faithmd

Here's a post I've written before: I know many are fond of the Magic Bullet, but I am just not impressed with it's power (or lack of) compared to other blenders out there. Plus it's pretty expensive at $50-$60, the cheapest I've seen it was at Kohl's at Xmas and that was a four hour day after Thanksgiving sale price for $36. The Magic Bullet has *only* 225W of power. There is a personal sized blender at Walmart that you can get online that is 350W and is only $18ish, here's the link: Back to Basics 3-Speed Brushed Chrome Personal Blender Express, BPE3BR - Wal-Mart I can't find it in the stores, but I did find it online at Walmart and if you're not a Wallyworld fan, here's an msn link with more estores that carry it: Back to Basics 350-Watt Personal Blender Express price comparison I just ended up buying a new blender (I needed one anyway) from Walmart, it's an Oster that came with a food processer attachment and a free personal size mix mug (not all the boxes had that, but they do sell those for about $13 or so) and it was $40 (now less than that). It has 450 watts. I do really like it. This is it: Oster 12-Speed Osterizer Blender With Food Processor Attachment - Wal-Mart Here's the link to the personal mixer cup: Oster Blend-n-Go Cup - Wal-Mart But did you know that if you have a blender that has the screw-off base with the removable blades (screw the base off the jar and take the blade assembly and a gasket ring out for cleaning) that that ring actually fits on canning jars? Talk about nice and small, you could use half pint or pint size jars and not have to worry about buying another blender/mixer at all. I have a bunch of those old glass canning jars with the handle on them they used to sell in the dollar stores, those work great.

Sadly, the Optima are not even close to the Low Carb Slim Fast for Carbs and Protein. Optima has about 24 grams carbs and 10 grams protein per can. Low Carb has only *6* grams carbs and has *20* grams protein per can. Big difference. Even the High Protein Slim Fast has 24 grams carbs and only *15* grams protein. How can they call it High Protein when another variety is higher? But I agree, if you have a few cans, I'd drink them and get the Low Carb the next time. Low Carb only comes in vanilla and chocolate. Sams carries 15 packs of Chocolate in my area. I will sometimes buy the Vanilla (Walmart and Kroger carry them) and then buy a box of those flavored drinking straws (the sugar free kind-can find at Walgreens) and make the vanilla into Cookies and Cream, or banana, or strawberry simply by drinking it through a flavored straw (once you are cleared to use straws again).

Run, run, run far and fast from this doc!!! Fear not, of course they can put you to sleep. Many many of us have sleep apnea. If you use a CPAP, they'll usually ask you to bring it with you to the hospital or surgical center. The anesthesiologist will likely take a little extra caution with you with known sleep apnea, but I'm pretty sure they would assume most of us bariatric patients have it, diagnosed or not.

Hello all! Saw BBK tonight before my shift and she looks good. She's sore as HELL, thought she was only getting a tummy tuck (not including muscles) but once the PS got in there, he decided to tighten her abdominals up. So she's in a LOT of pain. She's not sure what kind of incision she's got, she made it perfectly clear she didn't want an anchor incision, she'll know for sure tomorrow when she sees him before discharge. The PS said she is a very full C though she was hoping for a D cup once her reduction was done, again, time will tell. She's wrapped and bandaged really tight and is using her pain pump like a good patient. She'll get up for the first time tomorrow and hopefully will be discharged in the late morning. Take care all! She says thanks very much for all the thoughts and prayers.

Hello all! Saw BBK tonight before my shift and she looks good. She's sore as HELL, thought she was only getting a tummy tuck (not including muscles) but once the PS got in there, he decided to tighten her up. So she's in a LOT of pain. She's not sure what kind of incision she's got, she made it perfectly clear she didn't want an anchor incision, she'll know for sure tomorrow when she sees him before discharge. The PS said she is a very full C though she was hoping for a D cup once her reduction was done, again, time will tell. She's wrapped and bandaged really tight and is using her pain pump like a good patient. She'll get up for the first time tomorrow and hopefully will be discharged in the late morning. She says thanks very much for all the thoughts and prayers.

