lizzy h

Jachut Thanks. I needed a kick in the rear and you had a few buzz words that worked well for me. For the rest of this evening I am going to try and keep reminding myself that I control this thing (eating) and I can beat it......when I exercise I only know how to do it one way..HARD. Through high school and college I was on a crew team - can you believe it lightweight!, anyway our mantra was no pain no gain. I dispise running, but I love the elliptical and the treadmill with a big incline, I just can't find the time right now.......so here is the newest tool in my arsonel...I waited in line for 2 hours this morning and was #19 in line at my local Best Buy (I even walked there) for one of 40 Wii Fits that they got today.......

Wow you expect to have to replace your band? - did your surgeon suggest that was a probabilty and not merely a possibility?.....I was only warned about this in rare case, just like slippage was rare. :wink2:And of course neither of these things would ever happen to me, I mean aren't the odds the same as winning lotto, and I yet to have that happen

HELP....what does DH stand for, yes I should know by now but I just don't. Thanks to those of you that appreciate my thoughts, and Brandy is actually a very positive poster. Don't mistake her understanding of her body and medical issues as negativity. She is well informed and painfully honest in acknowledging what is not working for her. I have deciced that I may indeed be a HATER...you have to read to the end to see why My ideal WLS would be the one where I exercise when I have time (about 3 days a week) and am satisfied with a few bites of food. My weight loss would be between 3 and 5 lbs a week. For me personally with the band I am only successful if I eat less then 1100 calories a day and do 1 hour of exercise a day 3 days a week, and 2 hours of exercise for another 3 days, with one day off. When I am exercising that much I feel great, sleep better, and am generally happy with the added bonus of not being hungry, soooooo an 1100 cal day is not a problem. Ladies I want to meet all you success stories in person and pick your brains. I would love to understand what it takes to take a few bites and be finished eating. If I am not exercising six days a week then I am a foodie battling the near constant thoughts of eating......I suspect with proper band adjustment I would have an easier time. The bummer is that my life it not 100% my own. I can't exercise that much and keep my house running and my adolescent out of trouble. I also have a health plan that is not "partnering with me" so I am looking under different stones for solutions..... I have a different post out there on this....... So why do I think I am a hater? - well I don't personally know any living breathing banders that have lost as much as I have (now 90 lbs, but at one point 120 lbs). And then I had my out the blue too tight band. This is completely unexplained and I am hearing that it is not all that uncommon after 2 years. I have come to the conclusion that the RNY is a more sure fire way to go. When I meet (in person) prospective banders I remind them that the band does not have the element of malabsorbsion that RNY and the sleeve has. Assuming there are no unforseen complications the malabsorbtion almost guarantees success..... ya ya ya less calories AND less Vitamins, AND less nutrition, all true, but did I mention LESS CALORIES. I am not a newbie bander bummed that I did not lose 100lbs overnight, I am seasoned bander and what has pushed me over to the hater side is that I have yet to have a doctor explain to me why my band got too tight. I hope that in the not too distant future there will be more studies on 3+ year banders and this too tight issue, and then I bet I will switch sides again and be back to the - hey everybody take a number, get in line the band is awesome (GAWD its tru I really was like that)!!!

Whoa there Leslie....I might be one of those people you call band haters, and I think you are missing something. I’ve had my band for nearly 4 years and I come to this site and get totally freaked out by the overwhelming success. I know 6 other banders and NONE of us have had success like this. We are only acquaintances at a monthly support meeting so I have no clue if they eat or exercise at my level, and I know we all have different doc’s and different fill histories……Of the 7 of us 3 would do the band again, 3 would do something different – and then there is undecided me….so here is my deal…..I was slightly successful for two years….some weight loss, no regain and I was happy with that…….Then I took control and dieted and exercised and presto I was hugely successful, lighter then I ever thought I would be – and then bam out of nowhere I could not keep anything down…..I had not had a fill in 3 years – so what is that about. That is when I came to this site and too see what others said about this. I think it is very important for people to hear to “hate” stories because it is not all good. The Haters give those of us struggling a point of reference, and some ideas about what to do. Call me stupid but with only 1 fill 3 years ago I had never even thought to get an unfill to fix my issue. It was the haters that sent me back to the doc. And it is the haters that have me understanding that my current failure with eating too much and having to lose added pounds it not unheard of and I am not in this alone……just a haters view

Hey before I do the diet pill thing tell me this. Am I in denial about my age (yikes 43 today) if I have just discovered America's Top Model and look forward to weekends when they broadcast a marathon back to back episodes so you can waste a whole day watching a season's worth of skinny BIOTCH TV? - I am addicted!!! On to the diet pills. Has anyone tried diet pills POST OP..... do tell

I am a POTC fan, and an Indiana Jones fan too. On a whim I caught the Indy movie today and it struck me as interesting that both Indy and Jack have a thing about their hats.....Since Indy came first do you think Jack's obession is a small nod of homage to Indy?

