be much happier apart, and their son will have a better life because of it.
  13. Lori, I'm so glad you are here to be able to tell your story! Infections are no joke, and yours must have been a humdinger. I can only imagine how awful this experience must have been. You have a great attitude, and I hope you'll stick around and let us know how you're doing!
  14. Alexandra

    I am SOOO proud of myself (kinda long)

    Oh, yeah, I think it's good. Lots of people don't feel like "official" bandsters until they've done it, but you'll do just fine without it.
  15. Alexandra

    Totally off topic...long,personal.

    Chantal, you have all our sympathy and support. You have gotten some great advice and everyone's stories are so moving. You're in a very difficult situation indeed, but as others have said there is NOTHING to be gained if your children are the only reason you are sticking this out. I'm a product of a divorce and I can tell you my life IMPROVED immeasurably once my dad moved out. Neither parent was at all abusive or anything, but the tension between them was so thick that when they finally did the deed my only response was "what took you so long?" I was 8 years old. It didn't fix all our family problems, but it fixed THE BIG ONE and let those of us who weren't addicted to alcohol (i.e., everyone except my mother) move on and heal. My father found new love and became a healthier, happier person which made me happier too. If simply being in the same room causes tension between the parents, no one in the family can ever be comfortable. And don't kid yourself, children know this. What can you give them as part of this couple that you can't give them alone? Pain? Tension? Grief? Worry? These are not things you want them to have, right? And being a single mom is hard, absolutely. But you know it can be done. Your friends and family will flock around you and surprise you with talk of how glad they are that you have freed yourself from this ugly situation. And you will be yourself surprised at how wonderful it is to not worry all the time about what the next fight will be about, and how to keep your husband from dropping some really important family ball. Hell, you already run everything yourself, so you'd just have fewer people to take care of if he were gone! And a lot less laundry, I'll bet. An added bonus would be that if you left him you'd also be leaving his mother. My story isn't as dramatic as some others, and my first marriage was blessedly short. But the man I married sounds a lot like your husband. He never got violent with me but I could see it was coming someday. Once he threw a fistful of hamburger meat in my direction (don't ask me why, I have no recollection), and it hit the wall near me with really shocking force! I knew he had missed intentionally but I was amazed at how hard he had thrown it. That was the first time I realized I might be in danger someday. We never talked and for the last 8 months of our marriage I hardly saw him at all. I kept thinking that this would pass, that in 10 years we'd laugh about the hard times, but after a while it dawned on me that he was doing it on purpose. As a Catholic he'd never suggest divorce, but being married to me didn't mean he actually had to SPEAK to me, right? I finally walked out, convinced I'd be single forever. Six months later Mr. Right walked into my life and I've never looked back. Of course, I didn't have children then so it was an easier decision to make with fewer logistical problems, but when it needs to be done there is always a way. My thoughts are with you, Chantal, please don't hesitate to get in touch if you need anything.
  16. Alexandra

    New member

    Yana, you may not have had an x-ray after surgery but I assume they did a swallow test? Every doctor's procedure is different and I'm sure your doctor satisfied him- or herself that your band was placed OK. Not to worry!
  17. Alexandra

    Totally off topic...long,personal.

    Chantal, I'd be happy to talk if you like as well. I've been through a bad marriage and a good one and if my history can help I'd be happy to share it or provide whatever perspective I can. You can get my e-mail on the the link below. (((Hugs))) to you. I know it's rough.
  18. Alexandra

    New member

    Hi Yana, Welcome, and congratulations on your banding! All the symptoms you describe are normal, and you'll probably feel a lot more new sensations before everything settles down. Your abdomen has been through a lot and has a lot of healing to do. As a rule, everything is normal unless you're in a lot of pain, and you should be feeling a bit better every day. Take it easy and follow your doctor's instructions with regard to food and rest. You'll be all better in no time. Nice to meet you!
  19. Alexandra

    I am SOOO proud of myself (kinda long)

    Magnolia, "PB" is bandster shorthand for "productive burp"--a nice way of saying that something eaten has come back up because it wouldn't go down. The actual experience varies considerably from person to person; some people have refined the art to being able to do it on purpose without anyone noticing, while for others (me) it's painful and unpleasant. Even though we talk about it casually it's something to be avoided because it is hard on the stomach and the band. Sometimes it absolutely can't be helped, but it's a very good idea to be gentle with our stomachs afterward by sticking to liquids or soft foods for a couple of meals.
  20. Alexandra

    fill amount question ?

    There are several different types of bands in use around the world, and some of them hold significantly more Fluid than what is common in US practice. The bands you see mentioned here are most often the Inamed brand in the size designed to hold 4 ccs of fluid, because until recently that was the only type and size of band approved for use in the United States. Elsewhere, and very recently here in the US, there are in use other bands that can hold up to twice that amount and more. As always, the best source of information is your doctor. And remember, there are only three types of fills: not enough, too much, and just right!
  21. Alexandra

    Allow me to introduce myself!

    Hi Sandy, Nice to meet you!! I saw on your other thread that you're almost ... normal (shhhhh!) You realize that we'll have to kill you when that happens, don't you? (JUST KIDDING!!!) Seriously, sounds like you're doing wonderfully with your band! Congratulations on great progress, and I hope you'll keep posting here. WELCOME!! :D
  22. Alexandra

    Roll Call

    It's so cool to read everybody's bios...it's so nice to MEET all of you fellow bandsters! :D LOL on the "ladies' room" gibe, Intant. I LOVE what you say about thinking we're unique, and finding out we're typical instead. Makes a challenging journey muuuuch easier, at least for me.
  23. Alexandra

    Portion size: The Neverending Debate

    Teresa, I've been keeping track of calories recently, and was surprised to discover that even on "bad" days I don't go over 1500 calories. It's more often between 1100 and 1200 (and if I stopped snacking on nuts that would go even lower). It's amazing how low-calorie Protein really is!
  24. Alexandra

    Banded!

    GROSS DARCY!!!! Welcome back, bandlady!! :D I hear you about your body not "liking" anaesthesia. For me that was by far the worst thing about the whole ordeal (well, except for the gastrografin, but at least that was quick). I didn't take any pain meds because that foggy feeling was sticking around for days! So glad to hear you're back and banded, though. Welcome to BANDLANDIA!! Take care of yourself, get enough rest, and you'll be back at 100% in no time. Yay!! :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny :Bunny
  25. Alexandra

    I need some help! I'm cheating

    Roy, I'm sorry your wife is making comments like that--they're COMPLETELY unhelpful. Perhaps she's giving voice to her own fears about having such a drastic procedure where yours seemed simple in comparison. Wish her luck for us, by the way. As for you, I do hope you come here more often. When I fall completely off the wagon, going for weeks without exercise or eating ice cream with no thought of limitation, I find it really helps a lot to come here and post more. It keeps me focused and mindful of what I'm trying to do and the reason I got banded in the first place. Losing weight with the band is a partnership process. We can't sit back and expect the band to do all the work. In order for the band to do its part, though, it must be properly adjusted. So you'll have a much better grip on the situation once that's the case. We look forward to getting to know you better!

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