KimInMD

January 24, 2008 (177) Yay! I'm back on track and losing weight again. My jeans don't feel as tight, and I feel better. Here's a new story I wanted to share... Two Sundays ago we went to Bob Evans Restaurant after church. Hubby dropped me off out front and went to park the car. The hostess seated me right away. We were walking back to the table when a man I've never met approached me. He said "Would you believe I've lost 198 pounds with gastric bypass?" I was taken aback, and said something like "that's wonderful, I'm happy for you". He went on to say something about how life changing it was, and that now he looked like John Travolta, and that he felt it was his duty to tell people his story. Clearly, the man was a bit strange, and it was definitely a strange situation. I wished him the best and the hostess seated me. I thought right away "Why me? Of all the people in that restaurant, why did he pick me? Does he only pick out heavy people he thinks the surgery could help? Am I bigger than I think?" Oh my gosh, it sent me into a tailspin. I sat at the table and my thoughts were racing. Later, the hostess came by and said "Don't worry about that man, he tells everybody his story." I'll admit, I felt better, but wow, where did these insecurities come from? How quickly the "old me" comes out. I keep hearing about the head not keeping up with the body. Here is a classic case in point. I still THINK I'm a heavy person. I don't know how long this lasts, but I can't get my head wrapped around the size I am. My lapband changed my weight, but it didn't change my head. Maintenance isn't going to only be about maintaining my weight. I've got TONS of work on me to do. I have a terrible self image. I had my fur coat cut down. It took a long time past when it was promised, and when I finally got it, I wasn't happy with it, but I still paid for it and wore it home. What's up with that? I wore it for a few days, and was finally so disgusted with it that I took it back. I cringed going in the store, and meekly explained what was wrong with the coat. The owner agreed to fix all the problems, and he made the statement "you are too nice". Bam- an AHH-HAA moment! He's right! He hit the nail on the head. I am so used to being "nice" in order to be heard. I never wanted to be the stereotypical loud, uncouth, slopply fat lady. I never wanted to be like the housekeeper on the show Two And A Half Men, or like a Roseann Barr kind of person. Attractive normal sized people get heard. My confidence in myself (or lack thereof) determines how I will be treated the rest of my life. I think it's time to start changing the "inside me". :redface:

Lauren, If you had gone through with the band back in January, you might always be thinking that you could have done it on your own with more willpower. I am glad that you canceled if you were not 100% sure that you wanted to be banded. So, you gave dieting one last try. Don't be depressed and angry. This last diet made you see clearly that banding is something you DO want for yourself. Having said that, I too agree with the previous posters. You must be committed to your band, or it will NOT work. Based on what I am reading from your previous posts, if you can't stay on track with the pre-op diet, then you really may not be ready to be banded. If you don't follow your doctor's orders post op, then you will cause your band to stretch, or worse yet, slip. My suggestion would be to try the pre-op diet again on your own to see if you have the will power to make it work before considering banding again. Best wishes, and keep in touch with us.

Luv2smile, My very best wishes to you for a safe surgery and a speedy recovery. I see your ticker. Two pounds GONE FOREVER. Tuesday is the first day of the rest of your life. Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. Kim

Yup, I've had SAD for years. Wellbutrin has helped a great deal. I also go to the tanning salon. It works WONDERS for me. Yeh, yeh- I know all the dangers about tanning salons, but even going once a week makes me feel like a different person. I hate winter!

