elikis

There are studies for both sides of the spanking argument. There has never been a study that refutes the fact that positive reinforcement is the most productive parenting technique. Common sense tells me that violence is ALWAYS counterproductive to ULTIMATE goals for child-rearing. I want to raise a non-aggressive, thoughtful, considerate and disciplined child. I can't see how hitting a child will help them to achieve those goals. I work with emotionally disturbed children and have yet to come across one that hasn't been "disciplined" with violence. Why use violence if positive reinforcement is more efficient and loving?

My husband has been doing the p90x program for about 2 1/2 weeks now, it looks tough!! I would love to join in too!

I have had the lapband since October and have not had any issues so far. I believe that if you educate yourself properly and through the right sources, you will have much less problems. My surgery was mostly uneventful, with one bout of nausea directly after waking up. My Dr. only does fills every 8 weeks, so I have had only one fill, which was pretty uneventful as well. I had read that in order to get the best from your fills it is good to have not eaten anything for the previous 6 hrs. I went in hungry and went out not hungry, that was pretty cool. After the swelling subsided in my stomach following the first fill, which was about one week out for me, I was able to eat large portions and realized that I was feeling hungrier than I probably should. That prompted me to do a little bit more research and finally realized how this band works. I was under the impression that I was supposed to have physical restriction that would force me to eat smaller portions. But, its not that simple, restriction is supposed to be just enough to trigger the vagus nerve and help you to feel satiated after smaller portions and this satiation should last 4-5 hours. I realized that I may have stretched my pouch a bit and could do a liquid diet that might remedy that. After doing a 5 day full liquid diet last week, I am feeling less hungry again. A lot of people get a little freaked out when they start to feel hungrier, but I realize that doing an occasional liquid diet can assist with that and I can get my restricted feeling back. It's a learning process and you have to be able to be flexible enough to try out different things to "work with the band". I haven't had any PB episodes, reflux or sliming like a lot of people complain of. I have been losing weight slowly, but steadily. I will probably start losing more when I incorporate more consistent workouts. So far I have had a very positive experience and hope for the same for you! Good luck! Lisa

The point of the Band is that you don't feel hungry for a longer time after eating smaller portions. If she is one who will eat even when not feeling hungry, or "cheat" my guess is she will have problems no matter what she does. Its a personal choice, really, both have positives and negatives based on your needs.

http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/exercise-during-pregnancy-myth-vs-fact Here is an informative article on the subject.

Have you sought out any others in your area that have had the lapband? I think support is so important! Maybe there are others who can walk with you once or twice a week.

Perhaps this can be an opportunity to educate the parents on the fact that positive reinforcement is the most effective parenting tool and that hitting/slapping/spanking children or belittling them are all methods that are counterproductive to their ultimate goals.

I missed meeting you guys!! Will you be meeting again?

I live in Yorba Linda and work in Long Beach! Wherabouts in Long Beach are you? Would love to find some time to walk during the work week. I have a very flexible job.

I just got my first fill this week and am trying to adjust to bandster diet! The first few days on liquid and then mushies was easy since I felt restriction, but then I wasn't sure how to get myself onto a routine after that so yester day and today I have been eating Whatever I felt was right! I just went on Myfooddiary.com and put in what I had eaten yesterday and today just to get an idea if my instincts are right or if I really need more guidance. Seems that I need more guidance since I am eating more calories, fat and sodium than I realized I was! I think that it will be a good routine for me to log my food daily so that I can really discover my weak spots and to be conscientious enough to change my habits. On that site it you also log your daily activities and it adjusts your calories accordingly. Seems pretty cool so far! Maybe it could be a start for you too!

Maybe instead of trying to imagine what you would look like, maybe you can focus on noticing the positive feelings associated with all of this change. Maybe imagining an increase in self-confidence, pride, self-worth and just enjoying life in general.

Hi Katiejane, It went well! It feels so good to not be hungry! I went in there in the afternoon and had read somewhere that for best results you should have at least 6 hrs between eating and fill, so my stomach was GROWLING before the fill. Then the fill, then no more hunger. I hope that this feeling lasts a while because my dr. only does fills 8 weeks apart. I got 5 ccs in an 11cc band. The procedure itself was pretty simple, the only bothersome part was the local shot which burned like crazy for a few seconds. So like "Loosing it for Life" said it was pretty quick. Just lay on the table, they give the local, root around with the needle for the port til the port is found, once needle is in the port you have to sit up or stand up, then while they put in the saline you sip water to be sure you are not completely obstructed. Took less than 10 mins. How are you doing?

Getting my first fill tomorrow! So nervous....... Will share my experience!

How are all the October Bandsters??!! I am wondering how everyone did for Thanksgiving! It was strange for me since I was not really able to partake in the but gusting bingeing I have done every year on this day! I ate slowly, enjoyed family and had an overall great Thanksgiving. I wish I could have tasted more of the fabulous food that was there, but my tummy just wasn't going to allow that! I'm just worried that I have not been losing weight really over this past few weeks since I have gained my appetite back. I can't wait for my first fill on Monday!!! Has everyone already gotten their first fill? What was your experience? I'm a little nervous.......

Congratulations! I love to see the PCOS lapband success stories! I got my band in order to help me to get to a healthy weight to conceive naturally. I hope to be in your shoes by this time next year!

I too feel as though I am eating too much in portion and probably too fast as well! I have yet to feel the adverse effects, except for the fact that I lost 25lbs in the first two weeks and am really hoping that I am not going backwards now. I need to SLOW DOWN and pay more attention when I eat! I can't wait for my first fill. Surgery was 10/11 and first fill is not until 11/29 due to the holiday! TOOOOOO LONG! AAGGHHH!

Congratulations! I hope that my story will be just like yours by next year! Good luck to you!

Had my 2 week post-op Dr. appt today and it went pretty well! I am 25lbs down from my highest weight and 22 lbs down since beginning pre-op diet! I am feeling great! I am worried, though, since I am not scheduled to get my first fill for another 5 weeks! It was supposed to be at 6 weeks post-op, but they are not scheduling fills Thanksgiving week. Dr. says I can eat whatever my stomach will handle as long as I remember to eat slowly and chew, chew, chew, chew! Hope everyone else is doing well!

I am so inspired reading the stories of others who have been able to conceive. My husband and I have been trying to conceive for 15 yrs and have been through several rounds of clomid with IUI and have tried every herb and supplement and weird suggestions out there. I was diagnosed with PCOS several years ago and have been taking metformin since. I was finally able to conceive last year and miscarried after 7 weeks. Our next available option was to try IVF. But, wow, that is expensive. So, we decided to focus on getting healthy instead and hope that this will right all of my hormones issues and get me to a place where we can conceive naturally. I just got banded 8 days ago and am already feeling very positive. I have already lost 15lbs and can't wait to get my first fill, get cleared to excercise more and get to a point where I can start trying again. I know that the literature says to be sure not to get pregnant for 18 months, but there is no way that I am waiting that long! I'm already 36, I can't wait anymore!!!!!!

Good luck to you! I hope everything goes smoothly for you!:thumbup:

Hi Angeleyes! Remember we are only 5 days out! There will be plenty of time after we are healed to be mad at ourselves for not doing what we told ourselves we would! I have graduated myself to more substantial meals than I was having the first few days because I am having difficulty getting all of my calories in and do not want to end up with my body in starvation mode. My doctor told me that I just need to be careful to chew chew chew chew chew because getting something stuck would not be a fun experience. I have seen a lot of people on this site talk about learning their lesson after getting something stuck from eating the wrong thing or by eating too fast. I am petrified of that, but am glad in a sense that this will help to keep me in check. The reason that the band is a tool is that it will help with portion control and hunger pains, EVENTUALLY. There is a learning curve involved and an adjustment period that you should prepare yourself for. Right now is the healing phase, you haven't even gotten a fill yet. So anyhow I'm not sure you can call it cheating if you didnt do anything that could cause you harm. Now, on the other hand, if you attack that cheescake.............. How are you feeling physically, btw?

Hi Angeleyes, I really am doing well! I have really had to learn in this week what I can do and what I can put into my stomach to avoid this evil annoying gas that seems to come and go. Yesterday I realized that the gas pains working up my esophagus had to do with going too long without putting anything into my stomach. I haven't been keeping up with the prescribed diet because I was afraid and not really hungry, but realized that when I do eat the right thing in good time it seems to keep the gasses from coming up. I stopped taking the vicodin after day 2 since I didnt really have incision pain. The only time my incisions hurt anymore is adjusting to the gravity change when laying down to go to sleep. I do so much better in my lil pillow cacoon on the couch. I tried for the first time last night to lay in bed with my poor lonely husband, but the stretched out stomach from laying flat was not comfortable at all and was even causing some pain. Walking around a lot really does help, but for some reason I havent left the house all week. I guess I have enjoyed this experience as time to be alone and figure out my body and help it get back to some sort of normalcy. Maybe I'm afraid of driving past temptation too! I don't have anything but what I need at home, so I guess its safe. I hope that you feel better soon, I do love hearing the experiences of others and its especially interesting and helpful from my bandster twin!! Keep posting! Keep in touch!

I am also 2 days post-op. I had some pretty terrible gas pains in my chest the first night and for the first half of yesterday. I started sipping peppermint tea and this was an amazing help. Peppermint is said to encourage digestion and help with gas, GasX strips are peppermint but they didnt really work for me. I think the warmth of the tea and the constant sipping really worked. My only issue now is some pain when swallowing, trying to figure out if this is normal or not. As of this evening the pain when swallowing has gotten better though, so I am hopeful that by tomorrow I will start to feel normal! Sip some peppermint tea (its naturally caffeine free)!

I'm starting to feel a little worried about the feeling I have every time I swallow. I am feeling fine (gas-wise) until I take a sip of anything! Every sip feels like a giant lump going through my esophagus and then air bubbles seem to come up each time. Is this normal? Has anyone else been experiencing this? What does it feel like when you sipped liquids 2 days post-op?

Hi Outrageous Octobers! I am officially a bandster now! So for all of you who haven't had their surgery day yet, here is my experience. 7am - Checked into the hospital and registered. 8:30am - Finally called in by the nurse to begin prep 8:30 - 10am - Prep consisted of - Urine test, body wash, blood thinner shot in lower belly, IV put in, anti-nausea medication introduced int IV, visited by surgeon to make sure I didnt have any further questions, visit by anesthesiologist to make sure I am not allergic to anesthesia, visited by OR nurse to introduce the next part of procedure and to wheel me into OR. 10am - transfered from mobil bed to surgical bed, asked to breathe the oxygen.......(thats all I remember there). 12pm - 12:30pm - awoke slowly - new nurse advised me that I had slept longer than the norm so they did not give me pain medication. 12:30 - was asked to drink a full cup of water 1oz at a time until completed and to blow in lil machine to excercise lungs before being able to go home. 2pm - still trying to finish the cup of water. Each sip was difficult to get down due to gas pain in chest. Had only drank half of the cup. The nurse decided to call my husband in the waiting room to tell him I was still working on it. As she was talking to him, I began to violently dry heave. (it was so loud and uncontrollable and embarassing). I hadn't taken any pain meds so that REALLY hurt my belly!! The nurse became quite flustered as if she didnt realize that would happen. Sure made my husband upset, since he could hear it and wasn't allowed to come see me. The nurse called the Dr. and asked if I should have an Xray, but he said that if I didn't actually throw up anything that it was going down so I was probably just being irritated by the gas. He said I could go home without finishing the water. 3pm - got home and tried to get comfortable while hubby went to the store to get liquid vicodin and gas-x strips. Gas pains continued all night, but I was still able to get some rest. By this morning the gas is better, but continues to come back each time I try to drink something. Not sure if GasX is working or not, I don't feel anything happening, but who knows if it would be worse if I didnt take it. I haven't really been consistent in taking the vicodin, the incision pain is really not that bad. Overall, the experience up to this point has not been nearly as scary as I thought. The absolute worst part was the dry-heaving and also having a headache throughout. I finally broke down today and broke up an imitrex and took it. It didnt seem to irritate anything any worse that regular water does! And if finally made my headache go away! Woohoo!!! Hope that everyone is doing well, and thanks for all of the well wishes, I hope everyone keeps updating! :smile2: