moresaltthanpepper

I’m 62 pounds lighter since my May 28th LAP-BAND® surgery. In eighteen weeks, there has been such significant weight loss and, more relevantly, so much positive change in my health that I can hardly remember the time when I was medically obese and “lost.” First, let’s dispense with the formalities. Need to know exactly what LAP-BAND® surgery involves? Click on The LAP-BAND® I : "Entering the zone" | Babyboomers.tv. Want to know how civilians react to news that I’ve elected to have surgery? Click on http://babyboomers.tv/content/LAP-BAND®-zone-ii-dealing-civilian-response. Interested in hearing about my status and what happens next? Read on. In addition to monthly post-op visits with Dr. Gellman, my bariatric surgeon, -- click on www.northshoresurgical.net -- I’ve lived through 4 months now as a post-operative LAP-BAND® patient. It doesn’t feel that much different than following Weight Watchers, Atkins, and other weight loss programs. Except … I’ve had laparoscopic surgery to help cure my lifelong addiction to food; There is this device inside of me banding the upper portion of my stomach; The LAP-BAND® is a “tool” to help me cut down on food consumption; While my 62-pound weight loss has been sensational, the doctor reminded me this week that the band was inserted for a reason and it’s time to tighten it now. So, this is a different reality for me. The band will be tightened in a few days by injecting saline solution into a port which has been surgically inserted on the inside of my stomach epidermis. The net result is that the band will be tightened and my little stomach pouch (the “stoma”) will feel full with less food. I’ll have to go back on a liquid diet for a few days to allow the stoma to adjust to its new tighter reality. Aside from my regular visits with Dr. Gellman, I also attend a monthly support group with other post-op patients. These groups are enormously helpful for both the camaraderie of those who have been through my same experience as well as for the practical advice I get from participants. At the last group, the topic was “How have you changed for the better or worse following surgery?” I believe life is drastically different (and better) since surgery. However, I’m still a LAP-BAND® rookie so I asked the group “do you all tell people that you’ve had LAP-BAND® surgery?” Interesting responses: “it’s none of anybody’s business”; “nobody has to know”; “they don’t understand”; and, “I only tell my closest friends and relatives”. I understand. Even though I’ve gone public on this website for the entire world to know my story, there are specific people in my life who don’t know about my decision to go through with LAP-BAND® surgery --- most importantly, my mother and father-in-law. They are in their 80’s and they just wouldn’t understand the surgical procedure (or the need for it). Mind you, they are each thrilled to hear about and see my weight loss progress. The best advice to come from the support group, however, has been “If anyone asks how you lost the weight, tell them you’re on Weight Watchers.” This echoes a similar sentiment from Dr Gellman, who reports: “so many of the patients in our practice simply default to “Weight Watchers” when asked how they lost the weight. There is logic here … the final phase of post-operative eating adjustment encompasses a diet that is very much like the Weight Watchers protocol: Eat fruits and vegetables liberally; Follow portion control: 1 ounce of meat = size of a matchbox; 3 ounces of meat = size of a deck of cards; 3 ounces of fish = size of a checkbook; Medium apple = size of a tennis ball. [*]Use little, if any, sugar; [*]Choose lower fat foods; [*]Avoid fried foods; [*]Eat 3 meals a day; [*]Exercise regularly, preferably 3 or 5 or 7 times per week (I walk 4 miles every day;) Who, among us, has not seen this movie before? And yet it really is unlike the thousands of diets I’ve previously been on. I think it has a lot to do with my commitment to a new way of life once I agreed to the surgery. And, I strongly believe in my ability to do this. Also, there is the reality that the little stomach pouch won’t hold the huge quantities of food I had become accustomed to eating. But, if we’re honest, I believe it’s that I don’t want to betray the promise I made to myself: this time, it’s for good and will be different than before. At our tender age when death and illnesses are dodging us, who is gonna argue? I’ve learned from my support group that the post-op fellowship strongly resembles Alcoholics Anonymous: it’s critical to keep sharing your feelings and to report any incident(s) of falling off the wagon. Fine with me, so far. But then, I’ve never really had a problem losing weight --- it’s maintaining my goal weight that has always done me in. For now, I take it one day at a time. The weight loss has been thrilling and I’m extremely grateful for my newfound health and mobility. I’m off blood pressure medicine, I don’t need the sleep apnea machine and my knees have magically stopped hurting during my 3-4 mile daily walks. As for the outside world and how to respond to the queries about “how did you do it?” … I smile like a Cheshire cat and reply that my answer lies in a renewed commitment to exercise and a diet of fruits, vegetables and healthy proteins. I guess my real shorthand answer can be “I’m going to Weight Watchers.”

I’m 62 pounds lighter since my May 28th LAP-BAND® surgery. In eighteen weeks, there has been such significant weight loss and, more relevantly, so much positive change in my health that I can hardly remember the time when I was medically obese and “lost.” First, let’s dispense with the formalities. Need to know exactly what LAP-BAND® surgery involves? Click on The LAP-BAND® I : "Entering the zone" | Babyboomers.tv. Want to know how civilians react to news that I’ve elected to have surgery? Click on http://babyboomers.tv/content/LAP-BAND®-zone-ii-dealing-civilian-response. Interested in hearing about my status and what happens next? Read on. In addition to monthly post-op visits with Dr. Gellman, my bariatric surgeon, -- click on www.northshoresurgical.net -- I’ve lived through 4 months now as a post-operative LAP-BAND® patient. It doesn’t feel that much different than following Weight Watchers, Atkins, and other weight loss programs. Except … I’ve had laparoscopic surgery to help cure my lifelong addiction to food; There is this device inside of me banding the upper portion of my stomach; The LAP-BAND® is a “tool” to help me cut down on food consumption; While my 62-pound weight loss has been sensational, the doctor reminded me this week that the band was inserted for a reason and it’s time to tighten it now. So, this is a different reality for me. The band will be tightened in a few days by injecting saline solution into a port which has been surgically inserted on the inside of my stomach epidermis. The net result is that the band will be tightened and my little stomach pouch (the “stoma”) will feel full with less food. I’ll have to go back on a liquid diet for a few days to allow the stoma to adjust to its new tighter reality. Aside from my regular visits with Dr. Gellman, I also attend a monthly support group with other post-op patients. These groups are enormously helpful for both the camaraderie of those who have been through my same experience as well as for the practical advice I get from participants. At the last group, the topic was “How have you changed for the better or worse following surgery?” I believe life is drastically different (and better) since surgery. However, I’m still a LAP-BAND® rookie so I asked the group “do you all tell people that you’ve had LAP-BAND® surgery?” Interesting responses: “it’s none of anybody’s business”; “nobody has to know”; “they don’t understand”; and, “I only tell my closest friends and relatives”. I understand. Even though I’ve gone public on this website for the entire world to know my story, there are specific people in my life who don’t know about my decision to go through with LAP-BAND® surgery --- most importantly, my mother and father-in-law. They are in their 80’s and they just wouldn’t understand the surgical procedure (or the need for it). Mind you, they are each thrilled to hear about and see my weight loss progress. The best advice to come from the support group, however, has been “If anyone asks how you lost the weight, tell them you’re on Weight Watchers.” This echoes a similar sentiment from Dr Gellman, who reports: “so many of the patients in our practice simply default to “Weight Watchers” when asked how they lost the weight. There is logic here … the final phase of post-operative eating adjustment encompasses a diet that is very much like the Weight Watchers protocol: Eat fruits and vegetables liberally; Follow portion control: 1 ounce of meat = size of a matchbox; 3 ounces of meat = size of a deck of cards; 3 ounces of fish = size of a checkbook; Medium apple = size of a tennis ball. [*]Use little, if any, sugar; [*]Choose lower fat foods; [*]Avoid fried foods; [*]Eat 3 meals a day; [*]Exercise regularly, preferably 3 or 5 or 7 times per week (I walk 4 miles every day;) Who, among us, has not seen this movie before? And yet it really is unlike the thousands of diets I’ve previously been on. I think it has a lot to do with my commitment to a new way of life once I agreed to the surgery. And, I strongly believe in my ability to do this. Also, there is the reality that the little stomach pouch won’t hold the huge quantities of food I had become accustomed to eating. But, if we’re honest, I believe it’s that I don’t want to betray the promise I made to myself: this time, it’s for good and will be different than before. At our tender age when death and illnesses are dodging us, who is gonna argue? I’ve learned from my support group that the post-op fellowship strongly resembles Alcoholics Anonymous: it’s critical to keep sharing your feelings and to report any incident(s) of falling off the wagon. Fine with me, so far. But then, I’ve never really had a problem losing weight --- it’s maintaining my goal weight that has always done me in. For now, I take it one day at a time. The weight loss has been thrilling and I’m extremely grateful for my newfound health and mobility. I’m off blood pressure medicine, I don’t need the sleep apnea machine and my knees have magically stopped hurting during my 3-4 mile daily walks. As for the outside world and how to respond to the queries about “how did you do it?” … I smile like a Cheshire cat and reply that my answer lies in a renewed commitment to exercise and a diet of fruits, vegetables and healthy proteins. I guess my real shorthand answer can be “I’m going to Weight Watchers.”

