babsintx3

Hi < There are about 1000-2000 bandsters inthe area, but I close by. Would love to meet ya!!! Babs in TX 334/180

Hi my friends, This thread is going no where. Nykee is not listening to the most important message here. Her band is too tight. TOO TIGHT TOO TIGHT TOO TIGHT TOO TIGHT! She doesnt want to hear the truth so all of you are wasting your time including me!!! She says it is cost prohibitive to get a partial unfill, she can't afford itl,but doesn't she realize that losing her band is more than cost prohibitive? I just dont get it... First she says she is not losing and now shes lost 30 lbs in 60 days on the juice and Soup and nugget diet. Geeze, why didnt I think of that? I 've been busy eating my Protein, veggies and healthy carbs losing 4-8 pounds a month. I could have lost 15 or more a month if I just drank juice and sucked down soup and ate nuggets all day. So she doesnt need our help. Nykee, an educated person would really hear what we are saying. Honey, use that degree in psychology to understand how illogical your statement s are. Thats why the band is the thinking persons surgery. If you dont listen to advice and only listen selectively, you have missed the whole point and you are wasting others valuable time. This is really sad and what a disappointment. You may get to goal this way, but you will always be fighting demons and inevitably you will gain your weight back. If Atkins was so easy, then why get a lapband? You were doing just fine without it. Can we close this thread before it gets nasty? Cause I am feeling really mean at the moment and it takes a lot to provoke me.... Babs in TX 334/180 -154 Babs in TX

Hi Estela, I would certainly give him more advanced stimulation. If you can get him in K-3 and maybe a music program of some kind, I would definitely do this. But you still need to focus on the aggressive behavior. I found that the biggest problem I faced with my son is that people did not see the brilliance because the behaviors overshadowed everything else. Public school is the worst environment for an emotionally immature, aggressive yet gifted kid. Public school wants compliant, average or slightly above average kids and thats what they cater to. You may want to do some research on what they call "dual exceptionality". This is a gifted child who has a learning disability like attention problems, hyperactivity, aggressive behavior etc.. There are lots of articles on the internet about this. You should also have your child tested. A standard IQ test like the Weschler or Stanford Binet administered by a Phd psychologist along with a psych evaluation will help you to determine whether he is truly gifted or not and if he has any other issues you need to address regarding emotional and psychological growth. Many parents think their children are gifted, but there is a big difference between what they call globally gifted which is a high IQ in the 98th percentile or better and being gifted in just one are like music or art for example. My insurance company paid for this as well as a trip to a child psychiatrist to evaluate him. Actually, the several visits we had with the psychiatrist really made me feel better because he assured me that my son would grow out of most of the behaviors and it helped us to tailor an autonomous learning model in a private school which really worked for him. The most important thing you can do for your son is to help him understand that there are better ways to channel anger. Some of the techniques we used was letting my son wear a rubber band around his wrist. If he got angry, he would tug on the rubberband and snap it on his own skin. We wouild also acknowledge his anger and ask him lots of question and his feelings. Your son has to realize that there are consequences for his actions. He will have to understand that private school and music lesson are rewards for good behavior. There have to be consequences and you need to start now. Most really smart kids are oppositional. They are very inquisitive and sometimes annoy others with their confrontational approach to things. That may never go away. My son is still very confrontational and still emotional and still a difficult child at times, but the anger is under control and that was more than half the battle. Feel free to email me privately if you have questions. Babs in TX

Hi Estela, This topic hits home for me as well. I have a 10 year old and 3 1/2 year old. My ten year old exhibited aggressive behavior starting at age 3. Lots of hitting and slapping and temper tantrums.By age 6, he was expelled from school and put in alternative school in his school district for 5 days with teenagers and metal detectors. He actually liked alternative school cause he got lots of attention and the principal loved him. During the five days he was there, it was apparent that much of his behavior was due to boredom and immaturity. The kept bringing him work at first grade level. He finished this in half a day. They brought him 2nd grade work. He finished this day 2. The 3 and 4th grade work. He completed all of it. Clearly he was not being challenged in school and that was a huge problem. We brought him to a shrink and started with medication for ADHD and depression by the time he was 7 to try to keep him in public school. He was diagnosed with ADD and impulsivity, ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) and depression. THe drugs made him worse and in the end we pulled him out of public school since they were not able to meet his emotiional or scholastic needs. We took him off all medication and changed his environment by sending him to a school for high IQ kids with behavior issues. Now the good news. My son is doing great. He outgrew most of the behaviors. He is now back in public school and doing very well. He has not been on medication in 2 and a half years. He is no longer aggressive and understand the consequences of his actions. I personally dont believe in ADHD and ODD. ODD is just bad parenting and I do believe that some children are aggressive by nature because they had some trauma in their baby years. My son had terrible ear infections, problems with his throat, eyes and ears and had a horrible time his first two years of life. I do believe that sometimes ADHD meds help some folks, but most of the time they dont. I refuse to medicate my kid to mainstream him. High IQ kids are wired differently and have a different perception of events. They are ornery, whiney, dont like tags on their clothes, dont like the way their shoes feel, take a long time in the morning to get ready, are forgetful, careless with their belongings and sometimes even appear lazy. They are ultra sensitive, cry a lot, get angry a lot faster and are usually very immature, thus lashing out at folks due to immaturity. The problem is that really smart kids have a chronological age which has not caught up with their scholastic age. Clearly your son is bored and admittedly some of your parenting skills are less than perfect, but whose is? I learned the hard way and I am still learning everyday. My belief is if you change the environment, you change the kid. Slapping, hitting and kicking are not acceptable behaviors and require consequences. As Michelle said, its about a system of rewards and consequences. I dont call them punishments. Its about dealing with behaviors in a different way. Timeouts dont necesarily work for extremely aggressive kids. If they are oppositional, they wont listen and will not stay in a corner for long. And the really oppositional ones dont see this as a punishment anyway. Rewards and accepting consequences for less than ideal behavior seems to work very well for kids with this kind of wiring. Yeah, they cry and scream, make you feel guilty when you take away something they really like but in the end you will have a much happier child and certainly one that is easier to deal with. I wish you luck. You have a challenge ahead of you. Babs in TX 334/180

Hi Pam, Give it a few days. It takes a couple of days sometimes for a fill to kick in. No one knows why this is, but it is. Also, if this is your first fill, you may not get the restriction you are looking for. I had no restriction my first fill and finally got some on the second fill. Everyone is different and needs different fill levels. It can take anywhere on average from 3-5 fills to feel good restriction, so hang in there!!! babs in TX 334/180 -154

HI, Congratulations for reaching the Century Club!! That is really really great. And you are looking fantastic. I need to start journaling again...... and getting back to the gym.... Babs in TX 334/18-/170 -154

Patty, I agree with Alex. I eat Wendy's chili at least 1 x per week. I make my own turkey chili and this is a staple for me as well. McDonalds has some healthy choices. THeir salads with the FF balsamic vinegar are great. The grilled chicken minus bun is a great choice. Even the chicken strips are not too terrible, although this would not be my first choice for spree foods! LOL. Being a bandster doesnt mean deprivation and not being able to eat at the same place other folks do. I do try to stay away from fast food though because what I can make at home taste so much better than the crap I get at FF restaurants. Since I can eat so little, I would rather have a great piece of fish or invest in better quality meats and eat them at home. Babs in TX 334/180 -154

Hi, I lost 90% of my excess weight. BMI charts says I should weigh about 150-162 ish. My goal was 180 and I reached it at the two year mark. Babs in TX 334/180/170 or less -154

Hi, I still see myself as large. I wear a 14 W on bottom and 12 on top. And considering I started at a size 28 when I was banded, I guess this is a lot better. I went clothing shopping yesterday and I still feel like a fat moose.... I heard some lady in the next dressing room complaining cause she couldnt fit in a 13. She had just had a baby less than a month ago (had the bambino with her). She looked thin to me. I cant see why I look at myself so differently, but I still feel like a bloated ox, especially since my plastic surgery. I mean how much swelling is there really 7 weeeks post op? I still trying to figure out why I weigh more than when I went in... Babs in TX 334/18-/170

Happy Birthday MS. LISA! I will buy you a drink next week in Vegas!!! Hugs Babs!!!

Nykee, Please read: YOUR BAND IS TOO TIGHT! YOUR BAND IS TOO TIGHT! YOUR BAND IS TOO TIGHT! You need to get some of your saline removed. You will not succeed if you do not eat solid Protein. The band is designed to create satiety when the upper pouch is filled with solid protein and this gives you the illusion you are full with smaller quantities. Take this information from someone who has been banded for 2 years and 3 months and lost 90% of my excess weight so far. ME!! I have never been too tight that I couldnt drink in the mornings or eat a small Breakfast of yogurt or cottage cheese or a mushy egg. Besides the more you are able to eat earlier in the day, the less hungry you will be at night when your band is wide open. Do you honestly think you are alone or unique with less restriction in the evening? Guess again. I am wide open at night and thats when I am most likely to cheat and eat garbage food. I keep lots of protein at my finger tips like string cheese, leftover dinner meat, some nuts. I also keep calorie friendly Snacks close at hand like sugar free yogurt, 60 calorie pudding snacks, 94% fat free popcorn, Jello, weight watchers cake (if I get desperate), 100 calorie snack packs of oreos or graham crackers. I also drink lots of hot tea first and if I am still hungry, then I have a piece of 35 calorie wheat bread with some SS jam on it to make me feel like a human. I allow myself at least 150-200 calories of snacks in my daily caloric allocation to ensure that I dont die of hunger in the evenings, even though I know most of it is head hunger anyway. Everything Megan and Shelly have told you is true. And add my reitteration and new information to your list of what makes a successful bandster. Being too tight so you cant swallow your own saliva in the morning is ludicrous. Banding is not about deprivation. It is about finally getting some satiety with smaller portions so you can lose weight. It is about making wiser food choices cause you are not hungry all the time. PLEASE LISTEN to those who know what they are talking about and have been successful with the band. Babs in TX 334/18-/170 -154

HI Again Erin, As Michelle said, it sounds like a seroma (which is similar to abcess and is just a pocket of infection and fluid) Believe me, its better its coming out cause its 10X worse if it stays in there. The antibiotics do help though. My wound was cultured on day 4 and then a day later, my doc said that I had 3 different kinds of infections going on and that what she had prescribed a few days earlier was indeed the right medication to help me get rid of the infections. As long as whats coming out is not green or yellow discharge and remains clear or bloody, I am guessing you are alright. Keep packing it and keeping it clean and hopefully, you wont need the port removed. It is unfortunate, but you will get through this. Hang in there!!! Babs in TX

Hi Erin, Welcome to LBT. Although your problem is not a common one, there are a couple of people that have had this problem here. As mentioned, Lisa (Delarla) had this problem long term. I am not a doctor, but a few things you said concerned me. You mentioned that 3 of your incisions were oozing and then later you discuss only one (which I assume is the port site) Where exactly is this Fluid coming out? ONe or more locations? Did your docs office give you antibiotics? It sounds like you have abcesses. I had a really bad abcess from my last C-section in 2002 and it took forever to heal. It seemed like pints of fluid were coming out and it was extremely scary. It most definitely has to heal from the inside out unfortunately and it will take some time. The antibiotics really helped me get rid of the infection. I would think that they would test to see what kind of infection you actually have. Did they culture the wound site? If you are not happy with your care or your doc is inexperience, please consider a 2nd opinion. THis is your health. Babs in TX 334/180/170 -150 something.....

Hi Rose, THe general consensus among lapband docs is if you are losing 1-2 pounds a week as an average, you dont need a fill. I would like to add that if you are hungry between meals and struggling to make it to the next meal no matter how fast you are losing, you probably DO need a fill. I have been denied fills twice in the last 2 years and 3 months. June 2005 - I wanted another .10. to finally get to goal. My doc said I was tight enough even though I was able to gulp down the barium. The second time was post op plastic surgery. I had nothing in my band and my doc gave me 1.00 CC and told me to come back in 2 months, knowing full well that 1.00 CC would not give me any restriction since before the surgery, I had 2.5 in my band. Its frustrating cause I dont understand the rationale of rationing fills for tenured patients that can handle the restriction and have never had any problems with their bands. You are a new bandster and in principal your docs office is correct. If you feel hungry between meals , then you need to let them know this even if you are losing 1-2 pounds a week. Babs in TX 334/180/170

