Nykee

Chilli Brown and crumble turkey burger meat (no oil) Add a can of healthy request tomatoe herb soup Add two cans stewed diced tomatoes Add two cans Low sodium red kidney Beans Add one can low sodium black beans Add one can corn Cook till hot Also if you HUGE on flavor (we's simple folk) you can add some Chilli flavoring packet to the turkey burger. This takes like 20 minutes max. 10 minutes if you brown all your turkey burger at once and store it in the freezer in single serving bags like I do. Well that makes alot.. I have alot of people in my family. You can reduce it of course and omit the corn.. WE love corn in ours. Its the greasy hamburger that makes chilli so fattning.. There is also fat free corn bread on the market.. And low carb cornbread as well... And of course the smart butter for your muffin.. Its so good, its like the real thing.

I was breast fed like crazy. My mom has horrid stories about it.. lots of breastfeeding.

LOL when I read it I pointed it out to my cousin and said "this never happens here!" I am part of a psycho crazy mean messege board that does it every minute that I am used to telling her about.

MIne is like 4.8 pounds a week But thats not true representation at all. Its more like .8 a week. Cuz I lost 41 pounds before I even left.

Well I dont drink pop but I do drink alcohal (like once a month maybe) and its ALOT (alot alot of hard stuff) but I never puke, sooooooooooooo I assume its ok. I dont PB or get any funny feeling (but i am not that tight yet either) But is there something in alcohal (like an ingrediant) thats bad for the band. we deserve real answers about this.. not treated like babies or morans..

Your so amazing, i read your posts to people and well your just great.. I REALLY REALLY need to get my head out of my arse.. I AM thinking I can rely on the fills and the more I read around here the more I think that is exactly what contributes to erosions and slips and problems.. (like your saying) I will never ever have the money to get another band.. I have zero credit, no such thing as a credit card, no family with any money and I am on SSI (without medicare). I CANT DO THIS BS!!! I feel so completely incapible of "working with the band" BUT the fact is I AM NOT INCAPIBLE OF DOING THAT! I been going to the YMCA faithfully for longer than I ever have and I just know I am going to keep going, I even bought a 69$ suit and I wore it without a net shirt and without capris! LOL THANKS FOR THE ADVICE!!! I am not scard now about going THANK YOU!!!! I just dong get what Protein first means. I never eat food that way.. I never have 'meals' that have the option of having protein first. I think I will go look at the food thread and see what others are eating. ONe thing I know is I DO stop once I have any "feelings" what so ever... I just dont have them much at all.. I really hope this next fill will do it. SHE BETTER LET ME HAVE ONE! Thanks again

I was filled 1.1cc and I have a 4cc band. I dont really feel much restriction at all.

I despritly want the answers to these questions too.. 2. Alcohol: Does it cause erosion, or do we avoid it because it's empty calories? 3. Drinking before and after meals: How long to wait after eating? What are their reasons for these rules?

I couls eat almost normally as well and with my first fill I still can. Its less but not enough to lose weight.. I know this becasue I have went on hundreds of diets where I reduced this much and nothin much happened. I am despritly waiting on my second fill

I went to Mexico for my Lapband. I recently found out I could get fills about an hour from me in Oregon with Tom Eubanks for less than the cost of me traveling to Mexico. (and less hassle) When I was asking for all the info from Eubanks office, I pretty much thought I would have to pay a consult fee, flouro and fill the first time (about 550$) And then Fills only after that and maybe flouro too. I was told Fills were once a month. I had my first fill in April. The next fill in May 18. Well, I called yesterday to get a fill on May 18th. Suddenly......... I have to have a phone in session with 'nancy' and SHE decides if I need a fill and it cost 25$. I cant schedule the fill untill she approves it. FINE, No problem.... AND now I found of of another charge of 89$ each time I go for a office fee? BUT.......... They call me back and say I have to come IN to the office and cant do it over the phone....... I have to come in for an HOUR appointment. They say my insurence will cover it cuz I am diabetic, (this I am not so sure of and I am scared I will end up with a bill.. my insurence is OHP) WHINE AND MOAN AND BITCH.... (inserted here) I am a private person (in real life, not on messege boards, lol) I do not like going places, I am a cripply gimp and the office is almost impossible for me to manage up stairs and way down the hall) I cannot drive alone and had to get my kid to go with me. I dont want to reveal the truth and I am anally truthfull about my eating habits. I dont want to be judged and I dont want to be misunderstood. (I AM NEVER UNDERSTOOD! I am lumped in with the 400 pound morbidly obese people who eat whole pizzas and stuff and I DONT and never have and so they think if I eat one slice of pizza its a big change BUT ITS NOT becasue I only ate two to begin with. ANYWWAY... I am NEVER beleived and I just hate that! I am also a rambler, I go on and on and on and make my self look like a basket case. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I am not a happy camper at all. I definately will take some of my valium tonight! Can anyone tell me what this kind of HOUR long meeting will go? I am filled 1.1 on a 4cc band and I just want another fill. THATS ALL!!!!!

Add a 25$ phone consult with nancy the nutrionalist and a 89$ office fee for EACH one of my fill appointments I really do not like the hidden fee's they dont tell ya about when I first asked and went in. I mean what can I do about it? Nothing But I do need to PLAN! (I am very poor)

well, i cant wait for the pbing and vomiting!!! I got my first fill and pretty much can eat what i want still its so frusterating! I mean once it happens, i will stop[ it due to restriction but when oh when will i get that chance!!??

joyce, sounds like the best option for you if you can get the money!

trauma nurse, thats totally normal. Thats the point you should stop eating. (IMO, thats what I do as soon as I get the burpy feeling)

Here is my cost. 9,500 lapband in Mexico, hotel, all fees and free fills for the year. 250 air fare 100 misc food, shopping 500 first fill in states 250 second fill in states 250 third fill in states 250 fourth fill in states (assuming I need four fills) Total: 11,100 OR 9500 lapband in mexico, hotel and fill free 250 air fare 100 misc food, shopping 450 air fair, hotel and shuttle, food and misc to fill in mexico 450 450 450 Four fills done in mexico Total: 11, 650 Sooooooooooo, getting my fills HERE in USA doesnt SAVE me that much money. BUT it saves me from a heck of alot of time and trouble!! NOW last I heard the lapband cost 18,000 to 25,000$ in the USA. I for one could get about 12,000$ max, ever in my whole life. So getting it done here was not an option.

So glad it all went ok!

Please don't take my comments wrong. >>>>>>>>>> I wont. I know whats up.. I appreciate it! The reason why you need to be on liquids for a period of time after an adjustment is because there is usually swelling of the stomach after a fill. It's a small version of what you went through right after surgery. So it's a safety and health issue to take it easy after a fill. >>>>>>>>I am getting that now, i dont know why I didnt think of that yesterday.. I hope its not swelling.. lol, I like the restriction I am feeling. I have decided to just have soy milk and tomatoe soup for today.. I'm a little disappointed that your doctor didn't obtain information about your band before performing your adjustment. >>>>>>>>>>>>Well, I had already showed up, I am sure glad he didnt send me away.. he just did 1.1 cc just in case.. knowinf it was my first fill.. I'm very disappointed that he didn't give you any guidance after your adjustment either. You might want to consider calling his office and asking what his recommendations are after a fill. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Yeah, I think he exspects us to know more.,. I mean for ME to know more.. I am not good at that knowing stuff. Continued good luck to you!! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>THANKS !!!!! You look like a fill expert... lol

My fill doc had a hard time keeping the needle in my port, it kept slipping out and i could feel it clicking against the plastic each time. I cant recall how many times he slid the needle in and out of me.. ALOT! They took like over a dozen pics too.. I dont know how normal that is. He was aking the helper to get a longer needle and clamps but the clamps were gonna infect the sterile area.. blah blah blah.. I dunno... I just layed there.. He said my port is sideways and it moves and such so i have to have my fills under flouro every time.. But it didnt hurt at all. Not even like a bee sting like some say.. (bee stings HuRT!!!) Sooooooooooooo.. HOW did it go??????????

Restriction feels like this to me: I feel a tightning in my chest, its a very obvious feeling that has never been felt prior to banding. It doesnt feel good, but its not horrible either. Kinda like a bold hiccup in the chest. Then I feel the need to breath deep breaths and push out a burp.. not a regular burp but like a burp of deep air. Some gurgling and noises go on in my throat or chest and I tend to cover my mouth although it does not really seem like I am going to throw anything up, its more like covering up the fact that my mouth is moving to let out these air burp things. About one minute or two and it subsides. I have never tried to eat more while this happened, so I dont know how much worse it can get.

My fill cost 216$ consult (one time), 150$ fill, (everytime) 100$ flouro...(sometimes) And the link at the top of this thread is a very good one.. FULL of all the best of advice on how to eat right and be healthy and lose weight.. If I could follow any of it, I wouldnt of needed the band. I need an attitude adjustment is what i need

I found a fill doctor in my area real easily and had my first fill with him yesterday. I found the info on this site under the Oregon peeople.. maybe you can look under your state? About your band slipping, I have no idea why bands slip.. I really want to know too. I figure that if I do not PB and do not throw up that I am safe... THATS my goal anyway and pretty much the only thing I can make sure of at this point. Like yesterday I had my fill, the moment I felt restriction and uncomfortableness I stopped eating... Same with this morning (4 bites of cerial) and I was fine, no PB or anything. I have heard people here say its not that easy to control, we will see. I am soooooooooo glad I dont have to go to mexico! My first time cost 500$ but from now on it will only be 250$ because I need flouro each time. But with out flouro its just 150$

