Melissannde

Abdominal distention can be a sign of gynecological problems (ovarian cancer among other things). Please get it checked out asap.

this is about me...i had a high starting BMI
whomever reads my posts/blogs, please understand i am not bragging...boasting or trying to flatter you all with how wonderful i am....and that i am cured of being super morbid obese...i will never be cured.....my journey to better health is until i take my last breath.

i am who i am.....a female in her late 40s..who started out as was as wide she was tall...i am relating to whomever i can..hopefully to the larger BMI people and those who had trouble moving..that was me......key word WAS....i am hoping someone will read/see me and go, you know if that crazy fat chick can, then maybe so can i..

i was at the last resort...i had trouble wiping myself
i was scared to lay on the bed for fear it would break
and god knows i wasnt going anywhere (people laugh at people like me) and i was/am still scared of someone snapping a pic of me and putting it on fat people shopping at walmart......i was so large, i could not walk...i couldnt not stand more than 5 minutes...i hurt everywhere...i hurt not only inside but outside...i never wanted to wake up in the mornings.....

i post to try and reach whomever needs it.
i do not want anyone to think i am better than they are because i am NOT.

i have a few pm's from people (kinda snarky) in regards to fills.....does she or doesnt she.....(nope i do not....the dr did not put a fill in me with a long needle while awake)..they did a primer at surgery...no idea how much or if it is still in there.i will know when i ever get a fill.....so that is my answer to those who say snarky comments....it is what it is..

and when i do get one (if ever) who knows...sometimes when i read people getting fill after fill and scheduling their first ones day out of surgery, i sometimes wonder what i am (missing)...i am human after all.....

but if i do and when i do have a fill...i will NOT be so tight as i can only drink.....to me that is stupid and dangerous..living is not about only being able to drink...that is just not right.....i will not allow myself to fall into that..sure you can and will lose on all liquids.....but its not a healthy way.....dont care what you say...ask your dr and get their answer on living life on liquids...

so, i have the plication...similar to the sleeve but NOT the sleeve its a new thing (not a fad) and its early in the stages....the dr did this to me after explaining the situation i was in and with my BMI being a massive 62, he wanted to help me..as i did not want the bypass...my dr wanted me to do that but i was too scared..damn near 350 pounds but still to scared to have something to help me...

i remember telling him i would make this band work. he did not look very sure of that...well, nearly 150 pounds lighter, yeah, i said i made it work...I HAD TO...the fact is this about me..this is what i do...day in and day out.

i eat to lose weight
i eat what i want...when i want which is when i am hungry...read that again
i eat when i am HUNGRY

i do not diet
i do not spend my days counting calories...i know what i eat..i make excellent choices..(you can choose baked over fried, fresh over boxed)...i know what goes into the food (as my hub and me prepare/package/measure it 98% of the time).....i am aware 3500 calories is a pound..i know not to eat more calories then i can burn off..simple math.....and the band/plication HELPS me with the amount by signaling a very full feeling to me......to STOP.....

i do not eat something and say i am horrible and that i am a failure and i am weak and i blew it..this is dieting thinking..
i know one meal (of whatever) wont make me gain 10 pounds of actual weight and one excellent healthy meal wont make me lose 10 pounds of actual weight....its a day in and day out process.....until people realize that.....they are stuck in the on going diet round and round process...

eat better/healthier foods
make choices that are good for you
YOU CAN IF YOU WANT

if you start saying its xmas and i cant control myself, yeah you can and you could if you wanted..just like me....i have to make those choices also.
and i exercise every day..i do it....and get on with it......day in and day out..dont care what you do as long as you do....its up to you to do what you have to do..
i see it this journey from a former 336 pound person...a starting BMI of 62 it was either get bigger or get it done..

and here i am......where are you?

I would likely do it again though I would look hard at the sleeve as well.

