rtgirl77

I think we've all been frustrated at one time or another. I understand how frustrating this process can be because the learning curve is HUGE. I'm going to give you my honest advice and maybe some of it will make sense. #1) I'm not sure what kind of treatment you are going through that is going to cause you to never be able to lose weight but I'd take that piece of info with a grain of salt. I've never heard of any treatment that completely condemned a person to a life of obesity. It may make it HARDER to lose weight but I would doubt that its impossible. I doubt the FDA would ever approve a treatment that would cause obesity with no hope of treating it. #2) I can totally understand feeling like you don't want to ever return to the support group. I'm horrified that people would laugh and gossip because you haven't lost weight and they have. Shame on those people. Hopefully, your surgeon will deal with these people. In the meantime, you might seek out a local bandster group on yahoo. #3) I can also totally understand the band not working exactly how you feel it should but I can promise there is some component to the puzzle you are missing. Get totally honest with yourself and ask yourself if you are doing everything you can to be successful. Are you following the bandster rules? I'd say go back to basics and eat lean Protein (around 3 oz) with some veggies and some starch. Don't drink with your meal and don't snack unless you are starving in between. Even then, make it something low cal and healthy. If any part of this equation is impossible or extremely difficult (i.e. you are PBing, you are getting nauseous or you are starving on 1200 cals) then you need to assess what the problem is. You may need either a fill or an unfill. I have just been through absolute hell with my band over the last few months and I can tell you that the band is beginning to work for me, but only after I started following the rules. Its amazing how being overfilled causes us to adopt very bad habits that cause us to remain overweight. Please know that I believe you can succeed and I also KNOW how hard it is to believe in yourself. Having been in some really bad places recently both emotionally and physically, I can attest that this is one of the hardest things I've ever undertaken. But, I do agree with Jack that removing your band and giving up is going to do nothing to help you overcome your obesity. Nothing is impossible and succumbing to this disease will only kill your self-esteem further. Lose the attitude of defeat and summon the energy to get going again. You can DO this!!! I'm here for you if you need help or motivation. Jennifer

I love my Core Secrets by Gunnar Peterson. I close my eyes and zone out. Sometimes I'll be sore for days but it doesn't feel that hard while I'm doing it.

You are so not alone. I went throught the same thing, except that I was just angry and mean to people. Its so hard to lose a best friend. I've spent that last several months fighting my band and trying to eat around it because I missed my only comfort in life. Hang in there and enjoy the good things about those first few weeks like very rapid WEIGHT LOSS! Things will even out. Before you know it, you'll be thinner and have more energy. Hugs, Jennifer

Here are my pet peeves: I work in a children's hospital. I get so pissed when parents insist on doing EVERYTHING for a child who has NO CHANCE at a meaningful recovery and then when they are left with a severely disabled and brain damaged child, they refuse to take them home. WTF? We gave you the option of not putting your kid through all this and you chose to be SELFISH and now you want him placed in a nursing home or in medical foster care? I am also disgusted by people who mistreat animals or who give them away because they no longer fit into the family lifestyle. Our dog is a member of our family that we'd be heartbroken without. WAL-MART...Everytime I go there, I swear I'll never return. Its dirty, there is stuff everywhere in my way, and the lines are out of control. They couldn't care less if you wait for 45 minutes or longer. I swear they have THE WORST customer service I've ever encountered and yet people keep returning there and making them more rich! Unsupervised children! The other night we were at a furniture store with our two children who were walking politely along next to us and the strangest thing happened. This child skates by us on some heeleys and almost knocks us down. He circles and comes flying back at us again. I look around, expecting to see his parents. There are no adults in sight. So, here is this child of about 6 years old, flying through a store with glass tables and mirrors everywhere on roller shoes. I went off and asked him where on earth his mother was and why she thought it was even remotely appropriate for him to by flying through a furniture store on skates!!! Beggars...I detest people who solicit. PERIOD! Don't beg me for money for gas to get to Oklahoma, or money for something to eat because you are a vietnam vet (aren't they all? ) or because your church is having a fund raiser and you need to sell 100 candy bars by next week!!! If I wanted to buy candy, I'd buy it in the Wal-Mart. But, I'm walking in and I see your table and if I wanted anything you were selling, I'd come to you. I don't need you to shout, "Excuse me, Mam, wanna buy some candy for a great cause?" . Don't call my house and keep talking after I tell you I'm not interested or worse argue with me when I say I'm not interested. Did I mention that I HATE those heeleys?

