parisshel

I would not at all drink wine so soon after surgery. (I'm assuming you are banded.) If you venture into the "graves" e.g., Bordeaux, St Emilion, Medoc.Nuits St Georges...anything rich in tannic acid (Bordeauxs especially)...that is acidic. I think the other replies are dealing with the effect of alcohol on your brain, but I personally would not want to be putting tannic acid in a newly-operated upon stomach. You are still healing, you want to baby that area. Again, I would not do this so early out of WLS, because I'm very fearful of doing anything to put my band at risk.

Thanks tons, Catfish, for replying so quickly, and confirming what the scan doctor said. OK; I'm scheduled for an injection this afternoon. Cannot wait to get out of pain, and back on my bike. (Haha, I said "back.")

Interesting foods to dream cheat with! You may want to try my dream hot fudge sundae instead. Ha ha! But it's interesting that you dreamt of a tooth breaking...in dream interpretation, teeth breaking or falling out all signify that you are in a "change" mode. And this is SO true for us WLS patients. So it's kind of neat that your dream mind is reflecting this change.

You did the right thing. Smart bandster!

This is such an interesting topic and should really be the focus of a research study on dreams and WLS patients. When I used to do traditional diets, (WW was my diet of choice), I'd be either On Program or Off Program, like many of us. When I was On Program, these diet-breaking dreams would happen a lot. I remember when I stayed on WW for one year without ever breaking the program rules; most nights I'd dream I'd gone over points big time: binges involving all the sweets in the world. I would dream I'd eat cakes, Cookies, candies, everything in the world. And when I woke up it was such a relief to find it was just a dream. I often wondered if it was my mind keeping me from going off program...showing me how horrible it would feel should I go off program. Now that I'm banded, I don't have these dreams...because I'm never ON or OFF a diet. I'll have some foods that don't lead to weight loss, certainly, but with my appetite turned way down, and the band keeping my tummy satisfied, I certainly don't go off my eating plan in the way I could do when not banded. So it is interesting to me that my dreamlife reflects this and I don't have any binge dreams. Here's what I have dreamt, however, that is kind of freaky and certainly related to having a lapband: Before I was banded, and going through pre-op consultations, I had a very vivid dream that the band surgeon lifted my shirt to evaluate my stomach, and on my stomach was this red, rubbery growth, like a cock's comb, circling my belly button. It was horrifying! Postop, I had another similar dream, but this time there were all these different colored, but still rubbery growths coming off of my stomach. I could pull them off, they kind of ripped off as if held on by glue, but it was disgusting and somehow (in my dream) related to my lapband. It is interesting to me how my dream-mind has processed having this foreign object inside my body...and is expressing it with this strange dream of stuff growing on the outside of my belly.

I'm almost at my 1st year bandiversary and the fickle nature of the band is but one of the things I've learned about this thing. In a way, that is a comforting thought, because I know that if even if today I can't eat, say, endive, I can give it a try in a week or so and it will go down fine. Another things is I kind of know intuitively before I eat/drink something that it won't pass easily. I can't describe how or why I can sense this, but I'm wondering if anyone else just "knows" that a particular food/drink just.won't.go.down without a problem. I'm not talking about known problematic foods, just regular stuff. The other day I was considering strawberries, and I felt my band kind of tightening at the sight of them so I didn't eat them. But I had some tonight for dessert; no problem.

Everybody's said so many great things on this thread. Let me just add a couple more. Physical activity will mimic the benefits of antidepressants (this has been proven) so once you feel comfortable, it would be good to have some physical activity consistently, each and every day. Even if it is done under the cloak of night (if you don't want people to see you) or in the privacy of your home (with a YouTube video or another sort of virtual coach). Start with 30 seconds, if that's manageable for you. If you have to do it seated, just arm lifts for 30 seconds...you'll see you can do it! And build from there. Secondly, as your weight descends, most of us find our happiness level rises. I know this is true for me. I'm currently in relentless, excruciating pain from slipped disks in my back. I can't get on top of the pain (no NSAIDS or steroid injections with a lapband) so I'm just having to wait things out. But I look in the mirror and just the fact I no longer have my fat face makes me happy despite the pain. And my kids said something to me yesterday that kept me from slipping into a pain-related depression: "Mommy, even in pain, you are the most beautiful mommy of all the mommies." So my sense is that if your obesity causes you unhappiness, then weight loss will help with that. It can also help break the cycle of social isolation because as you lose weight, become more active, you'll be getting out more and connecting more with others. This connection is so vital to our recovery and continued success.

