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I had a RNY so I try and answer some of the queries from this type of surgery. Since you had a DS, you can add valuable insight for others going through this surgical process. It is not that common, so your insight could be very valuable.

Dionnem heres my response to your queries from my experience- Shoulder tip pain - walking, walking, walking. As much as you can handle, which won't be much for a while. I cheered when I could make it to the end of the drive way with out feeling totally exhausted haha. As I said in a previous post, I also took painstop medicine. Also I had a wheat pack I could heat up which helped (you can get them from the chemist). Some lucky people don't get shoulder tip pain, cross your finger that you are one of them!! Discomfort - I'll be honest here, I don't have much of a pain threshold, so I would have rated my pain in the 3 or 4 days after surgery as a 6 or 7. But really in hindsight, it wasn't that bad. It was exactly as you put it - discomfort. I was very bloated and my incisions were quite sore for about 2 weeks. Again, every one has different pain levels. Just ask your surgeon to prescribe you some pain killers and you will be FINE!! If you have any pain that you are worried about don't hesitate to contact your surgeon immediately. You may need help with the kids for the first couple of days to a week I would think. You will feel tired, lethagic and not very much like doing Mum stuff, I predict, so if you can get some help for maybe the first couple of days it would probably be best. But maybe Jacqui can provide more advice on this one As for food, I found that the suggestions on this board for the food stages were great. A week is a long time when you are only having liquids or mushies lol (I was on non solids for 3 weeks). It all becomes really boring very quickly. One thing I loved in the thicker liquids stage was cream cheese or cottage cheese with BBQ sauce flavouring it. Doesn't sound so appetising now, but there is only so much yogurt I could have!! Also snak packs and custard were winners. But one mistake I made was buying HEAPS of food thinking I would eat a full yogurt or snak pack in one sitting. I rarely finished one and I wasted A LOT of food because it went out of date before I ate it. Also, I have been using mederma gel on my scars from when they looked healed on the outside, I really think they are fading a lot quicker than they would have with out it. Hope that helps! If you have any more questions, ask away!!!

Hi Girls, I REALLY would appreciate your feedback / experienced input here. I'm just trying to figure out why my band has progressively gotten tighter in the 8-10 weeks since my last clinic visit. I had perfect restriction to begin with & gradually it tightened to the point where I can't even drink a cup of tea! HERE'S MY QUERY FOR YOU.. in your opinion, would being de-hydrated tighten the band? PLEASE GIVE ME SOME ADVICE / PERSONAL EXPERIENCE / THEORIES :shades_smile:

Not if your doc is OK with it. Most docs won't allow their patients to make that decision. A good doctor will query you about what you're eating and if you're losing weight and exercising? Sometimes patients feel like they're not tight enough but they're eating slider foods. If you're following the rules and do not feel satiety for 4 hours I see no reason to not ask for another fill. I know I did, 6 times.

Welcome! I am saddened to hear that you were feeling judged by some Forum members--the place where you should feel safest. Know that you are not alone! I am a slow but steady loser. My pieces of advice: 1. Find Protein you like and get your recommended grams of protein in every day. You will lose faster, protect against hair loss and will feel great! I drink Isopure Zero Carb (I like the orange, grape and fruit punch flavors). 2. Celebrate every 10 pounds. Looking at the "BIG" number of what I wanted to lose was overwhelming but the 10 lb milestones were attainable. My celebrations were a new purse, a massage, a new pair of pants, etc. Not food. 3. Surround yourself with supportive people and accept compliments graciously. You will see some changes before others and others will see some changes before you do. Focus on the fact that you are losing enough for people to notice and you are getting healthy. 4. Find exercise that you enjoy or can at least tolerate. Last but not least, I am a work in progress on the emotional eating issue that got me to 389 pounds. Now I ask myself, "Am I really hungry or am I thirsty?" "Am I really hungry or did something just happen that upset me?" Stopping to query myself helps focus me and then I make an informed choice instead of just eating. Best of luck on this journey--it is quite a ride and I am only half-way there!

