HeatherO

Hello everyone, I have been busy, busy, busy and everytime I look at this page . . . I am a gazilliion pages behind but don't wanna post until I catch up. It has been a rough stress-filled week at work. It is almost over and I need about 3 days added on to catch up with everything I need to do. I have been hungry and struggling this week. It has been really, incredibly rough going. Lack of fill means I want to eat soo much. I am not used to it. If you couple that with stress and no time at home to cook properly, it is a recipe for disaster. Pamela, have you heard of something called a netty pot (sp??). It is a little ceramic instrument you use to cleanse your sinus cavities. People who have struggled with sinus issues in my family (even resorting to surgery which I think is worse than having a baby if you hear the description) wear by this as the ultimate resolution to a semi-permanant problem. suziet, welcome. Laura, I made quail before and couldn't eat it either. I was kind of grossed out by it. I am one of those people who only eat boneless breast of poultry if I can help it. Kat, I really don't know what the maybe diagnosis is for Manda since I am not yet part of the violets email list. . . but whatever it is, I am sure you can work through it together. She (& Kinsey) are really very lucky to have you. My thoughts and prayers are still with you. As far as puke in the car, I think every parent has had that special experience. It is amazing what you would do for your own children but could never, ever, stomach for a different person. I couldn't button my size 8 pants this morning. I needed to do laundry and have been so busy, I didn't have anything else to wear . . . so I used a hair tie to give me a little extra breathing rooms (is that yokel enough for you, if only my dh knew he would be absolutely scandalized). I think that means I must finally be on my way to needing maternity clothes although it has taken me almost 6 months to get there. For some reason the baby seems to be growing up instead of out, but I guess that is starting to change. I find the baby, epidural, delivery discussions quite entertaining by the way :0) . . . and as for that Nadya Suleman with the 14 children, she does seem a little nutty to me as well. I am confused as to how she can do all those fertility treatments and received food stamps for her existing children but looks like she has spent a few bucks on plastic surgery (her face looks unnatural to me). I can't help but wonder if she had hopes of cashing in on notoriety when she originally had the embryos implanted. If they have been implanting six embryos at a shot, she had to have known there was a possibility that they just might "take."

eeegads . . . I just realized that this thread is in general lapband support and not rants and raves. I have no idea what the newbies might be thinking as they read this thread, but this is definitely not par for the course of the usual LBT support threads.

I think that is an excellent point. People have different needs and a program that ensures full understanding and helps to support compliance can't hurt. Some people are capable of doing it on their own and using alternative support measures, such as self-education and forums, as their primary means of support. However, many people also struggle and do better with a little more hand-holding. Different strokes is right . . . so all the better to have more tools at your disposal to find the best solution for each person.

OK . . . quick confession. My name is Heather and I am an occasional troll myself . . . just ask my DH & DS and they will give it to you straight, lol. Sometimes the occasional troll response makes a thread a little more interesting :biggrin:

I didn't lose mine. I went from a 40D to a 36DD. I think it is a matter of how much breast tissue as opposed to fat you carry in your breasts. I also still seem to have a relatively nice shape as well even if they don't look the same at 33 as they do at 18. If I remember correctly, you are very young. I think that might help as far as shape is concerned. Also, thinner and with a good bra . . . you are going to look great regardless of how they are hanging.

I wouldn't worry that your doctor will require it, this is more an insurance thing. Either your insurance requires it or it doesnt, a simple phone call will give you the answer. My doctor was against it. He felt that diet and exercise were an appropriate means to lose weight given a BMI of 40 and that wls was too drastic. I did not need his acceptance to move forward. However, I know that he would have given it to me in the end it was just not his first choice on how to handle the problem. You can always seek a different doctor if that happens, but your doctor may end up being OK with it.

This is such a broad open ended question, you may not get so many responses. The best bet would be to look at similar threads that are already posted. The good, the bad and the ugly is all over this forum. Banding is the best thing I ever did. I went from morbid obesity to a normal BMI in less than a year . . . and I am strong and healthy to boot. I never had any major complications but had a couple of unfills for getting sporadically tight. Good luck on your journey.

Congratulations . . . you are off to a great start. There is no time like the present to get the ball rolling and I like that you are doing the self imposed pre-op diet. This is just going to get you that much closer to success faster. Too many people opt for a month of "last suppers" and gain right before surgery. Welcome in advance to the land of banding :0) It has its ups and downs, but I can say in my case it was the best decision I ever made. I wish you all the success in the world.

I have never heard of it before. However, if your doctor is recommending it, it sounds good to me.

I had Snacks on my diet plan at 2 1/2 weeks out because I was just hungry. It was always low calorie, low sugar items allowed on the post-op diet. Once I hit restriction I cut out the snacking except for the rare string cheese or beef Jerky if I am really hungry or can't get a break to eat. You just want to be careful that you don't get into snacking too much. If you are getting a snack every 2 hours after eating . . . it becomes grazing behavior and can cause a lack of weight loss. Another thing to keep in mind is that you have a calorie "budget" during the day. If you spend it wisely, you can incorporate healthy snacks in a way that helps your diet along.

I don't think feeling it go through the stoma is causing an issue with weight loss. You have been both loose and tight and you will always be able to feel food move through . . . but if the weight loss has stalled, it could be what you are eating as well. Some kinds of food go through the stoma a lot easier than others, margaritas are certainly this way :0). Do you still do Proteins first, followed by veggies and maybe a bite or two of carbs after if there is space? Are you staying away from slider foods?

I also agree with using pretty saucers and smaller teaspoons. It really helps with perception. You can measure a half cup of something, which gets you there . . . but foods are different. A half cup of chopped chicken looks different than a half cup of lettuce. It is just one of those things you get used to over time.

Good thinking :0). It is hard at first when you have habits, such as grabbing a cookie, that happen without thought. You are definitely on the right track.

People can lose quickly on a liquid diet, but then you aren't allowing your band to work for you to help eliminate hunger. Cutting out carbs also helps for fast weight loss. Drinking tons of Water and spiking up with the exercise routine can help as well. 30 pounds in 7.5 weeks is not really a reasonable goal. That is 4 pounds a week . . . and the optimal range of weight loss is between 1-2 pounds a week. While it is possible to do it, it is not the healthiest of alternatives. Out of curiosity . . . what happens in 7.5 weeks? It must be something special :0)

If it is not bleeding or oozing in any way and it looks like it is healing well, I wouldnt worry too much about it. Just give your doctor a quick call in the morning. At two weeks post op the majority of your healing is done and you should just be careful. Definitely avoid picking at any other scabs though. You will already have a scar just by having surgery, but it will look nicer in the long run the less you touch it.

My thoughts exactly . . . :crying: It is common for people to get a little sick after anesthesia and they should be prepared. Just clearly communicate your history so that they can be prepped in advance.

If anything, you have to be careful with insurance. I also don't think you will have much luck with your appeal so you should get the ball rolling in finding a doctor that is in network and find out if they will credit any previous time/visits towards yoru requirements. You can't really rely on the doctors offices to verify all aspects of your insurance . . . although they should verify everything from the first visit, if they don't, you are the one who suffers the consequences. However, there are just way too many denials that come from lack of information that wasn't clearly researched at the beginning. If I could suggest anything to anybody who wants to have this done and make sure they are on the road to approval . . . take ownership of your insurance policy. You should research the requirements and know them inside and out, make sure that your doctor is in network, make sure you understand all of the preliminary requirements from which they will be making a decision as well. Don't put all your faith in a miscellaneous insurance clerk in an office that may or may not do everything that needs to be done to ensure that you are successful.

This is definitely the hardest part of the journey - working your way to your sweet spot, still starving, but having to do it on willpower. I found when I was in the stage - my husband and son started avoiding me and the last thing on earth they wanted to talk about was food, diet or anything related. If I was upstairs, they were down and vice versa. When I realized what was happening, I asked them about it and discovered I was frustrated, struggling, moody and being a real b*tch to everyone. My husband said it is hard to be extra supportive to a hormonal, raging, hungry women on permanent PMS. I could have written threads on why he wasn't being supportive and given examples that people would have said he is terrible . . . but the other side of the coin was that I was being unbearable. Anyways, all I am saying is that I played a role in the support I received in the early days, lol. I am not saying you are moody, but I was definitely moody. Later it gets easier, you aren't hungry, you and your dh establish roles and patterns and you just learn to live with it. In the early days, following the plan and needing support take up almost every thought that used to be occupied by food, (in my case that was a lot of time, lol). Afterwards, life takes over and your need for support diminishes. As long as you establish good habits and do the occasional recheck to stay on plan . . . it's all good and not too difficult.

I guess all I can say is that everyone is different. Men and women are certainly different, their needs differ and they use different means of communication. If you are both foodies, and in different stages of trying to address it by different means . . . it will mean different things to you both depending on where you are in your journey. Some people can lose weight with less intervention than others, but how can any of us really know how difficult it is for another person. Where he is in his own journey and at what stage he is ready to commit, or not commit, to a different lifestyle probably affects the way he supports you in yours. If he is not really ready to change his lifestyle, it might be a little difficult for him when you are changing yours. I think the key is communicating about needs, both yours and his. Women are more naturally into communicating about feelings, men not so much. It doesn't mean that you can't find a way to be more supportive for each other given the differences. Does he sound aggravating and insensitive in his lack of support from the first post, sure. Do you have to draw a map with a crayon . . . possibly because some men don't take hints or suggestions, they need direct communication (women can be the same way on occasion). Would he shed a whole different spin on this situation if we got his side of the story . . . most definitely because it is always that way. Talking it out may be the best way of getting what you both need from each other and finding a way to gain common ground to understanding both positions. Counseling always helps, but open direct communication amongst yourselves is always the first step.

It sounds like it started as a bug to me . . . but it culd be partially band issues now if you have had some swelling in your stomach with all of the vomiting. When I vomit my stomach swells and it will keep happening unless I go solely on liquids for a couple of days. A partial unfill may definitely be necessary if you don't improve soon by 1)stopping the vomiting, 2) able to drink fluids.

I am really, truly, deeply sorry. I feel like I know you so well after all the pregnancy posts and discussions we have had. It all seems so unexpected. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family and my heart goes out to you. <<<<HUGS>>>>

LJM, how was your first week at home??? For all of us new moms to be that haven't experienced it yet or have had such a long delay that they have forgotten, any words of wisdom? Are you getting any sleep?

My OB said I only needed 300 additional calories a day which wasn't really hard to incorporate into my daily plan (I think it will be a lot harder to give up the extra calories post pregnancy then to add them in the first place, lol). If your band is not feeling uncomfortably tight, then you probably will not need an unfill just yet. Just be aware that during pregnancy sometimes the band can get exceptionally tight in a short period of time and be ready to combat it if it does. Good luck and congratulations!!!

It's a girl which is just what I wanted. We are very excited about it and have been a'shoppin. I am sorry to hear about your MIL. I lost my mother almost one year ago . . . she never knew I was destined to have another child so soon which was always her dream. You have my condolences.

My fingers are crossed as well. Hopefully the progesterone will help stabilize things so that your HCG's will rise steadily. Wow, 20 & 14 and now number 3, you sound kind of like me with a 17 year difference between #1 and #2. :0)