wynn

Hi janine. When i first went to the surgeons office I went for the RNY. It is his policy to introduce both options to every patient. He told me about the two surgeries, the pros and cons of both and told me to come back in 1 month with my decision. The reasons I decided to go with the lapband are these: First, with the bypass you can never eat sugar again, and though I could've benefited from that restriction I did not want to never be able to even have a bite of my own birthday cake. Also, the band is reversible and for me that was the selling point. I was just too afraid that the bypass would not go well, or there would be some side effect that I would not be able to tolerate and I'd be stuck forever. I was banded on September 8, 2008 and I'm 5 pounds from goal today. My weight loss has been slow and steady through the entire year with no real complications about which I could complain. Getting just the right restriction took a few fills, but that's the worse thing I can say about the band. If you would like to talk to success stories first hand, I'd suggest you log into the chat room. Just click chat at the top of the home page on this site. There will be people in there that can share with you how much they've lost in how long. And believe me, there are plenty of people that had a bmi or higher than yours and have done really well. I think that this is an amazing tool for weight loss, and I wish you well whatever you decide.

I mix the protein powder in with the cold milk, put in the blender so there are no clumps and then heat the milk. I've never had a problem with the powder separating that way. It does tend to get pretty thick as it cools, so i use a bit less powder to milk. But after a fill, when my everything is so inflamed and swollen I often don't do well with cold drinks. This is sometimes the only way I have to get protein during those first days after.

Well I'm so sorry that happened to you. I can't imagine the disappointment of being totally ready to go and then being told you have to wait a little longer. However, it is my understanding that the white count elevates when you have an infection and for that reason I think in the long run you'll be better off waiting. Post op recovery for most people is very easy and quick, but one can have complications. I got an infection after surgery and was readmitted to the hospital. After waiting and waiting for my surgery date, and my "new beginning" I found myself very sick afterwards. If you can avoid this in any way shape or form then I say do it! Your day will come, just try and stay patient and count your blessings. This way, after surgery, your journey can begin immediately instead of trying to overcome another illness caused by having surgery when you were sick. Good luck, this is a great move you're making, you're going to just love the way you feel when you start losing with the band. Its really quite amazing. Wynn

I eat sushi all the time, and I love it. The rice can be challenging on tight band days. I would suggest, once you have restriction, that you take it very slowly with the rice. Tiny tiny bites and chew well. Also, it always helps me on tight band days to start my meals with a hot beverage. I like hot tea, and that just seems to relax things and loosen the band. Go luck.

I'm very sorry to hear that your weight loss journey has not been a complete success. It does seem to me that consistent after care and a good support system are key to long term success. I am currently mentoring another lapband member that is in almost the exact same situation as you. She lost 80 pounds in the beginning. Her aftercare was pretty much hit and miss. She had some difficulty with food getting stuck and vomiting for a bit, so they did a slight unfill which left her a bit looser than optimum restriction. Right after that she moved, and her new doctor was someone she saw when she felt like she needed a fill. He was not counseling her on her nutrition or even suggesting when to return for her next fill. As a consequence she gained all of the weight back. When we started talking she had pretty much given up. I met her in the chat room and explained to her that in my opinion she could succeed at this. I think that getting the band and not getting proper aftercare is like buying an electric drill and then trying to use it without power. You have the tool, but you have to know how to use it correctly or it just simply will not work. She has lost 15 pounds and is on her way to getting down again. She understands that the band is not a magic cure for weight loss, though it may seem like that at first. It is a tool to help us succeed only. We still have to make a commitment to this journey and we still have to work very hard in order to succeed at the loss and sustain that loss. We email every day, and text all day long, and the support and constant reminders seem to be helping her a lot. I think the 5 day pouch renewal test is a great option for you as a start. After that, when you start solid food again I strongly suggest that you follow the lapband rules of eating. Lean solid protein first, then veggies after. Try to stay away from the carbs as much as possible, at least at first. This is a rule my doctor gives me to identify when I need a fill, and I think its a good one: If you cannot eat 3 ounces of solid protein in one meal, then you are too tight,. If you eat the 3 ounces and you are still hungry or become hungry soon thereafter, you are probably too loose. I would suggest by all means that you keep trying for that "sweet spot". Not only will that help you with the amount of food you're eating, but I'm sure you remember how seldom you feel hungry when restriction is optimal. Good luck with your restart, I have complete confidence that you will succeed again. If I can help you in any way, please let me know. I'm a firm believer that the band can be a permanent "solution" to our obesity problems if we know how to use it, and follow band rules. It's not easy by any means, but it can be done and the rewards, as you know, are worth it. Oh, and by the way, congratulations on your huge success with quitting smoking. That is HUGE!!!!! You have prolonged your life by giving them up, now you just need to get back on band track. Again, good luck. Let me know if I can help in any way. xoxo w

Congratulations to you for having chosen to improve your life. I had surgery last september and I've never looked back, not even for one second. I'm 15 pounds to goal. Well, actually, to my first goal. I'm 5'10 and 3/4 and I started at 256, originally I had set my goal to 155. This morning I weighed 190 and I'm thinking that 155 will be too thin. So I reset my goal to 175 and I'll reassess. I do believe that I've encountered just about every little learning process there is with the band. It is a huge lifestyle change but so totally worth it. Every now and then I do see a person eating a big plate of food, say in a restaurant and for one split second I'll miss my old relationship with food. I'll just want to be able to dig in and enjoy. But then reality slaps me back to the present and I remember how much I don't hate my body, how much I don't cringe when I look in the mirror and how much I don't hide from the camera. Those are all huge gifts I gave to myself when I had this surgery and committed myself to making it a successful permanent solution to my obesity problems. For a start, here are four eating rules that you should follow religiously once you get put back on solid foods. If you follow these you will avoid some of the problems with which I have struggled. 1. take tiny bites. No bite should be bigger than the size of a pencil eraser. That, of course, means the eraser that's attached to the pencil not one of those great big ones you can buy separately. :thumbup: 2. Chew chew chew. Each bite should be chewed to the consistency of applesauce before swallowing. 3. Eat very slowly, several moments between bites. One extra bite can be the difference between full and having overeaten which is very uncomfortable. It takes a few seconds for the food to get there, and if you're taking fast bites one after another, it will be too late by the time you realize it. 4. Never combine liquids and solids in the pouch. You can drink first and then eat just a few minutes later. But after eating you need to wait at least 30 minutes before eating. 60 minutes is better. Fluids tend to force food through the pouch and can cause food to get stuck in the stoma. This is a very uncomfortable situation and usually results in vomiting which can be bad for the band. Hope this helps your beginning. I'd be glad to answer any other questions you may have. My journey has been a successful one and I would like to help others have the same wonderful successful experience. Congratulations, again, on the wonderful gift you're giving yourself. xoxo w

I also live in Yuma. Here is a link that may help you: Lap-band surgery now available in Yuma | jensen, shephard, surgery - Life - YumaSun I found a thread by Alex regarding lapband surgery in Yuma, AZ. I'm hoping that this doctor will be willing to provide you with aftercare I was banded 9/8/08 and I'm 16 pounds to goal. This has been an amazing journey for me, I'm loving every single step. I have been looking for other Yuma bandsters, if you're interested in getting together for a chat, or maybe a walk, please let me know. wynn

Hi Lizzie. Sounds to me like you're doing amazing!! And all this with no restriction yet. WOW! I am a slow loser. I was banded 10 months ago, and I've lost 65 lbs so far. I know others that were banded at the same time that have lost twice that. I DO NOT CARE. As long as I'm moving in the right direction, I'm happy. I'm in my 50s so I think that can contribute to a slower loss. In any case I think that if you concentrate on your journey, and not so much on the scale number you'll feel better about the process. Exercise, making good food choices, collecting healthy recipes, support groups, etc. Those are all things that you can concentrate on that will make this more fun. And if we're going to do it, it may as well be fun, right? As far as the "sweet spot" I believe that mine was on the 3rd or 4th fill, I don't remember exactly. Be patient, its better to go slower than faster with regard to the fills. Too tight can be very uncomfortable. My doctor worked up to restriction and I'm very happy he did. Keep up the good work, you are doing excellently. The only thing I can offer is, as I said, relax and have a good time. This is your new beginning, make it fun! Wynn

Hi steph, if you want to go to my profile and send me a private message with your phone number, I'll call you and walk you through it. There are a lot of people in there today, not as much as usual, but several, so its working for most. W

Steph, try it again. Log out of the main site, then log into the chat area. After you log back in, you still won't be in a chatroom, just at the chat site where you still have to click on lapband support. That's what I meant when I said choose the chatroom you want. They have lapband support, chit chat, singles, the sleeve room, and now a new testing room. We always chat in lapband support. Try again, its working for other people. Good luck, See you there. W

There is a glitch in the chat room, I have written to alex already regarding this. I did find a post from Evie explaining a trick to get in and it works. Go to the top right hand page and log out. Do not log back in at this area. Then click on chat, and log in there, on the chat page. Put in your name, password, click log-in. Then click the room in which you'd like to chat. This should work. Good luck hope to see you there. Wynn

