Jack

Now in my own 9th year postOp BandLand, many of those on your list at first DID give me trouble. I have had to modify how I eat and proceed very differently than preOp, as I was a basic 'stuff & swallow' type of eater. I now enjoy almost all of those on your list, with little difficulty....although I do many 'errors of eating' sometimes when too hungry or too big of a hurry. I spent most of the first year after retuning to solid foods, finding new ways to run a blender and how to manage my new eating requirements.....but slowly learned how to eat 'normo' food. The only thing that still gives a rough time, is various too-dry chicken parts. It took a couple of years to be able to eat saltine crackers except 5 minutes of nibble-nibble-nibble. Salads are enjoyable most of the time. For me, although I love bananas, they raise my blood sugar way too much so I avoid them. I agree with others that you may need consult with a professional to evaluate what the issue may be. Please keep us posted. Cheers on your journey.

All of us get lazy or distracted or lose our concentration, despite what our earnest intent may be. As a diabetic Bandster, the advantages of realistic moderation of my natural inclination to put off/ignore/deny the need for ACTION in my own behalf, is a conflict between the Rational and the Emotional part of my brain. One of the most helpful tools I have is the (free) newsletter of David Mendosa. I heartily recommend his information-rich postings. His recent article at <http://www.healthcen...esolutions> is a timely boost for my own waning dedication to my own best efforts. Consider what he has to say and how to add his own experiences to upgrade your own Action Plan. Cheers on our New Life

Along with other choices we all have to learn to make (AND enjoy!!!) is coming to actually embrace the very spirit of why we must depart from the old habits that nearly killed us while turning us into morbidly obese with little ability to regulate our own behavior. I haven't had a real soda since circa 1965, or the synthetic stuff since 1988. For something that has 'no calories' etc, we should get a clue some kind of addictive process keeps us wanting to consume it, with no food value and no actual thirst quenching capacity. I once did a long study on the addictive physiological aspects of both sugared soft drinks as compared to cocaine. That led to research into the then-hidden mysteries of artificial sweeteners and the effects on our health. I have a friend who is in the short line of hospice care, and she attributes her liver failure to massive diet soda consumption over a 10 year post-retirement period, as it affected her genetically anomalous 'condition'. Not to make a science claim of the pharmacology of such liquids, but consider the habituation and near zombie-like drive to continue drinking the stuff, when there is really no physiological advantage to do such. 'Mouth feel' and 'aftertaste' and the engineering design to create the illusion we like something that by definition 'has no calories'. They don't mention what the extra phosphate does, nor the host of other ingredients, on our digestive system enzymes nor our moods. I replaced my own decade-long beer habit with a can of sparkling Water now & then. Lemon flavor LaCroix is my choice. Pouring it in a pottery mug will effectively reduce the saturated CO2 rapidly, but the tart flavor remains intact. It's a real treat if I tire of plain water. I also have developed a fondness for certain herbal teas. Mainly, water serves very well, but today we celebrated with freshly extracted carrot juice from the last of our carrot crop. Way more satisfying these days for me. Cheers to us all in the New Year.

Herein lies a true secret of each Bandster that must be carefully observed. I've had several 'long episodes' of heavy slimes and PBing, which were always under these conditions: 1) Error in eating procedure: too much, too fast, too dry....usually from going too long and being too hungry to follow the NEW 'Rules of Eating''; 2) shortly after a little fill which initially seemed to be inconsequential but in short order proved that 'too tight' can be hard to self-diagnose; 3) outright concern of esophageal dysmotility and/or a host of other similar issues. In my 3rd year postOp I did go 'too DAMN tight' for about 4 months without having it properly adjusted. In my 4th year postOp, just to prove I'm a slow learner, I did it again. And recently, I suffered over about 18 months of ever-increasing symptoms. This was thoroughly investigated by multiple barium swallows, a upper GI under sedation, a series of consults with my med team, and finally self diagnosis of being again too tight. A little out 7 months ago gave major relief, with some remaining complaint. A little further out 3 months ago has provided almost 100% relief. Although it has become too easy to eat too much once again, I am undertaking steps to overcome this little episode. Do not underestimate the NEED to 'adjust/readjust/reevaluate' and by all means seek to understand what a pattern of symptoms may well indicate. Cheers on your journey

