lisacaron

@@JustWatchMe Hope all goes well friend!! Stay strong your almost to the end of the day!!

@@igotthis98 Way to go!!! Just keep that enthusiasm high, I love that your best friend is going with you just don't make it a competition or comparison contest OK? It can happen too easily and then it goes from motivating to defeating. Keep each other honest, and on task but each do what you can for YOU and don't worry that she can lift more your can run faster etc. For many many years when I was young I used to work out all the time. I was a dancer and practiced ballet nearly 4 hours a day every day with dance teachers and competition coaches. When I stopped I really stopped and there are days now when my motivation to get my butt to the gym and push myself into that familiar soreness that I remember all too well is not only lacking but it's just down right resistance!!! I feel 100 times better when I get there and I get it done, but I fight it every step of the way. I have a trainer and I have been working with him since July and I told him DON"T let me cancel on you!! Some days I have to pull the plug because I am ill or hurt, but I can all too easily get into a pattern and just stop. He's pretty good at keeping me accountable to myself and getting my there and getting it moving once I get there without shaming me or making me feel guilty when I need to take a break. This is most definitely a wonderful NSV got get 'em girl!!!

@@catfish87 I agree with you on both accounts. It's nice to know the Dr.'s are supporting the site by obtaining premium memberships but it's also nice to have a frame of reference...though I suppose you could always google the Dr. and find that information as well.

@@catfish87 your right I tried to search your Dr. and I got that message as well, and it looks like under the message the profile is there but you can't get past the error to view it. Perhaps the Dr. needs to update his profile with site and it's blocked for that reason?

@@Band Aid mom if you are having the Lapband the most you need to worry about for Vitamins is your daily multivitamin. The reasons people choose to supplement are numerous. If you are a WLS patient with a different modality there tends to be some malabsorptive component to those surgeries and they will lose some of the vital nutrients from foods they eat so for them it is vital to their health and well being that they supplement. When you are a banded patient, none of your digestive system is re-routed and your stomach will function just as it always did, though they have found that there is a mild loss of calcium in some banded patients but that is easily compensated for with a supplement as well and most of our milks and juices today are calcium fortified. Check with your Dr. on the need for extra calcium. There are also others who are deficient for one reason or another in a certain Vitamin and/or mineral. You can find these out through blood work. For example even prior to banding I am Vitamin D deficient. There are several co-morbidity's associated with vitamin deficiency such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome and heart disease. The best thing to do is to check with your Dr. have blood work done before and after surgery to see what your levels are and if needed then worry about supplements. As a banded patient we are lucky enough to be able to obtain most of our nutrients from our food, but that doesn't mean that you will especially if there are other factors to consider. Hope this helps!!

@@☠carolinagirl☠ I read your blog my friend (I have them e-mailed to me) and I have to tell you that I am proud of you!! When you felt you needed support you reached out and your band was there for you! That is the BEST understanding of our surgery. It's there not to do the work for us, but to help us get the work done I know your going to do great, your so good about following the rules and taking care of you and your band. Hubs and I also went for a fill yesterday, we really needed to get the focus back on "us" and what we are trying to accomplish for ourselves. We get mighty tied up with our kids, home and work lives we often forget what our own personal goals are. This weekend was a great way to refocus all of that, and I think we are in a good place again and working on moving closer to our goals. I have to thank you all because it's this site and all our posts and sharing that help me to stay and get focused when I lose track.

Well I know my surgeon is no longer operating, he's retired and I am now seeing another group. So you wouldn't be able to find him on the list.

@@gowalking You are just the best lady!!! I love your post!!

Thanks everyone. Feeling much better today. I had to forgo the gym the other day I just wasn't able to handle it. Sometimes I think we need to give ourselves a break. I stress myself out about not eating right and not working out enough...truth is that sometimes I just need a REST from all the stress. So even though it's pretty darn cold here in NY I'm planning to meet the trainer tonight and get that work out in!! I had a fill yesterday at the Dr. and I am feeling a bit more in control of my food intake and choices and that's very helpful. We had a BP meeting on Sunday in NYC and I have to tell you that it was really just what I needed to kick my butt back into gear again. Both me and the hubby. The holidays and the kids and the weather work and all those things were really starting to stress us out so much we really let ourselves get lost in it and it was great to pull our heads out of that and refocus!! It's just what we both needed. Hope everyone here is doing well and staying warm!!!

You know...just thinking about a nice warm walk on the beach, sand warm and squishy between my toes cool ocean breeze blowing with just a hint of refreshing mist...I would be wearing a bathing suit no matter what because well I just don't care what others think I know I look good It just sounds like an awesome fantasy right now in this deep freeze!! I'd love to have the dogs running along the shore tossing a frisbee at them and playing fetch. That would be an added bonus! So now I'll take my leave and get me to the Bariatric Doc and take another step closer to making dreams come true!!

The first thing I will tell you is that with the band (just like with other WLS) patient compliance and vigilance is the key. You will need to be compliant with the rules the doctors give you, and treat your band with respect. It is a part of you and part of your new life style. You must be vigilant to keep an eye on your behavior. No weight loss surgery or tool will help you with head hunger or emotional eating. YOU have to work on these things, and once you are committed to making a change in your life you will. If you are not ready for the sleeve and you pulled the plug in the 11th hour then I am going to tell you that you are not ready for the band or any other WLS either. Take the time you have now to prepare. Visit bariatric Dr.'s take seminars, speak to banded people go to a local support group and hear from WLS patients and their experience. There are some I know who went into surgery unwillingly their Dr. told them they MUST because of their obesity and other co-morbidities, however as "unwilling" they might have thought they were...they were more willing then most who "choose" to have the surgery because their minds are made up for them by the pain and stress of competing issues. Foods, pastry, chocolate (insert your issue here) vs. Walking freely or breathing on your own...hmmm not too hard of a choice right? So wait until you are ready and then decide what is the right surgery for you that you think you will find the best success with. I chose the band even though my obesity level and co-morbtiy levels might have had a Dr. recommend the sleeve or bypass I still chose the band. I know I can "control" the band and I have some flexibility with the band to allow it to fit into my ever changing life style. I can loosen it when I need to as I did to heal after a car accident or illness and I can go right back to my sweet spot again when my body is ready. If I ever had a complication I could and would revise to another surgery and you lose some of that option if you start out with the other surgeries first. However as medical science keeps growing there are so many options to mix and match modalities. Don't get lost in it all, take some time do your due diligence ask loads of questions and then make your decision. Best of luck to you!

@@JoJoNYC So happy to read that you are on your way!! Best of luck for a smooth op and recovery!! Let us know how you are doing as soon as you are able!!

I have had the sad experience to know someone who became an alcoholic after having gastric by pass and it is very sad indeed as the drinking of "spirits" has a much faster absorption rate in someone who has this surgery and the affects of the liquor are felt much more profoundly enhancing the addiction. Sadly this person experienced many many issues as a result including, sepsis, kidney failure, sirosis of the liver and an untimely death at the age of 46. She was not someone you could speak to easily and would not seek or participate in counseling.

Most of the time if you see a link or a post that is not able to be seen there is a reason for it being removed from the site. Either they were inflammatory in some way and/or inappropriate solicitation. It's not something I'd like to see Alex fix, I like that the site takes down these posts, it would be great to just delete the thread completely so no one can see it and wonder about it. If someone is sending you a link, you may want to be careful that it's not associated with a virus or scam that will either crash your computer or steal information from it. Be wary of things like winning money and free services!!

Are you nearing the max fill in your band? If you are at a high fill volume the surgeon may want to monitor what is going into the band to ensure you don't have a problem. Also it could be a policy change at the hospital or the office in the way they are treating patients. It happens

I wanted to thank you all for braving the cold the subway and NYC traffic to come and sit a spell with us!! I was very happy to meet you all and you have inspired and reinvigorated me again!! I think I might even go to the gym tonight even though my poor legs and arm have about 2 colors of the rainbow appearing after my spill up the stairs! What a klutz! I'm drinking my "fake" food as my boss calls it in the form a protein shake gearing up for a good work out hopefully I won't be too sore Very excited for you @@BloomingLotus please keep in touch with us here and let us know how you are doing!!

@@amponder Good for you!!! You went out there with nothing to prove and you proved that you are a better sport then your MIL. Keep walking for your health and happiness at your own pace. When/if she ever asks you to join her group again you can tell her no thank you. No need to stoop to her level of nasty, you don't need to prove anything to little old ladies that only feel good when making others feel bad. You know slow and steady wins the race. Quick and sassy fall on their face.

@@Zingythingy you lost a lot of weight really fast! I was banded in 2013 and have had a few set backs along the way but have only lost 70 thus far. So I would ask you...what did you do in the beaning that helped you to lose the weight? Where do you think that fell short on nutrition to cause you to have an issue with healing? Nutrition is very important but I suspect there was more going on to cause necrosis then just poor nutrition. I'm glad that you are now on the road to recovery and I really hope that you are feeling better. You have come to the right place for support that's for sure! I know when I am having trouble staying focused and not giving up I come here and read and write and share and I feel better!! So maybe review what worked for you in the early days of starting to lose the weight, and think about how you might improve upon that a bit to keep your body healthy now as well. Is a need for more Protein, or perhaps a certain Vitamin that you might need/want to add in with fruits or veggies or even with a supplement? I'm still trying to get back to my green zone after a car accident a few month ago. I'm back in the gym and working out, and battling a few women's issues as well. So its a bit of a roller coaster ride that I'm not quite ready to get off of just yet I'm finally starting to enjoy it...well at least until the next nose dive

Ah...what I wouldn't give for a nice hot bath right now!!! My little body is all aches and pains. To my chagrin I fell going UP the marble stair case yesterday!! OUCH my legs and arm are various colors of the rainbow today and if it was summer people would think I was either hit by a truck or a battered wife! (Hahaha as if Ken would say cause he'd be a dead man and I'd be posting this from a prison cell) To top it all off I have the gym tonight with the trainer...maybe I'll get lucky and hubby will draw me a nice hot bath to fold myself into when I get home. Can someone send him a little bird message for me...tweet tweet... Nope I didn't hit my head

@@verna2197 if you are sick with a cold or flu, then yes having this excess phlegm is gross but normal. If you are not sick, then you could be having an issue with slime and that could mean that your band is a bit too tight. I find that when I am sick, and I have that nasty phlegm (can't help but picture the Mucinex booger commercial in my head.) doing what @@parisshel said and taking an antihistamine can help dry things up..however for me this can also cause an upset in my tummy that I don't feel but it will cause an inflammation and make my band super tight. I have had issues with some medications causing stomach irritation, now my Dr. has me on a medication to help sooth and keep this from happening. So if your going to start taking medications give the Bariatric doc a call and see what they might advise as well to keep the irritation down. One other thing that helps me is to drink warm liquids like tea without any type of creamer this helps to break up that clog in my throat and prevents that nasty stuff from coming back the wrong way. Feel better!!!

I have read many responses here that say Forgive but don't forget...and I think that is where we keep holding on to the hurt and maybe even making it worse then the actual offense. Yes there is a lesson here, but there are lessons everywhere in good things as well as bad. When you forgive someone for something you need to forget about it to move on. If you keep telling yourself that you have forgiven but you have not forgotten have you truly forgiven? It's impossible because somewhere you are still remembering and harboring the feelings of hurt and pain. They may be buried deep down among the piles of forgiveness you have covered it with but it is still there festering like the potato in the pocket someone wrote about because you have not forgotten. When we truly forgive and forget we are able to let go of the hurt. We are able to dissociate ourselves from the bad feelings about or toward that person; that behavior or ourselves. It becomes part of our past. We have learned and we have grown stronger in the experience of it. That does not mean that we need to keep harboring the thoughts of it to learn our lesson. If you refuse to forget you are still nailing yourself and your loved one to that proverbial cross every time you revisit it and experiencing the pain of it over and over again. If you take this saying literally Forgive & Forget here are the definitions of both words. Forgive: To give up resentment against or stop wanting to punish (someone) for an offense or fault; pardon. Forget: To treat with thoughtless inattention; To banish from one's thoughts. Makes sense doesn't' it? It is in this way that we are removed of the burden that causes us to feel guilty or ill willed about an event or behavior that we have experienced. We can never un-live or un-learn it but we can choose to forgive, let go and forget. Of course this is much easier said then done In forgetting we are relinquishing our need for control of ourselves and others. I like this saying also when it comes to forgetting and letting go...when all else fails. Let go and Let God. Give it over to a higher power, (what ever that is in your life) take a deep breath and know that you have done your best.

@@Wvcari sounds like your doing the right things and taking care of business!

@@nikkipk72 how are you doing a few days after your Dr. visit? Are you feeling a good sense of restriction? Making good choices and eating well?

Warm greetings to all my BP friends!!! I hope you are all finding a way to stay warm!! I know it's really sad that we complain about the cold when after all it is winter. I think I am complaining less about the cold as compared to the way this weather is affecting my body. I am not a piece of wood and my body does not expand and contract well. Just a couple of weeks ago the weather here in NY was nearly at 70 and today it's about 7 degrees. I'm sure my age doesn't help matters much, but I have to tell you that the headaches and the body aches that come with these crazy temps is driving me insane!! .

@@Holysaro87 I agree with the poster above. Take a deep breath and try to relax. I am going to sound a little harsh with you for a moment here. When you FIRST had signs of something not right it was the time to go and see the Dr. Never mind how you were before your band. You are now a banded patient and vomiting no matter how small. food being stuck, acid reflux, night coughs all of these are signs of trouble and they are NOT normal. No one with a band should be throwing up after eating EVER if they can help it. If you follow the proper band guidelines then you would not be having these issues AND if you are then you need to see a Dr. ASAP a Bariatric Dr. who specializes in the Lapband. OK now all of that said....take another deep breath. I am on your side here. One of the reasons your Dr. may be telling you take the band out is because you are not being compliant with the band rules. There are very specific rules to being a banded patient and you are not following them. Yes we all get caught up with family and friends and FOOD. I totally understand, BUT you must ALWAYS remember that you are a WLS patient and that you have a band around your stomach and it is there and it will not be overlooked and it will cause you trouble if you ignore it. I am compliant in all ways with my band, all the time...? No not all the time, and that is how I learned to make sure that I am now ALL the time. When I am full I stop eating, if I am stuck I pay the price and feel sick and learn that next time I need to cut and chew chew chew and then chew some more. I need to slow down and eat my food and not be stressed while eating. A few months ago I had a mild pouch dilation and had all the Fluid removed from my band due to medications I was taking from being in a car accident that irritated my stomach. I did the 4 week liquid diet and the dilation resolved itself and I am not back on track to getting fills and losing weight. OK take another deep breath... Ask yourself is this band something you want? Why do you have it if you are not going to use it and take care of it properly? If you want to keep your band, follow the Dr.'s orders. Take the fill out, and start from band basics. Go back to the days of early banding. Get yourself some Protein powders and shakes and go from there. You will start to lose weight and you will feel better. Tell your family and friends you MUST be on this diet and not to derail you because doing so is going to cost you and you will ultimately have to have the band removed and worse you can cause permanent damage to your internal organs. So make sure you are ready for this commitment and settle in for a month of liquids, and gaining your health back. You have to take time to put you and your band first. You are right now both at risk.