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Rachelle

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About Rachelle

  • Birthday 09/30/1964

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  • Gender
    Female
  • Location
    Colorado
  • Interests
    Playing with my dog, Road trips, Hiking, Listening to music.

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  1. Jen, It helped that my doc told me that my port area was a wound, and would take time to heal as a wound would. My port pain went away after about 3 mos, but I had port tenderness for about 8 mos. Now I have no port pain or tenderness at all. Rachelle
  2. I did my LB surgery mostlly to stop the weight gain. It has worked perfectly for that, plus I've lost weight and have kept if off (except for when I had to be unfilled once). I still occationally complain, though, about having spent $15,000 and I still don't look like Cindy Crawford. I have to remind myself how much better my quality of life is since the LB. Before the LB, I would hide-out because I was so embarrassed about my weight fluctuations. I'd be rich if I had a nickle for every time someone asked me if I was pregnant. Now, my life doesn't revolve around food and weight. I don't make decisions based on what clothes I'm able to fit into. I'm not spending all my time sneaking around and getting people out of my life so I can close the blinds and binge-eat. My life feels a lot more "normal" since the LB. I still do some sneak-eating with chocolate, but it doesn't rule my life, and I don't have to isolate over it. I'm one of those that tried everything before the LB. I've been in two treatment centers for eating disorders. What I wish is that I had the LB before the treatment centers, because "lock-down" therapy is perfect for an addict, and it definitely works. But, in time, the effects started wearing off, and I returned to old eating behaviors. If I had had the LB, then returning to old eating behaviors would not have been an option. I would have been force to stay on track. I still attend Overeaters Anonymous meetings since they address recovery on all three levels (1) physical (2) mental (3) spiritual. I still have LOTS of room for improvement. But, when I think it through, I know that the LB was the best money I ever spent on myself. Rachelle
  3. I've been taking my dog for a 30-min walk every day for the last two weeks. The fresh morning air is g-r-e-a-t! Now my dog is on an internal schedule for his daily walk, and if I'm running late, he will come and remind me that it's time for HIS walk! LaDonna
  4. UPDATE: I emailed my nurse about my eye twitching, and she suggested that I was low on potassium. She said that muscle spasms and twitches can often be cured with a banana. I started putting a banana in my morning protein shake and my eye has stopped twitching! What a relief since my eye had been twitching for five months! I was simply low on potassium. Rachelle
  5. Zees, Good for you to be willing to go to any lengths to live a healthier life. When I woke up from surgery I got afraid because of the effects of the anesthesia. I was very sleepy, but when I would drift off, I would forget to breath so I would wake up gasping for air. This went on for about five hours, and was very frightening to me because I was not expecting this. The nurses mentioned that it was probably the effects of the anesthesia, but they weren't as reassuring as I needed them to be. As soon as I got past that, the rest of my recovery was relatively easy. No worries. Blessings to you on your surgery. Since you are from Australia, where are you having your surgery? LaDonna
  6. Krisi Ann, I haven't had gallstones yet, but thanks for the headsup. I can say "yes" to seven of the nine risk factors! Rachelle
  7. NoWorry, Great tip! I knew about the Cranberry or tart-flavored juice trick, but I'll have to try the "shot of tequila" technique! Thanks for sharing! Rachelle
  8. Judy, Don't mean to be a downer, but one of my doctor's patients got a piece of salad stuck and had to be unfilled because of it. I don't know if this patient's "food-stuck" experience was like mine. I got a piece of shrimp shell stuck and threw-up violently for four hours until it finally passed on it's own. I didn't have to have an unfill because of it, but after my experience, if there is even a remote chance that a certain food could get stuck, I avoid it at all costs! There are too many "safe" foods to choose from to risk it. Besides, salads don't pack the nutritional punch that Bandsters needs since we're taking in so little food. Popcorn is another "it's-not-worth-it" food. It has the potential to get stuck, and it doesn't have the nutrients Bandsters need. It's a miracle that my band didn't slip when I got food stuck. I will NEVER risk going there again! Rachelle
  9. Judy, I understand your "freak-out." When I was going through my weight gain I was freaking-out, too! Mostly because I was not prepare. I didn't know anything about unfills. That's why I'm glad you're educating yourself early on. I kept wishing I had qualified for the gastric-bypass surgery, but then I read where some of those patients gain all their weight back and end up getting the LapBand on top of their gastric-bypass! Yikes! Even though the LapBand is not the "perfect" solution, I have come to believe it's the best WLS out there. Just don't give away all your fat clothes. Keep a few of them in a box somewhere. My doctor told me it takes five or six years for a patient to permantently change their eating habits so that they are able to stay thin with or without the LapBand. Any number of reasons could cause you to have to be unfilled been that time. Rachelle
  10. Becky, In my case, I was at a "perfect" fill level, then all the sudden, after 3 mos, I was too tight, and found myself choking on my own saliva at night. They unfilled me from 2.75cc down to 2.00cc, and left me there for a couple of weeks to let the swelling go down. Then they gradually filled me back up to 2.70cc, which feels like a better fit for me. The nurse told me that it is a mystery why some patients will be at the "perfect" fill level, and then what seems to be out of the blue, they will become too tight. The first thing the doctor wants to accomplish is to reverse the swelling, which is what is causing the band to be too tight. The most common unfill I've heard in cases like this is 1.00cc (this can feel like a complete unfill where you have little to no restriction at all). The worst part of an unfill is the corresponding weight gain. I had the unfill right after I gave away all my fat clothes. With no restriction, I got fat again almost over night. I went to Goodwill to buy more fat clothes until I could lose the weight again. The whole experience did a number on my emotions. It was the most discouraging experience in my LapBand journey. Be for-warned. Rachelle
  11. Roger, "LoriBecky" is the administor for this site and she is very helpful and knowledgable. She would probably know the answer if you want to look her up. Another good site to find all kinds of LapBand info is www.LapBandTalk.com. Of course you could always email or call your doctor's office, too. Please post your findings. Congratulations on your weight loss! Rachelle
  12. Becky, Good for you to get your questions answered BEFORE surgery. The need for fills and unfills vary for each person. Fills are required if you're not losing weight. Unfills are required if your band is too tight and you are unable to swallow liquids easily. No two people are alike, so this is a very individual process, which can cause it to be frustrating at times. Keep reading all the posts you can on this website to get educated on what you're about to experience. It will make things go much smoother for you. I also recommend checking out LapBandTalk.com. It's a similar website. Blessings to you! LaDonna
  13. Thanks for the tip about Wellesse. I will try it. I would like to try something for my joints, too. Of the three you listed - Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM - which is for joints? Rachelle
  14. RogerF, There are different sized ports. As you lose weight, your port will become more pronounced. If you get too disatisfied with the bump on your tummy, your doctor can always replace it with a smaller port. Has your port always been a bump on your tummy, or only after you lost a lot of weight? Have you lost more weight than your wife? Rachelle
  15. Tip: The Flinstones chewable vitamins taste better than Centrum chewables. Rachelle
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