lisacaron

@@buzzly36 Your in the right place to ask lots of questions and get lots of answers as well as lots and lots of opinions. As with any surgery there are those that have complications and those that have bad experiences. You will also find many people who have had no complications and amazing experiences. It is a daunting process thinking about surgery and if it's right for you. I know when I was first deciding on what to do, even at more than 100 pounds over weight, I still didn't think I needed to be SO drastic as to have surgery. I thought I could do this myself with some discipline a good diet plan and resolve. I dropped about 40 pounds and then picked it up again months later with about 20 more to spare. I have lost and gained weight so many times I finally resolved that I needed the intervention that having weight loss surgery would give me. I have been banded for 2+ years. I have not yet met my "goal" weight and I am one who has had a few medical complications along the way, but I will tell you this. I do not regret the surgery, nor am I disappointed in the surgery. I work at it every day, and the results are there. I am not looking to shed weight over night, and I enjoy socializing and eating foods with friends and family as well. I make modifications to those foods, and there are some things that I can not eat, but I also find that I don't really want to eat them so it's nothing I miss. It is a life style change and if your not ready for it, the learning curve can be larger. I love being banded because it fits my life style. I am able to modify as I have needed for medical reasons along the way and I would not have been able to do that with any of the other surgeries. My husband is also banded and that was the best choice for him for similar reasons. We are both very active and losing weight consistently, and more to the point have not gained back ANY of the weight we have lost as was always my failure in the past. So my best advice to you is do your research. Look into all the surgeries, meet with Dr.'s and surgeons. Go to the free seminars and then with the help of your Dr. and medical team decide what is best for you.

@@B_heezy12 I'm sorry to hear about all the troubles you have experienced, but I wouldn't take anything off the table when thinking about a revision. The best advice is to find a surgeon that you trust and have a nice long conversation with them about what your experiencing, and how you feel. Ask them their advice, don't let them make you feel like you HAVE to revise to another surgery but get the information so you can make an informed decision for yourself. Either way if you decide to take the band out, keep the band, revise or no the best person to talk to is a surgeon you are totally comfortable with. See if you can make an appointment not just for an exam or a fill but a comprehensive consultation and evaluation appointment. Make a list of all the side affects that you have experienced, add in the pro's and con's about being banded and keeping the band or losing it. How you feel about revision, and any questions you might want to ask about anything and bring that all with you to the appointment. I wish you all the best!!! Let us know how your doing!!

I think that often we find ourselves embarrassed by our size, and we don't want anyone to notice us or point out how big we are or how we look. We know how we look we know we are large and we don't need or want anyone to notice us so we try to make ourselves small. Then we have surgery...and we begin to get smaller literally...and at the same time out in the real world we seem to get larger and people who we thought did not notice us before are not only noticing us but making comments about us and be they positive or negative we might feel just as embarrassed. After all WLS still has that stigma to it that Obesity does right? Aren't we all taking the "easy" way out of our fat suit by having WLS?! No we aren't and as time goes on we understand that there is nothing "easy" about our journey. Hopefully through the process we begin to respect ourselves for our efforts, and we being to respect the self that was obese, and the self that endured testing, pre-op diets and surgery and the self that is on the road to and/or recovering from obesity every single day. We begin to lift our head higher and higher and as we lift our heads our eyes are finally able to meet the eyes of others with confidence because we know who we are and we love ourselves for who we are no matter what numbers on the scale no matter what size our clothes or the shape of our body we become larger than life filled with gratitude and appreciation for ourselves so we lift our heads and say Thank you. Thank you not for noticing my weight loss, but for noticing "me" and acknowledging my journey and that of countless others.

Hi Matt (@uurbz) don't worry. Sometimes EKG leads can be..mis-leading pardon the pun. However any discrepancy in the reading is always cause for concern when a surgery is pending. I have some irregularities with my heart rate and my EKG often comes up with something that raises a red flag depending on who is doing the reading. As part of my approval for surgery I had to have a cardiologist do a work up and approve. Try not to worry, sometimes the simplest thing like being dehydrated or having an elecrolyte imbalance can cause an irregular reading on an EKG. Let us know how things go after you see the Dr.

I have to say I echo what @@gowalking said. Surgery should be the last option unless your really in major discomfort. i know how large boobs can feel when they are weighing you down and finding a bra that fits comfortably and does the job is a daunting task especially while you are in the process of losing weight! I have had to change my bra size 3 times already, and those suckers can be expensive!! My cup size has not changed very much but my body circumference has thank goodness they come with three levels of closure so they at least last through a few dress size changes. When I am at the gym or doing any kind of impact sport, or even working at home doing yard/house work I always wear a sports bra for support. I find that having the correct garments are really important to how you look in your clothes and ultimately out of them.

Thank you for sharing that was a good read, I'm sure so many of us can identify with in one way or another.

@@srahjean I notice that you posted similar stories in a couple of different forums. Your bound to get many many replies. Let me start by saying that you are doing great!! You are making the changes that you need to make to get yourself back on track. As for the Dr. keep pressing and get yourself in there. Work is work...I know I am a very busy Project Manager working on many things at once...but "I" have to come first. That means my health and well being are paramount to my success in anything. So stop what ever you are doing now and get yourself that Dr. appointment, that is one step UP and closer to being where you want to be. Keep doing what you are doing, and try not to get discouraged. You have done this, and you will do this you know what what to do. Your a smart person and you have the tools to be successful!! Now it's time to work them, carve in a little time to work out. Even if you have to take some briefs with you to the gym and read them on the treadmill or the bike. if we don't make the time for ourselves we suffer and in the long run we are not the only ones who suffer. Eventually it will catch up to us and our work will suffer our friends and family will suffer because we are not there for them or we are not able to perform at our optimal level. Feel better...chin up....fingers dialing (make your appointment) and feet walking...deep breath...and your one your way!

You should be getting closer to 70-90 grams a day. Speak to your nutritionist to get an accurate number for your weight, height and age. You can also look it up online but your Protein intake is too low. http://www.proteinsmart.kashi.com/?&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=how%20much%20protein%20intake%20daily&utm_content=protein+calculator&utm_campaign=Consideration-Protein-Calculator&mkwid=kT5cxbKf&gclid=CM_fiMbbmcYCFZGLaQodEI8AGw#/calculator Protein is not stored in the body so you need to put it in every single day. There are some protein shots that have up to 20 mg of whey protein in them and they are about 3-5 oz that you can drink just like a shot to get the protein in if you are not able to through food. My advice though would be to reach out to the nutritionist at your Dr. office and/or the Dr. to get a good understanding of what amount of protein you need.

@@☠carolinagirl☠ Your doing amazing my friend!!! I wish that I could say I felt that restriction right out the gate with my plication and band surgery but I didn't and it took me forever to find that green zone and then lose it again because of a dilated pouch. I started all over again with my fills but you know it kind of took the wind out of my sails...but I learned so much about myself and my relationship to food and my stress and emotional eating habits along the way. Things like ice cream for me @@B-52 I wish I could say were not an issue and I get full fast...but NOPE I can eat that all day long and never feel full!! I don't do carbonation at all because it makes me feel like I swallowed a balloon and I don't like beer at all so that's a big help It is true that if I forget about food or eating for the most part I am not hungry...but I notice that the higher my output is during the day/week the hungrier I am on certain days and my need for Protein is that much higher and I guess I can understand that as muscle is looking for some extra protein to repair itself and build.

@girli565 @tamga Congratulations to you both!!!! One day at a time, and walk walk walk. It will help with the extra gas and you'll be feeling better in no time. Just take it slow and steady now is all about healing and following Dr.'s orders. Come back often and let us know how your doing!!

Up your protein intake. How many grams of protein are you getting in every day?

@@Miss Sue I want to tell you that the greenzone is the magic bullet, but it's not what you think it is. You are newly banded, and it's going to take some time for your mind to adjust to not wanting to eat and eat. Just because you "can" eat doesn't mean you should eat. Are you hungry? Are you measuring out your portions? When you finish the portion are you content? Can you walk away from the food for 10-15 and assess your hunger level? Eat your portion and only eat more if you are hungry, truly hungry not just head hunger or emotional hunger, or boredom hunger. Our relationship with food can be something that it take time to figure out. I am still working on the relationship I have with my food and my emotions. Give yourself a chance to learn what your relationship, and begin to understand it. In the mean time...measure your food out for meals, and assess your hunger.

