vinesqueen

there is absolutely no reason that your period will interfere with your surgery. Medical professionals are used to dealing with this all the time.

And maybe you have rocked your band hard. I know I got a lot of crap on a different "support" when I was talking about how I couldn't lose weight. People called me a lier, saying that I wasn't being honest with myself or anyone else. that I needed psychologocial help to get me over my lies around food bla bla bla... Jodie, familes can be really toxic. I mean, really toxic sometimes. I was raised by wolves, and right now I'm not dealing with my mother simply because I have enough crap in my life with my Cushing's that I don't need her garbage on top. ("this is my middle daughter Crystal, she flunked Calculus" or ".. she just dropped out of college" is not how I want to be introduced to her firends. ) Since you have worked you band, it is time to find a doctor that will look at the underling causes. It is important to find out why you are not loseing weight. You know that you are working your band (DRINK MORE WATER) and you should be losing weight. I'm not suggeting you have Cushing's, but if you haven't been losing weight, then there is something else going on. I know you have bad knees, so you might want to try pilaties and/or Water aerobics. And it may just be that you will just have to wait until you get to school before you can do anything but bide your time.

Anytime Hedwig! I have to call my doc today because I spent a good portion of my afternoon Thursday with the dry heaves. No boozin' for me, just hit a Low.

Hi Judi, I cannot think that a PB would cause head pain. Anytiem soeone experiences a severe headache that is completely unlike any they have had before, they need to call their doctor or be seen by a qualified medical person ASAP. If you cannot get in to see your doctor, please either call your insuance company's nurse hotline (if you have one) or go to the ER, or call your doc and have him or her paged. This is not something to mess around with.

I think it all depends on the hour your band surgery was done, and if you have any serious co-morbidities, or complications from the surgery. I stayed overnight because I had severe asthma, and they just wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to have any trouble from the general. My DH was in hospital for several days post-op because he had complications. He had alot of swelling, but he was also 600 pounds when he was banded. It took a couple of days for the swelling to go down enough to the point where he could swallow anything.

oh no! Greg, please tell Ryan that we all know and miss him. That we all are rooting for him. (we miss you too, but that's a different story) Please let him and Patty both that we really do care.

Sorry I missed this Paula, I don't come to LBT as often, and I lost this thread when I came back. This is from Ask.com about cortisol. I've left all their hot links active for anyone who wants more information http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/cortisol.htm Cortisol and Your Body Cortisol is an important hormone in the body, secreted by the adrenal glands and involved in the following functions and more: Proper glucose metabolism Regulation of blood pressure Insulin release for blood sugar maintanence Immune function Inflammatory response Normally, it’s present in the body at higher levels in the morning, and at its lowest at night. Although stress isn’t the only reason that cortisol is secreted into the bloodstream, it has been termed “the stress hormone” because it’s also secreted in higher levels during the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response to stress, and is responsible for several stress-related changes in the body. Small increases of cortisol have some positive effects: A quick burst of energy for survival reasons Heightened memory functions A burst of increased immunity Lower sensitivity to pain Helps maintain homeostasis in the body While cortisol is an important and helpful part of the body’s response to stress, it’s important that the body’s relaxation response to be activated so the body’s functions can return to normal. Unfortunately, in our current high-stress culture, the body’s stress response is activated so often that functioning often doesn’t have a chance to return to normal, producing chronic stress. Higher and more prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream (like those associated with chronic stress) have been shown to have negative effects, such as: Impaired cognitive performance Suppressed thyroid function Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia Decreased bone density Decrease in muscle tissue Higher blood pressure Lowered immunity and inflammatory responses in the body, as well as other health consequences Increased abdominal fat, which is associated with a greater amount of health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body. Some of the health problems associated with increased stomach fat are heart attacks, strokes, the development of , higher levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL), which can lead to other health problems! To keep cortisol levels healthy and under control, the body’s relaxation response should be activated after the fight or flight response occurs. You can learn to relax your body with various stress management techniques, and you can make lifestyle changes in order to keep your body from reacting to stress in the first place. The following have been found by many to be very helpful in relaxing the body and mind, aiding the body in maintaining healthy cortisol levels: Guided Imagery Journaling Self-Hypnosis Exercise Yoga Listening to Music Breathing Exercises Meditation Sex Other Techniques Cortisol secretion varies among individuals. People are biologically ‘wired’ to react differently to stress. One person may secrete higher levels of cortisol than another in the same situation. Studies have also shown that people who secrete higher levels of cortisol in response to stress also tend to eat more food, and food that is higher in carbohydrates than people who secrete less cortisol. If you’re more sensitive to stress, it’s especially important for you to learn stress management techniques and maintain a low-stress lifestyle.

Hi Jude, you just had the one pit surgery? Have your adreanals been assessed? I have been researching Cushing's like a woman obsessed since I was diagnosed. Have you done any further testing, any midnight salivaries, 24hour UFC to confirm your suspicions? Just because one Endo says you are cured does NOT mean you have to accept his assessment of you. You are the expert in your body, not the Endo. I went to see a well respected endo who diagnosed me as not having Cushing's "because it's just too rare." The man hadn't even seen me when he'd made his diagnosis. :bananapartyhat: I finally had my Band Surgeon write me a referal to see Dr. Ludlam at OHSU in Portland OR, because I coudn't get any help locally. The last UFC result I had from a week ago was 299 cortisol, with the base top number of 80. Tomorrow I'm going to call and get the results from the rest of that weekend. I had more than three times the normal amount of cortiosl. I am aware of several cases where the inital pit tumor removal does not cure Cushing's 100%, and that there are cases of reocurrences, some times because not all the pit tumor was removed, sometimes because they have secondary adrenal caused Cushings. 70 pounds in 7 months is an amazing gain. I'm just so sorry that once again you were dismissed as a hysterical fat woman who's just looking for an excuse. But please don't dismiss the possibility that your Cushing's has returned. Dr. C might be right, that you might need an extra fill. But given your history, you might not see any result from additional fills. I spent the better part of a year trying to get my fills just right. And for me, NOTHING HAS WORKED. I spent a full month at below 700 calories and I managed to lose 1.5 pounds that month. Which I gained right back when I went back to 1000 calories a day. In fact, I gained 10 pounds in one week at 1000. Not Water weight. I've recently had a good amount of fill removed because when I cycle High, it really affects my restriction level. It does me no good to be super tight because I'm not going to lose weight, and it isn't good for my band for me to be constanly PB-ing. It also isn't good for me psychologically to be in pain from being too tight. http://cushings.invisionzone.com/index.php? is the message board for Cushies. http://cushings-help.com is the main site with a whole lot of useful information. Jude, please trust me when I say I completely understand how you feel about this whole thing. I know the frustration of this being yet another failed diet scheme, another fad that just doesn't work, and will never work. For the time being, I I have had to let go of any thoughts of weight loss with the band, for the time being. I know your fear, because it is the same fear that burns in my breast. The same fear that haunts the corridors of my mind and my heart. The thing that keeps me going is knowing that I'll soon be scheduled for surgery. Surgery that will give me back my life. Please, please, please do not hesitate to PM me. I want you to know that I'm here for you. I want you to know that someone truely does understand what you are going through.

Very interesting. I don't have an ant problem, but I hate them. Just as long as they do their job outside, they can stay outside. As for killing the weeds between the bricks, boiling Water does a great job too.

Well, I voted NO, because I no longer count calories. Last year when I was trying to lose weight, I became completely obsessed with counting calories. And I do mean obsessed with the calorie content of absolutely everything I ate. It of course did no good. I will still take a couple of days a month and just "spot check" to see where my calories are. They typically run 1100 - 1400, on my Low days I eat less, on my High days I eat more.

The way it was explained to me is that your hair grows in cycles. Not all folicles are "on" all the time. They grow hair, then shut down, another batch of folicles turn on, and they grow hair, and round and round the cycle goes. If this cycle is disrupted, such as surgery or other body trauma like giving birth, many people notice an increase in hair loss. Any yes, this does seem to be temporary, unless you have male-pattern baldness in your family. My hair loss is from my Cushing's. When I'm in a High, and producing too much cortisol and probably too much testosterone, I lose hair by the handfuls.

