Alexandra

My comfort foods used to be macaroni & cheese or anything on a bagel. Ice cream used to be a treat and I almost never had any in my freezer. But Pasta and bread have been out for a long time now, and I thought I'd been doing well without a replacement for them. Ice cream has taken over, though. It's unfailingly delicious and blessedly easy to eat. Of course, I know it's not good FOR me. So I'm publicly facing up to the fact that my relationship with it has changed and now borders on the pathological. Of course there are worse vices I could have, but when a comfort food becomes a staple of a diet it's time to face facts. Here's hoping I've taken that all-important first step in getting this monkey off my back. I'm Alex, and I'm an ice-cream-holic.

Will, what you're getting is not the runaround. It's normal procedure for any insurance carrier being asked to approve an expensive surgery. It seems insurmountable when you see the list of requirements from either a carrier or the doctor for the first time. I'm sure things will look different to you in the light of day, when you have a chance to really look at what they're asking for and see how easy it will be for you to provide it. Look at it this way: They haven't said no! Stick with it. If you know this is the right thing for you, it will still be the right thing a year from now and no less effective for the wait.

Time for a fill! Seriously, there are two things that could be going on. One is that you have experienced lessened restriction as you lose weight, a common result as your stomach walls get thinner and fat disappears. In that case, a fill will bring back the restriction you used to have and you'll be back in the driver's seat. The other scenario is that there is something wrong, but I think that's highly unlikely if you're having no symptoms. By "wrong" I mean erosion (worst case scenario) or a leak of saline. The leak wouldn't cause any symptoms beyond a loss of restriction, but IMO it's less likely to be the cause than your weight loss. Call your doctor and make an appointment for a fill. That's my advice.

Hi Deb!! It was great meeting you the other night, and now I really want to hear how your fill went. Please come and post and let us know!! And did you have to register at the outpatient department before going to radiology? The last two times I've gone, I wait in the OP waiting room only to be told that I didn't have to. What was your experience? Hope you're having a good day and that everything was easy-peasy. (BTW, I went to the new-member meeting last night and spoke to the audience. It was cool!! There aren't a whole lot of bandster-wannabes at these meetings but those who do want it are very, very interested. I hope a couple of them will come here.)

My heart goes out to you and your mom, Lauri. It's so hard when a parent is sick. Take good care of yourself so you can take good care of them. Best wishes to him for a speedy and thorough recovery!

Nah, that's not weird. That's NORMAL. Anyone here will tell you that's just the way it works. You're fine!

The 9.75 measurement is of centimeters, I'm pretty sure, which means it's the standard Inamed band installed in most American bandsters to date. Correct me if I'm wrong, Debbie. And if that's the case, and you're 5'9", you really ARE a lightweight. Your starting BMI was less than 34, and now it's 32. You have much less to lose than most bandsters, so your results will differ markedly. That said, it's not really uncommon for the first fill to be ineffective. Some doctors do that by design, wanting patients to "sneak up" on an appropriate level of restriction. Other times it's just that your stomach/band/anatomy need another boost of saline before responding with restriction. Mention it to your doctor tomorrow and see what he says. My bet is that even with good restriction that you can fee, your rate of loss will be slower because you just have less to lose. Your body LIKES being the weight it is, and it probably won't give up those last few pounds without a fight. (How much do you want to lose?)

This is so weird and I wonder if it happens to anyone else. My doc's office only does fills twice a month, so by the time I know I need one I know there will be at least a couple of weeks to go before I can get one. That doesn't bother me--a plateau of even several weeks doesn't panic me at all. Now I've been at the same weight since late August, and have been getting hungry between meals much faster than earlier in the summer. I've lost about 15 lbs since my last fill, so this falls right into my pattern of loosening restriction with weight loss. So I called my doc's office and the next date I can get a fill is November 4. No problem. So what happens? Restriction returns! Two days ago I PBd on a Vitamin pill, and last night I had to be extremely cautious not to get into trouble during a restaurant meal. This morning even my tiny morning pill took its time about going down. What's up with that? So I figure I'll see how the next week goes and whether the restriction has returned for real. But I recall the last time I had a fill it was just the day before that I'd had one of the worst PBs of my life (remember the seaweed story?). I'm thinking that there's something mental going on--once I know there's a fill scheduled I must relax the way I eat or something, making me more prone to problems. Writing this out will, I hope, make me more conscious of the phenomenon, because while I love losing weight I HATE PBing and want more than anything to avoid any problems. More fill might lead down that unpleasant road if I really don't need it. Must...pay...attention...

I'm very aware of this as well. Since this is a lifelong battle I want to do everything possible to keep my band safe and sound and INSIDE ME. So even if I'm NOT losing weight--if my health is being preserved and I feel I'm making progress on some level--I may not need a fill. Being overfilled is a risk I'd very much like NOT to take, and certainly not for those last 20 lbs that no one but I would be aware of. Hyuk. No one would ever accuse me of being an overachiever!

Gagirl, the mushy phase is fun! I had a great time with spreads, pates, soups, and dips. All the exciting and expensive ethnic foods I'd only ever bought when I was entertaining became staples, especially things like salmon mousse, goat cheese, hummus, and tzatziki. Use your imagination, and have fun! It's a huge improvement over liquids.

Janie, protein drinks aren't magic. They just contain more protein than your average milkshake, and it's protein that makes hunger stay away longer. They're very helpful in the postop period, as Darcy says, but later on it's better if we can get our protein from solid food.

Hi Babs, Obviously this is a question only you can answer. For me, for now, I made a decision not to agonize over either the numbers or the process--I just have too much else in my life needing my attention to add stressing over my diet to the mix. If you have room in your life and your mind to make getting to some number a priority, and if you get joy from the process and the achievements, then the answer for you may be yes. Everyone is different, obviously, and our histories and life situations inform our choices. My "goal" has always been to no longer be so obese that my weight afflicts my life and health. I've actually gotten there, I believe, but no one would say I'm "done." However, I definitely feel like I've reached a stage where I'm happy to remain until my brain catches up. It's impossible to undertake an effort to lose weight if there are psychological barriers in place, so I'm being patient with myself and trying to explore those barriers while enjoying my new smaller body. So what is "done"? How happy are you where you are? If you don't know if you should care about 160, my guess is that you don't really care. And why should you? 20 lbs is not the kind of weight that will compromise your health and shorten your life, so what difference does it really make? Only one: to you. You are the only person you have to please, so do what you are comfortable with. Helpful, huh? :rolleyes

Starrla, I think *uncontrolled* low thyroid might be a contraindication for surgery, just like *uncontrolled* high blood pressure would be. But if you are hypothyroid and are taking the right medications for it, that shouldn't be a problem at all. When I had my surgery I'd been on Synthroid for a little over a year and my TSH levels were fine.

Thanks for all the cheers! Lauri, my doctor just uses a regular scale and calculates the BMI that way. There's nothing fancy about it. If you're talking about a machine that measures body fat, the answer is no, my doctor doesn't have one of those either. My PT has one and used it at our first session, but I honestly don't remember what the number was. Probably something horrifying like 98% body fat. I haven't gone back for a progress report as yet, since I still feel like I'm just "dabbling" in working out and didn't really expect to see any special results. My "routine" is, basically, do what the PT tells me for one hour each week, and then do at least two additional cardio workouts during the week. The cardio workouts are usually 30 minutes or so on either a treadmill, bike, or reclining bike. I still can't really handle the elliptical--I think because I'm just not doing it right. There are only a few elliptical machines at my gym and they're almost always taken, so I haven't had much time to practice. The weight routine varies a lot week to week, but just the fact that I'm using free weights rather than weight machines means that so much more of the body is involved in just keeping me upright and/or stable. My PT's job is to keep it interesting--and to make working out an "appointment" I hesitate to break--and he keeps a record of what we do. I know I should be doing some weight work on the other days when I go to the gym, but I'm always so pressed for time that it's hard. I'm working on that. Steve (the PT) is helping me figure out combinations of exercises that I can do to work various muscle groups in less time. Zoe, there are loads of buff guys and gals at my gym too. But there are just as many who are like me (and even heavier) and there really isn't any problem. I had less trouble than I thought getting over being intimidated. I say go for it and just ignore everyone else!! Bottom line: It's still not really what I'd call "fun" but it's definitely enough of a routine now that it doesn't feel lok a burden. The PT has helped me by teaching me why and how to do various things, and also just by being there every week. I'm thinking of shelling out another $400 for another 12 weeks of sessions, which I never thought I'd do. Maybe Santa will help me out.

So three months ago I was getting ready for my summer vacation, buying clothes for the trip. I bought a pair of capri pants which, even though they looked a little small, I figured would fit by the time we left. I get them home and lo and behold I can hardly pull them up! So instead of taking them with me on vacation, I stuck them up top on a shelf. Three months later I'm still hovering around that exact same number on the scale, but my clothes are getting a little baggy so I go rooting through my closets. What do I find? Those capri pants I couldn't even pull up. THEY FIT!!! Holy crap, even without a single additional ounce lost I have slimmed down to a point where these pants I couldn't PULL UP are perfectly comfortable! Naturally, they're capris so I can't wear them now, and they'll probably be too big by next summer, but WHO CARES??? I love my band. And I love my personal trainer who makes sure I do the weight work every week. That's what's doing it, I'm convinced.

I like the Atkins bars, but I use them for an entire meal replacement (they're like 240 calories). Besides the 20+ grams of protein, they also have 10+ grams of fiber, which I need. They're not bad, either!

Hi Shannon! I can SO relate to what you're going through; I'm sure most of us can. For me it was looking at my two small children and realizing that I now had two whole new reasons to win my lifelong battle with weight. And to do that, I needed a new weapon. But for those same exact reasons, I would NEVER consider RNY. The risks involved were just too great, and even with a BMI of 47 I still didn't feel "unhealthy" enough to take that step. Banding gave me a new start, a whole new way to think about food, and a whole new relationship with the world, WITHOUT the drastic, anatomy-rearranging effects of the bypass. Keep reading, keep exploring, and keep asking questions. It's not something to undertake lightly, but we're here to share our experiences if that will help. Nice to meet you!!

Has this ever happened to anyone else? When I'm confronted with an intense or annoying smell for any length of time, it sort of repeats on me for days or weeks. The first time it happened, I'd smell this weird sort of medicinal smell in a fleeting way, several times a day, for a couple of weeks. I didn't know what it was or what was going on, until I went back into a store I'd visited only once before and realized what I'd been re-experiencing was that store's version of aromatherapy. That was an unusual thing, in that I couldn't identify the smell so I couldn't figure out even what the reference was. Once I figured it out, the recurrences stopped. It's like a sense-memory reflex, or something. But now it's happening with the smell of smoke. Last week I was in a restaurant for a two-hour lecture, and we were in the room next to the smoking section. I think the a/c was off, and by the time we left both I and my seatmate were really irritated by the smoke smell. His eyes were even red. I thought it was over for me, but now I'm aware that I've been smelling smoke over and over even in places where it's not possible. Aargh!! Has anyone else ever had this sort of thing happen? Is there anything I can do about it? It's driving me crazy!!

Rica, I know how hard it is when a parent is sick. My heart is with you and your family as they face this challenge.

Boy, I sure wish it was my grandmother's tea rose or grampa's 4711 cologne that followed me around. You'd think it would be, since I live in their house! But no, it's that horrible smell of smoke. Blech. I don't have sinus problems, that I know of. I have been suffering from seasonal allergies a little bit, but it's more of the itchy, sneezy variety than any congestion. I think I'm coming to the conclusion that it's just oversensitivity to the smell of smoke, which is everywhere at this time of year. Many of our neighbors are burning wood, I'm sure of it. And even the barbecuse sauce at dinner was redolent of smoke! (Oh, wait, that was intentional.)

Rose, you're not alone and yes, EVERYONE goes through this exact process. It's normal and expected. If you're worried about it, you may be comforted to realize that a lot of doctors won't give a fill to someone who is still losing at that rapid post-op rate. There would be no point! A "stall" pre-fill is absolutely par for the course. And it's what your doctor is expecting to see. Don't worry; you're fine.

November 22 is a great day, it's my birthday! I'll be thinking of you on your re-birthday as I celebrate another year in my NEW life. :D

In my case, that would be my mother. Wow! What an idea!! I'll have to think about that one; she passed in June of '98. I completely believe that anything is possible. What bothers me the most is the lack of explanation. I keep grasping at straws, like imagining that my neighbors are burning wood in their fireplace -- even though I know they're not home. Sigh...

Well now I'm really confused. My restriction seems to have come back for good, so I think I am going to cancel my fill appointment. (Now that I've posted that, it will probably disappear again. So I won't make that phone call just yet.)

I like the idea of a chat room but I honestly don't think I'd ever use it. Chatting online is frustrating for me, and in any event I'm never sure I'll be available. So while I'm all for it, I can't be counted on as a potential user.