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Lap Band Hell & Under The Microscope!!



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stevegoad~

Trust me- I only told who I had to. I went back to work on my 3rd day post-op so I needed to be able to tell some of my co-wprkers in confidence (I have to lift patients frequently). Unfortunately, it has backfired on me. Oh well- lesson learned!

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I don't tell people at work because of exactly that. I've gotten to the point where I also can't trust myself to hold my tongue. I'm not going to take comments about what I eat and not respond with questions like "Are you sure that alcohol fueled orgy you told everyone about was good for your health". "Has the doctor checked your liver lately becuase with your level of drinking I'm sure it's got problems."

People should mind there own business! Very rarely do people say things because they want to be helpful. They say it to be superior.

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WOW

I don't tell people at work because of exactly that. I've gotten to the point where I also can't trust myself to hold my tongue. I'm not going to take comments about what I eat and not respond with questions like "Are you sure that alcohol fueled orgy you told everyone about was good for your health". "Has the doctor checked your liver lately becuase with your level of drinking I'm sure it's got problems."

People should mind there own business! Very rarely do people say things because they want to be helpful. They say it to be superior.

WOW are these people your friends???? If so doesn't sound like you like them very much. I guess my attitude would be I will show you I can change my behavior . Tit for Tat just drags you down..Focus on yourself and let the rest go, the only one you can change is you anyway.

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I understand all of your points of view, but I've told EVERYONE! I was and still am super excited about my surgery, and finally getting the weight off after being overweight my entire life. Also, I WANTED to be held more accountable because this surgery is my last hope. No one has said anything to me about me not supposed to have something because very few foods are "worth" me eating. food has to meet certain criteria for me these days :). I'm almost 6 weeks post op, and down 26 pounds. I so psyched! I have my first fill next week!

I wish you all tons of luck and will power on this journey. It's going to be hard, but it's also going to be worth it!!!

Sent from my MB865 using LapBandTalk

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I told everyone if they asked how I was losing weight. Everyone was very positive

Over the past 6 years I posted several times about my "Egg Timer Distraction" trick... it's how I dealt with head hunger in the evening and using an egg timer... it's kind of hard to explain. My doctor recommend when I was banded and I started using it around my 8th week when I started to feel hungry in the late evening.

I just sent it to 3 people when I was in the chatroom tonight.

Also, when I was at my monthly lapband coffee group this past week 2 people came up to me that had fallen off the "band wagon" 2 months ago... and they both tired the ETD trick for a month... 1 person was down 11 lbs the other 9 lbs.

If anyone would like a copy of this document please feel free to send me an e-mail and I will send you the .pdf file.

In the subject line of the e-mail please put Egg Timer Distraction.

When I was losing I found this to be great little "trick" also I check in EVERY month with my family doctor to get weighed and measured. I also attended monthly coffee groups for people that were banded.

I still get weighed in every month with my family doctor (I don't own scales) and I host 2 coffee groups a month. Both these things keep me motivated and on track.

Tom, Toronto

Banded July 6 06

Wt. Loss: 156 lbs

tomander@bell.net

Started with a 54" waist now 32"

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I also tell anyone who specifically asks me how i lost the weight about the surgery - everyone at work knows - but here's the thing - i did that on purpose specifically because i know myself very well and would never want anyone to give me a look let alone say something to me about eating something wrong - so it's like my own private insurance policy - i KNOW i will not eat anything "wrong" in front of others because i KNOW i can't stand looks/comments. It's worked perfectly and 135+ pounds in just over a year later - i know it was the right approach for me.

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I have told everyone (I too am a nurse). I use this analogy with my one negative Nellie. "You take medications for hypertension, meds for type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis those mess are a tool". " I have none of those health problems so to prevent them I am using this tool, explain to me why this is not reasonable"?

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The people I was working with would genuinely be concerned with me if I was sick. So being out of the office for a couple of days would have been noticable. I told people that I trusted, not people I didn't. If word got around, oh flippin well. I ate healthier than most of them any way. For me, my band is about helping with Portion Control. I was eating pretty darn healthy any way. Don't get me wrong, I love the occasional cheeseburger but who doesn't?

No one ever said anything to me about "should you be eating that?" because I would say something right back about what they do. I agree with a previous post about people need to tend to themselves instead of you. We as (what I'm going to call us, if you take offense sorry) "food Aholics" (FAs) don't need to be chastised for any small misstep we may have. We FAs chastise ourselves enough and don't need others making us feel worse. The main difference between FAs and alcoholics and drug addicts is that you have to eat in order to live. We can't just abstain from alcohol or illicit substances. In order to live, your body needs fuel. Pretty soon we'll be told we can live on the nutrients in the air alone. Everything is bad for you, regardless of what it is. It's all bs, in my opinion. :wacko:

If you know in your heart that you have made some positive changes in your eating habits then $crew the rest of them. If you start doubting yourself, I recommend a food diary. Sucks to record everything but it shows proof of what you are doing to you. :)

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can I ask why they put in a 4cc band and where you had your surgery? I was also banded in Mexico by Ortiz with the 11cc johnson and johnson band. I've heard there are a lot of complications with the 4cc

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My surgeon has more experience than most American surgeons. He uses the 4cc bands because statistics show a lack of complications. It is true that the 4cc band does have a bad rap, however. As with any product, when there are newer models on the market, the older ones start to "phase" out & in order to sell the newer models the old ones have more "complications." I trust my surgeon, and my band.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

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        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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