(No subject)

September 16, 1998

I decided to break my silence by more of the usual venting. I dont write much

anymore because it seems I dont have much 'good' stuff to say and noone needs

to be brought down.

I am using this in lieu of a diary

Today was a bad day. Some days I can fool myself into not think I am so

fat...I mean there are worse things than being 230 pounds...like being 262

....what I was 2 years ago....But today was a very bad day. Casual days are

over and suits and stocking come back in high humidity and crowded buses and

long walks from bus to office in crowded NYC streets. If I could sum up one

thing I hate about being heavy..fat...chunky whatever is politically correct

to say is ....My thighs chafing and hurting and walking with a hurting

expression just to hold back the tears of utter shame and pain.

Everyone has a sad story and I am no different, It almost hurts me to keep

reading about the successes because it reminds me of my failure. I have

thought of unsubbing but cant muster the courage. That would only alienate me

more.

My Doc isnt having much luck at follow up since he is so far away..A local

doctor I just dont feel comfortable with and going to California to have a lap

RNY is out of the question at least for a while. (Busy at work)

Tomorrow is another day

September 18, 1998

Ysatis30@... wrote:

>

> From: Ysatis30@...

>

> I decided to break my silence by more of the usual venting. I dont write much

> anymore because it seems I dont have much 'good' stuff to say and noone needs

> to be brought down.

> I am using this in lieu of a diary

>

> Today was a bad day. Some days I can fool myself into not think I am so

> fat...I mean there are worse things than being 230 pounds...like being 262

> ...what I was 2 years ago....But today was a very bad day. Casual days are

> over and suits and stocking come back in high humidity and crowded buses and

> long walks from bus to office in crowded NYC streets. If I could sum up one

> thing I hate about being heavy..fat...chunky whatever is politically correct

> to say is ....My thighs chafing and hurting and walking with a hurting

> expression just to hold back the tears of utter shame and pain.

>

> Everyone has a sad story and I am no different, It almost hurts me to keep

> reading about the successes because it reminds me of my failure. I have

> thought of unsubbing but cant muster the courage. That would only alienate me

> more.

> My Doc isnt having much luck at follow up since he is so far away..A local

> doctor I just dont feel comfortable with and going to California to have a lap

> RNY is out of the question at least for a while. (Busy at work)

>

> Tomorrow is another day

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

September 19, 1998

Hi everyone:

Thank you to everyone that had such supportive things to say. All I can do is

try harder and try to heed everyones words of advice and encouragement. Much

gratitude! and Congratulations to everyone making all those changes and

overcoming all the obstacles!

Marie

September 24, 1998

Dear ,

I love your emails. You seem to be a very wise lady. You say: " I live

with the limitations of my life. " I think that is a very good

philosophy, because if one lives with the limitations it is possible to

be happy and live life, whereas if one cannot accept the limitations

life becomes very hard and sad.

I can explain to of the abreviations: VGB (Vertical gastric banding) is

the traditional stomach stapeling and RNY (Roux-n-Y) is stomach

stapeling plus rerouting of the intestines and also shortening of the

intestines.

Hugs Barbara (aka Brioletta)

Swedish Band: 31.03.98

Initial Weight: 130 kg ( 286 lbs), BMI 41

Today: 103 kg ( 226 lbs) BMI 32

Halfway to goal!

27 kg/60 lbs gone forever

(no subject)

Dear Wonderful People who have had wls.

I have received about 200 emails since yesterday. Honestly I am

overwhelmed by all the nourishment and support I have received.

I had lap

band surgery on 4.5.98 weighing 265 pounds. I now weigh 231

pounds and

coming down. I lost most of that in the first two weeks. I had

a period

of three months where I drank icecream and chocolate because I

could not

bear to grieve for food. I have now gone back to basics and am

on two

small meals a day. Yoghurt and soup mainly. Bland foods to

give my body a

break. I am diabetic as well which makes food choices

difficult. I have

given up eating bread and carbohydrates and concentrate on

vegetables, meat

and dairy products. Bread was getting stuck and causing intense

pain and

vomiting.

I live in Western Australia and was not in insurance so we paid

for this on

our credit card. $7,000 of which we get $1,500 back at the end

of the

taxation year. I could have gotten insurance and waited 12

months but I

was impatient. The money was worth it and I do not regret

surgery. Our

insurance in Australia is vastly different from America. Yours

sounds so

complicated. Basically if you want the surgery and you are

covered for

hospital cover you can have it regardless.

