Shellyac

Make sure you try all of the different cuts at Old Navy, it really makes a difference. I think they have a description on how each cut fits and I'm pretty sure that there is one that is looser on the thighs

Since the iband is relatively new and there aren't that many doctors that preform it yet, I would like this thread to be a resource for people to find a doctor near them that preforms the iband. Please list your doctors information (Name, location, and contact number) below and I will try to compile the list. If you happen to know of another office feel free to add that info as well FLORIDA Dr Brett Cohen Hollywood Bariatrics 1150 N 35th Ave Hollywood, FL 33021 954-966-8559 GEORGIA Peachtree Surgical & Bariatrics 285 Blvd. NE, Suite 120 Atlanta, GA 30312 404-881-8020

You may want to look into the iband also called the band with plication. With the iband your stomach is folded and sutured to form a sleeve in addition to getting the band. Like the band alone, this procedure is reversible. The benefits are that plication is shown to help prevent some of the complications of the band like slippage and erosion, you don't have to have fills as often (I haven't had a fill yet and I'm hoping to go without ever getting one), for some people their weight loss rate is faster than the average band alone patient. Also the plication serves as a back up to the band, for example I have had restriction from the start, I have never gone through "banster's hell" which is the period of time between getting the band and starting to feel restriction which can last several months. Since being banded I have rarely felt hungry, I get full from small amounts of food, I have never had a getting stuck episode, I haven't pb'd or thrown up after eating (I've only thrown up once since surgery and that was a few days after surgery and it was on an empty stomach). The only negative I would say right now is that because I haven't had a fill yet, I still have a tendency to eat too fast which can cause me to get that over stuffed feeling, I'm sure if I started getting fills the band would help to stop that but I feel that it is a habit that I can work to break on my own.

If you decide that you really want the band with plication you may need to travel, I ended up going to Florida from Maryland to get the iband. You may not need to travel as far because it seems that more doctors are starting to preform plications but it may be a while, if at all, before your doctor does it. If you do have to go to another doctor's office to get the plication, it shouldn't be hard to transfer your paperwork and records to the new office My doctor did not leave any fluid in my band (flushing the band and leaving some fluid in the band is the usual practice of most doctors and that leftover fluid could be considered the first fill, but I'm not sure if it is a standard amount). The reason my doctor didn't leave any fluid is that he feels that if for any reason there is too much pressure in my stomach early on it wanted there to be an easy way out (I assume throwing up) instead of pressure on both ends.

I also became addicted to the scale after surgery. I was on mine almost every time I was near yet, plus they have medical scales in most of the bathrooms in my office building so I was also tempted to weigh in there. I decided to give up weighing myself for Lent so it's been two weeks since my last weigh in, I've got a doctor's appoinment tomorrow so I'll find out if the lack of constant checking helped or hurt

I would say that by getting the iband you will have less of a chance of having a problem eating bread. I'm not sure about the diet soda, I haven't had any soda since surgery but I did have a carbonated malt beverage and it went down ok. Generally the biggest benefit of the iband is that it helps to prevent complications like slippage and erosion. Also you don't need to have fills as otten, or possibly at all. You also have the beneit of having restriction right away, personally I have not felt hunger since weeks 2 and 3 after surgery and it is possible that "hunger" may have been caused by excess stomach acid. Another beneit of the iband is that the plication serves as a back up to the band, even though I don't have any Fluid in the band I can only eat a small amount at a time, even slider foods. I have never had a stuck episode or pb'd, I haven't had any trouble with any food that I have eaten. The only negatives I have experienced would have happened with the band and probably have been worse, so far that is I have a tendency to eat too fast so I pretty much go from 0 to holiday dinner stuffed with some meals, it's possible that getting filled will help to cure me of this problem but I'd rather work on that problem on my own for now.

Have you recently starting taking an iron supplement? I get nasty burps after taking one and I've read about others that get the same reaction.

I don't have any problems with bread but that may be because I haven't gotten a fill yet. I am hoping to do this without getting a fill because I feel that the plication gives me plenty of restriction. The only carbonated drink that I've had since surgery was a malt beverage about a week ago. For the most part it was fine but I was at a club where the not only stop serving drinks at 2 am they take your drink away from you so I decided to chug about half the 12 oz bottle and that took a little effort but it wasn't painful

Here is the info to get it for the iphone http://www.myfitnesspal.com/iphone

I've only been banded about 2 months but I became obsessed with getting on the scale, as in several times a day both morning an evening. I decided to give up weighing myself during Lent, the only times I will get on the scale will be at doctor appointments. I've got my first one scheduled this Thursday and I'm anxious since it will have been two weeks since I had a weigh in

You might be able to do toast, especially if you haven't had a fill yet. I've even seen some people say that they can do toast but they can't do regular bread.

I'm shellyac_1 feel free to add me

People often gain weight immediately after surgery because of the IV fluids that they give you for surgery

I've used them on occasion mainly because I've read on these sites about not using them. I am careful to drink slowly through them as I don't want to suck down too much air but I haven't felt any negative effects from using them.