singingintherain

greater than ourselves..it constitutes a source of help in areas where we fail. There is plenty of initiative that we have to take. A person in 12 step SHARES their experience, STRENGTH and hope with others to aid them in getting strong themselves. One relies where one is weak in order to become strong. It is not blindly following and giving up one's personality and living under food nazis or food police. There are extreme 12 step groups which have a very strict guideline which is not for all..some need that, but not all do..there are many avenues and branches of 12 step. Please explore if you are interested, and find the group that is right for you. I would recommend going to the OA website and the local library and securing some of the basic literature. 12 step teaches self control and also personal responsibility, yet with a mutual reliance , going hand in hand helping and receiving help. No way is it a 'palming off '. I think reading the basic literature of OA will give you more of a positive understanding of the average 12 step recovery program.

In 12 step we refer to "A Power Greater Than Ourselves", or a HP Higher Power. Some name this as God, god, a group,a religion, a particular spiritual path, a piece of literature,a person/mentor...whatever or whomever you believe to be greater than yourself and can help in overcoming the addiction, habit,behavior.It is an individual choice and some of the choices of HP can seem unusual,but genuine to the person who chooses.

That happened to me..I felt great,lost fat most likely, but gained muscle which showed up on the scale.

The second link I posted in blue will take you to the page. The entire site is huge and you may find other focus groups also. Here they are: WLS opening page WLS - Weight Loss Surgery if you have trouble with the site, please email me since I do not want to take the focus away from the Brig/Faulkner threads. You will find a warm welcome.

For all my fellow Brigh/Faulkner fellow bandsters: if anyone was in OA or any other 12 step program before being Banded and wants to continue dealing with compulsive eating behavior through 12 step work after their Banding, there is a newly-formed special focus online meeting for anyone who wants to attend: Thursdays 9 am Sundays 5 pm JavaChat There is also a recovery listserve group for WLS and OA at the site WLS - Weight Loss Surgery Many like me who were in 12 step for compulsive eating were not accepted after banding and told we chose the 'easy way out'. (Easy? Little did they know!) However, there is now the possibility to continue in 12 step and find acceptance as well. This is NOT to detract from attendance at the monthly Brigh/Falkner meetings which are helpful to so many of us, but as an offer of additional strength and hope for Bandsters who desire to deal with compulsive eating by working the 12 Steps with those who understand living with the Band and other WLS. The group is small, but you will find a warm welcome. I found out about it through another thread here and was thrilled to find that there was a special focus group starting with the Band in mind. Perhaps I will see you there!

Perhaps you can try and call one of the docs and ask to have a liquid prescription delivered to a pharm and then delivered to you. ...or even liquid caps and squeeze the liquid in some juice or something.You should not have to go through this.

What an awful experience, notateech! I think, IMO, that it is up to the Band docs to inform the different teams performing various procedures about the band and what is acceptable for Bandsters. Sounds like poor communication between staff. I would definitely inform Dr. R about it and perhaps he will pass the word to the Bariatric staff and on, so as to save those of us who have to have other procedures as well as yourself in the future. I think it is just a lack of communication and informing the rest of the hospital about care of the LB recipient.. Not the patients' job IMO. Going for a fill at the end of Aug after his vacation. Wish me luck and a way to get 'unstuck'.(from being unable to move on the scale!)

Posts or talk about BM issues don;t gross me out . Dieters have a problem with this. I have ALL MY LIFE until a few months ago. . However, after many years I have found a remedy! Bifidus Regularis..the bacteria in Activia actually works,. Gal, go get yourself an 8 pack of this yogurt, have it for breakfast or snack every day and you will be as regular as clock work. No cramps, no wondering if it will work. Give yourself a treat and get some of it..it will have you right as rain by the end of a week and you will love the stuff. I have it every day. No more cardboard fiber, laxatives, etc. Give it a try. It works! Now some people will say that it is the same stuff that is in regular yogurt and it is just marketing.. NOT SO. I ate yogurt for years and this works differently on me..even after stopping it and eating other brands as a trial for a while. The bacteria is different. I don;t care what the nutritionists say. It works for me.