The Lap Band Zone II: "Dealing with civilian response" By Aaron Grossman, Babyboomers.tv staff writer, "More Salt than Pepper" I had Lap-Band surgery six weeks ago. Since then, I’ve lost 45 pounds and my doctor has eliminated the massive dosage of blood pressure medication I was taking. For more information on what Lap-Band Surgery entails and my reasons for opting into it, click here . I’ve encountered mostly positive reactions to my decision of taking the somewhat drastic step of bariatric surgery in order to arrest my compulsive overeating. Actually, I’ve encountered only overwhelmingly positive feedback to my significant weight loss. That’s natural: I look better; I’m starting to resemble the person I used to be before I blew up into a medically obese creature; and, my sunny demeanor is returning in place of the cynical, clearly frustrated persona I had adopted during my long descent into “fattitude.” However, there are other reactions with which I find myself contending. Most commonly, there are many folks who just don’t know what Lap-Band surgery is. Or, others who mistake it for full-scale bariatric bypass surgery. My surgery was laparoscopic -- 5 small incisions used to insert the Lap-Band itself along with a “port.” Once explained, they silently nod their heads and I can hear them thinking … “Why would he choose this invasive technique just to lose weight?” Or, “What’s the matter, he can’t stick to a diet?” These observations belie the more extreme reaction which I have actually had said to me personally … “Surgery? That’s the easy way out of dieting.” In fact, there are just such reactions to news from Australia that the government is considering paying for Lap-Band surgery for morbidly obese patients who can’t afford the procedure. This, in an effort to forestall the exorbitant medical insurance costs of the consequences of obesity: high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiac conditions, strokes, etc. Click here for more details. But, when you dig a little further or just Twitter reactions to the news from Australia, there is a range of vitriolic (anonymous) email responses: • “Why can’t these fatties just stop their whining and shut their mouths?” • “This is such a f_ _ _ ing easy way out and a waste of taxpayer money for those of who really should lose weight by shutting their traps.” • “Why are governments looking at lap band surgery for obese people? Why not start by censoring what they put in their mouth first???” The diet / fitness / healthful eating discourse has never been serene. Witness Oprah Winfrey berating herself for her recent weight gain in the January, 2009 issue of O: “I'm mad at myself. I'm embarrassed. I can't believe that after all these years, all the things I know how to do, I'm still talking about my weight. I look at my thinner self and think, "How did I let this happen again?" There are many of us who were born into the “lucky gene club” --- they eat as much as, if not more than, the rest of us but their metabolism burns white hot and they go through life without fat (or guilt.) There are others who successfully work hard at achieving the balance of sensible eating, a fitness plan and a moderate lifestyle. However, Reuters reported in January, 2009 that “the number of obese American adults outweighs the number of those who are merely overweight, according to the latest statistics from the federal government.” • Numbers posted by the National Center for Health Statistics show that more than 34 percent of Americans are obese, compared to 32.7 percent who are overweight. Speaking for myself, I had reached my personal point of ‘no return.’ I had been on too many diets only to gain the weight back. While I knew I was capable of great discipline and had spent thousands of hours in the gym, the lure of food as an anesthetic to life’s woes had proven too great for me. After much research, attending numerous support groups and speaking with many post-operative Lap-Band patients, I concluded that the surgery would be right for me. The notion of inserting a tool which could physically signal that I was too full to eat more food resonated with me. So, off I went. To those who say it’s the ‘easy way out,’ here’s my reply: I went through both abdominal surgery and the attendant recovery from its unpleasant discomfort; I no longer drink coffee, carbonated beverages or distilled spirits; I will probably never again eat hard, crusty bread, well-done meat or anything else that can’t pass through an opening the size of a toothpaste cap in my ‘new’ stomach; if I do overeat, I’ll get sick, nauseous or vomit; in the worst scenario, I’ll be hospitalized from eating the wrong food or the wrong amounts. This is the ‘easy way out?’ On the other hand, in 6 short weeks, I’ve lost 45 pounds and have eliminated virtually all of my blood pressure medication; I can walk 6 ½ miles without getting winded or having to stop from joint pain; and, I am happy to do chores around the house again. I achieved this, in no small fashion, with the love and support of my family and, yes, relying on good old fashioned discipline to consume the right foods in the correct proportions. At the end of the day, Lap-Band surgery has empowered me to take control of my food intake and regain my sense of self. It has not always been easy and it is definitely not for everyone. But it’s working for me right now. The very best part … and it didn’t happen as a result of the ‘easy way out’ … is hearing friends and loved ones tell me “Welcome, you’re back again.” F. Scott Fitzgerald famously said “There are no second acts in American lives.” He was wrong – I’m living it right now.

