pchamster

I am over 3 years out (March 2008) & while Dr. Brown wasn't my primary bariatric doctor when I had my surgery (That role went to Dr. Metz as he was at P/SL at the time), he was on the surgery team & took the time to visit me in my room the next morning (I had to spend a couple of days in the hospital due to other medical issues I have). I too highly recommend him Shavona, don't forget there's also the support group as well. We meet on the third Wednesday of the month usually at the hospital (Though on occasion we also meet at area grocery stores too) & there's the online group as well (Just give Jodi your email address so she can add you to the list). The online group is a 24/7 thing (Though staff do have dedicated hours in which they'll be on). I imagine by now, you're just now beginning to wonder what you've done to yourself by going from not puking at all when you eat to puking at least once a day. That's normal. The dumping is something you're gonna have to get used to but it's well worth it Best of luck See ya at the meetings sometime Shav..... Cheers

Hi everyone: I think there must be only ONE other person who's undergone WLS and is a fellow Tweeter (That stands for user of the Twitter.com website BTW) and he's a Lap Bander. Just to be in the balpark of people on Twitter who've undergone weight loss, I've had to settle for people who've done so WITHOUT undergoing WLS. So this begs the question WHERE FOR ART THOU FELLOW WLSers??? Where (Not to mention WHY) are you hiding from Twitter? Twitter is a GREAT way to communicate. It's also a GREAT tool for announcing meetings and other activities too. Don't have an account yet? CHECK IT OUT - twitter.com (I don't work for Twitter nor do I have ANYTHING to gain (Except some fellow WLS followers of course ) or lose from posting this, so this isn't a spam attempt (If it were, it'd be a terrible one at that) so GO CHECK IT OUT!!) You can also see MY Twitter page in my sig below or the link to it on my blog page also in my sig below. See ya on Twitter! :eek: Cheers

Hi everyone: I think the subject speaks for itself. :biggrin: The blog can be text-based or have audio and/or video (A lot of people do da YouTube (Channels) (Videos)). You'd be amazed at the number of people who are doing it. So my question to you is do YOU do da blog thingie or do you prefer to not blog about your journey? Let's tell about each other's blogs. I'll start..... My blog URL is below, but I'll give it here - As My Weight Loss World Turns I also a Twitter Page which is also below & I also have a YouTube Channel @ YouTube - asmyw8lossworldturns's Channel How 'bout it peoples? Cheers :biggrin:

Hi everyone: Heh.....Well I ain't goin' in for a fill on the OF Thanksgiving (I ain't that dumb!). But I think goin' in for a fill sometime EARLY NEXT MONTH wouldn't be a bad idea though. And even if they decide I don't need a fill, I will have AT LEAST "made the rounds" as it were during the appointment so they wouldn't have to schedule one for me later on down the road. :biggrin: I was told that I'm at a point in my post-op whereas I don't need to see them unless I have a problem (I don't even go in for fills anymore even though I've only 3 so far since my surgery this past March. The last time I went in for a fill was in June). This is good as then this way, I can pick a day in which the assistants (If not the doc himself) will be available to take care of my fill (But then again, it seems like surgeons NEVER seem to do anything involving N-E-E-D-L-E-S, does it?). Ohh well....I'm know one of the assistants will take of things in relative short order. :thumbup: So really, I suppose if/when I boil it down, I don't really need a fill before Thanksgiving (Unless the doc's office suddenly calls me up to schedule an appointment for one which I don't expect to happen). But HAVING a fill before Thanksgiving would be nice if for nothing more than good measure (Since I don't really need a "safety net" as it were). :thumbup: Just my opinion though.... Cheers :wink2:

