Alexandra

I've gotten rid of a LOT of clothes in the last 18 months, and after the first wave (which was nerve-wracking) l have fully enjoyed doing it. Just a couple of weeks ago I had to face up to the fact that I needed all new COATS. That's a big change, when a winter coat is so loose it stops being effective as warmth. But I don't like just giving them to local generalized charities. (I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of that stuff is sold and someone is making a profit off of it.) Someone on another board told me about Freecycle, which is a localized network of e-mailing lists. People post what they've got to give away and people who need them respond. I gave three good winter coats and probably 30 sweaters away in the last round, to local people who needed and appreciated them. Check it out on the Yahoo groups site if you're interested! There are Freecycle networks all over the country.

Hi Debbie, I think your friend might have had the gastric bypass, not the band. Banding changes nothing about our digestive process, and it doesn't ever "stop working." The band is nothing more or less than a little silicone band that goes around the top of our stomachs, letting us feel full faster, eating less, and less often. It's adjustable, and if you don't feel its effect after a time (which can happen for a variety of reasons) it can just be adjusted so it's working again. Welcome to the site, rockbaby, and good luck with your research!

Hi Mandy, If you read over this and other threads about foods you'll see that people really have different experiences. The last couple of days I've eaten bratwurst for dinner with gusto. I skin them but the meat inside is very easy to eat. Cabbage is also not a problem for me, like salad in general, though some people say they can't handle it at all. You'll really just have to wait and see what your banded body likes and doesn't like. Congratulations on being one of the lucky insured!!

I don't know about three weeks but I can tell you it sure does get easier. I had lunch with a friend yesterday who quit smoking about the same time I did. We talked about how bizarre it was that we ever smoked as much as we did, and agreed that we NEVER ever ever have cravings anymore. The car ride is going to be a challenge for you, so think now about how you're going to handle it. My favorite thing to do in the car is sing show tunes, really loudly. Good luck--you're doing great!!

Denise, you've taken an amazing step just getting this all out where you can read it over and ask for help. You've been through and are going through a lot, and beating yourself up is just something you DO NOT need to do. If you have no restriction you're getting no help from your band. So imagine, if you will, what might have happened to you if you had no band and all of these pressures were upon you. I know I would be gaining weight and have no endgame in sight. (Been there, done that.) But you have a friend in your corner. Make that phone call and schedule a fill. You're mindlessly eating because it's comforting, and because you have no reason NOT to. When your band is working for you, though, it will make doing this sort of thing a lot harder. And that's the kind of help you need to get your weight loss on its way. In the meantime, your family is going through a lot and they need you to be present for them. Don't worry about your weight loss--as long as you're not GAINING you're way ahead of the game. You know that when you're feeling better it's a lot easier to do what you know needs to be done, so first concentrate on being good to yourself so you WILL feel better. This is an important step, and a brave one. I know how hard it is to let it all hang out, even if the only one reading it is you. You're a strong woman, Denise, and the band is waiting for you to let it help you.

Hi Eve, What the band gives me that I have never had before is CONTROL. Certainly we all know what it's like to fall off a diet, however much the diet works. I've successfully lost some weight any number of times, only to fail again because it was impossible to adhere to a strictly limited diet for the long term. Limiting calories works, we all know that. But HOW do I limit calories? Just by telling myself to? Doesn't work--my hunger was too constant for that. I could do it for a month or two, or three, whatever, but never without some sort of help (like ephedra, Weight Watchers, OA, a nutritionist) and never once the help was gone. The difference is this time, the help is not gone. I can fall off the wagon here or there, but the effect of the band is with me all the time. I simply am not as hungry as I used to be. I simply cannot eat as much or as fast as I used to, nor do I want to. So was it worth it? Hell, yes. Whether I'd have been able to pay out of pocket is another story, but I know I was seriously considering going to Mexico if I had to. The idea of having some permanent assistance with limiting my intake was a whole new world. And it's been exactly what I hoped for. Sure, I am the one telling myself "enough" but it's EASY to do that now! That voice of moderation inside my head that always went quiet in the face of a celebratory dinner now has actual muscle, provided by a little band of silicone. The loss has been "slow" but for all that it's much more real to me than any loss I've ever experienced before. It's the last "diet" I'm ever going on--I've seen the last of any number higher than 230 or any size that starts with a "2." And I have my band to thank for that.

Just from my POV planning to make your home base in NJ is bound to be a lot more cost-effective. Hotels just on this side of the river are bound to have easy transportation into the city. I'll do some research and let you know what's what. Stay tuned!

I'm just going to quote myself from another recent thread on this subject: "Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. It is NORMAL to stop losing or even bounce back a few pounds after the initial drop of weight. IT IS NORMAL!!! Sorry for yelling but it's SO important to hear. The initial drop of weight, if you have one, sends your body into a sort of shock and pretty soon the dropping of weight will just stop even if you have changed absolutely nothing." Not to worry, Connorsmom. This is an absolutely normal stage and though it's hard it is temporary. When your body realizes you're not starving it, you get your fill, you start exercising and get into a routine of taking in fewer calories than you expend, you will lose weight. Don't watch the scale daily if it upsets you--you WILL experience fluctuations from day to day. You may be eating more than you were on liquids, but it's less than you were pre-band and that's the really important thing. RELAX!! :D

It is indeed a hard time, the pre-restriction stage. And no matter how many times you read about it, hear other people talk about it, when it happens to you it's a whole new ball game. But we'll repeat it as often as necessary! :D

Hi Joann, It can be very hard to find a good level of restriction when only a few tenths of a cc make such a difference. My doctor just recently told me that in fact, when people get to that "razor edge" of restriction it can seem very fussy and be hard to manage. A tiny adjustment can make a big difference at that stage. I recently had a small unfill (-.4cc) because I was suffering from reflux. If it hadn't been for the reflux I would have been fine at that level of restriction--it was difficult to eat more than a few bites but I was never hungry, so that was OK. Warm drinks before meals eased the tightness somewhat. Since almost all of what I ate was protein-based, I didn't worry about nutrition even though my calories were probably in the 1000 neighborhood. During that two months I lost almost 20 lbs, and the only downside was the reflux. When you were filled to 1.00 cc and felt too tight, what did too tight feel like? Sometimes any restriction feels "too tight" because it limits us from doing what we're used to doing--that is, eating with abandon. Were you having symptoms of reflux or an inability to drink fluids? Maybe, if you give it another try and take it really slowly, you'd be able to manage a fill of that level again. You ask whether you should keep trying to get it right, and my feeling is yes, if there are no obstacles to doing so (like money, or your doctor's patience). The "sweet spot" is in the mind of the beholder and clearly you haven't reached it yet. But it's still out there for you if you have the patience to find it.

Congratulations, and congratulations!! That is a very happy day indeed. :D

Shannon, you're living proof that even serious band complications can have a happy resolution. I'm so glad you were able to get the care you need and that you were able to have another band placed! This time will be the charm.

Jenna, you can and WILL do this. Cigarettes simply have no place in a healthy life--not in your home, in your car, in your purse, in your nightstand, NOWHERE. Having quit more than 15 years ago, I can tell you that quitting smoking changes your life faster than anything else you can do. It's a gift to yourself and your family and EVERYONE you know will be happy and proud of you. You don't need luck. You need strength and the determination to succeed. And I know you have both. We'll be here to read your typing which is another GREAT way to keep your fingers busy. :D

Kristi, it sounds like your doctor really knows what he's talking about. Youre lucky! A fill now before you've really learned how to eat solid food could have presented problems. Sounds like you're doing great!!

Zoe, what a wonderfully eloquent and moving post!! Congratulations on your 6-month bandiversary; I'm really glad you are sharing it with us. You've made a difference in some lives today.

Oh my gorgeous (as my 3-year-old says)! That sounds heavenly!! Mmmmmm....

Alex, I hope you will take some time to read at least a couple of my PMs on the recent brouhaha. I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

You'll be fine. Glad to hear it's over! With regard to meds, you may have trouble taking pills from time to time. If your doctor said Advil was OK to take for occasional pain, there's no difference if it's a liquid or a pill of some sort. Whatever is easier for you to take is fine. If you can stick to Tylenol in the future you might want to try, though--Advil is ibuprofen which is not advised for bandsters. It's one of the NSAID category.

A woman after my own heart...I love these two!! You have to have a special sense of humor to appreciate Buckaroo Bonzai. (What ever happened to Lewis Smith? I loved him!)

I have exactly the same response, Scotty. My fullness-ometer has always been three steps (23 steps, more like) behind my brain, and that hasn't really changed post-banding. I have had to learn to stop and take a step back before I feel full, because three minutes later I really DO feel full and one more bite would have done me in. As you say, it's all part of the learning curve of banding. Enjoy your spotted Dick!! (Which is what, exactly?)

Tinkerbell, you are absolutely not offending anyone with your questions!!! The answer to your question is yes. Because our stomachs are not altered in any way by the implantation of the band they still work normally. If you find that you don't have restriction, there's nothing holding you back from consuming as many calories as before. That is, too many for weight loss. Your stomach capacity isn't really diminished if you have no restriction to speak of. Surgery itself often results in swelling and a post-op period of restriction, but that doesn't usually stay beyond a few weeks. After that point, for most people, an adjustment is necessary to tighten the band and create restriction. And it's that restriction making it hard to eat too much, too fast, or too often. Voila! Weight loss.

Hi Karen, Oh, wow, I totally know how you feel. The very worst PB I ever had was on seaweed from a sushi lunch. It was horrible! I hope you're feeling better now. Liquids after a PB isn't the same prescription as liquids after surgery. You just want to be careful to keep your esophagus quiet for the next couple of meals and eat only the softest of mushy foods or stick to Soup. If you go right back to eating solid food you could exacerbate any irritation that the PB caused, which could just make the situation worse. Take care!!

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. It is NORMAL to stop losing or even bounce back a few pounds after the initial drop of weight. IT IS NORMAL!!! Sorry for yelling but it's SO important to hear. The initial drop of weight, if you have one, sends your body into a sort of shock and pretty soon the dropping of weight will just stop even if you have changed absolutely nothing. Especially if you're really only taking in less than 1000 calories a day, your body thinks you're starving it and will rebel. Quite naturally! Please don't worry, and do start taking in more calories. You use up more calories than that just getting out of bed in the morning! Your weight will again start to drop, but you need to think more about nutrition and healing than the numbers. RELAX!! You're absolutely, perfectly, 100% NORMAL.

Hi Alex, from another Alex! Welcome to LBT. You just had your surgery yesterday, so it's not at all surprising you feel bad. Is this your first surgery? Everyone recovers differently but healing does happen and you WILL feel better. You may want to start a new thread if you have specific questions. Be good to yourself and get lots of rest. You'll be feeling better, I promise, in just a couple of days!!

Hi Julie, If you're asking whether you made a mistake cancelling your fill, I'd say no! If you are doing well without an adjustment there's no reason to rush into it. Many doctors won't even consider giving a fill until weight loss has stalled for at least a couple of weeks or a month. You're doing great! You're one of the lucky ones who does well without an adjustment for a while. Enjoy it!