Bettina

My sis had GP & lost weight but not all. A friend of mine also had GP..lost a lot in the first year and is now at a standstill. My Doc did both of their surgeries....he told me that GP patients only lose weight in the first year...it is critical to lose in the first year because after that, the weight loss efforts slow down because the stomach has stretched and is larger than it was when they came from surgery. Banding however only allows you to lose 1 to 2 lbs per week, hence weight loss is seen into the 4th year out. GP was not an option for me because nobody is cutting thru my stomach ulesss I have cancer. Scar tissue in GP can also be a problem. I want to lose the weight slowly so that I don't need any tucking...plus they cut a part of your stomach away that does the absorbing. My sis lost a lot of hair--grew back but I can't afford the hairpieces! My doc trained in California with Carnie Wilson's doc who is a founder of the GP surgery. That is all the credentials I need. He also went to Pittsburgh to train with the lap band inventor (he came up from Austrailia to train.) So you have to be general when you talk about this because you can't be specific because GP does not affect everyone the same way, just like banding has affect all of you differently. (so, can Dody really be ganged up on for making a generalization? It would have been far worse had she been specific-which who really can anyway?) The whole point of these boards is to learn, and to hear things that make us go hmmmm...is good.

LOL that's impossible, you aren't from the West!!! :omg: J/K

I am gonna take my underpants to the local yacht club and they can use them for sails!! I always say they look like they belong on the Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria..........hey maybe Hollywood would want them for Pirates of the Carribean III !!!!! :faint:

Thank you.. I am not traveling but I found the bra part especially helpful...i hate not wearing a bra! Hmmmm gonna have to figure that one out...and of course I was gonna wear my jeans---duh, what was I thinking!!?? My sis had our mom make tons of spandex "onsies" for her..they are really loose-baggy all over-feel naked wearing them...Oh she made a uni-onsie....sleeveless......I think I will have mom make one for me then I can wear a loose fitting tee-shirt and still feel "nipple protected"!!! I am lucky enough to only have to drive 1/2 hr to 45 mins from my house for my band. (Atlantic City, NJ) Thanks so much Kutia for the info!!!!!! :clap2:

Hi I am back...I was busy getting slammed on another thread...I need to stay right here where the nice people are! I was just skimming thru the threads and noticed my name, so nice of your guys to ask about me. I will go back and read them in full so I know how everyone is and what they are up to. Ha ha I did notice that someone said that most here were NJ wannabe's..that is funny! This weekend you don't want to be one...weather is stormy and crappy. Dishes are calling me, I have been ignoring them but they just keep getting louder....and I see the dirty laundry has given up on me too, i noticed it is crawling out of the closet on its own. (ugh) One would think that I lived alone...that I don't live with my husband or my son and daughter.....hmmm maybe I should act like I do and demand the remote, would they notice?? LOL Anyway, Have a great day, I'll check back tonight!

That was too funny, I forgot about the sweat factor, glad for the reminder...lol. And yeah.....I see your pic, you are not old!!!!!!

Where is this any different that what HootieBell said to Doty??:cry

Hi Poodles, where did you see these pics, i haven't been banded yet, but i'd like to see what I am getting into.

Doesn't your college have a gym? I just found out that mine does and its free...not to mention the campus is huge and totally fenced in -there are paths everywhere. (for the Nun's I think, its a Catholic College) I can't wait...my neighborhood is not the best place to walk in. I have an hour in between classes and on Mondays and Wednesdays I will be there from 11am to 9:30pm--I plan on lots of walking!

I was actually hoping for August 7th-its my Birthday...what a cool present that would have been! Aug 20th is my son's birthday! Best of luck to you!

Oh and I forgot to mention that I still have "barriatric boot camp" to attend, but that is a one day event no biggie.

LOL my plans and my doctors differ.....LOL. I started this journey back in April...then the tests, May, June and sleep apnea this month...I go Tuesday to be fitted for my mask (dang!!) Doc can't schedule me until he knows what number the mask is to be set at. Oh and I have to be wearing that lovely piece of fun for 2 weeks prior to surgery. So as soon as i get the number, and the confirmation on when I get the headpiece, I can call and say okay.....I am coming 2 weeks from now...get ready! I should be approved because my insurance covers lap band, and they have paid for all the tests along the way, and I have been in phone contact with insurance to make sure everything is okay, but i won't know for sure until the doc tells insurance the date he wants to operate.....he takes all my tests and the release from the general practicioner....and says "here is my patient, this is all her stuff and why I think she needs to be banded -and oh yeah she has sleep apnea as a co-morbidity....so are you okay with this?" and then they say yes or no. But my sis thinks that because my insurance covers lasik surgery which clearly is not life threatening, then I should be okay with the approval. Whew!! So my final answer is "as soon as humanly possible"

I love the Mayo Clinic...they have a really good book on weightloss. I have gotten it from the library, one of these days I will just buy it...lol

Though so:phanvan , that is why you had to run to the bathroom. Oil can be rather violent to the system. But so can fruit for that matter. One time when I was a kid, omg i thought i was dying.....my mom asked me what I ate......lol a whole box of Raisinettes (back in the day when I was only 105 lbs...lol) didn't know raisins and chocolate both act as laxatives- I never did that again!!:nervous

Ooooh yeah I want know too, I know that there was a post for a post-op check-list but didn't see a pre-op one!:teeth:

Alexandra, I think that is an excellent idea...locking this thread.

Did you take the oil?

Time2live, You are gonna be just fine....just like everyone said...its post surgery-blues. You could have had a different type of anesthesia for this surgery than what you had in the past...you know the FDA always bringing out new and "improved" stuff! You're doing awesome with your weight loss!! My doc told me that lap bandsters only lose 1-2 lbs a week so no worries if it seems slow -its normal. Take care!

Be careful with the oil, it can give you an upset stomach.....not to mention greasy stool....not pretty. (make sure that if you think you have gas...sit on the toilet anyway just in case) You will only pass worms if you have worms:p . Good luck- start with a small dose of oil!

:cry I did that.....short bursts....still liquify everything. My kids have been using it for smoothies...lol. My sis uses hers but I am not sure what she does other than omlets...I'll have to call her!

Hmmm...in my own humble opinion, it did sound a little preachy and "know-it-all-ish to me.(I just read the ice cream thread and the alcohol thread) And I understand concern but some people take overly concerned with a standoffish view. Its just human nature. I got slammed in the colon cleanse forum for not claiming to know all about colon cleanse but to say what I saw on the news. We don't know what goes on in a persons head and can't know what will hurt a persons feelings or not. So I have decided to stick with questions and only report on what I know from personal experience, that way I can't be attacked or misinterpreted in anyway.

A few years ago when I found my daughter eating a half an orange as her meal...I decided to get certified so that I can tell her that she wasn't being a healthy eater. I had always been skinny --I mean really skinny...5'6" and 105 lbs...gained weight after 3 kids. I figured if I had legitimate knowledge she would listen to me. I have 3 certifications now: Personal Trainer, Sports Nutrition, and Holistic Health. Learned a lot....hmm if I could just motivate myself. (although now that I am here I am totally motivated!) I am constantly reading labels and books and anything else health related to gain knowledge and get healthy...my doc said I should have gone into medicine. (I chose Psychology, Education, and History-go figure!) As you know I was on the colon cleanse board -which i have left for good! I have this great book called the 7-Day Detox ...I got it from a doctor at one of the seminars I attended...he and his wife actually tried it and loved it...like you Telly, they felt great and their energy and skin improved immensly! I have to review it again, as I am not sure if it can be done once banded...but it is all liquid so I don't see why not.

I own the Magic Bullet also--had to have it, couldn't wait to get it, have it almost a year now....my question is how do you chop things without liquifying them???? OMG you should see how the onions came out...could have drank them...ewww......I stopped using mine because apparently I am magic bullet challenged...LOL:faint:

Herbal remedies have (not all but a lot do) natural antidepressents in them and would counteract with the man made ingredients used in doc prescribed meds. Not to say that man made is bad---you just can't mix them.....like if you took St.John's wart with effexor...they both do the same thing, so a person could end up taking meds and still being depressed....very dangerous. This is stated in the pamplet you received (if you didn't get one--make sure you ask your pharmacist for one)...I am a huge believer in reading up on those pamplets!! Like telling my mom she has to ixnay the grapefruit juice while on blood pressure meds---which she didn't know...might as well be taking M&M's then!!!

Hi LadyTonya! The weight management people are (supposed to be anyway) registered dieticians to help you in your weight loss journey..I have seen mine once so far--11 more visits to go. They help you make good decisions when it comes to eating..esp after being banded. Endocrinology is for glands and hormones...hmm not sure on that one, but maybe they want to rule out any glandular problems that would cause weight gain...cause then the banding would be useless. I called my pulm docs office to ask a question and they got all up in arms...they were completely unreasonable! I asked them if I could go to another sleep apnea location (same company mind you) and they told me the doc doesn't read there and I explained that my insurance covered the "other" location and ----they could get me in way sooner than where they wanted me to go...doc promised to get me in asap...and the staff scheduled me for 5 weeks later!!!! Ummmmm, no that doesn't work for me! They were so rude they told the person at the other sleep center that I called them, and the new girl had the nerve to tell me that me getting the sleep apnea test sooner wouldn't get me surgery sooner!!!!!!! OMG....so I explained to her that I could not afford to pay out of pocket and as a patient I had the right to make sure that everyone got paid for services rendered. She was much better after that! I wanted to slap her. My surgeon specifically told me the sooner the sleep test, the sooner the band. Don't feel that you are being a pest......it is your right to see that anything related to your surgery goes smoothly!! I haven't been banded yet, I am like you--I really want this to happen!!! Best Wishes!!! Let us know how you are doing!!