Carlene

That's the name of a song???? I am so out of the loop.

No, you absolutely do NOT. Only about 1/3 have significant "dumping" in the first place, and most of those lose that so-called benefit after a year or two. And the body adapts so that there is less malsorption over time. It is these things, plus the distended, non-adjustable pouch, that causes rebound weight gain in the majority of bypass patients.

Living with a tight band increases the likelihood of constipation. At least that was my experience. I'm assuming it's because you can't get liquids down as easily, can't eat fruit, etc. That's one of the benefits (probably the ONLY benefit) of having (for now) only a small fill.....I have no bathroom issues.

Linda....it is for life, but it isn't magic. You have to work the program and long before 8 years, if you try hard enough, you can find ways to eat around the band. News flash....the bypass isn't "for life" either. After a honeymoon of about 2 years, the weight starts coming back.

I agree....nuts. I offered them the 5K plus the honeymoon. But nooooooooooo...they wanted a big party with all their friends. The dress was $800, not including the veil or alterations. Every single person I dealt with had a favorite horror story, and they all shared them. By the time I heard all about the grooms who called from the airport to say they'd changed their minds, to the brides who got cold feet and snuck out of town the night before, to the cakes that collapsed, the DJ that never showed, the portable dance floor that was warped, the drunks, the fights, the ex-girl/boy friends who showed up, etc I was a nervous wreck. Finally I sat the bride and groom down and said, "Look, something is bound to go wrong. Hopefully, it will be something minor. So whatever it is, we will adjust for it and go on with our plans. Remember that it's not the wedding that's important; it's the marriage." Sure enough, the bride took a shortcut and got lost, so she was late and the DJ had the wrong date down, so he was late, too. Everything else went off as planned. Oops....I almost forgot. They were spending the night in a local hotel near the airport and leaving the next day for the honeymoon. They took their vehicle out there earlier in the day, so that their friends could not "decorate" it. But the groom left the keys in his tux pocket, and changed at the church after the receiption, so I could return the (rented) tux the next day. They called me about 1 AM and I had to take the car keys to them. As revenge, my stepdaughter and I decided to paint the car with shoepolish, attach tin cans, etc. We were having a great old time doing this when the cops showed up - alerted by the hotel security people to possible vandalism in the parking lot. We were lucky we didn't get arrested, I guess.

I feel your rage. All the stress is on the mother of the bride, was my experience. The happy couple gives your their wish list and it's up to you to make it happen. It can be very hard to book a venue for a wedding on less than 6 months notice, so she'd best get on the ball. Also, many clergymen/churches require several weeks of premarital counseling, etc. Now would be the time to look into that. I offered my DD and HTB (husband to be) 5K plus expenses to elope. They turned it down.

LOL.....Lauren, pre-band DH and I used to do the same thing - especially with Italian restaurants. Although I love sweets, too. I haven't had a piece of bread in over 2 years, which amazes me. I never would have thought I could live without it!

I'd say skip the fills until after your vacations, not only because the people you will be with don't know you're banded, but also because you don't want to be out of town (away from your doctor) for 2 weeks after a fill. It really can take that long for issues to show up.

I feel your....well,not pain, Alexandra. I was unfilled for almost 3 weeks and gained 8 pounds - mostly because I was allowed only liquids and mushies, but part self-pity, too. I got a small fill last week, but my restriction is almost nil. I'm due for another on June 4th...thank goodness. In the meantime, once I got over feeling sorry for myself, I got really angry at self for having so little discipline. I joined a gym and punished myself for an hour each last Wed, Thurs, and Fri. (I also rewarded me with a nice lay-out session by the pool, a relaxing 10 or 15 minutes in the whirlpool each day, and awesome visits to the Eucalyptus steam room.) Last night we ate Chinese (buffet) after church and it was awesome. I haven't been able to eat some of those things in almost two years. Enjoying it while I can, but looking forward to no fried won ton in my future.

I'm a total C&W fan, and although I don't have a long-time favorite, there always seems to be a new song out that has crack-me-up lyrics. Right now there is one getting a lot of air time that's all about a girl breaking up with her Jerky boyfriend. Part of it goes.... I would've given you the finger on my left hand The one that you use for a wedding band But now I'm givin' you The one in the middle The one that's a little bit longer And I got another one On my other hand So I can say it even stronger If you're askin' if I'm done Well, I'm sure not sayin' you're number one No, now I'm givin' you The one in the middle The one that says we're through Gotta love us high-class country broads!

Of course they do.....but I prefer old age to lung Cancer.

Bite your tongue, Lauren. English Lit papers are kind of fun (for me) but tests are not my idea of a good time.

Back in the "old days", they shaved you for childbirth....and gave you an enema, for good measure. I learned after my first child to wait until my labor was too far along for the enema. But you're right....the growing out phase sucks. I can't do the totally clean shaven thing. I'm afraid I'll hurt my girly self.

Congrats.... My daughter-in-law brought my A average in her English Lit class down to a B with her lousy test grades...LOL I did three papers for her and got 95,90,95 on them. She's happy, though, so I guess it's okay.

