Cocoabean

My surgeon says there is something in diet sodas that increases appetite...who wants that?? I wasn't a big diet coke drinker, but did have one with meals eaten out, which was often. I still order them sometimes but find they don't taste as good now and if I drink the bubbles, sometimes I get the hiccups! So, for me, they just aren't worth it! Beer on the other hand? I'll risk the hiccups...but then, I look like I am totally drunk, when it has happened on the first sip. Go figure!

I haven't weighed and measured my foods yet. 3-4 oz of solid Protein is the size of your palm. A cup of food is the size of your fist. A tablespoon is the size of your thumb. After all the years of doing Weight Watchers I was good at estimating portions (doesn't mean I did it, of course!). So now I apply that knowledge. For me, it is important to not make a big deal out of my diet. Note: it is just hubby and me at home. We cook for the two of us and I portion out my plate. I eat until I hear the whisper of satiety, and I am done. If there is still food on my plate, so be it. If I start to feel any pain like I am getting stuck, I stop. If I was only two bites into my meal, oh well. Putting more food down will NOT go well. Weight Watchers centers used to sell serving spoons that were also measuring cups. So you could easily portion out a quarter or half cup of veggies or rice. They also had a variety of scales. You didn't have to be a member to purchase them. Just go in at the beginning part of a meeting and make the purchase.

sparkpeople.com says Chinese chicken stock has 33.2 calories per serving, which I am assuming is a cup. Yay for moving on to full liquids, clears suck!

I had pain on my left side just below my ribs after surgery. I believe gall bladder pain is generally on the right and will hurt back to the shoulder blade (the classic pain, anyway). Do you think the headache could be from lack of caffeine? Or does it happen after you take the vicodin? Maybe you are reacting to it. A quick call to your surgeon could clarify. They can change your pain meds to see if that helps the headache. I was on a gallbladder medication for 6 months post-op to avoid forming a stone.

Take it one day, or even one meal at a time. We are all different as to what we can tolerate. I can still eat bread, but not bagels or doughnuts (which I don't really need anyway). My last bagel and doughnut were so bad that I don't even miss them! Breads I have to take small bites and be mindful when eating them, but I am otherwise OK. Over time with your band you will learn what works and what doesn't. Each fill will bring new food challenges. It's a process of eliminating foods as you slowly gain restriction, it isn't like hitting a brick wall. At least it was for me. My surgeon goes slowly on fills. So, listen to what others have said...you won't really miss them as you adjust to your new eating methods. Just go about your business of getting healthy!

Very well done. That, from a business owner? Yikes!

I had to grin at your choice of foods to snack on. Would those have been your choices pre-band? How many calories did you consume? 1 cup of watermelon balls has 46 calories, a Kosher dill pickle has 5 calories, a piece of string cheese has 80. So really? Did you do so badly? I don't think so. Mainly you didn't follow the no snacking in band land rule. Ok, pick yourself up and forgive yourself. If you watch "normal weight" people they have days where they are hungrier than others. Some days they will have more Snacks, others they won't. My surgeon is a bit different from many here in that if I get hungry in between meals, I am allowed to eat. He just wants it to be nutritious foods that fit into my overall calorie count. He doesn't mind snacking, he hates brainless eating. Mainly, don't obsess over a little slip up. Slip ups will happen over your banded life. Don't let them control you. It is the fact that we are usually in control that wins this war. We cannot be 100% 100% of the time.

There is a forum here for Christian bandsters: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/forum/141-christian-bandsters/

Hi Everyone. Elcee, what a story! Melody, best wishes for the wedding. I've quit eating, had another week where stuff was getting stuck. Was facilitating a meeting. Ate three bites of a banana on a break, you guessed it....ugh. I had to excuse myself for a couple of minutes to urp. What fun! NOT. I picked up my new ring setting yesterday. It is great to be able to wear my diamond without it spinning around on my finger! I just love it! Not much else going on around here.

The waiting game sucks. But i think they have 30 days to respond. Bcbs took nearly 6 weeks for me as mine was submitted just before Thanksgiving.

Wheeler, you are experiencing what some of us call "soft signs" that you are full. For many of us hiccups are a great signal to stop eating before we get into trouble. When I feel a pain just under my sternum, it can be a sign that things are starting to get stuck. If I stop then and wait a bit, I am usually Ok. If not, it can lead to baaad things. I can still eat some breads, just not the really soft ones like fresh bagels. But then, I am not ordered onto a low carb diet. So I eat all foods, just in moderation. As you get your fills, you might not be able to continue to eat breads. I had a very nasty break-up with bagels. I don't miss them any more! For me, one of the strangest things that I did not expect, is that when I am hungry, my hunger feels exactly the same as it did before being banded. I would still swear to you that I could eat the same amount if you asked me when I was ready for my next meal. At three years out, the difference is that I am not constantly hungry like I used to be. I eat my meal and I am good to go for about 3-5 hours depending on what I ate. Plus, I KNOW that I will not be able to eat what I used to eat. So, I plan my meals/portions accordingly. Teekii, did you have a hiatal hernia repaired during your band surgery? Sometimes that can cause some extra pain during recovery. I think once you get moved onto more solid foods you will find that it sustains you longer. liquids go right through the band leaving you feeling very empty. The post-op phases suck, that is a fact. But this too shall pass.

You know, I don't know if anyone has tried it here, but I am wondering if we could set up a Protein powder exchange for those that don't like the ones they have purchased? I know my doctor's office has a Medi-fast support group and they do a food exchange. Some surgeons do a clothes closet, why not a protein exchange? Just a thought...?

That sounds yummy! Strawberry yogurt in it would be great!

You can wear a medical ID bracelet. I have one that says Adjustable Gastric Band w/Abdominal Port, No Blind N/G. That way they know what the lump is on my abdomen, and they know to be careful if inserting a naso-gastric tube. As to the food, why would it be a problem? If you are in a coma, you won't be able to eat, if you aren't, you control what you put in your mouth and how much you eat. I don't see it as much of an issue. Last time someone I knew was in the hospital, she got to choose what foods she was given each day.

Check the fine print on your contract. It should cover this contingency.

Before spending a lot of money on Protein powders/shakes make sure you are going to need them for the long haul. I bought a bunch of the stuff only to find out that my surgeon does not want me using them on a regular basis. In fact, he does not want me drinking any liquids with calories, period. All my calories should come from solid foods. So, I had tons of it sitting on my shelf for a year before I finally threw it away. I always have some Protein Bars around. I like the brand Isagenix. I do like their shakes also, I keep some around for after fills or bad stuck episodes when I am taking it very easy on my stomach. Shakes and bars are Meal Replacements for me if I use them. The calories need to be considered part of your daily total.

Monika, glad to hear you are getting back on track! We all make mistakes. Usually the sign of a slipped band is constant vomiting after eating. It can also be sudden loss of restriction, but that would not apply to someone recently banded, I'd think. Take it from someone 3 years out, if you were to get stuck on something right now (like bread--a notorious item for getting stuck) the reaction of your body would be incredibly painful. Some surgeons put a bit of fill into a band during surgery, so you might have some restriction already. When we get a piece of food stuck over the stoma (the hole between the pouch and the lower stomach) the pouch tries to grind it to make it go down. It is very painful. You can also get nauseous and vomit. Having new stitches and incisions would make these symptoms all the more painful. Just another set of reasons to stick to your doctor's orders during this immediate post-op phase. If your surgeon said no fruit until the pureed stage, then bananas are out. One of the first foods I got stuck on was a banana. I didn't blend it, but still. I say wait until you can have them.

At this point, the band isn't providing you with much help. Until you start getting fills, you will find your hunger is about the same as it was before surgery. It may even take 3 or 4 fills before you really start to experience the true help from the band. Don't let it get you down. The band is not a quick weight loss tool. We don't lose rapidly after surgery. It is not designed to provide that. As you continue on with post-op care, it will come, but right now, the tool of the band is not proving you assistance.

It can happen. There are monitors in use now (I don't know if all hospitals use them), that monitor your brain for level of consciousness. It helps the anesthesiologist quite a bit. http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2011/01/21/2-in-1000-may-be-awake-during-anesthesia/UPI-44931295662555/ http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/26/earlyshow/contributors/emilysenay/main651475.shtml?source=search_story One time, the anesthesiologist paralyzed my sister before putting her to sleep and intubating her. NOT a good last memory before drifting off!!