Hi everyone: I'm still LOSING weight. Is this normal? I went down from 240 Lbs. to 224 in my last office visit. I mean not that I'm disappointed or anything, but I'm wondering if it's worth going in for a fill over or not worth worrying about at all (Especially since I plan on going in for my first fill since the beginning of Summer next month anyway with the Holidays coming as I don't think it would be a bad idea to get one before Thanksgiving). As for Thanksgiving Day itself, not sure what we'll do. But just to be safe, I think going in for a fill before Thanksgiving Day isn't a bad idea since I'll only have to be on the pureed diet for 48-72 hours, which of course is unlike most people, who have to spend WEEKS on special diets before Thanksgiving Day (I know some of you there just envy me :smile2: *blushing*). Well anyway, if I can get a generic answer to my question either way, it'd me most appreciated. :thumbup: Cheers :thumbup: P.S. If one of the mods can correct the URL YouTube Lap Banders Group in my sig (A Group I started BTW), whereas it's clickable, it'd be MUCH appreciated (I couldn't do it myself for some strange reason). Thanks. :thumbup:

Hi everyone: Lacey, Life With A Lap Band DOES have RSS Feeds on it (One for entries and the other for comments). So you do have a Lap Band blog. And BTW....I've been subscribing to each & every one of you guys too. :thumbup: Let's keep this up & have some fun. :biggrin: Cheers :thumbup:

Hi everyone: Yeah I think blogging is yet another GREAT way to socialize and network with other people who've either had the surgery or are considering it. I tailor the content of my blog around those who are considering it by giving them a wealth of information they might not otherwise think of digging up themselves. Add video to it and it's content which the subscriber can take with them as I always link to iPod/Quicktime compatible MP4 videos which I upload to BlipTV (The YouTube Channel is a seperate link, yet YouTube has a HUGE and influencial weight loss community on there - More so than parent company Google realizes). My blogs and their posts aren't all in text nor are they all in video. In fact, some posts are in audio using my iRiver. It all simply depends on what I have. That said though, the one thing I'd like to do is put my weigh-in on video (So far, I've only been able to get as far as using still photos captured by the camera from my phone). I tried it once, but the cheapo $100 cam from Radio Shack wouldn't work. :thumbup: Well anyway, I figured I'd start this thread notso we can pimp our blogs, but rather so we can share each other's journey just that much further. Cheers :biggrin:

I don't think that's it INASMUCH AS..... I don't think "worried" is the word I'd use to describe what I'm thinking. What I'm thinking is we're bound to have ALOT of food (Mainly on Thanksgiving as we just typically eat finger food on Christmas whereas some people will cook an entire meal like they do on Thanksgiving). I'm thinking that going in for a fill (Like on November 4 while everyone else is busy at their nearby polling place throwing out the bums in Washington :smile: :w00t: ) would be a great idea as that would give me ample time to recover and get back to the same routine in time for Thanksgiving (It generally takes about a 3-5 days anyway), just with a slightly tighter band for good measure. And considering that I haven't had a fill since May, I don't think my Dr. would object to me coming in for one (In fact, I think he might even agree with me that getting one would be a good idea). BTW...As for voting myself - I plan to be amongst the very first in line at my polling place. I plan to do my part in the tossing of the Washington bums too (Don't think I won't). :scared2::eek: But after that, the day will be all mine :scared2: Cheers

Hi everyone: Just about anything & everything approved for consumption by Lap Banders. I found the problem. Instead of posting in BBCode, I posted in HTML because that's what the sig editor was giving me for some weird reason. Ohh well. Maybe the server which the board sits on just needed a kick in the CONFIG.SYS or something.... Cheers :smile2:

Hi everyone: Not with ME with you on the job - *Hint....Hint* :smile2: Sorry....The temptation to respond just overwhelmed me. :thumbup:

Hi everyone: I'll take a stab at answering this question.... At the P/SL group, we introduce ourselves (This is where EVERYONE gets together). We then sometimes have a program of some type. Then we split up according to the procedure and then we share our stories (The good, the bad & the ugly) and offer each other support. This is where those contemplating the procedure get to have their questions answered (And hopefully any concerns they have put to rest as well). The whole group session usually takes two hours and meets @ 6:00 PM on the 3rd Wednesday of each month in Room 302 of P/SL's East Wing, which is at 1719 E. 19th Ave. unless the program takes us on location somewhere away from the hospital (Which has been known to happen). Good luck. :smile2: Cheers :thumbup:

Hi everyone: Add me to the mix :smile2: I was banded by Dr. Metz over at P/SL on March 6, 2008.