My Gastric Band was eating me alive! It was December 2009 when I was at my heaviest, 18sone 8pounds appox 119 kg, i won’t bore you with my medical problems/history but, after one heart attack, type 1 diabetes, and a stroke I was a walking time bomb ! You get the picture My BMI was not enough to have a Gastric Band on the NHS. I tracked down a surgeon who was supposedly the best in the UK. After a few consultations he stated a lap band would help. He would not entertain any other option Surgery was performed no real problems, a bit sore but nothing unexpected i was in hospital for two days and was discharged. I had a few problems post surgery, vomiting because I was eating and drinking at the same time (my brain wasn’t in total sync) I was going to the gym and weighing myself every week. The weight came off very slowly. I could NOT get under 99 kgs for many months. I still had my appetite. I stayed a steady 99 kgs, it was a great day when i got under 99kg. In January 2011 i moved to Thailand for a short break. Whilst in Thailand my weight dropped to about 85 kg. I put this down to a change in food etc. Whilst in Thailand I had consultation with a Lap band specialist, i asked him to “loosen” the band as I felt I was losing a bit too much weight, I looked rather gaunt and felt very tired. He agreed and a week later I attended the hospital where he removed 2ml from the band. He told me that I had 8 ml in the band which in his opinion was far too tight and was very restrictive. I left the hospital feeling ok and carried on with normal day to day living. One day I felt unwell and attended a local doctors surgery, The Thai doctor who could not speak good English told me I needed a blood test (the results would be back it 24 hours) The following morning i had a phone call the doctor telling me to go straight to his surgery. I knew by the tone of his voice all was not well, I just had that feeling. I attended his surgery and he thrust a piece of paper in front of me. It was the blood test result. It was obviously in the Thai language but he carefully tried to explain the results. He said very calmly “Cholesterol good, INR good, indication of stomach cancer, everything else OK”. Somewhat shocked I asked what he meant “stomach cancer”. Indication of stomach cancer he tells me, you must go now to hospital for endoscopy and colonenspoy. I was somewhat shell shocked to say the least! I went to the Bangkok hospital where i was met by another doctor who performed the dreaded endoscopy and colonspoy. After coming round from the procedure my first question was “is it cancer” The doctor tells me she is 99.99% it isn’t cancer. She says that “something not right in your tummy plastic thing in colon and tummy”. It dawns on me that she must mean my gastric band. I am immediately sent to see the Gastric Band expert. I sit down and he scratches his head” Not seen before” he calmly smiles and I ask him what does he mean? He tells me “the band is eating into you must come out soon” What does he mean “eating into me” he tries to explain but with the language barrier I had difficulty understanding exactly what he was telling me? I asked again what had happened, he shakes his head and keeps looking at a DVD of the procedure, he was pointing at a small yellow tube saying “ it goes into your colon should not be there never seen before” I question him as one would, “what happens now” We remove, very complicated operation, me do for £16.000, you stay in hospital for about week. Whoa hang on, no way am I letting him near me, it wasn’t the money or lack of confidence in his ability it was maybe a second opinion was needed? He told me in his very charming way that this “not life threatening -yet”. What does that exactly mean I queried He says “Ah you could get fever; poison in body then very serious, could die if not removed” I thanked the kindly doctor and made my way home. I was in a daze, my head was spinning, what do I do. I had no insurance for this type of operation I didn’t particularly want to stay in Thailand and wait for the worse. Mind made up, no option back to UK ASAP. My flight was booked for two weeks later. During this time arrangements had been made for me to have a consultation with the surgeon in the UK who performed my initial gastric band surgery. At the meeting I explained everything that happened in Thailand and the findings/opinion of the Thai doctor. My surgeon seemed “sceptical” at this point, he wanted to do his own investigations and another endoscopy was booked for three weeks time. Come the day I attended hospital and was met by the surgeon, the endoscopy was performed and he confirmed that all was not well. The gastric band had eaten into stomach and the colon was invaded by a tube from the band. Erosion of the band is not uncommon, but eating into and through colon really is. There have only been two other people in the world who have had this problem I am told by my surgeon, he has never seen this condition before. This is a real eye opener for him! I am glad he finds this interesting! Last week i had the gastric band removed. The operation lasted two hours, no complications I am told. I was in hospital for 6 days. I don’t feel any different now at all. The ticking time bomb has been defused! I know weight just under 12 stone, still look gaunt, no appetite. BUT IAM STILL ALIVE! I do not blame anybody for this problem, it just happened to me

im down 10 lbs. i was told that the first 6 weeks were all about healing and letting the band settle; and also not being able to eat. thats not all bad considering that i have absolutely no appetite. in the last week, i've had one butternut squash campbells soup (two sittings) with no problem. a day later i tried the roasted pepper soup (yuk). a day later i tried some grits. yup grits. i was craving them. i had 1/4 cup and made them really runny. cream of wheat consistency. tonight... a soft scrambled egg. heaven!!! i ate it soooo slowly. savored every bite. AND IT STAYED DOWN. yeha. inbetween all of that food, i've kept myself well hydrated. reading many of the posts, queries, replys, cries, and goals, i have gleaned lots of tips from bandsters and future bandsters. yesterday i was able to work for one hour before i went home and slept, today i put in 6 hours... tomorrow i must begin working full days. we'll see what tomorrow will brings.

