lisacaron

Great Article Alex! Thanks for sharing this with us. It is so important not only to classify and call obesity a disease but to educate and treat it. I really believe that we need to educate and treat not just those afflicted with the disease but those who care for people who are already obese, and their family members who might have a genetic predisposition to obesity. We can't just sit back and swallow a bag of donuts or feed our children fast foods and junk foods for Breakfast lunch and dinner thinking well we are fat and/or we come from a fat family why fight a losing battle? We should fight to educate each other and those around us about obesity to treat the disease starting at the base level of understanding and progressing to the level of intervention as necessary. We need to fight and rage against it like we do against Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, and all the other diseases that obesity is an equally evil partner to.

See ya on the banded side of life! Best decision I ever made!! Remember to get up and walk walk walk. Have lots of ices on hand for after surgery a nice ice pack to put on the port site incision that typically the area that hurts the most after surgery. A heating pad for your back/shoulder to help ease gas pains if you have them, and warm broth or decaf tea also helped me with this and any nausea you might feel. Another great tip is to sip using a tea spoon or a medicine dose sized cup so you don't take too large of a sip which can be uncomfortable going down after surgery, and my final tip of the day, the best way to get rid of the dry mouth or "cotton" mouth after surgery is to brush your teeth as soon as you can get up and use the bathroom. It gets you up on your feet and walking and trust me it helps get rid of that rough feeling cause they only give you a few ice chips at a time Best of luck to you!!

So what did the doc have to say? Interesting a salt water pool is that different in any special kind of way? You know I remember when I was in Hawaii and I came home I had this odd rash all over the place I went to the Dr. and it was actually from the sun! Yup the sun. It was some kind of dermatological reaction with sunscreen I had used and the ocean (salt) water. So I wonder if that might be something....

Everywhere honey this is NY! No really gowalking will have some awesome ideas. Hopefully she will see this and post a few for you!!

Two of my Kitty Cat's. Love them! Meow

@@Bmjohnson you know I read your post and I was thinking about this quite a bit the other day. I have known a few people who have gone through WLS in the past and "changed" and yes they had issues, but it took me a few minutes to realize that they always had those issues and they hadn't really changed much I had changed the way I looked at them. It wasn't just because they had lost the weight and their physical appearance had changed, but many things about them changed with their physical appearance almost as if their inner demons could now be seen on the surface and were no longer suppressed. For instance one such person started acting like she was 16 again and not the mother of two children and a wife. She was out and flirting and cheating on her husband and I thought about this long and hard and you know before I judged her I thought to myself...she was always like this, but no one took her seriously when she was fat. Now that she was not fat she was getting and going on dates. She must have always wanted that, but now it was reality for her. She was going about it the "wrong" way in my mind but who was I to judge her? If I felt so badly about I should just speak my mind and let her go and do her thing and keep myself out and away from it. For me that is what worked in that particular instance. Most of the time when people tell us we are "changing" we are to an extent but when something is bothering them about our transformation it says more about them then it does about us. If something is bothering your friend ask them to be honest with you about it, and be honest with yourself about how you are treating yourself and others around and at the end of the day if you are OK with your choices and who you are then no one has the right to judge you. If not then take the time to work on it. This person I was describing to you didn't want to work on her relationship with her friends her family or her children. She chose another path and that was OK for her and for the rest of us we are all where we need to be today, but as @@LilMissDiva Irene said in her post we are all apt to change a bit on the inside if we wish our our bodies to change on the outside, but in the same way in can all be for the better.

@@Mikee57 I would give the doc a call just because this is allergy season! You could be having an allergy that you never had and I have seen that happen before where someone suddenly becomes sensitive to a food or something in the environment.

@@BandedCandace You are having a very rough time of it lady and for that I am sorry. I would like to personally take your ex use him as a punching bag or a crash dummy or some equally painful and demeaning thing which is just about what he needs and deserves from reading your post!! What gym do you go to? If it's a chain consider switching to another one and getting away from him, or changing your times and going super early or super late and not letting anyone know when your there. If you check in at four square, twitter or facebook don't do it. Then take up kick boxing and picture the jerks face with every kick! I hate him for you already! You have lost nearly 100 pounds in a short amount of time, and I know you want to lose more and you will you will you can do this and you will do it! I have confidence in you and so do many here. I can see the change in your photo and you are not too fat for a band! I really dislike it when people make those statements. WLS is just a tool, and no matter the one you choose each one has it's ups and downs and each one has to be worked at! Trust me I know! I am banded too I have my own set of issues...and I have to work at it and work hard for every ounce I lose, and I have never been happier! I feel healthy, and I am grateful for that every single day. Don't let some miserable person rob you of your happiness. This guy even though I have said all these things about him because he has made me angry today reading your post, probably has more problems in his little pinky then we do in our whole FAT bodies!!! We should feel sorry and have pity on a sad person like that cause we are BIGGER people! HAHAHA and for that reason we will...and we will forget about him totally! Put him out of our minds, and not give him one ounce of power over us to make us feel badly to make us angry or to make us feel less then the amazing wonderful women that we are! We take back our power and we leave that person and those other people with nothing to make us feel anything about them. Now how' that???? Do you feel better....???? Jazzed up??? ready for some kick boxing?? I'm ready!

