Band_Groupie

Haven't been there, but I just wanted to say that I've read this a lot on LBT (they usually come up in the fills forum). The same hormones that make you gain that 5 lbs. every month of water weight also effects swellling of your stomach...causing you to be too tight. If you're having this for days (you didn't say how long it lasts) each month and can't hold anything down then maybe it's time for a call to your Dr.? Even if you don't want an unfill you might ask about diuretics (keep water gain down) that you could take that would be safe? Let us know how you're doing! -BG

Wow! That's great! Thanks for going to all the trouble to do that! :ohmy:

Thanks for sharing Tony. This was a great description of what to expect. Sounds like your incisions are tiny! I've been wondering about that tilt table...someone had a photo of patient on one...I'll have to ask my surgeon about that next week, thanks for the reminder. Hope you're feeling better soon. -BG

MIL and Catholic guilt (I can say that I'm Catholic)= Bad combination! I'm with you..."the things we do"...at least you'll be done with it...hang in there tonight! -BG

Wanted to let you all know I (Mr.SA had jury duty of all things) just got back from the hospital with DS (youngest). He's sleeping now. Had plenty of time to write my blog entry while in the waiting room (sorry I rambled my story today, but it kept me busy). Both procedures went smoothly and he did well with the anesthetic...just took him longer than most to wake up. One small problem and we'll wait and see what the biopsy shows...may not have results until the day after Christmas (I pray it's before). Sounds like regardless there will be more testing in the future, since they shouldn't have found anything at his age...and maybe more tests depending on biopsy. Thanks for the prayers all!

Wanted to let you all know I (Mr.SA had jury duty of all things) just got back from the hospital with DS (youngest). He's sleeping now. Had plenty of time to write my blog entry while in the waiting room (sorry I rambled my story today, but it kept me busy). Both procedures went smoothly and he did well with the anesthetic...just took him longer than most to wake up. One small problem and we'll wait and see what the biopsy shows...may not have results until the day after Christmas (I pray it's before). Sounds like regardless there will be more testing in the future, since they shouldn't have found anything at his age...and maybe more tests depending on biopsy. Thanks for the prayers all!

