giveyouthemoon

It takes a month or longer for the anesthesia to get out of your body. The tiredness is normal. Think of it as healing! As you sleep your tummy heals. It will stop soon!

Plus, once you get to mushies you might feel a bit perkier!

I also would fight anyone trying to take my band. I say over and over "if I never lose another pound, it's been worth it". Just the fact that I can't eat in the sheer quantities that I used to.

Sure, I get tired of it...I want to eat a hamburger and all the fixin's but just can't....or whatever.

But everyday I'm so incredibly thankful for the small measure of control it puts into my world.

Like others said...barring any complications, it's here to stay! In fact this is my main tool for maintaining. I think the moment the band came off I'd be RIGHT back to my old ways.....

GasX peppermint creme chewables all the way for me! The strips might be fine but I actually *like* the taste of the chewables.

Weird, huh?

The only items on your list that are a complete NO GO are corn bread and corn tortillas. The rest have moments of yes and no.

Also...a lot of what is on your list I couldn't eat in the first year post banding but now I can do a bit better with. I've gotten smarter about how to eat.

Like you said, it's all trial and error. That is the life of the bandster..."hmm...will this work...chew chew chew chew...wait and see"

Good luck!

My doctor never once mentioned anything about pain when you eat.

That's likely becauase pain when you eat is a rare situation. Most bandsters don't have this problem (I don't). It sounds like it wasn't a good choice for your system and unfortunately there was no way to know that ahead of time.

I wish you the best of luck! Hope you get to feeling "right" soon.

Yes and no. It helps in that you can't eat the pure quantities that you could before. But it doesn't take away the urge to binge eat. So I still "binge" on occasion. The good news is that instead of 3000-5000 calories at a sitting, it's more like 1000 cals. Bad news is...it's still a form of binge eating.

I'm struggling with this one right now...can you tell?

No one has a right to use deadly force except as protection of their physical person.

On this point we are in violent agreement. (irony intended)

I guess when my neighbor was mugged and his Rolex was taken, you could have said that he provoked the violence by wearing a Rolex.

To quote you: What do apples have to do with oranges?

There is a huge leap from walking down the street, minding your own business to painting slogans on the side of a car that you are hoping gets a reaction...then acting *shocked* when you get a reaction.

As I said in my first post in this thread: But the USA is not that much different than most of the countries of the world. What makes it appalling is that most Americans think they are better, but sink to the same level as the people of the countries that they despise, while at the same time berating those countries for being backward.

It would be wrong for the people in the British pub to beat up the "Manchester United sucks" teeshirt wearers and it was wrong for the people in the gas station to attack the Brit's with the painted up automobiles.

People are too willing to lower themselves to barbaric standards and others are too willing to excuse barbaric behavior.

I'm not excusing the behavior of the rock throwers. I'm also not excusing the behavior of the car painters. Both play a role in that situation. Both have liability for what occured.

This happens to be one of my personal hot buttons...people who don't take responsibility for their actions and quickly play a victim role when they see what havoc their actions can cause.

I don't excuse the barbaric behavior of violence in any situation. But I also don't excuse provoking violence.

I have a hard time buying the "they asked for it" logic when it comes to things like violent behavior. Does anyone believe the "She asked for it" rape defense, because a woman wears a provocative outfit? Is that different from believing a "He asked for it" defense if a male wore a provocative outfit, that happened to provoke something different?

That is an inappropriate comparison for this situation. The men in the video went in purposely trying for a response, and a response is what they got. While I find the images quite disturbing, I can't help but think that they did in fact get what they wanted....they WANTED to see the people respond.

That is so not in the realm of a woman who is attacked...

I don't believe that violence is ever justified, but as I said in my earlier post, if you go in purposefully poking at the sleeping tiger, you must take some responsibility for your actions.

If I am to be outraged at how the people at the gas station responded, I need also to take a look at the people who encouraged that reaction just for fun and for a television show.

I got 9 because of the stupid widow and moses... I guess I need to slow down too.

Same score and missed the same two. Oh well.....: shrug :

Hey coyotegirl! Good to see you back! I was gone from the boards for a while and now I'm back too!

I'm RIGHT where you on in this process. Lost 100lbs and feel better than ever but cannot get back on the wagon. It was SO easy at first and I had SUCH determination but it seems things have fallen by the wayside.

I liked what TracyinKS said about "starting a new journey". Going to think about that for a while.....

I showed this vid to my bf who commented "yeah, well....they were sort of asking for it...I know plenty of pubs in the UK where if I showed up in a tshirt saying "Manchester United sucks" I'd be killed."

I know these guys were making a point, and an interesting one, but if you poke the sleeping tiger, one can't be shocked if one gets bit.