Thanks for all your kind wishes. I got home yesterday and as far as I know everything went well. I was incredibly impressed by my gynae, my anaesthetist and the provided pain relief. I generally feel very nauseous after anaesthesia and this time felt none at all. The first time I felt even mildly sick was Sunday evening just before Dinner! I was the first person to be operated on Friday morning and apparently my op took a long time. The Dr found severe endometriosis as suspected and adhesions from previous caesars. I had been told way back in my 20s that I had what is called a unicornuate uterus and the gynae confirmed this. What was interesting was that the Dr could not find my left ovary. Now at various times I have been told I have or do not have one. E.g 2 internal ultrasounds could not find one but I then later went for a test where i got a letter confirming this ovary had been found! prior to the surgery it was suspected that I may have a cyst on the left ovary but when i was opened up there wasn't one! Confused - yes me too! I had the usual drips, catheters(yuck ) etc after surgery and also had a painbuster device that was delivering local anaesthetic directly to the op site. This must have been doing wonders as I had little or know pain apart from some mild backache and a lot of that could have been due to lying in bed.O2 was taken off Fri night which made it a bit easier to sleep and drip/catheter removed Sat.I was pleasantly surprised by a number of people visiting on Sat.Sun (Mothers Day) the family came in and brought me a present. My daughter had already given me her present as she was so excited. It is a photoshoot at one of those studios where they do your hair and makeup and then charge an arm and a leg for the prints! I am excited but also wondering what on earth we are going to wear that will look half decent. We went and got hubby and son decent jeans a couple of weeks ago and that in itself was a major mission! My biggest gripe about the hospital was their apparent lack of understanding about band related eating. I went in with fluid still in my band and expected that i would be given suitable food. On admission they asked about diet so I told them I had a band and they said oh that is just the DUST??? diet and gave me what looked like a normal diet sheet. I picked what I thought would be the most suitable and easiest to eat items. E.g porridge, quiche, veggie lasagna etc. Fri night after the op they brought me soup, sandwich and jelly and ice-cream. I thought it was a bit weird but was in no fit state to query it so I ate the jelly and ice-cream. Sat breakfast I was given juice - when I queried this I was told I was only on fluids but then the nurse fetched me some porridge. Lunch soup, sandwich and jelly and ice-cream again. When I queried this I was told that I was on a light diet and this is the light diet. HELLO - since when has a sandwich being light for a banded person? Yes I can eat them sometimes but I struggle and they are not the easiest option. I certainly wouldn't be able to eat one with soup and jelly etc. after complaining I was brought quiche - if that is what you can call it! So I ate soup and the inside of a small quiche. Sat night I got - wait for it - yes you've guessed - ANOTHER SANDWICH. Their solution this time was to swap it for a chicken potpie. I did manage a few mouthfuls of chicken but not many. Sunday I got my requested breakfast - yogurt and a slice of toast but at lunch it was back to the dreaded soup/sandwich. By this time I was ready to throw it at someone. I ate the soup , jelly and then they offered me roast pork. HUH. After I have already had soup and jelly I don't think so. The problem was that with only liquid in obviously that was all that was coming out. I was unconcerned but the nurses were getting worried. Sat night they gave me Metamucil to no effect. The easy solution would have been to design a light diet for someone with a band not adopt the one size fits all approach. Sunday night I got told I had to take a laxative. I wasn't happy but it is a bit hard to fight in hospital. At about 7pm they gave me some gross tasting stuff called lactulose. I got the most agonising cramps ever and felt like I was dying. The only good thing was because I was suffering so did they. I kept ringing the bell. I tried walking, heat packs, they gave me more meds nothing helped. At changeover one of the poor nurses that had only just come in bore the brunt of my anger as I just let fly. It wasn't her fault but hopefully the message got across. At 12pm when I was still pacing the corridors in agony she phoned down to emergency and got me a sleeping pill. That was a Godsend - I woke up at 6.30am, still in a little pain but not as much. The stupid thing is that them giving me the stuff did not have the desired affect - if they had listened to me in the first place they would have understood. Dr came around yesterday and agreed that I could go home. YAY. Apparently that is faster than usual for an abdominal hysterectomy but she was pleased with me and the way i was moving etc. Hospital does have its advantages (the bell, having your drugs brought to you etc) but it doesn't measure up to being at home and being able to sit/lie where you want, eat what you want etc. My only challenge now is to remember to take it easy and to learn to ignore all the dirt that i can see. 2 of my friends are coming to visit this afternoon so I am looking forward to that. Sorry if I have bored you all to death.

