Bandista

@@F_it thanks for chiming in on your experience with Cymbalta. We are all so different and such bags of chemicals. Like you, I am very sensitive to drugs of any kind so my trial with low-dose Cymbalta for arthritis relief didn't last very long. I felt like I needed to give it a go and I do think there was some perceived relief, but it didn't agree with me. The first night I took it I felt like I was tripping so I backed off to a lower dose to begin -- that should have been a signal right there. The thing is, at 53 with this much pain if there's anything out there that may possibly work then I want to make sure I've at least investigated. Unfortunately we have to be our own guinea pigs sometimes. So sorry for everything you went through with the Fibromyalgia and your experience on Cymbalta. We have got to do something about these auto-immune disorders, for crying out loud! I have had horrific experiences with steroids -- in fact the overnight weight gain I had from Prednisone (ha, that just auto-corrected to "prisoner") kicked off twenty years of overweight and all kinds of other complications in my body. The arthritis has been really flaring lately and I know that has to do with the change in weather. I have been walking outdoors most and now that the temps are under fifty (we've had the thirties here, eek!) I find that cold really exacerbates the joint pain later in the day. Last night I took a couple of Tylenol -- has never done much for me -- and a couple of tequila cocktails. That is something that helps, and I figure alcohol as a drug is better than a lot of what gets prescribed by various physicians even though they generally disapprove of that. But you got to do what you've got to do! I use ice packs, too. Seems so ironic that cold makes arthritis worse yet ice packs reduce inflammation -- makes no sense!

A beautiful autumn for a very happy birthday -- have at it! And this is a nice opportunity to say thank you! for all you do to bring people together on this site. It has helped me so much to connect with others throughout the WLS process. Best wishes for a great weekend and a wonderful year!

Yippee! So happy for you.......feels great, doesn't it?

Hi there and congratulations new Banders! Hope you're recovering well. The walking really, really helped me. Best wishes!

This thread is making me feel better about how I feel about my mother -- she makes me crazy sometimes. And the aging is so narrowing, so for some one who wasn't a very expansive thinker in the first place and who was already self-absorbed -- boy oh boy. I love her but don't like her very much most of the time -- then she surprises me and I have those glimpses of another part of her that she seems to have lost along the way. It's fear-based living and I'm hoping that I will not be like that as I age. I want to be free from those worries that consume a person and make them petty and self-involved. Choosing WLS has helped free me from feelings of hopelessness and low self-esteem that would probably have contributed to that. Here's to healthy bodies that can help us think in healthy ways, too -- here's to expansive thinking and being inclusive, being open to life. I have a feeling that gratitude is a catalyst for the kind of grace and dignity that will bring peace in the elder years.

@@ChelleChi1969 what a great post! It's so true, isn't it -- the joy of dropping those sizes "outweighs" anything that scale can tell us. Thanks for the videos, @2muchfun....I am really working on building muscle now. Onward!

I'm with you, Shantra -- I cannot figure out why people eat that crap when pure food is so delicious. Why not eat really well, especially when we're having so much less than before? All those addictive chemicals, blech. One of my pet peeves recently is that Stevia is being widely sold in a blend with maltodexterine. For people who have no nutritional background or who are not real label readers, this is so misleading. When I was waiting to be banded I was nervous about having to give up certain foods. One of my fears was that I'd become lactose-intolerant -- no idea where I got that idea except that I love dairy and was nervous about forfeiting favorite foods, etc. So happy that now I can have a little cheese or a small yogurt and it doesn't set me off on a "more, more, more" feast. Love the band and having my appetite dimmed. I feel like I can have what I want and need, just in small amounts.

If the bariatric surgeon is not responsive or has something to offer is there some one you can see in GI? Not okay that he's been blowing you off! Labs may show something, touch of dysentery or something like that? Sending best wishes your way.

Hi Diana, congratulations on your surgery and this new chapter of your life. It is all very emotional, isn't it? Some of us had grieving for things we thought we'd have to give up and then it turned out either it wasn't the case or it just didn't matter -- that emotional attachment to food goes away when the band dims the appetite. I am so glad to be out of food jail! Good luck with all. People respond to fills differently--for me it seems to take several days for it to "settle in."

Hi Wendy, I don't know if this will help but I have pasted the Simpson and O'Brien links into my signature below. Rereading/watching those at intervals has been really good for me. I only have one rule for myself, Eat when I'm hungry and don't eat if I'm not hungry (is that two rules?). I have eliminated "I should eat" from my thinking -- a lot of old dieter's programming -- and I don't believe in the body starving, etc. It tells me when I'm hungry. That said, I still have to fight the grazing in the evenings, the temptation to save up calories for that etc. We all fight our own battles and it really is a head game. Like Kitt, my band tightens wih stress. And if it's tight there's nothing doing -- if I fight it I'll be sorry. I hope you can get in to see your surgeon. Is there any possibility you bypassed green and are in the red zone?

