LAP-BAND Surgery Forums

Hi Everyone! I go to see the Dr. for the first time on Nov. 2 and I'm trying to make sure I'm as prepaired as possiable. I have a lot of information on the lap band, and my insurance, but I'm not sure about the diet history. Did you have to provide exact dates, weight, type of diet, ect... ??? I went on my first diet when I was ten, and I've been on like a BILLION since then...I can't even remember my phone number let alone my weight befor/after the ill fated cabbage diet... (to this day, just looking at cabbage makes me kinda sick) Ugh! I'm trying too hard or do I need to look into hypno-therapy to regain my "lost" diet information? Thanks! -Nora

When I was first banded, I got the shoulder pain that every talks about post surgery. You know the one where the cure is to walk, walk, walk and some suggest Gas-X. But it went away by week 6 or 7. I have also heard some mention that they get this pain when they have reached their 'soft stop' at meals. Well, with my second banding (first removed due to a leak) I never got the shoulder pain post surgery... Then all of a sudden around week 8 I began getting the shoulder pain. Nothing seems to help except to eat!!! It appears that it happens when I let myself get too hungry. Has anyone else experienced this? I heard that the shoulder pain is associated with the Co2 t…

I know that it is common but I am loosing a lot of hair. It is all over my house, clothes and most important my husband who want's to kill me. He said it is on his towels in the shower in the bed everywhere. My doctor said that this can go on for up to nine months. Is this right? My god I will be bald by then. I am finally giving in and going for a hair cut tomorrow. I have never had short hair but I think I have to do it. Don't get me wrong I am happy with my band and my weight loss but, this part stinks. I am a little down right now and I know this may sound trivial and silly to some but I am sad about cutting my locks off. It has been hiding this fat face my entire…

This is so weird and I wonder if it happens to anyone else. My doc's office only does fills twice a month, so by the time I know I need one I know there will be at least a couple of weeks to go before I can get one. That doesn't bother me--a plateau of even several weeks doesn't panic me at all. Now I've been at the same weight since late August, and have been getting hungry between meals much faster than earlier in the summer. I've lost about 15 lbs since my last fill, so this falls right into my pattern of loosening restriction with weight loss. So I called my doc's office and the next date I can get a fill is November 4. No problem. So what happens? Restriction …

:tired So, has anyone ever had a night of insomnia? I haven't had one since being banded till tonight. You see I really really need to sleep. I gotta get up at 7a and do my exercise routine then take shower then get dressed then drive 45 min to Nashville pick up sister then drive 45 min back to Clarksville to pick up daughter then drive 60 min to Princeton, KY to Mom's spend time with her then go to Funeral home from 4p to 8p then take Mom home then drive 60 min to Clarksville drop off daughter then drive 45 min to Nashville to drop off sister then drive 45 min back to Clarksville and collapse in hotel room for the night. Then next morning get up at 7a do exe…

Hi everyone Are there any long-term bandsters out there for me to chat to? I appreciate that this particular WLS is relatively new but I'd really like to know what to expect 1,2 and 3+ years on. I know there are people out there but they don't seem to post on these forums. Hopefully it's because they've become "normal" and don't need the support anymore. But even so, I want to be sure that I'm not jumping on the newest "get thin quick" scheme. Will my band be a long term solution to my weight problem or am I going to be back in the same boat a year or two from now??? All opinions and 2nd generation gossip wioll be gladly received! Jax Pre-op Either LAPband or SAG…

Hi everyone, thanks for all of your posts of support. I am home in Jersey I a came home a day early -yesterday . The overall experience was ok. I think I would have felt better not going alone but that was unavoidable. Dr. Rumbaut's office and the hospital it self was brand new, clean and up to date. I must say though (and I told Doralisa his patient coordinator) -the pre-op testing office almost made me get on the next plane home. The doctor was a cardiologist but had an office and equipment that looked like it was extremely outdated. I had all my testing done at home previously but I must say with the practice Dr. Rumbaut has he can well afford to correct th…

I have researched the surgery and I believe it will be very good for me. I am trying to figure out how to proceed. I have found Dr. Spivak's website, and he looks like an awesome doctor to proceed with. How did the journaey begin for ya'll? Any of you have Cigna insurance and did they cover anything? How do you begin? I would love any ideas, suggestions...Thanks!

