Alexandra

Donali has a great idea. Applesauce will be a better test than barium, which is what my doctor uses. Bright, I've sort of been going through this myself, and want to caution you about something. If you've been used to your level of restriction for a long time, any increased restriction is going to feel like a lot. I was slightly un-filled last November, rested for a little over a month, and now I have a fill that is only .1 MORE than I had before the un-fill. But it feels like WAY more. I'm restricted in a way that I haven't felt since early last summer, and it's taking some serious getting used to. The upside is that all that getting-used-to it has resulted in a loss of about 15 lbs in the last six weeks! I guess what I'm saying is not to be TOO aggressive. A lot of the results lie in your behavior, which of course you know, and too much restriction is really worse than just enough. And all it takes is just enough to make your willpower rev up to where you need it to be. This isn't the last fill you can ever have, just one more on your road. So get one, but don't go overboard! Good luck, bandsister!

Hi Krissie, Obviously you need to get the specific details from your surgeon, but generally people are out of the hospital no later than the next day. Some practices--like the one I used, for instance--do the surgety as outpatient. I was home by 2:00 in the afternoon the same day, Wednesday, and was back at work on Monday. It's really no big deal; if you've ever had surgery before this will feel like a piece of cake. General anaesthesia is the hardest part (IMO). Good luck with your consult!

Hi Lauren, This is your time to go wild with soup! If you're a Dr. Bertha patient you've probably driven by the Trader Joe's in Florham Park. That's a GREAT place to find new and interesting soups, spreads, dips, pates and other soft foods. This is a short period and NOT a time to be worrying about calories. Take care of yourself and try not to get too hungry, because that definitely makes the craving for solid food worse. This is the worst part...don't make it harder on yourself than it already is. Enjoy! Egg drop Soup, oyster chowder, salmon bisque, tzatziki, hummus, yummmmmmmmm... Hmmm. Think I'll go to trader Joe's this afternoon...

Hi Bandit, What everyone says is right on. People who lose their ports are the exception: the band and port are both part of a system designed to stay in place permanently. Infections and other complications can happen but they are rare. The vast majority of bandsters keep their ports and bands in place long-term. Regarding alcohol: You say it would be a shame if you couldn't drink anymore. Well, that's your decision. If you're in a place where you are seriously considering weight-loss surgery, then you must be coming to terms that MANY behaviors you now have are not working for you. Alcohol may be one of them. There are lots of reasons not to drink, banded or not, if you're trying to lose weight. But no, banding will not change your basic anatomy, and you will still be able to metabolize alcohol after banding the same way you do now.

Uh oh, sounds like you got a little virus. Do you have anything that can rout them out for you? It's not related to this website, I'm positive of that.

I started the same way you did, and eliminated names based on various practical concerns (such as distance). Then I called the doctors and made appointments, or found out what their first step was. In many cases the doctors will require you to attend a seminar or introductory meeting, and you can learn A LOT by going to them. There's typically no charge and it can help you discover more about the practice, the procedure, and what's important to you. I attended two of them before picking my doctor. Then once you make the first appointment, remember that you're not committed to anything. Personally, I wanted to meet any surgeon who was going to operate on me BEFORE deciding whether I was going through this with him and his practice. It's not like you have to pick a name out of a hat and you're stuck with the choice you made.

Have a great trip to Bandland! We've left a light on for ya!! :D

Emmy, have you checked out fitday.com? There's probably some sort of calculator on there that will help you come up with a number. Generally, for women, the numbers are between 1200 and 1600 calories a day for weight loss. Obviously that's just a general guideline and is probably not even helpful for you. I've been using the home version of Fitday and find it very helpful. There is one big problem, though, with its metabolism calculator, which is the same on every single one I've ever tried. Generally, these calculators take your current weight and activity level and based on that tell you how many calories a day will let you maintain your weight and how many fewer you should consume to lose weight. Well, unfortunately the current-weight number includes a whole lot of fat, which is metabolically inactive, and that skews the number upward considerably. But using an ideal weight for the same calculation results in a lower number than would be accurate. So what I do is take both numbers and split the difference, which gives me a better estimation of my daily calorie expenditure. How precise a number are you looking for? You must have heard the 1200-1600 range bandied about. Is that what you wanted to know?

Hi Angela, What is the reason for your pacing yourself at .25 cup every 15 minutes? I can see that maybe for the first couple of days, but once you're on full liquids that limitation doesn't apply to everything, does it? So what difference would it make how fast you drink your Water? Unless there's some reason that's specific to you, I don't see why you'd have to sip that way. Until my 3rd fill I could chug water just like I could pre-band, and no one ever told me not to. Drinking as slowly as you have been I'm not surprised it's hard to get it all in. But I don't think there's any reason not to just drink as you like.

Wow, Lisa. Well, I must say this clears up a lot of things in my mind. Honestly, if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, well, you know the rest. No question, an open weeping wound for months at a time is NOT NORMAL, everyone, and it is baffling indeed that no one tested for infection. Thank goodness it's been caught and treated, FINALLY. Perhaps this is the end of your drama, and you and your little silicone friend will live happily ever after. We hope!! Dr. Billy has just gone up several notches in my esteem, too.

This is exactly what I was going to say, and almost exactly how mine went. I think we owe it to ourselves to be totally honest about our decision to have surgery and how well we understand what we're getting into. I looked at the psych eval as an opportunity FOR ME to examine my own decision as much as for the evaluator to do so. This is not just another hoop to be jumped through. It's important, for everyone.

Hi Misty, Just about any food can cause discomfort, if you eat too much of it or take too big a bite. Discomfort is different than being unable to tolerate something, and I think the latter is really rare with the band. I say I can't eat eggs, but by that I don't mean they cause me distress. In my case it just means that the first bite doesn't go down well, so any more than that and I feel it in my esophagus. That amounts to being unable to eat them; one bite isn't eating (in my book). Other things are harder to eat than they were pre-banding, but scrambled eggs are the only thing I really can't eat more than a bite or two of. Thin-crust pizza goes down OK for me, though one slice is WAY more than enough. There are certainly various kinds of discomfort, and various degrees. The trick is to learn when to STOP eating so that you escape the totally avoidable discomfort of having eaten too much--of anything.

Nope, can't feel the band at all. I'd be shocked if I ever could.

Wow, this is SO inspiring! Here's my before-and-during...

Melanie, I hope you are over this because you are going to have LOTS of times in the future where your weight loss slows or stops for a while. Get used to it. Holy cow, girl, you've lost 55 lbs!!! What on earth are you upset about??? Seriously, this is not a race. Your body is reacting to a sudden drastic drop in caloric intake, and it's taking a breather. That's a good thing! Take the time to get used to your new body, your diminishing profile, your smaller clothes, your increased energy, and so on. Don't look forward at some distant point: enjoy where you are RIGHT NOW, because it's a whole lot better than where you were only TWO MONTHS AGO. You're doing PHENOMENALLY well! Most bandsters lose less than half of what you've lost in the first two months. But comparisons are odious, all that matters is your personal progress. And it's amazing!! :D

Hi Ms. Mitchell: Before you look into individual insurance, I'd suggest you try again with Aetna. Their stance has changed somewhat on the band and if you qualify medically you have a much better chance with them than you would have had a year ago. Are you covered under one of Aetna's standard insurance plans? What were their reasons for saying no a year ago?

What wonderful images, and such great success!! Thanks so much for sharing them. You're inspiring me, you're both so beautiful! :cool: :)

Hi Emmy, Everyone is right, you have nothing to worry about. I remember starting in on solid food and finding out the hard way I was just not ready. Just because your doctor's guidelines mention some particular food on some particular day doesn't mean you will absolutely be able to handle it. Scrambled eggs in particular are a popular "mushy" food, but I know of LOTS of people who just can't do them at all. Take it slow, and listen to your banded tummy. Allow some real time between bites to see how things are sitting. Pace yourself! You're doing great. :cool:

Hi Mistybreezes! Congratulations on your banding! First thing I'll say is yep, diarrhea is perfectly normal at this stage. Liquid in, liquid out--silly but true. When you can get on thicker liquids, go ahead and go wild with soup. There a gazillion great ones out there and NOW is your time to indulge. Blend anything chunky for a couple of seconds to get the big lumps out. Between good soup and Protein drinks you shouldn't have any problem getting 1000 calories or so a day. Isn't it great when you wake up the first day you start to really feel better? The sun WILL shine again and you will heal and can then get down to the business of being banded. But for now you must just think about healing, and trying not to get too hungry. Welcome to bandland!! :cool: :)

I'll echo what everyone else has said. Scrambled eggs have been a problem for me since banding; one bite is enough to bring the pain. It's just not possible for me to masticate it enough, I guess. (That means chew.:cool: ) Don't worry, you're just learning. Stay away from eggs!

Oh, Trish, I can SO understand what you feel. For months while I was researching the band I couldn't even let myself think about it--the very idea that I might get it someday was just such a pipe dream. I remember running through all the thoughts that you've posted right here, again and again. One thing you can do right now is stop comparing yourself to other people. Your sister? Please. You can't be that because you're not HER. You're you. To be honest, the whole "goal" thing never appealed to me--my GOAL was and is to be healthier than I was. That has no number attached to it, no special size. When I look back I realize that I reached my most important goal on August 20, 2003. I just reach new ones every single day. You will too. It's easy to talk ourselves into pessimism because so many diets and programs and attempts have failed before. But BEING BANDED IS DIFFERENT! It's a completely different physical feeling than dieting. You have a physical barrier to overeating, a negative reinforcement that you learn from over time. It's not just a matter of telling yourself not to eat that cookie, it's a simpler matter of eating real food and actually feeling full. Then saying no to that cookie is a whole lot easier. It's not automatic, and god knows I have enough Cookies when I decide to partake, but it IS easier. It's a tool to give you more control over your intake. That's all. But that's so, so much. :cool:

That is fascinating, vinesqueen! Hmmmm....

Wow, what a wonderful article and how cool that your Mike is in it!! That's wonderful that he's in touch with the young man, too. That kind of support will so important to help him get through the tough times. Can we ask you to let us know from time to time how he's doing? Maybe tell him about us? In any event, please send my best wishes for a smooth surgery, and LOTS of continued success to both Mike and his protege.

This is a message from Sanmae which was posted elsewhere. I couldn't move it so I'm copying it.

Oh, Katie, what a blow for your family and especially your cousin. :cool: Here's lots of good thoughts for you and all of them that you can find the strength to support him through this scary ordeal. And congratulations on the great progress!!