Sue Magoo

Hi: Maybe you need a fill. Have the portions you've been eating grown a little? Is it almost that time of the month? Did you eat anything extra salty over the weekend. If so, could be Fluid retention that will go away. Don't panic. Watch how things go over the next few days and then decide if you need a fill or not. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Hi: Gallbladder removal isn't too bad of a surgery. One trick I learned was that if you wear something tight fitting over your jiggly belly it helps with the pain. Good luck! Sue

What a fabulous idea! Thanks for sharing. Sue

Hi: Have you tried anti-anxiety drugs? It may help. Hope you get better soon. Sue

Hi: Sorry you're feeling so uncomfortable. You've had alot of good advice here so far. I just wanted to add that alot of the LapBand surgeons that have websites have their diet plans on their webpages. If your surgeon has a website take a look. If not, take a look at my surgeon's website. His website is www.massweightloss.com I think it's under the "For Patients" tab, and then click on post op diet. Hope you feel better soon. Please believe that the pain and discomfort you're suffering now will be so worth it in the end. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Cathy: I remember reading somewhere else that someone got coverage for alot of their tummy tuck cost by having it done along with a hernia repair. Good luck! Sue

Hi: Pain medication makes me feel sick to my stomach. If you're still taking pain meds you might want to consider switching to just liquid tylenol. That did the trick for me. If you do stop drinking, or can't get liquids down, please call your doctor. Dehydration is bad, bad, bad. Hope you feel better soon. Sue

LK Bear: Sounds like you are eating only slider foods. These are bad for two reasons, first of all they don't stay in your pouch long enough to tell your brain that you are full, and second they are usually higher calorie than the foods you should be eating to lose weight and keep healthy. Please go and see your doctor and get a small unfill. Best wishes to you. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Angie: I love my band because it has helped me go from size 26/28 to a size 12. I love my band because I'm now an average-sized woman. I love my band because my feet don't hurt anymore and they used to hurt all of the time. I love my band because it has given me better self-esteem. I love my band because I can still eat whatever I want, only a tiny bit, but I know that I still can have some of everything. Best wishes to all on their band journeys. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Started at 26/28, and am thrilled to be in a size 12. I'm so happy to look in the mirror and see an average-sized woman looking back at me. Sure, I still have a little bit of muffin top, and my legs are heavy, but they don't show with clothes on :biggrin: Unfortunately, if I lose much more I'll be gaunt in the face and neck and my wrinkles will show too much. I'll take the heavy bottom versus a boney and gaunt looking top half:wink2:. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Hi: I had rashes that were documented (and photographed) by both my LapBand surgeon and the plastic surgeon. Because of this, my insurance company picked up the cost of a panniculectomy (insurance covers with rashes) and I paid the difference to have the tummy tuck (considered cosmetic, without coverage by insurance). Medical costs are very high where I live. I was told that the insurance company was covering almost 2/3 of the cost, but my out of pocket cost was still $6,800. Well worth the money and the discomfort healing from the tummy tuck. I'm very happy with my flat tummy:cool2:. My hanging skin was really bad on my abdomen prior to my tummy tuck.:biggrin: They only cut off 4 pounds, but it seemed like there was 20 there to me. Good riddens! Best wishes to you with your band. Sue

Hi: My surgeon suggests that if you get too tight because of post nasal drip that you should go in for an unfill (or partial unfill). Then he has you come back in two weeks and get it put back as long as your post nasal drip is gone. Too bad it's so expensive :biggrin: I hope you feel better soon. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Mini: Sorry you're having a down day. Your hormones get messed up when you have such a big surgery and it can bring on some depression. Things will get better soon. The numbness will improve. I would say that I have about 70% of my feeling back at 4 months out from my tummy tuck. You'll be amazed how much better you'll feel because you don't have those damn drains hanging from you anymore. That was when I really felt like I was a new person, after the drains came out. Hope your next few days are better. You should stand up after you read these emails and go to the nearest loved one and tell them that you deserve some hugs. It might help! Take care. Sue

