Jim1967

I wouldn't worry about the meds but like everyone else said make sure you're honest with the Surgeon. Process to get banded is not quick by any means. I had a 6 month monitored diet requirement by my insurance and my doctor required me to lose 5% before he would do the surgery. Other things that had to be done prior to getting a surgery date was Psych exam, Nutritionist visits, Upper GI, EKG, Chest x-rays, ultrasound stomach and a lot of blood work. Finally after all that was done they submitted to my insurance for approval. For me it was a little over 7 months from seminar to surgery day. I know some people had to do additional tests as well. I know some had to have a sleep study done to see if they have Apnea. I was already diagnosed and used a CPAP before starting my journey.

Whoa...I think you need to slow down a bit. This first month is for healing so don't worry about weight loss or getting the appropriate calories to lose. Eat and drink until you feel satisfied and then stop. Make sure you are staying hydrated that is key. Take everything slow and treat your pouch as if it were a newborns stomach and you will be fine. Chances are you have very little saline in your band at this time so I wouldn't worry about damaging your pouch but you have to introduce everything like it was the first time again. You need to start having conversations with your pouch. You have to analyze whether you are actually hungry or your brain is telling you are. Head hunger is a major cause for over eating.

Congrats!! You'll be home and recovering in no time.

You may be able to feel your port but the band itself you won't feel unless you take too big of a bite and something gets stuck. I notice now when I eat too fast I get the hiccups and that is my sign to slow down and chew smaller. If I ignore the hiccups 9 out of 10 times a stuck episode occurs.

Ever hear of anyone maxing out their band?

My first fill post surgery was 6 weeks. Then I had a fill two weeks after that and I am scheduled for another next Tuesday. Different Docs, different rules...

I have had two fills and still not feeling restriction yet as well. My appetite is more diminished and that's not a bad thing. I have 6 cc's in a 11cc band. Scheduled for another fill on 7/3.

My problem is trying to figure what the sweet spot is. I got my 2nd fill two weeks ago and everything was great the first week but starting last week it seems my stomach starts to growl at the 3.5 hour mark. Good news is I don't have cravings. I thought for a short time I was at the sweet spot but now I find myself questioning that. I have 6cc's in a 11cc band. Hope I reach it soon.

I have had two fills now and I last about 3.5 hours then my stomach starts to growl. I guess I am still not quite there yet but jeez the band is more then half full now. Good thing is I haven't had cravings in between meals which is awesome.

If you want your insurance to pay for it you and the surgeon need to follow their criteria. I had to do a 6 month as well. Like Grandma said the Surgeon probably doesn't know about the insurance part and probably has a Staff that worries about that.

Oh and your to answer your second question they bill my insurance $128 for a fill. If you tell them you're a self pay perhaps it could be less.

Give a call to Center of Weight Management and Bariatric. Great group of people there and it's a center of excellence. http://www.lowellgeneral.org/go/services-and-specialties/center-for-weight-management-and-bariatric-surgery

That's exactly why I stay away from donuts, hamburger rolls, hot dog rolls, bulkie rolls, sub rolls. Large soft bread just looks like a stuck session waiting to happen. I have had wheat and white usually toasted and that is fine. Pita is about the only bread I have tried without toasting it first and it went down fine but it took 30 minutes to eat.

I am only a little two months post op and I've got 6 cc's in an 11cc band. We had a couple of days heatwave here in the northeast. I didn't notice any real difference...

And chocolate with bypass will make you down right sick!!

I would say it depends on what your taking in. I probably went close to a week without going since I was on all Clear liquids. It wasn't until I started the Protein shake I started having normal ones. Even now my movements are nothing like they were before. I used to go every single morning and now it seems every other day. Way I see it as long as you can go when you have to go then everything is fine. If you have to go and cannot then that's a problem.

Sorry, I missed the fact that you're not banded yet. I would say go for it and have a goodbye soda. I had a terrible diet pepsi addiction for a very long time. I haven't had any soda or beer since April. Surprisingly I am not missing it either. Good Luck on you surgery tomorrow!!

It may not have any carbs bit it is certainly carbonated. Carbonation can lead to stretching of the pouch and cause discomfort...

I ran into a similar problem with broccoli. I think I was eating to quickly and didn't chew enough...not pleasant!!

This is true on some levels but it goes both ways. My Wife has made the comment "You better not lose all the weight and start looking elsewhere for love". She said it was a joke but she has made the same joke a few times now since I started this. Been a long time since she said so I think she is OK. I talked to her and tell her this is about me having a longer life and better health to spend with her. On top of that I remind her I am 10 years older than her so it's about life longevity both happiness and health. We're already behind the 8 ball because of the age difference and my family history. My Father is from a family of 14 and so far he has outlived his older siblings and he is only 72. They all passed in their 60's with exception to an Uncle who I never met. He didn't come home from Vietnam. It is quite possible your man is concerned you lose a lot of weight he could end up losing you....I could be way off but it is a possibility to consider.

See if you can get him to go to that seminar with you. It could be an eye opening experience for him. My Wife and I both attended and her wanting to have a baby decided to wait and not have the surgery. I contemplated for a long time between Band or Bypass and we jointly decided that even though I was very big I had no health issues to warrant having my plumbing re-routed. I was banded in April and feel great. Have you made attempts to lose on your own? For a lot of people losing is not the problem it is keeping off. While I understand you want to press on with or without you're husbands blessing it truly believe you will have a higher chance of success having him in your corner and cheering you on and providing the support.. I love this site and everyone on it but I think I would be struggling a lot if weren't for the support and encouragement from my Wife. Just a male's opinion.....good luck!!

With drive and motivation I am sure you can do it. Just remember the first month after surgery is for healing. Don't be surprised if the scale goes up or down during this time. You're body has to heal and it also has to adjust to the new band. A lot of banders said even though they researched a long time before having the surgery they wish they were more prepared with the slow start. I am not trying to discourage you by any means here. I went through a couple of weeks of anger, depression and at times felt like I made the wrong surgical choice. We all work so hard with preop diets, all the random tests they want us to do and then sit through the ever waiting period of insurance approval (assuming you're not a self pay) and then when surgery day comes and goes we immediately expect to see the results of all that hard, long preparation. In most cases it is not immediate. It will take time and continued patience but if you work at it the scale movement will come. Tracking food was huge for me when I got back on solids because I was so focused on eating the right things I didn't monitor the quantity very well. For a lot of people eating after surgery is almost the same as eating before surgery because most Doctors do not put any saline in the band until 4-6 weeks after surgery. Hope that helps. Like I said I am not trying to discourage at all. I was banded 4/16/12 and I would do it again tomorrow if I had to. Band does work if you work with it and remain patient. Good luck and let us know how you're progressing... Jim

Hi Kekebefree,,, I have been and still am on clomiphene 3 days a week and I take Arimidex once a day. My Urologist found my estrogen level was a little high and was interfering with my testosterone. His hope was correcting this issue would increase my count and it did but very very little. For 7 months we monitored and I had analysis done. Doctor informed me after 7 months we did all we could with medicine and that Surgery was the next step to see if there is a blockage and see if he could extract specimen to use for IVF. On March 28, 2012 I had the surgery and no blockage was found but they managed to extract a little viable sperm. Doctor said it was very little and it would be wise for a back up plan for donor sperm just in case. My Wife and I are still on the fence on that one but a decision needs to be made soon as the IVF is going to start on her next cycle. As you can see I am pretty open guy and perhaps I over shared here but you're husband has nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. Sexual dysfunction comes in a variety of ways and it is a serious health issue for men and women. It can play havoc both mentally and physically. Here is a link that has an overview of the procedure: http://malereproduct...erm-aspiration/ I can go into more detail on the surgical procedure and recovery if your interested. We can even have a private conversation if you like. Either through here or I can message you my email address. Also, I still continue to take the meds listed above and will continue to do so. Without getting too much more into TMI I take those meds because of the increased drive and performance and on the non-sexual front I have increased motivation. I have blood tests and see my Urologist every 6 months to ensure all is well. All the best,,,Jim

Obviously its a case by case situation however if he is like me he just isn't producing viable sperm. Like I said I had to have surgery to have the sperm aspirated and what they got was not that strong. They suggested we have back up donor sperm just in case. He could also have a blockage and the only way to tell that is with surgery. I wish it was a blockage for me but that's not the case.

You're doing awesome!! You'll find the scale may not move for a bit but then one day bang a few pounds will be gone. I am only 2 months in and I got a little discouraged for a bit but it starts to move.