@@readysetg070113 you are in the right place -- let us know how we can help! You have been an inspiration to me from the get go. The Ready Set Get Go! Arlene, happy birthday -- love the story of you pulling into the cupcake place where your son was trying to surprise you. Hilarious! And walk on the Boston Common tomorrow, cool. Tell us more! I am baking apples and pears with walnuts and celeriac from our garden -- a kind of fancy-shmansy applesauce, basically. Added eight drops of liquid stevia for sweet. That's how I handle the sugar thing.

I've been worried about the weather changing and the need for working out indoors again after an amazing summer of outdoor walking and some biking, etc. Well, today was the day to go back to the basement. Arthritis flares up at less than 50 degrees and we've had some mornings in the 30s already, so I think the jig is up. I've worked out for years on a treadmill, recumbent bike and BowFlex but it's only post-band that I've truly embraced exercise. It was amazing to feel the difference in the basement -- 3.8 instead of 3.0 as my base speed and a total of 90 minutes now instead of 60. I am so happy that I'm still going to be able to get my "high" and I can tell that the strengthening is going to be good . So here's to our winter routines and making them work for us. I got the tech straightened out so I won't have to fool around with getting music up (today was Pandora Latin dance music -- good beat to keep moving), and I cleaned the basement. Now to get some better lighting but it's coming along. Looking forward to my ninety minutes tomorrow morning. And looking forward to getting another chunk off -- pretty sure this is the ticket to that.

@@loser2014 congratulations on your surgery tomorrow! Very exciting. We have a lot of similarities -- I have shrunk a half an inch but was 5'7" most of my life -- and like you I was a very healthy eater, just way too much of it! Having my appetite dimmed has allowed me to not be a finisher, to be able to enjoy a small portion and be done. Kind of miraculous, really!

So many hoops to navigate -- you're getting there! I would check in with the surgeon's office to make sure they are on top of providing the insurance company with whatever it is they need. Then I'd check with the insurance company that they received it. Good luck with all -- it's happening!

This is great news -- way to go!

Hi there! My surgeon describes being satisfied on a tennis-ball sized portion (his lingo) for 4-5 hours. I'd have one but not the other -- like I'd get full on that portion but then I was hungry again too soon. We kept going until I had both. I think surgeon's vary on protocol and of course we are all different as patients. On rice, that's something I don't eat. Once in a while I have a little gluten-free Pasta -- and I mean a little -- but otherwise I don't do breads, pasta or rice. Rice in particular would worry me because of the stickiness factor. My reason, though, is the carb factor -- I really need Protein so I go for that. Also on grazing -- it helps me to count off those 4-5 hours before I should be looking for food again because otherwise out of habit I can start looking around and feeding myself even though I'm not hungry or in need of food. Once a grazer......hard to break that one but I'm getting there!

Hi there, I cannot feel my port at all -- there's a small protrusion but no discomfort, etc. It looks like you have almost made it to your goal of 137 If you've lost 60 pounds and started at 197 (might want to update your profile) -- could that have something to do with how your port is positioned, etc.? I would definitely be on my medical professionals to help diagnose any pain or discomfort. This doesn't sound right.

Hi Erika, congratulations on choosing yourself and your healthy future -- I really think that's what weight loss surgery is all about. The band was a gift -- a way of stepping up for myself -- and it has enabled me to get my life back. I am 53 and had spent decades struggling with my weight. My only regret is that I was not able to do this before. The weight loss is great and I am SO happy but for me the most amazing thing has been getting out of food jail. I had so much chatter in my head all the time about whether to have whatever and when and what will I have next and round and round I'd go. The lapband works by dimming the appetite, and having that appetite monster off of my back has been such a relief. I feel at peace with food. Let's see, to answer your questions -- weight high of 252 prior to surgery and now I'm in the eighties (yippee!). I wore a size 18 Lee long jeans and am now in size 10 the same brand. Was in 1X and mostly 2X tops and now wear larges and sometimes a medium. My profile was like Winnie-the-Pooh -- belly weight -- and now I have a relatively flat tummy. I feel GOOD. Strong and healthy, sassy clothes. I even cut my hair very short and am back into funky jewelry, colorful tights -- the things I used to love but had given up because I was trying to hide out all the time (jeans and a black top -- slimming, right?). I never considered anything but the band and I don't believe there is one surgery that is better than another -- there's the surgery that's right for ME and that's all I can address. I love my band. It requires an ongoing relationship with the surgeon particularly in the first year. There's a learning curve. Because the band is adjustable, we have to learn how to really listen to our bodies and getting the right fill is key to the whole thing. I don't think it's hard to get there but we're all different -- some of us don't get fills at all (those are mostly plication people -- plication plus band is something I would think about if I were starting off now, did not know about it before) and some of us have had several fills. I look forward to going to my surgeon's office. My next visit is about a month from now when I'll be celebrating my first year "Bandaversary." I don't think I need a fill but it seems like when I drop a chunk then an adjustment is required. I chose the band because it is a reversible procedure -- it's not permanent and if ever needed it could be removed. I don't worry about twenty years from now because I'm sure there will be a lot of advancements in bariatric care. I like it that the band is around the outside of my stomach and the inside is not cut, etc. But that's just me. People who are anti-band talk about how weird it is to have a "foreign object" installed inside but that doesn't bother me at all. I love my band (have I mentioned that, lol!). Hope this helps. You may get a lot of back and forth responses -- just know what is important is that you are choosing to do something about your weight and that is an amazing thing. The tool you choose is not as important as the fact that you are facing your issues and getting help. Reclaiming my life has been so exciting -- I feel as excited today as I did a year ago when I was waiting for my surgery. Get ready for a wild ride!

