BetsyB

This is such a great thread! I'm so glad you started it, Leigha. Your episode yesterday sounds miserable. I'm so glad Dr. Kim's nurse is meeting you today for a little unfill. I love hearing about good doctors---there are few enough of them that kudos are warranted. Everyone deserves a good doctor; I wish everyone had them. Awesome job with the weightlifting--and lost weight and inches! Ada, exercise is key for me, too. I hope the next fill's the charm for you. I'm one step behind you, just about to get my 2nd fill on Wednesday--with my 3rd already scheduled. It feels good to be moving toward it Heather, 48 pounds! Phenomenal! My doctor is a 4 oz. protein/3x day kind of guy, too. (Well, he works UP to 3-5 ounces; I'm still at 2.5.) It can leave a little extra room, no? :laugh: Still, it does the trick, weight-wise--and with restriction, it will be wonderful. Speaking of restriction, sorry you had to unfill a bit, but hopefully you are now in a better place. Illuminationlady, I'm SO glad you've reached the not-hungries! Your progress really gives me hope. Hummingbird, I hope your tight fill modifies itself to sweet spot fast. TJ--salt + no BP meds will add up to a gain every time. (Hm. Maybe soon, those meds will be a thing of the past; I'm pretty sure mine are on the way out...) That gain will be gone in no time. In the meantime, you're experiencing AWESOME NSVs! BT--How many hours now? I'm much like you; I can lose weight just fine (though being old and female makes it a bit slower going than you've experienced). It's keeping it off that I really suck at. The band is going to be an amazing tool for you. Have people really said that your opinions and advice don't matter because you're not yet banded? Dumbasses. Your advice has always been really solid, IMO. I am procrastinating--I really need to be working. I have a publisher's deadline on Wednesday, and I'm being bratty about it. I hate working through weekends, and this assignment was timed in a way that ensured I'd have to work straight through this one. (Got it on Thursday.) Of course, my protest is only going to shoot ME in the foot...but I still seem to be having a petulant temper tantrum. (I will buckle down and get it done in a few minutes...) I just wanted to add my NSV du jour: I teach Sunday school to first and second graders. I alternate with another teacher, and because of my surgery, have not seen the kids since before our very long winter recess. The first little girl who came in this looked at me really funny. I asked her if she remembered me---and after looking at me for a few minutes, I reminded her that my name is Betsy. She looked at me a minute more, and said, "I know. But you look completely different!" THAT felt mighty good! Have a great Sunday! Off to work. :biggrin:

I use a Magic Bullet. I have an immersion blender, but it doesn't blend ice in well. For just frothing stuff, it's fine--but I prefer the bullet.

They sent a sampling to my surgeon's office, too. I only tasted a tiny bit of one dessert (I was fresh postop), but it was delicious. The staff raved about all of the offerings. I just placed my first order (just a bunch of entrees to grab when I am in a hurry; I haven't yet added veggies and starches back into my diet). I'm very much looking forward to getting them. The chef from Bandtastic will be leading one of our upcoming support groups--can't wait!

If you want to shake up your eating plan, bariatriceating.com has some awesome recipes :wink2:

The one thing you MUST tell yourself--and BELIEVE--is that your behavior, including your weight loss, is not the motivator for your friend. You are in NO way responsible for awakening her demons. Anorexia is a very, very difficult disease to successfully conquer. Like many addictions (and it does have addictive features), its behaviors tend to creep insidiously back in, even after a long period of recovery. She's NOT in recovery now. You can't change her behaviors, but you can draw boundaries that protect YOU in the midst of her illness, if necessary. For example, when her food obsession shows itself you might tell her that you are concerned for her health, believe her anorexia to be in full bloom again, and will NOT participate in her obsession in any way--including discussion food, diet, and/or exercise. But that once she's back in recovery--in the care of a skilled eating disorders specialist--you will support her in any way possible. She needs ongoing therapy. And you need to stay clear of the vortex so you don't get sucked in to something that will be detrimental to your OWN recovery from weight issues.

Days 3 and 4 are often the worst for gas. I hope you feel better fast! Get up and walking as much as you can--it really helps.