Why don't we have a "report as inappropriate" button under each post so that we can get foolishness like this deleted? Back to the original topic...I started my college career at a large community college and I loved it. The professors were mostly laid back. The ones who weren't didn't hang around long because word travels fast. In fact, the guidance counselors would tell us to go to ratemyprofessors.com and check out any potential professor's rating by students. They said to avoid any professor with a bad rating. If a teacher's classes consistently didn't fill up, then the class would be cancelled and eventually the teacher would be encouraged to seek alternate employment. So, teachers who were ridiculously strict didn't last long. The environment was cool. You had business people who were night time students as well as recent high school grads. There were a lot of different life experiences brought to the table and very enlightening class discussions. As far as locking the door so that people who are late can't get in, I don't really see the point in it. Students pay for classes. If valuable information is missed, then they just miss the information. But why should someone miss out on an entire class because they got off work late or were stuck in traffic and were a few minutes late? Even 45 minutes late? Locking the door assumes that they just didn't get out of bed early enough which may or may not have been the case. But either way, what difference should it make? If a student is responsible for all of the info provided in a class via testing and they are able to be accountable for getting missed info from fellow students, then what difference does it make to you as the professor whether they are late or not? It doesn't necessarily imply disrespect anymore than having a dr. appt and being late to work. Life happens, ya know? I just think that is asking to have students who don't really care for you. My favorite and best professors in college were those who were human and understanding. I never took advantage of their kindness but I think relating to students is always the best policy vs. going in and trying to establish some ridiculous authority over them. To me, you have much more benefit as a younger professor if you do relate to students on their level. I had one professor who walked in on the first day and said "Call me Tom because its my name". He was so down to earth and I looked forward to every class. I took him for three classes and got an A in every class. Loved it! He would yell if he didn't like someone's opinion but he just wanted them to stand up for why they felt a certain way (it was a political science class in 2000 which was an election year).

I have a lot of concerns with the US govt trying to provide my healthcare. I work in a hospital. If we are talking about a situation where all hospitals exist as not-for-profit entities (as most do now) and things are just as they are now, only the gov't provides payment for services rather than an insurance company, then I'm not opposed. BUT, If we are talking about an entire healthcare system that is run based on the way our military hospitals and VA clinics are run, then I say ABSOLUTELY NOT. A group of people have gotten permission to sue our local Navy hospital for serious malpractice. The place is a death trap and I'd be hysterical if I had to get my care there, free or not. Also, would we have long wait times on needed tests like CT scans or upper GIs? My experience is that anything that the US goverment touches gets screwed up. I fear we would be forced to pay a lot more in taxes to cover the people who don't work and can't pay their share or do work but don't make enough. In our country, the "rich" are expected to carry the poor and I don't really dig that model. Especially when what is considered wealthy in this country is not really wealthy but more middle class. I feel like we already pay out the wazoo in taxes. If you make 6 figures a year, even if its only $100,000.01, you get totally screwed in taxes. DH and I are hardly what I would consider wealthy. We have insurance and it pays for most of the necessary expenses (although our current plan doesn't cover anything related to my WLS) so I don't feel the need to have a national healthcare system and be forced to pay even more taxes. I'm sure that sounds rather selfish but I just can't see paying anything more in taxes than we already do. But, here's something that really chaps my butt: Seeing that nice deduction on my check for Social Security and then being told by all of the politicians that SS won't be available when we get old. Fabulous!!! I do wish they'd let me invest my own money. I could get a good return on my own money. Social Security certainly isn't enough to live on so it would just be better if they'd let me combine that money with the rest of my investments and stick it in a mutual fund.