I’m in need of a good uplifting story today, so I thought I’d tell one. It’s my very favorite Christmas story so hang in there with me.:thumbup: When we were first starting out we didn’t have much but we tried to make the holidays special. The kids always wrote their letters to Santa well in advance and we always let them ask Santa for 3 wishes (thus giving us a clue what they wanted and limiting them at the same time). We reinforced how important this decision was and that they had to chose carefully because children only got to send one letter per year (Santa is busy after all). So the kids always fretted for weeks before deciding. This always involved hours of “test driving” in the toy store, circling items in ads, and paying more attention to the toy commercials then the cartoons on Saturday mornings (Remember when cartoons were on Saturdays only? No?…I’m aging myself:embaressed_smile:). This was always particularly hard for my DD…choosing between many things you want has always been hard for her. Just go clothes shopping with her sometime…after a few hours on the bench in the fitting room you’ll know what I mean. When my oldest (DD) was about 5 she had a particularly hard time choosing that year. She finally sent off her letter to Santa and we were set. We bought our presents, wrapped them all up, and loaded them in the car.:biggrin: We used to take turns traveling to each set of Grandparents every other year and that year was my parent’s turn. My Dad has been “playing Santa” since I was a baby and he has always done an awesome job! I remember sitting in my grandparent’s house with all my cousins and hearing Santa’s bells and then seeing his face coming through the snow toward their big picture window…I thought my heart was going to burst with excitement! We each took a turn on Santa’s lap to whisper our wishes into his ear and he always had candy canes to give out. We’d sing him our best Christmas carols and then wave to him from the window as his sleigh-bells slowly faded away. I swear I could hear the reindeer on the roof! I was wonderful…up until the year that my cousin whispered in my ear who Santa really was and I burst out in tears :biggrin:(my Mom had to rush me to the bedroom before I traumatized all the other cousins). That cousin who told me has spent some time in jail over the years:glare:…go figure! Sorry, back to the story… So this was one of those wonderful Christmas’ at my parent’s home now and there was Santa in their window. I thought my DD was going to die of excitement. It was finally her turn on Santa’s lap and he asked her what she wanted for Christmas…we’d been practicing this with her for weeks…she could rattle off those 3 wishes like nobody’s business…so cameras:camera: and camcorders:film: blazing we waited for her reply…I knew her well…no whispers in Santa’s ear like the shy kids…I knew she’d list them loud and proud…a pause…then she thoughtfully looks at her grandparent’s mantle points to it and says “I want a manger just like Oma’s (Grandma’s) only I want a PINK light in mine.” WHAT’S THIS???!!!:wink2: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 3 WISHES WE’D BEEN PRACTICING FOR A MONTH??? Well Santa must have seen the surprise in my face:ohmy: because he promptly asked “Well, what other things do you want Santa to bring you?” “That’s all Santa…that’s all I want.” she says matter-of-factly and she wouldn’t budge. You’d have to know my DD to understand this…this was NOT one of those spur of the moment decision that kids make just because they can’t think of what else to say…oh NO…she had obviously given this a lot of thought. She’s one of those kids whom other people, from the age of about 2, have been telling me that she’s a kid who’s going to get what she wants out of life…she’s bright, precocious, outgoing, likable, adventurous, is always the life of the party, loves attention, and can smooth talk the pants off anyone. The manger my mother puts on her mantle every year is a beautiful antique one with 14 figures and animals. It’s from Italy, an old one from about 1920, with a yellow light in it (with a fabric covered cord that will probably cause a fire some day) and it was given to them by my father’s parents. The kids all love it because every year (I told you this story in my “Traditions” blog) on Christmas Eve a child gets chosen to carry in baby Jesus to place in the manger while we all hold candles and sing “Silent Night”. My DD loved having her turn to do this. OK…now what’s a parent to do? It’s Christmas Eve and no stores are open:clock: to look for a manger even if we wanted to. What could we do? We spent Christmas Eve assembling the kitchen set she’d asked for and said a prayer:pray2: that she’d love it. Christmas morning dawns and the cousins arrive. Santa always wraps all his presents in plain Red and Green paper…except each child’s big gift which is left unwrapped. We let the kids come into the family room and my DD ran:willy_nilly: right to her kitchen set with squeals of delight…all was well and I breathed a sigh of relief. We start the “great unwrapping” with Opa (Grandpa) handing out gifts one at a time. A few presents into it my DD gets a red gift box from Santa that I didn’t recognize, but sometimes the grandparents do that. She opens the box and screams with delight:hurray:….she starts to jump up and down pointing and can hardly breath! It’s a manger set…identical to Oma’s…and yes, it has a big pink light in it. I look at the box…then I look at the mantle…double-take…I check again…yep, Oma’s manger is still there, yellow light and all. It’s a Christmas miracle! I start bawling and saying “I believe in Santa!!...and Christmas miracles!!”:laugh: At this point I see my middle sister in tears laughing and crying with me. Pretty soon we’re all laughing and crying. I later find out that my Grandparents had originally bought two identical manger sets…they’d given one set to my parents and one to my father’s brother and his wife (my aunt). My Aunt had passed the manger on to my sister (her Goddaughter). Long story short…my sister already had a manger set so she’d never put it out…it had been down her basement for years…waiting for it’s moment…all she had to do was switch out a big pink bulb from my parents Christmas tree for the yellow one!:wub: The manger set now adorns my mantle every year (until my DD gets a home of her own)…and yes, everyone who sees it curiously asks about the big pink light so I have to tell the story (it does kind of make the crèche look like a brothel:blush:…but I love the pink light)…and I still believe in Santa!:eek:

My prayers were answered!:biggrin: My youngest, DS has two minor procedures being done tomorrow at Children's Hospital (nothing serious). The prep today involves no eating, laxatives, etc. TMI. It's 11am and he's "starving" already :glare:(13 yr. old going through a growth spurt needs hourly food). The hospital doesn't give you the time of the procedure until the day before. So, I've been saying prayers that he would have a morning procedure...another 1/2 day of no food would not be pretty.:rolleyes2: The OR nurse just called and he's the first one scheduled tomorrow!:rolleyes3: 6:45am check-in...yay! A tiny miracle...but one all the same...he and I were doing the happy dance around the kitchen! I'm a little nervous:unsure: about the general anesthetic he's getting for the first time, hour and a half under in the OR...sounds like forever to me (he's got asthma and so many allergies)...please send prayers! We're having "jammie day" and playing games...distractions. I'm off to play (Wii)...