pattyd: feeling down gave me an opportunity to start realizing how much I equated *food* and *eating* with everything I did socially and individually.... once through the first couple weeks your energy-producing pathways begin pumping out energy from a different part of the Krebs cycle. Not only do we being feeling better physically, our emotional vessel begins to respond as well. Our ability to relate to what have always ~seemed~ like obstacles evolves and we (at least some of us) start to morph into our NEW selves. The old chores and way we look at daily things you describe, begin to take on a different meaning.....we gain the ability to interpret and express and evaluate and change our own behavior as we gain more control of our own selves. The Band for me was/IS a very liberating experience. In 2 weeks/2months/2 years you will be surprised at your new self. Be sure to do a few record keeping chores: Take front and side photos from a constant position and with the same clothing, say a t-shirt & gym shorts or some such. Tape measure legs, arms. trunk AND head size every month or so. Write it in a PERSONAL journal. In the journey along the unknown path you take, when you get feeling down you can compare where you are with where you were. It helps tremendously IMHO, and ALWAYS cheered me up. I still have a pair of my old size 58 walking shorts. While I STILL am "30 # from goal" and get negative feelings, I can drag those out and SEE whatever else, there IS progress toward my own goal. I traced feeling down SOME of the time, to my own initial sensation of 'deprivation' as I had evolved the habit of the illusion of reward by eating something I wanted. It was VERY necessary to learn to tell whether eating for 'hunger' or for 'sport'. THAT made a huge difference and kept me very busy most of the time from being very much down. In any case, CHEERS on your journey!!!

I had the "D'OH" avatar with Homer Simpson smacking his forehead for a few days myself....about 4 or 5 days into my first week postOp. I felt horrid, all those negative imaginations that made me wonder. That passed in a couple of days. That was December 2004 for me. Since then, even my worst postOp day has been BETTER than my best preOp day for about 15 years before surgery!!! It will pass. Plan your strategy. Save at least ONE set of your FAT clothes to show off over the next 6-12 months, as you will not believe you ever wore that stuff. Prepare for a GREAT postOp life!!! It's coming. Happy New Year. Cheers on your journey.

Long ago I used to post the sudden little NSVs that appeared in my life.....it got to the point after a few months postOp where I could easily generate about 10 a week that sneaked up on me. Some were such as "realizing I could wear my cowboy hat IN my pickup without it mashing into the roof" or wondering whether a squad of carpenter leprechauns hustled around in restaurants rebuilding the always-too-tight booths so I could actually fit IN them comfortably.... NSV covers a lot a ground even when the scale numbers don't seem to be cooperating. Having to box up my old XXXX stuff and return it to Omar the Tent maker, and learning there are entire stores that DON'T have an XXXX size in them! was another NSV. Cheers,

Cheers & good luck in your journey. My own Bandaversary now places me into my NINTH year postOp!!!! As I recall--ever so long ago---the first 4 days I couldn't sip a whole cup of tea before it cooled. It took all day to get my 1 liter of Water sipped down. Eating wasn't an option....not that hunger was an issue at all. And I had a little emotional glitch about day 7 or so.....but ALL has been very very good since!!! Herbal tea was my friend, and the actual 6 weeks before returning to 'solid food' helped me come to understand the difference between 'hungry' and 'not hungry'. Cheers to you this fine holiday!!!! Don't worry, it's a Whole New Life postOp.....and that Life is GOOD!!!!

In my own experience, 'being stuck' is not the same as or related to 'not being able to keep anything down'.....especially liquids over the next few days. There's a lot of potential variables that come with a 'serious stuck' episode. Early in my own return to solid-food journey, I made the mistake of trying to swallow a bite of scambled egg with grits. Wouldn't have thought that could cause an issue as I was able to eat them individually. I was driving on a road trip at the time, and spent the next 200 miles drooling and spitting and PBing and having such a time.... never was I in any serious danger of dehydrating, as it was possible to take tiny swigs of Fluid every now & then. And I actually DID get 'hungry' after a few hours, but still had PB episodes most of the day. Consult with your physician is always a good idea if you experience any lengthy episodes, as it is impossible on line to determine exactly what may be a problem. The first few times I was stuck I too was panicked. And in review of each episode, it become possible to identify my own 'eating error' that caused the entire chain of events. If you can't keep Water down, call your Dr. or the local ER to get instructions. Please keep us posted as to what your status on this problem is.

You know, it's really odd.....I've favored the large/colorful/obnoxious/unusual shirt patterns for decades....until my size dropped from "morbidly obese" to merely "obese". I haven't worn my former favorites in years now. The ones not already sent back to Omar the Tentmaker......my former seamstress... I too hauled off boxes & bundles of the old forlorn favorites. My clothing tastes have changed along with a lot of other unexpected things. I also now find it convenient to shop for jeans at various Good Will stores. Usually now I can wear 44, down from 56-58. Typically pants now can cost from 9.99 to 2.99 depending. It's a sort of new hobby, to find pants I like in that venue. The other day I found a new-unworn pair of jeans that was 3.99 I would have grabbed....but the rear pocket had some incredibly annoying gold embroidery designs on it. Getting rid of box loads of my old too big stuff was a symbolic and valuable experience for me.

