LAP-BAND Surgery Forums

OK, I admit it! I cheated on the preop liquid diet! I ate real food a couple of time this weekend- I was just SO hungry! Do you thin k I should tell my doc? Do you think I should postpone surgery? It is scheduled for this Thurs and I am so exdcited, I was jsut SOSOSOSOOOO hungry! What should I do? Jen

Hi everyone, I'm looking for a little feedback or simular experience from anyone who wants to share. Here's my story: For about the last 6 weeks I've been having reflux problems at night. I feel acid in my throat and have a sore throat in the morning. I tried taking Zantac 150mg but it didn't help. Then I tried Prilosec which helped a little bit. I also elevated the head of my bed and stopped eating after 6pm. I also cut out acidic foods. Since none of this seemed to get rid of it completely, I called my fill doctors office. He was on vacation so his nurse told me to go to my primary doctor and ask to have an upper gi/barium swallow done. I just got the results of th…

I see alot of posts where people are saying they can / do over eat. How does one over eat with the band on? Is the hole not small enough in the begining? All I can think of is the stomach/pouch is so much smaller now so how can you over eat and not be in pain (does it hurt?). Thanks so much

Ok I am new at this. But have alot of questions. How much does this lap band surgery costs? I weigh 215 but have been turned away from other surgeries. Is there a minium weight limit to this surgery? How long does it take to get approved or have the surgery after you decide to do it? Any one have any other information I can use? I live in Longview Texas. xoxo, Trish

Major NSV time! I had to get a pair of Khakis for my trip to NY this weekend. I was told "brown khakis" which don't really exsist... Anyway, I digress. I tried on a pair of 22, thinking they might fit. Nope, too baggy. I tried on a pair of 20s! They were on the baggy side! I got a pair of 18s, and they fit! I fit into a size 18 today!!!!! Okay, I didn't buy them because they were not pretty, but I could put them on! Oh my gawd, oh my gawd, oh my gawd! A size 18! I haven't been able to squeeze my pretty little self into a size 18 since my baby was small! Oh sure, my jeans aren't a size 20, but still! It looks like I'll be bringing some clothes to th…

Hi Everyone, I'm scheduled for surgery July 26th. I knew surgery was scheduled but when the Dr.'s office called this week and told me my time for surgery - a huge wave came over me of excitement, nerves and fright came upon me. I've been going a 150 mph, trying to get everything done at work, home and preparing for the 'big' day. Did you all go through this emotional roller-coaster ? I'm sure if I maintained this speed, I burn all this fat away - I would collapse of course, but I'd be thinner. Just wondering how everyone coped with the nerves ....? * Does the Protein shakes and Isopure drinks make you burp more ??

I am 6 months out and have lost 38 lbs. I had one fill in April and I was supposed to go see Dr. Bertha one month after. Unfortunately I never made it and yesterday was my first visit to see him since February. Good news I am 16 lbs lighter since then, bad new he was not happy that I never made my fill follow-up. He said he cannot tell if the fill worked or not, when I lost the weight, etc... Then I was lectured on how I am not eating the right things. I am only eating "band-friendly" foods and not the Protein I am supposed to be eating. No fill for me - he wants me to see the nutrionist and go back to him in a month. Now I do feel like the majority of my loss happe…

I am trying to decide where I want to move after I graduate and am looking for ppl that live there that may can give me some advice about living there.

I had surgery on Jan 28 and lost 12 lbs post surgery from 296 to 284. I have lost no more weight. I have had my port flip and before they figured that out I went through 4 "B horror movie" fills one lasting 45 minutes while they stabbed at my tummy in seach of the port. I finally got my first real fill when they did the surgery to flip the port. 1cc and I just got a 1/2 again last week. I feel no change and am so disappointed. My surgery center and doctor have NO support what so ever on this process. Should I worry or should I get another fill? What is an average fill amount? I hate to sound so blue but it has become a nightmare. Thanks for listening.

