JosieK

hi areellady, up until memorial day....i've had trouble eating almost everything. however grilled portobello mushrooms were easier for me to eat. i didnt have trouble with them. (i cut into small pieces and chewed) i marinated them in olive oil, salt + pepper and a little balsamic vinegar... grill about 4-5 mins on each side....yummmmm! enjoy!

hey disregard my post below. i was posting to another person's question and it switched over to this thread.....very weird.

hi abyssmum, do you mean just having binge's or bingeing and throwing up? either way...i was concerned about getting the band as i have had bulimia in the past where i would eat enormous amounts of food and throw up afterwards. actually i think about food less since being banded. i'm full more often. also i dont think you can binge with the band. you can end up having your stomach slip and that creates a host of medical problems. i was worried they would not do the operation because of my past but it hasnt posed any problems. good luck g

hey good luck..... remember a pillow and blanket for ride home...and also loose clothes for post-op ride home. these were 3 of the best suggestions i recvd. i actually wore pj's home. see you in lapband...

hi i was self pay. i went to the seminar on wednesday and had my surgery 2 days later on friday.... i didnt have any medical problems so i didnt have to have any special testing. if i did have medical issues...it would have been later it was great...no time to think

hi phiochick, i'm thinking what faithmd said makes sense...why not try lapband (the less invasive surgery) first. i've seen many people on this site lose weight with it that have high BMI. in fact there is a thread dedicated to high BMI's. you may want to look at that one to see the success stories.... if that didnt work...then you could go for the more extreme measure... but after seeing so many miracles on this website...i think it can work. before lapband... like you...i would lose 20-30 lbs and be gung ho for a few weeks on a diet and exercise program. i would then fall off the wagon and gain that back..plus plus. after lapband..i feel differently. i am not hungry like i was before and i dont think about food 24/7. it's so weird....i've thought about food for the past 49 years.. anyway good luck in your research and keep us posted

hi cindylou. i was banded 3/30/07 and was not able to eat until last weekend. when i couldnt eat at all....they did a barium swallow test and said my band was "perfect" altho' i was miserable. i was doing either Protein shakes or the whey protein bullets (which were great when i couldnt get the shakes down...) and Soup at night. Vitamins are key i was so upset because i didnt think anyone else had this problem. i should have posted a topic like you did...good move. last weekend all of a sudden i could eat a solid....it is still not alot. and i must stand to eat..... anyway my situation is a little different but i wanted to let you know what happened to me as it has since changed. when i was in the middle of this i was panicing thinking i was the only person in the world to have this problem. i agree with an earlier post where it said the doctor should eat the cost. he chose the band size and should back what he did. good luck....and keep the faith. one thing that kept me going was reading posts on this site...so many positive ones.

hi alexandra. thank you for your post. i have in the back of my mind that i will have the band removed once i get down to my weight. i have had alot of trouble with the band. your story is telling me i have to reconsider. i also think i need to deal with the emotional component of our problem. most people i noticed deal with the physical (which is big). i have a good feeling about your doctor being able to accomplish this.... good luck and keep us posted

hi, keep your chin up....michelle said it right...this is a small amount of time in the grand scheme of things. and when you are strutting around in your smaller size clothes...you will look at this as a mere pittance of time it really is worth it. i havent been able to eat for 2 mos due to some issues i caused after surgery...i live on Protein shakes, Soup and Vitamins... but i'm down 3 sizes and are feeling curves i havent felt in years. i know how you feel..i have been discouraged in the past 2 mos but i try to remember the end game. good luck

hi carlene what a nice story....i'm sure you impacted these kids in more ways then they can express with words. i think back to teachers that impacted me....and wonder if they ever knew how much they did. i am in the process of getting certified to foster/adopt children. i sometimes get scared thinking about it. after reading your message...i have to realize...it isnt always about me. your message gives me courage....

hi audrey....it is perfectly normal what you are feeling about the surgery. i started investigating this surgery in 2002...i just had it this past march and i went into the operating room practically hyperventilating. like you i had never had surgery in the past....i also never was in a hospital. but...i am VERY glad i did it. i also agree with you...why not get it done when the problem is not bigger. i've elected to only tell people that will support me. and NOT tell anyone that has a big negative opinion about surgery for weight loss. i made the mistake initially and told someone who did have a VERY negative reaction...and that cured me of telling any other negative people. i will tell you.....no one knows what we've been through unless they've been through it themselves. i also have discovered something that makes me feel better after having the surgery... in past i always blamed myself for my eating...emotional eating... after surgery i've come to believe that some of my problem "pre-banding" was really physical hunger. the band is placed at the top of the stomach where the receptors are that tell your brain you are full. so i feel full most of the time now..... the surgery is definitely a useful tool that makes me feel like i really can lose this weight. good for you for taking this step....:clap2: let us know how you make out...also the pre and post op lists on this website were very helpful for me...especially the loose clothing for the ride home and a pillow and blanket. i had a nice snooze on the way home.

hi...i was a little bored this afternoon and happened upon this thread in "new posts"......WOW! so i'll add my 2 cents... i went to spivak and am very happy with the results. i had some issues after surgery which were of my own making (eating bites too big, too fast, etc) and ended up with aspiration pneumonia. i cant tell you how happy i am with spivak and especially his staff's help in first helping me to identify the problem (ie. the fluro showed the band in perfect position...but i couldnt eat a thing for 4 weeks) i agree with many of your posts that say you need to know what you think is important and choose a doctor accordingly. when i was researching i solely focused on the surgery. (my surgery was in park plaza and they were super) now....if i had to do it over...i would give equal focus to the aftercare which in my opinion is also super important. i do not have an opinion on dr spiegel because i dont know him. there seem to be quite a number of successful patients on this site that used him.... i will say "supersize 8" (i forget her actual web name) does not represent Dr spiegel very well .....

hi the ads dont bother me but the slow speed does so i said i would pay to get rid of them....

allison....i agree with you.....i was pissed too about the article

hi, i would like to join in. my plan this week is: mon/wed/fri: weights tues/thurs: 60 min spin class. i will check in with my results have a great day

sallyjo...i just happened to see your post and wanted to reach out to you. i am praying for you and your daughter. you definitely are in good hands in baylor.... the liver is a remarkable organ. so with your daughters transplant....i'm sure she will be back in action soon. a different organ but similar path...my nephew had kidney disease. the time before his transplant was very difficult and kept getting worse. once he had his transplant (1 yr ago) he is back up and even playing hockey again (which we never thought he would do again) good luck and best wishes

hi sophie, one thing that helps me alot since being banded is drinking the water we are supposed to drink. it really takes the hunger away. also just thinking that this isnt forever. once we get down to our goals....we can pretty much eat what we want in the right proportion. keep the faith baby!

hi carlene yes i did have a fluroscope check and the band was "perfect" per my doc. i'm going to give this a few more weeks and see what happens... it seems weird that i cant eat....but my doctor says all is ok.

sorry for typo...meant "i need a little time to catch up"

hi everyone, i'm back from NY. i had a good trip. also i was able to stay on track. i need a little ti,e to catch up with the posts but i wanted to check in and say hello. is the challenge still going on? i want to join as well and will think of what i can commit to later today anyway will check back later

hi carlene, actually i think this may have been my fault. even tho' the 3 rules: eat small bites, eat slowly and dont drink while eating...sounded easy in theory. it was more difficult then i thought. early on i could eat. i think i may have violated above and irritated my esophagus. and then i was PB'ing. so i think in all of this i may have taken in foreign matter in my lungs. a friend of mine is a doctor and i saw her last weekend and she said the mouth has the most bacteria. the upside is....i'm not hungry at all. i did read somewhere on this site that some people dont need fills for awhile. however i would like to start eating again. i'm still pretty much on liquids (Protein shakes, soups) and Vitamins. i feel great however. before being banded i realize the quantity and quality of food i had been eating made me feel like cr#p

hi janell, i am newly banded (3/30) and i dont have any fill and i had aspiration pneumonia. i am on 2 different antibiotics to clear it up. the only way they could tell was by taking a chest xray. did you have this done? i definitely feel better since i started the antibiotics. i got the pneumonia about 3 weeks after my surgery.

hi everyone, checking in.....i am going to NY for 10 days and wont have access to internet. i have a house on an island up there that isnt wired yet. can you believe it? tammy thanks for the challenge. up there all i can do is walk....but when i return i will officially join. i want to kick up my exercise a couple of notches i still cant eat....but i started to be able to get protein shakes down again. so that, water and vitamins...my doctor said i fine for me to live on. i want something crunchy in my mouth. i'm not hungry at all so that's the upside. i found another girl who has the same thing. she's been dealing with this since her surgery in december. so seeing her deal with it is making me feel i can deal with it too. so anyway good luck everyone with the challenge. i will catch up....promise tammy...did you decide on the new thread's name? thks

hi actually i started investigating this back in 2002 when i lived in NYC. a friend of mine lost 85 lbs in 1 year. i went to the seminar of Dr Christina Ryn. i decided against it. i probably wasnt ready for it....my excuses were "i may not be able to eat steak" ...funny i dont even like steak ha! also the idea of a foreign body in my body grossed me out. but someone explained to me that the material they use on the lap band is same as a hip replacement. if i needed one of those to walk...i wouldnt give it a second thought also i thought i should be able to lose the weight on my own. fast forward 5 yrs....many many lbs gained and lost...and i basically didnt get anywhere with my diets. so my brother was watching a discovery channel show where some really hot celebrity (he still doesnt remember his name) had gained mucho weight and lost by lapband. he has seem me try and try...so he mentioned it and i brought out all my old materials and went forward pretty quickly the operation was pretty easy for me. the left shoulder pain and nausea (for only 10 hours) were my major issue and they arent major but i did cause some issues for myself. i was eating bites too big and too fast. so i was having problms keeping food down. but i truly think this was of my own making i've lost 22 lbs so far. i have seen on this site the people most successful exercise and follow a good plan. and there are quite a few winners on here there are people i've read about that dont understand why they dont lose weight...they dont exercise, taco bell is their mainstay fast food joint. i started walking the day after surgery. i started spinning class 3 weeks after surgery. so i plan to keep this going 2 things i've found. i used to blame my eating on me and my emotions. and this is partially true. but there was a physical reason for the overeating. the receptors that tell your brain you are full are at the top of the stomach. when we get banded...the food fills the top faster so we are full faster and if we eat properly (proteins first)...longer this made me feel better.... i am not hungry at all. but i have had a separate issue with a touch of pneumonia. but i am happy i did this and feel this will allow me to succeed. oh one thing...i usually go gung ho on a diet for 3 weeks then lose my resolve. the band doesnt allow me to fall too far off the wagon. you may want to call spivak's office and see if he can recommend someone in NC. he was part of the initial trials and knows many Drs. also i know he trained in georgia for some part of his education. anyway let me know how you make out

thanks leatha for the advice. i've been thinking of buying a sleep number bed i'm most concerned that i cant eat anything. today the Protein shake wont go down.... does it sound right 4 weeks after operation to have this? i havent had any fills. the upside is...i'm not really hungry....