electronicart

Its called referred pain. There are nerves above your stomach that run to your left shoulder. It will get better with time. I had shoulder pain often after my surgery September 29th, 2011. Now, I rarely have any shoulder pain.

After a week or so, you should be able to move on to creamy soups. After two weeks, mushies. Be sure to drink water, lots of water!

Wow...just WOW!

It was made law (2011) that pre-existing conditions cannot factor into insurance coverage. They are blowing smoke. Its illegal. Insurance is out of control. They can raise your rates, but, they cannot deny coverage because of a pre-existing condition.

Its a mental thing. I could not bring myself to eat with a baby spoon like many recommend. I began cutting my bites in half. I would only put half a spoon or half a fork full in my mouth. Just as hard is eating slow. I work on this constantly. Until this past Saturday I had only had food get stuck for an hour or so. Saturday was a super busy day. I ate in a hurry, I ate the wrong thing (scrambled sausage, egg and cheese). Mis 73 is right. I will NEVER, ever gulp down my food again. I was SO sick. It was very painful. Lesson learned!

I'm a slow loser. You are not alone. Do not beat yourself up! Be good to yourself. Go for all the need to's, like drink your Water, take a daily Vitamin, Protein every morning and exercise. It WILL get better. Talk to the doctor and nutritionist too. You definitely don't want to take any chances with your health.

I don't count, I'm just not consistant with it. But, I know what I do need. (water, protein, vitamin, exercise) And I know what I need to stay away from. (bread, processed foods, sugar) So, I just do my best. One of the hardest things I had to learn how to do is simply push away my plate when I got full.

I had a similar situation. Once I got approval, my surgery was scheduled two and a half weeks later. My head was swimming. The surgeon had me begin the Sugar Busters diet two weeks before. The surgery went great. What I would tell you is that your life is about to change. Its going to be very different at first, mentally and physically. The first six weeks are for healing. Be patient as possible as your body heals. Stock up on Protein drinks, sugarfree frozen treats, cream of everything Soup (ha) and flavored Water. Before you know it you will be on your way to a healthier life. You can "shop in your closet". (all the clothes that use to be too tight) Good Luck!

The nutritionist tells me that losing slow is good. I am the turtle of lap band. That said, you have to stick with the process. Start the day with Protein. NO junk food. Exercise. Never, ever give up . I did not get good restriction until my band was almost half full. I drag my butt down to the gym, 30 minutes/5 times a week. Slow and steady wins the race.

I like Syntrax nectar brand. My favorite is the cappuchino. I put it in my coffee. I also like it in 1% milk. It has 24 grams of Protein and hardly any carbs. It completely disolves. There is Strawberry-Kiwi; Chocolate; Fuzzy Navel; berry, you name it. You can get it at the Vitamin Shoppe or from Amazon. Its a little pricey, but lasts a long time. Ps. September 29th will be my 1st Banniversary!

I told a few at first. I too felt it would help make me accountable. Now that my body is getting smaller, I tell anyone who asks.

I waited until I was 50 to get banded. If I knew how great it would be, I would not have put it off. I kept thinking I could lose weight if I just tried hard enough. Well, I did try. I lost weight, only to gain more and more and more. The band is a wonderful tool. Its not the entire answer, but, it works:)

I hear you. I am 5'1" and was at 208 when I went for my first lap band consult. I had done Weight Watchers (twice in the last 5 years), I joined a gym, I tried Adkins, I gave up and just decided this is my life. But, my life was miserable. When I told my friends I was going to have the surgery, they just didn't understand. Some said "how do you qualify?" Well, at 208, I was morbidly obese. I have terrible high blood pressure and arthritis. My feet, knees and hip hurt. I was facing surgery on my feet. Lap band surgery is very personal. I literally made a list of pros and cons of having the surgery. I too, had to do a six month diet, documented. I had done WW for exactly six months last year. The insurance company fought me on it because I didn't have a record of weight loss, only a letter saying I was a member. I appealed BCBS's denial, stating I that I AM going to have this surgery, I meet the criteria, so, tell me what I need to do. They approved me within 72 hours. Two weeks later, I had the surgery. I love my band. I am happier and healthier. All that said, no one can really tell you what to do. Its not the easy way out. I truly believe it is safe and practical. Good Luck!

That sounds good! I need some new recipes!

I can hardly tollerate scrambled eggs! I think everyone is different. One thing is for sure, you learn pretty quick what foods will give you trouble . To Valerie, yes, you can comment on posts or post a question/subject for others to comment on. Welcome to lapbandtalk.

The first six weeks you are healing. Its SO important. My advice would be to be good to yourself and give it time. Eat healthy, exercise and rest. It takes a while to get your head wrapped around the changes you are going through. That was one of the hardest things for me to do. I can only weigh once a week, or I'll drive myself crazy. I weigh only in the morning:) Do all the things the nutritionist says: Drink water; Do not drink when you eat; Begin your day with protein; Exercise; Lean meats and veggies. Its not easy, but, I know you can do it!

My biggest fear was failure. I was banded September 29, 2011. For the first few months I only lost about two pounds a month. Sometime this spring, my band (10cc) was half full. For the first time, I felt real restriction. I started losing one and a half to two pounds a week. Now, I'm forty pounds down and its still not easy. Its not as scary as it was. I drag my butt down to the little gym in my building at work for 30 minutes, 5 days a week. I got rid of my riding mower and now have to walk to cut grass. Its hard to go from being out of control to being in control. My brain just didn't get it. Growing up, I was subject to verbal abuse. I was told I would always be a failure and that I was stupid. I carried that with me into my adult life. I went to a counselor to try and understand the abuse and control issues. I'm here to tell you that you can do this. You deserve the great changes coming your way. Never, ever give up. Lastly, please remember this: Its not how you fall down, but how you get back up that really matters.

It really opens your eyes when you can't eat the super-size servings any longer. I just get a to-go box and eat leftovers 2 or 3 times.

Sounds like you are just eating too fast. It was one of the hardest habits I had to break. Good Luck!

Its weird how you can eat one food one day and then the next, you cannot tolerate it. Yesterday I had spaghetti (made with ground turkey breast and whole wheat noodles). I had no problem whatsoever. I just ate some for supper tonight (about half the amount I ate yesterday). It feels like a rock in my stomach. After 30-40 minutes I begin drinking Water. Eventually it washes it down and I get my fluids in.

I am so glad to see this post. I have a 10cc band and I am at 6cc's. I have an appointment tomorrow and am wondering what the criteria is for getting a fill. I've had good restriction, but, I don't know if I'm in the green zone or not. I am losing close to 2lbs. a week. I feel really good. I have learned to slow down, chew more and stay away from foods that get stuck. I guess everyone is different, right? Wish me luck tomorrow:)

I was banded September 29, 2011. I have a 10cc band and have had several fills. I'm at 6cc's and have good restriction. My weightloss did not really begin until my band was half full. I have began going to the nutritionist (where I get my fills) every other month. I go this Tuesday and am curious to see what they recommend. For those of you that have only had a couple of fills, try to be patient. **Its Hard to be Patient" I did not get good restriction for months. But, once it begins, you will know it. I love, love, love my band.

My doctor required only the Sugar Buster's diet so that my liver would be smaller. Its not a bad diet whatsoever, you might want to check it out. Sooner or later, your eating habits are going to change. Good luck to you!!!