NWgirl

I did not need to take out a loan for my band, but I do have CareCredit for other medical/dental expenses and they work great for me. I have heard of Dr's just charging the patient for the lapband if they have to do a repair such as hernia, gallbladder, etc at the same time. If your insurance will pay for that type of surgery, it couldn't hurt to ask the surgeon if you could pay for the band placement and the insurance pay for all costs associated with the actual hernia repair.

I don't have any advice for you, but wanted to say hang in there and everything will get better soon enough

I sleep on my stomach as well and haven't had any issues after the initial healing stage.

I know everyone will chime in with what they're allowed to eat on their diets, but please remember to follow the instructions outlined by your surgeon/nutritionist. I have seen widely varied post-op diets in my time here, some ranging from back to normal foods in less than a week to liquids for 6- each doctor has a set program that works for them and it really behooves you to do exactly as your doctor has outlined because that is what has proven successful for them.

I have found that if the water is at faucet temperature (not refrigerated) and my band isn't tight, I can drink water just like I used to. I guess everyone varies, but I do avoid ice, etc because it causes my band opening to tighten up due to cold.

The actual fill is a pretty painless procedure. My surgeon has me lay on a table, put my hands under my head and almost do a 1/2 crunch to pop the port up. She then inserts the needle into the port and fills with the desired amount of fluid. The process is very quick so don't be worried about that. I am told not to eat anything for a few hours prior as they don't want you to have eaten something that doesn't go through the band before the fill and may get stuck after the fill. I am also supposed to be on a liquid diet for approx 48 hours post fill and then gradually add foods back in. Sometimes fills can irritate the stomach and cause swelling, so it's best to do liquids so you're not trying to learn possible new limitations when it comes to foods at the same time the stomach area is swollen.

Wonderful advice and beautiful post

Definitely lost my boobs first. I was hoping age would be on my side but didn't happen to be so lucky. Now I'm saving for new boobs, a tt, and brachioplasty. Dont get me wrong, I love my body and wouldn't ever go back to the old one, but boy does it suck having loose skin and no boobs at 25!

I only eat until I'm not hungry, I do not focus on full. Full for me with the band is very uncomfortable- hiccups, pressure in chest, hard time swallowing, possible pb's, etc. It took me awhile to figure out that I didn't need to be full at the end of my meals. I stop eating when I am in the middle of hungry and not hungry, not when I feel like what I would have considered full pre-band.

So glad when I see positive stories

Research all you can about the band and ask all the questions you need to before getting surgery. Remember this is a journey and there will be ups and downs. Dont expect to lose weight until your band is properly adjusted, which could take a couple months. It seems the most common theme I see among newly banded people is that they expected to lose weight from the start and that they did not know enough about the post-op phase diet and tend to make mistakes.

Mine was two months. I did not have to do any supervised diet.

Hard time eating foods/over reliance on soft foods or sliders, pb's, hard to drink liquids. I also get an actual tight sensation in my chest and gurgle a lot.

In the last four months I have lost around 15 but have gone from a 12/14 to 6/8. Sometimes actual body composition changes faster than weight, that's why it's good to realize weight is just a number and to not hype it up and make it the end all factor in if you are successful or not.

I remember when that happened to me. It's still very surreal to see hip bones, collar bones, rib cage, etc. I dont know if I'll ever get used to it

There's a lot more initial physical restriction with other types. Make sure to consult with your surgeon about all options.

I'm in the Portland metro area

You should be on a liquid diet for the first phase after surgery. You should be drinking liquids only- broths, water, protein shakes, etc. Make sure to review the nutritional info you received from your surgical team for every phase of post-op healing and if you have questions you should contact your Dr for clarification because each Dr has their own requirements.

Some people don't really lose any weight before reaching the green zone whereas others do. There are differing factors that contribute, but as long as you follow the rules set forth by your surgical team and monitor your food/water intake and exercise, you will get there. I remember when I was newly banded and how obsessed I was with my definition of success, but as time has gone on I have settled into a wonderful lifestyle that I feel blessed to have. Don't force it because it will come.

Well I'm biased to Oregon because that's where I'm from. If you live in the metro area, you're only a couple hours away from beaches, hiking, skiing, etc. It's a beautiful place.

I weigh myself every two weeks or so. When I was actively losing, I weighed every day but now that I'm close to goal the weight loss has slowed drastically.

I found as I hit milestones, regardless of a weight or clothing size, my mind says "hmmm I expected this to be/look different." I think everyone goes through this.

I'm 24. I always had larger arms and have noticed as the weight comes off, the skin sags more. I also had stretch marks on the underside of my arms, so I know my skin is damaged. I moisturize often, but am not sure if I will have lots of loose skin or not. Thighs, belly, even boobs look ok. If I did go in for a brachioplasty, I would also get a boob job due to issues I've had with my breasts before banding.

I'm around 5 out of a 10cc band over four fills. I am at my perfect spot and will go in for another checkup at the end of the year to see where i'm at.

As always, you are a great inspiration!