SpecialK

Mt. Carmel's Support Group discussion was on getting active in Obesity awareness and promoting better policies for dealing with obesity. Missy was encouraging us to stand up for our rights, with our legislators, with our employers, insurers, and other businesses. Let them know your story of how you were impacted by obesity related discrimination or denied access, etc. Fight for those who still need to see a wide variety of options made available in all health insurance plans so that obesity can be fought against.

Here's a sample of the August OAC newsletter I got through email recently. I guess I got on the mailing list after participating in the Walk from Obesity last year but several of the articles are interesting.

Urge Congress to Address Obesity Epidemic in Healthcare Reform

Visit the OAC Legislative Action Center today and urge congress to begin addressing the obesity epidemic in healthcare reform.

The OAC has received numerous inquiries around the proposed healthcare reform efforts currently underway in Washington, DC, and as such, we are urging all those interested to advocate to their elected officials today about the effect obesity has had on their lives and let their voice be heard!

To view what the OAC focuses on when talking to elected officials, please click here.

Thanks for posting this Heather. Hoping to make it Saturday. May bring Mom along and see if she'll relax and let me visit awhile.

Congrats! and God Bless you on your journey.

Glad to hear you check in Lynn. Sounds like you are doing good. Congrats and take it easy.

I thought this was a nice 8 question tool where you can ask yourself if you know about lapband or realize band enough to be factual when talking to others and helping dispel myths.

It came from the Realize web site:

REALIZE Gastric Band Fact or Myth Quiz - REALIZEBand.com

One of the questions specifically that I got wrong was that the Realize Band is the only one with personalized tools on their website to help you track and guide you in success - that is not correct, I have used Allergan's website to track my progress and Allergan is providing a free link via our bariatric program to the full version of fitday.com for nutritional and food tracking. So, I don't really think Realize's question on that in the quiz is accurate. Maybe not identical tools, and they may have been the first with the approach, but its not true that Allergan has nothing for individual patients.

Here's a link you can view yourself.

Lapband.com - Sign In to My LAP-BAND

Here is a good article from WebMD to check if WLS is a good option for you.

Weight Loss Surgery Health Check - Take the WebMD Weight Loss Surgery Assessment

I have to say that on both this website and on www.obesityhelp.com website there are some extremely strong minded people about the surgery option they chose -- to the point of putting others down for choosing a "dumb, crappy, crazy, piece of junk, etc." tool. I posted this because we should make people aware that one variation of WLS isn't right for everyone, that is why there are different kinds. If someone has RNY and then has a lapband revision because it helps them in their journey to be healthy, I am happy for them. If someone has lapband and then revises to a RNY or sleeve, etc. to be healthy, then I am happy for that person too. Its about getting healthy... not the tool and fighting for one tool over another. I am happy to explain to others why I chose the tool I did, I was a volume eater specifically, and a restrictive tool was right for me. I wanted to be able to eat small portions of a wide variety of foods including rarely or occasionally sweets, without having vomitting or diarrhea as in what I was told "dumping" was all about. I have been faithful to limit the number of times I head for the sweets and that has been okay for me. I have substituted Splenda or other sweetners for most things but I still like some cinnamon sugar on my sweet potato or whatever, just in modest amounts now.

I would also like to help continue to dispel the MYTH I often see out there that RNY is the only choice for those who have more than 100 lbs to lose. This is SO not true as this website just for Mt. Carmel, and the other Columbus bariatric programs has proven.

If you are a person who doesn't see fast results or else you will get discouraged, you should talk with your surgeon about that. I lost quickly enough in the early stages to keep me motivated but I also knew I might be committing to at least 2 years and maybe 3 to get to my goal completely and I accepted that. I'm in year 2 now and while I don't see the next 10 lbs increment down on the scale each month, I still see the scale going down over time and I'm happy. When I don't focus on the numbers, I am sometimes surprised between office visits to the surgeon or my PCP that hey, you lost 10 lbs since I saw you 8 weeks ago. Yea!

If you are committed to your WLS tool, you can lose 100+ lbs. If you are not committed to your WLS tool and a lifetime commitment to healthy eating and exercise in your future, take time to consider your decision some more.

Okay, I'm get down off my soapbox but I just felt compelled to share today because of what I continue to read particularly "blasting" failed lapband patients.

Mt. Carmel is giving its patients a choice of Lapband or Realize Band and I thought this was interesting from Allergan. I'll also look and see if I find the J&J Realize comparison.

Lapband.com - Compare LAP-BAND® and REALIZEâ„¢ Band – Get the Facts

From the J&J Realize site:

http://www.realizeband.com/dtcf/pages/compare-lap-band.htm

I found this interesting. I'll also see if the Realize site has their take on the comparison of the two.

