marjon9

I've done it, I'm sure many people have. I don't think there is anything wrong with it at all. I once even heard Julia Child recommend it as an option for people on a diet so they could still taste great food. It can help you get through the mushies phase. Concerning whether you still absorb calories, I'm sure you do to some extent. But this is not that big a concern on liquids and mushies. When you are in those phases it's usually about healing more than losing weight. And whether you absorb calories also depends on what you are eating, how long you chew it, and whether you really spit it "all" out. If you chew a chocolate chip cookie for 15 minutes, there is probably not going to be that much to spit out. On the other hand, if you chew a piece of steak for a couple minutes and spit it out, then you probably get rid of most of it. You stated in your post that you have a really "bad" habit and that you are worried that you are doing yourself some "damage." I would stop thinking of it like that. I don't see what damage you could be causing, except perhaps a small dent in your food bill. It's not like you are eating and then vomiting. That can hurt your band and cause other problems. Chewing and then spitting it out is actually a pretty "good" habit in a lot of ways.

Hi Eddie. I certainly remember my days just before surgery. Like you I knew there was little to be concerned about in fact, but was still nervous anyway. I just think it goes with the territory. All you can do at this point is hold your breath and jump in. Besides that, remind yourself of why you are doing this and how your health could be seriously affected in the future if you don't do it. Feel good about yourself for taking a courageous step to be healthier and have a better life. You deserve to feel proud of yourself for taking that step. In a very short time, it will all be over. There may be some pain after surgery but for most people it only lasts a few days. In a short time, you'll be back to normal and on the Bandster Path. Let us know how it goes!

Or, maybe not.

I just wanted to pass along my experience with this item. I've been banded for almost a month and I've been having an awful time with too much restriction. Much of the time I have not been able to eat anything solid at all, even mushies have been too much. At least 2/3 of the time I've tried to eat anything beyond liquids, I've participated the ritual we all know and love, the PB. I've been PBing almost every day for a while, which is really not good, especially so soon after surgery. This has been quite a concern to me. So, I've spent some time here on the forum looking for how to avoid PBs. It seems that holding your breath works for a lot of people. It does nothing at all for me. I've seen talk of pineapple juice and meat tenderizer. I'll try the pineapple juice. I'm not too keen on tenderizing my innerds if I can avoid it. I've also seen mention of papaya enzyme. I was quite skeptical about it, to be honest, but I thought I'd give it a try. So yesterday I went to the health food store and bought some papaya enzyme tablets. I ate a few bites of pot roast, very tender, chewed to smithereens, swallowed it. And, of course, as usual I got stuck. The golf ball came next. Hiccups were not far behind. And I knew that the slime was hearing the call to duty. A PB was minutes away. So, I opened my little bottle of papaya enzyme. They are sweet tasting chalky little things that dissolve quickly in the mouth. Nothing unpleasant about them. Almost immediately the golf ball started to subside. Within about a minute I was unstuck. This is the first time since I've been banded that I experienced a golf ball that did not lead to a PB. I was impressed. I tried it again today and it worked again. Not only that, I've been able to eat some solid items without getting stuck at all. So, I don't really understand how any of this works. I don't know if it will continue to work. But the papaya enzyme has had a remarkable effect on me so far. I'm pretty happy about it. I feel like I can finally start to eat food again. Besides that, my port incision has healed nicely now. I feel like I am finally a living, breathing bandster, instead of a person recovering from surgery. :clap2:

Yeah, this type of thing would be a headache for the tech person. Thanks Alex for trying to figure it out.

I don't mean to act like a scolding school teacher, but the mask thing is really important. The CPAP will never work without a mask that works for you. And this is a problem with a lot of potential solutions. Now, put on this pointy hat on and go stand in the corner.

I found it on mine. It lets you exclude whole forums. My understanding was that people wanted to exclude specific threads, as opposed to whole forums such as "Rants and Raves." But either way is fine with me. For myself I'm not inclined to exclude anything.

The last time I had a technician come out I said to him "I sure wish there was a way to adjust the machine ourselves." He got a slightly guilty twinkle in his eye, looked both ways, and then told me "You can find the procedure for adjusting most CPAPs on the internet." I found mine posted by someone on the CPAP Talk forum. And I used it right away. The last person who tested me on the sleep study somehow concluded that I needed a setting of 16. WRONG!! At 16 I felt like a balloon with the air coming out flying around the room. I am much more comfortable at 10. So, if you can live with the guilt, wink wink, you can probably find out how to adjust your machine on the net. If all else fails, post a question on CPAP Talk forum: "Can someone please tell me how to adjust a xxxxxxxx model machine."

