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Good morning! I am a happy girl that it is Saturday...no particular reason other than i only have 2 kids here instead of 4, lol....but that is reason enough, right? Yesterday our neighbor across the street got robbed. SO...that answered the question we had burning in our heads...should we reactivate the alarm system that was installed here. Now we know the answer is yes, we should. I called them last night and they are going to reconnect/test it with us over the phone today or Monday. I hope I can get them to do it today because Frank is on nights and it would make me feel more secure. I will only turn on the motion detector when we are gone because i dont want to have it set while we are sleeping then have one us get up when nature calls and set off the alarm, lol. I am chatty this morning...if you are bored by now just skip the rest...lol. I just had a full size bed given to me and I am giving it to Macy....well another friend just gave me a queen size memory foam mattress that is only a year old :glare: I will put that in dss/guest room. How cool is that?! Gotta love free stuff. Now if I can find a free couch, I will be in business :wub: If felt so good going to pay some bills off yesterday. I didn't get to pay off all that I wanted, but it sure is a step in the right direction! Jenn I haven't gotten as good as you. An eliptical would KILL me but I wish I had a treadmill. I think I will start looking on craigslist for one. Suzanne I hope you have a great time at the ranch! Bundle up! Kat-after all this time you old office manager is still a thorn in your side...ugh! Well, this is the last poke she could get in on you, so that is good, right?! I know you are glad Rick is home and his boss saying he is not paying him for down time is BS. What do you have planned this weekend? So much more I could write about but I need to do some other things on the computer and I know macy is wanting my attention so I better bolt Have a great weekend everyone! :biggrin:

Thanks for the congrats guys. I'll probably be going up and down for the next week before the new weight settles in. Thats what usually happens. Jessica, as a Christian who went to Christian schools and sent my kids there and as one who teaches in a Christian school, I gotta say your SIL is nuts. She'd rather do the most unChristian thing I've heard of than get the child the help he needs from a public school? He's probably ADHD with a learning disability and now the hormones are kicking in. And she's too busy and tired trying to raise and homeschool the rest of them to give him the extra help and attention he needs. So she'd rather get rid of him than send him where he can get the help he needs and admit that she's failing him. What misplaced pride. The most generous interpretation I have is that she's having pregnancy psychosis. What a message she's sending to the other children. Screw up, don't measure up to our "Christian" standards and we will get rid of you. Where is her DH in all this? Why isn't he getting her the help she needs? Including psychiatric. I would have the boy thoroughly evaluated before fostering or adopting him. He may be very damaged already from his first home life as well as the second. He may need special placement in a therapeutic setting, particularly if he has bonding issues and PTSD as well as academic and behavioral issues. Reactive Attachment Disorder can make adopting an absolute nightmare. Some of these children are too damaged to be placed in a regular family. If that is the case with your nephew, then we may be judging your sister too harshly. Sometimes these children are actually a danger to their parents and siblings. But like most sociopaths they can present really well to outsiders who don't see them on a daily basis. They can be very charming but never actually bond and feel no remorse over doing wrong or hurting others, only over getting caught. They can be highly manipulative and you end up feeling crazy and not knowing why. I think what you are offering is tremendous and I truly hope it works out. Make sure you have state funding and medical care for this child and payment for any therapy and extra tutoring he might need. I would initially go foster care with him because once adopted you might not have access to funding to provide for his needs. My brother and his wife had to give a young child back to the province because the local social services refused to diagnose the child as having rad and provide them with the support services they needed. They had the child privately evaluated and found out she not only had RAD and PTSD, she was ADHD and had Fetal Alcohol Sysndrome. It killed them to do it but they did not have the training or the access to funds to provide the child with the care she needed and this was the only way they could force the province and social services to provide for her. The two or three years they went through all that were some of the worst times of their life and they felt like total failures. Cheri

Hi, I am new to this board. I am looking into getting the lapband done, I have a consult appointment next week. I am worried that my depression that I suffer from will get in the way of me getting this surgery.??? Has anybody been in this situation or not passed their physc test? I will be a self pay, 100lbs overweight, severe sleep apnea, hypo-thyroid, high cholesteral, and boderline high blood pressure.

can i just say that thing is driving me crazy. I have turned the sounds off and everything and everytime I change pages it reactivates. I even tried logging out and the chat was still there.....

@@Inner Surfer Girl Great article. Many factors on diabetics and surgery that are still in the research phase. The surgery does amazing things with diabetics. People off medication. Getting their health back. This is what I have experienced as a type 1 Diabetic...In perspective of complications with surgery, This is not a big thing to manage. (only two concerns driving and sleeping) I had no pancreas function before surgery. After surgery at 6 months out. My pancreas started working by releasing large amounts of insulin. The Insulin release drops your blood sugar. (reactive hypoglycemia) Normal range of blood sugar is 120 - 70. The low blood sugar can happen at any time..No pattern to them. I'm not sure how to explain this so bare with me...Here is how I manage what is going on. 6:35pm Test..BS 70..I don't want it to go lower. I eat a meal. 6:40pm test BS 66 - Drink orange juice 6:50pm test BS 105..I'm Normal 7:41pm I'm shaky dizzy..test BS 62 orange juice and a Protein & vegetable snack 8:12pm test BS 168..I feel safe enough to sleep. My lowest was 24 in the middle of the night. So with that..If I have sugar in large amounts..I will still have high blood sugar and use Insulin. I hardly use my insulin because I eat healthy and exercise. I am a well controlled type 1.

There is a big difference between knowing what you want and asking for it. There is also an important distinction between asking and hinting. Unfortunately, many of us were raised in a culture that encouraged us to be less than direct about what it is we’d like to occur. I talk with many women who aren’t getting what they need or want and aren’t quite sure how to ask for it. Interestingly, many women are able to be direct and assertive in their professional lives but find they stumble and feel uncomfortable when asking to have their personal needs met. I also hear from a lot of women who feel frustrated that their requests and needs aren’t being met even though they believe they are stating them clearly. They can’t understand what is going wrong. After writing a recent article about the importance of clearly stating wants and needs, I noticed some areas in my own life where I wasn’t really hitting the mark with this. I also found some places where, I initially believed I was being perfectly direct, but on further reflection, I realized I wasn’t getting my point across at all. And (big surprise), I was feeling frustrated with how things were going in those particular areas. I’m making a concerted effort to practice really stating my wishes clearly. Here are some pointers you might want to consider if your asking muscles need strengthening: 1. Being dissatisfied doesn’t mean you have clarity about what you want. I can know I don’t like something and I can express my unhappiness with it, but if I haven’t taken the time to create a clear picture of what I DO want, the information isn’t necessarily going to lead to a better outcome. 2. Expressing dissatisfaction is not the same as stating how you would like something to be. There is a HUGE difference between complaining and describing the outcome you want. If we aren’t clear on this difference and aren’t careful, we (yes, I’m including myself here) can fall into the trap of expressing what we don’t like and might never clearly describe what we want instead. 3. Directness and clarity are very important. To be most effective, we should be drawing a very clear picture for the person we are communicating with. Example: “I want you to help out more” doesn’t really cut it. “I’d like you to make dinner twice a week and help with kitchen clean up” paints a much clearer picture. Ask yourself the following question: if you had what you wanted, what would it look like? THIS is the description you want to be sharing and asking for. 4. Asking for what you want is NOT hinting, whining, complaining or describing how well this situation works in someone else’s life or business. A direct request should start with the word “I.” If you find yourself veering away from “I” statements, it’s a pretty good indication you need to practice using them. 5. For maximum success, your request should not be reactive or emotional. This one can be tricky if stating your needs is something you really aren’t comfortable with. If this is the case, know that it gets easier with practice. Start small and choose a calm time to practice your skills. ____________ Melissa McCreery, PhD, ACC, is a Psychologist, ICF Certified Life Coach, emotional eating expert, and the founder of www.TooMuchOnHerPlate.com, a company dedicated to providing smart resources to busy women struggling with food, weight and overwhelm. Find out more, read tips and articles, and pick up her free audio series: “5 simple steps to move beyond overwhelm with food and life” at http://www.TooMuchOnHerPlate.com.

I'm feeling much better day 5 compared to day 4. And somehow miraculously I'm able to drink a whole lot more liquid than I could before, although this has corresponded with significantly increased hunger and reactivity to food around me. I'm missing the honeymoon of not being hungry, but glad I'm able to get more water down, as I was worried about getting dehydrated.

That seems to vary from person to person. I was told to NEVER have carbonated beverages. Reason being, the air gets in the band, expands, and can stretch the upper pouch. If you can burp, it's probably not a big deal for you. I've never been able to get out 1 single burp since my surgery so I know it would never work for me. Just like food, it's a guessing game and you just have to find what works for you. I sure wouldn't suggest trying carbonated beverages though a week after surgery. That's really pushing it. Your stomach is very touchy and reactive to the new band around it, healing, forming scar tissue from the sutures, etc. The added stress of caffeine, carbonation probably isn't in your best interest yet.

I have been fighting a cough since January. Got rid of it before my appendix was removed, and then it came back. Made it thru that surgery ok, but did not have a cough then. My doc put me on a steroid dose pack, KETEK (been on it for almost 20 days now), and Albuterol when needed (using it now). He wants to make sure it does not develop into pneumonia like before. Cold seems to set off my cough. I can breathe fine most of the time, but when the air conditioner kicks on at night I start to cough. Dr. is thinking that I am developing asthma or "reactive airway disease", and says that they may not do my surgery if it does not go away soon. X-ray is totally clear. My hubby says it is allergies because I have a sneeze sometimes. Even though I am a bit scared of the whole surgery thing, since it is so close, I don't want them to cancel it. Anyone have experience with Asthma and surgery? Will they still do it? Should I tell my surgeon? Any advice?

It might have been reactive hypoglycemia since it happened after you ate. Some BBQ sauces are loaded with sugar, and eating sugar can cause reactive hypoglycemia. It's definitely a good idea to see an endocrinologist because 26 is scary low... It's amazing you were still conscious!

Thanks again Barbara Silly me - I never thought of rejection (part of my constant companion - "foggy brain" - I'm afraid) I have been concerned about not being able to follow the exercise program and also not being able to prepare meals but never thought of rejection. I also have diabetes and was worrying about how I am going to maintain the high carbohydrate, low GI eating. I have heard many people can't eat bread and that is the main carbohydrate my endocronologist and dietician recommend for when I am unable to prepare meals or need carbo following a sugar boost to treat a hypo. I know my sleep apnoea will NOT be a problem and I am hoping to be able to stop using my CPCP (not that the CPAP bothers me but would be nice to have one less thing to deal with). As a "non-foggy headed" post-op lapbander, is there anything else this "foggy-headed" person is overlooking in relation to either the op itself or post-op living with a lapband? I really appreciate being able to talk to you about this as I have been having difficulty finding others who have been banded who also have or have had CFS and many (most) of the doctors here in Australia know very little about CFS. Thanks again for your help. Hope all is going well for you. Bobbie

I do about as well with Medifast RTD as I do with Isopure, and I went with Ispure only b/c I've read it's not a great idea to have a lot of soy if you have a thyroid condition (I'm hypo). Lactaid has no effect. Thanks for your replies. I am glad that at least I can use Immodium. Thanks again!

hypo here My dr say weight loss might lessen need for my dosage, but all ok

This article changed my whole outlook, I hope it is insightful for you. Long but worth reading! I am working with a coaching client who had put on about 30 extra pounds since reaching her I am working weight-loss- surgery goal. One of the actions she chose to take to begin to work on her problem was recording what she was eating. After two weeks of setting that goal and not meeting it, I suggested she explore what else might work for her. "But I want to record what I eat!" she said. "I'm just too embarrassed to write it down and share it with you." I assured her she was going to be sharing this information with someone who well understood her problem, someone who had been battling the food demon her whole life, as well. "Okay, so if I take my embarrassment out of the equation," she reasoned, "I'm still left with not wanting to admit what I'm eating. I don't want to give up the foods I love. I want to eat them anytime I want!" In the next breath she blurted out, "Why is it so hard to stop eating? I want to be thin. I don't want to go back to not being able to get out of a chair!" Eating anything you want, whenever you want, is not freedom. If you really think about it, eating with free abandon does not feel like freedom for people who struggle with compulsive eating. In fact, being a prisoner to food thoughts and mindless eating 24/7 can be miserable. Trapped by cravings and food thoughts, a person will conduct their daily business and make their daily decisions based on the eating they want to do. "I can't go to the play tonight," you might say. "I am not feeling well. I think I'm coming down with something." But, what you are thinking may be, "I want to eat the rest of the bread I bought today. With butter! But, I'll have to pace myself. It will take me all evening to eat it." Does this scenario paint a picture of a person who is experiencing freedom? Or does the bread have then trapped? After weight loss surgery, many people get into the habit of grazing, or eating small amounts frequently. That's what my client was doing. She mistakenly believed grazing was a way to be free from the shackles of dieting and food plans. And she hated diets and food plans! Unstructured eating, however, can quickly lead to eating unhealthy foods in unhealthy portions. (Yes, even if you tell yourself you'll never go back to the unhealthy foods you used to eat.) A rebelliousness exists inside most overeaters, and they don't want to give up their freedom to choose what to eat and when. Step back, though and give yourself the "Dr. Phil" treatment. Ask yourself, "And how well is my rebellious attitude working for me? It's time to live in the solution. Many people who struggle with their weight never lose obsessive thoughts about food, but that's partly because they are not living in the solution. The people who are the most successful at breaking free from the burden of unhealthy eating, have transitioned from being rebellious (reactive) to responsible (proactive). They spend some time planning. They establish a routine with boundaries around their eating, so that they don't get carried away. Ironically, when you add some structure to your eating by making a food plan for the day, an amazing sense of freedom can set in - freedom FROM compulsive eating. So, if you're struggling with obsessive food thoughts and overeating, make a food plan today. Write it down and refer to it often. Give yourself the gift of one day of freedom from overeating. Oh, and the "rebellious" client I've been working with has lost 6 pounds already. She told me, "I'm amazed at how much less I obsess about food now that I make my plan every morning. I just write down what I'm going to eat for the day, and then I go live my life." Want to Reprint this Newsletter? If you'd like to reprint any part of this newsletter, do so with the following credit: From Small Bites, the email newsletter for the National Association for Weight Loss Surgery. Inc. All rights reserved.

Question for any one who had surgery and had hyperthyroidism (HYPER (the one where people who have it are usually skin just apparently not me) not HYPO). Did the surgery mess up your TSH levels? Before the surgery we got my levels to normal and was able to come off the meds. Was off them for 2 years and no issue. Then I had my bypass in March 2020. Levels were just checked and my TSH was 0.005..... so SUPER low

I had my first fill on 7/3/13. I went to Jamaica for a week, 7/21/13 thru 7/28/13. I did not gain or lose weight. I ate almost within the guidelines. After my fill, I am starving most of the time, 4 ozunces just does not seem to do it. Thanks to support groups like this, is how I obtain information. How do you get in the required daily protein requirement? Should you still drink a protein shake? I was banded on 5/24/13 and have lost 45 pounds. I practice eating slowly and notice I do not get heartburn as much. I found out if i drink at least 64 ozunces of water it sometimes help with the hunger. Prior to surgery, I was taking insulin 4 times a day and oral medication. Now I take one dose of long acting medication and oral medication. sometimes i experience hypo-glycemic episodes. I planning to call my surgeon's office today. I do not have any idea how much is in my band. I have started to impiement an exercise program. I do have more energy. I appreciaate any thoughts or advice. I am so thankful/grateful for this site. My grand-children are happy,their grandmother can do things with them.

Hello, I can understand what you are going through, I was diagnosed with Hyperthyroid in 1993 while pregnant with my daughter, after given birth I deceided to have the surgery to remove my thyroid-Graves Disease (just got tired of going to the hospital, seem like everyday) But i did enjoy the weight loss ( went from 180-130 in two months) I know not healthty. No one told me that the thyroid that was left was going to disappear...Well long a behold I am now Hypothyroid with other auto-immune diseases and taking thryroid meds for life....thanks. 270lbs later i cant seem to lose no more than 15lbs then there goes the scale. I am 41 years old and want to cross my legs when i sit down!!!! this decision was not an easy one (to independent) for me to make, but I finally did. Although I am only in the middle of the requirements..i should be banded sometime in Feb (I hope). People will not understand why we want to do this..and that will have to be there problem. I found that hypo people's bodies doesnt allow them to burn the weight, so I will use this method as a tool and not as a excuse.. Good Luck

Consultation Thur 5/7/09 permalink I have been lurking forever perhaps years.... Wanting to have the surgery but chicken.... Now.... I am 41 with 2 kids 8 and 11... I am just over 40 BMI Hypo Thyroid Meds... High Cholesterol but the good is high too. I have been seriously battling my weight for about 16 yrs and I am currently heavier than I was 9 months pregnant with my oldest. It has really taken its toll on my health , joints, and mental state. I have Aetna , Managed Choice, I have heard that my coverage is really good. Hoping and praying this will go off without a hitch. I don't want to jump through hoops, but i will if I have too. I have some degernerative disk disease in my lower back so my Chiro wrote me a letter stating that significant weight loss would improve my well being etc. Wish me luck if you have any insight on how all this will play out please let me in on it...... thanks in advance Lor

Anything you can share here? I had serious endometrial bleeding issues,which turned out to be cancerous. I figured that was the cause of mine, well that's what they acted like, and sure enough once the treatment was finished, and surgery behind me. I began recouping. Now several years later, I have shown no signs of anemia in easily the last 3 years. I do still use childrens chewable vitamins with iron. Hopefully yours is caused by something simple, and you will be fine---will say a prayer for a good outcome! As for reading about things on line, it is both good and bad, it seems it always has worst case scenarios. I have 2 tumors, that I know are there, and non reactive at this time, but I made the mistake of researching one of them...had myself dead and buried before I made myself talk to my oncologist...so be sure you get the whole story, before you worry yourself sick. Take Care-- Kat

sounds like a blood pressure issue. This dizzyness occurs with me after sitting from a hard workout in the gym. I read online its called posterity hypo tension...meaning blood pressure gets low after exercise. The cures I found online was to simply just get up slower till your body is fully adjusted to weightloss.

My body has decided to partake in this. Anyone else? Any tips?

I looked up dumping syndrome two weeks ago and reactive hypoglycemia came up there are I believe two tests I’m going to ask for them thank you Catwoman 🙂

My big question is.."what is normal"? I take Synthroid, I think a little higher dosage is what I really need, but because I fall into the "normal" range with the dosage I'm taking now, my dr won't up the dosage. I still have all the symptoms of hypo, but I'm in the "normal" range. Errrr! To me it's nothing more than stereo typing people. Why couldn't we just do a test run on the higher dosage for a few months then if there's no diff, then drop back. JMO

Hi, I found the perfect thread here! You speak my language girl. I was banded last September, lost about 20 lbs, and have been at a dead standstill. I have been trying to check back in here to lapbandtalk for some reactivation of motivation. Life just gets crazy, and I always put my eating stuff last. But I have been so much less happy by not paying attention to it. I put up a few signs around the house a couple days ago "Think about more than just this moment", so that when I am reaching for dumb foods, I think about how it is not getting me where I want to go. I have a serious problem with food allergies, and, I have been "clean" for three days now of dairy! Thats huge for me, cause I love cheese and dairyqueen. Two BIG no-nos. Next week I will be going off wheat. Thats huge too. When I first came back to lapbandtalk about a month ago, I wasn't ready for the change, but I wanted it. And today, I have 3 clean days under my belt, so hang in there! Your motivation will come, just keep reading peoples comments and give your brain time to process!

I have a dilemma, help! I have Tufts insurance and am 2 months into the required 6 month I Can Change program. My BMI is 40.3- just over the requirement for surgery approval. In getting myself ready to go I've now discovered that my cholesterol and c-reactive proteins are high. I also have acid reflux/heartburn. While my doctor still feels that lap band surgery is the way to go, she also doesn't want me to wait 4 months to start working out and losing weight. Unfortunately, my co-morbidities are not the ones that count for Tufts in order to go down in BMI. What do I do? Has anyone else had this dilemma and if so, have you found ways to convince Tufts to approve you if you have chosen to go ahead and start dropping the weight? It's so frustrating. Heck, I know I can drop 20 pounds but that's where it all falls apart for me and I need to lose a lot more than that long term. :smile2: