ssankofa73

I'm sure you've gotten all the answers you need at this point since you asked this question months ago. I was banded by Dr. Geiss 3 years ago and I'm having a revision done. If you have questions or want support, let me know.

That's a phenomenal start Lashonda! Are you allowed to eat fruits and veggies during your liquid diet? If so, those really take the edge off when you feel like chewing instead of sipping.

BacktoBestMe, The insurance company usually requires a long term pre-op diet so that you can prove that you are able to change your eating habits over time, prove that you're capable of following a nutrionally sound diet plan, etc. You also have to show your diet history. Mine goes back to age 13 and startedwith a doctor prescribed diet. The reason the Dr. requires a short term liquid diet a week or 2 before surgery is so that your liver will shrink. Your liver is in front of your stomach. Typically the liver of an overweight person has large fat deposits which makes it hard to do laproscopic surgery on the stomach. The Dr. has to move the liver out of the way in order to implant the band around the top part of your stomach. If your liver is too big, you surgeon will not be able to complete the surgery successfully. I hope this helps.

Congratulations Amy! That's an outstanding outcome.

DebWS, I asked the Dr. that same question the day of my surgery and he said that it was based on my internal anatomy. This led me to believe that he had a choice re: which size to use the day of surgery. I'm not sure if you know this but the 10 cc band was recently put on the market earlier that year only a couple of months beforehand. I asked the Dr. the same question few months ago when we were deciding what I should do next and he said it wasn't available for use yet when I had the implant placed. Topazz, I'm not sure if they even use the 4cc band anymore but there are 2 sizes available right now. I was told I will be given the APS band which is the standard size that holds 10cc. There is also the APL which is the large size that holds 14cc. the Dr. won't know which one to give you until he actually goes in during surgery and takes a look at your internal organs. He makes his decision based on how your anatomy looks.

I asked the Dr. that same question the day of my surgery and he said that it was based on my internal anatomy. This led me to believe that he had a choice re: which size to use the day of surgery. I'm not sure if you know this but the 10 cc band was recently put on the market earlier that year only a couple of months beforehand. I asked the Dr. the same question few months ago when we were deciding what I should do next and he said it wasn't available for use yet when I had the implant placed.

Exercising is definitely a must! I know its tough to think about especially when you may not even be able to walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded but start off slowly. Matter of fact, while you're in the hospital the nurses force you to get up and walk the halls (mainly to avoid blood clotting, gas pain, etc.) a couple of times. Walking was my exercise for the 1st 2 years but now 3 years in I'm able to jog a couple of miles.

Hi Everyone! I'm having a band revision on Nov. 11th with Dr. Geiss at Syosset Hospital. I'm a "born again bandster" and even though I've been through this before, I'm still nervous but excited to kick my weight loss into gear once again and reach my goal. Dr. Geiss implanted a 4cc band in me in 2007 and I lost some of my excess weight but I still have a long way to go. About 6 months ago I maxxed out on my fills so no more saline can be injected into my current band and I hit a plateau in terms of my weight loss so I'm going in for the 10 cc band this time. Two of my friends had the 10 cc band implanted about a year or so after me and both of them are now skinny and healthy. I'm hoping this new band will help me have the same results. Good luck to you all!

I forgot to mention....I'm between houses right now in Valley Stream and Uniondale.

I had my lapband surgery done by Dr. Geiss in 2007. I lost 70 lbs then put back on 15. Back then, Dr. Geiss used a 4cc band and I've been maxxed out in terms of my fills for about 6 months now. I exercised like a beast to get 15 lbs off this past Spring and Summer but I fell off the wagon and the weight came right back on. I was hungry, eating wrong and felt helpless because I thought I failed. Both the band and I stopped working. I'm going back to Dr. Geiss to get a revision so he can put in the 10cc band on November 11th. He's a competent Dr. and his staff are very supportive. I really like my PA Mariam and there's another PA with brown hair and glasses who's very sweet also. BTW, part of my problem could have been the fact that I only went to 1 support meeting. I was doing weight watchers for support because it was closer (which is a great program) but weight watchers rules and bandster rules are not quite the same.

Dr. Geiss left .5 in my band. Check my ticker.

checking my ticker

I had to do an upper GI but I drank barium so the x-ray could be done. No pain...instead I just drank a thick, chalkie tasting fluid that had the barium in it.

I'm taking a very long time to get my weight off so its hard for me to keep motivated. I have months of success and then months of failure. I think right now I'm motivated because I joined weight watchers again and that coupled with the support of my friends and co-workers has put me over the top in terms of tracking what I eat and walking more.

I missed it. When is the next 1?

If you send me info on the dates for the conferene I"ll see if I can attend.

Coach Cher! Thank you for the advice. I went to the doctor yesterday and the PA gave me a fill. I hope this time will be the charm. I was on whole liquids for 24 hours then I moved on to mushies this evening. I think I feel restriction already. I had all the other symptoms that you mentioned so I think it was a good time for a fill.

Hi Blondie. I'm only 10 to 15 minutes away and I need some lapband support, too. Let me know when and where you want to meet up.

The only time I get stuck on food is when I let myself get too hungry and I rush through the 1st 2 or 3 bites of hard protein. I'm more than 1 year out of surgery and I've lost 50 lbs while fighting with the last 10 of them (still have 80lbs to go). I can also gulp water...which I heard I shouldn't be able to do since I'm banded. I think it's time for a fill. What do you think?

whatever you do, don't drive yourself home. If anything, take a taxi and bring a couple of pillows with you because you will be groggy and in pain.

Hi CANDLE, I noticed that you've lost ore weight than you expected. BRAVO! I've only lost 1/3 of my excess weight and I need help. What did you do to be so successful?

Hi Everyone. I've bben away for awhile so I'm reading thrpugh a few posts here and there but there's no way I'll be able to read 2 months of missed posts so I'll only put my 2 cents in here and there. I've been struggling with the same 10 lbs over the last couple of months and I think I may have finally broken through to the "2 hundred teens". I'm not changing my weight though on my ticker until next week because I'm on the rag and I know that it can add lbs in terms of water retention. Kiraj You did a phenomenal job with your exercise. Those 3 oatmeal cookies and the soda had to have been cancelled out by all that time you spent on the bike. You know what's odd? I only have trouble with food getting stuck when I eat the 1st 2 or 3 bites of a hard protein while I'm rushing and super hungry but I can't tolerate soda at all. Even a couple of sips of soda make me ache in a terrible way after a minute or so. What's that about?.

As per weighing in at WW I'm Down 50 lbs TODAY!!! WOOHOO!

I don't get stuck on anything except tougher meats like steak and chicken breast and that's usually only when I start my meal and not paying attention to the chewing. Even then, it passes within a minute and it just serves as a reminder to chew thoroughly. I'm fine eating oranges but its the liquid content that worries me. I think I'll stick with having it 1 hour after a meal like Kari said.

Hi Lucky 7s....I have a couple of questions. When is it ok to eat fruits that have a lot of water in them like oranges or watermelon? Should they be eaten alone at all times or can they be eaten after your protein when having a meal? Also, what about cereal? I see that a few of you are into eating Kashi but my PA said I can't have cereal because the milk will make it slip right through the band. Do you have it with or without the milk?