Alexandra & Alex,

Lately LBT has been bombarded with so many new members that it's hard to keep up. I love my band regardless of the problems I've had, but I think some of the most important posts are getting lost.

May I suggest adding a new forum for "Problems with the Band" specifically for erosions, port infections, etc? New people researching the band need to know how serious this procedure can be even though most people are very happy with the product. Thanks.

I think this actually ties into my suggestion for a newbie section, listed first under the lapband forum...

I'm still working on the newbie reference post - haven't spent a lot of concentrated effort on it yet, but if no Newbie section gets created I may just post it on my website and request a sticky thread with the link there for newbies to read. I think it would be better and more dynamic as a part of this forum, though...

IMO a separate section for problems would serve no useful purpose. Threads don't "get lost" -- they're always available for anyone who searches. Obviously if other people don't agree new forums can always be added. There's no shortage of threads on problems, that's for sure!

As an aside, I think having lots of sticky threads and/or old threads bumped tends to keep new people from posting much. All they have to do is read to get all the info they need--there's no motivation to ask questions or introduce themselves. We'll become a static reference site rather than a discussion/message board. (I'm already unhappy with the large number of sticky threads we have. They just crowd out new stuff. One or two per section should be it, IMO.)

I certainly see the attraction of a newbie reference thread. But I don't want to discourage people from asking questions and talking, and I'm worried that a thread or section that purports to "sum it all up," and the frequent bumping up of old threads for new people does exactly that. We should (and do) have an FAQ and that would be wonderful to expand upon. But we can't answer everyone's questions with old discussions--there should always be new ones coming along.

JMHO, of course. :cool:

I too like the idea of both new forum ideas... someone suggested a newbie thread (get to know the acronyms and FAQ) and the problems thread.

Perhaps a sticky forum? Sort of a Everything you wanted to know about the band?

I gave it a good sleep and I think it would serve a very valid purpose. Sure, it might scare people away from getting the band, but at least all the warnings would be in one place. How would anyone new know about all the potential complications unless they posted a new thread asking everyone? If you do a search for "complications" you won't come up with everything.

Perhaps a sticky forum? Sort of a Everything you wanted to know about the band?

This I think is the best idea- I agree with Alex that it may make it only a information site & not a friendly get to know you area. But Vines suggestion may solve both problems by keeping it still personal.

I had asked a long time ago for a thread I started to be sticked under introductions called "Are You New?" Thinking it might help newbies- but like Lisa says certain threads fall behind after time & are valuable & tough to search.

Good Advice everyone!

IMO, I like the personal touch when a newbie asks a question and is given a direct answer, even though a short version, rather than just telling them to go use the search button.

I think there is a wealth of information to be discovered if someone has the time to read through every search response. When I started on this board the replys with answers and opinions to my particular question or situation meant so much more than when someone suggested I search past responses.

And, we're all different, and what may have been a solution for a past issue, a newer bander may have a new way of handling liquids or mushy or what ever the topic.

As to whether there's another forum or not is immaterial to me, but I think it's more important that we, as a support group respond to everyone and not brush them off with instructing them to do a search...JMO.

I agree that the information availabe should not be used to "brush off" anyone, and this site is MOST valuable because it is "live" and people develop relationships with eachother.

But I don't always have time (or energy) to answer common newbie posts in the depth that they should be answered, and if I KNOW there is a post already that addresses their question in depth I am much more likely to post to that person with a link than to ignore them altogether. Which maybe isn't the same as indepth support, but not exactly brushing them off or making them feel as though no one reads their posts, or that they can't get attention because they're not a part of the non-existent "clique".

Because I have been around here from almost the beginning, and have obsessively read this board until at least July 04, and have a relatively good memory for things that matter to me, I can often recall having read about something that I think can help, but that I can't give specifics on. Sometimes these are even my OWN posts - and let me tell you - even when you know SPECIFICALLY what you are looking for, and who posted it - it can be EXTREMELY frustrating trying to find it again! The search feature does not seem to be completely reliable - and for newbies who have no idea if there is a post or not... it's very likely they won't be able to find one of the more helpful or detailed posts.

That was really my idea behind the newbie section - not to replace the real support here, but to give everyone a "base" of knowledge to work from. Plus, I would link to real threads, too, where people could go and post to with further questions and get answers, expounding on those pre-existing valuable threads. But I do hear your concerns Alexandra, and I think they are valid.

I love the idea of a reference/newbie section with reading material, a different thread for each of the basic areas of knowledge. Your newbie post would be a perfect framework for that, divided up as separate standalone posts. I think those threads should be locked, though, so no messages could be placed on them. Each one could say something like: "For discussion on this topic go to [link to appropriate section]. Read and post to existing threads or start a new one!"

Linking to live threads is a good idea. I think it backfires when people bump old threads rather than link to them. Then we see threads that look current but are really months old or more. That's the kind of thing that can give people a false impression, for example, of a "rash" of events when actually there's just old ones being bumped.

Donali, what do you think of the idea of a separate "problems" section? Any other revisions needed to the forum arrangement? We've had a request to add Canadian provinces to the local support boards, are there any other things to be done?

I agree that the newbie info section threads should be locked, per my suggestion under my "Newbie Info Section" post, http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5699

http://lapbandtalk.com/showpost.php?p=60595&postcount=5[/url]

Kathy and Lisa, those are GREAT lists!

You've given me an idea on organization - The first post, that will stay at the top, will have a brief welcome and explanation of this section. Then there will be a list of topics within that first main post that are hot links. The hot links will link to the other posts in that section - we'll have a seperate, clear, on-topic, locked post for each item in the main list.

As we add to the main list and the posts it links to, the moderators can edit the effected posts and leave them locked.

What do you say, guys? I'm thinking we have all the info we need scattered through almost 2 years worth of knowledge...

I'm sure the newbies will thank us, too.

I'm not against a problem section, but if people are really navigating the site specifically by sections I think they'll miss a lot of posts because I personally would be inclined to post my problem under "support". And if we break "Problems" out of support, than what is "Support" limited to? Exercise, nutritional and emotional?

In the newbie section (that I envision) there will be a section for problems with the band with links to stories in the main forums on slippage, port problems, erosion, etc. As people post new stories about these things the moderators can be requested to add particularly interesting links/stories to the newbie link section.

The more I work on my newbie doc, the more it seems to really be a small index of LBT posts, with some basic info thrown in - or a dynamic book on banding. I think when I have something worth reviewing I'll present it in html format as a link to my website so this is not something that was created JUST by me with the posts I think are helpful. That is not my intent.

This is my unorganized, unfinished, work in progress outline for the eventual(?) newbie section. Probably much broader than it needs to be at the moment - the outline would be the main thread, and each outline item would either link to a set, seperate post within the newbie section, or link to active links in the "regular" forum. Some of the written-out text will be part of the seperate post resource in that section:

Getting Started

How to Navigate this site (LBT)

Terms of Agreement/User Guidelines

User CP

Profiles

Safety on the Internet

Avatars

Signature Lines

305/205/135

Weightloss Tickers

First Stop

Introductions

Who are you?

Where are you in the process?

What are your questions?

What are your fears?

How much do you want to lose?

Searching

Regular

Advanced

Etiquette

"rules" of polite posting eg:capital letters is yelling, etc.

Posting areas

Hijacking

Posting New Threads

Replying to Existing Threads

Posting Photos

Jazzing up your posts

Bananas, smilies, etc.

Color

Fonts

Font size

Quoting

Bold

Italics

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Acronyms, Abbreviations, Lingo

Various common questions

Would you do it again?

would you still choose the band over the bypass or other surgeries?

What was the pain really like?

what has been the hardest part of the WLS, what has been the easiest?

what is the one thing that has helped you be successful?

Resources

Personal Site Links

Professional Site Links

books

Types of Adjustable Gastric Bands

Lapband (Inamed/Bioenterics)

Inamed site link

Swedish Band (Johnson & Johnson)

http://www.ethiconendo.com/morbid.jsp

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=6035

MidBand (French)

http://www.midband.fr/mid_anglais/present.htm

Adjustable Gastric Band vs RnY

What Can Go Wrong?

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=659

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2213

Port Problems

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=4268

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=4268&highlight=poking

http://lapbandtalk.com/showpost.php?p=12985&postcount=106

Leaks

Leak Stories

Reflux

Reflux Stories

Slippage

Slippage Stories

Erosion

Erosion Stories

Blockage

Blockage Stories

Complication Stats for the Lapband

Weightloss Stats for the Lapband

Who Usually Qualifies?