Pisces, with Gemini rising, Moon in Virgo. (Many houses in Aquarius) The dates are wrong. That's ok though. I'm a pisces by only 4 hours. There was NO WAY I was going to be an aquarius.

Shit. That's all I can say is Shit, shit, shit. Christina I've been thinking about you, worried that you were not getting better. We miss you and love you.

((((hugs)))) You poor thing! There is a very good reason there are no memorial pages here at LBT. We've only lost one person, Blossom. She was one of the sweetest people on the board. She died tragically when her tractor over turned while she was doing some major landscaping, and not from direct complications from her band. Some would say that if she haddn't gotten banded, then she wouldn't have had the energy or strength because she wouldn't have lost any weight.

I figued it was time to bump this thread. There are several current threads talking about this, and I thought it was relevent once more.

Wow, so much has changed since I originally started the thread "no help for the wicked." It was 3 months before I was banded, and I was really struggling with my asthma. I mean, really struggling. Death looked like a real possibility. I really thought that by now I would have lost if not all my excess weight, I would have lost a big whack of it. I was sure that I would be a size 16 by now, not still 22/24. But that is not in the cards for me. I still struggle with this. But I suppose I should have clued into the "sudden weight gain" since no one else seems to experience that particular "joy." I've since learned that it's one of the hallmarks of Cushing's, and I've had to come to terms with learning that my journy is not the typical journy. Someone on a recent thread was commenting on how pissed they were because someone told them that by having WLS they were not doing it "right" that they were not doing it the old fashioned way. That somehow having the band was cheating and so any loss woul be less valuable. I personally think that WLS is the easy way, because it makes it makes it possible for so many people to actually lose weight and keep it off for possibly the first time in their entire lives. I have absolutely no problem with this being the easy way, becaus I have no need for people to suffer. I see little value in adding suffering and grief to life. It's hard enough without looking for extra hardness to add.

Wow, so much has changed since I originally started the thread "no help for the wicked." It was 3 months before I was banded, and I was really struggling with my asthma. I mean, really struggling. Death looked like a real possibility. I really thought that by now I would have lost if not all my excess weight, I would have lost a big whack of it. I was sure that I would be a size 16 by now, not still 22/24. But that is not in the cards for me. I still struggle with this. But I suppose I should have clued into the "sudden weight gain" since no one else seems to experience that particular "joy." I've since learned that it's one of the hallmarks of Cushing's, and I've had to come to terms with learning that my journy is not the typical journy. Someone on a recent thread was commenting on how pissed they were because someone told them that by having WLS they were not doing it "right" that they were not doing it the old fashioned way. That somehow having the band was cheating and so any loss woul be less valuable. I personally think that WLS is the easy way, because it makes it makes it possible for so many people to actually lose weight and keep it off for possibly the first time in their entire lives. I have absolutely no problem with this being the easy way, becaus I have no need for people to suffer. I see little value in adding suffering and grief to life. It's hard enough without looking for extra hardness to add.

Time to bump this. Wow, so much has changed since I originally started this thread. It was 3 months before I was banded, and I was really struggling with my asthma. I mean, really struggling. Death looked like a real possibility. I really thought that by now I would have lost if not all my excess weight, I would have lost a big whack of it. I was sure that I would be a size 16 by now, not still 22/24. But that is not in the cards for me. I still struggle with this. But I suppose I should have clued into the "sudden weight gain" since no one else seems to experience that particular "joy." I've since learned that it's one of the hallmarks of Cushing's, and I've had to come to terms with learning that my journy is not the typical journy. Someone on a recent thread was commenting on how pissed they were because someone told them that by having WLS they were not doing it "right" that they were not doing it the old fashioned way. That somehow having the band was cheating and so any loss woul be less valuable. I personally think that WLS is the easy way, because it makes it makes it possible for so many people to actually lose weight and keep it off for possibly the first time in their entire lives. I have absolutely no problem with this being the easy way, becaus I have no need for people to suffer. I see little value in adding suffering and grief to life. It's hard enough without looking for extra hardness to add.

