stI24nger

Wow....kinda sounds like....magic!

Hey Laura, Congrats on your decision and commitment! Just a little bit of advice regarding your "pig out" question. Many doctors have a Pre-Op diet that lasts for a period before your surgery. My personal experience was a 2 week lo-carb diet to help shrink my liver. Some people have a more rigorous pre-op diet, some do not have a pre-op diet at all. My best advice is this: 1) Talk to your surgeon/surgeon's office and get an idea of what you will be "prescribed" for your pre-op period. 2) Do NOT binge. There is no point. I had a "last supper" myself, but it was just ONE meal. You MUST remember....you should be able to and WILL be able to eat....For The Rest Of Your Life. You'll be able to have a (small) steak for dinner, a piece of cake on your birthdayk, etc. It's all just LESS, and with better decisions made before-hand. Hope that helps some!

LOL...I'm happy that you wrote this post. I went to Six Flags about a month ago (about 8 MONTHS post op) and remember thinking, as I was enduring free-falls and Loop-D-Loops "I hope my band is okay." I meant to read up on it, but then totally forgot. I've been doing just fine since, so I guess it's all good! Have fun!

e60....You get Protein from meat. And, even when banded, you can and should be able to eat lean meats like chicken, pork, and fish. Tolerance to beef varies person to person. If you are banded and restriction is so much that you can't tolerate lean meats, you are TOO TIGHT, and that will, more than likely, hurt you MORE in the long run. HTH.

Restless...yep, i'm in Austin. I would say....even after all this great advice--definitely talk to you doctor and just be open and honest with him about your habits now and what you anticipate being your lifestyle (or the drinking aspect anyway) and make sure he gives YOU, personally, his direct blessing and consent. That way you know that you have advice that's suited to YOU, not everyone else here. Because as you can tell just from this little bit, everyone is different!

Hollie....NO DRINKING!!! You're only 18!!!!!!!!!

I have occasionally had a beer or some soda. I have heard that the air bubbles can actually lead to the stretching of the pouch. Also, for some reason, the burps are Hellacious! If I take ONE SIP of soda or beer, I burp out this *amazing* symphonic melody. I mean, it really can be described as nothing short of spectacular. The kind of burp which any man would be envious of. Mildly reminiscent of "Booger" in the first "Revenge of the Nerds." I'm not even kidding. So, unless I'm in VERY select company, no carbonation for me!

I have not found, personally, that my tolerance for alcohol has been effected. I have found, however, that I am MUCH more susceptible to hangovers....and I only had to make the mistake ONE TIME of drinking too much. Hangovers/Nausea/Vomitting....DOES NOT work well with the band. Hell on Earth would be a better option.

Trust me...I dont' think you're not serious for asking this question. Everything you point out is true. It's a waste of calories and blah blah blah. HOWEVER...this IS the rest of your life and it's important to know whether you're ever going to be able to take a drink again. MY doctor advised me to wait a year before drinking. But, then when I happened to see him out one evening and I tried to hide the Cape Cod I was sippin' on (yikes!), he said it was okay....you just can't get carried away. No more college binge drinking...plus you know what's said about carbonated beverages, so no beer, no vodka/tonic or rum/coke....makes it kinda hard. My BEST advice (probably should be taken with a grain of salt) is to stick to MODERATE portions of wine or non-carbonated mixed drinks (liquor w/ juice, margaritas, etc). Hope that helps.

Just for the record...when I said $1200 a paycheck......most people get paid twice a month. So that equals $2400 a month...

That's a pretty good idea - but be careful! Those interest free credit cards are getting a little bit harder to come by every day. AND, expect to pay a 3% balance transfer fee, which can charge you an unlimited amount (up to $300 on a $10000 balance transfer), or be capped at $99. In this economy, just be cautious with your expectations. Otherwise, your plan is decent. However, you need to make sure you know what your housing payments, bills, and spending habits will be. You'll be bringing home about $1200 a paycheck after taxes, so factor that in. If you're working, do you not anticipate having an insurance option that will cover all or most of the surgery? I had much of mine covered, and only had to put about $1300 on my credit card....

well, personally, I am going to get my tattoos on my back refreshed and redone. And, since I still have them (goodness knows why), I think I'll wear the same jeans as I wore the night I got my first tattoo in 1998.

Hey there... I've been banded for about 9 months now. I'm able to take aspirins and the like when necessary, so I thought I would be okay taking pill Vitamins. I usually chop the pill in thirds or halfs, and take it all separately. Seemed like an okay idea. HOWEVER, I have found that after I take them, I guess they sit in the pouch ( I have 6.25cc in a 10cc band) becuase shortly after taking them, I begin to feel VERY nauseous. Not the pain like being stuck, but regular old nausea. Like the dissolving is too much for my pouch or something. I'm not sure if anyone else has had the same experience, but that's just me.

The insurance is Anthem Blue Cross PPO.

Hi SoCalers!!! I'm a Texan, myself, but have a San Diegan (is that what you call yourselves? San Diegites, San Diegoans, San Dieganians?) friend who wants to get banded. For some reason, the reputable UCSD is NOT covered on her insurance, and she is in the process of looking for another "Center of Excellence." I'm not sure what insurance company she is with, and will post that info when I receive it. Anyone have any input? I really just want my best bud to be my best BAND bud, and I want her to be as HAPPY as I am!!!!!! :biggrin:

You should be able to get one from your doctor. I have one, but have honestly never used it. I just ask the waiter when it's my turn to order, "is it okay if I order off the kids' menu?" and honestly, I've NEVER had one reject me. The card does give you an added sense of confidence, although I'm not really sure how I would handle it if I ever actually had to pull it out.

Ashley--Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I, too, know EXACTLY what you mean. I am moved by your reaction--mainly because I think everyone here knows how huge it is. Keep it up!

Glad you nudged, Archer...I just found it! Measured my...let's see....8 1/2 month old scar: it's exactly 1.5 in. I wish it was more like 1/2 in...

Oh, btw whosya....if I haven't said it already, congrats on your triathlon last month! That's incredible. I wish I could say you're inspring me, but I STILL haven't started swimming!

I think this thread is officially dead. Well, regardless--I'm going to tell anyone who cares that I ran 5K last night!!! Even though I've completed the C25K program twice now, I've never before run a 5k--have just been running for Time, not Distance. But, last night I did it! It took me about 35 1/2 minutes, I averaged an 11:32 minute mile, and it felt GOOD!!! Woo Hoo!

Well, good job. What THAT means is that your stomach has recovered from surgery. After you get your lap band, you don't really experience THE lap band until you start getting restriction (through Adjustments, aka "fills"). SOOOO....where you're at is NOT bad--you SHOULDN'T feel different yet. Your doc will probably wait a certain amount of time, just to make sure you're all healed up, then you will start going back to her for your fills. You will continue to go in every month or couple of months until your level of restriction and weight loss gets to a "sweet spot"---or the point at which your food intake and weight loss are at an optimum level. The sweet spot is really determined by YOU, but your doctor helps you with it. Congratulations!!!

Hi Huskerette! You and I were banded on the same day...but you've lost 12 more pounds than me!! Congrats on that. I WILL be 185 soon too, and will probably be a 14. Lucky for me, I'm losing my weight pretty evenly over my body. I had a fill today too! Crazy! This was my 5th fill, it was just a TINY one. I feel like I'm almost to my sweet spot, so I only went with .25cc. I think I'll go back for another .25 in a few weeks if that doesn't work out. Anyway, it's great to have you as part of the Nymphs! And thanks for pushing our "weight loss to date" chart over the ONE TON mark! That's pretty neat!

Sometimes Life Hands you CUPCAKES!!! I'd say that's WAAAAAAAAAAY better than some of the other things life hands out!!!! I hope it was delicious!!!!!!!! Maybe in about 6 months, you can have another one. LOL...I'm Joking! I agree with everyone else---it's allowed, don't beat yourself up, don't feel bad, and most of all what snowbird said: Enjoy Your Life!!!!!!!! P.S. Yesterday I had a small chocolate milkshake. My first in a LONG time. It was AWESOME and DELICIOUS in every way!!!!!!!!

Hi everyone! Well, I HAVEN'T started swimming yet. For some reason I'm just as reluctant to add another activity to my repertoire as I am to do everything else! I think I might be a commitment-a-phobe. However, I did finish day one of week 9 last night. This time, my running partner and I have decided to KEEP RUNNING!!!!!! So, instead of quitting all-together for 2 months and having to start the program over, I am just going to CONTINUE to run 30 minutes/3 miles 3 times a week and start working on speed. What a novel concept!!!!!!!

Well, I think your weight loss is just fine. Not as fast as some, but faster than others, so don't worry. I know what you mean about the band feeler tighter in the morning and looser by dinner. It sounds like you're doing the right thing by talking to your doc about a fill. That's probably exactly what you need. I experienced restriction in my 10cc band with 5.5 cc in it to, but maybe it's time to bump it up to 6! Congrats on your weight loss!