I would like to hear from some Texarkana Bandsters about their experiences. re: doctors, pre and post surgery, and how things are going for them now. I am considering the lap band.

You probably have the new and improved band, Arkie. I think it has something to do with tiny ridges along the inside of the band to help grip and prevent slippage. And I read something somewhere that they already have a small amount of saline in them. THAT POSSIBLY COULD BE WRONG, SO DON'T QUOTE, K? Discuss it with the Docs, they can tell you for sure. I have seen the old style and even then I saw it once before I had mine placed. You know how they have to improve on everything. Cars, phones, klennex. Everything is new and improved. lol

lisa

Hello everyone, hope all of you are doing well....

Lisa...I did what you are doing not too long ago and found that I could eat better later in the day than I could in the mornings to mid afternoon...Don't know why that is, but that is what I noticed...

When I was TOO TIGHT, chips and crackers became my friends because I could get those down easier...NOT GOOD, I know, but I was hungry...If you find yourself relying on those things, you are TOO tight...From experience, don't think that being tighter will help you lose...I tried to tough it out and it made me miserable...now I find it hard to stay in the box, because I went too long not eating anything...it's nice to be able to eat something, so now I find myself not worrying about what I am eating...not gaining, but just enjoying my food for a change...Hope this doesn't sound redundant...just don't want any of you to get TOO tight...it's not fun!! I kept mine for 8weeks thinking I could work through it...I know now what starving children in Africa go through...

Lisa or Hippmom,

I looked on Noscales and saw that our meeting for this month has been cancelled again. Has anyone said why?

Hope everyone is fine. Still no restriction, but I haven't gained nor have I lost.

Lisa, I had trouble getting on too. I think that happens every time they change or update the site. I think I am doing better, but still have to be careful or I'll PB. Not as much as before. Like you, I get in too big a hurry sometimes. I think I have lost a pound or two, maybe. Not weighing for a few days. Take care everyone.

glo

i saw that too don't know what's up

Let's send Mrs. Betty an e-mail and ask WHY??? Jamie and her sister were supposed to be taking over our group. The last meeting we had (January) they told us that. Guess we could have one without them somewhere.

Thanks Lynn for the advice. I talked to Angie at PS and I think I will try it a couple more days and see. I haven't gotten sick since Sunday. I have eaten better food this week than last week. Last week was TOM and that has a lot to do with my tightness. We'll see how it goes this weekend and if I still can't eat right then I promise to go see the docs!

Yall have a good day. Be safe and stay in the BOX!

lisa

Good morning all,

Lisa, what is Betty's email address. I will email her and ask and post when I hear from her. Glad that everything is going good for you.

Lisa, I'm trying hard to stay in the box, but with all the rain lately, I'm staying in the boat. :biggrin:

I sent an e-mail to Jamie yesterday, she forwarded it to Mrs. Betty. I guess we will see.

Glo, send me a private message from this site and I will send you Mrs. Betty's mail address.

My box is floating today! lol I haven't checked the rain gauge, but I know we got a flood.

Talk to yall later! Stay dry!

lisa

Lisa, I sent you a email.

Hello Everyone~ Didn't mean to stay away for so long! I haven't even been to see Dr.K in 2 month's. We've had a new grandson, who's healthy as can be! I've been sick with sinus, etc. My hubby has been off work for 2 months, sick, in the hospital, then back in the hospital. He had gallbladder removal and hiatal hernia repair where they wrapped part of his esophagus with part of his stomach. Now it's just like he lapband too. He has a hard time swallowing anything and has to eat like me. I have not gained or lost anything to speak of. Pretty disappointed in myself. I am not hungry and my last fill gave me pretty good restriction. For the life of me, I cannot kick the sugar habit. I am addicted and I don't know HOW to beat this. I really need a support group! I've missed ya'll.

I'm right there with on the sugar, Julie. I do know that once you can get off it, it's not so hard to stay off it, but once you get off it again, it's harder to get off it the 2nd time, at least for me anyway!

Here's a question for all y'all: Have you noticed that you crave foods you weren't particularly attracted to before now that you're banded? I crave pecans and chocolate, actually now I'm a chocaholic now and I didn't even really care about it before surgery!

