Alexandra

Donali, my soulsister and fellow child of the 60s... Hippo birdie, two ewes; hippo birdie two ewes; hippo birdie two ewes; HIPPO BIRDIE, TWO EWES!! (Anyone remember Sandra Boynton?) HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DONALI BABE!!! :D :D

I agree, Marie, but totally understand. This comes up every so often and people have to gauge their comfort level. I just googled "Alexandra lap-band" and one of the first things that came up was my signature from Spotlight Health signature. Including my weight! That gave me a turn, I must admit. But I can't possibly imagine what nefarious purposes someone could put that to, so I'm dealing with it.

I've thought about this a lot, since I post elsewhere and it's come up before. I understand why people might be discomfited by Google's ability to scan individual posts, and I do sort of wish it wouldn't do that. But by the same token, Google is scanning so many other boards in the same way that the overwhelming weight of indexed posts buries any concerns I might have about mine being accessible. When I was first searching for info on banding, some of the best sources I found were message boards. People should know that nothing posted publicly on the web is ever private, and we should be careful to conceal enough information to keep us as anonymous as we want to be.

Alex explained why the edit button disappeared after a while, and I'm glad he was able to change it. There's no reason for us here not to be able to edit our posts indefinitely; it's not like anyone later on will care. But Penni, to answer your question, moderators were always able to edit posts indefinitely. That's why the button never disappeared for you. (And why I once inadvertently "edited" a post when I meant to quote from it.) Gotta watch those buttons!

Things may have changed since I was banded in August of '03. At that time they were just using a marked-up version of the bypass diet, with rough time frames written in. Mushies were OK to start at day 4-6, for example. See how that goes and move on after another week or so. Do they have something printed specifically for bandsters yet? I don't actually remember the specifics, but do recall trying to eat some black bean Soup right about the end of week 1. I couldn't actually do it, so I waited another week before trying anything so thick. Dr. Abkin at that time agreed that whenever we try anything new the important thing is to listen to our bodies. Any pain or discomfort means we're not ready for it.

Michele's right, Bobby. Though I well know the temptation of sticking with a too-tight fill in the hope that it will accelerate weight loss, that's really not the case. However, if you're at all like me, you'll find that the fill will loosen after a loss of 10 pounds or so. Can you live with it long enough to see if that will happen? I don't know how difficult it is for you to get to your fill doctor. If it's not too big a hassle or expense, you might very well want to get a tiny adjustment. We are not meant to live on liquids.

Congratulations, Kimber-lilly! Smaller clothes are the bomb. I've shrunken out of all my coats, so last night I went looking for sales to see what I could get. I tried on a great Lands End parka which I think was a women's XL (not a 1X, just a plain old XL) and though it looked small it fit perfectly!! Well, except for the too-short arms, which I'm well used to. That's part of the mental disconnect--not being able to judge by sight; this coat really looked small to me before I put it on. After lots of shopping and trying things on, I ended up with two new coats, both from the men's department. But they're both a regular L! I almost went for an M but it wouldn't quite zip around my butt though it fit well everywhere else. DH said that next fall we'd come back for the M. I think that was the first Medium ANYTHING I've worn since, well, ever.

Lisa, I've had my thyroid levels checked a couple of times along the way and so far there's been no change. But in the last month or so, I've been feeling a little funky sometimes--lightheaded, a little dizzy if I get up too fast--and I'm thinking it may be related to that. My PCP did say we should keep an eye on it as I lose weight, so at my physical on Monday I'll be telling her about these new symptoms. I'll let you know what we find out.

Laura, you might want to start a new thread about banding teenagers. Not many people are likely to see it here. Nice to hear from you!! I've been wondering how you're doing, fellow Jersey girl!

Lauren, I'm with Babs. You did nothing wrong. My doctor's post-op instructions call for solid food in the third week. If you have felt no pain or anything, I'm sure you didn't do anything at all to your band. That said, I'm sure you know it is important to follow your doctor's instructions. But I don't for one second think that nibbling while cooking shows any lack of commitment. (It will be a habit you want to break, though, since when you have restriction two or three nibbled bites can be enough to ruin your dinner.) Relax!! You're doing great.

Hi Glori, You've gotten great advice here and I just wanted to chime in and explain that I moved the thread to the Support forum so it will be seen by more people. (The Suggestions and Feedback forum is for matters relating to the forum itself.) Be patient with yourself and allow yourself to feel what you feel. One of the things I came to terms with was realizing that weight loss will NOT change everything in my life, and I'll still be who I was before. I'm still me, just smaller. Things that made me sad or mad or frustrated will still do that. And we all go through times of feeling blue, it's perfectly normal. Above the Mason-Dixon line, it's called February. :rolleyes Good luck, and I hope things look brighter soon!

I add mayonnaise and pickle relish. Dh thought that was disgusting until I pointed out that it's like tartar sauce with any other fish.

Betty 54 Paula 43 Kelly 65 Becky 77 Carol 102 Alex 110 Total 451

Hi there, The port is a little unit under the skin that is the intake for Fluid into the band. It's not the port getting filled, it's the band. It's done with a syringe, and yes, most doctors do numb the area a bit first. It really does not hurt when it's done right. My scars are, at almost 18 months out, actually hard to see. I had three tiny incisions and one slightly larger one for the port. The three little ones are hard for even me to find now, while the fourth one looks like a tiny scar I might have gotten from anything. One of the best things about laparoscopic surgery is the disappearing scars!

