leatha_g

Woohoo!! So glad you're all better! Good luck with it!

The lapband is an 'almost' last resort. You probably HAVE tried the conventional methods.. and, you could always ask them how many people they know that have ever actually lost weight and KEPT IT OFF for good. Tell them you needed something permanent, that will teach you to make better choices by governing your intake without continuing the yo-yo syndrome for the rest of your life. Then, remind them that surgery is never 'easy'. It's risking your very life to find some resolution for a permanent problem that contributes to bad health, bad self esteem and being treated like a 2nd class citizen if left untreated. Welcome to the board! You'll be loving your band in no time!!

My normal body temp runs about 96-97 instead of 98.6. I checked it daily for several days. It even got as low as 95 once during that time. As stated above, low body temp is a symptom of thyroid problems. Like Carlene, I have taken to keeping a sweater or jacket of some kind in my car at all times. Even in the hottest of summer, I can barely stand going into restaurants without one.

Do you think perhaps she is panicing because she's afraid you'll lose weight and leave her behind? Or perhaps your losing weight may make her take inventory of her own issue with the weight? Unless she could give you some substantial reason why you shouldn't, medically. That would be my guess..

Woohoo! Good news! Do you get stop signs with this new fill?? My band is very subtle now. I know it's there, but my esophagus just doesn't seem to get the message. I'm still managing my portions and trying to stick with good choices MOST OF THE TIME, but I haven't lost in forever. I'm strictly maintaining.. which is still a Godsend, compared to being without a band.

Hope that infection clears up completely and soon! Please make sure your doctor knows of any changes!

Sounds like you are compacting, which is good and to be expected. But, you are right; white starches (potatoes, breads, rice, etc) will slow down your weight loss. Try practicing with Proteins and good carbs, which is healthy veggies instead. It's definitely a different mindset, especially for those of us who's favorite food groups is refined sugars and starches. But the idea is to get it down to a chicken breast(or other hard proteins) and a serving of something like green Beans and be done. Those white foods bring me down every single time. Then, the cylce just continues..

Mine has migrated from the upper left quadrant, just under my rib cage, more to the center, just off center under my breast bone. Perhaps 4 inches towards the center? Try lying flat, then lifting your legs slightly off the ground, this tightens the muscles of your abdomen and upper quadrant. It helps to locate it. Happy searching!

Yea. Not sure where George Bush comes into the picture. Something isn't right about that and has nothing to do with Christianity.

Babs, I'm real glad you are headed in a forward direction, however, I'm a bit confused as to why he thinks a new band would take so much longer? Or, why he would say you could need an open surgery. He (same doc) replaced my band when he removed my old one, no problem. I was in surgery approx 1hr 15 minutes and he also repaired my hiatal hernia at the same time. I truly hope your scope goes well and you get some answers with it. Good luck!

It's very common for beef to be 'out'. Beef is simply too hard to 'chew to goo'. I can eat roast that's cooked to falling apart, but no steak at all. I've heard some bandsters say if they try beef, it's the best cut, like filet mignon, all other cuts are just too fibrous and tough. I eat lots of chicken, fish and crabcakes, cottage cheese and chili. But if you can't eat hard Proteins, you may need to consider an unfill. The soft food syndrome only slows you down and may contribute to overfilling your pouch.

How do hard Proteins work? Like fish, chicken, boiled eggs, tuna?? Are you cutting your bites to the size of a pencil eraser? Then, chew, chew, chew til it's nearly liquid? Often, with good restriction, things such as salads and some fruits become items we can't eat for awhile. Especially those items that are very fibrous. Try to focus on your Protein first, then veggies - perhaps something easier to chew, like green Beans, as mentioned. And remember, with restriction, you may become full after 4-8 bites of protein. This is quite all right as long as you listen to the signals and stop. If not, you may find yourself pb'ing very often. Good luck!

Buy her a book - Women Who Love Too Much by Robin Norwood. Tell her you love her and you are really concerned about her future. Good luck!

I asked my GP for a shot of antibiotics the week before my surgery. The same thing happened to me and I headed straight for something quick!

Awesome!!! Congrats and good luck!!

This guy is part of her extended family, it seems. He's everywhere she goes. I don't believe he is married. He simply happens to be 'a lawyer' who is really part of her entourage and runs interference for Anna Nicole. More like a platonic love relationship, if platonic at all... ???

More than likely, Carlene is right. You've agitated the esophagus and it's become a vicious cycle of inflammation/throwing up, etc. However, it has been said that severe bouts of extreme coughing can cause slippage. I would back of any solids, try liquids, including warm liquids only for a few days. Even things like yogurt, pudding etc - but if things don't improve within a week, I'd sure let me doc know what's going on. This is just my opinion and what I might do for myself. Please consult your doctor if you are truly concerned.

You fall into 'soft food syndrome' because you can't/won't eat hard proteins as recommended by the manufacturer of the band. Then, you tend to claim you aren't losing, but you can't eat... then you eat more soft foods, then you claim you aren't losing because you can't eat.... then.... then... lol.

This is really sad news, but I will definitely lift you up to God as he has all the answers. Look to Him for your wisdom and comfort during this trying time and he will see you through. Please let us know how you are!! Hugs, Leatha

Welcome and good luck with your upcoming surgery!!

I feel terrible for her. Her whole life has been one big fiasco after another and now, real, serious tragedy has knocked on her door. God bless her son and God give her comfort and wisdom during such a trial. I'm interested to hear the outcome as well. They've stated that her lawyer was the other person in the room, but my mind keeps going back to the fact that he (her son) came straight from the airport to her room. There is mention of alcohol on the plane, but I guess because of my own experience, I can't help but wonder if he suffered a DVT/PE from the plane ride. There was mention of vomiting excessively, so perhaps alcohol poisoning. I guess the truth will eventually come out. What a tragedy...:think

well put, shelly. that's exactly what it seems like... and it's only 3 years out..:faint:

((((((((((Megan))))))))), so sorry to hear you're having issues as well. You've done a really great job ! Please keep us posted as to your findings!

My first band slipped one year out. The operative record stately clearly that the doc used the pars flaccida technique at the time. It was 2003. The doc who diagnosed the slip also stated that the band was positioned incorrectly and it was no fault of mine. I had moved and had to change docs. Who really knows why a band slips? No one.. it just does.. Others lose their bands due to erosion or esophageal symptoms that come later down the road. Others have much more severe slippages. I've even heard now of 2 cases of what was thought to be rejection of the band itself.

I ONLY lost 55 lbs my first year banded. Some of us are just slower losers. Some of us make choices that slow us down. Either we don't turn up the volume on exercise or we add to many carbs to our diet, or our metabolism just isn't conducive to weight loss. Perhaps, we have unresolved medical issues. Then, we have those darn statistics! The lapband manufacturers state very clearly that you should lose an AVERAGE of 5-10lbs per month - OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. This is not a guarantee that you WILL lose every single month or that you'll be on the higher end of that weight loss average. But, there are things you can implement, such as more exercise or different exercise. More Water, more focus on Protein, less carbs in order to help scoot that along. It is a good guide to track your intake in a program such as www.fitday.com in order to see how your carb intake really does compare to the protein. Sometimes the bad does outweigh the good. It could even be possible that you need to bump UP your intake if you're not taking enough calories. Don't give up! You're headed in the right direction!