So three months ago I was getting ready for my summer vacation, buying clothes for the trip. I bought a pair of capri pants which, even though they looked a little small, I figured would fit by the time we left. I get them home and lo and behold I can hardly pull them up! So instead of taking them with me on vacation, I stuck them up top on a shelf. Three months later I'm still hovering around that exact same number on the scale, but my clothes are getting a little baggy so I go rooting through my closets. What do I find? Those capri pants I couldn't even pull up. THEY FIT!!! Holy crap, even without a single additional ounce lost I have slimmed down to a point where …

Ok, my surgery is scheduled for 12:30 tomorrow. I have to be there at 11:00. They are going to do bloodwork to see if my sinus infection has cleared. I feel fine now.......so keep your fingers crossed that my WBC's are back down to normal! Today is nothing but Clear liquids. So far, so good. But I have only been awake for 20 minutes. Lainie

In the coupon section of my paper this weekend there was an advertisement that Winn Dixie now sells the Crystal Light On the Go packets. They are also Buy One Get One Free. I live in the Tampa Bay Florida area.

Just finished reading all Ryan's posts about pre-surgery testing results. I was contacted by both my surgeon and my PCP regarding my tests today and am discouraged too. They've detected low Iron levels (what's that from?). Got a prescription for that. There's some kind of "blip" or something in my EKG - I'm headed to a cardiologist Monday. And lastly, some oddball thing showed up on my chest x-ray (never smoked). So I'm up for a cat scan for that on Thursday. Hoping that's just a film problem as someone suggested. I do agree that it's a good thing my surgeon is thorough too but it stinks to get old. These are just the kinds of problems I was hoping to cut off at t…

I am considering a lap band. I take alot of supplements daily some are of the pills are very large (like the fish oil pill) how do you approach pill taking? Also I was considering dr. spegiel in port neches texas but have heard nothing but bad comments about him . Any feedback? How about dr hahn in orange texas? Thanks in advance

I am so disappointed. I was scheduled for surgery at 11 AM tomorrow but they pushed me back a week due to a sinus infection and a urinary tract infection. I know it is for the best but DANG!

Today is my official 1 year bandiversary! Who knew Id ever make it this far! There's still alot to learn and stuggles to go through every day! I still am not used to this band eating!

So I decided to step up the excersize. The band is doing it's job and now it's time for me to do mine. I have re-habbed the knee to the point that I can yes jog! I can't believe it. I ran 1/2 mile today. I know it does not sound like much... but when you consider just 4 mothes ago I was having trouble walking and had to take anti inflams. Today after my workout, I ended up walking the rest of the mile, I did not have any swelling or pain and this my second workout. I had been sticking to the eliptical machine. Don't worry I am not going to over do it I just wanted to see how it felt. So for the majority I am going to stick to the eliptical machine, but now that I know…

!st fill was today...No problems didn't feel a thing.

Hi Guys i dunno - a gal pops off to be banded and u revamp the website - is that like parents moving home when kids go off to summer camp lol? Well, am 5 days post op now, still bit tired, had excrutiating shoulder pain which is slowly easing off now from our diaphragm gas friend. Got the itchy dressings off today - needlework not bad if i say so myself Even had my 1st poo today (high 5's to me!) lol - i can even sneeze confidenently without thinking my band will break :lick Not much i know, but i am still bit weak and taking it easy. Bye for now

is moving again!!!! i got a fill on thursday weighing 219 (well that was my lowest, i was fluctuating between 219-226) anyhow i dont count a gain unless its more than 5 lbs. (ok 6 ) they added .3 cc's bringing my fill level to 3.7 cc's i left the office wondering if i had restriction as i was able to pretty effortlessly kill a bottle of Water. Anyhow...I AM RESTRICTED!!! more so than i EVER have been. i am really tight in the morning hot liquids go down slowly but cool ones dont at all, they just sit in pouchy. i ate some snackage saturday night right before bed. BIG MISTAKE...tight chest feeling doesnt let you relax enough for sleep. last night i made a choi…

Hello, I have been visiting this site since before I was banded but did not register until today. This is a great source for information and I love to read the questions/comments everyone has. I feel like I know everyone personally. I remember reading this at one point but would someone remind me how to put my picture on as well? Just wanted to say hi and thanks for a great place to come to!

Just wondering ... if so how do I find it?

I noticed that a lot of us are on line right now. Was gonna invite all to a chat, but can't find chat room. Did a hurricane get it?

Janie, who was banded in Perth, is having trouble; see her thread at http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=3418 Any suggestions on someone she could see in W.A. (or elsewhere) for a second opinion?

Does anyone have any information about the differences between the bands? Advantages to each? Negatives to either? I have read that American doctors do not like to work on the Swedish bands due to lack of FDA approval (I know its pending but do they have an eta?) so it makes it harder to get fills state side but are there technical differences that would make this a risky choice? etc. Thanks guys!

I was so excited and nervous about going to TJ to get a fill (I'm afraid of heights) but now I am so happy I did. I will probably never fly to San Diego then go to TJ and return to Chicago all in the same day again but it was worth it. I thought getting a fill was just something I had set my mind on but after getting it I felt that "new fill" difference. I'm on the liquid stage still. However, the scale finally moved! (It had been over 3 months!)

Got a question.... I know I'm supposed to have 60 grams of Protein a day at least. But is there somewhere I can find out how much things are worth? Like, say I have a chicken breast, how much is that? Does my question make sense? Like a food calculator of sorts. I know that I can get protein info off packaging but some things don't have that kind of info....can anyone help me? Thanks

Well. I have just taken a major step. I have signed up for C&W dance lessons starting Monday night. This is quite a step for me. I have country danced since I was 10 yrs old, however the country dancing I have done all my life is 'traditional' country dancing not all this new-fangled line dancing and steps. I literally danced my ass off when I was younger/single and never knew I had a serious weight problem. Then, I met my husband (who is now ex) and he did nothing of the sort. I danced on occasion even after that, but I really missed it and always sort of resented him for not learning how/taking that out of my life. Once I was single, I had began traveling 100% …

During my lapband research I read about good and bad placements sites of ports but I was unable to find the thread. Does anyone have a suggestions of the best place to have your port? Do you have any say so on where your port is located? I read somewhere a bandsters port was located where her jeans went around her waist and it was very uncomfortable for her to wear them. I would like to try and avoid this if at all possible. Thank You

Do any of you keep Medical ID's? A bunch of the RNYers on Obesityhelp.com have mentioned, and they list things like the type of surgery, No NSAIDS, and No Blind NG Tube on theirs. Is this something I should have thought of? I'd hate to have my band removed because something happened to me and the paramedic didn't know any better...

Greeting fellow bandsters! I am 6 months post op and just had my 2nd fill. I had to search for another Doc. due to my surgeon having terrible aftercare services. Anyway, I just got my fill last week, and have been having SEVERE SALIVATING PROBLEMS AND GURGLING NOISES! These can be so embarrassing, as I have to go and spit in the sink or outside, or carry a cup to spit in. I can have 3-4 bites before filling full. Is this normal? Dont get me wrong... I am thrilled with my new weightloss, since losing 10 lbs in the last week. I was stuck and 40 lbs, and felt like a real failure for only losing this amount over 6 months. I am now at 50 and happy. Can anyone give …

Hi i have a question i just had my first filling today and i want to know when i will feel that i am restricted can anybody tell me

this was on obesityhelp.com Today in the Dallas Morning News this ad appeared: Surgery Center located in Richardson, Texas is giving away a Lap-Band Surgery!! Winner will receive the lap-band procedure and required band adjustments for one year. Contest is open to candidates 75 or more pounds overweight, 18 to 65 years of age. http://www.scorbanding.com/contest.htm good luck! michelle

My first NSV posting!!! Not that I haven't had them, but THIS one is something I have been waiting for for a long time... This morning I PUT ON MY BF'S BRAND NEW JEANS AND THEY FIT!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, I SO wanted to be able to do that when I went to visit him a couple months ago, but I was at least an inch away from them buttoning. Okay, they are skin tight, but STILL!!! They're Rustlers 40x30 REGULAR CUT straight leg jeans. And I had them ON. OMG OMG OMG!! Here's the weird thing, too... I could have sworn I tried them on a month or so ago, and still couldn't get them buttoned. My weight has basically stablized since April 12th - it ranges from 201-213 between t…

I was wondering if anyone out there has had trouble getting approved for the lap band because their insurance deems it "investigational"? My company has Anthem BCBS out of Ohio and they approve the bypass surgery but not the lap band. I'm completely distraught. I've gone through almost all the tests required and now just found out it isn't covered. I feel helpless and not sure where to go from here. Can anyone offer any suggestions? Thanks, wishingonastar

Next Monday I will be getting my first fill. It can't be soon enough I feel like someone just cut out my band. The last couple of weeks I have experienced hunger. I mean true hunger I thought I lost it. I could eat non stop. And this happened so sudden. It was like one day I woke up and my band was gone. I don't know where it went but I want it back and I want it back now. I really believed that I wouldn't ever feel this way again, and boom there it is. When I first lost it I thought oh it will come back but no not yet. Then I got on the scale and now it is telling lies. What is going on?????? Where is my band????? And who told my scale to lie. Help stolen band and l…

I need the contact info for Don Mills.Preferably his phone # My GP needs to talk with him... Thanks in advance for your help Chantal

Hi! I am so glad I found this site, I have been thinking about weight loss surgery for a long time, but I've never had the chance to speak with people who have had it done. My name is Nora, I'm 33 and happily married. I have 2 boys, one is 21 months and the other is 6 months. I have been heavy all my life. It really became a problem when I hit middle school and the other kids started to notice I was way bigger than them, not just fatter, but also taller (I reached by current height of over 5'11" by the time I was 14). When the other kids started to tease me about being huge, I really took it to heart. In a way it was easier to think they didn't like me because …

My surgery is tomorrow, thank God, and I have a few questions. I ordered some Isopure Zero Carb protien drink in the 20 oz bottles. YUK.. Does anyone know of a way to make them taste better? All I taste is protien. I have only tried them cold and that could be one of the problems as they seem really thick. I also ordered some unjury powder and I cannot wait to try it. So any receipts would be great. I know that I do not post very much on this site as I work way too much. But reading this site and all of your thoughts and history on the lapband is what made me decide to do it. So thank you all and I will see you on the other side in a few days.

Im so sorry i've not been around for the last few weeks.. My work is busier than the busiest thing ! We have a 4 "man" team... one person left... one went off sick... now another is going off sick as from Tuesday! ARGH !!! so... i'm in the process of training 3 new staff. ARGH ! PLUS that we're busier than we've ever been... so the last thing I want to do when I get home is sit in front of a computer again! ok ok ok moan over ! (good bit is... i'm getting overtime! hehehe). I'm not going to be able to be on as much for the next wee while... so don't forget me!!! hehehe. Where am I up to? erm..... I got another wee 1/2 ml fill in the other week - I needed tig…

Hi everyone - here I am again with even more apologies for not posting for so long....! :nervous :nervous :nervous Things are really busy for me and I never seem to get two seconds to spend on the computer - last few times I logged on, I have been perusing all the Vegas photos which took me ages - wow you all had a brilliant time - I was sick with jealousy - I thought of you all on that weekend as it was my sister's 30th birthday and we had a huge surprise party for her - she was absolutely thrilled so it was (nearly! :cool: ) worth missing the bash for her! Well anyway - my big news is - I am finally getting a fill! Two weeks from my one year bandiversary! For tho…