Yep, I did, too. Even before I attended the seminar, I was working on my weight. To be honest, I've been doing that my entire life! But I did start paring out foods I knew would not be a part of my regular repertoire post op--not, primarily, to lose weight (though that's always a bonus), but so that I'd have good alternatives in place. I also bumped up my exercise. I didn't want to lose much more than the 6 pounds I was required to lose once the ball got rolling; I was afraid the insurance company would say, "Well, her BMI is too low, and she doesn't have two comorbidities..." (They're supposed to go by your starting weight, but I trust insurance companies about as far as I can throw them these days!) Anyway, I think you're doing a great job, and your motivation shows that you're a great candidate for the band. You will do SO well!

I think many of us have felt the same way. I berated myself for getting where I am, too---but that pretty much stopped once I made the decision to attend the first seminar. That was a turning point for me. I've made serious, serious weight loss efforts for most of my adult life. I gave myself permission to get help, and to put the self-blame to bed. I've had anesthesia several times, but I do understand your fears. That said, my banding anesthesiologist was a STEALTH anesthesiologist. He eased me out before I even knew what was going on---and I emerged very, very easily. Coming out easily is pretty typical of short procedures. You may be groggy in the recovery room, but you will do just fine :wink2:

Stretch marks form as you decrease size, rather than as you increase. And they form more easily on skin that has been stretched before, even if it's rebounded. The connective tissue beneath the skin only has so much "give." It's better to have a marked, deflated tummy than the alternative, though, don't you think? I'm not minimizing the psychological effects of these battle scars. I'm right with you, watching in horror as new ones appear on my body! But stretch marks do fade. Tummies can be tucked. And good health is so much more important. You're right, none of the stuff marketed to remove stretch marks will hurt. Wait--I take that back; they may hurt your wallet. Palmer's cocoa butter is inexpensive, as are shea and other high-quality oils. They are as apt to give you good results. I'd rather save my $$ for a good plastic surgeon!

Ruthie, it's an AWESOME letter! I agree that you don't owe any explanations for your decision. But you are a good friend for offering it and I would bet that, if you're anything like me, it was sort of good to get it down in writing. Seeing the reasons in black and white really does help solidify our motivations.

I am an RN. I don't often pull the RN card, but this time, I will. You need to go to the ER. NOW. The presence of pus and a foul odor is terribly concerning. I know you're in pain and afraid, but the only way to be rid of the pain is to have it appropriately treated. Not doing so can cause problems far greater than those you currently have. NIP THE INFECTION IN THE BUD NOW. This IS an emergency. If possible, go to the ER where you had your surgery, so that your surgeon can readily reach you. If that's not possible, notify his answering service that you are going to a closer ER. That way, he will be awaiting communication from the ER physicians.

Stretch marks are actually scars in the connective tissue beneath the skin. Things that are applied to the skin can make the skin softer, but they cannot remove stretch marks; they don't penetrate deeply enough. Time, however, does improve them. (That's how the purveyors of stretch mark oils convince people they work---they tell us they work over time.) There are laser procedures that improve stretch mark appearance. And abdominoplasty can excise many of them. But I would not count on relief from a bottle or jar. The appearance of scars on the surface of the skin can be lessened, though I'd check with your doctor about timing; mine does not want his patients to use things like Mederma until 6 months postop. Another alternative that works well (and is reusable) are silicone scar Patches (available in the first aid aisle near things like Mederma)--they apply pressure to the developing scar and improve their appearance over time. Again, for these, I'd check with the doctor about timing. Things like Bio-Oil don't really have any special properties. You could likely save a lot of money--and achieve the same benefit--with Palmer's Cocoa Butter or Neutragena body oil, or any other lotion/cream/oil you like.

What a loser. Um, literally. You've done a phenomenal job! Thank you, Denise--it's odd how the camera phobia has vanished. Now I want to document the changes. (I think all Labs are putzes; Truman is half Lab, and the putz side is dominant.) Elfie, I hope the pain Patches work for you. Don't be shy about asking your doctor for help managing the pain, though. Life is hard enough without sleepless nights and battling pain. Hi, Gloria :wink2:

Chews are good---gummies kind of concern me. They can't be chewed all that well, and can conform to the shape of a stoma---I would be nervous that I'd have a stuck episode with them, at least once restriction is achieved.

Awesome, Liz!