Congratulations on your BandsterHood!!!! Personally I am close to celebrating the start of Year 9 PostOp!!! YEA LapBands!!!! You are fortunate to have the wealth contained in your Book, I had to make do with the only the scant on-line stuff elsewhere. I wandered far & wide until stumbling upon the LBT board. The willingness to share information AND experiences not reported elsewhere, kept me on my own path of discovery. Cheers on your new status, and cheers on your journey.

perhaps you ladies have forgotten how difficult it is to communicate IN person let alone on the screen. While anyone can sympathies with venting, consider how well any of you would take ongoing sexist bashing of this nature. Nuance is difficult under best of circumstances.

I haven't drank soda pop in well over 20 years. Don't miss it. Never did drink Coke, last time I tasted it was about 1965 or so. Yuck. Between herbal teas, sun teas, coffee (black, not confectionated), various bottled waters both still and fizz type (yes, I can get along with a bit of it now after 8 years postOp), and a bit of the powdered stuff from one of the nutritional suppliers, I do fine. I prefer the lemon-flavor non-sweetened carbonated La Croix. I used to have to let it go flat or pour in a pottery-cup, as certain kinds of glazes would kill the carbon-bond rapidly. Also Appolinaris form Germany with the tiny bubbles was great for me in the early-to-middle postOp months. Such as Calistoga and most US carbonated waters were just to strong a flavor....has something to do with the 'acidic' aspect of how large the CO2 bubbles are. Huckleberry-nunt tea was very very good to me the first 6 weeks postOp.

note to Bandsters: I have deleted a number of highly antagonistic posts by a member who is way out of spec with the Rules as posted. Don't care about the argument, we can learn to express ourselves within the intention and guidelines posted.

I'm 8 years postOp. I take these meds with no issues IF I pay close attention and take a little sip of water.

re: "My definition of restriction is I feel satisfied, not hungry, and i'm not hungry for several hours. But this is not what is happening, i'm not in the green zone." This is a crucial issue for all of us. For myself, suddenly discovering the difference between 'hungry/NOT hungry' led to a better realization of what 'satiety' was for me. I learned that often times after a mere bite or 2 or 3, my hunger had abated. That led to discovery that much of my eating had been based on what I call 'sport-eating'.....where hunger really had nothing to do with it. IMHO there are many ways we confront the Belly Beast. After all, those forces of whatever origin, have control most of us for decades. Chewing ice gave a certain satisfaction at times. And oddly, just drinking plain Water also gave the illusion of being 'not hungry'. I had to learn new ways to stop eating when 'not hungry', and to train myself to eat only to gain 'satiety'. Others find their own way. Even now 8 years postOp, at times I suddenly discover the old Bad Habits of eating are starting to change my intention to only eat with the guidelines the Rational Brain has developed. Always, I found that a drink of water and getting busy doing something besides eating or wishing I was eating, helped for perhaps hours. Another important trick for me, was to establish *mealtime* as opposed to 'eating time'.....as a serial grazer it was/is far too easy to nibble through the day. Good luck, let us know of your progress!

I'm one of those who believes the only thing that makes coffee better, is whiskey. Having given up whiskey, the 'Perfect Bean' is crucial to my day. I drink a couple mugs in the morning, full roast. I can't stand anything that deteriorates the wonders therein. I'm told the Arab saying was "Coffee should be black as night, hot as hell, and sweet as love". I'm with that, except for the 'sweet' part. I keep a wide variety of different varieties on hand, as my taste may change from one day to the next. As a teen I couldn't get into drinking coffee, until I discovered 'adding milk' was NOT required. Straight non-decaf, the stronger and darker roast, the better, IMHO. Your taste may differ.....but .....geez......why try to improve on the Perfect Bean by changing the flavor?...... Coffee is NOT a confection!!! IMHO of course. Enjoy.

one of my most satisfying goals has been to develop appreciation and satisfaction with eating a Normo amount of food, going for hours without thinking of the next meal, and being satisfied with regular food amounts. Also to wear clothing you have to go to "special stores' that don't even HAVE an XXX sized department. Physical activity for me is being able to do chores around the place without pooping out, and being able to walk more than 50 feet without misery. Giving up the CPAP was nice too.