Hi Smilin_Apple: I'm afraid you're not getting enough nutrition to be healthy. You should probably discuss it with your surgeon because you probably need to get a slight unfill. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but your health is more important long term than a short term unhealthy megaloss. Malnutrition is a very serious issue. Hope things improve soon. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Leena: Congratulations on your weight loss success. I have the small band too, and am currently filled to only 2.0. I was as high as 2.5 before my tummy tuck but haven't been able to go back up again yet. I know you'll find your sweet spot again soon. You probably lost it because you're continuing to lose and you're so close to your goal! You go girl! I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Hi: You could get a ring guard put on your wedding ring until you get to your final size. Then, resize what you have and maybe get a special ring for your other hand to Celebrate your tremendous weight loss! I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Erykah: Sliming is gross. Funny that you picture a snake when you think of it. I call sliming my "snake spit". Sliming is what your body does to try to make food pass through your band if you've eaten too fast or too much or both too fast and too much. Our magical bodies create all this extra thick, slippery, yucky spit to try to coat the food that is having an issue going down. If the slime doesn't work then you'll have a pb. Sometimes the slime comes up. When it does, it's thick and slimey, kind of like a snake. It's gross, gross, gross! Sorry if this was too graphic, but you did ask. Hopefully you won't have too many sliming experiences, or visits from the "spit snake". I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Hi: I had gallstones 8 months after LapBand surgery. Got gallbladder removed by the same surgeon that did LapBand. It's an easier recovery than LapBand because you've already dealt with the food issues. When I got my gallbladder out he removed the band Fluid just before surgery and I got it put back two days after gallbladder removal. One recommendation that I have is to get something tight to wear (like spanx) over your abdomen. My belly hurt and I mentioned it to my sister and she said to put something tight over my incisions and it won't hurt as much. Sure enough, it helped alot by stopping the jiggly wigglies. Hope you feel better soon. Sue

Hi: I didn't have an issue with a fatty liver. I just wanted to say wow, that's a long liquid diet you have listed - from Sept. 7 to Sept. 30th. Holy cow. Best wishes to you with this. I found the liquid diet presurgical was hard (only 10 days), but if you keep in mind that you're making your surgery safer it helps. Thank goodness for sugar free popsicles. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Mini: Hopefully he'll take good care of that seroma and it's only a small bump in the road to a beautiful flat tummy. Please take it easy this weekend because resting will help you to heal better. Take care. Sue

Hi: Sounds like you need a fill. I could never eat that much without hurling it back up. Best wishes to you with your band. Sue

Thanks for your responses to my question. Kind of "Big Brother'ish" or a coincidence, I'm not sure which. Within an hour of my posting the question I got a call from PS office. She said Dr. asked her to call me to see why I haven't been back since end of June. I told her that my insurance changed and it doesn't cover anything like this now, and I'm unemployed, so couldn't afford :redface:to come back. She told me that it would be no charge. So, I have an appointment on 10/7. I'll post then to educate others on this plastic surgery path. Thanks again. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Laura: Your pics look great! Sue

Hi: I have a question for those of you who've had a tummy tuck. Did you still have some pain when you laughed hard or sneezed four months after surgery? I've done very well and haven't had any issues (except one dogear), but I am surprised that I still have pain when I sneeze or laugh hard. I don't wear a spanx or anything that compresses, and haven't for two months. I had to switch insurance companies, so going back to the surgeon is out of question because of the cost (laid off from work in April) unless it is urgent. A little bit of pain when I laugh or sneeze is far from urgent. Please just let me know if it's normal. Thanks for your feedback. Sue

Hi: My surgeon did a complete unfill the day before my tummy tuck. Thank goodness. I had big issues with nausea because of the anesthesia. I got a partial fill two weeks after the tummy tuck and a scooch more two weeks after that. I'm still not quite back to where I was, but I'm doing okay maintaining without the extra .5. I have the small band that only holds 4 cc's and I'm currently at 2.0. I was 2.5 before tummy tuck. I'm pretty tight at 2.0, so I'm good for now. If you have issues with anesthesia I highly recommend an unfill. Best wishes to you with your plastic surgery! I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue