Carlene

Sharon O. has admitted to bulimia for some time now. She has also mentioned in several interviews that she promised her family she would get help. I think having the band removed is probably the advice of her therapist.

Sunshine...you don't need anyone's approval. Whether you tell your hubby up front or not, you don't need his approval. You are a responsible adult. Would you tell him he shouldn't have surgical treatment for whatever ailed him? Of course not (at least I hope not). But I still think it's going to be really hard to keep him in the dark afterward (pun intended). Even if you can manage that (undressing in the dark) until the incisions heal, what are you going to tell him when he feels the port? I'm smuggling small bombs (or drugs) to earn extra money for Christmas? And sometimes, especially with the VG band, the port actually shows a bit. My husband's looks like a little baby alien trying to get out. His is visible even thru his clothes, but I think that's unusual. Here's a photo, so you can see what I mean. His port is straight down from the little polo guy.

I read several interviews where she admitted to being bulimic. I think the band removal may be part of her therapy for the eating disorder. She said months ago that she had promised her family she would get help.

Okay...I can't stand it any longer. Barb (aka Mrs Husker), did you get your Halloween gift box? Please tell me it arrived. I mailed it Priority over a week ago.

You know...I never thought about the tubing at all until I saw it on an x-ray when they checked my spinal fusions. It kind of weirded me out, too.

It's amazing how many of those bypassed women, once they lose the extra weight, change their minds about the no-foreign-objects rule and get breast surgery with IMPLANTS to perk those puppies up again. And how many of them wear contacts? Hello....that's a foreign object you're sticking in your eye every morning.

Good luck with that. Once you start getting fills, anyone who eats with you regularly will notice something is up. Just about everyone slimes, at one time or another, and PB's. Sliming can last for an hour (or more). It's really hard to hide something like that (copious amounts of foamy mucus pouring out of your mouth) from your immediate household. And then there's your port. It feels like a nine volt battery resting just under the skin of your upper abdomen. And the five incisions from the surgery. Until they heal it looks a lot like you've been the victim in a drive by shooting. Afterward, they are just scars, like any wound/surgery leaves. Unless you and your husband have a strictly platonic relationship, I just don't think it's possible to pull this off. I'm sure, however, that there are lots of potential bandsters who would like to know how it works out for you.

And you thought you were having a bad day...

Actually, we were wondering if these symptoms (chills, fever, flu-like aching) which seem to reoccur on a regular basis ARE, in fact, band related. Are they dangerous? Should a person who experiences this on a regular basis have their band unfilled? Sorry I wasn't more specific in my first question.

Better yet, buy a tongue scraper at your neighborhood pharmacy. They are cheap and effective. The bad breath is definitely due to ketosis. Breath sprays work pretty well, if used several times a day. Also, there are little strips you can buy - like congealed mouthwash. I like those a lot - especially the cinnamon ones.

I researched different WLS procedures for a year before I made my choice. It wasn't a financial decision, as my insurance would pay for whatever surgery I chose. My doctor performs both LB and bypass and did not promote one over the other (although he is banded himself). I, too, was turned off by the idea of taking supplements. I'm a lousy pill-taker. Also, there was the matter of my oldest son's neighbor. She died from complications of her bypass. And finally, there is a Yahoo group called OSSG Gone Wrong http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OSSG-gone_wrong/?yguid=196617044 It scared the daylights out of me. Here is a story from a woman who had both the band and the DS, and complications from both. I had a gastric band placed in January 2000. It was very straightforward and and had a reasonably easy run for a few years until I vomited some blood and ended up with a rash on my belly. It turned out to be a late allergy to silicone which had caused an erosion. I saw a WLS expert to remove the band and convert it. I was offered RNY or DS. I chose DS as I would be able to eat more! (ha!) When I asked about complications he said a small risk of leaks and that I would need to take vitamins and 100g protein each day. My operation was difficult as the band was welded to my stomach and there were lots of adhesions. It was placed high and so my lower oesophageal sphincter has been ruined and I have permanent reflux. Now two years later I have borderline osteoporosis and take mega doses of ergocalciferol. My liver function tests are barely passable. I have recurrent bacterial overgrowth. Until I started taking lots of meds I was losing my hair too. I now take 12 vita4life each day, lansoprazole, iron, folic acid and creon. My recent endoscopy stretch my sleeve which is still very tight. Some days I can eat a lot and other days hardly at all. To be honest the vita4life have made a great difference but I am still in the bathroom twice a night so I am very tired in the mornings. I visit the bathroom 4-8 times daily- even with all the iron I am taking. Yes, I know there are risks associated with any surgical procedure. I just thought it was a good idea to minimize my risks, and statistically the bad is safer than the other options. Although it is true that most people do fine with the RNY and DS, I wasn't willing to take a chance on being the one that didn't.

Evidently there are FOUR bands. I cut and pasted this from the Inamed site - the product data sheet. Overfilling the band may damage the band. CAUTION: Maximum fill volume of the Vanguard band is 10cc. CAUTION: The maximum fill volume of the 11 cm band is 9 cc. CAUTION: The maximum fill volume of the 9.75 and 10 cm band is 4 cc.

