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The time has come and we're headed home - TO THE LAND OF CREAM AND BUTTER.  I'll be without a computer for several days but hope to be back on by next Thursday or Friday (4/23 - 4/24).  Keep your fingers crossed that I DON'T come back fatter than when I left here!  LOL...

Talk to all of you soon!

Blessings,
Sharon

Just thought I'd share some information (in case anyone else is interested - if not, please disregard). 

First item is a Fit & Fresh Lunch on the go (with removable ice pack) System.  It's really neat (all self-contained) and the perfect size for new banders!  You can see it here:  www.fit-fresh.com and they have many more lunch systems to choose from.  The also have a free on-line diet site with "SOME" helpful/useful information as well as recipes.  You can get to it by going to their website above and clicking on Spark or go here: http://www.sparkpeople.com/landing_free_plus19.asp

The second item is the new Hungry Girl 200 under 200 cookbook that I absolutely love.  The only caution I would use here is to make sure you read the PORTION SIZE of the recipe you are fixing.  It's 200 recipes under 200 calories but the 200 calories applies to a serving (not the entire recipe).  It's under $12.00 and you can see her website and cookbook here:  http://www.hungry-girl.com/  I am not an employee or representative of either of these companies - I just like their products and think you might too!

More later!
Sharon

Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding


Currently, in the U.S., there are two adjustable gastric bands on the market, although several different types of bands are available worldwide. The operation is almost exclusively done laparoscopically (minimally invasive). The adjustable gastric band is a purely restrictive weight-loss operation, meaning that it works by limiting the amount of calories (i.e. food) a person can take in. Unlike a diet, however, individuals still feel “full” with this reduced intake.

How It Works
This operation involves placing a silastic “belt” around the upper part of the stomach. The “belt” essentially separates the stomach into two parts: a tiny upper pouch and a larger lower pouch. The band is connected by tubing to a port or reservoir that sits below the skin of the abdominal wall usually around the belly button (the port site varies widely by surgeon). The port can’t be seen (and often can’t be felt) from the outside. Inside of the “belt” is a balloon that can be filled by placing fluid through the port. As the balloon is filled, it slows the passage of food from the upper pouch into the lower pouch. As the band is progressively filled, patients will feel “full” with smaller amounts of food. Typically patients will need two band fills before they feel significantly restricted and four to six band fills total in the first year after surgery.  [ OMG, I was never told that...  I feel better knowing that not feeling "so" constricted is normal at this point.  I've wondered if something was wrong with me because I didn't feel "too" constricted after my first fill.]

Weight-loss and Health Benefit
Weight-loss with an adjustable gastric band is typically slow and steady. Band patients generally lose one to two pounds per week during the first year after band placement. Weight-loss can be seen for two to three years after surgery and most patients will eventually lose 50 to 60 percent of their excess weight.  [I didn't know this either...  Interesting].

Band patients often see a significant improvement in their weight related medical problems. Most patients will see a reduction in their need for medications to treat diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and in fact many will come off of their medicines completely. Many patients will see resolution of their sleep apnea and will no longer have to sleep with a CPAP machine. Most patients also report a significant improvement in the quality of their life, as they are able to do activities they haven’t been able to do for years.

Advantages
There are several features that make the adjustable gastric band appealing. There is minimal stress to the body at the time of surgery because the band is almost always done laparoscopically and does not involve cutting the stomach or rerouting the intestines. Most patients can go home the same day or the next morning.

Recovery from surgery is usually quick and most people return to work a week or so after surgery. The risk of death from band surgery is 0.1 percent, although many centers report even lower rates.

The adjustability of the band makes it unique among weight-loss operations. This feature makes it possible to make band adjustments based on the individual weight-loss goals and needs of the patient. The stomach and intestines aren’t bypassed, so vitamin, mineral and nutrition problems after banding are unusual, but still possible. Many programs still recommend vitamin supplementation after banding.

The adjustable gastric band can be easily removed if necessary. Clearly we are learning more and more about obesity every day and there may come a time when medical management proves to be very effective in controlling weight. Band patients could have their band removed at that point and their gastrointestinal tract returned to normal.

Considerations before Choosing A Band
Patients contemplating adjustable gastric banding must be comfortable with the thought of having a “foreign body” in them for life. Although no problems have been reported to date, it is unknown what the effect of having this foreign body will be in 20 to 30 years. It is also unclear at this point what the long-term (more than 10 years) weight-loss results with this operation will be, although the early data is promising.

After banding, patients need to be available for regular follow-up, especially in the first year after surgery when the band is being “tightened”. If you live several hours from your surgery center this can be difficult. Filling the band involves sticking the patient with a needle, so if you “hate shots,” a band may not be the right choice.

Band patients do not suffer adverse effects from eating sugars (dumping syndrome) so they need to be more disciplined in their food choices. Things like sodas, ice cream, cakes and cookies slide through the band easily, but obviously these choices will not lead to the desired goal of significant weight-loss.

Although the band has an excellent safety profile, there are complications that can occur with any weight-loss operation, and the band is no different. About 10 percent of patients will require a second operation to address a problem with their band.

Conclusion
Adjustable gastric banding is a safe, effective weight-loss operation that can lead to meaningful, sustained weight-loss. No matter what weight-loss operation is chosen, however, to ultimately be successful one needs to change their lifestyle and learn to work with the surgery.

If you'd like to read more, please visit their website at:  http://www.obesityaction.org/home/index.php

Hi All!

I've sent several emails (the last week or two) regarding the [OMG, What Have I Done] feeling!  So, I thought I would address it here on the blog: 

So, let me assure of all of the "newer" banders than myself, I had those same thoughts at/about the same time as all of you.  I went through a very brief period of wondering what in the world I had done to myself and had feelings of enormous REGRET and SADNESS.  But, I'm happy to report that (as of right now) those feelings have subsided and I'm excited and ready to tackle the journey ahead.  Let me say, however, that I say all of this as a "no-fill" person and my feelings might change again once I get my first band-fill.  From the research I've done, it's possible and probable that I will feel those feelings again in the future (particularly after a fill - or two).  But, I can tell you what has NOT changed:  My desire to be a thinner/healthier person, my need (and want) to be diabetes free, my excitement about the thoughts of riding bikes with my husband, and maybe "that" roller-coaster with my grandsons.  I'm looking forward to the day my joints don't ache so much that it hurts to walk along the beach (at sunset).  So, I understand that I'm' going to have ups/downs and some days will be better/worse than others.  But, that's exactly why we have each other - we are making this journey together!  I think anytime one of us has an "A HA" moment or learns something that will make the journey easier for someone else, we should "pay it forward."  Thanks for listening and I hope I've helped one/two of you!

Blessings,
Sharon