Hi there. OK...questions: How did you know you had a dialated esophagus? Does it just need to shrink again? Be proud that you didn't give up. I think starting over is very admirable!

So the new Realize has "pre-made" creases? The debate as I heard it is that the old one would crease into a triangle-maybe that almond shape you described (like taking a long balloon and trying to make a tight circle it would crease in places) and also that the stomach could pinch into those creases...again, I have NO idea what's true; just trying to make an informed decision since you know what it does. Thanks again for your time and opinion. Oh, and hello Cincinnati (DH grew up in Anderson and we lived in Mt. Washington for awhile)-great city!

Thanks for posting this DrC! Can you tell me how fully inflated these are in the pics...or more importantly, do you have a pic of both of these fully filled? I'm wondering if that gap at the end of the Realize one goes away when full? Also wondering if it develops creases when full, like so many say the old one did? It's so confusing knowing what's true and there are so few pictures out there with good information. I don't want to spark another one of those debates, I'd just like to see fully filled photos. When will this one be widely available to other surgeons? I'm going in for my surgeons consult in 2 weeks and have a choice of Realize or LB-Allergan (I'm hoping to be banded in May '09). Thanks again!

Thanks for this thread! I just did a blog (on LBT) the other day about this (trying to decide if I'll need to "diet" and count calorie the rest of my life even with the LB. It's reassurring to know there's a chance this "obsession" may go away forever. Thanks!

Wow, if you can lose 7 pounds with all that stress you've had then you ARE my inspiration! I think that's amazing! You CAN get that next 7 off...and if you don't by the end of the year...it's not the end of the world...just keep you're eyes on all the positives you're doing and you'll get there. I think that's what's so helpful about this site. Hearing stories like this really helps...I now see that I'll "fall off the wagon" at times, everyone does and it's just a matter of not beating yourself up about it...we all got fat from bad habits and the band doesn't cure those...you're aware of what you did and why...it's what you do after you fall off the wagon that counts! As you said "Time to hit it hard." Hang in there.-BG

My prayers were answered!:thumbup: My youngest, DS has two minor procedures being done tomorrow at Children's Hospital (nothing serious). The prep today involves no eating, laxatives, etc. TMI. It's 11am and he's "starving" already (13 yr. old going through a growth spurt needs hourly food). The hospital doesn't give you the time of the procedure until the day before. So, I've been saying prayers that he would have a morning procedure...another 1/2 day of no food would not be pretty.:biggrin: The OR nurse just called and he's the first one scheduled tomorrow!:biggrin: 6:45am check-in...yay! A tiny miracle...but one all the same...he and I were doing the happy dance around the kitchen! I'm a little nervous:unsure: about the general anesthetic he's getting for the first time, hour and a half under in the OR...sounds like forever to me (he's got asthma and so many allergies)...please send prayers! We're having "jammie day" and playing games...distractions. I'm off to play (Wii)...

Miralax...sounds familiar today! Exciting today? Hmmm...no Disney trip planned, no WI coming up soon...exciting?...hmmm...it's 11am and I'm still in my jammies...youngest DS is home from school so we're getting ready to play a game...OK, I know...I'm excited to play Wii bowling with him! In real life I get low scores bumper bowling, but I rule at Wii bowling!

SS- Darn, cappucino "sounds" good...I'm now designating you the "Official Taste Tester Extrodinaire"! Thanks!