NAME ... Start Weight ... Goal ... Current Weight ... To Go 4jin............225.......199...........219.5.........20.5 Abby1...........172.......140...........172...........32 Allaboutme .....211 ......165 ......... 205 ..........40 Allison925 .....175 ......145 ......... 175 ..........30 Ann.............287 ......180 ..........197...........17 Anyalee.........231.......199...........231...........32 Angie4b1g ......237.8 ....205...........222.4.........17.4 Ariel ..........199 ......169 ..........199 ..........30 babs0101 .......216 ......190 ..........200 ..........10 Bbgray .........260 ......220 ..........260 ..........40 Bigbaby ........207.......167...........193.5.........26.5 bobby_hamrick...233.......199...........233...........34 Chocolate_Snaps.292.......242 ..........274 ..........32 chickatee.......184.......145...........176...........31 Cookielover ....198 ......175 ..........198 ..........23<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O:P></O:P> cQQlgirl .......220.......195...........209...........14<O:P></O:P> Debihaines .....254.......200...........227.9.........27.9 eugeniam........200...... 185...........200...........15 Faithmd.........308 ......307.4 ........270...........31.2 FairyFacade.....333.......180...........246...........66 <O:P></O:P> Foofy ..........244 ......210 ..........239.5 ........29.5 Gayle...........246.......190...........214...........24 Georgia Girl ...275 ......237 ..........255 ..........18 <O:P></O:P> grammylew.......216 ......190 ..........216...........26 Hazeleyegrl1 ...233 ..... 200 ..........208...........8 HeatherA .......255.6 ....225 ..........250.9 ........25.9 HoppingToIt.....309.......240...........309 ..........69 Hungryforchange 225 ..... 190 ..........225...........35 Ivyrose325 .....261 ..... 215 ..........250...........35 Jeni 85 ........214.4.....184.........200.5...........16.5 Jennie1976......235.......205...........226...........21 Jfran ..........181 ......145 ..........181...........36 Jsprague .......240.......220...........233 ..........13 KarenG..........195.......165...........174...........9 Katrose.........268.......215...........234...........19 kristin1031.....256.......226...........199...........27 Legster ........216 ......190 ..........197 ..........7 Linda Lu:.......228.......195...........15.2.........20.2 liz_hager.......196.......170...........177...........7 Loftonall.......210 ......150...........210...........60<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = U1 /><U1:P></U1:P> Lori_NC.........281.......250...........281...........31 Luluc ..........166 ......135 ..........142 ..........7 MamaJava .......283 ......233 ..........283 ..........50 Mamato3.........242.......199...........223.5.........24.5 Mandyjo.........188.......150...........175...........25 Mary-2b150 .....225 ......150 ..........193...........43 MissTrini.......218.......170...........218...........48 msdaneen........305.......145...........236...........91 Nadean .........204.6 ....160 ..........190.4.........30.4 Nhanson ........226 ......196 ..........220 ..........30 NOlanebryant....238.4.....198 ..........238.4.........40 Nykee...........325.......299...........325...........26 PigsRFlying.....230 ..... 150...........192...........42 Rainer .........256 ..... 216 ..........247...........31 Redtulips3 .....245 ......199 ..........217 ..........18<O:P></O:P> Sfeiner.........285.......271...........245...........40 Shadst83 .......233 ......199...........233...........34 Smithem1 .......240.6 ....190 ..........240.6 ........50.6 Soaf9...........265.......145...........220...........75 <O:P></O:P> Squale..........314.......285...........314...........29 Sta6160.........205.......140...........170...........30 Stacy73 ........226.4 ....194 ..........222 ..........28 Starryeyed .....237 ..... 199 ..........229...........30 Sunny112........215.......130...........143...........13 Suzzzie ........297 ......243 ..........275 ..........32 Syndy...........252.2.....212.2.........252.2.........40 TheCapn.........520.......399 ..........469...........70 Trish5713.......255.......230...........255...........25 TxArcher .......360 ......285 ..........346 ..........61<O:P></O:P> Wombat712 ......152.8 ....120 ..........132.2.........12.2 Wrestlersmom....266.......150...........260...........116