Insurance

Jumping through hoops

General requirements

Fighting denials

Insurance stories

How do I decide where to have it done?

Your Insurance Pays

Available Docs for your Insurance Plan

Inamed Link to Approved Docs

Your Insurance WON’T Pay

Price

Experience

Location

Considerations for Surgery outside of the country

Hospital Used

Follow-up Care

Maintenance

Getting Fills

Additional Costs

Mexico Info (need of passports, language barriers, phones)

Europe Info

http://euroband.co.uk/surgeons.htm

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5795

Keys to success with banding

The bandster “rules”

Changing your lifestyle forever

Water

Exercise

Mindsets

Before Surgery

Research, Research, Research

Site Links (individual sites and informational sites)

Emotions

How are my emotions tied to my eating habits?

Exercises in separating emotional hunger from physical hunger.

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=434

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=865

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=899

Addiction transference

Preparing emotionally for:

Reduced food intake

Changing relationships with food

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?p=64868#post64868

Shifting of relationship dynamics

Losing weight

Receiving compliments

Buying smaller sizes

Letting go of stuff that’s too big

Jealousy

Sabotage

Self

Others

Society in general

Challenges in the workplace

Getting “personal” Attention

They’re hitting on me!!

I can feel them looking at me

Now everyone wants to be my friend

Everyone wants to know how I’m doing it

Backwards compliments

Fears

I won’t be able to eat my favorite foods

I won’t be able to eat in quantity

I won’t be able to eat out

People will notice how I eat

What if something goes wrong?

My relationships will change

I will change

Support

Why do I need support?

Who do I tell?

Where do I get support?

Shopping

Stocking up on liquids for the first 2-4 weeks

What’s a clear liquid?

What’s a full liquid?

The eating stages

Clear Liquids

Full Liquids

Mushies

Back to “normal”

When can I eat “normal” again?

The Surgery

What to bring to the hospital

Expected Length of Hospital Stay

Surgery Stories

After the Surgery

Initial diet restrictions, and why

Clear liquids

Full liquids

Mushies

“Regular” food

Is this normal?

I’m hungry

I’m not losing weight

I make new noises

My shoulder hurts

THIS is “natural” gas???

Expected Recovery Time

When Can I:

Shower

Drive

Pick-up my Children

Have sex

Eat real food

Swim

Soak in the Jacuzzi

Go diving

Exercise

Go back to work

Take my vitamins/medications

Post surgical pain, gas,

Food

Shopping list for Liquids

Clears

Full

Shopping list for Mushies

recipes

How much water?

How much Protein?

Vomiting (Productive Burping, Productive Belching, “PB”)

Why to avoid at all costs

#1 cause of slippage

Stomach trauma and resulting restriction

After the PB

When “normal” life resumes

General Do’s and Don’ts

How much should I be eating?

How can I tell when I’m full?

What should I be eating?

Tubing issues

Leaks

Poking out

Repairing

Tubing Stories

Port issues

Flipping

Hard to find

Uncomfortable

Port Stories

Fills

When can I get one?

How much?

How often?

How many?

How do I know when I need one?

Price?

Blind (non-Fluoro) vs Fluoro

How’s it done?

Pain

After the fill

When does it kick in?

Am I too tight?

Am I too loose?

Fill Stories

Should I wear a medical bracelet?

pills, Vitamins

Aftercare

Problem foods

Dry

White meats

Clogging

Breads

Breading

Nuts

Fibrous

Asparagus

Fruit skins

Swells with liquid

Rice

Noodles

Bulking Laxatives

Chunky after chewing

eggs

Rubbery Shellfish

Carbonated

Soda

Beer

Champagne

Seltzer

Food Stories

Can I still:

Fly?

Dive?

Bungee jump?

Diet?

Have healthy pregnancies?

Etc.

**********end of outline, beginning of seperate posts**************

Exercise Ideas:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5556

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5233

1. Walk the dogs. (and if you don't have one, ask your neighbor if you can walk theirs!)

2. Park your car in the farthest available spot. Not only do you get the exercise walking into the store/mall/whatever but your car won't ever get dinged. (this one is my favorite!)

3. If you have stairs in your house, climb them! Up down up down! (the person that messaged me said that when she does laundry, she puts a load of clothes at the top of the stairs, then has allowed herself to take ONE piece down at a time, therefore having to do the "stairmaster" while getting house chores done, she says it is fun and makes a game of it and the break from the bottom of the stairs to the washer allows her to "break" and get her breath back)

4. Mow the lawn(great for legs/arms), pick weeds (good for legs but don't use your back!), gardening (great for upper arms)

5. Wax the car (great for arms/back/shoulders) Wax on.... wax off...

6. Mall walking (it is free, comfy and lots to see... and I guess there are actual mall walker clubs you can join!)

7. Hiking in woodland trails, nature trails or mountains (each city or area should have maps, check with the visitor center)

8. Bicyling

9. Pilates at Home

10. Using a chair for lifts/dips/pushups

11. Play mind games... for example, you tell yourself that the mailbox at your driveway but you are not "allowed" to get to it except by approaching from one side or the other therefore you must walk around the block to get to it. (yeah, this one seems a bit strange to me too but hey, if it works, I appreciated the suggestion!)

12. Jumprope

13. Fly fishing (I was like whaaaaaaaa? when I first saw this but then they explained all of the upper body strength it needed and I was like, oh.)

14. Sweep the sidewalk/driveway. (It gets you moving and uses upper body for the sweeping motion as well as cleans off your driveway! Once you are done, you are wanting to do more!)

15. Go to Vegas baby! Walk the strip and people watch!!! (woo hoo, I like this idea)

16. Never take the elevator, use the stairs! No matter how high, tell yourself you are not to take the elevator. (this person also said he uses this with money: tells himself he is never allowed to buy or pay with change, therefore spends $2.00 when something is $1.10 and gets .90 in change, then pockets it in a change jar and has booookooooo bucks at the end of the year and buys himself something he wouldn't normally have spent the money on!)

17. Visit the botanical gardens/nature centers/zoos etc....

18. Vacation while you exercise!! Pick places like the Grand Canyon and hike down. (this one didn't exactly sound free to me though lol )

19. Stand or walk in place while watching TV.

20. Volunteer. It may not be all out exercise but you get out and get moving just by volunteering and you do something for others. Habitat for Humanity is one volunteer organization that will really exercise you while doing something great for other people in need! (i love this idea too!)

The doctor requires me to lose weight before surgery. Help!

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5307

03-01-2005, 07:47 AM

Nykee

Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005

Age: 34

Posts: 51

HI MOM111

I also went to Dr. Ortiz at the Obesity Control Center 14 days ago.

I love him, I cant say enough good things about him.

He spent so much time in my room talking to me and not just about the lapband but just conversation.. HE TREATS YA SO WELL!!!!!

And YES about the weightloss.. I was told to loose 40 to 60 pounds, and if i didnt I would NOT be able to have the surgery. They were very adamant, they said the doctor can ge in there and see if there is too much fat on the liver, its not safe and he will pull out.

I had less than a month and a half to lose it too!!!!!!!!!!

I paniced.. I thought it was impossible...

BUT, THIS WAS MY ONLY CHANCE!! I had been waiting for this for too long!

I had the money, I had the plane seats bought, I had my sister who lives in another state all ready to go with me..

HOW could I NOT lose it!!!! The whole time I was paniced. I felt desperate and affraid that I woulnt loose enough.

Maybe they would get inside and my liver wasnt shrunk enough and they pulled out, and I still had to pay some fee's!!!

BUT I did it. I lost 40 pounds in less than a month and a half!

NOW.. I DID throw up my food a few times. I cheated and ate at Izzys one day, felt extremely scared and powerless and I just puked it out, then I did it again twice with chinese food.

I DO NOT RECCOMEND THIS OF COURSE!!

And I am sure it would have made only a slight difference, like 5 pounds maybe, I dunno. It was dum of me to do!

HOW I REALLY LOST SO MUCH WAS:

I ate low carb. During that time my 129 pound daughter lost 7 pounds by also eating low carb.

Now My cousin has lost 12 pounds in 2 weeks doing a low carb diet. (she is now 156#)

You CAN lose 15 pounds in three weeks if you low carb diet!! LOW meaning under 20 carbs a day!

If you do not know much about Low carb dieting, you really do not have much time to figure it out, there are A LOT!!! of things that you can misunderstand or mess up with unless you know it well.

BUT IT DOES WORK..and I did NO EXtRa excersize at all (I cant)

PM me.. if you need advice..

I can give you a 3 week menu and list of foods you can eat and all that...

and YOu can start right away.

I promise if you follow it, you will loose AT LEAST 10 pounds!

Arm Exercises:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5556

Why I’m fat:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=890

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=4750

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5223&page=1&pp=15

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5726

Incisions:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=895

Fills:

When do I need one?

We do need to remember that hitting a plateau is not necessarily an indication that it's time for a fill. Since this would be your first fill (I am assuming), it probably is time, but I'm going to put this out there just for posterity's sake:

When is it time for a fill?

First, let's assume you are following the following principles:

a. No drinking with meals

b. Eating solid foods

I personally think getting in all your water and water loading is important too, but that's maybe more of a personal philosophy than a hard and fast rule, like "a" and "b" above.

If "a" and "b" are not true, you need to make them true before analysing whether it's time for a fill or not.

1. Are you hungry less than 3 hours after eating solid foods?

2. Do you no longer reach satiety when you eat about 1200 calories a day?

3. Has weight loss stalled for more than 4 weeks?

#1 and #2 are the more important indicators of whether or not someone needs a fill. If you are eating mostly nutritious foods, but need to consume more food than you think you should to satisfy hunger AND you are not losing weight, then it is time for a fill.

When is it NEVER time for a fill?

It is NEVER time for a fill if you are experiencing PBs or acid reflux. If you are experiencing these two things at your current level of restriction, getting another fill will only make it worse. And, repeat after me: PBs/vomiting are the NUMBER ONE cause of slippage. Acid reflux leads to esophagitis which can cause obstruction, lead to pre-cancerous conditions, and a lot of pain besides, and is treated by EMPTYING the band. If that doesn't help, you may have to lose your band until you are healed.

Ways to avoid nighttime reflux - stop eating 3-4 hours before bedtime. Avoid acid promoting foods in the evening, like caffeine and chocolate and spicy foods.

Fill Stories:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5508

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=756

Addiction transference:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5730

Reflux:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2027

I would do everything you can to avoid the once a month reflux - it will add up.

You probably know the reflux avoidance guidelines (in order of least to most aggressive):

1. Do not over eat.

2. Avoid acid producing foods/drinks, like caffeine, chocolate, peppermint, orange juice, spicy food.

3. Do not lie down after eating (I think they recommend a 3 hour wait?)

4. Do not eat or drink 3 hours before bedtime.

5. Take an OTC med to control reflux.

6. Elevate the head of the bed (helps keep the esophagus above the stomach so there's no backflow).

7. Get a slight unfill.

Ways to avoid nighttime reflux - stop eating 3-4 hours before bedtime. Avoid acid promoting foods in the evening, like caffeine and chocolate and spicy foods.

Recovery:

pain survey - Julie H, 11-5-2003

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=946

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1337

Life with the band:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=975

Would you do it again?

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=488

http://lapbandtalk.com/showpost.php?p=57938

Mushie Foods:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?p=57940

Gas:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=3671

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?p=57956

Protein:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5634

Protein sources:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=3498

Protein Shakes:

Hi Penni -

I like your site. I just have to comment on the following, though:

Quote:

Protein shakes are a must to keep the protein in your diet. You can get protein from fresh vegetables as well in the form of juices after this surgery.

Protein shakes are NOT required by bandsters once they get to the eating solid food stage. It is always recommended to eat real food that stays in your pouch longer and helps keep you feeling full. Since we do not have a malabsorptive-type procedure like the RnY, we are able to utilize all the calories and nutrients of what we eat, just like before surgery.

For people who are too tight in the mornings to eat real food, protein shakes can be helpful, but for the most part are not needed. For people who do choose to use protein shakes, for whatever reason, they should replace the meal, not be in addition to it, unless one is having troubles meeting their caloric goals (in which case you are probably adjusted too tightly, and could benefit from a slight unfill). And I know of no vegetable or fruit juice that would be considered a good source of protein.

It is recommended that all caloric liquids be avoided, which is why drinking juice is not recommended, as it is a high calorie liquid that passes through the pouch and again, does nothing to help generate the full feeling. Even for people who are not banded who are watching their weight, physicians recommend eating whole fruit as opposed to drinking juice for that very reason.