This is what it feels like to be "stuck" in a mild sense. Coughing out the bit that is stuck and or the slime is one way to clear the blockage and yes you should stop eating after you have an episode like that. You should also return to liquids for a day or two as your insides are irritated and each time you have another episode the swelling that is still healing from recent surgery is swelling more causing even mushy foods to get stuck. Slow down. Take it back to basics for a few days and let the swelling subside. Then move to mushy and soft again before heading back to solids. Potatoes, rice, pasta and soft breads are band busters for me. They tend to swell in the stoma and get stuck so I don't choose them often. Let us know how your doing in a few days.

Look on the site to see if you can find another surgeon in your area. You don't have to go back to people you don't like and have issue with. Just because he did the surgery you can look for another surgeon. See if you can find one and set up a consultation interview them see how they fit with you and if you and the staff mesh well and go from there. You need follow up care and support that is how the band works best. Going someplace that makes you feel uncomfortable at best and threatened at worst is not a way to get care especially now when you are facing a potential problem. Follow up on Monday with this group because your health really can't afford to wait. Then be pro-active and find another office for your long term follow up care. Let us know how your doing after you see the doc.

Have you called your doctor? Please do so and then follow up with is and let us know how you are doing. This could be something not surgery related and it is best not to wait when it comes to uncommon pain. Call your doctor or surgeon now if you haven't already.

@@Cat225 don't feel discouraged, give your doctor a call and make an appointment to go in and check on your fill level. It sounds like you need an adjustment to me. Your hungry again too soon after you have eaten a full meal. You want to eat solid foods and breakfast is always the hardest because we think that we have to eat things like cereal or eggs, but you know you can have steak or chicken or just about anything any time of day. In the mornings just because of the time crunch I usually have a protein bar, I get one that has some fiber and nuts in it that I have to chew and swallow so it has some substance to it and stimulates my band enough to make feel satisfied until lunch time. Snacking is not a bad thing at all. I try to keep my meals to under 250 so if I need a snack I have calories for it. You can do this, it's not a race it's a life time journey to be the best and healthiest you that you can be.

@@Wendydarling19 ah yes that was me and then I had to have a slight unfill at one point because I was not feeling well so I am now at 6. I was happier at 6.5-7 as far as feeling satisfied longer on less food. The Dr. is right, make sure to chew well and take your time eating. The fill could take a few weeks to settle in, give it a chance but if you find that you are too tight and uncomfortable don't be shy to have a cc or two taken out.

Even if you cannot afford to go to or join a gym, if you are home and you have the time go to YouTube and do a random search you will find several video's for yoga and other low impact work out for MS and other disabilities. You can do them in the comfort and privacy of your own home with minimal assistance. Here was a link I found doing a quick search. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPr7lfgFZGA

@@ineed2dothis4me ah sadly working out and lifting weights, will help you tone them only so much my friend. Depending on your age and the condition of your skin the elasticity of it, the flappy bits may always be flappy without a bit of a nip and tuck.

@@twilat when was the last time that you had a fill? You could be too tight. Give your doctor a call ASAP and let them know what is going on with you. You do not want to mess around with Heart Burn and/or acid indigestion for any amount of time at all. Check back with us and let us know how you are doing OK?

At 11 days post op the port site is going to be the sore point for a while. That part takes the longest to heal. Most of the surgery is done so deep inside we don't actually feel any of it healing. The port is close to the surface and stitched to the muscle right below the surface of the skin so it has a bit of trauma. As @@chasingadream said be kind to it and keep putting some cold ice packs or compresses on the site when it's aggravated and that will help you out. Love my band and plication and even though my port pokes out, I have a tiny torso so I see it more than most I think it is a small price to pay for my healthy and happiness

Nope sorry if you were truly stuck on a mountain or cliff for any amount of time you would be suffering and who says the helicopter would be your first choice? Maybe you tried to walk down and you broke a leg half way maybe you were already hurt by getting to be the mountain in the first place a helicopter was the only way out. Nothing is easy. Everything requires work and commitment. If it was so easy eating would be no effort you would eat what ever when ever you wanted and be the size you wish and the health you wish with out effort that is not the case. So not so easy. Maybe not rocket science for you bit for others of us the learning curve I maybe greater.

