Wendell Edwards

With few exceptions, finding a lower-calorie substitute works well as a behavior modification. In areas that do not work well with substitutions, abstinence is really the only way to do it. I agree with Jack when he states that the longer a person is away from something, the less they will miss it. I had to do that with Butterfinger bars, because that was the one food that I simply had no control over. I posted this about that: I am in mourning. Mourning something that I loved for 51 years. Something that brought me extreme pleasure, joy, comfort and satisfaction. Something that I thought would never hurt me, never criticize me, never let me down. Something that I loved. Butterfingers. Oh, how I loved them, their chocolate, the taste of crunchy-crisp sweet peanut. I was hopelessly addicted to them. But then one day I woke up and realized something. Butterfingers were not my friend. They were CONTROLLING me. Keeping me FAT. Making me MISERABLE. Making me feel WEAK. Taking my POWER AWAY FROM ME. So I did the only thing that I KNEW would work. I let them go. And it's NOT EASY. And I STRUGGLE with the TEMPTATION AND IT'S HARD TO LET GO. But I just keep reminding myself that I promised ME that I would do WHATEVER IT TAKES. WHATEVER IT TAKES. And in this case, IT TAKES LETTING GO.

Significant weight loss has profoundly affected my marriage. It has made it much stronger. I believe strong relationships get stronger after this surgery, and weak relationships get weaker or dissolve.

A Bowel-prep for Lap-Band surgery is not required by most surgeons, as contamination of the surgical area is unlikely, as the actual bowel is not cut during this surgery. That said, some doctors DO require it, so check with your doctor.

You're very welcome!

You're very welcome.

This is copied from another website, and is really the only information that I have on the AP bands: Allergan/Inamed has a new band in the US called the AP band. It has not yet been released to the general public but I have put a number of these excellent bands in. There are a couple of differences in this band and the previous ones: 1. Cuff - the cuff on the AP band is 360 degrees around, as opposed to about 300 degrees on the prior bands (there was no cuff around the buckle on the old ones) 2. Cuff length - the cuff on the AP band is 18mm longer/taller than on the previous bands, so the surface area in contact with the stomach is much greater, hopefully increasing the speed of weight loss and maybe reducing the risk of slips 3. Cuff volume - the AP small holds 10cc, the AP large holds 14cc Note that we do not believe that AP patients will lose MORE weight, just possibly faster. So those of you with the older models, it would definitely not be to your benefit to think about having your band swapped out! · They are either APS (small, 10cc) or APL (large, 14cc). · They are considered by some to be "the next generation in AGBs". · They are considered less likely to cause blockage or obstruction than other AGP types. · They are considered less likely to slip than other AGP types. · They are considered to be less likely to cause band erosion than other AGP types. · Like the VG band it is "Omniform" technology - i.e. the balloon has ribs or baffles and the band itself is curved. · The AP has more of a 360 inflation around the stomach as opposed to the 10cm or 9.75cm (4cc) bands, which have more like 260 or 280 degrees inflation (the rest being the buckle), and the VG which has more like 280 or 300. It is understood that this was simply an upgrade to the existing band to make it easier and less traumatic to remove. · The silicone material is much softer than other AGP types. · They are more concentric (rounded) when inflated than other AGB types. · The balloon is pleated to 'grip' the stomach better. · The balloon goes all the way around the inner surface of the band, rather than missing a piece at the locking mechanism. · The balloon is wider. A sideview of the band shows the balloon protruding top & bottom rather than sitting flush. · They have an easier release mechanism to remove the band if need be. · They have the locking mechanism isolated from the stomach. · AP type bands have been FDA approved for the US, but will not be available until the summer at the earliest. · We understand that there are NO plans at this time to discontinue any of the bands Allergan already makes. They still plan to manufacture and offer the 10cm and the 9.75cm (the 4cc) bands as well as the VG band. · new : AP ( Advanced Platform ): · APS ( small) · APL ( large )

:DThe POST? Or the PICTURE??:biggrin1:

You're very welcome!

Check with your doctor or nutritionist about drinking wine. Communion wine is a very tiny sip of wine, and that won't hurt anyone, even a new post-op person (Again, check with your doctor about this). The wafer however contains wheat (It has to by Canon law) and wheat products can cause blockage issues in people with a Lap-Band. Taking either the wine, the wafer, or both is completed communion according to the Catholic Church. I know some Catholics who cannot take the wine due to being recovering alcoholics, and I know two who cannot take the wafer due to wheat allergies, so they take the one that is not an issue for them.

You have symptoms of a too-tight fill. Time to call the doctor. Repeated vomiting is the number one cause os slips.

Hi, in the USA there are currently 5 approved Lap-Bands. The older models are the 9.75 CM, 10 CM and Vanguard bands. The above mentioined bands hold 4.0CCs for the 9.75 CM and 10 CM bands, and 10CCs for the Vanguard band. The newer bands are the APS and APL bands. Their capacitys are 10CCs and 14CCs respectively. INAMED if the company who developed the Lap-Band. INAMED is now a subsidiary of ALLERGAN. Lap-Band is a registered trademark of ALLERGAN corporation. The surgeon determines which band you get based on your internal anatomy, specifically your stomach size. No Lap-Band is more effective than the others, they all work the same.

Drink the wine, pass on the wafer. "Peace be with you"

This may help you in understanding the restrictive mechanism of a Lap-Band. The INAMED protocol for Lap-Band fills calls for a six-week delay after surgery, prior to any fills. The purpose for the six-week delay is for the patient’s stomach to heal from the surgery, as well as allowing time for the Lap-Band to “Seat” or “Nestle” into the fat pad between the stomach wall and the interior wall of the Lap-Band. Prior to receiving an EFFECTIVE fill, it is VERY uncommon to have any restriction from a Lap-Band. Some patients will NOT lose weight, or may even GAIN weight until they have received an effective fill in their Lap-Band. Normal weight loss with a properly restricted Lap-Band is between 1 and 2 pounds per week. The normal cycle of fills, restriction and weight loss is as follows: 1. The patient's Lap-Band constricts when the patient receives a fill. Swelling for a few days after receiving a fill is very common. Many doctors require a patient to go on a liquid diet for a day or two after receiving a fill. A fill may have a “Delayed Action” of up to two weeks. A “Delayed-Action” means that the fill may not become effective for up to two weeks after the fill. That is why the INAMED protocol states that fills should not be performed on patients who will not have access to medical care for at least two weeks after a fill. 2. The patient's stomach capacity is lessened as a result of the restriction caused by the Lap-Band. 3. The patient loses weight because they cannot eat as much food. 4. The residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the outside of the patient's stomach reduces in size because of the overall weight loss in the patient. 5. The reduction of the residual fat-pad causes the Lap-Band to become loose again. 6. At that point, the patient needs another fill, because the Lap-Band is loose, and the patient has a loss of restriction, which allows the patient to eat larger amounts of food. 7. The patient receives another fill and the process starts all over again. Most Lap-Band patients receive several fills to adjust the Lap-Band as their weight loss progresses, and there is less and less residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the exterior of the stomach wall. Once a patient has lost all of their residual fat-pad, fills become less common. As the Lap-Band patient progresses in their weight loss, the effect of very tiny fills (Less than .2ccs) becomes greater and greater. It is not uncommon for a late-stage Lap-Band patient to experience a significant difference in restriction with as little as .05cc of fill.

:DThe post? Or the PICTURE??? :biggrin1:

Here's how I handled my scale issues!

A very common thing among Lap-Band patients is a sense of anxiety over different issues. A common denominator of those issues is a sense of frustration due to a belief system in which the patient feels as if they are "Behind schedule". These feelings are self-generated, and usually come from a desire for things to happen "Right now". I know that it seemed like it took FOREVER to get my insurance approval, and I wanted it right now. Then it took forever to get my surgery scheduled, and again, I wanted it right now. Then the surgery came, and as I was waking up in the recovery room I was slightly disappointed that I was still fat, because I wanted the weight to be gone "Right now". As time passed without restriction, I wanted that... you know the rest... Then restriction lessened, and I wanted it back right now. And the weight kept slowly coming off... And somewhere along the line, I began to realize that weight loss with a Lap-Band is NOT a "Right now" type of thing. Lap-Band surgery and the weight loss following surgery requires PATIENCE, which I admittedly was in very short supply of when I started this journey. And it began to dawn on me that before Lap-Band, if I wanted something right now and didn't get it, I sometimes got food instead of what I wanted "Right now". I used the food to substitute for whatever it was that I wanted, but could not have just yet. Now I am a more patient person, because of my experience with Lap-Band. I understand that things in life worth having are going to take time. And being normal sized is going to take some time. It took me 38 years to get to my all-time high weight, so if it takes me a few years to get back to a normal weight, well, that's OK. I am just going to try to enjoy the ride.

Congratulations! Now walk and sip... :girl_hug:

I would tell them for a number of reasons. For one thing, if you don't tell them, when have your first "SLIME" episode, they are going to freak out. Here's what I suggest to people: Take a full loaf of bread out of the kitchen. Put the loaf of bread in the wrapper on the table in front of the kids. Explain that "Mommy's stomach is too big, it's like this loaf of bread, and that's a lot" then open the loaf of bread and remove the majority of the bread, putting the wrapper back on two or three pieces. "This is what the operation will do for Mommy, it will make my stomach smaller, so I don't eat as much food, see?" By focusing on the size of your stomach, as opposed to focusing on losing weight, the daughter with the weight issue will be less likely to internalize the discussion. Ultimately, whether to tell them or not is up to you, just be aware that they may feel that their trust in you has been violated if you do not tell them.

That's really one of the best things about LBT. The drama doesn't take over every single thread. YES! That's mainly because we do have a distinct area for people to bitch and complain their hearts out. To steal a phrase, what happens in Rants and Raves stays in Rants and Raves. At OH, there is no real way to keep people from fighting all over the board. YES!! And as fun as it sometimes was to watch, it got old very quickly. OH YEAH! If you happened to be friendly in passing to one person that wasn't popular, you became enemy #1 and were suddenly subjected to attacks that came out of the blue. ABSOLUTELY!! If you tried to get people to act like adults, you might as well have joined ranks with the devil (or at least, that's how you were treated). THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, THERE IS AN ASTONISHING LACK OF TOLERANCE "OVER THERE". The very last straw for me was being attacked from nowhere because I made a comment about something in a thread where the issue had already been mentioned by another member. The nut that attacked me even accused me of having multiple screen names and pretending to be someone else. PARANOIA IS A SURE SIGN OF A NUTCASE. I decided that I just didn't have the time or patience to deal with that level of insanity and paranoia. SAME HERE! LIFE'S TOO SHORT TO DEAL WITH PSYCHOPATHS! What really pissed me off was that I let the [rhymes with witch] get to me. I was almost sobbing at my computer. I had never been subjected to such a vicious, unprovoked attack before, let alone one that was so out in public. Like I told one of the chick's friends who PMed me to apologize for her, I had never been so humiliated in my life. If she had wanted to accuse me of something or attack me, she could have at least done it in private. And of course, I never got an apology from the chick, and she knows where to find me. PSYCHOTIC INDIVIDUALS *KNOW* THAT THEY ARE RIGHT, 100% OF THE TIME, SO THEY NEVER, EVER APOLOGIZE. SOCIOPATHIC PERSONALITIES HAVE TOTAL DISREGARD FOR THE FEELINGS OF THEIR VICTIMS, KNOWING THE ABOVE, IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT PERSON IS A SOCIOPATH, BETTER TO AVOID THEM, BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO BE MENTALLY DISTURBED FOREVER!! Bitter? You bet. And I hold grudges like a pro, too. Just ask my parents about my 7th grade teacher, who I still despise (it's been a good 12-13 years) for making me cry in front of the entire class. I USED TO SEE A BILLBOARD FOR REMY-MARTIN COGNAC ON THE HARBOR FREEWAY, IT PICTURED A GLASS OF COGNAC WITH THEIR SLOGAN: "LIVING WELL IS THE BEST REVENGE" DO WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU. WHAT WORKS FOR ME WHENEVER I FIND OUT SOMEONE IS A PSYCHOPATHIC INDIVIDUAL IS THAT I METAPHORICALLY "KILL THEM". THAT IS, I HAVE ZRO CONTACT WITH THEM FROM THAT MOMENT ON, I DON'T SPEAK ABOUT THEM, I DON'T THINK ABOUT THEM. I am absolutely RUTHLESS in the elimination of negative people in my life, and that seems to work well for ME.

"The drama here is in a separate place that I can go to if I want to." BINGO!!!

LOL! I can see the phrase now: "LAPBANDTALK, NO DRAMA, MORE SANITY!" :clap2:

:DGlad to see you like it!:girl_hug:

It's nice to be appreciated

There are two 10CC capacity Lap-Bands in use in the USA at this time. One is the older VG band, the other is the newer APS band. The differences between bands is the diameter of the band, to allow for individual anatomical differences, and the capacity of the band in CCs of saline. There are design differences between the older 9.75CM, 10CM and VG bands and the newer AP series of bands, the APS and the APL. In a nutshell, the bands ALL work the same, the surgeon selects the band size that he/she feels will fit your stomach the best.

Yes. I have one of the first VG bands.