babsyintx

Rica, You hot mamma! You and your man look like fashion models! Wow, what a beautiful couple! Keep up the good work and save the money for the Carribean next year! You made a wise decision to go with the lapband. Health is much more important than any other gift. Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hi Again, Alex: I wasnt joking. Up until a few months ago, I was thinking that I was looking pretty hot for a chick who had lost almost 150 lbs. But with the hanging stomach and the thigh excess, I am sure that if it came off, I would be a size or two smaller than I am now. And it aint pretty. Yes, I am terrified of plastic surgery, but at 39 years of age, I want to be able to look in the mirror and not be mortified by what I see. What you said about your grandma was beautiful and you are right. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Lisa: My friend went to Costa Rica this week to have her eyes done, face peel and teeth bleached. She wants a boob job as well, but she is trying the less radical stuff first. Its not as expensive as you think and you can put it on a credit card! I would guess for a chin, belly arms and thighs, you would be looking at less than 10K plus airfare. They have a retreat where they take care of you that cost about 65. 00 dollars a day that includes meals and assistance as well as transportation. And they allow you to share a room, which brings the price down even more. Another one of my lapband friends just had plastic surgery in Mexico. It cost her 9100 to have beltectomy, boob job and chin work. Charge!!!!! LOL I truly didnt think I would be so driven to have stuff fixed, but as I get closer to goal, everything is really drooping. I look like a Sharpei! Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hi Penni, I have done all the research. If you do a search under the Rosenstock Liebermann CLinic, you can get info about the retreat, how much etc. I know there is a site where bandsters talk about plastic surgery and some of them go down in a group together so they dont get lonely. They have nice excursions, but you have to do them before the surgery and allocate at least 7-10 days after. They dont want you to go home until they know you are OK to travel. Maybe early summer? Babs in TX

Hi Michelle, You are looking very good!!!! I kinda wish that I had taken more pics on my way down... I am still stuck at 188!!!! Well, if I keep eating lasagna and hershey kisses, I will never get to goal!!! I hope you are having a great time in Washington!!! Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146

Hi Leo, You are doing great!!! It is understandable that you are not around as much. You are just living the high life dude! You are not far away from your personal goal. Congratulations! Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hi Megan, I agree with Michelle. Lots of people who are too tight dont lose well at all. Mostly this is because they resort to soft high caloric foods cause its the only thing they can eat! I have had 6 fills and one unfill in the last year and a half. With the exception of one of my fills, I have never been too tight. I can eat anything including bread, chicken, steak etc... Then I found out about the esophageal achalasia that I have which means lazy esophagus and this explains why I can eat larger portions than most bandsters without barfing or sliming etc. So now, i am going back to the basics and eating a bandster portion even if I am not completely full. My doc was conservative with the fills, thus the reason I have had so many. The fill schedule was: 1.00,1:75, 2:00, 2:25, 2:50, 2:00, 2:25 Plus I kept losing that full feeling and its actually cause my band is too tight! At least according to my doc. My band is fine though and I just had flouroscopy and a fill on December 16th and everything is hunky dory. Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Sandra, I also had 170-180lbs to lose. So far, I have lost 146 of those pounds forever in the same time it would have taken me with a RNY. But at least I dont have Vitamin deficiencies and dumping syndrome. And if I want to enjoy a piece of cake at a birthday party, I can do it without throwing up or getting physically ill. To me a life without food and the social activities that surround food and family is no life at all. I am having trouble understanding the rationale of your surgeon. Did I get this right? He thinks because your starting weight is 365, that the RNY is a better option? my BMI was higher than yours when I started at 5' 6" and 334 pounds. I now weight 188 and only have 18 pounds to get to goal. If you go to a doc that only does lapbands, you would get a much different opinion. Now if there is another reason you think the RNY would be better... I guess my opinion is different cause I know so many successful bandsters that started out in the upper 300's and lower 400's who are doing wonderfully. One of my friends has lost 165 pounds in 10 months with the lapband. She now weighs 220 and she is 5'10 inches and looks fantastic. She is not at goal yet, but expects to be there in the next 6 months. At least if you have the lapband, it is reversible and you could always have the RNY as a backup plan. The thing is that you can sabotage any WLS if you really want to.. Just my thoughts... Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hi Everyone, I went to our neighborhood block party on Friday last week. I was also there last year and had already lost 75 pounds as of last Christmas. Since then I have lost another 71, so I figured people would notice. One of my neighbors (a woman) came in to the party, walked around and then said hello to me. She walked up to me and said, "You look different. "Did you change your haircolor?" I just about barfed my glass of wine! Some of the other folks there were about to crack up as well, but I was gracious enough not to say anything to embarrass her! Later in the evening, she figured it out and I am sure that she was feeling pretty ridiculous. It reminded me a little of the movie "Notting Hill" where the brother in law of Hugh Grant starts talking to Julia Roberts and they get into a discussion about how poorly acting pays, not realizing she is a famous world reknowned actress and he asks her how much money she made with her last film and she spews "14 million"! Do you guys remember this scene? Actually, all my other neighbors were gushing compliments. A few did not recognize me and a few told me stories how they saw me with my son on Halloween and didnt know it was me. I honestly believe that people did not see me as big as I was. Clearly at 334 pounds and a BMI of 53.9, I was extremely huge. Maybe the reason I was so much in denial about my weight was because I leaned a lot on my "vibrant" personality and my brashness and didnt give people a chance to notice my weight issues. Hmmm, something to think about... Anybody have any similar stories? Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Tina, Take a deep breath and take the process one step at a time. The approval part with insurance (in my opinion) is the most tedious part. Do you have a letter of medical necessity from your primary care physician? You can see samples of letters and give one to your doc to fill in the blanks. I found a sample on obesityhelp.com and I used this sample coupled with records. I am sure that your doc office can help you with the precertification criteria. You picked a very good doc to do your surgery. Ren and Fielding are the two of the best. Regarding supportive or unsupportive folks, I had the same situation. A lot of folks dont know what the lapband is and they try to compare it to the bypass. My mom kept saying to me, "Why do you want to have the surgery that Al Roker had?" She figured one laparoscopic surgery was like another. NOw she is so proud of my success and sends my pics to everyone. Mostly people who love you worry cause they just dont understand how NON-invasive the lapband surgery is and think you should just be able to lose the weight with traditional "Dieting" which we all know does not work long term. So hang in there, do lots of research and be comfortable with your decision. All of us have been here and you are on your way to a healthier life.! Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hi Chrissy, I am very sorry about the loss of your band. I cant even imagine how you feel about this. Did the doc say it was possible to put a new one in at some point in the future? I know of some folks that have done this. Please know that we will all be here to support you. Babs in TX

