mrsto

OMG - I want to be there! You will do it!!!

I'm glad you enjoyed the cruise; food and all. THAT is what vacations are for.....to vacate your life & live it up. The 8 pounds came on quickly over that time, and can easily be lost if you get right back on track. Some of it is bloat, which leaves quickly.....if you don't continue the "vacation". IMHO, I'd say NO, absolutely to not eat to your hearts desire until your surgery. Why would you do that? You worked SO hard, and you'll have that much more weight to lose. I hate to say it, but the sleeve won't be any different, in that you STILL have to exercise some control. To act out like you've been a "prisoner of the band" who was just let loose, isn't the best mindset for wanting to take the rest of the weight off, and maintain it forever (as you say). What happens when the sleeve stretches and you're able to eat more food (and it will happen)? If you don't practice what you've learned over the last 3 1/2 years, how can the sleeve work for you long term? I'm not saying that I don't understand the attraction to totally letting go. But you've come so far.... Why throw a big chunk of it away? What are you going to eat that you haven't had in abundance already? Is it really worth it? Maybe ask yourself those questions before you jump back into old counterproductive habits.

A few years back I went for an abdominal ultrasound, and (though they weren't looking for this) they found numerous cysts in my liver and kidneys; TONS for them. There is one particular one on my liver that is the size of a small cantaloupe. I had it drained once (something like a liter of Fluid came out), but it filled back up again within six months. It's been there for years, along with ALL the rest, and I just leave it alone; doesn't bother me. At the time when all of this was (accidentally) discovered, I went through a ton of tests to find out if I had Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). One nephrologist saddled me with that diagnosis, which I carried for a few years. That is NOT a good thing, because insurance companies run the other way when you have that condition. THEN, I got another MRI on my spine (unrelated), and the radiologist clearly said that all the cysts were "simple" cysts, and not PKD. Which makes perfect sense, because these things have been there since at least 1984. If it were PKD, I would be symptomatic; my kidneys would be enlarged, and I'd be headed for dialysis. SO - long winded answer.....sorry Do you have insurance? If so, it should cover further diagnostics to rule out anything serious. People live with all sorts of lesions, cysts & other internal barnacles; none of it an issue. But you have to take the next steps to make sure that it IS nothing to worry about. Good luck......

GREAT!!! Just a little motherly advice.....to keep your expectations realistic. I don't know how far it is to a size 8, but if you stick to your program, you WILL get there.

This looks and sounds really good! I printed it out.....I'm going to try it

You can do it! But as we all know, you'll do it when you're ready, and your head is in the right place

It DOES take time. I've been through it a few times

No, it's not. As a matter of fact, plication is a new procedure, and not yet approved by the FDA. They've been doing it for around 3 years, and it's still considered investigational. However, the data is promising, and many doctors are offering it.

After the seminar and talking with the surgeon, I had originally scheduled myself for a gastric bypass. 10 days before surgery I freaked out and canceled it. It was SO extreme, and the fact the ALL of the surgeries bring you to the same end result, I decided to go with the less risky procedure. AND reversible! What I mean by all of the surgeries all ending up at the same end result is, with the bypass, there is a 12-18 month honeymoon period where the weight melts off due to malabsorption. After those months, it slows down and it's up to the patient to eat the way they are required for that surgery. After that time, many start gaining weight back, as they can with ALL surgeries. The difference between the band and the bypass, is that with the band, your work starts the minute you wake up from surgery :-) The sleeve was never a consideration for me. There is a potential for leaks at the staple line, which is a life threatening complication, requiring a good 4-6 weeks in the hospital. That is a complication that I cannot afford. Look into ALL surgeries before making your decision, including reading the online forums specific to the surgery you're considering. Leave no stone unturned, because once the sleeve is done, THAT is it......75% of your stomach is gone for good. Good luck!

Here is a link to another forum from this morning. I posted the answer about plication. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/170182-6-years-after-band-thinking-of-adding-plication/

Melissa - you look Amazing!! Really, sometimes you can't see that in the mirror?? That is quite the transformation. And congrats on keeping the weight off! When you are ready to give it an extra push, those last pounds will come off. But I have to tell you......if you stay right where you are, you are FINE!

Terry - I've gotten so much from your posts. You have so much strength, and I appreciate all that you've given in this forum. Life ain't easy! And as we get older, the harder it gets. It's easier in some ways, but there is so much more to deal with; caregiving to elderly parents, family issues, health issues, deaths......the list goes on. Unless someone has a bonafide drinking problem, having a nip on the ol' bottle every now and again is absolutely fine.....downright medicinal :-) I'd do it more often myself, but it triggers eating....which I can't afford. You really exercised your program through a very sh-tty day, which is monumental when you look back and see how you would have dealt with this pre-band. Bravo to you!!

