Caribear

Recently one of the lovely ladies on the forum suggested using appetizer flatware to eat with, because it is smaller than regular flatware, yet more dignified than eating with baby silverware. I agree, I would not be totally thrilled with having to eat all my meals off of a fork with a cartoon character on it. I combined that idea with another idea from another lovely lady, which was doing a "trial-run" of sorts with an imaginary band. (The people on this forum are so creative and so smart!) So I went out and bought an appetizer set with forks, spoons, plates and bowls, and have been using them to eat with lately. Well, I have been using the forks and spoons. Well, when I have been able to eat, I have used the forks and spoons. I just got over a nasty virus that acted almost exactly like strep throat, and so was on a liquid-and-popsicle diet for over a week out of pure necessity. I know that it's pretty early in the process yet, but I want to make sure that I get used to taking things slowly. In the past, "slow" was not in my vocabulary when it came to food. I would wolf down a plate full of food before my brain could even register it, then go back and get seconds just so I could taste it. Through a slow process and lots of therapy, I started changing my habits and have now gotten to the point where I can eat like a "normal" person for the most part. When I am stressed, I still battle with the urge to eat as much as possible in the shortest amount of time. But I have so many reasons to change, and so changing I am. Slowly, but still. One of the biggest reasons I have to do all this changing is my sweet baby boy. He just turned three in October, and he is a little sponge. Everything we do, he picks it up, whether we think he is paying attention or not. So how does someone like me raise a child who doesn't have a seriously unhealthy relationship with food? I have come to the realization that I have to lead by example and change the relationship I have with food. I have been working with my therapist to try and change my habits, as well as deal with the underlying issues that caused me to form those habits in the first place. I try not to reward him with food or candy, but at the same time I don't make anything off-limits either. Don't get me wrong, I don't let him eat a bag of M&M's right before bedtime, but if he wants a few of them during the day that's fine with me. I also don't push him to finish all the food on his plate, which was a HUGE struggle for me. I was a product of the "clean your plate because there's starving children in Africa" mindset, and I don't want to pass that on to him. We just make sure to tell him that he doesn't have to eat it all, but he can't expect to say he's done with his dinner and then eat a bunch of junk food. So now he eats what he feels comfortable eating, and if he's still hungry later he can have a healthy snack. And now that I am going through the process of being banded, I am telling him about how it's important to stay active and be mindful of what you are eating. I sat him down and had a little talk with him about how our bodies are gifts that God has given us, and how it's important to take care of them. I said that I hadn't realized what a great thing God had done for me, and I didn't take care of my body like I should have. So now God has shown me a path to take that will help me make my body healthy again so that I can play with him and take care of him like I was meant to. I tried to make it as relatable as I could, but I didn't think he was paying attention. Until yesterday, that is. He came up to me while I was sitting on the couch, put his little hands on my belly, and said "Mommy, you going to go see the doctor God showed you and he going to make your belly smaller so you can play with me?" So now I have another thing to add to my list of reasons to have the surgery: I have the responsibility of having a little pair of eyes watching everything I do, and I am responsible for shaping his ideas about his weight and his body and how he takes care of himself. It is a heavy responsibility to bear, but I know that he is worth it.

Good luck! I'll be praying for a quick and easy surgery and a fast recovery for you.

Congratulations!

I can relate. I haven't been banded yet, but have been dealing with emotional eating all my life. I have to say that therapy really has helped. My therapist has taught me cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and it has been incredibly useful. I have learned to ask myself a series of questions before I get something to eat. I have also written them on cards that I stuck on my fridge and cabinet doors. The questions are: Why am I here? What am I feeling? Do I really need to eat right now? What is the worst thing that will happen if I wait 20 minutes? Sometimes it seems kinda silly, but it really does help. I would recommend therapy, but remember that therapists are like any other medical professional in that they all have their own style and you may have to check out a few different ones before you find one who suits you best.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

I can't add anything about it being better than other cooking methods, but I found this site about how to do this yourself without the sous vide cooker. http://www.popsci.co...pensive-diy-way I may have to try this myself.

Thanks Bandit. You put that so perfectly. God bless you as well!

One of the most confusing and frustrating internal road blocks I have come across in regards to getting lap-band is how to reconcile my faith with the need to have this surgery done. Within the past few years, I have re-committed myself to my faith and become saved for the second time in my life. Don't get me wrong, I won't beat anybody over the head with my Bible (lol) but I don't hesitate to tell anyone who will listen about God's love for them and Jesus' ultimate sacrifice. I think it's amazing how God, who made every single thing in the universe, still cares about each and every one of us. It also blows me away how Jesus loved us all so much that he died to save us. There aren't enough words for me to tell how much I am deeply moved by this, and I spend time each day in prayer thanking the Lord for everything he has done for us. The problem is this - there's a little voice in the back of my head that says "You know, if you were a better Christian, you wouldn't need surgery. If your faith were stronger, you would be healed by the grace of God, not need to turn to surgery by the hands of a man. It's just because you don't pray/believe/give/whatever enough that you have to do this." It's a hard thing to ignore. How do you reconcile the idea of having surgery with God's promise to heal His children? Jesus healed many, many people, and he always explained it by saying that it was their faith that caused them to be healed. So what does that mean for people like me? Can it be that I simply don't believe strongly enough in my God's ability to heal me? I know that He can do all things, because He has created all things. Don't get me wrong, I am not the perfect Christian. I don't read my Bible every day. I'm not always as patient as I should be. I don't have a church home. I even swear on occasion (*gasp!* ) But I do love Him and seek Him out, and I am trying. And so far as I can tell, that's all that we can do. We are not God, we are human, and no human is perfect. One day I was in the midst of one of these "doubting sessions" and beginning to think that maybe it was true, maybe I was just an awful Christian and not worthy of healing. Just as I was beginning to entertain this idea, a thought came to me: Who do you think gave the surgeon his gift? Who do you think made the surgeon to begin with? How do you think this surgery was even thought up in the first place? And then I realized that maybe it was not surgery vs. faith; maybe my healing will be done through this surgeon because this is how God intends to heal me. It's not a question of turning to modern medicine and away from God, because it was through God that modern medicine came to be. He gave us an inquisitive nature, He made people who aspired to help others, and He gave us the ability to create technologies that can improve the health of many. I think we tend to compartmentalize "God over here, science over here" as if they are two different and opposing things. I believe they are not. I hope that anyone reading this with the same problem that I had can be comforted by the realization that not all healings are of the "miraculous, out-of-thin-air" type. There are all kinds of different ways that God can manifest healing in your life. Don't beat yourself up over a problem that doesn't exist. In the words of my son's favorite animated tomato, "God made you special, and he loves you very much."

Yeah, I'm having similar issues and running Safari. I'll try it with Firefox and post back if it works. (fingers crossed!) Tried it, no dice. All my information is saved, it just doesn't show up on my profile. The only thing that shows up is my age and birthdate. Hopefully they will fix this soon...

I'm sorry if my blog made you worry, Violet. That wasn't my intention. There are complications with any surgery, no matter how "minor" or "non-invasive," and if you google "x surgery complications" I'm sure there are lots of horror stories, but there are also many many positive experiences that we don't hear about because those people are busy living their lives. Please don't let my blog scare you out of doing something if you feel it's the best thing for you. I know people who have had gastric bypass and didn't succeed, too. I think it is a combination of restriction from the band, dedication to a healthy lifestyle, and sometimes a bit of luck that causes people to succeed. I think you will do fine because you realize this. You're already doing so well! I guess the whole point of my blog was just to complain a little about how one television show can influence someone's opinion so strongly.

I may not be the best person to answer you, because I haven't even been banded yet, but if it were me I'd first check to make sure that it is a bruise and not something on your skin (I've made that mistake before) and then call your surgeon's office and ask what to do. There should be someone on call, I would think. If you're still not sure, I'd just go to the hospital. It may be no big deal, but better safe than sorry, right? Please let me know what you decide to do and how you are doing. <3

That doesn't sound stupid to me - it's a legitimate question. Probably the best thing you can do is call your insurance company and ask, and see if they will send you some information about how it all works. I don't have the same insurance as you, and I'm in the very early stages too, but so far as I can tell you have to complete all of your insurance co's requirements first, then your doctor (surgeon I think) will submit an approval request before they will schedule you. Personally, I have to complete 9 months of physician supervised diet, a psychological evaluation, and various other tests before I can even think about having an approval request submitted. Maybe what you should do is make a list of questions, then call the insurance company and write everything down that they tell you. Don't be afraid to call them; it's their job to provide you with answers to your questions.

sorry for the double post i'm on my phone and it doesn't always cooperate with me lol

That poster would be me. it wasn't so much Dr oz himself that made wls look so bad to my mom, it was the way things were presented by the guests. there were some things that were misrepresented, like the amount of food eaten in a day and some of the negative side effects. i don't have a problem with Dr oz in general. i think he tries to present things in a pretty neutral way, but the show didn't seem that way to my mom. i told her about the article you had mentioned, and she was surprised that he was so pro-wls. maybe that helped change her opinion a little, idk. i personally have already done a lot of research and have pretty much decided that lap band is right for me. i plan on going ahead with or without her support, but things would be much easier with it. i rely on her pretty heavily for support emotionally and also with help at home since my boyfriend is often gone long hours and at odd hours sometimes and because of my medical conditions i really need the help sometimes.

That poster would be me. it wasn't so much Dr oz himself that made wls look so bad to my mom, it was the way things were presented by the guests. there were some things that were misrepresented, like the amount of food eaten in a day and some of the negative side effects. i don't have a problem with Dr oz in general. i think he tries to present things in a pretty neutral way, but the show didn't seem that way to my mom. i told her about the article you had mentioned, and she was surprised that he was so pro-wls. maybe that helped change her opinion a little, idk. i personally have already done a lot of research and have pretty much decided that lap band is right for me. i plan on going ahead with or without her support, but things would be much easier with it. i rely on her pretty heavily for support emotionally and also with help at home since my boyfriend is often gone long hours and at odd hours sometimes and because of my medical conditions i really need the help sometimes.

I know what you mean. I haven't been banded yet but I have already cut fast food out of my life almost completely. I quit drinking soda about 6 years ago. I used to drink two 2-liters of Mt. Dew a day :0 and I quit cold turkey. I actually went through physical withdrawal symptoms for quite some time afterwards. But I can tell you that it does get easier. Now the thought of Mt. Dew frankly nauseates me. If I can do it, so can you. I believe in you and I'm sending prayers your way. <3

Thank you! I am still looking forward to it, even though I know it will be hard. I also know that for every bad experience we hear about, there are many more wonderful experiences that we don't hear because those people are busy enjoying their lives. I should probably mention that I don't have any problem with Dr. Oz in general. I think he tries to present things in a very neutral way so that the viewer can make up their own mind. Unfortunately in this instance, the things that stuck out for my mom were the negative things. I have been gathering all the information I can so that I can make a decision based on facts, not fear. I am trying to share that with my mom so she can do the same. It's just frustrating to have to try and change her mind because she has formed such a negative opinion based on a television show.

I love this idea. I checked out Amazon and they have a full set of spoons, forks, bowls and plates for about $12. They are plastic, but it says they are reusable and dishwasher safe. Thanks again for the fantastic idea! Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Mozaik-Appetizer-Plates-Spoons-96-Piece/dp/B00359FBHK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1324272417&sr=8-2

