GayleTX

I understand it has little to do with your weight....it has more to do with the size of your organs - the surgeon doesn't make a decision until he gets inside and looks around and sees what size is most appropriate for your body parts. All sizes of bands work the same, the only difference is the amount of fills that they put n afterward.

To begin with....mortgage processing alone is enough to give anyone migraines and ulcers and make them go nuts regardless of their personal health.....:angry But if you are good at it you are a valuable commodity to your boss. However.........because of your working conditions.... I would say that you need a the lapband AND a new job!! Those conditions are dangerous. I have a relative who is in a class action lawsuit right now because of working in a molding, asbetos facility...and most of the long-time employees have myriad lung and allergy ailments. She is in her 40's and is almost disabled because of it. She's just trying to hang on and work til the lawsuit is settled. Otherwise.....the weight loss completed overhauled my body - inside as much as outside. I'm much older than you, but I had health problems since I was about your age when I started gaining weight. I was a professional, loved my work, was good at it but had to retire early because of just not being able to get around. At the time of wls, I had been hypertensive for 30 years, diabetic for 20 years, had had a heart attack and 4 heart stents within the previous 4 years, took meds for all of that plus gout, depression, cholesterol, triglycerides, arthrtis, etc etc. etc. I was using a walker part of the time and shopping for a wheelchair (size extra-wide, of course). By the time I lost 50 lbs, I was off my diabetic meds, another 25 and I was off my b.p. meds...the other meds went away gradually and now (after -160 lbs) I'm off everything!! I feel wonderful, I can walk, I can do my work.....I now have a life. I hope things work out well for you, sweetie. You are young and you already have several tough battles to fight.....you need all the weapons you can get to win the war. Best wishes to you.

Some doctors put in a slight fill at the time they insert the band....is it possible he did that? Usually you have swelling for a few weeks after wls that acts as a restriction but you shouldn't have it this far out. I have a friend who is 5 mo out and still not had a fill and is not hungry and is losing a pound or more a week. Unexplainable, but she is happy about it, and her doctor says he will not give her a fill as long as she is losing and not feeling deprived or having to struggle with her appetite....and she's not.

Me, too! Great feeling, isn't it!!:clap2:

Guess some people do, but not me. I get about half of mine from food (my goal is 100 grams/day). Maybe I could force it down, but why??? I love my protein shakes/latte's....they are good and taste like a dessert/treat to me....so why force down tuna every day when I have something else that makes me happier and just as healthy. Protein is protein, after all, regardless of the source.

My theory is it is because you body is getting detoxed from the carbs it was consuming before. That, in fact, is the key to not feeling deprived ever again after you have surgery......the useless carbs like potatoes, Pasta, rice, corn, etc all digest so quickly that have so little nutritional value that they are gone in no time and our blood sugar starts to bounce - makes us think we are hungry when we are not. Glad you aren't 'suffering' too much....I love your statement that you are 'rule oriented'...that will be your key to success from now on - lapband surgery is not for rebels. :clap2: Best wishes!

The band is a very good choice for someone who is a 'volume eater".....after you have a few fills and get good restrictions you just can't eat much at one time. But the really wonderful thing......the thing I didn't expect.....is that you just don't care!!! After only a short while you will lose your intest in food. You will have to learn to eat all over again........most volume eaters also eat fast and with...er, 'gusto.' That's gotta go....you must learn to eat very small bites, chew everything to almost pulverize it and eat slowly. You can't drink anything with your meals or for one hour afterward (liquids wash the food out of your pouch and you get hungry again too soon.) You must eat your protein first at each meal....then if you have room left in that little pouch, you can have some green vegetables/salad. The PB's happen when you eat too fast, don't chew well enough, or try to pack that little pouch too full (then it backs up into your esophagus and you will be sorry you did that!). It takes a while to master the art of eating but it gets better sa the months go by. You don't say how much you need to lose but men generally lose much faster than women. If you will eliminate most white (starchy) carbs from your diet you will lose faster than you will otherwise.....that also helps quell the cravings and keeps your blood sugar stable and on an even keel. You can cheat with the band....it takes some personal responsibility and committment to your new lifestyle and your weight loss journey. Things like ice cream, potatoes, etc (soft foods) can slide right down and out...and it's tempting to eat them with other foods don't want to cooperate. That's when people fall into the 'soft food syndrome' and that's also when they quit losing or start gaining and start saying "the band didn't work for me....poor me." Again, it's committment to yourself. Social life? Well, now that I have lost 160 pounds I have one. :clap2:I can fit in chairs, and wear pretty clothes, and sit comfotably and visit with people, I can walk thru the streets/malls with friends....I now have a life. However, Mike, if your entire social life is centered on drinking and eating, you may have to broaden your circle of friends. But you can still go out to eat....I can eat a small rare steak, a salad with deli meat/cheese/etc. or a nice soup (no bread, no crackers) - not all at the same meal, of course! No potatoes for me, thanks (unless they have sweet potatoes/yam....they are good for you).I usually just order soup then eat a couple bits of DH's steak and salad....then I'm full. Hard to imagine, isn't it. "To go" boxes are your friend....however, leftover meat usually doesn't go down nearly as well as freshly cooked for some reason. Not everyone's experience is the same, but this is a brief overview of my wls experience. I'm off all diabetes, blood pessure, gout, etc meds. Life is good again!!:whoo:

