UPDATED I need to complain to people who will understand

[Dave_NW 92]

Rachel, I'm glad to hear you don't have a leak in your band. That was your larger concern. So now the trick will be to sort out the nutritionist. No nuts is, well, nuts. You're at a point where you need to balance weight loss with proper nutrition, and for a bandster to not eat nuts as part of the larger diet seems incorrect.

I follow my own version of a modified South Beach Diet kind of thing -- higher Protein, lower glycemic carbs, avoiding fried, fatty, and sugary foods. (Note that says "avoiding," not eliminating.) I eat what seems right, and balance things to suit my common sense and what I know works for me. I do try and get 10% of my daily calories as Protein grams, so if I eat 1200 calories a day, I try to get 120 grams of protein. I don't follow it fanatically, but I try to stay as close as reasonable. (I'm a lazy eater, and I don't cook much, so I tend to make choices based on what I have to work with, rather than seeking out a specific recipe for each meal.)

The new Nut at my surgeon's office is so green, she has no idea how to deal with bandsters who have had reasonable success with the band. At my 9-month post-op group meeting she talked to the three of us who have all lost over 100 pounds as if we were total newbies who had no clue about how to eat with a band. I was insulted, and felt like she wasn't there to listen, only to preach her version of life. When I challenged her about a couple of things, she said, "Well, this is how you're supposed to be doing it." So she's memorized her litany, and there was no room for variation.

Bottom line: You're a smart woman, and you know how to listen to your own body. I'd say to take the new Nut's words and interpret them to what works best for you and your system. This is your journey, not hers. Turn your diet and exercise plan on its head, shake up your metabolism a bit, and see if you don't get back on track.

Good luck!

Dave

[Rachel412 116]

thanks everyone I think I'll just keep plugging away as I was before, but I'll try to add some more fruit into my diet. I have to go back for a check-in in a month so we'll see where I'm at then.

[BayougirlMrsS 3,938]

Rachel, I'm glad to hear you don't have a leak in your band. That was your larger concern. So now the trick will be to sort out the nutritionist. No nuts is, well, nuts. You're at a point where you need to balance weight loss with proper nutrition, and for a bandster to not eat nuts as part of the larger diet seems incorrect.

I follow my own version of a modified South Beach Diet kind of thing -- higher Protein, lower glycemic carbs, avoiding fried, fatty, and sugary foods. (Note that says "avoiding," not eliminating.) I eat what seems right, and balance things to suit my common sense and what I know works for me. I do try and get 10% of my daily calories as Protein grams, so if I eat 1200 calories a day, I try to get 120 grams of protein. I don't follow it fanatically, but I try to stay as close as reasonable. (I'm a lazy eater, and I don't cook much, so I tend to make choices based on what I have to work with, rather than seeking out a specific recipe for each meal.)

The new Nut at my surgeon's office is so green, she has no idea how to deal with bandsters who have had reasonable success with the band. At my 9-month post-op group meeting she talked to the three of us who have all lost over 100 pounds as if we were total newbies who had no clue about how to eat with a band. I was insulted, and felt like she wasn't there to listen, only to preach her version of life. When I challenged her about a couple of things, she said, "Well, this is how you're supposed to be doing it." So she's memorized her litany, and there was no room for variation.

Bottom line: You're a smart woman, and you know how to listen to your own body. I'd say to take the new Nut's words and interpret them to what works best for you and your system. This is your journey, not hers. Turn your diet and exercise plan on its head, shake up your metabolism a bit, and see if you don't get back on track.

Good luck!

Dave

Great advice.... dave...you are so correct.

[BayougirlMrsS 3,938]

Rach... i looked at your before and during pic and you look beautiful... you are doing great!!! Keep up the great work

[matty 0]

I am sorry you have professionals you do not trust. I actually started out with a crummy group of assistants, now they have left and I am dealing with good ones now. It was really frustrating! I did deal with an over fill and choked to death for about 2 months and had Fluid taken out. I know now that I am done with fills because I never want to feel that way again (and I am at onlt 5.5cc!) So If you are not choking at 7cc, I do beleive there is something not quite right. My Surgeon does all my fills and always takes Fluid out first then adds. Try to see another Dr or only see the Dr at your office. Good luck! Matty

I try to be pretty upbeat about the band... I do my best to lend support to others if I can, and to cheerlead for people whenever possible. But lately my band journey has gotten harder and I need to vent- maybe it'll help me feel better.