Did you ever see the movie "The Man In The Iron Mask" with Leonardo DiCaprio? When I had my sleep study, that was the only mask available. It weighed about 80 pounds and made me into a pathological claustrophobic with a severe twitch in left eyelid. At least I can say that I did not pick my mask at random. I picked exactly that specific mask - because it was the only one! The moral of my story is - the selection of sleep hardware you had is not always available. I started looking into masks when I received my equipment and realized immediately that there had to be a better way. I was not lucky

I just want to mention again something that makes a big difference for me, and that is the mask. If you have a mask that covers all or part of your face, I think it is pretty tough to sleep except on your back. There are quite a few lighter masks now. I use the Mirage Swift. Check it out on the internet. It's only one exampe. There are quite a few others. Respironics has a new one called "Opti-life." I have not tried it but it is another example of the lighter mask. Also, on the small chance you have time for additional forums, you might want to check out CPAP talk forum. This mask issue has been discussed so much on CPAP talk, it's starting to put people to sleep, which is actually a good thing in this situation. Har de har har.

I agree with Laurend (as I often do). And I would like to add something else. I also don't feel sorry for this guy for another reason. That is, there is nothing to feel sorry for. Being on the "hook" to take care of a child for many years - especially your child - is more of a blessing than a curse, even if you never see the child. Successfully meeting this responsibility is probably one of the best things in this guy's life. I think people should be grateful when they are given the opportunity to do the right thing in challenging circumstances. Meeting those challenges with honor and integrity is what makes us respect ourselves. It's what makes life thrilling, and it is what allows "fun" times to be fun. Without integrity and self respect, life is pretty much flat, boring, and not worth very much. These rich kids who party all day and night, with nothing to do and no responsibility, don't seem very happy to me.

I think the moderators are sending a message: "So, you like polls, eh. Here's you d*** polls, right here!"

Some masks are better than others for this. Have a look on the internet at the "Mirage Swift" mask. There are a few of this type that are light and just bring the air to your nose without covering your face. With this type of mask it is easier to sleep in positions besides on your back. The will probably not have one of these for your sleep study, but I'm not sure. Just keep in mind that there are better options if you find the mask intolerable at the sleep study.

"Creep" is my middle name.

While 2/3 of the people may want some type of "change," I don't think it is totally accurate to say that 2/3 would like "it" changed. People can vote for more than one category in this poll. I think many of the people who voted to "keep it the same" also voted to allow people the option of blocking unwanted threads. Reading what people have written in their posts, I think most people would like to have the system we now have stay in place with the added feature that allows people to block unwanted threads.

Here's an article about a Japanese hospital that has a "drop box" for unwanted babies. It's basically a "pro-life" solution. Anyone think it's a good idea? Would it work here? http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/05/10/japan.babybox.ap/index.html

By golly, I think you're right. Perhaps you're not so tired tonight after all.

I see nothing wrong with having a feature that allows people to ignore and hide things they are not interested in if they choose to do so. The thing I don't like is having those decisions made for "newbies" or others in order to protect them. To me that seems paternalistic and condescending. But hey, that's just me. But on the other hand, having extra options to hide and ignore things by choice. Now that sounds like a great idea. Unless, of course, people would rather reconsider my Clockwork Orange option.

I have sleep apnea. I don't know what a bipafor is. I use a CPAP. For me the hard thing to get used to was the mask. I now use the "swift" mask that just brings the air to your nose but does not cover up your face and give that claustrophobic feeling. If your problem is getting used to the mask, you might want to try some of the lighter masks that are out there now that don't cover your face. I will say that now that I am used to it I would not want to sleep without it. I had no idea how much the sleep apnea was harming me until I started using the CPAP. I would stop breathing at night for long periods of time, and wake up constantly. It was really hard on my heart. If there is any way you can get yourself to use that machine, you may find that you really start to feel better. I really do feel better from using it. Good luck

I see exactly what you mean.

Neal, I have no doubt that your intent was to help. But I do think that the problem of Newbies landing in some place that causes a big problem is really a teeny teeny problem. And it is usually fixed by people saying that, hey, we have a rants and raves section. It does seem to me that changing the structure of the forum for this very small problem is overkill, and I think there is a risk that people won't even find out about the rants and raves section for a while because it is being blocked in some way to "help" and "protect" the Newbies. I really think we are all grownups here, and don't need all this protection. But if everyone else wants it, then I guess we'll have it.

Neal, I'm disappointed that you did not offer the "Clockwork Orange" option in the poll. Did anyone see that movie? Do you remember at the end where they strapped the guy down in the chair and used these devices to hold open his eyelids so he was forced to view the presentation? I believe that each person on the forum should be required to use this device to view threads in the rants and raves section. Is it too late to add the "Clockwork Orange" option to the poll?

I vote for some Gregorian Chant.

Why don't you try saying what's on your mind and see what happens. I'm not interested in throwing anything in your face. I just think that in most cases, people who state "non-religious" reasons for disliking this bill are mainly uncomfortable with how the bill may be seen to "endorse" the "gay lifestyle." If that is not true with you, then I would welcome hearing what is on your mind.

The one who is pregnant absolutely must have the final word. With that I agree completely.