Hi Megan, I gotta try that line! LOL Or I could say, No, its not the hair. I am Barbara's evil skinny twin sister!!! I like your new pic! You look very nice! Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hi Lauri, Yes, there is cause for concern, but dont freak out til you have proper testing done to establish what the real issue is.! Stress can manifest itself in all kinds of ways. Please keep us informed and I hope you feel better soon! Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146

Yoo hoo Bettty! Dont hide that skinny backside. Go out and get clothes that fit!!!! Congratulations!!! Babs in TX

Hi Barbara B, This is another Barbara B! AKA Babs in TX! I will try to answer some of your questions: 1) Do you have any tips that might make the surgery easier? Would you have done anything differently before the surgery, in hindsight, to make it easier after the surgery? Not really 2) I am told that after the surgery, I am only supposed to 'sip' liquids and not to 'gulp' liquids. I have been trying to do this prior to the surgery, but don't understand how you 'sip' vs 'gulp' - can anyone shed some light on this for me? If you gulp, you are taking in a lot of air and because of the band placement this can result in the hiccups! With good restriction it is difficult to drink quickly anyway. The liquid hits the band and the esophagus and it needs a moment to go through. IFyou drink fast, it can feel like the Fluid is backing up into the thoat. Not necessarily painful, but a little uncomfortable as it works its way through. 3) During the first month after the surgery, before they adjust the band, does the feeling of hunger go away, or are you usually hungry? Everyone is different, but I was ravenous until I got my second fill. I wish that someone would have told me this was possible pre restriction and I needed to be reassured by everyone that this was normal. I have a friend that was banded in January and she has lost 150 pounds without a fill and has good restriction. She has never had that hungry feeling, but most of us prefill have felt true hunger. 4) Do you have any specific tips for getting through the first couple of days after the surgery? Walk around a lot and get lots of fluids!!! 5) Are there any foods that you where told you could eat, which you found to be problematic when you actually to tried to eat that food? None with the exception or loaf bread from the store. I no longer eat bread unless it is toasted. Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hi Sandra, I am almost a year and a half out and I have not regained my weight. Yes, it is possible to eat around the band, but you can do this with any weight loss surgery. Its a lot easier to make smart food choices with proper restriction. It is pretty hard to fail at this unless you really sabotage yourself. The RNY was never an option for me. I have small children and could not risk dying in pursuit of a lower BMI. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions. Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hi Carol, When you say" I added a milkshake", do you mean a real one? Or are you talking about a Protein shake? Cause a milkshake has about 600-700 calories and I dont think there is a lapband surgeon that would recommend one to up your caloric intake. THe idea is to reduce it! LOL Just curious. Actually,all of us that are obese have enough fat to live on for months before any kind of starvation mode or conservation kicks in, so we really dont need to bump up the calories the first month post op to lose weight. When I was on creamy liquids, my total caloric intake was 500 calories a day which consisted of two Protein shakes with a total of 42 grams of protein and one 6 oz bowl of Soup twice a day in addition to 80 oz of Water inbetween. Even still, once I started on mushies, I plateaued and actually gained three pounds in 2 days. You have to account for food in the bowels, water retention etc and thats why the exact weight on the scale can fluctuate from 1-3 pounds. But if you are truly sipping on a milkshake then this could be the culprit and you are taking in more calories than you need. As long as you are getting between 30-35 grams of protien on the liquid diet and at least 50-60 on solids you are doing fine. Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hey Alex, Right there with ya. And I actually got a fill on Friday last week. Hard to believe cause I feel like I have less restriction than when I went in. Lets blame it on the achalasia! LOL Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hi, Didnt know if anyone already knew this, but a group of bandsters are having a Bash in Chicago early April. All the folks going are on Spotlight Health, lapband support group board. Most of them are tenured bandsters who want to party like we do. Maybe we can get together with this group? Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hi Michelle, No news on my trip yet. I was thinking about January 11th. Waiting for my client to tell me what they want to do as far as a date. As far as restriction, I feel like I have less than when I went on Friday. Just had some low carb Pasta with some turkey sausage. THen I went on to eat 8 tortilla chips right after dinner.! So no, I am not feeling this increase in restriction. This happened the last time as well though. It took two weeks before it finally hit. So I am gonna wait and see patiently. Babs in TX

Hi Everyone, I did some research regarding my previous post about esophageal achalasia. The radiologist detected this problem when I had my last fill on Friday. For those who dont know what this means, it is lack of esophagus function in one or more areas of the esophagus. For the general unbanded population, this is a rare disorder usually found in only 2 in 200,000 folks and usually found in geriatric patients. Some of them have trouble swallowing, since their esophagus loses sensation. According to Inamed, for banded folks who have tight fills, achalasia could cause reflux, gastritis and numerous other issues. To some extent, folks who have a really tight fill could be causing their own achalasia and the only way to resolve it would be to have a partial unfill. In my case, I do not have any symptoms and it was noticed when I had a barium swallow that the barium was pooling a really long time in my esophagus and one part of my esophagus was not pushing the barium through at all. According to Inamed, I shouldnt worry about it unless my doc thinks it would affect my band in some way. I was more worried about erosion which would be bad. I dont PB, barf or have reflux, so I think I should be OK. If I exhibit any of these signs, I will get an unfill. I dont want to do permanent damage to my esophagus. Most people who have achalasia who are not banded would have to resort to surgery or Botox injections. It is possible that I had this issue prior to lapband surgery, but I find this to be unlikely. I emailed my doc asking what he thinks we should do. I have not heard back from him yet, but I think it would be good to have an EGD done at some stage just to make sure that there are no other issues. I am a smoker and just want to be sure that there is nothing else going on in my esophagus. I bring this up because I believe that we should all be aware of cause and effect. If you have any symptoms of reflux, gastritis or lack of swallowing sensation, you need to take immediate action. I also think it is advisable to have an EGD (endoscopy of the throat) at least once a year to check everything in there. Just my thoughts.... Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hi Leatha, I am not using Nioxin, but I may pick up some. The only thing I can think of is its gotta be the Zinc. My friend who is a dietician says that zinc deficiencies rarely show up on a test. I am willing to try anything. I want the thick lush hair I once had before. Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146

Hi Everyone, I went for a fill on Friday morning done by flouroscopy which I hoped would be my last fill to get to goal. I was also hoping that I would never need another fill again. Instead of the radiologist I normally have, they scheduled me with a new guy. Of course I was livid cause my regular guy has done my last few fills and I feel very comfortable with him. Anyway, I decided to let the new guy do it after talking with him a little about my fill history. Apparently he had done some fills over several months and wasnt a complete newbie. A little fill history first: Banded June 23, 2003 August 2003 - 1.00 CC by flouro / No restriction August 2003 / 1 week later: upped to 1.75 with flouro/ Some restriction October 2003 - upped to 2.00 with flouro - Good restriction No reflux or PB's January 27th - Upped to 2.25 by my surgeon/ Vey snug and loosened up over summer 2004 August 11th - Found out that I had 2.5 in my band instead of 2.25 I thought I had Had my band tweaked to 2.6. This fill done by flouro August 27th - Surgeon unfilled to 2.4 cause it got too tight and I refluxed one time. No flouro December: Discover I only have 2.00 in my band instead of the 2.4 I thought I had. Received a .25 fill bringing me to a supposed 2.25 total. THe radiologist did a swallow test prior to the fill. He said that I already had good restriction and the barium was pooling in the upper pouch. I explained to him that barium wasnt food, so I did not think that this was a good example, since I can still eat quite a lot of solid Protein in one sitting. He called my doc on the phone and asked his opinion. My doc recommended that I not get a fill based on what he heard. I explained to the radiologist that I do not PB or slime and rarely even have a golfball feeling. I have not had a PB since May 2004 and only 4-5 times since being banded . He said that he would increase it by .25 if I wanted, since I have far less than I thought I had and obviously could handle more since I have in the past. Anyway, he gave me the fill and afterwards, he gave me another barium swallow. Results regarding restriction pretty much the same as the first one. But then he started studying the pics a little more and he noticed that I have a dead spot in my esophagus that doesnt seem to push the food through. He even started to go on to say that he thought there was something odd about my band. Bla Bla Bla. Had me turn sideways and then he said it looked fine. I questioned him about the dead zone he was referring to. He said that it appeared that part of my esophagus does not seem to spasm or push the food through. He commented that maybe heavier food like chicken or protein goes through faster because of the weight of the food,, whereas the liquids tend to sit in my pouch longer because of the dead zone he was referring to. Naturally, this scared me. I asked him if he thought that this might be a result of long term banding and should I worry. He said it was possible that my esophagus operated this way pre band. Anyway, this would explain why I dont PB so easily, since I dont have the gag reflex. I left the hospital scared and worried. Did I really only have 2.00 in my band and not the 2.4 my doc said he unfilled me to in August? Cause if I had the 2.4, and the radiologist was mistaken, then I now have 2.65 in my band, whiich is th most I have ever had. Or did my doc miscalculate, lie to me about how much he unfilled me or am I losing Fluid somehow? And what about the dead zone. Is my esophagus dying or something or should I get a second opinion? So far I have had no problems with this new fill. I went to a Christmas party in the evening and ate pretty much everything including fruit, fish, crackers, cheese etc. SO now, I have less in my band than I had earlier this year and more than I have had since August. I was afraid to leave the area and called my docs office to explain my concerns. Apparently my doc came to radiology to look at the pics. after I left. He said that he thinks I am too tight based on the pics, but there is nothing wrong with my band. He did not comment about the dead zone, since I dont think the radiologist mentioned anything to him about it. I noticed my doc has been bordering on conservative as of late since he has been having to do more and more unfills due to tight bands, refluxing and PBing. Other than the one time I refluxed, I have had almost no problems and I can eat anything including bread, chicken and steak. So is he being cautious or does he really believe that I am too tight? I can only go by the bandster rules and I have not been losing a pound a week for quite some time now. Yes, I am still losing, but not at the rate I would like. What do you think I should do? Get a second opinioin? babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hi Alexandra: I spoke to Cynthia Jones here in TX (she lost 210 pounds and is at goal) who owns Bandlandia. She suggested that I get an EGD to check esophagus function. She thinks that all bandsters should get one every year. I am sending an email to my surgeon and he is calling me this afternoon to review the flouro fill notes etc and address my concerns. Your doc sounds like a smart guy and I agree with his theory. Babs in TX

Hi Lisa, You look luscious! Really can see the difference in your face. And unlike me, you still have all your hair!!!! Maybe more now! Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hi Everyone, Went to the doc this morning about the hair loss issue, blood draw etc... I tried to fit everything into one visit. This was the physician assistant who wrote me my letter of medical necessity for lapband surgery last year. He had not seen me since then and I think he was completely shocked at the transformation. We covered the following topics: Why am I losing hair? I told him I thought it was hormonal, so he ordered lots of tests and they took vials and vials of blood. I asked him to look at my thighs and my hanging panne and told him I want plastic surgery next year. I still get skin infections, rashes etc. OK, I stretched the truth a little, but took down my pants so he could document that he did indeed see some infections pockets at the top of my inner thighs. Nothing active, but I sure would like a thigh lift and TT. OK, a boob job as well, but I wasnt prepared to show him tube socks with sand in them! LOL He thought that I had about 10 pounds of excess panne, but I told him the plastic surgeon told me it was like 3 o4 4 pounds only. I also asked him what he thought an ideal weight would be for me. He looked in my chart and saw that my BMI last year was 53.9 and present BMI is about 30. He felt that a weight of 170-175 would be ideal, which would put me at a BMI of 27-28. He said for a 39 year old woman who has been morbidly obese most of her life that it was not possible to get to 150 and I shouldnt strive for that. Not that he was discouraging me from trying, he was just trying to be realistic. Between the excess and the denser bones, I probably have about 10 pounds that I wont lose no matter what I do. I was really pleased with the visit. I should be getting the test results back regarding the hair loss and a cholesterol check sometime early next week. My blood pressure was 100/70, which is really great and he is thrilled with my progress so far. So we shall see what happens. At least I am taking some action. Tomorrow, I go for a fill at the hospital to give me back what they took out in August. Hopefully, I will soon be at goal!!! Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03