radarluv

It has been 2 years since my band placement. So, I go in for my last fill, and the woman tells me, "You know you are never to eat on days that you fly. never ever". So I am like, well no one has EVER told me this before and guess what, I have been a flight attendant for 20 years! I fly every week for 3 days straight. She goes on to tell me that she is aware of another flight attendant that is switching from the band to sleeve because she "is having so many problems". I don't know what to make of this. Granted I haven't been really successful with my band because I wasn't filled enough for over a year, hence the reason I went in for the recent fill. I am now trying to figure this all out again and I don't wanna screw this up. Why doesn't she want me to eat while flying? I was so stunned that I forgot to ask her. Why had no one brought this up to me in the first place? What foods do you travel with? I am at a point where I need to pack everything because I have been unsuccessful with hotel foods and find myself in "stuck" situations due to the limited selection on the menues. I need to pack 3 days worth of food. A lot of crew members do this, just non that I know with lap band. I carry an insulated lunch bag with ice packs in it. Fire away...

His office staff and especially Nurse Beth are the worst I have ever dealt with. I wish I would have known, I would have never used him. I would look for other options and NEVER put you health in the hands of anyone in Dr. Hollis' office, because once he is done with the surgery, that is the last you will see of him.

Dr Hollis' office is a complete f***ing nightmare to deal with thanks to his twit nurse Beth. She couldn't organize her way out of a paper bag if her life depended on it, so I have no doubt she played a part in his being late. Not to mention she likely didn't have your approval paperwork completed, so I'll bet there were other reasons he did not continue with the surgery. I would highly recommend that ANYONE fight the urge of "just getting it done" in a hurry idea and find a reputable office worthy of patients. While I believe that Dr. Hollis himself is a great surgeon, he is hendered, and I think blackmailed somehow by his nurse, Beth.

This sounds insane to me. I will not return to my Dr. because his nurse is a twit and runs everyone off from his practice in Houston. I have been told that I would not have a problem transferring Dr's should a problem arise. I did go through TR and they do my fills, but should a problem come up I will never return to the Dr.'s office who performed the original surgery.

I bout a juicer. Surprisingly there is only one small thread a bout lap and juicing. I am 1 year post op and haven't lost much. I don't really eat the proper foods, so I was thinking about going on a diet like the pre band fast, but then I started hearing about Clean Gut, buy Gwenyth Paltrow and her Dr. If you know who she is then you know that she is super healthy and she drinks a lot of green juices. Any other banders juice? How in the world do I get started? <staring at shiny new juicer>

I transferred from my Dr.s office due to the ineptitude of his assistant nurse. In doing so, she didn't send the proper #'s In my band to thre TR surgicenter which ultimately ended be up with a band so tight I couldnt get 2 bited of baked turkey down. Needless to say after going months (my fault) hoping that would adjust I went in, got an exray and my band had slipped a tad. Result-UNFILL from 7 to 3 in one swoop. In 2 months I put back on 12 Lbs. I could eat everything. My habits have definitely not gone away. Getting back on track. Filled to 5 now, and filling up on healthier foods. I NEED that incentive to keep me in check. Starting crossfit (anyone else do this). Yay! Anyone else go throught this type of battle?

Yes, that was the first thing they did when I returned after the unfill. BTW, they did an xray before and after the unfill in December. So I have had a total of 3 xrays between late December and now.

His nurse is negligent. Just google baychoice/hollis/beth and read reviews. It's unfortunate, because he is a good doctor, but she either has something on him or they have something on the side, because with the amount of complaints about her, there is no real reason why she should still be an employee there. She couldn't even get BASIC paperwork done (FMLA), after charging me $20 for it and a guaranteed 24 hour turnaround. NEVER HAPPENED and I ended up getting disciplinary action taken against me for absenteeism after the surgery. I only took 10 days off, too, from a VERY physical job. They also cannot keep any other staff there because of her treatment of them. You'll see.

I think I might mave not explained it well.

Yes, I have since left his practice due to Nurse Beth.

They ARE the ones that are doing it.

