SavvyCat

Melissandde, Thanks for the reply - it does help give me an idea of where I stand compared to the norm. I appreciate you taking the time!

About 3 months ago I received an email from my surgeon's practice informing patients that Adipex is available. My instinct was - why would he be offering it if he was confident in the surgery he performed? I read that follow up appts. are usually every 4-6 weeks and my surgeon has put me out to around every 8-10 weeks. When I do see him, he is reluctant to do fills and I do not feel that I am as restricted as I should/could be. I sometimes feel like he underminds his patients progress to make profit in other ways, (diet pills, specialty food, personal trainers, etc....). I am still losing weight, but it is with the same maximum effort that it has always been - without the band! I do have my moments when I consider asking him about the pills and certainly don't pass judgement if you utilize them. I think that if they are a tool like the band, and not a crutch and there are no health issues that would prevent you from being on them, then why not? Also, for frame of reference sake, does anyone have an idea as to how many ccs people usually are at when the reach the "sweet-spot"? Thanks!

MissyMS - I am not sure where to start. Drama queen? Hmmm... maybe... I do come from a long line of them... B*%&h? Good chance of that as well.... However, it does take one to know one..... Judgments are for the perfect -retort is for those who apparently can't help themselves...., (wish I had the time & funds for extensive therapy to change this character flaw....). However; as far as I am concerned, I responded in kind. With regard to my husband - has there been anything in my posts that indicates that I NEED to be rescued? My husband is "old school" - he wanted to defend my honor. He is not my puppet - I do not control what is in his head - I love & appreciate him for it. Whether you think his actions are sweet, (as I do), or dishonest is not relevant to me. He loves me and doesn't like the idea that someone has been disrespectful to his wife. How can I not love that? I understand his "dishonesty" and really couldn't give a rats @ss if you don't. btrieger - thanks for the "heads up". I'll check it out between interruptions - I hate always being 2 steps behind. :scared2:

"Is this a joke? SC is still posting as if she doesn't have multiple accounts to start trouble?" Sorry, I'm not sophisticated to know how to do the quote thing the way you all do. Is common sense really dead? If I had multiple accounts why would I post under the same name? Is it the "American Way" to be snide and cynical? btrieger, sometimes the truth is just as simple as I indicated. If it gives you some sort of gratification to believe otherwise, do so. I only volunteered to educate a party of two. Lots of luck to you!

The mob mentality is alive and well and living on lapbandtalk.com. I had no intention of ever posting again after my last post - I had nothing more to say. My guess is that most of you consider yourselves to be fairly intelligent.... Did anyone of you realize the voice of the post was different from the original? I mean, if you can hear a “tone” in a post you most certainly should be able to discern a different author! I debated, (obviously not too terribly long), whether to dignify your comments with a response. I guess the thing in me that doesn’t let personal attacks go unanswered is the same one who is choosing to speak to you now… I know none of you personally, and many of you have proven to be people I would cross the street to avoid, (BetseyB, LapNYC, Spartan, btrieger, just to name a few…). Please know that I am intimidated by none of you, I just have more important things to do with my time than nibble at all the bait you put before me. Although I am disappointed in those people who had the ability to see both sides of the coin, I am explaining what happened to you. I had an appointment this evening. My husband, was curious about what I referred to as hateful posts, and who is just a little more ignorant when it comes to things like this than I, was curious and read some of the posts… Needless to say he was offended by the way some people spoke to me. He responded and once he realized that what he posted showed under my name, he deleted it. Chivalry is not dead. It is alive and well and residing in my sweet but misguided hubby. That is what happened plain and simple. Believe it or don’t – I don’t give a rat’s @ss either way. I don’t have to name names for those of you who were hateful to know that you were. I hope that whatever you have going on resolves itself so that you don’t have to take out your bad day on someone who just wanted to ask a question. I may be fat and imperfect, but tonight I’m going to bed with someone who has more heart than ability to spell, and loves me like no other and I get to wake up to take care of our beautiful children.

