Stitchy

surgery, May 2006, Current, Oct 2008 At goal, 88 lbs gone forever.

Awww, Sweetie. Sure you will be able to eat normal again. As far as starting the liquid diet over with each fill, not necessarily. My doc just said nothing heavy for a few hours. Then back to *normal.* Mac and cheese? My favorite. You might have trouble with pasta. I do, but now I use rice pasta and that seem to go down just fine. Tastes nearly the same, It is sometimes difficult to find elbow rice pasta but it is doable. Try Asian markets. There will be some foods that you personally can't tolerate. I have trouble with peaches. Pastas, sticky white bread and rice. However, refried rice is great. Yay for Mexican foods. Now, before reading the rest of this, remember that I am at goal. MmmmK? I eat my comfort foods although now in smaller quantities. I even had them towards the end of my weight loss journey. (Maybe that's why it slowed down so much, ya' think?) I drink alcohol, eat ice cream, etc.

I started drinking earlier and drank longer than the spec sheet advised but got it all down. YUK!!! Sips of prep and spoonful Jello helped a lot. Clean bill of health, No polyps. Go back in 5 years. Thanks for asking.

You waist will get lower. Then the port will be above the waistline. Words straight out of my dotor's mouth. It will be tender for quite awhile, but it does get better.

Not a lot of sympathy for bandsters. My lapband office suggested two bottles of magnesium citrate. I talked to the nurse at the coloscopy office and she said that the prep just does a better of cleansing. Oh, yeah? So, she said I can start earlier in the day sipping and even the next morning since my appt isn't until the afternoon. OK. I'll try. But I don't want to be drinking and pooping for hours. I'l try to get it down as fast as I can.:scared2:

I was 60 but I know there are older ones out there.

Average is 50% of excess. My BMI was 37 and I have lost 85% of excess. And no, I didn't work particulaly hard at it, but I did watch the food that went into my mouth. So, there is no guarantee. You just do the best YOU can.

I am scheduled for a colonoscopy next week. Three years ago, I took something in a little bottle for cleansing. Not pleasant, but it did the job. There were some polyps so I need another one this year (next week). The instructions involve a prescription that involves drinking about 48 ounces over a one hour period, twice. I can't do that. I called the docs office and the person answering the phone (receptionist, I presume) insisted that is the way it is done now. Period. No arguing with her. She is going to try to get the doctor to call me back. Have any of you dealt with something like this? What did you do?

Just when I think I have everything under control, I got sick last nite. I'm used to the sliming ... no big deal, but I threw up. The only thing I had different was homemade (at a cafe) clam chowder for lunch. I was expecting smooth and creamy but it was rather chunky and the clam were a bit gritty. I couldn't eat very much of it and put the rest in the frige. After dinner, ugh. This morning, I still have an upset tummy, a headache and sore muscles. Maybe I just have a bug?

Just when I think I have everything under control, I got sick last nite. I'm used to the sliming ... no big deal, but I threw up. The only thing I had different was homemade (at a cafe) clam chowder for lunch. I was expecting smooth and creamy but it was rather chunky and the clam were a bit gritty. I couldn't eat very much of it and put the rest in the frige. After dinner, ugh. This morning, I still have an upset tummy, a headache and sore muscles. Maybe I just have a bug?

Lexy - many people have suggested Soups and Protein drinks. I am not a fan of Protein Drinks, so I did Soup. You can blend protein-rich soups with milk or broth and it is still liquid. Full liquid - if you can suck it through a straw it is liquid and full of protein. And tastes right, too. Good luck.

Costco's chewable dinosaurs. Or Flintstones. Chewable calciums (Costco brand). I take a lot of pills and anything chewable or drinkable is a relief. I get full in the morning just taking pills!

I am also disturbed about the lack of communication and insensitivity. Since you will probably be going back for follow up care think very hard about this surgeon. Where do you live? Some of us may be able to help you find a new one.

You betcha'. It's liquid. My fav was tomato roasted red pepper (or some such name) from Trader Joe's. Yummmo! If you could suck it through a straw, it's yours. Want some other flavors? Get out your blender and have chicken and noodle. Or split pea. Bean and bacon. Full of Protein and you will feel better. If it is too thick, thin down with milk or broth. You can blend just about anything. Tastes like real food, too.

I weigh myself nearly every morning but I record it on a spreadsheet only once a week.

You probably won't just pick them up. They will make copies and it will take time.

Why not request your records right now? They are yours. You can have them. Then you will be ready when you find a new GP. They won't like it b/c it takes a long time if you have been a long term patient but they still have to do it. That said, they may charge you $$. but so be it.

When you get a new GP, besure all of your records are transferred. I believe that you can even go to old doctor's office to request them and hand carry them. That way, you can look them over to be sure that all weight loss attempts are included. Best of luck.

If you are say ... renting a living place for your RV (like your daughter's house), that would probably qualify you. You will need to do your own checking. That fuss has to do with the RTA taxes. People were registering their cars outside the metro area to avoid them. So the state said you MUST have a physical address for licenses. In our case, we didn't have one. So, we were kicked out. South Dakota is quite friendly. No income tax. No personal property tax. No inheritance tax. Low (much lower than WA) vehicle registration fees.

I think it varies doctor to doctor. I had mine done in Washington State and cost me $17,000 two years ago. If you are coming from the UK you probably want someone on the east coast. I can put you in touch with someone that could help you find a good doc. PM me if you want more info.

It depends on how tall you are, too. Another forum has folks that were in 400-500 that are being quite successfull with their bands. I don't think you are in the danger zone. If your doctor is reluctant, seriously question his reasons. Voice your concerns and/or find another doctor.

My *home* is Issaquah, WA, but the state kicked us out when we went full-time. No, I'm not joking When you don't have a physical address you can't get you or your vehicles licensed. Using a kid's address or a mailforwarding service won't do. It's a felony. No kidding! So, we are domiciled in South Dakota. We started full time exactly one year ago and I have lost 15 lbs during that year. Carol: Are you going to NWWLS? That's where I went.

Wow, I didn't realize how long it had been since I updated my blog, Now, it's been about two years. There have been plateaus but at least no gains. I really should have gotten fills earlier. For some reason, I thought that the band itself would be enough. Duh! Silly me. I reached within 5 lbs of my goal weight in Dec 07. I have stayed there for months, so I'm calling GOAL! I still weight myself daily because I don't want the *creep* to happen. If I can stay between 145 - 148 I'm happy. Yesterday am it was 150. YIKES!!! Today 149. I guess, I'll have to cut back on my favorite non-band friendly foods for a few days. I really have been overdoing it.

Wow, I didn't realize how long it had been since I updated my blog, Now, it's been about two years. There have been plateaus but at least no gains. I really should have gotten fills earlier. For some reason, I thought that the band itself would be enough. Duh! Silly me. I reached within 5 lbs of my goal weight in Dec 07. I have stayed there for months, so I'm calling GOAL! I still weight myself daily because I don't want the *creep* to happen. If I can stay between 145 - 148 I'm happy. Yesterday am it was 150. YIKES!!! Today 149. I guess, I'll have to cut back on my favorite non-band friendly foods for a few days. I really have been overdoing it.

Karen, I understand your frustration but it is not necessarily a bad thing to continue to lose weight prior to surgery. Your liver is most likely fatty and it lies over the stomach. They have to pull it aside for surgery. Losing weight will pose less danger to you.