PhotoNut

Aww.. I know exactly how you feel. The thought of this band not being that end of this horrible struggle with weight just petrifies me. But here's the big difference between those other programs and the band, unless you by some slim chance lose your band, it will be your safety net. When you slip and fall, you wont fall all the way back to square one like we have all done so many times. I hear so many people saying they have stopped losing but are not gaining. Often times it is only a matter of some adjustments in eating and excercising and they are on the road again. Hang in there sweetie. You'll do great. I have 144 pounds to go, and sometimes that seems like it will take an eternity. Sometimes it doesn't even seem like a real possibility. Yet, I keep clinging to the goal of two pounds a week, along with the knowledge that I will not be this fat or this unhappy along the way. Each day gets better in so many ways. Smile kiddo. You're on the right road, enjoy the journey.

*bows to the patron saint of the cowbell* Now then *chuckles* NJChick's advice about not buying too much was right on the money. I think I have 10 cans each of chicken, beef and vegetable broth in my cupbards that I will most likely never use! Actually, I may have eaten all of the veggie broth, it was so good! Check with your doc on the coffee. Mine limted me to 1 cup per day for a few weeks. Coffee can cause dehydration. Also, watch out for fruit and veggie skins. They get stuck easily. I have been enjoying bean with bacon soup, tuna (great protein), cottage cheese, Gorton's frozen fish fillets (no breading and they are so moist and yummy) oatmeal and Malto Meal are also good for mushies.

I'm not the good doctor, but this was the same thing I experienced. They told me they wanted to be certain there were no problems before they allowed me to drink. I was only allowed to wipe out my mouth with a small sponge on a stick (much like a sucker) that I dipped in Water. After I drank the nasty tasting barium, they gave me a small sip of water to wash the taste out of my mouth. It took everything I had in me to spit that water out and not swallow it! *chuckles* I was so thirsty! But I knew the IV was keeping me hydrated and I didn't mind them being cautious.

*makes a face* It's awful. I cried for days. Bled too. We had to buy a new bed from all the nasty drainage. I've been banded for a month now and still can't sit up-- ow! Ok, I'm lying and have just been slapped by all my fellow bandsters here. *evil grin* Seriously, youre going to be sore but people differ so much. Some go out shopping the next day while others take a couple of weeks to get back to normal. It's really not that bad at all. *smiles* Sorry if I scared you. I'm just in a "mood" today. Watch out LBT you've been warned! *laughs*

Gotcha.. well, maybe when she sees these posts again she'll have more to add. I hope you check back and give your thoughts on this matter if she does have other pictures which might give us more of an idea of what happened here. I just feel so bad for her losing her band and her money.. along with all the hopes that I know she had in her success with her band. Thanks, Dr. Hekier

Welcome, Senorita! You posted on a thread about scar pics. If you haven't already, go to the main page and find the Introduction thread. Once in that thread, find the New Thread button. Post your introduction over again and I'm sure you'll get lots and lots of warm welcomes.

Something else to think about here.. Losing weight with the band is NOT easy. Look at all of the support people need here. Many still struggle. Your band will be a tool. It won't do it for you. You will have to exercise, eat right, and drink your Water. Yes, the band makes it easier but so does Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Nutrisystems, diet pills, yadda yadda.. These are all just tools, but the great thing about the lapband is that its a REALLY GREAT tool that is not only helping people get the weight off, but it's keeping it off! That is something to be excited about.. not ashamed of. *big encouraging hugs*

Hey Dr. Hekier.. thanks for joining this thread. I'm sure you can undersand our concern over this, and for our friend. To me, it appears as if the restriction is from the band pushing against the esophogus, doesn't it to you as well?

Here you go

(I posted this on another thread but decided to start a new one so noone would think it was pointed at them personally.) I'm sorry but I have finally reached a point, after reading so many posts about disappointments in weight loss, that I have to get some things off my chest. And please, this isn't meant to make anyone in particular feel bad, it's to help me understand why anyone would -want- to stuff themselves with a quarterpounder and large chips (fries) or 3 slices of pizza or tacos and burritos when they have gone thru weight loss surgery to get their cherished lapband?? Why do people have to 'test' their bands by stuffing in as much as they can to see what the limits are? This isn't just about restricting how much you can manage to cram into yourself. It's about lifestyle changes. It's about eating reasonably and the band is there to HELP you. Not magically change quarter pounders, pizza, tacos and burritos into "health food." Your band WILL NOT MAKE YOU LOSE WEIGHT. If you do not change how you eat, you will be here a year from now posting similair questions.. if you still have your band. Think about this. A quarter pounder has 530 calories and 30 grams of fat. A large order of chips (fries) 542 calories and 26 grams of fat. Three slices of pan pizza (I'll even go veggie on this to show my point) has 810 calories and 36 grams of fat. And now, just for interest's sake - three slices of pan supreme pizza has 960 calories and 51 grams of fat. This is -tough- love coming from a very obese woman who is desperately trying to understand what drives us to ruin our health. What drives us to take such chances? To push the envelope. We all know we'll be upset when we fail, or when we end up with diabetes, or worse. *sighs* I know you all have the intelligence to make wiser choices. You know youre banded. Don't go out without some emergency food with you if you think youre going to be starving before you can get home. Starkist makes great tuna lunch packs that are great for in the car. Damnit, why do I always feel so responsible. I just couldn't let this go without shouting to you all... What are you doing to yourselves??? Stop!! This was written with pure love and a heavy heart. I want ALL of us to be free of this damn weight so we can really live! Wake up and start living people!

I fully agree with Alex. It's time we stopped making excuses for such things and defending doctors when they screw up. They may be wonderful people, but as surgeons they have a responsibility to perform each surgery with care and skill. This was not a fluke. This was gross negligence and I wouldn't think twice about approaching any surgeon who screwed up so badly and demanding they make it right. Grrr.. I keep coming back to this and adding more. Two other lapband surgeons and the makers of the band all confirmed that the band wasn't even around your stomach. Then you go back to the surgeon who put it in and he just takes it out and says, "Oops you eroded in one month!"??? What.. did the band erode completely through your stomach on one side only, going through the stomach wall, then out the other side, leaving the band completely on the outside?? In one month?? Doesn't this sound like a surgeon who didn't want to admit such a huge F'up!? Do not let this guy take your money, you hopes, your future and push you out the door saying this is a fluke. Stand up for yourself and dont worry about hurting his feelings or the confrontation. Trust me, you have a huge community of bandsters here who know how to make waves. If this guy doesn't do right by you, he knows he will be talked about around the world! Ok.. I think I'm finished.. but I'm still not calm.

I have noticed that most people "fall off the wagon" when they are caught without the foods they can eat. Whether it be out with the family and everyone ends up starving and goes to McDonald's or you woke up late and didn't have time to fix a lunch and Snacks to take to work.. it will happen to us all, eventually. I know that many of you have plan B's in place for such occassions and I thought it would be great to get some tips from the pros. I know Puddinpie uses the suck and seal thing for her meals. I've seen some great ideas and recipes from her on this topic and would love it if she'd share that again here. I personally was thinking about keeping one of those small insulated lunch bags handy and tossing Slim Fast shake and maybe a pouch of tuna. Anyone else have clever ideas that have saved your bums from making wrong choices out of desperation and starvation?

Thanks Karen! I do so look forward to the day when I can run! And as for you, "Joe" .. umm, what kind of dog do you have?

Wow, I went thru this exact same thing. I was facing spending $26,000 on this band, knowing what it would do for our family.. for our kids.. our house, our debt.. and my entire family gathered around me and told me that nothing is more worthy of the financial investment than my life. Now that I'm banded, my thoughts do occassionally return to the guilty feelings. Especially when I see my husband losing weight at the same rate as me and without the band. I even made a comment to him about it the other day, and he told me that were it not for me being brave enough to take charge of my life and do something about my own weight, he wouldn't have been able to either. So now I mostly focus on what that money has purchased. My husband's health. My health. The possibility of actually pursuing our dreams that we thought were unattainable because we were too fat and out of shape to even try. More time on earth (God willing) with our kids and grandkids - good quality time, actually doing something with them and not just sitting on the couch when they come over to see us. There is a lot to be said for what this band holds for us. It's a brave step to take, it's a worthwhile thing to do if it helps you get healthy. Don't be ashamed of that.

