BetsyB

I think the "eating just about whatever I wanted" is the problem. It doesn't matter whether you are banded or not, "eating whatever you want" doesn't work, particularly if you have a history of morbid obesity. Even if you're exercising a lot. It's great that you've had a fill--now you need to concentrate on making sure your body gets the right fuel in the right amounts. In your shoes, I'd journal eating and exercise at Fitday.com, to see where you're coming out, in terms of calorie balance or, if you are gadget-minded and can afford it, investing in a BodyBugg for the same type of information, but a little more accurately.

Yes, you can get protein count books; my surgeon gives one to each patient in a "goodie bag" preop.

I haven't encountered this much IRL---but when I have, I've told people, very simply, "I found a way out." I was not able to lose successfully---and maintain that loss--before surgery. Now I am. Doesn't matter one damn bit what they think about my choice. For me, it was the way out. Easy, hard, whatever....I got out.

My doc vetoes all NSAIDs. He makes exceptions for those who take low-dose enteric-coated aspirin for cardiac purposes. (They are tiny pills, pass through the stoma, and are absorbed in the small intestine.)

I aim for <50 g/day net carbs, but I don't agonize over the number. I get carbs only from veggie, legume, and fruit sources. (Mostly from nonstarchy veggies.)

"Really? you think so, Doctor? I'll keep that in mind next time I'm up at 5 a.m., exercising before work while you're...what? sleeping? And when I'm measuring out my 3 ounces of Protein and half-cup of nonstarchy veggies, I'll be sure to remind myself how easy this is. Sure, the band will help with hunger--once I reach restriction. But only as long as I use it properly. But hey---if you say it's easy, it must be easy, huh? I hope you are better-informed about the topics you discuss with your patients." (But then, I was always a mouthy nurse.)

I am taking Celexa, which is a 'cousin' of Zoloft. I started this past week (for reasons similar to yours), and was queasy and stomach-achey for the first couple of days, but that has receded quickly. My doctor chose Celexa because it's one of a handful of SSRIs available in liquid form. In capsule or tablet form, I do experience a lot more discomfort from meds---but the liquid really is far, far easier to tolerate. Zoloft is available in liquid form, if you're not already taking it that way. Once the initial gastrointestinal side effects (which happen to pretty much all of us who start this class of meds), you may find that liquid works better for you, too. Regarding the post about kava: it really is excellent for reducing anxiety, but its hepatotoxicity has caused it to come under close scrutiny. I'm all for natural alternatives, but kava is one that I've abandoned because of several documented cases of liver failure related to its use.

I would choose a plastic surgeon who is experienced with bariatric patients; mine routinely cares for patients with bands, and routinely switches ports to low-profile ports during lower body lifts and abdominoplasties. If my surgeon were at all uncomfortable working around the port/tubing, I would choose another surgeon. I am not yet at goal, but have a consult scheduled for the spring.

As I posted on the other thread, Elfie, most doctors refuse to perform the procedure on young teens. There is a reason for this, and it's maturity and compliance. It's not just a stubborn opinion I refuse to change--it's the current medical stance. I'm not a 'never change my mind' person--I am an RN with experience both with bariatric patients and adolescents. However, very small studies are now appearing, demonstrating that for some, banding is a good option. http://www.generalsurgerynews.com/index.asp?section_id=69&show=dept&issue_id=642&article_id=15311 If continued research backs studies like this very small one up, I think we can expect to see more surgeons willing to perform the procedure on younger teens. And for some teens (just as for some adults--because we all know that it isn't the answer across the board for anyone), it may be a good choice. My issue will remain primarily ethical. Banding, as we all know, requires enormous lifestyle change. I believe that the person making those changes should be the one to consent. That is never the case when a minor is operated on. And that is a problem for me.

whoops--duplicate post.