Hope this all works out for the best Bandsters!!! I am nearly my 8th full year postOp, and had some issues with slime & PBing episodically. Had the imaging done twice now and they still aren't sure of 'exact' Dx. Short of the invasive procedures they gave me to choose from, I asked for a bit of unfill. With only 1.5cc in a 4cc band, they finally took out .2cc. This has given great relief and I believe I'm eating far better with no symptoms the last several weeks. I've been a happy Bandster in general, but several times went through episodes that made me too wonder about removal. So far that doesn't seem to be indicated. I know how frustrating not being sure what to do can be. While I remain "40# above goal" I'm still very close to what I weighed getting out of high school 50 years ago....and my pants size remains down 6-7 sizes as well. The odd old Bad Eating Habits are more and more rare, yet at times I will suddenly discover I'm about to eat something even when NOT hungry! That awareness of the difference between 'hungry' and "NOT hungry" has been a marvelous improvement for me.

re: " I am having to learn to eat slowly now and that is one of my down falls. I have been a very fast eater for many years." I too was a Gulper-wash it down with a BIG swig of fluid....a fundamental Error of Eating for sure. Glad to hear you are doing well now. Retraining that Gulp method doesn't take as long as I thought it would either. Learn to nibble-nibble-nibble. My first 6 months it would take about 10 minutes to eat a soda cracker....but the habit of tiny vs Gulp has served me well. Cheers on your journey.

Congratulations on trying to explore this issue with those around you. Even postOp you will encounter people who will somehow determine they have the right to give their opinion whether asked or not. One of the liberating aspects of making good informed decisions is learned to train our own Rational Mind instead of allowing our Emotional Belly run our lives. Research, read, discuss, ask questions.....it gets down to what you, your medical condition, and your doctor decide is the best choice. It took me nearly 2 years of vacillation, frustration, anxiety and visiting a number of WLS support groups live, to decide. And in 2003 there weren't many Bandsters around for support of this option. Cheers on your journey.

One of the rewards of our New Life as Bandsters, is finding new ways to do things we never could attempt preOp. I too encounter obstacles regularly that I have to figure a way to overcome. My son told me in the Marine Corp he was taught "Improvise-adapt-overcome" or some such. It helps me in those down moments, to find ways to through the Mountains of Opportunity to keep headed toward my own goals. Frustration of doing one way can be used to generate enthusiasm to do it another. Water finds its way to the ocean no matter how many landslides and curves in the terrain. The gravitational aspect of our INTENT to achieve can be harnessed to great results. Cheers on your journey.

"Check with him to be certain that your "interpretation of his look" is accurate. " a very reasonable option Assigning 'what other people think' then acting "as if' that were so, is a habit that we slip into using that too often justifies our own non rational behavior. Immanuel Kant had a very lengthy discourse based on behavior stemming from "the Hypothetical Imperative"....acting AS IF something were true. Shorter answer.....maybe your hubby is just trying to have a little fun, but in a way that isn't very productive.

can you sip just a tiny amount without throwing it up? Are you getting gastric juices or just slime & Water? Is there any kind of fever or sign of infection? If you have physical signs call your physician at once, or the ER. If it's just the unknown mechanics of early postOp, your ability to sip/sip/sip will be tolerated....but NOT "swallow" as preOp. It took to my own 5th day to be able to drink even a cup of tea while it was still warm, as I could only tolerate tiny tiny sips....not even a whole liter in 12 hours, I was tight, and concerned as well. It's a little like learning to ride an unbroken horse....each Bandster has similar but different reaction to such a proceedure. Do you have someone around to help assist you and able to make observations? Do you have any kind of elevated temperature? Sip/sip/sip/sip....one whole cup may take an hour. The 3-4-5 days are way better....but YOU have to make a determination of your status. Please post more details of your current condition if you want a little better understanding.

I've tried to understand exactly where this 'starvation mode' and 'slow metabolism' is actually measured quantitatively. Never seen enough supportive research that makes those terms meaningful enough to know what they really meant. As part of my own preparation & ongoing studies, at one point I had prepared for over a year, to go on a long fast. Eventually I extended my 'total food fast' into a stretch 27 days long. I went through the bad breath and coated tongue of ketosis, along with managing continued bowel function with appropriate technique. The result was loss of 38 pounds.....suggesting my body had not found whatever that 'starvation mode' slow down might have been. On the last day of my fast, I cut, split and loaded 2 full cords of firewood, with no loss of energy noted. There had been some interesting sensations other than the sense of physical capacity, although I was 31 at the time and the essence of being 'fit'. I won't complicate this discussion with the fleeting sensations of sensory nature. There certainly is alteration of bodily metabolic processes, for one in the complex Kreb Cycle of energy derived via the glyconeogenesis or the glycolytic route. That itself is worth a lengthy study in consideration of whatever the notions of 'metabolic slow down' may include. Digestive physiology is a complex subject full of those who leap to conclusions not necessarily accurate. The related an equally complex process of bowel function and waste elimination can be somewhat modified by as simple as adding or withholding a couple of liters of Water during the day as well. Short term observations on a limited sample size are notoriously unreliable. Despite a career as a health care provider, I am unable to offer my own certainty these terms accurately convey much helpful real information.