Hi everyone: Mods - Feel free to move this to what you believe would be a more appropriate place as this was the closest one I could find. Anyhow....Sometime ago, I decided to start a YouTube Group (Yes Virginia, contrary to what you may have heard before, there ARE actual groups on YouTube :smile2: ). The group can be found here and the primary purpose of the group is use the power of VIDEO to do what we do on the boards - TALK LAP BAND!! Of course you can use text too, but that would kinda defeat the purpose of the group, now wouldn't it? There's also a general WLS discussion group on YouTube, which is here. And just so I don't have to repeat myself over and over again, I've taken the liberty of starting YouTube groups for Gastric Bypass & RNY as well. Those groups can be found here & here. Feel free to stop on by, check 'em out & (Above all) JOIN!!!!!!! :thumbup: Cheers :thumbup:

Hi everyone: Have you tried going to the Colorado Board on ObesityHelp?? That board is real active. In fact, the whole site is just as active as LBT is. Just tryin' to help :smile2: Cheers :thumbup:

Hi everyone: You REALLY have no clue as to what you're missing MacMadame. Ohh well.....Your loss.... Cheers

Gotcha added now NJ

Hi everyone: I'm in a dilemna here. Picture this if you will.... I get up in the morning and drink a bunch of water to replenish my bodily fluids due to not having any since the night before, which is of course on account of the warm overnight temps we have here in Denver, CO this time of year. I try to do this 30 minutes before taking my morning meds. However, the first few sips of water I drink almost ALWAYS seem to bounce right back up, thus forcing me to barf it up so I can continue drinking water and subsequently take my meds with no problems at all. 30-45 minutes after this, I eat breakfast. This has been something of an ordeal for me as of late, but that could easily be attributable to the cereal I'm eating too (Kashi GoLean Crunch). However, there's one more thing that puzzles me. Now we all know we've been told to NOT drink ANYTHING 30 minutes either before or after eating (Or eat ANYTHING 30 minutes before or after drinking), right? Well....Guess what I'm finding myself having to do just to get food to go down..... Yep! You guessed it - DRINK WATER. Albeit in sips, but water nonetheless. Sometimes the water will help the food go down and sometimes it'll just simply loosen it up whereas it'll come up when I barf. Is this normal? If not, what might I try doing to alleviate this problem? What does this problem seem like? 9I know not everyone here is a doc, but I know there are a few here ). I ask this because I've had two fills by appointment in the last two months & had to go back in earlier this month to have some saline removed due to complications. And if that weren't enough, I'm scheduled for my 3rd IN AS MANY MONTHS (The book says I'm only supposed to have 6 in the first year, yet I'm on pace to have 12 as it stands now). Any insight as to what this problem is would be appreciated. :thumbup: Cheers

Hi everyone: But the question is with me dropping in weight faster than a rock, DO I EVEN NEED A FILL:?: Which is why I drink water throughout the day. Well, I'm not a coffee or tea drinker, but I can always drink some hot chocolate in the morning. :tt2: Either that or just don't pour the cereal in a bowl and drown it in milk. Just eat it right out of the box. This way, no cereal gets wasted and all I have to do is simply put the box away when I get that "Full" feeling. Yeah, that's what my docs are doing now (Especially my neurologist since I'll never be able to escape my anti-seizure meds even if my PCP takes me off all the meds HE has me on). Thanks. Seems like I've been in need it this year - In more ways than one. :thumbup: I just wish the Presidential Race would come to an end. Seems like they've been at it since THE LAST ELECTION in 2004!!! Cheers :thumbup:

Hi everyone: Heh...I'm not a tea drinker Jack. But nice thought though. Except lately, that syndrome has been lasting throughout the day, mainly whenever I have a meal. As I said, I'm not a tea nor a coffee drinker. I could probably drink some hot chocolate though and see if that works. I too drink lots of water. Each month, I always get a case of purified water (Be it Aquafina or some other brand). I've also got a 1.5 Liter water bottle which I use both around the neighborhood and as a backup when the purified water runs out. I also have a water filter on the kitchen faucet to produce purified water from home (This water is stored in a couple of pitchers which are kept refrigerated until I need them to fill up the water bottle). See above. The only thing I don't do is wear a belt with water bottles on both sides of me as if I were the Lone Ranger or something. *LOL!* Cheers :thumbup:

Trust me Sunny - IT WILL. :tt2: :thumbup: :laugh: I say this because my PCP just recently took me off Metformin too. To that....All I have to say is **BUH-BYE** BIG PILL. I still have one more big pill to take, but that is for the neurological disorder I have. The pill is Depakote @ 500 mg. Trust me, that sucker is HUGE. I have to take FOUR of these a day PLUS a smaller version @ 250 mg. That's A WHOPPIN' 2250 mg. right there. All just to keep me from having seizures and landing in the ER as a result. Hopefully my neurologist will readjust my Depakote levels to match my weight. But until he does that, I have to keep all 2250 mg. of Depakote. Ohh yeah, I also have to take 1000 mg. of Keppra per day ON TOP of the Depakote for a total of 3250 mg. of anti-seizure medications per day. The Keppra isn't hard at all to take with my band either. My problem lies with those four 500 mg. Depakote pills I currently have to take. Just my $.02 worth.... Cheers

Hi everyone: I take my meds normally, making sure to leave 30-60 seconds in between pills if taking more than one.

Hi everyone: Do you also a "regurgitating" feeling too Tami? If so, that might be another indicator that you might be having a problem. Also, if you have an appointment for a fill, I would take up the issue with the doc (Or his/her assistant) BEFORE they stick that needle in you. It may be an indicator that your band doesn't need a fill, but rather may need to have some saline removed instead. Not a doc (I wish I was one though - *LOL!*), but I hope this helps.... Cheers

Hi everyone: Yeah I know why I'm on the diet in the first place. That was no problem. It made sense. But what WAS NOT making sense was my barfing like every five minutes every time I ate something. But now as you will see elsewhere on the site, I have a new problem. Feel free to offer insight if you so choose. (I could use it) Cheers :thumbup:

Hi everyone: As you can see on my Twitter profile page, I've been TXTing about my first complication. Let me briefly summarize what I've been going through. Back on Thursday, I had my last fill. By Friday Night-Saturday Morning, I noticed I was having problems holding food down. I was following the diet as I should, but yet I was still having problems. The problems were mainly a persistent regurgitation and barfing like every five minutes while attempting to eat. Yesterday, I went back to get some saline removed but was told that even though the saline was removed, I'd have to REPEAT the dietary system. My question is has anyone else here had that problem and, if so, what did you do to solve it? BTW....Feel free to follow (That's "Twitterese" as it were for SUBSCRIBE) me on Twitter as I clone my blog and TXT my journey away over there. :behindsofa: Cheers :grouphug:

Hi everyone: I too am a newbie here. I learned of this website while at the last support group meeting for the Colorado Bariatric Surgery Institute (One of the members mentioned it, so I figured I'd join). Right now, my Internet access is rather limited as I'm posting via the local Library, but when I get my home PC back online, I'll be sure to bookmark this site. In the meantime, feel free to stop by & visit my blog as it has a choc full of information for those who have yet to have the surgery as well as those who have had it many moons ago. :cool2: I'll be back to check on things in a couple of days. Cheers :thumbdown: