NewLife'sGr8

you will get past being hungry somewhere between the 2nd-4th fill. Everyone's different. Don't get frustrated with slower weightloss program. It took me 4yrs (at my request due to a slew of ortho surgeries during that time- wanted enough nutrients to heal well). Then one day, there I was, 100lbs lighter & people were calling me 'skinny' (i'm not @ 160 lol). Still, I feel pretty great most of the time. When I'm not, it's life-stuff, not band-driven. You're gonna nail this, I know!

I hope this eases your mind a bit: It's impossible for the band to FLIP. Slip, yes, possible & serious. Def get seen asap It could be that you're too tight - an easy fix. *praying for the best possible outcomes for you both!

Was going to choose other but re-read #1. Me to a T! I'm most looking forward to not cooking all day & cleaning up the mess. I have to work all day. On the sign-up sheet for what everyone working, will bring for T-Giving to share, I wrote PROTEIN. lol That's probably going to raise some eyebrows from those who've had WLS & didn't know I have. ha I'm going to do a no-stress dinner with my family another day. My daughter & her fiance's on some diet that's a cross between Paleo & Atkins so I'll cook mostly protein, veg & no carb. Nice n easy! No big blub, oof-belly for me this year! Yay! Plus, it doesn't sit right in my soul anymore to celebrate the Pilgrams and 'Indians' 'first contact/dinner since the Pilgrams ultimately massacred and nearly succeeded in committing genocide against the Native Americans. It feels contradictory. That's just my view on it. I can do a big family dinner anytime.

I really like how @Alex set this site up: compartmentalized forums for specific WLS procedures' discussions, within their chosen surgeries, and a generalized WL forums for all of us to share together- which I've found quite helpful. I don't usually venture into non-band WLS forums except to read and educate myself. Still A few non-band forums, I've commented on, but not to bash. Usually when the topic gets into something I know about & think might help someone. There's been a few times I commented in a non-band forum without realizing it was for slivers, bypass, RNY because I clicked New Content, as many do. IMHO, the solution to this thread that's gone off left is to maybe create a new forum for REVISIONS for those who've gone from one WLS to another. It's probably helpful for those people to spew off about what went wrong for them, what worked and what didn't. That way, we bandsters won't feel pummeled with negativity from those who didn't succeed with the band or other WLS's. I'm in agreement that we bandsters aren't well-served by people bashing the band, our surgeons, or surgery centers from people outside our chosen procedures by saying it's outdated, will fail, etc which causes unnecessary fear, worry, & questioning ourselves whether we've chose the right procedure for US- particularly after the fact. Perhaps a new revision forum will keep everyone happy posters who feel they're getting the support they need and deserve. Honestly, I'm getting worn out reading this bickering back & forth. The negativity is draining. It serves no useful purpose. I've recently experienced an horrific set-back- not of my doing, nor the band's & I need all the positive energy I can get- just to get myself up off the couch to DO something- anything sometimes. Compartmentalizing a forum for people who feel the need to sound off or have a bitch-fest might remedy WLS-specific threads from going south. We all deserve peace of mind when posting within our chosen WLS's, and cross-sharing within general WL.

funky_monkey I'm relatively 'newbie' on BP but I'm 5yrs out from banding. I feel SO lucky to have discovered this site! Am getting back "in-tune" with my band after a bad setback- not due to me nor band failure. Thankfully, none of that awful post-op gas for me now. You'll love your results! I'm down ~100lbs Looking forward to 'normalizing' with my band again & attaining my goal Keep us posted how your doing. This site's fabulous for tips, tricks, advise

I didn't tell my employer. I believe in separation of employer, and employees' personal medical information. There's good reasons for HIPPA Law. I did speak with one other person who'd been banded around the same time who was doing well with it. Several others had been banded but I didn't trust they'd keep mum.

I had full on dumping after eating a cheese stuffed publano pepper at a tex mex restaurant. I'd never had one/seen one. Everyone raved about them so I ordered it. Tooooo greasy! I've also had those heart palpitations. Happens when I eat too fast / don't chew well, or if something gets stuck.

Fabulous! Congratulations on choosing YOU first.

Thinking further.... You likely thinned/weakened your meniscus being obese but didn't feel it. Probably during hiking/biking, you jarred/ jammed /twisted in such a way, your already thinned/weakened meniscus tore. I had 5 distinct injuries in my (good) R knee; senovial & (the other side) tears, ligaments, jagged edge, and I forget what else. Any one, singularly, would've required a scope. Come to find out, it's No big deal. They're not mutually exclusive except for possibly increased pain without treatment. (But, if that's the only one you've felt, it's probably not a noticeable increase). The one scope fixes it all. Yay!

@Isu2868 Try squats, chair sit/stands and side-steps with a short elastic band around your ankles, while holding / pumping weights. Also, planks & straight leg & side leg lifts with ankle weights. Sit-ups on the balance ball for abdomen and back (forgot to mention those large muscle groups also support joints) You have to target the large muscle groups to get them to support the knees. Walking, cycling, are more generalized exercises. Definitely beneficial but not target-specific.

I had a car accident in my 20's. "Dashboard Injury" they called it. Basically, the low dash broke and nearly severed my L lieg off at the knee- hung on with connective tissue. Great surgeon! Tendon, ligament, joint, muscles, all repaired. "Textbook" he said. If it was 1mm this way or that, woulda been a hot mess not easily repaired. Looked like Frankenstein all stapled up- made me gag looking at it- actually, I couldn't after that one time. Velcro ankle to thigh brace kept falling down- knee hole out off center. What a pain in the butt! Young & dumb, antsy w/ cabin fever, 6wks post, on crutches, snowshoe'd down a ravine, across a frozen river to an island for a weenie roast and a couple beers with friends, then back, by myself even though they brought a sled " just in case". It did wonders for my spirits. No harm, no foul. Held fast no limp no pain for 21yrs. I rode a camel in Egypt, donkey up the Himilayas, elephant in Thailand and a horse on the beach in Yucatan and at home with no probs @ all. In 2009, @ 255lbs & sedentary lifestyle, was hurting. "Frayed" so got a miniscus scope. Not much pain post. PT, good as new! That's right around the time I decided on WLS- knee fixed- I focused on pre-diet. About a wk before WLS, 25lbs lighter, I fell on wet stairs. Both knees, both hips, shoulder, neck & back screwed. Got the R knee scoped, then the shoulder- had to have part of my collar bone sawed off too. About a yr after, the right hip labrum was dangling almost completely off- had the be reattached with raptor anchors. OUCH! A 12 on the pain scale. Couldn't get up for 3wks- only to pee. Got emaciated & dehydrated. Well the labrum reattached (was iffy- only the 2nd my University Professor surgeon had ever done, said it may or may not work) but... still had mega pain. A yr later, another scope to clean it up. Unsuccessful. Sucked out too much cushion. Bone on bone, on crutches for another year. Anterior Hip replacement, fabulous! Perfect! But... L hip blew out overcompensating too long. Replaced that one 6 mos after the R. Lots and lots of rounds of PT. Learned so much. That was 2013. Now, 100lbs lighter and all bionic woman'd, no limp, rarely pain, except for the knees. I get cortisone injections. Works wonders! Careful, only 3-4 shots /yr max. If you get too many, it degenerates tissue. Arthritis everywhere. I manage. Learned to live with it. Try not to take painkillers after taking so many during that long, dark, 4yr Ortho tunnel-trek. It was during that time I lost the 100lbs. Sloooow weight loss. Eating alkaline reduces inflammation. Arthritis is a bio/physiological response to inflammation. Pain doesn't go away but is tolerable. Harder to get your Protein eating alkaline. Catch 22. Body cleanses help too. If you put off getting the knee scope, you'll end up with more severe arthritis. My recommendation: go through a little pain now & save yourself a lot of arthritic pain for the rest of your life. What happens with knee miniscus carrying a lot of weight is: the connective tissues (muscles & ligaments) that are supposed to support the joint weakens. This causes the miniscus to bear the brunt of the burden. It wasn't created for that, so wears out- sometimes fast. It's important to strengthen the large muscles (butt, thigh & calf) so they support the joints which takes the burden off the miniscus. That's why PT exercises can help prevent or delay joint surgeries. Sorry this is so long. I hope it helps.

labwalker: I've I meet the enemy, and he is us. My point exactly! WLS is no joke! Altered for life. WE must learn to comply with / listen to our new selves- or fail.

oh! and I'm not chasing ghosts anymore now that I know the source. I don't let them rattle me or disturb my day anymore Bunch of (analogous to 'cats') they lurk in the dark spread rumors/lies- no clue what they've said (can't defend myself- at all- not knowing) instead of confronting me face to face how lame! my light's still shining bright and that pisses them off.... and my extreme weightloss pisses them off, because frankly, I look great now. Turn heads even. and they can't stand that. oh well.

Thanks @finediva. *appreciate much! <3 It's been a slow, dawning realization why they were targeting me. Now, I know. and there's some good in that Not questioning myself anymore taking precautions though they still blind-side me sometimes All that questioning & wondering why is how I packed on 255lbs. I became rattled & insecure. Now, I can finally let that go and just be me

Thanks Mellie1776! Muahs!

I chose "other" because, like cowgirljane & justwatchme, I needed a positive answer-choice. Never blinked an eye over going to restaurants with WLS. At post-op, didn't necessarily want to as I was laid up from a fall just before surgery anyway. Plus, with time off work (~6-8wks) couldn't afford it. Almost never go to fast food places. BUT, McD's grilled chicken snack wrap is perfect or I'll order the 'premium' sized one, and eat 1/3-1/2 & take home the rest. Their Soups aren't too bad either. My other fast food place is KFC. I get the grilled 2pc dark meat with green Beans and sometimes also get the mac n cheese for a treat, if I'm tanking and need carb-energy. Usually don't eat it all. Never the biscuit- which usually gets put on the counter for anyone to take, then tossed when it's rock-hard Don't go to restaurants nearly as much as I used to. I realized my own cooking is way yummier than a lot of restaurants and healthier too. I avoid chain restaurants, mainly because I prefer to support local businesses. I LUV ethnic foods and trying new things. Thai food is a fav. Indian too. Vietnamese. Ethopian SO good! One of the things I do that hasn't been mentioned here are multi-course dinners that take two or more hrs, eating, relaxing, talking, laughing, enjoying... (Multi-course meals; probably best for the vets. Sorry newbies...) Had one a few months ago at a Thai restaurant. I ordered: course 1) App: Mussels. Not very filling-chewed to mush. All protein- ok well, butter sauce, but I don't drink that like Soup anymore. lol. took a tiny bite of bread dipped in the sauce only to remind myself I don't do bread well. It was split between two & I didn't spend any time watching to make sure I got my 1/2 before they were gobbled up like I used to. let the other person do most of the gobbling course 2) soup: Tom Kah (whatever the word is for 'with chicken'). It's a coconut milk based soup with lemon grass, veggies & chicken. Took my time eating it. Ate all of the chicken, the soup & a lot of the veggies. course 3) salad. seaweed salad with julienne carrots on top. One of the most nutrient-dense greens out there! Watch out! There's sugar in it so eat this once in awhile. I ate about 1/3-1/2 wrapped the other half to go. course 4) Entree' Seafood red curry. Again, coconut milk-based, spicy curry dish with lots of veggies and mixed seafood. I ask for the brown rice with it & ate a tbsp or so of rice with lots of curry & Protein on it. Left most of the veggies, curry sauce & rice for take-home. course 5) Green Tea ice cream. I just ate a couple tsps of someone else's to try it. Big bag of take-home and meals for 3-4 days! Yay take-home! Double Yay! that multi-course meals are doable with WLS. Just have to be smart ordering and eat just a bit of each course & take home the rest. Share buddies are great for multi-course meals. Even better, order family-style & serve yourself just a bit of each thing. Don't really do Italian much. Not my thing. Would make due if with a group by ordering an app, salad or mostly protein dish. Vietnamese food is amazing. Everything in a big bowl of broth. YUM! Indian foods, I get the big variety platter and eat a little of everything- just a bite or two of Yam bread (sp?) take home the rest Creaole: I get the gumbo! Chinese: once in a blue moon. not my fav. too many additives & MSG. Garlic chicken combo plate. Give egg roll away Mexican: Only If it's the real deal- a general mix of different things; depends on the restaurant & which regions of Mexico they have on their menus. Luv real Mexican. Tex-Mex: can't do most of it. Too high in fat for my lil pouch. When I 'went there', I had bad tummy acid afterwards Luv Meditterannean dishes too. SO fresh & yummy. So nutritious too. German: Not a big fan. Kilbassa of course I'm not good at eating 'as WLS-directed': protein, then veg, then carbs -on a plate -all separate. Nope. can't & don't want to do it that way, every meal, everyday. Wouldn't survive WLS if I had to. Boooorrriiiinnng! (imho) I AM, however, WLS-compliant. I prefer to and usually do eat super flavorful, protein & nutrient-dense dishes all mixed together- especially in fall/winter. Sometimes I'll order an extra side of protein to make my quota if there's not 3-4oz in the dish. When I eat the mixed-dishes, I focus on my 3-4oz protein, 1/2c or so of the vegs, and a nibble or two of carbs, but I don't do it in any certain order & mix them together, often. I found putting a little veg on with the chicken- helps it go down better. In restaurants I enjoy every single bite! No guilt! I'm pretty good at eye-balling measurements and amounts, so no prob for me to do it that way. I'm still gonna LUV & enjoy delicious foods-WLS or not! I Just make mindful, healthier choices now.

*PERK! Baked Ricotta? mmmmm sounds so yummy. *droolz @@Mellie1776 care to share that recipe?