I am NOT kidding......I just caught a few minutes of this absurdity on Fox's Hannity and Combes.....I wish I had heard the story, all I saw was maybe 45 seconds where Alan Combes (the liberal of the pair) was asking the guest to explain why and how obese people contribute to global warming.....I swear the guest actually talked about the type of foods obese people eat as a factor. OK I have my own issues with "fat" people, even though I have been one for most of my life, but this going too far. I suppose fat people are why the price of gas has spiked too

So Bandy... this is good, this is great.......I have 15 year old son that is 5'9" and 240 lbs...He refuses to take any of my help.......good for your daughter, great that she did not wait until she is 43, super yippeee hoorayyy. Yes it would have been if she did not get the tastebud gene, you know what I mean - but she has other blessings I am sure.......all that out of the way how did her surgery go, and how are you dealing with the stress?

Thanks MacMadame for your thoughts. They are good cautionary words, and I can comlpetely appreciate why you would avoid them given what you know. Fortunaetly I have not taken this course recklessly (unlike 15 years ago when I did Phenfen throwing all caution to the wind). I have friends that are passionate in their position that they would never do a lap band. They see the risks of a foreign object in my body as desperate and reckless. I can no more change their view, then I believe I can alter your opinion. If one looks they can usually find statistics, and anecdotes to support their agruements......that is what is so great about the internet. We are free to debate and pick and chose what fits for us. Thanks

Brandy I feel as though we are fast friends and seem to share so many similar thoughts...I have even considered trying to see if I qualify for the RNY now????....and good luck to your daughter.....Life is for living and it is loads easier to do when you fit in the plane and movie theatre seat. I think it is great that at 19 your daughter is taking control and she will not waste months and years battling the buldge

Linesj there was a show briefly on cable about two years ago called STARVED......GAWD is was horrible, it was a train wreck...and I loved it ....it's main premise was about a group of people that each had food issues....one of the characters used to buy the "ding dong" type product open it up....toss it in the trash and then sprinkle cleanser on top to make sure that he would not dig it out later...I think in one episode he even did dig it out and scrape off the cleanser......I have to believe the show was cancelled because it was raw in its subject matter, and I think it had a limited audience appeal - it was twisted and sick - if only I could get a season video

You can tell that I am the biggest Upadhyay fan - although I think that people need to pick who the "fit" best with. Upadhyay's office is really laid back...you might HAVE to attend one preop meeting - they do a week night and a Saturday once a month...there is the usual shrink consult and I don't know about the dietiation....He also REQUIRES an upper GI pre op....Thinner Future does not. I believe self pay for a Lap with Upadhyay is 10K....and since he is not sooooooo popular you can get a relatively quick surgery date once you are approved, or can gather the funds......post op is the support group I go to 3 x's a year. It is also offered 2x's a month. I just prefer a bigger group and can relate better to the people at Mills....Upadhay's people sort of need more traditional therapy about other issues - a lot more then the "typical" love affair with food

Dancing lamb if only you lived in the SF bay Area, or I lived in NYC I know we would have loads of fun at Starbucks......This was a wonderfully and artfully descriptive post, thanks for the chuckle

Bandy wise words thank you.....My understanding of diet pills is that PhenPen was the potentially lethal combination....most others havebeen around since at least the 50's and are well tolerated if taken in moderation and for a limited course of treatment. They can increase your blood pressure if you are prone to that and they are highly addictive.....Given that I am a foodie I am hypersensitive about addiction.....so far my habits that are had to break are cyclical nail biting and of course food......I like the feeling of being drunk so I only drink a couple of times a year and I have a stop date targeted for the diet pills.......oh yes I also have tend to weigh daily.......so I weighed in today, the 1st time since Thursday woot woot....3 lbs down in the RIGHT direction. So on my errands I left the car at home wlked to bus stop and got moving a bit, yippee this may just work

Ok I kept reading through these posts to see if ANYONE would agree even a little bit with the doctor.....well I guess its up to me....1st ues whatever and ANY motivation you can to reach your goal...170 lbs is not asking to be super model thin so yyou have your head screwed on straight.....about me...took me 3.5 years to take off 120lbs, and 6 weeks to put 25 back on that I am fighting with again....anyway this site has GREAT success stories, but I think there are a lot more closet cases of 20 to 70 lb weight loss. Don't get me wrong any weight SUSTAINED loss is a victory. But our big numbers (100+) take longer to achieve then RXY, and from my own experience it is easier for us to put it back on......About putting it back on. My RNX friends that have lost 100+ lbs have all regained some, and they tend to do it AFTER year 2 or more years. The with the band what i am hearing more and more about is unexplained problems when there has been a history of smooth sailing.....My case was 3 years one fill and no issues....then BAM out of the blue the band was too tight and I had 6 months of nasty reflux, needed an unfill, then a refill.....still not right and I have an older band that is harder to adjust....so I am regaining....so your doc gave you a message you did not what to hear. Its delivery may have been crapola, but there may be some truth there. Information is power and file it away....so when if gets harder and harder to lose, and takes longer and longer do not get discouraged and become one of the patients he has experience with....Thanks for sharing

About Foster. I need to be fair. I have NEVER seen or met her. My BFF used her for her RNY, and LOVES her. At the support group all the post ops love her......I believe she is direct and no nonsense. But her reputation is that if she says lose 12 lbs and you lose 11.5 she will cancel the date. It is just black and white. It is heartless because we are so emotionally invested in getting this surgery - but is it fair. She tells you exactly what YOU need to do and then holds you to it.....Wetter.....hmmm. Here I do have experience. Agian propbaly the best pair of hands in the Bay Area, and I think he does an amazing job of assessing who should have the sleeve, band or RXY.......but make no mistake about it you are there to make his success rates look good - its not about you, its about HIM. He did a MAJOR headFu*k with me, and it took me 2 months to figure it out and then I was out of there. My oldest friend (not the best friend mentioned above) used Wetter. He REFUSED post op to give her a fill. She had not lost enought weight with an empty band to earn a fill.......other ppl at the Mills group have had similar stories, and yet others say they havenot dropped a sinlge lb and he has given them fills......I donno, I just got lucky finding Upadyay, and his coordinator, Helen is amazing, and great with the insurance companies......BTW if you decide to see Upadhyay think of the Rodolph Christmas movie and the Island of misfits....I know its unkind, but that is what his office staff reminds me of, none of the polish and shine of Thinner Future, but warm and caring and talented and worth their weight in gold

1st UPADHYAY...I am not sure if Upadhyay has only doen 50, but I know his partner is more fond of the RNY and now the sleeve so their practice does not equally offer the band unlike thinner future.....also Thinner Future is ALL ABOUT WLS....Dr Upadhyay does other surgeries so his practice is all about laproscopic surgery....now here is where it gets touchy......please to readers I am not trying to be offensive......the demographics of Upadhyay's practice seemed to be more patients of color and 300+ lbs, and whacked in the head. THIS WAS MY PERSONAL OBSERVATION. Again my personal observation has been that when you more the 150 lbs to lose the band may not be the best fit.....if you are looking for fast and tangible results to keep you focused then the band my not be the way to go either, and if your culture has foods that would respond better to malabsorbtion then restriction then then band might not be a good fit there either. And the final thought about Upadhyay's demographics.....the culture again, "big momma's" are not uncommon or discriminated against on Oakland (the neighborhood). Unlike the 'beautiful people" on the Penninsulia where outward image (thin thighs) are more prevelent......About FOSTER and Wetter in the next reply

dr upadhyay in oakland. although I believe wetter may be the most talented surgeon I learned the hard way that he is a pompous ass. He really very badly played with my mind and in the end to preserve my insurance approval and actually have the surgey I had to switch surgeons....if you want all dirt i can share, but it basically comes down to wetter is great in the OR, and outside of there he sucked for me....but hey because of him I had the band and not the rnx, i lost 40 lbs preop - more then was needed, and yvette processed my insurance paperwork so efficiently that i had a really fast approval,,,,,and the best part is I found the mills group. So part of the crap t hat I had to deal with sucked, but there were definate bright spots

ok my understanding is that it is only done in Nor Cal in Fresno, SSF and one east bay location (either Richmond, Hayward or Fremont)...I am assuming that you have not yet done the psych eval, or the nutritionist apt. So get an appt with your PCP again.....xplain that you need the help (they are really hot on the term "tool") and that the diet pills have side effects that are not workable......dry mouth, shakey-jitterly, and more trouble sleeping...... when was the last time you did blood work, esp the sugar diabetic test.....if you have ANY family history of diabetes bring that info with you as well.....ask for a referaal to SSF if you can get it - or a referral back to your local hosp......call the bariatric group at your local hosp and ask the receptionist if there is a usual shrink, or social worker that does the evals.... have your PCP ask for that apt referral too.......find out when the preop support mtgs are....GO TO THEM...BE SEEN....PARTICIPATE......Make friends (suck up) to the moderators - you may end up needing them to help you with your appeal...start with that and basically do nlot take no for an answer - but ALWAYS KILL EM WITH KINDNESS

ok here is my take in 2004 I started my Journey at Thinner Future and was lucky enough to be scheduled with Dr Wetter. I thought I was going to have RNY, but Wetter told me about the band and suggested that. Back then my starting weight was 294 LBS.....Yvette in his office sent through my request and everything went smoothly with very fast approval. I was on track to have surgery about 5 months after my initial visit. Dr Wetter is a sticker, like Dr Foster about losing weight before surgery. My belief is that in the SF Bay Area there is probably no better surgeon then Dr Wetter. BUT A GOOD SURGEON IS ONLY PART OF THE EQUATION. For the lapband you are going to need follow up. I was thoroughly enamored with Dr Wetter's experience, success and credentials......but he toyed with me in the most horrible way and as luck wouyld have it I opted to change surgeons. I went across the bay to Alta Bates. The office was not slick like Thinner Future. The surgeon was an Indian version of Marcus Welby and I was going to be his 1st lap band. He had LOADS of RNY's and other laproscopic experience, but no bands....I took a leap of faith and it could not have worked out better. I still attend the Mills support meetings the 1st Saturday of every month because they are the best in my opinion (I have done Kaiser's and the Alta Bates ones, but love the Mills ones). I have friends that have used Foster and they all love her. These are RNY patients - and Foster WILL CANCEL your surgery date of you do not lose as much pre op as she says.......My oldest and dearest friend used Wetter for her band (agaist my advice). She too thought he was the most capable in the bay area, but post op she switched to my guy in Oakland because of his bedside manner.....more by personal message if you want.....come to the support meeting this Saturday at Mills

please contact me.....I started at Thinner Future and then went to Alta Bates. I have 2 other friends that have used both Foster and Wetter. one did band and one RNY - they can tell you laods about the office, support and personal experience with the dcotors - I have feedback too

if you are not already going to the Mills support groups the 1st Saturday of the month I highly recommend it - REALLY

Alta Bates Oakland Dr Upadhyay is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S. I am a Kaiser patient, but went outside Kaiser and had Dr Upadhay do mine...get this I was his 1st Lap band ever in 2004..... I have some thoughts on this, let me know if you want more details

Cindi I totally get it.....I sabotaged myself today too......not as bad as in the past (recent and distant) but not as good as I should have been. But you know what girl...you took some time to put down the fork and type.......its small but positive, and you are on the right track. Keep it up.....also get a bag of raw whole almonds put 36 of them in a snack sized ziplock and keep in your pocket or purse......bust that out when you need to nibble. And do that, nibble like a rat. Yes its packed with fat, but it is protien and if you eat it slowly enough you will kill the hunger - try to keep it to only 18 instead of 36 if at all possible

blah blah blah to your buddy.... well actually I think you are both right. I have personally never met an obese person that did not get their through thier own actions or inactions. So if you do what you have always done then you will get what you always got, regardless of surgical procedures. Don't be fooled by false security with the band or RXY or the sleeve. These are all procedures that will set you up to be successful. But you can most certianly destroy the beneifts of these surgeries, and it is easy. There are loads of banders that will talk about 'eating around the band" and the slippery foods. I tell anyone asking about the surgery this...look inside and be ugly honest. Know that the surgery is only a tool and the rest is up to you...and yes I personally say take all the tools and help you can get. then keep asking the hard questions. Are you someone that will exercise? If you have the surgery and its 2 months out and you have only lost 20 lbs are you going to be disappointed? if you are not a high school jock, and you would be bummed with only losing 20 lbs in 2 months then seriously consider the malabsorption surgeries and not the band. From the banders that I personally know that have been happy with their results they exercise at least 3 x's a week and used to be jocks. They REALLY were ready to wait 2+ years to get the weight off and they were not frustrated by the RNY people at our support group that can lose 40 + lbs in 2 months and 100+ lbs in 8 months. oh ya and we do meet once a month rain or shine in person