faithmd

Wait, your doc fills every week? I can see that for perhaps the second fill, but soooo many people report that it can take two weeks or more to feel restriction for their second or third or fourth, etc fill, I'd be very hesitant to go more often than about three weeks after that second fill. You don't want to end up on a Saturday night throwing up everything you take in.

I wish you luck, but I'm sure you have read over and over and over and over again the countless posts about it taking three or four or more fills to get to that sweet spot. Please don't be too frustrated if this one isn't "the one." Remember that it can take a couple of WEEKS for a fill to "kick in" as well. I'm sure you have also read the countless posts where someone was too aggressively filled and couldn't even keep Water down and had to go back AGAIN and get some removed, or all of it removed because their stoma was too irritated from the overfill. I think we all have to rearrange our schedules to go to our appts and get our fills, we're all in the same boat with that one. Wouldn't it be AWESOME if a doctor's office had hours that were designed around the PATIENT?

Instead of sex life, ask about their finances. Personal in a different way.

I'll kick you if you kick me. I can tell I've been gaining some weight back, I REFUSE to get on the scale. AND it's the TOM right now!!!! ARRRGGHHH! Not enough Calgon in the world to take me away! Oh well, tomorrow comes, then the next day, and the day after that, I've just got to get my a$$ in gear and be ready for it. I'm off to Delta OH to take my MIL's pictures (we had all of her family albums and such because we were supposed to scan them in...five years later we haven't done it yet ) to the rest of the family and pick some for her funeral brochure and make a collage. Take care all, see you sometime tomorrow, or later tonight when I get tired of cleaning.

I think I understand what you are asking, the abbreviations make it kind of difficult to read your post, but do you want to know whether the pre-op diet is necessary? Some surgeons require it, some do not. The tide seems to be turning toward having a pre-operative diet, though. It is designed to be a very low-calorie, low-fat diet to shrink your liver. Some surgeons have you do a liquid diet, others just have you do a low-fat, low-calorie diet. The liver is directly over the area they need to access to place the band, so it must be retracted out of the way. That is hard to do and there's a risk for bleeding and damage if the liver is really fatty. The diet is to lose weight in a rapid fashion and the studies show that that rapid loss usually helps shrink the liver to make it more manageable.

Brandi, Brandy, and anyone else that feels like crawling into a hole with us, come on! The hole is nice and dark and I've got LOADS of booze! I can't go to the bar, though. It's too expensive. My MIL died yesterday morning, DH and I got there about 15 mins before she died. Most of the other kids made it, too. So my stepson is coming on Tuesday and my mom is in the hospital herself (should be coming home today), I've got to drive an hour and a half to take some pix down to my SIL's house (I'll watch myself in a construction zone, Brandi) for the funeral program, DH forgot his meds up north so he's left to go up there until tomorrow, My house is literally a rat trap FILLED with crap and I have until Tuesday at 5:00pm to clean it out so my stepson can stay with us. Seriously girls, there are paths to walk through and a couch and chair that are available for seating. I NEVER lived this way until the year I got married, then I started bringing crap in. Then my DH moved in with me and brought all of his crap to a 700sq ft place. You know those Clean Sweep, Clean House and Life Laundry shows and the pack rat places they go into? That's my house. Yup, sure is. And the clock is ticking and DH left me here. Sucks to be me, but I'll muddle through. I had a couple of friends offer to help, but I'd be beyond embarrassed to let ANYONE see this place. SERIOUSLY, it's that bad. Oh well. I keep telling myself that when it rains, it pours, but after a good rain there's usually sunshine and flowers. I'm waiting for those days. Time marches on and I can't keep watching it pass me by, I guess. Off to clean. Love to all, I'm so glad Brandy suggested I come to this thread, you are all such FANTASTIC people.

Hello Gena, on the second page of the forum where you posted this thread s a great thread (four pages so far) about tofu including recipes. Here's a link: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f9/tofu-cooking-techniques-recipes-please-40384/

Okay, I only have to jump in here because I can't stand reading the post I quoted. I was NOT banded at TLBC and I do not have an opinion either way, but I have to say to Jenn456789: What's got you in a lather? Sheesh, a noob (newbie) and you are already posting kind of mean-spirited stuff. Lay off, would ya? Here's what Isabella wrote "The TLBC is the best clinic to have this done at and you've made the right choice." I don't see where she said TLBC is the best clinic in Canada. I read what she said as she thinks TLBC is the best. Don't you ever say that a certain team is the best, or a certain type of coffee is the best? Does that mean that I can question you about whether you are an official coffee taster or about whether your team has the best stats of any team, ever? It's silly. Let me guess, you're not going to TLBC. I'm glad that Isabella (and MANY OTHERS-if you take the time and read the ENTIRE forum) have had such wonderful experiences at TLBC. It's good to see someone supporting their MD and in Isabella case, to see someone writing a THREAD inviting other TLBC PATIENTS to come and discuss things about their clinic. Jenn, you write "This board is meant for all patients of all doctors in Canada." Yup, it sure is. And to that end, in the Canada FORUM she wrote a THREAD about TLBC. She has every right to do that. Go Issy go!

Diane, you look WONDERFUL! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this incredibly personal journey with us. threads like yours and Julie's and Chickie's and Puddins' and Sprydr's and Princess' and BBK's (and I'm sure I forgot someone-sorry!) are so very helpful to those of us at various stages in this journey. Congratulations!

Check out Better Than Bouillon: Superior Touch Store It's fantastic and comes in flavors like vegan no beef, vegan no chicken, mushroom, vegetable, organic vegetable, lobster, etc. It does need to be refrigerated after opening but it's the best tasting stuff on this planet (IMHO) when on clears. Protein water is excellent, unjury.com has unflavored protein powders you can add to just about anything (but not to things that are HOT, just to warm and cold things) to get protein. Popsicles are clears as are italian ices (no dairy in them at all).

Sugar free drops of some sort, helps with the dry mouth and scratchy throat. I took a good book and a mp3 player in case my roommate kept me awake, I didn't use it but a friend who reccommended it said she had wished she had one because her roommate snored so loudly she couldn't sleep.

Yes, the AP is already a little filled when placed. Just to fill the "dead space" in the band. Allergan has a reccommendation as to how much to fill in each band, I can't recall what that number is.

Brandy, I am SOOOOO sorry. If I had ANY pull, I'd use it in a heartbeat. Sadly I do not. I can't imagine how frustrated and sad you must feel now. Think of it this way, though. I was considering *if* I ever am as successful as you and make it to goal like you did, I planned to try to wait at least one year at goal before PS to see if my skin bounces back at all and to give myself a real chance to tone up while wearing Spanx or something like it. If a year of wearing garments and waiting could even possibly help me avoid another incision (like that anchor the first resident drew), then I'm willing. And if a year of working with the girls helps build up muscle so that when I get the lift and/or implants, they stay there, then I'll take it. I know that's easy for me to say, not being in your shoes, but I'd like to think that things happen for a reason. Perhaps there will be a cancellation and you can get in, or perhaps it just wasn't meant to happen now for some reason or another. You look absolutely FAB now. The PS really is just the icing on a beautiful pin-up cupcake.

I agree completely with Wheetsin. I did NOT get fat eating candy and fried foods, I got fat by eating too much regular food. My portion sizes were out of hand, I didn't get my fat a$$ up and walk or move, that's why I'm fat. If I want a candy bar (I hate Snickers-thank goodness) I'll have one, because if I don't, I'll eat everything else because I can't have that candy. And then still probably eat the damned candy anyway. It's almost Halloween, I'm sure many of us have lots of candy in our houses in preparation for that night. And what's wrong with a little candy? Just because I'm fat doesn't mean my husband or son can't have a candy bar

