bonniep

Hi Janet, Thanks so much for taking me on. I can deal with TOUGH love -- in fact -- I think it's what I need. I can't throw all the ice-cream in the house away because my husband and kids want it -- they also eat Cookies and pies and all kinds of junk -- but in reasonable amounts and they don't binge and they don't have weight issues. I have asked that we not have ice-cream in the house and they've responded by getting sorbet instead. They say it's a compromise and it is. Still, it's here and I have to deal. So far, today, I had a cup of tea in the morning (I can't really eat first thing and I can't eat at all until I have something hot to drink). I then exercised (50 minutes on the treadmill). I then had some 2% Greek yogurt with a handful of blueberries and a handful of almonds. It's now mid-afternoon and I'm hungry. I'm going to have some Water and then, a piece of fruit and a low-fat cheese stick. I have no idea as yet what I'm having for dinner. Part of my problem is that I HATE to cook. My husband cooks and he cooks mostly very healthy (fresh fish, veggies, etc.), but he and the rest of my family like to eat very late in the evening, ie: between 8-9pm. My ideal dinner time is 5-6pm or so. If I don't eat by then, I get famished and I make unhealthy choices. So, that's a little bit about me. When you make your "one pot," meals -- how do you make them? Do you just throw everything together in one pan -- all at the same time? How do you do it? Again, thanks for taking me on. bonnie #1 GO THROW ALL THE ICE CREAM AWAY !!!! If it's not in the house you can't eat it - if it's your trigger food then it's best not to have it around/What are you eating - give me a typical days food and are you getting any exercise.

I need a buddy desperately! I was banded on 2/4/08 and have not had very good success at all. Basically, I learned how to eat around the band right off and that's where I am today -- almost a year out and only 25 lbs. lost. Ugh. I am sick of being a failure. I want to be a success. I'm really good at being consistent with exercise if motivated. It's the ice cream that does me in. I can eat a gallon at a sitting. It's sick, sick, sick. I was self pay -- you'd think that would have motivated me -- but noooooo. Anyway, does anyone here want to be my weight loss buddy? I am a very positive person in general and this is the only thing I've really ever failed at. I'm a little like Oprah in that way, I guess. I'm 55 years old and I have two kids (well, both are almost adults now), and I live in MA. Let's do this together. Together we can! b.

Hi Janet, I desperately need a mentor/buddy. I was banded last February and I've not lost very much weight at all (25 lbs). I still binge eat ice cream and I need help. I'm a very positive person, but I somehow can't wrap my head around the fact that I can actually lose weight. Can you help me? I promise not to frustrate you too much. :Banane20: I'm 55 years old, I have 2 kids, and a husband. I live in MA. b.

Please keep me in mind when you start the support group. I live in the Western suburbs and I've been a miserable failure with the lapband. I need to be around positive people -- I am mostly a positive person except when it comes to my weight. I will have been banded a year in Feb. '08 and have not lost very much at all. I'm very discouraged. I could use a good support group.

I was self pay at Lahey Clinic in MA. The cost of the surgery was $16K and that included all pre-and -post op, plus the first 3 fills. I'm very happy with the care I receive at Lahey and for me, the cost was worth it.

I was banded on 2/4/08. Have felt fine since. Last week, I made a stupid mistake -- I drank a cold drink on an empty stomach. My esophagus went into spasms (diagnosed by my gastro doc), and it was the most painful thing I've ever experienced. Terrible pain right between my breast bone and it lasted for 3-hours. I almost went to the emergency room for a painkiller! Okay -- so l learned my lesson -- no more cold drinks on an empty stomach -- warm, only. I had my 3rd fill two days ago. Suddenly today, after having a hot mushie, I started feeling a bit of pain -- ever so slight -- in my esophagus. I can feel it now and it's a few hours after I ate dinner and I don't understand what's going on. I have restriction, but I haven't aggravated anything -- have been sticking to bandster rules. It's just a little twinge -- it could be heartburn, but I haven't had any heartburn since my surgery. Could I be filled too much? I have 6.8 cc in a 10cc band and this was only my 3rd fill. Help! Any and all advice appreciated. The fill nurse, who is very experienced, said she's never before heard of a lapband patient getting esophageal spasms. b.

I seem to be able to drink cold -- just not first thing in the morning. I'll never do that again! Believe me, you'd know it if you had an esophagus spasm. Chances are you've not had one, otherwise you'd be able to identify with the pain. It's intolerable -- sheer agony. Be thankful you don't have this. I'm hoping it never happens to me again! b.