Hello All: At this point I consider myself the guru to the guru of BCBS's policy for gastric surgery. I will share everything I know. (background, I have been at this since September) an exclusion in the policy reads like this: Blue Care for Large Groups Member Handbook: Section 15: Covered Services Introduction "Covered Services Expenses for the health care services listed below will be covered under the Group Plan only if the services are: 4. not specifically limited or exluded..." Section 22: Exclusions and Limitations "Exclusions 49. Weight control services including any service to lose, gain, or maintain weight, including without limitation: any weight control/loss program; appetite suppressants; dietary regimens; food or food supplements; excercise programs, equipment or memberships; or surgical procedures." ..........................................SNIP That is what my policy reads like. I'm going to my employer to the medical insurance committee and appealing for a purchase of a rider to specifically include gastric surgery ( Lap Band ). That meeting for me is January 31st. My position is I pay for insurance, I have a condition my physician has deemed medically necessary, the insurance I pay for does not cover it because my company purchased that exclusion in the contract. Now on to the other questions and comments. About that "investigational" argument and that it is NOT covered because it is still investigational. That is incorrect. You want to call them back and speak to a supervisor and tell them you were told it was excluded because it is investigation and referr them to this memo from BCBS Corporate which changes it out of investigative to approved. This is the Press Release regarding the procedure from BCBS in November of 2006, it reads: http://www.bcbs.com/betterknowledge/tec/press/ The following Assessments and Special Reports were acted on at the November 2, 2006, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Medical Advisory Panel (MAP) meeting: Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding for Morbid Obesity The MAP concluded that laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding for morbid obesity meets the TEC criteria, when performed in appropriately selected patients, by surgeons who are adequately trained and experienced in the specific techniques used, and in institutions that support a comprehensive bariatric surgery program, including long-term monitoring and follow-up post-surgery. Articles from BCBS about gastric surgery: http://www.bluecares.com/about/search.jsp?query=gastric Find your BCBS company for your state where you can go to the search engine and look up GASTRIC for hits on information for their policy. http://www.bcbs.com/coverage/find/plan/ Hey Airwayman.....might want to PRINT this and fax it to your insurance company. It's BCBS of NC's policy for medical code 43770 Adjustable Gastric Banding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( you do have to meet the criteria which is there to read) https://www.bcbsnc.com/services/medical-policy/pdf/surgery_for_morbid_obesity.pdf

Hi and welcome. The cost in Canada will range anywhere from $13,000 - $18,000. But, be wary.....some don't include the cost of the "lifetime fills" while others do....so be sure to investigate thoroughly. Yes, medical finance companies will always be happy to lend you the moola....that's how they make THEIR moola! And, yes, TLBC has a medical finance co. right in the clinic (downstairs). Line of credit is a much better idea (lower interest rate etc). Good luck in your search and research....we're here to help if you have any questions. I also highly recommend the "search" function on this lapband site.....it is very helpful in answering your queries and sending you to links wherein all the info has already been posted.

And I also do not drink, smoke or take NSAIDs any longer, to put it even more seriously I am not allowed to be in the,presence of an Active Smoker as the actual smoke as well as the residue,on their clothing could worsen mine.Makes me somewhat,of a Social Pariah, I now wear a jelly bracelet that states " Secondhand Smoke Kills" in case someone queries me. Ah, it is what it is, my friends!😭😪😥💦

Hi, I just read this article today. You said you had a 10cm band and it talks about that. Thought I would let you read it for yourself. Not sure it has anything to do with the problem you had but wanted to share it with you. I am so sorry you had to go through this. Praying for your complete recovery. Hugs, Deb <DT class=head id=head17303945><INPUT type=checkbox value=17303945 name=uid>1: Med Princ Pract. 2007;16(2):110-3. <SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.2><!--var PopUpMenu2_LocalConfig_jsmenu3Config = [ ["ShowCloseIcon","yes"], ["Help","window.open('/entrez/query/static/popup.html','Links_Help','resizable=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,menubar=no,copyhistory=no,alwaysRaised=no,depend=no,width=400,height=500');"], ["FrameTarget","_top"], ["TitleText"," Links "]]var jsmenu3Config = [ ["UseLocalConfig","jsmenu3Config","",""]]//--></SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.2><!--var Menu17303945 = [ ["UseLocalConfig","jsmenu3Config","",""], ["LinkOut","http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus&cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=17303945&dopt=ExternalLink","",""]]//--></SCRIPT> Links </DT><DD class=abstract id=abstract17303945>Slippage after Adjustable Gastric Banding according to the Pars Flaccida and the Perigastric Approach. Khoursheed M, Al-Bader I, Mohammad AI, Soliman MO, Dashti H. Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait. Objective: To evaluate laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding and the 'pars flaccida' techniques for treating morbidly obese patients. Subjects and Methods: Between May 1999 and July 2002, 64 patients underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. The 'perigastric' technique was performed in the first 31 patients. From September 2000 the band was positioned according to the 'pars flaccida' technique in the remaining 33 patients. The patients were divided into three groups: group 1 - 'perigastric' technique using Lap-Band size 9.75 and 10 cm (31 patients); group 2 - 'pars flaccida' technique using Lap-Band size 10 cm (12 patients), and group 3 - 'pars flaccida' technique using the Swedish band (21 patients). There were 58 females and 6 males with a mean age of 36.6 years (range 17-56). The preoperative mean body mass index was 46.2 kg/m(2). Results: Band slippage occurred in 10/31 patients (32.2%) of group 1, 3/12 patients (25%) of group 2 and none in group 3 patients (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The 'pars flaccida' technique significantly reduces the incidence of postoperative slippage after gastric banding. This complication is further reduced in the Swedish band group. Furthermore, we do not recommend using the 10-cm Lap-Band in the 'pars flaccida' technique. Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel. PMID: 17303945 [PubMed - in process] </DD>

Hiya, I only had bypass done at the start of February & started at 250 lbs. I too have a heart condition (Dilated Cardiomyopathy) and was given the all clear from my Cardiologist. I queried whether bypass would hinder absorption of medications and he said no. There's still a tiny bit in my brain that worries that it will and I will end up sick again. All I can do is remain positive. I also worry about malnutrition, but I already was malnourished with the garbage I ate. My surgeon suggested bypass to me because I'm more of a 'sweet eater' than a general 'grazer'. I agreed because it has the operation has a long history and there's no way I'm letting anyone remove most of my stomach!! He said stomach tissue is important for grafts in the case of Esophageal cancer. Not saying it's going to happen- but I like the option. Just my 2 cents (from a noob).

I am someone who only wants to be 200lbs and at minimum 190 and people would still call this overweight also so I know what you mean about the ideal weight being relative to the individual and more power to ya for that! I personally think some "ideal weights" are too skinny for certain people- they just dont look right IMO, no offense to anyone.Offering a little insight for your query though, I would think the reason that your doctor had no problem operating on your knee when you were even heavier is because it was a medical necessity- not cosmetic. Big difference! Plus the weight tends to be a factor in having knee replacement unless of course you're injured in an accident- in which case again the benefit of surgery would outweigh any risks your weight could cause. I also understand that one reason PSurgeons dont want to touch someone who is still overweight/obese is because for one they have their stats and having an unsuccessful surgery looks bad on them- that is if A- something were to happen during surgery because as an overweight person we are still considered high risk medically, even if we love the way we look. and B- your outcome would not be the ideal since you're not within the ideal weight range- thats simply not the before & after a PSurgeon wants to show, their profession is about perfection after all. And most importantly because of something you actually proved the point on-- you said that you loosened your band because of reflux and you started to gain weight so you were going back for a fill. So with the doctor's point in mind that would say that not only are you not at an ideal goal but you are not at a stable weight. We all have the band to learn better eating habits but the habits have to be maintained by us or else the band can't work and certainly neither will PS. Doctors like to see that you have maintained your weight loss before doing PS because if you gain it all back and stetch the skin out again whats the point? Its their job to choose good condidates as well as it is to to do a good job. He probably could have explained his position a little more but Im guessing that was what would give him pause about working with someone not at his ideal weight nor at even their own stablized goal weight. It makes sense since you see so many people have to go through several different weight loss surgeries and do PS more than once because their weight is not stable which is condusive to their habits not yet being stable, a conciocunses doctor would definitely have a stand on these issues for whats in the best interest of you as the patient and of course himself as a provider. But there's always going to be a doctor out there who will do what others won't. But I would wonder if he has your best interest at heart or is it just looking for a paycheck? Get several opinions and find a doctor you can develop a good understanding with who has the same vision for your body that you do! Best of luck!

Ok, I'm going to assume that you did not mean the "feel" as a personal attack upon the hurt/scars that other adoptees may feel. As such, I would assume that a fellow adoptee would be a little more P.C. when it comes to others in the same group. Now, to answer your query, I would like to SEE who I take after. I would like to KNOW if I have birth siblings. I would like to KNOW all the circumstances about the decisions made. I would like more info about my heritage than a simple questionaire that was filled out 37 yrs ago. I'd like to KNOW where I came from and who I look like. My siblings (one adopted from a different family, one biological to adoptive parents) look nothing like me. My little brother, who is the biological child, knows who he looks like. He knows who he takes after. To me, that is an important aspect of life. As for rights for adoptees from previous generations, the biggest thing is just to have rights. The birthparents hold all the cards. If I go through the agency I was adopted through to conduct a search for my birthparents, and they are found, they can say they do not want contact and that is that. I have no choice as far as the law is concerned outside of going through a private investigator and surprise them. I'm not saying I want a relationship with my birthparents. I just would like some information for my own benefit. Anything beyond that, may or may not be great. I am happy for you if you are truly that well adjusted. However, how can you seemingly make light of others in your position?

Hi gang I am due to be banded in 9 days and have already done almost a week on the liver reducting diet. In this time I have had no alcohol, but with 2 Christmas dos lined up for next weekend, I was wondering what effect this would have on the liver. I do not want to undo all the good work I have done so far, but if alcohol does not make a difference, I would at least like one last drink before a life without it completely. Another query, do those who have followed a low fat diet prior to surgery have less pain and recover sooner than those that dont? Well done to Foxy too and thanks for the info regarding the hotel and what they provide, etc. I've booked the Frederik package too and he has said I can pay the entire cost the day prior to surgery. I'm hanging on til the last moment to change my Euros now. Could have kicked myself when I wanted to change at 1.17 and the lady told me rates were on their way up again and I should wait :tongue2: It's no wonder there is so much pain post-op as I have just seen a stomach operation on TV and they don't look that gentle with you..... I am now starting to panic big time..... Sal

Hey devonpilgrim, Good luck today, try and book the campanille hotel as that is where the consultation is!!! Unless you have booked the package (they put you in the campanille anyway) About the weight loss everyone is different! I was banded on tuesday and have now lost my first stone!!!!:rolleyes2: I'll expect it might slow down a bit for me soon but as soon as i am well enough i will be going to the gym to help me on my way!!!!! They say all your weight should be off in a year!!! If you have any other queries just let us know!!!! Jo x

Hey Alex. Just a thought.. If you're asking people for ways to contact the 'main man', rather than always being firewalled by Omar, you may need to ask people to do it off this thread. I suspect everything that's posted is being read by you know who and contingencies are devised accordingly.. I have a good idea with regards to your query. I shall PM you that idea...

What was quite interesting was that about a year ago I contacted Allergan with this exact query. I asked how long it took for the food to pass through and why if it was passing through so quickly one could not drink soon after eating. They actually phoned me which I was quite shocked about as they are in the USA and I am in Aus. They could not give me an answer to the question. They did not seem to believe that the food passed through quickly and said that it took a while but could not put a time to that. Quite strange when the manufacturer does not know how it's product works. Yes Helen is a highly regarded dietician and works with one of our most highly regarded bariatric surgeons. However for me the info still does not give all the answers. Cocoa I imagine that with the test they only watched a few bites and presumably because it was test conditions you were not eating the way you would do normally. Even if unintentionally you were probably more aware of how you were chewing. I think that to come up with a definitive answer they would need to test a large number of people and watch as they ate an entire meal. The difficulty would be to get people to relax and eat the way that they normally do when at home.

Are you this drama filled IRL? Do you expect total strangers to drop everything immediately and answer your queries ASAP? Might explain why people leave you alone. Not counting the complaint in this thread you posted 4 times and 3 times people replied within hours. The fourth time you didn't ask anything so no one replied. The windmill's thattaway, Don Quixote.

