WLSResources/ClothingExch

@@bugsy72 -- It sounds as though you had a nuclear stress test. Was that it?

@@Stupid Me -- he purpose of the band is, as @@Bandista said, to dim the appetite. You report not feeling hunger, which suggests that eating whatever and whenever you wanted was no more than individual choice. If not that, I have to wonder whether you were given the information needed before surgery in order to make a sound decision and have reasonable expectations. It's also unclear whether you actually had any fills. Or what the bump may be. I don't know what, if anything, the army requires in the way of clearances before performing bariatric surgery. If the prospective patient doesn't demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of surgery, what is reasonable to expect of it, or understanding of the instructions and capability to follow them, the surgery shouldn't be performed. As "they" say, "Jus' sayin.'" As to an emotional breakdown, I really do hope that was supposed to be a joke.

This is in reply to the question as you have it written as of this moment. It may not apply if you edit the question again. There is no definitive answer. I will say that, since Spring of 2009, when I began to explore band surgery, I've never met, spoken with or read about someone whose voice was affected as a result of an uneventful surgical procedure. I'm not aware of anyone whose procedure was not uneventful (except mine, but it had nothing to do with any sort of damage or surgeon error). That said, all things are possible, but probability is another matter entirely. This applies to any surgery and very likely any aspect of life. I can't offer anything about GERD.

What about the bariatric practice where you've been having follow-up care? Have you asked your general practitioner for a local referral? Do you know other banders in your area? If you'd prefer Dr. Mignon, have you searched his name? Contacted the manufacturer of your band for a clue as to his whereabouts? Hounded Elyzea for info on his current whereabouts?

@@Joz31 -- You really didn't lie to anyone. You chose to omit what you preferred to keep private and which is your prerogative. Think of it the other way. If you learned a year down the road that the co-worker who only told you she'd cut down on food consumption, etc., had had surgery, would you feel you'd been "lied" to? That she'd owed you at any time? I hope your answer is "No." What you decide to do with your body is not public domain. You'd like to have your pics on the practice's website, so don't deny yourself the fun: Blur your face. If you dressed for Halloween and a mask was part of your costume, maybe that could go up? Or something. Propose to the practice pics that meet both your needs.

@@Angelsoul219 If you're about to put your hand in a fire and someone shouts, "Don't do that!," paying attention would be a good thing. On the subject of surgery, you'll run into ignorance, suspicion, bias, judgment and more. This is your decision to make. You'll make the right choice when you're armed with all the info, are absolutely clear about your role in the weight-loss process, have reasonable expectations, et al.

@@gowalking -- Good news about the successful adjustment and the wise words about the band-belly connection. "...and am now eating my plum at my desk" That bit is what really caught my eye. What a dainty picture it conjures.

I began organizing a WLS clothing exchange nearly six years ago. About five years back, I partnered with a local organization to host the events. It works perfectly all around: We have a nice place with dressing rooms and they receive the things that go unclaimed, giving them larger sizes, which are always in short supply there, for their clients.

Wonderful, entertaining account, Dub. My endoscopies took less time than it took to read through yours and I enjoyed the trip down memory lane. If "grippy socks" are the huge, shapeless foot coverings with splotches of white non-skid stuff on one side, your description is perfect. The only problem is that, as soon as you stand, they turn 180 degrees so that the splotches are on top of the foot. With luck, the turn is only 90 degrees.

@@♥dreamable -- P.S. As to the tons more energy, that alone is worth the price of admission.

(How cool this is. I didn't know we could edit the quotation beyond making deletions.) Motivation is as simple as what you want. You know the latter, so you've got the former. The obstacle is losing faith in yourself and the process. You don't have to let go of your faith beyond today. Your intellect tells you that 40 lbs is amazing and your sister and friends, all who've told you how good you're looking, aren't stupid. Not seeing the downward change goes back to the first Inca who cultivated potatoes in Peru. It takes time and work for most who lose significant weight to see what really is in the mirror. Don't worry about it. "Only?" You better smile when you say that. You've probably come across other WLS people who are so loopily happy with their progress that they record the figures to the right of the decimal point the way young children measure their ages in quarter, third and half years. If you wish to be goofy in either direction, be kind to yourself by crossing over to the loopy side. You are terrific. Really, you are.

