cookiebaby

The band is completely worth it. Before I had the band, I was taking three diabetes medicines - now I take none. My blood sugar is completely normal. Did I have to give up eating unhealthy foods - yes. Do I have to exercise - yes. Is it worth it to feel this good - of course. There are times when I think it would be nice to eat more but the health benefits outweigh the lost food.

No scars: New obesity surgery goes through mouth - Yahoo! News Dr. Scott helped found Satiety Inc. and the story says the first incisionless weight loss surgery was performed at Washington University in MO. My doc is wonderful!

Mine is a new Realize Band and it is 11ccs. My friend went to Mexico and has a 4cc band. I think they are right - it depends on what you look like when they look inside.

I finally asked Dr. Scott about other incisionless surgeries. Someone posted about an article in their newspaper about the first one in Kentucky or somewhere. Here's what he told me. The first incisionless one was in Mexico and the first one in the US was in St. Louis (Washington University). He says there are others that are working on an incisionless procedure too so there may be other reports of this in the US. His procedure is in the FDA trials and should be the first one to be approved. (Wish I had been able to buy stock in that company). I think it's fascinating.

My doc developed a way to go down your throat for a procedure (in clinical trials now). I asked if he thought anyone would get their band taken out and opt for the new surgery. No hesitation - no. So, I think he is pretty sure these will last a long time. I hope so - Grandma was 13 days shy of 104 when she died. I need to have this band for another 59 years - LOL. I wonder if Dr. Scott makes visits to the nursing homes?

I have 5ccs on an 11cc band. I have high restriction for Breakfast and lunch. At dinner time, I can eat whatever I want until bedtime. I do mean anything - bread, etc. My problem has always been dinner time on. Do I keep getting fills until dinner is also restricted? Trying to be good - the Lyrica is also killing me giving me major cravings. I might as well be smoking pot but let's not get on that subject again:rolleyes2:

I went in for a D&C and laparoscopy (I think that's the word) yesterday. Luckily, my best friend since birth is the charge nurse in surgery because half way through, one of the nurses came to get her. Apparently, my OB/GYN saw tubing in my stomach and freaked out. My friend came in and looked on the screen and said that was tubing from my lap band. The doctor said she knew nothing about it. Geez, I mentioned it to her twice. The second time was when we were discussing my surgery and I said I had a lap band and made sure they weren't putting any tubes into my stomach. She said no - only airway. Apparently, either she didn't listen (what's new?) or didn't write it down. Luckily my friend worked in the OR because I don't know how long it would have taken them to decide to look at my paperwork I filled out before and after admission to see that I also had that listed with the hospital. Should I get a tattoo? Anyway - surgery went well except I have tons of endomitriosis and I'm looking at getting hysterectomy in the next couple of years. How much does a uterus weigh? LOL

OMG tubcat you look just like my niece in your picture. If someone showed me that picture and said it was her I wouldn't question it. Okay, I digress. 3ccs is not enough for me. I ate bunches of pizza tonight with no problem. I can't wait until May for my second fill and I'm hoping I get a big one.

I know a day or two wouldn't matter but I'm so used to trying to control myself. I control my pain (I have Fibromyalgia), learning to control my eating, and control the way I look so people don't know I'm sick. When you go into the hospital they take all control away. I asked what to do when I went in for my knee replacement. My weight loss nurse said to tell my doc to order a normal diet and let me choose. Imagine that - let me make a decision when I'm in the hospital? Surely someone will try to change that.

Well, my butt crack is way above my belly button. There is an indention - I guess the middle of my port. I only had on incision. They aren't that bad when you look at my up and down c-section scar - that makes me look like I HAVE a butt on the front. so don't feel bad.

My band is 11ccs and I got 3ccs on my first fill. I think he gave me a big fill because I told him that I ate an entire 12 inch sub. I'm taking Lyrica so sometimes the hunger gets the best of me.

I was admitted to my local hospital over the weekend - ER doc thought it might be my appendix. So, of course, the doc put me on a diabetic diet (I am). I tried to order according to how we are supposed to eat but they wouldn't let me get enough protein. First day, nurse told them to let me get whatever I want but by the second day it was a nightmare. New doc put me on 60 grams protein per day - sounds great, right? Wrong - they treated it as a protein restriction and luckily I left that day. Breakfast is usually easiest for protein so I wanted an egg with cheese - no, can't have cheese. It was a constant struggle because the person that answered the phone said I couldn't have this or that but he couldn't tell me how much protein I was getting. Finally, I talked to the dietician whose husband had the procedure and she was going to change it but I left. Now, I know ahead of time to talk to my doc when I go in for knee replacement.

I think you misunderstand my point entirely and believe me this is the last post I'll make on the subject - so go ahead and have the last word after me. If we got to vote tomorrow to legalize, I would vote yes. Do I thinking smoking cigarettes or anything else is stupid when you are trying to be healthy - yes. Do I think MJ is as dangerous as cocaine - of course not. Do I think teaching our kids it's okay to break laws is stupid - yes. However, I think there is a time and a place for a healthy discussion with kids about why we think laws should be changed with our children.

