lildarlin

This may be a silly question, but I'm curious. When you eat Beans, do you have be particularly careful to get the shell chewed up? I'm wondering if it would get stuck, especially if you're eating possibly 4-5 beans at once? Those shells can be tough sometimes, like on kidney beans. Sorry....silly question from a pre-banded person!!! Thanks

If I want to be banded I have to quit smoking. My husband is going to quit too. I quit both times I got pregnant because I didn't want to harm my unborn baby, so I know I can do it. It's going to be hard, I'm not a heavy smoker, about 5 or 6 per day, but it's still smoking and it's going to be hard for a few days. I don't ever stick to my resolutions, so I'm not thinking of it that way. I'm just going to make 2006 my get healthy year Once I get back to work I'm going to get my exercise routine going again and start eating better so that hopefully I can lose some weight while going through the approval process for banding.

DeLarla, I saw your pictures of erosion. Did that band actually go completely through to the inside of your stomach?? Do they tell you how long it will take to heal? I'm very sorry this happened. It certainly sounds like you had problems right from the get go. I would be so frustrated with a doctor not calling me back, that is inexcusable. Reminds of car salesman, once they get you to buy the car you can't get any further services out of them! I hope you are doing well and have a nice holiday despite the problems.

I understand how you feel. I was thinking the same thing for when my time hopefully comes. But I know that I won't be able to keep it from anyone. The people I work with are very very nosey and will keep drilling you for information til you break! They know more about me than my family does probably!! I don't know if I would go the gall bladder route...if you really need it out down the road, you have to tell another lie to cover the 1st. D&C would be a good way to go, but you'd want to make sure your dr. doesn't write weight loss surgery on your slip for disability (if your work requires a written excuse to be out). I work in human resources, can you tell?

I didn't have the intolerance to cold so much, just being tired and no weight loss. My GP kept saying I was fine. After I insisted on seeing the specialist he said I was too high. He actually doubled my dose and also put me on Cytomel to help with my energy level. I read that Cytomel is used by body builders to help metabolize fat faster, but it ain't metabolizing any fat I have!!! Of course they probably take it in massive doses too! I feel a lot better than I did, I'm glad I went to the specialist. I've been very cold lately though, normally I wear a t-shirt and sweat pants around the house (dead of winter here), and I'm fine. Lately though, I've had to put on a long sleeve sweatshirt to keep warm, my fingers get so cold! Not sure what is causing that but maybe it's just the cold weather.

I'm also looking at it this way, if it took 6 months to get everything done, it would be summer, and that is the worst time for me to be off work! We can't afford anyone to be out. So....if it works out to be in the fall, that would be better. Just so it's not at Christmas time - I applaud all these folks having surgery 3 and 4 days before Christmas, very brave people! I'll find out more on Tuesday when I have my first appointment. Maybe we can use something else because I've been seeing a nutritionist (not doctor prescribed) for 7 months and attending group fitness classes through a wellness program at work. Unfortunately, nothing doctor prescribed. Unless he's willing to say he knew I was doing that. We'll see what happens!

Hi Crystal! I may have mentioned this before. (BTW - I'm not banded yet). For years and years my GP had me on low doses of thyroid meds. I had a hard time losing weight. I finally insisted on seeing a specialist and my levels were too high. It has taken 6 months, 3 blood draws and soon to be #4 to get them right. I would expect that if I continue to take the meds as directed, I will have a hyperthyroid. It wouldn't hurt my feelings if it would make me lose some weight but I need to be watchful for the signs of it. What comes to mind is my sister. The doctor put her on meds to shrink a goiter and she started having heart palpatations and panic attacks, she was quite sick and it also took her some time to get back to normal. Just be watchful.....I feel like I could very well be a turtle when it comes to weight loss after banding. I hope not, but if patterns persist, I will. Because even with my levels right....I haven't lost weight. My dr says that if your levels are right, you can't blame the thyroid for lack of weight loss. At this point, I'm blaming myself because of poor food choices, but when I get down to business, the weight doesn't come off then either. <sigh> Good luck!