I knew I wasn't having a heart attack because I'd had an esophagial spasm before and it was diagnosed as such. Still, the pain is absolutely crippling and I wish I could figure out what sets it off, so I know not to do it in the future! My gastro doc wants me taking one Prilosec every morning and she also prescribed Nitroglyceran, which is a medication that goes under the tongue and stops it in its tracks. Still, I'm upset that this is happening and I'd like to know what sets it off in ME. I'm convinced that drinking cold first thing in the morning is one thing that sets it off, but there must be something else that sets it off too. In any case, I'm trying to just live my life and eat the right things and not worry about it -- but the pain when it comes on is absolutely crippling. b.

I think you're onto something here. I agree that it's probably due to my new fill. I'm tight right now, but not so tight that it's uncomfortable. The spasm pain went away today (thank goodness), and hopefully, I won't see it again. It was the most painful thing I think I've ever experienced and it lasted for a good 3-hours straight. I was just about crawling the walls in pain. It's very different from getting stuck and it's very different from having heartburn or anything like that. It's pure agony and it's unrelenting. Ugh. Thanks for the info. and support and let's hope that none of us ever have one of these again. b.

So how do you know what it's related to? How do you know if you've had an overfill? I can relate the first instance to drinking something too cold on an empty stomach, but this second time -- I really can't relate it to anything I can think of. I'm starting to get paranoid -- how can I be sure I don't have a slip? How does one know if one has an overfill? This is only my third fill. Can one have an overfill with just the third fill? I have 6.9cc in a 10cc band. b.

Wow. I'm surprised the NP at Lahey was upbeat about their results with the lapband. When I went in for my pre-surgery group with the NP (this is scheduled right before surgery), she said that they're not seeing as good a result with the lapband as they thought they were in the beginning. That made me feel discouraged. Nevertheless, YES, I had the surgery. I've had my first fill and will be having my 2nd fill in two weeks. I have a little bit of restriction, but not much so far. I'm feeing optimistic however and this is a road that is going to work for me. I've convinced myself of that. b.

Hi Tina, Do you want to message me privately? I'd love a weight loss buddy and we can start from there! bonnie

Hi Taz, Wow, that is a bummer. First of all, what have you been eating? Do you feel any restriction at all? Secondly, while I'm not really losing, I'm not gaining either. I've only had one fill and I do feel some restriction, but obviously, not enough. Why does your doctor think you're going to damage your stomach because you've only lost 1/2 lb. since your last fill? That seems pretty extreme to me. I've read a lot of bandsters say that they didn't really start losing until they got to their "sweet spot," in terms of their fills. If you'd like a "weight loss," partner, I'm certainly willing. Are you exercising at all? b.

I asked the nurse who does the fills to be aggressive with my first fill. After the fill, I was restricted, but the restriction and gone away somewhat. I still remain where I was before I was filled. I'm looking forward to my 2nd fill, where hopefully I can become full on less food!

I had my first fill on Tuesday. I was fine with the clear liquids the first day and then the full liquids the second day, but now that I'm eating real food again, I have restriction. I'm not complaining, but I have to drink water very, very slowly (small sips), or I get pain. I have to cut things into tiny bites, which is okay. The thing is, even though I have restriction, my appetite isn't restricted! Is this normal? Do I need a 2nd fill and can I expect that appetite to go down? thanks!

From what I've been told, the Lowell General program operates out of an off-site building in Chelmsford and the same physicians there are the ones at Emerson in Concord. I've heard good things about the program at Emerson and if it's true that the docs also operate out of Lowell General, Chelmsford branch, then you should be in good hands. I was banded at Lahey, in Burlington and had a terrific experience there. bonnie

Hi, I read your post and couldn't help replying. I was banded by Dr. Nepamashay at Lahey on 2/4/08. Absolutely no complications and I think that the Lahey program is great! bonnie

I'm sorry if I overreacted Shannon. I guess I interpreted your post very differently than how you meant it. Let's agree to put this misunderstanding behind us and move forward from here. We're all in the same boat and we need everyone to row, as it were! Have a wonderful day. b.

Shannon, We are not here to place our value judgements on others. I happen to be a very honest person, thank you. Just because I've chosen to keep my surgery mostly to myself doesn't make me a liar. What you do and how you do it may be right for *you* but not necessarily right for me or for others. We are all here to be part of a loving and accepting community. Please check your condescending attitude at the door. Thank you.

We all come here with different backgrounds and issues and for me, "weight," is very loaded. I chose to not tell anyone about my WLS because I didn't want any questions and I certainly don't want anyone looking over my shoulder asking me how much weight I've lost to date, etc. It's not that I'm choosing to hide behind a veil and lie to the world about my weight loss (I'm not filled or restricted yet, so the weight loss is not noticeable to date). I'm a very private person and I'm never going to be shouting about the lap band from the rooftops. It's not who I am. I guess I lied to my kids when my husband and I told them I was at a conference when I was really home recovering from surgery. I had no qualms about telling them, but I wanted to be able to do it in person. When I told my daughter last week, she wasn't angry at me for "lying," to her. She well understood that I wanted to tell her in person and not on the phone or on the computer. My son will probably understand as well when I tell him, the next time I see him. I will NEVER tell my mother. She's 84 and while she's of sound mind, she will have too many questions that will feel very intrusive to me. Weight is a very loaded issue for me when it comes to my mother -- she's been thin all of her life -- and I don't wish to discuss my weight or WLS with her. I think whether to disclose or not is a very personal issue based on who we are and where we come from in our lives. While some people may choose to tell people, others may choose not to. It's not a matter of continuing on with the lying and deception -- it's simply a choice that's we all have to make. Ultimately, we make the choice that's best for each of us. b.

Hi, I'm Bonnie, age 54 and I was banded on 2/4/08. I start eating solid foods tomorrow, but plan on taking it really easy at first. I went to my book group meeting today and despite having an entire plate of brownies put right in front of me (doesn't it always work that way?), I wasn't even tempted. I thought about all the junk that are in those brownies going into my body and you know what -- ugh. Because I'm not restricted, I suppose I can eat anything I want to starting tomorrow, but I'm determined to eat like a bandster from here on in. I've come too far to let anything go down the tubes now. I love to exercise but I had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in December, so I'm not able to exercise as hard or seriously as I'd like. I need help with my food choices -- I'm not a detail-oriented person at all -- when you make something like chicken with some kind of sauce on it (to keep things moist) -- how do you figure out how many calories it is? I assume you weight the chicken -- do you weigh before cooking or after cooking to determine portion size? bonnie

It's been almost a month since I had my surgery. I opted not to tell my kids (son, age 16 and away at boarding school and daughter, age 20, away at college), because I wanted to get thru the surgery first and then, tell them in person. Last Sunday my husband and I visited our daughter at college. While having brunch, I told her about the surgery. Interestingly, I didn't have to explain what it is -- she already knew all about the lapband (she doesn't have weight issues). She was surprised that my husband and I were such good "liars," in that we told her I was away at a conference when I was at home, recovering. She seemed amused by that. Other than that, there were no repurcussions. She wasn't angry that I hadn't told her before the fact. I'll tell my son the next time he comes home, which is hard because this is ski season here in MA and he goes skiing with his school almost every weekend. b.

Okay -- we're on. Writing during the week is fine. Do you have an exercise plan? What about a food/eating plan? I'm frustrated, but I'm going to keep keeping on. No way am I going to let slow progress get in the way of long-term success! b.

Hi Janet, I think I need you to be my weight loss mentor! Until I read your note, it didn't dawn on me that I actually had to be on a diet and count calories. I have now logged onto Fitday and set things up on there for myself. Yesterday I ate roughly 900 calories and today, around 11 calories. I haven't exercised since the day before yesterday (I really do try and exercise at least 5X per week, but this week has been the exception), so the low caloric intake is justified in terms of my trying to balance my physical output with my food input! Normally, I'll walk on the treadmill on the "hill," setting (I have to be careful -- just had knee surgery to repair torn miniscus 6-weeks ago) -- level 5 -- for 45 minutes. The next day, I'll mix it up by riding the stationary bike on either the "weight loss," or the "hill program," for 45-minutes as well. I know how to exercise. I trained for and came in 1st in my category in a triathalon 8-years ago. I am a naturally athletic person and I like to exercise. Motivating myself isn't very hard -- I look forward to working out. I start strength training with a trainer in a few weeks -- I've already made the appointment and put my money down. I'm waiting until I'm 6-weeks out of surgery and I can lift and work with my core. How do I get a Weight/BMI ticker? I have no idea how to do this! Warm Regards, bonnie

Hi Dianne, I'm in MA and I too was self pay. My surgery was on 2/4. If we're going to be weight loss/bandster buddies, we have to set some ground rules. I'm pretty committed to logging onto Fitday and tracking my calories and exercise there. Do you want to do that with me? Shall we agree to email one another at the end of each day and report on our progress (not weight loss, but rather, what we ate and how we felt and how much we exercised)? Let me know how you see this working for us. Regards, b.