jldch

Thanks for your input!

I guess some clarification is needed. When I went in for my first fill (2cc) five weeks ago, the PA had me lie down and entered the port below my waist, approximately 1-inch below my incision even though when I'm standing, my port is a good 4-inches above my waist ( I can feel it easily.) I went in for my second fill yesterday (another 2cc) and a different PA had me stand for the fill and entered the port above my waist. When I asked her about the previous fill, she said since the port is attached to the muscle wall, it shifts significantly when lying down. I can understand a slight shift, but 5-inches seems a bit much. I have my doubts that the original fill was in the port especially since I'm scheduled for another fill in 2 weeks and this practice is known for fairly conservative fills. I had no restriction after the first fill and very little so far but understand I will may need as much as 7cc to get to the sweet spot in my 10cc band. Thanks!

I flew a couple of weeks ago and had no issues.

Is it possible for my port to move significantly (around 4-5 inches vertically) when standing up vs. lying down? Thanks!

This is one of the things I am so looking forward to. Congratulations!

Yes -- high protein/low carb makes me feel better. I'm early out (banded 3 weeks ago) but have lost 50 pounds since mid-August eating poultry, beef, fish, seafood, Beans and lentils. I also eat a lot of dairy (cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt) and a wide variety of green vegetables and cauliflower. I stay away from grains, but will have a bit (couple of tablespoons at the most) of quinoa and will have a small portion of Dreamfields Pasta now and then and the occaisional low carb tortilla. I will sometimes make a sugar free dessert with splenda, Carbquik, cream cheese, etc. and I do put a splash of cream in my decaf coffee. I also like to use ground flax seed to add more Fiber. I go for my first fill next week, but have a doctor who believes in small, frequent fills and believes in being able to eat regular, solid food, not liquids/purees. I was only on Clear Liquids for day before, day of and day after surgery; full liquids for the next 4 days; mushies for the next 10 days and then on to solids. I eat around a cup of food and am satisfied for around 4 hours (sometimes only around 3 1/2 and sometimes 5 hours depending on what I ate). I also usually have a small Protein snack (string cheese, carbmaster yogurt or a hard boiled egg) in the afternoon since we eat supper late. I usually drink at least 80 oz. of Water a day as well as a cup of tea and/or cup of coffee. I plan to continue to eat this way until I lose the majority of my weight but eventually plan to eat a wider variety of foods, just in smaller portions, especially when I'm in situations when it's hard to control what I eat (business trips/parties) and when I want to splurge.

Until I lose the majority of my weight, I am on a "diet" (high protein/lowcarb and of course portion control). As I get closer to goal, I will incorporate a wider variety of foods. That's not to say that every now and then I'll have something not on plan, but to be honest, I feel better when I lowcarb.

I'd like to join -- LBT NAME - jldch Height - 5'9" Surgery Date - 11/11/09 Starting Weight - 365 Surgery Weight - 325 Current Weight - 319

For those of you that have an afternoon snack, what and how much would this typically be? Thanks!

I had surgery last Wednesday and had planned on coming back to work on Monday but didn't feel up to it (port incision pain and abdominal gas). I'm in today and I am uncomfortable, but okay.

I had my surgery on 11/11 and am still quite tender in this area. I've also had quite a bit of gas which puts pressure on my incision and in my belly. The best thing I found to help with this is Phazyme softgels and walking. I do fill a bit better each day and returned to work today.

This is so strange. I was just getting ready to write a similar post. Even though I've been thinking about getting a lap band for over a year, I've just recently signed-up for a seminar. The doctor asked me to complete a questionnaire and contact my insurance company prior to the seminar. I called the insurance company (Federal BC/BS) today and found out that I am covered and do not have a requirement for the 6-month supervised diet. While this is wonderful news, I thought I would have at least 6 months to get my head around this. I guess I still do, but after reading several posts about denied insurance and long waits, I should just count my blessings. Jane