shanna

Me? I'm doing pretty crappy. I haven't been hanging around here much - too painful. I've started the process of seeing a psychiatrist as I have been told I have bulemia (non-purging). I'm not sure if that's really it or if I'm depressed and it's presenting itself through binging. I guess that's what I need to find out. Losing my band was the end of the world for me - it was my cure and it/I failed. In the meantime I've switched from Nutrisystem to going to a clinic for Vitamin shots and next week will start some type of appetite suppresent. Sorry to be so down.

Hi, Lisa! I, too, am embarking on my own. I've been teaching at my MIL's private school for 11 years (kinder) and she is closing the school as of June 16 of THIS YEAR - YIKES! I'm kinda stuck 'cause I do not have my teaching credentials so I can't go into public education and if I were to go to another private school they would not be able to pay me what I've come accustomed to (advange to working for MIL). So, long story getting longer, I've decided to start my own business. I'm going to be starting a greeting card mailing service for business' and professionals. I have a few clients already lined up and my DH is working on more (he is a bank manager so knows a lot of mortgage brokers, etc). It's really scarey and exciting and I can't believe it's already May - YIKES again! I really hope you're able to pull together your plan and thoughts and get the business help you need. Sorry I haven't been any help to you but I couldn't keep from sharing since we're kind of in the same boat. Good luck to you!

Kelly, There are some of us who lost out bands due to slippage and those whose bands eroded. My band slipped and my dr was unable to fix it due to adhesions. I may end up getting rebanded in 6 months depending on how well I can do without the band. So far I'm doing ok - not good - but ok. Time will tell. Don't worry. Most people don't have these problems. Listen to your doctor's instructions, do your best and the rest is up to chance. My one word of caution is to make sure you don't get too tight. It's far better to take it slow and easy when it comes to fills/restriction. I hope your band journey is long and that you do as well as so many others on LBT. Don't take a day with your band for granted. Make each day count and lose as much as you can - just in case. Good luck to you!

Desertmom, I'm praying the endo turns out just fine but if it doesn't and you need to have another surgery maybe yours can be fixed (if it's a slip). My band was removed laproscopically and the surgery was very similar to the first, for me. More pain in the port area because they're messing around with muscle. I am hoping you don't have to go through band removal but if you do - we're here for you.

I'm in San Diego - how about you? Yes, NutriSystem is pretty expensive. But when you break it down to how much you're paying per day - it's not quite as bad. Your first month is $289 with 7 extra days so it actually comes to a little over $8 per day, which isn't too bad. After the first month it'll be closer to $10 per day. Of course you still have to go out and buy your fruits, veggies and dairy/protein. I decided to go ahead and try it for a month. If I'm losing and able to stay on program - it'll be worth it to me. I'm pretty close to goal weight - about 25 lbs. I'm not sure what I'll do after I get there - I've never actually seen "goal weight". Will I even recognize it??? I guess I'll just take what I've learned at NutriSystem and try to apply it without their meals. But for now while I'm learning the system, using their foods makes it much easier. If you go on the NutriSystem website under communities, there is a bulletin board and there are people doing "Nutrisystem" without the prepackaged food. It is possible. I'm just not big on cooking, but if you like to cook maybe that could be an option for you. Let me know if I can help in any way. You're definitely not alone out there. I know it can feel very lonely sometimes, especially when you see everyone else out there succeeding with the band. It's hard. Very hard. But WE can do it! We've come this far haven't we? I've come this far before and have regressed back to my original weight and more. I refuse to let that happen this time. I have to keep reminding myself what I felt like then and what I feel like now. I also am having to take one day at a time and remind myself that the food I WANT to enjoy today is not leaving the planet and I'll be able to enjoy it when I get to where I want to be. I am coming to grips with the fact I can not eat what the other people eat around me and continue to lose or even stay the same. If I eat what they're eating, I'll gain. It's not fair, but that is my reality. If I want this to work I'm going to have to make some major changes. Last night we went to the movies with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. On my right, DH munching on Peanut M&M's and on my left, SIL eating a whole bag of popcorn with butter. Me? Carrots and a banana. It was so hard while I was sitting there but after the movie I felt like a million bucks. Small steps - 1 day at a time (starting today-that's another thing I've learned about myself. I ALWAYS would say to myself "I'll start tomorrow" but tomorrow never comes. It's always today and we can only makes changes in our todays). Good luck to you and I'm here if you need anything or have any more questions about NutriSystem. Sorry for such a long post - good day to you!

First off, I'm soooo sorry you're having to deal with this. It's not fun - been there, done that. I wish I had had the option of converting. I, personally, would have. Many people here are opposed to bypass so you'll probably get a lot of responses to not do it, but you're going to have to decide what's best for you. It is really hard without the band, but there are a few that have had their bands removed and have maintained their weight loss. So it IS possible. There are a couple of LBT members who have converted to the DS (deudonal switch). I wish I could be of more help. Good luck with your decisions.

1. I so appreciate y'all. I don't know what I would have done without you guys - probably would have gained it all back by now. It really helps to be able to come here for support and advise. I LOVE YOU! 2. I'm messed up in the head. Several weeks ago Lisa (DeLarla) got me thinking when she talked about eating not out of hunger, but just because....nothing to do with hunger. I'VE COME TO REALIZE THAT'S ME! It has been for all my life, but I've never realized it or maybe I did and just wouldn't admit it. I'm doing NutriSystem right now and I've been 100% on plan for 8 days now. I've lost 6 lbs. This is how all my past diets have started - perfection...cheat...diet over. I am so scared that if I have even 1 bite of something off plan that it'll all be over and I'll gain everything back overnight. I'm so frustrated with these extremes - all or nothing. Losing weight or gaining weight. Exercise daily or not at all. Diet or eat everything in the house, even when completely stuffed. Is there hope for those of us like this? I'm beginning to think not or maybe realizing it is the first step - I don't know. Time will tell. Like I said...I'm messed up in the head. Sorry for such a looooonnnng post. It's been a reflective day...

I've got to stop coming back to this thread - I'm getting cravings that I've never had or have forgotten about. Grrrrr! I'm being a good girl and eating my Nutrisystem lunch right now, but.....I WANT pizza and Blue Bell Cookies 'n Cream! I hadn't thought about Blue Bell in years. I grew up in Houston, but have lived in San Diego for the last 20 years and they don't carry it in our grocery stores. Oh, but I love it! Yep, they're calling me....PIZZA, BLUE BELL, FRENCH FRIES, chocolate. OK, that's it - I'm not coming back here again. Bye!

So glad all is well! Before my slip I went through the same thing - fills suddenly becoming too tight several weeks after a fill then needing a series of unfills just to get liquids down again. IMHO, I think some people swell more than others due to different things - maybe something we're eating or I don't know - just something. It just seemed as though I was very swollen inside at times. Weird. I've heard of a few others that this has happened to, too. It's such good news that everything's ok and I hope you & your dr are able to figure out what's going on...

Oh, Mary Ann, I'm so sorry. I had the EXACT thing happen 3 weeks ago (April 3). The first week was pretty emotional for me. A lot of crying and feeling of hopelessness. I gained 10 lbs the first week after surgery, but I've lost 6 of those again. I think my body was holding onto anything it could because it was afraid I'd starve it again and my body needed to replenish itself, fluid-wise. If you need someone to talk to, please pm me. I'm so, so sorry - I wish I could say something profound and wonderful and tell you everything's going to be ok but the fact is it just SUCKS (I guess I'm still feeling kind of hopeless). Take care of yourself,

GRRRR! I usually wear Victoria's Secret panties - the cute little PINK ones. I have all different colors and everything BUT today I am wearing light colored pants and needed light undies with nothing cute on them so.... I am wearing light pink boy cut undies that are 2 sizes too big. My bra is a beige Victoria's Secret 36C

FOOD, in general. Nothing in particular....anything. All it has to do is be there...Ugh! (But I haven't cheated once this week!)

I'm so glad you were able to get an appointment. No, they couldn't replace it. He sure tried (for over an hour), but there were adhension on my stomach from the band moving back and forth. Oh well...Let us know how your appt on Monday goes. Take care,

Vines, Yep! It sucks! I feel your pain. Like others have said...come to the disbanded forum. We DEFINITELY understand. I sometimes, too, have a hard time hearing of other's successes when I failed miserably. I love reading your posts and enjoy your enthusiasm for life and would miss it greatly. Stick around - you need us almost as much as WE NEED YOU).

