SpecialK

Found this on Wkipedia and I am searching for info because I accidentally swallowed a small piece of gum about 2 weeks ago and I've been paranoid about it since then. Can't say I can tell if it has passed through or not but according to this, it will go through but not sure if the stoma is restricted if that stupid gum is taking up room up in my upper pouch. Needless to say, no more gum for me.

"In reality, the stomach can't digest the gum matter and it is passed through the intestines along with the other non-processed waste, usually around 48 hours. "

Bill, we welcome a newcomer anytime. We have a varied number each month depending on what's keeping people busy but generally there is about 4-5 ladies and 1 gentleman pretty consistently. Some months we have had as many as 10-15 and we keep sharing that there is this opportunity so if we can get to a consistent size of 10 or so that would be great. We especially need someone to keep Patrick (a self-pay guy who is doing great) company! We have a mix of those who are pre-band and post-band but we're actually getting more of us over a year plus out from banding and some of us are over the +100 lbs mark or are well past losing 50% of our excess weight toward our goal.

The invitation is open to all! Whether you are pre-band, newly banded or an old band pro.

Everyone is welcome!

Where: Polaris Mall food Court

When: Saturday June 13, 2009

Time: 2 p.m.

Look for us near the entrance to the Great Indoors store in the back corner seating area next to Chik-Fil-A. If we're not there look for a large group of folks sitting at several tables pushed together in the areas on either side of the Great Indoors... that's usually us :-)

We usually bring a helium balloon to mark where we are meeting and please feel free to bring a friend, spouse, or support person along with you on your first visit if that will help you feel comfortable joining our group.

Hope to see you there!

Here's a weird food episode. On Memorial weekend, we had burgers grilled out and an ear of sweet corn and did fine. I cut the corn off the cob of the extra ears of corn and tried to eat about 1/2 cup of corn tonight and totally sliming all over even with having chewed the corn very well. I don't know if it was the combination of the hamburger had some grease to help ease things down or what. I think I'm going to use my little food processor and chop that corn up into "creamed corn" because it did taste really good.

My Mom and I went to KFC and got a 1 piece chicken meal with 2 sides of coleslaw and I really was more interested in eating the coleslaw first and lo and behold, I got full on 3/4 cup of coleslaw and never touched the piece of chicken. Restriction does seem to vary day to day on some things.

Hi, SpecialK and friends,

I'm not sure it qualifies as "fun," per se, but I'm spending this weekend counting down the finals days 'til I'm banded! The big event is Tues @ 9:30 AM. :-)

Congrats Christy! I think I remember that you are going to Dr. Curry in Cincy. Wishing you all the best. Post and let us know when you are home.

How is everyone doing this holiday weekend? Hope you are out and having some fun.

Mike, I went to Mt. Carmel's bariatric program and have had great success and I loved my surgeons. I also participate in a locally organized informal support group where we meet at the Polaris Mall and have coffee and help support each other. We represent OSU, Mt. Carmel, Riverside, and Dr. Curry in Cincy (self-pay). I don't think we have had anyone join us from the Barix program but its a nice casual opportunity to talk with folks from all the different programs if you'd like. Look under the Columbus thread and/or a bandster named HeatherA usually posts a thread where we say the next get together will be.

Dr. Curry in Cincy and he has a Columbus office takes patients that were banded other places I believe.

Hi everyone! Hope you are all doing well!

As for me, I need some help! :sad: I hate to admit what I'm about to say, but I need to be honest with myself and everyone else and say that I have strayed off course...

Since I had my follow up appt with my surgeon, (last Tuesday), and was given the go ahead to add a few things to my diet, I pretty much lost my mind. My body feels so good and healed, it doesn't even seem like I had surgery less than 2 weeks ago! I am only reminded of this when I see my incisions, bend over the wrong way or slouch, or have to ask hubby to lift the little one for me. I am happy to be feeling so good, but at the same time, I think I have gotten a little bit overconfident.