Yesterday- I hesitate to share much about my kids here, except the good stuff. So lest you think I have the “Leave it to Beaver” family, you can be assured I don’t. We all have our issues don’t we? With 3 kids between 13 and 21, let’s just say we’re majorly going through those “teenage funk” years. My middle one, DS, is 18 and has been in that distant teenage funk for awhile now. When he's not working or doing homework, he can usually be found in the basement- his cave of video games from which he rarely emerges (except under protests from Mom)...He's turning into one of those cave fish...pale skin and I swear his eyes are bulging from sitting in the dark playing video games. Some days I curse the person who invented them and wish they'd spend eternity in video game hell...yep, I'd tape that guys eyes open and make him watch that first video game for eternity...what was it? Oh yeah...PONG...even better (think about it)! This weekend he brought up a board game from the basement for us all to play and I about fell out of my shoes...DH and I looked at each other in disbelief…WHO IS THIS CHILD??!!…Can I keep him…no, really…I’m NOT giving him back! I'm calling it my Christmas miracle!

Yesterday- I hesitate to share much about my kids here, except the good stuff. So lest you think I have the “Leave it to Beaver” family, you can be assured I don’t. We all have our issues don’t we? With 3 kids between 13 and 21, let’s just say we’re majorly going through those “teenage funk” years. My middle one, DS, is 18 and has been in that distant teenage funk for awhile now. When he's not working or doing homework, he can usually be found in the basement- his cave of video games from which he rarely emerges (except under protests from Mom)...He's turning into one of those cave fish...pale skin and I swear his eyes are bulging from sitting in the dark playing video games. Some days I curse the person who invented them and wish they'd spend eternity in video game hell...yep, I'd tape that guys eyes open and make him watch that first video game for eternity...what was it? Oh yeah...PONG...even better (think about it)! This weekend he brought up a board game from the basement for us all to play and I about fell out of my shoes...DH and I looked at each other in disbelief…WHO IS THIS CHILD??!!…Can I keep him…no, really…I’m NOT giving him back! I'm calling it my Christmas miracle!

Well, I’ve been thinking about starting to track my calories on one of those food tracking sites. I’ve been reading that so many here do this…heck some of them even track their food and every calorie they burn exercising and just walking around. So I’m thinking, I’m committed…I can do WHATEVER it takes to make sure I’ll be successful with the Lap Band…I’m not afraid of working hard…heck, I just bought a fancy pedometer. They want me to track every calorie…I can do that, I’ve done it before…I’ve done WW, Atkins, and Alli among others. I’ve tracked calories before. I was pretty successful at some of those diet plans…I’m the expert dieter…I can stick to a diet like nobody’s business…I can even up to 50 pounds on a diet, it’s just the keeping it off that I have trouble with. I’m as anal as they come…I love lists and spreadsheets. I never much enjoyed the time it takes to track every calorie, but if that’s going to help me then I’m all for it! Except, the thing is I’m not sure I want to go down that path again. I guess it smells too much like a “diet” to me. And aren’t the mottos here “Diets don’t work” and “If you do the same thing you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten”. When I first started looking into the Lap Band it looked like the miracle I’d been searching for forever…Eat healthy, but mostly regular foods, just a lot less of them and the best part…you won’t be starving all the time. But after perusing this site more, I’ve found there’s a LOT of talk about dieting after the LB…even some of the diets I’ve been on before. I’m not saying that doesn’t or won’t work; different things work for different people…I’m just not sure it’s right for me yet. It just seems counterintuitive to me. The reasons I’ve always gained weight back is because yes, I felt like I was starving, but also because I got tired of not being able to eat normally. I hated thinking about food 24/7, planning and cooking special meals separate from my family, and tracking everything…it’s just not a normal relationship with food and isn’t that what I’m trying to change? OK, before you say Well, it doesn’t sound like you’re willing to do the work it’s going to take to make the Lap Band work, maybe you’re not ready for it”. I’ve seen those posts where someone thinks the LB is going to do the work for them…I get it, I know it’s going to be hard work. I get that I’ll be on a very strict pre-op and post-op diet, and I get that I’ll be giving up some foods forever, drinking protein shakes when needed, and yes even cooking some different meals from my family on occasion. I see the benefit in tracking my calories at the beginning year of having the Lap Band or later when I’m not getting the results I want or when the Dr. needs me to track them. I’m willing to work hard to change my eating habits, and choose healthy things-high protein. Maybe it’s a matter of semantics, but I don’t call that a diet, I’d rather think of it as a lifestyle change…and somehow counting every calorie for the rest of my life doesn’t sound like anything but a diet. I also remember that when tracking calories it made me think about food more…obsessing over it in a different way. Maybe I’m overly optimistic about this, but I’m hoping I’ll be able to eventually work past the head hunger and that I’ll get to the point where I have a normal relationship with food…not obsessing over it with stuffing my face or with a “diet”. Or…maybe I’ll need the accountability that tracking food helps with...I don't know. Honestly, I’m not certain where I stand on this yet, I may be tracking every calorie in a few weeks. I guess it will be one of those things I’ll have to figure out as I go along. I'm sure the answer is different for everyone.