Jean, I understand how you feel. The realization for me was at 334 pounds and a BMI of 53.9. I didnt think I was at all like those "fat" people I saw in the restaurant stuffing their faces.... BUT guess what? I was!! I didnt have any comorbidities except for some edema in my ankles and legs. Yes, if your insurance turns you down, its not the end of the world. Get on a plane and head south. DO it for you! Babs in TX 334/180/170 -154

Hi Shelly, Glad you are back. I saw you on OH today as well. I gained about 10 pounds from my all time low when I quit smoking in May. I have not been able to get the 10 off and since I have had plastic surgery, I am still about 9 pounds from my lowest. I am certainly hoping it is swelling, but I did not have any restriction because my plastic surgeon accidently removed all my saline instead of a partial unfill that I asked him to do while I was knocked out in surgery. My lapband surgeon refused to give me back what was taken out even though my band was empty. He gave me 1.00 CC and I had to go to another surgeon to get more saline. I now have 2.2 and I like this level of restriction so far. How is Calvin? Seems married life is treating ya good. I would really like to come see you sometime in the near future. I miss ya. Babs in TX 334/18-/170

Hi Pianoman, I went almost 7 months no PB. In 2 years and 3 months, I have had only 5 or 6 episodes where I barfed and only one in public at the amusement park after eating a turkey leg. It got stuck. I get very restricted when it is hot outside and so now I know to be more careful. Babs in TX 334/180/170 -154

Hi, I have very diverse tastes in men, but here goes: Mickey Rouke (15 years ago in Wild Orchid) Bill Pullman ( I almost fell apart when he cried at the end of "While you were sleeping) Antonio Banderas Aidan Quinn (He has the most piercing blue eyes I have ever seen on a person and I have a thing for blue or green eyes) Ricardo Montablan ( 20 years ago) Robert Redford (anytime, any place at any age) If I were a lesbian, I would sleep with Angelina Jolie in a heartbeat Babs in TX 334/180

Hi, COngratulations!!! If you need a support buddy, email me privately. I quit cold turkey on May 4th 2005 and havent picked one up since. I smoked for 24 years and cold turkey is the only and best way to go in my opinion!!! Keep up the good work!! Babs in TX 334/180 -154

Hi Lisa, No panties and a purple Victoria Secret bra. My plastic surgeon says to go underwearless until my thighplasty heals completely. As of yesterday, I am completely healed, but I got so accustomed to wearing no panties that I forgot to put them on!!! TOO MUCH INFO>>>> Babs in TX

Hi Affy, No need for you to go to Mexico to have this done. You are in the heart of the 3rd largest lapband market in the US. There are surgeons right here in your neck of the woods that will band you for 10K. There is also medical financing available if you have good credit. Babs in TX 334/189/170 -145

Hi Pam, Congratulations and Happy Bandiversary!!! You are doing great!!!! Babs in TX 334/189/170

Hi Bernadette, The VG band sometimes takes longer to reach a good fill level because it holds more saline than other bands. I would wait at least a week or more first before you call the doc and ask for more. Sometimes fills take a week or longer to kick in . It may be that it is not enough also. But give it a little bit of time first. Eat your solid Protein first, then your veggies and see how you feel and try to gauge the quantity it takes for you to get full. Babs in TX 334/189/170

Hi Parvathi, I had the full abdomnoplasty and also a medial thighplasty 6 weeks ago. I had some delayed healing and I still have an area between my bellybutton and groin that has not completely healed yet. I have to say that I am thrilled with my new flat tummy. Yes, its a huge scar and thats the trade off. I am not sure how I feel about the thighplasty yet. The scars start at about 4 inches above the knee, and do a T around the groin and buttocks. IT was extremely painful and was much worse than the tummy tuck. The drainage tubes at the hips are the worst. I had mine a short time (about 7-9 days). On a scale of 1-10, this combo of surgeries was about a 9. The best way to have these surgeries is to do one thing on the top and one thing on the bottom. I had both on the bottom and it was excruciating. I thought I would never feel better. I feel 100% better. The other night, I went for a walk feeling bubbly and enthusiastic and one mile later, I was struggling to get back to my door. It really takes a lot out of you. Babs in TX 334/189/170 -154

Hi Diane, Glad the tea helped. THis is an ole bandsters trick.! LOL Secrets of the universe and such! LOL Babs in TX