Alexandra

That may sound like bad news but it's good that they found it. It's treatable! And it's important to get that taken care of because an ulcer is the LAST thing you want. That could lead to the loss of your band, so be glad they can treat it now. Good luck!

I honestly don't know, Kyleigh. When I asked at the last adjustment my doctor said, "well, I can pull it all out and see and then put it back in if you want" -- but we were in his office with no fluoro and I didn't want to take any chances so I declined. I like this restriction too, so the amount would be "just right."

Good luck tomorrow, Corgi!! We're all wishing a quick surgery and uneventful recovery for you. ;)

Kyleigh, I had the same experience at my last fill, which was after being banded for 16 months. I was tighter than I'd ever been and for the first time unable to guzzle Water. It eased a little but as it turned out I was too tight and started to have reflux issues, resulting in a tiny unfill a couple of weeks ago. Ahhh, sweet relief. Now I can't guzzle water, still, but it's a bit easier than it was before and I have no reflux.

I was home the same day. Wouldn't have had it any other way, but my hospital was very close and I was confident care was near if I'd needed it. (I didn't.)

Hi tlloyd! Welcome to bandland and congratulations on your surgery!! It's hard to say whether your burning port is "normal" based on just that. Does it seem to be healing oK otherwise? Is it closed, healed, not overly swollen? Healing wounds can itch a lot and maybe you're feeling a variation on that. If it's not pink and excessively warm to the touch it's probably not infected, but if you're at all worried a visit to your doctor is in order.

Interestingly, my doctor has never addressed the question of what to do after a negative episode. At least, not in my hearing. But then, I've never asked him. I know from my own experience to let my esophagus rest for at least three subsequent meals.

Donali, that was truly an awesome post. Once again, you are my rockin' hero. Everything she said was right on the money. You will learn your own personal stop signals. Mine are the deep breath, usually followed by a couple of hiccups about three minutes after I've stopped eating. And I can vouch for the negative effects of swallowing that saliva. Man, is that the wrong thing to do. I've had a tiny stuckage turn into the PB from hell just because I didn't feel like going to the sink to get rid of the saliva. Do yourself a favor, spit it out. Trust us on this one.

This just made me laugh out loud, Pam. If I'd been drinking there'd be liquid all over my monitor. But you make a very good point. I don't eat just for the physical motions of eating anymore (well, most of the time I don't). If the food isn't really good, I don't bother. And air-popped popcorn just isn't worth bothering for. Give me the real thing every time.

It could indeed be that your swelling has gone, yes. And it might not be that you feel any restriction whatsoever, yet. But you should also start trying Protein food, like meats, rather than just the carbs. Experiment with a wide range of foods so that when you do go for your fill, you'll know how whether you have any restriction or not. And that will dictate the amount of your adjustment. Good luck, and remember to take it slow!

Tricia, I love all of those. That would be fabuloso! (See, right about now I need the thumbs-up smiley guy. But all I have is )

Hi Tshyyone, Welcome to LBT!! Probably the best place to start with a surgeon recommendation is Inamed's website, www.inamed.com. They train the doctors to install their band, so they're a good source for referrals. Are you trying to get insurance to pay for it? Once you have a list of docs in your area, the next step is to figure out which ones are in your insurer's network. That will probably eliminate most of the guesswork from finding a surgeon. Many people in New Jersey travel to NYC for banding, and there are at least a few surgeons in Northern New Jersey who are very experienced (mine included). So if you can't find someone really close to home, there are lots of options farther afield. Nice to meet you!

Isa, "bumping" just means adding a post to the end of a thread so it will jump to the top of the section. That way people can see it who may not have seen it before. And "DH" stands for d--- husband, usually, with the D meaning "dear" most of the time. Could mean darling, could mean danged, could be well, lots of things. And just to add my two cents to the topic at hand, I have to say that I'm not aware of any additional gas or burping/farting activity since banding. I certainly have grumbly noises in my tummy and sometimes in my throat, but that's about it. So it's not inevitable--or maybe it's just that it's not permanent. Maybe it did happen to me and I've forgotten about it.

Hey Tricia, I once asked Alex if we could get more smilies, and he said sure if I can supply them. I'm a technical doofus so I didn't have any clue how to do that. But it sounds like you know! Can you get in touch with Alex the owner of this board to increase our list of smilies? We're seriously in need of some new ones!! Another board I'm on has some I can't live without. (Especially the LOL laughing face. I'm dyin' here without it!)

WELCOME TO BANDLAND!!! Congratulations, Crystal, and it sounds like you're in great shape. I LOVED Trader Joe's for my post-op diet. Just wait till you get to the mushy phase--they have great pates and cheeses there. YUM!!! Glad you could join us here in the land of the banded gentry. (Love that phrase! )

I love popcorn. Like Paula I'm not picky.

The smallest size I'd ever had before banding was a size 18 dress I got into briefly after a stint with Optifast. NOW the smallest size thing I have that fits is a size 14 tank top from Avenue (which is really probably a 16 at least). I love buying in the teens!!

I moved this thread from the "Suggestions" board so more people will see it. Jennifer, congratulations on your banding date! To get some positive feedback look through the Before and After pictures thread, or the one on Total Weight lost by LBTers. That will give you all the positive feedback you need. Seriously, I've been banded going on 19 months and I have not regretted it for one millisecond. I'm by no means thin, but I'm 100 lbs smaller than I used to be and it has given me a new lease on life. Every day is improved by being smaller, more flexible, more energetic, faster, etc., etc., etc. I LOVE MY BAND.

My GYN was a huge help to me in getting my file together. During the 6 years before my surgery I'd been seeing her regularly through attempts to conceive and two babies. She had loads of notes on my weight and other health stuff she was watching. Not only was she able to say that I lost weight between babies but also substantiate my otherwise good health, which bolstered my argument that I wasn't interested in RNY. Your not wanting to wait more than a month is totally understandable, Christina. But I think you're closer than you realize to an approval. Definitely give it another go!! You'll probably find that it's impossible to collect if you have surgery and then fight them. One element of many insurance policies is a strictly enforced precertification requirement for surgery, and if you proceed without that they really do not have to ever pay for it.

Hi there, You can find loads of personal experiences just by looking through the current and older threads. Welcome to LBT!!

I think letting several weeks go by between fills is a good idea, since they can change on you and take you by surprise. Most doctors would say give it a month, at least.

I've never even heard of an all-noodle diet. Sounds like a no-win plan to me. (Or should I say, no-lose?)

Christina, I so can relate to your rollercoaster. I went around and around with my insurer for 9 months before winning on external appeal. But I won, and you will too. You have three specific reasons for denial and have already addressed one of them. The BMI thing will just take another letter from your doctor, maybe mentioning two or three co-morbidities that you have and maybe just weren't included in the first letter. And the other thing is just a matter of time, if you can't put together notes from the last two years detailing a physician-supervised plan. Start it now and re-apply in six months, and you'll have it. I know six months sounds like a very long time, but if insurance is the only way it can be done it's well worth the wait. But I think a couple of well-worded letters from your PCP, your surgeon, and maybe an OB/GYN that you may have seen in the last couple of years could turn the tables on you. This sounds like a routine appeal they are likely to overturn themselves if pushed a little. You were NOT told it wasn't covered, so you're in great shape there. This is just a small obstacle to be gotten around, and you will do it I'm sure. I know we don't have to say don't give up.

Let me add that while I was home the same day, I wasn't exactly up and hopping. I live 15 minutes from the hospital and I just wanted to be home more than anything. Personally I feel the worst place to recuperate from anything is in a hospital.

This is a great reminder!! Plateaus are nothing to get upset about because there are those weeks and months with more-dramatic weight loss to balance it all out. The math may be easier if you do it by months. For example, I've been banded 18 months. I've now lost (since the day of survery), just about 90 lbs. 90 divided by 18 is 5, meaning an average loss of 5 lbs a month--that's more than a pound a week, which is right on target.