babsintx3

Hi Celeste, New doc is about mid 40's and hispanic (most likely Mexican). Happy: No, he is in Dallas Lisa: I am coming to Vegas next month. Maybe we can see each other again? Hugs, Babs in TX 334/190/170

Hi Diane, You might try having a hot cup of tea before you eat. Sounds like you have what is commonly known as first bite pain. Your esophagus might be having some spasms and thats what it hurting you. Plus some of the foods you listed are difficult for bandsters to eat anyway like chicken (eat it like a porcupine; very carefully! LOL) salad is sometimes tough for bandsters. Fibrous veggies can be tough for some. I dont understand the banana though! And chew the crap out of every piece of solid Protein or fibrous food you eat. If this doesnt work with a certain food, take a break and dont eat it for a while. Sounds like you are doing great though!!! Babs in TX 334/180 -154

Hi Ms. Lisa, I would enjoy some Swiss goat cheese, see Ms. Chloe and then get a port. You have yet to enjoy the full benefit of your band and what it can really do for you. I know its hard to see that you were an exceptional case with the problems youve had, cause when they are happening to you they seem VERY significant, life changing and costly. I love ya with or without a port, but as successful as you have been, you can still be lots more successful. Babs in TX 334/180ish

Hi, Glad to see that you are waiting to see what happens after the gall bladder removal. One thing that occurred to me is that is it not possible that your band is too small? Perhaps a Vanguard band would be a better option for you? Just wondering. I hope you feel so much better and the problem is resolved. Babs in TX 334/180 -154

Hi Melisa, Most bandsters with good restriction have trouble eating breakfast. The band seems to be tighter in the morning for most of us. Not a unique problem. My best suggestions are to have a Protein shake in the morning so you start the day with nutrition. You could also try drinkable yogurt. Instead of oatmeal, you could try farina (Cream of Wheat) really watered down. The problem with boxed cereal is that when you add milk to it, it expands and can cause great pain for bandsters, whereas the cooked cereals already have expanded during the cooking process. Hope this helps!! Babs in TX 334/180 -154

Hi Linda, You can do it. I quit on May 4th 2005 because my plastic surgeon said I had to if he was gonig to operate on me. I never really attempted to quit in 23 years. I got a prescription for Welbutrin. It was hard, but after 4 days, it got easier. I gained weight (10-12) pounds that I have not been able to completely get off. I kinda wish I have done it preop instead of 2 years post op. If I can do it, anyone can do it!!! Babs in TX 334/180 -154 6/23/03

Hi Lisa, Sorry I couldnt be there this year. I am still on the recovery trail , but will be coming to vegas next month and would love to get together. It looks like you guys had a blast. Yes, I 'm jealous... Babs in TX

Hi Alex, Glad things are all great on the band front. I know how worrysome that can be. I think I will feel better when I have my leak test next week. Anyway, glad to hear things are going well!!! Babs in TX

Hi Puddingpie, I lost 93% of my excess weight, but reached 100% of my goal wieght which was 180 for a total loss of 154 pounds. The bandsters that start out with a very high BMI (like mine which was 53.9) usually dont lose 100% since bone density is much greater than a person that has been thin most of their life. I did Atkins the first 6 months. The second six months was more like a South beach diet approach. Now I eat what I want but focus on meat and veggies most of the time. Drink lots of Water and exercise 3 x a week for at least 40 minutes each time. I started out at Curves and then went to a regular gym my second year. Hate to tell you, but there are no secrets really. Babs in TX 334/180 -154 new goal: 169 give or take a pound.