@@Industrious Bee So how are you doing? I'm going to give you some tough love here my friend!!!! Are you ready for it?? I suggest a pair of warm and cozy socks for your feet! If you are going to read into everything you read on these boards you are going to need a very thick skin sweetie. There are all kinds of opinions and comments that you are going to read and the VERY best thing you can do is have confidence in your doctors and believe that above all else they have your very best interest and health at the forefront. This is not something to do on a whim you have to be ready you have to be committed, you have to be ready to jump in and with both feet there is no turning back. This is a new life and a new life style that you will be embracing and the benefits are worth it all. Is there pain, well I won't lie to you there is pain, there is discomfort but no more pain or discomfort then I have had from being obese and that pain was a daily pain that never left me. The pain of surgery faded as my surgical wounds healed. The discomfort of learning a new way of eating faded as I embraced the changes that I needed to make in my life and my body adapted to those changes. I have never felt better in my life Bee an I would not lie to you about that. It is not an easy choice and it is not as many say the "easy way out" it is anything but that. Is it worth it? Would I do it again given the choice? 100% I know my husband feels exactly the same way he was scared when I went in for my surgery and he was scared when he went in for his, and he was not sure he would be able to live with it, and now he says it all the time he wishes he did it years ago and I can tell you there are several people I know who feel the same. You are in a good place here if you want to share your concerns you will get some very good feedback and support. Don't just scroll through and pick out bits of threads, speak to your concerns and see what feedback you get and most importantly touch base with your doctors and speak to them about your concerns and the advice you read and see what falls in line and what falls to the wayside.

Good for you for coming to this site to vent your frustration about how you feel! Yes people can make you feel badly and it does speak more about them then it does about you though it still can hurt you just as much as a rock thrown at your head! I am a newbie - so please forgive me if this has been ranted about before... I just need to get this off my (now smaller than it used to be) chest LOL I AM SO ANGRY WHEN PEOPLE THINK SURGERY IS THE EASY OPTION!!!! They treat it like surgery is being lazy: Just don't eat so much... Exercise more.... Etc...etc...etc Sigh! It is a tool, i need to work at it. It is not a magic wand. It hurts even more when it is family.... feels like i am the wee fat one and they dont want that to change, well piss off that is YOUR problem! I made the choice for me if you can't support my decision.... well.... tough! Thank you for saving me from burying my anger in chocolate X No surgery is the easy way out. We chose to do it because we have not been able to do it any other way and remain at a long term healthy weight. We take the path less traveled to be a healthier happier versions of who we are. To do all the things they say, eat less, exercise more and this time have it work for us. Many just about everyone you will find on this forum in the hundreds and thousands and maybe even hundreds of thousands...Alex how many members are there actually who have had WLS of one sort or another?? Anyway...all of those people, have done just that. We have eaten less, we have exercised, we have worn rubber suits swallowed pills, jumped on trampolines, climbed up and down and jumped rope, mountains and what have you and you know what nothing worked like WLS. Some of us...have even had more than one WLS to help us get to where we need to be to be healthy! So for those that think that this the easy way out...I dare you to come and walk a mile in my shoes and see how easy you think it is! I work HARD for every single pound I have lost and will continue to lose, and I know you do too friend!

I will tell you this and it's a bit out of the loop here. At my Doctor's office there is a support group for those who are new WLS patients and for those who are patients for a year or more. The reason for this, is because we go through different phases at different times in our journey and while I agree with the thinking on that, I also think that there is much to be learned by having a combined group of veterans and new and even per-surgical patients together. We may look at ourselves years into WLS and think oh we looked terrible when we were XX pounds heavier, but you know we can't deny who we are and who we where and where we came from and we need to remember there are others who are starting from that place and need our support as we needed the support of others. They have as much to teach and share with us as we have to teach and share with them. I don't hate myself. I never did. Not as a fluffy gal or a thin gal or in any way shape or form. I am me and I am happy to be alive and relatively healthy enough to enjoy the life I have and trying to make my life as healthy as I can every day so I can enjoy it more and more. I think there are some that don't feel that way about themselves and weight loss or gain is not going to make that better. So my fluffy friend, don't allow another to make you feel badly about who you are, if you love and accept yourself no matter what then no one and nothing can make you feel badly about yourself and you will always be a success in what you strive for!

OK I'm in!!! Lets do it! Lets make a modified one for people who are more realistic with their bodies like you and I. I'm not sorry I'm no longer 16 with buns of steel, today I'm a happy 43 year old who's buns are flattened from sitting on them all day long 30 DAY SQUAT CHALLENGE.pdf How about something like this....? oooofff my butt is hurting already!

Wow I checked that out and hey you know I would want to spread it out also. It doesn't say do 250 at once! I agree with you and I would break them up. Squats are tough stuff lady! I don't know if I would challenge anyone to it but myself! If I did 50 a day I would count me a winner!!