Carlene

Absolutely! I detest people who claim they want to "help" fat people, when all they really want are more $$$. Everyone and his brother seems to be trying to ride the wave of WLS. I am seeing blatant ads for books, CD's/tapes, doctors, surgical centers, etc. disguised as simple "postings". BS!!! How stupid do these people think we are? When you see the same "post" on dozens of forums, under 3 or 4 different names, you know there is something rotten in Denmark, right? The people who gave us LBT (and I stress "GAVE" - as in "free") and the many other forums out there are the ones who really deserve our gratitude and support. So I say, to paraphrase the great Dixie Chicks, let's have a big "Hell Yeah!" for the LBT owners and moderators!!!

I vote NO RECRUITING/ADVERTISING ALLOWED!!! Those who refuse to follow the rules should be banned...or shot.

I began to notice hair loss about 4 months post-op, so you are right on schedule, as I understand this is the normal time frame. I am pretty bummed out over this too. My surgeon said don't worry, it's all about the Protein and your hair will grow back. My PCP checked my thyroid (normal) and shrugged his shoulders. My dermatologist said he sees this a lot after WLS. He said give it a year...it may grow back, and it may not. Pretty discouraging, I know. I hate to make up the bed every morning as there are always loose hairs on the pillow - MY hair.

My very first "stuck" food was scrambled eggs. But I'm a slow learner, so I tried them twice more over the course of about six months. They stuck every single time. I have officially given up eggs, by the way. A really bad episode of plugged stoma can irritate your band's plumbing and cause swelling and discomfort for DAYS if you don't make the proper sacrifices to the band goddess. A properly restricted band will kick your ass. Don't fight with your band...you will not win.

My doctor had me on Clear liquids for 3 days, full liquids for another week, then mushies for a week. And I did not have to do a pre-op diet. I lost 12 pounds from day of surgery to first fill - a period of one month. The nurse at my surgeon's office (also banded) had advised me not to weigh in the meantime, and I didn't. She said the same thing....that after the liquid/mushy phase you regain and it can be demoralizing. The band does not begin to work until you achieve good restriction, so don't start counting the pounds until you have at least one fill under your belt (pun intended).

Very normal, V Baby. Don't stress over the numbers on the scale just yet. Until you achieve good restriction, you can't expect to lose. With the band, fills and restriction are EVERYTHING.

I could have sworn I answered your question, 3loves. I guess I'm more senile than I thought. Lucy is a 14 month old Shih Tzu. Her mom is a small standard and her dad is a mini, so she's not as big as most - just 5 pounds.

I was banded 16 1/2 months ago and have lost 90 pounds. I am 20 pounds from goal and expect it will take me another 4 or 5 months. I really wanted to be able to Celebrate 1 year of banding and 100 pounds lost at the same time. It didn't happen, but it could have if I had worked harder at it. I did manage to lose 75 pounds during that time. I know some who lost more, and some who lost less. Baked/broiled fish is a bandster's best friend, and I tried really hard to embrace it - without much success. Also, I ate way too many potatoes...and chips. Calories still count (unfortunately). Don't keep ice cream and chocolate bars in the house. Save them for very occasional treats, away from home, and keep the servings small. And remember that any loss is a good loss. Over the long haul, it won't matter if it takes 12 months or 12 years to lose it all.

I love squash but have never had squash soup. I am going to Google for a recipe. Is the Campbell's one of those new ones in the little cartons?

Someone in my real time support group sells them, too. A red one that says, "Just because you can doesn't mean you should", and a green one that says, "Banded for life". If anyone wants one of these, I think they are $4.00 (including postage). Just e-mail me and I will send you her name etc.

I started out wearing an 18/20. Now I can wear a 4/6. I'm still about 15 pounds away from a "normal" BMI, so I guess size 2/4 is where I'm hoping to end up. I agree that sizes aren't what they used to be. I wore 4/6 years ago, at less than 100 pounds. PS...I'm a shortie....not quite 5 feet tall.

All she needs is a tiara. Do you believe I actually CARRY this dog outside and put her down on the grass to do her business? She won't just walk out the door when you open it, like any ordinary pooch.

Here's mine...Her name is "Lucy".

I was banded at 56 and have done great! I've lost 86 pounds (in 16 months) and have about 10 or 15 to go.

I am also glad I chose the Lap Band. I know some people who have had RNY and done very well, and some who haven't. Same with the band. I did lots of research and even the "lesser" complications frightened me off the bypass - the possibility of losing my teeth, developing osteoporosis, and having to take huge quantities of supplements forever. I have lost 86 pounds in 16 months. I LOVE MY BAND!

If I could still eat bread, I would. I KNOW I would....sometimes I even wish I could (how bad is that?). I know people who have had the band since the FDA trials who had to be unfilled for a short time and guess what? They reverted to the same old behavior that made them fat in the first place - even the one who had lost 210 pounds and had been at goal for 4 years! So you aren't any worse than everyone else, if that's any consolation. We don't stop ourselves from over-eating...the band stops us from over-eating. We are just along for the ride. Sad, but true. Carlene 11/29/04 -86 pounds

I like I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray...zero calories. For mashed potatoes, I just open the cap and pour a little into the pan before I mash them.

The Lap Band, in fact, has not been as easy as I'd hoped it would be. It's been a great help, but it certainly hasn't done all the work for me. The band doesn't go out and walk that 3 1/2 miles every day. I wish there was an "easy way out"....I would have taken it. Carlene 11/29/04 -86 pounds

In my "real time" support group, the people who are at goal are the ones who attend the least. They still show up at the dinners once in a while, but not nearly as often as the rest of us.

Count me as one of those people who knew someone that died from complications of bypass surgery. My oldest son's neighbor was young (in her 30s) and healthy. She was a model patient, too. She was 3 months post-op when she died. She left a husband and two young children. Statistics mean a lot more when you can put a face with the numbers.

There is no justice as far as the band is concerned. You can be as good as gold and still slip or erode. Then, on the other hand, I know people who defy all the rules and still have great results and absolutely no complications. Go figure...

I have lost 85 pounds and am almost at goal. My BMI is 27 and another 15 pounds will put me in the middle of "normal". It has not been effortless, but it has been do-able over the long haul (15 months). Unless I had my band unfilled, I couldn't "give up". There are lots of things (mostly carbs) that I physically cannot eat. Everyone is different, but I can't eat bread, pizza, rice, potatoes (except mashed), Pasta, cake, Cookies, breaded foods, etc. My band is the boss - period, and I have learned not to fight with it. Tell your DH that if he locks the kitchen door, you are going to lock the door to the bedroom.

Without regular adjustments, the band is pretty much useless. After care is EVERYTHING with the Lap Band.

My band hasn't slipped (oh, thank you, God!), but I know several bandsters who have had this happen. Oddly enough, some of them found that they could not swallow their own spit, and others said they suddenly lost restriction and could eat anything, in almost unlimited amounts. I have been told that a too-tight band is the number one culprit - that and over-eating. This makes me very nervous, as I keep my band pretty tight. I don't over-eat, however. My band is very sensitive to that and if I have two bites too many, it makes me give them back. While my soap box is handy, let me also say that if you keep your band tight, you need to be prepared to take some anti-reflux precautions. Have dinner reasonably early and don't eat afterward. Start drinking Water about 8PM to rinse out your pouch, and drink it until an hour or so before bed. Take an antacid (such as Priolosec OTC) every day and if all of this doesn't prevent the dreaded reflux, go immediately for an unfill. Reflux can cause aspiration pneumonia, a particularly nasty form of bacterial pneumonia that can be fatal.