Cocoabean

I have a desk job. I had my surgery on a Friday, there is no way I could have returned to work on Monday. I went back to work the second week, but wished I had not. I did half time that week. I came down with a cold during the first week post-op and that really took a toll on me. Perhaps if that had not happened I would have been fine returning the second week. Others on this site have returned within a few days. Everyone is different, but you should have a back-up plan in case you cannot return as soon as you are hoping.

My opinion, time to kick the old doc to the curb. I have called my surgeon with troubles twice. Each time he called me back within 20 minutes. I will admit both times I called during normal office hours, but still, when you are having problems...you need to know the doc is going to get back with you. If you cancel the appointment, tell them why. They need the feedback! Besh wishes!

Hey Ayana, I didn't mean exercise from a move the body standpoint (even if I did misspell it-sheesh! I always think there is a 'z' in that word!) but from the standpoint of using more will power over your portions. If your band is looser to allow rice and bread to go down, larger portions of other things will go down as well. Now exercise from a move the body standpoint can counteract that as well. With the band YOU are in the pilot's seat. YOU have say over how tight or loose you want the band. YOU choose to eat healthful foods or slider foods that go right down leaving you hungry for more. YOU put the food on your plate, and ultimately into your mouth. YOU move your body out the front door to take a walk or go to the gym.

I think it is very rare to convert to an open procedure. I've read of surgeries not being completed. I've not read of one being done open. The best thing you can do for yourself is to stick to your pre-op diet. Even if you don't lose the number of pounds expected, having stuck to it, you will know you did your best for your body. The recovery for an open surgery would be in the 6-8 weeks range. I don't think you'd be allowed to return to work in a week if that were to happen. I think the incision is along the entire abdomen from North to South.

The band is definitely NOT fast weight loss like a bypass patient. And the time before good restriction is reached, yes, it is willpower that gets us through. I don't know about you all, but my willpower sucks, thus I needed WLS. Don't beat yourselves up if you are not losing at a pace you feel you should be if you are not at restriction yet. Reading the posts on this thread, I am seeing an average of about a pound a week for many of the posters. Band patients with good restriction can expect 1-2 pounds lost per week. So you are doing great. Yes, when you have restriction it will get easier, but not necessarily faster. I did not feel good restriction until my third fill, and that one put me over the top and I needed some taken out. Patience! You'll get there. :smile:

Hi again, I am not sure I really follow your question. 27% full? The actual amount in your band really has nothing to do with it. Some people with a 10cc band will feel restriction at 2cc some at 8cc. It depends on the individual's anatomy. It is a team effort between patient and doctor to find the proper amount of fill to provide the restriction that is acceptable to the patient. There is no magic number. Some people like their bands tight, some loose. I prefer mine fairly loose. If you want to be able to eat rice and you get a fill that will not allow these foods to go down, you can get a slight unfill. The issue with having a looser band is that you will need to exercise more control over your food choices and quantities. So you need to decide if you can do that in order to have these foods in your daily meals. I honestly cannot tell you what my fill amount is. It is somewhere around 5cc, but I lost count long ago. I have a 10cc band, so I guess you could say I am 50% filled, but that is not what I care about. What I care about is that I am able to eat a wide variety of foods, I am able to eat small portions, and I feel satisfied between meals for 3-4 hours. I hope this helps.

Jinx!! You owe me a Coke!! Oh wait, we can't do soda! Ok, iced tea then! :thumbdown:

Hello Ayana, I can still eat rice and whole grains. You will want to cut down on the amounts for certain, as Protein should be your focus. I do have problems with sticky rice and doughy breads. These tend to get stuck. Unfortunately, it is by trial and error to see if these foods will go down ok. Also the level of restriction in your band will rule what goes down or not. So, you might want your band a bit looser. You might also consider a different procedure. I believe bypass patients can tolerate rice. At least a coworker of mine who had bypass can.

Hi Faithgirl! You are doing awesome!! Keep up the good work!!! There is a plan to put your port back, right?? Sorry, I don't have a blog. I post here and on thinnertimes.com -- but mostly here. It has been an interesting two years. Monday is my 2nd Bandiversary! The changes have been gradual. I lost the majority of the weight over the first year and a few months. Since then, I have gradually lost a few more pounds. I am seeing my primary care doc on Tuesday to get some blood work done to make sure I am still normal blood sugar! :thumbup: It's been a while since I had it checked. I think self-confidence comes as a result of the weight loss or perhaps the procedure itself. You feel better about yourself because you have taken positive action toward being healthier. Because you have self-respect, people pick up on that and react to you differently. Personal experience speaking here...as my weight went down, I felt less self-conscious when in a group of people. Then I discovered I was not always the largest woman in the room. That was a great feeling, and a boost to my confidence. Not being the largest person around, I no longer felt like people were looking at what I was eating or what was in my shopping cart and judging me. Each victory changes you a little bit. I have prayed for the changes to be positive and make me a better person. These changes haven't affected any of my personal relationships. DH and I are still going strong, and my best friends pre-band are still my best friends. I was fortunate that none of my friends were "eating buddies." I'd think perhaps WLS could put a strain on a relationship that had a lot of emphasis on food. My DH often acted as my food police pre-banding. In fact it was sometimes an issue in our relationship. He is now my biggest cheerleader. He reminds me to chew, chew, chew, and cheers when I burp like a sailor. When I get stuck on something and am calling myself stupid he politely leaves me alone to deal with it. When the episode is over he'll ask if all is ok. I have tried to make my band program as close to my previous life as I could in hopes that I create habits that would be easy to maintain. Knowing my former attempts at "dieting" failed because they required lifestyle changes I could not live with, I approached banded life with a different attitude. Not that we have a whole lot of choice in some of the changes!! I am more active than previously, but not as muh as I should be. (she says with a red face) This probably explains why my ticker still says 14 pounds to go after two years. But I am very pleased with where I am at right now based on all of the things I posted up thread. My food choices prior to banding were not that unhealthful, just huge portions. With some junk food Snacks thrown in. So, I have gotten rid of the junk food, except for the rare occasion, and I use the band for portion control. When I do consume a "bad for me treat" it is in a small package so I do not brainlessly over-do it. I haven't had any complications. Most of my stuck episodes have been operator error, and they are getting fewer and farther apart. It does get frustrating when I go to a restaurant and the first bite gets stuck, and I can't finish my meal. Ok, enough rambling!! :thumbdown:

Antibiotics mess with the natural flora in the digestive tract which can cause bloating, and affect the scale. If you do a search of doxycyline and weight gain you'll find several forums of people listing many pounds of gain in short periods of time. It is usually temporary, but that doesn't mean it isn't frustrating at the time. "Back in the day" I was a Weight Watchers leader for a couple of years. I can't tell you how many times I was at the scales with someone who'd had a gain, and told me they had been on program the entire week. Upon further discussion I found they had been on antibiotics, it is something we were trained to discuss. Sure it is anecdotal and the people could have been lying, but as often as I saw this occur...I don't think everyone was.

Oh yeah, and don't forget the "Bat Wings!" :thumbdown:

The ability to blend into a room and not stick out. Size 10s in my closet...a couple of size 8s. Normal blood sugar. Normal blood pressure. Better cholesterol. Cheek bones that show. Collar bones that show. Fun on Lap-Band Talk. I don't obsess about food. I love it, but don't panice about my next meal. More energy. Self-esteem. Shopping in Missy sizes!! Self-confidence. Better eating habits. A wedding ring that was too small is now too big. Portion control. Confidence to eat what I want without fear that others will think, "she shouldn't be eating that!" Confidence to ask questions of waiters about how foods are prepared and ask for special orders. Less pain in my feet. No more food policing by the DH.

Hello all, The answer is, at least for her, her tests are current and will work. She found a new surgeon at a covered hospital and has a date! She'll be joining us bandsters the beginning of April! She's not happy that the new surgeon requires a month long post-op liquid phase, but she will survive. I also let her know that I got moved along in my post-op phases faster than I expected as I was doing well, so there is hope that it might not go on that long. Apparently her other choice of surgeon did not have that same requirement. Ah well, just a minor speed bump on the road to a healthier her!

