karewpah

May the 4th be with you...it never gets old for me hahahaha. Good progress on your pre op diet! Good luck

Take it easy. You mightnot be able to eat like the day before. Listen to your body and go slow

Try protein shakes and cream soups. Who's the cream soups with a hand lender to be sure of no solids.

That is odd. Have you mentioned to your surgeon or nurse. Warmth usually indicates infection which you want to get checked out ASAP

Your Dr will likely have a protocol. My suggestion is go with the protocol. Give good, honest feedback each session. Don't be quick to fill, fill, fill. Each fill will require behavior adjustments on your part both physical and me gal ones. It is my belief, un proven and just a gut feel, that many issues that arise come from being filled to fast without enough time to adjust to each feel. I've suffered a slip and revision surgery...i'm more cautious than I was before. I wish you a super successful journey. For now, drink tons of Water, crystal light or unsweetened tea and get your Protein in. And if you're really hungry all the time, don't use Protein shakes. Get your protein for lean sources of chicken, fish, pork. Beef...whatever catches you fancy.

Cheri, I agree with you 110%

Good grief Yve...when you get off your soap box maybe you can be rational...until then...

Let's just continue to be the exceptionally helpful people we've been all along and the OP can Decide which advice they wish to follow or overlook

I feel it with a properly fitted bra. Sometimes at dinner I have to undo it so that I can eat

As always Jean...very thought provoking blog.

$82K is a shocking amount to bill insurance. I was self pay and paid only $16K. I'd be screaming mad @your Dr and start using words like insurance fraud....how can a self pay be so much less expensive than a surgery covered under insurance?

My surgeon tells me 1c in total 3 times a day. 60-80g of protein, 84oz of water, protein first, then veggies. I'm not told how many calories or what the macro nutrients should be.

16k and lifetime free fills...no charge for revision or complications

It depends on your income and such. I think around 20% you get back

Enjoy...what a journey it is and you have one of the top banding Drs in Canada as your surgeon. His success Rate with his patients are off the charts.

Mine gets tight when I'm stressed. Try dealing with the stress and relax. While you're tight, drink water and protein shakes. All will be well. If you find you start having heartburn, reflux or can't keep water down, then go to your surgeon.

Mine are free for I've....but I paid $16,000 for surgery

I went to SWLC in Mississauga....they are amazinging!!! You can call and talk to Dr Coburn. The surgery is the minor part...driving a few hours for a top itch Dr is worth it. What you need to find out is whetherthere's anyone local who can do your fills. Total cost in 2010 at SWLC was $16,000. I got money back at tax time and if needed there are other payment options

When the band is in OHIP kicks in. I had a slip and had to have it fixed. There was no out of pocket fee. As for the 5 year limit...it's in the contract and therefore enforceable if needed, they did tell me about it up front but also mention that to date they've never charged someone whose had it longer than 5 years. You have to think though, post 5 years...you're not going to be going in for the umber of fills you do in the first year

I don't feel like a fraud. I did what was right for me to be successful. My husband knows, and now, only because I experienced a slip while travelling for work, my boss knows...and that's it. I work hard to lose the weight and I will work hard to maintain it I'm sure. When I travel I get asked if I have an implant. If I have an overweight person that is going to scan me, then I tell them yes, I have a lapband. That usually strikes up a conversation. It takes longer to get through security, not because I'm a risk, but I'm helping them and enjoying sharing. We do what works for us. I don't feel I should be obliged to give everyone all the details, nor would I feel betrayed if someone lost a bunch of weight only to find out later they where banded. I might think darn, why the heck didn't you mention it to me, I could have used a push, but wa ll know that our battle with our weight is a very personal and very emotional one. There's simply no "right" answer to this...it's truly what you are amost comfortanble with.

If your bad slipped you would nto even be able to keep down Water. I went through a band slippage to the point where I had to have revision sugery. I threw up dried blood and couldn't keep water down. i got severely dehydrated. It was an excruiciating process. You could have tweaked a muscle if your coughing was that heavy.