GayleTX

Our local TV station did a review of it (Bargain or Ripoff? show)....they gave it a good review. I considered getting one but probably wouldn't make myself get down in the floor. If you want to see one, you can go to the QVC website........

I was a school counselor in a rural area for 30 years....I went thru 3 generations of children in 5 school districts (one each day of the week). Some of the biggest messes I had to deal with were 'mixed up' families.....kids who did/did not know who their real father/mother were; parents who kept secrets about birth from parents/children/siblings; etc etc. A trail of broken hearts from one town to the next when the truth would come out.....and it always does. And even when it wasn't a secret, it caused all kinds of conflicts....kids threatening parents to go live with 'my real daddy,' 'uncle bud', or grandma's threatening to take their own daughters to court over a child.......I could tell you tales that would make you weep. I've had to testify in court more than once in similar situations. You are very fortunate to have your one healthy child..... and he's fortunate to have good parents and an intact normal family. Don't risk messing up a good thing. I have only one child myself....I lost 2 to miscarriage. He is now married to a young woman who was an only child herself. They are both kind, generous, well-adjusted people who did not seem to suffer from being an 'only.' I wish you well in whatever you decide.....

I can get down soft fried eggs, and can eat soft scrambled eggs just fine with melted cheese (I use cheese dip--queso) on them. And you're right....down ever try to 'wash anything down'....it just makes it worse. If you get some type of Protein stuck in your band, papaya tablets help some (they break down protein but won'thelp with bread, etc). Some people use meat tenderizer but I haven't tried that. It will take you a few months to get down the 'mechanics of eating' but it will come eventually. Best wishes.........

Greg....I'm at the other end of TX....I started at 350 and have lost 120 lbs in less than a year. The band won't do it by itself, tho...make sure you do your research about bandster eating.....follow the rules and you can't help but lose. Good luck!

I have a band for almost a year. I, too, love sweets and chocolate - nevertheless, I have lost 120 lbs in 11 months. I go strictly by the rules, though.....protein first, no fried foods, no white carbs (rice, Pasta, potatoes, white bread), no sweets. I take in about 80 gr protein/day (about half of that is supplements), I limit myself to less than 50 net carbs/day. I always get at least 64 oz. liquids. I do moderate exercise (still too dang big to do as much as I need). If you de-tox your body from the bad carbs, the sugar cravings will go away. The suggestions in the posts above are good. I use fitday.com to track my intake......if it goes in my mouth, it goes on fitday. It is possible to lose, but the band doesn't do it by itself....it takes knowledge (and using your knowledge) to lose. There are great sugar subsitutes and good low sugar products on the market......we don't have to feel like we can't have anything good!!!

Love the enthusiasm.....congratulations on the 'empty calories' light bulb going off!!! Makes all the difference in the world.

Terri.....one alternative for pain control might be a pain patch....my mom takes Dermagesic (Fentnyl)...it's a controlled substance and she can only get 30 days/time but it works very well. Comes in about 3 strengths.

Yep, that's what it is, all right. Have you tried having a warm drink before eating to loosen your band somewhat? I never eat breakfast til I've had two cups of coffee....it just won't go down. I've just got 7.5 in a 10cc band and don't think I could handle any more restriction. I'd rather work on losing by keeping my carbs low (under 40 net carbs) than depending entirely on the band.

32 oz is good for only 2 days out! 64 oz is a goal, not a reality at this point. Just keep sipping (room temp or warm goes down easiest). Things will be better tomorrow. You can use GasX to help relieve the pressure (I think there is a little one you melt on your tongue)

Beth, you are right - Lightweights lose much more slowly than the MO's or SMO's, especially after the first several weeks.

So sorry that happened.....what a price to pay for a hug! *BTW....every doctor I know says "burn the Q-TIPS....they are dangerous!"

If you have had only one fill you don't yet have a working band.....it's just now getting geared up. Get yourself back to your doctor ASAP and get another fill and get a referral to a therapist....like most problems, dealing with our food problems take more than one type of solution....we need many sources of help. You are no different than anyone else with any other kind of addiction....you've made the first step - you've realized you have a problem. But now you are sitting out there alone and that's not working for you - so try something else rather than just give up and commit slow suicide by mouth. Has anyone taught you how to eat? Do you know the rules for eating as a bandster? Do you eat Protein first? Have you cut out all white carbs so that your body won't have the wild fluctuations with sugar bounces that create cravings? That is very important.....get de-toxed from carbs just as if it were heroine. If you don't know food values (how much protein/carbs, etc is in different foods), then learn them. The things that works best for me is using fitday.com....I limit my carbs (only eat good ones, no starches like Pasta, rice, white bread, potatoes) to less than 50gr/day; I make sure I get at least 100 gr protein/day (get you some good supplements that you love that will help satisfy). Ddrink at least 1/2 gal water/day...no drinking with meals or 1 hr afterward...and NO carbonated drinks for the rest of your life. This will help cleanse your body from carbs, lessen the cravings, and you will begin to lose and not be hungry and miserable. Stand up, don't give up!! Do something positive for yourself - get a fill, get a therapist and get on the road to recovery, sweeties. You can do this!!

The pre-op diet is just what she wrote out in her post. Most doctors require you to be on one a couple of weeks or lose a certain amt of wt before banding.....it helps remove some fat from the liver and makes the surgery easier ....gives the patient a headstart,too Not all pre-op diets are the same....depends on your doctor.

64 ounces/day is a goal....not a reality for a recent post-op. Just do the best you can. And remember that protein drinks do count as part of your liquid intake. Take small sips....and try to take one every chance you get....when you brush your teeth, when you take a pill (crushed, of course!), when you are sitting on the potty even in the middle of the night (I kept a bottle by my potty for weeks), carry a bottle in the car. Just try to add a little more liquid each day....it gets easier, I promise!! You can do it before long!

They just considered carrying a spit cup???? I do carry a spit cup! I have a little insulated bag that I carry protein snacks in....but it also has a paper cup lined with paper towels in itl It has come in handy more than once. I also keep one by my bed....for a while I had trouble waking up with acid reflux.

Another thing to consider is what kind of eater are you? What got you to this stage? Many people who are sugar addicts go with the bypass because when you have the BG you cannot tolerate sugar - it causes dumping (vomiting, cramps, sweating, etc) and it gives people no choice but to stay away from it. If you are a volume eater, the Lapband keeps you from eating very much food at one time and the band can be tightened as much as you need it to be to help you limit volume. At least this is my take on the situation..... I had the LapBand and I eat like an RNY and it was worked for me very well (low carbs, high protein).

There are many very good protein supplements (you need to use the ones made for bariatric patients not jocks and not off the grocery shelf...they usually have too much sugar, too many carbs for us)....just keep trying. My favorite is Micellar Milk....comes in a 4 pack....17 oz each, 40 gr protein.. It's creamy vanilla and tastes something like rice pudding....you can drink it straight cold or warm, mix it with coffee/tea, make pudding with it, make ice cream with it, put SF flavored syrups in it.....it's wonderful! I also like Nectar Cappacino mixed into coffee, Matrix chocolate by itself ho or cold or mixed in coffee. They are all good enough to extinguish a Starbucks addition.....I promise!!

I'm just 5'2"......not much room to store all this fat at that height!!

Sweetie, I weighed 350 pounds, was 61 (BMI 62) years old, had all the classic co-morbidities, 4 heart surgeries, 11 prescriptions, and was essentially housebound because of inability to walk more than a few feet and because of joint/back pain. I had given up on life and knew I had little future. I had LapBand surgery March 27 of last year. By August I had lost 50 lbs and was walking a mile a day on the treadmill. Now, almost a year later, I have lost 120 lbs (BMI 43), am no longer on any diabetic/highbloodpressure meds, and am living a normal life...much better than a lot of old broads my age..lol!! (I look younger than a lot of them, too). I need to lose another 80 lbs to reach goal but at this point I just count every pound as a bonus. I do have a large apron (I had it before losing weight....sat behind a desk too many years) and when I get to goal it will hopefully be removed (if I can rob a bank successfully). Even if I dont get rid of it, my concern is not my looks, my concern is my health - when you have lost it and get it back, it is all that much more precious. Please understand that the LapBand is not going to make you lose weight....it is simply a tool to help you get control. Many people need counseling to deal successfully with their food issues and/or the changes that take place in their life after weight loss. The main key to success is being compliant with the eating/nutrition rules....knowing the rules, understanding them, living by them - forever!! Continue to research and read and make the decision for surgery only if you think you can make the lifestyle change. Best wishes to you, sweetie........

Agreeed about the warm drink first thing in the morning..I won't even try to eat until after a couple of cups of Matrix chocolate in my coffee or straight (Matrix is a wonderful chocolate). I also drink hot tea with orange cream Matrix in it. Micellar Milk is delicious.....40 grams per carton (it's not real milk) and it's good hot or cold, straight or in coffee/tea or flavored up with SF syrups like Torani or Davinci. No excuse for not getting good tasting Protein. I'm not much a meat eater but I have no trouble getting 100 grams/protein a day every day and love every gram of it!! (and I've lost 120 lbs in 11 mo) They are starting a vegetarian recipe section to incorporate high protein on www.bariatriceating .com - they test all their recipes and you can get feedback from others and wonderfuls support there.

I keep some Papaya tablets on hand to help dissolve any type of Protein that gets stuck. You might try some GasX in case there is trapped gas. Altoids seem to help some also. Do try warm liquids....in fact, stay on liquids for a couple of days after this incident becaue you are probably going to have some swelling and irritation for a while afterward. It's a miserable feeling but it will pass.....try to remember what you ate and how you can prevent this from happening. next time. It took me a few months to get good at the 'mechanics' of eating and sometimes still have an incident when I try something new.

The gas pumped into your body during surgery (to make more room for the dr to work) often makes the shoulder hurt for a while. Most people report having some relief with GasX and heating pads....and time. Hope you're better soon.....

Glad you are shopping for a fill dr. in advance.....we see way too many wls patients who don't bother to do that til they get back from Mexico and then can't find one anywhere near their home that will accept Mex.-banded patients. I do know that I have met patients from New Orleans and Baton Rouge in my fill doctor's office in Dallas who were banded in Mexico who say that Dallas is the closest they can find to take them. I hope you can find someone more convenient than that, but I can certainly recommend my doctor if you need one.....he's very experienced, is a master at fills, and has close contacts with surgeons in Mexico.

I appreciate the 'nobody told me that' whine! So many people I have heard in waiting rooms, meetings, and especially on line, don't know diddly what they are getting into! They get a lapband about as seriously as they get married these days (sounding like an old fogey there, huh)....and it's about as successful for them (big percentage of failure). And, like marriage, the 'event' is just the beginning....there is hard work the rest of our lives. If you are considering weight loss surgery of any kind.........please study and research and read boards and websites and educate yourself. Knowledge is power!!

You are probably okay if you progress to something a little more substantial....just don't go nuts - one step at a time. You will be a more satisfied with your shakes if you'll use some that are made for bariatric patients....slim fast just doesn't quite do it for us. There are several good brands on the market, so do your homework and get something that will stay with you and nourish you. I assume you realize that your band has not yet been 'turned on'....it's just 'installed.' When you get your first fill you will be on your way to making it work for you, but it may take 3-5 fills to get enough restriction to help as much as you need/want. In the meantime we have to be strong and eat right and de-carb our bodies so we won't have the cravings.