Ask and you shall receive, Denise :wink2: Do you check your blood sugar at home? I ask, because a one-time four-point fluctuation in fasting blood glucose may be completely insignificant. Has your doctor ever done an A1C? That gives a better overall picture of what's going on. The walking will help a LOT. My putz dog (Truman) and I walk a ton---it's great exercise, and great stress relief. He is pacing right now because we've yet to take our morning walk. Guess I'd better go do that! Hummingbird, HOORAY for entering a new BMI category! That is a real milestone!

Comfort-wise, a filled pain med Rx, Gas-X, and lip balm. Food-wise, it will depend on your doctor's recommended eating plan. I was advanced to pureed Protein on Day 3, but was glad to have protein powders (chocolate and unflavored--for the latter, I use PURE from Bariatric Eating--it can be added to foods and liquids) on hand as insurance for getting all my protein in. Beyond that, I just needed a lot of broth and easily-pureed protein: chicken, ground beef, tuna, etc. Stock up on bottled Water, too, if that's what you drink. If you like it, Crystal Light is nice to have. sugar-free Popsicles are good for getting Fluid in at the beginning, too. (SF Jello was too sweet for me--which blew my mind, because I used to have a major sweet tooth!)

Yay! I'm so glad to be here! I've had a good week, too. The scale was stubbornly sticking, but I salved my wounded ego by checking measurements: 7.5 inches down in the past month. The scale then rewarded me with a 3.6 pound loss. I've slacked off on exercise this week, though. Snow buried my usual walking path---and I also got buried by work. NOT GOOD EXCUSES. I need to step it up again; I really find it difficult to lose without DAILY exercise. How long has it been since your last fill, Leigha? (I know I should know this.) Is there any chance it you will still loosen a bit? My sister used to live in Tyler, and only liked making the drive to Dallas for FUN stuff! :wink2:

Name*********Starting****Current******Goal******ToGo Adjua....................347...............337...........240......... ....97 Angie64.................270...............270...........210....... ......60 Astrasmom............254...............254...........170............. .84 Babe....................265...............265...........199.... ..........66 Band_Groupie........172.5.............157.5..........0-148........0-9.5 BetsyB.................226.6.............206.8.........109...... ......97.8 BobbieND..............224................212...........150..... .......62 Bree99.................259................259...........155..... .......104 Brigette................198...............198............150.... ........48 Bristlecone............157...............157............130....... .....27 crzytchr................217...............217............180..... ... ...37 Dana36.................233...............229............160....... .....69 daqui26.................274...............274............200....... .....74 destined4thinness..215.5.............215.5..........150............65 5 Diamondgirl81........317...............309.............250............ 59 ericanda1973.........198.5............198.5..........130......... ..68.5 Fourme.................189...............189............145........... ..44 HummingBird..........204...............190............150........ ...40 jenibeni.................224...............212............165....... ....47 Jennih...................232...............232.............130.... ......102 KDEE....................240................240.............150...... .....90 kyleegirl01.............211................209.............160...... .....49 Lady LAP...............217................217.............125...... .....95 Lisa65...................174.5............165..............145..... ......20! Liz........................193.4............187..............155...... ......32 lotzasunshine.........247...............245..............175........ ...70 newdicarlo.............187...............174..............135...... . ...39 Northernmist..........289...............265..............175.......... ..90 ol55andahalf..........184...............184..............144...... ......40 Peggy1.................308...............308..............225......... ..83 RandaPanda...........194...............183..............150........ ....33 RAYNE913.............234...............234..............160........ ....74 RobinAnn.............232.4...............224..............160........ ....64 scoutmama...........270...............270..............180........ ....90 shadst8................333...............317..............217........ ....100 skinny31................261...............255..............182..... .......73 SNDYCNRD.............207...............199.5............150..........4 9.5 sueinne.................220................220.............180.... ........40 Tabithan................244...............234..............190....... .....44 TARASGIRL.............305...............294..............225....... ......69 tdtucker................256...............256...............160...... . ....96 Teacher2010..........192...............183...............150...... . ....33 Tealeaves..............305...............289...............150...... . ...139 TeriLu....................215...............212...............150.. .... ....62 TIGGER71G............224...............224................130....... .....94 unshackled............277...............277................180....... .....97 Valerie.................190................190................150... . .......40

My doctor wouldn't, I don't think. But then, I would not ask him to. Look, you had a surgeon cut your body open to wrap a band around your stomach. You did so knowing this would require dramatic changes in your eating habits for life. Instead of focusing on the deprivation aspect, why not focus on the opportunities? You'll be able to sample enough delicious food to satisfy your tastebuds without jeopardizing your weight loss success. You will be able to engage in EVERY fun activity the cruise ship offers. Food is NOT the only recreational sport to be enjoyed. If you have the Fluid removed from your band, your stomach capacity will still be limited. You will be able to eat more frequently--but not all you want of a food "you just can't resist." It simply will not do for you what you are hoping it will do. You will also face months of returning to the same level of restriction--because no surgeon will put it ALL back in at once. Is eating all-you-can-eat on your cruise REALLY aligned with your goals?

I would gain weight on 1500 calories--my body just can't handle it. I tend to eat between 800-1000, with a bit of give and take on either side. I DO get 100+ grams of Protein each day, no matter what my calorie level for the day. I supplement the food I eat with protein shakes because research shows that bariatric patients who get a minimum of 80 g do better, result-wise than those who stick with the (often-recommended) 65 grams. If you're not even meeting the 65 grams recommended by your doctor, I'd think hard about protein supplements. Bariatric Eating's Inspire line is really good. I also take bariatric Vitamins, an extra Vitamin D, and Co Q-10 supplement--all at my doctor's recommendation. I'm not as far out of the gate as many, so it's a bit early to know how my hair is going to respond. Right now, I can tell you that it, and my nails, are REALLY happy with the extra protein. That doesn't mean I won't lose hair; the trauma of surgery itself may catch up with it. We'll see. ETA: I forgot to address one of your questions. You asked about how many calories you need to maintain. This is really individual--and something you'll have to figure out, by trial and error, when you get there. Depending on your basal metabolic rate, your activity, etc--it can really range widely. A good way to figure out what your body needs is by gradually adding calories each day, and watching the scale. If you add 50 calories a day for a week, and your weight loss continues, the next week you might bump it up another 50 calories. You keep doing this until you find the level where you're neither gaining nor losing.

You didn't cause any harm, but that's not carte blanche to now eat it indiscriminately. Follow your doctor's orders as best you can. You will reintroduce salad soon enough.

I'm sorry you were pushed back--but you might find recovery easier when you have more time. I didn't have a prolonged wait, but did have a couple of months when I was waiting (combo of waiting for approval and waiting for surgeon availability). My doctor's office had me go in for monthly weigh-ins like I did during the supervised time before approval. This helped keep me on track. It also helped me become really comfortable with my doctor and his office staff. Do you think your doctor would be supportive of something like this?

Weight is one thing we will NOT share! Brian, are you psyched? Tuesday---yay!

Yep, that'd be me, too. I just have had to accept that I will weigh myself daily. And make it a goal to reframe the message sent by the machine--and (more importantly) the messages I then tell myself. I went to the doctor (not bariatric) yesterday. His scale (you know, the same scale that's been in the office hallway since his dad opened the office 100 years ago; the one that gets bashed into every time someone rounds the corner---and probably hasn't been zeroed or calibrated since 1978? Yeah, that scale...) weighed me THIRTEEN POUNDS heavier than my scale. Now, I knew, intellectually, that my clothes weighed 3 pounds. (How did I know this? Because I weighed myself, at home, with and without them. I told you, I am insane.) I knew, too, that my scale --which jibes pretty exactly with my bariatric surgeon's---was more accurate than his. That I really did NOT weigh 13 pounds more than I had an hour and a half ago. But I still had to say, out LOUD, "It's just a number. It's just a number..." Because it could have thrown me into a real tailspin. It worked. It actually worked! I was able to tell myself that next year, when I go back to the gyne (at goal, or close to it), his scale would STILL tell me things I didn't want to hear. But that it doesn't matter. It's just a number--and it's not the truth. Losing weight is not easy. But IMO, it's way easier than changing the messages we tell ourselves. Learning to stop ourselves short when we are "speaking" to ourselves in ways we would never treat others is a pretty important part of the journey, I think. I'm not sure how well I'll do with this long-term, but it IS now a priority, because I'm finding that it makes a big, big difference.