BetsyB

It happens! Once you begin to have restriction, you quickly learn that taking even one bite too many is very, very uncomfortable. You learn to listen to your body's cues---"full'' means something completely different when banded--and stop when satisfied, so that you don't cross over the line. Because crossing the line is not fun. (You also learn to serve portions that are more aligned with your body's needs---so while you may be leaving a little behind, you're not leaving a ton. Except in restaurants---where even when you order just an appetizer or Soup, you'll end up taking a meal's worth home with you.)

I know you're farther down the road, but can you take him to one of your surgeon's introductory seminars? Or to one of the preop classes/appointments with you? My husband was not enthusiastic about the prospect of banding at all--but the seminar and attending the first appointment with me put his mind at ease. (For one thing, it strongly put into perspective the relative risks of obesity and surgery.) My daughter was also nervous---but away at school. A couple of weeks before my surgery, she attended my nutrition class with me. It covered the same stuff as my initial seminar, plus a good deal more. She left feeling reassured, as well. I know you've been trying to protect him from worry, but knowledge really is power. If your fiance hears, from your surgeon, that the risks of surgery are far, far less than those of remaining obese---and really are quite minimal----his mind will be put at ease. I respect your wish to make him more comfortable, but he is quite mistaken about the "both parties" thing; it is your body, and if he is demonstrating control issues about something that is not his to control, it represents a problem to me. "Both parties must agree" is a terrific policy to apply to having babies---but not to things that have the potential to improve your health, quality of life, and lifespan. (And you can tell him unequivocally yes--you will be making decisions independently after marriage; if you want a healthy relationship, you will remain independent in many regards.) It's a shame he's flexing his control muscle so soon before your surgery date--it doesn't leave much time to explore what's really behind it. In your shoes, I'd tend to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume it's fear---and give him the information he needs to become comfortable with it. But I'd really want to explore the control and communication issues before marriage. Perhaps with a professional. The fact that you have felt the need NOT to discuss this with him--so as not to rock the boat---leaves me feeling vaguely concerned about the tenor of the relationship.

I know several who started with earlier incarnations of banding in the early- to mid-90s, and have converted to adjustable banding----so while they've had revision, they've been banded for a good 15 years.

My doctor vetoes it for the first year--primarily because he wants his patients to establish completely different eating habits. Alcohol isn't the devil. But it is liquid calories, and the body treats the calories from alcohol differently than it handles other calories; it is much more efficiently converted to body fat. That, and alcohol is a disinhibitor. Catch a buzz, and suddenly the nachos you've done a splendid job of resisting for months start beckoning---and finding their way into your mouth... For me, the issue is tolerance. I eat way less, I weigh way less, and my tolerance is zilch. So a sip or two of my husband's blood Mary (hey--it's a vegetable!) is about all I have room, or tolerance, for. I need to put other things into my stomach to ensure my good health, and the real estate is at a premium--I just don't have room for it.

I never really had any time constraints attached to eating, but I do understand the lack of interest in eating. I didn't experience it as early as you did--but I didn't have any restriction for quite a while. Your loss so far has been really good---but I would be sure that you are at least meeting your nutrient needs. Calories don't concern me as much as Protein, fat, Water, and micronutrients (Vitamins and minerals). Do your track what you eat? I use fitday.com, and this allows me to ensure that I meet my needs. If I didn't track, I would probably fall well short of my protein needs, in particular, each day. I also take a good-quality bariatric Multivitamin as "insurance," as well as a handful of other supplements (some recommended by my doctor, and some because I consistently fell short of the nutrient dietarily---again, tracking let me identify what I was missing). At this point, I wouldn't be worried about a lack of interet in food---that's pretty much what we all aim for! But I would want to make sure I was getting what my body needed to remain healthy.

I have found that, as I've pared out sugary (and most artificially-sweetened) foods, my previously overactive sweet tooth has gone into retirement. That doesn't mean that I don't sometimes have treats; I do. But they are just that, occasional treats. I now see the wisdom of my doctor's eating regimen. At first, I followed it simply because I believed (and experienced!) that it would best promote loss. But I know get it: removing certain foods from my repertoire for a period of time quashed the craving monster. And now, when I've been green-lighted to add foods back, they don't trigger craving. It's pretty darn magical--at least for me. The monster has been slain. So, I agree with the advice to get the stuff out of your house. Learn to manage your band, lose a significant percentage of your excess body weight, gain a sense of real mastery of the problem---YOU are in control! And when the time comes, you can indulge---and the strength of any cravings that result will be more manageable, because you will have great coping skills, great weight loss, and a greater sense of control under your belt.