I just checked the Inamed web site and both the small and middle size bands hold 4 cc's of saline. The diameter of the two is almost the same, too - one is 9.75 cc and the other is 10 cc. I don't see how it could possibly help to replace your band with one that holds the same amount of fill and is only .25 cc smaller in diameter. I still think you need to have your band checked under fluoro. And definitely get a second opinion before you consent to a second surgery.

We are talking about Inamed bands, aren't we? The smallest band is the 4 cc capacity band. I don't know anything about the middle one (didn't know there was a middle size), but the large VG band holds 12 cc's. If you are, indeed, filled to the max and have no restriction, something is wrong. I would insist on having a fluoro study done. I think the nurse is mistaken. Either the middle size band holds more than 4 cc's, or you have the large band. My DH has 8 cc's in the VG band and is soon to get another fill. The large band holds 12 cc's. I have never heard of anyone having their band removed just to replace it with one of another size. And I fail to see how that would help you lose weight.

This is the hardest part about being banded. The band makes it physically impossible for you to over-eat. Your head, however, has no such limits. We were fat because we ate too much. We ate past the point of feeling "satisfied". We ate (not always, but often enough) until we were stuffed. We could eat a helping (or more) of everything on the table. Now we can't do that, but we still WANT to. We still love the taste of food. And we still WANT to over-eat. I was also guilty of grazing. I thought I had to have a drink or a piece of food in my hand every waking moment. I ate at the computer, while I read, in front of the TV....the only place I didn't eat was in the car. I have worked really hard to break those habits. I have learned to read without food, and that was a biggie. I also used to eat in the middle of the night. I don't allow myself to do that any more, either. The band is a tool. I'm sure you're sick of hearing that, but it's true. It's the difference between cutting a tree down with an ax and using a chain saw. Don't fight with your band. Let it take the lead. Let it choose what you can eat and how much. In the end, you will be glad you did. Even if you have a hard time distinguishing between real hunger and "head hunger", remember that neither one is going to do you any harm. The best thing to do is distract yourself - go do something that requires you to think, and you will forget all about food.

What does your doctor say about the weakness and dizziness? Does he think this is normal? I would ask him to address my symptoms, as well as reconsider his "time off" rule. I don't think you are supposed to feel this way a week after surgery.

What kind of work do you do? I could do office work with no problem at one week post-op, but I could not have done really strenuous stuff - lifting, etc. I went to a Christmas party 8 days after my surgery and had a great time, but everyone is different. Do you have vacation you could take instead, or personal time? That way the doctor would not be involved.

See my thread "Help...Many doctors, no answers". I have had the same symptoms, as have Bandsters from other boards. I am hoping that one of the doctors here will address this.

This is not about race, but rather nationality. When I was a young DINK (double income, no kids) my husband and I lived in an apartment complex near downtown Dallas that housed mostly singles. One of our neighbors was Isabel, a young Scottish lass. Across the hall from Isabel lived Robert - typical American male in his mid-twenties. Toward the end of one of our regular Sunday afternoon poolside barbecues, Isabel caught Robert's attention just as he was leaving. She had suddenly remembered that her alarm clock was on the blink. "Robert," she yelled from about 20 feet away, "Could you come round in the morning and knock me up?" We were all laughing so hard, no one could explain to poor Isabel for a good 10 minutes. She kept going from one of us to the next, asking "What did I say? WHAT DID I SAY?

There you are, Mary. I lost you because I didn't know your LBT name. The Arlington dinner is always the 3rd Thursday of the month. In October, it's the 19th.

I would love to visit Canda, in real time - especially summer. It gets REALLY hot in Texas, you know - like 107 for weeks on end. It's pretty nice now, though....about 72 at night and a bit warmer in the day. My favorite snack when I was a kid was ketchup on saltine crackers. My mother hated for me to eat them, for some reason. Same thing with mustard sandwiches - I loved them, and she cringed every time I begged her into making one for me. We have all kinds of chips here (but no ketchup). I don't like the "newer" ones - like salt and vinegar and dill pickle. I love sour cream chips, but my all time favorite is crispy Cheetos. I can't have them in the house or I will eat a whole bag in one day. My DH loves veggie chips. Being as this is Texas, Doritos are very popular served with salsa - also Fritos and all brands of tostidos.

You don't have Yahoo?

For the Christmas Gift Exchange, could I propose something? It's just a suggestion, but I thought maybe when people give their name/address they could also say whether they would prefer "Christmas stuff" or "Personal Stuff". I have been keeping house for a looooooong time, so I already have more Christmas decorations than I know what to do with. Plus, my birthday is Christmas Eve, and I often get Santas, etc for my B Day. (Probably because it goes on sale around the 20th....LOL.) Anyone think that's a good idea? Or not?

Mine is called Pet Safe. I bought it off the Internet (ebay). It works great. We don't even have it turned on any more, but our Lab doesn't know that. She won't go thru the gate, even if you leave it open, let alone dig under the fence. I have 2 grandsons who like to put Sarah's collar on and run back and forth thru the gate. They told me that their friend is jealous because his Nana won't let him do that.

Our church does a Trunk or Treat on the Saturday before Halloween, and we always participate. Then, on the holiday itself, we hand out candy and/or take the little ones around our neighborhood. I usually made my kids costumes. One year my middle son was the Hulk. I used green food coloring. Did you know that food coloring does not wash off with soap and water? I have made some awesome costumes over the years. I will dig out some pictures and post them.