Yep, they have done this twice now. And yes, My Dr.s Nurse (Beth @ Baychoice) WAS extremely unprofessional. One of the worst people I have ever dealt with in healthcare. They were associated with True results so all paperwork was to be sent to TR surgicenter for future fills. Problem is Nurse Beth was SO inept that she most likely put down the wrong numbers. TR does not like to unfill EVERY time you get a fill. Said it is counterproductive, that is why they are very specific with their paperwork. I have had a few eyerolls when I told them I transferred from Dr. Hollis' office and Beth was responsible for the papers. We are on track now, though.

I am PB'ing everything. Seemed all was ok after the fill. But I am either eating too fast, or too big a pieces. I have problems only when it is ANYthing other than ground meat. I am kinda back to the mushy stage. I think I have pushed a bit trying yesterday to eat a piece of fried chicken, just as a test, and couldn't even get one tiny bite down. This morning I tried a single donut hole, came back up. I can drink Water like a fish, no prob there. But nothing stays down. Too tight? Or give it some time?

I do better with visuals and I just found out my bites were way to big after seeing a veteran bandster show a picture of a fork with a bite on it. No wonder I am having problems. Show us your dinner! Or b-fast, or lunch or snack....

I just like a visual. I am back on liquids today, because no matter what size, it's not going down (so many jokes so little space). But really.....

also, it feels like everything kinda expands in my throat as if a sponge were thrown into water. The only bread I tested was the donut hole. Bad idea, but I thought "only one". A little pieced up rotisserie chicken wouldn't go either and it was soft. I now know bites have been too large even though I thought the weren't. I definitely do better with a visual.

OK, wow, that is a small bite. I can tell you now that I am definitely overdoing it. I have "irritated the band". I am going to do as you state and go to liquids for tomorrow. What happens when the band gets irritated? I was doing pretty good in the begining. I also forgot to report that I am a flight attendant and just got back from a trip. Wondering how much pressure is put on the band from constant altitude changes.

I had a Bmi of 35.5, but I had 2 co-morbids-hypertension and diabetes. 3 really, but insurance does not count high cholesterol. Seriously doubt you will be approved without at least 1, but stranger things have happened. Good luck.

I will be 2 mos. post op and have 4 cc's in my band. I am not feeling much restriction and I am able to eat ribs, fried chicken, etc. There is not much that I can't eat. I am going back to mushies today as I know I am pushing it. I haven't budged a pound since the surgery, however I haven't gained either. I did lose 20+ pre-surgery Anyone have the same experience? My friend only has 2 cc's and she is feeling almost too tight. Very confusing.

Thanks, and I do not communicate with my Dr. anymore due to conflicts with his office staff (namely his head RN). I go back to TR on the 18th and I thought this forum was to discuss LB issues. I know how long I am supposed to wait to drink, I was just curious as to how long others felt comfortable. I did tell the nutritionist about my drinking and eating problem, and she said that if that is the worst thing I did then I was coming along pretty good. I have fired my doc (due to the RN, not the doc, and yes, it was THAT severe) since then. I am sure I need more of a fill, it just seems like 4cc is an awful lot, but my max weight was 210, so maybe it will take more cc's to get more restriction? I dunno. Like I said, I am starting over today, just like some reassurance.

how long to you wait until you drink water after eating? Do you stop right before or do you drink right up to eating?

I am not eating THAT much, but I am still making the bad choice. For example, I cannot finish a whole chicken breast fried, and I can only eat 2 ribs at a time. But it is still more than the liquid diet that took the forst 20+ lbs off in the first place. I am broiling some chicken now and making some chk salad. That always seemed to fill me up quickly with a couple tablespoons as I make it very dry. I also have a habit/compulsion to drink while eating. I don't even know that I grabbed a bottle of Water and drink it. How did you overcome this instinctual habit?

One thing. They told me a 1/2 cup food per meal. How am I supposed to get Protein fruit and veggies into a 1/2 cup. I guess I should have asked them that, but...... I am going to go to a support class later this month.

I agree. You are absolutely right. Fried is bad. And I have been giving into soda, too (my doc allows carbonation). Time to get back to basics. Starting over today.

I am a flight attendant and was back to full duty flying at 10 days post op. Pushing/pulling cart's that are 100's lbs. 3-4 take off landings a day, opening and closing aircraft doors that are hundreds of pounds. It's fine. Period.