No help for us. We are fat, we are gluttons, we are weak and undeserving of help, sympathy, or adequate medical care. Like Orson Wells said, “Gluttony is not a secret vice.” Do I believe that? Some days I do in fact believe it, when I’m down, and lately more because of how ill I have been. Mostly it is a load of hog wash. Fat does not equal ugly. There has long been a weird relationship with food, the body and the Christian church. And of course, we all know the impact that both Protestant and Catholic sects have had on Western Civilization… Some of the Christian based weight-loss schemes are screaming “fat people don’t go to heaven,” and “use our program based on Leviticus and you will loose weight and be closer to God!” Sorry, I’ve read Leviticus, and I am NOT eating bugs…. (I call them schemes because I think we all here have come to the understanding that “diets” are just schemes…) If you had better self-control, more self-esteem, more will-power, were a better person, loved God more…. You would lose weight and be a better person. There is no understanding for the overweight from most doctors. Before my husband had his band installed, the cardiologist said “Have you just tried cutting out sweets?” Now, on the face of it, this is good advice, advice we could all use. However, this showed a complete lack of understanding on the part of the doctor. You see, before my husband had his band installed, he weighted 596 pounds with a BMI in the high 80’s. Cutting out sweets would have certainly helped, it wouldn’t have stopped my husband from eating two or three fast-food meals at one sitting, or any of the other overeating behavior some of us know intimately, and other behaviors we are only starting to understand in ourselves and others. I am currently having difficulty with my asthma: hospitalizations, steroids, greatly reduced lung function, other things as well. What am I told? Well, just lose some weight, we aren’t going to help with this, we are just going to pass judgment on you. Sudden and unexplained weight gain? Well, just don’t eat as much… (never mind that I gained 10 pounds overnight with severe edema…). I have to suspect that part of Delarla’s current adventure with gauze might have been caught earlier if she was thin. I was told by my doctor that I just need to take up running. Yes that’s right, take up running. Can you imagine a woman with a BMI in the high 40’s running? (Please see the thread about giving one’s self black eyes…) Being fat or overweight or big boned, or under tall, or metabolically efficient or famine resistant doesn’t make us failures, bad people or jerks. We might be over sexed (skin is the largest sex organ…), but we are not failures, or bad people or jerks. If we are failures or bad people or jerks, it is independent of our weight or size.

I think this comes right back to the morals of being a glutton. One of the 7 deadly sins, gluttony. If we are a glutton, then we are beyond redemption, at least for most people.

AVA-tar! AVA-tar! AVA-tar!

Jean, I don't know that I'll ever make goal, but sticking around has always been what I'm good at.

I personally think the band is the best first choice, for lots of reasons. One of the reasons is it's lower mortality rate. We all know the problems I'm having. I'm so greatful that I had the band and not soemthing more drastic to start with. I am convinced that I wouldn't lose weight if I'd had a malabsorptive technique, since I can't lose weight with the band. I think if you can't lose weight with the band, then you need to find the root cause, because being obese becomes a symptom and not the disease.

There are lots of threads on this subject too. There are theories, but I don't think there is anyone "true" reason why some folks are tighter in the AM. This is purely speculation, but it seems that many people who are really tight in the AM are also really loose in the PM, so that is when they eat most of their food, when they can. Because the person goes to bed with food still in their pouch, there is some irritation because the stomach has to work harder to move the food down to the main stomach. Gravity isn't one of the working factors when we are lieing down, as far as moving it through our digestive track goes. I always have a glass of milk at night when I go to bed to wash down my meds. I then almost always follow that with a glass of Water. My level of restriction doesn't seem to change throughout the day.

Yikes Melody! I can't believe he purposely over-filled you! I was over-filled for a month while we were trying to figure out if I had a leak or not. (I didn't, I had two bad fills while I was in exile.) I think he knows you have "a smaller stomach" because he placed your band, and not because of the size of your belly. Fills are very personal. I cannot tollerate a full 2 ccs in my 4cc band, where other folks are not tight enough with 2.5 ccs.