claraluz

LOL, Zoe, you crack me up! When I get to goal or something like it, I'm going to have a neck lift (and maybe a tummy tuck if I need it). Nancy

Christina - very creative solution with your sister. I think you did the right thing. Will your mom keep it from her? Jamie - My personal opinion is that you should not tell your husband's family if it would worry or upset them or cause nagging, etc. They have no particular right to know. You and your husband are allowed to have things that are just between the two of you (and anyone else you choose to share with). As for me, I have been very selective about who I've told, so I do not get any dumb comments. The only thing that annoys me is something very understandable. I am very tight and usually cannot take more than a few bites of anything. So when people see me take just two or three bites and then stop (and they don't know I'm banded), they will naturally say something like, "That's all you're going to eat?" This happens especially with people at work. They know I've lost weight and I'm afraid they're going to think I'm anorexic or something. I'll usually just say, "I'm full" or "I'll eat more later" but it's not really a satisfying response. Nancy

I wonder if any of you feel the same way I do and if so, how you handle it? For a long while I was sticking to a high-protein and veggie diet. Pretty much what we are supposed to do anyway, but I also was doing it to help control my blood sugar and cholesterol. I was losing weight quickly that way and I wasn't miserable, but food lost all of it's appeal for me. Or most of it. Then I went off the diets for emotional eating reasons (bad me!) and found that once again, I really enjoyed eating. I couldn't eat much because of the band, but what I did eat, I liked. I didn't lose weight, but didn't gain either. Now I have committed to going back to the healthy eating and once again, I get no pleasure from eating. Is this the way it's supposed to be? Is this the way it is for normal people? Should I just try to accept it and look on eating as a chore (which it is, when I'm eating right)? What do you think? Nancy

Ditto what Alexandra said: When I was 40, I lost 100 pounds and had no hanging skin anywhere. This time, I can't tell for sure, but it looks like I will have it. What's worse? Hangin skin or diabetes, arthritis, atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis, depression, hormonal difficulties and infertility, just to name a few common obesity-related diseases, OR - hanging skin? Nancy

I think your fears are valid, though I can't honestly tell you if there is a scientific basis for them. I've had my band for 18 months now and have had nothing I would call a complication, though I have had to get an upper GI one time and an unfill for 2 weeks. But I don't think that is unusual. I actually have another kind of implant and I have to get it checked out every three months. (Yes, I am the bionic woman) Still, I have known several people on this board who have had to have their bands removed or are going to have their bands removed due to complications. And it does make one wonder. When you are making your decision, just keep in mind that the VBG has a high rate of complications and failure and many people regain their weight after having the bypass. So those other procedures are certainly not guaranteed to work forever and they have much more serious side-effects such as Vitamin deficiencies. Best of luck in your decision. The researching and deciding were by far the hardest part of this whole journey for me. Nancy

Belinda, Congratulations on making goal!!!! That is a very rare accomplishment! You have lost 106 pounds! You go, girl! Nancy

Your post is very thoughtful and you've gotten some thoughtful responses. And I do think you've answered most of your own questions. Now the task becomes to examine those feelings and figure out how to change them. I would start with building up your own opinion of yourself, fat or thin. I am sure your contempt for fat people comes from your low opinion of yourself. Right? You've got the tools to do this because you are an introspective person who is not afraid to share the negative parts of himself. And you can start with appreciating that part of yourself. I do. When I see super-morbidly obese people, I just feel compassion. But when I see ordinary morbidly obese people, I feel an unattractive self-rightousness. I feel that I'm better than them because I took action to help myself. I really want to work on this attitude, because in reality they are my brothers and sisters and if we could only speak to each other, we could almost tell each other's stories. Nancy

You've done a great job. I know how badly you want to lose those 20 pounds, but it may not happen or it may take another year to happen. In the meantime, you should feel good about your body. You've earned that right. Do it! Nancy

