Anwyn

Hate to show my ignorance here... but what the heck is "bumping" and how do you do it? I've always wanted to know...

I'm sorry, I don't have any ideas for quieting the beast! Maybe some music...? If I were you, I'd laugh, explain that you have a very sensitive stomach, and move on. I know it's embarrassing, but it's better than pretending that you haven't heard anything. Good luck!

Hi everyone, In my former life (before kids) I was a credentials coordinator for a large area hospital system. What that means in a nutshell is that I queried various agencies and organizations and obtained references to make sure that the physicians applying to be on the medical staff were competent and well trained. The general public can't make a lot of the queries by themselves, but there are some things you can do to make sure that the lapband doctor, and for that matter any doctor that you choose is well trained. 1. Call the state licensing board for the state you live in. Michigan has a 900 number where you can call and find out if there are any disciplinary actions against the doc. All you need is the correct name spelling for any MI licensed practitioner. If there are disciplinary actions (usually drug use, license suspensions, etc) they have to send you a copy of the report. Each state has their own licensing board, and they should all have some way for you to find out if any doc is in good standing. We've all heard the stories about the people who were killed or injured by crazies who walked into a hospital and they didn't even have a license. 2. Ask the office where the doc went to medical school, where they had their residency, and what type of residency it was. In my personal opinion (so please don't sue me) I would steer clear of anyone who went to the American University of the Caribbean for medical school. It's considered the school of last resort after every other school has rejected you... Again, just my personal opinion. 3. Find out where they are on the medical staff. Call the hospital and ask for the credentialing department. If they don't have one, ask for the medical staff office. Explain that you are going to be seeing a new doctor, and find out if they can recommend a good one. Depending on the experience/helpfulness of the person, they will probably steer you towards the doc who is most respected in their field. 4. Another note about training: depending on when the physician went through their training, the length of their residency may vary. For example, there are still a few older family docs out there who had a 1 year internship after medical school and that's it. Make sure your doc has had at the minimum a 3 year internship/residency. If they are a specialist they should also have an additional 1-2 year fellowship. I hope you guys find this helpful, and again these are just my personal opinions.

Leadiaz, it's all about listening to your body. What is too much food for me may not be too much food for you because we're all different. If you eat too much too quickly you will PB, and it is thought that PB'ing can lead to slippage. That's why we should only eat until we're comfortably full. And why we should avoid foods that cause pain. That said, don't let fear govern your life. There is a learning curve to the band, and you need to find out what works for you. I'm only 3 months out myself, and I'm still learning something new about my band every day...

I haven't experienced a gall bladder problem myself, but I know that some people have had their gall bladder removed at the same time as their banding operation. You may want to do an advanced search for "gall bladder" (search button in the blue bar at the top of the page). Happy reading, and I hope you feel better soon!

Laura, I know what you mean! This is a mental journey even more than a physical one. I remember thinking the same thing when I switched from liquids to mushies. Oh my God! I ate 1000 calories today! Now I'm going to gain weight! Our pre-banded selves would crack up at this thinking. I'm still relatively fresh from surgery (3 months out) and I find myself getting depressed when I leave food on my plate. I know I should be glad that I can't eat it, yet sometimes it makes me so sad! At any rate, you're still very fresh from surgery so of course it's on your mind all day! Hopefully a year from now we'll both have the emotional/mental stuff down pat, and all we'll have on our mind is which fabulous new outfit to wear today!

It's after ten as I sit and type this, so you're probably already in recovery! Have a speedy recovery!

My BMI was also 46 when I started. I'm now down 40 lbs, and my BMI has dropped to 39.5 at 3 months post op. It's a rude awakening when you find out what your current BMI is compared to what it should be. Don't be disgusted with yourself - be proud of yourself for having the courage to get the band and do something about it!

Day one of no chips/crackers, and I caved at 9pm!! I'm so mad and disappointed with myself... Went to the store yesterday to get dinner stuff and grabbed a bag of potato chips because I needed an easy side for my visiting niece and nephew. I thought "oh, I'll be able to resist". Because I'm taking this 30 day thing seriously, I really am!! Anyways, at about 9pm my DH and I were watching tv when in walked my 2 year old daughter. She had Water running down her face from her soaked hair. I quickly deduced that it had come from a dixie cup. Which she had dipped into the toilet downstairs. EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!! Granted, the toilet had been cleaned that morning, and it was flushed, but still! She's so cute, and I love her to death, but she came seriously close to being sold to the gypsies last night... So anyways, I caved on my very first day. Pathetic! My first thought after I cleaned her up was to grab the bag of chips and eat until the pain stopped me. I'm starting over today. DH finished the chips, and I'm not bringing anymore into the house. I MUST STOP THE EMOTIONAL EATING!!!!! *grumble* Poor DeLarla doesn't feel good and she's still not drinking soda. I've got no excuse!

Ugh! Who needs that kind of frustration when you're already nervous about surgery... Keep calling the office even if the service gets irritated. I hope it all works out for you!

Don't panic!! Getting a hard, sore area around the port is VERY common. Unless you're having pus and discharge from the incision, in my very non-medical opinion you're just fine. It's definitely the slowest area to heal, and the swelling can take a few weeks to go away. Congrats on getting your band!

Okay, It took me a long time to decide, but my biggest problem foods right now are chip and cracker type stuff. So, as of today no potato chips, doritos, cheese-its, etc. It's all crap, and they go right through my band. If I get desperate for a snack I guess I'll just have to pick up fruit. Shocking... So, day 1 chip/cracker free...

Starting Weight: 255.5 9/19 weigh in: 252 9/26 weigh in: 250 10/3 weigh in: 250 10/10 weigh in: 246.5 I should be more excited about my 3.5 lb loss, but I was down to 243.5 a few days ago. Pizza, why must you taste so good?... Have a great week everyone!

Heather, I laughed when I read your post... We live in Michigan, but my hubby travels to CA for work every few months. Whenever he visits he has to hit Gordon Biersch for a Marzen. Personally, I'm not a beer person, but if my DH ever gets banded he'll be relieved to know he can still indulge once in a while...

First of all, congratulations on the 17lb weight loss! The post-op diet varies, but yes, we all had to go through liquids, mushies, then solids. I don't mean to scare you, but stop eating those solids! You're only 6 days out and your stomach is trying to heal. You went through a lot to get this surgery - treat that band right! If you're hungry, eat a Protein Drink. I know it's hard, but you can get through it. And if you must cheat, at least eat a mushy food. There are great suggestions for the different food stages on the food thread. Good luck!

Welcome Donna! This site is a great resource. I don't know what I would have done without it. I'm 32, started at 285, and I'm 5"6, so you're starting out close to where I was with the exception of a few inches. I'm down over 40 lbs. I can't say enough positive things about the band. Plug away on the steps to surgery and you'll be surprised at how quickly it comes. Think of it - you'll be able to keep your New Year's resolution in 2006! In the meantime, practice eating slowly and try to exercise so that you're strong for surgery. Good luck!

You're right - I doubt you need Protein powder if you're drinking that much milk. I didn't realize you were drinking 6 glasses of milk a day... I really don't know if protein needs to come from a variety of sources... If I were you, I'd show your nutritionist a print out of your diet thread after a few days and get his/her opinion. Theoretically, I'm sure you can live on liquid protein and vitamin/mineral supplements forever, it just doesn't sound like very much fun. But as long as the nutritionist is happy, and you're not feeling deprived, and the weight is coming off... Of course, I'd still like to see you get an unfill (ducking to avoid shoes)...

I can guzzle water as long as my stomach is totally empty. If I take a drink of water with any food (expecially starchy food) and I drink more than the smallest sip, it's pain time! It takes me forever to finish a meal. I usually give up out of boredom after about 20 minutes. I get in about 1/2 cup of food per meal and I have two snacks in between.

I'm not sure your Protein is where it needs to be (did you hit 60-80 grams?). BUT, I think you had a great day! Look at what you ate when you went to Outback. I know for myself (pre-banded) I would have eaten 5 times that at Outback. Doesn't it feel great to go out to eat and not blow the whole day? Make sure you're taking your Calcium supplement and Multivitamin. It's hard to get in the fruits and veggies...

The great thing is, I've found that no amount of post-banding eating can compete with one of my pre-band binges. Even if I splurge and have something bad, it all adds up to an okay day. So long as the good days outnumber the bad and you're getting the Protein in, the weight will drop off! Congratulations on the 10 lbs!

Congratulations!! Glad to year the surgery went so well. Have a speedy recovery!

I started to gain weight around 3rd grade. My mom says that my twin and I were always more into food than the other kids. I can remember lying in bed at night as a child and fantasizing about going to McDonalds and ordering 20 Big Macs. The weight didn't really come on until I met my boyfriend in college (now DH). I think once I found him, I just stopped trying for a few years. Soon I was around 230. I dropped down to 190 for my wedding, but a move across the country had me depressed. Within 6 months of getting married I gained 65 lbs! Two pregnancies had me over 300. I'm not sure how much over - at some point I refused to get on the scale. After the birth of my second child two years ago I've been bouncing between 270 & 285. It feels so good to be under 250 again! I love my band... What bothers me the most is that I truly have no reason to overeat. I have two healthy kids, a great marriage, no money problems, and a great husband. I consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world. Why do I not think I'm also worthy of being skinny? Is it genetics? My parents are skinny. Their parents are skinny. My brothers and sisters (except for my twin) are skinny. Sorry - I don't know why this turned into a rant. I've just always been really mad at myself for getting so big. Thank God for my band... I have hope for the first time in a really long time that I can reach a healthy weight and maintain.

Hi Nykee, First of all, congratulations on your weight loss! It's a great idea to write down your diet. I've never been good at keeping track of my intake (too lazy). I don't think you need to worry about drinking too much milk. The only problem is that it won't make you full, but it's definitely a healthier choice than juice. La Madam is right - you really need to get in more Protein. Try putting a scoop of Protein powder in your milk. You've mentioned in previous threads that you have some health issues. If you're tired a lot, not enough protein is probably the reason... I know you're trying to get more solids into your diet, but Liquid Protein is better than not enough protein.

After reading your replies, I realize that I really don't want to push her on this issue. I'm hoping that my weight loss will inspire her to success, whether she has surgery or not. This surgery isn't for everyone, and it's not like she won't be giving it a lot of thought since I talk about it all day, lol. Thanks for sharing your experiences with me. It really helped me work through this.

I get this too! Here is my process for every meal I eat. I take 2 or 3 small bites. I sit for 2 minutes while my food gets cold. A ball of air forms in my pouch. I get up and walk around for 2 minutes until the blessed burps come to release the pressure in my stomach. I return to the table to eat a few more bites of cold food until I feel full. The burp sensation (for me anyways) is different from feeling full. It occurs no matter what I'm eating, how slowly I eat it, or how well I chew it. I think it may be a sign of a too tight fill, but I'm able to eat a small portion as long as I take my burping break so I'm going with it for now. I've never burped much either. Instead of sticking your finger down your throat (which I would think would cause gagging) try getting up after a few bites and walking around the house for a few minutes. It always brings my burps eventually. Good luck!