Shoshanna

The article frosted my apricots a tad, too, and not because I didn't like what it has to say but because I question the author's motivation and interpretation of data. Okay, let's consider a few things about the article, starting with the particular ax the author has to grind: a book called “The Treatment Trap: How the Overuse of Medical Care is Wrecking Your Health and What You Can Do To Prevent It,” 2010. She has a vested interest in emphasizing treatment problems and therefore her ability to be objective is a tad suspect. Comparing dissatisfied customers of lap bands with Toyotas: a driver's physical and emotional health have no effect on a car's mechanical soundness; lapbanding is done on obese people who often have one or more comorbidities that may have a deletrious effect following any surgery, including bariatric surgery. Nine percent needed some kind of surgical adjustment. 91% did not. Four people experienced erosion; 295 did not. Half the people who had the procedure reported nausea and vomiting. How soon after surgery did nausea and vomiting occur? Anesthesia makes me sick as a dog for a couple of days. Eating improperly with a band will cause sliming which as those of us who have experienced know is different from vomiting. Was there any distinction made between sliming and genuine nausea-induced vomiting? Thirty-four percent suffered from gastroesophageal reflux. My GERD disappeared 100% immediately following surgery. The article does not note statistics for post surgery relief and does not mention whether or not GERD was pre-existing. 24 percent of people experienced band slippage (which might stem from excessive vomiting). And why were these people vomiting? Any statistics on pre-surgical bulemia? 14 percent developed stomach blockages. See eating improperly above.

I believe my fills are $75 with insurance paying part of that. No fluroscope- I can feel the port for myself and it has never taken the doc more than a single stick to get the job done.

My family doctor suggested that artificial sweetners might be the cause of my gas problem. I cut way back on them and the gas problems disappeared. When I increased my intake of artifical sweetner, back came the gas problems. Hope something this simple can help you.

I had mine unfilled after an illness in January that caused some swelling of my stomach. My doc said this was pretty common after a gastro-type illness. After two years being able to eat anything put me dangerously close to a dead panic but I lived through it and have fluid back in the band now. As the others said, I've noticed a difference in the type of restriction I have now but I'm not sure it is a bad thing to mix msyelf up periodocally and try some different foods. Having said that, I am finding that bread and chicken are beginning to bother me again so maybe I'll eventually be back to the old foods.

Well, thank you for that information and congratulations on an astounding weight loss- 25 lbs below goal! I don't know that I've seen diet hot chocolate. Can you suggest a brand or tell me the difference between diet and sugar free hot choc?

We need to start the Twelve Pound Club. Congratulatons to both of you for the fabulous weight loss you've achieved! I had a bit of a set back in January after I got gastroenteritis and had to have the band loosened to allow the swelling to go down. For the first time in a couple of years I could eat anything and it was terrifying. I gained about four pounds before I got the refill. The main remaining problems are evening snacking (band is looser at night), my sweet tooth and the coconut M&Ms that the damned MARs company came out with. I know what I need to do and I'm working on it with more success somedays than others. Just two bad habits to break instead of a dozen, so I guess I'm still ahead of the game.

I received a two year anniversary notice along with a 57th birthday greeting from administrators of this site and thought I'd actually wander by to say hello. This is only the second post I've made but it is a happy one for me. In two years I have dropped from 240 pounds to 160 pounds, twelve pounds away from my goal weight. Two years ago I wrote a feature story for the local newspaper about the lap bander who was currently the Poster Girl for the local hospital's weight management program. Two months ago my surgeon, Todd Beckstedt, asked if I would allow the weight management program to use my pictures in their advertising program. I've enjoyed my fifteen minutes of fame and got a beautiful set of professional photos out of the deal. I didn't lose weight as fast as many people. I chose to not go on a restrictive diet and I didn't change my exercise program much (I teach dance and take care of four horses which keeps me fairly active). I gave up most of my favorite foods simply because I could no longer tolerate them with the band in place. Since my favorite foods included things like pizza, hamburgers, french fries, and whatever else could be cooked in hot grease, giving these things up made a big difference. I do still struggle with my sweet tooth, which is the reason for the plateau on which I am currently perched. In many ways the last twelve or fifteen pounds are harder for me than the eighty pounds I already lost. That is not to say the first eighty were easy (they weren't) but I see the goal within reach and go into a panic because I have been to this point so many times only to backslide. Thank goodness for the lap band and the latest fill. They are marvelous tools and I am grateful to have them. I went to Europe with a theater group last fall- not only did I not gain weight but actually lost several pounds! The others gave in to the lure of Belgian pastry and German beer while I must've tasted every type of Soup made in central Europe and drank gallons of "wasser mit gas." Overall my health has improved, I can indulge my fondness for clothes, and I can get on my horse without a mounting block. I am a happy camper.

I signed up for this forum two and a half years ago when I first began considering lap band surgery. Since I never became part of the online community I thought it might be appropriate to officially introduce myself. My name is Shoshanna and I received my band in March of 2010. My weight loss was slower than that of many people and I hit my share of plateaus along the way, but that is okay. My highest weight was 240; I now weigh 160 with a final goal weight of 148. Currently I am resting on another plateau and thought perhaps some interaction with other banders will help me over what I hope is the final hump. If I can lend an ear or benefit of experience to others along the way, all the better.