WASaBubbleButt

Not sure yet. But, my doc started me on Luvox a couple of weeks ago. He claims it changes the nerve impulses between the brain and stomach. He referred to something written by Dr. Fox where the brain believes there is more restriction than there is. I have to admit, it's working. I ate steak for the first time Saturday night since being banded. I went from barfing 30+ times a week to 4 times last week. I wouldn't get the band out, but I would be changing your dietary habits. If you have lost 40lbs in 2 years you are likely drinking your calories. Even with the problems we have we shouldn't be consuming more calories than we need, there isn't any value in that. After discovering I can eat real food now I went nutso over the weekend. Steak, salad, fish, (understand, I'm referring to two full dinners on Saturday several hours apart) etc. That came to a quick end today. I'm back to counting calories, carbs, and Protein grams. Plus I did 116 minutes of cardio today. You know, eat today - pay tomorrow. Today I paid and I will pay again tomorrow. I won't get back into old habits, I just flat out refuse. So even if you are drinking your calories you still need to make better food choices. What about exercise, how many minutes of hard cardio are you doing daily? I'm really not trying to come off as a lecturer, I'm trying to come off as the person that has the same problems as you and I get it. It's hard, I totally relate. But we have to work with calories at the same time. It's not easy but it can be done. Maybe I barf a lot but that doesn't mean I have no control over caloric intake and exercise.

I don't mean that I would play holier than thou, I see no reason to even mention my own weight issue. I simply mean I wouldn't treat them badly. That's all. I'm not looking for their trust and I'm not looking to lecture.

Not sure. My brain thinks I have more restriction than I do and Luvox is supposed to fix it. It is not rare for people to need no fill or have no fill for quite some time after banding. IOW, it is not abnormal to not need a fill, for some they don't ever need one.

Instant Potato Soup Mix Makes 7 servings 1 3/4 cups instant mashed potato flakes 1 1/2 cups nonfat dry milk 1 tablespoon granulated chicken bouillon 2 tablespoons dried minced onion 1 teaspoon parsley 1/2 teaspoon thyme 1/4 teaspoon pepper In a bowl, mix all ingredients together. Store dry soup mix in an airtight container. To make one serving, combine 1/2 cup dry soup mix with 1 cup hot Water.

I had surgery in December and I had two periods in December and I've had two since then. Not that I'm complaining!!!

No, it won't affect your liver but do start the pre op diet on time and follow it. It really is important.

Clears BEFORE surgery? Wow... that just sucks.

You mean when I remember?? The Chocolate chewy things in a purple box. I guess I don't recall the name.

Congrats to you! When you have been on liquids soft foods taste pretty darn fine!

I had surgery in Mexico so I arrived the day before and had all the pre-ops done. Morning of surgery got to the hospital at 7AM, met with the anesthesiologist, surgeon x2, and internal medicine guy. Sergio the head nurse for Dr. Aceves gave me an injection of Lovenox to prevent blood clots. Then another nurse gave me some Versed and something to prevent nausea. Changed into a gown, read a book, and the nurse woke me up to take me to OR. Went to OR in my bed, moved to the OR table, they started an IV, gave me drugs, and I woke up in recovery. Piece of cake. I've lost 80lbs, had surgery in December, I love my doc, and the cost was about $8K. I wrote a check, but many get loans and such.

I haven't lost 100lbs but I have lost 80 and I have no difference in shoe size. Maybe another 20lbs will make a difference? Not sure.

You MAKE time to exercise. It's that simple. Children in 3rd world countries that work 16 - 18 hours out of every 24 don't have time to exercise. We do. You get up earlier, go to bed later, stop watching TV, don't clean the living room and have someone else do it or let it go once in a while, you use computer time, you stop watching TV, you go out to dinner or you have hubby clean the kitchen after a meal... you find the time. We have it, we just need to ALL stop making excuses not to exercise.

I don't really crave the "full" feeling anymore. PB a few times because you ate too much and that desire seems to go away. You suddenly have a strong desire to NOT feel full. It really does go away. My problem this weekend was that since I discovered I can suddenly eat food again I wanted to keep eating. I ate salad, steak, and fish. And it wasn't tuna from a can but real fish. I need to get over the thrill of being able to eat solids again and get back to work. 70 minutes of cardio so far today, at least another 30 to go to pay for this weekend. Did I mention the rum and fresh pineapple juice in Mexico? :faint:

I started off verrrry slow at first, like 10 minutes at 2MPH. That was in January. Now I shoot for 100 minutes of hard cardio daily but I haven't been doing very well at that this month. I've done 70 minutes so far today so I need to get in another half hour at least. I was out of town for the weekend and have time to make up for. Start with walking. Just walk for as long as you can. Start out at 1-2 MPH and every three days increase that by a few minutes. Or increase by one minute if necessary. Just keep increasing. Pretty soon you'll find that 1-2MPH is actually too slow and you are bored. Speed will come with time and let me tell you, when you start cardio the pounds melt away especially in the beginning. Gradually go from walking to running. If you don't have a treadmill then go outside and just walk. Each block is 1/10th mile. Every 3 days increase by one block. It will pay off in the end. Even 20 minutes makes a difference, 30 is better, 45 daily is ideal. Studies show it does not need to be all in one time frame, do 20 minutes at a time if need be. But just get out there and do it.

