TheGh0st

I don't like it either but think I could stomach (oops pun) it better if it meant less commercials like the old days of practically "commercial free" TV where the show actors would regularily break to personally say how great a particular laundry detergent (or cigarette) was. But to have to watch all the product placement and the same riduculous amount of commercials annoys me. Oh and with TIVO and all the re-cap, and those commercials the show is more like 30-45 minutes (even the so-called 2-hour episodes)

Hey everyone - Just thought I'd drop in. I'm from Fremont/Lincoln but living and banded in Kansas City back in 2005. I'm curious about the exact time/place of the Lincoln support groups. I would love to drop in on one sometime. I'm up visiting relatives nearly every month or two. Oh and for the person that posted about going to Mexico for his fills because of the cost. I don't know what the docs in Nebraska are charging but there is at least one doc here in KC that I know of that will fill Mexico patients (as well as others not banded by him) and his fee is only $100 per fill. I'd think the cost to get to KC would have to be cheaper than Mexico. Let me know if you'd like any more info. The doc I'm referring to is great. He's performed over 900 band surgeries. He ONLY does the band not RNY since he thinks its the better choice. He is a proctor for Inamed and has actually trained several of the Nebraska docs that are now performing the band surgeries. I actually wasn't banded by him but ended up switching to him after meeting several of his patients at local support groups.

Lizrbit Laurend WasaBubbleButt I probably shouldn't put my two cents in but I am so sad for the three of you. I have loved reading posts from all 3 of you on and off the RNR area. You are all AMAZING women and have much to offer. I wish it hadn't come to this for you three. Take a step back, block each other if you must, but please don't let this continue to grow to the point one or more of you end up leaving this website. I would miss everyone of you. Each of you have been of personal help to me at one time or the other wether you ever knew it or not.

If you really want to go crazy. Use the slimfast as a replacement for milk and make sugar-free chocolate pudding with it (adding a dab of Peanut butter if you want) then freeze the pudding until the consistency of soft-serve icecream - MMMM Yummy!

I use the low carb version of slimfast as well. It has more protein and less carbs than the slim fast that is labeled high protein. Go Figure. As far as changing the taste. First off I have to, Absolutely HAVE to drink it ice cold. I put it in the freezer for 10 - 15 minutes before drinking it or pour it over crushed ice and drink it through a straw. Other things I have done would include blending it with a couple chunks of frozen banana (about 1/4-1/3 of a banana) or 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter, or mixing in Nestle's Low-Carb Hot Chocolate mix (only 25 calories and very few carbs - sorry can't remember exactly how many right now but think its in the single digits)

I know he was just "playin the game" but darn it I was so hoping they'd bust his @ss and kick him off after that stunt. And what about Amy and her trainer. I am so with her on switching trainers. I couldn't believe it when the trainer had the audacity to say "come back and talk to me about this... It's the least you owe me!" WTF! After she practically demanded the other teammates vote Amy off last week I would have laughed in her face for saying I owed her anything if I was Amy! Even if I understand the trainers reasoning, they really need to stay as far away from that side of the show as possible if they want to maintain a proper motivational relationship with the contestants for as long as they are there.

I recently had PS and was given some very good advice on how to help reduce scarring post surgery. I only wish my surgeons from previous surgeries (band, gallbladder, c-section, etc.) had given me the same info. What he said was after the first 2 weeks you should start a massage routine over the incision sites, even the smallest ones. He recommended a cream called Nutri-E from CVS or any Vitamin E lotion that contained a minimum of 10,000 I.U. of vitamin E. He also said you should be able to it for around $4-$8 per bottle without having to pay for some of the more expensive name brand creams that can cost as much as $30 for 1/2 the size. But even more important than the vitamin E lotion according to the doctor was the massage. He recommends massaging the incision in FIRM, small circular patterns, spending 1-minute per "circle" (i.e. a 2-3" port scar might take 2 minutes). And you are to do it twice a day though I'm not sure for how many weeks. It seems the firm massage helps break down the build-up of internal scar tissue before it can take hold. Sorry, but I don't know if this would help for scarring 6 months or further, but it couldn’t hurt. Oh, and one more tidbit for anyone out there that hasn't had the band yet. I don't know if it would be possible but now that I've gotten to the stage of PS I really wish I'd had the foresight to have tried to talk the band surgeon into placing my port incision a little lower. Not the port, just the incision. Even if it had meant a larger incision if he could have placed it closer to my belly button and reached up in from there to place my port then when I'd had my TT the scar would have been completely removed with the rest of my excess skin. As it was, the scar was about 3" too high and very visible. Although the Plastic Surgeon said that when I get my breast reduction next year he may be able to re-open that incision and "re-seal" it better than it was done the first time so I might have a chance at a less visible scar.

