Wheetsin

If you can, drink something with Protein, even if it's just a protein Water. Proteins satisfy hunger longer than other food types. I didn't have a 3 week liquid phase, mine was like 2 days, so this isn't sarcastic if it comes across that way, but can you just drink more? I ask that because when I feel hungry (even pre-op) I could drink and satisfy it for a period of time. Do you get any relief from drinking more? Hang in there, soon (probably) your stomach growling won't phase you in the least. Now it's just another sensation. But pre-op, and soon post-op, it sends you into a sort of "must eat" panic mode. You will adjust/adapt.

To me' "bandster hell" is pretty much where I was at 2 days ago, bent over a public toilet trying to yak so that the relentless pain in my abdomen would go away. I think most people refer to "bandster hell" as the period of hunger they experience between surgery and fill kick in. (For me, that was a drop in the bucket compared to the time I missed my flight due to being doubled over in the public airport bathroom). It's all relative. Plateaus have to be expected. The "per week" weightloss guideline generally means averaged out long term, not literally each and every week. Your body needs time to adjust and equalize. Two weeks no weightloss, no worries.

Hick-ups? As opposed to Hick-downs? (Sorry, I live in Missouri, can't help but have the association). I have hiccups more frequently post-op than pre, but they're different. I most often get them when I'm "stuck", in combination with the gurgling and burping. They also tend to be... how can I describe this... more "shallow" than pre-op hiccups. As in, they're tiny little "hic... hic... hics" than the deep "hiiiiiiiiiiiiiic" I had pre-op. And oh, for me a "hicburp" means that something stuck has just flushed through and I'm clear. Always.

Ok, my husband is a yogurt fanatic, but I do the grocery shopping, so here's what I have learned. Largely from talking with the owners of our local Mediterranean market (my husband has spent time in Greece and wanted me to pick him up Greek yogurt). No promise that my information is correct. There is "Greek yogurt" and there is "Greek style yogurt." Two different things. Most of what we have in our grocery stores in America is actually "Greek style" yogurt (basically a thicker version of everything else on the shelves). True Greek yogurt is made with goat's milk, not cow. That gives it a different taste and setup from the beginning. It (and other Mediterranean-originating yogurts) are also made differently. They are strained to remove the whey, resulting in a much denser, "concentrated" yogurt. Some are also boiled to remove additional water content. Nutritional values are different, as already discused. "Greek style" yogurt is usually cow yogurt made the traditional American way (water content intact) that has been artificially thickened to try and simulate the consistency of true Greek yogurt. BTW, if you don't mind the fat, my husband swears by Stonyfield Farm's whole milk, plain, cream on top variety. Per serving (1 cup) it has 180 cal, 9g fat, 16g carb, 9g protein. Of course, his serving is closer to 4 cups and he mixes dry cereal into it.

The military is another interesting angle. Military families can (or at least could last I was part of one) live free on base or receive BAH to cover/offset if not. Core utilities were free or very greatly reduced. Major appliances are provided. Maintenance (structural) was free. Goods could be purchased at reduced rates, and with decreased sales tax through commissaries and PX. Including non-necessities like alcohol, beauty accessories, furniture, etc. Medical was free, dental was free. I don't remember vision but I think it was free too. Cheap life insurance. There was no required budget for work attire. Gas to and fro base, but parking was free and things like bridge passes were comped. Then consider all civilian world discounts (granted their use is optional). An E-4's avg. full compensation is around $40,000 not including "extras" (e.g. special pay) and not including what they're saving on ancillary perks such as the free medical. With branch discretions. Why is it so much harder (or at least perceived to be harder) for military families? We always did fine, but when I think back, quite a few of the families were on some form of welfare. I can see reasons in most cases, largely around choices or responsibility, not so much related to being a military family.