You are most welcome. Many insurance companies are saying that a person needs to see their doctor or nutritionist monthly during the 6 month program. It's crazy what they will do to get you to go away. I hope the peer-to-peer works out for you. Don't give up the fight. There are many on here who had to go to the second level review before getting the decision overturned. My PCP told me that in the medical group he was in at the time, a referral is always denied (that is what happened to me), but if the patient appeals, it is almost always overturned. I hope after you win, you will stick around here and help others through the process. My PCP was very impressed with my appeal letter. He asked if he could put it in his personal file for future reference! He had gastric bypass about a year after I got my band (by my surgeon, too!). In today's world, we have to be our own strongest advocates! Keep up the good work, you deserve it.

I think I would next send that same email to the gym manager/owner and explain that you haven't hear from the trainer. I'd say I was very hurt by his unprofessional reaction to your statement that you are having a life saving surgery. To say that you are cheating by having the surgery shows that he wants you to fail at weight loss, and feels himself superior (in my opinion). He obviously does not want you to succeed, at the very least, he could use some education about bariatric surgery. No one deserves to be treated the way you were. I know it happens, but it shouldn't. If you had said you were having open heart surgery, he'd have probably said, "I'll be here waiting for you when you are ready to start again!" But darn you that you are trying to avoid that! Ask that you be lined up with a trainer who has worked with bariatric patients before and understands our needs. If the gym doesn't have anyone like that, it would be a great idea for them to invest in someone who does understand the bariatric community. I think I'd tell them I don't plan to renew my personal training sessions when they run out.

When you are on the liquid stages, you don't have much choice but to drink juices. Just something to consider, juices have a lot of calories without providing much sustaining power. I am sure you are aware of this with the fantastic work you have done so far! My surgeon does not like his patients drinking any liquid calories, to include protein shakes. He prefers I get all my calories from solid foods. And now for my take on food. There are no good or bad foods. Food just is. There are high calorie choices, and low calorie choices. Some choices are healthier than others. Some foods taste better than others. With a band, highly processed foods usually go down VERY well. Bandsters don't get dumping syndrome from high sugar foods like bypass folk. So these foods don't make us sick. As has been said many times here before, the doctor did not band my brain when he banded my stomach. I have to fight every day to make the right choices for a healthier me. BUT, the band helps to keep my physical appetite under control, so I am only fighting the war on one front, the mental one. For me, it has made all the difference in the world. I can still enjoy the occasional high-fat, sugary treat. I just don't do it all the time. Some band rules are universal, like eating slowly, chewing well, and taking small bites. Otherwise, we make our journey into what is best for ourselves. I found what works for me. It might not work for everyone, but I am loving it!

Dang, my computer is giving me fits. I was trying to add a response...it edited my previous...so please see my previous post for more information. Include it in your next appeal. I quoted the 1991 consensus on my appeal letter when BCBS denied me due to the 6 month requirement. I won my appeal, but it was a few years ago. Almost 4 now.

Ok, Here's more for an additional appeal. In 1991 the NIH put out a consensus about the surgical treatment of obesity. They did not mention a supervised diet as part of the criteria for patient selection. The article is here: http://consensus.nih...sity084html.htm Those patients judged by experienced clinicians to have a low probability of success with nonsurgical measures, as demonstrated for example by failures in established weight control programs or reluctance by the patient to enter such a program, may be considered for surgery. Another statement came out in 2004 from the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons. http://www.asbs.org/...e_Statement.pdf "Bariatric surgery candidates should have attempted to lose weight by nonoperative means, including self-directed dieting, nutritional counseling, and commercial and hospital-based weight loss programs, but should not be required to have completed formal nonoperative obesity therapy as a precondition for the operation. So, you have done as much or more than what the National Institutes of Health and the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons say should be the standard diet attempts for patient selection. Find out what the next level of appeal/review is in your state. Your policy should have it written within. FIGHT for yourself. They want you to give up.

Lap band has been FDA approved down to a BMI of 25 now. I believe this question was related to having insurance pay. A surgeon can place a band whenever he feels it is medically needed. Even for 'off label' use. IF the patient is willing to pay for it.