Jim1967

I took about 3 weeks to feel completely normal. Gas and gas pains were horrible for the first 4 days.

Everyone has opinions and advice and that is what makes us different individually. I am not one to sugar coat things but for someone to come and tell another "you are giving out bad information or advice" is just dead wrong. That is the opinion bad information or advice is being given. Keys to a successful journey in my opinion is: Patience Education Following basic guidelines set forth by a Doctor and/or Nutritionist Making good food choices Develop good eating habits such as eating slow, smaller portions and chewing up food very fine Analyze your hunger to ensure it is really truly hunger and not head hunger Patience Ongoing Education throughout your journey Constant follow up with Doctors and Nutritionists throughout the journey. This is a must should band adjustments be needed. While I understand is is perfectly normal to read up on the manufacture website on the product I think I would put more faith in the experience others have had with the product and that goes for both patients and medical professionals alike. I read up on Realize band on the manufacture website but in the end they are trying to sell a product. I want to hear from the 'end users' and the medical professionals who work with the product. Just my penny worth of thoughts Oh and Fen-Phen said they could help people lose weight as well but in the end the drug was pulled for causing serious health issues along with deaths and they ended up shelling out $13 billion in settlements. Anyone who just takes the word of a manufacturer as FACT or word of law is not a wise person.

My biggest fear is not losing the weight....It is gaining it back and then some. I've been down that road before and I hope to avoid it this time once I get to where I want to be. Thank you for sharing.

One thing to know about vomiting. You do not want to be doing it a lot. You could possibly cause a band to "slip" and cause a new ball of problems. Learn to chew slowly as much as you can and cut up meats. I am 5 months post op and still have a hard time with it and I am learning the hard way. I have had 3 episodes over the past week.

Some people after they reach a point of restriction have difficulties eating certain foods. Everyone is different in this area but what can happen is the food will get stuck trying to pass through the stoma and can result in pain, sliming and even vomiting. Key is in the beginning to treat your stomach like a newborn stomach and introduce food slowly and chew the heck out of everything until you learn how your band reacts. For me if I eat a hamburger or bulkie roll it will not go down and it will get stuck and cause a lot of discomfort.

This is still a problem for me at times at 5 months post op. I had to stop extra circular activities at meal times because I would get distracted and sometimes cause a stuck episode. Not pleasant at all.

I can understand people being anxious to lose. Hell, I am averaging 16.8lbs a month and wish I could do better but realistically that is just not healthy.

Also wanted to add that I know everyone is different and loses in a different way. Typically larger folks like myself tend to lose at a more rapid pace in the beginning. So to give you an idea of how it has gone for me: I lost 38lbs on a 6 month mandatory preop diet. It was in the middle of the holiday season 2011 so I lost a month and half of losing because I chose to enjoy the holidays. I did not go crazy eating and I managed to maintain. So I pretty much lost nothing mid way through November and all the way to Jan 1. I got back at it and started slowly losing and the day I was approved for Surgery 3/30/12 I was down 38lbs. I had surgery on 4/16 and as of yesterday I have lost an additional 84 pounds. I did that without hardly any exercise. I got a little more active but not like going to a gym or anything. I know the weight would drop faster if I got more active and had an actual work out routine. I guess I am just not there yet. Sorry, I got long winded but my point is it does work. Follow Doctors guidelines and get in the zone, Get the proper band adjustments and when your appetite disappears you can lose the weight. It doesn't matter if you're 600 or 400 or less. Start the process and get motivated. Find support meetings to pump you up and boost your drive and ambition then things will start to happen. Remember though where ever your starting point is....you didn't get there overnight and the weight will not come off overnight. I'll get off my soapbox now!!

Congratulations!! You must be very excited. I had to do a 6 month monitored diet not to mention all the other stuff that had to be done. It felt like the date would never arrive but in the blink of an eye it is here and gone. My 5 month surgery anniversary was last week.

Hi Annette and welcome to LBT. Thank you for sharing your story and I wish you much success toward reaching your goals. A lot of nice, supportive people on here from all walks of life. Hope you hang around for a while. This is a great support tool.

So are you actually changing insurance companies or just coverage levels? Every insurance company seems to have their own policies. I would see if you could do a side by side comparison to know the pros and cons regarding making the change. I would be very careful about making insurance changes. Make sure you have the policies in writing to ensure they are going to cover everything you will need. It will really suck if you change just to find out they won't pay for it. I cannot stress the importance of getting everything in writing. My answer to question 1) is its hard to decide without all the facts in writing. Assuming the coverage is the same and only the cost is being affected then fine but other than that I would not risk losing the band. 2) You have every right to call and ask questions. You should not be denied asking about coverage. As for actually applying I recommend leaving that to the Doctor's staff. They will be far more knowledgeable seeing that they work with insurance companies all the time.

My BMI was 78.8 when i started and it's now 59.2. Like Mis73 said, don't let anyone tell you the band won't help you. I have a long way to go but I am living proof this does work as long as you understand the band doesn't do it all alone. It is merely a tool and for it to work you have to make a commitment and learn how to work with it.

What DesertRose said!! Dump her and tell them to find you someone else. Regardless of who pays the bill whether it is out of pocket or insurance you are the customer. You're paying for a service. Just like tipping a waiter or waitress. Apparently, she is only concerned with how she is getting paid.

Great article Jean. I have had some ups and downs since getting my band but in the end I was just being hard on myself because of my past history. Dropping a lot of weight by means of a fad diet is doable but being sustainable is a whole different story. As soon as you stop dieting the weight comes back on. Because.....You need to learn new habits and you don't do that with fad diets. Band is not easy but it can be a powerful tool if you learn to master it!! "You will never change your life until you change something you do daily." -John Maxwell

Band is not easy but if utilized properly it can be a powerful tool. I felt controlled by food all of my life. I have been obese since having my tonsils out when I was a little kid. These past few months have been amazing and I now feel in control to such a point where it seemed weird to me at first. I eat when I am hungry which is about every 5 hours. I have no appetite or cravings. It is a strange feeling. I got rid of bad eating habits and it seemed something is out of place. Not in a bad way mind you. Friend of mine at work kept going on about how he was grilling over the weekend and had huge cookout. I looked at him and told him I don't bother with that stuff much anymore. It's not important to me. I will come and socialize but don't worry about food when it comes to me. "You will never change your life until you change something you do daily." -John Maxwell

Welcome to LBT and congratulations on new beginnings. Look forward to hearing your experiences.

It is so true the title of this. Rewards are just as important as goals. Goals are nice but being rewarded and allowing yourself to live a little is what life is all about. Remember to have fun while you're on this journey and not focus too much on the numbers. I think I finally broke my scale habit. I haven't been on it in 5 days now. I will weigh in on Monday. My Wife and I just booked a couple of nights stay at The Jewel at Rockefeller Center early December. I have never been to NYC in my life. I've traveled through up state a lot and have been to Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame but never the big city. I have a long way to go in my weight loss journey but now I have a goal to lose as much as I can before this trip. This is not only a goal but also a reward. I have finally dropped enough where I can easily walk a mile without getting to tired. My Wife has been wanting to go every year since we've been married so now I can finally take her. I haven't been this excited since our Disney trip in 2006 when I proposed in the Rose Garden at Magic Kingdom.

That App sounds good. Would you mind sharing the name of it?

I have had 5 fills. It was really a cake walk. I had more soreness from giving blood then I have a fill. I lay flat on my back and then when the Doc is ready I lift my head like I am putting my chin to my neck. This tightens up the stomach muscles and makes it easier to find the port. Once the port is found she sticks the needle in and I can feel it when it goes into my port. I can hear a small click as the needle is pressed in. My Doc doesn't use lidocane or any other numbing agent. Like I said a cake walk but then again I don't have a fear of needles anyway. My best advice is if you don't like needles then keep your eyes closed.

Protest going on in NJ and PA. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/09/12/gas-prices-hit-8-in-new-jersey-pennsylvania-in-lukoil-protest/?test=latestnews#?intcmp=trending

3.93 here. Won't be long before we hit 4 bucks.

Could be gas. Does your Doc have you on Pepcid or anything similar? My Doc wanted me to take pepcid once a day regardless of whether or not I had gas or acid reflux. He wanted me on it the first 3 months of post op. Like Patty said if it keeps up definitely call the Doc. Best to be safe.

Don't feel sad and guilty. Today is a new day. Be strong and stick with the plan laid out by the Doctor. You're at a stage now where you are healing so it's important to let that happen. Try and plan your activities around the various diet stages. I know its easier said then done but your health is worth it. If it were me I would passed on going out to dinner. Flip side to that is you need to give a reason why and if you don't want people to know then you have a problem. Considering it is your Sister I would assume she knows you are banded. I am betting she would have understood your situation with a little explanation. Stick with it though. It is worth it!! Good Luck!!

Has it gotten better as the day goes on? I know some people and I am one of them notice that their band seems to be tighter in the morning. I usually only do a protein shake in the morning because I am so tight. It keeps me full for a good 5 hours until I have a small lunch around 1-1:30. As the day goes on it loosens up.

wow, way too soon to be eating solid food. Your stomach needs time to heal which is why you were provided the dietary guidelines.