Thanks for the progress report. Please tell Sue I send my best wishes for a speedy recovery. Nancy

This is an outrage! Your surgeon was obviously incompetent! Are you sure you lost the weight on your own? It sounds like maybe the band was pushing against the stomach or something. Were you able to eat large amounts of food if you wanted to? Anyway, I can understand your reluctance to have another surgery, but I think you should - either to have the band placed properly or to take it out. I wouldn't want the band just floating around in there. Why risk having a foreign body in you if it is not helping you? And of course, your surgery should be free. I would talk to your original surgeon and the hospital. Tell the surgeon you want him to pay for a new surgery with another surgeon and tell the hospital you want to have a free surgery. You may not even need a lawyer. But if they don't comply, of course I would sue. You'll, win, it's a no-brainer. Sorry all this happened. Nancy

You are not alone! I went home that evening. I begged to go home even though I hadn't been able to pee yet and I probably should have stayed. But I was going home with my sister who is a nurse so I just was not worried about it. And sure enough I was able to pee when I got home and I was so much happier than being in the hospital and so much more comfortable. I never had any pain, so I didn't need IV pain meds. I wouldn't worry about being scheduled for a day surgery. In fact, my surgeon now does the surgery in an outpatient surgery center. Good luck! Nancy

This is a great opportunity to give thanks! So thank you, Alex, and thank you moderators! And thanks to all my cyber-friends who have given me support and let me into their lives. What I like about this board is that it has a culture of positivity and support. There are no arguments here, no criticism, no lecturing. To me, that is what makes it different from some of the other boards. Nancy

Vicki, thanks for letting us know about your getting banded. I'm so glad everything is going smoothly for you. I went to I.U! Nancy

Kelly, your new avatar is so beautiful and so inspiring to me. Are you sure you can't be comfortable at this weight and consider yourself a success? Nancy

That is such a significant accomplishment! Congratulations and a lot of admiration from me! Nancy

Congratulations, Darcy! I love the pictures! You really look great - and so much younger. Way to go! Nancy

Oh, Megan, that sounds just awful. I'm so glad you knew just what to do to take care of yourself. Nancy

OK, like everyone else, I am shocked that they never did a culture. Actually I'm angry. I'm glad you are getting competent medical care at last. I must admit that all along I was wondering about the rejection theory. It just didn't sound right to me. And it definitely didn't sound right that a surgeon would think you are rejecting a port and then put in another port, "knowing" you would reject that one too. Heal up, girl. You need to get well at last. Nancy

I'm glad you found us and welcome. It is really important to have a group of bandsters for support because the band presents challenges all it's own that the bypass people won't be able to help you with. Congratulations on your surgery. You're definitely off to a great start! Nancy

Don't get ahead of yourself. The first step is to recover from surgery. It does take some time. pizza is not the easiest thing to eat and certainly not the healthiest, but I have been able to eat part of a slice of thin crust pizza. I wouldn't try it for a long while, though. Not until you have plenty of experience with your band and know what a soft stop feels like. There are certain foods that just don't go through the band easily. They get stuck and cause pain, salivating, and sometimes a PB. These foods are different for everyone, but I think most people have problems with bread, for example. It's kind of a trial and error process to know what you can eat and what you can't. Hope you feel better soon. Nancy

Paula, I hope everything goes well. Please let us know what the results are. Nancy

Vicky, you sound like a very thoughtful person in a difficult situation. You are the only one who can ultimately decide what's best for you and I wish you the best of luck, whatever your decision. Nancy

I would stay away from eggs until you're much farther along - if then. I've been banded for over a year and cannot eat eggs. Just because you cannot eat an egg does not mean that you will have a hard time when you move to solids. I would start with foods softer than a soft boiled egg: yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. Don't worry! You'll be fine. Nancy

So glad Patty is feeling better. Thank God. Nancy

Very cute picture of your dogs together, Kelly. Becky, you look fantastic. You look so happy, too. Nancy