eatoandc

Mis73 is right, many people here want sunshine and roses blown up their butt, and NOT THE TRUTH.
If the truth "stings" this is probably not the place you should post, no one here can diagnose your symtoms, we can ONLY TELL YOU ABOUT EXPERIENCES WE'VE HAD, or seen others have , or studies we've read.
There was a post recently about someone reporting "night time coughing and reflux" I told the poster THE TRUTH based on what I've experienced and what I've seen so many others lose their bands over.
And guess what? I was told I was "scaring the newbies"...for crying out loud....
I am over 8 years post op, I don't have to post here either, or share my wisdom, but as I've seen the band has a VERY HIGH complication rate, most of it preventable, I feel sometimes "SOME" newbies would "LIKE" to hear the TRUTH, about the lap band, I am sure...SOME may not want to hear it from ME, but many do.
Many surgeons don't know any signs of danger with the band, they don't live with it, WE DO, so we can only advise you of dangers of what we've seen, but our ADVICE SHOULD ALWAYS be take with a grain of salt, since we are NOT MEDICAL professionals....anything that's related to your port, port pain, incisions, frequent vomiting SHOULD ALWAYS REQUIRE PROMPT ATTENTION FROM YOUR SURGEON...YOU CAN'T GO CHEAP by querying this board on your lap band health.
Also, many people don't even want to hear the TRUTH from their surgeon either, they'd rather ask a ridiculous question here about breaking fill rules with their bands -- and see if it'll fly...LOL.
Now back to my vacation at the beach.

I do an unofficial version of carb cycling so basically one day I will have lots of carbs and other days it's low carb. By doing that I don't feel deprived but I have to be honest, I do feel a lot less bloated and "skinnier" the next morning when I go low carb. Good luck =)

I would have liquid Tylenol on hand for afterward. Also a heating pad because some find it relieves the gas pain.
I also found a body pillow very helpful in getting comfy in bed. I used it to prop myself up a bit on my side, tucking the pillow under my tummy to support it.
Good luck!

Adios! You are overly sensitive and need to grow up. Temper tantrums don't work here.

Yes, this may not be the place for you if you're offended by honest speech. I read those comments and no where did anyone say anything rude or derogatory. Some of us post quite a bit and rather than sugar coat our comments with silly words like, you poor baby, that's too bad or emoticons with smiley faces, we just say what should be said. It's up to you to attempt to read between the lines if you are inclined to do so?
I would suggest you reconsider your decision as this is the best forum to ask and receive honest opinions from bandsters who are walking the walk. It will be your loss. This is what we would call a lose/lose proposition. We can learn from you sometime in the future when you are an experienced Bandster. So I urge you to stay and make this a win/win for all of us?
tmf

It's very hard and we hear this a lot. One of the biggest regrets I have is not actually measuring myself and tracking my inches because I know that would've shown a decrease even when the sale isn't moving downward. So, if I were you? Start taking measurements.
If you're building muscle, it's very likely you're shrinking despite the stubborn scale. Fat has more volume than muscle. Picture a measuring cup of fat and a measuring cup of muscle. The muscle is going to weight more than the fat because it's more dense. But, the fat takes up more room, so this is why you're burning fat but building muscle you'll see the inches shrink but not the scale
Hang in there

I was banded 08/29. I have only lost 17 pounds (I last was weighed when I went for my first fill) However, when I look in the mirror, I can SEE that I'm losing inches and my clothes fit better. I just wish I could be losing pounds as fast as I am losing inches

Things are still going great! I'm feeling amazing and full of energy.

aaaaaaaaahhahhaha thats all i can say right now!!

aaaaaaaaahhahhaha thats all i can say right now!!

aaaaaaaaahhahhaha thats all i can say right now!!

Are you saying they denied you because you GAINED WEIGHT? That's ridiculous...that's why we need the WLS because we cannot, or have a very difficult time loosing weight any other way....
When I went through this phase, 2 things I remember...I was looked at on a different scale and a different set of criteria because of the co morbidites....they actually made it easier to get the approval....even my PCP knew this and it was the main reason he referred me...my health issues....and bleak prognosis...which only loosing weight and changing lifestyle would cure.
2nd...the 6 month required medical supervised diet, in my case, had nothing to do with loosing weight.....it was to show, as part of my record signed off by a physician, along with charts, grafts, and weekly progress notes, that I did make a sincere effort to loose weight and FAILED! Thereby proving that surgery was the last, and perhaps only resort for me to loose weight and re-gain my health.
And sure enough, just as I did in every other diet I have ever took part in, I started out great, then eventually leveled off, then reversed and failed...I lost weight, but by the time the program was over I was steadily gaining it all back....
Next thing you know Insurance Companies will start denying people because they will argue... "See? You CAN loose weight on your own...you don't need surgical intervention"
My...how the rules have changed.....the girls in my office deal with insurance submissions all day...and thy have gotten very good at it....it takes a lot of documentation, and you need to get past their first line of defense which is usually minimum wage staff who know nothing about medical issues but are trained to spot "Red Flags"..certain words..and kick the claims back without even looking at the entire picture...
You know Insurance companies consider "Bathing" a "Luxury" and "Not Medically Necessary?"
But this is what your Surgeons office does every day....deals with the ridiculous with appeals...."The squeaky wheel gets the oil"

I made an iced coffee with 1 scoop vanilla Unjury, 1 K cup from my keurig, 1c skim milk, and 3tbs sugar free Creamer. Delicious and 37 grams of protein!

I had two csections too,, its way easier. Try to get hubby to take some time off work. Unfortunately my husband couldn't take much time off. And definitely take 2 Weeks off work too. Your kids will be healthier too. Mine eat so much better now. Good luck to you and family

My son was three and to too it off my husband had a heart attack 3 days after my surgery. Then on the 4th day my dad got admitted to the hospital so I lost the help my mom was giving me . But somehow I made it through. You will do great! As far as recovery I found this MUCH easier than c section recovery! Good luck and I promise you, it's much easier than you think it is. I was worried sick about it and then when the support group unfortunately went away very quickly it was all ok. Hardest part is making a toddler understand not to jump on the belly

Disclaimer #1 -- That title was written to the tune of "Babysitting Blues" from Adventures in Babysitting. I now have that song stuck in my head. LOL
Disclaimer #2 -- I am mostly going to whine. Feel free to ignore me.
So, I'm not even through my first full week of "mushies" and I am MISERABLE about it. Seriously, turkey taco's (no shells) in the blender looks like cat vomit! I have two cats, legit looked like what I've cleaned off my floor. Now, they tasted fantastic but every time I looked at my plate, I had to talk myself into taking the darn bite. My chicken and cauliflower tonight looked like someone chewed it up and spat it out for me. Like I'm a baby bird.
I've had some pretty good success with chili -- though Wendy's has been my go to since I've never made chili and the sodium has me up a couple pounds. I have all the ingredients to make a turkey chili that my sister (a chef) is going to make up for me tomorrow. For some reason, that's been one meal that I can eat pureed and the texture isn't killing me. Plus, its good in Protein and once made at home will be nice and healthy. I also made a delish butternut squash Soup. I'm trying to mind my carbs with that so I'm treating it like a side dish and not having too much in a serving.
Snacks are OK. Yogurts, pudding, cottage cheese and smashed banana with some PB mashed in for protien have been yummy. That said, right now I want crunch. I want bite. I want something to chew.
But, the reality is THIS STAGE SUCKS! I need to think of more meals to have for dinner, too. I'm not sure what to mix with the meats so they are not dry. I suppose I can live on chili for the next two weeks. My husband may want to divorce me by the end of that, tho. Ha ha ha. I have two more weeks of hell. I know I can do it. I know I'll get through it. I just needed to whine a bit about it and share with people who can sympathize.
So, if you have have taken the time to read this, I thank you. If you, too, have "Babysitting Blues" stuck in your head, I apologize -- unless you like Adventures in Babysitting -- and if that's the case we should be friends.
Disclaimer #3 -- Lack of solid food is clearly affecting my sanity as evident by this post. LOL

Here's what I think. Im sure this will piss off a few people..but it's just my opinion. I don't mind hearing success stories because you know for certain that those success stories are earned...the band does not lose the weight for you. You have to work for it and your success is truly up to you. I am skeptical of the "horror stories" because far too often in this day and age people do not want to accept responsibility for their actions. They would rather place blame than accept that their choices land them where they are. I am NOT saying that some people don't honestly have fluke issues but I believe in my heart that the majority of people that are not successful with the band is because they are not doing what they are supposed to do...but they would never admit it. I think the reason the DR's don't stress the risk factors is because they are so minimal in comparison to the potential for a life changing and often life saving procedure. I don't think anyone that is not 100% committed to changing their behaviors should consider any kind of surgical procedure and certainly don't knock it when it doesn't work out for you. You have to be ready...mentally. I read this forum for a long time before making my decision. I shed countless tears wondering if I was making the right choice and I was scared from the horror stories. BUT...you have to take risks in life. I KNEW I was going to follow the rules...without fail. This was my risk and it was the best decision I have ever made. I pray that I never become one of the few that has a legit fluke issue. As for now, I am incredibly happy, and I feel I am a success story that 5 months ago I just read about and desired to be. You can be too!!

It really depends on the spirit of the post.
If someone comes on here saying "I had this problem, this is what happened, and this is why it happened" then it's useful information. They're telling us about their experience and something to keep in mind for possible problems. They also serve as fair warning to possible problems, be it band caused or patient caused.
If someone comes on here saying "The band is evil, it'll make you dead, don't do it!" then they are nothing more than a fear mongering troll with absolutely nothing to offer. It's these post I'd like to b*tch slap right off the internet.
Just my two cents.

Yep - I agree. If there is a chemical change causing the mood swings, all the self control in the world isn't going to stop or fix it. If these swings are something you've never dealt with before, then something new is definitely going on. I agree with Mis.....get a complete blood workup. And if nothing shows up, you might consider an appointment with a therapist. Possibly, there are a lot of feelings coming through, now that you're not stuffing them down with food. Years ago, a shrink told me, if you want to know why you compulsively eat, drink, do drugs....any of it, stop doing it. When we're not self medicating with whatever the substance, a lot of emotional issues bubble to the surface.
Good luck.....I hope you find the answer sooner than later.

I just thought ...vitamin B12 deficiency can cause irratic moods in men and women. I have an injection of it every month. My previous mood swings were pretty colourful and severe... Just a thought
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I have found the complete opposite!!!
The more weight I lost, the more self confident and happy I became...I honestly feel I started to make more friends, and noticed that people wanted to be around me more.....
The more I realized this the better my self image became...and became even more extroverted than before if that is even possible.
I'll now strike up conversations with strangers....it's contagious.
When I was fat I must have been miserable...
But thanks to the band, it has changed my life in ore ways than returning to a normal weight and body build.

I know the feeling dmh102! I got my surgery date in August but due taking time off of work, I couldn't schedule it till October 14th. Feels like it's taking forever!!! Good luck to you and everyone else being banded this month!

One week till surgery!!!! Can't wait. The finish line is FINALLY in sight!!! Good luck to all those who are having surgery.

The deed has been done ! Sleepy from the meds gonna rest now