Elisabethsew

Do a lot of research and ask a lot of questions. Determine what kind of eater you are... sweets and high calories foods or a volume eater of healthy foods. Beware that ice-cream, chocolate, chips, and other simple carb. foods easily slip past the band. Unlike gastric bypass, the band does NOT cause you to lose weight through malabsorption. It's a restrictive device designed to make you feel full after eating a balanced diet. SOME surgeons do not advise lapbanding if you're a junk food junkie while others say it doesn't matter. Take your time and make an informed decision for yourself. Don't get talked into something you're not ready for or sure of. That said, I am happy that I went ahead with my surgery.

You don't need to go to the hospital. You need to get up, straighten up your posture, and start moving around as much as possible. As far as the BF/Fiance goes, I second Stacy's advice. Good luck to you.

You'll get yes and no answers on this one. For me, weighing daily is not something that works for me because my weight fluctuates so much. It goes a long way (no pun) for my self-esteem when I see consistent weight LOSS and not ups and downs. Therefore, I weigh once a week on the same day (if possible) wearing a bra and panties.

What were the patient's presenting symptoms? Thank you for posting the pics.

My weight loss seems to be cyclical. I will lose 2 pounds and then nothing for a week or so. I would love to be able to see a loss every day or two the way some people do but that's not the way my body seems to work. In the end, what's important is that the weight comes off and stays off. I'm looking forward to my next fill in a week.

Quote: Originally Posted by laurend Why not? The side effects caused would be offset by the fact that there wouldn't be drug-addicted children being born, right? Why are those side effects not acceptable, but the women never being able to have children again is acceptable?Well, it's women that you want to stop from reproducing, right? . Have you ever had a blood clot, heart attack or stroke? We're already talking about people with suppressed immune systems. Leatha, thank you! I had TWO blood clots that went to my lungs (pulmonary emboli) and I would not wish that on anyone. I never smoked but I was on oral borth control and obese. Imagine diving down too low in a pool. You fight your way to get to the surface to take a deep breath. With PEs, that breath won't just won't fully expand your lungs. One other point, the United States no longer purchases blood or blood products. Donations are voluntary and tested for many diseases. In addition, a person CAN donate blood knowing it's not safe and then elect to use the "don't use my blood" sticker in the privacy of a cubicle.

CONGRATULATIONS JULIENYC!!! Do something wonderful to celebrate. You're a star!

I'm the opposite of you. I work full-time, mentor 8 graduate students a semester, am a full-time PhD student working on my dissertation, have a heart condition, had pulmonary emboli and was diagnosed with a hypercoagulability, and need 2 knee replacements. My house is clean and organized. It sounds like you're using your husband's refusal to clean as justification for you not to clean. If you both don't want to clean but do want a clean house, PAY someone to do it.

Will they approve you with a BMI less than 40?

Having dealt with a drug addicted brother for two decades and seeing the devastation that it causes to family and friends, I am all for voluntary sterilization. When you see infants detoxing from heroin and other drugs and see the effects... developmental delays, fetal alcohol syndrome, AIDS, etc., it's a VERY GOOD thing when addicts are offered the opportunity to not procreate.

JulieNYC, you brought back memories. Shortly after one of my fills I was in a restaurant and the fish dish was dry resulting in me needing to "get rid" of it. I had to wait in line for the bathroom and the pain just got worse and worse. Like you, I can control when the "losing it" happens but the longer I wait, the worse the pain becomes.

Congratulations on your weight loss! The danger of drinking with meals is that you "water" the food down and it turns to liquid and easily passes through the pouch to the stomach resulting in NOT feeling full and causing you to eat more. Many people do drink a little with meals and don't overeat. I am assuming you have a large band and you didn't mention how much fill you received but it's common NOT to feel restriction until after a few fills. Other people don't feel restriction for up to two weeks after they get it so you'll need to see if you fall into that category. Make sure you're chewing your food enough. The pain before the food goes down IS the beginning of restriction. Also, you likely have some swelling from the first fill. Make every effort to stick to the rules and know you're doing wonderfully.