Hi Everyone, All morning I have been in tears. I went to see my lapband surgeon this morning. As you recall, I was there last week because I was missing my saline post op plastic surgery. My PS insists that he only took out .50 of the 2.5 CC I had in there and my lapband surgeon says that I dont have anything in my band. Last week, he added 1.00 CC to the nothing I had and sent me on my way to come back in 2 months despite my protests that I am gaining weight and have no restriction. All week long, I have been trying to get my PS and lapband surgeon to have a peer to peer review. My four major questions are : 1) Where did my saline go if it wasnt taken out by the plastic surgeon? 2) Is there any damage to my band that is causing the lack of saline? 3) Why make me suffer for two months to get restriction back? 4) Why did I have blue crystalline contrast in my band and how did my lapband surgeon claim he saw in my band last week if my band was empty as he said? THis is how the conversation went this morning during my visit: My LB doc: Why are you here? You were here last week and I told you to come back in 2 months Me: Do you really not know? I have been calling all week. And if so, do I need to find another surgeon because I believe I have legitmate concerns. Doc: Do you really want another doc? You have been calling all week harrassing my staff and we are a busy practice. I told you last week your band is fine. Me: So where did the missing 2.5 CC of saline go? Is this not a concern to you? Doc: I spoke with your plastic surgeon. He says you are a difficult patient and are giving his staff a hard time as well. Your surgeon did a good job, and he explained the contrast to me. THe missing saline is not your concern. Me: DO you realize that I am able to eat bread, pancakes etc and even with the one cc you put in last week, I do not feel any restriction at all. DId for a day or so, then gone. I am hungry all the time. Doc: Your band looks fine. See? Here is your pouch. It is slightly enlarged, almost normal. Trust me and lets wait another month before we give you another fill. Give yourself some more time to heal. Be compliant .I wont charge you for this visit. At this point, I start crying. I tell him I am really worried about my band. A bandster should not be able to eat the quantities I am able to eat. I eat 6-8 oz of chicken and I am still hungry a half hour later. I am gaining weight and trying to fight the food demons. HOw do I know the fill he put in there last week is still there? What if I have a leak. Doc: Your band is fine. Give yourself some more time to heal. Stay away from bad food. Be compliant. Be a good advocate. Dont cry and give me a hug. Doc proceeds to hug me and send me on my way. I am frustrated. None of my questions are answered. I called my plastic surgeons office. Asked them if they thought I was a difficult patient. Explained that my surgeon said that they did a good job, but relayed that my surgeon told me that my PS thought I was a difficult patient. The office manage told me that this was quite to the contrary. It was my lapband surgeon who said that on the phone. I asked if they could give me more information. The office manager reads the surgical report. It indicates that the PS took out 1.00 CC, realized it was too much, put back.50 after putting in contrast to make sure he was putting in and taking out the right amount. Left me with two CC supposedly. I want a second opinion now. I am being jerked around. I am OK in not knowing what happened to the 2.5 CC, but I am not OK worrying about whether my band has a leak or something. It was as simple as my LB doc checking to see if the 1.00 CC he put in last week was still there. He didnt do it. I now have little faith in him. I think he is lying. People only get really mad when confronted when they have something to hide or they have a huge ego GOd complex and do not want to be questioned. I found another doc who will see me and takes insurance. I think its time for a second opinion. SO whaddya think? Babs in TX 334/180 -154

Hi Alex, I agree with some of what you said, but not all. So far, all my fills and unfills have revealed exactly what was put in with the exception of a manual fill done by the same LB doc. I have had all my fills done with floroscopy and did not have a previous unaccounted saline issue in the past. My only concern was that there was nothing at all. The exact amount that gets me to restriction that I can live with really doesnt matter either. Like you said its either too much too little or just right and the exact number really doesnt mean much if you dont have restriction or you have too much. Babs in TX

Hi Guys, Thanks for all the support and hand holding. I really needed it today. I just contacted another Dr. referred to me by my close friend who has lost 210 pounds with the band and has been banded 6 1/2 years ago. She was part of the FDA trials and just had a new VG band put in last month cause her band was never put in right in the first place. She has her own company that specializes in post op care for bandsters. She referred me to a doc in Dallas who will see me and takes my insurance. He is actually a cardiologist that has been doing banding for about 4 years now. He is going to put a contrast in my band and test to make sure there isnt a leak. I spoke to his nurses and explained my situation. They said it would take 5 minutes and we would know if there is a leak or not. If there isnt, they will decided whether to give me a fill or not. Obviously, if I get the fill, I will no longer go to my banding surgeon again. I dont want people to misunderstand. My banding surgeon has done close to 1000 lapbands. He is the best lap surgeon in TX and I was patient 120 two + years ago when I was banded. He has made a fortune from banding and now has a new bariatric center of excellence and more patients than he could possibly need in a lifetime. These docs forget that it is people like me who put them on the map. My referrals alone have probably made him 50-100K in fees. I beleive that he is a little bit jaded from the number of patients demanding fills that really dont need them. I was in the waiting room and there were at least two other women talking about how they were barfing regularly and yet they were there for fills. I dont get that either, but you cant put all of your patients in one category. So I will make an appointment next week to drive to Dallas to see the new guy. I am still optimistic that there isnt a leak, but I definitely want to be sure of this. I'll keep you guys informed. Hugs, Babs in TX

