Alexandra

Hey Dog, congratulations!! Glad to hear things went smoothly and that you're already reaping the rewards of your travail. But I have to ask--how tall are you? My husband wears a 40 waist in pants and he may need to lose about 15 lbs. How much weight do you want to lose, and what size are you aiming for? Just curious--people are all different shapes and sizes I realize, but 38 sounds to me like a perfectly normal pants size.

I can't believe a doctor would say something like that to a patient, especially for something he is NOT treating the patient for. Holy crap, what if you were getting some new cancer treatment or psychological medication, would he DARE to disparage it in front of you?!? That's unconscionable. Kick him twice for me, would you?

I wasn't given any instructions about avoiding sex, and I don't think there's any reason to as long as you don't do any heavy lifting. :cool:

It's amazing! :mad: I've changed my sig because my numbers tell only a small part of the story. Today I went shopping and found that I'm in a new size range, yet again. THIS is a whole new one, for me, that I've NEVER worn as an adult. :confused: HOOOOOOOOO-WEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana

Hi Kathy, Thanks for the nice words! And you know, there is a lot of truth to that saying. I just recently experienced such a turning point in my job. About 4 years ago I entered the field of insurance brokering, specializing in small group health insurance. It's actually pretty complicated work, and until recently I always felt a little out of my league. (And that's saying something, since in case it's not obvious from my posts I have a pretty high opinion of my own intelligence. :cool: ) I was getting very frustrated, was unhappy and irritable, at odds with my colleagues, and seriously thinking about starting again in some new field. But suddenly things all turned around just recently and I now am at ease and even enjoying my work. The reason, I think, is that I was given a substantial raise for no particular reason. That's nice, of course, but even more than the money what was appreciated was the message. My bosses are telling me they have confidence in and respect for my abilities. So suddenly I do too, and in that newfound confidence I can find pleasure in my work where none existed before. It's so true! :cool: :cool: :D

Hi Syber, That's a very interesting effect, one I've never heard of! By light-headed, does she mean dizzy? Or faint? Is there any nausea or anything involved? Does it happen with liquids, like Protein shakes, milk, or Soup? Very weird! :cool:

No kidding. Last year at this time I weighed about 325 and dreading the hot weather. Now I'm looking forward to it so my fingers won't be freezing all the time!

Oh, Laura, I'm so sorry for this news. I"m sure it's very hard to hear and absorb, but you definitely seem to have a good attitude about it. Keep learning, there may be more answers out there.

Hi Christine, I don't track everything I eat, because I've learned that I don't do well with such a routine. But to answer your question here's what I've eaten today: Protein shake mix in 24oz of 2% milk coffee with milk Lunch: The tuna salad from inside a tuna-salad wrap sandwich, plus about an ounce of cheddar cheese Dinner: Two small roast chicken thighs, a couple of bites of potato, about 3 oz Pasta (my daughter's leftovers, very unusual for me to eat). Dessert was probably a dozen strawberries, most of which had been dipped in semi-sweet chocolate. (My husband felt creative for dessert tonight. :cool: ) This is a pretty typical menu for me, and I'm sure it's on the generous side compared to most bandsters. But it's right for me for now. You say you think you're eating way too much. Compared to what, I ask you?

What Donali said. Yep, yep, yep.

Hi Joyce, Of COURSE you will be able to eat a hamburger someday. You just may not want to, since an entire hamburger is more than a lot of bandsters can consume at one sitting. There is nothing you won't be able to eat, if you go slowly and chew carefully. The only thing that will change is the quantity. You'll have a NEW normal, that's all!

Thanks everyone! It's easy to suspect that Avenue has adjusted its sizing upwards, because I still don't feel that I look any slimmer than I did 50 lbs ago. But there those labels are! Not to worry, Donali, I'm only almost in the 18/20 range comfortably. I'm definitely in some 20 pants and my 22 jeans are falling off me. But when I had to exchange a tank top because the 22/24 was too big, that seemed to be a cause for celebration. The next size available in blouses, which do fit, is 18/20. Wow!! As Shelly says, there are definitely some advantages to being tall. :cool: Shelly, has your length changed? I've always worn tall pants but recently they've seemed too long! So I tried an "average" length but they're too short. Now what do I do? :cool:

Hi Lill, I don't know about the soreness. Is it near one of your incisions? Or is it a muscle that aches? Anything is possible and I'd think that unless it's a sharp pain it's not indicating anything wrong. Aches and pains related to surgery differ quite a bit from person to person...perhaps you've invented a new one! But constipation IS definitely common. Think about it--you're taking in much less solid food and Fiber than previously, so there's less to move through your digestive system. Particularly right after the liquid diet, things can be slow. I for one have to make a concerted effort to get enough fiber into me, or things can get uncomfortable. My tactic is to add a little Benefiber to my morning coffee every day--not a full dose, just a little--and that keeps things humming along. Raisins and grapes help too. You'll find what works for you, and in the meantime drink plenty of fluids. Good luck!!