Oh man...having the band and losing a LOT of weight really brings out weirdness in people. Tell them to kiss your newly tiny ass and go out and shake that thang!

You can only be who you are every minute of every day. Just be that and let the rest fall out where they may.

Congrats on the band!

In my year and a half since banding I've run the gamut on Vitamins from liquid to chewable and now I'm back to liquid. I like the taste and ease of this brand, it's what I'm using now (got it at Whole Foods). Tastes tart like mango and doesn't have stinky smell:

http://www.country-life.com/moreinfo.cfm?Category=8&Product_ID=392

There needs to be some research done in your home! Show your mom and her partner this post!

The band is not plastic. The band is silicone, an inert substance that exists in your body!!! It does not rot. The breast implants that caused troubles were liquid form silicone and that did not rot either! It leaked out and caused the body's natual defense mechanisms to go on overload.

Solid silicone, as the band is, will out live ALL OF US and then some!

I feel like you are being emotionally manipulated and that is not right!

I agree with others, go see your doctor. Tell them what you've told us and see about getting "right". You might be too tight or not eating right or a whole host of other issues.

Hang in there! We're here for you....

Oh and a PS....are your mom and/or her partner overweight? Could this be some jealousy over you having the band? Just a thought?

One could say that the forty something pounds I have lost has now taken on peripheral importance

And THAT is a great NSV, now isn't it? I know my bf is pleased with my renewed, how shall we say, vigor, for that particular activity!!

I agree with the others....tell him your situation!!

Also....my port is right smack dab in the middle of my tummy. He *may* have been gesturing there....so best to ask/tell in advance!!!

I don't know if I would consider Andi overfilled, but possibly she has a very irritated belly,

That could very well be true and if that's the case, an unfill would also help to rest and then a refill after a month or so after everything is calmed down.

I'll tell you tho, "i can eat chips but can't eat hard protein" is a pretty CLASSIC symptom of being overfilled.

Yes, it's still true.

By way of supporting evidence, I suggest you look up username ousooner

Here's his thread on making goal:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/goal-met-t29974.html

He lost the amount I have to lose and did it in less than a year.

He is amazing!

Ok, here's some thoughts and perhaps some tough love....

I can eat anything and everything I could before with the occasional PB episode

Yes. I'm wondering if your doctor didn't tell you this? A lot of posts I read here I'm finding that what doctors do and don't tell their patients varies wildly and I find a lot of folks maybe didn't really understand what they were getting into. I fear this may be the case for you...you had certain expectations that weren't properly set by your surgeon.

Here's the take from my doctor. Yes, you can eat around the band. You can eat pretty much all the stuff. That's why the band isn't for everyone. The band takes work. It's about a 50-50 match of you and your band, the weight doesn't just "fall off" while you happily eat whatever you want. It was never designed to do that.

I'm pretty sad because I think your surgeon left out some details in the pre-screening.

I now feel exactly like I did before, obsessing about food, dieting just as much as ever, and not getting anywhere.

This would be true of any surgery. There is no surgery out there that takes this away. For some of us in this world, sadly, we were given the burden of always obsessing about food and our weights.

So is this all bad news? No, because over time with some work, things can improve. I believe if you've "got the demon", you always will. It's basically an addiction.... But there are times the demon can be quieter than others.

I know this is a rather unpopular thing to say...but from my own experience, the only way I've ever been able to get that damn demon to hush a bit is through talk therapy with a trained counselor.

There is a lot behind food addictions and food issues. A LOT of mental and emotional stuff. And for better or worse, having a bariatric surgery makes you have to take a real good hard look at that....

It's up to each of us to decide how to work with that.....

Yes, I do feel fuller after I eat and don't think I'm eating as much as I used to, but chips and crackers go down just as easy as they ever did.

If you are eating chips and crackers and not Proteins and veggies, then no, the band isn't going to work for you. And if, as you mention later, that what you are supposed to be eating hurts too much to eat, then I have news for you.....

You Are Too Tight.

This falls right into my surgeon's rules regarding fills. If you are overfilled, you will make bad choices and not lose weight. He's seen this time and again. It's counterintuitive, I know...but it's true. I was overfilled and I gained weight.

The rule is "I'd rather see you be too loose and eat too much chicken than too tight and eat around the band (ie chips, crackers, ice cream)" (<-- loosely paraphrased)

My last fill was around November and I can't tell if I should go for another one.

No. I think you should make an appointment with your doctor and talk to him/her about what you've said here. And how frustrated you are, and how you think you might be too tight.

And you have to look deep within yourself and remember what your motivation was to be banded in the first place.....

They make me feel like I have to beg for one and if I don't do everything "right" then I won't get one.

See, now I'm beginning to be suspicous about this doctor of yours....is there another dr anywhere nearby that you can go to for fills because that type of attitude is just crap, in my humblest of opinions.

I feel like I'm pretty restricted anyway. The foods I'm supposed to be eating hurt when they go down so I just stick to the foods that don't hurt.

Yeah. I really do think you need an unfill.

I feel so very discouraged and hopeless... If I had known I would have opted for the gastric bypass.

Hate to break it to you....gastric bypass...you would be having the exact same problems you are now. Sure, you would have lost like a banshee for the first year while you "dumped" and freaked out your body's insulin for the first year from all the carbs from chips and crackers.....

And then after the first year, all loss would have stopped....and if you kept eating like you are, the weight would start coming right back on.

Because there is NO surgery in the world that allows you to eat anything and everything you want and NOT diet or exercise or work through food issues.

It's not a magic bullet. Think long and hard before you jump in.

No, that's exactly right. And it sounds like your doctor never told you that. And THAT is very concerning to me because everyone should get a long detailed and rather stern lecture about this very point. The band is not a magic bullet. Neither is gastric bypass, or "the sleeve" or verticle gastrectomy or duedenal switch or ANY of the bariatric surgeries out there.

There is no magic bullet.

There, I've said it. I've spent a lifetime looking for it and would sure love to find it....but it just doesn't exist. What exists is a lot of us with a lot of pain and sad thoughts and troubles with food. And everyday we have to fight a little harder.

And you, my friend, are one tired soldier today. I get that. I really do. Ok....now...you've had a chance to think about it. I'm holding out my hand...are you ready to stand up and give it another try?

I don't think you were/are a mean grandfather. Actually, what you are doing is right. The problem, in the long run, is the child is getting different messages from Mom, Grandma and Grandpa.

There is no good answer and that doesn't mean you shouldn't stick to your rules when it's your turn to watch the girl.

It's just that anymore in our world, food is a confusing thing.

I do, however, like your pressing her not to lie about "being full" or "having a tummy ache". It sounds to me like that tactic works for her at home.....which is a shame.

But if you laid out the rules, the expectations "if you eat your eggs then you can have dessert" and she didn't eat the eggs, then no dessert. One of the biggest lessons I think kids don't get these days is "actions have consequences" I also think many parents also don't lay out expectations. They think kids should just intuit the right answer then they get in trouble for not choosing correctly.

My best friend is really good at this. Her youngest often tries the "I'm too full" or "I have a tummy ache" and she clearly tells her. "We're going to have dessert after dinner, and if you want some, you'll need to finish ____ <fill in the blank, she negotiates a bit to find a good place>"

It works well. And if the child doesn't live up to her side of the deal, no dessert.

I was interested to read all the different states where people are saying they see the shrines. I thought it was just a southwestern thing. I was raised in New Mexico, a predominately Hispanic and Native American state. Shrines are common and quite accepted there due to the place they have in Hispanic culture.

Due to things like Dia de los Muertos, the Latino cultures believe that you Celebrate the person who meant something to you and who has passed, thus altars and shrines are put up for them, especially in the case where someone died tragically or unexpectedly. And yes, in the example of someone suddenly dying at work...you do sometimes see them at places of business.

I think maybe some of the misunderstanding comes from the different ways that different people and different cultures look at death and dying. Western cultures tend to make it more of a somber and quiet thing. Latino cultures make it a cause for a form of honoring and loud grieving and also celebration of the person. Eastern cultures see death as a passage to the next phase of life and the person who died is seen as almost "evolving".

None are more right than the other, just different I suppose.

Wooo!!! Happiest of all Birthdays, Vines!!!

Please, please be very careful with estrogen because TOO MUCH can also cause problems, along with tending toward being overweight, sleeplessness, etc.

Upsetting estrogen can really make you out of whack! (from my own personal experience using the pill) I suggest seeing a dr to assess if you have too little or too much (they can do easy saliva tests). I'd say that most people have TOO MUCH because of all the environmental estrogens (from plastics and pollution) and it requires balancing out with some progesterone, actually.

I have the greatest of respect for Dr. Schwartzbein and have gotten great success with her work. I don't disagree with what she said, she's spot on but you have to be sure what situation you are actually in. Estrogen is nothing to fool about with.

I read "What Your Dr May Not Tell You About Pre-Menopause" ([ame=http://www.amazon.com/What-Your-Doctor-Tell-About/dp/0446615390/sr=8-1/qid=1171919413/ref=sr_1_1/103-2131369-7875815?ie=UTF8&s=books]Link here[/ame]) and realized my lifelong issues were from TOO MUCH estrogen, and after consult with my gyno, started on progesterone cream and it's been like a freaking miracle in my life.