Hi, I eat rice occasionally. Dont have any problems getting it down, I just dont see the value of eating it since it isnt healthy and doesnt really fill me up. I would rather have some Beans and a nice slab of meat. ! LOL Dot get me wrong, I love rice and eat it maybe once a month, but did not my first 6 months of banding cause its a bad carb!!! Babs in TX 334/180 -154

Hi lIsa, I just called and there is no answer. Do you think they are not answering cause they are in over their heads. I will tyr later.... Babs in TX

Hi Ms. Penni, First I offer hugs! Squeeze! I am sorry if I backtracked to previous posts where you had strong opinions about the levee breach and that something should have been done about it. I thought that is why you were referring to this article. And by the way, I am not really a Bush supporter. I am neither a Republican or Democrat. I vote for who I think will do the best job. I just believe we should support our "imperfect" government and Prez cause thats what we got to work with. I spent 50% of my adult life living and traveling in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. I worked publishing magazines, putting together television productions and organizing global events for economic and industrial development groups. My US boss was a Senator from GA. Global development and billion dollar infrastructure projects are my cup of tea. So I dont mean to offend anyone at all with my strong voice, but after living abroad and traveling around Europe, Africa and the Middle East, the US governmental infrastructure looks good in comparision to the way some other countries in the world handle their issues. I just want folks to know that we live in the best country in the world despite its imperfections. OK, now I am sounding really sappy........ Get out the violins.... OK, lets go help some people in need now..... Back to the regularly scheduled channel. Babs in TX

Hi Dee Dee, Your post is confusing. If you are drinking mostly Water, one Protein shake and two glasses of apple juice a day, no wonder you feel like crap. are you liquidating the tuna? Cause thats totally gross and I would be sick of it too. Besides tuna is not a clear liquid or creamy liquid, so I dont understand why its OK for you to have tuna and you cant have some other sort of hi Protein mushy food. Second, you cant go into ketosis if you are ingesting 2 applejuices a day. THe problem with sugar and carbs is they just amke you hungrier. Instead of juice, why not have two or three more Protein shakes? I guarantee you will feel fuller and a lot better. And I know it probably wont make you feel better, but most of us here survived the liquid phase! LOL It sounds like your dietician is inexperienced or you are not understanding what you cant or can have. Maybe if you give us an idea of what food/liquid plan they recommended we can help you a little more. Keep your chin up. It will seem like a bad memory once you are back to solid foods. Babs in TX 334/180 -154

Hi Penni, THis is a fantastic article. Really Truly...but does not support your case that something immediate could have been done in the last 5 years to prevent massive flooding from Katrina because of the levee breach. It says everyone knew about the problem of coastal erosion and levee breaches, but there wasnt a clear cut solution. According to the article the Army Corp of engineers asked for 15 billion in 2003 to fix the problem over 30 years. (Would not have stopped this tragedy, since there was no immediate way to solve the levee problem) THere were multiple options presented by the Army Corp of engineers so Prez (with a needed approval by Congress) authorized 2 billion over the next 10 years for the Army Corp to find a solution. Didnt give then their 15 billion over 30 years cause there were multiple options that needed to be researched and no clear proposal/solution. As a matter of fact the article is very clear about the fact that the levees were actually a source of the problem and were probably not the appropriate solution anyway. You can warn people about a problem, but if there is no clear cut solution.... welll... Additionally, the article basically claims that since the 1950's the canals have cut and created 8,000 miles of jigsaw that has increased the problem of erosion and that human factor has contributed to this problem. It was the Army Corp of engineers that created this problem in the first place to solve other problems for petroleum producers, fisherman and others who have a financial vested interest. I tried to cut and paste the pieces that support what I am saying and could not for some reason, but if folks really take the time to read this article, they would see what I am referring to. Its really quite sad though, but once again it doesnt make sense to blame anyone. And once again, I say we should not politicise this since Congress consists of just as many Democrats as Republicans and this is not a Bush thing. Babs in TX

