Nanook

I think all the reading/researching in the world can't always prepare you for what it will actually be like once you are banded. It's different for everyone and there are also things that come up that aren't quite expected. I also don't know if any psych eval can prevent all those that might have adverse reactions from being banded. Definitely more of a risk if you're self-pay. I've been banded and now have the RNY which basically you cannot "remove" but like most of you I chose the lapband due to it's non-evasiveness and it just wasn't the right procedure for me. I do believe though that it made the transition to RNY easier than it would have if I had not gone through all of that before. It's easy to judge others and their issues until you have something similiar. Good luck to all of you Nancy.

OK I thought it was pretty grandious like most of you but I caught the tail end of the service when his daughter spoke and it brought tears to my eyes. I guess in the end he was still a good brother, son and father to his kids even with all the controversy.

DVJ22, I had my band out for about 8 months before I revised and don't remember a lot of gas. I do remember feeling the food/drinks going down to a much longer stomach and than before and remembering how weird that felt after 14 months with the band. Anyway sorry you had so many issues I always worry about you self payers as there can always be comps that make things financially difficult. Anyway hope you're feeling better now and take care, Nancy.

Well just posting to say I had my band removed today laparoscopically. They basically are parallel incisions to the old ones, still five and I must say it went smoother than I even expected. Natch there's a bit of pain but not as bad as when they put it in, meaning the gas pains, port removal site seems to be the worse of them but still happy it was all outpatient and didn't have to spend the night in the hospital!!! Yippee skippee! Anywho I may tuck in every once if you don't mind. Funny thing was I had some apple juice in the day surgery room and on the ride home my stomach was making growling signs and I said to my husband "did you hear that? my stomach is back!" OK I guess you had to be there but it was funny at the time. Thanks for all the support I've gotten here, Nancy.

Sue, Per my doctor's orders I was on liquids the first day and then could eat normally again after that. Just told not to go crazy. I didn't revise at the time and had no complications either. Good luck to you, Nancy.

Sue, When I posted there, in 10/08 I had just gone through a frustrating 14 months of living with the band and having issues the main one never losing weight with it. It just wasn't the right procedure for me. I had it removed and lost a bit of weight at first because I could eat normal foods which included healthier ones. Since then I gained a lot of weight as my stomach went back to its old size again and I have since revised to RNY on 6/11. This time it's working and after about a week post-op the weight just started coming off. I can't eat like I used to and can't eat through the RNY like you can with the band. Once you're full, you're full! I know no WLS is perfect and they aren't always as effective as they were in the beginning but at least I can say I'm losing this time! Anyway good luck to you, you will make the decision that is right for you whether you're band-free and doing it on your own or you decide to revise to another procedure. Take care, Nancy.

JMCam..... I still think I want to eat something but when it actually comes down to doing so I feel totally different about it. Plus you have a definite restriction which should relax at some point in time. For me it's a couple tablespoons of Protein at a time if I'm lucky. High sugar food makes me feel somewhat ill and I don't crave them like I had before. I'm going on my 4th week and do look forward to some enjoyment out of food again which I hear and see from my daughter will happen eventually. At this point it's hard to believe though, Nancy.

Glouc, After reading your history in another thread with your family I'd say break up asap unless she wants to go into some type of family therapy with you, and you pick the therapist. Good luck, Nancy.

Did anyone happen to catch Oprah's show today with the segment on a woman who had an experimental brain surgery to regulate her appetite? She had electric probes attached to her brain, while she was awake and then they were attached to some pacemaker-like devices in her chest where they could regulate it. If you had a choice would you rather go through bariatric surgery or something like this? Is this WLS in our future. Will we all be revising to this one day? It seems to make sense but I doubt will be something available to us any time in the future but who knows. Nancy:confused: You can read about it at her website Oprah.com - Live Your Best Life - Oprah.com

Well to all of you who knew me as "BrandyII" as well as the current "Nanook" I have finally been approved for my RNY surgery. I wish all of you continued success with your lap bands and those that haven't had success and revised to sleeves or RNY or DS I wish all you all continued success also. This was the first forum I've ever joined and have made some good friends and learned a lot about everything from issues with the band to some things I can't even say out loud in the powder room! I'll probably keep a lurkin' as I doubt even if Alex does make a "revision" or "RNY" forum I'd go there as this was my home for such a long time. Anyway just want to say thanks for all your support you all have been fun! Thanks Nancy.:frown:

OK, I have a question. I know that Michael was abused by his father but was he sexually abused? I think I remember Latoya saying she had been sexually abused by her father and from what I saw on the news today Latoya was probably Michael's closest relative. Possibly because she brought out the abuse to the public. Just curious if anyone knows. I know he used to beat the sh^&t out of Michael but didnt' know if that was the end of it.

