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"I do have an issue if the fetus has any chance of life outside the womb to be disposed of. Who are we to play God and say a baby only has a 1 in 4 chance to survive, so they don't get the chance." I agree. However, the difference between us, is I am pro-choice. I have stated in another thread, though, that once the fetus is biologically capable of living outside the womb, the choice is now taken from the mother, except in cases of danger to the mother. I consider conception as the "potential for life" not as life itself. If not, then I am a murderer, as my wife and I had multiple embryos created for IVF, and not all of those were allowed to grow. Of course, not all of the embryos that were implanted grew either, so I guess they weren't part of the "plan" either...oops gone into TMI land again. :frown: Met another mother who had two embryos implanted, and both split, and she had two sets of identical twins...talk about getting your money's worth!!

no and i really wish there was. even my food log has it in their activity section (2 settings i believe, passive and active :biggrin:) i've actually forgotten to take it off a couple of times when just bottoms were removed (way tmi - sorry) and the cals per minute burn was interesting. not as much as i thought it would be. i told DH if i didnt go work out, he'd have to help me out ...

Quick question... When I wear the armband all night long, my energy expenditures are higher, vs. when I take it off. However, I have only had my bugg for a week or so, so I have no idea if this is because of me not wearing it at night, or due to my body burning a different amount of calories each day. Any ideas? Also, TMI! Is there an activity category for SEX? Seriously! I couldn't find anything in there. I mean doing it for an hour has GOT to make a difference --- and it isn't fun wearing one while doing it so I need to go in and manually enter the calories myself.

Weight-loss surgery, band-specific, and general medical terms: PB: "productive burp" -- what happens when something eaten can't go down due to restriction has to come back up NSV: Non-scale victory -- a weight-loss achievement that has little to do with numbers WLS: Weight-loss surgery MO: Morbid Obesity (or morbidly obese) BMI: Body Mass Index GBP: Gastric bypass surgery RNY: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (the most popular type of bariatric surgery) DS: Duodenal switch (another type of bariatric surgery) BP: blood pressure PCP: Primary care physician GP: General practitioner NP: Nurse practitioner PA: Physician's assistant BC: Birth control (or BCP: birth-control pills) OTC: Over the counter (i.e., non-prescription medications) NSAIDS: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (a class of painkillers--which includes ibuprofen--bandsters should try to avoid because they can add to ulcer risk). AF: "Aunt Flo" -- menstrual period GERD: Gastro-esophageal reflux disease #/#/# in signatures: weight pre-surgery/current weight/goal weight And some general abbreviations used here and elsewhere on the web, not related to banding or weight loss: LBT: LapBandTalk.com -- this wonderful place on the web! OH: Obesityhelp.com -- another support site, with message forums BIL, SIL, ILs: Brother-in-law, sister-in-law, in-laws BTW: By the way DH: darling (or dear, or danged, or use your imagination) husband DW: darling... wife DD, DS: darling... daughter, son IMHO: In my humble opinion (and its cousin, IMNSHO: in my not so humble opinion) IIRC: If I recall correctly ISO: In search of LOL: laugh out loud OMG: Oh my God OT: Off-topic ROTFLMAO: Rolling on the floor laughing my a** off! TMI: Too much information WRT: With regard to WTF: What the f...? WTG: Way to go! YMMV: Your mileage may vary

Thanks. I can see a difference now! Feeling good and DH is getting downright frisky! TMI.... sorry!

What sad, sad stories. I am humbled by your strength and determination. Some of you guys have every reason to be angry and negative, but it seems that you have overcome that and have done wonderful things with your lives. I applaud you--not just for your lap band decisions, but for overcoming the demons of your childhoods and making the world a better place. Thank you for sharing such personal stories. My life's not so dramatic. Been dieting since I was 7. Used legal ampetamines in the '70s which was a wonderful way to lose weight and feel good. I went over 200 with my first pregnancy and stayed there afterwards. I did lose over 100 pounds and went through a severe depression 15 years ago, but gained all that back plus thanks to Prozac. My parents are both heavy people, and I have one sister who is bigger than me, but happily, she is in the process of getting a band too. While I was in denial about how fat I was, I do not see myself any differently today than I did 6 months ago. Last night I was surprised when I squeezed between other people's chairs in the resturant--there was plenty of room. The other wierd thing this week was how I noticed that the band that holds my name tag around my neck is longer and my name tag no longer bounces off my stomach when I walk. (Got to "wear it daily"). The point is that my instinct was that the band was longer--not that my stomach doesn't stick out in front of me as much. Warning, TMI: I'm still having a rough time. While I did have 0.3ml's of the 0.5ml fill removed, I still can't sleep if I eat anything after noon. Last night I had 1/2 cup of chicken noodle soup and a few, tiny bites of my husband's lasagna--mostly melted cheese and sauce--no pasta--at 5 pm. I was fine until I went to bed. Then I started refluxing again and that went on all night. It just happens--no golf ball pain, no feeling of having eaten too much--just a lot of slime and a little gastric juice--all night long. Thankfully it's Satruday. I'm going to just have liquids this morning and nothing after noon. Hopefully I can get some sleep tonight. Thank you again Lucky 7's and moderators for providing this fourm. I love you guys!

thank you gals for your input. i asked my band doctor about it yesterday. they said to get a test, but that some people are usually late like once. i said "late once...it is january and i haven't had a period since october...i've missed november, december's, and now january's. not to mention the one in october lasted for 4 hours. lol. as far as symptoms, let me just say that i have gotten the worse acne in the world. it's starting to clear up now, but it's all over my face and my chest even...my back...gross!!!! band doctor said the anestesia can cause that, but at this point it is my hormones and not the anestesia. and i have had tingly nipples. i know tmi, but the only other time in my life i had tingly nipples was when i was pregnant. please let me know if any of you get tingly nipples with pms. also, i have not had any side cramping at all, but i have had some center lower abdomen cramping, which is not usual for me. and of course, i'm tired, but that is nothing new. i don't think pregnancy symptoms are real common in the beginning anyways. with my last pregnancy i didn't know i was pregnant until i was almost 4 months. if i am pregnant now, then it looks like that will be the case again. i made an appointment with a ob/gyn (i usually just go to my pcp) for feb 4, but i go to my pcp this afternoon for a blood test. i will let you guys know the results. it's probably just crazy hormone's.

Diane---my life lately seems to go from one saga to the next---so it is a joke! I can barely string 2 words together let alone write a book that anyone would want to read!!! As for the hiccups....if I pay VERY close attention, my nose will get sniffly, and then if I take another bite or 2, I hiccup, if I don't stop---it is a PB waiting to happen! So it is a stop signal for me too. I eat similar amounts to what Mandy was saying. I can eat like half a sandwich or a taco....something in that range. I cannot eat much pasta---it fills me up VERY fast---1/4 to 1/2 cup full and I am done! Kids meals are ideal at fast food, I find myself ordering a lot of things on the sides menus...ala carte. Or Rick and I will order and appetizer, and then share a main course. People worry a lot about eating out, and it has never been an issue with me! hair loss for me started about 4 months out and lasted until close to a year, and was severe!!! It was scary! It has however since began growing back, it is not as long as the rest of my hair, I am hoping soon to meet somewhere in the middle!! I am not brave enough to cut it off short like Mandy did!! I tried all the bioten, and nioxin shampoos, and a shampoo from the beauty supply called Folicure---nothing made a difference. Finally I decided my Pantene made what hair I had left feel the best, and thought maybe stressing over it was making it worse. I have lost all my hair before with chemo---so I thought maybe that made me predisposed to losing it. When I lost it with chemo, it was straight and blonde when I lost it, when it grew back in it was darker and curly. This time around what is growing back in appears to be the same hair color and texture as before. I kept my Protein up, and made sure to change up and eat good fats, nothing seemed to make a difference. BUT it is temporary, and will grow back. Mandy is right though watch your drains, and also watch the beater bar on your vaccuum, I almost burned ours up it clogged up with long hair!! My port is up pretty high,and is a low profile -- it has never bothered me much during exercise. I have to be careful when I reach over the tailgate of our truck, it hits me everytime! And while it might be TMI, sometimes it is uncomfortable during sex! So we move! But muscle movement has never made it hurt at all, just rubbing against it, or smacking it ---like when I am hauling wood, or doing some other stupid thing---the latest, loading a cow into the chute, I dropped the branding bar into it---I was worried I really hurt it then--- I bruised and everything!!! But it is all good now! Think it means I should not brand any more cows---don't you think??? Pat hope today took you forward---sometimes the 3rd day is a hard one.. check in when you can!!! Hugs to all my girls!! Kat