Gowalking...you always start the most awesome discussions! One of my hopes for WLS is that my lapband would allow me to view and eat food like a naturally- thin person. By that I mean someone who is genetically thin, not someone who dieted their way to a normal weight. I live in Paris, where the majority of people here are like this--born thin and stay thin throughout their lives, as HealthyNewMe correctly observes. And I'm so very grateful that this wish for my lapband has happened for me. With my appetite dimmed, and my stomach capacity so much smaller than without the band, I do look at my food, and eat my food, like a "normal" person. And you know what? A "normal" person has days, occasions, celebrations when they have a special cocktail, or a slice of wedding cake, or something that they don't have on an ordinary day. But instead of this derailing them, they very naturally just start back (at the next meal, or the next day) with their "normal" (for me, that means "banded") way of eating. This is what you are describing, Gowalking, and this, to me, is a huge NSV! Before my lapband, I was one slice of cake away from falling off the wagon. Seriously. I lost 50 pounds over a two year period, from 2003 to 2005. And at Christmas 2005, I sat down at the table, looked at the holiday meal, and said to myself "just one piece of that dessert" (a yule log, for those interested). And then it was off to the races...gaining everything back and more....and the cycle began again. That one dessert put me back on the road to regain. With my lapband, I do not have this "on program/off program" mentality, so if I have a square of chocolate, or a slice of cake, or a glass of wine, it doesn't make my mind switch into the "I've blown it now so might as well EAT ALL THE FOOD until my next weigh-in, when I'll get back on program." I know I'll never be a "normal" person in terms of having a natural, born-with-it mindset around eating, but with my lapband, I know that it gives me tremendous help in eating like a normal person. Great thread and I'm loving everybody's contributions here.

Just an update: I had to stop the NSAIDs as they really made my stomach swell. Even though it's been a week since I've had my last dose (and it was just Advil 400mg), my stomach is still swollen and making my band very tight. That's OK; I can do liquids so I'm not worried about the restriction. But boy I can understand why they say no anti-inflammatories---it's like getting an instant fill! Still in back pain, but my doctor has resorted to treating it by putting me on a two week work stop, I have a physiotherapist come to the house each day to massage my spine, and I take 5 mg of Valium + tylenol with codeine each day to manage the pain. At this point it is mostly muscle spasms and less disk-related (I can sense the disks have gone back into place). But man, it is a slow recovery when compared with traditional treatment of cortisone shot + anti inflammatories. Wishing you a smooth and uneventful surgery, JustWatchMe. Please check in and let us know how it goes.

THIS.

My first husband (we married very young) could never keep it in his pants. I had very low self-esteem and stayed with him, putting myself through several years of always doubting where he was, checking his pants pockets for phone numbers on matchbook covers (you can tell this was long ago, in the early 80s...yes, I'm old) and making myself sick, pacing the floors of our apartment at 2am when he was still out. I had such a horrible view of myself, and thought this was all I was worth, no one else would ever love me, etc etc. It took him getting my best friend (at the time) pregnant before I filed for divorce. What a waste of my youth. Thankfully I was young enough to start over, work on myself and find real adult love ultimately. I can't remember who said it but "You get the love you think you deserve" is something I think about each and every day. For me, staying with that horrible cheating worthless piece of shit first husband said so much more about me than it did about him. I have no idea what ever became of him, but I pity the woman he ended up with, if there ever was one. Remember this: You get the love you think you deserve.

Wow. I'm sure you could find a health travel agency on Google, but may I suggest you be prudent and rethink about waiting the 12 months and doing it locally? The reason I say this is that any good bariatric center worth its weight (ha) will have around a 12 month preop set of parameters for you to follow, including blood tests, heart tests, sleep tests, endoscope to see your stomach size and condition (any hernias, etc), pre op diet (usually) to see if you can stick to a set regime, pysch evaluation (very important). Also, what about your followup care? The lapband requires good and active followup care, along with patient compliance, to be successful. Lastly, I certainly would not want to do major, invasive surgery and then get on a long flight. Even if you were to stay in So Korea for a month, will you be accompanied? Someone has to be around with you, especially postop, to help you. Please re-think that 12 month time. It really isn't much in the scheme of things. WLS is not a quick fix anyway, and you could get started on your road to a better you right now, by seeing a bariatric specialist locally, setting those wheels into motion, and using those 12 months to get ready for the lapband mentally and physically. I know this isn't the answer you wanted to hear, and I apologize in advance if what I've written sounds judgemental. That is not at all my intention. I just worry when I see a post like this one, and want all preops to set themselves up for the safest, most complication-free procedure they can get.

Guess what? I bet they have noticed but just haven't said anything yet. It's a sensitive thing...saying something to a person who is losing weight. I know myself that I've waiting for a while before telling someone they look good. You don't want to infer that they did not look good when they were heavier. Give it some time....I promise they'll notice. I LOVE this answer! Thank you for voicing this. While a small percentage of people say I'm looking good, a larger percentage don't say a thing at all...and I always wondered why. But you've hit the nail on the head. Thanks!

I never feel the needle but I find it an odd feeling when they withdraw the saline to control the previous fill amount...it's hard to describe...it's just a weird sensation.

You are justifiably peeved. OMG people are stupid. I just.....I just can't even imagine a public so lacking in personal filters that they'd say such things.

This really depends on starting weight. Obviously losing 50 pounds when you start at 400 pounds will not be as noticeable as losing 50 pounds when you start at 200.

Bought a box of them once, after reading a (probably paid-for) shining review on a blog. Foulest thing I've ever eaten. Slimy AND dry at the same time. Color of duck poop. Texture of that tacky stuff you use to put a poster on a wall. What a waste of money.

Joining in the collective thank you, B-52, for the example you set and the modeling you provide. May your good health, boundless energy, and sensical ways continue for many years.

Oh, this is such an excellent thread; thank you Skywalker for starting it. Prior to my lapband surgery, I wrote a list of everything I wanted to achieve by using my tool to its fullest. I'd suggest every preop do the same (no matter what the WLS) and refer to this list often. I don't have my list in front of me, but I recall the highlights were more mobility, less ankle pain (I sustained a trimalleor fracture in 2010 that I never recovered from, painwise), a more-aesthetically pleasing exterior, better sex (probably those two are correlated!), and more energy. I'm not yet at goal, but I've hit all of those benchmarks (not that I'd stop now, but I'm glad I'm experiencing them already) and had some surprising new ones come along as my weight descends and my confidence rises. I'm much more socially comfortable, and do social things that were way outside my comfort zone when I was 263 pounds. I travelled to Morocco last fall which was a life-long dream, and something I never would have done at 263 pounds. (I would not have had the mobility to walk in the Sahara, or explore the Casbahs which require much climbing on uneven surfaces.) I would say that want I want most when I reach my goal is actually intangible: the feeling of moving through the world effortlessly and confidently...unremarkably, really. I want to no longer be "that fat woman" who has so many workarounds to her fatness. Just want to feel fierce and comfortable in my own skin.

I just asked this question to my nutritionist last week. She said that my surgeon's protocol is to loosen the band after a certain number of years (I can't remember how many) at goal weight. The reason for this is to avoid any complications linked with a potentially-inflammatory implanted device, especially as one gets older. My surgeon has observed that by that time...(the certain number of years maintaining), the patient has acquired the eating and exercise habit/mindset etc that will prevent him/her from gaining the weight back. If the patient observes weight gain after the band losening, he/she is instructed to return for a fill immediately.

My fills are shown below in my signature. I agree fully with the comment above...imho it's best to go slowly, and remember to stick to your postop directives which are designed to give you maximum satiety. It is important to use both the band and your eating plan to promote fullness...don't rely on the band alone as that won't do it for you. Dense Proteins first! While you are in the losing phase, cut out anything that provokes the "must eat more" feeling because believe me, even with a band, you can eat more. My philosophy is to stay with the lowest fill level possible, so you have somewhere to go as you lose weight and lose the viseral fat around your stomach, and need to get more fill. I've read bandsters who go right up to a high fill level with the thought that they will lose weight super quickly, live on Protein shakes and think it is normal to PB or vomit every day. That is no way to live, at least for me.

I had an identical experience with a fill I sensed was a bit too much. I wrote about it here: http://thelapbandchronicles.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/the-unfill/ I waited it out two weeks and finally got a bit taken out. It was the right decision for me, as I was getting very scared to eat anything and just coming to the table to eat a meal made me tense up. And then of course since I was hungry all the time (since I couldn't eat solids) I ate soft foods, completely defeating the purpose of the band. For me there is always a waiting period for my fill to settle but the real dealbreaker for me were the heart-attacklike spasms the band was provoking. I knew that could produce longterm damage, so a little unfill was the best decision for me and for my health.

My surgeon's protocol is to have an unfill prior to any other surgery. I would suspect this is so you can easily swallow postop meds. But there may be another reason that I'm unaware of. Would having a filled band prevent successful intubation during general anesthesia? Just wondering.

This sounds unrelated to any WLS and I'd see a doctor for this. My BIL had this happen after a massive sinus infection and it lasted for years. He took advantage of the situation to quit smoking and eat a lot of tofu (which he normally hated) to lose weight.

Probably a surgery for this, but not sure it would be worth it for me. I think men are just so happy to get there they really don't notice this small variation.