OK, this entry is a little long-winded, but bear with me. I will get there eventually. The day my rheumatologist first brought up the idea of bariatric surgery was a hard day for me. Not so much because of that particular appointment, but because of the one after it. I had to drive to Dayton, see my rheumatologist, waste several hours, then go to my first appointment with a pain management doctor. Dayton is quite a drive, and for me to come all the way home only to turn around and come back right after would have been ridiculous. So I spent some time eating lunch, playing on my cell phone, and looking at the clock every two minutes until it was time to see the PM doc. In the meantime it had started to rain. Anyone who has fibromyalgia will tell you that the rain usually makes you hurt worse, and I'm no exception. Plus all the time spent sitting in seats of varying softness and comfort levels had really put my back in severe pain. When it was finally time for my appointment, I was ready. Really, really ready. The nurse spent about an hour taking a full medical history and asking all kinds of questions about my pain. My fibromyalgia is fairly well controlled, but the sciatica from my slipped discs is not, and that was the reason for the visit. My rheumatologist suggested injections to help make me functional again. Anyway, I had included information about my fibromyalgia in my history because I felt it was only right. Fibro has its own set of complications, and if they didn't know about it, that could alter my course of treatment. But I did make sure to tell the nurse that I was there for the sciatica, not the fibro. I waited another 45 minutes for the doctor to see me. When he finally came in, he flipped open my chart, scanned through it, and started talking about my fibromyalgia. He suggested I start taking Lyrica for the pain. I had already discussed this with my rheumatologist, and she had decided against it because it has a high tendency to cause people to gain weight, and I told him that. The next drug he mentioned was Savella. This is the only drug I am allergic to. I had tried it and was hospitalized twice because of rapid heart rate, sky-high blood pressure, and uncontrollable vomiting. It stated this clearly in my chart. It was then that I realized that this guy really didn't give a crap about helping me. Somehow we came around to discussing the fact that my rheumy had suggested WLS, and he gave me a long lecture about how it "wasn't an easy way out" etc. etc. and how I should just basically buckle down and try Weight Watchers. Then he told me that he thought I would be better suited for a different pain management program and that he would refer me, and left the room. Immediately I started to cry. I couldn't help myself. I had spent all day in pain, waiting for this man to help give me some relief, and all he did was lecture me and walk away. I tried to hide my tears from the nurse who came to give me my paperwork, but she could tell I was very upset. I made it out of the office, out the door and to my car before I broke down in uncontrollable sobbing. I texted my boyfriend about what had happened. He texted back some expletives about the doctor, but didn't call me. I was glad he didn't because I was crying too hard to talk anyway. I literally cried the whole 60+ miles home. When I got home, I called my mom right away. She could hear the hurt in my voice and started asking me all kinds of questions. I told her all about the PM doc and my awful experience while she aww-ed and poor baby-ed me until I felt a little better. Then I briefly mentioned the rheumy bringing up bariatric surgery. That set her off. "No. No. No. I'm sorry, the answer is no. You are not doing that." I was a little bit shocked by her reaction. I couldn't handle any more emotional upset, so I quickly got off the phone and went to bed. The next day, I called her again. I gingerly brought up the WLS again, and she explained that she had seen an episode of Dr. Oz about it and that she wouldn't have me doing that. I didn't see the show, but she told me about it. Apparently there were several women on the program who described "the horrors" of surgery. One woman showed a day's worth of food, which I guess was about 3 tablespoons of mushy stuff. There were mentions of huge amounts of excess skin and serious malnutrition. The woman's digestion was so disrupted my the operation that she had to take enzymes for the rest of her life just to digest her food. My mom had been so appalled by the show that she said she would not let me have surgery. I explained to her that I was actually considering it, and that the lap-band did not have all of those issues associated with it; some, but not all. She seemed surprised that I would even think about doing such a thing. "I would think that surgery would be your last option." Well, mom, what do you think it is? Have you not seen me struggle with my weight for all these years? Have you not heard me cry about how uncomfortable I am with my body? Have you not thought about how much pain I am causing myself by basically carrying around another full-grown person with me at all times? And did you not also watch my dad die a slow and miserable death brought about by the same thing? I have since given her a lot of information about the lap-band procedure vs. the other surgical options available. I have shown her how it is safer and equally as effective if used properly. We talked about how, since my stomach will remain intact, my digestion will not be altered nearly as much. She has begun to come around to the idea, but she still has huge reservations. I will be bringing her to my informational seminar in January so she can hear exactly what the surgeon has to say. She was relieved that I will have to do 9 months supervised diet per my insurance company. I think she feels like she has at least that much time to change my mind. In the end, it really is my decision. I am a grown woman and do not need my mom's permission to have the surgery. But it would comfort me greatly to have her blessing. I know she would support me no matter what, but the idea of making such a life-altering decision without her full backing is scary to me. I guess I have nine months or so to change her mind. Thanks, Dr. Oz.

Thanks, I really appreciate the support. I have to admit it is a little daunting right now, but I keep reminding myself that it is really true that "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." And congratulations on your success as well, that's really fantastic! I can't wait to be one hundred pounds down...

