GreenChrysalis

I had to go looking to see if someone started a thread on this -- glad they did. I have watched Guiding Light since I was a small child. There were periods off and on where I stopped for various reasons, but since I got DVR I got right back into it. Not as good as it used to be, but the nostalgia factor is still there for me. I was glad to see a young overweight actress on the show. Ashlee is an interesting character, and although I got frustrated with how long it took for her to get together with her boyfriend, Coop, I've enjoyed their storyline. The show, like most soaps, is notorious for unrealistic storylines when it comes to medical stuff. For example, the hospital (Cedars) has one doctor that seems to do just about everything. I was surprised that Dr. Rick wasn't the one who did Ashlee's surgery. When the surgery was brought up, I waited to see what kind. They just kept saying "weight loss surgery." It wasn't until recently that Ashlee said "gastric banding." It would've been a great product placement for Allergan but oh well. The details haven't been too off yet...except for when her mother, Doris called it "gastric bandage surgery." And when Ashlee came out of surgery and Doris and Coop were by her bedside, she had oxygen on. I wouldn't imagine she'd still have it on unless there were complications. I didn't think that the lead-up was too bad either. She stressed to the doctor that she'd done a lot of research and thought a lot about it, that she wanted to be healthy and have her outside match her inside. And I think Coop is absolutely adorable. They had a great love scene the day before her surgery. So I'm optimistic about how this will go and hope that it might encourage others to do research too.

skyblu79, thanks for writing back! I hope that the NC FillCenterUSA works out well for you and you find your sweet spot soon. Lap, those pictures are fantastic! If you don't mind, I'm going to keep them to show to people. If you do mind, just let me know, but I figured since there aren't any identifiers to you, it would be OK. What a familiar sight...so nice to see Dr. K's smiling face. It doesn't look like I'll be seeing it soon. I have an appointment on Friday with a local doctor for my second fill. Here's hoping it works out. Of course I would love to return to Dr. K, but it's just difficult cost- and time-wise. This guy has pretty good reviews and the cost is really affordable. After reading my surgery report, he said he'd be glad to take me on. Hopefully it'll all work out. Weight loss is slooooooooooooow now, although I did finally hit 30 pounds off from the start of my pre-op diet! Yay! :rolleyes2: Something funny happened last week -- my co-worker's husband came in to see her and in the course of making small talk, he looked at me and said, "Did you lose weight?" It was funny because my co-worker screeched at him about how you're not supposed to ask people stuff like that! I just smiled and said yes, I have. :smile2:

Edited to add: I have purchased two dresses online, one from Macy's and one from JC Penney's. I feel certain that one of them will work. Thanks all for the suggestions! Edited again (if anybody cares at this point:)): Going with the one from Macy's -- the one from JC Penney's is too clingy -- don't need to show the gut. The one I'm wearing is solid mint green shantung and tea-length, with a matching jacket. Now to find shoes! Original Post: I am having the hardest time finding a dress to wear to a wedding at the end of the month. I have never had a more difficult time finding a semi-formal dress before and I've been to several weddings in the past few years. I found a lovely jacket dress at Catherine's, but by the time I went to buy it, they were sold out of my size. I found another dress that I loved at OneStopPlus but it wasn't available in my size. So I ordered a different one, that I liked pretty well. Within a week I found out it was backordered. I have been on every site I can think of and some I haven't heard of before, trying to find a dress. Apparently what I want is impossible. I would like a solid green dress -- mint green or light green but not lime. With sleeves of a decent length, not cap sleeves. At least knee length. Very simple. No sequins or flashy stuff. I'm not that picky about the style otherwise. And it needs to cost less than $100 ($125 is my absolute max) and be a 22 or 24 depending on the style. It didn't seem like it would be that difficult to find, but I am having no luck. So nevermind if it's green, I thought (which is my favorite color, obviously!). Black is out. It's a daytime spring wedding, I am not wearing black. I'm not wearing dark colors, period. Obviously white and ivory are out. Lavender is out as the bride hates that color. Pink is out as I'm pretty sure that her bridesmaids are wearing pink. I don't care for yellow or peach. That pretty much just leaves me with blue and green. And yet, I can't find anything that meets these requirements that doesn't have to be special ordered and take 2-4 weeks. I'm starting to get desperate. I have already been to the plus or women's sections of all of the department stores (Sears, Penney's, Nordstrom's, Macy's, Parisians/Belk's, Dillards) around me. Lane Bryant doesn't have it. Catherine's is out. So is Sydney's Closet and Igigi and every other plus sized store, online or otherwise, I can think of. :cursing: OK, I feel better. Ranting is good for my soul.