Estimates (anecdotal from the people who manage the programs and assistance process, but also supported by their audits) in my state are that maybe 5% of the people receiving government assistance actually need all the assistance they receive. IIRC the highest "true need" estimate topped around 15%. The remaining 95% (or 75%, take your pick) receive more aid than they need (by state definitions), either in terms of the number of programs they're in, or the benefits they're receiving for a given program/programs. So is your statement based on a particular state's averges, or national, and what numbers are telling you the true need is outweighing the abusive need? (I've only seen numbers/reports to the contrary... am most interested in learning more)

My advice - skip the Gas-X. It's a (too) common misnomer. Do have: your pain med RX in-hand ahead of time, if possible, so you don't have to wait for it. Liquid Tylenol (called "Rapid Blast") was a blessing for me once I didn't need the full strength of the RX stuff, as was having a recliner to sleep on. A pillow or something else for compression if your drive home will be significant. Bottled water unless you drink tap or use a filter. A tray to put things on, e.g. laptop, remote, phone. I bought a few house dresses to wear (the kind that slip over your head) and they were fantastic, but in hindsight I would have gotten something that snapped shut so that I didn't have to raise my arms or bend to get it off. Benadryl, Calamine, or similar lotion. SAVED MY LIFE once the itchies started. Ugh, they were the worst part of the whole process (same is true when I had my GB removed about a year ago... the itches during incision heal periods were the worst). Find a protein you like before your surgery, so you aren't having to scramble to find something after. Sooo many people don't do this, and regret it later. Liquid Benadryl if you're an allergy or sinus headache sufferer. A 1/3 dose as a sidekick to liquid Tylenol makes a very agreeable substitution for Tylenol Sinus. Something to do, when you're awake. A good book you've been wanting to read, some Sudoku, whatever.

BTW, even if what you're feeling is gas (from your surgery), taking Gas-X will do absolutely nothing for you other than maybe a placebic effect. When related to laparoscopic surgery, "gas pains" usually refers to the relocation of the CO2 they exapnd your abdomen with. (They blow you up like a balloon). Gas-X is ingested, and as such designed to work inside your gastrointestinal system. Per their own product information, Gas-X only affects the gas that's associated as a by-product of your digestive system... in other words, the gas you would fart out. This is not the same as the pains caused by movement of CO2 through your body, which has no fix other than absorption/dissipation. Taking Gas-X for this pain is like putting a band-aid on your elbow because you have an ulcer that's bleeding.

Is the "growling" actually in your stomach, or is there a chance it's happening higher, closer to the esophagus, but you're associating it with your stomach because you most closely associate it to hunger pains? Is it actually growling, or is it a "gurgling" sensation? Is the pain ever relieved when you eat/drink something else? Not trying to infer that you don't know what you're experiencing, but there's a band sensation that makes similar sounds to a growling stomach, that new bandsters often assume is hunger, but is actually occurring in the esophagus. Where you feel the pain isn't as significant as you might think. I have all kinds of referred pain from my band. Most often I feel it lower in my abdomen, to either side of my belly button. I rarely feel pain anywhere close to my band's position, except for when it's radiating to my back between my shoulderblades (and running up and down my spine). You've been told it's gas, I disagree. If I apply your symptopms to what I know about me, then I would say it sounds like you're experiencing food getting stuck (contrary to what a lot of people here will tell you, this can happen on liquids). It can also happen randomly, or in a pattern that's based on time of day, or in a pattern associated with your day's activities, etc. When I am stuck, I get a pressure (not pain) in the area of my esophagus. It then starts to manifest as pain to either side of my belly button (I mentioned this earlier), and in my hips -- like in the same place my hands would be if I stood with my hands on my hips. I will then begin to feel it between my shoulderblades, and pain will begin to radiate up and down my spine from there. Eventually I will feel "weird" in my throat. The pain in my abdomen, most often, increases to the point that it will take my breath away even though I have a high pain tolerance. Sometimes when I'm stuck, I will continue to feel stuck for hours and hours, even if there's not actually anything there, or it's only "lightly" stuck. Hard to explain. But often it has happened that I take a bite of something, feel uncomfortable for hours and hours, the entire day -- but I can take a drink or bite of something and it goes right down (and I usually feel completely fine afterward). So... sorry for the novel... but it sounds to me like you're feeling your food/drink "stick." Nothing in your description other than "pulsates" (which would normally happen in the area of the shoulder or collar bones, not your stomach) and "shoulder" would make me think you're experiencing gas pains.

Not directed at whomever is quoted, but in general... also asking sincerely, not rhetorically. There's a difference between paying more in taxes and paying a higher percentage of taxes. If I have to pay $10,000 in taxes and someone else has to pay $5, I don't mind -- as long as we're both paying 5%. But if I have to pay 50% while they pay 5%, I mind. (I heart flat tax) There's also a difference in factoring wealth based on income, and gross/net worth. Candidates are defining "rich" on income, not worth. (Most Americans would probably align themselves with Obama's definition of rich over McCain's, even if they don't know it). That's one big potential liability. A good friend of mine makes a substantial salary as a doctor. Her salary is about 60% higher than mine, and her gross worth is correspondingly higher. However, factor in her student loans and malpractice premiums, and I have a much higher net worth. Should she pay more taxes than I do? Likewise, my income is due in part to having invested over $80,000 and 5 years into graduate school. Because that effort and sacrifice is yielding a higher income than someone else who didn't pay that tuition or give up that amount of their personal time, should I automatically pay out a higher percentage of my income than they do?