I'm sorry, this is going to be somewhat abrupt and sound rude, but... you asked if you are doing things wrong, so here goes: If you are eating chips and Cookies and stuff, then how can you wonder why you haven't lost anything since your surgery???? Many people have difficulty with chicken or ground beef even at their "sweet spot." There are many other choices you could make in good foods to eat. Lean meats, turkey, tofu, greek strained yogurt, you could supplement with Protein shakes, veggies, salads, etc. Have you tried tracking EVERY SINGLE BITE and EVERY SIP of what you take in on a site like fitday.com or sparkpeople.com or dailyplate.com? To see the calories helps you make better choices. You have GOT to put down the cookies and chips. What you wrote has been written countless times, chips and cookies and ice cream goes down the band VERY well. Go back to basics, eat your protein first, then veggies, then if you have room eat carbs. Stop the white carbs, switch to complex carbs. Don't drink with meals, etc. Good luck!

"I haven't lost any weight since the surgery in June" Well, gee...eating great foods like chips and cookies are such WONDERFUL foods to eat when trying to lose weight.

How about this one? : too tight or just doing things wrong? HI ALL. I just had my third fill 10-8 at 3cc. was at 2.6 with minor restriction. O.k at times it seems like I cant eat anything solid, and at other times it seems like I can eat quite a bit, but it is usualy foods that arent good that I can eat, like chips, cookies stuff like that. When I try to eat good food like chkn. or ground beef I cant have more than 2 bites, and I'm slimeing(almost at every meal). Well I'm pretty determined to not getting an un fill because I haven't lost any weight at all since the surgery in june. Am I doing some thing wrong or will things loosen up a bit, why can I eat a lot sometimes and nothing most of the time?? I read that post and wanted to cry. I feel badly for the poster, but I want to ask if she researched this at all.

how bout people who tpe like this...its soo frstrting i dunno, like im not sur how to write, if english was ur 2nd langage i culd almost unnerstan, but cum on! sayin spllng isnt my strong soot an stuff is bs, i hate what im-ing has done to the langage online,its mad ppl 4get how 2 actulyy speak or put there thots n2 words

I read this somewhere here, try putting a glass of ice by your plate, or requesting only a glass of ice at a restaurant. What melts during your meal is what you can sip. That way you aren't drinking "too much."

At 23 you have had 2 c-sections? Hun, you'll do way fine being banded. If you have a couple of little ones, you need to get the excess weight off now, don't wait until they are older and you've missed running arond with them and playing with them. As WASaBB said, being fat is MUCH worse on you than the slim chance of a bad surgical outcome.

thenume, were you also banded by Dr. Reagan @Columbia/St. Marys Bariatric Center? If so, then I agree with you giving the OP advice about what foods she can have now. If you were not banded by the same surgeon, PLEASE do NOT tell someone what they can eat and when. Just as not every doctor is the same, not everyone's post-op diet or progression is the same. Please, everyone should be following their OWN doctor and nutritionist's advice, not what someone says on a board.

I'm okay, stuck with weight, but it's still head issues. I have to get back to basics, me thinks. And listen to my soft stops. I had a patient who started at 650grams, and was down to 500 grams the other night. Fun, huh?

How about, "I've had one fill, why don't I have restriction yet????" ARRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!

I'm so glad you are doing better, it does get easier. Complications are very scary, but hopefully you're well on the mend. I sort of highlighted a sentence of yours from your post, if you'll notice we aren't all saying not to have milk, we are saying to follow your MD's advice. It is unfortunate that doctors differ so widely in what they order for a post-op diet. You should always follow what your doc told you, never what someone here says to do. I was pointing out to Julie that the poster above her had said her doc says no milk at the stage she was in, so the cream soups Julie suggested were not appropriate.

I say absolutootely I use the phrase: "Sucks to be you, but I'm alright" waaaay too much. I really have to work harder at not dropping the F-bomb. I frequently say "Schnikes" (pronounced schn-eye-kees) and it makes my DH nuts.