Alexandra

I'm in the body-stress camp myself. I've lost weight before and not lost hair, but every single time I've had some major medical thing (childbirth, banding surgery, endoscopy involving anaesthesia) I've had temporary hair thinning a couple of months afterward. It always comes back in full.

Hey Shelly and Babs, I'm just reading this now and am really sorry you're having such troubles! I'm right there with you, having had a tiny fill August 17after months of a total unfill to solve serious reflux. So far so good, I'm happy to say, but I'm totally mindful that one night I could wake up with reflux all over again. Shelly, if that were to happen to me I'd go immediately for a total unfill but want to do anything I could to KEEP MY BAND. Even without "restricton" it absolutely helps to limit my intake to a level that will let me maintain my loss. And to me that's what it's all about. 68% of your excess weight may not sound like a lot to you, but here's my take on that: If someone had told me going in that this was what I'd achieve, I'd STILL have been determined to get it. 68% is an amazing amount, and considering the relatively minor impact this surgery has on our bodies it would seem a measure worth undertaking. Nothing in my life has ever been that successful in helping me with my weight before. It is a mystery why it tightens up seemingly without provocation, and my current mission is to try to understand my body's signals with regard to this. And I know I'm going to treat my allergies aggressively, with Flonase and Claritin on a regular basis when the seasons are changing. When I do detect any irritation or tightness I'm determined to go on liquids for several days to baby it back to health. This is just my plan to deal with my current situation, trying to hold on to good health with my new fill. Fingers crossed that it works. And last thought: I definitely agree that long-term esophageal problems are a possibility with banded patients. I asked my doctor about this not too long ago, and he said something like these complications do increase with time. While the chance of esophageal problems might be (I'm guessing) 5% within the first year, 10% in the second, it rises to (and this is what my doctor says he's heard from European colleagues) "like 20% after 7 years." That sounds scary, but it still says that 80% of people don't have issues even after that length of time. So I'm determined to figure out how to stay in the 80%, if there's anything at all I can do to make it happen.

Jess, what a handful you've been dealt! I'm so sorry about your husband and all you are facing. Good luck with the unfill; here's hoping it resolves the slip and all is fine. :hug:

Hi Ruthie! Another Jersey girl here, and another Abkin/Bertha patient. Don't worry about your fill; Dr. Bertha is extremely practiced at them and it will go like a charm. WRT walking trails: I just heard that Split Rock Reservoir up in Rockaway/Btn Township has 13 miles of trails. I can't wait to explore them, but haven't done so yet. It's gorgeous up there!!

Hi ladies, Just a thought; if you're noticing extra mucus in your sinuses and ears why not try a decongestant medication? I have a theory that banding interferes with our regular drainage ability and any increase in mucus secretion (such as due to allergies) can cause problems. Reducing the production of mucus might help, I'm thinking.

Oh, Seppi, I didn't realize you'd already tried the unfill route. Wish I had more ideas for you--I sure hope it heals up!!

Seppi, if I were told that (and I was, about several months ago) I opted for a complete unfill. As soon as the fill came out the reflux stopped, and it has never returned. Last week, finally, I went in for another fluoro and was given a tiny fill of .8 ccs. No reflux (knock on wood!!) The choice between having a band and NOT having a band is easy to make, for me. I want my band. So I didn't hesitate a second when thinking about an unfill. Get that fill out, heal, let it all resolve. As long as you have your band you'll always be able to get another fill. Good luck!!

Wow, Elizabethsew, that is really a scary story. And inspirational in the end, so thank you very much. I'm glad you are here to share it. :hug: Leatha, you too!! :hug:

Beautifully said, Officegirlblues! Regret is an emotion that generally means one wasn't prepared for whatever it was. If one has done the appropriate soul-searching, regret is impossible. Disappointment, frustration, even anger, sure, but "regret" shouldn't be one of the emotions if our eyes were open going in.

Congratulations, Lisa! That is indeed something to crow about. :biggrin1:

Hey Marissa, Sorry you don't like your job, but congratulations on the car! That's gotta be cool, huh? If you don't like where you're working, why not try getting an office job? There is a neverending need for competent office help, part-time, full-time, temporary, you name it. If you can type and are pleasant, you're in. Visit a temp agency and see what you need to work on and get on it! I started temping in high school and was earning way more than minimum wage from the very start. Good luck!!

Yep, Donna said it. Drinking while eating is just to "wash it down," if you think about it, and that's something bandsters don't want to be doing. And 1-2 lbs per week is, by any measure, the healthiest pace at which to lose weight. Welcome to LBT!!

I am SO out of the loop when it comes to today's popular music. Man, I feel a million years old. I swore this would never happen to me!! :cry

Is this a song?

Why not start a thread in the Texas area? Welcome to LBT!!

This is ridiculous. I'm locking this. I'm not deleting posts, but this thread is over.

GreatDame is right. And as always, the best way to stop these dustups is to completely ignore them.

3Loves, this is getting locked too because you are just trying to stir up trouble. You are deliberately attacking another member, "anonymously" perhaps but it's not acceptable. Please make this the last one.

Yikes, Magic, that sounds rough! It might indeed be swelling but it's not good that you can't get even a little Fluid down. Try warm liquids this evening. If you're still this way in the morning call your doctor! Good luck and let us know how you're doing. :hug:

The moderators don't have the power, TOM, but the owner does and he's done precisely that in the past. Do we learn? Evidently not. It could easily happen again. It must be a full moon, somewhere.

Penni is of course right. We just can't be everywhere at once. Please, everyone, if you see a post that disturbs you, report it! The little white-in-red triangle with the exclamation point in it on every single post is there for just this reason. Press that, and a moderator will come check out the thread that's of concern. A little help, folks, is all we ask.

They are trying to evaluate not you, per se, but whether you have accurately understood and considered the implications of banding surgery on your life. They understand that people who are morbidly obese and trying to get surgery may be depressed, prone to isolation, overcompensating in whatever ways, hell, I'm sure we're all a bit "unbalanced" to some degree. But these counselors are looking for whether you have appropriately assessed your own habits and thought about life post-banding. So take these days to think hard about your habits and how banding will help you lose weight. If you have realistic expectations, have really understood the consequences of banding, have seriously examined your motives and they center around improving your health (as opposed to pleasing someone else, for example), you have nothing to worry about.

Stop it. Now.

I agree with Lisa, it's definitely something we have to be COMPLETELY ready for. It's every bit as much a mental journey as a physical one, and we have to be on board for the whole enchilada. I really think it's also important to discuss with your doctor ALL your personal physical issues. Think back over your life and try to assess what sort of healer you are. Do you have allergies? Do you have other sensitivities or proclivities? What some people sail through others might find hard to handle. All those "how long did it take you to go back to work" threads are very enlightening--everyone is different. There are a million and five things to consider before jumping on the bandwagon. Would that every doctor could take all the time needed with every patient, but it's not always so. We have to be our own advocates and really think hard and long about going through this immense change. But of all the bandsters I've met and talked with, I'd have to say the VAST majority are happy with their bands to a greater or lesser degree depending on where they are in their lives. Only a very few isolated cases have actually said they would NOT have done it again, and in those situations it usually boils down to some element that could have been predictable, or at least identifiable, before surgery.

Amen, amen, amen. I want this in cross-stitch. :scalesno: And if I can amend my previous alter-ego, I want to be Jimmy Buffett. (He has the perfect life!!)