general_antiope

Great news Alex.

Troll is slang for someone who goes on to message boards and deliberately causes arguments - it's not a reference to their looks in any way but rather their behavior not meant as an insult.

I gave up aspartame a while ago too. The problems it has caused in healthy people is frightening. You always hear about these man made chemicals one day being a death trap for people who innocently used them (sweet n low, tobacco!). I am not surprised at this kind of info.

Day 1 and 2 post op is a struggle. Today I was hungry!

All I did was take Aleve as gas x and my shoukder pain went away in hours.

For a different point of view, in larger forums like this having a karma type system was helpful to differentiate the trolls from the leaders. Karma is another term for having both a like and dislike button. It works by showing an average reaction to some posts people type. As a previous poster mentioned, having a user based rating system helped identify trustworthy sources. In any system, it's possible to abuse the system. Having points is just as risky as not having a points system if the goal is to let knowledgable and reliable people be recognized. My suggestion would be to keep the like button but add a group of special users that Alex "promotes" to be official LBT moderators, or ambassadors maybe. They could have a special title or badge that denotes them as such.

Hi there and welcome! There is nothing to fear...fear will sap your energy. Try to approach this in a positive and optimistic manner. You spent a lot of time planning this - you will do well because you want it! As far as diet, there are books out there for post bariatric surgery (and even banding) so try to google it. Also, your doctor will give you guidelines/menus. All doctors have different pre and post op instructions, so I'd ask them your question about no broth and all protein shakes. You're going to do great!!

I had a rough time! I was still in recovery until 6pm. I didn't walk around until the next morning. Sounds like you did great!

Aww thanks kll. My Cadence has changed my life <3 Now I'm going to teach her how to have a healthy relationship with food.

Let's hear your lap band related good news that DOESN'T involve your scale! There's tons of them out there - Did someone give you an unsolicited compliment? Did a previously negative person come around? Did you have your first positive experience in a dressing room, or get that outfit you've been yearning for? Share them all!

I'll start it off. I just broke 250 today! I weighed in at 248. I am still bloated with fluid but it's nice to see the scale finally budge after surgery 4 days ago!

Here is where you can brag about anything - lap band related or not! Let's hear all the good things going on in your life!

Welcome!

Hi Tina - wow what a story! And CONGRATS to you for beating breast cancer! YEAH GIRL!!!! KICK ITS A$$!!! Congrats on your baby boy, too! I'm in a similar boat. I was banded in 2004, lost 100 lbs, got the lower body lift, arms, breast lift...and have had a malfunctioning band since year 2. I would get fills for a solid year, monthly, and each month I'd be empty. I had the port replaced, then the tubing replaced, and then I got pregnant. And the band disconnected completely last April! So I gained 65 lbs with pregnancy (beautiful baby girl!), am now at a net loss of 50 lbs out of the 100, but still want to get down at least 80. I just got rebanded on Monday - new model. I had the old 4cc band, so I am starting all over again and taking nothing for granted. What worked last time may not work this time. But I feel like I got the emotional roller coaster of being banded for life out of my system 8 years ago, and now I'm a smart veteran. No hysteria, no fear, no anxiety. We know how this works, don't we? It sucks we're the "do overs" but I think it happens to us because we're strong, and we can handle it. Looking forward to the journey with you. Keep us posted on your progress

How cute, little girls! I have a baby girl right now. I can't wait until she's a toddler and making me run after her, I can't even imagine how fun being 10 will be. I'm with you though - I want to get lean and healthy so she and I can have uninterrupted fun as she grows. Rollercoaster fiend, eh? Got a favorite?

Haha I'm also apple shaped. IT sucks!!! Suits off the rack? LOL no way. Separates are our friends. And never say never about the strapless shirts/dresses. Your life is about to change in a big way, prepare to have your mind blown on big and little things over and over How cool! What kind of dancing do you want to learn with your DH? (and does he know what's in store for him, lol?) Amen on fitting into clothes without bawling in the dressing room! LOL. Yes I miss the energy I had 50 lbs ago. And my knees are starting to complain some mornings too when I go up and down the basement steps...what's up with that?! Can't wait to relieve the pressure on my joints. You'll have to let us know when you start feeling relief. Any kind of clothes you're looking forward to trying on? What kind of dogs do you have?

Yeah I don't know what the heck people are seeing. Some folks are saying there is no join button, or they click it and nothing happens. THen I go to add/invite them and they're already in the group. Thanks for posting your experience, hopefully this will help others join!

Haha I can't get my wedding ring on!!! LOL. I feel bloated for sure. I just drank a cup of coffee and a cup of water. Will really pump the fluids in this morning and see if I can shed some of the fluid today!

Tomorrow TWINBAND is getting banded!!! Let's wish her GOOD LUCK for a successfully surgery and speedy recovery!!

Added Twinband and Taliegurl!

Gas X is your friend!

Puree some chicken and mashed potatoes. Take a can of Soup and veggies and puree it up - make sure you're adding juice, stock, anything to whatever you puree to keep it mushy and not dry. Consistency is key here. Meatballs were also recommended by my surgeon, pureed with sauce and stuff. THere's also noodle-less lasagna, where you microwave some low fat ricotta, sauce (can have meat in it as long as it's pureed), and some mozzarella melted on top. how awesome is that? Basically anything you're going to eat on your normal solid diet can be mashed into a shake of some sort, that you can eat with a spoon. Baby food will also work here.

Wow lots of Feb bandsters here!! We have a dedicated group for those of us getting banded this month. Please feel free to join - we have threads on pre and post op support, and general discussion that's a little more organized. http://www.lapbandta...2013-bandsters/ Note: Groups aren't currently accessible on your phone or iPads. This will be fixed in a few weeks, along with a facelift to the Groups area to make them easier to navigate. To Join: Click on "Join this group" and then go to "Group Discussion" under the right side navigation. You can start a new topic or start reading and commenting there!

The group forums don't work on iPads or phones...this will be fixed in a few weeks I'm told, along with an overhaul of the Groups area so it's easier to navigate. Woo hoo!