Hi paula, I didnt feel anything with the Water..... I think I will get a fill in May (like 1cc) and then wait to see what happens after that. Like you said, it might get tighter in the weeks following. Its not my surgeon, just a fill doctor. I dont really wanna call him. I feel alot more restriction than before, so I know all is well. I have to take this thing like this: >>>I will eat what I can eat without a PB or pain.<<<<<<<< Thats all I can do right now. So fill restriction is important to me. I wish I could work a program and be all good and such, but I just cant right now nor the 15 years I have been morbidly obsese...... I have been trying. If I had any control what so ever I may not have needed to do this band thing at all.

Tricia's right, Nykee. Just about all docs I've ever heard of recommend AT LEAST 24 hours of liquids after a fill, waiting until the next day for solid food. Please take it SLOWLY today and stick with soft stuff. >>>>>>>>>>>>>OK.. FROM THIS moment on I WILL!!!!!!!! I bought pudding and Protein drinks and broth and stuff for this time/.. so I will use it. Thank you guys.. My fill doc said i needed to go to some info meetings.. I guess I do..

Nykee, First off, you need to find out what kind of band you have. I'm sure Dr. Ortiz has that information. >>>>>>>>>>I found out when I got home. Its a BioEntrics, 9.75/10.00cm band that holds 4cc fill volume. Secondly, did your doctor give you any post fill instructions about eating? >>>>>>>>>>>>.NO, no one said a single thing to me about that. After an adjustment, I am on liquids for 3 days. I realize that different doctors have different post fill instructions, but I've never heard of anyone "allowing" someone to eat solid food the same day let alone an hour after an adjustment. >>>>>>>>>>>>Like I said, no one said anything. He gave me a galss of Water to drink to make sure I could swallow and sent me on my way. I guess it makes sense, now that you mention it. Did your doctor do your adjustment using Flouro >>>>>>>>>>>>>>Yes, and he said he has to every time from now on, because the port id hard to find, deep and it moves.. Today at 11am I tried some grapenuts cerial. I was only able to get 4 bites before the weird feelings came.. Two days ago I could of ate a cup and a half of them. So, ITS working!!! I am very happy.

I got my first fill today. 1.1cc They were not happy that I didnt know anything about my band. They said I need to go to info meetings. They are right, but I bet I wont. It cost 216$ for consult, 150$ fill and 100$ for flouro. He asked me how much I paid, then told me he would have done it for 15,000$... with a smirk he said it.. oh well, too late now. HE said he could only give me 1.1 cc cuz he has no idea what my band is.. it may of been this giant vangard thing that holds like 10cc.. or one that holds 4cc or 3cc.. Once home I found the card that says 4cc. They had a hard time accessing the port. The needle kept falling out and I could feel it. He said he needed a longer needle and something to clamp me down. But he was able to get it eventually, then he told me I would always have to have flouro cuz he could never access it without doing it. That means I have to pay 250$ instead of 150$ every time I go.. Oh well, better than going to mexico! So.. to see how much restriction I had, me and Dawn went to Denny's 2pm One motzerella stick half an onion ring two chicken strips (appetizer size) 3tbs bbQ sauce 1/2 cup broccolii cream soup 5 french fries, dips of ketsup two bites biscuits and gravy 20 ounces milk half a chocolate dipped cone from MCdonalds (the whole cone) 8pm One mini corn muffin Milk 9pm Chilli.. 2 cups or more Lots of milk 10pm 4 nutter butters with like 24 ounces of milk. Soooooooooooo Needless to say I am not happy with my fill thus far. BUT its obviously better becasue I ate alot less at Denny's AND I had some major restriction on the mini corn bread muffin, my chest hurt and I was gulping for that burp and I was covering my mouth and feeling real uncomfortable and everyone in the house was like "here it is!!!" Dawn ran and took my chilli to the kitchen... (LOL LOL LOL) That was the closest I have ever came to feeling anything since the week I got home!!!!!!!!!!! HORRAY It subsided in about 3 minutes and I asked for my chilli about an hour later.. and was able to eat tons of it. Plus milk (I AM GIVING IT UP I SWEAR!!!) Then just recently I am having nutter butters and my son is trying to stop me and saying I dont need to.. The almost PB really freaked him out I guess. I love my son so much, he is so smart.. he is the one who always enforces the no milk rules and all that. I think I was testing my band... I wont do this daily! I will get a fill in MAY and I hope it really makes a big diff then..