I don't think my opinion is more valuable than yours but what I do try to do is present facts in a balanced manner without scaring the crap out of people.If you read the original post I made on this thread you should be able to see that that is what I have tried to do. On the other hand whenever I get an email notification with the name formerlyfluffy I know before I even read it that it will be some kind of antiband rant. It is obvious that you have had a bad experience with the band, however that should not mean that you try to turn everyone off having a band. Bands have been very successfull for many people. My father had a very bad experience with hip replacement surgery. So bad that he was reoperated on many times and came close to dying. Does that mean that I should now advise people against having hip replacement surgery as they may be the unlucky person that has something go wrong? You are also keen to promote the sleeve yet it appears that you don't yet have one.Maybe you should hesitate to sing it's praises until you know for sure that it is as wonderful as you think it is. When it comes to statistics one also has to be very careful of the source. It is a well known fact that the same set of statistics can be manipulated in such a way as to prove whatever the person using the stats wants to prove.When searching on the internet lots of different stats can come up for the same query. There are also far fewer people on the VSG board than on the band board. And you would probably be pushed to find any other than Tiffykins that has been banded for more than 2 years. So yes some have been through both surgeries and have found the sleeve more to their satisfaction, but the question is will they still be happy in 2 or 3 years time? It has frequently been said that there is no one size suits all surgery. It is important for each person to look at themselves and evaluate what they are and aren't prepared to do in order to achieve success.This decision combined with the advice of the Dr should be the best guide. Sometimes however mistakes are made. people with bands discover they need the malabsorption from a bypass, people with bypasses discover how to eat around it and decide to get a band over bypass etc. There is no one size suits all absolute solution. But the best way to make an informed decision is with solid facts rather than scaremongering.