You will be a champion. Trust me on that. All the best. I'll watch for your next installment. Go get 'em, Tiger.

@@lorri716 -- If you haven't been specific in a text or VM, leave one that is specific as to a get-together. Suggest a particular day to avoid the back-and-forthing, name a neutral place (a walk in the park or some such). The neutral location eliminates the chance for either of you to feel a "power" imbalance because of being on the other's territory. If you're correct about a negative reaction to your weight loss, it's more effective to clear the air in person than by phone.

It's a knock-out.

@@lsubabe33 -- That's good. Try not to be pessimistic about job prospects, though. Under the best circumstances, job hunting isn't fun, all the more reason to to whatever we can to keep our heads up. Again, I wish you all good things ahead.

@@MichiganChic -- "I do understand what you are saying. I feel like that about cake. I just can't throw it away. Somehow, I don't feel like that about lettuce!" Isn't it funny how that works? I'll never understand.

@@lsubabe33 -- You've already decided that there's no point in exploring job possibilities? It makes no sense to me, but that's just one woman's view..

@@Anilyn -- I'm all yours.

@@OKCPirate -- That is one impressive photo.

@@allenjf -- Battle between logic and emotion? Never heard of it.

@MonikaMakal-- I won't diagnose the behavior you're describing as OCD or anything else. Your mentioning your "respect" for food and urging your boyfriend and sons to eat everything brings to mind what is known in the U.S. as "depression-era mentality," a common mindset among people who lost everything during the Great Depression and often passed on to their children by example. As @@BigViffer said, it's about poverty. The fear of wasting food is part of fearing that there won't be enough of it tomorrow. While we might expect that children of the depression era would have been very thin, chubby children were not uncommon because of the parents' urging to clean their plates. It's difficult to tell whether you really may have an emotional disorder or just think that you do or think you should see it that way. Whether you actually throw things out or have a refrigerator filled with moldy, smelly, inedible food makes a difference. Does all of your careful your planning ahead and thinking about food and wasting or not wasting it interfere with other areas of your life? If so, you would be wise to see professional help for developing a healthier attitude toward food. If it doesn't interfere with the rest of your life, think about why you're so uncomfortable about it anyway. If you don't come to any useful realizations, a therapist can help here, too.

@@BLERDgirl -- I believe that flight attendants are discreet and quick about it. Since some people say they feel uncomfortable asking for extenders, I just thought they'd like to know there's an option. I never noticed differences between airline buckles; that's something to know.

@@Anilyn -- Best wishes on the Yellow Brick Road. Since you don't want kids, have you thought of adopting a ready-made person? She doesn't need changing, minds her own business unless the subject is permanent birth control, and is financially independent. She's a wannabe Canadian who picks up after herself.

As an aside to anyone who's still checking into this topic: I've heard of people who needed seatbelt extenders carrying their own so that they don't have to ask upon boarding. No idea how/where they get them, but it may be from a catalogue that specialized in products for hefty babes and men; I don't know the name of the catalogue. Or maybe they pinch the extenders the airlines give them on loan? Unthinkable.

@@Onion -- You don't have to do that to yourself. The fact is that there is risk with any surgery, everything from heart transplant to splinter removal. It's a choice and, considering the alternative, usually well worth the risk. You thinking is all wrong. It's easy to say so and takes some effort to look at things from the opposite viewpoint, but you can do it. The good news is that you can choose not to have surgery. The whole process is about choice. You should consider the alternative, though. Write out a list of your reasons for wanting to lose weight with a good chance of maintaining. Include the benefits to your health and longevity, your emotional well-being, the new opportunities in all areas of life, and all the other little things that come to mind. You'll still have the option to cancel surgery, but you just may discover that what matters is living well. It seems to me that most people, although they may be impatient with the seemingly endless pre-process, become increasingly eager for surgery. They're thinking of the benefits; they have something to look forward to. You bring to mind a long-ago (mid 1970's) co-worker and the elderly couple with whom he and his wife were friends and neighbors. The subject of death had come up. Neither of the couple felt the least fear of death and gave it little thought. They'd each experienced and accomplished what they'd wanted during the course of their lives. Even better, they were still living as works in progress. A fulfilled life doesn't regret and, therefore, has nothing to fear.