Way to go, Audrey. Seriously, that's amazing and wonderful news. :cool:

The band is designed to be permanent and the materials will indeed outlast the patients. Whether it breaks or something is unpredictable, of course, but unless that happens we'll be taking it to our graves. Good thing, too, because I hear the food in heaven is pretty delumptious! :cool:

Inamed's LapBand (and I assume the other manufacturers' as well) is DESIGNED to be placed laparascopically. Hence the name. I've been reading about this procedure for two years now and have never actually heard of anyone having it intentionally placed via an open procedure. Is this a choice you're being asked to make? Or are you just curious?

Hey Joyce, Congratulations!! It's great that you're getting hungry--that's a sign that everything is returning to normal inside. Take comfort in that when the growly hungries return in force. And now is the time to discover the glories of soup! Egg-drop or hot-and-sour Soups are high in Protein and really yummy. There's an endless variety of Soup out there and now is your chance to discover them. Have fun! :mad:

Hi Sarah, Congratulations on getting banded! I hope you're feeling better by now. Your nausea could have been a response to anaesthesia; everyone reacts differently and it can take many days for the effects to fully resolve themselves. If you're still throwing up, as in really feeling stomach spasms, you definitely should keep your doctor apprised. This is a stage for healing and the reason we are only permitted liquids is to keep the stomach from moving around. Vomiting, obviously, should be avoided now more than ever. Healing is a process and you should be feeling better each day. Please let us know how you're doing, and do call the doctor tomorrow if you're not getting better. Welcome to the site! :mad:

Hi Bob, I have lots of experience with Aetna. They've relaxed their policies somewhat with regard to banding, so if you were a self-pay here in the States you certainly can try submitting your costs for payment. You were diagnosed with MO and Aetna has agreed to pay for surgical treatment. So you've already won that part of the discussion. What you will have to convince them of is that RNY was medically contraindicated for you--that there were good MEDICAL reasons why that surgery was wrong for you. (If you were banded in Mexico you're probably completely out of luck: Almost all carriers say in their contracts that no coverage will be extended for non-emergent medical care received outside the U.S.) I do think you might be able to get your fills covered either way. Adjustments are medically necessary followups to surgery, without which you will continue to suffer from a condition for which treatment is covered. See if your doc will submit a precert request for an adjustment. Then see what Aetna says. Good luck, and please keep us posted!

Hi Nikki, You know what I think? I think you are doing this because your body needs more calories and nourishment right now. Your brain may be telling you that you've eaten "enough," that you should stop and walk away, and I'll bet that under normal circumstances you'd do just that. But you're PREGNANT, and that's a whole 'nother ball of wax. Pregnancy makes enormous demands on a body, and if you need more food to nourish that baby of yours so be it. If I were you I'd stop worrying and DEFINITELY stop calling it "cheating." The band is designed to strictly limit caloric intake for those people who are in need of weight loss. You're PREGNANT (did I say that before?) and now is NOT the time for you to be losing weight!! I have news for you: You're not going to get smaller before you get bigger. Bigger is what you WANT to be now and for the next four months. You have plenty of time to lose the baby weight and all the rest of what you want to lose after the baby comes. If it makes you feel any better, I've read that babies of mothers who restricted their calories during pregancy are more likely to be obese, perhaps because they developed greedy metabolisms in utero. So don't scrimp! Your baby needs all the nourishment you can give him (or her). Take it easy!! :mad:

Sue makes a very good point. Everyone's esophagus works differently, and once we're banded that suddenly seems to matter much more. And obviously this is an entirely INvoluntary process, so there is nothing we can do about it except learn for ourselves. My esophagus seems to be extremely efficient, and the valve at its base very effective. I've never suffered from heartburn or acid reflux in my life--I have the proverbial "Iron stomach"--which means stomach acids are not rising back into my esophagus. And when I eat, my pouch gets full very quickly--suddenly, in fact. My challenge is to try to eat slowly enough so as not to have any MORE food going down once the pouch has reached its limit. Because if I do, my efficient esophagus and effective valve prevents the food from coming back up easily, and I'm uncomfortable for a VERY long time. So I don't PB often, although sometimes I wish I could. So it's really important to learn for oneself how having a pouch works with your own biology. Good luck!!

Hi and welcome!! Good luck with your insurance quest. I hope you will be able to report success before too long. :mad:

Hi Audrey, I'm sure glad no one told me that "rule" about no dried fruit! I have a generous handful of raisins and sultanas almost every day. It's just about the only way I can get enough Fiber. Yet I'm sure there are some people for whom dried fruit might cause a problem, so as with all foods you probably want to experiment carefully. But I've never had any problem with dried fruit at all.

DeLarla, we think exactly alike!! I too DESPISE the attention I get when I lose weight. It's like, what, they spent all their time thinking what a fat cow I was before? Lovely. And I agree wholeheartedly about 80 lbs in two years being terrific weight loss! My weight has been with me all my life and if that's the speed it takes to come off I'll still be MUCH MUCH better off than if it never came off at all. I'm LOVING this gradual process, because I'm still me through it all and recognize myself in the mirror and in my mind. :mad:

Wow, Donali. I love you. :mad: