HelenC

I started indoor tanning the other day. Since I won't be showing off my stomach, I put bandaids over the incisions and went about my business. Other than some funny tan marks, all seems good.

Have you given any thought to having it done in Mexico? There are many threads here discussing how clean and professional they were in Mexico, and yet the cost is about $8500. Welcome to the boards

I happen to have one I took from my doctor's site. It's plugging his protein shake, so ignore that.

Sounds like you need a little unfill, to me

Welcome My best advice is to read this forum thoroughly. There's a ton of great info around here. Also, listen to your nutritionist...I mean really listen. I'm struggling right now because I didn't understand that a small bite meant a really small bite, among other things.

Suzanne, you are WAY above the curve for loss! Most people expect a 1-2 lb loss per week, and you're at 5 lbs! You didn't gain the weight overnight, so you can't realistically expect to lose it overnight!

If you're having bad PBs, go on liquids for a day or two and give your stomach a break, then ease back into your food, being very careful to eat slowly, and small bites. I have started eating with a seafood fork, to prevent me from taking too big of a bite.

When I got banded, my doctor gave me a sheet with a few online support groups on it, and some offline groups. I checked out the online groups and really didn't find the support to be anything close to what this wonderful group of people offers!

I eat breakfast every day, and I personally am "looser" in the morning than at any other time of day

lol...there are a lot of stories, all over this forum. Spend some time reading them - they're very enlightening Congrats on your decision to get banded. Where are you from and where will you be having surgery?

The doctor decides by the size of your stomach. Sorry, but you get no voice on this one

I was a hard core Diet Pepsi addict, drinking 3-6 per day. In November, knowing I had the surgery coming up at some point, I gave them up. It was hard, and there are still times where I'll look at a can my husband is drinking and just sigh...but I won't have one. I've come too far to do something that is known in the WLS community as really bad for you.

I had a BMI of 37, BC/BS of IL (Plan 121), and I was approved. However, I did have to do 6 months of physician supervised diet before they'd approve it. Fortunately, my doctor said "just show up once a month, weigh, and give me a log of what you allegedly ate", which was good because at the point when I started the 6 months, if I had lost 10 or 20 lbs, I wouldn't have qualified. After I did the 6 months though, BC approved within 10 days, paid 100% of the surgery after deductible, and they paid 100% of the fills.

It sounds more like you're disappointed with your band doctor, rather than your band! Were you private pay?

I didn't find this forum until after my surgery, and the yahoo group I visited before that didn't talk much about the complications of erosion and band slippage. I wasn't even aware of them until I came here. Also, while the nutritionist spent a lot of time talking to me about how small my portions would be, she didn't explain at all about how small your bites need to be, and just how slowly you need to eat. I really wish someone had.

Just a reminder that everyone is different - a .5cc fill may be nothing to one person, and be far too tight on another (like me). I was also told that they DO initially give a .5cc fill during surgery, but it's not considered a fill...just part of the surgery. So you're not completely wide open. Do try to get a grip on yourself now though, because when you do get a fill to where you're getting restriction, you may have a real tough time (headwise) with eating the smaller portions.

Unfortunately, we can't pick our family. Some people are just toxic, and it's best to avoid them as much as possible. I keep my mother at arm's length for just that reason. It's sad, and I will always wish that I had had a close, loving mother, but it wasn't in my cards. I'm really sorry she hurt your feelings - but try not to give her that power.

Yes, but not a full size.

I've gone crazy over the Mango flavored Gatorade. I drink that and Water. Oddly, I used to love my water room temp...now I like it refrigerator cold. Also, peach or raspberry tea is very good, cranberry juice too.

I've never been a huge fan of sugar, or any other sweetener. I use any of it as little as possible, but that said, I use Spenda in my coffee (a recent change, after 25 years of Sweet N Low). I was always concerned about the amount of aspartame I took in due to my Diet Pepsi habit, so I'm glad that's no longer an issue for me. Other than in my coffee, and whatever foods I eat that already have it, I don't go out of my way to add sugar or sweetner to many foods/drinks. But if I had to add something, it would be sugar.

Oh Faith, I did have a valium injection before my cath...in fact, two of them because there was an emergency and my procedure got bumped for 3 hours so they gave me another one. Maybe that helped me? But the endoscopy - that was pure banana-stuff

Phase II is at the very least not until day 7 of any report I've read on this forum. I'm not meaning to be confrontational with you, but really, it sounds like you're jumping the gun, or your doctor is pretty new to this. Day 4, your poor stomach is still trying to recover from what was done to it. You still have internal stitches. Even if your doctor oks Day 4 "full liquids", consider giving yourself a bit longer.

Are you sure you're reading your instructions right? I couldn't eat oatmeal for two weeks (although I did on day 11 or 12). At day 4, I wasn't thinking beyond broth, water and jello.

I had an endoscopy done years ago (way way pre-band). I was utterly and totally terrified. I was crying as I went into the procedure room. Let me tell you, they sprayed the back of my throat with this sour-banana tasting stuff....and that's all I remember until they told me I was done...but they said I had been awake the entire time. I had the same kind of stuff via IV when they did my heart cath last winter. I don't remember anything after being moved onto the table, until I was suddenly "aware" and asked them why I was awake - they said I was done. I know it's scary, but I promise you...it's a piece of cake.

Good luck Ted! And to you too, Dina! You'll be back online in no time, let us know how it went!