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OMG you ladies are soo chatty. I guess im normally in the mix so its not so bad lol. But sorry i couldnt read it all just scanned. Well i am sitting on a couch in a living room i look to my right and i see... THE GORGEOUS MALIBU OCEAN. OMG, ive seen dolphins, seals, fishermen lol a crab etc all out from my porch. I am sooo sad to have to leave!!! I am glad we got our reservation moved on us i love it!!! And ive taken a bath in a giant tub every night. So scale, um havent seen it, do i want to PROBABLY NOOOOOOOTTTTT... lol... soo bad. I had a cookie.. i know i know, whatever im on vacation. I have finally had salad. What is nice though is im not eating much, and even if i feel hungry i wont do it. So ive been good there. Drank all my water every day. JUst eating a lot of Lobster, Steak (yes goin down fine) and salads. Have stayed away from bread (lol cause of cookie) and no alcohol, yet. I have had soo much attn, people that saw me the end of Nov right before i started my diet the bride said omg you look like a diff person, ur gorgeous, and the groom couldnt stop noticing either lol. I have never had soo many "your gorgeous" compliments in my life. It was very nice:rolleyes: AND this guy totally flirted with me and we were talking about how i did it (you know eat nothing and work out ... lol)... I find even women act differently. The are more friendly i think. I had to buy a new dress yesterday cause mikes tux is lol get this PURPLE, lolololol oh my lol it is the funniest thing ever, his pants were capris, and size 40 (hes a 36) his vest couldnt button lol and the shirt chokes him... lolololol omg this is gonna be funny. But ok i went to pennys, and of course as you all know i was looking at L and XL and 16 and 18.. WELL Mike grabbed a dres that was 12/14 i was like "uh thats my pant size not dress size " hes all whatever try it on... so i did.. IT FIT, and looks AMAZING. Minus my bruised legs.. Anyone else dealing with bruises all over?? its getting old! I am ready for my fill, i used to think eh im fine, im ready for some restriction again. I cant eat more then a cup at a time total food, but i want a lil tighter. I havent pbed or vomited since being banded, just got stuck on that egg right afer my fill, so im thinking i have space... Hey tina i can carpool to the 25th....:cool: Sheena the 25th is our Fill appt, they do it as a group now. Ok ladies gotta go finish getting ready for the weddin... ill be home tomorrow and ill catch up again then:) Love ya all!!!!

I've never heard of a stoma spasm either and have never experienced anything like what you described, Apples. Hope I don't! I got a bit of a reprieve today. My parents were to arrive at 1005 this morning and I was to pick them up, take them to Grandma's, lunch etc. Well, Dad being a retired airline employee, they fly standby like me, and they are stranded still in Florida unable to get a flight. The earliest they will arrive now if they get the next one is 7pm tonight and my sisters are off work and they can pick them up since they are staying there the first week. Suddenly I have some free time today and DH just called and now I have a hot lunch date! Just Mickey D's but I'll take it! Gotta have my mcnuggets you know. Speaking of mcnuggets, I was so ticked at my DSIL they other day. She is a self appointed food police I guess. She likes to preach lots of more holistic type herbs, foods, etc. She's always on some new fad (but overweight). Anyhow some how the discussion got to fast food and how bad it is, and yes I agree but am not obsessive over it. I believe everything in moderation. I commented on how McD's McNuggets were my thing and addiction from before surgery and since surgery I have allowed myself mcnuggets each week as my 'off plan choice'. It's worked for me, I've lost 126 lbs doing it. Well......she asks if I heard what is in them. I said no and I don't want to know. She said you have to know. DD said no we don't (she takes after her mother and many times when we get nuggets we order a 10 pc and split it). She insisted on telling us anyway and is now always preaching at us to give them up. Granted, they aren't healthy, they probably have crap in them, but don't spoil my splurge. Is that the wrong attitude for me to have? I'm not a drug addict, alcohol, but I love my nuggets. I know a stupid food to have a thing for, but still, let me enjoy them. That's my thought. Once a week isn't going to hurt me.

Personally, I view this process in the same regards as a recovering alcoholic or drug addict. I don't think you should date or jump into a relationship until you are at least a year removed from surgery. You change as a person and aren't even sure who you are becoming for some time. Once you learn who you are and love yourself for it and all that you have been through, then you can let someone else in and you will figure out how to respond to them as you go. Why try and predict and worry about the future when it isn't here yet? One step at a time. This surgery doesn't just change what you eat. It affects every aspect of your life. Do not take it lightly.