He did a bunch of tests, mostly barium swallows. He had me drink barium under fluoro, then he filled my band so it was actually closed and had me drink more barium, then he opened my band and had me drink again. Then he had me wait 30 minutes and had me drink that stuff again. In the end he said that I was having stomach spasms. While everyone has some stomach spasms I apparently have quite a bit more than expected and my band closes on it's own, or my stoma does anyway. Finally two weeks ago he started me on yet another drug, Luvox. This one works really well so far. He said it changes the nerve impulses between the stomach and brain because my brain thinks I have more restriction than I do. I actually ate steak Saturday. And it was good.

It's so nice to see someone else's doc saying this. The way my doc explains it is that it will not "harm" your pouch. The problem with carbonation is that your stomach is essentially picked up and sewn "up" over the band. This leaves another little pouch/pocket UNDER your band and at the top of your big stomach. The gas goes up, it fills that pocket with carbonation air bubbles and THAT is what hurts. It isn't your pouch, it is that pocket at the top of your bigger stomach. Of course, I had to try for myself to see if it *really* hurts and for me it does. It's very painful. The other problem I have is that when the soda hits my hot stomach it turns into instant fizz and the bubbles crawl up my throat and it feels like they are going to choke me. It wouldn't, but it feels like that. I just find it painful and uncomfortable to drink soda. Probably a good thing since I don't need it anyway.

But... thing is, even my weight related issues are not improving because I don't see any goals being met. I don't feel thinner, I don't THINK thinner. I feel fat, I am fat, I think fat. That is what I was referring to. Yep, I relate to this. I have more than most, I should be bloody thankful. I'm not. I'm bored bored bored. I want a normal life, I crave a normal life but I don't know what that is and I struggle to gain something when I don't know what I am looking for. Maybe I already have it, I really don't know. Maybe this is my issue, I don't really know for sure. Yeah, about that. You aren't getting by that easy. You came, you posted, you are here for the duration of the thread. Like it or not.

I think this is another point I was looking for in my OP. The actual differences. I think all we fatties believe we have it the worst. In reality, we lower BMIs don't have a clue. Well, maybe we do have a clue but that is all it is, a clue. As I was reading your post I was thinking about being on an airplane. I vowed to myself to sit next to the fattest person on the plane just because I won't look at them funny, I won't look at them in disgust, I won't do any of those things because I have a hint of what it is like. Do I fully relate to a 400+ pound person? Nope, but I have a bit of a clue. I don't know, I have been as honest as I know how to be on this board. Writing just isn't my forte. I don't know how to put my thoughts into words on a computer monitor, it's not my skill. Suffice it to say, I have learned from this thread.

I have read your post three times. I have no words. I just don't. I'd be a liar to pretend I do. Thank you, this is what I am looking for.

I think of it as Lane Giant. ( I am thrilled, I actually bought a size MEDIUM today!!! YEEE HAWWW!!!! Size medium, I haven't been a size medium in years. Lane Giant can kiss my back side!

HA! I *knew* I liked you for a reason! Have any photos of the furry critters? Don't you think it would be fun to start a thread on fur-kids and photos?

Yep! What Mark wrote!

J... I understand what you mean about spending too much time here. Look at my post count! HA! But I justify it by saying that if I don't know an answer to a question I research it to death until I find an answer I am comfortable giving and that teaches me a great deal. Truth is, for the first time in my life I actually feel comfortable discussing these issues. I feel comfortable with the people here and I feel comfortable being so bloody honest it hurts. People here get it and think nothing of it. They deal with the same issues. I can't tell you how thrilled I am that you started this thread. I need to hear from those who are nearing goal and those who are at goal in the biggest way possible right now. I am focusing on all the negs right now and I don't see any positives. I think I thought losing weight would cure everything. While most of my issues are weight related, losing weight still doesn't cure everything. I didn't realize any of this until this thread. It is so therapeutic for me to read here. This very thread does more for me than I have words to express. I have to fess up to something, I think I am ruining success here. I think I am fighting goal and in my particular situation, it takes a GREAT deal of effort to maintain weight, it's easy to lose, it's hard to maintain. Yet I haven't lost a pound in 2 weeks. That is soooo not typical for me. I think I'm afraid to reach goal. How freak'en weird is that?? Those at goal, please don't leave. We need you. Same with those nearing goal.

Of course, Chickie!!!!! ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS!!!

HA! Well, I learned a long time ago not to jump to assumptions! Can you imagine what would happen if I assumed one product over another? :confused: