sashad

OKay, first post for me, banded 10/15/10 have had hypothyroid since i was a slim & fit 40 yr old, am 66 1/2 now. Endo doc always had me at mid-higher levels of Synthroid, but at 50 my weight just kept adding on, 10 lbs a year at least. Good results from LB intil about 14 mos ago, i plateaued-out--but have kept same weight while exercising & not exercising. Last 6 mos, my thyroid has been fluctuating an unusual amount. I take .150 mcg Synthroid, which is 2 below the top amount, of about 10 dosages. I test again in 6 weeks. My band was put back to 10 cc after a painful 6 month journey discoverying my reflux had returned with a case of gastritis, just diagnosed by the gastro doc. Oh yes! NO Contrast die for people like me because I am alergice to the IODINE used in the contrast! A good thing to know at my age, but i am not complaining as I have really enjoyed health so far with all my parts intact! But, the pouch was dilated & sagged over the band, i think, because gastro doc sucked food particles during the endoscopy. So now, i am talking to my pouch to heal and not be saggy so Dr Stahl at Kirkland Clinic in Birmingham Alabama can put some restriction back. I just had to give a promo to the doc & the clinic is pretty well organized & fantastic & everything I have had done there. I live 45 milies south of Birmingham, the great medical mecca of the area. And, I had stopped my wellness visits at least 6 months ago, so this is my fault for not being more in touch--i knew something was really really wrong when i could no longer drink 10 oz of water at a time, it just took 3 weeks for me to get diagnosed & treated. Anybody even considering of voting for Obama, just realize that people like me will have to wait many more weeks of pain & discomfort to get treatment for stuff like this w/Medicare because the number of docs will radically thin out! will post again after i see the endo doc & the bariatric doc Stahl. I just pray my pouch can recover its elasticity--but I'm an older bird, so maybe not. Oh, also, with plateau, the skin & muffin top in jeans seems to be reducing slowly...somewhat. But, i am still a happy grandma & very thankful for what the band has helped me do...so far!

Dear Violinist--you must take Snythroid daily, preferably at the same time, because the disease affects your body on the cellular level. Your disease is nothing to be casual about. You may be young, and if you want to be healthy to a ripe old age, get that life-saving medicine in your bod each day! No, you may not die right away from not taking it, but I promise your quality of life will suffer and you will be risking your long-term health. I don't know what bad possibilities I can lay out for you, to impress you, because I have not read up on the disease in 25 years since I was diagnosed. I have taken this little pill every day of my life since then, even though some times I had no health insurance & had to choose between this prescrip. and more food for the kids. That's how important it is. So choose to make a $ sacrifice, if that is your situation, give up something else, for you long term health. Please, take advantage of the gift of medical science and get the pills and take them. There's no ____ side effects! Don't make excuses for causing yourself poor health, you have to be somewhat bright if you read music & play a stringed instrument w/no frets (ha ha) Good luck to you.

Emma, after being a sweet tooth girl my whole life, I finally started gaining weight after my thyroid stopped working. Over a 10 year period, I went from a healthy 145 in my 50's to over 200 in my 60's. In the early years of weight gain, I cut out my daily ration snickers bar totally. After some years went by w no sweets, I noticed one day I no longer craved sweets, but could hardly tolerate them, except after a meal. Goes same for carb craving--w lap band in 9/14/10, I have cut out breads, starchy stuff & do not crave that either anymore. My point here is, those cravings can go away & just say no. (I stopped drinking sodas & sweet drinks years ago also.) Look at your future at what you will eat, & not all the stuff you won't. Strawberries are really sweet, add sweetner, cut them up & have at the end of a meal or for a treat. Look for healty substitutes for all the snack stuff & you'll overcome that craving.