Alexandra

Happygirl, Relax, you're doing fine!! The difference between sugar-free and fat-free ice cream doesn't add up to much if you're not diabetic. It's a matter of personal taste. When I indulge in ice cream/frozen yogurt (which I do, almost daily), I usually get SOMETHING with reduced calories, but whether it's sugar- or fat-free is not something I worry about. No matter how you slice it, it's better than the large sundae with premium ice cream and three toppings! Now, as far as shrimp and salad goes, only you can tell whether you can handle those things so soon after surgery. You probably won't have any trouble at all if you have no fill yet; this actually a great time to go on vacation. Do NOT worry about "blowing" what you've accomplished in the last three weeks!! You are just now embarking on a life-long journey of weight loss and control, and a few pounds at this stage of the game simply will not matter in the long run. As you get adjustments and your restriction increases, you'll have no trouble dropping bread and other nutritionless foods from your routine. For now, eat and enjoy, trying to concentrate on eating the Protein first. This is a habit that will become increasingly important as time goes on so now is a great time to start. And last, I'm not going to criticize you for weighing every day; I do it too. But you CAN'T let that number on the scale dictate how you're going to feel about yourself that day! I use the information the scale gives me as information, not as a measure of success or failure. If that's not the way it works for you, it might indeed be a good idea to step away from the scale for a while. Have a great vacation!! :)

Good luck, Zoe!! The thought of a hysterectomy must be daunting, but if it gives you a life without these health problems it's SO going to be worth it.

I slept like a baby last night! Whatever weirdness has been going on in my esophagus seems to have disappeared, again. But I will keep my appointment, just to seal the deal. (It is SO WEIRD, but it never seems to fail that once I post about an issue I'm having it immediately goes away. I always wait too long to "go public" about things, but I don't know why!! It always seems like I don't have to deal with whatever it is beyond the point at which I share it online. Sheesh!)

But acid isn't the problem, La_Madam, it's just fluid coming up. What can they do to prevent that?

You're both right and wrong. There is another procedure called Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG), which uses a non-adjustable band to restrict the stomach and create a pouch. It is NOT the same thing as lap-band, which is distinguished by being adjustable. But, of course, the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (AGB, LAGB, lap-band) is indeed approved by the FDA. It was approved in June of 2001. Proof of that should be easy to find, so if that's the only reason they're turning you down, you're in a good spot.

Thanks, y'all!! I already feel some better just knowing I have an appointment coming on Thursday. Paula, I was supposed to have an appointment earlier this month, but the doc's office had to reschedule. So now I have my two-year followup set for Sept. 7, but I didn't want to wait that long to have this situation handled. I figure to get the unfill now and then see how I feel on the 7th. My doctors will no longer be taking my insurance after the end of September, so I think I'm going to have a fluoroscopy done some time mid-month just to get one last look at my band. (It's so easy to imagine, while I'm sitting up at night, that something dreadful is going on in there!) At that time we'll be able to see the results of the unfill and I'll decide whether any action is needed. If I can't get filled back up at that time I'll just have to live with that, and start saving my dollars against the future date that I'll need an adjustment. As far as recommending meds goes, I haven't even asked about that. Is there a medication that will keep actual stomach contents from regurgitating up the esophagus? A Pepcid Complete keeps the acid down, so there's no pain or irritation, but the simple fact of coughing and choking as soon as I fall asleep (when the muscles relax) is unacceptable. It's like the worst case of post-nasal drip you could ever imagine. Babs, I'm so glad to hear that even .5 down can make a big difference! I don't know how much fill I have, but if it's 3.00 or more I can probably spare a whole cc. If it's less than 3.00 I'm hoping that .5 will do the trick. I really miss eating. That's probably not a good thing, but I even miss eating the bandster way!

I didn't start exercising until 6 months out and about 40 lbs down. Jayme's right, whatever you DO do is better than nothing. Don't beat yourself up, but DO try to get moving in some way. It will definitely get easier as you lose weight.

I've been miserable over the last four weeks with varying degrees of reflux symptoms, and i've decided it's time to just go for a significant unfill to see if that helps. I haven't had a really good night's sleep in quite a while, and I'm not eating well either. I do think I irritated my system while I was in California, but some of the symptoms had started before I even left. Now it's pretty bad and even though I'm trying to stick completely to liquids I can still feel there's something not quite right. Thursday I'll go for an unfill, taking as much as half of my fill out. Wish me luck!!

I'm with you, Barb. And agb_aid, truly professional outfits don't skimp on their websites. If you're in contact with the management, let them know that the amateurish look of the site is damaging their credibility. No locations, no names, only toll-free phone numbers and blind e-mails. No thanks! As I said, it sounds like a good idea but I'll wait and see.

Nope, I don't know anyone close to me who would qualify. Well, I take that back. My husband's boss would qualify, but I'm sure he's not interested.

Hi Margo, My experience was that I didn't count calories in the postop period, because I thought (and still think) the really important thing to focus on is not getting too hungry. Especially in the last few days of the liquid stage, you WILL be hungry but it's so important not to rush into soft or solid foods before the right time. Directly after surgery you may not be hungry for a while, but don't sweat it. This period is NOT about weight loss, it's about healing. If you have a few 400-calorie days it's absolutely nothing to worry about. Soon enough you will be hungrier, and then you'll be worrying about the flip side. My message is, DON'T WORRY. Just take good care of your tum-tum and let it heal right. There's plenty of time later on to count calories.

Welcome to LBT, T!!

Well, these centers may not be a bad idea, but I'll wait to see how the execution unfolds. At this point I'm unimpressed.

It seems like there was a general "re-set" a few days ago, and among other small things everyone had to log back on. It may be that some of your settings have changed, so just go back in and change them again. You can set the e-mail notification feature through the user control panel, so try that and see if it works.

Judy, I was back at work on the fifth day (at my desk job). Some recover faster, some slower. You should be prepared to take more time if you need it, because going back to work too quickly can be nasty. Fatigue, pain, just general yuckiness is the problem, not really anything related to the incisions or band itself. You may experience the infamous shoulder pain that some people are afflicted wtih post-op, and that may be very uncomfortable. I've heard lots of people say that the third day out is the worst and then there's rapid improvement. Good luck!!

Margo, you can indeed do it. Good luck, and remember you're doing this for your stomach's health, not just to satisfy your doctor's whims. It's important!

Karen, it sounds to me like this outfit is hoping to line up aftercare providers to be part of their network. If you refer someone to them who ultimately becomes one of their providers, you get free fills for a year. I wouldn't count on it. This is a marketing scheme, not a way I'd recommend finding an aftercare provider.

That website is pretty lame, actually. I'd stay far away from this, whatever it is. :rolleyes

Phooey on the "gold standard." YOU are not a statistic, and no statistic can mean as much as your personal medical situation. I've been morbidly obese almost all of my life. Obviously, RNY surgery has been around a long time and it's been suggested to me before. But I was absolutely dead set against any procedure that carried those risks--precisely because I hadn't yet had children. The possible complications seemed to me like a risk to my fertility, so I never ever explored bariatric surgery. Then, two kids later, the time was right. But NOW I had the two kids to think about, and again the risks seemed too high. The band allowed me to take control of my weight in a way that has never before been possible, with a MINIMUM of risk to my health. Sure it's "slow," but that's a GOOD thing. And 125 lbs in 18 months is anything but "slow," if you ask me. 125 lbs in 6 months would be TERRIFYING, and that's what happens with RNY. I didn't want to wake up one morning suddenly feeling like someone else. I wanted to gradually gain control of my bad habits that I've been fighting all my life, knowing that doing so would mean I'd be the one making the changes that let me lose weight. Having surgically induced malnutrition seemed to me then, and still seems to me now, a trade-off only the very sick should make.

Lovecats, for me the worth of the band is much less in the speed of weight loss than it is in the permanence of the weight loss. I didn't care if I only lost 40 lbs a year, or even 40 lbs ONLY at all. What I was concerned about was losing that 40 lbs and KEEPING IT OFF. I can't even remember what the progression was now that I'm two years out (today!! Yay me!!). I mean, I have notes on it and I could check, but it just doesn't matter any more. I've lost 125 lbs and IT.IS.NOT.COMING.BACK. That's what it's all about for me.

Oh, yeah, I've had my MIL pay almost $19 for me at her favorite lunch spot. I swear, I ate only $3 worth. I don't let her take me there anymore.

Hi bbgal, welcome!! Congratulations on your banding, sounds like you sent through some hoops to get here. Good on you!! The answer your question about the runs, no, it's not your coffee. It's your liquid diet and it's perfectly normal. Things will get better as soon as you start on more substantial things besides Clear liquids. I promise!! How weird that they don't usually remove such a tumor. I hope that's not an issue down the road. Good luck with everything!!

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!!

Honestly, if we think about the liquid diet about being more for healing than anything else, it's a lot easier to stick to. Once I knew that solid food too early could compromise the rest of my life with the band, it was EASY to stick to liquids. It's a matter of health, not hunger. Just do something else. Starting on solid food too early is not worth the potential downside, please realize that.

(I just realized this thread was in the wrong forum, so I moved it.) My thinking about the permanence of the band is that it's a needed piece of medical equipment to keep me healthy. Would I ever consider removing an artificial heart valve or knee? Of course not. This is just another medical implant designed to maintain the health of the patient, and I want it to stay with me FOREVER.