leatha_g

I agree, it does seem that there is recently a rash of slippage stories. As I've been told, this can only be in relation to the fact that there are so many people running to get the band. It may still not be anymore common in relation to the amount of people banded. I was quoted 3%, which is still not a large percentage. I know that Inamed is documenting all this and there may be a more accurate percentage updated sometime in the future. Even with that, it's still so much more minor than bypass complications and if you can have it take care of and get back onto the road of weightloss with possibly a bit more caution, I still think it will have been worth it. I'm recovering from my second surgery and although I've felt like hell this past week, if I can continue to lose the additional 50 lbs that I need to, it will definitely have been worth it for me! I wish you luck! Keep us updated on your husband's troubles. Leatha

Deco, you definitely do need some protein heavy liquids. For ease, I just bought mysel self packs of Atkins shakes. I don't find them unbearable, but with th protein powder you have, you make up some shakes with fruits and ice. The protein helps you to heal faster, so it is very important. It also helps you to feel more satisfied and not so shaky. I had surgery on the 16th and I'm trying to get in at least 2 higher Protein drinks in during the day, then I fill in with Crystal Light (the pre-filled bottles have Splenda instead of aspartame.) sugar free Popsicles, pudding, broth and Soups. I like the Soup-at-hand from Campbells. It's a bit more expensive, but it's less lumpy and you can just heat it up and drink it. Good luck to you! You'll feel brand new in no time. Leatha

I didn't go back and look at the page, but it seems to me it's less than 3 miles, because I remember thinking it was do-able for most people large or small. My doctor is hosting the walk here in Dallas. I may definitely have to attend.

As long as you are losing an average of 1-2lbs per week. A fill is not necessary. Also, too-tight fills are one of the culprits for band slippage. This is a very important thing to remember because it can be costly to your body, your band and your pocketbook!

:banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana Yay Lisa!! Watch out world!! You go girl! Leatha

ROFLMAO, Lethal Wholey (or is that Holey) Woman... very good. Too funny. The pain IS lessening, thank goodness. I asked my Dr. today if he used a nail-gun in his practice. This awful thing looks like Crater Lake. He did say he had to stitch it deeper than some, but SHEESH. I've come to the conclusion that it's because I've lost the 60lbs to start with, that it hurts so much. This time, it's much closer to the bone! Imagine that. I actually DO have a ribcage down there! Who'd a thunk it? These past few days have been harder than my first time around. Truly. I've wanted to do nothing but sleep. I've only been able to sleep like 3-4 hrs in the same position due to some phantom nerve thingy going on in my right leg. Doc says that could have something to do with positioning on the OR table. I say it has to do with the same the black eye had to do with. Someone used me as their ragdoll. I've never had issues with pain going down my outer thigh while lying flat. I just hope it clears up as my mobility gets better. I did venture out to the doc's office today (even drove myself) and then me and my daughter went to see Sarah McLachlan :D :D in concert. OMG - that's another whole thread. I'm a big big Sarah fan. Anyway, I made it through that pretty good and alot of my soreness is definitely gone. Thanks for asking. Signed: Your Lethal Holey Woman.. ROFL

I do this also and it can be very frustrating, especially when you get on and off that scale everytime you come within 20ft of it!! However, it's very interesting how we maintain this 'weight' but at the same time our bodies are compacting. I would keep watching the scale, cursing it for not moving, but my clothes were falling off of me. :banana :banana

Yes. That page has actually changed over the past few years. It's very obscure now. There is no link to it on the homepage like there used to be. I read it probably nearly 3 yrs ago and it's the one thing that I tell people about when they ask why I chose the band over RNY. That being said, we do have to admit that great strides have even been made in this particular surgery. It is now available laporoscopically and the healing time is quite a bit less than what it used to be. Thankfully. God bless those who have gone before us and those who'll come after. Leatha

Penni, I don't envy you girl, but I'm right there with you!! Hopefully this will be just what is needed to get you off and running. I'm so glad you have found a doctor closeby who's reputation is impeccable!Take care of you and we'll all be here waiting when you feel up to letting us know how it goes. ((((((((((PENNI)))))))))) Leatha w 11 Holes..

:banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana whoop!! there it is!! you go girl!! congrats!!!

In 1983, I was 23 yrs old and had gone from about 118 at age 19, to 234 by 23. I did go through the whole process of getting ready for bypass, even checked into the hospital and had the wonderful 'candlelight dinner' with my spouse the night before. I also stepped into another patient's room who had been cut open from stem to stern and I just could not see my young body dissected like that. I rounded up my things, apologized to everyone and took myself out of there the night before. I've often wondered what might have happened, or if I would have lost and gained it back by now as I had seen others do. But, I have never really regretted backing out.

Your wish has already been granted!! http://www.walkfromobesity.com/index.php

Yes ma'am. You will definitely have an issue getting in and out of any bed. I've had a waterbed in the past and I would say that would definitely be another challenge all together. As for purchasing a recliner? Well, I can't say. That would be up to you. I don't own a recliner and I've just made do with lying on the couch or bed and slowly teaching myself how to get off with the least pain possible. I'm now 6 days post-op from my second surgery, which seems to be worst than the first for me and I'm now getting on and off the bed with much more ease. It's a few days discomfort. I'm not sure that would warrant buying a recliner unless you really just wanted one. I hope this helps! Leatha

lol, Science geeks welcome! I find it admirable that you are getting involved in your wife's healthier future to this extent. Leatha Plano, Texas

hahaha, you're a nut, Lisa! I remember feeling the same way about my ex-husband. **************************************************** Birdie, As for being one year out and not meeting your goals. I understand. I wanted to shoot for 100lbs in my first year. Well. I didn't make it, but I also started exercising faithfully rather late and I also made a conscious decision to keep having some of my comfort foods (ice cream/desserts). So, it's a proven fact that one can still lose with the band, even if they do make bad choices, but it's also a proven fact that your loss is a direct relation to those choices. I believe that my eating habits have been majorly changed, nevertheless. I have gone one whole year without a KrispyKreme donut or my favorite cheeseburger/fries junk food. That is major accomplishment. I rarely eat Pasta and if I do, it's only for taste. I cannot sit down and eat a bowl full of rice or noodles of any kind - AND THAT'S OKAY! I don't eat sandwiches anymore - I eat the meat/veggies rolled up and move on. I don't eat chips unless I've absolutely named and owned a craving/need and consciously make the decision to have it. pizza is NOT my friend! Pizza will hurt me if I try to stuff the dough down my gullet! I will eat the topping if it's my only choice - because I love glorified fat! But, one year later, I actually DO make the better choice sometimes and that is progress. I am not on a diet. Diets got me where I am today. I am learning what works for my body and what doesn't. I eat more chicken than I've ever eaten in my life. I eat way more fish than I ever did before. I thought surely when they took this fill out of my band I would gain 20lbs overnight due to my lack of discipline. It didn't happen. I did try some interesting tests and I was surprised but pleased with the results. One day, I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich at the cafeteria at work. I had my mouth all set for that grilled cheese. I took my first bite and it felt like some sort of foam in my mouth. Not because of my body's reaction to it, but simply because MY tastes had changed. I found that bread pretty disgusting and after taking 2-3 more bites I threw it in the trash! ME?? I threw a grilled cheese in the trash! That's progress! Another day, I saw the regular box of donuts just sitting there all alone in the office, calling my name. The first day I avoided it, the second day, I decided one little donut would not knock my weight loss in the head, so I grabbed one and headed to my office. Of course, my first fear is that the dough will get stuck and I'll die trying to clog my arteries with fried dough and sugar. I still went ahead and took one small bite. It tasted pretty good and it didn't get stuck. Even so, I still was hesitant to take the second bite. It just wasn't THAT good. I did wind up taking the second nibble - still afraid it would surely kill me and I quickly threw the thing in the trash. Major progress for me! So, interestingly, I proved to myself that because of the changes in attitude that I must surely have implemented over the past year, I had the power to say 'NO' to food even without the restriction I had had. I'm still very skiddish about it, because I know how easy it would be to fall back into old habits, but it seemed like the restriction had definitely helped to re-train some of my old thinking and I felt much better about myself and my journey thus far. This is not an overnight deal. Yes, some folks diet more and exercise more and that's okay. Each of us have our own issues to deal with. I think therapy must help. I haven't sought any out due to my work being mostly travel and never knowing I can be home for an appointment. I think it might have helped me more. I also had no support for the first year which I think slowed me down also. There was 7 months that I had NO follow-up care whatsoever, so all of this comes into play. Even at that.. I'm still 60lbs lighter than I was a year ago. I can still get on a bicycle today when there is no way I would have tried it a year ago. I'm taking up less space and I'm still alive which is definitely a different direction than I was going when I started this trip, so I am making progress. So are you... :D Leatha

I think they left my port alone, but with this second surgery. The largest incision feels more like he used a nail-gun and tacked my muscles to my ribcage. :cry :cry

:-S Well. There's nothing like waiting until the last minute! I JUST got approval from my insurance company for my surgery in the morning. arghhhhhhh! It's not enough to be nervous about surgery itself, but you gotta be on pins and needles about whether insurance is gonna pay too? So, tommorrow morning I have an EGD and surgery to repair my band slippage. I asked the doc about putting in at least half the fill that I had when they un-filled it and he said no. :-( He reasoned that since I had already had the slippage, he didn't want to set the stage for it to happen again before proper healing time. I guess that's reasonable, but Dr. Maese was the one who suggested it. I'm not looking forward to this, but I am ready to get back on track losing the rest of this weight. Wish me luck, send good thoughts, pray! I need all the help I can get! Leatha 250/193/?? Banded 5/29/03 Dr. Wetter/San Francisco Slippage Repair 07/16/04 :nervous :nervous :nervous

You've done marvelous, Laura. I too, have only lost 60lbs in the past year. That's 60lbs more than I was gonna lose without the band!! Congratulations on choosing to take back your life! Leatha

Okay, now I DID RIP A STITCH!! ouchy ouchy ouchy....

Kinda seems like they're all over, don't it?

Popcorn goes down okay for me too. I think when you are more restricted, that could be a problem, however. Popcorn is one of those things you DO NOT want to get hung up on. Lisa, I'm so glad your body has voted..lol, very funny. I have gone to the movies several times banded. You're right, your brain and your mouth are not working together at all. With me, 'movies' means popcorn and milk duds.. no exceptions. But, once again, when you are very restricted things change. I allow myself these little indiscretions if I've been doing well otherwise. I share my popcorn now and I've found out I can actually watch the movie without Milkduds, too. This is about something I can live with, not deprivation forever and ever Amen. Leatha

Yep. Looks like we definitely have the state of Texas represented here.

This is true. Once you have passed your liquid/mushy stages, Protein should come from hard Proteins - meats, fish, eggs, cottage cheese. Until you pass your initial liquid stage, a Protein shake is a good way of keeping that protein up. I bought myself some nectar - Caribbean Cooler. I'm on the fence about whether I like it or not, but I'm not real good about pulling out the blender and creating frozen concoctions. I'm sure that would make it better. Atkins shakes work as well for the short amount of time I have to endure it.

You look awesome, Shelly and I'm sure you feel even better! You've done an awesome job! Keep up the good work, girl.. Lookin' Good!!:banana :banana :banana :banana :banana

HAHAHA, thanks for the visual, Lisa.. I'm sure my black eye was a 'table injury'. makes you wonder what they do AFTER they've strapped you down and put you to sleep? I recall vividly being strapped down. and they werent' doing surgery on my backside.. ??? I hope you made it to work on time. thanks! Leatha