WASaBubbleButt

We usually have a Phoenix Bandster lunch every month or so. Everyone is welcome regardless of what stage you are in. Newbie, newbie banded, old timer.. makes no difference. This month it will be Sunday 1/28/08 at 1PM. It is undecided if it will be at Sweet Tomatoes on I17/Dunlap or Black Bear Diner on 61st Ave/Bell. Anyone is welcome including friends and family.

Great post, Fanny! You made many very good points! Just thought it was worth repeating.

I don't think most people really know how to be supportive and they do the best they can. I don't think they mean you are fugly now, just that you'll be even prettier after weight loss. And let's face reality here, we do look better thinner. Maybe that perception isn't right or fair, but in our society it is true. Another issue, I'm not sure we take compliments well anyway. Many of us don't. We are very sensitive to anything anyone says. If they notice we have lost weight we get embarrassed and would sometimes rather they not make such a big deal out of it. If they don't say anything about weight loss we are miffed about that. Honestly, sometimes we aren't really fair to people because we tend to be overly sensitive.

I'd have to agree, "HELP!!!" told me someone had some serious issue. Bread... the one really great thing about my band is that I can't eat bread. If I could I'd never stop, bread is a huge trigger food for me. I do my absolute best to make this a lifestyle change and if I started on bread type foods, it wouldn't work in my case.

If you don't feel you are ready for this huge step, you are absolutely doing the right thing by not rushing into things. If you aren't ready, it won't work. Good luck to you!

I drive 3 hours to Mexico to see my doc monthly for issues and follow up. Worth every minute. You really have to want weight loss bad enough to do what it takes.

You'd would have to be very careful to cut out all bad foods. No junk so you eat a healthy diet. If you eat junk there is no room for good food.

I think people seriously underestimate the cost savings in losing weight. Grocery bills alone can be cut drastically. Do you realize my band will pay for itself in 1.5 years JUST in fast food savings and diet soda? Of course, I was a hard core fast food addict. I probably spend $20 a week in actual food for myself now. My suggestion is to get your grocery bills, restaurant bills, fast food bills out and keep track of them for a month. See just what you are spending in maintaining your weight each month. I think you might be shocked at how expensive it is to be overweight. I spend $20 a week in grocery bills, an absolute max of $30 a week, rarely eat out, VERY rarely eat fast food. No diet soda ever. I easily spent $100 a week staying fat. Just something to consider.

This is old information. When they first did bypass some people were so large that they could not safely do the entire procedure. This is when they were doing it open vs. lap. So the procedure was pretty long, extensive, and dangerous. They started doing just a sleeve until the person lost a significant amount of weight so the remaining part of the procedure could be done safely at a smaller BMI. Well, they found that people did really well with the sleeve alone so now it is done that way for many people. The technique has also changed a bit so it is even more effective.

Did you try posting this in the state of Georgia forum? I'd try cross posting it there as well.

What is the link where it said you should have 500lbs to lose to get a sleeve? It's a good option. I think you are confusing your research of sleeve vs. bypass. A sleeve is the first half of bypass, just no malabsorption and no rerouting of intestine. But the sleeve is quite effective and something I would do if I had it to do all over again.

Actually, fluoro is better. It shows everything from pouch size/shape, esophagus size/shape, band placement, stoma swelling, stoma size, etc. You can see the barium as it travels through the esophagus all the way to the colon if need be, ultra sound cannot do that. Some docs have ultra sound equipment in their office because it would just be farrrr too expensive to have xray for barium swallows. That is more for hospital use vs. MD office however some offices do spend the money and go the xray route. Usually ultra sound is so they can find the port, it doesn't show the detail of barium studies. Barium is by far the better route. WLIAZ is a good practice but they are verrrry expensive. More so than most others in AZ. Last I heard they were $19K. Other docs tend to charge around $13-$16K. Dr. K in Denver charges $10K, Mexico it is $8K. They claim it is because they use two surgeons. That's kind of deceptive, all docs use two surgeons. There are four trocars to hold during the entire surgical procedure. Unless a doc has four hands, there are two surgeons.

Actually, fluoro is better. It shows everything from pouch size/shape, esophagus size/shape, band placement, stoma swelling, stoma size, etc. You can see the barium as it travels through the esophagus all the way to the colon if need be, ultra sound cannot do that. Some docs have ultra sound equipment in their office because it would just be farrrr too expensive to have xray for barium swallows. That is more for hospital use vs. MD office however some offices do spend the money and go the xray route. Usually ultra sound is so they can find the port, it doesn't show the detail of barium studies.

We are having on Sunday 1/27/08. If you would like to go you are more than welcome, the more the better!!!! If you want to join us feel free to send me a PM with an email address and I'll add you to our list. It will be Sunday 1/27/08 at 1PM. Location will either be Sweet Tomatoes on I17/Dunlap or Black Bear Diner on 61st Ave/Bell. I'm voting for BBD! Mmmmmmmm

Banding is not designed to be removed, it's for life. The question is if it will last for life. Theoretically it should, but in all honesty we are the lap band lab rats. Longest anyone has been banded is 20 years. So point being, the idea is not to lose weight and remove the band. The idea is to keep the band for life. DS is simply dangerous. If you don't believe me go to a DS forum and watch those folks. To be perfectly blunt, I think their brains aren't getting enough nutrition. No clue why they behave as they do. :smile::confused: Most of the better surgeons refuse to do DS anymore, it has a very high rate of malnutrition and various complications. But to talk to a DS patient - some even claim they eat bad food lacking in nutrition and their surgery type turns it into good nutritious food. Bizarre... I know. Sleeves... that's something that if I had everything to do over again I would get a sleeve. It makes sense, long term there are fewer complications, it's cheaper long term, no port pain, port infections, band infections, erosion, slips, fills, unfills, restriction issues, etc. Many of us chose banding because it is reversible. Quite frankly, the only reason I have ever heard anyone having it removed was due to actual band problems. Erosion, severe slip, that kind of thing. I suppose stomach cancer would be a medical reason 'non band' related to have it removed but that would be an issue regardless of surgery type. I think as newbies we are not fully sure banding will work and we have it in the backs of our minds that when it does not work, we can just have it removed. It does work, and it works quite well. Nutrition... many will say the reason for a band over any other WLS is if we were to get sick, whatever... we could have the band opened and get extra nutrition. To be honest, those that need extra nutrition need it because they aren't getting any nutrition at all. End stage cancer patients, elderly people. Those kinds of patients. You can get all the nutrition you need eating normal portions of food. It's a big decision and something you have to decide what is right for you. Banding is right for some people, sleeves are for others. RNY for others. DS... for the deranged. MGB... another insane procedure full of complications and problems. Most quality surgeons will not even do MGB or DS. They are just too risky and life is far too hard with the complications they present in a great number of people.

Peanuts are perfect! A tablespoon of peanutbutter is good, a little bit of chicken breast, some refried Beans, a Protein shake, any kind of quality protein. When you eat carbs it turns into a sugar, the sugar makes your blood sugar increase. When your blood sugar increases your pancreas dumps out insulin. Your blood sugar goes down, for hypoglycemics it goes down too far. That signals your body to tell you that you are hungry. Then you eat more carbs, more insulin, lower blood sugar, etc. It's a cycle that you have to break. You can do that with protein vs. carbs.

Atkins can be a way of life. It is for me. I don't do induction stages, but I do watch carb intake. I just don't feel well if I eat a lot of carbs. I eat a no white carb, adequate Protein diet. That is considered Atkins and actually, it's quite healty. Not a fad diet at all.

Lots of obese people have hypoglycemia, it's caused by our horrible diet. Cut out bad carbs, get used to Protein instead and it will take a few days but you will stop the blood sugar cycles. Nope, it doesn't cause DTs. When you start getting sick and shaking the LAST thing you should eat are carbs (such as grapes or bread), you should be eating protein to stop the cycle. Carbs promote the cycle.

One issue I disagree with regarding many US docs is that they are pretty quick to remove/replace a band vs. repositioning it. There is a lock on the Inamed band (assuming that is the band you have) that many don't know how to open and relock. So they cut it off and replace it with a new one. Truth is, it can be unlocked, repositioned, and relocked. Another possibility assuming the band is Inamed is to go ahead and let insurance pay to remove it and then you pay cash for the new band. Surgery will be covered, the only expense you should have is the band and that is going to be about $3500-$4K. That's doctor/hospital cost for the band from Inamed. J&J is a bit cheaper for now, they are giving deals on the bands to hospitals but most hospitals are not passing the savings on to the patients. Might even be cheaper since you shouldn't have to replace the port or tubing.

Go to your doctor. Pain is not a diagnosis, it's a symptom.

Nonono! You have to join OURS in Phoenix! Speaking of such, we are doing the bandster lunch thing a week from this weekend. Wanna join us?

Usually people with hypoglycemia are carb lovers. They eat farrrr too many carbs and your body goes in a cycle, you eat carbs, crave more. Your pancreas kinda adapts to this and is always pumping out insulin. When you drastically cut calories you can get kind of jittery. It goes away with time. With banding your diet improves, your carb intake is drastically lowered and the symptoms usually go away. During weight loss I kept calories at about 600 daily.

I realized about a year ago that if it tastes really horrible, I suddenly don't need the drug all that much. HA!

In the beginning it takes more pounds to go down one size but the smaller you shrink the faster you change sizes. As SOON as you find a cute outfit, one you just adore, it no longer fits.

Zapata is great, lots of experience, skill, training, the works. Check out my sig link.