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Cool, Pnw_Red. I had very little pain with my surgery, too. Personally, I was a little more sore the 2nd day, but it was no biggie. I felt like I had done 2000 crunches....it was that kind of soreness. Everything will get better very quickly. Just be sure to closely follow your doc's instructions.

Hey jeepingirl! Welcome. Always glad to have a fellow Texan lurking around here :redface:

So, Brandi II, I'm curious. Do you think your doctor didn't give you enough information to make a good decision on band vs. other WLS? Because that would really suck, if you got banded without knowing all the ins and outs beforehand. I'd have to give somebody in that office a good talking to. My doc actually told me that he takes it very personally to make sure all his pts know everything they can about the band (could be BS....but they went over everything to the point that I felt like I could go out and be a "lapband sales rep", LOL).

I think you're doing great. Think about all the factors that make us different. Sex, age, body composition, metabolisms, etc. No wonder everybody loses at a different rate. My tip - try to gradually fit some strengthening exercises into your schedule (if ok with your doc). Walking 30 mins /day will help burn fat, but resistance exercises help build lean muscle that will boost your basal metabolic rate (resting metabolism), which helps you burn calories in between exercises. Just don't get discouraged, sounds like you are right on track. Good luck

Good going, Sue. Mega-accomplishment!

You'd think that docs would counter any misconceptions with explicit education / instructions. A higher band failure rate due to lack of aftercare = bad PR = less surgeries = less money. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones that has an excellent doctor. From seminar to pre-op, they repeatedly drilled into my head that I would only get out what I put in (to the point where I was tempted to interrupt the speech with a "I got it, I understand").

MandyJo, I looked at the pic you have up on your profile. You do not appear to be too skinny. Don't give any credence to internet posters that say you are.

Hi Anna. Congrats on the approval. My doc required liquid diet 2 weeks prior to surgery. His plan is for the first 3 days, replace all meals with Protein shakes. In between I was permitted to have Water, crystal light, and sugar free popsicles. After 3 days, I was allowed to replace one of the "shake" meals per day with a small garden salad (only veggies allowed. He did say it was ok to use some lowfat dressing). You can do it. I alternated between the Protein Shakes his office sold and using Slim-Fast shakes. The Slim-Fast generally tasted better, but the other shakes were higher protein, and kept me from getting too hungry. Hope this helps.

Jaimee, sounds like you have done your homework. Here's one thing you may or may not know: The restriction happens very gradually, so it's real important to follow all the rules your doc gives you. For what it's worth, I'm one of those people that has issues with the amount of food that I could eat at one setting, and the band has been a Godsend for me.

I'd compare somebody to Hitler ONLY if they had that rocking 'stache.

<------- Holding no grudges and still loving everybody

Ok, fair enough. I'm not trying to pick a fight. Far from it. But I still do not understand the physiology of tubing to the colon. Is there any way you can explain the path, or am I being dense? The tubing and port are anchored in the peritoneum, but outside the stomach, right? So the only way tubing can get into the intestine / colon is to pierce it from the outside, or enter through the hole that the erosion made (that erosion hole was what I was referring to as the "stoma".....technically correct, but confusing, I know), right? Since out digestive tract is essentially a tube-within-a tube, those are the only two ways I can think of as to how a foreign object finds its way in. Granted, just because those are the only ways I can think of doesn't mean those are the only 2 ways...but I cannot wrap my head around tubing inside the lower GI tract.

Gee, Wasa, let me guess.....were you banded in Mexico? I think maybe you misread my previous post (or I worded it poorly. That could certainly be the case). I was not dissing Mexican hospitals or doctors. My point was that Mexican hospitals don't have the same litagation worries that American hospitals do. So the paperwork may be different. Get that chip off ya shoulder! Also, in the case of the NICU baby.....having a "cleaning team" go through the chart is not the same as providing preop paperwork to the patient. Again, it was not a diatribe as to how American hospitals are vastly superior to Mexican hospitals. That wasn't even implied. Ok, I understand what an erosion of the band is. What I don't understand is how the tubing comes loose and finds its way into the stoma. That would be like threading a needle without using your hands. And you don't think there was any bleeding or bruising prior to the port "popping out"? I don't get it. It still seems fishy to me. And I didn't quite understand that part where you might opt for a revision to a procedure that allows you to maintain weight. What would this procedure be? Why not unfill, or have the band removed altogether? Or maybe that's what you were talking about? Lastly, I wouldn't mock somebody's medical knowledge because they're an EMT. That's kinda elitist of you, wasa.