The Lap Band Zone II: "Dealing with civilian response" By Aaron Grossman, Babyboomers.tv staff writer, "More Salt than Pepper" I had Lap-Band surgery six weeks ago. Since then, I’ve lost 45 pounds and my doctor has eliminated the massive dosage of blood pressure medication I was taking. For more information on what Lap-Band Surgery entails and my reasons for opting into it, click here . I’ve encountered mostly positive reactions to my decision of taking the somewhat drastic step of bariatric surgery in order to arrest my compulsive overeating. Actually, I’ve encountered only overwhelmingly positive feedback to my significant weight loss. That’s natural: I look better; I’m starting to resemble the person I used to be before I blew up into a medically obese creature; and, my sunny demeanor is returning in place of the cynical, clearly frustrated persona I had adopted during my long descent into “fattitude.” However, there are other reactions with which I find myself contending. Most commonly, there are many folks who just don’t know what Lap-Band surgery is. Or, others who mistake it for full-scale bariatric bypass surgery. My surgery was laparoscopic -- 5 small incisions used to insert the Lap-Band itself along with a “port.” Once explained, they silently nod their heads and I can hear them thinking … “Why would he choose this invasive technique just to lose weight?” Or, “What’s the matter, he can’t stick to a diet?” These observations belie the more extreme reaction which I have actually had said to me personally … “Surgery? That’s the easy way out of dieting.” In fact, there are just such reactions to news from Australia that the government is considering paying for Lap-Band surgery for morbidly obese patients who can’t afford the procedure. This, in an effort to forestall the exorbitant medical insurance costs of the consequences of obesity: high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiac conditions, strokes, etc. Click here for more details. But, when you dig a little further or just Twitter reactions to the news from Australia, there is a range of vitriolic (anonymous) email responses: • “Why can’t these fatties just stop their whining and shut their mouths?” • “This is such a f_ _ _ ing easy way out and a waste of taxpayer money for those of who really should lose weight by shutting their traps.” • “Why are governments looking at lap band surgery for obese people? Why not start by censoring what they put in their mouth first???” The diet / fitness / healthful eating discourse has never been serene. Witness Oprah Winfrey berating herself for her recent weight gain in the January, 2009 issue of O: “I'm mad at myself. I'm embarrassed. I can't believe that after all these years, all the things I know how to do, I'm still talking about my weight. I look at my thinner self and think, "How did I let this happen again?" There are many of us who were born into the “lucky gene club” --- they eat as much as, if not more than, the rest of us but their metabolism burns white hot and they go through life without fat (or guilt.) There are others who successfully work hard at achieving the balance of sensible eating, a fitness plan and a moderate lifestyle. However, Reuters reported in January, 2009 that “the number of obese American adults outweighs the number of those who are merely overweight, according to the latest statistics from the federal government.” • Numbers posted by the National Center for Health Statistics show that more than 34 percent of Americans are obese, compared to 32.7 percent who are overweight. Speaking for myself, I had reached my personal point of ‘no return.’ I had been on too many diets only to gain the weight back. While I knew I was capable of great discipline and had spent thousands of hours in the gym, the lure of food as an anesthetic to life’s woes had proven too great for me. After much research, attending numerous support groups and speaking with many post-operative Lap-Band patients, I concluded that the surgery would be right for me. The notion of inserting a tool which could physically signal that I was too full to eat more food resonated with me. So, off I went. To those who say it’s the ‘easy way out,’ here’s my reply: I went through both abdominal surgery and the attendant recovery from its unpleasant discomfort; I no longer drink coffee, carbonated beverages or distilled spirits; I will probably never again eat hard, crusty bread, well-done meat or anything else that can’t pass through an opening the size of a toothpaste cap in my ‘new’ stomach; if I do overeat, I’ll get sick, nauseous or vomit; in the worst scenario, I’ll be hospitalized from eating the wrong food or the wrong amounts. This is the ‘easy way out?’ On the other hand, in 6 short weeks, I’ve lost 45 pounds and have eliminated virtually all of my blood pressure medication; I can walk 6 ½ miles without getting winded or having to stop from joint pain; and, I am happy to do chores around the house again. I achieved this, in no small fashion, with the love and support of my family and, yes, relying on good old fashioned discipline to consume the right foods in the correct proportions. At the end of the day, Lap-Band surgery has empowered me to take control of my food intake and regain my sense of self. It has not always been easy and it is definitely not for everyone. But it’s working for me right now. The very best part … and it didn’t happen as a result of the ‘easy way out’ … is hearing friends and loved ones tell me “Welcome, you’re back again.” F. Scott Fitzgerald famously said “There are no second acts in American lives.” He was wrong – I’m living it right now.

The Lap Band Zone I : "Entering the zone" By Aaron Grossman, Babyboomers.tv Staff Writer, "More Salt Than Pepper" Thursday, July 9, 2009 10:45 am GMT I got on the examining room scale which is connected to a device that measures weight, body mass index (BMI) and whatever else you can obtain from stepping on a scale. The nurse and I both looked at the weight reading. Her eyes widen. My eyes tear up. My wife high-five’s me. I had lost 14 pounds in 8 days. Lest you think I just came out of the hospital after a debilitating illness, let me clarify; I had Lap-Band bariatric surgery a week before the weigh-in. So, before we get into the personal issues of why I decided to have bariatric surgery, allow me to explain the difference between the Lap-Band and the Gastric Bypass procedures. Lap-Band Vs. Bypass Bariatric Surgery The objective of both techniques is to create a stomach “pouch”, called a stoma, which will facilitate a feeling of fullness after eating a small amount of food. In the beginning, bariatric medicine had the Gastric Bypass breakthrough. This is a procedure which involves separating a small piece of the stomach at the receiving end of the esophagus and stapling it off from the rest of the stomach. A small pouch is created that holds about ¼ cup of solid food or about 2 ounces of fluids. Food entering the stoma bypasses the large stomach and moves straight to the small intestine through a connecting tube inserted during the operation. The procedure involves abdominal surgery. Al Roker, Carnie Wilson and Star Jones famously went through Gastric Bypass surgery. Meanwhile, a different and less invasive bariatric procedure gained popularity over in Europe, South America and Asia about 15 years ago - Lap-Band surgery. The “Lap” is for laparoscopy which is how the procedure is executed. Through 5 tiny holes, an inflatable banded tube is inserted laparoscopically and placed around the top of the stomach which is connected by a tube to a “port”. The band has a locking mechanism which securely holds the band in a circle around the stomach. The port sits just underneath an epidermal layer in the lower abdomen and is used to make adjustments to the Lap-Band by inserting or removing saline solution. Lap-Banding does not use cutting, stapling or bypassing of any organs like Gastric Bypass surgery. Patients in North America are moving over to Lap-Banding as it allows the stomach to return to normal size if one chooses to have it removed. Gastric Bypass is irreversible. Sharon Osbourne, Khaliah Ali (author & daughter of Muhammad Ali) and Brian Dennehy have had Lap-Band surgery. My surgeon, Dr. Larry Gellman explains the benefits and the responsibilities of having either bariatric procedure this way: The operation you will have can only work with your commitment to change your lifestyle, particularly with regard to diet and exercise. The surgery can make it easier to change your behaviors to more positive ones. 90% of Gastric Bypass patients lose 50-80% of their excess body weight. 90% of Lap-Banding patients lose 40-60% of their excess body weight. Most people with hypertension (high blood pressure) and/or diabetes no longer need medications. Return of normal periods for young women with abnormal or absent menses. Males will have greater and improved sexual function. Improved sleep by reducing period of sleep apnea. Slowing of disabling effects of arthritis. More energy. Enhanced appearance, physical and mental outlook. Why I Chose Lap-Banding My decision was not made lightly. It IS surgery, after all and you really have to watch what you eat as well as how you eat it for the rest of your life. I have, however, had a steady increase in risk factors during the last 7-8 years when my weight just ballooned out of control: elevated cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and, most recently, sleep apnea. Next stop: Type II Diabetes. So I asked my internist / cardiologist what he thought of Lap-Banding. “Might as well put a shock collar around your neck to zap you when you overeat.” Mind you, I love my doctor and he believes in me as he’s watched me lose a lot of weight during the 16 years he’s been my physician. He’s also watched me gain it back and then some. More revealing is why I even went to a world-class cardiologist when I was just 42 years old (and 100 pounds thinner than I am now.) My father had recently passed away, at 73, from congestive heart failure after many years of suffering from angina. His younger brother had died, at 67, about six months earlier and their older sister left this world a few months after my dad. Both siblings also died from cardiac issues. My grandfather had a stroke at the age of 67. My DNA profile does not exactly recommend a healthy heart into my nineties unless I work very hard at it. So I asked my physician who he would recommend if I wanted to investigate Lap-Banding. I went for the initial consult with Dr. Gellman and I pretty much liked what I heard. But, I still was saying to myself: “Hey, why get your stomach banded when you can just follow their Spartan diet on your own and lose weight the same way?” Oh, have I mentioned me and diets? I was a chubby kid. It was ordained, you see, because my folks are Holocaust survivors and the family motto ostensibly was “food is love.” Mom took me shopping in the “Husky” department at Alexander’s on the Grand Concourse. I slimmed down in my teens and managed to stay there for a while. I weighed 155 when I got married at 27. But anyone who’s known me my whole life is aware of my struggle which really escalated after I put down cigarettes when I was 36. I was one of those guys who lost a ton of weight for my daughter’s Bat-Mitzvah (weighed in at 174) and, later, my son’s Bar-Mitzvah (weighed in at 190.) But the pictures hanging on our den wall are “fakes” --- despite my obsession with fitness, I still could not help overeating. There is a rigorous set of protocols you go through in between the initial consult and the Lap-Band procedure itself. Among these are psychological as well as nutritional counseling. The nutritionist’s visit was particularly illuminating because you are asked to list the number of ways you’ve tried to lose weight and how often. She handed a grid to fill out. Ready for mine? Weight Watchers: 8 times High Protein Diet (such as Atkins): 6 times Cabbage Soup Diet: 6 times Registered Dietician: 4 times Psychotherapy: 4 times Herbal supplements: 3 times Liquid Diets: 3 times Prescription diet pills: 2 times Non-prescription diet pills: 2 times Overeaters Anonymous: 1 time Physician-supervised Diet: 1 time Hypnosis: 1 time Starvation: 1 time Diet books: too many to count. Anyway, you get the idea. I went through the other pre-operative protocols which included an Upper GI series, stress test, Colonoscopy, Endoscopy, Echocardiogram and several other procedures. I attended support groups of both pre-op and post-op Lab-Banded patients. I reached out to friends of friends who had the procedure. I spent untold hours surfing the web and reading community board posts by pre-op and post-op patients. I wrestled with my diet demons. And then, a really close friend needed quadruple bypass surgery. He’s fine now, 6 months later. But that was it for me. I don’t want to have my sternum cracked open. I want to minimize or eliminate my risk factors. I want to live and return to “normal” eating. And, I decided that the only way a serial overeater like myself can do it is by banding my stomach down to a small pouch. What Now? Actually, this is the interesting part. I have to re-train my “stoma”, the pouch, how to process food. So, I’m in Stage One: a liquid diet, wherein I drink 4-6 oz. of broth and protein shakes at regular intervals. After 2 weeks, I move into Stage Two where I can eat soft foods (like scrambled eggs) and thicker drinks of pureed foods (cooked chicken, etc.) In about 6 weeks, my pouch will be ready for regular food --- vegetables, fruits, soft proteins like chicken and fish. For now there is no caffeine (dehydrates you), booze (irritates the pouch) or much of anything else. There will never again be carbonated beverages, hard crusty breads, steak, or anything fibrous or too tough to pass through the stoma pouch. Interestingly, my surgeon told me on that wonderful weigh-in day that Weight Watchers is an ideal “diet” to use for the rest of my life because the portions are controlled and correctly sized for Lap-Band life. By writing this, I’m coming “out of the closet”, so to speak. I wasn’t going to tell too many people that I had this procedure. As a matter of fact, I picked up that piece of advice on a post-op message board on the web. “Just say you’re eating less and exercising more.” But, you know what? I’m not ashamed of the choice I’ve made and don’t mind chronicling my progress for you, dear reader. So stay tuned … there will be periodic updates. For now, I’m actually looking forward to the next weigh-in, to getting my cholesterol monitored and to having my blood pressure checked. Most of all, I am glad to be emerging from the dark tunnel of overeating misery in which I’ve been stalled. For more information on Lap-Banding and where to find a bariatric surgeon near you, click on www.lapband.com. For information on my surgeon’s practice, click here . Or, Google or Twitter “Lap-Band Bariatric Surgery.” NEXT IN THE SERIES: Dealing with “civilian” responses to Lap-Banding

The Lap Band Zone I : "Entering the zone" By Aaron Grossman, Babyboomers.tv Staff Writer, "More Salt Than Pepper" Thursday, July 9, 2009 10:45 am GMT I got on the examining room scale which is connected to a device that measures weight, body mass index (BMI) and whatever else you can obtain from stepping on a scale. The nurse and I both looked at the weight reading. Her eyes widen. My eyes tear up. My wife high-five’s me. I had lost 14 pounds in 8 days. Lest you think I just came out of the hospital after a debilitating illness, let me clarify; I had Lap-Band bariatric surgery a week before the weigh-in. So, before we get into the personal issues of why I decided to have bariatric surgery, allow me to explain the difference between the Lap-Band and the Gastric Bypass procedures. Lap-Band Vs. Bypass Bariatric Surgery The objective of both techniques is to create a stomach “pouch”, called a stoma, which will facilitate a feeling of fullness after eating a small amount of food. In the beginning, bariatric medicine had the Gastric Bypass breakthrough. This is a procedure which involves separating a small piece of the stomach at the receiving end of the esophagus and stapling it off from the rest of the stomach. A small pouch is created that holds about ¼ cup of solid food or about 2 ounces of fluids. Food entering the stoma bypasses the large stomach and moves straight to the small intestine through a connecting tube inserted during the operation. The procedure involves abdominal surgery. Al Roker, Carnie Wilson and Star Jones famously went through Gastric Bypass surgery. Meanwhile, a different and less invasive bariatric procedure gained popularity over in Europe, South America and Asia about 15 years ago - Lap-Band surgery. The “Lap” is for laparoscopy which is how the procedure is executed. Through 5 tiny holes, an inflatable banded tube is inserted laparoscopically and placed around the top of the stomach which is connected by a tube to a “port”. The band has a locking mechanism which securely holds the band in a circle around the stomach. The port sits just underneath an epidermal layer in the lower abdomen and is used to make adjustments to the Lap-Band by inserting or removing saline solution. Lap-Banding does not use cutting, stapling or bypassing of any organs like Gastric Bypass surgery. Patients in North America are moving over to Lap-Banding as it allows the stomach to return to normal size if one chooses to have it removed. Gastric Bypass is irreversible. Sharon Osbourne, Khaliah Ali (author & daughter of Muhammad Ali) and Brian Dennehy have had Lap-Band surgery. My surgeon, Dr. Larry Gellman explains the benefits and the responsibilities of having either bariatric procedure this way: The operation you will have can only work with your commitment to change your lifestyle, particularly with regard to diet and exercise. The surgery can make it easier to change your behaviors to more positive ones. 90% of Gastric Bypass patients lose 50-80% of their excess body weight. 90% of Lap-Banding patients lose 40-60% of their excess body weight. Most people with hypertension (high blood pressure) and/or diabetes no longer need medications. Return of normal periods for young women with abnormal or absent menses. Males will have greater and improved sexual function. Improved sleep by reducing period of sleep apnea. Slowing of disabling effects of arthritis. More energy. Enhanced appearance, physical and mental outlook. Why I Chose Lap-Banding My decision was not made lightly. It IS surgery, after all and you really have to watch what you eat as well as how you eat it for the rest of your life. I have, however, had a steady increase in risk factors during the last 7-8 years when my weight just ballooned out of control: elevated cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and, most recently, sleep apnea. Next stop: Type II Diabetes. So I asked my internist / cardiologist what he thought of Lap-Banding. “Might as well put a shock collar around your neck to zap you when you overeat.” Mind you, I love my doctor and he believes in me as he’s watched me lose a lot of weight during the 16 years he’s been my physician. He’s also watched me gain it back and then some. More revealing is why I even went to a world-class cardiologist when I was just 42 years old (and 100 pounds thinner than I am now.) My father had recently passed away, at 73, from congestive heart failure after many years of suffering from angina. His younger brother had died, at 67, about six months earlier and their older sister left this world a few months after my dad. Both siblings also died from cardiac issues. My grandfather had a stroke at the age of 67. My DNA profile does not exactly recommend a healthy heart into my nineties unless I work very hard at it. So I asked my physician who he would recommend if I wanted to investigate Lap-Banding. I went for the initial consult with Dr. Gellman and I pretty much liked what I heard. But, I still was saying to myself: “Hey, why get your stomach banded when you can just follow their Spartan diet on your own and lose weight the same way?” Oh, have I mentioned me and diets? I was a chubby kid. It was ordained, you see, because my folks are Holocaust survivors and the family motto ostensibly was “food is love.” Mom took me shopping in the “Husky” department at Alexander’s on the Grand Concourse. I slimmed down in my teens and managed to stay there for a while. I weighed 155 when I got married at 27. But anyone who’s known me my whole life is aware of my struggle which really escalated after I put down cigarettes when I was 36. I was one of those guys who lost a ton of weight for my daughter’s Bat-Mitzvah (weighed in at 174) and, later, my son’s Bar-Mitzvah (weighed in at 190.) But the pictures hanging on our den wall are “fakes” --- despite my obsession with fitness, I still could not help overeating. There is a rigorous set of protocols you go through in between the initial consult and the Lap-Band procedure itself. Among these are psychological as well as nutritional counseling. The nutritionist’s visit was particularly illuminating because you are asked to list the number of ways you’ve tried to lose weight and how often. She handed a grid to fill out. Ready for mine? Weight Watchers: 8 times High Protein Diet (such as Atkins): 6 times Cabbage Soup Diet: 6 times Registered Dietician: 4 times Psychotherapy: 4 times Herbal supplements: 3 times Liquid Diets: 3 times Prescription diet pills: 2 times Non-prescription diet pills: 2 times Overeaters Anonymous: 1 time Physician-supervised Diet: 1 time Hypnosis: 1 time Starvation: 1 time Diet books: too many to count. Anyway, you get the idea. I went through the other pre-operative protocols which included an Upper GI series, stress test, Colonoscopy, Endoscopy, Echocardiogram and several other procedures. I attended support groups of both pre-op and post-op Lab-Banded patients. I reached out to friends of friends who had the procedure. I spent untold hours surfing the web and reading community board posts by pre-op and post-op patients. I wrestled with my diet demons. And then, a really close friend needed quadruple bypass surgery. He’s fine now, 6 months later. But that was it for me. I don’t want to have my sternum cracked open. I want to minimize or eliminate my risk factors. I want to live and return to “normal” eating. And, I decided that the only way a serial overeater like myself can do it is by banding my stomach down to a small pouch. What Now? Actually, this is the interesting part. I have to re-train my “stoma”, the pouch, how to process food. So, I’m in Stage One: a liquid diet, wherein I drink 4-6 oz. of broth and protein shakes at regular intervals. After 2 weeks, I move into Stage Two where I can eat soft foods (like scrambled eggs) and thicker drinks of pureed foods (cooked chicken, etc.) In about 6 weeks, my pouch will be ready for regular food --- vegetables, fruits, soft proteins like chicken and fish. For now there is no caffeine (dehydrates you), booze (irritates the pouch) or much of anything else. There will never again be carbonated beverages, hard crusty breads, steak, or anything fibrous or too tough to pass through the stoma pouch. Interestingly, my surgeon told me on that wonderful weigh-in day that Weight Watchers is an ideal “diet” to use for the rest of my life because the portions are controlled and correctly sized for Lap-Band life. By writing this, I’m coming “out of the closet”, so to speak. I wasn’t going to tell too many people that I had this procedure. As a matter of fact, I picked up that piece of advice on a post-op message board on the web. “Just say you’re eating less and exercising more.” But, you know what? I’m not ashamed of the choice I’ve made and don’t mind chronicling my progress for you, dear reader. So stay tuned … there will be periodic updates. For now, I’m actually looking forward to the next weigh-in, to getting my cholesterol monitored and to having my blood pressure checked. Most of all, I am glad to be emerging from the dark tunnel of overeating misery in which I’ve been stalled. For more information on Lap-Banding and where to find a bariatric surgeon near you, click on www.lapband.com. For information on my surgeon’s practice, click here . Or, Google or Twitter “Lap-Band Bariatric Surgery.” NEXT IN THE SERIES: Dealing with “civilian” responses to Lap-Banding

Dear Barbill, So reassuring to hear that all you've done is pee. I am, in fact, making a bit more progress than you on the other end but it's difficult and painful to pass the gas. And, you become aware of just how important ab muscles for passing gas and, well ... everything. Hang in.

I, too, was banded on May 28 and still have all the symptoms you describe, "Banded Today." I do find walking helps and the lung expansion exercise thingie they give you. But still have cramps and bloated discomfort. I was given Tylenol 3 in liquid form and it takes the edge off. I AM finding this thread very reassuring.