Bio oil is good too It's important to exfoliate first & regularly. I have so many scars now, I told my adult daughters they can now call me Scaaarrrrr (in my best pirate impersonation). They were not amused. But hey, I was pretty amused at myself & my newish lightheartedness about all my imperfections. I used to think I had to be as perfect as possible. All that did was dump upon myself, unnecessary stress. Re-framing my mind to accept and love myself as is has been pivotal to my growth as a human being. I still want to have PS- so I can be the best me possible, without the saggy skin. I know, it sounds contradictory. It's not. I just want to enjoy living again without spanks & such- too many layers, too long to get ready, & hiking myself back up into the garments throughout the day, especially in summer

I'm single. My marriage ended 25+ yrs ago. Since then, I've been happily independent, except for a couple bad bf's after the divorce. In my mind, you get a life-partner to enjoy spending time together with. That's great when the relationship is new. People grow apart, sometimes in different directions (interests). Complacency is even more of a bitch on a relationship, I know! If you feel the relationship is worth saving, get out of your comfort zones and try new things together. Then, let him go off to his video games. Maybe you could steel yourself and play through one or two games with him once in awhile. To me, it doesn't seem like a hard request to comply with, i mean, it's not like he's asking you to go winter-camping in the high peaks during a polar vortex. lol If you maybe accommodated his request, even once in a blue moon (I know it's hard. I have absolutely NO interest in gaming either), That might inspire him to be more supportive & less obviously 'fake'-interested in your surgery-journey. Alternatively, he might be scared he'll lose you once you lose weight & become more confident. Marriage counseling would probably help with that angle, and a few others as well. Otherwise, if the relationship isn't worth saving, drop him. Like stated, a child is best brought up in a loving, supportive household.

@hikergirl: Thanks for the heads-up on the Nuval score. I'll def keep my eyes open and purchase accordingly.

Riskygirl2: I hope you're getting as much as I am from your thread. Thank you for starting it. I know it's tough to get out of bed when we can't (in our minds). Baby steps. One foot in front of the other. One breath at a time. This is a great place to find support anytime. Please keep us posted how you're doing.

Yes, they have a good pension that I'm grandfathered into. Tough decision. And yes, people here are several decades behind the times. Small minds across all demographics

@ Bledgirl: I've also gotten up so many times - more than I care to admit. I know it's made me stronger. I know I've become more centered. I know what's important in life and what's not. If not for all these crazy, off the chain negative life-events, I would never have become so spiritual. It's also helped me not fly off the handle of the 'littler' things, like the car door. A manager commented that I'm a lot calmer about it than she'd be. I told her I've been that person who flies off- but it's too exhausting, so I don't really do that anymore- or I do it in private away from prying eyes. @ finediva: Not sure I understand your question. I'm in upstate ny in a competitive job market (most jobs are min wage tourism & I'm in a good paying job with great benefits). I'm 1/2 Latina (1/2 irish) in an area that has a hard-core, powerful, racist underpinning that had successfully kept out "the others" until fairly recently. When I consulted with an attorney who's also a prominent judge about going back to my maiden name (clearly Latina) he said, "You might better stick with your (Anglo) married name." wow. That's when I knew-knew how deeply entrenched racism is around here. My co-workers, they want me gone because besides one other black woman who was hired during the days of Affirmative Action (and there's nothing they can do about it), I'm the only non-Anglo person working there (for a MAJOR corporation). I've taken the high road and stayed (17yrs)- so their tactics have become a LOT harsher. I hope that answers your question. @@Inner Surfer Girl: YES! to all of it. Police & company have been notified. I used to be a Y member & have been thinking about re-joining. LUV that hot tub! yes, indeed. Thank you for reminding me @esskay: I'm flabbergasted to realize the level of evil these people are. They get a kick out of it- like it's ok. The more they do to me the better. It's like a game for them- tag-teaming me. I know what I have to do (leave) but I'm near (early) retirement- exactly what they're attempting to prevent me from. No easy answers there. I have to get my strength back (I know! Exercise!) and then make my decision, whole. Can't even think about it right now. Thank you for all your support & suggestions. It truly means a LOT right now. I'm moving forward. Got checked right away. Made follow-up with surgeon. Tamping down the inflammation as best I can & moving on with life. Next: I'm going to implement an exercise program. Until then, I'm taking your suggestions and am getting myself off the couch, moving, baby steps. That's the answer. Thank you all for that

Good point! Never heard of "no time for the band" as a factor in deciding which WLS to get. Thanks for enlightening me @Sophie123. I want to clarify: - I'm not against any WLS procedure nor am I attempting to create US-v-THEM debate. I'm just talking about the percentage of repetitive self-sabotagers - Just saying, there's a large demographic of people (not everyone) who (according to my WLS team) go into banding with the mindset that it's reversible & they can get something else (an uninstall, then, a revision) if they don't like it. Of course there's those who genuinely worked hard to make the band work for them but had serious complications where the only choice was band removal & revision. I'm not talking about 'that' demographic. - This "I can have it unfilled if I want to gorge, or have it removed if I don't like it"-mindset, IMHO, sets up the whole WLS journey for failure before it's even installed. Way before mine was installed, I knew, this is for life. There's a place for banding and every other WLS. Not dissing any of it.