Dave_NW

As far as I know, Alex, the site owner, is the only Moderator of this VERY busy website. I'd cut the guy some slack - since it's free for Users, he probably has a "real" job to pay his bills. I've found him to be very interested in keeping things running, but nothing about this site is instant or perfect. And one or two spam posts per week for a site like this is nothing. I subscribe to other sites that get dozens of spam posts per day. One thing you (and everyone) can do when you find a spam post is click the "Report" link on the bottom left corner of the post window. There's a yellow triangle icon. Just put the word "Spammer" in the reply window, and send it off. Alex has replied to me several times, thanking me for reporting the spammer to him. The spam post then disappears. Dave

Good to know there are options. I suspect the reason they didn't give you much fill is so you'll come back for more. Dave

You guys are all lucky. I have THIRTEEN! During my band sugery they also did a hiatal hernia and a ventral hernia (umbilical) repair. So in addition to all the band scars I have the rest from where they did what else they had to do. When I was in recovery in the hospital the doctors and night interns kept coming in and opening up my bandages to count my incision sites. It happened like six times with different groups of doctors and interns, like I was some sort of carnival ride... It's been seven and a half months since surgery, and all of my scars are faded and hard to see. Even the port scar is fading nicely. I don't even think about them anymore. But then, my days of being an underwear model are behind me... LOL! Dave

I'm happy to hear you've managed to resolve your issues, and that you seem to be generally content these days. In your case, the band may not have been the answer you needed. As has been discussed here many times, the band is not a magic bullet - it's a tool to assist in your weight loss. People who have an expectation that the band will solve their bigger life problems are generally going to be disappointed when things don't go as they expect. Just as the band won't stop someone from overeating or eating badly, there is a certain amount of responsibility the person needs to take for management of their day-to-day banded life. I've said any number of times that the band is not for everyone. I happen to be someone for whom the band WAS the right choice. But I didn't have other crises in my life that required a separate amount of work to resolve. I just needed help wth managing my food intake. The rest has taken care of itself. I've had what I consider outstanding success with my band, and I'm delighted to have had the surgery. Going forward, i wish you nothing but a lifetime of happiness. Life sucks sometimes, but it sounds like you've gotten yours sorted out. Good luck! Dave

I think this is the core of the problem: You expect the band should PREVENT you from overeating. It won't. When properly adjusted, the band dims your appetite. The rest is up to you. If you eat right, you will feel full AND BE SATISFIED on a smaller amount of food. And you WILL NOT BE HUNGRY till several hours later. But to get there, you need to have enough fill in your band to achieve proper restriction. That sort of restriction is when pressure is put on the vagus nerve, which dims your appetite. If you want to eat a few Oreos once in awhile, your band won't stop you, and it's not enough calories to make a difference. Just plan them into your daily eating plan. No biggie. Just don't do it all the time. In your several posts above you didn't say how much Fluid is in your band. If you were just banded in April, and assuming the next six weeks was about healing, you wouldn't have likely been called in for a fill till late May at the earliest. Assuming a month between fills, then you've only had one more at the most, and you say you're due again in August. So with only two fills, it's very likely you are nowhere near filled enough to achieve proper restriction. No wonder you're still hungry. I was banded in December, and didn't achieve full restriction until five months later, after five fills. So hang in there. You're on an excellent track, but your expectations are getting ahead of your calendar. Don't be frustrated. Be energized to know you're heading in the right direction, and as the weight goes away, it's never going to come back. That's an awesome feeling. As a little incentive, read this link. It'll explain what you're feeling, what the band is supposed to do, and hopefully will tell you the information you need to know, but haven't been told: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html Good luck! Dave

Something's haywire. I'll bet if you go back and ask your surgeon, you'll find out they said (or meant) 3 OUNCES of Protein, not three BITES of food, per meal. Three bites is just crazy talk. I eat around a cup to a cup and a half per meal, depending on what it is. Today is a light food day for me, but here's what I've eaten today: Breakfast: RTD Premier Nutrition chocolate shake. 160 calories, 30g protein. Snack: Half of a "Naked" Breakfast sandwich. That's a fried egg, slice of cheese, and breakfast sausage patty, but no English muffin. Half is about 150 calories, and has about 20g protein. Lunch: Small serving of Wendy's chili. 220 calories, 17g protein. Dinner: Half-sized Wendy's berry Almond chicken salad. 270 calories, 21g protein. beverages have been coffee, iced tea, and lots of Water. Total for the day: 800 calories, and 88g protein. Easy. And if I need a snack later this evening, I'll probably have yogurt, or maybe a cheese stick or two. I still have room in my daily count, so even if I have both, I'm still well under 1200 calories for the day. Dave

Absolutely! I may be getting older, but I don't have to grow up! Dave

I do 45 minutes to an hour of fat-burn or cardio type exercise at the gym four or five days a week, during my work week. If I do weight training I leave a days' rest between workouts. And since I'm active in other ways on weekends, I tend to take weekends off from the gym. But I find as I lose more weight, I'm just naturally more and more active. It's awesome! Dave

Larraine, that post you replied to is two and a half years old. But your point is well taken. I'm 57 and have lost over 100 pounds in seven months. As we all know, banding is a mechanical thing, not a wishful-thinking thing. It will work if the person works it like the tool that it is. Dave

You have incomplete, and slightly incorrect information. Your band will NOT stop you from overeating, nor from eating badly. You have to make proper choices, and manage how your band responds to how you conduct your day to day life. Read this link for the rest of the story: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html You need to evaluate exactly what you're doing (or not doing) and focus on making the right choices. The weight loss WILL happen, if you do things right. Good luck! Dave

Isn't that strange. I eat eggs all the time, in all forms, and I have absolutely no problem. Dave

If you only have another 50 or so pounds to lose, getting sleeved at this point would be overkill. Your band is working for you, so stay the course, re-focus your efforts, and let it do its job. If anything, you may want to look into getting counseling for your food issues - from what you said about still being a fat girl and being so quick to eat more and cheat and such, you may have some food or image issues you may want to see about resolving. (Not judging, just offering ideas.) I originally wanted to get sleeved because I didn't want to be responsible for my own weight loss. I'd hear how much easier it is for sleevers to lose weight, and how much more weight they lose, compared to bandsters. I heard all the BS about how band patients only lose around 50% or their excess weight, and so forth. Now as a bandster, I've lost over a hundred pounds in just seven months. Say what??? How did that happen? Oh yeah, I worked WITH my band, and we did it together - one pound at a time. Looking back, I'm glad my insurance wouldn't pay for me to be sleeved. Where I am now is a much better place, and I'm excited about my future. Good luck! Dave

I recently ordered a custom-made pendant from these people: http://www.stickyj.com/ I got item AX3023, a narrow, shiny stainless steel dog-tag style with the Medic Alert symbol on one side, and three lines of engraved text on the other: "Lap Band Patient" "No blind NG tubes" and "Penicillin Allergy" (All text was without the quotes) I figured I'd cover all the bases. They were great to deal with, excellent communication, very fast order processing and shipment, and very good quality workmanship on the piece. They have lots of designs to choose from, or you can make something custom just for you. I gladly recommend them, and I'd definitely order from them again. Dave

Productive Burping. A belch with food in it. Not the same as vomiting, since the food never made it through the band. If you get stuck after swallowing too large of a bite, or whatever, and you force yourself to regurgitate it back up, it's a PB. Dave

My family, friends, and coworkers have honestly tried to be supportive, but they're not exactly sure how to do that. Support can mean "I understand you have a band, and I support you in your weight loss." But it can stop with that. Foods they eat is a totally different matter. The first time I got invited over to a close friend's for a holiday party shortly after I was banded, he was noticeably uncomfortable, and said, "What can I make for you to eat?" There was already a table full of food for other guests, but he wanted to make something special just for me. Nice guy. I told him not to worry, that I'd find something that worked for me. I browsed my way around the table and made a few choices that worked, but generaly I did without. He felt really bad for me, till I told him I wasn't really that hungry anyway, and to stop worrying. Over the next few invites it got easier, and now it's not even mentioned. (They entertain a lot.) I go, I eat what fits, or I don't. Not a big deal. For me, the best kind of support can be not making a big deal of it. Coworkers are the worst. We eat lunch together in a cafeteria, and they pack it in every day, while I'm sitting there was my salad or cup of chili or whatever. After the first few weeks they stopped asking if I wanted a bite of their food, or "Is that all you're going to eat?" We just each have our own meals. I focus on the conversation, and make the food a non-event. I do tend to leave the table sooner than them, after I'm done eating, but they're still packing it away. They can finish their meals without me sitting there twiddling my thumbs. Note that these are the same overweight people who are raving over my weight loss now that I've lost a fair amount. One person is asking me about banding, and how she can get it. She's asked me to talk with her husband about it, since he's on board, now that he's watched me lose. So it's been a good example for them. You may never be able to get your closest support people to change their attitudes, but you may notice they may tend to eat the worst junk out of your presence. Support comes in a lot of different modes. And basically, you just have to follow your own plan, and let them deal with their own lives. You have the band, not them, right? Good luck! Dave

That's a tough one. Maybe Cereal? Fruit? Side(s) of bacon or sausage? Try having them make a "skillet scramble" but without eggs? (Not sure exactly how that would work, but it's worth a shot.) Even though you aren't an egg fan, what about a quiche? Good luck! And be sure to let us know what you end up with. Dave

That's good to know. But Bellingham is in northWEST Washington, about 90 miles due north of Seattle, almost to the Canadian border. Dave

I drank RTD MML for a long time, then switched to RTD Premier Nutrition shakes because I prefer the taste. Even though the MML shakes have a little more Protein per ounce, I like Premier brand better, and the cost is similar enough not to be an issue. (I get mine at costco, but they're sold elsewhere, including the Premier website www.premiernutrion.com.) I spend so much less on food these days, the price of RTD shakes is nothing for me to worry about. Heck, i used to spend twice or three times as much as a case of RTD shakes every week just at the pizza store... Dave

I think the surgeon you dealt with was correct, to a point, but they didn't take it far enough. Yes, bypass patients tend to lose more weight initially, but over time, bandsters can catch up to them. Bandsters tend to lose slower, but they have more control, and can more easily manage things. If you want to take control over your life, banding is a perfectly valid option. Because it's a mechanical device, YOU are in control of your results. Initially I wanted to have the sleeve, because I'm basically lazy, and I wanted it to do all the work. I figured I could lay around and eat junk food all day and still get magically skinny. (I know it's not that simple, but at the time, that was my train of thought.) Reality set in when my insurance said they only pay for sleeve surgery if it's done at a military hospital, which isn't convenient for me. So I was left with a choice of either band or bypass. I attended a support group held by a bariatric surgeon, and everyone in the room was a bypass patient. They were all seriously heavier than I was, and each had 200 pounds or more to lose. Even taking it to extreme, I couldn't see myself losing more than 150 pounds, and more likely around 125. These people were so nice, and very forthcoming with their advice, but they all (but one) seemed to be struggling with being post-op bypass patients. They told horror stories about vomiting and gastric issues and dumping and emergency hospital stays and revision surgeries and all the medical followups they needed, and so on and such, until I knew it just wasn't for me. (The one person who was doing well was several years post-op, and looked like a rake. She was too thin - a major triathlete who felt she looked amazing. I didn't think so. But even she had lots of stories to tell about how hard her journey had been.) So I turned around and explored getting the band. I liked that they don't cut up and reroute my guts. I like that it's reversible, removable, and doesn't involve cutting anything out. I knew it would take more work, but I felt I was up to the challenge, and I knew that if there was a problem, i could have it addressed, and not leave my insides in some crippled state. So I had band surgery. After I was fully healed, I have never looked back. I'm one of those who has lost over a hundred pounds, and I'm within sight of my adjusted goal weight of 195. I feel and look years younger. I have all the energy my job requires, and I'ev had zero health issues. This decision, for me, was the best thing I have ever done for myself. (And I've done a lot of things for myself over the years... ) My advice: If you feel the band is the right choice for you, go ahead and have the surgery. Don't worry about what others think or say - this is about YOU, and nobody else. My ONLY regret about having the band surgery was that I wasted all those years before making a choice. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Good luck! Dave

It sounds like you're starting from a good place. But be very aware that the band will NOT stop you from overeating, or making bad food choices. If you have any sort of food addiction, the band will not correct that. All the band will do (when properly adjusted) is dim your appetite, allowing you to use your willpower and common sense to make smart food choices, and limit your food portions because you won't be hungry all the time. If you want to eat badly, or too often, you can still do that. You should read this link: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html Dave

The sort of things you want to research are things like what exactly the band does, where it's placed, how it works, what do you need to do to be successful with it, surgery risks and health factors, who is a good surgeon in your area, followup care, the costs involved, dietary guidelines needed, lifestyle and behavioral changes you need to make, weightloss expectations, possible complications, and that's just for starters. Just wanting to lose 100 pounds isn't enough. The band is not a magic bullet, and it will not do the work for you. You need to be able to work it like a tool, so you'll get the best results from it. Faiilure comes from not knowing what to expect and how to live with the band. From what I've seen, the people who have the most trouble are those who have done the least research, so have unrealistic expectations post-surgery. Dave

Well, Mike, I can tell you that in my case, starting at those same stats, I've gone from "Hey Big Guy" and such to "Hey Skinny!" and similar. It's not exactly flattering either. But it hasn't worn completely thin (so to speak) as yet. I still smile and try to be nice, but it's the same few people who ALWAYS say it, and it's kind of annoying. I've thought of replying with things like "Hey Ugly B*tch" or "Hey Stupid Jerk" but that would be rude. LOL! Dave

Welcome to the Forums! Always good to see another guy around here. It's good that you're questioning things. Do your research, make sure you know exactly what to expect, and that you have realistic goals. If you decide it's the right thing to do, go for it. When I got my band last December I was ready for it - previously I doubt I'd have done so well because I wasn't ready to make the life changes a successful bandster needs to make. But now, over a hundred pounds lighter in just seven months - man, it's like I'm a completely different person. My only regret about banding was that I didn't do this for myself years ago. But I'm really happy I did it now. Good luck! Dave

Thee-O, you typed a mouthful. I could have written the same post, because my experience has been exactly the same as yours. Wait a bit longer until you have full restriction - your attitude will get even stronger about your band. And when you're nearing your goal, you'll be jazzed like never before. That tool will sing for you, if you manage it right. The reason you dropped your "White Devils" is because banding broke your sugar cycle. Each of those items feeds into the sugar load you put into your system every day, and when you were on the liquid diet either before or after banding, healing from your surgery, that sugar addiction went away. After you got back on solid food, sugar didn't have the control over you it once did. I find nowadays, if I eat a sugary food, it makes me uncomfortable bordering on nausea. I don't miss sugars at all. Best of luck going forward, and i look forward to hearing great things from you. Dave

I go to Swedish Hospital in Seattle. That's where I had my surgery, and their staff is excellent. Dave