Thank goodness my little ones are asleep because it is not in my personality to let personal attacks go unaddressed. First a nod to MissyMS, as she stated very clearly one of the fundamental issues with society in general: "it is high time that people take responsibility for themselves". I understand that this statement was within the context of weight loss; however, it is universally applicable. "So…. when you get a prescription from a Doctor, do you ignore the instructions and just dump the whole bottle down your pie-hole…because that’s what you WANT to do?" If the Rx that the doctor gave me didn't work or made me sick I would pursue something that did. I am astounded by the amount of hostility & judgement that my original posts have generated. I am going with the assumption that the people on here are band patients and to those who have been so nasty and judgemental I have this to say to you: None of us have gotten to the place that we needed the band by following sound nutritional guidelines, so you are no better than I. Great for you that the band magically changed the way your brain worked or motivated you in a way no diet could or gave you the epiphany you needed to succeed. My questions took nothing away from that. Did you trade the weight in for loads of self righteousness? "So what if the instructions vary between Surgeons. Their installation techniques vary as well. Some place it a little higher, others a little lower. They suture it in differently. They angle it differently. They have their OWN METHODOLOGIES for performing the surgery. And, if they are good at what they do, they have their own, specific post-op protocols that have been developed to ensure YOUR SUCCESS. AND THEIRS." So what if what works for one person may not work for another? I guess if I lived on a different continent I would be doing just fine. What makes you so superior that you feel that you have the right to berate or belittle anyone? "IF you have selected a GOOD Surgeon who has a proven track record of success with LAP-BAND® patients, there is no reason NOT to follow his/her direction." "If you don’t feel like you are getting the answers you need (and that means NEED, not WANT), then consult another doctor. You are not married to your Surgeon. If you feel you have made a mistake in who you chose to perform your surgery, then look elsewhere. Get professional advice." I found whatI believed tobe a good surgeon - even the best are not infallible.It was too late when I realized I was wrong. My insurance did cover some of my cost - the result being that, in a way, I am married to this surgeon. He got all of his money up front. If I choose to go elsewhere it will be entirely out of pocket and that is not an option. "Insurance companies are tightening up with their money for Bariatric surgeries. They do not approve the procedures as readily as they did a year or two ago, and a part of the reason is the increasing incidence of failures: Increasing Erosion, Slippage, and the inability of the band to effect the desired weight loss in many people is causing the insurance industry to re-think the way it allocates funds for these surgeries. And part of this reevaluation is because of the nitwits that decide that they know better than their Doctor how to behave post-surgery. They eat what they want, when they want, and how they want, and then whine about how they’ve only lost a third of the weight they need to lose, or their band slips. YOUR failure has the potential to impact the chances of other people to have their band paid for by insurance. So, if you are not going to play by the rules laid out by your surgeon, you need to stand aside, and let someone who WILL cooperate get their band, and be successful with it. Every LAP-BAND® success means that there is a better chance that insurance will continue to pay for this procedure. Every failure diminishes that chance." Are you a surgeon? Are my actions or the actions of others effecting your bottom line? My success or failure is my own. I am not responsible for how insurance companies assess risk. I did not brag, I stated fact. I have not told others what to do - you have. And, since you are so wise, why not be proactive and minister to those who are on the path to needing the band? There, your insurance issue is solved. Also, as MissyMS so eloquently pointed out - the surgeon is not the one offering nutritional advice. The dieticians in my surgeon's practice are banded, which at the time was a selling point, but the bottom line is that they are people who knew the ins and outs and still got fat. They are as human as I am. "You’ve been doing this on your own for your entire life, and the result has been that you are fat and unhealthy." You presume much and know little. Yes, I am fat. Not nearly as fat as some, but fatter than others. I was much heavier years ago and have maintained an 80 lb. weight loss for around 15 years, so I have done some things right. My BMI was borderline for approval when I had my surgery. I am lucky to have had insurance that covered me and I do not consider my behavior lack of gratitude. If anything, I feel that asking questions is the best way to protect that investment. I had preconceived notions about what my experience would be like in an online support group. Many of you have proven me correct. Spartan, I am savvy enough to assess that you are arrogant and pompous and come off as a complete, (fill in the blank). I wouldn't at all be surprised if you were one of the people who thought Cookie Monster was to blame for a generation of fat kids.... Get over yourself.

WOW!!! I hate to disappoint you all... flag isn't flying nor do I feel it should be. My post was the first time I have ever posted anything on anything. I haven't logged on until now because I have 11 mo old twins and have little free time. I stole some time on Friday to ask what I felt to be legitimate questions from those who have walked a similiar path. Some of you chose words or phrases to sink your teeth into, rather than absorb my entire posts. I was not advocating for patients to ignore their doctor's orders. I did not say that I ignore ALL of the "rules", but noted the ones I was conflicted with. There are leaders & followers - I am neither, which is why I looked to the "sheep" &/or the non-sheep for some help. Clearly I am not so vain as to think that I have all the answers or I wouldn't have asked the questions. I skimmed through many of the responding posts and was shocked by the animosity in many of them. Really? Is being successful in doing things your, (or your doctor's way), cause to be so hateful? Everyone who posted was unsuccessful enough in dieting to be banded and I'll venture to guess suffered some judgement during their "fat lives". If what I posted made you feel judged then re-read the posts and take a look at yourself, because it was not what I intended. Some of you can't say the same. In the meantime I'll continue to tread Water until I figure out what works best for me. BTW, I was banded on 3/15/10 - I have lost 28lbs. & 4" off both my hips & waist. Could I have lost more? Hell yeah, but the band wasn't put in my brain and I have years of bad habits to unlearn.

Perhaps I would take the guidelines more seriously if they didn't vary so much from doctor to doctor, practice to practice and manufacturer to manufacturer. It would also help if my doctor hadn't proved to be more of a lap band mill than a caring practitioner. I imagine those with a sheep mentality are the most successful being banded - you know, those folks who take direction without question. Unfortunately that is not who I am. I also think that for many of us, if following a diet were the issue we wouldn't be banded. Food is my drug of choice, as I have to imagine is true for many. This takes long term behavior modification - with any luck the band is a tool that aides in that modification, not another obstacle. I have to admit to not being as prepared as perhaps I should have been. However, no matter the preparation, no one can tell you exactly how the band is going to feel in your body. I am not going to whine about a slip because I drank soda, any more than I would whine about a slip because I was vomiting meat that was apparently too tough. This is trial and error. There are many allowed foods/beverages that can be problematic and are patient specific. And... my banded dietician told the group that she never gave up her Diet Coke.... Mixed messages much? If there are any folks that have been successful without being saints I would love to hear from you. I have found that this has been far more challenging & frustrating than I ever anticipated. Thanks.

Ok, so I admit to being hard-headed & needing to learn things the hard way. This being said, I have to admit to not following the surgeons instructions: I drink caffeinated diet soda & have had the occasional alcoholic beverage. Also, I have not followed the liquid, puree, soft then regular foods after fills regime. Because I have not had any adverse affects, I can't help but wonder why all the restrictions.... (I can see how it could be an issue for some)... I guess what I am wondering is, outside of the empty calories in alcohol, can any of this behavior hinder how effective the band is? If there is anyone who can offer some concrete info I would sure appreciate it!!