Motts makes sugar free applesauce sweetened with Splenda. It's quite good and my kids love it. They actually ask me to buy it! If you have a Super Walmart nearby, check there, it is in the individual 1/2 cup serving cups. For juice, I'm not sure. None of us are juice drinkers, I'd have to search myself. I have found that Walmart has the biggest selection in my area. Good luck, I hope you are doing well :eek:

When I was researching GBS, they suggested using a baby fork or spoon to eat with to keep your bites in check. What size bite do you take? That may sound like a silly question...sorry if it is! Take broccoli for instance, I buy the baby florets, so would it be recommended to eat 1 baby floret? How about meat, how big is the piece you put in your mouth? Thanks!

Thank you everyone. I'll be learning from my mistakes, I'm sure. Sometimes I eat now and wonder where it went because I'm not paying attention to what I'm doing!:eek Banding will surely slow me down!

Thanks! I was thinking the same....about the size you'd feed a toddler. Makes sense so you don't end up swallowing too much. I am due for my first appointment next Tuesday I'm sure I'll get many answers to my questions at that point. Thanks again!

I'm not banded yet, I've just started the process. I know you have to take your time and chew very well. I'm worried about this. I know that I eat too fast. I eat 2 meals a day at work, dinner at home. I'll give you an example why I'm worried about this. Today, I'm off work. First thing, I take my thyroid meds, I have to wait 2 hours before I can eat. This was at 6:30 am when I got up. I needed to leave the house at 8:20 to take my kids to school (which I don't normally do, they usually are run to daycare) and then I had a bunch of errands to run. By 8:20 my stomach is screaming hungry. I grab a pouch of oatmeal and make it up. Put plastic wrap over it and head to the car. Have you ever tried to eat oatmeal while driving a car??? There I am, trying to steer and holding a bowl and spoon! This is how days are sometimes for me and I don't have the time to sit down to the table and eat slowly for 20 minutes! I would if I didn't have to wait 2 hours for the thyroid meds to absorb! I am not quite sure how to manage this, I'm really going to need to make some changes in that respect, somehow! <sigh>

Sounds like what Dr. Ortiz refers to in his book as patient herding! Totally avoid that place at all costs is what I'd do! I don't like to be pressured into anything, she sounds way to pushy all the way around!

I just dropped my papers off to the doctors office and got a call from them as soon as I got home. She says, "do you have a letter from your PCP that says you've had 6 months of consecutive diet and exercise plan monitored by him?" I say no, because nobody ever told me I had to have that. I've heard about it in a round about way, but nothing directly ever told to me. She says that my attempt in 2001 may be too old So.....I have a strong feeling that I will be 6 months waiting because I don't have a doctor prescribed diet that has been within the last year or so. Although I've got all the documentation that I gave them that I have been on Atkins etc. since 2002. I'm always dieting, sadly. I've written to my insurance company and asked them what they will accept, because the drs. office said she doesn't want me to go through all the testing and then find out I don't have the 6 month diet the insurance requires. Seems like they do things a bit out of order. I don't know.......We'll see what my insurance company says.

I don't know if my insurance will require that I have the 6 months supervised diet, but I was wondering. Does that have to be 6 months, recently? I have 2 different times, first in 1996-1997 and then again in 2001 where I was on diet pills prescribed by the dr. He has documentation of every time I came in for a weight check. I saw him for much longer than 6 months each time. They sent me copies of my chart for the last 10 years because that's how long I've been seriously trying to get this weight off. It was interesting to read the comments and see how my weight has gone up and down like a yo-yo.

Does salad go down well for everyone? I'm thinking of all foods to get stuck, salad would be it. Thanks

More good information.....Now another question in light of that. If you have port issues, inflammation or what have you....why does that cause the band to erode? Is it that the infection starts there and somehow travels to the band? I'm wondering how normal having pain there is for everyone? Thank you again everyone!

