thebionicbroad

Kimmr,
Heck, yes, I can feel your pain. I felt shame for years after my Band failure. People would look at me and sneer. "YOU have a Band?" I had gained all my weight back plus some, and couldn't eat anything but what kept my weight up - greasy, fatty, slippery.
My surgeon told me that no matter how disciplined the patient, whenever the Band was removed, the patient gained weight. Every. Patient.
A Lap-band failure doesn't mean that we are failures. The Band is not what it was touted to be. It causes slips, and scarring, and esophageal dilation, and erosion, and GERD, and hernias. The blasted thing should be pulled from the market. My surgeon lost someone who came in with a black, gangrenous stomach pouch. Those of us lucky enough to survive the thing to have a revision to a sleeve are the lucky ones.
Obesity is one of the most complicated health issues on the planet. It's NOT just pushing away from the table. It is NOT a character flaw or weakness. It is a genetic, hormonal, and behavioral problem. Can you imagine a diabetic hating himself because he has to take insulin? Or a cancer patient despising herself because she's in chemo? But we chunkies love to hate ourselves. It ain't all us.
Something, somewhere, at the cellular level, something went wrong. It doesn't mean that we are terrible people. It means that we need medical intervention. The Band was a flawed solution. The by-pass was out because the malabsorptive issue. The sleeve was my choice and my surgeon's recommendation. So far, I'm very pleased.
I just don't want to see you blame yourself for a Band failure. Sounds like you did as well as anyone could. You deserve a better solution, my friend.
Pat

Rosy,
I'm less than four weeks out with the sleeve, so I am not qualified to make assumptions about anything. What I am questioning is the amount of Protein that you are getting. If you are getting 70 - 80 grams a day, and are still feeling true hunger, I'd say eat a small Protein snack. I've been all over these boards since November, when I found out that I was going to be sleeved, and NOWHERE have I encountered one person whose doctor said no Protein drinks, or SF Jell-O, etc. To me, your doctor is setting you up for failure. Personally, I don't know how you are still sane, and I hurt for you. You sound like a neat lady who deserves better than to be starved.

I'm almost 4 weeks post-op, and like most obese people, I don't know the difference between hunger and thirst. When I feel that I'm hungry, I drink Water for about 15 - 20 minutes, and if the feeling persists, I assume that I'm hungry, and I have 1/2 c. of a Protein food. I get most of my protein from Isopure mixed with unsweetened almond milk. When I haven't taken in at least 70 grams of protein a day, I get hungry. I can't imagine being told to not drink protein shakes! My surgeon recommends them. Your sleeve isn't failing; your body needs fuel. Carby foods trigger insulin, which not only makes us store fat, but triggers hunger. Protein keeps us full, and triggers glucagon, which allows the body to burn fat.

Yippeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When using a public restroom, I won't have to stand on the toilet to get the door open and closed.

Popcorn from the beginning?! All it takes is the mental image of an impacted, abscessed staple line to kill the craving. popcorn is one of the things that I will only attempt with the surgeon's permission. Holy moley.

Ah, well. My surgery was performed by a Chinese doctor, in an American facility, in a Latino part of L.A. When I got up for a walk in the hallway, I was side-by-side with a retired NFL player, who was African-American.
Gotta love it.

Three weeks post-op, and I'm changing my name to "Gurgles."

In the course of my 54 years, I had to quit smoking and quit drinking. Now, I've had to give up much of the food that I used to self-medicate. I wonder about another replacement, too. Maybe it will be exercise. That would be wonderful.

CC, you were on some pretty strong meds, and your body has to adjust. I gained weight in the hospital, and almost cried when I got home. Once your body adjusts Fluid and electrolyte levels, you're going to see a change. Your meds may make stalls more common. You will still be losing fat. Maybe a tape measure would be better at this stage than a scale?

I burped after every sip for about the first month, then things got better. However, I still burp more frequently post-sleeve than I did before. There's just no room for air in the sleeve and I'd rather it came up than go down, if you know what I mean...

And I want to chime in, since I'm too much of a mama type, if you feel that you are dehydrated (dark urine), go to an urgent care.

Day 8 was the "turn-around" day for me. Walking really helps get the energy level moving up. Take it easy at work, and no lifting.

I'm losing a bit more hair than usual, but honestly, if I had to make a choice, I'd rather be bald than obese.

Popcorn from the beginning?! All it takes is the mental image of an impacted, abscessed staple line to kill the craving. popcorn is one of the things that I will only attempt with the surgeon's permission. Holy moley.

When using a public restroom, I won't have to stand on the toilet to get the door open and closed.

When using a public restroom, I won't have to stand on the toilet to get the door open and closed.

Welcome, Dale. You could have the best surgeon in the U.S., and she'd still worry, because she loves you. My family was convinced that I was going to croak on the table. I'm 2 weeks post-op, and I feel great.

I was a self-pay for the Band back in December of '06, because, at the time, my *** didn't do the Band. The surgeon maxed out my Band (11 cc) in 2 - 3 visits, lied to me about it, and I couldn't eat solid food for years. Thanks to a soft and greasy diet, I gained back everything that I had lost. Enough was enough. I ended up with my ***'s expert on Band to sleeve revisions, I'm 11 days post-op, and I am thrilled. For Breakfast, I ate one poached egg with my baby spoon and bowl. With the Band, I couldn't eat cooked egg at all. Many people complain about what they can't eat. They need to live with a strangling, partially slipped Band for a few years. I have come to the conclusion that there's not a foodstuff out there that I want more than to be at a healthy weight.