I had been having on and off problems for weeks (I think my slip was gradual) then... On Wednesday, March 29, I became VERY sick - throwing up constantly and unable to keep anything down. I thought I had a stomach virus or something. The next day I went to the dr for a aninausea shot because I was worried about damage to my band - the shot did nothing for me, neither did the suppositories. So on Friday I called my band dr and he had me come in right away to check it and it had slipped. So he unfilled me completely and I had surgery the following Monday, April 3. He was unable to fix it due to adhesions. I don't want to scare you because most people who think they may have slipped, really haven't - you probably just need a slight unfill. But I do want to stress how important it is to see your dr and not continue to be in pain. I've been there and it's awful. I'm so sorry this is happening to you. Let me know what the nurse says when you get off the phone. MAKE THEM SEE YOU - TELL THEM IT'S AN EMERGENCY. Tell them that you're afraid of becoming dehydrated. Dehydration can make you very sick.

If you're only able to get liquids and very soft foods in without being in pain, then YES! go get a slight unfill. I was in your position several times during my band journey and being too tight led to my slip. You really want to take care of your band - it's really hard to be without it. I'm glad you called the dr - take care of yourself, OK! Let us know how it goes...

I hear ya, Penni. Actually, I would even consider a gastric bypass at this point. It was always waaayyy too scary before my band removal, but now....it kind of seems like an option except I don't weigh enough for that surgery. I don't want to gain back all my weight in order to qualify - it's just not fair! (ok, enough whining) I hope you're able to be rebanded, if that's what you want. I'll probably see about being rebanded at some point, too. I'm a self-pay so all of these surgeries are getting expensive - I'm definitely NOT rich! Take care and get out those NutriSystem meals. You can do it - at least temprarily, right!?! Oh, by the way, thanks for telling me about NS-I've been doing well on it, for now anyway.

Snow White, You need to see your band doctor right away for an unfill and to check your band and make sure all is well. You're prabably in a cycle of PBing (Productive Birp, which is vomiting the food that is in your pouch) and being swollen. Go to your doc (looks like you may need a new one) - you should not be in constant pain, it's not worth it! Be well,

Prayers are definitely sent your way, Leener! I'm so sorry you're going through all this. My mom has had several abnormal paps over the years and they all have come back ok. You're going to be OK! At this point I'd like to say "Don't worry" but we both know that's pointless... Let us know how it goes and until then know that we are here for you and you've got a lot of people thinking about you and hoping/praying for the best! :hug:

Honey, I miss my band so much, too. I lost 51 lbs during the 6 months I had it. It made losing weight so much easier, huh. Now, I'm having to do it on my own and it DOES get depressing. Some days, I just cry. I gained 10 lbs the first week after having my band removed (mine slipped, too) - talk about being deperessed! Yikes, 10 lbs! And I didn't even feel that I was eating very much. I realized very quickly that I needed to do something about it QUICKLY because I didn't go through surgery....pbs.....not being able to eat......pain......surgery again........for nothing. So I started NutriSystem last Friday and have lost 6 pounds this week but boy am I struggling. I would reband in a heartbeat if/when possible. The band is definitely not a "cure-all" but it sure helps! I'm so sorry you're going through this pain - so, so sorry. You're not alone; there are a few of us out there that have gone through this and really understand. Reaching out and telling us your story is a start. I wish you the best and if you need/want to talk - pm me and I'll give you my #. Good luck to you - I'll be thinking about you!

Yes, it comes from the saliva of the Gila Monster. Weird, huh?!? I mean, who thinks of these things? Pretty awesome.

Mine was a 9.75

Tuff Enuff, You're DEFINITELY not alone. I'm so sorry for your struggles. Penni is the one who told me about NutriSystem. She really likes it and so far so good for me, too. It does work, but....

It's so hard to say what's "weird" because everyone's so different. I, personally, did not feel back pain before being very tight but maybe others have. Sorry I can't be of more help. I'm glad you called your doctor, but I think you're going to be ok. Take care of yourself!

19 lbs - AWESOME! Congrats to you! Yes, I experienced upper back pain in the area you're describing. My pain, however, happened when my band was too tight. I would get back pain when food was trying to go from the pouch to the stomach. You haven't had a fill yet, so I'm not sure what to say except you're not alone - it is probably band related. I hope your doctor is able to help you. Let us know how you're doing!