Hey 50 & over gang We have a new spot

[lynnt1215 1]

PLATEAUS - do suck. I have been at the same point, give or take a few pounds for 2+ months. My surgeon told me yesterday to get back to the basic: portion size, Protein, exercise. She asked if I had been eating around the band. and I did have to say yes, at times. knowing I could have discomfort makes me choose softer foods. she said not to do that. Eat regularly. slow and chew..Wants me back in a month to see how I am doing..

I have lost 75# and always said I was looking for the 100# mark. I will admit I am comfortable where I am now, but do want to lose 15-20 more...but am taking things back to basics and go from there..

[Socialdot 0]

When you have to stop eating - is the feeling that of fullness or do you have a pain and are more than uncomfortable? I guess what I am trying to figure out is when you say you are full and satisfied, is it pain telling you to stop, or the feeling of fullness when you overindulge at Xmas? I get very uncomfortable/pain and am wondering now if I am more irritated than I should be because I don't just feel full -- I kinda have a pain. I don't know if I'm explaining what i mean. Sorry if I'm rambling. OK - is it pain or just a feeling of fullness? when you have had enough?

My surgeon is sure I don't know when I am getting full yet (and he is so right). When I am out to dinner and chatting I have no problem, but at home I have to time my self to take small bites of Protein every min and chew very fully. It takes me about 20-25 min to eat my cup of food. If I eat to fast I get horrible pains in my back and other things no so nice to talk about. I am hoping someday I will learn what full feels like but for now I have to watch portions and time my eating.

Katy I am so happy about you seeing a new surgeon. We love your GP.

Dot

[2bthinagn 3]

Gotta question for you all....I realized after reading on here a month ago, that I was still taking my NSAID. I am 18 months out from banding. Why no one brought this up I dont know, other than when I go to the Dr he isnt really looking at my chart and my meds. Well, I am in ALOT of pain. So, I am taking Tylenol Arthritis. This is just ok. I am still hurting. I am just about to the point of give up and stay on the couch. I went to my shrink today and she said that eating too much Protein will make someone with arthritis hurt worse. The protein binds to your joints?? Anyone heard of this??? Thanks all

[wiggygiggy 0]

I'm 5'7" so according to the charts I should lose another 45-50 pds. Doc says another 30, but I would be happy with 20. I weighed 170 about 10 yrs ago and felt & looked good.

Yes, you are probably hitting the nail on the head - I think my body is happy with where I am at, but I'm trying to convince it that it will be even happier -20-30 pds more!

I've been eating like a bandster for nearly 3 yrs. I just keep reminding myself what my surgeon told me prior to surgery and that is that lapband is a slow weightloss - it can take up to 5 yrs until we reach a place where we won't lose anymore. I have lost more than my surgeon anticipated that I would (she said 50 pds was the norm) so I'm elated to have proved her wrong. Slow and steady and I'll keep the weight off for life. I don't want to be one of those that loses all the weight quickly, but puts 1/2 of it back on! :eek:

[Katydid 0]

Hi Everyone,

What a disaster of a day, start to finish.

Asked Mum to wake me at 7am.............woke me at 7.40am. Showered, dressed, threw makeup on, grabbed stuff, got Mum in the car a took off, late of course.

Had to be in Waikiki for the new surgeons appt at 9am, 1 hours drive away in good traffic. Not in a good mood. Made it exactly on time but still in a foul mood and not thinking steadily at all.

Would you believe I'd grabbed the wrong xrays and ct scans in my haste. I almost cried. The surgeon wanted me to come back another time because he couldn't make any decision without seeing them. I explained that I'd been stressing out about everything and not knowing what was happening etc,etc,etc. He told me to go home and bring the right ones back and he'd wait for me.

It took just over two hours for me to get back to him with the right films but he did squeeze me in.

The day just kept getting worse.

He really did not want to take my problems on at all and told me straight out that everything is in a very bad mess. He was concerned that if I didn't make it through the operation, that it would look bad for him, when in reality he would only be trying to rectify another surgeons mistakes. This was a bit of a shock to say the least. He said the surgeon I'd been seeing should be made to fix his own mistakes but I told him that I no longer had any confidence in that surgeon.

He explained all the things that are not good on the scans and xrays and pointed out numerous things and what he would have to do to fix them. Some, are too risky to attempt. Just getting the band out from where it has slipped to safely will take approx 4 hours. If it is possible to replace the band safely, where it should've

been he will do it but if it's not safe, he will not do it.

He is concerned that there may be tiny holes in the liver, stomach or intestines which could leak and cause serious infections. He's already pretty sure that the liver has stuck to the stomach again as it did after the first band slipped in 2003.

Either way, the band has to come out as the longer it stays in blocking things the more chance there is of the stomach becoming necrotic (dying). So I've virtually been put on notice. I run the risk of dying either way.

I have to see him again next Friday as he wants to get all the information that he can from everyone who has done the tests on me. He also wants to know about the 4 biopsy results from the endoscopy last Friday before he will commit to operating. He said that he really does want to help me but needs to know everything there is to know. It also didn't help having to tell him about the hospital bug I'd caught when I had the last hernia operation in November.

When I was about to leave, he told me that I'm the 5th or 7th patient he's had to repair lately from my other surgeon. Oh My Gawd!!!

I'd spoken to two ladies in the waiting room earlier and had a big shock. One has a stomach the size of a 50 cent piece due to her band slipping and going necrotic. Guess who her surgeon was.........Yep same as mine.

The other lady had also had problems and.... same surgeon. We all were shocked. This surgeon was able to fix them both. I'm a little teary at the moment realising what a fool I've been for being so trusting AGAIN.

Strange how life turns around. Years ago I actually tried to commit suicide, twice and still have the scars to remind me (traumatic, violent childhood and violent marriages). Those were very, very sad times but I've worked hard and though I still suffer from depression my life revolves around my daughters and my beautiful 9yr old Grandaughter and I don't want to leave them. I don't see one of my daughters and have never seen my little Grandson because she blames me for her having OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). I still love her through all the hurt.

The earliest date the surgeon can give me is Thursday the 5th March and has warned me that it is going to be dangerous. I feel like I've been given two weeks notice so that I can fix my affairs. I said that I'd be praying and thinking positively. He said he would be too and that he was so sorry he'd had to tell me those things.

I've been such a bitch to my mother lately, ripping in to her so much as if she's an idiot. I just can't handle their problems as well. I just don't want to know and I feel like a real scumbag.

I'm sorry, I'm rambling.

Best wishes to everyone.

[orea15 0]

Katy, I'm praying for you.

[lynnt1215 1]

Katy - so sorry for all the problems you are having. My prayers are with you.

It is a good thing to have gotten to this new surgeon, but very upsetting to hear about the track record of your surgeon who did the band in the first place

God Bless and only good thought for you

[Luv2scuba 0]

Happily on the other side. I had my surgery on Monday, home late Tuesday afternoon. Doing well, not much pain, just sore. Feeling better every day.

Katy, my heart goes out to you! Sending postive thoughts and energy your way!

hugs, Pat

[IndioGirl55 32]

PLATEAUS - do suck. I have been at the same point, give or take a few pounds for 2+ months. My surgeon told me yesterday to get back to the basic: portion size, Protein, exercise. She asked if I had been eating around the band. and I did have to say yes, at times. knowing I could have discomfort makes me choose softer foods. she said not to do that. Eat regularly. slow and chew..Wants me back in a month to see how I am doing..

I have lost 75# and always said I was looking for the 100# mark. I will admit I am comfortable where I am now, but do want to lose 15-20 more...but am taking things back to basics and go from there..

Lynn like you said you have been eating around your band so it's not really a plauteau - My original goal was 160 that was a 90 lbs weight lost - but you know what I wanted that 100 and truly I wanted normal bmi which would be 105 loss - but you know what - I am 112 loss just by eathing healthy and exercising - go for the 100 - it will be something that makes you very very proud..

My surgeon is sure I don't know when I am getting full yet (and he is so right). When I am out to dinner and chatting I have no problem, but at home I have to time my self to take small bites of protein every min and chew very fully. It takes me about 20-25 min to eat my cup of food. If I eat to fast I get horrible pains in my back and other things no so nice to talk about. I am hoping someday I will learn what full feels like but for now I have to watch portions and time my eating.

Katy I am so happy about you seeing a new surgeon. We love your GP.

Dot

Dot - Yep pouch fullness and being statisfied are 2 diff things - I am fight it every night - I am pouch full but not satisfied...

Gotta question for you all....I realized after reading on here a month ago, that I was still taking my NSAID. I am 18 months out from banding. Why no one brought this up I dont know, other than when I go to the Dr he isnt really looking at my chart and my meds. Well, I am in ALOT of pain. So, I am taking Tylenol Arthritis. This is just ok. I am still hurting. I am just about to the point of give up and stay on the couch. I went to my shrink today and she said that eating too much protein will make someone with arthritis hurt worse. The protein binds to your joints?? Anyone heard of this??? Thanks all

I have read that 2 dif options on the NASID one that if you took it on an empty tummy and drank plenty of Water (so that it doen't sit in your pouch) you should be ok - but then read NEVER take them... I would ask your doc specifically about your meds - I don't think the tyenol is going to hurt even in pill form but really don't know and I sure an the heck are licensed :0) - Ask your doc

I'm 5'7" so according to the charts I should lose another 45-50 pds. Doc says another 30, but I would be happy with 20. I weighed 170 about 10 yrs ago and felt & looked good.

