Mck xx

The black bean soup from these guys saved my life during my liquid phase!

I was on a liquid diet for 7 weeks post op! I never ever want to have soup again! I found a black bean soup that saved my life (Pacific brand, in organics) and ate a ton of fudgsicles. You'll make it through, hang in there!

I was on a liquid diet for 7 weeks -- its hard! I found I wanted to sleep all the time just to make time go faster. Just keep your eyes on the prize and remember that its not forever! Bean soup and sf fudgsicles saved my life...but I never want to eat them again! You'll do great.

I belched like a trucker after my 1st fill...then couldnt at all after my 3rd...thankfully!

Its got a lot to do with genetics and how long youve been overweight, too. Im only 40 lbs down but I really think ill have a problem with excess skin when Ive lost more. Ive heard moisturizing often is a good idea for increased elasticity...not sure how much it can really help but ill keep up with my lotion anyway

Hey Tiffany, Im in Chicago, too. Good luck with the diet...two weeks is a long time pre op especially when you hear about people who have no special diet at all beforehand! Keep your eye on the prize & hang in there, your liver will shrink nicely and you can get a jump start on the weight loss .

The point of avoiding drinking during or around meals is to help the food sit on top of the band where its supposed to for a while. Theres no reason not to drink around 'meals' when on liquids, but getting into the habit now can't hurt anything either.

My PA just gave me a hard time about this...saying im not enabling the band to do what its supposed to. The shake keeps me satisfied just fine until lunch, I dont WANT anything else, so wheres the harm? Weird how that works. Ill keep drinking my calories & protein if they keep me full..

I feel you! I kepr hearing how fills were no big deal...and I lost it at mine, anyway! Hospitals, doctors, needles...they all give me some really bad anxiety, its so embarrassing! I started crying, my stomach muscles started spazzing, then I blacked out. Whew. At my followup a week later, my PA read my file and handed me a script for xanax. LOL. I dont want to scare anyone about fills... it wasnt that it was particularly painful, I just cant control my nerves in medical settings! So anyway, sorry your doc is such a stickler about the lidocaine...give some numbing cream or xanax a try!

I dont know anything about fill costs but traveling to mexico must be kinda pricey, too. Maybe you could explore options to see if you find someone you feel comfortable with...id feel better having familiarity with a bariatric practice nearby anyway, in case of an emergency or something like a much needed unfill. Im going thru insurance so I cant entirely empathize but I hope everything goes well with your surgery and that restriction comes easily for you!

Flouro (fluoroscopy) only refers to the real time moving images that are taken during the fill, it still involves needles & saline. Just less guessing!

I dont know if having a fill under flouro really guarantees much, everyone is different and we each hsve our trials & errors. Any chance of finding a local dr for your fills after the first?

Lellow, I saw a few weeks ago that you posted about some possible complications --a leak? What came of that, are you doing okay?

Also, some drs put some fluid in during surgery which might also affect your later fill amounts.

I think it really varies -- there are different fill amts and different band sizes. They gave me 3 cc in a 10 cc band for my first fill. Its a good queston for your doc. Good luck thurs!