Eggs do that to me every time. They are like lead, and stick around for the longest time. They don't typically get stuck for me---they just don't pass through quickly. Your serving size was really pretty big (if you had both eggs at once)--and that could be playing into your discomfort considerably.

I was cleared to use this machine (and do all exercise, without restriction) after my 4-week check.

Not more than a year out, but hair loss tends to peak around 4-6 months postop (because the trauma of surgery interrupts the growth cycle). Starting preoperatively, I focused on getting 80-100 g protein/day. I started bariatric Vitamins preop, as well. Postop I added Biotin and zinc. When loss started, I used Nioxin shampoo and conditioner, at my doctor's recommendation. At 8 months, the loss has pretty tapered off, and regrowth is occurring. Even though I did all the "right" things, I think I did them more to make myself feel as though I was doing something when, in fact, the loss would have occurred anyway. Still, it didn't hurt anything!

2-4 weeks postop is recommended. Hold out as long as you can--it really will help your wound healing.

She was banded (there is lots of documentation of this), and was rumored to have planned to have it removed because she was concerned it was playing into her previous bulimia issues. Last I read, she was unfilled, but still had the band in place.

As a teacher, you do indeed know many. As an RN with experience regarding compliance in this age group, I do, too. My stance is that a 14-year-old is developmentally unprepared to make a decision to alter his/her body in this way. I believe it's unethical for parents to make this type of decision for kids. A few years make all the difference, IMO. Just a handful of years---an 18-year-old, for example, may be in a totally different place. (Or may not be--I mean, there are plenty of adults who have difficulty complying! That's for the surgeon and psych and everyone else who helps determine readiness to assess.) Would those who were fat as kids loved to have had a solution? Absolutely. But childhood's/early teen years are the time, perhaps, to focus on fostering the skills required to have success with banding, if that's the ultimate plan. Spend some time really preparing. When able to offer legal consent independently, then I think it's a terrific idea, and would support either of my kids if they were in that position. I do have a fourteen-year-old -- he's smart, he's motivated, he's ....fourteen. No way on God's green earth would I consent to elective surgery until other avenues had been thoroughly explored. And at 14, you just can't ever say they have, IMO. (Then again, I don't have a child who's battled obesity throughout childhood--nor did I, so perhaps my opinion is colored by that.) But, in stark contrast to my opinion is this study, which I just pulled up. It's very small---so small that I am not sure its statistical importance. But it is food for thought. Its gist is that banding works better for 14-18-olds than lifestyle change alone. http://www.generalsurgerynews.com/index.asp?section_id=69&show=dept&issue_id=642&article_id=15311

Your second-to-last statement (I underlined) highlights why a young teen is not a good candidate for banding. An inability to form realistic expectations of a procedure rules young teens out as candidates. (Heck, look at how many adults, on this site, have completely unrealistic expectations and therefore fail.) If nothing else, the child whose parents have been banded can learn, at camp, behaviors that will enhance his odds of success with the band. Banding is a last resort. Young teens are, by virtue of developmental stage alone, inherently noncompliant. They are noncompliant with diet. They rebel against authority. They conform to peer expectations--and if that involves pizza and chips--well, even the banded kid is going to want pizza and chips. Though there are exceptions---some very compliant kids----most are not. The fact that we all wish we'd done it sooner, had conquered weight much earlier in life, doesn't make it a good idea for early teens. Timing is everything, when it comes to success. There's a process---a process that brought us all to the place where we were ready. There aren't many fourteen-year-olds who are developmentally prepared or mature enough for bariatric surgery. (I would make exceptions, perhaps, for life-and-death situations.) Furthermore, there are ethical considerations. Making the decision for a child---to alter his/her body in a way that severely impacts lifestyle long-term.... Well, it's an adult decision that should be made by an adult for him- or herself, IMO. Not a decision to be made by an adult for someone who is developmentally unprepared to make the decision for him/herself. I can't fathom giving consent formy fourteen-year-old to be banded. He's got a mom who's banded and has a better idea than most kids of what's in store. And he's unusually bright---gifted, even---but still is not mature enough to thoroughly assess what is required of him as a bandster. If he can't say no to pizza at a friend's house now, sticking a band in his belly isn't going to do the trick. As a parent, I feel it would be unethical to make that decision for him at an age when he is ill-prepared to comply with the "rules." OTOH, if he were to need banding (he doesn't), and asked for my support as an older teen--he'd get it, 100 percent. Timing is everything.

