sleepyjean

I agree wholeheartedly. I really hate when people have enormous signatures. It's too bad we don't have some kind of notepad feature on here where people can put as much detail as their heart desires. Then all the history stuff could be there instead of in people's sigs.

Ditto what she said. Once I found out that your pouch could stretch over time to accomodate more food, bypass was totally out of the question because I could really pack it in.

WOW, that is a serious wedding gown! I love the bodice - it's really pretty

I was a May bandster last year and thought I'd pop in to say hello and wish you all luck. You are on the verge of a most excellent journey. (Sorry Bill and Ted, LOL). I know you'll all do awesome. Go get 'em!

Do you get fills with flouroscopy? If your insurance will cover it, and it's an option, you should request it. The doc can do a much more accurate fill that way.

Ok, I guess not, LOL

The other day, Kacee asked about looking for a journal for bandsters - for those who prefer paper and pencil to online. I've been thinking about this ever since. I'm toying with the idea of creating something like this that's just for those who have had WLS - not a diet journal. It's a lot to think about, so I wanted to get input from you guys. These are the sections I've thought of so far * pages for a new photo each month * pages to track weight, BMI, and measurements monthly (flexible so you could do weekly or whatever time increment works for you) * daily pages to track food intake, Water, exercise, thoughts, and level of restriction (but could also be used for pre-band diet) * page to track misc import stuff - doctor's phone, insurance coordinator's phone, insurance company, loan company, nutritionist, social worker, pre-op test offices, fill amount * pages to write down stuff like which Protein Drinks you've tried and whether or not you liked them * pages to track key dates - appointments, approval day (yay!), band date, adjustment dates, bandiversary That's all I've got so far, but it seems like plenty - ha ha. The problem is trying to make it flexible enough for people to use it in many different ways, but not so much so that it turns into one of those journals where you only use a couple of sections and the rest stays blank. I'd like to do a refillable binder type of book so you could choose the sections you want, but those get big and clunky. Now I'm thinking something spiral bound, and slightly smaller than 8.5 x 11. I don't know much about producing things like this myself though, so I'm not entirely sure what options are out there. What do you guys think? Is this a project worth doing?

I haven't purchased any clothes in over a year, but prior to that, I bought most everything from Lane Bryant. It's the only store nearby GUARANTEED to have something that fit that I could buy and then get the heck out of the mall with all possible quickness.

I agree with this also. I have not heard any medical reason for why you should have to be at goal first. However, I suspect her attitude comes from the thought that for many people, regaining so much weight (even though it's for the very best of reasons) and having to lose it all again could be discouraging and make you likely to give up.

Lots of food for thought - thanks everyone

Keep up the good work, guys. ONEderland is just around the corner!

I'm so sorry they denied you, but that doesn't mean it's all over. If you can't get ahold of the coordinator, call and tell any and everyone in that office. If the coordinator is dodging you, she'll stop if everyone in the office tells her to call you back because now you're calling THEM now, LOL. Find out exactly what the grounds were for denying you. Then you'll know what you're up against.

This is about choosing a goal weight. Since I've never been "normal" weight for any length of time, I chose my goal weight mathmatically. I'm 5'8" and the healthy BMI range of 18.5-24.9 would have me between 122 lbs and 164 lbs. I put my goal at 143, because it's right smack in the center of that range. (Okay, actually my goal is 140, a nice even number.) I've noticed that quite a few people here set their goal weight at a point that puts them above the healthy BMI threshhold of 25. Why is that? I'm wondering if this is a weight where they felt comfortable before? Is it because they have a specific size in mind? Is it because they think once you are above a certain age, you'll never be "slim" again? Big bones? I always thought the BMI ranges were so wide in order to accommodate large, medium and small frames, so that wouldn't be the reason... Or is it because we as fat people believe that no matter what measures we take, we are genetically destined to always be just a little chubbier than everyone else? Or are we afraid of disappointing ourselves if we set the goal too low?

You might want to change the title of this post. The show hasn't aired yet for those of us on the west coast.

It can be confusing,that's for sure. When I was first thinking about getting banded, it seemed like there were a LOT of posts about erosion and band slippage and that was scary. But I kept a couple of things in the forefront of my mind to help me stay focused: 1) The people most l active in a community like this one fall into three groups - those who want to be banded, those who were banded very recently, and those who are having problems. All three groups have a lot of nervous and/or excited posts. People who are doing well tend to spend less time here, and tend to lurk more than post when they are here, so you just don't hear as much from them. 2) The incidence of complications is really very slim. Because of my point above, it may seem like a bigger problem than it is. But if you look at the statistics, you'll see that erosion and slippage are very rare and becoming even more so as doctors in the US get more and more experienced with band placement. In the end, no one can assure you that you won't have complications. No matter what, it's still a gamble, but the odds are very much in your favor that you'll be ok. 3) What is the alternative? As far as I was concerned, this was my only option. I couldn't continue on the way I had been. At the very beginning of this process, I was shocked and horrified to discover that I weighed 70 pounds more than I thought - 45 more than my previous all-time high. It terrified me how easy it was to stay oblivious about my weight gain. I was gaining and gaining with no end in site. I could't drum up an ounce of willpower to diet, knowing that I'd ultimately end up even fatter than I was at that point. It all of a sudden became real to me that not only would I weigh over 300 pounds, it would be 325, then 350, then 375 and I felt completely powerless to stop it. I couldn't delude myself into thinking that I could just do nothing and stay exactly where I was at 266 pounds. The truth was, I'd tried everything else. I was either going to have the surgery, or continue to gain weight. I was tired all of the time, I had trouble walking, and my knees and back hurt all the time. Once all of these things came together in my mind, I realized that there truly was no decision to make - other than band vs. bypass. At that point, I made the decision to do it and I went through with it and never looked back. For someone like myself who tends to be incredibly indecisive about big stuff like this, the decision to follow through with banding was a surprisingly easy one. The band could be the answer for you, but maybe it isn't. Search your heart, but analyze your situation logically. Don't let fear guide your decision.

Hey Lisa, I hope you don't mind, but I emailed you with a couple of questions about experience with Dr. Soberanes...Goodness, how did you lose 115 in 7 months? I'm in awe!

I always sleep on my stomach and had a hell of a time during the first week after I was banded. I can’t sleep in any other position, so even if I managed to fall asleep on my back or on my side, sooner or later I’d roll over and get the red-hot poker in your belly sensation that would jolt me wide awake. My doctor had prescribed Lortab, but I wasn’t taking it because I wasn’t in that much pain. But after a couple of days of no sleep, I gave the Lortab a try. I discovered that that stuff would knock me out for hours at a time, so that’s how I got through that first week. I’d take some before bed, sleep for 4-5 hours, then wake up and take some more and sleep for another 4-5 hours. After that first week I was fine. I would have the occasional twinge, but I’ve slept on my stomach regularly since the week after surgery.

It’s part of the band insanity to get a little panicky when you stop losing or start gaining. First thing, take a step back and look at the situation. How much are you eating? Are you exercising? Do you feel any restriction? Are you grazing throughout the day? Band slippage alone wouldn’t account for weight gain unless you are feeling no restriction and eating more food. It’s virtually impossible to gain six pounds of fat in one week unless you are seriously overeating. If your food/exercise seems reasonable, it’s very likely that there’s something else going on in your body. It could be your period, stress, bloat, or any number of other temporary conditions that your body will sort out all on its own.

I had my first fill at 6 weeks and my second one at 9 months. Both kicked in immediately. My doc uses fluoroscopy which makes things easier, I think. The second fill, took a little longer to get the needle in because there was a fold of muscle in the way, but it was no big deal. I am shocked to see myself write that because I am terrified of needles and the one they use for fills is a big sucker. But I can’t see the needle or what the doc is doing and he numbs my tummy so I don’t feel anything except for a slight change in pressure when the needle pierces into the port.

Wow - I hope my size 9s shrink!

That's very good advice. Unfortunately, it's something I'm going to struggle with. I have a number in my head and if I don't get there, some small part of me will feel like I failed. It's irrational, but it's the truth. I can't imagine a world where I'm NOT trying to lose weight. It's been part of my life for 20+ years. Getting used to a life where my weight is OK will be like living on the moon - totally uncharted and mysterious territory. And to be honest, I'm not sure if I'll like it. Yeah, it'll be great to wear normal clothes and not ever worry about fitting into a small chair, but my fat is my shield and I feel extremely vulnerable without it. I've got this internal struggle where I'm absolutely determined to get the weight off, but am equally afraid to get the weight off. I've lost 60+ pounds three times in my life, and each time I failed, it was because I got within 15 pounds of my goal and decided that I'd have to starve myself and work out twice a day to get those last pounds off. That, of course, never lasted, and that's how I ultimately wound up weighing 266 pounds at the age of 31. Overweight - that's familiar and comfortable territory for me. But I digress... That said, my doctor sets goal weight strictly by BMI. I'm 5'8" and the healthy BMI range for me is between 125 and 164 pounds. They put my goal down at 143, which is right smack in the middle of that range. Personally, I'm aiming for 140, having finally accepted that 125 is completely out of the question.

I'm not anywhere near done losing weight, but I was just thinking about the possibility of having some body work done. I absolutely cannot picture myself as anything other than chubby, but let's say for grins, I actually make it somewhere in the vicinity of chub-free. The procedures I'd consider are a tummy tuck and lipo on my inner thighs. Maybe a boob lift, but it seems like anything involving the boobs is extra painful. Anyway, I live in Los Angeles. Strangely, that presents something of a dilemma. It means cosmetic surgeons are a dime a dozen around here. It means some of them are veerrrrry expensive and very good, but it also means that there are a ton of quacks and sub-par surgeons who advertise on the backs of restaurant menus and strange places like that. Because of all that, I'm actually considering going somewhere else for cosmetic surgery. I know it seems like twisted logic, since many of the very best surgeons are here, but the idea of sorting through them all to find one that's really good and that I can also afford. It just seems easier to go with a doc recommended here and on obesity help. I'm even thinking Mexico, since it's so close. I guess my question is - has anyone had their surgery in los angeles/southern california? Did you have a good doc? I guess I'm just hoping the clouds will open and the perfect situation will drop out of the sky and land in my lap. Geez, who am I kidding? Not like this is anything I need to consider any time soon...

I don't know your story, but I DO know that if you don't try, you'll never know if it could've worked out for you.

As frustrating as this is to hear, in my opinion there is no such thing as an "average" rate of loss. Not one that can be used to predict your own loss, anyway. I went into this thinking average was 1-2 pounds a week. But if you look around here, some people have lost 20lbs in a year, and others have lost 120lbs in a year. And the crazy thing is, both groups include people who A) exercised regularly, drank lots of water, counted calories and regulated their fill or did none of the above.

I took a week offadn that was perfect for me.