The sad thing is that I don't think there are many veteran bandsters without complications around. I know when I wasn't having trouble with my band, I didn't come to this forum anymore. You tend to set and forget, and you go on to live life in your 'new' normal.
I came back because I'm having complications. That's when I need support so I'm back looking for it. Mind you that's a generalisation based on my own experience but I don't think I'm far off the mark.
I guess what I'm saying is that you probably wouldn't get a true representation of long term bandsters on a site like this.

Sweetie, try to relax . If you look at any weight loss surgery, you will see you can gain weight back with any of them. My sister had gastric bypass, lost a lot of weight, didn't fix her head and gained almost all of it back.
It's all about changing your habits. Not using food to medicate yourself. Following your Drs plan. No matter which surgery you choose, its going to take work.
Good luck

Unfortunately, the band doesn't do all the work, you have to work the band. The good news is that once you start getting enough Fluid in the band, your appetite is dimmed enough that whatever amount of will power you have, it becomes stronger. And each time you resist something, that little bit of will power grows.
Some thoughts about Will Power by Jessie Ahroni (posted on Smartbandsters ~ a yahoo group~ on 1-9-2011
Re: Willpower
People usually have core beliefs about their own "willpower." Some feel that
their willpower is strong; others blame a lifetime struggle with obesity on
lack of willpower. Regardless of what your belief is about willpower, we
invite you to rethink the concept altogether. What if willpower is not some
special gift that you either have or don't have? What if willpower is simply
the following:
* A trigger (an internal or external experience that leads to an impulse)
* An impulse (in this case, a desire to eat or stuff down feelings with food)
* A decision (in this case, a decision to eat or not to eat)
* An action (in this case, acting on the decision to eat or not to eat)
What if willpower is simply a trigger, followed by an impulse, followed by a
decision, followed by an action? You already possess every power needed to
make good choices about your health and what you eat. Learn to break down
this sequence and make a decision to eat only if you are physically hungry.
Make a list of alternative activities to fill up 10-15 minutes the next time
you are tempted to eat when you are not physically hungry.

Have you had the sleeve for over 8 years without any problems or additional surgeries....oh wait.....the sleeve is a realitively new surgery that some excellent in health facility haven't even approved yet....oh darn.....we can check up in 8 years.

Then don't respond, however for someone who claims to not put merit into anecdotal evidence, you sure do cite a lot of anecdotal evidence as your "facts". Newsflash, YouTube is anecdotal evidence as is citing the experience of someone you know.
You keep talking about this research you've done, yet I've not seen a single actual source. Can you please post the case studies, done by actual medical researchers and listed with AMA and FDA, you've used as research data?

Thats what i dont get either, and the reason for my sarcasm. Does one person really think shes stumbled on information none of the rest of us could find? Its being taken as an attack because it takes a bit of an ego to simply come out and state your opinion to what is likely to be a hostile audience assuming others wont already have considered your genius arguments and could therefore benefit from your benevolent wisdom.
Youve researched, youve considered, youve made a different choice, one thats right for you. Great! So go do it and discuss itnwith others who have made similar choices.
Ive been banded almost seven years. No problems. I am perfectly aware of the fact that my band will not last forever. No doubt it will fail at some point. As of right now I would replace it without hesitations. But I do live in a country where revision surgery will incur me no out of pocket expense. Thats a big factor.
My view is Ive had several very major surgeries and several small electives. I walked three miles the nxt morning after my lapband surgery, it was a breeze to get over. Im not afraid of a revision. But Ive had a dream run, i got restriction easily, i dont vomit, i overcame my eating demons easily, i lik bein in control if how "normally" i can live by choosing my own restriction. And i really like the do-over factor.
Threfore, i hang around a lapand forum. If i felt the sleeve was better, i might hang around the sleeve forum. And it has never once occurred to me to go over there and start a thread about why i didnt choose the sleeve!