I apologize for the wall of text above, my paragraphs aren't being carried over when I post.

It's difficult when elections require you to vote one of two ways, but you lay outside of either. And I'm not talking about "Republicans for Obama." Not everyone identifies with either party. "I never was really into the parties. With Democrats and Republicans you basically have people who didn't have the energy to join a bowling league. And neither of these teams is any good." In most elections that I can remember being a part of, I was voting for the lesser of two evils. Not necessarily being PRO candidate A, but voting that way because it was a vote against candidate B. And those I know who don't identify with either major political party know that if there's a candidate they DO like, it's probably not the Rep or Dem, but voting for their candidate of choice is the same thing as throwing away a vote against the candidate they like the least. A lot of people will vote uninformed, not really understanding the full picture of either candidate. A lot of people will vote on a particular issue. A lot of people will vote for McCain because they hear "tax increases" and can't afford more than they're already paying. A lot of people will vote for Obama because even though they hear "tax increases" and can't afford it now, they suspect the long term benefits might be worth it. There's a good chance in either case they couldn't tell you the candidates' views on, say, trade or liberties... it's the tax issue that's making or breaking it for them. Many people I know who are voting for McCain are doing so under the assumption that... he's old... our life expectancy isn't that long... I'm essentially voting for Palin. Many people I know who are voting for Obama are voting that way because he's black. Is either a good, informed vote? Who knows.

Psych evaluations (which are not the same as generic indicator tests) are not in place to deny people surgery, and it would never be a psychologist's goal to keep you from moving forward. Any time they have you take a test and nothing else... I question the value, and wonder how much it's there as a formality. In an ideal world, the psychologist is there to help you understand your relationship with food and the role it plays in your life, your behaviors with food, and how to develop ways to cope if the food relationship has to change. Yes, they will also screen for people who are not good candidates. Not everyone should have the lap-band. There are those for whom it will do more harm than good and those who would seek it out for extremely unhealthy reasons. A good mental health provider would be remiss if they did not attempt to redirect in those cases. I'm not sure what you mean by "a little bit off." Off of/from what? BTW, you do yourself an injustice by lying on your test. If anything, all you've done is indicate to the psychologist that you're willing to lie in order to "look good" (for lack of a better word). Those questions are on there for very specific & intentional reasons.

I don't have Tricare, but I can speak for 3 who do. All have been approved and have had their surgeries. Two received approval in what I would consider immediate turnaround, while the third had a bit of a delay due to Tricare needing more information (some records were missing when the information was faxed in).

The lapband is a piece of silicone. I don't know of any silicone that's capable of deceiving someone or spreading BS. If it exists, I want some. Your rant is perhaps misplaced? You seem to be upset about a surgeon, the services that were or were not provided to you, your lack of education -- but not a piece of silicone. :thumbs_down:been a dds for40 years and have seen more than my share of professional deciet but this Lap Band stuff is beyond belief have been 35lbs overweight fot 20 years with type2 diabetes and poor health thought it would be a great idea to finally lose the excess weight went to nyu seminar dr fieldings group finally thought i foundv my answer but iwas wrong fielding discussed how after bis surgery he was not hungry truly a miracle Not a miracle, just the way the band works for some people. Nothing deceitful there. Some people do not feel hunger, I'm one of them. Maybe... 10 times... in the last... coming up on 3 years. Am I being deceitful because I say "I am not hungry" while you continue to experience hunger? i thought i was bande 3/08 after 2 days iwas very hungry after 2 fills i am still hungry the only difference i cant eat without disgusting lap band regurgitation can occur at any time If you are bringing up... something "at any time" then there's something wrong. Having to yak is mostly associated with having something stuck, hence it will happen after eating, when too tight, etc. If you are experiencing yakking "at any time" then you need to advocate for yourself with your surgeon and figure out what's going on. You should never be walking down the street, feeling fine, havent' eaten in a few hours, and just randomly yak (which is what "at any time" describes). tough way to live at least if you put your finger down your throat you can stop at any time without insurance worries this is no panacea And no one who consents to having the surgery should think it is, or they did not research very well. be very careful like giving yourself a case of uncontrolled bulimea Wow, apples and oranges. If what you are experiencing is similar to bulimia, then all of your woes are the result of your own actions and nothing else. Bulimia starts with compulsive overeating. If you've maintained a 35lb buffer for 20 years, who are you now starting to compulsively overeat? And how can you a) compulsively overeat while at the same time :sad: can't eat without regurgitation? That doesn't make sense, but perhaps if you could explain a little more clearly we can help. The overeating is then followed by self-induced purging. The band is not self-induced purging. Forcing yourself to vomit, or popping laxatives like they're Jelly Bellies isn't quite the same as "something couldn't clear the stoma and has to be ejected." i vote nay still need to exercise and eat less nothing new not satisfied at all hungry and cannot enjoy food my vote Still need to exericise and eat less? Of course you do. What did you think, and what research did you not do that would make you think otherwise? DONT DO IT AT THIS POINT I WISH I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I HAVE BEEN SUCKERED ONE BORN EVERY MINUTE IVE BEEN TOLDI WAS DESPERATE BUT NOT THIS DESPERATE Sounds kind of like you're having a little pouty fit. You didn't do your share of the work, blindly "swallowed" what some surgeon allegedly told you (but call it being suckered which nicely enough puts theblame on someone else) and now you're upset because you still have to put some effort into your weightloss. You have a great tool at your disposal. Work with your surgeon, or a surgeon, or even just someone who really knows their stuff, and figure out what's going on that you randomly yak. From there, you will know what the remedy looks like. From there, you can implement. But yeah, you're still going to have to own this.

Had my GB out about a year and a half after banding. Was not unfilled, did not notice any change in restriction.

To revisit, problem is resolved. I went as far as to schedule a visit with a dermatologist fearing some kind of weird scalp infection or something, but luckily it resolved prior to going. What was it? I'm going to guess some type of residue from who knows what product. How did I resolve it? Don't laugh, I washed my hair with Dawn dishwashing soap after a girlfriend (she is a master stylist at a high end salon) suggested it. I think it was caused by a conditioner I used. I didn't suspect this because I use salon quality products and wasn't using anything new. I'm not positive this was it, but it's the only thing that makes sense. Why the cleansing shampoos I tried didn't work, I have no idea, but one shower with the Dawn (two shampooings) and the problem was completely resolved. My hair was damn dry and frizzy for a week or two because all the oils were stripped, but that's well worth it. My best guess is that at some point I applied too much of the conditioner, somehow didn't rinse well enough and failed to notice (I have really thick hair so it has happened that I miss a spot or two of conditioner, but I always feel/see/notice it when I'm combing my hair), and the particular conditioner had some type of ingredient that really "stuck" to my hair. Enough so that despite changing products and using regular cleansing products, the issue remained. It's still kind of baffling, but it's gone and that's what matters. So if you're still having the same thing, try the Dawn. Maybe try something a little less extreme first, like the Neutrogena clarifying shampoo (that made some difference with me, but not much - my "goop" was very strong, apparently). I swtiched from my usual brands (Biolage and Matrix) to Nexus and so far no problems.

No morning sickness here, not even nausea. I didn't think I was pregnant because I did not see any signs. I did feel implantation, but I thought it was just really bad cramps for a late period. With 20/20 hindsight I had two pregnancy symptoms that I didn't recognize. One was that my boobs hurt. A lot. Putting on a bra became a delicate procedure, and frontal contact like a hug was out of the question. I figured my boobs just hurt, no reason... I'd never heard of it being a sign of pregnancy. Two was my emotions. Speaking generically, I'm as emotionally detached as they come while still being sane. I bawled at the freaking Shamu show, ok? Not having morning sickness doesn't mean your pregnancy isn't going by the book, and it's absolutely nothing to worry about. Some women have it, some do not. Some have it some pregnancies while not others. Some have nausea but no sickness. Some have it once, some have it their entire pregnancy. It's totally one of those random things. If anything, be glad you aren't going through it!

I know it's already done, but I have to add my "no". My reasons, and mine alone, being: If I have WLS and come to a messageboard called "whateverWLSIhadtalk.com" then I expect that the people at that site are "experts" with the band to some capacity, or fellow researchers. If I want information about - let's say a RNY just to throw something out there - I will look for RNYtalk.com or some other "targetted" site. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I will come to a board because of the information, not the people, so I would not stay here and expect to get good information on a non-band procedure. I cannot necessarily give good, reliable or even safe information to the recipient of a different type of WLS. So why would I want to answer someone's question, or on the flip side, why would I come here to get information? If this were "weightlosssurgerytalk.com" that might make sense, but to me it just doesn't give that I'm going to have some other procedure but expect support from LBT. And if I'm smart, I understand the opposite to be true. Hence the only reason I can see someone who is not an AGB patient coming to an AGB site is for social reasons, and in my case -- that's not going to be the case. If someone is here for social reasons, we should see them in off-topic/social areas, not needing a separate forum. Revisions, whatever - fine. There's still a lapband core there, and someone who has had and then lost their lapband will likely still have "lapband" issues, or issues that lapband patients can assist with because of the common thread (e.g. adjusting to a new diet, regretting decisions, etc.) By opening up to any WLS, or if we went further and opened up to any WL efforts, we would not be lapbandtalk. So is the goal to stay true to lapbandtalk, or to broaden to a larger market and become tryingtoloseweighttalk? Dunno.

I have very sudden weight gains, which is the same way I lose. Nothing, nothing, nothing... 6 lbs. Nothing, nothing, nothing... 9 lbs. Even now that I'm comfortably into my 3rd trimester a lot of my gain fluctuates around fluid. I may go up 15 lbs in two weeks, and hold it for a month, and then drop 12 of them. Despite the fluctuating, the scale is undoubtedly also climbing up and I have gained weight, though not the ridiculous amount I would have gained had I not been banded.

I use Natachew with about 1/4 of a chewable Centrum. Most doctors recommend at least 400mcg of Folic in women of childbearing age, especially those TTC. Folic can usually be chewed and has no taste, it just sort of dries your mouth out. Regular Vitamins can contain higher amounts of things you don't want high doses of during pregnancy, e.g. Vitamin A which can cause birth defects and visual impairment when more than the RDA is taken by pregnant women. As long as RDA values are in check, regular vitamins with targetted supplements for anything that might be needed are ok. hth

I'm a potential c-section, but not because of the band. There's really no reason why the band would increase your chances of needing a c-section. That's per myown logic, and professional medical opinions.

I haven't really had hunger, but I've had cravings to eat. Not particular foods, almost more of a craving to chew something. This was bad news at first, esp. since I got my partial unfill, so I've been trying to keep SF puddings, fruit, and veggies on hand at all times. Closer to what you posted about, my threshold between "hungry" and "stuffed" is often a single bite.

Can we get some life in this place? I know you guys are out there, I see you in the other forums. Let's get some local love! Ok, so I'm technically in MO, but no one outside of our two states known the difference anyway. Please post and let us know you're there! I'd love to find someone else who has used my doc or center... SMMC.

I accidentally stole a bottle of Water from Babies R Us this weekend and didn't realize it until we were on the road. Now I'm paranoid to go back in there, even though it's something I know no one else even noticed. I accidentally steal stuff sometimes (e.g. something gets wedged under my purse in the shopping cart and I don't notice until I'm out of the store) and I usually feel too stupid to go back in and pay for it. During early college I worked at a music store. A kid came in to buy a tape, I didn't see a parent with him. No big deal. Except the kid was trying to buy a "parental advisory" labeled tape, and one of my co-workers had just gotten in trouble for selling one of those to a minor. That co-worker and I were on opposite registers, and I didn't want him to get in trouble again, so I called out to him, "Watch the tape that kid has" meaning for him to pay attention and see the label. he didn't hear me, so I called it out again. Next thing I know the kid's mother is in my face yelling at me about how her son is NOT a thief, and I should quit yelling out to everyone that they need to watch the tape because her son is trying to steal it. That was so far from what I had meant that I didn't even put 2+2 together until she had stormed out of the store with her son in tow. I hate the way that some stores are starting to require you to produce your receipt to leave the store, even if you don't trigger the sensor. Sam's Club is an example, and so is Wal-Mart if you try to leave via a side exit (e.g. garden department even if you checked out at the garden register). Sometimes I absent-mindedly shove the receipt into a pocket or down in my wallet and can't find it when they want it. I've actually had a store try and retain me "for investigation" when I couldn't find my receipt, even though the cashier verified she had just rung me up. It's all craziness I tell you.