cyndilou29

I need a sweater because I'm FREEZING all the time. I always wondered why the "skinnies" were cold all the time - it's because they don't eat!

Maybe you're just swollen? Try some liquids for a day or two and see if it gets better. You might have irritated your esophagus when you PBd. Not sure.

Breakfast 1/2 scrambled egg and 1 piece of bacon lunch 1/8 c of cottage cheese, 2 crackers Snack 1/4 c of baked Beans, 3 tsp hummus dinner 1/2 a hot dog, 1/4 c beans, 3 potato chips AND I feel awful. Ate way too much, too unhealthy and feeling it big time.

No I don't work for a Big Pharma company. I think insurance companies get a bad rap too but I don't work for one of them either. To the previous poster, yes, it is a business. Just like your doctor. However, no one is saying the "Big Doctors" are only doing surgery for money -but they are. What's the difference? Why isn't anyone outraged at "Big Doctors"? It's not illegal or immoral in America to make money. Let's not forget that. And how do we know if something is overpriced? Do we know how much research money they spent? How much it costs to pay their employees? How much it costs for raw materials, patents, lawyers, manufacturing, etc? I don't disagree with you about the ads though. Just don't think lawyers or pharmaceuticals should be on TV. Just an opinion though.

OMG I love "Squeezins"! LOL!

No, no, no, it's NOT alright because it is surgical. PLEASE go talk to someone. Call your surgeon, see a therapist, go to lapband group, anything. Please don't keep doing this. You have an eating disorder. Those words get thrown around but that is what is going on. I was bulimic as a teenager and you are feeling the same things I felt, saying the same things I said and doing the same things I did. The only difference is you are justifying it with the band. Please call your surgeon and tell him what you're doing and see if he/she can help you. Don't transfer your addiction to eating to an addiction to PBing. I don't mean to sound alarmist but this is really serious and I want you to understand what you are doing is unhealthy physically and emotionally. You have to get some help to stop this. If you want to send me a private message, please do. I'll do what I can to help, just please don't fall into this incredibly unhealthy pattern. Stop it while you still can

I'm sorry Snaggletooth but I get really offended when people go after "big pharma". Big pharma saves lives every single day. Without Big Pharma we'd all be dying of the plague, polio, and strep throat. I'm so tired of people buying into the propaganda that the media throws at them. My best friend was diagnosed with a very aggressive breast cancer a few years ago (at 35) and I thank God every day for the "Big Pharma" company that invented the chemo and the Herceptin that have kept her alive. Got news for you, this band that you so want is from Big Pharma too - it is owned by Allergan. Do they put $$$$ before people too? Is all of this a scam to get our cash? Don't think so. It costs money to develop drugs - on average 15 years and over $100,000,000 per drug. So if they don't charge for their pills, where are they getting that money to develop other drugs from? Sorry for my soapbox but I did my thesis on this in school and it was very eye-opening. I thought the same thing you did and then when I researched it, I found out that I was wrong. Okay, I'm jumping down off my soapbox now. You are not eliminating all essential fat, you only eliminate 1/4 of the fat you eat. If you are getting all your fat from Omega 3 and 6, you wouldn't need this pill. I found that fat I ate from fish and such was fine. I have MS so I take Omega 3 and Omega 6 oil capsules, as well as herbals with them in it (fish oil, Evening Primrose oil, etc). Never had a problem with that, my levels stayed fine and no side effects. You aren't eating the quantity of Omega 3 and 6 fat to have this be a problem. But when I had fried clams? Big problem. I've been on this pill, didn't hate it but I guess I have good bowel control and trust me, you have to have it on this thing. If you, how shall I say this, um, break some wind, you will need to change your pants as the "oily discharge" will come out. If you can hold that in until you get to a bathroom, it's okay. It's a tool, just like the band is. You get nasty side effects when you eat fat so you tend to not eat fat. Trouble is, I found that when I wanted fat, I just didn't take the pill at that meal and it solved the side effect problem. I did lose weight on it without dieting or exercising , but not much. About 20lbs in 6 months. It was just too expensive as my insurance didn't cover the prescription - about $100 a month. This pill is a great tool for some lower BMI folks that need to lose a little weight. Don't really think it's for folks like us. It does work though, I will say that. It's also very safe supposedly. My doc wouldn't give me Meridia or any other diet pill but she had no issues with this one as she said it just works on one enzyme in your body (no clue what enzyme that is). My friend's Dad works for the company that makes this and he said it was the easiest drug to pass the FDA consumer division ever. I assume that is because it is safe and it works to some extent. I always thought it was hysterical when the Xenical ads (the prescription name for this drug) came on and they would say side effects include "gassy, oily discharge". GROSS!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, that's a tough one. If they believe your endometriosis is that severe, have they considered a hysterectomy? That doesn't mean the endo won't come back but it wouldn't hurt. I would just talk to your surgeon. They would know much more than I would or most people here. It is a very unique situation you are in. However, if your doctor doesn't think you have chronic pancreatitis then it is not a contraindication. I had severe endometriosis and it attached to many of my organs as well, including my liver. It's fairly common in severe endometriosis. I had a hysterectomy and never had a problem again. The Lupron worked for a while but when I came off it started again after a year or so. I'm fairly young and didn't want to live with that for 20 more years (until menopause) so I decided to take it out. In any case, talk to the doc that treated you and your surgeon. They'll figure it out. Good luck and keep us posted

I completely understand what you're saying. I was assaulted when I was younger and I don't like attention from men. Yet I do, in a way. It's weird. Being fat is easier in some ways. I can be obvious (the fat jolly girl) or I can be invisible (the fat girl no one sees as she's surrounded by beautiful ones). Now it's not easy being fat, but it's not easy being thin either. Emotionally. It's easier to go on rides, sit on planes, buy clothes - no question. You'll come to terms with it and be okay. Maybe you won't be comfortable in a size 6 but you will be in a 14. That's okay. Every little bit of weight loss makes you healthier so a 14 is better than where you are today.

I was told 2 weeks pool and 6 weeks spa, tub or lake. He said that it all depends though, on how the incision looks. If it's closed it's fine. If not, no go

Hey Bama, I am also self pay so I hear ya loud and clear. Remember though that you are PAYING for this service. If you were paying $20K for some landscaping and the landscaper wasn't saying anything but "I'll be there don't worry" you would damn well be on the phone saying "I want a datee and a time". Do the same with your office. Tell them you are frustrated because you want to be 100% sure that all the ducks are in a row as you live 4 hours away. Tell them you have no pre-op appts scheduled and ask them to schedule them while you are on the phone. You might be surprised at how willing they are to work with you. Re: surgery time, that's not abnormal. My surgery was on a Thursday at 8 am but I didn't know that until 2pm the day before. I knew it was on Thursday but didn't know time. That's because of OR suite booking so don't be alarmed if that happens. It's pretty typical. Good luck and remember you have the right to ask these things!

I'm 4 weeks post op and I feel fine - like I did before surgery. 2 weeks is okay but it depends on what you do. Your port is sewed to your abdominal muscle so if you're using that a lot then 2 weeks may not be enough. You should talk to your surgeon

Okay, this is going to sound weird but are you drinking crystal light grape or grape protein drinks? There is a blue dye that makes you poop green - it's in a lot of foods. I never had it until I was banded because I never drank crystal light until I was banded. Scared me half to death when it happened.

Jean, I don't have any answers for you, I'm sorry, but I figured I'd reply to bump the post up so others can see it. I'm sorry you're dealing with this and hope you get some answers.

Well, I have not been filled yet but I came out of surgery "tight". Basically it means that the band is tight around your stomach so you are feeling a lot of restriction. Usually means the quantity of food you can eat is reduced but also could mean the type of food you can now eat is different (ie now you can't get bread down, or maybe dry chicken gets stuck, etc). When you see people unfill it's usually because they had too much saline in the band and it became too tight, thus they were not able to get enough down or it became uncomfortable. I hope that helps!

Don't know if this story will help but here goes. I was heavy all my life and so was my mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in law and a few friends. I never considered surgery, I thought it was a cop out. Well, my mother-in-law got banded and I saw her losing weight effortlessly (or so I thought. BOY was I wrong!). She told me she was banded and I secretly snickered at her. Well, I stopped snickering when she got down to my size. I realized I needed to fix this issue too, first for vanity reasons but after that faded (really quickly) for health reasons. She said she did it for my kids (her grandkids). She said she wants to dance with them at their weddings. It really stopped me because I thought I might be the one who's not there. She was a great example, she never lectured me, never bragged. She was just a great example of what I could accomplish if I wanted it as much as she did.

I definitely WON'T miss Lane Bryant! I loved their clothes but I hated having only one store to shop in. I can't wait for the day when I can go into J Crew or banana Republic and actually buy something. Funny yet sad side note, I went into Lane Bryant a week ago to look for a bathing suit and the girl in there who knows me pretty well from shopping there all these years tries to pressure me to buy more things ("but we're having such a GREAT sale!"). I finally pull her aside and tell her that I don't want to buy anything because I was banded and wasn't sure what size I would be wearing. Well, she gave me the dirtiest look and said, and I quote, "well hurray for you" and walked away. Then I walked into Abercrombie to buy something for my son and the perky little teenage girl who works there came up to me with the best concerned face she could and said "I'm happy to help you but I don't think we carry your size". When I explained I was shopping for my son, she looked so relieved. I could have cracked her in half. So in one day, I got discriminated against for being too fat and too skinny. Crazy!

Definitely depends on height. I'm almost 5'5" and I just started to be able to cross my legs again this weekend. I'm in an 18 now. I've missed that so much!

Squishy type bread is the worst for me. I can have the teeny tiniest bite and be stuck all day.

As a former bulimic I completely understand exactly what you are saying. PLEASE try to go talk to someone. I'm so proud of you that you were able to have the strength to come here and post this. This is more than just a medical issue (ie your band and your esophagus), this is an emotional issue. Believe me, PBing is not the answer. Try to go to liquids for a few days (like a detox) to let your esophagus heal and to get in control of your emotions for a few days. If there is nothing to PB, you won't be tempted to do it. Go back and think about physical hunger versus head hunger and be mindful of everything you put in your mouth. Note the taste, the texture and chew, chew chew before you swallow. I'm so sorry you're dealing with this but admitting you are having this issue is a very big first step. I hope you are feeling better soon. Please keep us updated.

I had the same issue when I was first banded, so it's a little different. I think your esophogas is really inflamed. Try your best to do liquids for just 1 day. If you can't do that, just eat really mushed up foods in teeny tiny bites. IE the tuna you had? Try it without the bread and eat it with a shrimp fork. It might go down better. BUT you would be better off with just liquids. If the Prilosec won't stay down, try to dissolve it in some Water maybe? Call the pharmacist and see what he/she says. I hope you have called your doctor to get an x-ray too. You'll get better. You just have to try to break this cycle. Have you tried to talk to a therapist? I was bulimic as a teenager and you're doing the exact same thing I did only it's MORE dangerous now because you can have that band slip or erode. It's a very difficult habit to break but you MUST break it. I'm praying for you. I hope you feel better soon.

Tracy - your surgery was today right? When you're feeling better, try to post and let us know how you're feeling. Good luck and welcome to BandLand!

I had some complications (lots of swelling - couldn't get anything in) but I felt fine. I was tired for about a week but as far as pain goes - by day 3 I was off all meds and comfortable. HOWEVER, everyone is different and you should take as much time as you can. If you work a traditional M-F type of week, try to schedule your surgery on a Wed, Thurs or Fri so that you have the weekend as well as your 4 days (6 in total) to get your energy up. Good luck!

It's TOTALLY normal to feel that way. I posted a panic stricken post before my surgery - I was a mess. I was nervous going to the hospital and lying in bed waiting for the anesthesiologist to come talk to me. BUT, I told him how nervous I was, he gave me GOOD drugs and I was fine. I remember falling asleep and then waking up as they were moving me to the OR. I remember saying "Wow, it's cold in here" and then I remember waking up in the recovery room with very little pain and great sense of relief and excitement. I'm almost a month post op and, even though I had some complications at first, I would do it again in a second. Down 29 lbs and I'm starting to feel like me again. You will do GREAT. Although it's normal to think of all the "what if?" stuff, you need to know you are in good hands and no one will let you get hurt. This is the beginning of a new life for you, try to embrace the joy in that. Understand though, it's perfectly normal to be nervous - pretty much everyone is. You'll get through this with flying colors. Keep us updated and let us know how you're doing

I do get tachy, it's sort of random for me. I was just banded 3 weeks ago. Was tachy in the hospital and occasionally post op. Down 25 lbs hasn't really changed anything. I think it's related to my estrogen levels (post hysterectomy) but no one has really figured it out.