Thank God you look pretty young. I'm sure most people have tried it when they were college age. When you get to where you have children and someone looking up to you, it's time to stop doing illegal drugs but that's a different forum. If I'm giving up fried foods, sugary foods, and trying to get healthy, I'm not going to be smoking anything. Somehow, putting something in my body that takes something to "get me through" doesn't seem logical - but you are right, to each his own.

For what it's worth, you're not supposed to smoke after the surgery - period. You are basically putting unfiltered smoke into your body and God only knows what the growers put on the weed while it was growing. My friend says they wouldn't dare put any bad things on it because they smoke it themselves - yeah, right! If you have some need for it - calm you down, whatever, you might want to talk to a counselor for alternatives.

Lyrica is what finally made my decision to get the lap band. I'm a little more hopeful now - I believe I can get to my goal weight even with the Lyrica. The bottom line is that it is what we put in our mouth that makes us gain the weight. The Lyrica may make the crave things and be very hungry but I've got to do things to getting over that somehow.

I was banded three days after you 1/30/09. I was stuck at a loss of 15 pounds until last week when I lost five more pounds. It is finally starting to come off again. I have been doing the vibration therapy thing - think that is helping.

Do you mind telling me how old you are? I have to schedule my knee replacement for this summer. I am 45. I figure I will have to get it replaced at least two more times in my life. Three times if I live as long as Grandma - 104.

Well, after I posted, I took the doggies on a walk. I have not jogged or ran in many many years - fibromyalgia, bad back, neck, knees. I have to schedule a knee replacement this summer. The dogs wanted to go faster so I guess I started jogging/slow running and didn't even realize it until we had gone a little way - then I was shocked - I'm jogging? My knee hurt like heck but I could do it for a little while. Was it because that vibration thingy loosened something up? I am still amazed.

Believe me, I know about all the side effects. I've googled 'til my hands are raw. At first, I didn't read side effects because I've tried so many meds that I wanted to let my body decide. One week later, I was eating everything in sight and had to stop and think what was different - Lyrica. Here's the problem - anyone that has Fibro so bad that they can't function would probably take something that made them turn green if it helped with the pain. I could stop taking Lyrica and I might look really good lying in my bed and a pretty corpse in a few years. The benefit is too great for me. It is HUGE struggle but until I find something that helps me to function like this, I keep struggling. I have tried just about every single drug out there - the list is very long. A friend in my class was only on it a week and her psychologist told her to stop taking it. However, she is still able to work. Not quite as desperate as I was to get out of bed. I'm looking for anyone that takes the drug and was banded. I'm playing around with when I take the dosages, etc. Just looking for any support. So far, I haven't gotten any responses so I'm thinking there aren't any others who take it on this board?

I gurgle and I haven't had one fill yet. It's usually in the morning and probably because I have a lot of sinus drainage.

I did it again today and copied the name of the machine down. It's a Proellixe Vibration and the website that explains it is Proellixe: Oscillating Vibration Platform [PRO5001] - $10,000.00 : P-Ryton Corporation, Salon & Medspa Equipment Since 1968 I know there are home units that cost less than $300 - not sure if they do the same thing or not but the website says this one costs $10,000. No wonder they want to charge $100 a month to do this. So far, I've gotten it for free. Thinking about applying for a part time job there - stuff is really discounted or free.

I am so sorry to hear about this terrible experience. I am glad you survived it. I had a friend who went there with no problems. Here I was thinking that the doctors might not be as good but I wasn't thinking about the dangers. I did hear on the radio that they are warning kids not to go to Mexico for Spring Break. Wow - yes, stay here and get your fills. I hope you get over this emotionally. I wouldn't hesitate to see a counselor if you are feeling scared. I've heard of people having PTSD from experiences like this.

I posted another thread about it. My tanning salon (had to go get some vitamin D) had this little platform with numbers on it and I asked about it. They said we could try it for free. You stand on this thing for 11 minutes and it shakes you. They said that the manager did it every day for seven days and lost nine pounds. I figured what the heck - it's free. I googled it and apparently it's a new thing. They used it on cosmonots when they came back from space to help build back their bone density and it's supposed to help you lose weight. I'm not sure if it works but it felt good and I lost two pounds today so I'm going back. Google it and see the stuff written about it. If it works, it's good for me because I'm a little limited on exercise options right now because I have to get a knee replacement.

You guys were right. Even though I thought it would never happen, it did. I'm a little over four weeks out. I ate whatever I wanted on Saturday and then Sunday I was in bed most of the day with a migraine and didn't eat much and boom - 2 pounds off. I woke up this morning and weighed and another 2 pounds were gone. I also did the vibration therapy yesterday too. Please let this continue for a little while.