Cindy C

All these threads for sunglasses and asking for donations for someone's surgery are really starting to annoy me. That's all!

Lemon will help that. Drink lemonade or suck on lemon hard candy. (both s/f of course!)

Congrats to you both. Your hubbies are going to be thrilled.

You figure it out when it gets stuck every time you try to eat it. You are on mushies now with no restriction. Your band can handle pretty much anything. Once you go back to solids and begin having restriction you will have to figure out what you can and cannot eat. You may even find that after a fill those things change and you have to refigure it out. There's really no rhyme or reason why different foods effect us differently. I suppose it has to do with our different anatomies, band placement, amount of fill and how well we chew. I can't eat red meat....won't even try anymore. But chicken never gives me a problem. Others can't eat chicken but can eat steak. Most of us can't handle white bread or pasta but some can. There was a time when mashed potatoes would get stuck but then after a fill I could eat them again. That was crazy! You'll learn in time what works for you. It's all trial and error.

I have a feeling you're going to lose way more than 20 pounds by Christmas. I started out right about the same place you did and lost 85 pounds the first 8 months. You're already 10 pounds ahead of where I was at the same point. You're doing great. Keep up the good work!

When I was growing up, my mom made a stew that she cooked in beer. It was awesome! I don't eat that kind of stuff any more. Red meat and my band just don't get along. But I used to cook ham in Vernors. Don't know if that is available nationwide but it's a Detroit made Ginger Ale.

I don't have an IPhone. I have an Android. I went to the marketplace and searched "food journal" and it came up with several pages of apps. I use mylapbandjourney and don't bother doing it on my phone. I just remember everything and log it when i get home.

That's what we're here for!

I hear ya, Sister! In the old days, I may as well have been invisible. Now men flirt with me constantly. Clerks fall all over themselves to wait on me. Cops pull me over and DON'T give me tickets. Yesterday I got out of my car to pump gas at a station you have to pay first at. The attendant told me, over the intercom, go ahead and pump first. People make eye contact and smile as they walk by instead of diverting their attention. The list goes on and on. But guess what? I'M THE SAME PERSON I WAS 145 POUNDS AGO!!!!!

I'm in the green zone with 5.8.

4cc is the original band. When I got mine 3 years ago they had just started using the 10cc. Now they have one that holds 14cc. If you've had yours 5 years then, yes it's probably 4cc. It might hold slightly more than that but not much. Just curious, why did you change doctors?

I had bcbs and was approved easily. Good luck.

Elizabeth, I lost like that in the beginning too. I don't think it has to do with age since I was 30 years older at the time. Enjoy it whiles it lasts. What you're doing seems to be working. Keep it up! When the weight loss slows down (trust me it will) you may need to adjust your habits but for now you are doing great!!!! Good Job!

Every doctor is different with his/her directives. My doctor had no pre op diet and no "mushy" stage. Post op was clear liquids for 2 weeks...full liquids for 2 weeks and then gradually reintroduce solids. He never dictated a measured amount of food, just eat slowly til your satisfied and then stop. He also has no prefill diet and post fill is liquids for 12-24 hours.

That is SOOOOO well said!!! I couldn't agree more. In answer to the OP's question, I used to open my eyes in the morning and my first thought was "what am I going to eat today?" And I would head straight for the fridge. After I had my surgery, I became completely addicted to the scale. I would weigh myself numerous times a day and as the numbers came down, so did the cravings for food. I knew that I had to give up one or the other. Before long my first conscience thought became "what do I weigh today?" And I would head for the scale. I'm no longer obsessed with food although I'm still obsessed with the scale. I found that keeping a copy of my "before" picture on the fridge helped. I look at it and think "is THAT really what I want?" Of course the answer is always HECK NO!!! I very seldom even think about food anymore. My mindset has changed. I no longer live to eat. I eat to live!

Good luck to you both.

You shouldn't take any pill that's larger than an aspirin. Cipro and Prozac both come in liquid form.

If the deaths occurred a couple days after surgery I would guess that blood clots were the cause. (Of course that's only a guess). That would be something out of the surgeons control. While precautions can be taken in patients with a history of clotting, the risk can't be completely eliminated. That's why we are told to walk walk walk after surgery so blood clots don't have a chance to form. I would not shy away from this doctor because of these deaths without having all of the facts.

Death is always a risk when you undergo surgery. It's seldom due to something the surgeon did or did not do. What was the cause of death in those 3 patients? It could have been a blood clot, reaction to anesthesia, etc, things that have nothing to do with the surgeon and could not be predicted. The mortality rate in lapband surgery is about 1:2000 (almost double that for gastric bypass). Without weight loss, you have a 25% chance of dying from obesity related causes. Don't let the fear of death keep you from having surgery. If anything, the fear of premature death should convince you to have it!

1) If people are going to be curious, they're going to be curious. There's nothing you can do about it. The only thing you have control over is how you handle their curiosity. If they ask I would just say, "I'm really not all that hungry." 2) Since my "baby" was 17 when I was banded I can't really comment on pregnancy and lapband, but as a medical professional I can say that ABSOLUTELY your ob/gyn should know about your lapband. In fact all of your doctors should know about the treatment you're receiving from all of your other doctors. When you go to a doctor they always ask for your health history and any surgeries you have had.

I agree. I'm a firm believer in paying it forward! If my experience can help one person then it's worth the criticism of a million!

We all know that those things are necessary for success but for some of us we needed more. I'm glad that you are getting your demons under control. For you it worked. What works for one person won't necessarily work for another. For me, it didn't. The band was NOT the answer to my demons. It was simply a part of the equation. You've lost 80 pounds in 7 years. Good for you. I've lost 145 in 3. Good for me. If we were both thrown back into the stressful situations that led to our obesity in the first place I know I would be able to avoid returning there. Can you say the same?

I too only eat 3 or 4 bites at any given moment. It's really no big deal. Since I live alone, there's no such thing as "mealtime" in my house. If I'm hungry, I eat. If I'm not, I don't! 4 oz. Protein, 1/2 cup to 1 cup of veggies, then up to 1/2 cup of complex carbs---I could NEVER eat that much in one sitting! I might eat that much throughout the day!

I am currently in the green zone at about 5.8cc but I know if I lose another 10 pounds I'll need a little tweek.

5 but the port site one is the only one still visible.