The brand name of Lap Bands use in the United States use to be called BioEnterics bands. The company sold out and now they are known as Inamed and/or Allergan brand bands. The size of your band (it's length) is measured in centimeters (cm) The fill capacity of your band is measured in milliliters (ml or the more commonly used abbreviation cc). The manufacturer's recommended fill capacity is NOT always followed by all doctors! There are 5 sizes of Inamed and /or Allergan bands. Three are the "older style" and two are the newer style bands. Each has a different length and fill capacity. The Older Style (Allergan has no current plans to discontinue these bands) length / capacity 1. 9.75cm/4cc 2. 10cm/4cc 3. 14cm/10cc (can be pushed to 11 cc) (this is called the Vanguard or VG band) Newer Style (next generation) Bands: (I am unsure of the length on these) 4. APS (the "s" is for small) holds 10cc 5. APL (the "l" is for large) holds 14cc The newer style bands are considered less likely to cause blockage, obstruction, erosion or slippage than other AGP types. The bands are curved, and are made of a new softer silicone material. Like the VG (Vanguard) band, the new bands are "Omniform" technology - i.e. the balloon has ribs or baffles , and is pleated to grip the stomach better. The new AP bands have more of a 360 (concentric, rounded) inflation around the stomach as opposed to the older 9.75cm and 10cm(4cc) bands, which have more like 260 or 280 degrees inflation (the rest being the buckle), and the VG band which has more like 280 or 300. It is understood that this was simply an upgrade to the existing band to make it easier and less traumatic to remove. The balloon on the new band goes all the way around the inner surface of the band, rather than missing a piece at the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is isolated from the stomach. The balloon is wider on the new band. A side view shows the balloon protruding top & bottom rather than sitting flush. The new bands have an easier release mechanism to remove the band if need be. Hope this helps and isn't too confusing!

2/20/08 (175 lbs.- down 2) My nineteen year old son was charged with pot possession two weeks ago. I have been on such an emotional roller coaster. I am angry, scared, frustrated, sad and embarrassed all rolled into one. He has officially moved back home. This has changed the family dynamics. My seventeen year old son is very quiet. You barely know he's here. The nineteen year old is hyper, noisier, and much messier. I was fixing small meals for three. Hubby and I are dieting, and younger son doesn't eat much. Older son eats very large amounts and is addicted to fast food. He is not happy that the fridge is full of "healthy stuff", and not much junk food. Although I told him to "get over it", I am trying to be patient with him. He's lived independently for almost a year now. My non-negotiable house rules are different than how he's been living. It's going to take some time for all of us to adjust to living together again. Corey says that he wants to get himself together, and straighten out. Is he serious, or is he just afraid of the consequences now? I guess time will tell. I am willing to give him this one last shot. He is a status epileptic. Sometimes he gets very sick. I've worried about him for such a long time now. No one should use drugs, but it is especially dangerous for him, because it can interfere with his medications too much. If he never smokes again, then all this pain will be so worth it. If he continues in his bad choices, then at least I can stand before God one day and honestly say I gave it my all and all. Ultimately, it's out of my hands now, and Corey must face the consequences. My band is still very tight from the stress. I started with reflux about 5 days ago. It is much better with Pepsid Complete. Today was a pretty good day. We'll see how it goes tonight. I'll give it a few more days, and if things don't improve then I'll go in for a slight unfill. I don't want the acid to hurt my band or esophagus. It amazes me how many ways stress can manifest itself in the physical body. I am learning to handle all this without binge eating. I refuse to live like that ever again, so help me God. The first 21 months of my lap band journey (the good AND the bad) can be found under my first blog entry titled "My Journey".

2/20/08 (175 lbs.- down 2) My nineteen year old son was charged with pot possession two weeks ago. I have been on such an emotional roller coaster. I am angry, scared, frustrated, sad and embarrassed all rolled into one. He has officially moved back home. This has changed the family dynamics. My seventeen year old son is very quiet. You barely know he's here. The nineteen year old is hyper, noisier, and much messier. I was fixing small meals for three. Hubby and I are dieting, and younger son doesn't eat much. Older son eats very large amounts and is addicted to fast food. He is not happy that the fridge is full of "healthy stuff", and not much junk food. Although I told him to "get over it", I am trying to be patient with him. He's lived independently for almost a year now. My non-negotiable house rules are different than how he's been living. It's going to take some time for all of us to adjust to living together again. Corey says that he wants to get himself together, and straighten out. Is he serious, or is he just afraid of the consequences now? I guess time will tell. I am willing to give him this one last shot. He is a status epileptic. Sometimes he gets very sick. I've worried about him for such a long time now. No one should use drugs, but it is especially dangerous for him, because it can interfere with his medications too much. If he never smokes again, then all this pain will be so worth it. If he continues in his bad choices, then at least I can stand before God one day and honestly say I gave it my all and all. Ultimately, it's out of my hands now, and Corey must face the consequences. My band is still very tight from the stress. I started with reflux about 5 days ago. It is much better with Pepsid Complete. Today was a pretty good day. We'll see how it goes tonight. I'll give it a few more days, and if things don't improve then I'll go in for a slight unfill. I don't want the acid to hurt my band or esophagus. :thumbup: It amazes me how many ways stress can manifest itself in the physical body. I am learning to handle all this without binge eating. I refuse to live like that ever again, so help me God. The first 21 months of my lap band journey (the good AND the bad) can be found under my first blog entry titled "My Journey".

I totally understand what you are saying, and I agree that many people here on LBT do lose more weight than the statistical average. The point I was trying to make to Kathy (the original poster) was that based on those statistics, she is not a slow loser at all, but an "average loser", right on track, and that even her doctor is pleased. I'm sure it's hard to see other's tickers who were banded the same time, with larger weight losses then her own, but she really should be pleased and proud of herself. My post was meant only to encourage Kathy in her journey. Thirty two pounds, gone forever, is indeed a wonderful thing!

Hi Shortgal, My doctor says he is looking for 30% weight loss the first year, and 20% the second year. Ideally, he would like to see 20% the third year, but statistically that doesn't always happen. He says that by year three the lap banders and the gastric bp people generally lose about the same amount of weight. GBP patients lose faster and higher percentage the first year than the LB patients, but it all evens out in the end. His 30% number is based on the clinical trials conducted by BioEnterics Corp. and submitted to the FDA for approval of the band's use in the USA. He rounded his number down for ease in calculation. The actual number is 34.5% Here's the link from the official Lap Band site LAP-BAND® - ALB Results If you are interested, here is the entire clinical trial data. http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf/P000008b.pdf To be fair, Lap Band System data on their website touts their weight loss statistics to be higher (based on another study) with approx. 44% excess weight loss at the end of the first year, and an average of 55% excess weight loss by 36 months. So, by Lap Band System's own admission, the "average" patient will only lose between 34.5 and 44% of their extra weight in the first year, and between 36.2 and 55% of their excess weight by the end of the third year. I hope this helps you understand where my numbers came from.

Hi Josh! Welcome to the boards. In my opinion, the band works better for those that seriously overeat at mealtime, as opposed to those that "nibble" all day long. Overeating (that "Thanksgiving and I'm stuffed" feeling) for me now means just an extra bite or two in addition to the approx. 1 cup of food that I can consume during a meal. When we are out at dinner, I might have a bite or two of dessert, but then I am stuffed beyond belief. I still want and crave foods I love (head hunger), but I no longer find myself OBSESSING about those foods like I use to. Perhaps you are right regarding hyperactive neuropeptides. I know that my food obsessions went away when I was on Phen/Fen years ago, and I felt normal regarding food for the first time in my life. At proper restriction I feel that way again now. I have speculated for some time that the band pressing on the vagus nerve has something to do with it, because when I was unfilled the obsessions came flooding back almost immediately. Sounds like you are taking the time to research the band thoroughly. Best wishes to you.

Kathy, Your doctor is right. You are doing fine, and right on target. If you have 203 to lose, and you are suppose to lose 30% the first year, then that is approx. 61 lbs. the first year. You are 6 months post op, so you should be down 30.5 pounds. You are down 32 pounds, and therefore you are right on track. It's not that you are a slow loser, but a "statistically average" loser. Keep up the good work! Be gentle with yourself. You're doing great.

I too was worried about a bridal shower while I was still on liquids. Push a bit food around on your plate. If someone notices you're not eating, then laugh and say "Oh my gosh, you're right! I guess I've been too busy gabbing and catching up with everyone" If it persists, tell then that you are still not up to par after the gall bladder surgery. Get up on the pretext of getting a new drink, move to a different area, and ditch your plate. I PROMISE you, no one will notice. It felt awful not telling the truth, but it was really no one's business but mine, and that certainly wasn't the time or place to discuss things that take the attention away from the bride-to-be. Best wishes!

I was a shoe size ten, and now I'm a nine. It was dangerous because I was walking out of my loafers, and actually tripped one day. I had to stuff the toes with tissue until I could get a new pair. I guess this summer the old size ten sandals will be going in the Good Will bag too. Bummer, I love my sandals.... OK, I'm over it now. Let the shopping begin! LOL :biggrin:

I took your advice, Googled some rather dry (though interesting) reading, and your answer makes perfect sense, Jack. Thank you for the explanation in layman's terms. Seems dear ol' Dad's bit of wisdom was right all along- It is better out than in. :scared2: Perhaps you are right regarding our "sadly misguided, cultural aversion to body odors", but a couple shots of strategically placed Right Guard on a warm August day does much to enhance the chiropractic doctor / patient relationship, and the close personal space they may share. Just having a bit of fun with you, Jack. Thanks for the answer.

I'm being transparent and a little gross here. Sorry in advance. I've been in Ketosis three times now. In addition to the stinky breath, I notice that my skin (mostly my face) and hair are oily and I don't smell very good. Yes, my urine has a stronger odor too. Extra showers and deodorant soap help temporarily, but I swear it's as if the fat my body burned has turned to liquid and is being secreted by my pores. Luckily, it only lasts a couple of days. Diet correction and drinking extra water really help to flush things out. I am sure I can't be the only one out there this happens to. Ewwww! :smile2:

I'm tired, and emotionally I've been in alot of pain. My teen is really in trouble, and I have been feeling mentally exhausted. My band has been so tight last week, and it still is. Since Saturday it has been somewhat better. Well, at least I don't need a fill anymore. I've been working on stress management all weekend. Saturday hubby and I took off and spent the day antique shopping. I should say antique browsing, because we didn't even buy anything. It was just nice to give my brain a break for awhile. Sunday church service was great, and just what I needed. I swear, sometimes it seems like the sermons are written just for me. How the heck did pastor know I needed to hear that? :wink2: Seriously, it really did get me thinking about how I should handle my situation. First of all, I have to admit that I am not in control anymore. My son is 19, and legally he is an adult now. He has made bad choices, and he will have to deal with the consequences. I WILL NOT abandon him, and I will NEVER stop loving him, but I can no longer protect him. It's in God's hands now. Next, his mistakes do not mean that I am a bad mother, or a bad person. I can look my God in the eyes right now and say with a clear conscience that I have done EVERYTHING humanly possible to help that boy. The bottom line is that HE has to want to help HIMSELF, and before now, he has not wanted the help I've tried to give him. I will not allow the stress to cause me to overeat. He had problems when he was 16, and I overate, didn't care about myself or my appearance, and in general, I let myself be consumed by his problems. I WON'T do that anymore. The band is my tool to help me to not overeat, but I also have to make good food choices and not be self sabotaging during this stressful period. I will not allow the situation to drive a wedge between myself and my husband. We will make all decisions in ONE accord. If we don't agree, then we will not make a move on an issue. My husband and I will not be adversaries. We will be a team. I will not let my son's problems affect my relationships with the rest of my husband, children, family or friends. I need to press in close to God right now. He knows the whole situation. He knows it's bigger than me, and so do I. I have to lay this one at His feet, and put the faith I've claimed to have into daily practice. It's up to me to keep my band loose. I can control it TO SOME DEGREE. I can take a walk to de-stress, or a hot bath, or just shut the bedroom door and chill out with the tv or a good book. I need to spend some time in prayer and meditation. Maybe I can scrapbook for awhile, or get out the sewing machine. Deciding on my tools to use before hand will help get me into action when I'm in the "heat of the moment". I will NOT avoid unpleasant tasks, like making phone calls, decisions or appointments. I will face them head on, and get it over with rather than have the feeling of dread looming over my head. I may not like the outcome of the phone calls, decisions and appointments, but at least I'll know where I stand, and I can begin to deal with it all. Having a plan gives me a feeling of being in control again, and right now, that's what I need. I can't control the situation. I can only control MY reaction to it. I'm going to give all this a try, and see how it goes. No one wants the "bad times" to hit them, but in the course of life, everyone has some bad patches. I really don't WANT to deal with any of this, but I have to say, I have never been at such a mentally healthy place as I am right now. I know this will help me to deal with the punches as they come in a new and HEALTHY way. I CAN do this! I have done things in the past 22 months that I would have NEVER believed I could do. I can get through this too. I'm going to put one foot in front of the other, and work this out one day at a time. :thumbup: Readers- The first 21 months of my lap band journey (the good AND the bad) can be found under my first blog entry titled "My Journey".

I'm tired, and emotionally I've been in alot of pain. My teen is really in trouble, and I have been feeling mentally exhausted. My band has been so tight last week, and it still is. Since Saturday it has been somewhat better. Well, at least I don't need a fill anymore. I've been working on stress management all weekend. Saturday hubby and I took off and spent the day antique shopping. I should say antique browsing, because we didn't even buy anything. It was just nice to give my brain a break for awhile. Sunday church service was great, and just what I needed. I swear, sometimes it seems like the sermons are written just for me. How the heck did pastor know I needed to hear that? Seriously, it really did get me thinking about how I should handle my situation. First of all, I have to admit that I am not in control anymore. My son is 19, and legally he is an adult now. He has made bad choices, and he will have to deal with the consequences. I WILL NOT abandon him, and I will NEVER stop loving him, but I can no longer protect him. It's in God's hands now. Next, his mistakes do not mean that I am a bad mother, or a bad person. I can look my God in the eyes right now and say with a clear conscience that I have done EVERYTHING humanly possible to help that boy. The bottom line is that HE has to want to help HIMSELF, and before now, he has not wanted the help I've tried to give him. I will not allow the stress to cause me to overeat. He had problems when he was 16, and I overate, didn't care about myself or my appearance, and in general, I let myself be consumed by his problems. I WON'T do that anymore. The band is my tool to help me to not overeat, but I also have to make good food choices and not be self sabotaging during this stressful period. I will not allow the situation to drive a wedge between myself and my husband. We will make all decisions in ONE accord. If we don't agree, then we will not make a move on an issue. My husband and I will not be adversaries. We will be a team. I will not let my son's problems affect my relationships with the rest of my husband, children, family or friends. I need to press in close to God right now. He knows the whole situation. He knows it's bigger than me, and so do I. I have to lay this one at His feet, and put the faith I've claimed to have into daily practice. It's up to me to keep my band loose. I can control it TO SOME DEGREE. I can take a walk to de-stress, or a hot bath, or just shut the bedroom door and chill out with the tv or a good book. I need to spend some time in prayer and meditation. Maybe I can scrapbook for awhile, or get out the sewing machine. Deciding on my tools to use before hand will help get me into action when I'm in the "heat of the moment". I will NOT avoid unpleasant tasks, like making phone calls, decisions or appointments. I will face them head on, and get it over with rather than have the feeling of dread looming over my head. I may not like the outcome of the phone calls, decisions and appointments, but at least I'll know where I stand, and I can begin to deal with it all. Having a plan gives me a feeling of being in control again, and right now, that's what I need. I can't control the situation. I can only control MY reaction to it. I'm going to give all this a try, and see how it goes. No one wants the "bad times" to hit them, but in the course of life, everyone has some bad patches. I really don't WANT to deal with any of this, but I have to say, I have never been at such a mentally healthy place as I am right now. I know this will help me to deal with the punches as they come in a new and HEALTHY way. I CAN do this! I have done things in the past 22 months that I would have NEVER believed I could do. I can get through this too. I'm going to put one foot in front of the other, and work this out one day at a time. Readers- The first 21 months of my lap band journey (the good AND the bad) can be found under my first blog entry titled "My Journey".

I always get tight for about a day and a half after flying, but like Katherine, I am usually stressed before I fly. There are a number of older threads about this topic. It might be worth a search if you need more input.

Dawn, Thank you for your encouragement and kind words. I wish you the best on YOUR journey. Oh, and your little one is just BEAUTIFUL! You are a blessed lady!

