faithmd

It does sound like you are too tight, I am not yet banded so I can't offer insight from a banded person, but from the other posts I've read similar to yours, most banded people say that this far out from a fill, if you can't eat good food, you are probably too tight. Staying too tight can lead to all kinds of problems like erosion and slippage, etc. I would suggest you call your doc, he may choose to just do a slight unfill.

Here's the link to the forum where you'll find that and some other good info, too: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=73

It sure does help, thank you for explaining. I do not know a lot about Sparkpeople, I have signed up for it and tried it out, but I didn't like the format (though it is really nice looking) as I work nights and it structured your food into the daily meals. Which for any normal person would work great. They (sparkpeople) also email you tips and newsletters. I don't like that, but I can see how that would be great for some folks. I use www.fitday.com and I love it. They are both free services and are private, no one can see your profile, it's sort of like a virtual journal. You can track your food intake and your activities and your weight and other things. It is VERY helpful! I don't think I could have lost the past 40 or so pounds without it. I do not count calories, but as long as I put in every single bite, I find it keeps me in line to about 1500-2200 calories a day (I'm not yet banded). Before I started using it I was easily eating 2500-3000 a day. I also have changed my food choices and I avoid as much refined, simple carbohydrate as possible. Anything with high fructose corn syrup or enriched flour is a no no. I try for whole grains and instead of mashed potatoes, if I feel I need a starch I'll have sweet potatoes. You certainly can eat through your band with a lot of the higher calorie mushies, you won't ever feel full from what I understand about how the band works. Do you drink with meals? Remember they say that washes the food out of the pouch and so your satisfied feeling doesn't last. Do you eat Protein first, then veggies, then carbs? I know some do not feel that makes a difference, but some do, I figured it was worth a try, and for me it does. Hope this helps.

I agree, that is a HUGE decision. I can certainly understand that he may be scared, or may just feel that since he's there and loves her like his own, then why does he have to "prove" it by signing a piece of paper? (Not my feeling, just a possible thought process.) My brother in law adopted two children of his former wife and not too long after he finalized the adoption she left. He then paid for child support for the next 12 years, that wasn't fair at all. I am absolutely not saying that you would do this, but I can see how a man could be concerned as it does happen.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for all of you. I was just approved today on my second try. I guess even though I had a 12 month diet requirement, I'm fortunate that it took only one night for approval. I hope you all find out soon!!

Thank you both very much! I am trying very hard to adopt a bandster mentality now. I want this to go smoothly. I hope I'll have a May date, it seems my surgeon's office is scheduling about two to three weeks out (or at least they were when I went for my consult back in March).

And for whatever reason the techs seem to think that because its now flavored and they have it refrigerated, that it will taste like a milkshake. BS! It's soooo disgusting, and I think I hate the lemon flavoring more than when it was plain!

I agree with Chickie, I don't think there is an answer as to which one is the "better" surgery. It has to be a personal decision. What might be best for you may not be best for me and vice versa. You just have to weigh the pros and cons as they relate to your lifestyle and make your choice. For more info about the other procedures, obesityhelp.com is a pretty good place to go, they have forums for each of the other procedures as Chickie listed them. Here's a few links to bypass vs band threads here on LBT: Good luck, it is a very personal decision. We're here if you need anything or want to ask questions: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=32584 http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=32616 http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=32079 http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=30997 http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=28690 http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=23760

You also say you are eating small amounts and exercising, which is wonderful! But to help you out, can I ask what exercise are you doing? How much are you eating, and more specifically what are you eating? Are you tracking everything you eat on www.fitday.com or www.sparkpeople.com or any of the other online weight tracking programs (or keeping a journal)? I know that it has helped me immensely to see what I'm eating. We'll all help if we can, I can only imagine how very frustrated you must feel right now.

That is soooooo awesome!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Paula, I haven't been banded yet so I can't offer too much, but here's some of the results I found when I did an dadvanced search for thread titles with the word "constipation" in them. You might also want to try searching for constipated. Hope these help! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=32973 http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=30631 http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=30412 http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=26334

Here's a link to the thread that will tell you all about it. This thread is in a forum called the FAQ's and references forum, there's tons of useful info there: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=15216

Laura, I can't understand what you are going through because I'm not there yet. But I can say hang in there, you will make it through. I know that I have read around here somewhere why you should NEVER get fills earlier than the minumum of 4 weeks, I think WasaBB wrote about it. Anyhoos, it has to do with the fact that your stomach has not yet formed the scar tissure needed to hold the band in place in the back side and that the scar tissue around your sutures may also not be fully formed, filling early is a very good way to have a slip and/or erosion. Try to stick it out, you can do it!!

From wiki: A childlover is a non-sadistic pedophile or ephebophile, though the term may also encompass people who are not primarily attracted to children, or those whose attraction to children is only romantic. The terms girllover and boylover are used to specifically indicate a childlover's sexual orientation. So while it could mean someone who is acting on a sexual attraction to a child, in this website's case (as I have gone there and read some of the archives) it appears that the majority of the posts (actually I couldn't find any that discussed having a sexual relationship with a child) are about loving children and just adoring to spend time with children. Some of the posts are about protecting children. Do I think it's darned weird? You bet I do! But I did take the time to research it a little more before being offended by the post. I'm not saying that's what everyone should do! Absolutely not! But for me, I wanted to understand just what "boylove" in this context referred to. I think most of us who have watched South Park know about NAMBLA and their strangeness. Am I offended by NAMBLA? Yup, pretty much. But I did want to find out what these guys were about in the context of the thread. The concept is beyond my ability to grasp, but I guess that's why it's in Rants.

How sad. Prayers are goin out for her and her family and loved ones. The only other death I had heard of by some very experienced surgeons in my area (the Port Huron team) happened the same way. So sad. This is a good reminder that this surgery is not without its risks, however small they may be. It is still a big consideration in our decision making. I am very sorry for your loss.

I cannot really help with the how to pay for it part of your post as I am not Canandian. I would think it would be quite difficult to keep the surgery from your husband. After all, it is *surgery* and there are incisions. You will have incisions on your stomach and how would you explain those? Even if you stay away from him while you are healing, he will still eventually see the scars and know you had something done. I would think that he should understand your struggle with your weight and be supportive of your desire to do something positive for yourself. Sure, $16,000 is a chunk of money, but what is your health worth? Your happiness? I wish you much luck in your journey, please keep us posted!

Jane, this a a frequently asked question, you are *not* alone. Here's some links to other threads about this subject, I hope they help. The software here recently was upgraded, so the links within these threads no longer work properly, just to let you know. My basic reasoning is that the newest research shows that three to five years out (depends on whose study you read) the weight loss is the same for Band and Bypass patients. That tells me two things: One, since bandsters are "supposed" to lose slower, they are still slowly losing, and bypass patients who are supposed to lose the majority of their excess weight in 18 months are then gaining. Two, if my weight will be the same in three to five years (as long as I follow the program), then why on earth would I want to have almost two feet of my intestine cut out and force my body into malabsorption and malnutrition? I didn't gain this weight overnight, it would probably be really bad for my body to try to lose it overnight. The Band is not like bypass in that you have to *work* to make the band work for you. It is ONLY a tool, it does not malnourish you and cause you to lose weight like RNY, it *helps* you by helping to control how much food you eat at a time. You have to make good choices about what you put in your mouth. You can still eat through it. If you eat chips and ice cream, you'll not lose weight. But you can eat through the bypass, too. And eventually your smart body figures out it's been altered and it will adapt itself to those conditions and you can and likely will regain at least some of the weight with RNY. And then what do you do, you've already had part of your intestine cut out. What lots of RNY'ers do: have the band placed! Good luck, it is a very personal decision. We're here if you need anything or want to ask questions: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=32584 http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=32616 http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=32079 http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=30997 http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=28690 http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=23760

First you glue it with a hot glue gun and wrap it with duct tape to assure it stays in place, then once it is set in position, you nail it with some ten penny nails. And voila! A Large Penis Post!

Here's a link to a thread all about UHC Choice Plus. Just a reminder, everyone's plans are not the same. One may have coverage for surgery, another may not, but I hope this helps: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=28025

Magic Bullet is 225 watts and anywhere from $50-$65, this Vita one is only 200 watts and was it $65? Yep, MB is more watts and does have a few accessories. But, this one from Walmart.com http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3609512 is $17.72 or on brylanehome.com http://www.brylanehome.com/product.aspx?PfId=71699&producttypeid=1&DeptId=7498&PurchaseType=G it's $19.99 and it is 350 watts so if anyone hasn't purchased a blender yet, it's worth a consideration.

Here you go: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14814

It does not usually count. You must have a co-morbidity. You *can* be healthy and still be fat. Not saying I would ever want to, though. Does not matter one little iota what the MD office tells you, not a whit. You MUST call your insurance company and talk with someone in the complex case management department, or whatever department handles bariatric surgery claims. You need to ask what their qualifications and requirements are for Adjustable Gastric Banding. Then have them mail it to you so you have it in a hard copy. Asking questions here is a great idea, but I could also have OHC-choice plus and my employer might have an exclusion for my policy against WLS, and you might be okay. That's why it really is so important to call your insurance company and ask. My surgeon will word things so that having a strong family history of things like diabetes or heart disease, etc. will be a comorbidity. Good Luck!

No problem, Dotty. I have heard the same thing several times over the years. I think perhaps they used to years ago and they have since stopped, but the story persists.

Housecatgirl, I've marveled and been inspired by your post-op pix. May I ask what you are having plastic surgery on? You look beautiful!

Found this response on another board from just a few days ago, it's pretty good: Question: I recently lost a great deal of weight and I have a lots of excess skin. Can I donate my excess skin to a skin bank to help burn patients? Will a tissue bank pay for my skin reduction surgery if I agree to donate my tissue? Answer: These questions are asked quite often by individuals who have lost large amounts of weight and have excess skin folds. We appreciate your desire to donate. However, this kind of donation is unworkable. Allow me to explain why, and to give you an alternative. Our tissue bank does not obtain skin from these patients for several reasons. First, this method of obtaining skin is cost prohibitive. The amount of transplantable tissue obtained from tissue reduction surgery is minimal when compared to the amount of tissue obtained from a cadaveric (deceased) tissue donor. The procurement costs would be much greater as it would require the services of doctors, nurses, anesthetists, and other health care professionals as well as the use of an operating room and other hospital services. Cadaveric donation requires only trained tissue recovery technicians, and they can procure tissue after the body has been sent to the morgue (rather than in an operating room), thus keeping expenses to a minimum. Additionally, cadaveric donated tissue can be used for transplant soon after recovery (as soon as quality assurance testing is complete), but the FDA requires that tissues recovered from living donors must be placed into quarantine for six months. At the end of six months, all serologic testing (HIV and Hepatitis) must be repeated before that tissue can be used. It is virtually impossible to obtain a skin graft from tissue than has been removed during tissue reduction surgery. The usual procedure for tissue reduction surgery involves the removal of skin and underlying attached tissues, but skin grafts used for transplant are only 15/1000 (0.015) of an inch thick and do not include these underlying tissues. Skin grafts for transplant are procured by the use of a surgical device called a dermatome, which peels off a very thin (0.015 inch), uniform layer of skin, and it only works on skin that is stretched taut over and firmly attached to muscles, such as in the back, arms, and legs. Very few people have an abdomen taut enough to permit skin tissue recovery. Skin folds (such as those removed when someone has lost a large amount of weight) lack the firm attachment to underlying tissues, and so the dermatome can't work properly. I do not know of any tissue bank that would pay for a donor's tissue reduction surgical expenses for the purpose of obtaining skin for transplantation. I would like to encourage you to be sure that your family knows you would like to donate your tissues upon death. Your gift can save lives and greatly reduce suffering. ( click here to learn more about skin and also learn about the tissue shortage).