So, first I tried my new allowed items, cottage cheese, string cheese, eggs...yummy of course. Then, over the next few days, I got a little cocky and couldn't resist trying a little bit of the meat sauce I made for my family the other night, to go with their spaghetti. Then I tried some of the hotdogs I had made for the kids...and then a crescent roll...and then some skippy natural Peanut Butter...a piece of regular bread...then more peanut butter...(I think I am in love with Peanut Butter, btw). I did not have a problem with any of these foods, nothing stuck, nothing came back up. (I wish it would have to teach me a lesson!)

So it has kind of been a free-for-all the last few days. I haven't been focusing on getting my Protein in, I have actually been AVOIDING my Protein shakes because I am so tired of them, I just plain have not been following the rules. I do not feel any restriction at all and although I haven't really eaten anything TOO bad, such as fast food or sweets, I do NOT want to keep this up for the next 3 weeks until I get my first fill. I know that if I do keep this up, I will gain all of my pre op weight back and I DEFINITELY do not want that! And who knows if my first fill will even create restriction at all!

I was SO incredibly strict with the pre op diet, I never had a bite or taste of anything that was not on my list, so why am I doing this now???

Is anyone else having a similar problem? PLEASE kick my butt in gear! This is your invitation to tell it to me straight!

Okay, you asked for it! Are you crazy! Those beautiful children and a lifetime commitment you made to have a lapband put in and you are already off track. Please see your doctor immediately and/or a counselor. They don't want you eating even soft foods early on because your stomach has to heal, the stitches holding the lapband in place have to settle and heal and I am really afraid with the chances you are taking with the eating you describe, that you could be leading yourself to a potential for a lapband slip due to it not getting seated well around the top of your stomach pouch.

So yes, kick it in gear for yourself and your family.

Hi there STAR8888 and Ridethewave! I'm now about 16 months out from my lapband surgery at Mt. Carmel. Where are you considering having your lapband surgery at. Come visit us over on the USA Local Groups under Ohio and there is a Columbus thread of those of us who are in the Central Ohio area and support each other and actually meet in person once a month at the Polaris mall for coffee and talking.

Kathy

5/22

aJoneen.........................1 75 pounds lost!

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

BrandNewLisa............0 80pounds LOST forever!!!

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

Desdemona...................0

Fenton...........................0 100 POUNDS LOST !!

HarleyGirl....................0 85 pounds LOST!

Hopeinapril................. -.4 55 pounds lost

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

Lynnt1215.....................0

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

Nycm00........................

Potatie............................-3 140 POUNDS LOST!!

Scrappy_Friend........ +2 160 POUNDS LOST!!!!

SpecialK........................-1 106 lbs GONE forever!

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

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

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

Tess415..........................0

Thin2bme................... 100 POUNDS LOST!!

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

Wishin4........................... 82 pounds gone!!

Sillypuddy - check out www.dailyplate.com or www.fitday.com as I understand they are two free online food tracking journaling web sites lots of us use. I have a similar one I use that is part of my bodybugg site. You just log in and put in Breakfast, Snacks, lunch, dinner, etc. and each has a directory or list of foods they already have you can search from and use and most also let you enter the info off a nutrition label for something specific you like to use and then you can reuse that same item again.

Or, the alternative is a piece of paper and/or using a spreadsheet in Excel to log things. Whatever works but I like using the online trackers because you learn about the nutrition and calorie counts of the foods to help you.

K

I posted some vacation NSVs and some vacation food downfalls too. Getting back on the BANDWAGON now that I'm home.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f56/columbus-area-42327/index33.html

For all those of us who long to see smaller sizes I had one other NSV while on vacation. We did lots and lots of shopping and I am still trying to be good about not spending good money on nice clothes with the hopes that as I keep losing, I will just need some smaller things.

Anyway, there was a neat clearance rack at this store in Florida called Bells and there was a cute red, black and white jacket with about 3/4 length sleeves and the size 16 fit me, buttoned all the way down. I chased my mother and sister down in the store to model it for them. Ha! Ha! They said buy it! I resisted because it was the first day of vacation shopping but by the end of the week it was still there and even marked down a little more so I did splurge and buy it. It was about $20 on sale and even if I can't wear it a long time (if I keep on working out and eating right!) it will always give me the pleasure of knowing it was the first size 16 I have been able to fit into in a very very long time. Actually size 16 was the smallest size in the Plus Size section. That alone is a victory because I used to have to go to the highest or largest plus size they offered on the racks and hope it fit.

Just for the fun of it, I tried on something in a 14 (getting greedy on my hopes and dreams) and I could get my arms in it but not button it!

Here is a positive vacation posting about my NSV flying.

It is posted over on the Columbus thread on page 33 approximately.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f56/columbus-area-42327/index33.html

I sent HeatherA an email when I got to Florida from my recent trip there because I traveled with my mother and got the middle seat on the plane which would have been very hard for me in the past at +100 lbs ago. I would always pick an aisle seat so I had a little more room and could lean into the aisle some with my upper body to give the middle seat person their fair share of room with my size. I also have needed a seat belt extension for the last several years of flying and that was always a nightmare with the boarding process to have to push the button to get a flight attendant's attention or stop them and ask. Some of the attendants would be discreet about it and others clearly would let you know it was a "bother" to them and they would sometimes say you will have to wait until we get the flight safety instructions done and then I can bring you my demo one. All in all, embarrassing.

So now onto a happier note! On the flight down I was in the middle seat with my mother in the aisle seat and I was able to fit in that seat comfortably with the arms down and with enough seatbelt and 3+" of seatbelt to spare. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! and Thank God for my Lapband!

It occurred to me on the flight coming home that I should try to take a scrapbook picture of me with this magical seatbelt moment and I was trying to figure out who could take the picture without having to explain to those who don't understand these things why this was so important to me.

Then it dawned on me that there were these two young girls that were taking a picture of themselves by just holding their digital camera at arms length away and just experimenting with the pictures until they got one they liked. So that is what I did! I tried to get a picture that shows the seat belt buckled with room on the belt to spare!

The last picture is labeled Tray Table Down! Yes, that silly table that would never be able to fold completely down to hold my drink actually did come down in the middle seat actually better than the aisle seat I was in but regardless, I didn't have to hold my drink in my hand because it couldn't be set on the tray table. It still shows there isn't much room to spare between the table edge and my body, but it wasn't uncomfortable using the tray table.

Can't wait until the next time I get to fly on a plane with maybe more seatbelt slack! That next trip I want to take overseas or to Hawaii on a long flight will be much easier.

:rolleyes2::tt1::thumbup:

Greg, Lyn and Sarah -- good to hear how you are all doing.

I just got back from a week of vacation in Ft Myers and Naples, Florida and I ate way too much high calorie food because family was doing it and we were eating lots of meals out (Chinese, Greek, Italian, Steaks, Seafood) Ugh! I thought with all the walking and swimming I was doing I would be okay but the scale says +1 lb this a.m. here at home so that is a bummer.

Still struggling to only order the amount of food I can really eat and its so wasteful throwing away half a meal. We would take leftovers home to the condo where we stayed and I just couldn't eat them before we would be out for another nice meal.

My biggest downfall and tempation is my mother loves ice cream and we were going somewhere every day to get her ice cream and even with me skipping every other day and trying to be good, it is hard to see them eating and not want some too when it is 95+ degrees out.

I'm at home now and promising myself to get back on the BANDWAGON! No more excuses.

Juli - thanks for reinforcing the mindset that the connection you have to your surgeon is so important -- I know I am such a private person about how my body looks and choosing a WLS surgeon everyone told me to be absolutely sure you had a good connection to your surgeon and that definitely has paid off for me. Hearing that your choice of Dr. in Cincy was worth it for you and it wasn't a cost savings thing, really helps. I plan to get at least 2 or maybe 3 opinions on this plastics thing when I get to that stage because I want to feel sure of that decision too.

Wishing you all the best on the seroma thing and hope that if you have to get a drain to get that back under control that it will be short term.

This style show was so wonderful. There were a combination of about 10-12 RNY and Lapband patients in the show and each was stunning in their story of WLS success and the journey that brought them to that decision and now to today. There was a doctor (MD) who had lost 200 lbs and he was so funny and strutting his stuff so proud with a fabulous suit and great sun glasses and the last lady in the style show had lost about 180 lbs and she had plastic surgery (tummy tuck and maybe other?) and she looked drop dead gorgeous in a red full length Jessica McClintock gown that was very fitted. If you saw her walking down the street you would have never suspected she had ever been 180 lbs overweight.