February 7, 2008- My restriction has not been perfect. I felt I needed a small fill. I was away for a couple of days last week, and I was able to eat more than I should have. I've been at this long enough now to know where my "sweet spot" is. Well, I'm glad I didn't get that fill. On last Sunday night I had some issues with one of my children. He's been a difficult teen, and well, it's just been frustrating and upsetting sometimes. Monday morning I woke up and could barely get my coffee down, so I thought, ok, I'm just tight this morning. The tightness lasted all day. Today is Thursday, and I'm still tight. I'm eating very little and working to get liquids in. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that my tight band is stress related. I am not sure what causes the tightness, (the physical reasons) but I'm sure that's what it is. I've always been tight when we vacation, and I always assumed it was from flying. I tried to eat before flying when we went away at Christmas time, and wow, I was really tight. We hadn't even gotten on the plane yet! I know I am always stressed right before we go away. There are always so many things to do to get ready to leave, and I usually don't "come down" until we are at the destination and checked into our hotel room. I think the flying makes me tight, but so does the STRESS of traveling. Duh! I knew from others on the boards that stress can make the band tight, but I woefully underestimated the degree it can affect me. I see how it can quickly become a vicious cycle. I get stressed, then I get tight, then I can't eat or drink properly and I begin to worry about dehydration and getting enough liquids in, which in turn worries me and makes me tighter. So what can I do? First of all I need to de-stress. Maybe a warm bath will help. Certainly warm drinks have helped in the past. Maybe taking a nice walk will help too. I need to remember that when things around me are out of control, my God is still IN control. Although I'm tighter than I should be, for the FIRST TIME in my life I am not running to food for comfort. I am learning new and healthier coping skills. Oh, I have so far to go, and so much to learn. I am a work in progress, and learning more everyday. Even after 22 months, I am still learning new things about my band.

February 7, 2008- My restriction has not been perfect. I felt I needed a small fill. I was away for a couple of days last week, and I was able to eat more than I should have. I've been at this long enough now to know where my "sweet spot" is. Well, I'm glad I didn't get that fill. On last Sunday night I had some issues with one of my children. He's been a difficult teen, and well, it's just been frustrating and upsetting sometimes. Monday morning I woke up and could barely get my coffee down, so I thought, ok, I'm just tight this morning. The tightness lasted all day. Today is Thursday, and I'm still tight. I'm eating very little and working to get liquids in. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that my tight band is stress related. I am not sure what causes the tightness, (the physical reasons) but I'm sure that's what it is. I've always been tight when we vacation, and I always assumed it was from flying. I tried to eat before flying when we went away at Christmas time, and wow, I was really tight. We hadn't even gotten on the plane yet! I know I am always stressed right before we go away. There are always so many things to do to get ready to leave, and I usually don't "come down" until we are at the destination and checked into our hotel room. I think the flying makes me tight, but so does the STRESS of traveling. Duh! I knew from others on the boards that stress can make the band tight, but I woefully underestimated the degree it can affect me. I see how it can quickly become a vicious cycle. I get stressed, then I get tight, then I can't eat or drink properly and I begin to worry about dehydration and getting enough liquids in, which in turn worries me and makes me tighter. So what can I do? First of all I need to de-stress. Maybe a warm bath will help. Certainly warm drinks have helped in the past. Maybe taking a nice walk will help too. I need to remember that when things around me are out of control, my God is still IN control. Although I'm tighter than I should be, for the FIRST TIME in my life I am not running to food for comfort. I am learning new and healthier coping skills. Oh, I have so far to go, and so much to learn. I am a work in progress, and learning more everyday. Even after 22 months, I am still learning new things about my band. :rolleyes2:

Goodness, I hope my post didn't come off as a criticism. It really wasn't meant that way. I appreciate you trying to get something started. I know the site was overhauled, and about the Maryland board. Terrisita and some of the others have been on there for quite some time. Most of their meetings have been down toward the Washington area. I never went because it just too far. It seems to me that the threads kind of come in spurts, then die out (with many newbies). There were only a few "regulars". I'm excited to find others closer to the Baltimore area. I vote we jump over there and all connect. Thanks, Molly!

Molly, Pick one thread, or start a new one where we can all meet. Multiple threads are too confusing. Which one are we using?

I am Dr. Averbach's patient. I have been very pleased with their practice! Keep the faith! You'll be approved soon! -Kim

I was always healthy as a horse, with no health issues aside from obesity. I knew it would just be a matter of time until my luck ran out. Yes, some people may die having weight loss surgery, but statistically the HEALTHIER you are, the less likely you are to die or have problems post op. Marnie723, if weight has controlled your life "since you were 12", you "hate being fat", and you have yo-yo dieted for years unsuccessfully (bad for your health), then you are not living your best life possible right now. True health involves being healthy in your body, mind AND spirit. All are equally important and work in conjunction with each other. Physical health isn't always the only reason to consider weight loss surgery.