Morning All! I had an unexpected business trip yesterday... travelling by train is just so civilized! Lots of legroom, and lots of coffee! (I got to travel first class....whoo hoo - one advantage of a late booking!). So although I spent in total about 6 hours on the train, I got to read a book, have a sleep, prepare for the meeting, and have (in the evening return) as much alcohol as I wanted - wine before dinner, wine with dinner, aperitif after dinnner.... So to catch up on the news: Ebony - Have a great vacation? Beth - How many gallons of vinegar have you gone through? Slim - $135 per person for a reunion?? Man, you'd really have to love your relatives to pay that!! Brandy - 'travel whore'? Or I would SO love to be able to be one....love to travel, but the money is an issue. She - YAY!! Can't wait to meet you! Fanny - Wish we could meet you, but I understand the priorities. We'll have a drink for you! Lu et al - yes we need to choose a date soon. Between vacation request deadlines, and figuring out the budget to afford a trip, we need lots of prep time! Have a safe wonderful memorable 4th of July all!!

OMG Gillian, that is so spooky - I paid the same as you (but mine was top back right!) and I thought the tooth fairy would visit too but the bag didn't:mad2: I have had lots of nurofen plus and vodka - although I must say was advised against the alcohol (I never listen). I had my first Christmas dinner on Sunday as my husband goes away to work tomorrow until 27th December (his 50th birthday!!) and I had been having a whale of a time - until my tooth broke that is :-( Never mind there is still plenty of time before the 27th Jan. Hope you are feeling better. TTYL T x

Wow as usual lots of posts since I was here last and I just dont have the time to read them all, so apologies to everyone. Bo Bo, thanx so much for the nice compliment, that was really nice of you. Carrie you look amazing, you are some babe now aintcha!!! Fatpants and Homecare great to hear from you both xxx Adcol, firstly...welcome good luck with you're trying for a baby when you've lost your weight. Actually I was looking at your profile and you're not really much overweight for your height are you. But why does it say you are going for your op in 1969? lol I had to read it 3 times, and it does say that lol. My daughter has a band and has been pregnant and so has Mmm's daughter, so plenty of info around. I went for a fill with freddyboy today, he is a sweetie, but he said he couldnt put back in the 3 he took out in early October, he put in 2 and a quarter, which I dont feel is enough. he told me to stay on liquids for 3 days, to give my body chance to get used to the restriction again. I have gained 4lbs according to his scales, but I have been bad since I came home from my hols, eating and drinking anything, though not big portions, must be the alcohol. If I need another fill, I'll have to wait until after Crimbo now, seems unfortunate that I have to cough up another 90 quid, cos I'm greedy. Maggs I'm waiting for the pics of the new baby btw lol. Soon kids xxxx

Terry, I can so relate to being an alcohol light weight now! I had 2 beers this weekend and went right to bed. Drinking just isn't fun anymore. I guess that is a good thing though!

Morning gang~ Janet.... you look AMAZING in those photos! WOWZERS! And regarding the Juniper Berries reference... are you telling me I can have gin?! LOL. Kidding. Back in 2001-2002 during my struggle with infertility and 10+ IVFs, I didn't have a sip of alcohol for two years. And ever since then really lost my taste for it. I will have one glass of wine on special occasions, but that's it. I am a cheap date these days! Really.. on vacation, DH was commenting how much less our bills are now that I am eating off the appetizer menu and he is eating less and no dessert! : ) Apples.... Happy Anniversary Baby, got you on my mind. <singing> Meredith, Meredith... you made me laugh and cry regarding the olives. You have no permanent damage my dear. : ) After all, we are only human! You are almost done! Keep up the good work!!! TOM is visiting AGAIN, darn it. And he's back with a vengeance and 9 days early! Actually had to cancel my gym today... feeling horrible, crampy and accidents. And of course I had my annual appt with the gyn for tomorrow but had to cancel b/c they can't do pap. Any of you menstruating women notice a change in your cycles after being banded and losing weight? My cycles are ALL over the place and crazy heavy! TMI I know. I had the 0.2cc put back in yesterday... and I know it's early to say, but I think I am either VERY close or at my sweet spot! Things going down well but feeling very satisfied after a small amount! yeah!!! Have a great day everyone! xoxo peas

