TexasRose

After having problems with my band for the last year and a half and gaining back 65 of my 125 lbs I originally lost...I was having repeated episodes of throwing up. One night it was every hour - so I went to get my band unfilled. I was dilated and blocked. I was asked to go have my gall bladder evaluated for gall stones. After a very thorough upper GI ultrasound - I was found to have multiple gall stones. So off to my band doctor and he put me in the hospital for a gall bladder removal and adjustment/replacement of my band. Once he was in there, he decided to replace it with the new AP model and strip out scar tissue from the first banding...then removed my gall bladder. So, now I am two weeks out from having surgery and recovering well. The pain was SIGNIFICANTLY less than the first time around - the doc said it was because he used my original port. I'm very slowly moving back to solid foods - even though he said he wanted me on solid foods by Thanksgiving....I'm a little nervous about pushing it. The original food path was 6 weeks to solid foods - he wanted it done in 3 weeks this time. I guess because I'm "experienced" and need Protein intake...but I'm still taking it easy but getting tired of mashed potatoes and Protein shakes. Long story short...he said I was among the 3% of lapband patients that get gall stones (guess it happen much more often in RNY) and required gall bladder removal. Has anyone else needed their gall bladder removed after weight loss?

Thank you all for your kind thoughts!

I was out dancing last night with friends and went to the bar to get a glass of Water. I returned to our table and the gentleman sitting at the next table drunkingly made the statement/question "what is your objective here?" I asked for clarification. He asked why I was drinking water and at the club in my 'condition'. Through a bit more banter, he asked why I was pregnant and out dancing. I politely said that I was not pregnant. Then I turned away from him and nearly started to cry. Even when I was at my heaviest, no one has ever asked if I was pregnant. I was always told that you never make such a comment unless you see a women with a baby popping out of her (for lack of a more eloquent way of stating it). The audacity of that man! How do I deal with the resulting horrible feelings I am having about myself and the way that I look after a comment like that? If you have encountered this, how did you deal with it?

Are you eating enough calories for your size or have you put your body in to starvation mode? Calorie Calculator - Daily Caloric Needs For every pound you want to lose per week, drop 500 calories from your maintenance calorie needs. 500 calories deficit * 7 days = 3,500 calores = 1 pound. Example, if you wanted to lose 2 lbs per week and your maintenance calories says to eat 2000 calories per day to maintain your current weight - then eat 1000 calories per day to lose 2 lbs for the week.

Thank you all for your advice - I certainly appreciate it!! Sometimes it is just nice to actually read that other people are struggling the same way and how they overcame the temporary down time. I know we all experience it at different times but -for me - sometimes it just becomes overwhelming. Stress is a HUGE trigger for me but it is a part of my life that I deal with every day - especially being self employed, an over achiever and single. Best of luck to everyone dealing with the daily struggles - would love to continue to hear the ideas you all have about moving forward. Tiffany

I went from a 10M to a 9.5M. Found that I started walking out of my shoes, so now I have been buying new shoes along with new clothes.

Thanks Jack!

Warning....complaining ahead....proceed with caution! I'm just past my 18 month mark and I have noticed a significant drop in my motivation since that benchmark. I've worked extremely hard to this point but due to some external factors (dating life, work stress, family stress, etc) - the depression of why the hell am I doing this anyway keeps creeping in my head. I have lost the feeling of "satisfied" sensation for the last 6 months. I do not have a 'stop' sensation AT ALL any more. I rarely PB with the exception of eating too late at night and getting the wake-up reflux coughing....but nothing comes up. My fills have not 'restricted' me at all since the summer time - even though the PAs say that they do not want to close me down any more b/c it shows proper restriction. Now I am apprehensive to go get a fill because I fear that I have expanded my pouch and I am going to be left wide open and starving for weeks. I know this is not a well thought of technique - especially here, but I have been supplimenting with phentermine to help with cravings and hunger since mid-January. I have dropped 20 lbs since then but am finding that I need higher and higher doses to keep the cravings at bay. In the last 2 weeks - I have laxed off on taking them. I've allowed myself to start drinking 8oz of diet soda at full carbonation as of about a month ago (v. slowly at first - now a few per week) and have actually eaten 2/3 of a sandwich with bread. I've also allowed myself to eat dry Cereal - sometimes up to 2 cups. Frankly, all of this scares the crap out of me but I cannot seem to stop myself. Is anyone else battling with this? I've read where others with longterm band have sensation issues - any advice on regaining it? Thanks! ~T~

The only uncomfortable part I have found is if he lays directly on top of my port area and it gets pushed in to my ribs - otherwise, no problems at all. Enjoy!!

Remote Control Easyband: http://www.elecdesign.com/Articles/Index.cfm?AD=1&ArticleID=14680

I've just met Mr. 'Like You The Way You Are' and he seems genuine - in the limited face-to-face time, thus far. With 50lbs left to go, he said that he does not think that I am overweight and that everyone is built differently. Said he loves my curves and he thinks that I am perfect the way I am. Confuses me!! I guess I just think back to all of the other bad relationships or ones that were truncated because of my suspicion of the weight (though, no one ever admitted it). I'm just being extremely cautious. Would be WONDERFUL if he proves my suspicions wrong...guess we'll see what happens!

Have any of you run in to the rare "I think you are perfect the way you are physically" guy? Did you feel a little suspicious of him? Would he encourage you to gain weight? Thoughts?

Happy Valentine's Day! Okay Kids....how do you handle dating multiple people at once? I have always been the one guy at a time, conclude dating relationship, then on to the next. Perhaps it is a guilt complex that I feel like I am cheating if I am going out with more than one at a time. You would think that being 35 and dating since 14 that I would have a better handle on it - but this just seems to be difficult for me to not become attached quickly. Thoughts? Tiffany