Why not CHEAT??!!?

[PhotoNut 7]

Cashley - I knew it wasn't aimed at me. I understand where you were coming from. I just wish that people who do follow the rules wouldnt get so attacked by those who dont. Perhaps those who dont follow the rules feel the same way in reverse. I think that what most people fail to adequately express is that they feel a sense of fear and concern, even worry, for the person who is breaking the rules. Not disgust or distaste. The urgency in posts that warn people to stick to the Dr's orders is that of concern, not judgement. I just wish everyone would begin to give people the benifit of the doubt in and not take it as a personal attack when someone says, "Dont do that! You could harm yourself!" Basically, we are all here because we care about each other. Total strangers who bond together in an attempt to pull each other along the road to freedom. I think it's amazing how much we all care about the person beside us - that we can't even see.

Remember everyone. Text is just as fickle as the band. It is so easily misinterpreted. Tone and intent are often misread. Let's just trust that we are all concerned about the fundamental success of each person and believe that noone is here to hurt anyone's feelings or run them off by being cruel. Ok?

*hugs Cashley* It's all good

[cashley 0]

I think us "Rule Breakers" feel just as attacked as you "Rule Followers"... I believe it's the nature of this communication medium.

I think that the people who follow the rules and preach about it are well meaning but still if can be confused with "Judgmental"...

Since we all agree that the Band is different for everyone... different fill levels, different doctor's, different weight loss rates then I would suspect that the necessity to follow the rules are also individual and there isn't always one right answer.

I think the person asking the inital question deserves to hear what I’ve been though and what you’ve been though and what everyone has been though… that's why people ask to hear the answer they want to hear.

Edited because - Above "Preach" isn't the right word but I can't think of one that fits better... I mean - witness or tell about or.... still thinking of a better word! I know - how about "advocate"

[PhotoNut 7]

Susan, it's easy for you to come back here and restart this argument when you deleted your original comments. You were the one saying things like, "if you can't follow these rules, you made a bad decision getting the band, and you should rethink your goals." You obviously deleted those comments because you realized they contributed nothing to Danielle's problems.

I'm not sure why you came back to resurrect this debate. You are really blowing the whole Nazi thing out of proportion. Cashley, as she has so generously and humbly explained, meant no reference to WWII atrocities with her choice of words. It feels like you are grasping for straws to win this one.

I just saw this. I never ever said that she shouldn't have gotten the band! I would never and have never told anyone that! I did say rethink your goals as an encouragement to help her focus on why she was banded in the first place, in hopes that it would help her not cheat.

I'm not even going to dignify the rest of this with a response. Good lord. *rolls eyes*

[Yoda 0]

It feels like you are grasping for straws to win this one.

C'mon everyone....I think this thread has run its course. This isn't a "win/lose" situation. Nobody is trying to "win" anything here...it is merely a medium for communication.

I'm not even gonna look at this thread anymore; it's reached it's endpoint as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure the original poster received the info she needed and she can take what she wants and leave the rest....no harm, no foul.

Lets move on.

[FunnyDuddies 6]

Well here are my two cents...

I have known a few people who have taken the attitude that doctors are just there to make money, that they are really sadistic people enjoying the pain of other's lives, and that there is a big concpiracy involving most of the medical profession to some evil end.

Whatever.

Theorists like that really kinda bring joy to my day cause it is fun to laugh, and they make me laugh. Doctors do not pay the enormous amounts of money and take years and years of schooling so they can become part of some group of coniving power hungry money grubbers. True, there are some out there, but they do not make up the whole of the medical profession.

And think about it. They go to school for YEARS. WAY MORE than other professions. They kinda know what they are doing. And when your doctor looks at you and says "You have no self control. I am going to give you a way to have self control. But you have to buck up and show just a little control until this device is ready to work on its own" why do people imediately turn around and say "but i don't wanna and you can't make me!" Did you go to school as long as he did? Have you performed surgery on 100's (and in this case 1000's) of people for this one little device? Have you been eating, sleeping, breathing and living the lapband and everything about it for the last several years from a medical point of view?