I have three children B3, B5 and G8. I was gestational diabetes

with all

three and was still surprised when I got the news on 1.1.97 that

I was a

full time diabetic. Talk about Queen of Denial.

To the lady suffering from depression. It seems to go with the

obesity

territory. I have learned to live with depression and the ups

and downs it

brings and when I get suicidal I remind myself it is a temporary

thing and

things will get better. I am learning to live with diabetes. I

smoke

occasionally and I do not drink. Gastric Surgery was my

miracle. I know

that I am in it for the long haul but I KNOW it will work. My

husband and

kids are supportive and even my parents (who stopped commenting

on my

weight by my request a few years ago are relatively supportive).

My

in-laws don't talk about things like that. I am the dirt swept

under the

carpet but that is their loss not mine. I live with the

limitations of my

life. I want to be Australian size 12 in a couple of years. I

want to go

horseriding with my daughter and rollerskating with my sons.

Actually I am

rollerskating with my sons and enjoying it. I have skinny legs

and a huge

stomach which I hide (yeah right) under a t-shirt. But there

are other fat

mums at skating and I am a go-getter and enjoy thumbing my nose

at people

who are fatphobic.

I told everyone I have had surgery and all my friends have been

most

supportive but especially my Thursday ten-pin bowling ladies who

refer to

me as " Skinny " .

I was in hospital for two nights. I had it done laproscopically

and have

five purple stab marks which I wear with pride. My caesarean

scar is

hidden under rolls of fat but I can't wait until the day I see

it without

having to lift up the fat. My stomach is a battleground of

stretchmarks

and scars and seeing as I will never wear a bikini by choice it

does not

bother me. What does though is the excess skin I will have

after I have

lost all my weight. My legs are already baggy and my stomach

and upper

arms will be affected as well.

I don't care. I just want to wear jeans with a midriff top and

not have to

hold my stomach in.

Thank you all for being there and I love your emails.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 24, 1998

,

I'm in Sydney, and like you we are paying for this operation off the bat (no

priv. ins.). Anyway, I am expecting it to come to about $7000 too. I'm

wondering where this $1500 refund comes from?? I'm expecting about $500 back

from Medicare. Is there a loophole I haven't thought of ?(says she

hopefully)...and why at tax time?

Many thanks,

Steph

October 17, 1998

Welcome Kim!! You got thru!! Talk soon..Success=Hope for the Best, Prepare

for the Worst. Debi

----------

>

> To: bandsters (AT) onelist (DOT) com

> Subject: (no subject)

> Date: Saturday, October 17, 1998 3:13 AM

>

> Hi Everyone ,

>

> My name is Kim Tyler and I had adjustable lap band surgery 14th

> september 1998 in The Hills private hospital in Baulkham Hills.My

> surgeon was Dr Desmond Huges.I am 34 yrs old married with 2 children and

> work as a teachers aide in my childrens school.

>

> I am new on the list and not quite sure how things work yet so I hope

> this gets to all of you.

>

> Even at this early stage I would have to say it is the best thing I

> could ever have done for myself and just hope that I will continue to

> feel the same way.

>

> Hope to chat with you all soon

>

> KIM

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

October 19, 1998

hi kim! welcome to the group!

i had my lapband surgery on 2/23/98 and have since lost 40lbs. i'm very

pleased with the surgery even though i haven't lost nearly as much weight as

some of the other people in the group. i feel it makes sticking to a diet much

easier then before.

as for your question about how much you can eat, i feel it really varies from

person to person. i personally have never vomited from eating too much but i

have vomited from not chewing my food enough.what happens to me is i feel

discomfort in my upper stomach when the food can't pass through. sometimes it

passes and other times it pops back out. it's really not as bad as vomiting

becuase the food isn't digested.

you'll get to know what you can handle after a while. just be careful because

my dr. warned me that both overeating and vomiting can both cause slippage.

don't worry...you'll get the hang of it after a while.

good luck,

tina

October 20, 1998

My doc has me on no soft drinks as well.....It hurts anyway to drink....but it

supposedly stretches the pouch.

(no subject)

Hi All,

Has anyone been told by their Dr that diet soft drinks are out?My Dr

told me not to drink any carbonated drinks at all including diet drinks

but the booklet he gave me in regards to the diet I should follow allows

them .The book has been put out by the Obesity Surgery Centre in

Melbourne and is specifically for Lap band patients.

Any comments on this?

KIM

------------------------------------------------------------------------

October 20, 1998

Hi Steph,

God I'm even more confused now...lol.....Why would the Obesity Surgery

Centre have it in their book if you cant drink it and it really did all

the damage people are saying.I have been drinking diet coke and dont

seem to have any probs from it but if it is damaging the band or

anything internal I will stop..........The problem is where do I get a

straight answer?????????

Chat soon

KIM

ps......hope the rum and coke tasted great....lol.......

October 20, 1998

YES. DON'T. Take an ounce or so of carbonated drink, put it in a zip-lock

sandwich bag. Wait a few minutes and you'll see the drink expand and

explode the bag. This is your new stomach, this is your new stomach on

soda!!!!! NO CARBONATION!!!!!

Success=Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst. Debi

----------

>

> To: bandsters (AT) onelist (DOT) com

> Subject: (no subject)

> Date: Monday, October 19, 1998 7:52 PM

>

> Hi All,

>

> Has anyone been told by their Dr that diet soft drinks are out?My Dr

> told me not to drink any carbonated drinks at all including diet drinks

> but the booklet he gave me in regards to the diet I should follow allows

> them .The book has been put out by the Obesity Surgery Centre in

> Melbourne and is specifically for Lap band patients.

>

> Any comments on this?

>

> KIM

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

October 21, 1998

Kim,

I have had the same mixed messages. Last night was our daughters birthday so

we had tons of friends around and before long i had a rum and coke in my

hand and sipped away quite happily with it all night with no problems. I

think my doctor said no carbonated drinks because if you drink it too fast

it fizzes up in your stomach and causes all sorts of problems. I didn't even

burp as much as I do when I'm drinking my cuppa-soups.

Steph.

October 21, 1998

Kim -- This is Kit in North Carolina. I am one of the " oldest " bandsters in the

U.S.

DO NOT DRINK CARBONATED DRINKS!!!!!!!!!!

Honestly, it just isn't worth the risk and there is a HUGE risk!

Speaking from someone who has been there -- slippage is no fun. Virtually all

the " banding " doctors I have spoken with (and the past, present and " impending "

Presidents of the American Bariatric Society) say that you should not have ANY

carbonated drinks with the banding surgery. I don't know about your book, or

who wrote it or when it was written, but with the vast majority of doctors (and

they are the ones removing bands and redoing surgeries due to slippage) saying

you shouldn't drink soda and carbonated beverages, I sure would take the word of

physician experience with the band itself over a book that was probably printed

about the time banding came out and before the doctors were totally aware of the

problems with slippage and its causation. This is relatively new surgery; as

with anything else, there is a learning curve and I would take the current

experience of the physicians working with the band over any printed materials,

especially ones which may be 6 to 12 months (or longer) outdated.

Just a friendly word of caution -- this surgery is expensive and can work well

if you are careful -- careful being the " operative " word. There! I said a pun!

(Just kiddin')

God bless,

Kit

>>> " kimba white lion " kimba_101@...> 10/20 11:39 PM >>>

Hi Steph,

God I'm even more confused now...lol.....Why would the Obesity Surgery

Centre have it in their book if you cant drink it and it really did all

the damage people are saying.I have been drinking diet coke and dont

seem to have any probs from it but if it is damaging the band or

anything internal I will stop..........The problem is where do I get a

straight answer?????????

Chat soon

KIM

ps......hope the rum and coke tasted great....lol.......

------------------------------------------------------------------------

November 10, 1998

Hi Steph,

I am so pleased everything is going so well for you.The liquid in the

band hasnt made a great deal of difference to me and I can still eat

what I consider too much without feeling any ill effects.Admittidly I am

not eating as much as before the op but I didnt figure on being able to

eat what I do.I am 10 kilos in total since the op and again I thought I

would be further on than that especially since I have some liquid in the

band but I am not at the slitting of the wrists stage....lol.

I go back to the dr for a check up on friday and I'm sure he will

enlighten me.I guess I shouldnt be too disapointed though cause it has

only been about 9 weeks since the op and I have lost over a kilo a week

but the prob is I have really been trying and doing the right things in

regards to what I eat.I just feel like I'm on a normal diet which is a

little depressing considering no normal diet I know costs $7000....lmao

Anyway enough about me give me and my mislead expectations.

Chat to you soon

KIM

November 10, 1998