Not an easy thing to do I know. I am one who likes the "reward" and celebration of having sweets. I try to substitue for them by having a chocolate shake, or a Protein bar. It's something we have to work on minute to minute...there's not quick and easy answer

@@Soonergal91 The key is to not drink "with" your food. You want to chew, swallow and give the food a minute to pass through the stoma before taking that sip of beverage to avoid "stacking" the food above the band. There are several reasons for this. If you think of your banded stomach like an hour glass, things move from the top through the narrow opening at the middle to the bottom seamlessly. If you exert pressure on the contents at the top they are forced more rapidly through the narrow opening in the center to empty quickly into the bottom. In the case of the band, the too rapid movement past the band does not allow the nerve stimulation of food passing to signal satiety to the brain. So our Dr.'s try to get us into the habit of not eating and drinking at the same time early on. Stacking of food and or drink above the band can also create a pressure above the band that can cause a back up and stretch the area above the band to accommodate the extra. This can cause several issues including a dilated pouch and or esophagus which you want to avoid at all cost. This is why they tell you to take your time between bites, chew and eat slowly so that food passes the band before the next bite. When you have food above the band and take a sip of liquid often the liquid will move around the food particles to the bottom and can even cause the food particles to be pushed back up and out as they can't move fast enough through the stoma. (not fun) Once you master the band eating techniques you will be able to have some beverage with your meals.

@@goodnuff my husband had a hernia repaired a few years before we had bariatric surgery. I did not like the way that Dr. put the mesh in and always thought that it was never "right" now as he has lost weight and been doing more sure enough the hernia has popped back through around the area of the mesh and he needs to have it done again! This time our bariatric Dr. will do the hernia repair, but they are right about restrictions for a few months after the repair work is done. It takes anywhere from 3-6 months for that area to heal. Doing heavy lifting and/or core work could cause the sutures to rupture and push the organs out again and re-create the hernia. When you have a hernia (you probably know this being a nurse) your organs (intestine) are being pushed out through and past a whole or weakness in the muscle. This can end up in necrosis of the organ, and it can lose oxygen and blood flow causing that area to die and cause a whole new host of serious issues. When the organs push through or around the mesh it is even worse as the mesh could actually puncture the organs. Have them take an x-ray, CT scan or sonogram to really check and make sure you are OK. My hubs is a fire fighter and was out of work for nearly 4 months from that umbilical hernia repair due to lifting restrictions. I wish you all the best!! Take care of you!!

My advice to you....is enjoy your life. It will ebb and flow like everything else in life. There will be good and bad. Your past is something that helped get you to where you are today, and that's that. Dwelling on it, could mean that you still have issues coming to terms with it, and that is what I would work on. That is the only issue someone who loves you would care about. How it affects YOU, because how you feel is going to reflect in your relationship with others. Keep working on you and enjoying life and love. When you are OK with life it won't be such a big deal to share it with the ones you love and there will be no holding back. Keeping secrets and telling lies or even half truths is work...and who would want to work that hard at something when you could be just honestly enjoying life? It's too short in my humble opinion to be worried about keeping the cats in the bag or the dogs from barking

I have had those days, and then there are days when I feel like I am more hungry. It doesn't work for me to forget to eat, it actually hinders my weight loss. When I am not getting in enough Protein and/or drinking enough Water my weight loss stops totally, and I will retain water and hold onto every single calorie. It makes me very lethargic and jittery like i have had way too much caffeine, so I remind myself to eat even if it's just getting in a Protein Bar or a shake. It's nice not to be "enticed" by food, and have that driving need to have to eat it. We were at an air show a few weeks ago where all that good (BAD) food was and you know the smells were great and that was more than enough for me and the hubby. We knew we could not eat those things even if we wanted to..and the best part was not "wanting" to and just enjoying the event.

Ah I have these issues myself. My band does what it's there to do...it's Me that doesn't always do what I am supposed to even though I know better!!! I know what I should be eating how much how to exercise etc. We all know it, and let me tell you more of us then not are guilty of falling off the wagon...if we allow ourselves to be guilty. I prefer to use my lapses as learning tools, I know fully well what I am doing wrong, how I am compensating and all the tricks I have up my sleeve to justify my eating choices When I get myself too far off ...I pay the price for it in the way I feel. I know when I am not drinking enough Water I am sluggish and I have a headache, (that's kind of happening now) I know when I have had too much coffee and sugar and been digging into to the sweeties to make me "feel" better when I am stressed or down and I know better than to do that and it's not all about the weight for me, it's how I feel after doing that to myself. I might not gain a pound, in fact sometimes I lose weight...but I feel like crap! My head is foggy and unfocused I can't physically do all the things I expect my body to do with no Protein to fuel it, it's running on carbs and sugar and eating up the muscles I am at the gym trying to build. Sometimes I am just focused on the moment and not on the consequences. We don't eat as much as we used to, and what we do eat should be good for our bodies. I can fit all the ice cream in...and even then I can't eat as much of that as I used to thanks to my band, but what is the ice cream doing for me? Nothing. It's empty calories, there is precious little in it to help heal or nurture my body, so it needs to be an incidental not a staple meal. As I drove into CVS this morning after a bit of a stressful AM I thought hmm...I can just get one ice cream bar and eat that on my way to work that will make you feel better Lisa....I heard myself think it as I sat waiting to make my turn and there I was having a mental mind fight with myself. Oh NO you don't and won't be getting that ice cream! Pick up your script and your Vitamins and get back in the car and get to work. Have your Protein Bar if your hungry right now..and get over this "drama" you don't need ice cream it will only make you feel worse later. I didn't get the ice cream. I had my protein bar when I got to the office Oh that every battle was so easy

I saw this early this morning tweeted by Dr. Neil Floch. It is definitely worth the viewing, and it helps explain some of the "theory's" about weight loss that have been going around here quite well. https://youtu.be/FncRa72tizc

@@LousPeachy go to your Dr. office yourself and get a copy of the records. You have the right to the copies they don't have to go from one office to the other. Once you have them you can make a copy and give them to any Dr. you need to see in the future. To help facilitate my husbands and my surgery I asked for copies of all medical records and tests that were done before I left the office so that I would have them to send to who ever needed them Dr. or insurance company to make sure our time frame was on track.

I just love it!!! Rock that new do!

@@mrsjec How about following up with your band Dr. and having them check the band for you to rule out that issue and give yourself some stress relief and or be aware of any issues it might have?

@Kellysue Here are the links Bandista mentioned above. Eight Golden Rules of Lapband: http://www.bariatric...dr-paul-obrien/ The Lapband is not about Restriction: http://drsimpson.net...estriction.html They do give you some really good insight in understanding what your band is there to do for you. In the mean time make use of some of the resources here on BP to find a Dr. in your area that might be able to help you get back on track with your band and start giving you fills. The first step is always going to be an examination to ensure that it's placement hasn't migrated and that things are in good working order. If you have health care coverage start with them to find a Dr. in your area to assist. Most of those tests (Upper GI and or Barium swallow) should be covered at the very least an x-ray. A good way to start and refresh and reset and I do this from time to time is to go back to band basics and go back to the very beginning of post op. Start with a clean slate. liquid diet, behavior modification, band eating mechanics, weight and measurement of foods. Going from phase to phase of "eating" liquids, to mush to soft to regular foods. You will go through this again when you get your next fill...so you can practice now and that should kick start a weight loss for you. Come back often and let us know how your doing!!

@@Karen72 as B-25 said everyone has a different journey. I don't get sick often...but there are days...today is an example of one. I had an early morning training..then a meeting and rush rush and stress stress with work deadlines and people e-mailing and calling at the same time. Now it's time for lunch. Chinese food, so I order shrimp and Chinese vegetables usually a very good choice for me. Of course it's the "lunch" special so it comes with some kind of rice and a side dish either Soup or egg roll. I usually opt for the egg roll so I can have them wrap it to go and no one questions why I am not eating the soup and then my meal. I usually do not touch the rice at all...maybe a small fork and mix it around the plate a bit. 3 bites into my shrimp..and being all knotted up and people talking to me at lunch and wouldn't you know it?! I am stuck!!! Now I have the slimes and I can't be sick at the table with all these co-workers so I have to discreetly excuse myself and remove the blockage and then of course I am not going to eat anymore. It's not because my band is too tight,it's because I am so wound up I lost my good eating habits. I was not focused on chewing and making sure I was not overloading my fork...it's many variables and it happens. Most of the time I try to mindful of it so it doesn't happen. Now I will be on liquids for the rest of the day into tomorrow to allow my stomach to heal and not put further stress on it with solid foods. You can do this even with 2 little ones. I have 5 children, and work a crazy busy full time job. I didn't get obese overnight and I didn't learn to work with my band overnight either and sometimes my band and I can be at odds with each other like today The good thing is that I feel better, got my Protein in..and I can't wait for the end of the day to go home and put my feet up and just RELAX

@@WoodenHearts you have been through a bit of a struggle to get where you want to be. However you are on the path and your first goal is in sight! My advice to you is to reset your mind. Refocus on WHY you are doing this to begin with, and go from there. There is something on the other side of this that you want to obtain, and the first steps are today right now. Gear up, and get going. The past is in the past, you ate it and now it's done. Today is what matters so clear out the junk from where ever it hides. Stop having food funerals because what ever you think you are "never" going to eat again you will eat again trust me you will just eat it differently and in much smaller portions. So there is no need to cry over the foods you love that you can never have again. Take a deep breath and raise your Protein shake, Water bottle or what ever liquid your drinking and toast to your new and happy healthy life style. The journey begins now!