OMGGGGGGG!!!! I FINALLY got back into the thread. I have been lost trying for 2 days to get in. I missed you all and felt like I was going through withdrawl. I don't post everyday but I do read posts everyday and 2 days with nothing about killed me. LOL AAAAHHHH now I can relax and reply. Lindaa- that is reflux. I have had that every since I was 16-17 years old. When I got my second fill it tightened up the 2nd day and then when I would bend over if I had drank anything within the hour or hour and a half before it would come pouring out of my mouth like pouring tea from a tea pot. LOL Be careful with the reflux though because if it persists you may need some of the fill removed. My doc told me reflux can cause esophagus (sp?) dilation or scar tissue in the esophagus and we could lose our bands because of that. I am sooooo close to onederland!!! 200.4 but I started an flow today (sorry for TMI) I am thinking that I will drop now that the time of month has arrived and will be moving along in a few days. Belive me you will all hear it once I hit onederland!!! This will be the first (and honestly only) place that will know!!! I don't talk about my weight much with anyone else. Many people ask how much I have lost and I just tell them not enough. I have this thing that if I tell them how much I have really lost they will look at me and think "OMG she was huge!!! She still has to lose even after losing that amount!" I know that sounds nuts. I know that I was fat (fatter than now) but I just don't want others to know just how fat I was. Sound crazy?

Hi Melinda. I have the APS band as well. I'm doing pretty well weight-loss wise: 23.5 pounds since my surgery on December 17th. I've kind of hit a stall this week, which I'm hoping is attributed to my monthly visitor and a lack of BMs (sorry if that's TMI!). I've noticed that I can eat a lot more as time goes by (I'm still sticking with the 1/2-3/4 of a cup per meal even though I feel like I can eat a whole lot more!).

Mine got really inflamed and smelly (I know TMI) about 6wks ago. I cleaned and rinsed it really good in the shower then took a q-tip with Neosporin on it and dabbed it in there with that. It was gone in a couple days.

Pamela----IMHO, if you are not planning to have a child...HYSTERECTOMY!!!!!!!!!!! It would be a serious toss up which surgery I am most thankful for, it or my band, and y'all know how much I love my band!!! I wish I had forced the issue when I first began having problems and abnormal paps. But they balked, and wham then I ended up with the seriously bad testing and found out I had cancer! I wish I had done it years before, and saved myself the Dx and all it entailed....the fears, and the chemo.... I was not planning any more kids, I was done with the plumbing! I have not had issues with lack of hormone, that cannot be easily addressed. Way TMI for the forum--but PM me if you want!!! Feel better girls---so sorry you feel crummy!! Kat

Sweet - girl that would have me burping up a storm! I take a small sip of someones soda every once in a while - just cause I miss the fizzy - and oh man watch out cuz I'll be burping for an hour. My dd says it really grosses her out - my burps stink - lol tmi! I figure if you can tolerate it why not? I really miss the fountain soda - :eek: not all the time but every now and then I wish I could tolerate it. I walked! None of the running 40 minutes stuff like our sweethot girl but I got my butt outside and went a mile. You should have seen the dogs - my shi tzu's - I put these little red booties on them, they did the "wth's on my feet" dance. It was a very nice invigorating walk. I think I might just do another when I get home.

Before the band, I was the vomit queen....no I wasn't bulemic. I was able to vomit at will. If something didn't sit right, get it out. That was my motto. I hate to have something in my stomach that makes me nauseas. Also pre-menstrual came with vomiting in the morning ( I know I'm on the verge of TMI); but I have not vomitted since I got the band. I have dry heaved during one of my pre-menstrual episodes and after I ate 2 McDonalds Chicken Mcnuggets ... So...all that to say, You are not alone.

Ok, a good thing about this board has always been accountability for me. So, since Melissa asked....I didn't start "training" on Wednesday because my period started and I had cramps and I capitalized on having an excuse NOT to exercise... I did ride my stationery bike for 30 minutes last night and I walked 6 1/2 miles by the lake today. I did some jogging "spurts" and boy, were my lungs burning! I think I still had some leftover phlegm from my sickness last month, cuz I was coughing it up(Sorry! TMI, I know!) Anyhoooo, I have been good about water and vitamins. I wish I had a treadmill instead of a bike. That would help me because one of my big issues is being self-conscious about running in public. I realized I need some new shoes too. Ok, no more excuses. I will get serious this week. Thanks for letting me rant. Have a good week!