Beautiful girl in both pix.....but beautiful and sexy in the second one. Thanks for sharing.....pictures like yours are very inspiring!:clap2:

Sherilynn......I see you have 10.2 CC's in your band....may I ask what size band you have?! I have a 10 CC band and I know they'll hold a little more than the actual 10 CC's but that's a lot! I have 4.6 in mine right now and can't eat much at all. How is your weight loss going? As for food intake....my guess is you could hold that much because of the kind of food you ate. A hot dog (and I'm assuming you really meant a weiner, not an actually hot dog with a bun, etc) is high in fat, and mac & cheese is nothing but mushy carbohydrates - they pulverize easily and go on through your pouch quickly making room for more food. If you eat a good dense Protein (lean meat, cheese), your pouch will fill up and stay filled up for a longer period of time....it doesn't digest and go on through for quite a while. That's why we are instructed to eat protein first, then low carb vegetables next and to eat very few if any carbs like macaroni which have little nutritional value and also high calorie count.

I'm 18 mo out.....no complications at surgery or since other than some acid reflux (a slight unfill fixed that). I've lost almost 160 pounds, my diabetes and high blood pressure and sleep apnea are gone altho I still need to lose another 40 lbs or so. I can walk and drive and smile again. :clap2:

You won't be able to feel the band or the pouch at all. Strange, huh. I couln't even feel my port til I lost 100 pounds. Makes you feel like sombody's played a trick on you,doesn't it. And you'll really feel that way when the swelling goes down and you are hungry and you can eat just as much food as you could before surgery. Remember that your band is not really in operation til you get a fill or two or three and you get some restriction. Best wishes to you.......

Sometimes it's the anesthesia that causes a little hair loss. However, as a bandster you will not have the malabsorption issues that people with Gastric Bypass have. Therefore.....if you will be sure to get in your 80-100 grams/protein per day (forever!) and take your multivitamins you should not have any serious fallout (pun intended!). In fact, my hair is thicker than it has ever been - I was getting very little protein before wls and taking many kinds of medication. Now I'm off all meds, get a healthy diet and I have lots of hair (even have hair some places I didn't before but we won't go into that!!:clap2:) and good nails and skins.

I attended 2 seminars by different doctors....both said UHC was the easiest ins co to get approval from.

Hon.... bread, rice and pasta do not a nutritional meal make!! You need 80-100 grams protein, dark green veggies (low carbs), good quality vitamins and calcium and at least 64 oz of water/day If you get that, you will be healthy, wealthy and wise.....well, healthy, anyhow!! Most white carbs are refined and processed and add little nutritional value to your body . Eliminating them also helps eliminate cravings and balance your blood sugar. You're going to be okay.

And next Thursday is your surgery, right? I'd go ahead and have lunch with her ASAP before the surgery.....just tell her your stomach is upset and you can't eat much, maybe just drink whatever you drink when you go out with her and make several fake trips to the bathroom to reinforce it. Keep it short since you don't 'feel well' or if she's like most grandma's you'll spill the Beans and tell her way too much. Good luck next week, Mandi!

Great Attitude!!!

Papaya tablets/juice works pretty well as does meat tenderizer in warm water.

Dr. B is a highly skilled surgeon and I know if there is any way he can do surgery he will. Also, no more weight than you have to lose it is unlikely that your liver is so fatty that it's dangerous for a laproscopic procedure. I'm sorry your having a problem with the Protein. If you are using milk in it, you might try using Water (less lactose) to mix it. You might also try putting in more liquid than it calls for and just sipping it over a longer period of time. You must find a protein supp that you can tolerate - they are a fact of life for the rest of your life, so keep searching for something you love. Best wishes to you......

I started out at 62 (same as my age) and 18 mo later I'm at 35. My reasoning for choosing the LapBand over GB is that for most people it's only very effective for a couple of years, LapBand is good forever. I knew I oouldn't lose the 220 lbs I needed to lose in that short a time - I needed a forever tool! It's not as quick but it's a healthy way to lose and I couldn't be happier. :clap2:

That is why sugar addicts generally do better with Gastric Bypass.....sugar and fat make them very will (dumping is vomiting, sweating, fainting, etc)....a few dumps and you won't just won't do it any more. Banding works well for volume eaters but you have to choose what to put in your pouch. However....GB is good for most people only about 18-24 months - the hope is by that time you'll have changed your habits and kicked your addiction (dream on). LapBand is good forever as long as you make good choices in your intake.

I am 18 mo out and very seldom have hunger pangs or crave anything. In fact, I get somewhat aggravated when I know I need to eat, get my calorie count up, but I dont' want to eat.....nothing sounds particularly good to me....not bad or repulsive and I'm never nauceous at all, just have a lack of interest in food. I never would have believed it! Every day I fear that tomorrow is the day my appetite comes back!!

Not an Okie but come real losse...........waving to all of yu from the "other side" of Red River:).....right on the border south of Durant.

HA! I've had haircuts that were more traumatic than my surgery!!:eek:

And doesn't chocolate ALWAYS end up on our stomach??? it did mine!!:heh:

I know several people (myself included) who have the HamiltonBeach Personal Blender ($!2-14). They hold 2 cups, crush ice nicely. I've used mine 2-3 X day for 18 months and it is still going strong.