I am so frustrated with my drs. office!!!! I can't seem to get a definite date from them. The best I have gotten is a tentative October 28, and now a tentative November 1. The only communication has been when I called the office, they never contact me. It seems to me that with either of those dates, I should already be going through some kind of testing. When I asked about it I was told, Well, yes there is testing to be done, but I couldn't get any more info. I called again this morning and the woman I spoke with was a real b*tch to me!!! She said she was sorry I felt like they weren't doing a good job (even though I NEVER said that). I told her that I had been w…

Hi, everyone. My board usage has been very sporadic of late because I am studying for an exam for a higher credential. And the studying has been so rewarding in and of itself that I am now planning to go back to school for another master's degree! The plans are a little vague of yet. I know I wouldn't have done either of these things pre-band. I've been eligible to take this exam for 14 years, but I never had the ambition, the vision, or the confidence to do so. Losing weight with the band has allowed me to re-discover my strengths. And I always thought I was too lazy to go back to school, but I realize I wasn't too lazy, only too tired. The band has given me so mu…

This is to all you ladies out there.........it has been well over a year and a half since my last menustration so I thought okay I am now in menopause but lo and behold nope.........I started again last night. My question is has this happened to anyone else after thier lapband? I have only lost 33 lbs since May of this year so it isn't like I have dropped a considerable amount of weight. I know weight loss and gain can affect your hormone levels but .......geeeeeeeeeez.......anyone out there have an answer for me??? Thanks. :cry

you all would like to see what I look like. I hope I did this right.........

As some of you know from the Vegas bash, I'm a Salad lover, even when I was very restricted, I would dice/chop/shred salads and still do. My problem is I like Blue cheese and Ranch dressings and they can be high in fat, calories and carbs. So, I was wondering if any of the wonderful bandsters on this board have any suggestions besides olive oil & vinegar, that tastes good and is good for you. I have spent time at the grocery store reading labels but wish I could just taste them all. What are some of your favorites??? :lick Also, with the rains starting and the colder weather it seems like I want stews and rich foods...anyone else feel a change in food cravings?

Where are all of my fellow Kentuckianna lap banders??????? Come on guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry Katie

*sigh* I awoke this morning and trudged barefoot into the bathroom... dragged the scale out... thought skinny thoughts... held my breath... and stepped on. It's been a week of indulgence... unfilled and no stomach pain... what a combo. I haven't been eating like I used to eat pre-banding... but still... much more than I should. It showed... a pound and a half UP. OMIGOD... I wondered how I would feel if the scale ever went UP again... and now I know. It sucks quite frankly. So... I hope I can be kind to myself this week... make better choices... and behave! GAWD... I am telling myself it is not that big of a deal... but honestly... it was devastating to s…

I have a question for all of you long time bannisters. Before band-land I use to love going out with my husband for Sushi, this was one of our favorite foods. I really loved the rolls much more than just the fish. I have not tried to eat a grain of rice since I was banded on 8/5/04 I am afarid to even try Sushi since I am quite restricted. Has anyone been out for Sushi or had any luck eating it. I also am concerned with the seaweed wrapper as it can be sort of chewey. I would love to surprise my husband on our 7th anniversary by taking him to a Sushi bar, but I don't want to gag through dinner(so romantic). I am doing really great so far started at 225 and in 10 we…

and wish that I could have gone too! Everything was paid for and I am out about $650........but my husband got sick. I don't know if you all remember when I told you that he had lung cancer. Well he was in the hospital for the last 3 weeks and I just couldn't leave him to go off and have a good time with all of you. I do hope that I will be able to go to the next group outing. I could really use it having to deal with 4 children, a sick husband and a mother in law that the jury is still out on. Otherwise yall can all come to Wisconsin and we can do the Dells!!! I'm glad you all had fun!!!

a book were they mention the Lap Band surgery and the success it's having?