I do MOM once a week. For some reason, (TMI) it feels like I'm "stuck" down there - once I do the MOM, within 3-4 hours I'm going and I'm able to go for a few days without any problems. I drink lots of Water, so I have no idea why this happens.

Hi all. Guess I will post my before pics too. Nina, no offense here for sure. As for the 1 inch per 30 pounds, not sure about that particular ratio, but if its not TMI, I can sure tell the difference and am quite happy about it

Hello all. I am feeling so down today. I was banded the 28th of Dec and I am into my third week. I am on soft foods and VERY glad I am done with liquids. It is just so hard to make your family dinner and watch them eat when I am hungry and have to eat something completely different. I guess I am just tired of soups and I don't really care for fish but I am eating it for the protein. I have lost about 15 lbs and I am soooo happy about that but I miss eating. Does that make sense? I do eat bfast, lunch and dinner but it is such small portions to keep my calories down. Within 10 mins of me eating I am still hungry. Is that normal? Is that because I do not have a fill? Will that change when I finally get a fill? To top it off I am PMSing soooo bad. I am a couple of days late (sorry tmi) and so I feel even moodier. I am also way more hungry because of that. (No I am not pg, can't happen!). I think I am late because of the surgery. I am sure I will feel better after Aunt Flo shows but I just need to vent. Thanks for listening!

Just imagine what a HUGE difference it will make when it is gone though hon, you are going to be tiny!!!! I have seen some of your other pics and you have got really slim legs and hips, you are going to look bl**dy amazing afterwards hon.I cant wait to see you smiling even more in your afters. Do you think it was TMI to put the one from the back on? I can take it down if anyone is offended.

I had shrimp today.. TMI ahead? When I was first banded I tried just chewing well... I took a piece of "chewed shrimp" out of my mouth.. it was "strung together".. but well chewed. I do make sure that I not only chew well, but separate the tiny pieces (with my tongue) from the "stringy" fibers that tends to keep them "attached". Good luck.

Yes it is over the counter. The over the counter brand is called Alli 60mg. To get the 120mg you have to have a perscription. WOAH, it is not fun. WARNING: Orange oil leakage from your rear! Don't even try to pass gas while taking it cuz it will be a mess. Took it both pre and post band. Didn't really have an effect on weight loss either way. To much trouble for what it is worth in my opinion. And I second what Miper said. It does ruin your clothes and if it goes thru your clothes onto the chair you are sitting in, it ruins that too! If you are going to try it, I would suggest getting depends. Not just the panty liners, the whole underware. It ruined so many pairs of my underware. I had a grilled chicken salad with fat free ranch dressing and 15mins later orange gooo was running down my leg. I know that is TMI, but I just want you to know what you are getting into ahead of time! Too bad they don't make those cloth diaper covers for adults. You know, the plastic panty covers for babies....or do they?

Neal - Do I do that? Do I ever stop doing that!!!! LOL I am getting obsessive about it :tongue: It may be TMI for you but I have heard that when they do a blokes version of a mons lift, it has a very positive effect on the outward apperance of the willy! Just thought you would want to know I had my consult and booked the surgery in October, and it seemed like a lfetime away, but I must say it has rocketed! I cannot belive that on Tuesday i am flying out for my pre-op and final consult, I hope he isnt disappointed in me, I saw him 2 weeks before I had the band fitted and I was so cocky, I really thought that I would have lost 30/40lb now, of course I hadnt reckoned on bandster hell and the lack of proper restriction! I am getting another fill while I am in Lyon so I hope ( fingers crossed) that I can lose another 10lb between now and surgery! I am getting my daughter to take some before pictures for me,but the only person that has any pre-band pictures is my PS as he took a load last time I was there. I will try to get a copy of them off him to spur me on!

LJM: hope that fill does the trick and helps you get where you want to be before surgery. But, keep in mind that right now it's more important to maintain your muscle mass than it is to lose fat, so keep up the protein! Thanks for the tip on Old Navy. I love drawstring pants anyway, and that sounds like quite a deal. Nina, I plan to get just one extra set of support garments. I sent a letter to my surgeon with a bunch of questions, and one was what type of support garments he recommends, how much they cost through him, and whether I can buy them separately. I have a feeling they are probably much cheaper online. Has anyone checked out eBay? They are so expensive, and frankly, once you're done with them, you're DONE with them, ya know? Also, I gotta mention to you that I've eaten tons and tons of one-pot dishes, chilis, Soups, and it hasn't hindered my weight loss in the least. I keep everything healthy and low-fat. I honestly think if you focus too much on eating plain/dry meat and veggies that it will ultimately sabotage you because of the lack of variety. The best thing *for life* for all of us is to cook and enjoy healthy foods and stay away from restaurants, fast food, and pre-packaged/prepared foods! Here's my list of stuff to have on hand before surgery, compiled partly from the lists that LJM and I posted, and a few extras. Some of the things I already have on hand, but put them on the list to remind myself to have them accessible in my "recovery zone" (bed/recliner): List of important phone numbers, including surgeon's House phone and cell phone Remote control Gopher grabbing tool Books/magazines Medicines in liquid form and liquid measuring cup, including anti-nausea medicine such as Zofran Nutritional supplements including Vitamin C and Arnica Montana (helps w/ bruising/swelling) Stool softener and/or laxative Tylenol, chewable or liquid Timer or alarm for meds, check-off sheet for meds, chart to note drain contents Ice bags, heating pad Recommended wound cleansers, ointments, bandages and scar products Thermometer Extra set of compression garments and Spanx (or Assets from Target--cheaper!) PJs and/or track suits that open down the front Slipper socks and slip on shoes/clogs (I think I'm going to get a pair of those slip-on clog-style athletic shoes.) Tissues Laptop, Nintendo DS, plus cords iPod Wet wipes Head bands/pony tailers/scrunchies/bandannas Plenty of pillows, including a firm one to hold while coughing, and a wedge to elevate upper body in bed Rolled up pillow or blanket for under knees to ease lower back aches Pail or coffee can with lid (take in car for ride home in case of nausea!) Earplugs and eyemask Water, Crystal Light, and Green tea Soups, pudding, yogurt, Jello, fudgesicles, crackers, vanilla wafers, Protein drinks Moisturizer Pen and writing pad Flashlight Small trash can Camera with fresh batteries Hand mirror I wish I had a recliner with an push-button lift system. The one we have takes way too much arm strength to pull out the leg rest, and too much ab lifting to get up from the recline position. It was a struggle getting in and out of it after the lap band surgery, and that's a drop in the bucket compared to this surgery. I'm gonna have to think on the best alternative. I get a full Brazilian every couple of months anyway, so I'll probably get a touch up the week before surgery, unless the doc tells me otherwise (sorry Neal, TMI, I know!) Another note I made to myself is to make sure and take some pain med before getting the drains removed at the post-op appt. (Sorry this is so long, just trying to cover everything in one message!) Tami

I shouldnt think TOM will be a problem,do you (sorry in advance Neal) use tampons? If so I would think that other than you not being entirely happy about the situation,it wont be a problem. Lets face it I am fully expecting to have not a shred of dignity at any stage in the process!!! Oh dear I hadnt even thought about actually getting up off the toilet, oh noooo (TMI WARNING) how are we going to wipe our tushes???? Think of the twisting involved there!!! Thats a grim thought......LOL How come you are wearing the compression garment for so long?

Well, to be honest, .................... WARNING, TMI I woke up with "ROBERTA, YOUR SURGERY IS OVER" and a nurse sticking a suppository up my you-know-what!!! (hey! exit only!!). I don't recover well from anesthetic. I've been under the knife about seven times and I guess this is just the way my body handles the medication. I was very much out of it. I didn't have a "fun" stoned feeling, you know, "wow man, I feel goooooooodddd zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz" (god it's been YEARS since I felt like that! HA HAAA). First thing I felt was the pain around my sternum from where the port was placed. Soon after my chest started hurting...intense pressure and pain under my ribcage......it hurt to breathe .. they sat me up which helped a bit, but it didn't go away so they gave me some percocet (spelling??). It was quite painful until after the meds kicked in. The chest pain was really something. The port incision felt very raw. The narcotics made me breathe really shallow so I was in and out of consciousness and remember telling myself to not forget to breathe. I would say it took a good four hours post-op for me to be able to stand up on my own. The chest pains were reduced by about 50% by sitting and standing up. Then of course that night I got all hyper, just like my anesthesiologist warned me (something about the mixture of the anesthetic and another med they give to patients before they go under causes hyperactivity). Felt great, no pain. HTH