How many fills have you had? You won't feel restriction until you have had several fills, as a rule. And you probably should think about giving up the bread. It isn't getting stuck in your esophagus; it's getting stuck in your stoma - the opening from your pouch to your stomach. I know it feels like a golf ball in the middle of your chest, but it's not really in your esophagus. I have never heard anything about "pressure" and the band "sliding into place". The band is stitched in place. Try to eat band friendly foods only for a week or two and see if this doesn't resolve itself. Band friendly foods are very tender, very moist chicken, tuna, salmon, soft veggies, low fat yogurt, cheese, etc. And chew everything until there is nothing left before you swallow.

Do you think you could fix the "edit" feature before you work on more new stuff? I am sick to death of clicking on the "edit" button and seeing all those little yellow smiley faces. :yell:

Yep......there has never been a political platform that I agreed with totally, but when it comes time to vote, I'm a yellow dog Democrat.

I am basically indifferent to my pubic hair, except during swimsuit season, when I hate it. My solution is to just shave it, but DH objects to that. Do I have the only "pro-pubic hair guy" in the world?

If you live in Texas and have a daughter, age 11 to 18, most County health depts offer the HPV vaccine for $15.00 per shot. I know that Dallas Co and Tarrant Co do....I haven't checked all the other counties, but I would definitely give them a call. The charge at the doctor's office is $165 per shot (it's a series of 3) and insurance will not pay for them.

Lots of differing opinions, is what I found. Here are two sides in one article. From the days of “reefer madness,” that old anti-drug movie, the word “addiction” has conjured images of out-of-control behavior. But today, cutting edge science is shedding new light on addiction and its connection to chemical changes in the brain. If those changes can lead to compulsive behavior, some scientists wonder if fatty foods and drugs just might have more in common than you think. Dr. William Jacobs: We’re very early in the game when it comes to addiction to food. The evidence is beginning to line up that there are so many similarities that I think we’re going to see that there are patients who are addicted to food. Dr. William Jacobs studies addiction at the University of Florida, and has testified against cigarette makers in past tobacco cases. He points to brain images that indicate activity in our brain’s reward and pleasure centers. Dr. Jacobs: What that scans tells us is that the brain is responding to food in a nearly identical manner as it is responding to cocaine in the patients who met the criteria for food addiction. Scanning people’s brains while making them sniff food looked like an odd experiment, but scientists at the prestigious Brookhaven National Lab are finding that just smelling and seeing certain foods, can often trigger a chemical excitement in the brains of over-eaters, making them compulsively want it. And it seems our brain gets most excited by the things that cause us so many problems: sugar, salt, and fat. Scientists warn our brain chemistry may actually change as we eat these foods, causing us to crave them even more. Dr. Jacobs: If as a child I eat very sweet, pleasurable food, instead of my vegetables that my mother wants me to eat, I may be setting myself up for brain-changes that may be irreversible. As preliminary as much of this science is, it’s all potential ammunition for lawyers like John Banzhaf. Banzhaf: Fast food companies fail to tell people that there is now sufficient evidence that eating fatting foods can cause addictive changes in the body. So do chocoholics and junk food junkies really exist? Science may be leaning that way, but the food industry says no. You have to eat to survive. You want to eat because it tastes good. Joe McMenamin: Food is not an addicting substance. Food is not morphine. And the solution for the obesity problem is not litigation. Joe McMenamin is a lawyer and a medical doctor in Richmond, Virginia. His firm represents food companies, so he’s studying the issue of food addiction. He’s concluded that calling food “addictive” is speculative junk science. Dr. McMenamin: The behaviors of those who overeat simply don’t resemble the behaviors of those who truly addicted. In those who are addicted, we see altered mental status. We see abrupt and often impulsive behavior dangerous to the individual himself or others. We see withdrawal, when one is denied access to his drug of choice. Foods don’t do that. So, how does this chemical excitement in our brain influence our decision-making as we pull into that drive-thru? If there is such a thing as food addiction, are some foods more addictive than others? The scientists we spoke to said a lot more needs to be understood before any of them would feel comfortable calling food “addictive” as experts on the witness stand. Stay tuned. Personally, I think it is trendy to call everything an addiction these days. People say it so casually.....Oh my God, I'm addicted to Diet Coke....I'm totally addicted to my soap operas...I could never give up my Crocs; I'm addicted to them.

Not necessarily. Some fat people are quantity eaters and don't crave sweets. Others, however, have a raging sweet tooth, yet don't overindulge. My MIL, for example, loves chocolate candy and eats it every day, but she is not overweight. I will see what I can find research wise and come back t this thread with the results. Should be interesting.

I'm not buying the whole "food addiction" thing. Human beings cannot sustain life without food. We are biologically engineered to crave food and, of course, cannot give it up or we would die. To say you are addicted to food is the same as saying you are addicted to breathing.

I am just getting over an esophageal dilation. Being too tight is the most frequent cause.

Only way to know for sure is to take a look under fluoro. Is it your pouch you are concerned about, or your esophagus? Pouch dilation doesn't really have any symptoms, except you gradually are able to eat more than you could before.

I was at the doctor's office and got to talking with his assistant about hair removal. Referring to her Italian heritage she said, "You know how hairy us Guinea girls are. " I almost fell off the table!