I picked up a brochure from Dr. Lopez's office once while I was there, and it had a color xerox cover with the Oasis Hospital logo on it. Inside were supposed guidelines for patients who had the lapband. I have to tell you, that article was taken WORD for WORD from an RnY doctor's article, which was written specifically for gastric bypass patients. The word "lapband" had been substituted everywhere the word gastric bypass appeared in the original article.

The post-op protocol for the RnY is drastically different from the post-op protocol for the lapband. The only thing they have in common is the liquid diet post op. But even that is shorter for lapbanders, and not restricted in quantity, like it is for the RnYers - there is no drinking a thimble-full of Protein shake every hour directly after post-op, like the RnYers are required to do.

The only other similarity between the two is the longterm strategy of how to use the pouch to its fullest advantage - eating solid food, not drinking with meals, waterloading prior to meals, and avoiding gastric irritants like Aspirin, Advil, and other NSAIDs.

Also, it is NOT expected that a bandster lose 30-45 pounds in the first month. That is a gastric bypass stat. The expected average weightloss with the band is 1-2 pounds a week.

I'm not sure if this pirated booklet is where you got these impressions, but just felt I should pass on this info to you. Oh, and just in case you were given the bypass info instead of the band info, there is no "window of opportunity" for weightloss with the band. With the RnY, it is expected that weightloss pretty much stops 18-24 months out. That's how long it takes the body to adjust and compensate for the malabsorptive part of the bypass. For Bandsters, our band will continue to be a tool in our weightloss journey - there are bandsters 4-5 years out who have continued to lose weight with the band.

Slow Losers:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5928

After the band:

Pain:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?p=59405

Behaviour:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5810

Regrets:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showpost.php?p=59410&postcount=39

How do I know when I’m full?

http://lapbandtalk.com/showpost.php?p=60184&postcount=5

Lots of people experience the "full" feeling differently. Since your band is empty, it is possible that once you start on solid foods you will feel little to no restriction.

Since the feeling of restriction, however, can change day to day (sometimes hour to hour!), it is always important to take small bites, chew well, swallow, and then WAIT before going on to the next bite so you can have a chance to feel how the last bite is settling.

It is inevitable that you will eventually learn just how small your pouch really is... However, you can postpone that experience longer by taking small bites, chewing well, swallowing, and then waiting. This is NOT how most people eat, so you will be surprised at the learning curve!!

Okay, once you swallow, and are waiting, this is what you're looking for, sensation-wise - you may get all or just one of these signals that you are either "full" or are eating too fast/chewing too poorly:

1. STUCK. Okay, that's not a very good description, but as soon as you feel this you WILL KNOW what "STUCK" feels like. Your eyes will get big, you will freeze in mid-chew, and you will feel an awful pain high in your chest, way in the bottom of your throat. DO NOT PANIC!!! DO NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT take a sip of liquid!! DO NOT SWALLOW!!!! Sit there calmly and try to breathe normally. When people ask you what's wrong, you will not feel as though you can talk - if you can squeeze out a few words, your voice will sound raspy and strained. Sometimes standing up will be enough to help things move down a little bit. IF you start salivating, you need to get to a bathroom. DO NOT SWALLOW YOUR SALIVA!!! Spit it out. Lots of times you will feel stuck for only a few seconds before the offending bit passes, IF YOU ARE EATING SLOWLY AND PAYING ATTENTION AND CHEWING WELL. However, sometimes the offending bit will not pass, and it will either come back up on its own, or you will have to force yourself to vomit.

This is often NOT a full feeling! It IS an indication that you are swallowing too much, too fast, and/or are not chewing well enough OR that you have taken one bite too many. Once you become unstuck you can think enough to evaluate how much you have eaten, and whether or not you were being careless, or just missed the more subtle signs that you're full. STUCK is considered a "hard stop", whereas the more subtle feelings described later are considered "soft stops." The goal, of course, is to learn your personal soft stops and heed them.

2. A hiccough. Many people will have one daintly little hiccough when they are full. When you're full your stomach may be pressing up on your diaphragm and irritating it a little bit, which translates into a hiccough.

3. A sigh. Many people will heave a little sigh after that last bite that makes them full. You THINK you're thinking about the next bite, and you'll be loading up that fork... But you're not putting it into your mouth. That's when you realize that you're full. One more bite, and you may suffer the dreaded STUCK feeling.