That's kind of my point (re: doc's being soooo different), and I'm sorry what I said couldn't have been said nicer. It IS VERY frustrating to read how even though it is the same three bands (Mid, Realize/Swedish or LapBand), the diets vary GREATLY. I know when I was in that first few weeks post-op I was quite flummoxed as to why someone else was allowed mushies at a week out and I had to wait until week three. The reasons are as varied as the surgeon's opinions. Here's a couple, and some of these the surgeons will likely never admit to. 1) Experience, either loads or lack of. For example, some docs who have been banding for years and following the same diet for years will always follow that diet. Other docs who may have only done bypasses may tend to keep their bandsters on more of a bypass-type diet just because that's what they know. Some docs may have little experience (more and more and more surgeons are jumping on the Bariatric Cash Wagon) and are going with what they read in a journal article that says it's okay to advance faster through the stages because the bands today are wider and *shouldn't* be as likely to slip. Some docs just simply don't know. 2) Surgical technique: Almost everyone now uses the pars flaccida technique, studies have shown it to be the most secure and have less slips than the older way. With Pars Flaccida some docs think the "extra" stitches should prevent slips. 3) Here's the tough one: Docs are probably sick of us calling and begging to "chew something" and that we will "die" if we can't eat. So they relent earlier and earlier thinking that as long as they tell us to chew really well, hopefully we'll be alright. 4) It's what they learned from whoever trained them. Did you know that in order to be considered proficient and able to train others (proctor) to place a band, a surgeon only has to have done 100 her/himself? That's not that many. Hope this helps answer the question about why it is so different. I'd love to see stats for slippage and erosion in a couple of years with these faster stage diets. We simply don't know, but we do know the slippage rates for those who use longer liquid stages and they are lower than those who didn't. But then again, it could be argued that those numbers are with the older, smooth, narrower bands.

Hello all, sorry I've been MIA lately, life gets in the way, ya know? I plan to stop and see BBK on my in for my shift tonight, as long as she gives me the okay, I'll post as soon as I can.

I plan to stop and see BBK on my way to my unit for my shift tonight. I'll post as soon as I can as long as she says it's okay.

Name................Current....Goal......Lost...Still to Lose BigBandFan..........296........270.......0......26 Epm316..............235........200.......0......35 (by 7/4) faithmd.............309.4......300.......0......9.4(by6/21) Hastings............253........228.......0......25 KarenG..............174........160.......0......14 (by 7/4) kathystrick.........318........288.......0......30 legster.............197........180.......0......17 Leslie2Lose.........231........208.......2......23 (by 7/4) LessNLess...........149........140.......2.......9 Luu2008.............215........185.......0......30 (by 7/4) luvinke.............217........190.......4......23 Marissa's Mom.......388........358.......0......30 (by 7/4) MollyMolly..........201........188.......3......13 nancy52.............197........170.......0......27 Nettie..............193........170.......0......23 Newhope4me..........177........160.......0......17 NukeChik............238........222.......0......16 nurse7263...........244........150.......0......24 (by 7/4) renewedhope.........197........170.......0......27 Sunshine2...........179........160.......0......19 (by6/29) Tess415.............327........299.......2......30 TexasFire67.........170........145.......0......25 Wombat712...........135.8......120.......0......15.8 Lenore1890..........267.7......247.......0......20

I know I'm not a male, and this is the Men's Room, but I felt the need to respond. I had a pre-op and post-op diet that was $249. I was annoyed as heck, but it was for four weeks. I figured I spent more than that on food in a month. But that didn't make it any easier, I was pissed as heck I had to order their diet. My surgeon's office MADE me order it from them, my surgery would not be scheduled until the called the company and confirmed I had purchased the diet! Grrrrrrrr!