Minus the first 2 months or so who has NO side effects from the band other then what the band is supposed to do. Thanks, Rene

Well- I'm finally banded. Feeling great and wondering why I didn't do this sooner. Of course, I'm still on Full liquids. I'm having trouble getting H20 in. I was told to have 2 oz of Protein shake per hour, which is pretty much filling me up. I'm not getting Water in. Help! Here's my day: 7am Bkfst: 2 oz Danimal Yogurt w/ 2 TBSP Baby rice Cereal w/ bananas. Made sure it was real watery. = 3 protein 8am: 2 oz. chocolate Protein Shake = 4 protein 9am 2 oz chocolate protein shake = 4 protein 10am: 2 oz crystal lite w/ nectar protein - roadside lemonaid. 6 protein(4 oz has of this Nectar protein has 12gm of protein.) 11am: 2 oz crystal lite w/ nectar prot…

I'm not sure how to explain this but am going to torture you all by trying to muddle through. I recently heard a speech or whatever you call it on Sexual abuse and harrasement. Now...I have never thought of myself as being a victim of this, but this person obviously has triggered something. I can't stop thinking about what she said and this one moment in my life keeps poppingin my head when I do. When I was 16 my moms boss at the time grabbed at me and tried to kiss me....he said something about if I wasn't careful that I would end up as fat as my mom. His teenage son came in and kinda kept anything from happening. I remember telling my Mom, but she didn't believe me…

yipeee I just got the call I'm insurance approved. I can't believe it I was all most certain I was going to be denied. My bmi is 38. Now this is real going to happen on aug. 3. I can't wait to be skinny!!!!

This website is like FITDAY but once you enter your food and activities you can get recommendations... www.dietitians.ca

I have to be on a 10 day liquid diet and I am only on day 2. I did really great yesterday but today my stomach is making all kinds of niose and I am starving. I am not sure that 8 more days is going to be doable. I am really tired and feel really run down and I have 8 more days of this to go. For those of you that had to fast or do strict liquids what did you do to make it through? ~Mandy

Hi, I was banded in Mexico and am looking for a doctor in the Tulsa area that won't charge an arm and a leg for a fill. Anyone know of someone they can recommend? Thanks, Paula Banded 4/30/05 215/193/155

I've been banded a little over four months and with the help of my fourth fill (I'm at 6cc in a VG band) I've finally felt some restriction. Finally had my first PB thanks to sausage on a stick at Schlitterbahn waterpark last week. Here's my question: I now sometimes get the feeling of being "stuck" if I take too big of a bite or eat too quickly, but then I can feel the food slowly pass through the band and I'm fine. I can still eat large portions of food (eating hard Protein first) if I eat slowly and take small bites. How long should it take before the food passes through your pouch? Am I still not tight enough? I don't do well with doughy foods now that I've had my la…

Since I have been banded, I have noticed that when I get really stressed out or am in a really upsetting situation, it feels like my band cinches up on me, and gets me almost sick to my stomach. Does anyone else get a feeling like this? What the heck is this all about? Any clues??

Ok, this is bothering me so much I had to start a new thread! WHY is lapband over twice the price of boob jobs, facelifts, nose jobs, etc. It's so much less invasive! Heck, a tummy tuck is cheaper than lapband and it's like an 8 hour surgery!

I was banded on 4-28-05. Have only lost 17 pounds, and these are the same ones I lost right after surgery. I have had 2 fills. I haven't been able to eat much except cereal and milk. Just about everything I eat comes back up, first a couple of PB's and then I am vomiting up whatever I eat. I have tried many different foods and most everything comes back up. The other wierd thing is once in a great while, last saturday, I was able to eat a small piece of chicken, some mashed potatoes and some corn & squash casserole. Other than that the only thing I have been able to keep down is cereal and Milk. Now comes the really aggravating part, I am still not losing weight! Ple…

Why does my nose get stuffed up when i am full??? It is the strangest thing... Every time i eat a realativly big meal(which really isnt big)... I mean like a meal out at a restaurant i get a stuffy nose when i am really full... I asked my doctor and she had no clue so I thought i would try you guys and see if this happens to anyone else??

Has anybody here tried it? If so, how'd it work?

HI! I just found out about this website and find it extremely interesting! I was banned on April 20, 2005 and have only lost about 10 pounds! I am having a hard time getting in control. Here is my life......I just had my third child (third girl) in Feb.. My children are 3 1/2, 2, and 5 months. Since daycare and babysitting are such big expenses my husband and I are fortunate enough to "tag team". I work all day (I leave at 6:30 and get home around 5:00) and he stays home with our children, when I get home he goes to sleep and gets up around 9:30 eats dinner and goes to work from 10:30pm-7:30am. When I get home it's time to make dinner, give my kids baths, get the…

I've had some people tell me that they know people who have had the band, got skinny, and then gained it ALL back. Has this happened to anyone? I'm am scared of that!

I know I've been through this before, but tomorrow is the day I try to give up junk food. I stocked up on colorful veggies and beautiful berries. I got caught up in an unstoppable junk food frenzy, and the only way to stop is going cold turkey. I've been hiding a dirty secret, too. Prior to banding I never (I mean NEVER) drank real soda. I have no idea where this started, but I've been drinking a real Coke every day, then 2 Cokes, and actually opened a 3rd can last week before running to the sink to spill it out, thinking, "What the F am I doing?" This can't be fun and games. This is serious. I'm actually afraid. Anyone else that's damn serious can PM me p…

I need some help.... sometimes I get these feelings that I am not suppose to have this surgery at this time....surgery is already scheduled for Wednesday the 20th....now the storm is coming....I already mailed my check to the Dr. for $14,700 which is what is on the sheet the secretary in the Dr.'s office gave me. It listed the Dr.'s fees, facility fees, and amount for Anethesia...so I mailed a check for the full amount last week. Today, I get another invoice in the mail from the facility stating the cost will be $1400 more than the Doctor's office quoted. I am self pay and have made arrangements for $14,700, now its the Saturday before the Wednesday of surgery and the…

How Many Of You Wish You Would Have Never Gotten The Band And Why?

Hi, just thought the other was getting really crowded and I wanted to post some pics, but thought they may get lost in all those other wonderful pics. I'll post my pics later, when I have time to get them loaded onto here (I have 56k modem) lol, but ya'll enjoy.

Hi All, I just wanted to share that I am 4 months out and am definately noticing the change in my body. Yesterday I pulled out of my closet 2 shirts that I wore around the winter time, they were so big I had to give them away. My home scale shows another 7 pound lost, BUT I want to wait till it's official on my doctors scale. My doctor's office sees me every 7-8 weeks so my next visit is the middle of August, I will record my weight loss then. I'm currently at 1.85cc after my second fill and I don't think I need another adjustment, but we will see what he says.

SO CHECK THIS OUT. I CALLED MY SURGEONS OFFICE YESTERDAY TO SEE HOW THINGS ARE MOVING ALONG. THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR TOLD ME MY APPROVAL HAS NOT BEEN RECIEVED YET AND SHE ALSO ASKED ME IF IT WOULD BE HARD FOR ME TO RESCHEDULE MY SURGERY DATE FOR THE 4TH OF AUGUST. I SPOKE WITH HER TODAY AND SHE SAID SHE RECIEVED MY APPROVAL AND ASKED ME AGAIN IF I COULD RESIDUAL MY SURGERY TO THE 4TH. YESTERDAYS EXECUSE WAS HE WOULD NOT HAVE AN ASSISTANT AND TODAY IT WAS BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE A BAND FOR ME. WHEN I WENT FOR THE APOINTMENT ON THE 7TH TO SCHEDULE THE SURGERY WITH THEM SHE ALSO TOLD ME I COULD GO AS EARLY AS THE 20TH OF JULY BUT IT WAS DEFINATLY FOR THE 27TH. DON'T THEY T…

I'm not sure that I could make this journey on my own. The inspirational stories I've found here, the support, the sharing of the good, the bad and the ugly - its bloody fantastic! So a huge thanks to all of you who come here, for making my day much brighter and this journey seem much shorter.

