donali

Hi Kelly - Sorry, I have no idea. But why don't you join the group and ask yourself? It's been SUPER quiet there lately - maybe you can stir them up a bit... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SanDiegoBandsters/

Is your cry for help re: surgeon choice? Could you be a little more specific? Welcome to LBT - most of us here arrived at the same conclusion as you have - lapband much less risky than RnY. Poke around the site - there's lots of stuff to learn before you get banded that will help make your journey much smoother and less stressful.

LOL!!! Megan, girl, PLEASE use a little sensitivity for those here who may not have "done it" in a long time (you're welcome, Leatha!! )!! It's bad enough to know someone else is getting it, but the "...must rest... can't lift head... more later..." is just rubbing salt into the wound... ROTFLMAO!! Since you're so "tired," I'm going out on a limb here opining that means it was wonderful... So congrats!! I am SO thrilled for you!!! :D xxooxxooxxoo

Hi Megan!!! Congrats on everything - your life seems enveloped by a rosy glow these past few weeks!! I am so happy for you! My port revision surgery was supposed to be done under a local, but I went under general. Or what seemed like general, but was really twilight? My port wasn't really moved, just resutured - maybe they moved it slightly, but it stayed basically in the same place. But I imagine the surgery would be similar to a regular move, depending on how far they're going to move it. Doc used the original port scar to do his stuff. Recovery was much easier than the original placement as far as incision pain, etc. That may not be true if they really move it a good distance... So I guess my experience probably won't be that helpful to you, but I just felt the need to say "Hi!" anyway...

Whoo hoo!!! You're banded!! Hope all went well, and you're back on your feet in record time!

Whoo hooo!!!! Congrats, congrats!!! Baby yourself and take it easy. You're going to do great!!

Lots of people experience the "full" feeling differently. Since your band is empty, it is possible that once you start on solid foods you will feel little to no restriction. Since the feeling of restriction, however, can change day to day (sometimes hour to hour!), it is always important to take small bites, chew well, swallow, and then WAIT before going on to the next bite so you can have a chance to feel how the last bite is settling. It is inevitable that you will eventually learn just how small your pouch really is... However, you can postpone that experience longer by taking small bites, chewing well, swallowing, and then waiting. This is NOT how most people eat, so you will be surprised at the learning curve!! Okay, once you swallow, and are waiting, this is what you're looking for, sensation-wise - you may get all or just one of these signals that you are either "full" or are eating too fast/chewing too poorly: 1. STUCK. Okay, that's not a very good description, but as soon as you feel this you WILL KNOW what "STUCK" feels like. Your eyes will get big, you will freeze in mid-chew, and you will feel an awful pain high in your chest, way in the bottom of your throat. DO NOT PANIC!!! DO NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT take a sip of liquid!! DO NOT SWALLOW!!!! Sit there calmly and try to breathe normally. When people ask you what's wrong, you will not feel as though you can talk - if you can squeeze out a few words, your voice will sound raspy and strained. Sometimes standing up will be enough to help things move down a little bit. IF you start salivating, you need to get to a bathroom. DO NOT SWALLOW YOUR SALIVA!!! Spit it out. Lots of times you will feel stuck for only a few seconds before the offending bit passes, IF YOU ARE EATING SLOWLY AND PAYING ATTENTION AND CHEWING WELL. However, sometimes the offending bit will not pass, and it will either come back up on its own, or you will have to force yourself to vomit. This is often NOT a full feeling! It IS an indication that you are swallowing too much, too fast, and/or are not chewing well enough OR that you have taken one bite too many. Once you become unstuck you can think enough to evaluate how much you have eaten, and whether or not you were being careless, or just missed the more subtle signs that you're full. STUCK is considered a "hard stop", whereas the more subtle feelings described later are considered "soft stops." The goal, of course, is to learn your personal soft stops and heed them. 2. A hiccough. Many people will have one daintly little hiccough when they are full. When you're full your stomach may be pressing up on your diaphragm and irritating it a little bit, which translates into a hiccough. 3. A sigh. Many people will heave a little sigh after that last bite that makes them full. You THINK you're thinking about the next bite, and you'll be loading up that fork... But you're not putting it into your mouth. That's when you realize that you're full. One more bite, and you may suffer the dreaded STUCK feeling. 4. A runny nose. Many people's noses will unexplicably start running. If you were fine when you started eating, and now your nose is running, it's probably time to stop eating. Or you are eating something really, really spicy/hot! 5. A general pressure. Some people will feel a similar feeling to "full", just a little higher. It's a little disconcerting at first, because your lower stomach may still be growling, but your pouch is sending you pressure/full feelings. 6. Port pain. Your port may start aching. My theory as to why is that the pressure of the food is pressing against the saline in the band, which forces the saline out towards the tubing, which starts to straighten a little under pressure, which torques the port a little bit. Like a garden hose turned on full blast with the sprayer closed - it tries to straighten out, right? That's just my theory. But whatever the true reason is, if your port starts bugging you after you start eating, you may be full. 7. Shoulder pain. Some people's left shoulder starts to ache a little bit. This is referred pain from pressure on the diaphragm. When you're full your stomach may be pressing up on your diaphragm and irritating it a little bit, which translates into shoulder pain. Your soft stop may be something entirely different, but these are the most common sensations/behaviours reported. Take it slow, but you may not experience any of these until you start getting fills.

I stripped everything down during the chastizing for extraneous info in sig lines. Figured I'd trash the avatar, as well. Now my posts are lean and mean... Hope everyone's happy now!

Today's the day, today's the day!!! Here's hoping all went well, and that you're one of the ones up to a walking tour as soon as you wake-up from anesthesia. Let us know how it went, and how you're doing! WHOOO HOOO!!! You're BANDED!!! :banana

Peanut Butter, velveeta, dill pickles and mustard sandwich. My dad's invention. It's really not that bad... lol Vera - you have me dying with the worm story! "Tastes like chicken"... ROTFLMAO!!!! And milk bones are bland but not too bad tasting, if you can get over the grittiness. Oh, and a big mouthful of birdseed... Has a nice nutty flavor... lol Gaines burger is the absolutely most disgusting thing I think I have ever tasted. (I wanted to know why my dog loved it so much, so had to try it - sickeningly sweet - tasted like sweet playdough without the saltiness. Yuck!! Oh, I guess now I have to admit to eating playdough... DOH!!) A childhood fav - that white paste. YUM!! I could eat a jar of that stuff... UGH! They make a throat lozenge that tastes like white paste - can't think of the name off hand... :cross-eye

Scotty - You may be one of those who have more residual swelling from their surgery. There is no need to move to mushies if your body isn't ready - it's always okay to go slower than recommended in these transitions. Go back to full liquids for a week, with yoghurts and puddings, and then try mushies again later. Whatever you do, DON'T force yourself to move faster than your body likes - schedule or no schedule.

Okay, this is the "FOREVER" part coming to bite you. Bear in mind, this is advice from an unbanded person who has gained 30 pounds since October - WAAAHHH!!! My advice to us both... lol 1. This is NOT a diet - this really really really really is FOREVER. Our eating habits will have to change forever. 2. In the end, our lifestyle changes canNOT be about losing weight - because once we have lost the weight, there will be no motivation to continue with our healthy habits. At some point, we will no longer have the scale moving downward to motivate us. And we certainly don't want to wait for the scale to move UPWARD(:eek!) to regain motivation! (Trust me on THIS one!!! lol) So... this journey HAS to be about HEALTH. Seriously. Losing weight is secondary to this journey. 3. Take 15 minutes to really think about all you have accomplished, seperate from the scale. Review all of those NSVs. Feel the regained health of your body. Realize that you NEVER, EVER want to give that up. NEVER. Admit to yourself that you are WORTH being healthy. 4. Recommit to your health in baby steps. Set one goal for each day. Make it a small, easily attainable goal so that you can experience the success. Add slowly to that goal until you are at the max for that particular health-breeding habit. For example, if your main goal is to drink a gallon of Water each day, and you haven't been drinking any, start with a mini-goal of a quart. Slowly add to that each day until you get to your gallon. Once that habit is reset, start working towards your next goal. Suppose it's walking. Maybe you want to walk a minimum of 30 minutes each day. So day 1 your goal is to walk 10 minutes. Do that successfully for a couple of days, and then add another 5 minutes. 5. Remember that you do NOT have to fix everything in one day!! This is for the rest of your life! Be gentle with yourself, start your positive habits small, and build on them. 6. Focus on what you WANT to do, not what you DON'T want to do. Don't focus on NOT eating something less nutritious - focus on eating MORE nutritious foods. Don't deny yourself anything - just make your more healthy food choices FIRST - always promise yourself (and keep the promise!!) that you can have whatever you want (IF you still want it) after you've had your health building food(s). 7. Continue seeking and offering support! Good luck, and I know you can do this. Sometimes we all need a little rest - there is nothing wrong with that. But you don't want to neglect your health for too long (like I have!) xxoo

Hi Paula - I don't know if it's normal or not, but being a person who has a severe problem with clutter, I'm just going to throw this out there as food for thought. Some people seem to have a need to have a lot of their stuff around them to reassure themselves that they have a place to belong, that they have some control (OCD, only manifests in the opposite way that you experience it - like anorexia and MO can often be symptoms of the same thing, just expressed in different ways). Some people are BO (born organized) and some people have to learn those skills. Maddening for the BO people, to be sure!! And so often they seem to have children who "just don't get it". lol A site that I've found helpful is www.flylady.net - you can read more about those of us who have clutter problems and releasing issues. This may have nothing to do with your daughter, but it's always good to know, just in case.

Thanks for not being offended over my concern. The funny thing is, I FEEL like my parents did everything right - they never withheld affection, were always participatory in my life, and yet... I still ended up with a low self-image/self-esteem in some areas of my life, and some other emotional baggage I honestly cannot blame on them. And then I meet people whose home lifes were a nightmare, who seem to have no emotional baggage whatsoever... Your son is a very lucky little guy, and I'm glad he's able to experience the rewards of success so early in his life, and that he's really picking up on that positive reinforcement.

Whooo HOOOOOOO, Megan!!! Ah, so exciting, and so scary.... I've always hated dating, but now that I'm in a committed relationship I see taking chances with your heart really is worth it - because eventually you're going to find the great guy you deserve!! Here's hoping THIS is the one!! xxooxxoo

I'm no child psychologist, and I don't have children of my own, but this statement raises red flags for me. Even if YOU know that you don't love him any more/less, HE thinks you love him more when he is successful. I personally would try to make sure it is VERY clear to him that you have always loved him the same, whether he does well or not - your love for him never changes. However, you are much more pleased when he is doing well. I think this is a hard concept for most people to understand - the difference between "love" and "pleased". I know a lot of my own personal issues with standing up for myself revolve around the fear of not being loved... And if he perceives that you hug him and tell him you love him MORE when he's doing well, he WILL equate that to the amount you actually love him, even if it is not true. And he may subconsciously learn that withholding signs of affection is an appropriate disciplinary-type action. Of course, how a person can continue to show the same amounts of love when they're extremely displeased as opposed to when they're extremely pleased is something I'm not sure how to do. I've heard people say, "I love you very much, but I am very displeased/disappointed/angered by your behaviour..." It is STILL difficult for me to believe that if I DON'T please someone that they will still love me just the same... Just my 2 cents, for what it may or may not be worth...

Hi Miles - I'm the erosion poster child here, but I loved my band and would definitely recommend it to anyone considering being banded. You need to educate yourself, and be willing to accept the risks - occasionally things don't go as planned, but for the most part people's banding journeys are enjoyable and uneventful. If you can call losing weight without suffering and keeping it off "uneventful"... I'm one of the 1%-3% that experienced erosion and had to have my band removed. The causes of erosion are not well know, but it is generally accepted that it is NOT a result of something the patient does. I'm glad I didn't know I was going to have erosion, because if I had, I wouldn't have been banded... And THAT would have been a shame, because I lost 100 pounds with my band. So I'm SO glad I had it done, even though my band is gone now. Here's all the info on my story: Erosion info: http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2256 http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2725 http://lapbandtalk.com/forum/showth...=&threadid=2250 http://lapbandtalk.com/forum/showth...=&threadid=2274 My removal info: http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2288 http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.p...72&page=1&pp=15 http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2298 http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2406 Good luck with your decision!

I Pledge Not To Continue Posting In Any Open Forum Threads That Violate The Guidelines Set By The Owner Of This Board. As much as I may still want to add my 2 cents. If I absolutely must say something additional, or want to return to the original topic, I will start a new clean thread.

ROTFLMAO!! Don't miss the LV bash if you can help it!! It was great last year - even though I was one of the problem children (I'm blaming it on my SO - it's his fault we were so late to the BBQ, I swear!). Buca was also a great place to start the festivities. Yum - Lisa, you ordered just right. I've been out of touch with this thread, so maybe someone should bump the dates for this event?

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Happiest, happiest of birthdays! May you get the greatest present of all - a well and happy Patty by your side. Hugs and prayers to you both. xxoo

Congrats, Kelly!! And, yeah, what happened to Marie and Betty?

Crystal - You're going to do great!! It is a scary thing, and the unknown changes are frightening, but like Paula said, the changes are gradual. The time on liquids may seem drastic, but hopefully you'll be one of the lucky ones who has no hunger until it's time to go back on solids anyway - that's what happened for me (and I'm so grateful!! ). There is definitely going to be some mourning going on, and when you identify what it is, exactly, you are mourning, you may be surprised. I wanted to cry when I realized that there were no more "all you can eat" buffets in my future. After I thought about it for a while, I realized that after I was banded, EVERY day was going to be an "all you can eat" buffet!! One where I could eat as much as I wanted and still lose weight. Because, truthfully, most of the time after eating a small sampling, I didn't want anymore. And then, of course, there was the I couldn't eat any more - that was particularly helpful... lol Twice after I was banded I was really PISSED off that I could not eat more than my band allowed. I laughed at myself, and then thanked my band. At the time it wasn't so funny, but I reminded myself that this was exactly the kind of help I needed. Congrats on your upcoming date! You'll do great!!

I used to live at Grand Army Plaza, and felt that Brooklyn seemed waaaay out of the way. I personally think NJ is easier to commute from to get to NYC. But we don't all have to stay near each other - just have to be able to get to wherever we want to meet. HOJOs is Howard Johnson's. I think my stay at the one in Clifton was $60-$80 a night. I just checked online - 2 double beds/2 people for 9/23-25 is $83.30 per night 1 queen/2 people = $76.30

Tara - The get-together is for anyone - banded, unbanded, recently banded, not-so-recently banded, etc. Come!! Kathy - TMI = Too much information