What Kelly said. It's a very good idea to not test your fill until it's had a chance to "settle" in. Your body is being stressed and I'm not at all surprised you're having hiccups and so forth if you're eating on the same day. TAKE IT SLOW!! This may be a new level of restriction for you. I remember my first fill as making me feel something like I did right after surgery. It's impossible to judge the rightness of a fill until at least several days have gone by; as long as you can drink liquids for the first couple of days you wouldn't be considered "too tight" right off the bat. Good luck, and welcome to the world of restriction!

Inamed Corporation is the manufacturer of the only band currently approved for use in the United States. Their website is www.inamed.com, and the person to contact there for just about any issue is Don Mills, don.mills@inamed.com. Budha, I am really sorry you're having such problems but now that you're in the care of Dr. Fielding you'll be in great hands! He's very well respected and I've heard nothing but good things.

Nancy, I think you're going through a very familiar dieter's phase. But it's not the way it's supposed to be, no, and it isn't the way it is for normal people. Normal people maintain their weight by indulging their desires just enough and not too much. Until banding I could never consider indulging in something just a little. One Hershey's Kiss would inevitably turn into 30. Sometimes I have to really struggle against that even now, but it's a WHOLE lot easier than it used to be. I alternate between actively trying to limit my intake, letting the band do it for me, and over-indulging in spite of myself. Living all the time trying to not "cheat" would make me absolutely miserable, so I don't even consider going there. If you were in a place where you enjoyed eating and maintained your weight, THAT'S what normal feels like. Actually trying to lose weight is not "normal." It's dieting. And it's up to you if you want to continue, or if you'd rather be normal.

You're so lucky to have so many options, Sharon! I hear stories of people who have to drive hours and hours for a fill, even stay overnight. I was lucky too, since my doctor's office is about 15 minutes from here, halfway to my office. It really makes a difference in your confidence level, knowing help and information is so close by. Good luck with your continued investigations!

Honestly? I'd think you'd want to leave them alone while you're learning the bandster ropes. With good restriction your appetite will be suppressed, and if it's already artificially that way you're not learning anything.

Christina, you've asked a great question. Support groups are notorious for attracting stories of problems and hurdles, for obvious reasons. The people having a good, easy, smooth time of it see little reason to come to a support group. But I'll be happy to tell you that MOST of the time being banded means only one thing. I EAT LESS. That does indeed take a significant mental adjustment. But once that adjustment is made it is no problem to go to restaurants and parties and partake of whatever you want, as long as you realize you will only be able to have a fraction of your former portion. For example, at buffets I used to start with the salad and then go back repeatedly for servings of the "good stuff." There was usually something high-caloric or especially tempting that I'd save for last, "if I had room," and of course I'd always find the room. Now I go straight to whatever I want, and enjoy the heck out of it. With a good level of restriction the party becomes about the PARTY, and not about how much I can eat. On normal days it is a pure pleasure to be free of constantly deciding and bargaining with myself about what sort of snack I might have before the next meal. I simply do not think about snacking! I could go on and on. Sure there are physical and mental challenges, but no one ever told me being banded would be a river of light. Changing my morbid obesity is and continues to be the most important and most rewarding thing I have ever done for myself.

Hi Cheermom, You're in the right place to hear many, many personal stories of life with the band. Most of us here are American, and the band has only been approved for use in the US since June of 2001. It's been in use in other countries for at least 15 years now, where it is the standard of care for bariatric surgery. Browse around and read old threads and you'll get a very good picture of the challenges and joys of banded life. Feel free to post when you have questions. We'll be happy to answer!!

I agree with Michele, unless (and this is ONLY if you are able to drink Water and keep it down) the problem is really that your bites are just too big. How are you with softer foods? Can you eat, say, a yogurt without pain? If smooth and soft foods present no problem, then my guess is that you haven't mastered the art of bandster mastication (chewing things to an absolute pulp). Pieces that are literally the size of a pencil eraser can cause pain when going through the stoma. If one is new to the sensation of restriction it's very easy to cause oneself pain by not chewing carefully enough. Maybe you're gulping the water? I've noticed, just recently, that for the first time in my 18-month banded life I can't chug water. I just have to take smaller sips and let time pass between each one. And my last fill was almost two months ago! If you're getting nutrition and liquids in without trouble, an unfill may not be necessary. Try REALLY taking tiny bites, and chewing well, and chewing even better than that. It really does take a lot of getting used to. Good luck, and please let us know how you're doing!

This is an excessively weird little parlor game, I must say. You've probably discovered by now that if someone has left a comment while upping your "rep" you can see that comment by clicking on the scales in the post on which they left a comment. Otherwise what pops up is your total Reputation Points. I never have the time or patience for this sort of thing, I'm sorry to say. It's hard enough to get here to read new posts as much as I'd like to! But I"m glad to see everyone is having fun! Rep away, but be careful where you spread that rep. Safe repping, that's our mantra!!

Gads, I too hope it's just a vessel. Have you ever had that happen before, like in your nose or something? That would scare me silly!

Hi Dlynn, Can you give us more information about the company? Is this a plan your employer provides or is HMC a separate insurance company? I've never heard of it.