4. A runny nose. Many people's noses will unexplicably start running. If you were fine when you started eating, and now your nose is running, it's probably time to stop eating. Or you are eating something really, really spicy/hot!

5. A general pressure. Some people will feel a similar feeling to "full", just a little higher. It's a little disconcerting at first, because your lower stomach may still be growling, but your pouch is sending you pressure/full feelings.

6. Port pain. Your port may start aching. My theory as to why is that the pressure of the food is pressing against the saline in the band, which forces the saline out towards the tubing, which starts to straighten a little under pressure, which torques the port a little bit. Like a garden hose turned on full blast with the sprayer closed - it tries to straighten out, right? That's just my theory. But whatever the true reason is, if your port starts bugging you after you start eating, you may be full.

7. Shoulder pain. Some people's left shoulder starts to ache a little bit. This is referred pain from pressure on the diaphragm. When you're full your stomach may be pressing up on your diaphragm and irritating it a little bit, which translates into shoulder pain.

Your soft stop may be something entirely different, but these are the most common sensations/behaviours reported. Take it slow, but you may not experience any of these until you start getting fills.

When can I eat “normal” again?

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1965

Pregnancy and the band:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2031

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=4747

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=89

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2203

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=127

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=4689

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=4409

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1919

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2190

Does everyone have a great story?

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5396

How has your relationship with food changed?

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=4275

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?p=64868

hair loss:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=4799

Extra skin?

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5132

Painful empty stomach:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5793

Bandster Portion:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5787

Making/Posting your weightloss ticker:

http://www.tickerfactory.com/WeightLoss/weight_loss.php?type=3

1. Go to the link above and make your ticker.

2. Go to the bbCode box and right click on mouse and hit Select All

then right click again and select Copy

3. Go back to LBT, click on User CP and under Settings & Options choose Edit Signature

4. Click in the signature block where you want the ticker to go, right click and select Paste

You can preview your signature, or select Save to save your signature( it will look like a bunch of letters until you save it)

Your new signature line will now show on all your existing posts, and all your new posts.

To edit/update your ticker:

1. Click the ticker in one of your posts, or go to User CP, Edit Signature, Preview Signature and click on the ticker there.

2. The ticker page should open up.

3. Click on the Back button and revise your numbers.

4. Click on the Next button.

5. Go back to LBT and delete the existing ticker.

6. Repeat steps 2- 4.

The Sweet Spot:

http://www.geocities.com/michellojackson/NOT_AT_SWEET-SPOT.html

NOT AT SWEET SPOT?

Robin, CoffeeWench

this is from another board from a girl who was in the FDA trials she has been banded 3 years has lost 140 pounds...

This is a recurrent theme on all lists, so let's just address it. The Lapband was designed with a purpose. To be emptied if we ever needed to be able to eat fairly normally again. I say "fairly" normally because even with no Fluid it usually cuts our portions at least some. But mostly this is because we haven't been forced to superchew our food yet. Now, we understand this purpose when we go into it. But it doesn't really SINK IN until we're actually healed from our liquid phase (or even before that) and we decide to TEST THE BAND. And we can STILL eat!!! And we PANIC! And we convince ourselves we're doomed to fail! And we stress out and eat more. And maybe gain back some of the weight we lost during the liquid phase. We're convinced the band that seems to have worked for thousands of others isn't going to work for us. That we're some freak of nature that is going to be fat for all eternity. It's normal to feel this way. Really. You're coming down from the drama and high of the surgery into the day to day boring liquids and you expect to start really losing some weight. I mean, you had surgery didn't you???? Well don't expect much until you're restricted. Use this time to HEAL. See ANY weight loss before your first really good fill as a BONUS and NOT a given, okay???? If you're lost weight, consider yourself that far ahead. There are some lucky ones who experience great restriction out the door. Most are in between and some experience none (like me). You're NOT GOING TO FAIL. Your tummy is healing. It's anchoring that band in place so that it won't slip. If you've had one fill and you need another, make it your priority to get one. Otherwise you're just spinning your wheels. I've had my band so tight that a couple of sips of coffee and ONE bite of a strawberry make me so full I'm on the verge of barfing for hours. I've had it so tight that chewing gum was too much for me because swallowing all that saliva was causing it to back up. Right now I'm kind of at a happy medium. When you get your band to that "just right" spot a switch goes off in your brain about food. You stop caring about it. I'm serious. Suddenly you have to come to grips with the fact that you just CANNOT eat like you once did. And that has a lot of issues unto itself but it comes with the reward of weight loss so it doesn't leave you feeling as vulnerable and schitzy as the prefill stage does. If you're still healing and haven't lost much weight--please try to just get through this time and preoccupy yourself with other things.Did you know that Dr. Fox in Seattle prescribes his band patients diet pills to take during the prefill stage? Why? He understands the difficulty. He feels it's better to kill the appetite chemically while the band heals that subject his patients to all that stress. And he happens to have one of the highest band success rates in the country.And as always, it's better to ADD to your habits then to try to take away. Add more water, more vitamins, more exercise. But don't try to take away food because it throws you into dieting mentality. Adding will naturally balance out the other problem.Just my thought for the night and now I'm finally going to bed. It's a good thing I type 100+ words a minute