Hi Again! Lisa: Glad you can see beyond the media rhetoric. THat really the point I was trying to make. We can all put a different slant on a story. Take Newsweek, Time Magazine, Business Week etc.. You can have the same story in all three and one is really right wing, the other left. So where does the truth lie? Somewhere in the middle... Michelle - Both stories were written after the fact which support my position that it is easy to look back in retrospect and say coulda woulda shoulda done something about those levees. If it was such an important project, why did the state not fund it? The levee projects have been going on since the 60's according to the articles. I think people should consider that government has to rob Peter to pay Paul. I believe that national security has been a much bigger issue in 2001-2005. If I had to make a choice between an immediate threat and a projected one, I would opt to take care of homeland security first, send $ to the troops etc or we dont have a country if some big bad terrorist blows up the country or puts something in our drinking Water. Then we would have a much bigger tragedy and no country to harbour the hurricane victims. Its about choices and I would not want to have to say no to one thing and yes to another. Penni: I was using an example but cite better ones to Michelle (above). It was a calculated risk and we lost on the decision to fix the levees. I am sure that the money was used for something significant like national security. We have not had a terrorist incident since 9/11 on American soil. For this I am grateful and if it took money from the levee project, thats the way the cookie crumbles. Its terrible that choices have to be made that affect peoples lives. That why I am not ruling a country... LOL Gotta go make some dinner and pack up some clothes for Katrina victims. Babs in TX

Hi Everyone, I want to vent!!! I say to everyone stop looking for scapegoats and lets get on with the business of helping people. I am really sick and tired of people blaming Bush. Anyone with any inteliigence knows that the response time was sluggish and resulted in unnecessary deaths. Funds were allocated by Bush two days before this horrific disaster though. We have never had a situation in US history (other than 9/11, which wasnt a natural disaster) where 500,000 people were displaced without homes, clothing and food. The infrastructure in NO is terrible. THere were buses to help folks evacuate and many did not take advantage of this. If you want to blame someone then lots of fault lies with local, state agenicies, the governors of MS and LA to get folks out. And you cant force people to leave if they dont want to go. And how many people can be airlifted in one day to safety and how quickly did folks expect that to happen? And you cant expect the media to accurately report what happened. THere werent too many of them on the ground the day after, footage was sketchy and information flow garbled. And anyone who believes all they see in the media is really living in a cocoon. I have been in print, television, radio for 14 years prior to being a recruiter and most of what is printed and what you see on the news is crap and slanted to achieve bigger ratings. TV and print are whorish businesses that thrive on disasters, atrocities, chaos and political and ethical controversy. Unfortunately, the only way to know if government agencies like FEMA, MEMA etc function properly or have too much red tape is to have a situation like this of a significant magnitude which shows everyone where all the weaknesses are in the system. No one including the president, the governors of the respective states, the agencies that were sluggish to provide help could have known how bad we were equipped to handle such situations until something like this happened. I know people want to be angry. How could something happen in the US like this? How can we be so poorly equipped. Its an outrage. We knew the levies couldnt withstand anything above a category 3. Its easy to judge decisions in retrospect. Maybe the money to fix the levies was used to help a LA kid go to college. Or maybe it was used for some other purpose which at the time seemed more significant. Especially since if I were playing the lottery, the chances of NO being directly hit by a category 5 storm were slim to none since nothing of this magnitude has hit the US in at least 12 years. SO I say stop blaming the PREZ. Beleive it or not, he does not have as much pull as you give him credit for. Wait, I thought we are the voters and thens theres congress, the senate, house of reps etc. So what am I missing here? Isnt this a collective failure. Hell, I think I am going to walk over and blame my neighbor across the street cause she voted Republican..... Babs in TX

Hi Glasartist, There must be an appeals process even with socialized medicine. IF the clinic is not taking any patients cant you appeal to go to the next closest one? Could you not write a letter that explains that without this surgery you could die from comorbidities and there wont be anyone to take care of your kids, pay taxes to keep the healthcare system going etc? Regarding the bandster guidelines, it can absolutely help you stick to a program of eating Protein and mostly veggies etc... While you wait for a solution. Do not give up hope. It might be harder for you to lose without the band, but you can lose weight. Babs in TX

Hi Everyone, Before plastic surgery, I had 2.5 in my lapband. Today I went to get a fill. I am one month post op from my PS and ready to lose my last 20-25 pounds. During my PS, I asked my plastic surgeon to remove .50 from my band so in the event I had to vomit from anesthesia or take big meds I would be able to and not do damage to my band. I have been pretty hungry, but basically I havent done that bad with the lack of restriction. I was surprised to learn today that instead of the 2.00 I thought I had in my band, "I HAVE NOTHING!!!! My band has been empty for the last month. TOTALLY EMPTY if you beleive my lapband surgeon and his flouro machine. My lapband surgeon gave me 1.00 and said "Come back in 2 months. I am treating you like a new patient and we are starting all over." I was in shock. How can I live 2 months on 1.00 CC. I did not have any restriction when I thought I had 2.00 and now he wants me to live with only one CC. I let him know that I had gained weight from quitting smoking and that over the last month, I was able to eat bread again and even a hamburger with the bun. He said that he would not give me more than the 1.00. The fill was done under flouro, so clearly he could see that after the fill I did not have any restriction. I was wide open with nothing and somewhat wide open with 1.00 CC. My first fill in 2003 was 1.00. Even then, my doc authorized a second fill taking me to 1.75 a week after the first one. I am a tenured bandster and I have had few problems since being banded. I dont know what to do. I cant see changing his mind and I dont remember him rationing fills. It was one of the things that I liked about him. So what do I do? Grin and bear it or go and find another way to get me to proper restriction.? Who should I be mad at? My plastic surgeon for not being truthful? Or did he do damage to my band and I am leaking Fluid? I mean, when he did the unfill I was totally knocked out. My lapband surgeon said he saw blue contrast when he pulled out some of the air doing me fill today. He called it blue crystalline. My lapband surgeon figured that the plastic surgeon wanted to be sure that he was pulling out saline.My question is how did contrast come out if there is no fluid in my band? I am really confused. I am afraid of gaining weight. I am not allowed to exercise yet because of the PS and I am really frustrated. I am trying desperately to stick to the rules and not regain weight. Oh well, I needed to vent. Now any production suggestions? Babs in TX 334/180 -154

Hey guys, Just got your messages. Michelle: I agree with you. I realize that I probably need less than I had before. A few other tenured bandsters like yourself have mentioned that they need less and feel they have more restriction with less saline after a few months without it. So you are absolutely right. ITs just a random number and I should not let that dictate my success. Vinesqueen: I love your thought process!!! It is true that thinking I had 2 CC in my band had the placebo effect. I was doing OK, but I am still 10 pounds more than my lowest weight despite the fact they cut off 7 lbs off my body. So yes, I am afraid of any further regain. I am still swollen from the PS and cant fit into my regular pants. I keep wearing stretch pants and it makes me feel even fatter. I will keep thinking like you and will do fine. Thanks for the straight forward advice!! I am less concerned about what fill level I have and regain than I am about where the fill went. I am hoping that my plastic surgeon did not accidently puncture my tubing and it is leaking out. Only time will tell. I dont like that my doc is rationing and treating me like a baby. The fill was done with his "new flouroscopy machine" so he can see that with the one CC, I dont have restriction. Anyway, later this afternoon, my lapband surgeon and plastic surgeon will be having a peer to peer review. I just want to find out what happened to the 2 CC and also find out why I had blue crystalline contrast in my band. I am curious as to why it was in there. Also, my lapband surgeon said my port was moved, but my plastic surgeon says he didnt move it. To me, it looks like it is in a different place. I am happy where it is, but cant anyone give me correct information? IT seems like there is too much conflicting information and I just want to be sure that nothing bad has happened that will mean a new operation like a tubing puncture or something like that..... Babs in TX 334/180 ish

Hi Alex, I hope its not a slip. The good news is many slips will resolve themselves with n unfill. I dont think it really matters what you have in your band. If you did not have anything in the band, then there might be reason for more concern. Hopefully, everything will turn out fine. Crossing my fingers, Babs in TX 334/180 -154

WOW!!!!! Congratulations. I know that you are feeling great. Invite me to the party!!!! Just give me a chicken breast at the door and we can nosh together in thin bliss!!! Babs in TX 334/180 -154

Hi Pati, Try drinking something warm before eating your lunch. Your problem is commonly known as "first bite pain". Your band is rebelling a little when that real food hits. The warm tea or coffeee or even warm Water will help your esophagus relax a little bit. A Protein shake or protein bar is not the same as solid protein. I dont want to sound preachy, but frozen meals are not necessarily the best choices anyway. I dont know whats in those frozen meals, but most of them are garbage, high sodium substitutes for real protein. Many of them have noodles which many bandsters cant eat. Sure a lean cuisine might only have 240 calories, but usually they have lots of sodium and little protein. And very few of them have enough protein which will stall your weight loss. Maybe you could try some tuna or a piece of grilled chicken or some turkey chili? There are lots of other choices. Regarding meals and eating even if you are not hungry. I say as long as you are getting between 50-60 grams of protein a day, missing a meal wont hinder your weight loss. Although I will preface that by saying that you shouldnt eliminate breakfast since this is the meal that jumpsstarts your metabolism. Babs in TX 334/180/170 -154