Yeah I know what you mean...I'm craving meat and cheese right now!!!

It's been about 2 weeks since I've been on here, but finally got to eat some mashed potatoes and oatmeal. Looking forward to the chicken salad and slightly "mushy" stuff in 5 days.

:cursing: 30lbs lost, 66lbs to go

hogg you are doing so good!!!!

i am a chocoaholic now and before!!! no matter how tight i am chocolate slides right down, but right now i am very tight and i am never hungry so the amount of chocolate i eat is much less than in the past!!!!YEH if i eat the hard protien stuff i don't have room for chocolate so i try to things like cheese or cottage cheese or shaved ham when i get home from work so i don't graze all nite like i did before the last fill. it takes very little to fill me up these days i have to be real careful to not push it to the limit when i eat, but if i just don't try last one more bite i am ok. this is the first time i have actually lost at least a pound a week since my last fill. since feb the 25 i have lost 8-10 lbs. and i have not change the things i eat but i am eating very little. still getting enough calories because of the chocolate and i have not lost my hair!!!YEH

i had set my goal to lose 77 lbs and i only have around 20 more to get to that goal, but my dh took some pic of the kids and i last weekend and i think i will need to lose more than 20 unless things really change with that last 20. i think i will always have a big belly and ps is not in my future because of the $$$ i was self pay for the band and really cant justified spending more $$$ on plastics for an old lady like me.

i started at a tight 24 and can now wear a slightly toght 16 or loose 18. i would like to be loose 16 or slightly tight 14. so i will see what the next 20 lbs bring.

Hello everybody.

Dr. Keilin and I have the weekend off; she got me to join her to come to Dallas as she attends a knitting convention. Hey it could be worse, there are a lot worse addictions and more expensive hobbies that one's wife can have....

(I for myself will spend time in the bookstores and computer and electronics stores.)

Checking the thread I see a few people have mentioned cravings and how to deal with them.

Physicians have learned that for some people onset of cravings, especially for carbohydrates (e.g snacks, chocolate, etc.) may be brought on by having a low protein intake. I recently found a scientific article that reported that intake of a protein meal decreases the level of ghrelin in your body. (Ghrelin is a hormone that appears to correspond with hunger; the higher the ghrelin level in your body, presuambly the more hunger you sense.)

We recommend ensuring that you are taking in adequate protein. Many of our patients are utilizing the protein supplements from Bariatric Advantage. (Dr. Keilin and I buy them too.) My wife's favorite is the Profect protein drink that comes in the test tube looking container. I stick with the powders and add them to skim milk. Check out the 'estore' on Lap Band Surgery Texarkana- Serving Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana (weird how that title comes up; its www dot noscales dot com )

Regarding the cancelled Mt Pleasant support group:

Attendance has been so low that it got to the point that it was unfair for Dr. Keilin and I to ask our staff to go the meetings. For the last meeting that was held, only five people showed up :tongue:

We may restart the Mt. Pleasant support group meetings again in the future if we can get a higher level of attendance, but for now we encourage people to attend either the support group in Texarkana or in Mt. Pleasant.

Newjulie, I have been wondering about you. Sorry to hear about your husbands problems, sounds like a nightmare. Trying to understand how that happened. Was that done that way on purpose? Or an error? Who and where did the surgery? Sorry so many questions, but I am the curious type. lol. You are going to have to work on the sugar thing. I have all the sympathy in the world for you. You might try sf hot chocolate, it is pretty good stuff, especially at night when you want to graze on a sweet snack. I love ice cream, and it is getting to that season for homemade ice cream. Not that I have to have that kind, any will do. lol. My husband just ate a bowl and I passed it up, a feat for me! Some sugarfree hard candy might help you when you get an I can't stand it craving. By all means get all the other out of the house! Congrats on the Grandbaby!! I have one that is 4 yrs. old. It's the best thing ever!

Lo2us, we talked about those strange cravings before. I don't do it other than it seems like I want sweets in general more than before. It's interesting though. Maybe everyone else will share their cravings with us, if they have them.