Great rules Julie Ann...especially liked the will power. Do you have a link to the excel spreadsheet? Thanks!

Welcome Rae and happy new banding! Come back often and let us know how you're doing. -BG

Wow! That's this week...congratulations! Let us know how it goes. "bits and bobs" love that...I hope my surgeon visit goes that smoothly (Dec. 23)...I've got lots of bits and bobs to go through with him before I'll feel comfortable. Hope this week goes fast!

Thanks! Yeah...no one ever asks you to justify it when you tell them you're going on a diet (would those same medical professionals I told have said the same thing if I told them I was starting Weight Watchers? I think not)...why do we have to justify WLS?

Nope, no “Afters” or even “Befores”. Remember?...I know I told you!?:wink2: I went back to the Urologist yesterday (See my “12/5/08 Urodynamics” blog…if you want to sing a wacky Christmas Jingle with me) for my “Glamour Shots” (Yee Old Tiny Camera up the gazoo photos).:eek: I wonder if I can get a copy for my fridge?:biggrin: After all that (again) my Urologist comes in and says they didn’t find any problems:confused: from the original surgery so he’s going to send me to a Specialist at Magee (Specialist?:glare: I thought you WERE a specialist!). Oh, and he gave me a reassuring “Don’t worry…you won’t be leaking the rest of your life.”…what am I, a faucet? :sad:Sigh. I seem to always be the “exception” or have the weirdest medical things happen to me that the Doctors can’t/take forever to figure out.:out: Just ONE example of many; 2 years ago during 3 months of a TERRIBLE no-sleep literally-can’t-leave-the-house-because-I cough-so-hard-I-vomit:puke: constant cough, it took 5 Doctors and 2 Specialist and about 5 different diagnosis of everything from hand-foot-mouth disease to small pulmonary embolisms:ohmy: for me to finally get a “we think you have adult onset asthma…that was aggravated by…”…who knows?:rolleyes2: The good new is, none of my problems have been terrible things that I know so many have to deal with…Hey, if the worst thing that happens to me is peeing every time I laugh, which my youngest just told me I do way to often :laugh:(the laughing, not the peeing, although that's true too), then I’ve got a lot to be thankful for! Asthma for me is like being obese and the many comorbidities it causes…you just get tired of it, tired of not feeling healthy.:frown: I think one of my first questions for the new “Specialist” will be “Is there a chance this could improve with weight loss?” I asked my Urologist that (after also telling him I was getting the LB) and he said “Not for you! That only happens with people that are huge-morbidly obese…You’re not that overweight!” :sosp: Yeah…us low BMIers hear that from anyone we tell :rolleyes3:(I’ve only told 3 Doctors and 3 Nurses and ALL of them have used those same 4 words…You’re not that overweight!:glare: To which my immediate reply is always “I’m 100 pounds overweight!”:mad2: I was surprised how that just came out the first time and how defensive I felt about wanting to get the LB.:huh2: Some of them came around and eventually said positive things once they saw I was serious about it, but it was a weird conversation even with these medical “strangers”. I felt like I had to give a list of what a failure I’ve been at weight loss and all the terrible things I’ve let happen to my body because of that in defense of wanting the LB. What negativity…not me.:hand: It reinforced my decision not to tell anyone but DH-Mr.SA (and of course the WHOLE WORLD on LBT). So come on World…get behind me on this (just don’t make me laugh).:lol2::yikes: