Cocoabean

Hi Everyone! Well, I went shopping for new dresses for the cruise. I bought a Mac Book Air! What fun! It's soooo cute!!! And I got two dresses. Yes!! Get this...One is a size 12, one a size 8. Go figure!

Ok, question for you Guinness drinkers. The fact that they use nitrogen...it is still bubbles, isn't it? When it is served, it has a head on it. So, they don't use Co2, but..aren't bubbles bubbles?? When I have beer, I prefer a Hefeweizen. It seems to not be as bubbly as a domestic. Plus, I much prefer the taste.

At mine, they took my height, weight, blood pressure. The did a thorough medical history. Gave me an extensive list of tests I needed to have run. The surgeon and I had a long discussion about bypass and band and why I wanted a band. We discussed the pros and cons of each procedure. From there I went to the lab and got that ball rolling. I had to schedule with the nutritionist, go to a couple of support and education meetings, do the psych eval. Then when that was all done they submitted to my insurance. It took about a month to get my approval (it was during the holidays). Did my pre-op appointment and diet, pre-op class and appointment at the hospital, surgery and done. Ok, a bit more than you asked, but there you have it! I don't know much about Tricare, tho.

The only thing that is a constant on this journey is that the band is fickle! One day I can eat and eat and eat. The next day mashed potatoes don't want to go down. You need to take it one meal at a time and learn to go with the flow. Before each meal I stop to remind myself to eat slowly. If I have an issue while eating, I stop. It is what it is. Our bodies let go of weight when they are ready. As happygirl pointed out, it is not an immediate reaction on the scale. Keep doing the right things most of the time and the weight will come off and you will be healthier.

For the gas..walk walk walk...and heating pads. Some say gas-x strips help. I didn't try those. If you can have mashed potatoes, then cream of wheat or malt o meal should be fine. Keep up the good work!

Couple of things going through my mind. One, call your surgeon to check in. Tell him or her what is going on. That you had the virus and have had problems since. You might get an Upper GI ordered just to be sure all is well. Second. Ground beef can be VERY hard on a banded person. One of my worst stuck episodes was on loose cooked hamburger. When I called my surgeon he told me it can be a doozy. Even though it is ground, it has a lot of gristle holding it together. Banana can also be a tough one to get down. It was one of the first foods I got stuck on, and to this day if I don't eat it slowly, it will get hung up. Feel better soon.

Yay Deb! Seeing family is always good. Glad you are losing. Take it slow and easy as you get used to your band's new rules! Melody, my 2 cents. Without any form of WLS, you know what will happen. You do. I do. We all do. Else we would not be here working our bands. I'd not hesitate to revise to another procedure now that I've "been to "Paris" as it were. I don't want to go back to the land of high blood pressure, the road to diabetes, heart disease, and not liking my body. Talk, talk, talk to your surgeon. If he has to remove the band, and he can revise during the same operation, why not? Why risk two surgeries? But, if you revise and leave us here at LBT, as Jim Carrey would say in the Grinch, "I'll hunt you down and gut you like a fish!"

Yeah, what she said! Well put Heather! To put it in pre-banded terms...I can eat one cheese enchilada with a little bit of Beans and rice. Or I can eat half the enchilada, half the beans and rice and put the other half away for the next day. From a pizza place...A medium pizza, 1 slice. From Round Table, a small veggie, 2 slices...maybe, it depends on the day. Somedays only 1, somedays 2 1/2. That will keep me satisifed for 4 hours or more.

Sorry, Cleo's. I made a generalization and spoke it as fact. I should have stated that for most the band does not work without fills and adequate after care. It can take some people many, many fills to reach the green zone. The band is not a "set it and forget it" WLS like bypass or sleeve. If I were in fear of losing my insurance coverage and did not have adequate resources to pay for fills (I have seen amounts for fills here on LBT anywhere from $75 to $250), I'd have to give the other procedures serious consideration.

That's so cool! Haven't seen you a in a while. Glad you know you are doing well. Was just thinking of you a week or so ago.

My surgeon said they can overfill a band to a certain degree. Not sure how much, but some.

1-2 pounds per week is expected with a band. You are WELL ahead of average. That said, many people do not lose during the immediate post-op phase. Not feeling restriction is not uncommon. Do not feel alone. Go about your busiess, get your fill, and relax. You are doing fantastic!

Something to consider with a band. There is quite a bit of after care. Fills do not come cheap if you have to pay for them out of pocket. The band does not work if you do not get adequate fills to provide you with the restriction you need. I certainly am not wanting to talk you out of the surgery, but do consider all sides before you proceed. Having an empty band is like having a beautiful sports car with an empty gas tank. It looks great, but gets you no where. If you cannot afford to fill the tank, it just sits there doing no good.

Sometimes our bodies just do what they want to do. It cannot be explained. You can do everything right, and the scale will not change. While I was in the losing phase I found that my body would part with the weight in fits and starts. I'd lose 3 lbs one week, then stay the same for a couple of weeks. Then 1 lb down, then up 1, down 2, stay the same for several weeks then lose 5. It was not a steady 1-2 lbs each week. Even though my diet was the same, my body parted with the weight when it was ready. It made absolutely no sense, but it became a total of 70 lbs down. Once I saw the "pattern" of no real pattern, but the weight going down I was able to relax and go with it. Be confident in the fact that you are eating a healthy diet. You are also coming off of a "crash" diet and eating solids for the first time. Your body is adjusting to many changes at ones. Losing weight with the band is a journey. A long one at that. It isn't a short term event. Keep up the good work, and the weight will come off.

I don't know if you can choose the location, but definitely tell your surgeon about the pain you have. It could make a difference in where he places the port. Mine is on my left side, about 2" to the side of and 1" below the level of my navel. It's fine there unless I wear pants with a waistband that hits it and is tight. That rarely happens, so I have no issues with the placement of mine.

I've eaten watermelon and had no troubles. If it is a trigger food for you, then be careful. Whether or not you should eat it is up to your personal triggers and the food plan your surgeon has you on.

I had a brilliant response all typed out the other day when the site crashed! Rats. Anyway...see if I can re-create it. I think many people feel we don't deserve to be cured of our disease. People see it as elective surgery, and it is, in a way. I see any surgery as elective, some are just more urgent than others, but a person can say no to any treatment they don't want. People also see obesity as a disease we have caused and deserve. A treatment that involves making us look better, well--that ought not to be allowed! But if you were to get knee replacement surgery from osteoarthritis, you'd have full support from everyone. I doubt you'd hear, "well, if you lost weight, you'd not need a new knee!" Knee replacement could be considered elective as well, last time I checked pain was not fatal. As to the deaths that have made the news recently...yes, deaths do occur from surgery. It's a risk. As is getting in your car. Hopefully you have researched your surgeon. He or she comes highly recommended, and you've checked your state's medical board. If you do some searches on the doctors involved with the cases in the news, there are multiple complaints against them.

I snipped your post a bit. I've been wondering about your posts talking about ghrelin being influenced by the band. I was under the belief that bands didn't affect it. But I found this study http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/reprint/88/9/4227.pdf Interesting reading. So many times medical 'science' finds something works, thinks they know why, does more research, finds out it is an entirely different mechanism. For me, my band works like Humming Bird's. I don't weigh and measure my foods. I eat until I hear a "whisper of satiety" as I call it. I try to make healthy choices most of the time. It has worked as I'd hoped it would. My band DOES limit the amount I can eat at a meal. I cannot eat portions the size I used to. It isn't possible for me to do it, unless I sat there for an hour or longer waiting for my pouch to empty and nibbling on the food. But that isn't the goal of being banded. This is my experience only, but if I have to wait a while to be able to eat more of my meal, then my meal is over. If I tried to eat the same size portion I used to, I'd be in significant discomfort. In between meals, I have to fight the urge to graze. If I am truly hungry, I'll eat. If not, then it's a battle of the brain. But the band gives me control of the physical hunger making the battle with my brain a little bit easier. I don't always win that battle, but I win it more than I lose it, and that makes me feel as though I have won the war.

Melody, the gain and your band tightening happended at the same time. They MUST be related. You are retaining so much fluid that it has affected your stomach tissues, also. Can you look back at the other times your band got tight and see if you had a significant gain at that time? 7 lbs overnight is NOT fat. I know you know that, but it bears repeating. Hang in there!

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! A tip about sharing meals at restaurants. Some charge a fee for this. So at those that do I will order a small side salad or other inexpesive tiny item to get a plate and silverware. Then grab food off his plate. I realize it costs them money to wash an extra plate, fork, and knife if we share and entree..but some split fees are $5.00. I'd rather order a salad and have them toss it, just to make a point. I am not really into wasting food, but they make portions so huge and don't offer smaller choices. You learn to be creative. DH prefers to just say he isn't going to eat anything then share the fork as well. Yeah, it works, but I am not into that plan, thanks!

Angie, I'm sticking with my theory that the new placement site is the difference. It will be an interesting question to ask your doctor. I am betting it feels nice to be able to eat without pain, but scary as well for fear of regain. Insurance companies do pay for life-threatening complications. I'd think a slip that severe qualifies, but I am no expert. I'd be concerned as well. I does sound as though your surgeon has had experience with insurance and going the ER route. That might have been very wise. Keep us posted as to how you are doing!!

If it is your left shoulder that is not uncommon. If it is that severe and getting worse, call your surgeon. Try gas-x strips, they can help dissipate the gas. Walk and heating pads help, too. Hope you feel better soon.

Do you mean insulin resistant? Which would mean pre-diabetic. If you are insulin dependent, you would be taking insulin and know it. WLS is a good treatment for insulin resistance. Losing weight helps control blood sugar.

I had originally set my goal about 5 lbs less than where it is now. My PCP would like me to be about 10 lbs less. But we talked about and he said if I am happy, he can live with it..gee thanks! But I feel good at this weight and don't want to work as hard as I would have to to get down to that weight. I've also heard the "you're too skinny" line from people. That I just ignore as them not being used to seeing me at a healthy weight. I am at the high end of normal BMI, so there is no way I am too thin. Since I have been at this weight for a while now, I don't hear that any more. They seem to be used to seeing me now. My response to the too skinny comment is that I am at a healthy weight and my doctor is happy with it.

Mattie, a slip generally means that the stomach has come UP through the band, not that the band has slid down over the stomach. Was your first band the same size as this one? The placement might have been a little different, that could explain the change in appetite. Also, sometimes the surgeon puts in some fill at the time of surgery, he might have left it empty this time to give you time to heal.