I check the CHAT all the time and I never find anyone in there? I love reading all the posts but sometimes just want to talk back and forth for quicker answers. Just wondering???

Hi... have another question - I had planned on taking an all day (7am - 7pm) bus trip exactly one week after surgery. We will be traveling on a comfortable, air-conditioned bus and stopping about every 1 to 2 hours to shop. Do you guys think I will be up to that kind of thing within a week of surgery? Would sitting on a bus (not able to move around too much) be bad? I want to thank eveyone so very much for all your support and advise....this site has been a great help to me...big time!

so i havent met with the surgeon yet and i have a educational class i have to go to on august 1st where we get to learn about the lap band and ask questions so i am posing this question to anyone who would like to respond... what question do you wish you wouldve asked before you got banded or what question do you have after you got banded that you cant find an answer to? i would like to compile a list of questions together to take to both places so i feel totally knowledged and maybe someone has some questions i havent thought of...thanks

Holy cow! That's all I gotta say. We went to the mountains in Utah this weekend, elevation 11,000 feet. After riding in the blazing heat for 6 hours, then hiking up the hills and all over the resort with our luggage, all I could manage all night were a few raisins. I tried dinner at 9:00 p.m. but could hardly get down Soup. I need to move to high ground! I totally forgot what the band is all about, now I need a port really bad because that was the best restriction ever.

I just went to fitday.com and entered everything I have ate today. I had 2459 cal., 102 fat, and 301 carbs. I don't know what to do with myself. I feel like a failure. How am I going to get myslef to stop eating. DO I love food more then I want to loose weight? I never realized how addicted I am. I spent all this money for what? 25 lbs. in the past 5.5 months. I'm thinking I should have gotten the bypass, then I wouldn't have been able to eat these things. Did anyone have this problem? if so how did you stop? Maybe I need to talk to someone?

So this weekend my hubby and I went to california to spend time with my parents and they have a swimming pool.. well it was like a million degrees outside so I wanted to go swimming but left my suit at home. Oh yea.. btw I havent bought ANY clothes since my surgery and have been trying to avoid that because a. I dont know what size I wear and b. I dont want to waste money and have to buy more later.... sooo Ive been wearing my size 34 clothes since surgery. Well anyway we went to walmart and I decided to buy a pair of cheap ($6 bucks) shorts and I told my hubby well its only 6 bucks and if they dont fit they will soon.. so i get home and try them on... THEY ARE BIG…

Can someone please explain some signs of sleep apnea? Also, I am a picky sleeper (ex: I use a fan, well actually 2) Do they accomodate at the sleep test? I am not sure yet if I will have to take this, but Iwas just curious. Thanks! Baileym

Hey everyone i know this is WAYYYYYYYYY OT, However i just bought myself an ATV this week (been wanting one for years) so this is the ?, I am getting banded on 8/10/05 How long do you think i should wait to start riding again?, I figured probably about 2 weeks (depending on how i feel)? Thanks in advance Kristen

When was the last time you almost fell down from laughing? I had to call the Texas Laporoscopy Center today to dispute a billing error (long story). Anyway, they had to put me on hold and this "On-Hold Music" kicked in. They had some wedding singer record an original tune that almost had me wetting myself. I've called them 3 times now asking to be put on hold just so I could play this gem for people in the office. None of them have recovered yet and they've started calling it themselves just to hear it. I kid you not....for a good time call 409-719-0009 and tell them you wish to be put on hold because you need to hear the inspiring on-hold music. If you don't trust me, yo…

I really need some energy. I was used to drinking 6-8 diet cokes a day and now I am 13 weeks out from my surgery and am having alot of problems with being so tired all the time. I had someone tell me recently that they take a suppliment called Chlorella. Have any of you used it? Any suggestions would help me, I need to get enough energy to exercise !

I've come across an ad Live surgery webcast on July 27, 2005 at 4:30pm eastern stardard time. This is being performed at Brigham and Women's hosp. in boston. The site is www.brighamandwomens.org/surgerywebcast to register to view. I thought it may be of interest for the not so squimish.

can anyone out there feel their port like moving around when they bend over because I can and I went for a fill and they couldn't get in and the around the port is bruised well anyways the question is can the stitches come out and the port move around without is havening to be sutured down if they can still get acsess to the port I really don't feel like haveing to be cut open again I am totally discouraged I waited 8 months to get banded now the port can't be acsessed and I totally no restriction at all I am doomed to be fat the port kills me an d I can still eat please someone answer some questions to my answers thank you

I was told I need to "fast" for 12 hours prior to my lab work tomorrow.....does that include no water?

Hi all!! Could someone please tell me how long I will be under for the surgery? I have not thought of that until just now when someone asked me here at work. I am so nervous....tomorrow is my day to join the Band wagon.

Hello All- I had my first fill today 4.5 cc's, I believe- I think they said I had the 11 size band or something- Anyway- it was a piece of cake---I wish it was really cake! No- it was quick and painless- I was anxious over nothing! So- we'll see how the next few days go. I need to update my ticker....down 25 lbs so far- 10 pre-op and 15 post-op.

HELLO BANDSTER BABES I HAVE ONE LAST HOOP BEFORE MY SURGERY NEXT WEDNESDAY. I HAVE TO GO FOR A QUICK PHYSICAL BY MY PCP ON FRIDAY. I GOT MY HOSPITAL BRACELET TODAY THAT I HAVE TO WEAR UNTIL AFTER THE SURGERY. IT TELLS MY BLOOD TYPE. IT'S SO REALITY NOW!!!!! I'M SO EXCITED AND NERVOUS KEEP SMILING

Hey Self-Payers: I am from Dallas, TX and I am willing to travel to another state to get my band, but I am too big of a chicken to go to Mexico. I will have to self-pay, so I was wondering if anyone who got thier band in the US for under 15k can tell me where you are and the name of your doctor. The best deal I have found so far in Dallas is 15k - includes all surgery stuff, and one year of follow up and fills. Thanks everyone! PS - I got the idea of traveling to another state since my mom has a group of freinds that all went and got facelifts in Oklahoma for 1/2 the price of Dallas doctors. PSS - also, can anyone tell me why the band is twice the price of say a b…

Hi * Just wondering if there would be any of you in Tijuana between the 1st to 4th of August! Me and my mom are getting banded during that time, and I figured I might as well ask if anyone would be down there. I must admit, I'm getting kinda nervous. It's just me wondering how I'm going to last without food for 3 weeks. This is something I wanna do so bad, but I don't know if I'll be able to hack it. (I will though!) I was also wondering, what types of liquids did everyone drink? *About twelve days til I leave. I'm counting down!*

Hello, The new group (ok small group!) of bandsters in the Whatcom-Skagit area will meet again Wed Jul 13th at 7:30 at the Bellis Fair Mall food court. The leader of this group is Kim, her email message follows: Date: Fri, 08 Jul 2005 23:30:27 -0000 From: "kmsthrlnd" <kmsthrlnd@yahoo.com> Subject: Bellingham Soup Night Hi, It's time for another Bellingham Soup Night! Please join us on 7/13/05 at 7:30 pm at the Bellis Fair Food Court. I will be there with my little B'ham Bandsters sign. It doesn't matter who did your surgery. You are also welcome if you are just investigating the idea of being banded. Please drop me an e-mail if you can join …