I wonder if they'd sell a little bit on the side! :thumbdown: Probably not, and it is probably patented or copyrighted or proprietary or whatever they call it. Gee, they could probably make even more money if they packaged it and sold it as a supplement. I don't go to Jamba Juice very often, as my surgeon doesn't wanting me drinking my calories. And we know those smoothies are far from low calorie, but they are a yummy treat once in a great while! Ok, now I am Jonesin' for Jamba!

I know you've heard this, but I'll say it anyway. Don't compare yourself to someone else, especially a man. Having more muscle mass, they will generally lose at a higher rate. It also sounds as if he had more to lose, so he'd lose faster than you. Being on antibiotics? Yeah, that will slow weight loss down...and also lessen the effect of birth control pills (just ask my neice! 2 months preggers). You ARE losing. Keep focused on that! 14 lbs in 2 1/2 months is great! It is a long haul, not a short sprint! Best wishes!

Adagray, I have never heard of Pei Wei! Must go look for one!! OMG!!! 7 miles away! Ok...Just what I needed to find, a new restaurant! hee hee :crying: Hubby and I always share, so that helps the calorie count. He is totally addicted to veggie lettuce wraps, and rarely strays from that choice. He helps me finish whatever I choose though, what a guy! :eek:

Hi Majacw, I think you will be much happier with a bit taken out. You just gotta love it when liquid gets stuck, eh? You can go back in after things calm down and get another fill. But not being able to eat really sucks! Give your stomach time to heal after this. It was amazing after I had my unfill. What a relief! I had 0.5 cc taken out after a 1.0 cc fill. About a month later I went back in and had another 1.0 cc put in. So I ended up with double in of what I had removed a month earlier. Weird. Since then I have added another 0.5 cc more. My doctor said he prefers his band patients to have their bands looser and exercise more control. To which my husband replied, "if she had any control she'd not have needed a band!" :scared2: Thanks, Honey! Anway, I hope you are feeling better soon and able to eat a meal with ease and control!

:scared2: Er, make that 11 weeks, huh? I dunno what calendar I was looking at yesterday. DOH! That is an even better loss rate. Ok, have I REALLY lost as much as I think I have? let's see....217 minus 154..... equals 250, right? ok, yeah, I've lost 250 lbs! Nah, not really! But I'll take 63 from all time high! Oh yeah!!! 2 year bandiversary right around the corner!!

Hey wait a minute, I am the government! :rolleyes2: But aviation, not health. We're here to help. HA! Air Traffic Delays, anyone? Her doc told her that he'd send her records where ever she decides to go. But I just hope they aren't "too old" and the new doc wants to do new ones or some stuff like that! Last I spoke with her, she was off to the phone to figure it all out.

You are about 15 weeks post-op. You are averaging a pound a week. That is awesome! We can expect 1-2 pounds per week. Don't get discouraged. It takes time to get to the sweet spot. Keep trucking. A band is not about speedy losses. I averaged less than a pound a week during my active losing phase. Keep a positive focus, you can do it! When you get to your sweet spot, it will be sooooo much easier.

Hi Everyone, Here's one for you. A friend of mine called her insurance company to find a surgeon. She went with their suggestion. Jumped through all the hoops, only to be denied...the surgery was approved, as was the use of the surgeon, but not the hospital....???? HUH? Apparently he doesn't have privileges anywhere else, so why would the insurance company have him listed as a surgeon? Wow!! Ok, so my real question is this: She now wants to change surgeons to one on her insurance who practices at an acceptable facility. Do you think that her test results from recent months can be used or will she have to start all over again? Thanks!!

Oooooohhh! I love PF Changs!!!! Veggie Lettuce Wraps! Budha's Feast! Hot and Sour Soup! Mu Shu Pork! Lo Mein! :rolleyes2: Oh man, I'm hungry!

You are now a veteran of stuckage! Welcome! :thumbup: Now, I can't imagine the pain an unchewed brussel sprout could cause! Owie! Chew, chew, chew!

Oh, and after a fill, Jamba Juice, strawberries and banana with a protein shot! Yummy.

Wendy's Chili. Daphne's Gyro Sandwich. Rubios cheese Quesadilla (I eat about half). Or a bean and cheese burrito from just about anywhere usually goes down well. I also eat dark meat chicken with the skin removed. Popeyes Red Beans and Rice is way yummy. Chicken sandwiches are OUT. Much Much too dry, as they are usually breast meat.