I had a chance to see it with my wife, but since it was her birthday, she got to pick which movie we went to. We ended up seeing Forgetting Sarah Marshall (which was very funny, but had a lot of full frontal male nudity! Huh?). I'm still planning on trying to catch expelled before it leaves theaters.

I find there's a huge difference between laughing at and laughing with. Jack Black seems very comfortable in his skin, and any movies where they play up the chubbiness (like Nacho Libre) seem ok to me. I did cringe a little bit on that cheerleader scene from Dodgeball, but that commercial that OH Juli wrote about.....that sounds super offensive. Just substitute "pizza" with "booze" and "fat kid" with "Native American". Or substitute "welfare checks" and "black people". Think anybody could get away with either of those? I think it's just an issue of insensitivity....

Hey, do what ya gotta do. You don't owe any of us an apology. And I don't think you'd have to leave this board, no matter what you decide to do. Information is knowledge is power, so let everybody here in on what you're going through. Good luck.

Thanks for the replies, everybody. I do have quite a bit of fat to lose. I'm not delusional, nor in denial. That's why I got banded. I am giving serious thought to doing that "underwater" test that supposedly gives an accurate lean body mass / fat ratio. So, in conclusion, we are all agreed to pick up our burning torches and pitchforks, congregate into an angry mob, and storm the BMI stronghold, yes?

I'm a registered respiratory therapist and a registered polysomnographer (basically a sleep therapist). Add those two things together and the result is that I'm a medical science geek. I do, however, work in a sleep lab, which is a cool job.

So, I'm late to the party, sure.....the boobs look great. Turned out to be very natural. And I find it pretty incredible that anybody would give you any flak for posting these procedural pics here. There's a world of difference between medical anatomy photos and pornography. I think one of the reasons America is getting so screwed up is because nobody cares if a kid sees a movie about a psycho butchering somebody...but let a kid see a boob and his morals will be instantly compromised. But that's a whole 'nother rant. I think you're brave to post these pics.

So, I know this is passe', but damn! I was playing around with a BMI calculator earlier, and found that if I lose down to my "ballpark" goal of 250, I will still be obese! I'm 6'4", and have a powerlifter build (this won't mean much to the ladies, but the guys will know what I'm talking about). I struggled early on with setting a "target weight", because I have no idea. My tangible goal is to get down to a heart-healthy waist size (bout 34). The skinnest I have ever been in my adult life was 225. I was 17 yrs old and playing football. When I was 225, my ribs were prominent. Too thin for my tastes, when I look back on old photos. Subsequent years resulted in gained weight, but some was still muscle (as evidenced by ability to lift more and more weight). The depressing part is, for me to get to a "normal" BMI, I need to get down to 205. That's right, 20 lbs less than my weight in high school. Sheesh! I know the subject of BMI has been bandied about recently, so I don't expect a lively debate.....just needed to rant. (Am I turning into a chick?!? LOL)

The "slime" is saliva that your body produces as a natural means to try and wash the obstruction down. So now you know: No more bread for you!

Casscity, very thoughtful to provide such a list, but I think it may be a little extreme. On the day of my surgery, I was back home by luchtime. I had the surgery on a Friday and was back to work on Tuesday, minimal discomfort. I didn't need any of the "Non-food items", and only a few of the "pharms". But (and this is important) get whatever you feel you might need. It's important that you feel as comfortable & prepared as possible. Best of luck to you!!

Well, Sarah, the answer is not always black and white. It is better, genarally speaking, to wait until the bones are done growing before attempting surgery. Having said that, there is a point at which extra weight starts to really have a negative on health. Some teens may not can afford to wait. And "get it off the easy way"?!? Everybody that's been banded knows it's not a magic box that lets the person eat what they want and lose the weight while they sleep. I don't blame you for getting steamed at that kind of ignorance. Nikki, sounds like you have the right attitude...

Hey Brian, pull up a seat! I'm always happy to see another guy join (we are severely outnumbered here by the ladies. And I'm sure they will use that to their every advantage, LOL). Browse and learn, my friend...

Hey Abby.....love the username. Fan of Young Frankenstain? LOL