sleepyjean

Holy cow, that must be SUCH a relief!! That's awesome news. You know what? I've always wondered about that. Every dieter has heard about the whole "starvation mode" thing. But if there truly is such a thing as starvation mode where your body feels deprived and tries to hang on to every last calorie you take in, how do anorexics get so skinny?

I didn't have to do an enema but I did have to drink Fleet's phospho-soda. I think I would've preferred the enema. (gag)

Just eat slowly. Try to make your meal last as long as theirs does. Plus, you can always fall back on having a stomach ache or having had a big lunch/breakfast, etc.

Hmmmm...on the one hand, it sounds like you've got too much restriction. But on the other hand, you're not losing. Sounds like your doctor isn't terribly helpful. A few questions: 1. do you get your fills w/ flouroscopy? 2. are you chewing your food to liquid consistency? 3. are you eating 3 meals or grazing through the day? 4. what kinds of foods are you eating? 5. are you exercising?

What do you guys think of these? Is a watch too subtle? http://www.creativemedicalid.com/watchlets?b=1

I say go get the one that goes up to 350. Pretty soon, you won't need a scale that goes over that!

I had the exact same problem. I sleep on my stomach, so the first three or four days after surgery were rough. I can nap for an hour or so on the couch or in my pappasan, but I can't sleep through the night like that. I tried sleeping on my back in bed, but I'd inevitable wake up when I rolled over in my sleep and got that feeling of a red hot poker jabbing me in the stomach. In the end, I took drugs. My doctor had described Lortab for the pain, but I was afraid I'd get addicted or something, so I didn't take it. When I finally got around to trying it, I discovered that it would knock me out for a good four hours. That's basically how I got through that first week. The good news is, is does get better relatively quickly.

I'm looking at some of the ones here: http://www.medicid.com/ They're more subtle than the big red emblem. I know vanity isn't important - or shouldn't be - when it's your health, but I haven't told anyone about my surgery, so I don't want a big honking thing that says LOOK AT ME.

I read some posts about this before I got banded and didn't believe it. But then it happened to me. Ever since I got banded, I've noticed that I have much more restriction in the morning. Does anyone know *why* this happens? Does your stomach swell while you're sleeping or something?

When I asked the surgeon and nutritionist about hair loss, they both looked at me like they'd never heard of that before. LOL I hope mine doesn't fall out. I don't have all that much to begin with!

The surprise is not that he's gay, it's that he's dating a two-time reality tv star. LOL

The medical clearance is usually required just before the surgery. They want your PCP to check you over and make sure you're healthy enough to go through the surgery. In most cases where insurance is covering the procedure, the whole process gets started with your PCP's referral weeks or even months before the actual surgery. People can go through any number of physical and health changes during that period, so it's really important that they check you out and make sure you're still okay and not at increased risk for the surgery. The nutritional evaluation is a good thing. The purpose is to prepare you for what's to come. In some cases, the nutritionist starts you on a pre-op diet. In some cases, they are doing their due diligence to make sure you understand exactly how the band will impact your eating habits. It is also when the nutritionist educates you on how to prepare for the first weeks and months after surgery (liquid diet, Protein shakes, etc.)

I looooove Anthropologie. I would shop there all the time if I could. I lespecially love their dresses and skirts. I'm a long way from my goal, but hopefully I'll be able to shop there one day too!

I've got more restriction in the mornings, so I take my meds at night and don't have to crush them. Maybe you could try that? (if it doesn't matter what time of day to take them)

holy crap! that's AWESOME!!!

Sorry, I misled you. She hasn't been on it yet. She'll be on the new season that starts on 8/1. She's the one choking that guy in the photo, LOL http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/celebrity_fit_club_4/106885/episode_about.jhtml

I started the process in late January and had surgery on May 1. The main reason it took so long for me is because I had to wait for my appointments. My doctor's office gave me the wrong time for my nutritionist appointment and the woman was booked solid so I had to wait over a month to see her. Then I had to arrange to see my doctor for surgical clearance and that was tricky because my doctor was booked weeks in advance and because that appointment could be no more than a week before surgery and they wouldn't even schedule my surgery until I'd seen the nutritionist, there was a lot of waiting going on. Ironically, the insurance approval was the fastest part of the process. It only took two days!

In my mind, gastric bypass was always Plan B. If this banding thing didn't work, then I caould always get a bypass. My opinion has changed though. Seeing people on TLC having tons of excess skin removed, changed my mind. Seeing someone like Carnie Wilson regain her weight and find herself on Celebrity fit club changed my mind. Looking at Star Jones and Al Roker's enormous heads changed my mind. Now, the only reason I would ever consider GB is if I gained all the weight back.

Wow, you did liquids-only for a whole month? My hat is definitely off to you!

Yay! You're on your way :-D

I think you will also find that what you *want* to eat changes after you're banded. I don't know why, but it doesn't feel so much like "giving up" my favorite foods as just plain not wanting them anymore. I find myself eating cottage cheese for breakfast every morning and LIKING it! I never thought I'd see the day. I always thought cottage cheese looked like milk that had been sitting out on the counter for a month.

I hate to shop, so I wear my clothes to death. But the time I'm ready to move to another size, the clothes I've been wearing are worn out and the only place for them is the trash!

Does your doc use flouroscopy for the fills? If he does, then he probably put an appropriate amount of Fluid in your band because he could see just how restricted he was making you. But if he was guesstimating, I dunno.

Oh dear. I was kind of hoping that things had slowed down for everyone else. Now I'm worried. I used to be pretty regular - same time every day. But since I got banded, it's more like once a week. I convinced myself it's because I'm eating so much less. I've started taking a dulcolax softener (gross!) with my vitamins every day because when the plumbing started working again, it was painful to go. Now I'm wondering if I have a major problem. Everyone else seems to have got back on track.

I have blue cross and they wouldn't submit anything to insurance until all of the pre-op stuff was done. I had to wait an extra 3 weeks for them to submit my stuff because the nutritionist couldn't see me until then!