So how does one start a blog? I suppose I should just jump in... I'm 27 years old, and I live in Ohio with my longtime boyfriend and our adorable three-year-old son. I am a licensed massage therapist, but my physical condition makes it near impossible for me to practice anymore, so mostly I am a mommy. My boyfriend is back and forth between driving a van for Amish construction crews and taking care of his grandfather, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Our son is adorable, very friendly and smart. My journey up to this point in my life has been long and fairly painful, both physically and emotionally. I have always been overweight, so far as I can remember. I can very clearly recall being called an elephant in the third grade by another boy at school. My mom taught me to medicate myself with food, albeit unknowingly. My grandmother would go on and on about how I should lose weight, then offer me a plate of cookies. I remember tiptoeing into the kitchen late at night, being very careful not to wake my family, and sneaking food back to my room to eat. I can't remember if I was actually hungry, but the food filled some longing that I had within me, so I ate. The next period in my life was very difficult, full of lots of emotional trauma that is better saved for some other time. In any case, it all served to encourage me to pack on the pounds. I had done many different diet and exercise plans over the years, oftentimes losing quite a bit of weight only to have it creep back on. Fast forward to 2007, when I began school for massage therapy. I had finally found my calling, and was on my way to getting paid to do it. I lost weight fairly quickly then, being so much more active because of the massages and hauling around my portable massage table. Everyone was commenting on how good I looked, and I was sooooo happy. In February 2008, almost exactly halfway through my schooling, I found out I was pregnant. It was almost a shock, because my boyfriend and I had been taking precautions. I immediately quit smoking and found a good OB doctor. The pregnancy was borderline high-risk because of my weight (I was obese then) and the low levels of amniotic fluid around my baby. Then, in August, I fell while I was at school. I had been going to extra classes, creating my own "maternity leave" because I knew my due date was right around graduation. It was fairly early in the morning, and I was walking through the hallway to get a drink. The school had recently stripped and waxed the floors, and the mats and rugs were still piled up along the wall. I stepped on the edge of a mat and my feet came out from under me, and I sat down HARD. Two maintenance guys, who had been standing down the hall the whole time, stood there and watched me as I tested myself to see what hurt. After what seemed like forever, a lady in the main office stuck her head out the window, saw me sitting on the floor, and asked me if I was ok. The only thing I could get out of my mouth was "I'm pregnant!" Within minutes, the ambulance was there. They took me to the hospital, where they strapped me in to a fetal monitor and told me that I had to wait until their OB doc showed up and cleared me. Shortly after, a representative from the school came by to apologize and smooth things over. Long story short, I sat in the bed for 7 hours waiting to be checked out, and the OB never showed up. Finally they told me that everything looked fine, so I could go home. When I got up from the bed I could hardly walk. The school rep took me back to the school building and I headed home. In October 2008, I had my sweet baby boy. He was happy and healthy, with a full head of dark hair. I had a c-section, and was in a lot of pain afterwards, but I pressed on and graduated from school with an A average. Unfortunately for me, the pain never really went away. It would get better or worse depending on the day, but not ever actually go away. I would wake up in the morning feeling like I had steel rods fused to my spine, and I wouldn't be able to bend over for up to two hours after I got up. The pain would keep me up at night and wake me up in the morning. My primary care doc didn't seem to think it was anything, so I just tried to push through it. In 2009, we bought a house with a room in it for my home massage office, and I was overjoyed. I started getting clients and was doing fairly well. I had almost lost the 70 pounds that I had put on during my pregnancy. But instead of getting easier, each massage was more and more painful for me. I bought a TENS unit, and I would place the pads on my back before I would do the massage; then immediately after my client left, I would hook it up to the unit and turn it on so I could get some relief. In December 2010, I started having problems with my gallbladder. I had surgery scheduled to remove it in January, and referred my clients to other therapists in the area so I could have some time to recover. It was about a week before the surgery that another healthcare professional told me that she thought I might have fibromyalgia. Unfortunately, she turned out to be right. My surgery went smoothly, but the recovery took about two months instead of two weeks. At that point I was referred to a rheumatologist. Thus began the downward weight spiral. I hurt badly, so I wasn't as active as I had been before. I also tended to use food to comfort myself, since none of my doctors at that point were doing anything for my pain. Add to that several different medications that can cause weight gain and fluid retention, and an MRI that revealed 3 herniated discs, and you end up where I am today. I have been doing pool exercise, which is the most I can do at this point, and had even done several months of Medifast, and I have still managed to gain weight. My rheumatologist was the one who suggested the lap-band, saying that she thought it would definitely help my back if I could get some weight off, plus it might even help my fibromyalgia symptoms. I am praying that she is right. I was shocked to see the scale say that I weigh almost 400 pounds. FOUR. HUNDRED. POUNDS. How could that be? I know I have to do something to get my weight down. Not only am I physically miserable, but the emotional effects of chronic pain and supermorbid obesity can really get a girl down. I have been struggling with depression all my life also, and feeling like a disgusting excuse for a woman doesn't help the situation. Medication has helped lift it somewhat, but I just plain need to lose the weight. If I don't, I will follow in my dad's footsteps. He was nearly 800 pounds when he died of heart failure at the age of 52. He had already had 3 heart attacks, bad cellulitis in both of his legs, and he walked with a cane if he walked at all. I don't want to do that to my family. I want to live to see my son grow up. I want to meet my grandchildren. I have so much to live for, and I feel like this is the step that will help me extend my life and improve my health. I have my informational seminar with my surgeon in January. In the meantime, I am doing all the research I can to try and prepare for the journey that lies ahead. I know it won't be easy, but it will be worth it. So here's to the journey.