Yes, you are probably hitting the nail on the head - I think my body is happy with where I am at, but I'm trying to convince it that it will be even happier -20-30 pds more!

I've been eating like a bandster for nearly 3 yrs. I just keep reminding myself what my surgeon told me prior to surgery and that is that lapband is a slow weightloss - it can take up to 5 yrs until we reach a place where we won't lose anymore. I have lost more than my surgeon anticipated that I would (she said 50 pds was the norm) so I'm elated to have proved her wrong. Slow and steady and I'll keep the weight off for life. I don't want to be one of those that loses all the weight quickly, but puts 1/2 of it back on! :sneaky:

You are going to be eating like a bander for the rest of your life - you will never go back to eating like you did prior to your band - cuz if you did then you would gain your weight back and that's why pple fail at this and any other diet out there - the go back to eating normal - which is what got them fat in the first place.

I don't think the medical field has much faith in fat pple changing their lifestyle - that's why they say we are only expected to lose 50-60% of our excess weight (and for me that would have been 50 lbs) Well that alone was enough for me to prove them wrong - you can lose 100% of your excess weight with the band - and truly - it's not about losing it fast or slow that's going to lead to putting the weight back on - it what you eat that deterimines that and it's in our genes to - if we go back to eating like we did prior to the band we are going to gain the weight back quickly - per Dr Dixon at my lapband confrenece last June more quickly than a normally thin person.

Hi Everyone,

What a disaster of a day, start to finish.

Asked Mum to wake me at 7am.............woke me at 7.40am. Showered, dressed, threw makeup on, grabbed stuff, got Mum in the car a took off, late of course.

Had to be in Waikiki for the new surgeons appt at 9am, 1 hours drive away in good traffic. Not in a good mood. Made it exactly on time but still in a foul mood and not thinking steadily at all.

Would you believe I'd grabbed the wrong xrays and ct scans in my haste. I almost cried. The surgeon wanted me to come back another time because he couldn't make any decision without seeing them. I explained that I'd been stressing out about everything and not knowing what was happening etc,etc,etc. He told me to go home and bring the right ones back and he'd wait for me.

It took just over two hours for me to get back to him with the right films but he did squeeze me in.

The day just kept getting worse.

He really did not want to take my problems on at all and told me straight out that everything is in a very bad mess. He was concerned that if I didn't make it through the operation, that it would look bad for him, when in reality he would only be trying to rectify another surgeons mistakes. This was a bit of a shock to say the least. He said the surgeon I'd been seeing should be made to fix his own mistakes but I told him that I no longer had any confidence in that surgeon.

He explained all the things that are not good on the scans and xrays and pointed out numerous things and what he would have to do to fix them. Some, are too risky to attempt. Just getting the band out from where it has slipped to safely will take approx 4 hours. If it is possible to replace the band safely, where it should've

been he will do it but if it's not safe, he will not do it.

He is concerned that there may be tiny holes in the liver, stomach or intestines which could leak and cause serious infections. He's already pretty sure that the liver has stuck to the stomach again as it did after the first band slipped in 2003.

Either way, the band has to come out as the longer it stays in blocking things the more chance there is of the stomach becoming necrotic (dying). So I've virtually been put on notice. I run the risk of dying either way.

I have to see him again next Friday as he wants to get all the information that he can from everyone who has done the tests on me. He also wants to know about the 4 biopsy results from the endoscopy last Friday before he will commit to operating. He said that he really does want to help me but needs to know everything there is to know. It also didn't help having to tell him about the hospital bug I'd caught when I had the last hernia operation in November.

When I was about to leave, he told me that I'm the 5th or 7th patient he's had to repair lately from my other surgeon. Oh My Gawd!!!

I'd spoken to two ladies in the waiting room earlier and had a big shock. One has a stomach the size of a 50 cent piece due to her band slipping and going necrotic. Guess who her surgeon was.........Yep same as mine.

The other lady had also had problems and.... same surgeon. We all were shocked. This surgeon was able to fix them both. I'm a little teary at the moment realising what a fool I've been for being so trusting AGAIN.

Strange how life turns around. Years ago I actually tried to commit suicide, twice and still have the scars to remind me (traumatic, violent childhood and violent marriages). Those were very, very sad times but I've worked hard and though I still suffer from depression my life revolves around my daughters and my beautiful 9yr old Grandaughter and I don't want to leave them. I don't see one of my daughters and have never seen my little Grandson because she blames me for her having OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). I still love her through all the hurt.

The earliest date the surgeon can give me is Thursday the 5th March and has warned me that it is going to be dangerous. I feel like I've been given two weeks notice so that I can fix my affairs. I said that I'd be praying and thinking positively. He said he would be too and that he was so sorry he'd had to tell me those things.

I've been such a bitch to my mother lately, ripping in to her so much as if she's an idiot. I just can't handle their problems as well. I just don't want to know and I feel like a real scumbag.

I'm sorry, I'm rambling.

Best wishes to everyone.

Katy - Hugs Prayer and hope this new doc takes your case

Happily on the other side. I had my surgery on Monday, home late Tuesday afternoon. Doing well, not much pain, just sore. Feeling better every day.

Katy, my heart goes out to you! Sending postive thoughts and energy your way!

hugs, Pat

Pat - Welcome to Band Land - Glad you are doing well - each day does get better. Hugs Janet

[blklab70 1]

Indiogirl, you are awesome! What wonderful support you are to everyone. I was banded on 10 Feb 2009, not too long ago. From my first appointment in Dec till today I have lost 25 pounds. No pre-op diet, but I did start on Protein Shakes on my own. I am still on liquids till I see my doctor on Monday. this is the best decision I have made. I feel great! Having the support of people on this thread has helped me so much by seeing what you have gone through. If you can lose below your goal, then why can't I? Ok, then I will set that to be my goal, going below my goal! LOL I am now working out on the treadmill but only up to 10 mins a day at 2 MPH. Ok, don't laugh, it is a start. The first time I got on there the dogs sat there and watched me, I know they were laughing! Anyway, thanks!

[Great2BThin 5]

Katy, good luck to you. That's awful about the 1st surgeon, don't think he was worth saving a few bucks on. Glad you aren't going back to him. I hope you get a speedy resolution. Can you get help with your parents?

[IndioGirl55 32]

Indiogirl, you are awesome! What wonderful support you are to everyone. I was banded on 10 Feb 2009, not too long ago. From my first appointment in Dec till today I have lost 25 pounds. No pre-op diet, but I did start on Protein Shakes on my own. I am still on liquids till I see my doctor on Monday. this is the best decision I have made. I feel great! Having the support of people on this thread has helped me so much by seeing what you have gone through. If you can lose below your goal, then why can't I? Ok, then I will set that to be my goal, going below my goal! LOL I am now working out on the treadmill but only up to 10 mins a day at 2 MPH. Ok, don't laugh, it is a start. The first time I got on there the dogs sat there and watched me, I know they were laughing! Anyway, thanks!

blklab - you got me cracking up on the seting your goal below your goal and don't laugh 2 miles an hour - hey I started slow and worked myself up to 4.0 mile and that took over a year to get to the 4.0 - as I always say the turtle won the race not the hare.

Gotta say that my original goal was 170 - (i had forgotten that) and that was cuz one time on WW i got down to that weight from 205 and thought I looked good there too.

On my lucky #7 thread we have a 28 yrs (then) who was the same weight and height as me and we had a freindly competition going - so I moved my goal to 160 - once I got to like 190 -I did move my goal to 150 once but that scared me - I was afaird I wouldn't get there so I moved it back to 160 - got there on 5/8/08 - got to 145 on 7/24/08 and lost the other 7 by just sticking to my healthy eating and exercise (I didn't even try)

I didn't want to write down that number 100 and not attain it - but ya - I played total head games with myself - like they say - make your goals in small amount so that they are attainable.

[lynnt1215 1]

Since going to the DR on Tuesday I have been good about folloiwng the "rules" and lost 2.5 #.. Great incentive to keep on track.

It was a difficult few weeks. I was eating out all the time. refrigerator was out of commission and had to wait 2 weeks for parts and repairman...UGH.. that was tough on weight loss, but I am ready to get my A$$ back in gear..

Good news. I have a new gentleman friend. Great guy, he only knows I have lost alot of weight I did not tell him about the band yet. That is alo a challenge, we eat out occassionally, but there i am able to order appropriately..

Have a good weekend everyone, stay healthy, be safe

[Apples2 19]

Whooohooo, Lynn...a new guy in your life!

Katydid........so sorry for your troubles but I feel relieved that you are finally getting answers and that things will be taken care of. Just have faith that everything will be OK> Peace and hugs

[pj_txlady 0]

Katy, I will be praying for you.