I've been banded almost 6 months, and have had 5 fills. My 3rd fill, which got me up to 6.75cc, was good and I felt like the band was doing what I wanted it to (keeping me satisfied 4-5 hours, helping me to eat smaller portions). I felt like I was "almost there"-- you know, close to the fabled green zone. I went back 2 weeks later to get another fill, and found out the the surgical P.A. who had done all of my fills left the practice, so the full-time office PA would be doing them. Fine. I watched her when she did it. She put in the new .5cc's but she didn't pull out what was in my band first to measure it, which the other PA always did. I found it odd.

So anyway. Things go well a couple weeks, I notice I'm really not feeling like I'm in a good place like I was before so I call for another fill. I find out I have to book like 3 weeks from when I call (one less PA=a lot fewer open appointments). When I go in in August, I'm busy (my kids are with me and I had to wait 45 minutes before they called me back) but I don't recall her checking the total fluid this time either. I'd noticed she didn't do it the first time and so it was on my mind this time.

So I'm now up to 7.75cc's and the PA tells me that if I want to have any more fills i have to see the nutritionist first because I have "so much" in my band. I find out that my nutritionist (who I LOVED) also left the practice, and I'll need to see the other woman, who I've seen at support groups and in the office but I've never met. But I walk out thinking, ok, that's fine, this fill will hopefully put me back at a good place and I'll just go in October for my 6 month check up and see where I'm at.

Well... 7.75 didn't feel a damn bit different. In fact I'd say it felt looser. I am now going 2, 2.5 meals after a measured out meal and experiencing hunger. I'm worrying that I have a leak, or that she's missing my port when she fills me or something ,since she hasn't been checking what's in the band. I just feel like something's not adding up here.

I called the office last week to see if I could get in for a fill and this nutritionist meeting i have to have. The woman at the front desk tells me the soonest i could get in is AFTER my 6 month check up (10/18). I get frustrated and tell her that I think I have a leak, the PA hasn't checked how much is in my band, etc. So the receptionist puts me into the PA's voicemail. I explain it all to her.

The PA calls me back and she's on the defensive. She says she ALWAYS checks how much is in the band before she fills. Well... she can say that if she wants but I know she's lying because I watched her the first time and she didn't check it. She then starts going over what my expectations of the band are. Fine, I make sure she knows I'm not expecting a magic cure, I'm just expecting a little help. She says to me "why is it that in July you said you were going 3 hours after a meal before feeling hunger but in August, now that you have MORE fluid in your band, you're saying it's only 2, 2.5 hours?" Well if I knew the answer to that I probably wouldn't have called, would I?

She says that we can schedule an endoscopy if I really "want it". When I decline she asks me why not and I say my insurance is bad and I don't want to pay for tests if I don't know I really need them. She then says that she wants me to meet with the nutritionist, her, and a surgeon on my 6 month check up and if the doctor and nutritionist say I need it she'll "gladly" do my fill, but until that day I need to track every bite so they can see what I'm eating.

I'm just frustrated. I feel like the band DID start to help me, then it stopped. yes, I have more fluid in it now (maybe?) yet I barely know it's there. I can feel it if I swallow a big mouthful of Water or something I didn't chew well but I've never been stuck, never slimed, none of those things. And I think of those as good things but the truth is I also feel like there's either something wrong with it (leak? maybe the latch opened? I don't know!) or if not, then I need more fills than your average bear to get to the green zone.

beyond all that... I hit 60 pounds lost and asked my husband to take new progress pics for me. And I think they're horrible. I look like a fat person with extra saggy skin. I have been feeling down already and I was so looking forward to a nice set of pics to make me feel accomplished... they just made me feel worse. I may be in a size 18 instead of a 24, but I look just as bad.

OK. Bless you if you read all this. Any BTDT or kind words would be much appreciated.