OMG Charlene - That was WONDERFUL !!! It got me crying too (I am very emotional too - I cry at a pepsi commercial ;0) Apples - Sorry for the delay in Xmas - but you still will be having it - so that's what counts and you have your DH all to yourself for 3 days - and yes we know what you should be doing - but you would have to keep the house at 80 degrees - By the time everyone does arrive you will be full of energy for it all .. I too have worried about throwing up - but I can say I haven't had the stomach flu in 20 yrs (knock wood)- have had the other end but no throwing up - I have my lapband doc's cell phone # so if I did get sick to my stomach - I would call him and he could call in a script for me.. Julie - Here's and ugly Xmas tradition that I had when I was with my DS Dad - he would come home Xmas Eve and pick a fight - say he was leaving and I had to pack his crap and take him to his Mom's -- Christmas with him wasn't every very good.. Hugs on your loss - like someone said - we are never ready for death but at the holiday's it's just a little harder - I know my sis's dad died the day after xmas.. I think we all most likely have some bad crap that happens to us all - Sounds like both Deb & Cheri had dh's who drank - they went to alanon - to help them deal with the crap that we have w/pple in our lives who abuse drugs &/or alcohol I know that's why I went - I needed to talk w/others who have walked in my shoes - It's easy for us to give advice - but when you are smack in the middle of it - it's totally diff - you can't see the forest for the trees - and we think love will concur all - Cheri Hugs on the tooth issue - I love my dentist - but still hate the dentist ;0) Not fitting in - I always found that black pple accept white pple more than the other way around - My DS Dad was black - so as you said I have lived on the black side to - and I would say they were more accepting of me than the white side.. In fact I had a neighbor once and she was the older sister of a guy I went to school with - She use to watch DS when he was a toddler - We became Bff's - My DS calls her Auntie and I am Auntie to her kids - Her Mom & Dad have told me I am an adopted member of their family - When my bro died last yr and they came to the funeral - my DIL thought that Auntie Linda was DS Aunt on his Fathers side cuz she's black - I said nope - she's his Aunt on my side :0) The only real new freinds that I have are you guys and my #7's - But that's cuz I live in the same town where I was born - I have made good friends w/the pple I have worked with too - But I think some pple just click - My gf Candy who I met when I 1st started my job 30 yrs ago - heck we are like sisters. I think we all need pple like that in our lives - No Man is an Island - Great - I am glad you had a good day and are resting that knee ;0) LauraK - Did you get unfilled some?? Laura - Glad Nelson had a great early Xmas - they are so special at that age - to bad they have to grow up ;0).. Heck your weather is better than ours - it was 66 today with a little wind.. I don't remember my Stepmom being cold during Chemo but again - it's not as cold here as NC Eva - I hear you girl on the rain - heck 1/2 is almost flood conditions :0) Glad the soap & lotion fit in with your decor ;0) Well - I am off for the next 4 days - kids s/b here tomorrow around 10 p.m.ish - will hit the gym for carido in the a.m. - had gym tonite weights arms - think I will be sore in the next few days.. Gotta finish up my food shopping tomorrow and watch It's a Wonderful Life tomorrow night - Well the dogs need to be fed - who know who has posted since I started this 1 hr ago :0) Cbl

Yeah, I almost NEVER do this. I went to a party at ColoradoChick's last night, but I was very good with the alcohol. In 5 hours, I had one beer and a small glass of red wine, so it wasn't alcohol-induced. I figured it was more to do with the emotional week I had and my storming off the job calling my judge an effin' hypocrite. :thumbup:

{{$title = \IPS\Output::i()->title;}} {$title} Weight loss surgery is only a tool. It is a very powerful tool. It is a tool that has aided successful weight loss in many patients who were unable to lose weight with just diet and exercise. The key to making this tool work for you is to do your part. Before getting weight loss surgery: Understand that it's not a quick fix. Achieving your goal weight can take years, even if you have no complications Commit to the diet and other lifestyle changes that are necessary for weight loss and health Understand and accept the risks of bariatric surgery Carefully consider each weight loss surgery option and choose the one that is best for you. Contraindications: Who Shouldn't Get Weight Loss Surgery? Contraindications are conditions that prevent you from being a good candidate for weight loss surgery. They may make the procedure more dangerous or make you less likely to lose weight after surgery. General contraindications for weight loss surgery include: Alcohol abuse or drug dependence Uncontrolled psychiatric disorder, such as depression or schizophrenia Cardiopulmonary (heart and lung) disease that makes the surgery risky Barrett's esophagus or esophagitis Is Bariatric Surgery For Me? (Eligibility) Eligibility criteria are the requirements that you have to meet before you can get weight loss surgery. These are the standard criteria for all types of bariatric surgery.1 BMI at least 40 kg/m2 OR BMI at least 35 PLUS one or more serious obesity-related comorbidities such as severe sleep apnea, uncontrolled type 2 diabetes or heart disease OR obesity-related physical problems, such as joint pain or lack of mobility At least 100 pounds of excess body weight; that is, at least 100 pounds over a recommended BMI of 25 A history of failed diet attempts The knowledge that your obesity isn't caused by a metabolic disorder, such as hypothyroidism Age under 60 years old, although this isn't an absolute requirement.2 Bariatric surgery has been successful for many older patients, and individual surgeons can decide whether they think it is the right choice for you Age over 18 years old, although some adolescents can have success with bariatric surgery.3 Understanding that weight loss surgery is not an “obesity cure.” It is a tool for you to use, and your own actions greatly affect weight loss. Willingness to follow the required diet and attend post-surgery care appointments and support group sessions. Mechanick MD, Kushner RF…Dixon J. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, The Obesity Society, and American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery medical guidelines for clinical practice for the perioperative nutritional, metabolic, and nonsurgical support of the bariatric surgery patient. Obesity, 2009;17(S1):S3-72. Gagnon L, Sheff Karwacki EJ. Outcomes and complications after bariatric surgery. AJN. 2012;112(9):26-36. Kelleher DC, Merrill CT, Cottrell LT, Nadler EP, Burd RS. Recent National Trends in the Use of Adolescent Inpatient Bariatric Surgery: 2000 Through 2009. Arch Pedatr Adolesc Med, 2012;17:1-7. Which Surgery is Right For You? Certain surgeries are better or worse for certain candidates. For example: The adjustable gastric band (lap-band) is better for lower-BMI candidates The vertical sleeve gastrectomy is safer for higher-BMI candidates The BPD-DS (which starts with a partial gastrectomy) may be best for the highest-BMI candidates because of its combination of restriction and nutrient malabsorption The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is often recommended for candidates with a sweet tooth because the RYGB diet does not allow sweets Adolescents might opt for the lap-band because it is the least invasive The lap-band is adjustable, so women who become pregnant can reduce restriction and increase dietary intake to support the baby The lap-band is the least expensive surgery The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is most likely to be covered by insurance; sometimes, one or more of the other procedures are considered experimental and not reimbursable treatments for obesity

there are a few questions i need some help with. I'm sure some of you have had these questions 100 times, but my searches didnt come up with the results i was looking for. First of all, what EXACTLY is this "sliming" that i keep hearing about. Does it happen a lot? This sounds like a very negative side affect of having this surgery and doesnt seem too fun to me. Is this a once a year type of occurance, or a once a day or week type of occurance? What causes it? What exactly happens? Scars. Okay, i grew up on the beach. My town is on the beach and eventhough i've always been over-weight i have always spent a lot of time with my shirt off on the beach. Basically i dont want to go to the beach in the summer time and have a 5 or 6 huge scars on my stomach. I'm sure it will get really annoying if people i know keep asking me, "what are those scars on your stomach" all day long. Are some scars bigger than others? Will the scars completely dissappear? I have read that putting Vitamin E (i think) will help a lot, and that there are other lotions and what not you can help with the scars, but how much do they help? How long exactly does it take for the scars to almost completely heal? Who has spent time in the sun and got a tan with thier scars, and does a tan help cover up the scars somewhat? I have seen a thread on here all about people's scars, but i didnt see too many peopl's scars six monthes or so after their surgery, so if anyone has thier picture that would be good. alcohol and Soda. Okay, i drink. Not a lot, but i'm in college and i tend to go out with my friends once in awhile (every otherweek or so) and go to the bar. I have heard that the band restricts you enough to where you cant even really drink much pop, so i was wondering if this also happens with beer or if this is just completely a myth. If i choose to drink soda, how much can i drink at a time? If i choose to drink beer, how much can i drink at a time? Willl my stomach feel so full after drinking these that i wont be able to have more than one or two or something like that? What about mixed drinks? Vodka and cranberry or something like that, would that be better to drink while at the bar than beer? Hiccups. I heard somewhere hiccups are bad with the band. Is this true and if so why? Throwing up. I cant remember the last time i threw up, but im sure it may happen again in my lifetime. I heard that throwing up will make your band slip. Is this true? if the band does slip, how much does it cost to get it fixed? Does slippage happen very often? I understand that most people are happy with thier bands, but you have to realize that my BMI is about a 33, so im not EXTREMELY overweight. I just want to make sure that i will be happy with this decision and its trade offs i have talked about here are going to be worth it. So for all of the people on here who have lower BMI's, are you happy with the decision overall? Basically, does the good outweigh the bad? I know this was long, and there are a lot of questions, but thanks in advance to anyone who helps me out.

Hey all, so I was sleeved on 5/23. I am so grateful for everything I've learned from this board just by reading people's stories, so hopefully, someone can benefit from mine... My surgery was at 9:15 am this Tuesday. On my way to the hospital, I was complaining to my sister that I wish my surgery was outpatient instead of I day inpatient stay because I was so sure I'd be fine and just wasting my time in a hospital... boy was I wrong! Apparently I don't tolerate anesthesia well at all. I woke up in the PACU in horrible pain and severe nausea/gagging/abdominal spasms that were almost nonstop. The last time I had surgery was when I was a kid and I just remember waking up and feeling a bit of pain then.. I thought it may be the same. I was transferred to my unit for my first night and every few minutes I was calling the nurse for pain meds or nausea meds, or both. They had me on 3 different types of medications for nausea, 2 different pain meds. Despite this, I was still having significant breakthrough pain and nausea. I couldn't get out of my bed at all, let alone walk a few hours after surgery. The entire time I kept thinking what the heck did I do to myself and I wondered whether I'd be sent home feeling this way. I didn't get more than a few minutes of sleep the entire night. All of the nurses on the floor did everything they could to help me out and I could not be more grateful for such a wonderful team caring for me. The next morning I was still on max doses of all the same medications, but I was starting to feel better. Started walking with the nurse's assistant and took a few more laps around the floor throughout the day. I had lots of secretions in my lungs that was keeping my oxygen saturation down, so I had to clear them out. By evening time, I was more stable, but I still had not peed and was not passing gas. This may be TMI but they had to catheterize me 5 times I had to stay inpatient for another night so they could monitor my urine output. This morning I woke up much better, just trying to take in all of my fluids, but I'm getting small bouts of nausea from just one 1oz of liquid per hour. It's slowly getting better, but I'm still behind on my fluids. Anyway, I'm so happy to finally be home. I'm gonna keep drinking fluids like it's my job. I also wanted to add a couple of things people may find helpful: First, if you are out of surgery and having trouble tolerating plain water, try a flavored water. I never was much of a fan of flavored water pre-op, but it helped me so much after surgery. Second, if you are having bouts of nausea, ask the nurse for some alcohol prep pads (the ones they swipe you with before you get an injection), place it under your nose and keep inhaling. This may seem strange, but it kills nausea and worked great while I was waiting for my IV nausea meds to be administered. I hope my story didn't scare anyone off. Everyone responds to anesthesia differently, I guess I'm one of the unfortunate people who have a hard time with it. I also hear for most people the first night is by far the worst, and that was definitely the case for me. I started feeling much better by the next morning. Good luck to everyone!

JanelB hi there i am a 2 fisted "water" drinker only!!! check w/your doc before you have anything you have alcohol as in many other things, all doctors have different opinions on when you should be allowed that first drink as you lose more and more weight, your tolerance should decrease you might get "drunk" or tipsy sooner than later good luck CHEERS kathy

The biggest and absolute strangest byproduct of this surgery is actually the psychological detachment from the absolute love of food. I heard it before the operation but....did I understand it? I really look back before the operation to my (yes) obsession with food, how addicted and enslaved I was to the thought of food. How I planned meals around every event, .... I admit in the months before the operation....trying to do "the final tour" of all my favorite foods in abundance.... saying goodbye as you will. There never could be enough food........ Then the operation.... the first few days were rough....but ....no hunger. The day back home I got a cold slap of reality when my wife was cooking bacon..."she profusely apologized "Oh I'm sorry...this must be torture to you!" but no it wasn't... the bacon aroma smelled nice but there wasn't that attachment to oh let me try some.... no it was like when you smell flowers....you'd never eat a flower...because it dosent trigger it.... The liquid diet over the next few weeks really challenges you not in the amount you eat...but variety.... A new taste of say cream of chicken a few days in is delightful. learning to eat slower and learning the full point becomes an art in itself. But (at least in my case I still enjoy what I eat, but the crazy cravings are gone. One thing I thought that I would loose is my love of cooking..... but no I am still cooking for the family. My dinner is usually made seperate... but you can still do it. Best advice is buy yourself some small plates! It really works. Like the alcoholic....and the junkie.... we did harm to our bodies with food... and food ruled our thoughts and actions. You have to look at it that way. Looking back I realize that now. I am thankful now for this tool of VSG surgery. and for this forum to put it into words.... Thanks