Probably not. The doctor said don't eat solids. Listen to him. I think he knows what he is talking about. Its not some evil conpiracy. Its for your own health and well being. Besides...did you really just go down and hand some guy $9k just to cut you open and diddle your insides a bit? No, you went down there to make a life changing enhancement to your digestive system. And to screw around with that is a pretty not-so-smart move.

Disclaimer: I am not calling you not so smart. I applaud you for coming on here and asking a question that most people prolly feel at your point of healing. I also have no problem with those of you who have said do what you want, its your band. But those of you who have said "Bah what the hell does your doctor know? He's just the guy with the knife. Not like he REALLY knows anything anyhow"...shame shame. is that really the advice that you give to people who are struggling with something that has such great capabilities?

[cashley 0]

But those of you who have said "Bah what the hell does your doctor know? He's just the guy with the knife. Not like he REALLY knows anything anyhow"...shame shame. is that really the advice that you give to people who are struggling with something that has such great capabilities?

Who said that?

This is (and has been) a relativly smart, effective and stimulating conversation between posters who just happen to have different opinons but not once reading though the entire thing do I see anyone say that?

[FunnyDuddies 6]

cashley, i am being facetious. Basically in telling her that you did the same thing, and you turned out fine so what does it matter if you follow the rules is not only misguided, but dangerous. Rules are set in place for a reason. That reason isn't to taunt you and piss you off. They are there to protect you. Now say i go and eat a hot dog, bun and all, covered in my husband's 4 alarm chili 2 days after surgery and i do just fine. no pb's, no burning, no probs. GREAT! risky, but great! Does that mean it is ok for me to tell other bandsters that they can do that too?

That is what is being said here. Don't listen to the doctor cause he doesn't know what he is saying. Don't follow the rules cause the exceptions to the rules played out fine, so you will be 100% as well. Question everything your doctor has told you because you are having a hard time at it and just want to not do it anymore.

If it is hard, in the past you could cheat and not have consequences. Now that you have a band, if you cheat you could do SERIOUS DAMAGE to your body. PERMANENT DAMAGE! possibly even LIFE THREATENING DAMAGE! is that worth a french fry or a ritz cracker? Or jsut to prove that your silly doctor doesn't really need to keep you on liquids for that last week?

I hope that this has been a part of the smart, stimulating, effective and intriguing conversation! Don't know how I could have been so stupid last time. Silly me!!

[cashley 0]

I also didn't tell her I did the same thing and turned out fine... I told her to call her doctor....

I don't guess you've read though the thread...

[FunnyDuddies 6]

I am not speaking just to you Cashley. I don't guess you have read through the whole thread. There are more than one person here stating they did the same thing and all turned out fine.

[cashley 0]

Since your previous thread started with my name I would think that it was addressed to me... I've read the entire thread!

[StrawartS 2]

To my knowledge, no one has ever DIED from the LapBand. I think saying that eating a ritz cracker a week post-op is LIFE-THREATENING is a bit melodramatic.

Furthermore, I think we aren't giving Danielle enough credit. To assume that she will do whatever a bunch of internet nerds either give her permission or not give her permission to do is a little patronizing.

And I do not support the notion that I should take my doctor's advice without questions. I, too, have a post-graduate education, and I think it is my right to expect reasonable explanations for seeminly arbitrary rules.

Those of us who are more lenient on band rules should not be considered irresponsible or incapable of handling our bands. I do believe that we have always said, ask your doctor. Nobody said "I broke the rules, and I'm fine." I specifically said, "I broke the rules, MY DOCTOR SAID IT WAS FINE, and I'm fine."

[FunnyDuddies 6]

Cashley, I put your name on my post because I was responding to your post directly with that line.