Read this thread: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f13/how-lap-band-actually-works-fills-refills-41738/ It is a sticky thead in the forum you just posted this question in. It is a very informative thread and tells you most all you could ever think to ask about fills. It is WONDERFUL.

Please do not take this wrong, I do not mean it to be rude, but there is no other way to say this: If you already know your husband should follow his dietitian's or MD's orders, then what does it serve to know what others can do with their diets? What I did with mine, or what another bandster could do means nothing to your husband's recovery. See there was no way to sugar coat that. I guess I get a little frustrated when I see the literally SCORES of threads here like this that either ask how soon folks were able to progress through the stages, or asking if they screwed up their band by eating X. What matters is what your MD or dietician said to do. Every MD seems to be different, there are many reasons for it. I think it is just important to follow your office's advice and remember that it is NEVER wrong to go MORE slowly through the stages. Good luck! This is the worst part, Bandster Hell. Don't have restriction, can't eat, it stinks! But it DOES pass. We haven't gotten fat in six or eight weeks time, surely we can take that long to follow a diet plan for that long to protect the tool that may help us lose the weight once and for all.

Steph, welcome home and congrats on it going well!!!!

Ladies, I am not a Feb '08 bandster, but I had to chime in as someone who has been there. Hairloss happens, it just does. It is not a lack of Protein or a lack of B Vitamins or a lack of Biotin or a lack of Calcium or a lack of... or the anesthesia or any of a myriad of other things. If it it going to happen to you, it will happen to you. You can certainly not go wrong by keeping up your supplements and your protein intake, but there's not a lot you can do but wait it out... There are literally SCORES of threads on this site about hair loss. I think the only thing that has been determined for certain is weight loss and anesthesia and a shock to the body (surgery) can contribute to it. Most here have said theirs started at about 3 to 4 months out and stopped at between 7 and 11 months out, or when they stopped losing weight or both. Some here have not lost any hair (lucky people!). I wish you all luck, it does get better. Mine stopped falling out when I hit my major plateau in September. I'm losing again, so I expect it to start falling again in a couple of months...EEGADS! I'll have none left! Mine's to my waist and I will be DEVASTATED when I have to cut it, but I'd rather have less gorgeous hair and be thinner than the other way around. Or at least that's what I tell myself.

I would absolutely advise if you intend to have insurance pay for your band, you call your insurance company, card in hand and ask them about YOUR policy and YOUR policy number and whether YOUR policy covers adjustable gastric banding. Often you may find that someone who has the same insurance company as the next person may have a specific exclusion to weight loss surgety on their policy. That is why it is SOOOOO important to call your insurance company FIRST if you plan to have them pay. While you are on the phone, ask WHO THEY WILL PAY FOR YOU TO SEE. PLEASE do NOT go to an information seminar and meet a doc or the staff and really liek them without knowing if you can have the surgery done by them. Often insurance companies will only pay for you to see certain surgeons. Once you know who you can go see, then go to OH or put the name in the Advanced Search feature here and see what you can find, then schedule a couple of free seminars and meet a couple of docs before making your decision. This is your life and your body. You have to be comfortable with the surgeon, as well as the staff. GOOD LUCK!!! :biggrin:

I did not need them and was at about a 51 BMI on my surgery date. If you think you might need them, I'd suggest getting some cheap food tongs and then just tossing them when you are healed. Same concept, and a lot cheaper, the bathroom tongs are at least $20 and often $40. Yahoo! or Google toilet aids.

