parakeet

Is there a standard message about no nsg tubes that goes on a medic alert tag? What is the best way to word it?

Thanks to all who answered my post. I know how to proceed now.

Hi all, Long story short: Banded Feb. 2004. Through bad doctoring (have since changed doctors), difficulty getting frequent fills, and inability to hit the sweet spot, I not only didn't lose weight, I gained 30 more pounds over the next 4 years. Got fed up with trying; had fill completely taken out Jan. 2008. Ironically, weight has stabilized since then. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune illness in 2007. Stiff and sometimes painful joints; extreme fatigue, depression. One side effect of treatment -- increase in appetite. Fill doctor talked me into trying band fills again 2 months ago. Got first fill (again) then. Did well, not hungry, lost weight for first 3 weeks, but then was able to eat nearly anything again. Appetite raging. Next fill scheduled at end of July. Same crappy scheduling again. Rheumatologist is after me to lose weight and exercise. Weight loss almost impossible because band is not working (again). Exercise almost impossible because of obesity, joint stiffness and fatigue. I'm talking about the kind of fatigue where you do the grocery shopping for an hour and have to lie down the rest of the day. Rheumatologist is getting fed up; he thinks I'm not trying hard enough. Band doctor is getting fed up; even with band too loose and my appetite going strong, he says I should eat tennis-ball size meals. If I could do that, I wouldn't need the band. Yet the doctor spaces my fill appts. 3 months apart. My husband is getting fed up; he thinks I can't possibly be as tired as I say and thinks I should be able to limit myself to tiny meals though band is not doing its job. Very depressed (being treated for that, too) because of medical and weight problems as well as feeling that no one seems to understand the severity of my situation. Does anyone have a similar situation? and if so, any advice about how to proceed? I'm talking end-of-the-rope frustration here. Thanks for listening. parakeet

Stacy: Perhaps if you try to supplement with a Protein shake it may take the edge off of your hunger......Good luck.... I'm well stocked with Protein shakes. They help, but not significantly. I'm taking prednisone, which really ratchets the appetite up. But thank you for your suggestion and your good wishes. parakeet

I just noticed the GlitterMaker.com ad -- "Shut your gob and move your ass." Very helpful, indeed.

Why did you remove what fill you had if it wasnt causing you problems? It was causing me problems. There was just enough fill to make eating healthy food difficult but not enough to prevent junk food (mostly sweet stuff) from getting through. My nutrition went downhill during those 4 years, which probably contributed to my illness. Now is probably not the time to really push it though, until such time as you are feeling a bit better. The autoimmune problem is chronic and has remained steady at the stage I described in my first post. There have been no remissions, no stretches of "feeling a bit better." ..... I wish you luck in getting this sorted. Thanks. I appreciate your responding. parakeet

Hi, all. New to this group, but not to the Lap Band. I was banded 5 years ago, but no matter how hard my doctors tried over the following years, the stoma was either too loose (therefore pointless) or too tight (lots of pain and back to high cal Snacks that went down easy). I actually gained 30 more pounds during this time. I got so frustrated I had all the fill taken out early last year. I went to see my doctors a few weeks ago because I pulled a muscle in my side and was fearful that the band had slipped. He said the band was fine and maybe to consider fills again. He said there have been a few changes since my early Lap Band days, so I agreed, although very hesitantly. He also said that, if necessary, he would do fills under a fluouroscope with a TB needle that measures 10ths of a cc to make sure the fill was "just right." This was very reassuring. The nutritionist told me that whey Protein supplementation is now recommended because of the difficulty eating high-protein meats (don't I know it!). I also saw that part of my problem had been trying to eat too much food at mealtimes and taking bites of food that were too large to chew thoroughly. So, I had my second "first fill" on 4/24. I've been limiting myself to the 3/4 cup limit at meals and the whey protein supplements between meals. Here's my problem -- I have a terrible sweet tooth. That makes very sweet, whey-fortified shakes and puddings something I'd rather not have very often. They just make me crave sweets more. Does anyone have recipes or ideas for whey protein that are not very sweet but still tasty? I know that's a lot to ask, but I really can't see myself drinking the same chocolate and vanilla Protein Shakes for the rest of my life. Thanks for reading. I'm looking forward to a successful Lap Band experience this time.