kiz

I feel really torn on this issue. Obviously, she needs help financially, physically and mentally. I believe she's going to get the financial and physical help because of all the "big" names that have spoken out in her behalf. There's no doubt she has a screw loose. She doesn't think rationally and has very little sense of reality. On the other hand, she's not the worst parent in America, although, at this point, she's probably one of the most infamous. If she gets (and I think she will) the physical and financial help the children are going to need, I can't see them being taken away from her. I wouldn't be surprised if the children end up in foster care for a short while though. It doesn't appear that she's jumping fast enough to grab onto the help that's being offered. I don't think the hospital will release any of the babies to her with the living conditions she and her other children are in now. In the end, I believe, she's going to get housing and money for plenty of live in help.

In addition to any new meds or vitamins, it may be caused by ketosis. I had a metal taste in my mouth that lasted about three days starting in my pre-op diet when I was on high protein/low carb.

Chances are it's ketosis. http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/low-carb-diets-can-cause-bad-breath

I'm sure it's very normal to be apprehensive about any type of elective surgery. Once I make up my mind, and it usually takes me awhile, I try not to look back. That doesn't mean I wasn't nervous about something going wrong though. However, I was determined that I was going to do everything necessary to get healthy again, and I really felt like getting a band was going to be the tool I needed to help me make my goal. If you're truly feeling like you're making a mistake, that's one thing, but if it's just a normal case of last minute nerves, try to think about all the reasons you made this decision and keep thinking positive. Good luck.

Hi Deann. I've had my band for close to six months, and I've been more that happy with my results, and for the help the band has given me. It's very true that the band is not a magic bullet, and you have to use it as a tool. How it helps me, is that it keeps my hunger to a minimum, so that I don't find myself looking for junk food to snack on when I'm bored and/or hungry between meals. The band helps in two ways. If you're a big volume eater, you're not going to be able to eat those huge meals, and if you're a junk food grazer, the hunger demon is greatly diminished. This only happens when your band is filled to the level that gives you good restriction. The number of fills that it takes to get you there is different for everyone, and it also depends on how aggressive your surgeon is with the amount of fill he'll give you at a time. Doctors have different recommendations for the amount of food you should consume. For instance, I'm supposed to have three 1/2 cup meals per day plus a snack. The pouch above the band holds 1/2 cup, and once you get to good restriction (it may happen right off the bat, but it probably will take a few fills to get you there), the food travels slowly through the stoma (band opening). Your nerve endings that send a message to your brain is at the top of your stomach, so although you've eaten a very small portion, you should feel satisfied. I think you can minimize the risk of all those major complications by listening to your doctor. I want to emphasize, minimize, because I know there are people who have been just as cautious than I have, who have had problems. There are no guarantees that I or anyone else won't be that person who has an intolerance to the band. Some things that we can do to help our band are: don't start solids after surgery until your doctor gives you the go ahead, measure your portions and don't overeat, if you get a fill, and you can't hold down fluids or can't move on to solids, call your doctor and get some Fluid removed. The band is not suppose to be so tight that you can't eat. Chew your food well, but not until it's a liquid, eat slowly, and take small bites. I've never had reflux and I've never pb'd. I know I'm not immune to erosion or band slippage (I pray that it doesn't happen), but I'm going to do my part the best I can to take good care of my band. I also wanted to add that I'm am terribly sorry about the loss of your sister.

I'm sorry about your defective band. How long have you had it? I haven't heard of this happening, but I'm self-pay too, and it was one of my worries.

Congratulations! The time really seemed to fly from the time of my first appointment and my surgery. Good luck!! :thumbup:

Given your past high pain tolerance, the kind of pain you're experiencing doesn't sound right. I would rate my pain after lap band to very similar to gall bladder surgery - very minimal. I hope your doctor has already called you back, but if he hasn't, please do as Jack suggested.

Dr. Brengman was my doctor too. I didn't have WLS insurance, so I didn't have any contact side of the group. However, on the medical side, I've been very pleased. The staff has always been extremely friendly and helpful. I've never felt rushed during an appointment, and Dr. Brengman is great.

Beth, you crack me up!! :tt2: Last night was the first time I've ever seen the show. I didn't see the first few minutes, and I didn't know for a bit why Bob was crying. OMG ... that was insane. It's nice that he cares, but good grief, the crying was overboard, and I can be an emotional kind of gal. I wonder how he'd react if something really tragic happened. The 24 hr cycling was a great challenge. It made me work harder on my elliptical this morning. I'm glad they stuck it out.