From Allergan's LapBand site:

Lapband.com - Compare LAP-BAND® and REALIZEâ„¢ Band – Get the Facts

From the J&J Realize site:

http://www.realizeband.com/dtcf/pages/compare-lap-band.htm

Lynn - hope you will chime in soon and let us know if you are doing okay post PS surgery.

Still hoping to keep the Friday weigh-in accountability thread going.

aJoneen.........................-080 pounds lost!

Bandana....................... 0 92 lbs lost

BrandNewLisa............0 97 pounds LOST forever!!!

evelas5000...................0 50 pounds Lost

Desdemona...................0 67 pounds lost

Fenton...........................0 102 POUNDS LOST !!

HarleyGirl....................0 90 pounds LOST!

Hopeinapril................. 0 55 pounds lost

Kpodski.........................

Lynnt1215.....................+1 64 lbs lost

NurseNiki......................0

Nycm00........................ 0 -66 lbs lost

Potatie............................0 149 POUNDS LOST!!

Scrappy_Friend........ - 3 175 POUNDS LOST!!!!

SpecialK........................-1 119 lbs GONE forever!

Sugarbean....................0 117 POUNDS LOST !!!

Sharona.........................0

stellabella......................0 75 POUNDS LOST!

Tess415..........................0 -80 lbs lost

Thin2bme...................- .8 100 POUNDS LOST!!

WestCoastMom............0

Wishin4...........................-2 86 pounds gone

Checked in with my surgeon for a follow up and he was impressed I had lost 10 lbs in about the last 7 weeks I had seen him and he doesn't need to see me now for another 3 months or I can call if I want a fill before then. He said I'm doing really great and to keep the hard work going.

Thought we could encourage each other with this one since we mostly have lost our lone male bandster tracking along with us. Keep going ladies. You are my inspiration and support.

God doesn't give you the people you want, He gives you the people you NEED. To help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you into the person you were meant to be.

One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men.

They bear hardships and they carry burdens,

but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy

and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in.

They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer

when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel

and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about

a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They grieve at the loss of a family member,

yet they are strong when they

think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss

can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you

to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what

makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.

They have compassion and ideas.

They give moral support to their

family and friends.

Women have vital things to say

and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,

IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

DJK - I find spaghetti a "slider" food actually so I try to limit how often I allow myself to order this. I used to be a big Pasta eater. I have found if I cut it up into small bites and chew I can eat more spaghetti than I think I should. When I go out to Italian restaurants now, I am trying to get something like chicken parmesan with a side of spaghetti or lasagna where the pasta isn't the main attraction -- helps me stay closer to the bandster rules to eat Protein first and veggies next and then carbs as the third priority.

I have heard Missy say at our support group that she cannot eat pasta at all and I am not sure why. It could be she chooses to stay away from anything white flour related as not high enough in protein but not sure.

Lynn and Potatie -- good luck on your upcoing PS.

Getting plenty of exercise and mostly doing well eating. I was down .5 lbs today and from doing a combination of weight training, walking, Water aerobics, I can see size and clothing changes for now.

aJoneen.........................-080 pounds lost!

Bandana....................... 0 92 lbs lost

BrandNewLisa............0 97 pounds LOST forever!!!

evelas5000...................0 50 pounds Lost

Desdemona...................0 67 pounds lost

Fenton...........................0 102 POUNDS LOST !!

HarleyGirl....................0 90 pounds LOST!

Hopeinapril................. 0 55 pounds lost

Kpodski.........................

Lynnt1215.....................+1 64 lbs lost

NurseNiki......................0

Nycm00........................ 0 -66 lbs lost

Potatie............................0 149 POUNDS LOST!!

Scrappy_Friend........ - 3 175 POUNDS LOST!!!!

SpecialK........................-.5 117 lbs GONE forever!

Sugarbean....................0 117 POUNDS LOST !!!

Sharona.........................0

stellabella......................0 75 POUNDS LOST!

Tess415..........................0 -80 lbs lost

Thin2bme...................- .8 100 POUNDS LOST!!

WestCoastMom............0

Wishin4...........................-2 86 pounds gone

Harley -- good to hear you're making it through these tough times. It is pretty ironic that every time I personally have felt really blown away by something I thought was just terrible, I was able to find something good on the other side I hadn't anticipated. I had worked 17 years for a large company and unfortunately the last 3 I had a boss from hell. I prayed, I tried, I cried, nothing seemed to make her change so I got counseling so I Could Change! Best thing I ever did. One statement that counselor said to me that I still remember 15 years later is this... the Price to Stay is equal to the Price to Go. You have to decide if you want to keep enduring the pain and struggles of where you are, or face the unknown and the certain pain of making the transition to something that might be better. It took me two years to let that fully sink in but when I did, I finished my MBA with flying colors, that company had to pay for it...and then when I graduated, I walked out that door and got a better job and have been at that company now 13 years. Not to say I haven't had times when I've been very down here too, but it was a lesson I told myself that I'd never accept abuse from any one person ever again in my life in the work environment especially, that I'll change jobs and scrub toilets if I have to, but I won't stay where I know its not right for me. I have had a 2 brothers who divorced cheating wives (goes both ways and they were equally devastated), 3 sisters get divorced and I kept thinking okay, I'm looking for my first Mr. Right...what are my chances. Haven't found him but each time I tried to lose 100 lbs to land the big boy of my dreams, things eventually went south, I saw them for what they were, and said, don't need this. The bad part of that is that I ate my way right back up the scale and gained that weight back. This time, its for ME, for getting healthy.