Look who's talking. Girl you look pretty amazing yourself.

Believe it or not I too feel that jealousy from time to time but it is only in love, I swear. Lapbandtalk wouldn't be the same without the success stories like yours & Chickies out there. And I'm appalled that anyone has flamed you with PM's or openly about your making 100% of the way. After all I can't believe there isn't one of us out there that wouldn't love to be right there with you. You, Chickie, JulieNYC, Puddin just to name a few are my inspirations. So are some of those a year behind and 100 pounds heavier than me. On those days where I just can't seem to get my head into the game I'll search out and read the excitement and energy in some of the "newbies" posts and then look for a few of you "old-timers" if only to see your inspirational tickers and then I feel properly butt-kicked and dive back into this journey.

Thanks, I did actually. For my 2nd bandversary I gave myself an "early present. In August I signed up for an annual membership to a chain called "Massage Envy" The $49 monthly fee gives you 1 1-hr massage with additional massages at $39. I had only ever had one massage in my life prior to the band and now I am practically addicted. I think I've had at least 5 massages in the 8 weeks running up to my PS, and I am absolutely itching to get back for another one. Ofcourse I haven't mentioned this to the DH yet. He thinks I've been out walking with friends on the nights I was getting a massage. Shame, Shame on me. But oh how worth it.

Soft Serve Ice Cream - I have no idea what the deal is but I've heard of many that have a problem with this. For me it has actually caused me to "foam" at the mouth. A PB I guess but with absolutely NO effort not even a hiccup. Salad - I've hated them my entire life and actually latched onto the tidbit that they might not be good for a band as a great excuse for never having to feel bad about not eating them in the future. However, ironically I felt forced to nibble on one a few months back at a restaurant with my boss and now I LOVE them. But seriously, the issue is that if you don't chew the lettuce well enough which is really hard to do at times you are at a risk of the lettuce becoming a flap closing off the hole in your band. A much undesired effect, supposedly even more difficult to remedy than a piece of stuck bread or meat. Though I've personally had no problem with it. I just cut or shred my lettuce up very well and add a lot of nuts to give it a more crunchy texture that seems to help me chew it more thoroughly.

I have heard that some people develope a small amount of swelling while laying down, which causes the tightness in the morning. Do you notice if a ring you might wear feels any tighter as well or if your feet/ankles seem a bit swollen compared to later in the day? One suggestion I've heard for tight morning bands is to start the day off with some warm tea or another warm drink people claims it helps "loosen" their band. More accurately it somehow relaxes or loosens up the stomach tissues inside the band but same results.

Just found this thread. I was lucky enough not to have even half of what happened to Wheetsin happen to me but I had to add I also ended up being amongst this same office's "bad girls" list. All for the unforgivable reasons that: A) I'd voluntarily offered to let some of the pre-surgery patients that came to support group know that I'd be glad to bring anyone interested by a band-friendly meal during their recovery from surger for the family to try along with some Jello for the "patient". It was an offer made just to be nice and I wasn't asking for any support or affiliation with the doctors office but when I mentioned it to them before the support group they told me I couldn't/shouldn't make the offer. The person who told me was so condescending she actually used a phrase like "I can tell you are an intelligent person" Like she was consceding that I was smart when most "fat" people are not. I had the audacity to make my own LapBand Restaurant Card that corrected grammer & spelling errors on the one they handed out. The same woman as previously mention actually ended up shouting at me over the phone. I thought she was going to have a fit, no let me rephrase that she was having a fit when I calmly explained that I saw no reason to destroy the card. She went so far as to threaten to sue me just because I had made a card asking restaurants to allow me to order of the childs menu due to my surgery. I hadn't even shown it to more than 3 restaurants in the previous 6 months. I repeatedly told her she was speaking to me at work and I would have to call her back but she just wouldn't stop until I finally overspoke her saying again I was at work and she would just have to call back then hung up on her. C) Oh and did I mention the final straw was my being friends with the other "bad girls". Good grief we were all labeled "bad" just because we would openly answer peoples questions in support group no different than Wheetsin does here. In the end after one of the only wonderful staff members they had who managed the support group quit I found another local band doc and never looked back.

no, No, NO!!! If I remember correctly there was a time when I wasn't able to see your pics. I remember being excited when I saw them back again. Please don't worry about the apparent issues of others when the overwhelming majority of us look forward to sig lines that remind us that we too can succeed one day if we keep plugging along. You have definitely been one of my top inspirations on this Journey.

Congratulations. My date was Sep 13th, 2005. I like the term re-birthday. I've been calling it my "bandversary", but I like your phrase re-birthday. I still haven't convinced the family that it's worthy of getting me a card or present but I've tried.

Hey there Karey, Don't get me wrong I'm sure you look absolutely fabulous as you are right now. I just know that for me there was a high school reunion this summer just as I was starting the whole PS process and OH WHAT I WOULD HAVE GIVEN to have been done with the PS before the reunion. Its more of a head issue than an actual "clothing" fit issue at least for me. I never thought the clothes fit quite right but everyone else was telling me there was no problems. I'm sure you know what I mean. I also realized I didn't answer your question about excersize. I'm just as bad about beating myself up over that as anything else weight related. Especially when I see people like JulieNYC out running marathons and such. But I was walking twice a week here with friends, sometimes as little as 1 mile sometimes as many as 3 but just at a fairly casual pace no power walking or god forbid jogging/running in these "F" cups. Maybe after my Breast Reduction next year. One sign of hope for me is the fact my DH bit the bullet last week and joined the gym after 2 years of swearing neither one of us would ever "waste our money" on a gym again. Maybe after the holiday rush I'll convince him to let me join as well. Actually I'll probably join up no matter what he thinks, especially if they have child care available. I am going in tomorrow to have the last of the stiches out and to most likely get my drains out. They are suppose to give me more detailed instructions on my remaining recovery. But he did say I could start back with some casual/excersize walking at 3 weeks. So the plan is for me to meet up with one or more of my banded friends next Wednesday to walk at the local mall we like to frequent. I'll just sit down and let them "lap" me anytime I feel I need to.

Its always good to meet another Greater KC bandmate. I had Dr Hoehn at SMMC in Shawnee Mission, but recently started seeing Dr. Malley in Mission for my fills. Long story, I like both docs but had some issues with the staff at Hoehn's office. I've also been attending Malley's support groups ever since Jen & her KC Bandsters non-surgeon specific group stopped having its monthly meetings so it was an easy transition. Who were you banded by?

Yeah, sometimes he surprises me. (Nah, he's a good guy most of the time, infuriating all the time but good most of the time.):heh:

to be honest I prefer the March/April time as well but the other date was set before I had a say so I'm trying to work with it. Still not sure I'll be able to go but trying my hardest. Good luck to you all. If I can't make it in Jan, who knows I might just see if you'll let a September gal tag along on your fun!

I suppose you are right but darn it there are so many other industries that give out referral bonuses. Everything from house alarms, to cell phones & massages. Why not PS? I know can I spell "M A L P R A C T I C E"?

Good luck Starsmom I'll keep you in my thoughts tonight & tomorrow. Nile - a little unfill might not hurt. Being underweight (so I'm told) can bring its own medical problems. Being unfilled does NOT mean you need to gain weight just try to stop the continued loss.

Am I a true Libra or what? I completely agree with both of the above statements. I originally set my "realistic" goals based more on insobordination's views even though my "dream" goal was always the 100% figure like Chickie. Now that I've surpased what I had originally considered a realistic goal I am more comfortable with the idea that my dreams really aren't impossible anymore. I'm also a number freak/geek... so skip this next part if you wish. Statistics can be decieving and bent to serve nearly any purpose. Yes the stats don't "lie" when they say 60% is the average. Below is an example of what I mean. These numbers are completely ficticious but show how an average of 60% EWL over all patients can mislead you into thinking the "average" patient will lose this when it also shows that nearly half of patients (47%) fell into the 60-85% EWL range compared to only 30% falling into the corresponding 30-55% EWL. Also remember to get the average number you have to add up all the people who make it to their goal as well as all those that fail, and yes there are those of us that do fail with the band wether it be through band mis-management or something completely out of their hands. I don't know how you could come up with revised stat that didn't take into account some of those people and focused just on those that don't have underlying uncontrollable medical issues that are holding them back more than the normal patient, or even those with the more extreme non-medical issues that have held them back from using the band the way it could be. But it does make me wonder if you could would it show that if I'm a relatively healthy, and relatively consistent in following the "rules" of the band the statistics might be closer to an in the 85-95% range? ficticious results.bmp

Hope you guys don't mind me jumping in here despite being a September bandster. Just thought I'd point out that there is also a group of bandsters (any month) trying to get together in Vegas in January 2008. I know that's coming up fast but maybe we could all meet up together? http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/vegas-january-agenda-next-steps-39545/#post539344

Good for you! I just had an unfill a few weeks ago myself. Had been putting it off for months for fear of regaining weight. Wasn't PB'ing much myself but the nightly acid reflux was a killer. What a relief it has been to be unfilled and touch wood no regain as of yet. Even if there was living that tight just isn't healthy, and definitly not worth the risk of losing the band for good with a slip or errosion.

When I first started my band journey I had a hard time setting a goal weight (OK I STILL have a hard time setting one) at the time I was trying to weigh what the BMI chart was saying was right for my height with doctor saying that the current research was showing most successful band patients were only losing around 50% of their excess weight. I NEVER wanted to consider a weight loss of only 50% of my excess to be a success but it made me give pause in setting a goal of the full 100% for Fear (yes fear) that it was just setting me up for more failure and depression leading to sabatoge and weight gain. While trying to figure it out I found the following website very insightful. Better Ideal Weight Body Calculations It shows a variety of methods for determining your ideal weight from the frequently used MetLife Charts, to BMI and others, including one that takes into account what other current peers, in age, current weight and sex, think (emphasize THINK) would be their ideal weight. At least in my case I found it surprisingly accurate. My only hope is that the accuracy doesn't hold as I found that at my height and age my "peers" won't think I'm at an ideal weight until I hit 115 which is a BMI of 20 barely a point above the LOWEST BMI considered in the healthy range! I really want to believe I will be satisfied at the higher end of the healthy BMI, like maybe a 23-24. Another even more interesting point perhaps is that it claims that many of the charts for women are misleading. Such as the Met Life Chart which is the leading industry standard chart that Stacy is quoting from. It says this chart was developed for use on women ages ages 25-59 and based on lowest mortality rates. In addition it was assumed that the women were wearing 3 pounds of clothes and wearing 1" heels. Not all of us fall into this age category and I would dare say most if not all of us didn't know we were suppose to add 1" to our height when reading the table. A minor side note to this table would be that according to the website Met Life introduced this chart in 1943. and it was only revised slightly in 1983. They were called "desirable" weights, which would indicate those persons with the lowest mortality rates. However, the phrase "ideal weight" gradually became associated with these tables in common usage, even though the word "ideal" was not specifically published with the tables. PS - Stacy - Please understand I am NOT flaming your post in any way. I just was shocked when I found that I was suppose to add an inch to my height when looking at that chart I still refer to it myself but thought others might find it usefull to know.