WaistBand

What a discouraging, disgusting thread. Blah.

I have no problem with debate and disagreement. I am thrilled whenever there is peer-reviewed information shared. Statistics excite me. I love seeing fellow RNs sharing accurate health-related information. I just find the snarkiness and condescension to be kind of contrary to the stated purpose of the board. I would think it more productive to share information without the digs. You have a lovely evening, too :thumbup:

What a discouraging, disgusting thread. Blah.

How much swelling is in your foot? That can make a difference on the scale.

Congratulations! Your progress has been really inspiring to watch :biggrin:

Sanctimonious fatties?! Well, now. That's a good way to make friends and influence people! ETA: I don't think Sensa would work for me, but can see how it might for some. FWIW, Alan Hirsch is well-respected; he's an assistant professor of neurology/psychiatry at one of Chicago's most prestigious teaching institutions (and my alma mater). Who knows? He might be on to something--for some people. I will be interested to see where his findings are published.

Though I love it, and used to make it, I no longer make it. There have recently been warnings issued about bacteria growth in sun tea (the temp in the sun is just right to grow bugs)---and I have to say I experienced this first-hand. So, now it's a big jug of cold Water and cold-brew teabags in the fridge. Same concept, but safer. I am an UNsweet girl, so that's all there is to it. Toss the bags after steeping, and add a squeeze of lemon. But my sweet tea husband uses Splenda. (Stevia--at least Truvia brand--caused me some weird neuro symptoms, so I haven't stuck with that.)

When it comes to chest pain, let the experts figure it out. There are too many potentially very dangerous conditions to waste time speculating. Please contact your doctor or get to an ER ASAP.

At this point, I'm just grateful we're not being hit with the fat person's equivalent of the BoTax proposed for recipients of cosmetic procedures. If the cost of the procedure bumps our medical expenses into the right percentage, we do get a tax break :crying:

Awesome progress!

How exciting!

Keith, do you have kids? I ask, not to pull a snarky, "Well, if you don't, you can't possibly understand"...because you can understand. But what seems to be missing from your responses is the notion that 14-year-olds are fairly autonomous beings. They eat lunch in school cafeterias (and their friends shove the food they don't want toward them). They hang out at pizzerias and mall food courts. They sit in front of X-boxes at buddies' houses, and send little sisters upstairs to get boxes of Ding Dongs and bottles of Coke. A mother can make her house as health-promoting as possible---but she cannot imprison her kid.

Awesome, awesome post!!

Diaphoresis (fancy-schmancy medical term for sweating) is very, VERY common post-op. Anesthesia does bizarre things to our regulatory processes, including our "thermostats." It should go away with a bit of time.

I have very mixed emotions about this. While parents are responsible for their children, children are individuals. A 14-year-old has considerable autonomy, not to mention time spent away from home---as the mom of a teen boy, I can no more control what he eats than I can control my dog's desire to chase rabbits. I can control what comes into the house, and I do. I can control the messages I send about food, and I do. But I can't control what he does when he's not at home---nor should I; gaining independence and learning to make wise choices is a developmental necessity. All that said, there comes a time when parental intervention is demanded. My early teen son has experienced a spurt in weight. I know that it will soon be followed by a growth spurt in height---and reassure him to make wise food choices and get lots of activity. For now, this will do the trick; I don't want to encourage loss, but if he achieves adult stature with a couple of pounds to lose, we can deal with it positively. BUT, if he were to continue to gain, I would intervene as well as I could. And if he approached the astronomical weights you see on shows on Discovery, then---well, I think that the intervention should be family-based. I watched one last week in which the mother infantalized her 800-pound teen. Weight was a tool by which she kept him dependent. Having lost another son to death, she could not bear losing her current son. Not the best strategy, since his weight seriously threatened his health. (Fortunately, she recognized this and sought therapy.) When I see shows like that, I do tend to yell at the TV screen. When someone is immobilized by excess weight and wholly dependent on another person for meals, then HELLLS YEAH! You bet that caretaker has the obligation to provide healthy meals appropriate for weight loss. I don't think that arrest is likely the best approach, but if it's the only way to underscore the necessity of appropriately parenting a child at grave risk, then the message must be sent. I suspect that a good deal of attempted intervention preceded the arrest. And I suspect that, legally, it won't go far. I would hope that educational opportunities would be made available to the mother and her child---at 14, s/he needs to learn how to make appropriate decisions, too.

No, urine shouldn't be clear---at least not the "color" of Water clear. It should be very pale yellow. Many push for clear (including many doctors--sorry, they're not always right), but there is such thing as too much of a good thing, and when the kidneys are really flooded with Fluid, then the risk of flushing out important electrolytes (which are ordinarily conserved with mind-boggling accuracy) really increases dramatically. The color of urine is a great gauge of hydration, however, once you learn to "read" it. (Sorry, kcmagu--it really is; I'm an RN, too--and while other things affect hydration, urine concentration is a very good, if basic, indicator.) If it's too dark, drink. If it's genuinely clear, you can ease off a bit. Very pale straw yellow is "just right." Obviously, water-soluble Vitamins and some foods and meds can affect color--so you can't rely solely on this gauge. But on a hot day when you're wondering whether you're getting enough fluid, there are few better ways to judge. Surgeons do ask about urine color, and press for clear (as in colorless) because most surgical patients drink far, far too little fluid, and there is little risk of them actually achieving clear urine. It'd be far better, especially when addressing a motivated patient, to really describe what is desirable.