Oh, I am sorry to have made you anxious! I'm with you on the pashmina/shawl. I'd just keep having to adjust it as it slipped down and exposed the flaps! Even a sweater won't work for the reception because I'll get hot moving around. Hopefully my jacket will be OK, it's pretty light and thin. It really got to me to have to buy a new dress when I'm only two months out -- I'll probably only wear it this one time. But fear not, get started looking now and you will find something! I did, it just took me far longer than I thought it would. For me I think it would've been easier if the wedding had been either casual or black-tie -- it's that in-between semi-formal that really got to me, and my desire to wear a blue or green pastel. Good luck and if you want my bookmarked store websites, let me know!

Add me to those who suggest milk of magnesia! And then, Benefiber and plenty of water. I had a problem a week or so after surgery but I've been fine since. No, I don't go as often as I used to, but that's to be expected when you're eating less.

New NSV for me! First off -- nobody has commented on my weight loss. Granted, I saw my parents a month ago and I had only lost maybe 15 lbs then. So I figured that either it wasn't noticeable, they're not paying attention or they didn't want to say anything because I've lost weight before and put it all back on plus more. I saw my brothers last week; no comment there either but OK, they're my brothers. My co-workers, well, I see them every day so maybe they wouldn't notice. My DH, obviously I keep him informed already of my loss. However, today I saw my co-worker's husband for the first time in several months. After making small talk, he said, "Did you lose weight?" I cracked up because my co-worker exclaimed, "That's rude! You don't ask people that!" But I just said, "It's fine, and yes I have." Woo hoo, somebody noticed! Not that I'm doing it for anybody but me, but it was nice to hear! :thumbup:

I don't think that the requirements like seminars, psych evals, multiple consults, etc necessarily have anything to do with whether your surgery is in a surgical center vs. hospital. It's what your insurance and/or the specific surgeon (or his practice) requires. I researched the band for more than two years; I did not feel the need to attend seminars. Because I was self-pay, my doctor did not require them. But I can see how they may be helpful for some. I was banded in a surgical center (which is located inside a hospital) and was in and out in about 4-5 hours. I was treated well by everyone there and had a good experience. As far as I know, my doc does not do the surgery in a hospital unless you have complications or special conditions that necessitate it. He did require a consult with a nutritionist. A consult with a psychologist was not required, but he works with one and that was made available to me (not included in my flat fee, though). I already knew that I had emotional eating issues so I began working with a therapist prior to being banded. My doc is accessible any time of the day or night by phone, and I have also emailed the bariatric coordinator in his office with questions. So I was not "just banded" and I feel supported. I have had no problems and am doing well. So far, so good. :frown:

Hi all! I'm in a happy mood today because it's so beautiful outside here in Georgia. The pollen is going mad now so there's a yellow haze, but I don't have allergies. :frown: My husband is on spring break & came to eat lunch with me today on campus (I work at a university library). I sure didn't want to come back to work. Well, I think I've finally located a local fill doc, and not a moment too soon. Next Friday will be a month since my first fill, and my portions and hunger are increasing while the weight loss is slowing down despite my exercising. This doc is an hour away, but obviously much closer than Dr. K. There are closer ones, but they charge upwards of $500 just to "join the practice." Yikes. This one is reasonable and seems pretty well-liked by his patients. As much as I'd like to return to Colorado for each fill, it's just not possible. LA, I am worried about you! I really hope that it was just a "stuck incident" that became unstuck and there's no erosion or anything seriously wrong happening with your band. You are doing so well. Keep us updated, OK? Happy spring to all! I always feel so hopeful this time of year. :drool: :eek: :wub:

Several a-ha moments ~ I went to an amusement park and couldn't get on one of the rides with my husband because we weighed too much combined. I went to a baseball game and ached for hours afterwards because my ass was too wide for the seat. I found my size 28 pants getting tight and knew that going a size up meant that I wouldn't even be able to shop at Lane Bryant anymore. I started getting painful, itchy rashes between my fat rolls whenever it got hot. My husband and I went to a restaurant and we had to ask to switch to a table because the table at the booth dug painfully into my stomach. I went for a GYN check-up and the PA scolded me so severely for my weight -- and told me that I should not even consider getting pregnant until it was off -- that I cried in the parking lot. I flew to a wedding and had to ask for a seatbelt extender for the first time. I thought I looked pretty cute at the wedding, but when I saw some photos I burst into tears -- who was that huge woman with the protruding gut and double chin? Surely not me! All of these made me start researching WLS. I never seriously considered GB but when I learned about lapband it was like "yes, that sounds like it could be for me!" Last straw ~ seeing 300 pounds on the scale. Within a month of that I had scheduled surgery.

Hi Connie, I'm a lot like you in that I need variety and fun in my exercise or I'm not likely to stick with it. I use a couple of different games/DVDs: 1) Dance Dance Revolution. If you already have a Playstation or XBox you can find used versions of this as well as the game pad. I feel very silly but it is a lot of fun and I find myself doing it longer because I want to beat my previous score on a song. Can be hard on the knees though so I don't do it all of the time. There's also a game (can't remember the name of it) that will work with your own CDs to come up with dance routines. 2) Walk Away the Pounds DVD (there are several of them, I have the basic 1 and 2 mile). I like this because it's low impact and goes by quickly; you can do one mile plus stretching in 20 minutes or two miles in 30 minutes. It also uses weights, so you're not just walking -- there's a lot of arm movement. The people on the DVD are a variety of ages, so it's not all "old people." 3) Bellydance Core Conditioning DVD. A lot of fun but also challenging. I can't do all of it yet, but I can do a lot of it and still get a good workout. 4) I am a big fan of Dancing With the Stars, so I got their Cardio Dance DVD. It has a warmup and cooldown as well as five different dances of increasing intensity. I love this! My favorite is the samba. You can program it for how much you want to do. I am thinking about getting more dance workout DVDs because I really enjoy it, so I'm looking forward to seeing others' recommendations.

Thanks, blueangelkc80. I know what you mean about Torrid -- I have had spotty luck with them although I do love ordering online. Mostly black and/or sleeveless there, unfortunately. I'd never heard of CJ Banks. Online they had all of one dress in my size and it was denim. Sadly, the closest store to me is 80 miles away.

Hey Wheetsin, I will look for a Dress Barn. I think the closest one is 15-20 miles away, but it may be worth the trip! I appreciate your help. I actually went to Avenue not long after I made this post and didn't care for anything I saw there. The dress you put up the picture of is pretty, but I don't like red on me at all and sleeveless is just not an option as my upper arms are massive. The Katherine dress there, also pretty, but as it's not available in blue or green I'm not interested. I know, I'm an incredibly picky person...that's part of my problem. Thanks!

Excellent thread! I had my first fill on 3/18 -- 4.6cc's in my 10 cc AP band. I still have restriction, but I can already tell it's tapering off. Since my doctor is out of state (I went back to him for my first fill), I am getting ready to try to get a local doc to accept me for the rest of my fills. I found several that take "outside" patients but they want to review my surgery report first. And as you can see I am down just over 25 pounds and very happy about that. I also started exercising regularly last week and I'm sure that it's helped. I have had a few PBs unfortunately, but nothing too bad or that caused any lasting problems. I know they were my own fault -- just eating too fast when hungry/taking big bites. It's a learning process! Overall I am doing really well, very happy and pleased so far. I hope everyone is well. :cursing:

You're welcome, and thanks for the congrats! Good luck and I hope you keep us updated on your progress.

And now I am singing the song to myself. Thanks! I went to the website...and now, I want some new jeans. And shirts. And dresses, even. Very cute stuff.