Pull out your insurance policy; it will spell out, very specifically, what conditions must be met in order for you to qualify. My insurance required a BMI of 40 with no comorbidities, but would band from 35-39 if 2 comorbidities were present. You would qualify with my plan--but yours may be completely different. The doctor's questions about your weight history may be simply for their purposes--it's good for them to get a feel for their patients' histories so they can assess who is a good candidate (often, with heavier patients, this is to determine whether banding or bypass would be the best choice). Good luck!

No worries. Your preop diet--and the band--will take care of the weight for you.

I agree with Elfie---give it a rest before making decision.

Leg-crossing rocks! I like wrapping a regular sized bath towel around me--and having nothing protrude. (Actually, there's an 11-inch overlap--yes, I measured LOL). And being in the bathtub---with everything submerged. That's fun.

None of the above. I'm a rule-follower, but not because I'm scared. I follow the rules because I trust my doctor, and know he has good reasons for his recommendations. Now that I'm many months out of the starting gate, I do tailor things to fit my life best; my doctor knows this and is fine with it. But during the initial healing phase? I was 100 percent compliant, 100 percent of the time. (Heck, I'm still 100 percent compliant 99 percent of the time!)

Well, I don't think it's an ER issue; I'd call my bariatric surgeon. How long have you been banded? It's pretty common to have liquid stools for a period of time postop, followed by stool that is part liquid/part solid. And painful gas is very typical. But I'd be most comfortable calling my surgeon--whether freshly banded or not---to see (a) if s/he wanted to do an assessment (your abdominal distension and discomfort seems to perhaps warrant this), or (:smile2: if s/he had good suggestions for comfort measures you can take. (For me, walking, a hot Water bottle, and Gas-X were miraculous. But really--give your surgeon a call.) ETA: If I've misunderstood and you've called the bariatric surgeon with no good response, I guess I would try an ER in a hospital where banding is performed; I'd want the ER docs to have access to input from a bariatric surgeon, if need be.)

It's completely normal to be completely overwhelmed when newly postop. You eagerly anticipated surgery--then BAM! Reality set in. And there are lots and lots of changes. Plus, you're starving--which makes everything more difficult to tolerate! It gets easier--I promise. I was hungry pretty quickly postop---within a day or so. My doctor starts patients on pureed Protein (in tiny amounts) on Day Three, so I was okay...but still genuinely hungry. And that persisted until I achieved restriction. Still, I stuck with his plan--which taught me good habits, took a lot of the guesswork out of eating (which was good, because it hugely removed the Overwhelmed Factor), and gave me a leg up on losing. Try to remember that this is a process. You're early in the game, so no one expects you to have mastered everything yet. Over time, you'll reach a comfort level with your band. But right now, you're a newbie. (It doesn't help that things like anesthesia, surgery, meds, and hormone fluctuations due to loss can wreak havoc on mood in the early days.) It's very frustrating, but so, so normal. And it really does improve.

Check with your doctor. I was cleared for exercise without restriction after my 4-week check.

Johns Hopkins does not recommend no meat; their actual stance can be found here. (Sometimes, releases are attributed to certain institutions that really do not support their stance. This seems to be the case with what you read.) Johns Hopkins: Nutrition|Weight Control on choosing lean meat The article states: I notice that you've been told that nuts and nut butters are a good non-animal source of protein. While they do contain some protein (and about an equal amount of carb), they should primarily be considered fats. (For example, Peanut Butter has about 4 grams of protein, 3 grams of carb, and 8 grams of fat per tablespoon.) The fats are heart-healthy, and nuts/nut butters certainly can be part of a good, protein-rich diet, but they provide a big calorie bang for the protein buck, and probably should not be relied on too heavily, given that their calories come mostly from fat.

Another celeb who "stopped drinking and started eating right" and has had an astounding loss is John Goodman. He looks so much healthier---and while I suspect bariatric surgery helped him achieve his loss, I guess the important thing is that he is so much healthier. He was headed to an early grave, for sure.

Skip flaxseed oil--because once the seed is cracked and the oil extracted, it oxidizes quickly, and its Omega benefits are lost. Plus, the seeds themselves are rich in Fiber and phytonutrients that the oil lacks---so while a bottle oil flax oil is a pretty nice oil, it doesn't offer the benefits of flax at all---just nice oil. Start with whole seeds--and crack (you can crunch it between two spoons) or grind right before using. Store the whole seeds in the fridge between uses. I grind and sprinkle a tablespoon or so over cottage cheese or yogurt, or whiz it into my smoothies. It's pretty calorie-dense, so I stick to a tablespoon a day, unless I'm low on calories and fat.

Yes, it can safely be crushed--but it's gross. Liquid Lorcet is available; it is the same drug (hydrocodone plus acetaminophen), and goes down much more easily.

I think exercise is perhaps the most crucial part of the equation--especially when it comes to reaching goal (rather than just "losing a lot") and maintaining goal weight. I can't imagine not incorporating exercise into the new lifestyle--it defies logic, if one's goal is to lead a longer, healthier life (and look better--because it factors heavily into that, too). I do agree that exercise doesn't have to be punishing or daunting. Lacing up a pair of sneakers and walking is a perfectly good way to incorporate exercise into your life.

Excess skin is not related to weight of loss, contrary to popular belief. It is related to the degree to which it was stretched, duration of obesity, whether there were previous gains and losses (including pregnancies), genetics, age, whether you smoke, and other factors. The only thing that rate of loss has to do with it is that, if you lose quickly, the excess skin becomes more evident sooner. Truly--that's something to put out of your mind. As for other safety concerns related to loss, talk with your doctor. Mine is fine with a very low calorie diet and rapid loss, as long as certain health indicators are intact. (He does routine blood testing, etc.)

I haven't seen any peer-reviewed research linking the band with autoimmune disease, so I'd be inclined to view it as coincidental. I'm very, very sorry that you're experiencing these distressing symptoms, though--and hope you get to the bottom of it quickly.

I hope you get to the right fill level. That said, no matter what your band is doing, you need to consistently do the things that promote loss---regardless of the scale feedback. Right now, you're playing games with yourself, and it's causing you emotional distress. No matter what the scale tells you, you need to exercise. Routinely. No excuses. That's the way to create the success you want to experience. Same goes for eating properly. Is it hard when you aren't properly adjusted? Yes. Do it anyway. The band isn't going to do it for you--you need to develop and maintain these habits for a lifetime. The time to start is NOW---not some arbitrary point down the road when you have better restriction.

Day Four was miserable for me. The worst of all days. But it gets better :smile:

Blah. I hate this kind of game-playing. Doesn't your insurance and/or surgeon require a battery of preop testing designed to show that you're a suitable candidate? If so, I'd approach my PCP in this way: "Doctor, before I have this surgery, I will see a cardiologist, a pulmonologist, and a psychologist. All will have to sign off on my suitability as a candidate for surgery. I may have to have a sleep study and pulmonary function tests. What I need from you is simply a letter indicating you believe that banding is a suitable way for me to tackle my weight issues. You've known me for long enough to know that I am serious about weight loss, but have not been able to achieve it independently. Can you please write the surgeon a letter stating that you support my effort to lose weight by this means? There is no liability risk; the risk of surgery itself is low, but besides that, I will need clearance from a number of specialists---and I will never see the inside of an operating room if I don't pass muster." My PCP's participation was not required for banding, but he was lukewarm at best when I told him . Not really negative--but lukewarm. He's done a total 180. He now recommends it to patients a lot.

It's been a no-go for me. I'd taken it (very successfully) for pain for years before surgery. I don't have problems with capsules postop; they do dissolve well before passing through the stoma. However, Cymbalta is not intended to be released from the capsule in the stomach. It is intended to pass into the small intestine intact. Its appropriate time release is dependent on this, and if it remains in the stomach (it can't pass through the stoma until the Gelatin cap dissolves), bioavailability is really skewed, and dosing becomes very, very difficult. My doctor is very skilled with meds, and also consulted with my pharmacist and pain doc. I've written a pharmacology textbook, so I'm no slouch on the topic either. And it's just not a great drug for bandsters. Opening the capsules is not recommended because again, the drug is meant to be released over time in the small intestine, and this route of administration bypasses that. (The exception to this is during weaning; some people find it useful to literally count out the little beads they take each day, very slowly tapering. I didn't need to wean that carefully; slowly reducing dosage over a few weeks was fine for me.) We went with a liquid SSRI instead. (Other antidepressant capsules often have the same time-release issue Cymbalta poses, and I have difficulty with pressed pills/tablets getting stuck.) I weaned off Cymbalta preoperatively with no difficulty. I did it slowly, according to recommendations from my pain doc, and had no side effects at all. Switching to an SSRI (Cymbalta's an SNRI) was pretty seamless.