I like Inspire Protein powder (Dutch chocolate, especially) from Bariatric Eating. I also like their PURE unflavored whey protein isolate. The Pom Razz Sangria flavor of Inspire is good IF you mix it with much more liquid that the package recommends. (They say 4 oz. of water; I mix it in a liter bottle with a sleeve of Crystal Light lemonade.)

LOVE the NSVs! scale victories can become less dramatic with time, so I really rely on NSVs these days. Running for 30 minutes is AWESOME--that is a huge accomplishment!

Be careful about the chewing and spitting. I understand the impulse, truly--but it is disordered eating, and can be a slippery slope. My doctor's eating regimen is really stringent, too. I was permitted solids sooner than many, but overall, his recommendations are very different from most I read about here. And overall, I've been very, very happy with the results. I make minor modifications (which he is fine with; I am losing very well)---but have found that when a good doctor has a plan he sees good success with, it's well worth sticking with it quite closely. Still, if you're miserable, it's worth calling the office to see if you can advance to the next stage; it's healthier than developing skewed habits such as chewing and spitting.

I'd go the oral Benadryl route--sounds like you and Dermabond don't get along. My incisions were stapled, and dressed only for a day--and I still got irritation from the tape that was horrible. (I do have tape allergies...) Oral Benadryl worked so much better than topical; the topical agents (even hydrocortisone) often have ingredients in addition to the drug that increase irritation when there is an allergic response.

Carbonation doesn't work for me. And my alcohol tolerance is WAAAAY lower than it once was---partly because my food intake is much lower, and partly because I just don't drink much any more. So a very little alcohol goes a very long way for me. Alcohol can impede loss--liquid calories slide in really easily, and can reduce inhibition so that you eat carelessly. For these reasons, my doctor totally vetoes it for the first postop year (when he wants us to completely revamp our habits). Does that mean I haven't had any alcohol? No. I'm 8 months out, and while I have yet to have a whole drink, I do take sips of my husband's drinks when we're out. Hey, a bloody mary is a vegetable! But you can, in fact, make room for it in your life, as long as you are aware of the possible pitfalls.

I agree; two weeks isn't a plateau--not yet. I am not a believer in "starvation mode." As long as our bodies have fat reserves, they do not starve. And they know it. I've lost consistently at 800-ish calories a day. I've had a couple of two-week stalls (am in one now), but the loss always resumes. I do NOT lose as well when I increase calories. (If I could, I would!) I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't try to find a caloric level where you are comfortable---just that it may be a faulty assumption that you need more in order to lose. I've increased the intensity and duration of exercise some over the months, but just can't buy into the "starvation mode" thing. It's a popular theory, but there isn't peer-reviewed research to back it up. The body just sometimes takes a little time to regroup before resuming loss.

Because he derives something from your obesity; if you change, he will lose a target. When I was your age, I didn't want to see my parents' contributions to my problems, either. But I wish I'd identified them then, and gotten help to cope with them, to detach so that I would not sabotage myself in order to meet perverse parental needs. (((Hugs))) You can break out of the mold your father has cast for you.

I didn't really make any grand announcements. I told my sisters, and my immediate family (husband, kids) obviously knew....but otherwise, I've only told people if it's sort of naturally come up. I don't keep it a secret, because someone who was banded shared with me, and the information helped me when I was in the decision-making process. I just figure that it's like other personal information--most people simply don't have a need to know. (I wear a Medic-Alert for those who do need to know.)