Just wondering what misconceptions, misunderstandings, etc. people who know you are banded have? Here are some of the questions/comments I've received (I tell everyone it comes up with that I'm banded).

Yeah but since the band is inside you, you have to have another operation each time it needs to be tightened, right?

I've always heard those make you sterile...

Doesn't it get absorbed by your stomach and just force your whole stomach into a smaller shape?

You can only eat a couple pounds of food a day right?

What ones have you received?

You can only eat a couple pounds of food a day right?

that one makes me laugh.

My Sister-in-law thought they put the lapband in your throat,

Maryb

Sometimes it feels like they did! LOL

My pet peeve is to be compared to a gastro-bypass patient. I find myself stressing 1 - 2 pound loss per week is normal with the band.

People will look at me when they're talking about food and say "Can you eat that???" I always tell them that there really aren't too many things that I couldn't eat, but just because I can, doesn't mean I should. Then you go through the speech about making good food choices, smaller portions and the difference between banding and bypass....

I stress too about the slower weight loss, but then remind myself that's why I chose this over bypass. It's better for me and I will have to teach myself to eat right. The band won't do all the work like the bypass does. It's a life long learning lesson, but well worth the time and work.

Barb

banded June 20 2006

UNMC Omaha Nebr Dr McBride

down 36 lbs

by the way, can someone tell me how you update your weight loss on these TickerFactory things????

Thanks

Barb

Go back to tickerfactory.com change your current weight, copy and paste the new updated code into your signature after you delete the current one. Tickerfactory should remember you and the last ticker you made, so it should just be a matter of changing your current weight. Once you get used to doing this, it only takes a few seconds.

I can get a bit stressed by the slow weight loss until I remind myself how much it has really added up over the months.

It really is very very optimistic to think your body is just going to merrily shed 2lb each and every week for a year or more. It jsut doesnt work that way. And if it does, it has very very little to do with good health.

How about:

• Don't banded people have a lttle string hanging out of their body all the time?
  
• Don't they put a scope down your throat, each time to adjust it?
  
• They have to go into your belly to adjust it, right, because that's where the hole is?

I so needed to laugh this morning. Thanks Wheetsin for starting this.

I have told many people but don't have any funny stories - I don't think I have a sense of humor right now so thanks for sharing yours.

Someone asked me why they couldn't see my band... they thought i was gonna wear one around my belly to make my "stomach smaller." I nearly died laughing!

Someone else asked me about the fills - asking if I had to "go under" for each one. Hello.. mediport?! so now I just call them "band adjustments"

People get scared when I tell them about it because they assume its Gastric Bypass, but when I explain it to them, they ask things like "you really feel full?" or "how's your energy- you must be exhausted!"

I mean hello?! I am losing weight- my energy should double anddddd as long as I get the Protein.... grrr

lol

some people! haha

The one I hate is when they solicitously ask "how are you feeling?" with this concerned look on their face. Hello, I've been banded for THREE YEARS, I'm obviously feeling fine!!

A friend said she could never do it because she couldn't stand having an open wound on her belly. She really thought they just left an opening, until DH showed her his port. Or more accuratly, where it is.

The absolute funniest was my SIL, who when we called to tell them DH came through surgery well wanted to know how much fat they cut off him. She was totally clueless about WLS in general.

How much can they blow the balloon up before it pops?

Is it easier to stay afloat when swimming with the balloon blown up?

Does your stomach bloat out when they blow the balloon up?

That's not the "permanent" one is it????

Does it hurt???? Seems simple....

And similar one's to the ones above!!

I LOVE the lapband lifestyle...most days!!!!

God Bless,

Melody

Banded 3/20/06 -76lbs

I am virtually at goal, so what I get most often is, "Are you going to have it taken out now, so you don't starve to death"?

Like there would ever be a time when I was in danger of starving to death.....PLEASE.