robin

this is a reply from robin:

And it is my pleasure to try to reassure you all. I remember 2 things from my prefill stage--how utterly depressed I was thinking the band wasn't going to work and how totally alone I believed I was in my experience. The last 2 years has proven to me that I was more the "norm" that I possibly could have imagined and had my doctor or SOMEONE let me know this from the getgo I would have felt like it was just a neccessary part of the process and would have gotten through it with a more realistic outlook.

Let's just say I wouldn't have beaten myself up the way I did.

Robin

i hope this helps! michelle

Removal Stories:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=4992

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2406

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2475

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2311

After Unbanding:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2511

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=4299

Erosion Info:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2256

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2725

http://lapbandtalk.com/forum/showth...=&threadid=2250

http://lapbandtalk.com/forum/showth...=&threadid=2274

Erosion stories:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2298

Metabolism:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1055

Port Revision Stories:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=933

Restriction Fluctuations:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1554

One Year Updates:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1318

Strategies for Keeping the Weight Off:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2288

Last Supper Syndrome:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2311

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=6107

It’s not a magic band:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=6106

Food Addiction:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2311

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2715

Understanding Morbid Obesity:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=4750

Food Stories:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=832

Barium Swallow Pics:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=6011

Varicose Veins and Treatment:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=6027

Thoughts As Surgery Approaches

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=6034

We've had a request to add Canadian provinces to the local support boards, are there any other things to be done?

Bright had requested one section on the local support boards for Europe and Australia to share. (Ireland, France, England, Australia....I'm sure there are others.)

I like where this is going... Alexandra, how about if I modify my idea to tie in with Donali's newbie section, which will have a section for potential complications (right, Donali?)

How's this: Could the registration process include something like, "click here to get started?" This would bring the newly registered member right to the newbie section, where all the commonly asked questions are right there.

This all came to me because lately the new posts are flying by so fast that the good threads that go on for pages are purged so quickly. So many of the new posts are identical, so I think a lot of new people are posting things that don't get much attention.

I don't know if the registration process can be changed, but it certainly wouldn't be hard to have a forum at the top called START HERE (or something like that). It would be filled with static informational posts with directions to other sections. I love Donali's framework, but would pare it down a lot. I think we should only address the MAJOR issues in this fashion, and then in a general way. Having a whole library of threads and subjects there makes it look like we don't WANT questions on any of these topics--you know, like we're saying "read this and don't bother us!"

For example: in a locked thread called "Pregnancy and the and the Band" we should only have two or three sentences. Make it general and let interested parties ask whatever questions they're concerned with in the appropriate forum. Hopefully they'll get answers from people who are going through it NOW rather than just be pointed to a thread that happened however long ago, with comments from people who might not even be around anymore. Bumping old threads leads to disappointed newbies who won't get answers from specific individuals they are only now reading about.

I'm concerned about the pointing to specific threads (even the super-valuable ones) because all the discussions are just a picture of where things were in time, some time ago. There is a constant flux of people coming through the site and leaving just as quickly, so I think it's better to let old threads die rather than bump them. Part of the dynamic of a site like this is that people can share what they are concerned about now, because they are actively participating in live threads. (And one of the most frustrating things to me--and maybe to others--is seeing a whole bunch of interesting topics come up on new posts, and seeing that the "new post" is "BUMP".)