I'm very sorry for your difficult recovery time. I had sort of a nightmarish recovery myself. I remember going into the doctors office for my one week check up and seeing all the people that had had surgery the same day as mine. One lady was in her seventies and she was practically dancing there in the lobby. I, on the other hand, was still getting help to use the restroom. I read Kristine's response to you, and I think she covered most things that you can do to help alleviate your symptoms. I would agree with her advice entirely. I would like to add, or empahsize, rather the importance of calling your doctor if you are not sure. I also had diarrhea for a long time, and the nurse had even assured me that it was because of the liquid diet; however, when it persisted for more than a week, I returned to the surgeons office and wound up being rehospitalized for c-diff. Apparently, the antibiotic shot that I was given post op for preventive reasons had wiped out all of the good intestinal flora leaving me very susceptible to infection. I was in the hospital for 2 weeks with that infection. Now, of course this is a very rare occurrence, I'm sure. I don't mean to scare you by any means. But, I would like to restate the importance of notifying your doctor of any symptoms that do not seem normal, or OK to you. He cannot help you if he does not know what's going on with you. Most of us are so afraid of bothering our docs, that we don't call, and the truth is that he works for you. If he is a good doctor, he will not mind the call even if its nothing, and he'll be very happy you called if its something he needs to help you with. Good luck, I hope you feel better soon. I believe if you do all that Kristine has offered in her letter you'll feel better soon. Wynn

First, I'd like to say that I'm very sorry that you have not had a happy experience after your surgery. This is a lot to go through to not have it be a success. I hope that you find the answers you need to help you regain the control. I would like to make a few comments that may help you. First of all, getting the band and then not getting fills is like buying an expensive electric drill and using it to hammer nails. The band is a tool for weight loss and it can be very effective, but only if you use it right. And to expect it to work for you without fill is only leading you to feelings of frustration and failure. The other thing that I think is very important for you to realize is that your doctor works for you, not the other way around. We have this tendency to idoloize our docs and we forget that they're essentially employed by us. If he mistreats you in any way, even with the disapproving looks, I would definitely look for another one that will help build your self esteem. After all, that's why we have the surgery, isn't it? To make us feel better about ourselves? Why then would we go to a doctor that does the opposite. Do a google search for fill centers of america or fill centers usa. If you live in or near a big city you may find one near enough to you to go there. I do not think you need to go for another surgery. I personally think that you can be successful with the band with the right support and encouragement. As I said, this is a tool for weight loss, not a magic cure. And I believe that what you need is someone to help you with that tool, someone to be there to answer your questions, and reassure you when you're struggling. None of us stay on program every single second, if we could do that we would not have needed that band, and I have gone to my doctor many times (especially in the beginning) when I had not lost any weight. My doctor was very kind, and just spent a few more minutes with me talking about my food choices etc. That's what your doctor should be doing for you. Also, there are lifestyle classes that you can attend, and you should definitely find yourself a lapband support group to go to. I'm happy to help you in any way I can. If you'd like my email address I would be happy to supply you with that. I was banded last september, and I'm 16 pounds from my first goal. I originally had set a goal of 155 pounds, I'm 5'10" 3/4" but at my current weight, I'm thinking this may be a bit too thin, so I'm going to 175 and then reassess. I use the chat room on this site, plus a couple of other supportive web sites to keep me on track. I saw my doctor once a month for the first 8 months, which was not an easy feat as his office is 3 hours from me. I'm 53 years old, so I tend to lose slowly, but that's ok. This is not a race for me. The time will pass anyway, I figure. It can pass w me getting smaller or getting bigger. I'm trying to choose smaller. I would be happy to mentor you in any capacity that you think would help. Again, I'm so sorry that you have not been able to experience your band as a success, but I don't think that your chance has passed you by. I think its just waiting there to be seized. In any case, I would not consider a second surgery until you've exhausted all possibility of making the band work for you. Good luck, and let me know if I can help you in any way. Wynn

I think you make a very good point. I am not a particularly fast loser, but I do know that without the band, I would not be able to sustain the behavior required to lose weight over the long term. I have lost before, many times in fact, but seldom without help (like phen/fen). So, I do know that this is not "in my head"; however, I think that at least a tiny part of my motivation is psychological. I mean, I went through this surgery, and expense, so it would be pretty terrible of me to waste this opportunity by not even trying. With regard to the no fill, I have a very very sensitive pouch. With or without restriction I have to eat very slowly, and if I do not do that, up it comes. And, as we all know, when you eat slowly you eat less. I do lose better, and with more ease when i have good restriction, but I do not stop losing when the band is loose. Also, I am a regular chatter on this site, and I have 'spoken' to many people that have fill left in after surgery. More than a few doctors leave saline in the band after the test fill, and I've heard anywhere from 2-5 cc. There are many people that log onto the chat room that have not have their first until months after surgery and they are losing very effectively. In my opinion, bottom line, who cares why it works, as long as it does !

Hi Helen, I'm wynn. I live in Yuma, but I was banded in san diego and i go there once a month for fills and/or to see my doctor. I had surgery on 9/8/08, and I've lost 53 pounds. I'm losing somewhat slowly, though I'm still completely satisfied with it. Since my surgery, I have made a complete turn around in how i look at food. I'm making good food choices, and I'm cooking more and more so I can be sure of what ingredients go into my food. I still have two kids at home, and I like the fact that I'm teaching them, by example to eat healthy. I have had some bad days with vomiting. All of which are absolutely operator error. If I wait too long to eat, and I'm overly hungry I have a hard time staying focused on the eat slow and take small bites rules. I'm getting better as time goes on. I think the one thing I can say is that planning has been the most help for me. If I stay prepared, then I don't have to resort to just eating whatever I can find when I'm hungry.

I was banded on 9/8/08. Although I'm a slow loser (53 pounds) I have a very positive attitude. I'm glad I had the surgery and I'm making good food choices. I have two kids still at home, and i'm cooking more healthy for them, also. Basically, I have let them join me on my journey and they are really enjoying it. I am here if you need some help. I feel like I have a good handle on this process, and I'd be more than happy to help in any way you need me.

Oh thank you so much for that, susan. I didn't realize there was a difference.

Hi everybody, happy mothers day. I hope all mothers had a great day. Is everybody ready for the new challenge? This one is a revisit to a prior challenge. I've had lots of requests to do this one again, only for a longer period of time. Are you ready? NO SNACKING FOR FIVE DAYS You can eat as many meals as you need in a day (providing you are not violating your doctors' orders) but each meal has to be a complete meal, eaten at the table or wherever you usually eat your meals (not standing at the sink, or eating in the car). And, each meal must be eaten with silverware. Good luck everyone, and keep posting your progress.

I was also a little surprised that you're already eating solid food the next day after a fill. But, by what you describe, it doesn't sound like you're too tight. My doctor gives me this rule of thumb to go by, and I think its a good one: If you are unable to eat 3 ounces of solid (meat, fish, chicken) protein then your band is too tight. If you do eat 3 ounces of solid protein and you are still hungry, or get hungry again right away, your band is probably too loose.

Hi Everybody. Today is the last day of the protein challenge. How did everyone do? I actually found this one to be slightly more challenging than I expected. What I came to realize, is that I was not being as vigilant about eating my protein first as I thought I was. Once it became a priority in order to comply with the challenge, I realized how often I was eating other food first, even when protein was available. So far, because of the challenges, I'm more aware of snacking, drinking my water, making sure I have all of my exercise done and of being sure that I eat my protein first. I'm trying to keep up with all the good habits I'm forming as a result of the challenges. I hope you are too. Are you ready for the next one? Here it is: STRENGTH TRAINING: For the next five days, you are challenged to do some form of strength training every day. Strength training are those exercises that, instead of raising the heart rate and sustaining it for a period of time, are designed to build muscle mass. The more muscle tissue one has in ones body, the faster the metabolism. Now, this challenge will definitely be one that you will modify to suit your needs and capabilities. You can lift weights at a gym. You can do sit-ups at home, and lift filled milk jugs instead of weights. Also, an exercise ball can be used for many muscle building exercises. If you do an internet search for Strength Training exercises at home you will find a variety of sites to help you pick some exercises that are to your liking. Good Luck, and please let me know how you do.

Angelnurse, thank you for your idea. It is a very good one. I did not think of that, I'm ashamed to admit. But yes, those of you on liquids I apologize for omitting you. Please join our challenge by making sure that you get the required amount of protein each day. Since that varies so much from doctor to doctor, I will not set a minimum amount as we did with the solid food. We will just say, to meet the challenge daily you need to drink the amount of protein that your doctor suggests each day. Angelnurse, if this is not what you meant, or if you can improve upon this in anyway, I'll appreciate further comments. Thanks again.,

Hi Everybody. Today is the last day of the exercise challenge. I got up first thing this morning and met two girlfriends for a 4 mile walk. It was a beautiful walk, we had great conversation and great exercise. What a way to start the day. Is everybody ready for the next challenge? This one will be for three days. This is a protein challenge. 3 ounces of protein for each meal, to be eaten first. Think we can do it? If you are newly banded, and on liquids then you will not be able to do this one, but if you are on mushies you still can. You can use refried beans, cottage cheese, and anything else that you can think of that is soft protein. Lets hear from you. And if you have any ideas for challenges, let me know.

Hi everyone. How is everyone doing with the exercise challenge. Well I found out it is a lot easier to get my exercise in if I do it first thing in the morning. So as soon as I pick up Joseph in the morning I meet a friend at the local park and we walk for either an hour or an hour and a half, depending on what we have going on that day. Today, I had to leave after one hour because of other commitments. It starts my day with some fresh air, sunshine and exercise. What could be better. Everybody keep up the good work.