So inspirational. I'll post for next year's style show as this was the 4th annual show and hopefully they do it again next year. When I get to my goal I will consider being in it!

Congratulations Niki! That is fabulous! I'm envious you are getting so close to goal but I know you've worked hard for each and every pound so enjoy it! Can't wait to see you in a cute little black dress post plastic surgery too!!

How is everyone doing out there? The Columbus and Mt. Carmel threads here on the board has been pretty quiet. Check in and let us know how you are doing.

I am enjoying being able to get outside and do some yardwork and take some outside walks instead of depending on visits to the gym for exercise.

One thing I have noticed -- I no longer need to take Advil/Aleve for knee pain on a regular or daily basis like I did before. I get sore but its on days where I've done alot of physical work like digging and bending so that is "normal". Nice to be "normal" huh!

Juli - I agree you are amazing if you are back on a spinning bike after 4 weeks post op.

I am curious if you have any regrets choosing a plastic surgeon in Cincy (hour and a half away) rather than having picked someone in your hometown? Was the cost difference major savings? Did you just really connect with the surgeon you chose? I know that is really important.

WOW, did anyone notice we are now up over 300 pages on our March 2008 Master Bandsters forum thread! We sure are keeping this alive and helping each other and I'm thankful for that. No scale movement to speak of for me this week but I've worked crazy overtime again and had little time for exercise. Ugh!

I have a funny story to share to pick you up. We don't always have to tell health things do we....

Well I have 2 cats and they both like to stare out the window at the birds especially those birds that hop around in the flower beds hunting for worms etc. Well those cats are stalking those birds outside the windows and their tails start winding up and they get in a stance that they are ready to pounce but know they can't get to them. So, the poor little one, she got on the kitchen counter and made a leap through the air to a shelf hanging on a wall and tackled the fairly real looking bird I had sitting on that shelf and the bird and shelf were on the floor when I came home from work last night.. So busted! Counldn't hide the evidence of what she had been up to. I knew which cat would have been brave enough to try that stunt. Never thought a bird statue kind of thing would give her ideas to fly through the air like super-cat. Ha Ha!!! Hope that brought a smile to your day. "Kids"...what are you going to do! I decided to leave the bird thing down on a side table where she can just walk up to it and I'll find something else for the wall shelf.

Just my humble opinion, but the St. George place that is 2 hours away, a fixed price, and includes 1 year aftercare and up to 15 fills sounds like the best. See my signature. I'm about 13 months out now, and you can see I've had about 6 fills, no unfills. My doctor likes to check me in about every 6-8 weeks so 15 appts in total over a year is good. I expect to see my surgeon less times and less fills in my second year now and so if I had to start self pay additional appts and fills, the second year is where it would be lesser. Again, good luck.

You have to LIKE and TRUST the surgeon you choose.

I went to my hospital's bariatric style show where they have a group of about 10-12 post weight loss patients that get to be dressed in great clothes by the Mall stores, they do professional makeup and hair for them and then tell their before and after stories. It brings tears to your eyes and most importantly it brings HOPE that I can get there one day too! I have to tell you the last lady in the show was a lady who had lost 180 lbs and they had her dressed in a Jessica McClintock red floor length gown with beautiful bling jewelry and she looked incredible! Nobody would have ever guessed she had lost 180 lbs. I did hear some people behind me say she must have had some plastic surgery post weight loss because she had the flattest stomach and cutest curvy body -- not overdone on top but she just looked so beautiful. I said to my friend I was with, okay, I am trying to also lose 180 lbs and I want to go up and meet that lady afterward and tell her how her story inspired me and ask if I can take her picture and I did. She was really nice and said you'll get there! I swear I am going to print that lady's picture off and put it on my refrigerator to remind me what I could look like with this 180 lbs gone forever.

I got really ambitious today and did a couple hours of yard work plus took a really long walk so when I uploaded my Bodybugg today, it says I've logged over 14000 steps today! I'm trying to keep on moving some way every day.... One more day closer to strutting my stuff someday in a red floor length gown!