:help: I had my band placed in Sept 05. I initially did great and was afraid to eat anything not on my list. My first fill was really large and I continued to lose pretty fast. THEN, the surgeon decided for reasons still unbeknownst to me, that the fill was too much and he started removing fill. I found that I could eat more and I also developed some really bad habits, like drinking with meals. I developed pretty severe reflux around this time and I saw a new dr in the practice. He was really rude to me and couldn't find my port and so I ended up with a bruise the size of a baseball on my belly and I left in tears. I decided that day in July 06 that I was a band failure. That I was too far gone and that success had eluded me. I started to gain my weight back. I have struggled with depression and suicidal ideations. I sought the help of a counselor who was extremely negative about WLS in general and who told me I should accept myself as a fat person because most obese people are never able to deprogram the tendency to overeat and therefore, my chances for ever losing the weight are slim. So, last week, after crying for two days, I decided that I should give my band another go. I currently only have .5 cc in my 4cc band. Can I get a huge fill to jumpstart my loss? My first fill was 1.8cc and I was losing there, although it was hard to eat but I was at least losing. I have an appt on Wednesday and I want to come up with some ideas. I'd like to recapture those first few post op weeks and I'm hoping a fill will do that. Any ideas? Thanks, Jennifer

mdicurn: I'm glad you are feeling better and I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter. For the record, I totally agree with what you've chosen to do. I had a big problem after I had my surgery with a newer surgeon in the practice trying to access my port. He literally kept sticking me until the numbing meds wore off and I was crying. I'm not a needle phob at all but it was awful. He wouldn't ask the NP for help. He was so rude and condescending about the problem I was having that I wanted to smack him. So, I sent a long email to the nurse practitioner when I got home and it got forwarded to my surgeon (the principal in the practice) and the office manager. I haven't seen him again nor will I ever. In fact, he doesn't manage lap bands anymore, just the RNY patients. You could send an email to the surgeon or the office manager and let them handle it. Detail exactly what happened and why you feel it was inappropriate. I don't think I'm an obnoxious person at all but I do demand decent care and if I don't get it, I let someone know. If that doesn't work, then I switch. I was on the verge of switching with the practice but things have been remedied to my satisfaction. Good luck in getting your approval and congrats on your recent loss. It will definitely makes things in your post-op period a lot easier.

I am back from my first appt in 8 mos and I got NO FILL! I am actually totally ok with this. We had an hour long discussion of what went wrong in my band journey. I totally LOVE the Nurse Practitioner. He's great, understanding, encouraging and candid. He has taken a total interest in the lap-band patients (where before the surgeon and old nurse practitioner were mostly RNY oriented and didn't have much helpful to add) and you can see that he has learned so much and is so willing to help us all succeed. On my last visit, he was quite new and its obvious that he has learned so much and is ready to share all of his knowledge. Here is what we decided: I probably am at a perfectly appropriate fill level. I actually have 1 cc, not the .5cc I originally thought I had left. The fact that I have to drink with meals is indicative of several things. I am either over-filled or at a perfect fill level. We won't know this until I attempt to eat 3 oz of lean Protein very slowly and well chewed and a few spoons full of vegetable and do not drink. He also ordered an upper GI to check for placement and to check the emptying of the band. So, I'll do that and that will give us a better picture. He said that he blames the practice (specifically the old NP) for giving me what was definitely an over fill to 1.8cc on my first fill. At that time, I was told that I would not be able to eat enough calories and that I'd need to supplement with Protein Shakes (basically an RNY mentality). He said that the practice has learned so much about what works with lap-band and what doesn't and that when you over tighten someone, it makes the problem worse by causing them to develop adaptive behaviors that allow them to still overeat. He reiterated that we were starting fresh today and that he knew that this could be done. He said to think of it as 5% band and 95% human effort. This isn't what most of us want to hear, but it is what it is and I don't really want to be morbidly obese for the rest of my life either. The one thing he said that was totally candid but true was that I had two options: Quit drinking with meals or get my band out because it was of no use to me. He said that little ring of plastic is like a ball point pen. If you flip a pen upside down it won't write. No matter how much it pisses you off that it won't write, it just won't. But when you follow the rules, which dictate that you must have the appropriate side pressed to the paper, it works like a charm. Same with the band, if you do what the rules dictate, it works. If not, you are left with a useless piece of plastic. Interesting analogy, but it did make a connection for me. I am recommitted and I believe I will make this work. I'm done beating my head against the wall. I'm only down 5.5 lbs from my pre-op weight but given the last 8 months, its better than being up 5.5 lbs. So, here we go. Maybe something I've relayed here will make sense to someone else who is struggling. Here's to an easy week with no drinking with meals!!!