Some doctors do not want their patients drinking protein shakes at all after the you complete the post-op diet (which can last anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks depending on your doctor) for the reason you mention. Solid food keeps you fuller, longer. However, some people find themselves tighter in the morning and unable to get down enough solid protein to keep themselves full. So protein shakes can be good for breakfast. Or if you are feeling tight at any other time and know that you need more protein, then they can be a good way to get it. After a fill you're usually on a liquid or soft diet for a few days, so that would be another time to get a protein shake. My surgeon allows protein shakes as snacks if I get hungry between meals because I'm supposed to get 60g of protein a day. But I track everything I eat, and I find that it's not that hard to get that much protein from solid food. I do have one for breakfast occasionally or if I'm pressed for time and can't cook or get anything else to eat when I need it. But it's not a daily thing for me at all. That's just my understanding of it, Your Mileage May Vary. :smile:

This is called "supreming" and you can do it with any citrus fruit. It takes a little practice as well as a good, sharp knife, but I prefer my orange this way -- no more pith or stringy fibers! :biggrin:

When I first heard about lapband and was discussing it and other WLS options with my husband, he told me that one of his co-workers was getting RnY. So he told her that I was thinking about it and she said "She is not fat enough for WLS." Now I have only seen this woman a few times, so how would she know? I am 100 pounds overweight. How fat is fat enough for you? And she went on the belittle the lapband, saying that it didn't work, it was a "fad," et cetera. Wow, thanks for your support. Needless to say, I have asked my DH not to discuss anything like that with her anymore! Insensitive comments are just part of why I have kept knowledge of my band to just a few people. My family has seen me do the lose weight/regain cycle for years, which I'm thinking is why they haven't commented on my loss so far...:biggrin:

Yep, totally normal. For the past few summers I have gotten rashes under my pannus. It is probably yeast although it won't look like a vaginal yeast infection. It has nothing to do with being clean, but it does have to do with staying dry. Moisture can get trapped under there. Make sure you dry it very well after showering -- I have even used a hair dryer on a low setting. Gold Bond powder works pretty well. I've also used the powder-gel made by Monistat with good results. Good luck!

In brief: no, it isn't. How could the band "migrate" in your body? It's locked around your stomach. It can slip or erode into your stomach, but she makes it sound like it could end up around a kidney or something. Getting the band carries some risk. All weigh-loss surgery does. Cutting into your stomach and/or intestines also carries risk. High failure rate? Nope. Do other WLS have higher success rates one year out? Yes, but after 2-3 years post-op, the results are about the same. I can't quote the stats at the moment since I'm at work, but I'm sure someone else on here will or can. Is it easier to cheat? Maybe. It depends on the person. RNY requires changes in eating habits too. For some people, RNY is the better choice. For others, it's lapband. Whatever your choice, it should be an informed one. Good luck with whatever you decide!

This confuses me too. Of your list, I eat salads, fresh fruit, nuts, lunch meats, granola, melted cheese and recently had some whole-wheat Pasta. No problems with any of these things, as long as I take small bites, chew well and watch portions (as with everything). I have heard no popcorn from some docs, but I haven't seen anybody ban all of these foods. Fresh fruits and veggies are healthy as long as they're not covered in high-fat, unhealthy condiments. Did you ask why you were told this? Most of the things on your list have the potential to cause problems (fibrous fruits & veggies, dry meat) but if you try them in small amounts and can tolerate them, then I don't understand why you can't have them.

First off, congratulations! I will just echo everybody else...I found the first day to be the worst. I had a spirometer also and my DH kept reminding me to use it several times a day. Just rest, walk as much as you can, sip your fluids, use your spirometer and you should be fine. It gets better. :wink_smile:

:wink_smile: I am a beer fan, too, HarleyGirl! I had a glass of red wine a few weeks ago, but I've never liked wine as much as I liked beer -- not much of a drinker anyway, but on occasion it is nice. Oh well, I'll have to get used to it.

It's not a stupid question! And it's certainly not the stupidest of all time, believe me. I think this is a hard question to answer because it's different for everyone. It's difficult for me because I am an emotional eater and used to eating on a schedule (you know, it's noon so I should eat lunch whether or not I'm hungry). And sometimes my belly growls, or rumbles, when it's just, um, processing. If I think I might be hungry, I stop whatever I'm doing and ask myself a series of questions. Do I have a hollow, empty sort of feeling in my belly? Am I stressed, upset, bored? Does drinking Water or doing something else make it go away? Am I smelling, reading or thinking about food and that's what's making me want it? How long has it been since I last ate? Is it reasonable that I'd be hungry right now? Also, if I get really hungry, I get a headache or slight nausea. It will probably just take you time to recognize what your body does when you're hungry. :wink_smile: