Zoe

I agree. Just before I got my band, I met a friend of a friend who had lost 125 lbs. with a gastric bypass. She wasn't thrilled with the operation, but she was thrilled with the results. As the months passed, I watched as she kept losing a lot of weight. Now, almost a year later, she has regained about 50 lbs. and despairs because there's nothing she can do about her growing appetite. Her stomach pouch has stretched, and she's stuck. Meanwhile I'm on the slow weight-loss track, and I slip now and again (monthly chocolate madness), but I'm confident I can keep losing gradually and also keep the weight off. Not all bypass patients gain back any weight, of course. But I've heard of a few others who have. At least with the band, we have the option of getting a new fill. Here, you'll find that a lot of us considered gastric bypass but decided for lots of reasons to go with the band instead. Some of us weren't nearly heavy enough to qualify for the other surgery. As Jonathan suggested, others hated the idea of permanent change to our GI systems. Other bandsters will weigh in (N.P.I.) with other reasons. Before you proceed, check on the complications rates for both procedures, including slippage and erosion for the band. You have a right to all the information you can gather. Meanwhile, read old posts here on LBT and on any other weight-loss-surgery boards you can find, including those for bypass patients. Start off by reading the "sticky" posts on the major threads here. If you have any questions, please ask. Good luck!

Was today the day? Are you now in Bandland? Please let us know how you're doing. Rest up and let someone else walk that lovely Boxer for a few days!

Congratulations! Check out http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7316

Great thread, Josy! You are brave to confront your feelings. American society being what it is, a lot of large people have entire areas of their lives closed off to them because they are deemed unworthy of sex or love. The worst part is, we start to believe it ourselves. Jack, I think this is the first time someone has quoted Kant on LBT! If you start citing Critique of Pure Reason I'm going to start worrying about you. Shelley, the band is for YOU and your health. What's past is past, including whatever you did or didn't do with your husband. How have you wasted his time? He is a grown-up and made his own choices. Now you're considering a new choice for yourself: a tool to heal and improve your body. Hey, if after you've lost weight you are such a stunning fox that you make your ex-husband kick himself for losing you, fantastic -- but it's really about getting healthy and getting another chance at life. We all have some fear of change. But if you hang around here for a while, you'll find that most bandsters were even more afraid of NOT changing, and that's why we opted for surgery. Sorry for all the pop-psych platitudes -- I guess I'm in ass-kicking mode. I'm about to meet an old friend who hasn't seen me since 60 pounds ago.

aaaagh! You will probably be too busy to eat. Good luck packing -- think of all the calories you're burning by shifting all that stuff around. We're all hoping for the best for you and your family during this chaotic time. I'm sure you'll get some amazing sermon material out of all this!

Margo, you might want to check the "Doctors and Hospitals" forum; search for the surgeon's or hospital's name, and see if any other bandsters have posted experiences with this outfit.

I was at 39.6 with very high blood pressure and chronic back trouble, considered 110 lbs. overweight, but I didn't qualify for insurance payment. (I probably could have gotten up to a 40 BMI just by eating a pile of hash browns before jumping on the scale -- or wearing a padded bra.) Each insurance company and doctor handles it differently. Check with your insurance provider to find out its policy before you take the next step.

I don't know about that! However, women are used to being the object of the male (and female) gaze. Not long ago the Guerrilla Girls activist group pointed out that only 5% of the art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art was created by women, but nearly 90% of the nudes depicted were female bodies. Not to dismiss male sensitivity about the body -- but I think if you ask most of the women here on LBT you'll find that we're very sensitive indeed about our body shape, naked or clothed. OK, off soapbox. You're a brave guy. How excellent that you might get some voice-over work out of this -- and you can wear clothes for that job (if you want). One Too Many, are you an Aussie? And have you ever had a group of white-coated medical residents stare at you while you're naked in a hospital room? "Thrilling" isn't the word that comes to mind!

Good luck, 2B. You will love Dr. Rumbaut. Travel light, and with a light heart! I know you will succeed. For most of us, our band journey is not on a completely smooth road, but we keep moving in the general direction of our goals (with a few steps back or to the side). You are very lucky to have such a supportive (and young!) husband. His love and encouragement will help you. Good luck, and let us know how your surgery goes.

Well, all my brothers are obnoxious, and there's not an Aries in the bunch! (Except for me, that is.) Love 'em anyway, but some days . . .

Headstrong and obnoxious! Or, if you want to put a more positive spin on it, independent and pioneering. So says this April 5 baby. BTW, I think Jan. 14 is Capricorn. Aquarius starts around Jan. 21.

This stinks! Is there any way your surgery can be moved up? Since the delay was the fault of the medical center and not due to anything you did, maybe the staff could squeeze your band into the June schedule. If not, well, you probably don't have much choice but to hang tough and wait for July/August to roll around. Don't worry, those calendar pages will fly.

A divorce, the end of one job, the beginning of a true calling -- and graduate school on top of it. I hope you don't have to move house on top of everything! How wonderful that your "waist is down and chin up." You will get through what is certain to be a crazy summer, and you'll probably kick butt in the upcoming summer weight-loss challenge. We're all rooting for you. It sounds as if you're beginning a new, exciting part of your life.

Yeah, naan can be a problem! I had a piece of wonderful garlic naan at one of our neighborhood Indian restaurants last week, and -- yikes! I should mention that it usually goes down OK when soaked in yummy sauces. Since we're talking gross PBs, I have to mention my worst one two weeks ago: salad. I barely made it into the office bathroom when I slimed down the front of my shirt (white, of course), and didn't quite make it to the toilet . . . so this icky green stuff pooled on the floor. Someone was in the stall next to me. Either she didn't notice or she was so grossed out that she got the hell out before I saw her. Luckily I had a blazer, which I kept buttoned all afternoon!

Cool! Please let us know how the photo shoot went, and how you felt about the experience.

Brava, Crystal! Well, M's Mom, you've received some great responses here. Much as I'd like to kick your hubby's ass (and I can do it virtually by posting my giant foot photo), I have to admit that he said what a lot of people think: That the band is cheating, a crutch, the easy way out. . . you get the picture. There's a recent LBT thread on exactly this subject. Sure, you can tell him to pound nails with his forehead -- but I bet if you ask him to start watching how you cook and eat, he'll realize exactly how much work the band requires. Especially if you're cooking big meals for him but only able to eat small portions yourself! You've lost 35 pounds (and still counting). You took the steps you needed to make that possible. So I think you deserve plenty of credit -- and if your husband uses his bean, he'll realize it too. BTW, do y'all think I could get one of those electric dog polishers on eBay? The pup could use a little buffing.

Yes, yes, yes! You're stranded in what I call "Bandster No-Man's Land": you've got your nifty little silicone implant, you've finished the restrictive liquid/mushy phase, your body is healing nicely. . . and you think you've got a magic cure for the food demon. Nope. In fact, you're in one of the hardest phases of banding, because your band is just a flaccid little place-holder offering you no restriction. No wonder you're frustrated! Talk to your doctor about when you can get a fill. Dr. Rumbaut has his patients wait at least six weeks; some docs wait eight weeks; but here's poor Lisa (chatrooper) only five weeks postop and on her second fill. Bear in mind that the first (and second, and sometimes later) fill may not give you the right amount of restriction, but at least it will be a start. Meanwhile, try not to beat yourself up. OK, you ate a lot. If you're like most of us, that's just a return to an old habit, nothing more. You are NOT a failure. You're just normal. And you probably were expecting your band to help you, but it's not pumped up yet, so it's of no assistance. But it will be. Lisa, I know it's frustrating to stay on liquids for 48 hours after a fill. So you ate a fish sandwich. That doesn't sound so bad. This comment is coming from someone who is far from perfect when it comes to following the bandster rules, but (despite current bloating thanks to cortisone) is still very happy with the results so far. Both of you might want to check out the "fills" forum. I think you'll find lots of posts that will show you that you're not at all alone.

Thanks for the encouragement, Jonathan. I got an epidural steroid injection on Friday which is adding to my Water retention; on the plus side, I'm in no danger of collapsing from overly thin ankles. Congratulations on crossing into Twonesia! That's a great milestone. I may have beat you across the '99 line, but I've moved back to my old homeland, so you are the official '99 winner! As for the Labor Day photographic challenge, I'm in, as long as I don't have to show my legs. Or belly. Or. . . Say, can I just wear a burka for the picture?

Great jokes, ladies! Thanks.

Hi Mistic -- Most of us miss just a week or so of work/school. Some people are feeling frisky after just a day or two, some need two weeks or more, but one week seems to be about average. So if you could time your surgery between quarters or semesters, you wouldn't have to miss a single class! While it must have been awful getting that e-mail from your mother, she might have inadvertently have done you a favor since her message led you to research the band. Check out the coverage on your parents' policies; you just might qualify for full payment of the surgery in the US. Good luck, and welcome to LBT from someone who went to Mexico and had a great surgeon.

Hi Aussiegirl! About those tests: A lot of them are for the benefit of our insane private insurance system rather than the patient. They seem designed specifically to discourage people from proceeding with the surgery -- in order to save the insurers money. Mind you, some US doctors demand a lot of tests even for self-pay patients where no insurance is involved, but in general the tests are done for the insurance companies. Those of us who travel to Mexico (including those who were denied coverage by our insurance) usually don't have many tests. My pre-op tests were similar to yours: height, weight, blood pressure, blood sample, EKG, brief medical history, and I was good to go.

Christina, the day is almost here! I'm so happy for you. I hope your back is better. Make sure you have some Vicodin left for post-surgery. One of the drug's side effects (for me, anyway) is loss of appetite, so that's another bonus. Just think, tomorrow you'll be a bandster. Congratulations, sistah -- this was a long time coming, and you deserve that band!

I can't believe the cop didn't ticket her for running the stop sign. Is this a desert-driving thing? News flash: You're not a 300-pound woman anymore, hon!

What fantastic news! Thanks for sharing your adventure with us. Tomorrow, Mt. Everest?

[mini-hijack] I want to design a bra that lets customers mix and match the back elastic section and the cups. So you could buy, say, a 42 bra band and just velcro in the cups of your choice! 54AAA? No problem. 32DDD? Easy. Cambron, to get back to your original question, how about asking your ob/gyn for suggestions? It would be good if you could find out if wearing a bra at night would actually help you. If it's not going to make a difference, it seems like a lot of trouble.