I'm fat now all I need is the rich!:thumbup:

If you think you have an eating disorder and can get help for it and be able to work with the band that would be the perfect scenerio. I didn't consider myself to have an eating disorder but after a month or two on the band I began eating through the band, the sliders trying to "fill up" as I had a diffiult time getting in food and certain foods would go right through. After 14 months of dealing with this and then GERD the band was removed and I've moved onto a procedure that I should have done from the start, the RNY. I have "real" restriction and a loss of appetite something I never had with the band. I hope you can work the band and get some help if you think that's what you need but sometimes mistakes happen and we do pick the wrong one. Good luck to you, and no one here should bash you!! Nancy.

Honestymm, Wow, tell us how you really feel!!!! And by the way I still have my stomach it's just stapled into a smaller pouch kind of like your band gives you a smaller pouch. When I was in the hospital last week wishing I would die due to my pain I didn't consider that the easy way out! Nancy.:thumbup:

I had the lap band because I was basically afraid of the bypass but after 14 months had it removed as it never worked for me and I developed reflux. I've just had my RNY surgery and was more prepared this time around and am finally losing weight! I am a 49 year old peremenopausal woman with diabetes II, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and on antidepressants so it was not easy for me to lose with the lap band. Good luck with your decision as I know it's not always an easy one.

There were five kids in my family and my mother died of cancer when I was 14, 2nd from the bottom of the line but eldest girl so I suppose I took on the nurturing role in the family. I was also the "good girl" out of the two girls, lol. Possibly being raised a Catholic it added to my guilt when it came to dealing with my father and still trying to be the good girl. Others in my family could give up on him but I just wasn't capable. He had some form of psychological disorder also compounded and medicated with alcohol. Of course I over compensated with my own kids never to be like him and make them feel the way I did growing up. For me I used his alcoholism as an excuse as to why he treated people as he did especially his own family. It's hard to take back the years where you let a sick parent rule your life. I probably didn't get the help from therapy I needed to deal with it but still recommend it if possible. Maybe it will help with the strength factor I never had. Good luck, Nancy.

I just had surgery on the 11th and am not a fan of public bathrooms and the extra pressure to produce. I found that I let gravity help. If I wasn't able to urinate after trying for a bit I stood up and sat down again. I don't know why that worked for me but it did. I think I came upon it by accident because I would get up out of frustration to leave but felt the urge and kept trying. Of course this was while attached to my pain pump! Anyway I'm sure it's pretty common and being in a more relaxed situation (home) I'm sure it would get better unless of course there was some problem. Good luck, Nancy.

Good luck Glou..., I wasn't strong enough to break up with my alcoholic toxic father until he died and now there is peace! Take care Nancy.

JaffaSteve, Good article I've read plenty of those and more in my Fat Acceptance groups. There is a ton of that kind of literature out there. Why would I go through one wls, which failed to go through a more extreem one if I didn't feel the affects of that kind of discrimination! Nanette, the artist formally known as Nanook:thumbup:

Thanks BJean, I like Nanette, a little more flattering than Nanook! I don't know, my daughter thinks sex is noticed first but I don't know if it's under our control and we're just wired a certain way. As humans I'd think we'd be programed to seek out sex before race or size. I'm sure there are people who know more about it than I do. Also I am very nearsighted so I suppose it depends on how far away they were from me.

BJean, I remember that Oprah show about eye color but I also seem to remember some athropologist who was an expert on racism on her show once and she asked a question when you see a person walking down the street what's the first thing you notice about them. It was either color first or sex first. Now I can't remember as I'm oldddddddd. I wonder where size plays a part, meaning weight/height.

Debbie, I'm just glad I'm not still working in the city and riding the metro buses and the subway anymore, good luck to you, Nancy.:blushing:

Good luck all you peeps going for RNY. I had mine on Thursday and it was a killer but is getting better every day. Unlike my daugher I'm able to get all my meds in and my supplements but I'm still on liquids and have no appetite. In fact food kind of turns me off! That was an issue for me with the lap band and thank God this seems to be working:thumbup:. Anyway let us know how things progress, Nancy.

Serenity, Throwing the whole Russian thing into the mix threw a whole other cup of flour in the batter! So who knows what the problem was. Are any of us strong enought to ask? I'm not. I just brought up the weight issue as I was very involved with fat acceptance groups for a while and still feel strongly about them but just couldn't be strong enough to be that accepting of myself as a fat person. But I belive in fighting for the rights of fat people. In those FA groups you have people of all sexes, races, religions and sexual preference. Also in fat acceptance you don't have to be fat some people just find it something they feel strongly about and there are others that have a variety of eating disorders whether fat or thin or whatever. I just hope I didn't make you feel that I was ignoring your feelings about it being a race issue as I know no matter where we live race discrimination is still a real issue. Take care, Nancy.

Thanks Susan, I appreciate and hope things continue to be successful for you also with your sleeve! Take care Nancy.