Thanks for your responses. I thought that nine months was a little long, but whatever I need to do I'll do. I will try to discuss this with the doctor at the seminar. I'd prefer to do it through my surgeon's office if I can, even though it is about an hour away from here. Thanks again!

Hi all, I am just starting this whole process. I go to my informational seminar in January. The doctor's office sent me a packet of paperwork to complete, and they asked me to call my insurance company to find out the requirements for approval of the procedure. I have Caresource Ohio (medicaid) and when I called to ask the requirements, they told me I must have, among several other things, nine months of physician assisted/supervised diet within the last 24 months. Has anybody else had to do nine months? I thought it was six? I'm not too put off by this, because I know this is what I need to do, and any weight loss is great with me, but I was just surprised. I have one more question, and it may be a dumb one, but I have to ask. Does the bariatric doctor's office do this supervised diet, or is this something that I have to do with my family doctor? Or is that something that just depends? Sorry so many questions, I'm just a little confused. Thanks for any help you can give me.

Hi, I'm Cari and I'm just beginning my journey with Lap-Band. I have been overweight or obese pretty much my whole life, going up and down in weight every few years. I would go on a diet and start exercising regularly, and lose weight, but then I would put it back on. The last time I lost a lot of weight, I ended up getting pregnant and gained it all back plus some. While I was pregnant I had a sit-down fall and while my baby was fine, I was not so lucky. I suspect that the fall is what caused my three herniated discs in my back. Then after I had my son, I ended up developing fibromyalgia. Between the pain from my back and the fibromyalgia and the medications that I have been on, I have gained 50 pounds this year alone and am now the heaviest I have ever been. My rheumatologist has recently recommended the lap-band procedure and referred me to a Center of Excellence that's relatively close to me where I can have the procedure done. I go in for the informational seminar in January. I have been reading the boards here for a while and trying to get as much information about what I will be facing in the future. I really appreciate everybody's supportive attitudes, honesty, and willingness to share some very personal information about your journeys. It's nice to meet you all.

Hi all, This is my first post here. I have been reading for the past few days, but haven't found any posts about how having fibromyalgia may affect the surgery recovery or anything like that. I have fibromyalgia and a bad back, and have gained too much weight between the new medications and the fact that I can't exercise like I used to. My rheumy is referring me to a bariatrics doctor, and I have been trying to do as much research on my own as possible. I had my gallbladder out about a year ago, and the recovery took much longer and was much more painful than normal because of the (then-undiagnosed) fibromyalgia. I have to admit, the thought of going through another recovery like that scares the you-know-what out of me. But on the other hand, I have a family history of heart disease, and my quality of life now is practically non-existant. I'm only 27 and that's way too young to feel as bad as I do; plus I have a 3-year-old to raise, and I want him to have the best mommy possible. I'm all for the surgery, except for that one thing. Does anybody have any experience with this? I would appreciate any help you can offer. Thanks!