I totally get it! I don't keep Irish Whiskey in my office downstairs, but I do keep a handy dandy bottle of Xanax for those unbearable times, calories - zero.

My doctor said that since he changed the way the band and port are "anchored", the number of slips & flips has dramatically reduced. That is NOT to say that it doesn't happen, but it's less frequent. If it were me, I would not take a passive approach. When it comes to our bodies, we have to be our own advocates. If I don't like what ANY doctor tells me, I will either get a second opinion, or push them to do further diagnostics. Doctors are certainly not Gods, and unfortunately, some should not be practicing medicine. I'm not in any way saying that your doctor is one of those. I'm only saying that it's completely okay to question their answers and advice, and tell them that you want a diagnostic test to confirm what he "thinks". Many doctors will do this, just to put the patient's mind at ease.....which is IMPORTANT!

Plication (called further curvature gastric plication) is where they fold in on itself, the greater curve of the stomach, and suture it with two rows of non-dissolving stitches. This reduces stomach capacity to about 25-30% of normal; size and shape similar to the sleeve...WITHOUT cutting, stapling or removing a huge portion of a major organ. I had it done at the same time as my band, and I'm glad I did. Though I do not have a reference point as to what the band would feel like without plication, there have been times when I knew that the limited stomach capacity, was my insurance policy in limiting what I could ingest. As Carolinegirl above said, we need to work with ALL of these procedures, and control our portions, while making healthy food choices. There IS self control involved with all of this, and the surgeries are only a tool for us to work with.

For a period of time, I also had a problem with bras (mine also have underwire). Sometimes I'd just pull the damn thing off, because I felt like I couldn't breathe; the pressure from the bottom part of the bra. Now, at 7 weeks out, I rarely have this issue anymore. FYI - I had lap band with plication, a hernia repair, and my gallbladder removed. I couldn't really tell what part of the surgery was causing what, but I actually did ask the bra question somewhere in my historic posts on this site; I think I responded to someone asking about the best sports bras. Never did get an answer, so I guess it's just you and I having the problem

Love the quote! Not to be airy fairy, but that is the basic "law of the universe". When we shift our perceptions, our experience changes.... Love it.... Thanks for posting it as a reminder

SO true! And lets face it.....we can't do sh-t about the past, other than learn from it to cultivate our future

I was told by my doctor....NO coffee. But after the first few weeks of none, I started back with 1/2 cup in the morning. I'm not an all day drinker to begin with, and 1/2 mug full is all I can take :-) As with anything after being banded, start VERY slow; see how you feel & pay attention to what your body will accept.

In the beginning, I would steer clear of pancakes. They have little to no nutritional value, and an "only carb" breakfast will make you hungry for more food. For now IMHO, stick to high Protein meals.

Catfish - how much Protein is in the Naked smoothie?

Sounds yummy!

I always have to eat animal Protein for breakfast. Actually, at every meal, but if I don't have it first thing in the morning, my blood sugar totally whacks out. That said, eggs are a daily occurrence :-) When I get sick of over easy, scrambled, scrambled with a little bit of 2% milk shredded cheddar......I make egg salad. I use Hellman's Low Fat mayo, and it's GREAT! When I'm sick of eggs all together, I'll make a small turkey or hamburger patty. Sometimes, I'll have a 2oz patty with an egg on top. SOMEtimes I'll make an egg taco. I did that this morning with a corn tortilla, scrambled egg and a slice of Kraft American cheese (45 cal). Total calories - 195. Then - when I can't face any of my breakfast options, I'll have a Protein shake :-)

Mis - WELL said!!

Ladybug - after I was banded, I had a very hard time drinking Water. Like you, the small sips were the complete opposite of what I was used to. But I have to tell you, now I drink water almost as I did before. No, I don't guzzle it, but I'm able to take several consecutive sips at a time. My water intake has increased greatly since surgery, and I just.....drink. No issues. Once you are healed and your body is past the shock of surgery, things change.....a LOT! And they change for the better. I completely understand the despair and frustration AND feeling completely out of sorts. But I would SO hate to see you terminate something that will help you get to a place you want to go. Especially because what you are feeling today, will be short lived (in the big scheme of things). Ask yourself this "if I don't give this procedure it's best shot, where will my weight be in a year from now?". I'm guessing that you've tried many different diets to lose weight....without long term success? When you are feeling crappy and depressed over the next week or two, try & visualize how you will look & feel in a year from now, if you keep the band & do the work. Then visualize what you will look & feel like in a year from now, if you have it removed. As many above said - you DESERVE to give yourself the care that you provide for your patients. If one of your patients expressed the same feelings to you, shortly after major surgery, what would you tell them? I'm so sorry that you're having such a difficult time. All I can say is that it WILL get better. And I hope for you, that it's sooner than later.....