Yay! So so happy to hear the "good" news Kathy! Take good care of yourself now and get lots of rest. Soon you'll be good as new, with your band! Isn't that wonderful! *big hugs*

Look, admire, comment.. but remember, he's MY sexy bitch. *sweet smile*

Ohhh I'm dying to.. but I'll not touch this one. *laughs*

I don't think I started noticing that I was moving better, sleeping on my side again, aching less and not suffering with gas until about the middle of the second week. Some get thru it faster than others. Walk a bit several times during the day (helps move the gas around), drink plenty of Water to stay hydrated, get in your Protein (heals the muscles and fights infection) and rest. I've heard that liquid Tylenol helps a lot for the aches, GasX for the gas, and um.. maybe thicker liquids to take care of the runny end. I'm four weeks out now and the aching part is already becoming a faint memory. And that fours weeks has flown by!

Thank you Gadgelady, happy to know you too Any fan of mine is a ..well.. heh.. Good grief, Im starting to sound more like Dawg everyday. *laughs* And speaking of him, NO WAY would I let him hide my goodies. He is so mean to me, every time I said I was having a craving he would say something like, 'Go walk on the new treadmill for 15 minutes first'. *pouts* He took away the scale batteries and hid them. I only get to weigh once a week now. And I love weighing every 20 minutes! *sobs*

I was thinking the same thing.. came here to post it. Great minds think alike! Besides, this is for when youre out and about.. wouldnt you have the AC running some too?

Yay!! Great news! I'm celebrating with you! :clap2: Maybe DeLarla will do the Honkytonk Badonkadonk for you!

Welcome Tammy! I know you must be SO excited! Your date is just around the corner now. I wish you the very best of luck, a speedy recovery, and great success with your band. Glad to have you join us!

Please be careful everyone.. I looked at the listed ingredients in the Pure Hoodia link above and Hoodia is the last ingredient listed. By law, ingredients have to be listed in order of quantity. The first item on the list is what this product mainly consists of. Hoodia is the last on the list, which means there is only a very small amount of it in this product. Have a look at the list.. do you know what all of the ingredients are? If not, you should find out.. because anything listed above Hoodia is what you are really taking. http://www.purehoodia.com/Ingredients.htm And.. this is the warning on the label: WARNING: Pure Hoodia™ weight loss products are not for use by individuals under the age of 18. Do not use if pregnant or nursing. Consult a physician before using this product. Do not use if you have, or have a family history of heart, liver or thyroid disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, recurrent headaches, depression or other psychiatric condition, glaucoma, difficulty in urinating, prostate enlargement, or seizure disorder, if you are using a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or any other dietary supplement, prescription drug or over-the-counter drug containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine (ingredients found in certain allergy, asthma, cough/cold, and weight control products). Exceeding recommended serving may cause serious health effects including heart attack or stroke. I see a lot of things listed there that many obese people have. And before anyone gets offended, I didn't post this because I'm against the product or taking such products, nor do I think anyone who is taking this or similar products is stupid for doing so. I simply saw the warning and wanted to share it for everyone's safety.

You know, I just had another thought. Sometimes when we are bombarded with thoughts of food that just wont quit, our bodies are trying to tell us something. Stop and really think about what it is youre craving. It could be you are lacking in something (Vitamins, minerals, carbs, fats, proteins). Then take a good look at what you are eating during the day. Find out exactly how many calories, carbs, fats, etc that you are really eating. Check that against what is recommended. Your doctor or nutritionist could help with that, or www.mypyramid.gov has a very detailed breakdown based on your gender, age, height, weight, activity level, that might help. Also, see how often you eat. If youre trying to make your last meal at 5pm but you dont go to bed until 10 or 11, this is way too long and you are probably really hungry. We should stop eating 3 hours before we go to bed to allow time for our food to digest and get out of our stomachs before we lay down to sleep. So space out your foods. Ok, thats all from me. For now. *grins*

I have started eating every three hours. My last "meal" is at 7pm but occassionally, if I'm up later I might have some Fiber One Cereal (1/2 c with 1/2 skim milk - also good dry, tastes like graham crackers) or 1/2 C Jello. I have found that by eating every three hours and getting enough Protein through the day, I rarely have snack attacks. You could take the "negative" response approach and every time you have a thought about wanting to eat beyond your daily planned limits, make yourself do a few situps, or some other exercise that will benifit you. Exercise usually deminishes the urge to eat. And drink water! A bottle of Water can fill you up and take away your desire to put any more in your tummy. If all else fails, take a nice shower or bath and get your arse to bed. sleep is a great distraction! These work for me. Hope they help for someone else too. Good luck everyone.