Thank you Penni and Dody for the good discussion on this subject. I saw your pictures Penni, that's what got me thinking more about this. I hope you are doing well. I would imagine it to be disheartening to have it removed. I will definitely do my research and hope you all don't mind me asking questions. Thank you

I'll definitely make a list of questions for the doctor to answer, including asking him out of the number he's done, how many had to be removed. I understand that several people with underactive thyroids have had bands and so far no erosion. I'm still in the learning phase and a bit ignorant, but from what I've read, there is no one concrete reason why this happens. It seems like you're either lucky to not have it happen or unlucky that it does. Seems like I'm looking for 1 definite reason why this happens. I did read something from, I think, a UK website (my kids were bugging me to use the computer so I didn't reasearch it further), but this woman said she converted to a MIDband because she had trouble with her first one. She didn't say what problems she had or what kind of band she had first, but that was 6 years ago and she's doing well. So maybe its the type or brand of band causing this, I don't know, but I'm going to look further, because I am not familiar with the different types of bands. Thank you both for your thoughts, I wonder if anyone else has any input on whether the band is considered by the body a foreign object or not. My husband broke his arm several years ago and has a steel plate and screws in his arm.....seems like the body, would consider that a foreign object as well. The whole thing is a mystery to me thus far......research.....research! Thanks!

I'll be interested to see what my doctor wants to charge!

The other reason why I'm reconsidering meeting with him is that he is 3 1/2 hours from my home. I hesitate to go so far and if there is a problem, I would have to travel so far. My out of pocket is going to be $1500.00, I can't imagine $5000.00. I don't think I'd ever get the surgery done if I had to pay that much. I have too many expenses now and I couldn't save that much! I don't have much suport either. My husband doesn't say much, sometimes makes sarcastic remarks about my weight and being banded. My mother & sister think I'm crazy, but they are the ones who can barely walk and get winded all the time as they are overweight too! You'd think they'd be happy for me since I want to better my health. Just PM me if you'd like to talk. I just got my referral approval in the mail yesterday and the packet of information from the surgeon that's closer to my home that I wanted to talk to. I am going to have a hard time filling out all these questions. Good luck!

Hi! I have to tell you. I have heard a lot of good things about Dr. Kwon! In fact, I emailed him to ask a question. I actually expected his office staff to intercept the call but he emailed me back personally! I have never known a doctor to do that and in such a timely manner. I am just starting the process too. I've been researching for a couple months and have just called the surgeons office. Unfortunately, not Dr. Kwon because my insurance won't cover him. If you haven't been on, Obesity Help is also a good source of information. They have their own Lap Band forum too. This one is great, but checking out other sources is good for you to do too. Good luck, keep us posted.

This may sound strange, but someone once said that gas naturally wants to go up, so she suggested laying on the bed, if you can of course, on your belly and laying the top half of you over the edge. Is that weird? I'm not sure if it works...I don't know if anyone has ever tried it.....but I can't personally imagine laying on your belly after you've had surgery there. I wonder if the key is to move around as much as possible as Maggie says. Hopefully if I get banded, I'll have to keep that in mind.

That is great! Way to go! Can you give me ideas of foods that you eat and how much? I don't see much of what people eat on any of these boards and wonder. Keep up the great work, you are an inspiration. I'd love to be able to lose that much, when I get the band of course. (keeping fingers crossed I get approved). Thanks!

When I was doing Atkins they would say that you should expect a stall at about the 3 week mark. This was because of the fast weight loss and the body needed to catch up. Maybe that's all it is. Your body is saying whoa! what's going on here? I was an everyday weigher because I was so psyched that I was losing. Now, I barely get on because I'm not doing very well. I'm not banded, hoping to be I agree though, the scales really do suck. I let them dictate my mood for the day as well as how I eat. Yeah for those who are putting them away!