10 liberal hypocrites 10 Al Gore Hypocrisy: Carbon Footprint the Size of…Some Really Big Thing At his suburban Nashville home, Ex-Vice President Al Gore enjoyed the Oscar awarded to “An Inconvenient Truth,” the documentary on global warming in which he starred. But the Tennessee Center for Policy Research gained access to Gore’s utility bills for two years and published the gas and electric bills for his 20-room home and pool house. It turned out the home devoured nearly 221,000 kilowatt-hours in 2006, more than 20 times the national average of 10,656 kilowatt-hours. The Center’s president, Drew Johnson said, “If this were any other person with $30,000-a-year in utility bills, I wouldn’t care. But he tells other people how to live and he’s not following his own rules.” 9 Rosie O’Donnell Hypocrisy: No Guns For You, But My Guy Packs Heat On her television show, April 19, 1999, O’Donnell had this to say about gun owners: “I don’t care if you want to hunt. I don’t care if you think it’s your right. I say, ‘Sorry.’ It is 1999. We have had enough as a nation. You are not allowed to own a gun, and if you do own a gun I think you should go to prison.” Several months later, a bodyguard in her employ applied for a concealed gun permit from the Greenwich (Connecticut) Police Department. When queried about whether her bodyguard should carry a gun on May 24, 2000, she said, “I don’t personally own a gun, but if you are qualified, licensed and registered, I have no problem.” 8 Michael Moore Hypocrisy: War Investments, Non-Union Labor, Calling for the End of the American Dream While Living It Michael Moore is merciless in his criticism of oil and defense contractors; calling them ‘war profiteers.’ He also claims to have no stock portfolio, but at one time he owned shares in Halliburton, Honeywell and Boeing. He also expresses an affinity for Union labor, but does his post production work in Canada – where he doesn’t have to pay union wages. In one of his books he writes “Horatio Alger Must Die”, implying that the rags-to-riches story is a myth, and ultimately harmful to America. This from an unknown Flint, Michigan filmmaker who became a millionaire in Hollywood by making documentaries. 7 Gloria Steinem Hypocrisy: Getting Married After Condemning Marriage As Pointless For years, Gloria Steinem said that “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle”, and that marriage has “a bad name”. Yet she married David Bale in 2000, preferring to enter into an institution she said made women “a semi-nonperson”. Sadly, Mr. Bale died three years later. 6 Nancy Pelosi Hypocrisy: Accepting Union Awards But Not Using Union Labor Nancy Pelosi bashes everyone who doesn’t use union labor–except herself. Shockingly, she still accepted the Cesar Chavez Award from the United Farmworkers Unions while using non-UFW workers on her Napa Valley Vineyard. She also praised the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union and took massive sums of money from them while keeping them out of her Hotel and chain of restaurants. Just paying the bills... 5 Barbara Streisand Hypocrisy: Coastline Protection Lawsuit Known for espousing pro-environmental views and criticizing those who don’t, Streisand sued the California Coastal Records Project, a landmark photographic database of over 12,000 frames of the California coast shot since 2002, asserting that the inclusion of a single frame that includes her blufftop Malibu estate invades her privacy, violates the “anti-paparazzi” statute, seeks to profit from her name, and threatens her security. Ms. Streisand, who purports to espouse the First Amendment right of freedom of speech (See “My Thoughts On Freedom of Speech” at barbrastreisand.com) apparently feels differently when the publication of a photograph shows her backyard. 4 Ted Kennedy Hypocrisy: Opposing Wind Power While Proposing Alternative Fuels Elsewhere Senator Kennedy has introduced dozens of pieces of legislation over the years to encourage the development of solar, hydrogen, and wind as alternatives to oil and coal. But he opposed the Cape Wind Project, which would build wind turbines in Nantucket Sound, about six miles off the coast from the Kennedy compound in Hyannis. The problem was not aesthetic; the Kennedys wouldn’t be able to actually see the turbines from their home. Instead Robert Kennedy Jr., who had been beating the drum for alternative sources of energy for more than a decade, complained that the project would be built in one of the family’s favorite sailing and yachting areas. Sen. Kennedy publicly called for further study of the project – but privately, he tried to get the study canceled. 3 Jesse Jackson Hypocrisy: Counseling on Adultery While Committing Adultery Jesse Jackson confessed that in 1998, at the very moment he was providing pastoral counseling to the White House’s Bill Clinton for his adultery with Monica Lewinski, he was carrying on an extramarital affair of his own, with a subordinate who later gave birth to his child. How could the nation’s premier civil rights leader have been so reckless? 2 Mary Beth Sweetland Hypocrisy: Protesting Animal Testing While Benefiting from Animal Testing A type-A diabetic, PETA Senior Vice President Mary Beth Sweetland keeps herself alive by injecting herself with insulin, which was developed from medical testing using dogs. She has been quoted as saying “I don’t see myself as a hypocrite. I need my life to fight for the rights of animals”. Penn Jillette gives her what-for: “ Not a hypocrite? Your group supports people who fire bomb labs where animal testing is conducted, while using the very benefits of animal testing to live your own upside-down, house of cards, !@#$ing privileged life”. In the clip above you can see Penn speaking – around the 5:20 mark. 1 US Labor Unions Hypocrisy: Using Non-Union Labor to Strike for Higher Union Wages Trade Unionism had been an important part of the liberal coalition within the Democratic party. In the late 1990’s, Unions began protesting the loss of jobs through outsourcing. By the 21st century, Unions began outsourcing picket lines to non-union, scab labor. The non-unionized workers were recruited from the most vulnerable of society willing to take on the most undignified type of work. The Unions offered no benefits, no healthcare, no job security, low pay, and intolerable working conditions. The Unions likewise paid in cash and did not collect taxes due to either federal, state, or local governments. Further, the Union’s exploitation of workers on outsourced picket lines contributed absolutely nothing to the workers Social Security retirement fund. Unions did not pay required Workers Compensation premiums for a hazardous job known to be risking life and limb. All this, so the greedy employer, in this case the Union, could enjoy higher living standards for themselves. [source: Outsourcing the Picket Line, By Keith L. Alexander, Washington Post, July 24, 2007.]

Sounds like what you are describing is the effects of ketosis occurring in your body. It's when your body is burning fat at very high rate and using that fat fuel for energy. I made the same query today at my monthly check up - told to drink as much Water as I can manage - not sure if it's what you mean you are experiencing though. Google ketosis breath and see if that's what you mean. Good luck. thank you all for your advice, and thank you GoldenGrl, I am always struggling with water, I will try and get more in. Thanks you.

Good morning ladies! Query me this: A week ago tomorrow I had a fill. It was a good fill. I have just the right amount of restriction. I am eating about 900 calories a day and power-walking off about 700 of those. How in heaven's name have I GAINED 3 lbs. since last Friday morning?!?!?!?!!

Query, can we ask them to just make us a group & call us "Kaiser Richmond" so folks can find us no matter what stage of the journey they are in?