OMG, I'm totally ROFL at your WOOT, WOOT, WOOT!!! thanks guys. dinner time is coming now. I'll letcha know how it goes!

Hey, don't sign me up for Sainthood just yet:) There are so many times that I am anything but kind and meekness is something that doesn't come naturally for me at all. But, through life's experiences, I have seen what I believe to be God's hand, and I can't forget that. I have never seen a person be reached through shouting, bible waiving and condemnation. I believe a better way to reach people is to allow God to use my life as a testament. Kind of the old "walk the walk vs. talking the talk". Its really hard to live the life but its really easy to spout "intellectual" facts. I'm not dogging anyone out but lets face it, there are people who will argue a point until the proverbial horse is long since dead and they just want to be right! Its not about concern for the other person's salvation, its about being right and proving a point! With that said, I'll share two things with the board that have caused me to both see the light, so to speak but also to have a little more tolerance. I have several gay friends. They aren't aquaintences. They are genuine have dinner-together, share our secrets, friends. Do I interpret the Bible to say that homosexuality is ok? Absolutely not! But, what I do believe it says, is "Love your neighbor as yourself". I know my friends to be beautiful, generous caring people who give of their time to help the less fortunate, who take care of sick kids as if they were their own (we work in a hospital) and who have been friends who truly cared about my wellbeing. I haven't walked in their shoes and I don't know how it feels to be overcome with a feeling of love for someone of the same sex. So, do I preach at my friends, citing verse after verse where it says "man should not lay next to man"? Nope. We don't discuss their sex lives or mine. We discuss work, current events and life in general. I realize that it would be futile to attempt to convince them that their love is wrong. I will leave that up to God. I do, however, pray that God will do his will in their lives and that they will be open to his voice. I want the best for them and I realize that God's will is what's best but I don't profess to know what God's will is, because I'm not God. I married a wonderful, educated, articulate man who loves me and would give me the world. He's a great father to our kids and a much better father to our children than my dad ever was to me. BUT, my dad hates him with a blinding rage! Why? Because he's black and of course, nice christian, wealthy white girls don't marry black boys. We have been married now for 10 years (this week) and he still cannot move past this. He would give up his relationship with me to foster his pure bigotry. I didn't fall in love with a "black man", I fell in love with my husband! For the first time in my life, I truly saw the man of my dreams and not his color. I'd imagine thats sorta how it feels to be gay. TO see the person inside and not the gender. I'm not saying its right, I'm saying it has to be hard and I have compassion. I realize these are different situations and that the bible specifically speaks of homosexuality being wrong and doesn't speak of interracial marriage being wrong, I'm just saying I can see how it could happen. Secondly, my sister is a drug addict. She's been at the bottom of every bottom. She has been the victim of sexual assault, attempted murder, and theft. She has stolen from our family and pawned everything she owns. I had so much contempt for her and I literally HATED her with a seering hate that really can't be described. I watched her fall down on her knees and beg God to please deliver her from her addiction time after time. I rolled my eyes and thought she was ridiculous. I was conviced she'd never change. Then one day, she overdosed on a stolen morphine prescription. She didn't touch drugs for a year after that day. I believe God has a purpose for her and he has kept her alive for a reason. I fought with her, I cut her out of my life, I belittled her and I spewed forth my hate. None of that changed her. I was powerless. I believe God finally delivered her as she had asked so many times. If there was anything that a human could do, I tried but I wasn't successful because I'm not God. Today, she is a kind, generous and grateful woman who is starting law school in the fall. I realize how imperfect I am. I see God's work in my life and the lives of others and I hope that it will be evident in my dealings with others.

BJean: I agree totally. I voted for Bush the first time:rolleyes: as well as that goon he calls a brother for FL governor. I can't say that either has done much that I'd be proud of. I think we have given the terrorists MUCH fuel and we have started wars that we simply can't end. Its sad and I feel duped and while I don't want to make a character judgement on our President (I'd like to believe he didn't intentionally mislead us), the fact is, what we were told was not the truth and it was in extremely poor judgement to start two wars at once. Especially when that second war has other nations chomping at the bits to engage us out of pure hate for our policies. Getting rid of Saddam Hussein was great and a true humanitarian effort BUT it wasn't the most pressing issue at that time since he wasn't an immediate threat. If Iran decided to do us serious harm right now, I'm concerned for our defenses. We are like sitting ducks. But, at the same time, as previously discussed, it would be disastrous to pull out right now. Its just a very complicated situation and one that needs to be handled by someone who can truly appreciate the gravity of the situation. I don't have a clue, out of the lot of hopefuls, who that would be. Is John McCain running? I do like him.

I think that the US is in a very delicate situation with regard to international policy. We need someone who is very well versed in both politics at the international level and the current administration's plan. I don't agree with what is going on but I also have enough sense to see that pulling our troops from Iraq right this second, is begging for a series of big-time problems. It sickens me to hear of another soldier killed in Iraq, another family who will not see their loved one again. I wasn't really for or against the war but as time has gone on, I see that Bush has bitten off more than he can chew but he's too arrogant to admit it to the people. He has perfected his best evasive answers under the guise of national security and he seems to have forgotten that this is a "government of the people and by the people" and that WE are the people who employ him. Our entire government failed us on 9/11 and blame is to be placed in many spots. But, I digress. If we pull our troops out right now, we run the risk that Iran, who by most accounts has nuclear weapons (or at least capabilities) will walk right in and take the goverment over. People underestimate how much we are hated by so many nations and the lengths to which they would go to harm us. What would are life be like if Iran were in control of a huge portion of our oil? I don't think any of us like sitting at home but that is what life would be like for the US because we are dependent on foreign sources for oil. So, for all the liberals who like to shout "war for oil", try living a month without it and see how that works out for you. To answer your question and get off my long, ranting diatribe: I don't trust Obama. I question his honesty, his history and at the very least his ability to lead our country in what is certain to be several more years of hell for our military. I want to see our troops out of there ASAP but not at the expense of our freedom or the hard-fought freedom of the Iraqis. Hope that answers your question!

I think you guys here are probably the most supportive band community that I've ever seen! Even for those of us who express discontent or frustration with our band, we get support and plenty of honest "you can do it" affirmations. I am so grateful to all of you for being so kind and respectful. Please know that you are all very appreciated! I am seeing the NP in just over an hour and I'm hoping for a fill. I can't wait to come back and let you all know how it goes. Meme: You are absolutely correct and I was totally only giving 1% so I got very little out of the band. I need to go back to what was working which was TINY bites, chewed to mush and lots of Water in between meals. Thanks again! I hope the OP and the others who have expressed frustration with the band, will consider joining me in recommitting to the band!

Hi all, I've really enjoyed the lively debate in this thread. First off, Laurend, congrats to you for sharing a very candid assessment of your journey thus far in what has, I'm sure, at times felt like enemy territory. I think that took a lot of courage and maturity to discuss things in such an honest way. If you are still interested in learning with an open mind, you might try the book, "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. This is a very enlightening book, written by an atheist who went in search of facts to disprove Jesus as Messiah. I, myself, am a Christian. My beliefs are very similar to Ron's, however, my approach may be different. Our Bible teaches us to go out and spread the gospel to all ends of the earth. Sometimes, we forget that people still have free will and can reject our truth. We are also taught to reject the "every man for himself" attitude in favor of looking out for others. But again, there is a difference between being responsible to and being responsible FOR. I am responsible to myself and to God to share my faith but I'm not responsible for others' decisions. With that said, I believe Jesus wants me to do everything within my power to make sure that everyone who hasn't heard the story of Jesus, is informed. Unfortunately, sometimes that means asking questions. I'll admit its something I'm not good at. I've always been quite shy about discussing my faith. A lot of it is out of fear of being thought a "fanatic" or "freak" but I've come to not really care as much. I also don't want to offend or be offended. I don't want to be thought a hypocrite because I do things sometimes that I'm not proud of. I'm far from perfect. Jesus commands his people to be like him but all of us fall so short and most of us end up being about as far from being like Jesus as we could possibly be. But, luckily, we don't have to be perfect. That's what salvation is. I would ask that all of us, try to be more tolerant. I would say that so many things are done and said in Jesus' name that I don't believe he would ever endorse. God gave us the ability to decipher right from wrong and deeming a behavior to be wrong does not make one a biggot. We are supposed to decide right from wrong and to run from such behaviors. However, God has never advocated HATING anyone, not people of other races and not gays, murderers, rapists, or thieves. If Jesus hadn't mingled with the dregs of society, he wouldn't have been able to reach the lost. Jesus never acted like he was better than anyone else. Jesus was poor. He was willing to speak to poor people, rich people, sick people, well people, atheists and believers. He loved them ALL. If we are to be like Jesus, so should we. That is hard for us as earthly beings because our first instinct is to create an us vs. them environment but that creates distrust and anger among the masses. I don't proclaim to know all the answers or to even be able to explain every verse in the Bible. I know what God has done in my life and that is what I can share with those who want to know. I know what is expected of me by my God and I'm not even close to fulfilling it but I do try. I believe that all of this is set and that what will be, will be. I do have questions but I refuse to let those questions interfere with my faith. I don't want to be left standing here when God comes back and destroys the earth. I saw a bumper sticker once that said "If you are living like there is no God, you'd better be right" and it really resonated with me. If there is no God, and I believe there is and I conduct my life in love and in faith, I've lost nothing. But if there is a God, and I don't believe, I'm in real trouble one day! Just my thoughts.

My answer to the Obama question is a resounding, "NO WAY". I won't vote for Hillary either. Not because she's a woman and he's an african American. Condi would get my vote and she is both African American and female. But, her views are much more in line with mine. And I'm sorry but I think an Obama presidency would be an absolute disaster.

Hi Kim, I'm going to give you my honest opinion on this. I can only speak from personal experience and someone (probably several someones) may tell you totally different. BUT, much evidence is to be found here to support this. Your PCP is not entirely wrong. The evidence shows that the band is SAFER. That is not even debatable. BUT, in terms of results, look around and you will see MANY lap band failures with very few HUGE losses. Yes, you may see small losses but you see those with weight watchers and other diets. You will see lots of regains. I don't say this to discourage you from the band. But, before you totally crucify your PCP, just be aware that many docs, including the surgeon who did my surgery, are now saying that the band, statistically speaking, will not give you the same results as RNY. The risk is much lower, though and for me, RNY was a risk I wasn't and still am not willing to take. So, I'm going to try again with my band. Your statement that you made, "WELL WHY NOT JUST DO IT THE OLD FASHIONED WAY, EXERCISE AND DIET". ARGHHHHHHHH makes me think that maybe you are expecting something other than what the band can provide. The band will not stop cravings or binges. If you decide you want to eat 10 oreos or half a quart of ice cream, the band will not stop you so there is a huge measure of diet and exercise involved and many of us have found ourselves asking, "If I needed major willpower, diet and crazy exercising, why did I have the band?" Please don't think I'm disagreeing with you, but I just would hate to see anyone go through what I've been going through for the last year. Go in with your eyes wide open. The tool doesn't work for the main things that cause people to be obese and that is grazing, eating when we aren't hungry and eating junk food. My personal experience has been that my band has made it very hard to eat the things that are good for me and very easy to eat the things that are not good for me. Again, let me reiterate that the band does work for some people who are just ready for a change but I challenge that any diet followed with the same resolve, would've given the same results. It may work great for you and I believe the band CAN work, it just requires A LOT of effort as compared to RNY, with no negative feedback or very little. Its a lot less forgiving than RNY since there is no malabsorption. My suggestion is that if you trust your PCP with your general health and you just have a difference of opinion on this issue that you question why she feels the way she does about it and ask her to show you her sources. Then, honestly consider that she might just want you to get the best results. If you truly feel this surgery is right for you, explain to her that you are well aware that it will be a struggle and will still involve diet and exercise and give your own research results. Maybe she'd still be willing to give you a letter for the insurance. I wish you the very best of luck. I hope your band surgery is an absolute success! Jennifer

I live in FL and its very common place to see the memorial decals on cars, as well as Calvin and Dale Earnhardt's big number 3. I've seen MANY shrines to dead people both on the highways and in front of homes where children have died. I hear people placed stuff on Anna Nicole's doorstep in the Bahamas and thats not even where she died! I'm not sure what fuels that need but I think it stems from people needing to do something and it is usually people who probably weren't close enough to a person to even be able to find the actual grave if they had to. The memorial decals are usually found on the cars of teens or of people who, looking at them, may not be in the upper eschelon of society. Thats here in FL, though, I'm not sure how things are in other places.

Kat, I think you had some very good thoughts. I don't get full after a cup of food. But, I can't say for sure that its not because I drink with my meals to help get the protein down. I'm really not sure. But, I'm going to discuss it with them at my appt tomorrow and I'll let you guys know. I'd like to get on band imposed diet. Liquids don't sound too bad.

Andrea, I could've written your post myself. Everything you've expressed here, I have said before. I got my band in Sept of 05. I initially lost about 42 lbs but began gaining it back after my doctor insisted that the nurse practitioner had made me too tight (he looked at the 1.8 cc I had in my band and decided it was too much). He dropped me down to 1 cc and I quickly learned to out eat the band. I developed reflux (which I'd had prior to surgery also) and he decided that I needed yet another unfill to get rid of it and so he left me at a measly .5cc. I can get anything down if I drink after. Of course, drinking sabotages me and totally defeats the band and I know this. I can't blame all of my issues on my dr. I was tired of protein shakes and being afraid to eat anything for fear of a serious PB. I was sick of pencil eraser sized bites and I wanted to be able to revert to my old ways, like a drug addict searching for a fix. My emotions and my addiction to food got the best of me. So, I made a conscious decision to totally give up on my band. That was last July. I share a large part of the responsibility for my failure. I totally agree with you that this band isn't all its cracked up to be. My surgeon assured me that I'd vomit if I ate too much. That hasn't been the case for me. I think there are far more people who fail with the band than with bypass although, undeniably people fail with all forms of WLS. I keep going back to the fact, though, that I might not be sitting here now, if I'd had bypass. As I'm sure you know, more people die and have long term complications from it. I am miserable and my self-esteem is beyond low right now. I have decided to make a go of my band again since its here. But the bottom line, as someone pointed out, is that we are still addicts and the band doesn't provide enough negative reinforcement or protection against our own self-destructive behavior. Yes, it sometimes makes us feel full faster. But many times we aren't eating because we are truly hungry and even being aware of that fact, doesn't stop us from downing a whole pie. While people have pointed out that you can fail at all WLS, obviously, its harder to fail at bypass because you dump, which to me is serious negative reinforcement, and you malabsorb. I wish I had the magic answer for you. I feel the same way you do. Basically, if I could just diet, which is essentially what you are forced to do with the band, I wouldn't be obese and I wouldn't have needed WLS. The "tool", which it is fondly called by so many has done little for me other than make it very hard to eat protein and make it very easy to eat junk. My dr. says the answer to this problem is an unfill but clearly, that wasn't the answer. I think it is life with the band. The band makes it hard to eat the good stuff and easy to eat the bad stuff. I guess we'll both have to just practice self-control. Do you want to recommit with me? I know my post has sounded very negative and I'll admit, I'm really aggravated about how things have panned out. But, as I said, I have the band and I'm going to try it again and quit fighting it. I'm going to beg for a fill tomorrow and I'm going to follow the rules to a T. Until I do that, I can't definitely say that I've failed. I want to turn this around and start losing again and I'd like to do it with a little less pain. Like you, we have support groups available here but neither are at a time that I can attend because of my work schedule. So, if you want to recommit with me and really try to follow the rules, however difficult they may seem to us, I'd be very happy to chat with you. This journey is really hard and the temptation is always there to give up but lets don't give up yet! Hugs, Jennifer

Thank you so much to all of you who replied. I have requested not to ever see the particular dr who was so obnoxious to me. As far as the therapist, I'm going to also find a new one of those! I totally agree with you, Jack, that its totally important to surround oneself with people and things that make you one feel happy and positive. I'm excited about my fill and totally scared. I'm hoping to get just enough fill to possibly take me back to where I was when I was losing weight. It may be too much for now, though. Thank you all again for taking the time to respond to me and give me your honest and heartfelt advice. Jennifer

I have one better for you...I was banded 9-20-05 and had lost 44 lbs but gained some back and am now at -37 lbs. I thought it was really horrible until I had my visit today. I see the dietition at every appt and she was wonderful in helping me feel so much better. The target for my surgeon's practice for bandsters is 30% of excess body weight at 1 yr and 60% at 2 yrs. I've already hit my 30% mark at only 6 mos. So, I'm ahead. She explained it to me that this is a journey and you learn by making mistakes. Plug away at it and you will keep losing. Don't give in to self-defeating talk. 40 lbs is fabulous. To feel better, get out your clothes from last summer (if you still have them) and see how much smaller you are. To kickstart your plateau, try eating a very high Protein diet for a few days with reduced fat and carbs. This has helped me get back on track and start losing again.

I agree. Most of us would be thrilled to be full on a little tad of mushies for 4+ hours. That will all change once you get past the swelling. Now, if you are in some kind of discomfort, thats a different story. Being full, I can live with.

I was searching the sight for good music for the treadmill. I got some great suggestions but am still interested in whats on your ipod today. Here's what is on mine: Warm up to: Pieces of me by Ashlee Simpson Speed up a little with Fly by Hillary Duff (teeny bop but the words are really inspirational) Me against the music - Britney and Madonna Eye of the Tiger from Rocky Its my life by Bon Jovi Lucky Dance Remix by Britney Spears Tipsy by J-Kwon (can hardly contain my dancing with this one) Lets get it started by the Black Eyed Peas Cool Down to Enya's Only Time (so relaxing) So tell me your faves, I'm ready to change it up a bit. Thanks, Jennifer 254/217/130... banded by Dr. Mohammed Jawad in Ocala, FL on 9-20-05

Hi all, I've been reading for a while and decided to start posting. I finally want to get and give support. I've been banded for 7 mos. now and have been struggling for the last 2.5 months with some regain. I am hoping someone can give me some really good advice about how to get back on track. Can't wait to "meet" you all!