Alexandra

Mandy, my heart goes out to you and your little darling. My two little girls are the light of my life and I can only guess what you're going through. You are doing all you can and I have total faith that you and she will pull through this stronger and closer than ever. Consider both of yourselves hugged. Strong, loving, caring vibes coming to you from NJ!!!

According to my handy-dandy desktop Fitday program, one cup of hardshell crab, steamed, has 119 calories, 4 g fat, and 24 g protein. Good choice!! (And that took me about 3 seconds to find.) I'm telling you, if you want to log your intake on a regular basis and really know what you're getting, get this program. (It's cheaper than a laser fix!)

Unless this is a joke, the answer is nothing. Lapbend is a misspelling. Did you see that somewhere here?

This is a great piece, thank you so much for bringing it to our attention!

Yep, yep, yep, that's the way it starts. Good for you!!

Congratulations on your banding, and welcome to LBT!!

You can't keep getting "filled" forever--there is clearly a point at which the band can't be tightened any more without causing you damage. But you may need adjustments from time to time as your life circumstances change. When you're happy with your weight loss there's no need to change anything.

Anwyn, don't worry, you'll be fine. Take this time to relax and concentrate on eating slowly. Think about how you're healing inside and you want to be good to yourself. I had this exact situation this past summer, and my unfilled self went on vacaton! I put on a few pounds, but they came right back off with my return to normal routine, and when I was re-filled I was back where I'd started. Don't obsess, don't agonize, but DO pay attention when you eat. It is easy to overdo when you don't have your little buddy, and only your attention can stop it. Meantime, isn't it great to feel better?

Never heard of it.

Theresa, what wonderful advice/thoughts! Thank you very much for taking the time and giving all the detail. I'm sure you've helped many people today. Anthony, I very much hop you can find some relief from you pain without having your band taken out. The distinct possibility exists that removal wouldn't alleviate the pain, and then you'd have weight gain to worry about too. If something had actually been damaged during band installation surgery, there's no reason to think that band removal will help. Only if the band is actually causing your pain in an ongoing way will removal help, and unless that can be definitely proven it seems a very expensive and drastic step to take. Please keep us posted...

Hey, if it works, cool! But if it DOES work, rest assured YOU'RE the one doing all the work. If you're suggestible this sort of thing can absolutely work. Tell Chris that stopping smoking will change his life in ways he can't even begin to imagine. It's time, boy!!

There are a couple of things at work here, I think. Over time, the pouch does indeed stretch a little and can accommodate a bit more at a time. Stomach tissue is not rigid and of course can stretch as food is introduced. But even more important is that over time, the nerves at the site become less sensitive, and we are less aware of the sensations of over-fullness. This can become more pronounced if we're not careful, because pouch-packing (eating more than the pouch can hold) turns into esophagus-packing. And that can have seriously negative effects on the esophagus, which is NOT designed as a reservoir for food. I'm at that place now, 2.5 years out, and have been working to re-recognize when enough is enough. I'm happy to say that my band is still working beautifully; I just have to pay a bit more attention to it than before when it was new to my system. I'm getting "used" to it, and that can lead to complacency. Whether in reality the pouch can hold more or we just think it can doesn't really matter. We must continue to eat small portions, carefully chewed, for as long as we are banded.

Good luck...I hope an unfill helps!! It sounds like you may have some real inflammation going on, and you need to give your system a good long rest. Please come back and let us know how it went!

Do you have a lot of money you don't need, or something?

No contest. The south of France. They're telling you to be available for five months! That doesn't mean sit still and do nothing all that time. And, frankly, the chances that you will be picked are slim. Don't pass up Cannes for the mere possibility that TBL will pick you!! You can always skip Cannes if you must. Unless I'm missing something and you already have been picked for TBL?

Dave, if you've been around here any length of time at all you know that MOST people can eat almost normally after banding but before they've had a fill. Three to four weeks after surgery you will be almost totally healed, and any postop swelling will be gone. So YES, it is NORMAL to be able to eat solid food and feel almost no effect of your band at this point. I don't think anything has happened, even if you had a "severe vomiting episode." You probably had a normal PB/sliming episode becuse you tested your band a little, and it "bit back." As for your incrased capacity, I think you're just surprised to feel this way because no one told you you would. Normal, normal, normal. I hope that's not your doctor you're asking for the phone number of? Presumably you have your own doctor's phone number?

This posting does seem to be about nothing more than a personal opinion about something non-surgery related. The moderators have agreed that it should be locked. Evelyn, if you have anything to say about Dr. Speigel's office or medical approach that is not gossip, we'd be happy to hear it. This thread is over.

I do think that being overweight has made me stronger, and certainly influenced my perspective on life. I learned a LONG time ago that taking the high road when other people are acting low and juvenile (which happened a lot in my circles) would always serve me well. Having learned that lesson in high school, it was the only thing that got me through college. I rose above the meat-market fray and made lots of good friends of both sexes. This ability to detach from the dramas of daily life that other people take so seriously has absolutely influenced my personality for the better.

Oh wow, that is weird. Creepy weird. Whose idea was that? Perhaps they had a bunch of samples lying around. Medical supply companies throw demonstration models of things like this around like candy.

Kelli, your stomach is made of organic tissue, soft, pliable, and full of Fluid and fat cells. As you lose weight, your stomach tissue can thin out, resulting in less restriction over time. You can also experience fluctuations in restriction in short-term arcs, just because of the way fluid is retained in your bodily tissues. There are more moving parts to the equation of restriction than just the amount of fluid in the band. Adjustments (which is a more accurate way of saying it than "fills") are what make the band fit your body perfectly. Some people find that over time they actually need to have a little fluid taken out, perhaps because the stomach tissue thickens up in response to the pressure from the band. Who knows? The beauty of the band is that it IS adjustable, and you will get the restriction that's right for you. In this, one size does not fit all.

I like the Atkins Advantage bars, but the ones I buy don't say anything about low-carb. They have 21 g of protein and 10 g of fiber, without a lot of sugar. My faves are chocolate peanut butter, mocha crunch, smores, and a couple of others. I don't like the granola flavors, they're too painfully sweet.

The only way to influence the amount of loose skin you're going to have is to be young when you start losing weight. And have good genes. Another thing you can do is not mind! We were talking about this in a meeting the other night, and decided spandex was invented for a reason. My loose skin is a reminder of where I came from and I honestly don't mind seeing some in the mirror. It's easy to dress to camouflage it; I'm certainly not going to undergo surgery when long sleeves do the same thing. I never say never, though; things may change and in 10 years I may feel differently. But loose skin isn't the evil many make it out to be and changes over time anyway. I certainly wouldn't EVER consider surgery on my skin until I'd maintained the weight loss for several years at least. I'm too scared of surgery, in general.

Hope you feel better soon, Trish. Take care and rest up!! You're good to go, that's what to hold on to. A fresh start is such a great thing!

ReneBean, you are a woman after my own heart! I hope like hell you prevail on external review, like I did. Every time one of us does, it chips away a tiny bit away on the wall of insurance industry resistance. Good on you!!!

My famly practice doctor says a regular multivitamin is fine for adults, with extra calcium for women. I take an additional B-complex on the advice of my banding doc, and in winter take extra C as well. For most people a regular multi is plenty. The rest is all marketing.