Donna113

I chose Dr. Spivak. He also performs surgeries at True Results Center but I went to him directly rather than through True Results. Sounds like the pricing is the same. He also performs surgeries in San Antonio as well but is based in Houston. Houston is hot and humid this time of year so pick an indoor activity. I am married with children without reliable babysitters so my DH and I don't get out much by ourselves. We all do love to shop and take short day trips so we generally drive around "exploring".

Crazy, slightly insance, evolved... in the aggregate sounds like a wonderful group. Also a successful band group as well. Thank you for letting me lurk about.

HeatherO, I think you are right in that teenagers are way too self-absorbed to notice their parents. Did you make a conscientious decision to NOT tell your son you were banded? If so, why did you decide not to tell him? Both my children know about the band, how it works and why I did it. They are 15 (boy) and 8 (girl) and are my biggest cheerleaders. I think if you share personal things about yourself with your children, they appreciate it. My parents were very private about their private lives and they are still a mystery to me and my 3 siblings.

Plevy, I got my first fill on 8/19 (3 ccs in 8 cc band) and have no restriction whatsoever so I have schedueld a second fill for 9/2.

Week 1/Day 2. For me the difficult part is burning lungs. I quit smoking just this past January after having been a regular pack a day smoker for 25 years. My lung capacity is a lot better now than it was then but clearly I need to work on it some more. I think I may have to do a version of week 1 for a second week before I actually move to week 2.

In my case, I think it's because my doctor is so experienced that he's to a great extent a bit cavalier about it. He is one the doctors that participated in the study to get the lap band FDA approved in the US and has taught most of the doctors in Houston how to perform the surgery. He has a wonderful staff and they are always friendly, warm and promptly responds to any questions or concerns. I remember on the morning of the surgery when he stopped by before I was put under and asked me how I was doing and I replied I was nervous, he was really surprised. Then he said, don't worry, if you don't like it, we can always reverse it and it'll be like nothing ever happened.... Strange response, but I'm really happy I chose him and very happy with the post-op care I'm receiving.

Kellster, I see you're from CA but you have a Houston Texans avatar. Are you a fan?

I think if you are self-pay then you do get less info than if you are going through insurance. Most insurance companies require consults, physician managed pre-op diets, nutritionists, pych evals, etc. If you are self-pay and have no comorbidities, you can go to a seminar on Saturday and have your surgery the following Wednesday. That's what I did and I received very little info and found out much more after the fact. I was a bit surprised and dismayed at first to discover that the band isn't a magic bullet but once I got over the initial surprise I was fine with it. I would still have gotten the band over the bi-pass or doing nothing so regardless of the info or lack thereof, at the end of the day, I came to the conclusion I did the right thing and am learning to live much healthier than I have been for a very long, long time.

My doctor says eat normal food, just in smaller portions. When I asked him about the protein issue he said so long as you're eating protein first you'll have no problem getting your protein in. He is ABSOLUTELY against liquid calories and does not want us drinking protein shakes. He did say avoid bread, pasta and rice because they can get stuck in the band because of the clumping factor.

Thanks Fanny for starting this thread. It's great to have info like this BEFORE being too tight happens. I got my first fill last week and have no restriction whatsoever so I have my second scheduled for 9/2.

Miss B, which doctor in Houston is doing your surgery?

I'm envious hearing "flatlands" but absurdly happy for you guys. I can't wait until I'm in flatlands.

Thanks Salsa for your honest response. I'm glad you've been released to return to exercises with no restrictions. That means you are healed. I'm looking forward to seeing the pics. Thanks everyone for being so welcoming. I'll be lurking around pretty regularly and chiming in from time to time if you don't mind.

I did my first day yesterday and it was tough! I woke up sore this morning so I did water aerobics for an hour this morning. At least what I'm calling water aerobics since I've never taken an official water aerobics class. I do a lot of jumping jacks, jogging in place, jumping, leg kicks and water resistance for arms. It's movement and it gets my heart beating fast so I figure it's better than sitting on the couch. Tomorrow is day 2 of week 1 so wish me luck y'all!

I haven't traveled for business since I was banded a month ago but I have a week long business trip coming up in mid September that I'm just dreading. I'm afraid of what the flight will do to my band as well as how I'm going to deal with eating hotel room service and business dinners. I will be getting a second fill 2 weeks prior to travel so hopefully it will be just the right amount.

In Texas the utility company has been deregulated and it's caused extreme rates in electricity. I have a 2 year old energy star home so I don't think it's lack of insulation. Per unit price of energy is just extremely high.

My doctor said it takes 1 to 2 years for your skin to retract and probably won't retract any further after 2 years. I figure people get it done when they're close to goal or right after they've hit goal because they worked so hard to lose weight and they are miserable with all the excess skin. To work so hard at losing the weight and then to look at all that gross skin not to mention the rashes, etc. from loose folds of skin has got to be depressing. And you know what happens when people with eating problems get depressed.... they eat and get fatter.

Hollie, I suffered from anxiety in my 20s. Anxiety comes from fear but if you let go of the biggest fear, then it's a lot easier to let go of the other fears. Ask yourself, what will happen if I die? Depending on your religion, philosophy, beliefs and how you feel about whether you were a good person or an evil person, once you arrive at that answer, you may lose your fear of death and once you lose your fear of death, all the other stuff just doesn't seem so scary anymore. Always ask yourself, what's the worst that could happen? And then have a plan. I was in therapy for anxiety and depression in my early 20s and it was nowhere near as helpful as asking myself the questions I posed above.

I've never hiccuped since I was banded but I've eaten a lot a couple of times. I don't have any restriction yet, even with my first fill earlier this week so when I do start gettting some restriction, will I hiccup, too? That sure sounds better than unexpected PBing or throwing up.

Well, in an indirect way the gall bladder surgery was probably a result of the lap band. Many people end up having to have gall bladder surgery when they lose a lot of weight or if they lose weight very quickly.

You might be at goal after the swelling from the TT goes down. Some people have indicated that the removed skin weighed between 5-15 lbs depending upon how many lbs they'd lost.

Like David said, even though it hurts so much now, someday you will look back and ask yourself "WTF was I doing with that jerk?!?"

Salsa, this will probably sound like an ignorant question but I'm only trying to learn. With the weight loss and the regular exercise, do you still need anti-depressants? Is it because you suffer from chemical imbalances? I ready many, many studies that said over the long term, exercise is much more effective than the most effective anti-depressants so I'm just curious if you've tried to be weaned from anti-depressants?

Let's just all stay away from buffets. Buffets are not our friends, were not our friends and will never be our friends.

Let us know what your doctor says. I've had bananas since being banded and haven't had any problems with them.