I'm pre-band, but trying a variety of Protein drinks in prep---and really like Isopure. It's a bottled clear fruity whey Protein Drink. Get it good and cold, and drink it from a sports bottle. (It smells kind of weird, but you can totally bypass this with the right bottle.) It's my hands-down favorite, compared to all of the Atkins, Myoplex, EAS Advantedge, etc. shakes., though some of those are nice, too. A 20-ounce bottle has 40 grams of protein, 0 carb and 0 fat. It's probably not the best choice for complete post-op nutrition (a little good-quality carb and fat is wise), but as a supplement, I think it's great.

I'm pre-banded, but am fiddling around with Protein sources--especially liquid ones for the pre- and post-op periods. So far, the hands-down winner is Isopure. A 20-ounce bottle of clear fruit-flavored whey Protein Drink has 40 grams of protein, 0 carb, and 0 fat. I like this a million times better than any of the shake-like protein supplements--though it's best very cold, from a bottle with a lid. (It does smell weird---a sports bottle eliminates this. And it really does taste good.) I can't yet quite envision achieving the recommended protein intake without at least some supplementation, even when eating solids again--I have a feeling this may become part of my daily intake. Expensive, but with all the stuff that's going to fall by the wayside (soda, for example), I'll still come out ahead.

Carmex also contains methylsalicylate--not an issue for most, but problematic for those of us with aspirin allergies. Please don't underestimate the importance of getting enough good-quality fat in the diet. It doesn't have to be much--it's just that most of us, in our (appropriate) efforts to pare down on fat take it a little too far. A teaspoon of olive oil, a serving of fish oil supplement (Coromega supplements are very good, and have none of the fishy aftereffects that can be so gross), a little finely-ground flax seed (ground JUST before using so that it retains its Omega benefits) in yogurt, or a serving of a fatty fish such as salmon or tuna can make a HUGE difference in skin and hair quality.

This is tricky! It's hard enough for us to be responsible for our own weight loss--we certainly don't need the burden of anyone else's struggles to top ours off! I think that, if confronted by a boss who regularly asked me my weight, I'd be inclined to adopt a sort of nonchalant answer along the lines of, "You know, I found I was getting a little too focused on numbers, when I really wanted to focus on health. So instead of weighing myself each day, I have begun journaling instead. I'll find out what I weigh when I see the doctor. Between now and then, I'll make the best food and activity choices I can." Here, you're telling her (without telling her) that you're not going to give her daily weight updates. But you also gently remind her that it's about more than a number on the scale--it involves personal responsibility for changing behavior. (Over time, I'd really work on making it a complete non-topic of discussion; I don't think it's an appropriate question for a supervisor to routinely ask. If it makes you uncomfortable in terms of your employment--you mention needing your job--it segues into completely INappropriate, and you would not be outside of your rights to discuss it with HR.)

Between now and the time you get in with your doctor, tracking your intake on a site such as Fitday can give you a good idea whether you're getting adequate vitamin C and vitamin K--both affect blood coagulation/bruising, and bumping up their intake can be helpful.

Awesome! This post really made me smile :wink2:

The lotions that purport to tighten skin do improve superficial appearance temporarily--but not to the extent required for bona fide batwings. I use CC Booth's 4-in-1 lotion. The Lemon Sugar is delicious-smelling, and it does improve skin appearance. I bought it not even knowing it contained caffeine to tighten skin--it's just a really nice lotion. I've really liked the tightening results, but it's not at all dramatic. They used to recommend waiting a year to eighteen months after reaching goal to have PS to correct skin deformities caused by loss. And you can do this. Over time, there may be some improvement--which means there may be slightly less correction to be made. But if there is significant stretching/sagging, there's no real need to wait. I have been told it's a good idea, from a nutritional standpoint, to be in maintaining mode for a handful of months--but I'm not sure this is something that's particularly necessary for those who are paying close attention to things like Protein and Vitamin intake during loss, like most lapbanders. The surgeon I've talked with likes his patients to be steady at goal for a few months just because huge changes in weight after surgery can compromise results. He feels less strongly about this for bariatric surgery patients, though, because recidivism is lower.

Awesome! Happy anniversary!

Thanks for sharing so much, Josie--I am pre-banding, but already planning PS. Your experience has been really helpful and reassuring for me. I don't live in Houston anymore, but will be heading down there when it's time. (Well, maybe to Pittsburgh---but Houston's in the lead, if only because my daughter's at Rice, lives off campus, and can baby ME for a change!) It sounds like you came through with flying colors! A word about the weepiness (your doctor may have told you this, but others reading may not know--if I'm repeating something elementary that you know, please don't be offended): body fat is estrogenic, and when a hunk is removed (along with skin), it really can throw things out of whack, kind of like it would if you abruptly stopped taking female hormones. It's kind of like prolonged PMS. But the ovaries soon pick up the slack, thanks to the body's pretty darn miraculous feedback system. I'm sorry you suffered before things started to even out. (I wonder if any PSs have considered applying estrogen Patches, and tapering the dose over time, to avoid this problem...) Anyway, it sounds, though, like you've emerged amazingly well. I can't wait to see your pictures, if you're generous enough to share.