Sorry for the long post, but it just struck me how hard it must be for you not to eat at this point.

Hang in there Harley!

I got this one via email and I thought it really holds true for those of us who have fought a battle with obesity our whole lives that we may have wanted to be known for what was inside our "Clay Ball". It will remind me that no matter how far I've come, to remember to keep looking on the inside.

K

A man was exploring caves by the Seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.

He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock . Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!

Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left.

Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves.. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!

It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it.

We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy. But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person.

There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them.

I am so blessed by the gems of friendship I have with you. Thank you for looking beyond my clay vessel.

Hi Catmom -- I'm a cat mom too with my 2 kitties usually sleeping beside me as I play or chat on the computer. I had my surgery at age 52 and did fine. I'm very glad I did. I had alot of knee pain and had one arthroscopy to fix one knee and knew the other knee would be needing fixed too. I have alot less knee pain now and still have a ways to go, but I'm glad I did this. I was able to get off my cholesterol medicine after 3 months and am maintaining okay off that now a year later. Didn't fight the high blood pressure or diabetes challenges and I'm thankful for that. Good luck.

A lapband friend recently gave me two pairs of size 16 jeans and one is a Calvin Klein pair and I have them hanging on my bedroom door for motivation. I remember Oprah being so proud fitting into I think size 10 Calvin Kleins and I'll be just as proud to get into a 16 in jeans. I'm at the size 20-22 now and started with some of my pants in 30/32 so I can't wait!

Our hospital has a monthly support group meeting and I try to usually go. It is a mixed group of both lapband and RNY patients and initially I felt a little funny because it was about 10:1 ratio of bypass to band people but I tried to have an open mind and listened to each story, learned about what they did for exercise, Portion Control, the mental struggles they have, etc. and I came to have a broader understanding and respect for whichever WLS someone chooses.

A secondary reason I like to go to the monthly hospital bariatric support group meetings is that with my track record so far on my lapband, now surpassing 115 lbs and going on down :thumbup: I want to be a promoter of lapband as a viable and valid option for those with a higher BMI because I think alot of surgeons do recommend RNY to those of my size and sell it as the faster way to get the weight off.

Last, I sometimes need the support of others to encourage me along, and sometimes I am the support to give someone else a hug and encourage them. That I can't get through a website.

I guess to add my two cents....

I think we feel the pressure and restriction sensation in our center chest, between our breasts and a little up from that because that is where the bottom of the esophagus (throat) begins to connect to the stomach pouch. When that upper stomach pouch is getting filled, there is a pressure sensation exerted that wants to force the food back up the esophagus to get the excess out to relieve the pressure until more of the digested food passes through our opening from the band to the lower stomach. That is why I try to sit and take it easy if I feel overfull pressure and allow the stomach to do its work to move the food down if I can rather than do what is called productive burping to bring the food back up to spit it out.

P.S. for the newbies -- it absolutely does NOT help to sip Water to help relieve the pressure sensation or to try to move the food along -- it makes the pressure worse!

Lemon -- that's a cool background and don't worry, it was a good memory of my Dad!

Congrats Susan. I was at the 30/32 size when I started and I am now in size 18/20 mostly now and still have a ways to go but recently bought 1 jacket/blazer that was a size 16 and it buttoned. I was dancing around the store showing my mom. That is the clothing benefit but more importantly, my health is dramatically improving every day, the joint pains are easing off, my cholesterol is better, etc.

BTW -- Lemon Pie avatar and LemonPopTart -- why did you choose that login? Interesting. My dad loved lemon meringue pie -he's been gone now for a number of years but it made me think of him when I saw your posting.

Best wishes. Yes, so many of us have fought this weight battle for our whole life. Many of us thought I'm healthy, just overweight. Well, I can tell you my experience is that the effect of the overweight is cumulative over time, starts to cause joint pains, other complications we wouldn't have considered. So, wishing you all the best as you go through your analysis and testing phase.

Kimberley - its a little early in the stages for you but I would tell you that being further out in my band experience, getting hiccups when I am eating is a band signal to me to slow down my eating and/or quit eating - its a full signal for me. Maybe try sipping your fluids if you are taking larger drinks? Good luck.