Strawarts, you are not reading clearly what I am writing. I didn't say you were irresponsible with your band. I am saying that you are being irresponsible with OTHER PEOPLE's bands by stating that "I did it, why don't you do it too!" If you want to eat that way, fine! Go ahead! But to suggest to someone that because you are okay that the whole system is somehow flawed and that she really shouldn't worry about what she is eating is irresponsible.

And you would be REALLY SURPRISED to see what people have done on the internet on the advice of others on a message board. I don't put anything past anyone here. I am sure she is a capable person, and I am sure it is just her frustration, but I have seen more posts about "Well so and so told me I could do this and I tried and now I have pain".

Lets talk about your relationship with your doctor since you bring it up a lot here. If you do not trust your doctor...why did you go to him? Just curious. I mean, I like to be informed too, but it sounds like you have just a down right distrust of this person. Maybe you should find another doctor that you can feel comfortable with, and with who's opinions you share. I hope that you find a good one.

The arbitrary rules have been pretty fine tuned though, and seem to vary from doctor to doctor. Like I told her, she should go by what her doctor says to do. Education, highschool or doctorate and everything in between, has nothing to do with explanations of rules.

She asked for clarification, she got it, along with a few others saying some crazy things about not needing rules, and I hope that she chooses the path that will lead her to wellness.

[Telly 4]

Can ANYONE tell me why it takes the stomach so long to heal? Why you HAVE to be on liquids for the first couple of weeks (other than to lose weight). I would like a REALLY DETAILED explanation and I can't find one. HELP PLEASE??!!?

:hungry:

High fives funnyduddies! I like that. You sound extremely intelligent and straight to the point. You made perfect sense and you were absolutely right. "S"'s statement was extremely irresponsible. If a doctor read that...they'd have some serious words.

If you have done your research, you wouldn't be asking "why you have to be on liquids for the first couple of weeks (other than to lose weight)."

The answer: Your band is stitched into place. Requires healing time. liquid diet will guarantee healing time as it is liquid and will not be soo heavy and not create future band difficulty.

Eating a whole piece of chicken.....lol, let's just say......will probably cause some slippage of the band, further expanding your new small manually created stomach pouch, requiring later ...for you to have it adjusted and or removed.

Again, none of us are doctors. We did not to go medical school. We are not Licensed. Go by what was recommended. Eating within your first week is a big no no. 2nd week too. Actually my doc recommended 3 - 4 weeks on liquids stating that the band will..in reality, require a good month to heal into place.

Here's an article http://ww3.komotv.com/Global/story.asp?s=3392531

I hope you do well with the band but if not, I won't wonder why.

God speed!

[Telly 4]

Susan, it's easy for you to come back here and restart this argument when you deleted your original comments. You were the one saying things like, "if you can't follow these rules, you made a bad decision getting the band, and you should rethink your goals." You obviously deleted those comments because you realized they contributed nothing to Danielle's problems.

I'm not sure why you came back to resurrect this debate. You are really blowing the whole Nazi thing out of proportion. Cashley, as she has so generously and humbly explained, meant no reference to WWII atrocities with her choice of words. It feels like you are grasping for straws to win this one.

What is this? A debate? Are we feeling ok? Why can't we all just get along?

Can we all co-exist? We meaning the Turtles and the Rabbits or the Rule Followers and the Rule Breakers.

[Alexandra 55]

I really don't want to lock this thread because something very valuable is being addressed. So please, people, lighten up!

The initial question shows something very important: some doctors aren't taking the time to EXPLAIN the reasons for the post-op protocol. They are the only people I fault at all in this process. It only takes a minute to explain that it's not an arbitrary direction, and that it's about healing and not weight loss. I remember that even my doctors didn't explain it all clearly at the time and that a light went on for me when it was explained later by a nurse. Suddenly it became easy to stick to the regimen because I knew why I was doing it.

It's not too much to ask this question, and there's a real problem if a doctor's instructions seem nonsensical. But the problem is with the doctor, not the patient. So the important lesson here is that we should ASK QUESTIONS at the doctor's office. Of course we should all follow our doctor's instructions to the letter, and we should also strive to understand them.