That's great that you have a friend going with you. If you both end up getting banded, it's so helpful to have someone close by to chat with. I've had my band almost six months, and I haven't had any problems. I am so happy with my band. It takes work on our part too, but I could have lost this weight so quickly on my own. I have a very stubborn metabolism, and weight loss comes hard for me. With the band, my hunger has been greatly curtailed, and I'm able to stay satisfied on so much less food. Have I mentioned I love my band? :thumbup:

Good luck, tink4me. That's the way I got started too. I think it was very helpful to go to more than one seminar to compare different practices.

I started losing gobs of hair around six weeks after surgery. It stopped as suddenly as it started at about four months. I really think it's a hormonal response to surgery. I had the same experience after previous surgeries and childbirth.

I've flown from the east coast to the west coast since having good restriction and didn't notice any difference in my band.

That's a great stand alone post anyway. Occasionally, a new bandster will say something to the effect of, "I'm two weeks out, and I ate such and such, and I felt fine. I didn't hurt anything did I?" Your doctor gave a good explanation as to why it's crucial to follow instructions.

Another problem with being cold, is that it makes my rings bigger than ever (better than 50 lbs ago, when my fingers were fatter, and they would swell by nighttime). I really have to get to the jewelry store and buy some ring guards. I know I'm going to have to get them resized before long, but I only want to do it once. I had to have them made bigger as I gained weight, and this is so much nicer.

What you're going through is very normal. Six weeks for the first fill is pretty standard too. I'm sure you haven't done anything to mess up your band. Measuring religiously helped me. I'm sure I could have just kept eating as normal, or almost, if I was waiting for band restriction the last couple of weeks before my first fill. I kept my meals under one cup, and I added a fourth heavy on the protein 1/2 cup snack for the last couple of weeks, when I losing the restriction I had from the surgery swelling. It was pretty much dieting, but my band did seem to help a bit. Even after your first fill, you may not feel like you have a lot of restriction. It sometimes takes a few to really make a difference, but sometimes not. My first few fills seemed to only last a couple of weeks.

You absolutely can't beat the summer weather in Canada. Sounds like the best of both worlds would be summers in Canada and winters in Mexico or joining the snow birds in Florida. Maybe you'll be able to pick up a little tan then, lol.

I've always been cold natured, through thick and thin, but as I'm losing weight, it's getting ridiculous of how cold I am. In the winter, I have to keep the finance turned up, but I make up for it in the summer when I also keep my ac turned up too. I figure, overall, it balances out. And a note to CanandianBanster, my husband and I lived in Canada for a few years. First off, I have to say we loved it there and have such fond memories of the wonderful friends we made. However, it seemed that the day spring came, regardless of how cold the temperature was on the thermometer, all the Canadians came out wearing their shorts and tees, and I'd still be bundled up in my coat. Your countrymen are rugged, or maybe I'm just a wimp. :smile:

We had an exercises specialist as a guest speaker at our lap band support group meeting. There are many exercises you can do to tightening your muscles while sitting in a chair in the privacy of your home. (I just googled "chair exercise" and there were tons of links). She also suggested using a "resistance band" for more toning. (There are lots of links for resistance band too). For cardio, she recommended a recumbent bike or elliptical over a treadmill and walking for those with joint pain. Good luck with your upcoming band surgery, and I hope you find ways to exercise that you're comfortable with.

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I had my first, second, and third fills two weeks apart each. My first and third fills were under fluoro, and they took a picture before they did the third fill, and I was very open. I felt some restriction the first week of each of those fills, but by the end of the second week, the restriction had waned greatly. This is very normal. Some people get restriction from the get-go, and others, it takes a little longer. It also varies based on how much saline the doctor likes to use with your fills. Some doctors are more aggressive than others.

Thanks for the advice, maw. I have an appointment this week, and I was going to talk to my doctor about the vitamins I'm taking (extra B12 and D). I'll ask him about the calcium combo. I'd rather just stick to the two sf Tums that he recommends, but I'm afraid the calcium isn't enough and not the right type. I also hate to take the Viactivs because of the added carbs and calories. I know it's just 40 cals and 6 carbs, but when I'm on my elliptical, I see with my calorie counter how much energy it takes to burn off just 40 cals. I wish there was was sf Viactiv.

That's great advice. It's such a motivator, especially when it seems like the scale isn't moving. My doctor does a white light scan every three months that does a total scan with measurements of your whole body. I forget how many total inches I lost at three months, but it was a lot. I'm going in soon for my six month. I hope it's kind to me.