mrsto

Interestingly, I never really understood how that band worked until I came to this website. I have an excellent surgeon, along with his excellent staff. I was told what to do and what NOT do do, but never really understood the mechanics of the band. I did as I was told, and had great success. Congrats on the reboot! I think you will see a huge difference now PS: My doctor told me that the Protein bars are really more like candy bars. For that reason, he's not a big fan of them.....other than eating ½ "if" hungry between meals. But he also tries to drive home the fact that I should eat some veggies instead of the bars. But I am strung out on the Quest bars, and have one most every single day. And for me, the reality is, a Protein Bar a day has been instrumental in me staying on track. Baby carrots don't quite do it for me - LOL!

Loulou, the only time I'm aware of my band, is when I eat too much, too fast, and don't chew well. When you incorporate the new way of eating into your life, the band is like a guardian angel.....quietly signaling you when you've had enough to eat. And "enough" is WAY less than pre band. The only part of the "setup" that you may feel, is the port. At first you'll have to push in to feel it. But as the weight starts melting off, the port is closer to the surface. At one point I considered having my surgeon relocate it; to the underside of the muscle. But I decided against it because I didn't want more surgery. Mine can't be seen on the surface, but sometimes it bugs me if the waist of my pants sits right on it. But your surgeon may put yours somewhere else. They place it based on your anatomy; the most strategic spot. You will do fine. You have struggled most of your life, and this surgery can turn things around. I'm a lot older than you, but I've dealt with this curse since the age of 6. After losing and gaining hundreds of pounds through the years, I decided that I had to do something different. And I'm so glad I did! Please keep us posted on your progress

Wow, that is so weird. I would be totally blown away....if my doctor took off without warning. Whatever happened with him, I'd lay odds that it's been a long time coming. The fact that he inactivated his medical license? That's a pretty huge step! Hang in there..... I'm sure you will find another bariatric doctor who is just as good...or better :-) So sorry you have to deal with this. Making the choice, and having WLS is a huge step. It's important to feel connected to the practice where you went through this life change. Geez.....talk about abandonment!!

I agree with Labwalker. Lap band surgery is not a diet or temporary fix to get the weight off. It's a life commitment; one you need to make sure that you're ready for. And as Sandy mentioned, if there are problems with the band, it can be removed. It's 100% reversible. That is a big part of why I chose it over the other surgeries. The thought of cutting out most of my stomach, or rewiring my God given plumbing, did not sit well with me. I wanted more control, so this was the best option. Your profile doesn't show your weight; how much you want/need to lose, etc. Have you struggled with obesity your entire life? Do you see the surgery as a quick fix? This is a huge undertaking, so I urge you to really think it through; make sure that you're not looking for something that sounds easy. I'm not saying that you are, but all of these surgeries are for life. Just make sure that you're ready to take that on. I wish you all the best......

LOL!

Wow, Alex - this is great! Congrats! Notoriety well deserved

It sounds like you need a visit with a colorectal surgeon. I'm not saying that you need surgery, but that's the type of doctor who can diagnose the rectal spasms you're talking about. Take a look at this link, and see if it sounds something like what you're going through. Even if it is hemorrhoids, a colorectal surgeon can better handle it, over a regular G.P. or surgeon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proctalgia_fugax Hope you feel better soon.

Sweet..... And congrats!

Me either. Too dry.

I honestly do think that it's better to get your Protein from food instead of relying on bars & shakes. My doctor said the same thing; that months after surgery, we should be back on regular food. I can't eat things the way I used to.....like chicken. As for eggs, try making some egg salad with low fat mayo. I keep that in the fridge all the time, and eat a little bit for Breakfast. Once it's mixed with mayo, it slides down easily. Same with tuna. For dinner, a lot of time I will make 1 pot meals that consist of ground turkey or lean beef, refried Beans, onions, garlic....whatever you like. I also put extra black beans and canned tomatoes. Goes down easy and is VERY satisfying. Sometimes I'll take ground meat, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and parmesan cheese, and make a wonderful Pasta sauce; but I don't add pasta. I use Classico or another bottled sauce as the base. The thick meaty sauce is wonderful by itself. My husband, who doesn't have weight issues, loves these meals. 1 pot will last 3 days, so I'm not futzing in the kitchen all the time. There are a lot of creative things you can do to get your protein in. There are some good suggestions above, and I'm sure many more will post. Good luck!

I love edamame, but haven't had any in awhile. But now that I'm reading this post, I'm going to pick some up at Trader Joe's. I like it in the shell; plenty of "eatertainment"

LOL!

Dayna - a few months back, I had all the Fluid removed from my band. I had become too tight, and small un-fills didn't resolve the reflux issue. Much to my surprise, I didn't feel all that much different. I continued on as if nothing changed, and continued to lose weight. So YES, it's absolutely possible to have an empty "working" band.

I honestly don't feel that Rosie or The View owe any follow up apologies. I jumped on Rosie because I can't stand her. To me, it's just more crap coming out of the woman's mouth. I agree with above.....it's a talk show, and they all have their opinions. They talk about so many things that I don't agree with. Too much liberal thinking for my taste. On rare occasion I would watch the program. Now that Rosie is on board, I never watch it.

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"http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/lap-band-surgery-half-patients-complications/story?id=13187452 http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/4452159/Lap-Band-more-than-50-FAILURE-rate/ http://www.hungryforchange.tv/article/dangers-of-lap-band-surgery Do you need more? You will find that more and more surgeons are not doing lap band anymore. Why would your doctor recommend it for you? Maybe because HE hasn't done his research either. LOL. Either way. Mine stopped doing it this year and mine too has "credentials above reproach." Sometimes, the doctors are not recommending the band, but it's what the patients want for themselves. That was the case with me. I researched ad nauseam, and made MY choice on what I felt best for my health, and long term options. The band is my surgeons least favorite, but he still does them. He's got plenty of VERY successful band patients, but still favors some of the more invasive procedures. It's all about choice. Jessipug, try & keep in mind that this isn't a contest of who's doctor has the best credentials, what procedure is the best, etc. No one is slamming the sleeve. That was your choice, and I'm glad it's working out for you.....so far.

A-mazing! Awesome job, Jim.

Amen to that! This isn't a freaken contest

Well said, Lisa

"Ummmmm....can we just talk about the fact that everything she said is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!?!? As someone who HAS done my research and has lived in the WLS world for quite some time now, she's correct. Half of lapbands ARE in fact removed, and the long term success rates of lapband are much less than that of gastric sleeve or RNY. Everyone is so freaking quick to get insulted these days and I wish you would just stop it already. She spoke her opinion, which by the way was riddled with fact after fact, and you guys all get your panties in a wad? Grow UP already. There isn't enough long term data on the sleeve. My neighbor had the RNY, and after 8 years started gaining weight. She went in to have the band placed over the bypass. There is no hard fast rule on any of this. I've known a couple of people who gained all of their weight back after the sleeve. They just eat small amounts of junk food throughout the day. It doesn't matter what you choose.... If you lose your motivation, you can eat around, and gain weight with all of the surgeries. For me, knowing that, choosing to have most of my stomach removed permanently was not even an option. I did extensive research before making my choice; left no stone unturned. I chose to have plication with the band, as a secondary source of restriction. It has worked out quite well, and at the one year mark my surgeon said that I could not have done any better with one of the other surgeries. And the reality is, with ALL of these surgeries, the big difference is the first 12-18 months. After that, people get used to whatever they got, and learn to eat around it......if they are so inclined.

Choosing to have WLS is a huge undertaking. Not to mention the effect anesthesia and pain killers have on our psyche. What you are going through is completely normal; I went through it myself. I didn't have buyer's remorse, but I went through a myriad of emotions. But I have to say, once I got off of the narcotic pain meds, things improved. I suggest that you speak with the doctor who is managing your meds for bipolar. I'm not a doctor, but I would want to know if anything you're (possibly) taking post surgery, is interacting with other meds you might be on. Hang in there..... I promise.....it gets better. A lot better!!

On the subject of which surgery is better than the other? With all surgeries, the jury is out until we're in our graves. As most of us who have struggled with food addiction all our lives know, we've had long periods of maintaining weight loss, only to have it slip away at some point. That's how we ended up here.....on BP. The surgery, whichever one we chose, is a tool. And people gain weight all the time after WLS.....at some point. I'm not saying that everyone does, but many do. The jury is still out on Rosie O, and she should be a bit more humble when she opens her (big) mouth. But that's who she is, and she may be "eating crow" sometime down the road. We'll see her on some show talking about revision surgery She should take note of someone like Carnie Wilson, who is very humble and open about her struggles; never pointing fingers at anyone else's choice. Beauty and grace; everything Rosie is not.

Yes, yes and.......YES! I cannot stand that woman, and every time her mouth opens, you know some crap is going to be coming out. I'm not surprised by her comments, and I just have to consider the source.

Amen! Exactly!!

Cottage cheese seems to work well. Maybe, if you mix some with your yogurt, it will fill you up?