Success in lapband

It is the miracle cure for the "gas pangs" Put it on where you feel the gas pangs and it will help I swear!

This is an easy response: Call your insurance companies and point blank ask them if it is a covered benefit and what requirements (if any) do they have. I can't imagine your Dr. not being excited about you wanting a healthier you.

Rowdy: You must be tall for your BMI/weight. I am 43 years old and I wish I would have done this when I was young like you. It is not a mistake and NEVER NOT ONCE have I regretted it, not even after it took my surgeon 2x to get me banded due to some unexepcted scar tissue issues from a previous surgery. Worst part is the gas, just make sure you use a heating pad, it works the best. And heck why not~try a massage!!! LOL!!!! I did go shopping as I left the hosp, and I was a little slow but I knew I needed to keep moving, and my back up plan if needed was most of the stores now have elec wheelchairs if I got tired or needed to sit and shop. You keep forging forward, you won't regret the decision, also to reinforce go look at the before and after pics! They are an inspiration by themselves.

I am SUCH an emotional eater! I think I have posted about my emotional eating before... I was thinking earlier today that if I was not married to DH (in my DH; D is NOT for darling) LOL! I would be skinny. Not really because I have been overweight all my life but I am so mad at him right now and everything is his fault I want to say that and so I am saying it! He is such a jerk, and today was my b-day, I got nothing from him and I waited until 5pm and kept thinking every 5 minutes there was going to be a surprize or a big waaahoooooo or something and so I kept being disappointed all darn (yeah darn that is the word I want to use) day long, which made for a VERY long day. I finally was emotionally drained and laid down for a nap (I never nap) and he came in and I said that it was 5pm and I all day was waiting for something and how much longer was I gonna wait. He pointed out that I got a card and did not understand what else I expected and said that we could go out for dinner, and encouraged me to get up and go to dinner with him. Just some back ground and then I will move onto the important issue that I had to deal with. We are not hurting for money, we are both successful people and don't have any bills to speak of. He is just a butthole and I really expected a bday gift this year. I know my problem~I expected him to be a decent spouse and he has never been~so in reality it IS my expectations that screwed me up. I just keep wanting him to be the person I want him to be, and he will never be what I want. So....... The issue at hand. Immediately I decided to leave and go for a drive, and actually I typically in the past I have gone from one restaurant to another to another to another, and this actually started my binge eating about 15 years ago. So since I was banded, I know I can't do this so, I tried taking deeeeeeeep breaths and tried to find a massage therapist to get a massage ( my plan of attack is to not do negative things to my body when I am upset but do nice things and pamper myself~preplanned strategy is massage, facial, pedicure, manicure, shopping etc.) I vaccuumed my car, I went to the mall and walked there for awhile and got a "chair" massage and went to GNC and bought Muscle Milk and some other juice Protein drink (I will let you know how the juice Protein Drink is) supposedly the muscle milk is suppose to be better than choc milk per another bandster. I am so proud of myself for not stopping at one food establishment and I was thinking of all the ways to cheat the band (I swear I was doing this) and I arrive home 3 hours later without putting one morsel of food in my mouth~not even from the food court! Gawd! These massages and pampering is getting expensive, but so is ordering a dinner at 3 differnt restaurants and the health problems that go along with that bad behavior! So the bottom line is that I stayed true to my plan of pampering verses beating myself up and I used the band to my benefit. My DH? His bday is coming up in a few months and I plan on getting him the exact thing he got me~this will be a first~because in the past I have always disregarded what he has done for me and forgave him by his bday, this year will be different~I gaurantee! Thanks for listening!

Chris I am very proud of you getting your weight under control at age 24, verses waiting until you have serious obese medical problems. You are doing fantastic! Have you noticed the girls are starting to stare yet?

THAT IS THE BEST NSV I have ever heard of. I am so happy for you! And I love lapbandtalk.com, without each other where the heck would we be?

Call your dr's nurse and discuss your concerns, you may have not understood something.

I know TMI. But for everyone with a yeast infection, try douching with live yogurt as well, seriously!

It really just pisses me off when people say things like that! YOur don't look like you are THAT overweight. It is just their uneasy feeling that they don't know whatelse to say. Honey if you are 100# overweight you absolutely look like it and need to lose weight! Don't let anybody kid you! Your health is at risk and if you have not been able to lose the weight any other way be greateful the band may be an option for you. When people say things like that I want you to remember who they are and when you lose the weight, I get you money that they say OH MY GOSH LOOK AT HOW MUCH WEIGHT YOU HAVE LOST, YOU LOOK SO GOOD. Then you can reassure yourself that I was right. Let the person who is telling you this carry around your extra 100# and see what it does to their energy level or their health et.c I am not ranting, I am just appauld by ppl's ignorance, that is specifically why I have told NOBODY and if they knew I went for surgery it was for hernia repair (lie). Go look at my myspace and tell me I don't need to lose weight! I should have done this 10 years ago!! or 20 years ago!!

EXACTLY! but, you won't crave the old tub either. wierd huh...It is very different.

That golf ball is probably stage 1 of PBing. Stage 3 is actually regurgitating. Imagine that golf ball felling 10x. You don't stick your finger down your throat to PB, it is your body making you regurgitate.

I wonder why people live with PB'ing on a daily basis, even though they know that is a sign they are too tight. I just read one where someone says she PB's 5 times a day but is willing to continue because at least she is losing weight. Audra; I PB'd 1x since being banded. I will NEVER do it again. I knew that I was doing risky behavior at the time, but "did not think it would happen to me" It is the most painful thing you can imagine. I was literally sweating drips of sweat I was in so much pain, though I knew what was going to happen next and was just waiting. You can't swallow, you can hardly breath (because of the pain) not because you really can't breath, you try and take deep open chest breaths because maybe it will help. Nothing helps! Except finally your body takes over and you bend over a trash can or sink and "spit up" little tiny teaspoons of food at a time until your pouch is empty. I think if somebody is using this method to lose weight; they need couseling, and they are not following the rules.

Tammy I want to tell you after banding you will be able to go for dinner and drinks, you will NOT want to eat and it will not bother you to be around food, and if you feel the temptation of tasting; go ahead and taste. All I can say is TRUST ME. You will 10000% be in control and not want more than a taste. Went to El Pollo Loco for dinner last night (my fav. fast food) and I really was HUNGRY (at least I thought I was) I cut off (fork and knife cut off) (no more bite chew and swallow for me), as I said I cut off a tiny piece of chicken and chew chew chew chew and after awhile realized I did not want to swallow so I spit it in my napkin. What I am trying to say is: Food is kinda different after the band. Sweets aren't different, they are still delectible and well you know.... But real food just does not have that satisfying sensation anymore, even though you think you will get that feeling, it just is not there like you remember it being. You will see what I am talking about and maybe you are more eloquaint/creative with your words than I and you can maybe help me explain what I am talking about for others will know it. But absolutely you would have been able to go to dinner and drink without ANY problem what so ever post band. I just ate one egg for breakfast and I feel "stuffed" so that is not to say that hashbrowns don't sound really good right now but the thought of eating them does not sound good right now. I have never experienced these feelings so my expressionary words are not flowing like I would like to express my feelings. I guess it is like looking forward to a really really hot hot hot hot lots of water pressure shower and everytime you go to take a shower it is NOT lots of pressure and your hot hot hot water only lasts 1-2 minutes. It just does not have that HUGE satisfying appealing factor anymore, even though you want it to.

Another IMPORTANT post:: If you are going to take Loritab for pain relief, be prepared that you will get constipated! I have NEVER been constipated in my life and I have taken very little of pain meds (loritab) generic (vicidan) and even on one dose dailyor every other day has made the plumbing get messed up. Which in turn stops the weight loss and makes us CRAZY! Especially when we are in bandster hell!

Heyall you post op bandsters: When I get to a certain level of emotion (up~down~whatever) I am makingbetterchoices and instead of eating, because gawd knows I have always filled that gap with food, matter it be secretive (calories don't count) or out with food friends (friends who only meet with you at restaurants), I live near 2 massage schools, and 2 cosmetology schools, and they have been pretty good so far about squeezing me in for "anything" and anything means, from a facial to a scientific brushing. You know what is realllllllllly good? No matter what service you choose it is pampering for "you" and every single service takes 1 hour, and by the time 1 hour is gone by the food craving is gone, especially if you take in a 23 ounce Water bottle with crystal light tea. The services start at $5.00 and go up so they are about the same that you would spend at a restaurant and take up the same amount of time. I REALLY love this idea I came up with and sometimes feel a little guilty, just like the food makes me feel. Sometimes the services; because they are all performed by students are NOT the best, but conversation is good and I consider it "food therapy". Nobody knows I am there because of the band, I think they just think I like pampering; which I do. I really want to get into clothes shopping, but clothes are expensive and I still need to shop at oversized stores. Plus there is the food court and See's Candies and Starbucks (trigger points) in every Mall around here; but it would be excercize!! I hope that if you have great food therapy ideas you would share with the rest of us, even if they are lame, because I am always looking for some release other than "food".

Veronica; Well put Veronica: We are not "cured" with the band ~ we are "equipped" with the band. I am going to post that on my wall! That is a huge mouth full (excuse the pun LOL). I am sooooo excited I read that! And yeah I also agree that we could post in our personal journal or we could publically post and let others learn from our huge successes and our not so huge successes. You don't know how happy I am right now.

Tracy, I am so sorry for your pain. I was the one who had 2 surgeries and after the first one; I was put on antibiotic as well. I thought it was interesting my tongue turned colors,but thank god it never went any further than that!!!!! How about douches (sp?) will that help with the burn? How about your DH using a spray bottle with vinigar water and just spritz you every 5 minutes or so with you laying spread eagle on towels and the shower curtain on your bed. My dr. does not typically give antibiotics after lapband surgery,but my first surgery punctured my colon so antibiotics were needed. But after the REAL 2nd surgery (7 days later) I did not have any antibiotics but I did have funny tongue. It is gone now THANK GOODNESS. I wish I could do something for you. Keep us posted.

I don't think you are eating too much, you are eating alot less than me.

I am soooooo glad I was not the only person who "just could not do it". I got surgery and I have been eating, just making sure I chew chew chew chew chew; well most of the time, I screwed up last night and I already shared the episode. I am hoping that once we get fills, we can resist.

What is the difference between burp and belch? I am serious I never knew there was a differnce, other than some people say belch, some people say burp.

You guys talk about taking in very little liquids at a time, I came home to drinking 23 ounces of liquid out of my bottles. Were you warned to only drink such little quantities?????? Hmmmmm

I "got stuck" last night. I am 1 week post op and graduated real quick onto regular softer foods. I was HUNGRY HUNGRY HUNGRY last night, my "lessened" appetite left me yesterday, and I was like a kid in a candy shop trying every food that was not nailed down. Last night I was REALLY hungry and sample some general chicken (standing up in the kitchen) two whole pieces right in my mouth, and thought to myself "what are they talking about, I have no problem with this) UNTIL I was in excruciating pain and profusely dripping sweat because I did not chew as well as I should have and I was stuck for about 30 minutes and finally I started throwing up. Throwing up was a welcome sensation and relieved the pain after everything was out of my pouch. But I examined how BIG was I really swallowing and I am going to chew chew chew chew chew alot more than that and I thought I was chewing. The pieces were no bigger than cottage cheese size but definately not as soft. I seriously paniced, could not swallow saliva (because of the pain) you would think sip water but NO WAY builds more pressure, all you can do is lean over the trash can or sink and pray to god you throw up. Walk, take deep breaths (even though they hurt more than child birth) and pray it passes or you PB. Burping felt better (first time I have burped since surg.) but 3-4 seconds after I burped the pain was back. I have always been one to learn the hard way or test the boundaries, but I usually do not pay such sever consequences. I don't want sympathy, I just wanted to share the experience, because you all know eventually you will be there just like I did.

Answer to your question about "when do the gas pains stop"? Well technically we all call them gas pains, AND they are from the gas used to blow up your tummy but what they REALLY are is the fibrous irritated nerves caused by the gas they used to fill up your tummy with air. Not to say some of us do not have gas pains in our bowels that we can "fart" out. But the shoulder pain and the pain under our rib cages are irritated and inflammed nerve tissues caused by the gas that will subside eventually but sometimes takes a couple weeks. The best resource for pain relief is a heating pad or hot Water bottle (don't burn your skin). Didn't you find it interesting we all end up with them about 24-48 hours after surgery? And they ususally end up in our left chest or under our ribs? Interesting huh.... Every evening when I get home from work I am grumpy and put on the heating pad for about 1 hour and I am good to go. he he he but sometimes I like to get mileage out of my family because I am tired from work so I leave the heating pad on a little longer and moan a few more times that I should.

Just FYI Gail is out of surgery, she also had to have a hernia repair, so he said she was out of it a bit. But to let you know~she is banded.

FYI: I was going over to visit Gail in the Hosp and I called before going over there just to make sure; Gail is out of surgery; I spoke with her husband; he said she had a hernia repaired too and pretty out of it "but" she is banded..... He did not elaborate anymore than that, and I felt that my prodding was pushing the limits of me asking anymore questions. I will cc this on March bandsters...