Nette Fosters

(((Gentle hugs to you))) I understand. I had a full on panic attack the night before my surgery and even had DH take me to the ER to be sure I didn't have a heart attack. They did an EKG and other tests and said no heart attack. I chose to go ahead and do the surgery in the morning and not to sound sickeningly sweet but seriously- it was the best thing I ever did for my health and I'm SO grateful I did it. 265 -> 175 pounds; size 22/24 to size 12/14 I've had many times that I cursed my band along the way when I (foolishly) "tested" it and pushed limits- hey, I'm human. I didn't become morbidly obese by being sensible and perfect, right? But over time, I learned what the band would allow and not allow and now I can honestly say that it's EASY for me to maintain my weight loss and I'm MUCH healthier now than when I was morbidly obese. Good luck hun. It IS scary to consider the risks of surgery and a lifelong change. But...what are the risks if you DON'T do the surgery? It's your choice. Only you can decide what's best for you, what you want and what you're willing to do to get what you want. (((One more gentle hug))) Good luck.

CONGRATULATIONS!! :::high five:::

Hey Wannabe 1959, good question. I was banded in 2003. It slipped when I caught a bad flu virus and vomited/ heaved heavily before I remembered to take a Promethazine to calm my stomach/ system down. My band surgery was revised in 2005 (specifically the stitching of it around the stomach- the surgeon actually acknowledged that the stitch technique around the band had been improved since my band was first done) and it's been fine since then. I've gone from about 265 pounds initially to 175 now (and I hope to work my way down to 160.) How did I know it slipped? I didn't. I can't vouch for anyone else's experience but I did not have pain or feel different in any way except that I wasn't losing weight anymore. When I went in to my surgeon to check on it, they asked a lot of questions but instead of ruling a slip out they sensed it might have happened, took an x-ray and told me I needed a revision. Despite having had a revision (and my insurance changed between the two surgeries so I had to pay cash -small payments for years- for the revision!) getting banded was the BEST thing I ever did for my health. Learning from the feedback the band gives me has taught me to eat only small portions of nutritious, delicious food. I am much healthier than I was when I was morbidly obese. Good luck on your weight loss journey.

Thinking of you Steph and sending healing hugs as you begin this life-changing journey. Nette (and everybody else here probably) :-)

Same here, error message :-(

Argh...I wish I could edit a post if I spot typos after it's posted. Oh well :-) Should have been, "They come in a little plastic vial you snap open into a glass of water."

Someone recently told me that Amway now offers some liquid vitamins. They come in a little plastic vial you snaps spout into a glass of water. Has anyone tried them?

Hi ThisGirl7! How did you feel about the chemistry between you and Dr. Bounuoa? Do you feel like you want to work with her or do you want to keep looking for another surgeon?

Ditto, ditto, ditto. I totally agree with what everyone before me also said. Two silly things and one important thing helped me through that stage. Silly thing #1: Going to stores (either with a friend or alone, either thrift shops or fancy-schmancy boutiques, depending on what I thought would feel better on a given day) and trying on clothes with no pressure to buy but just to kind of begin to get to know my body again. Trying on a fancy gown and noticing a curve where there used to be a bulge. Trying on a new style of outfit from what I was used to wearing just to see what it feels like in my new body. Silly thing #2: Buying one gorgeous item of clothing that's a size smaller than whatever size I currently am and hanging it up on my bedroom wall. (Like someone else said, thrift stores were great during this phase. I could get buy Calvin Klein jeans for four or five bucks or a beautiful form-fitting dress for ten dollars.) Seeing it on my wall helped me remember that it's my goal/ reward. Some items took a week to wear; some items took a couple months to finally fit into but it helped me to have something to look forward to. Important thing: learning to use my words to share my feelings or ask for help when I need it. I haven't mastered it but I'm way better now than when I started. Good lunch with this phase. I promise it won't last forever. Hugs

Wishing you a fast and easy recovery :-)

Welcome! :-)

Sending you all hugs! I'm so excited for you all. This will be an incredible opportunity to create the health and life you want. Warning: unsolicited advice ahead. Feel free to ignore :-) ********************************************************** The band doesn't do it all; it's a tool that you have to use correctly. When I drink my Water and eat small portions of healthy food, I lose excess fat. When I eat ice cream as a meal and drink Venti frappacinos all the time, I don't lose weight. I was so stubborn I had to test that even though its so obvious :-) But the band is like my patient, loyal, hardworking friend. It reminds me not to over eat. It helps me feel full with smaller portions. And it doesn't give up on me.

Keda, Congratulations! You're on your way to a healthier life. This next chapter of your life will be amazing. Not necessarily easy all the time, but amazing. There will be more challenges ahead but you can handle them all. ::Gentle hugs angled to avoid your incisions.:: Look what you've accomplished already- jumped through all the hoops to qualify for surgery. And then when you were scared, you reached out to a supportive community. It's that kind of instinct that will help you be successful with this new tool you have! I look forward to hearing more from you :-) ~Annette PS When you feel frustrated or worried or whatever, remember that you have a community of people further down the road who have been there too and are happy to help you when asked. Just like we were supported when we were new.

This is so true! The band stops us from over-eating. But over-eating used to be my self-medication for feeling: Sad Angry Bored Lonely Trapped Insecure, etc. Basically anything I didn't want to feel. A surprising number of otherwise "normal" middle class moms and average people do become alcoholic after restrictive weight loss surgery like the band or the bypass. If we are prevented from using one medication (food) to quiet those dark, scary feelings, it might be an easy shift to quiet them with a different medication (alcohol.) What helped me was to start to speak up more. Not that I was silent before but now, if I'm angry I'm much more likely to speak directly to the person who caused that feeling and be more open with them instead of stuffing the feelings. "Honey, when you slammed my car door as you got out because you didn't like what I said, I felt physically startled and then kind of angry. I'd really prefer you tell me with your words when you're mad instead of with loud behaviors." (To my teen daughter yesterday afternoon.) I get to express my feelings, I figure, as long as I'm not being mean about it. Now that I've been doing this for a while, my daughter sometimes does it to me too, which is a much better thing for me to have modeled for her than for her to learn to over-eat over feelings which is the example I was raised with. And if I'm feeling bored or lonely, I can get up and try to improve my situation. Call someone, read a book, go for a walk with the dog, etc. Speaking honestly (but with love and the intention not of hurting the other person but of teaching them about my reaction, so we ultimately have a closer relationship) and doing actions (besides over-eating) when I'm faced with life's ...challenges, has let me lose a lot of weight, given me energy I didn't used to have and helped me enjoy better relationships with friends and family. Good luck with your own journey. :-)

Congratulations on your success! :-)

I felt scared too; surgery has risks. Fortunately having the band and getting it laparoscopically is so low-risk compared to other surgeries. And the best part is that by walking through your fear today and not backing away, you'll be moving towards better health. By being brave today and working with this band as a tool, you'll lower your risk of premature death due to morbid obesity. Sounds like a good bargain to me :-) But enough logic...blah...blah...blah... What I really want to do is give you a hug and say that I'm praying for your surgeon's hands to be guided and for you to have a fast and easy recovery. More gentle hugs :-) Let us know how you're doing when you can.

Yes, a little over 4 hours. For someone exceptional at fills and guidance, I could imagine driving that far but I'm not sure that I'd drive home that same day, which would adds hotel bill to the cost. I'll need to think about it since, so far, I'm impressed with Dr. Bounuoa. You sound really impressed with him though and that's what I'm looking for. Someone really experienced, really good, with patients who strongly recommend him or her. Thank you!! :-)

I *can* eat almost anything. But there are lots of things I choose not to eat, since I try to get as much nutrition into my little stomach as I can and not waste precious stomach space with filler junk. For me, junk would be stuff like pizza crusts, more than a bite or two of Pasta, crackers, breadsticks, iceberg lettuce- anything that would fill me up but not give me Protein or Vitamins in return. The only thing that really gives me trouble is an orange. If I try to eat a section of orange, all the membranes get stuck and I can't then eat anything else for a while, until that's all moved past the band. If, instead, I slice the orange into thin rings, I have no troubled eating it.

If you let carbonated drinks sit out, they lose most of the carbonation.

He sounds fantastic! I'll find out how far a drive it is to Modesto.

I found a handful, actually! :-) Here's what I learned: 1) A *very* experienced and respected bariatric surgeon, Dr.Cirangle of San Francisco, does give fills in a few different locations including Templeton (northern San Luis Obispo county) to other surgeon's patients but his office charges $2,000 cash per year for that situation. If someone is newly banded and getting fills each month, it would be cost effective. 2) There are (at least) three band surgeons in Santa Barbara, each of whom said they'd be happy to give fills. Dr. Michael Thoman sounded great, has seminars and support groups. I haven't yet met him, Dr. Farida Bounoua (she's French and her name is pronounced Boon' wah.) I met and adored her. She seems both warm and very smart- a great combination. Her office staff was really nice. Her office is designated a "Center if Excellence." Dr. Helmuth Billy- I don't know much about him but he was recommended by someone on LBT. His office staff was nice but he didn't take my insurance. His office is designated a "Center of Excellence." I heard that there is someone in Santa Maria but don't (yet) have a name.

There's a packet of powder you mix with a glass of water that just has Vitamin C (which often can prevent colds) in it but the same company now also offers multi vitamin or other supplements in the same packet of powder form. Plus...in the same form (packet of powder, mix with water and drink), there's a packet designed by a school teacher for this exact purpose! It's called AirBorne. Google it! You can get lemonade flavored packets measured to mix with a small bottled water for convenience. 1 Airborne Packet equals: 1,000 mg of Vitamin C High in Antioxidants (Vitamins A,C, and E) Excellent Source of Zinc and Selenium 350 mg of Herbal Blend including Echinacea and Ginger Good luck!

I completely agree! Thanks for the info. I hadn't heard about "SlimPasta." Fascinating. Overall, I'm eating mostly Proteins and veges but I do let myself taste foods I enjoy. Thanks to the band (the best health decision I ever made) I'm eating wayyyy less than I used to and that's made all the difference. It's now possible for me to have a spoon of something and consciously savor it rather than bingeing on three cups of it but not really enjoying it and regretting it afterwards.