It's best to follow your surgeon's instructions since there is no consensus. Mine want fluids the day of the fill, a soft diet the day after, and then back to a normal diet the following day. Yes, it can take up to 2 weeks for some people to feel the effects of a fill.

First of all, congratulations on your weight loss. Keeping ANY weight off for a significant amount of time is wonderful. Secondly, it's good you're going to see a therapist to deal with perfectionist issues. As an RN, I can tell you that MDs appreciate honesty from patients because it makes their lives a lot easier and it makes developing a plan of care more accurate and appropriate. You are the only one to bend the band rules or stray and your MD will not look down on you. Tell the MD all that's been going on, what you want in the way of testing, and then TOGETHER you'll get YOU back on the road to health.

You won't have to worry about a PB until you begin to feel restriction. For a small percentage of people, that's without a fill but for the rest, it's after one or more fills (depending on the size band and the amount of the fill). When you do get that feeling, it's usually while you're eating or right afterwards. Sometimes, you take too big a piece of meat and don't chew it thoroughly and are stopped in the middle of eating by discomfort. This is often described as a golfball in the center of the chest but can present as back pain, shoulder pain, or pain along the digestive tract. Sometimes, you get "all the food in" and then start to feel crampy discomfort. The esophagus tries to move the food down the digestive tract and begins mass producing secretions to accomplish this. If there is no way the food will budge, you have a PB followed by bringing up what won't go down. I hope that helps you out. Good luck to you and your wife for a smooth recovery.

Happy St. Pat's Day to all. On 3/17/07, you get to be Irish by proxy if not by heredity. Enjoy!

I had my surgery done by the MD you're with and the office does everything they can to get you help with the insurance. I found that I too had to be proactive and called the insurance company and began asking questions. I was originally denied but then got letters from my MDs and asked to speak with my case worker who was VERY helpful. I won the appeal and had the surgery. Keep exploring insurance options, even if you need to carry double insurance for a few months.

Telly, you look wonderful! It's nice to see you posting again.

You are not alone in your past surgical experiences. Because of that, anesthesiologists now have added monitoring equipment to prevent it from happening. You're going to do great!

I have the large VG band and it wasn't until I hit 8 cc's that I began feeling restriction. I'm going back for another fill on 3/27.

A close friend of mine (42 years old) was a type 2 diabetic who also suffered from sleep apnea. He lost 150 pounds in 13 months after banding. At weeks post-op, he needed no meds at at 75 pounds lost, he no longer needed the C-PAP mask. He stated his love life is like it was when he was 20 so there's hope for you.

I am certainly not a President Bush lover but you seem to give him quite a lot of power. It's amazing to me that he and his administration have managed to "reverse all of the increases of freedom" in just "six years." While America is in no way perfect, I don't choose to dwell on the negatives. Sometimes, you have allow yourself to experience the beauty and good also. Have a nice day. I would wish you a Happy St. Patrick's Day but I think you might find that offensive.

Since you hate politicians, etc., why not consider running for office where you might be able to affect the changes you desire?

Here is the BEST tip I can give to combat the problem of yeast infections that love to thrive in moist, warm, environments. Are you ready? It's medicated foot powder... specifically DESINEX and it's available in any pharmacy store. I'm an RN and the tiny little bottles that the MDs prescribe for yeast rashes covers very little territory so I started reading ingredients and found Desinex. Before applying it, clean the area with water as hot as yu can tolerate it. Yeast is killed by extreme temps. Pat the area completely dry and apply the desinex. You'll have healing in a day or two.

And no matter which country they come from or which God they claim to worship? This country was founded on freedoms and is likely more of a "melting pot" today than it was even 50 years ago. I respect peoples' rights to worship whatever religion they desire to and don't discriminate against any country. I have only lived in THIS country and would not profess to know what life is like in other countries. As for the American flag, I am proud to fly it and pledge my allegience to it because I believe in the pledge.