Anecdotal evidence? I'm not speaking from anecdotal evidence. If you can cite reading personal stories on forums as "facts", surely I can simply give experiences of people I know in real life rather than strangers online.
I'm not entirely sure why you're posting here, to be honest. If you decided the band wasn't for you, wonderful, best wishes on your journey with the sleeve. But trying to convince people against the band, with a bunch of misinformation at that, is quite uncool. Just say'n.

No offense....and I'm happy that you have found a WLS that is right for you, but then why are you "lurking" around a lap band support site.....don't you have one of your own? Those than come to this site seeking information about the LAPBAND not other surgeries.....and honestly, since you don't have one, I don't see where you can offer any advise. Those that have the lap band and have had issues, do a good job explaining the draw backs and are very honest as to why it didn't work for them, but it just seems strange to me that some feel the need to come to this site and express an opinion about something you don't have.....if they want information about another surgery I'm sure they can get that on another site where the members would be more educated in the sleeve or bypass than the ones on this site. It really makes me question your motives. It is everyones responsiblity to educated themselves. I'm sure I can find some that feel they rushed into having half their stomachs removed and have numerous issues.....BUT I know they are probably just the unfortunates that are listed in the satistics just like the satistics for the band. I LOVE my band...but I would never feel the need to bash the sleeve or bypass...(even though my 42 year old cousin died shortly after getting the sleeve....just saying) We each must make our own decisions.

What I think people fail to realise with any weight loss surgery is that the effect lessens with time. Your body adapts. You can eat more. Your evangelistic enthusiasm wanes, you gain a little weight. It happens with every surgery.
The major advantage of the band is that you can adjust it. And the physical tightening up really us a mental tightening up too. Suddenly you focus again and get on with things. Ask any bandster seven years out. Ive really had cause to appreciate that.
And mo doubt about it, if I had not been able to unfill my band during cancer treatment, i would have had to have had a PEG tube inserted, I got so skinny. Being able to unfill is a major advanage if you are unlucky enough to be struck by injury or disease.
Nonetheless, the constant upkeep is problematic for some, especially with the US health system. Insurance hassles, doctors being unwilling to treat other doctors' patuents, people getting andedin Mexico etc. The OPs points are considerations.
But few of us are so stupid as to not have considered these things. I would respectfullu suggest if the OP feels that way, go hang around the sleeve forum and keave us poor ignorant souls to wallow away in misery with our ineffective bands.
Spoken by omeone who lost 120lb, had kept it off for over five years and a has a bmi of 20, so what would I know really?

Much of this information by the OP is misinformation. I have been banded since July 2009 and have not spent my time in Dr.'s offices and never made a trip to the ER. I could go on point by point, but it sounds like the OP has made a choice and I support that.

I don't understand the "food sitting on top of the band" statement. food isn't supposed to stay in the upper stomach all that long. What eating is supposed to do is to stretch the upper portion just enough to stimulate a nerve that conveys to the brain that we're no longer hungry.
This might be helpful to you:
http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html
I wonder if maybe your band is a tad too tight? Best of luck to you.

Personally I don't believe in HCG. I don't want to add extra hormones into my body. Also VLC diets screw up your metabolism.
And I lost as fast as many RnY'ers with just the band and following the band guidelines.

I agree, and our goals are individual as well
B-man's cooment about not feeding him that "I dont want to bulk, only tone" line as been bothering me for days. Its not an unreasonable comment and its certainly correct and it was not said with any intent to offend, so I am not refuting it or taking offense. But here's the rub. . Personally, I would rather look loke Miranda Kerr than Jillian Michaels a million times over, and my routine gives me that kind of body (well, the closest a non genetically blessed 44 year old can come to it anyway). I know women dont generally bulk anyway but I like the result my routine has given me, So I will stick with my high cardio and Body Pump routine and not loading up on Protein. I just wont buy into the supplements and heavy weight training scene because first it bores me sh*tless and secondly, I have no desire for that sort of body. And if it turns me into a calorie burning furnace, well I can already pretty much eat what I want coz I burn it off running ( which I love so it is not a chore) so really, I couldnt give a crap whether someone. Thinks thats right or wrong.
It ist fashionable to want to look thin rather than like an Olympic athlete these days and I think all the supplements and advice are a part of that fad, great if its what youre aiming for and theres nothing wrong with having that goal, i just dont.

I'd eat more, and not because I believe in starvation mode, but for nutrition sake.
I've always been a bit gung ho about nutrition, I figured if you eat well and eat 1200 or so a day you should be fairly OK. I've never really taken supplements, and dont drink Protein shakes. But I've had a wake up call recently, yes, I was having cancer treatment, so that puts a unique strain on my body - but my set of nutritional issues include Iron depletion, osteopaenia (that's a precursor to osteoporosis), B12 deficiency, all of which have lead to some unpleasant symptoms including depression, anxiety and real brain fog to the point where I wondered if I was suffering dementia.
That's as a result of six years of calorie restriction, coupled with a lot of very hard exercise. I'm thin, yes, but I was well on my way to being a frail little old lady! I broke a rib three weeks agoand all I was doing was trying to adjust the knob on a spin bike that was done up a bit tight! That is what led to the bone density test, which showed my bones are not what they shoudl be. Needless to say by the time I lay out what I know I need to eat in a day, there's over 1500 calories there. I can eat that, I'm maintaining now, not losing, but it just really proves to me that you absolutely CANT survivive on 500 a day and you really really need to be supplementing carefully. You need a good multi, you need your Calcium and if you're menstruating, you need your Iron.< /p>
You can feel fine for years undereating, but it kind of hits you all of a sudden.

That seems ridiculous to me since bypass is much more invasive than the band. With the actual cutting of the stomach, the bypass patients should need to take it easy but the band requires no cutting and doesn't take long to heal. Up your calorie intake, if you are feeling dizzy, your body is telling you to eat, your blood sugar is too low.

200 lbs gone in 2 years. No, the band doesn't work. I work the band.

The one thing that bothers me about the big BMI is it does not take in bone structure. I have a large bone structure and will still be considered overweight when I hit my goal of 160 (I am also 5'5) Any thinner and I will look sick, so set your own goal, you know your body and will know when you hit the weight you look and feel your best at.

Night coughing is one of the signs you are too tight. If it is only one type of food that makes it happen, just avoid that food. If it happens with many types of food, go get a very tiny bit of fill taken out.

My surgeon put 3.2cc in my 14cc band. I didn't even notice it. I've since had five fills (I think - maybe it's four) and I'm at my sweet spot, sitting at 9cc. I also had very little bandster hell to deal with. Not sure if they're related. I think if you start with some Fluid in your band, you'll be closer to the eventual sweet spot.
My surgeon said the reason he puts some Fluid in the band during surgery is to firm up the band so the band doesn't move, and so the stitches heal in place better.
Dave

As a member of the obese community who is hopefully and happily on her way out, I can identify with the pride and newfound surprise you feel at no longer feeling the need for food. However, for most people who are grossly overweight, such as those of us who have been banded, one of the main reasons we got this way is because we have addictive personalities.
food is still something to nourish and fuel you. It's ok to still eat in celebration and with enjoyment. Food is a joy! But like family, children, drugs or men, there's only so much we can handle before it becomes a burden. My brain argues constantly with my inner-skinny child. It doesn't like leaving most of the salad on the plate or paying $10 for a meal that will mostly get left untouched.
You and everyone reading this may benefit from researching addiction transfer. Google it. It is a HIGHLY common thing found in those who go thru the gastric surgery journey. Finding we can no longer stuff ourselves, we drink more, gamble, do drugs, etc. Sadly, many people confess that weight loss dramatically alters their personalities, marriages and lives.
At one point you were strong enough to admit you needed help with your weight and diet because you couldn't do it alone. Now is the time to admit you may need help dealing with the mental side of things.
I wish you luck and much happiness.

z

200 lbs gone in 2 years. No, the band doesn't work. I work the band.