WLS has allowed me to really listen in to what my body is asking for....it's a fine art, the tuning in, and I'm so glad to be able to respond appropriately now. I can grow a head of purple cauliflower, steam it and have one bite and know that it's not the right thing for me at that moment (true story) -- or I can go out to eat an unexpectedly stumble on the perfect food even when I thought I'd be doing something else entirely. Meanwhile, I totally agree that we as a culture are protein-obsessed. Alex just put up a great piece about this: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/321108-protein-supplements-after-weight-loss-surgery-yes-or-no/?hl=%2Bprotein#entry3622484

GREAT piece, Alex, and needed -- so many questions out there about Protein. Personally, my body just tells me. It whispers, "salmon" or I suddenly feel like I've got to have a fried egg. So I listen up and enjoy my protein in food form.

The LB program at my hospital uses a particular Protein shake for the pre-op liquid diet they require (mine was two weeks), HMR. I was shocked when I read the ingredients. Artificial sweeteners, etc. I had to meet with the nutritionist and have her sign off on something else. I chose a product called Thorne Mediclear and I did well with that. It's such a personal preference, a Protein Shake. Post-op I didn't do much in the way of protein shakes -- they felt too thick to me and maybe I was just so sick of them from the pre-op. Once back on food (protocols vary but mine was one day Clear liquids then on to full liquids for a week, mushies for a week and slippery foods for a week then real food chewed very well), I learned to go for protein first as a policy. That's how I get my protein -- through my food. A shake doesn't really hold me, and the band works when we chew our food and swallow it -- that signals the brain and we find satiety. A shake does not do that but plenty of people have a shake as part of their own protocol and that works for them. You'll find what works for you, too. I used to take a lot of Vitamins and supplements but these days I am down to one supplement (for arthritis) and am just adding Vitamin-D back in now that we're losing our light. I still prepare Vitamin strips for my kid (stressed out college student) and my husband, but I find I am eating so well that I am not lacking any nutrients. Also I'm exercising like crazy and that has done wonders for my immune system. Hope this helps! We are all different, of course, and surgeons have different approaches as well -- seems like one way were all the same is that we end up with extra Protein powder we don't know what to do with later! Good luck to you -- I can tell from your enthusiasm you are going to do beautifully!

Great news; so happy for you! Here's to a healthy future......

I'm with you on the sweet factor. My pre-op liquid diet consisted of shakes doled out by the hospital -- they were absolutely disgusting. Artificial sweeteners, etc. There was no way I was going to drink that poison so I met with the nutritionist. Ended up getting Thorne Mediclear because I'm kind of a health food type and knew I really wanted to clean my system out in a healthy way. Post-op I did not have any particularly Protein goals. I drank a lot of hot tea (still do) and I was able to have egg drop Soup. I keep Miso in the fridge and make soup with garlic, a little chili, scallions and ginger, etc. Post-op you would just do it without the "bits" at first -- you'll be given a protocol to follow. Protein Shakes are a slider so I don't do them often, and I know I'm getting plenty of protein. We are sort of obsessed with that here in America. Maybe a little too obsessed, in my opinion. Look at us!

Hi there, think about those clothes falling off of you -- I seriously doubt you gained four pounds but you are probably retaining a lot of Water right now. No worries! Enjoy your fast day and a beautiful autumn week -- you are doing beautifully! And a fun weekend, too. Yippee!

Hi there, so happy for you! I am 11 months out -- joined the forum in June 2013 and like you knew that the band was for me. Had my surgery in November and am so happy with everything that has transpired in this last year. Best wishes for these next weeks -- I remember that anticipation and wishing it would all go faster, the appointments, getting the big date, etc. In retrospect I can't believe how quickly it all did go.......what a year it's been!