Found some links to threads about it from 1 year ago, it was done away with then secondary to problems, I dunno why it's back. The first thread is a GREAT explanation Wheetsin gave for it: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f5/wheetsin-s-definitive-thread-reputation-rep-power-34072/index2.html http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f5/rep-power-33719/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f80/rep-power-33786/

Here's some links to threads about it about 1 year ago, it was done away with, I dunno why it's back. The first thread is a GREAT explanation Wheetsin gave for it: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f5/wheetsin-s-definitive-thread-reputation-rep-power-34072/index2.html http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f5/rep-power-33719/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f80/rep-power-33786/

Wait, I thought it was decided a few months back that "Rep Power" was not a desired feature to have here. Many felt it was almost like having a popularity contest and it was getting out of hand in the short time we had it. I see no point to it, I feel it is a very bad thing to have, especially on a site like this where so often people are already often emotional or on an emotional roller coaster with what is happening in their lives. If I have a higher "rep" is someone more likely to believe me (even if I may be wrong) than someone with low or no rep (who may be correct)? I'd like to see it go away (again) and this time NEVER come back. I thought it was a buried idea LONG AGO.

Ooooo, I don't like apples, either. Ate too many of them as a kid. I do like Yellow Delicious, but no other ones than that. Oh, Apple-as in Mac? I love them, or I used to, but we are currently a Mac-free house.

I went yesterday for my first fill (after ten months) and they were unable to fill in the office secondary to it being too deep as well. My next step is fluoro, hopefully next week. If they can't get it there, I'm not having it moved, I'll struggle and buckle back down and lose some weight. It hurt too much having it placed the first time to have it moved...

Meanie, meanie, meanie! :scared2::boink::thumbup: (just kidding, let's have a big: :redface: )

Sadly your experience is not completely unusual. There are quite a few practices that have outdated beliefs that LapBand is not a good choice for someone with an over 40 BMI. Which to me is funny because almos all insurances REQUIRE a BMI of 40 to approve bariatric surgery (35 with two co-morbidities). I think there are very few people out there with an exactly 40 BMI who are at that office asking for LapBand. I know it has been a very frustrating road for you already. I too had a long journey to banding and I know it really does make you want to give up and toss up your hands at the whole thing, but I implore you that if you felt banding was right for you, to please try again. I agree that I do not think I'd want to go back to this hospital again. If you go to www . lapband . com (here's a link, it says "Home" in the text) Home they do have a searchable database where you can find the closest provider to you that does banding. Unfortunately that does not guarantee they accept Medicare, but at least you'd have a starting point. I understand that traveling long distances for banding and all the appointments is a pain, but I have to tell you, if I had to travel six hours to get to see a surgeon I was comfortable with and who I trusted, I'd do it in a minute. Fortunately I only have to travel about 75 minutes on a good traffic day, but many of us here travel hours and hours, some actually have to fly to see their surgeon, but do it because that's what works for them. I do encourgae you to try again, with a different surgeon. You should not have to start all over. You have logged your food, you should have medical records from your visits already and you have already had a psych eval with an MMPI-2 (the long test you took). Once you choose a surgeon you should be able to ask for a transfer of your records to the new surgeon (it might cost you a few dollars-many doctors charge some copying fees). You have already been pre-auth'd by Medicare so they know you've completed their requirements. And now you know of some of the stumbling blocks to look out for (like asking any new surgeon what their banding BMI is and if you know you want LapBand will they fight you for RNY)? You have done well with your weightloss and that shows you have the ability to stick to a plan and would very likely do well with a band. I do wish you luck and I hope you are able to find someone you are comfortable with.

Some bandsters find it very difficult in the immediate post-op phase to reach around and wipe their backsides. Next time you go to the bathroom, reach around and then pay attention to just how much of a stretch and twist it is on your abdomen to do that reach. Some folks find it more comfortable to wrap TP and moist wpies on the end of the tongs so they can clean well. Some very supersized folks simply cannot reach back there and actually use bathroom tongs specially made for this purpose: Self Wipe Toilet Aid - Allegro Medical Supplies Long Tong Toilet Aid, Bathroom Assists - Allegro Medical Supplies