Paula Bee

Not to burst your bubble, but aren't those fried? Here are the nutrition facts from the wasabi peas sold at Trader Joe's: Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1/3 cup (30.0 g) Amount Per Serving Calories 80Calories from Fat 27 % Daily Value* Total Fat 3.0g5% Saturated Fat 1.0g5% Cholesterol 0mg0% Sodium 190mg8% Total Carbohydrates 12.0g4% Dietary Fiber 1.0g4% Sugars 4.0g Protein 1.0g Here are the nutrition facts from Nuts Online Nutrition Facts Serving Size 28g (~1 oz.) (Approx. 16.2 Servings/Pound) Amount Per Serving Calories 120 Calories From Fat 25 % Daily Value * Total Fat 3g 5% Saturated Fat 1g 5% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 160mg 7% Total Carbohydrate 16g 6% Dietary Fiber 4g 18% Sugars 2g Protein 6g Vitamin A 0% Calcium 0% Vitamin C 0% Iron 6% ** Contains less than 2 percent of the Daily Value of these nutrients. (Are wasabi peas good for you - Yahoo) Are wasabi peas good for you? I have just become addicted to wasabi peas.. and im not sure just how good they are for me.. I mean surely they cant be that unhealthy right? Yes & No. 1) The dried peas will give you some fibre - if you eat heaps you may get more than you expect! 2) The peas will have some nutrition - and calories - watch you don't get fat by consuming too many calories! 3) Wasabi is used in Sushi as a digestive - it contains enzymes that help digest protein - might be a good idea if you do have some protein with them! Too much of anything might cause you problems. "Everything in moderation except moderation itself!" 8 months ago SOOOOooooooooooooooooooooo who the heck knows?

Any bruising? Any edema? Does it hurt when you are not touching it? Are you running a fever? I would just call the clinic to hear what they have to say and to relieve your mind. Make sure you are taking Tylenol and Ibuprophen or aleve... Worrying about it is as bad as the pain...

Congratulations, Becky and Lisa, for reaching your goals. That is awesome and inspirational for the rest of us. Becky, I am sorry you are having pain.. Praying you will get past that quickly.

Thank you, Thank you all for the support you showed me in my first post. http://www.lapbandforum.com/index.php?showtopic=6838 I called the orthodontist's office this morning, and first, they said they were full today. I guess my anger finally showed, because I told them that I wanted these bottom braces off TODAY! She found a spot for me at 11:00am. In the office, I was called back to a station and told the technition "I CANNOT CHEW." She soothed me saying it was alright... that it would be alright... that Dr A. would find a way that worked for me. Dr. A came back, and I told her the same thing and to do what was necessary to let me chew thoroughly. She "sawed" off the posts on the back of my front teeth, and removed the "ramps" that she thought would let me chew, but only met in one point on each side. Next, she had me bite down to see where the upper teeth hit on the bottom braces. She had to remove all of the bottom front brackets, and most of the back ones.. I think I have about 5 bottom brackets left, and they aren't connected to anything. (I am not sure why, actually... probably so she won't have to replace them later.) She rounded off the brackets on one side, and told me to try and eat and come back. I did; I was able to eat on the left side, but felt like I was biting metal on the right side. I went back to get her to round it off... she told me to bite down, and with a LOUD snap, the bracket that was inteferring went flying. I said, "I guess it was a little bit high." I tried to smile sweetly, but it was probably a little smirky. She was wonderful about the whole thing and did her best to make me comfortable and still have the maximum torque. I honestly have to say that I have no torque at all now...lol.. SOOOOOOOOo... I can chew... and chew... dancing the dance of joy... The technition read my lap band literature and we talked about really being between a rock and a hard spot with the posts and the chewing. She also quizzed me up and down about Dr. Ortiz and OCC. After all that, she told me that her son needed the lapband, and she would research Dr. Ortiz on my recommendation. Maybe it took all this for me to be in the right place at the right time... maybe the band will save that young man years of misery. Big HUGS to all those of you that have loved me through this mess.. I am happy

Jena, I am going back today. I am hoping that maybe she can put invisiline on my top teeth.... maybe even if they whack the bottom braces, they will protect the top teeth from chipping. I looked at the invisiline website, took the little test, and my results said to consult my orthodontist to see if they will work for me... ugh.. not helpful. Theuse, I will also see if I can find a orthodentist who will give me a second opinion... may be difficult. I guess my braces are both functional and cosmetic. I have an overbite which causes my front incisors to "click" against each other, causing the tips to chip off. I wanted my dentist to just repair the chipped areas, which she did a couple of times, then, for my son's wedding in November, I asked her for veneers. She said absolutely not until my bite was corrected... otherwise, the veneers would chip against each other. Not thrilled to be getting braces at 53. I have had my upper braces for 6 months, and my top teeth finally moved enough for my bottom braces to be put on. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER did anyone tell me about the posts and the fact that I wouldn't be able to eat solids during that time. Just think about extending our liquid diet from 35 days, (counting pre-surgery diet,) to 6 months. OMG.. just not possible for me. We will see what happens today.

Did someone post that lapband book once before? I would love to read the whole thing.

I cannot remember before my first fill, (I should have kept track better, like michelle,) but I think it was 35 lbs from pre-surgery to first fill. After my first fill, I plateaued and didn't lose ONE POUND until my 2nd fill. (I was dealing with a very stressful family situation, and was out of town at my Mom's for 4.5 weeks.) I have lost 9 pounds since that 2nd fill just over a week ago. Don't get discouraged. As Dr. Marco told me, "It will work..I promise that if you follow the rules that it will work."

Really, thank you all for your concern and letting me vent. I tried to eat scrambled eggs tonight, and you just cannot chew on two pointed surfaces, so I am going to go back in tomorrow, and I guess, get them removed. This will be two days with no food but the little stuff that I managed to mouth against my teeth. Frankly, my teeth hurt too much to try for more, anyway. Also, the stress and anxiety from this all is not good for me, or anyone. I don't think she really expects me to ask her to take the bottom ones off, but she doesn't understand the committment required for the band. If she can come up with another idea, great. Otherwise, I shall have to brow-beat my dentist of 18 years to put the veneers on anyway, or go to a cosmetic dentist who will put veneers on the top and bottom regardless of the bad bite. I am just so upset over the whole ordeal. It happened so fast, so unexpectedly.. I was just expecting to get the bottom braces. Sorry I am venting again. Thank you for letting me do it again.

I didn't have a pre-surgical dental check-up. I go to the orthodontist as often as she prescribes, and I go to my family dentist every 6 months. The orthodontist didn't explain this part, but so much of orthodontia depends on how the teeth move. I think I am going tomorrow and have the bottom braces taken off.. I cannot chew with just two pointy surfaces. Thank you so much for your concern. I just had to vent.

Yesterday I went to the orthodontist, and she put my bottom braces on. She said my top teeth wouldn't clear the top of the bottom braces, so she put these two little "posts" on the back of my front incisors, causing my front teeth not to knock into the bottoms. What she didn't tell me is that my bottom molars would not meet the top molars.. there was a 1/4 inch gap on both sides between my top and bottom molars. It was IMPOSSIBLE to chew.. IMPOSSIBLE... and, she told me not to worry about that, to just drink protein shakes for the next three months. I was in a state of shock and kept saying, "My surgeon won't go for this," over and over. Before I knew it, I was out the door, stunned. I went to lunch with my daughter in law, ordered salmon, mushed it up with my fork, and tried to work it against my teeth with my tongue. I was so mad/frustrated/hungry that I burst into tears. I went home and called the clinic, and Dr. Acosta told me no way, that I really had to make a choice. The lap band is forever.. he said if I needed to do liquids for 3 months that I would have to have my band emptied and Dr. Miranda would have to give me a liquid diet to keep me healthy. I thanked him, hung up, and cried.. again. I really stayed upset all night. I called the orthodontist's office back, and they made an appointment for today at 11:00am. When they called me back, I showed them the eating guidelines for lapband and told them that I HAD to be able to chew. They discussed options.. removing the bottom braces and the little posts. I asked them would we be able to put braces back on the bottom teeth after the uppers had finished moving, and she said no, that my uppers would always knock into the bottom braces. I cried. I asked her how long the damned posts would have to stay on, and today she said SIX months! Six months? Is she absolutely frickin kidding? Then I asked her about retainers or invisalign, and she said my lowers were too tight for either of those to be effective...I cried... She buzzed away some of the bottom part of the little posts, hoping that I would be able to chew if my teeth had less clearance. They had me bite into a piece of string cheese, right where the molars should meet, and there was STILL a clearance of about an 8th of an inch. I cried.. I was resigned to having the bottom ones, on one day, come off so that I could chew. Finally, she decided to add a "ramp" to both sides of my upper molars to provide a tiny bit of chewing surface for me. I went out, tried salmon again, mashed it up good, and was able to sort of grind it up a little, but I wouldn't call it well chewed. I was able to eat a little bit, though, unlike yesterday. Now I am in excruciating pain.. feels like my lower molars are grinding into metal. The rest of my bottom teeth are excruciating, and my inside lip is ulcerated, and I STILL don't know if I am going to be able to grind my food up enough to make my band effective. I am trying to console myself that the bottoms will have to come off. I don't know if I can eat like this for 6 months. I will give it a week or so, but I am so frustrated, feel like it won't work, then have to have my bottom braces removed. My band is more important, but it would be a terrible disappointment, as my teeth are a little bit chipped, and my dentist won't put veneers on until my bite is corrected, as they would chip also. Well, I am going to have eggs tonight. At least I can mash them against the roof of my mouth. Anyone have anything similar happen? Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks you very much! Frankly, the weight loss is a welcome surprise to me.

OMG.. you totally crack me up..

Welcome to our group.. You will love it.

Oohhhh.. I don't think I would like a bomb in my yard!

I use centrum silver chewables.. they are fine for me. I have braces.. can't do the flinstones gummies.. dang it.

I would like to get to the size HEALTHY. I don't know what that will be, but that is where I will be happy.

Hey.. what about waist size on your pants, or collar size? Hmmmmm???

Take a picture of yourself if you decide to try it.

I am so proud of you! You are such an inspiration to us.

Wow.. I absolutely did not know that.

Mm.. not exactly. You cannot put anything over 3 liquid oz. in your CARRY-On luggage. Everything else can go in your suitcase.

Sounds like you had a great first solid food dining event... YAY.