Exercise! I need it to work with my band. Presently I am getting prepared to move more now the nice weather is here..I ordered a pedometer due to arrive tomorrow and am planning on incorporating a 10,000 steps a day challenge into this sedentary life. Running, etc is not my thing..I do treadmills and that is about it. But I am thinking of just everyday life..doing more stairs, parking the car a bit farther away..just a bit more everyday footwork and wearing my pedometer to see if I can get in 10,000 steps, building from the little bit I am presently doing. There are several 10,000 step sites on the internet, but a friend told me about it and I thought it was a great idea. I wouldn;t necessarily have to find or pay for a special venue to work out, but just incorporate it into my everyday life.Perhaps it will work along with my band and trim me down a bit more. Here is a bit about it: http://www.thewalkingsite.com/10000steps.html Any Boston people care to join me in this 'challenge' of sorts?

I thought it was in my head! How are you doing now since your unfill last week?

Does any one else feel as if their band gets tighter when they are mentally stressed out about something? I usually get this tightness with the first meal of the day and everything is fine after that. But if a stressful situation occurs, that tightness remains all day, sometimes for a few.

Glad to hear you made it ! No, not a bad procedure at all.

It's done and you're doing just fine! Rest rest rest and grasp that pain pump, gal...eventually you will be going home. Ask for some liquid pain meds to take home for security(although you won't need very much of it). It seems like things went very well. Congrats.

Your 90 lbs AND especially maintaining it since 2007 is an inspiration for me, Tova.

You must have had a grand time down the in the B's. Just a few more days now and you will have your band..not a bad procedure at all. I made sure I had plenty of stuff like jello,bullion/broth,water,G2/and also pedia sure popsicles and sugar free popsicles on hand. You will be able to get out to the store within 2-3 days, so don't worry. Others will post with more, I am sure. Best of luck Bost.mom.

notatee...I feel so badly that you are suffering from the reflux and the compulsion. I am afraid of you dislodging your band with the purging, though. I have never experienced PB or vomiting with my band and being emetophobic I make sure I avoid the possibility of anything like that happening. (God help me if I ever get a stomach virus ). I understand that issues like reflux, heartburn etc which causes one to have unfills is a classic cause for band removal and bypass. would you ever consider getting that done, or do you think you would find a way to once again develop the same eating behaviors after a new procedure? I would like to go in and get another fill, but I am afraid my band will be too tight. It IS still trying to work for me, though. I went to a hotel dinner/seminar the other night and the food, though scant, was very very very tasty and well seasoned(I believe it was Nouvelle Cuisine). HOWEVER it was breast of chicken. I had my salad ,vegetables , some of the rice, and a few bites of the chicken and my band began to scream STOP. I tried to ignore it since everyone around me was enjoying the meal and took a few more bites. So, of course I had wait a long time before resuming the meal because I couldn't even swallow my saliva. By the time I could, everyone was through with desert, tables were being cleared and the lecture was under way. Lesson learned? Don;t go out to eat if chicken is on the menu, and YES,listen to my band which is still trying to work for me. Now, if I could only get my behaviors under control to work with the band..... Hey, notatee...try and get the good Dr R to at least crack a wee smile tomorrow :-) , and good luck on your unfill and healing up from the reflux and heartburn issues..

I haven't attended in a while, but usually there is a focus along with a little discussion lead by the Nutritionist such as Protein, and then the floor is open for sharing on any band topic..what people can and cannot tolerate with their level of fill,what is good to eat with the band, as well as pre and post op experiences. If you have not attended , give it a go! The people there are friendly.

You have come a long way, notatee, and you are still doing very well. I wanted to ask you about " Could only manage one piece and really ended up getting rid of most of that--no milk required! Regardless, I enjoyed it immensely." Is that purging to 'get rid' of the pizza, or just tossing it away because you couldn';t finish it? As for calories, I find that is I deprive myself of something 100% I go into rebel mode and want to eat tons of it. Normal skinny people can want something, have 1 piece or a taste and that;s the end. My downfall when I get hungry is 'pure rebellion'. Just curious because I can eat 3 slices easy over time with a tight band. I am considering getting one more fill, but I don't want to be asking for trouble .

Jay..great to hear from you! You say you lost 31 lbs. I consider that GOLDEN. If I could lose that and keep it off I would be so thrilled with my accomplishments. Presently I am sprucing up the back yard. Lugging those huge bags of soil around is just what I am lugging around on my body in fat and I salute you as well as the others who have recently posted who have lost at least that much and maintain the loss.But that is not the goal by any means..just the beginnig with all my tonnage. Tova, I congratulate you..keep on! You have a very very busy life, Jay. I can see why you would grab fast food or something the eye falls on when you tumble into the house after work..or even during the stress at work. The workplace is so stressful now. And when others see that you are trying to lose weight, they seem to always have food for you. I get that at home. Yes, I am also a perfectionist and if I don't do 100% I feel I have failed 100%. But as P said to me, when all is said and done,at the end of the day it is CALORIES. My neighbor says..'stop eatin'. Period. It is behavior. Jay and notateech,what you are saying makes so much sense about behavior. I used to be a 12 stepper and am seriously considering going back. (I call them the Food Police..I had the sponsor from ($%#@). They are not that friendly toward those who have had WLS .But the program deals with behavior and that is what I need again it seems. I am back to step 0. My dilemma. Or shall I call '1-$$$-JENNY" ? OK..my honesty is going to discourage others who are starting out or are doing fine..(there are those who are successful with their band and I envy them.,) so I will shut up. But I think dieters have lived an entire lifetime void of honesty with the self and others, so it is important to be honest..and it is risky to be honest. And my honesty is saying "I am working with my band filled to capacity and I am still hungry!". Some may say.."misery loves company'. No. The key word is not 'misery'(although that IS involved). The wordS I think of this morning are HONESTY, ADVANCEMENT(not the perfectionist word 'success'),SUPPORT,and ENCOURAGEMENT(not happy-clappy- pom-pom either) OK OK I will shut up 'cause I will get bounced from the board. And today I will once again try to be true to my Band and work with it, trying to really 'catch' what makes me 'eat' before I cram it in..And live with the hungry feeling I have. (one is to do Netflix at night rather than tv with all those food commercials) OK off to experience the day. As long as this band is a part of me I have to try and work with it even though it has its limitations. It's an ongoing battle!

Hey there tinywishes...great to hear from you. I am not giving up..I can't as long as this band is in me....It still let's me know it is there at times in many ways. Right now , I don't know what to do and am trying to decide whether I am going to eat foods that have little nutritional value and are like sawdust , yet filling, or to eat well and plentiful to stave off the hunger between meals and gain weight in the eating.... I don't know. I quit going to the Support meetings because the topic was always geared to Pb-ing or pre band or immediate post band support. And that has it's place in the journey. Fine. The Faulkner/ Brigh 'support' program needs TWO(2) monthly sessions, IMO.......some reading will laugh at this , I know...but only IMO..at the hospital there needs to be a 'support' group for those who have been banded for a while . Not just an extension and continuation of the informational session. An actual SUPPORT group where those of us not finding the success we were seeking for can freely share our honesty and add small tips to help each other 'fight hunger'. ..and not hold back for fear of offending someone who is pre-band (yet who may be successful after many months/years). Through a craft blog I met another gal across country and I mentioned that I had the band and she also had one for a few years and was encouraged to go for a fill and is now back in the fight against her hunger finding renewed help from her 'dormant' band and is losing again. It showed me that support AND HONESTY in the same post banded stage is critical if one wants to stay 'active'. Hang in their gal.The Band is still a part of you. still 'singingintherain'

Good to receive a reply from you, notateech, but I KNOW you are not where you were as your 'before ' photos show. You've come a long way. Would I have GB? If I could have the band removed tomorrow and have GB the same day, I would grab a comb and toothbrush and hop in a taxi! Pronto! But, Harvard Pilgrim is not gonna do that if there is no cause like GIRD or something showing that the band is a failure for me. $$$$ that I don't have. Diet. I have followed P's guidelines and get HUNGRY! So I eat. I see her sigh (unconsciously)when I walk in the door of the waiting room and she grabs my chart.. I chose Banding because reports of GB being so 'high risk' and the severe hair loss but I made the wrong choice. It is not my Dr's fault. He performed the surgery perfectly, put me in the hands of the dietitian and the rest was up to me. BUT...it doesn't work for me. Don't get me wrong..there are MANY who are successful with their band (although I do believe that MOST are biting the bullet and living with that gnawing, hungry feeling throughout the day) If I had my band removed today, my appetite and eating would be the same as it is now with a full band. The thread is great for info on what to expect for pre band prep and immediate post op care,and I thank the gal who started it. I was prepared for my procedure and pre=op testing by these posts here. .........However, I would LOVE to hear from others who have had success with their band..those who have had the band for a few months are doing fine. The weight comes off , support abounds at that stage, and all is well. I am referring to those who are Post band about 10 months - a few years or more. What is happening with YOU? Would I get the band removed and have GB? Yep..tomorrow if I could!

Well, it will be one year next month since I have been banded. Has it been successful? Would I recommend it to those asking me about the Band? I don't think so. Last visit to the surgeon I was refused a fill because my band was pretty tight..BUT I am hungry all the time. So, of course I tend to eat high calorie foods. I have gained back ALL the weight I lost and am now back to square one. The band does work for some, but for me ...I still feel hungry. The food I eat is low carb and good and fresh, but since I am hungry, I up the amount. I can even hear my stomach rumbling not long after I eat and there is that physically hungry feeling in my stomach.. For months I have been following your journeys over this thread and salute you who have found success with the Band! I regret not having RNY and definitely would if I could. Regards and Best wishes to all the Faulkner/Brigh Bandsters.(hope to see Luv-2-teech running next Monday's marathon! You go girl). Singingintherain

Received this helpful schedule from the Nutritionist this week and thought I'd post it : Brig & Women's LB Support Venue:(parking)45 Francis St Boston..Carrie Hall 75 Francis St entrance.Floor 2 Free, no registration required, family and friends welcome Time: 6-7:30 pm 3rd Tuesday of each month Jan 20 Feb 17 March 17 April 21 May 19 June 16 July 21 Aug 18 Sept 15 Oct 20 Nov 17 Dec 15 #################################### Faulkner Venue: Faulkner Hosp. 1153 Centre St Jamaica Plain Suite 4420 waiting Room Enter at the Atrium , walk straight past the elevators and down the corridor. At the end of the corridor take elevators on your right to 4th floor. Turn right and right again down the hall to Suite 4420. Free ,no registration required. Time:6-7:30 pm 2nd MONDAY of each month January 12 Feb 9 March 9 April 13 May 11 June 8 July 13 Aug 10 Sept 14 Oct 19 NOTE: THIRD MONDAY Nov 9 Dec 14

Thanks for that 'spur' towards exercising. It is so easy to just sit and bemoan the fact that it is hot and humid these days. I needed that.

I had the same trouble and I will tell you what I did that works fine..I got the tip from another surgeon a few years back: The CVS carries a line of bandages called NEXCARE by 3M. I got 2 types of bandages...both Waterproof so I could shower within a few days. 1 Nexcare Premium Adhesive Gauze Pad 2 3/8 x 4 in. I put those on ALL..even over the steri strips that remained. After a while I put Nexcare Tegaderm on all the wounds to keep them dry:Here's a link I changed these bandages every other day to keep things infection free....especially because I perspire. It took aout 2 weeks for all the bandages to be free of the steri strips. The are usually on a lower shelf of the CVS, but a surgical drugstore would be well stocked... under $5 a box. That's how I coped on my own..maybe it will benefit you in some way.