Cocoabean

You betcha! I am debating if I want to work harder to lose more, or get another fill to knock out a few more calories. The fact is, I feel great where I am. DH likes where I am. I am eating a reasonable amount of food. I rarely get stuck. I like the size 10. Would I like size 8 better? Of course! Am I motivated enought to work harder? Nah... I have an appointment with my PCP next week to get blood work run to see how that is doing. Will re-evaluate then. :thumbup: It better still be good, it's been about a year since I had it run. :thumbup:

My surgeon doesn't want me consuming Protein shakes, or any liquids with calories. He wants me to get my calories from solid foods that will satisfy me longer than liquids. Protein shakes will go right through the band, and some contain a lot of calories. You need to take that into consideration.

Every doctor is different. Mine waits for 6 weeks before doing a fill. The post-op time is for healing, not weight-loss. If you gain a bit, so be it. It is not uncommon. This period is what we call bandster hell. Borrowing from another poster...consider your band like a new car, which has an empty gas tank. It sure is pretty, but it does you no good. It can't take you anywhere without a fill up. Your band is not providing you any assistance at the moment. If you had tons of willpower, you wouldn't have needed the band :thumbup: Try and eat reasonably now and heal up. You don't need the added swelling that can occur after a fill. Your time for losses will come after the healing is done. Best wishes in your recovery!

I've had people tell me I am "too thin." But they are used to seeing me "too heavy." So whatever! 5 more pounds would put me at a normal BMI. My surgeon said I could get to 130. I've been there years ago. Was a size 4 and had to work like a fiend to get there. So, I chose 140 as a goal. Now I have stabilized at 154, and am maintaining it with ease. I wear a size 10, and my blood tests are good. My questions to you would be, how is your health where you are? Blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and the like? Do you like the size you are wearing? Do you like what you see in the mirror? In one of my pre-op classes the lecturer said that for many obese people, we will not get into the normal BMI category post-op. But we will be WAY more healthy that we were.

When dining out or with a group it is improtant to pay attention to what you are doing and chew, chew, chew. Don't take big bites. I tend to swallow too fast because of conversation going on around me. I want to join in, and oops....down it goes suddenly! Around people, it is easy to get distracted while eating which can lead to stuck episodes.

Hi Majacw, You might consider a slight unfill for a while until things calm down. I had to do that after a fill. I was OK for a few days then started having problems and could barely get liquids down. After a week of that I gave up and went in to have half of that fill removed. I'd had 1 cc added. I got 0.5 cc removed. A month later I was able to get another 1 cc added back in. So, it might seem like a step backwards, but sometimes we really need to give our stomachs a break. When I got stuck on mashed potatoes and a piece of string cheese I knew I was in trouble. It sounds to me as if your band is a bit too tight. Think about a slight unfill, you don't have to get ALL the fill removed. Being able to eat is way better than hoping to keep soup down. Best wishes.

Hey Em, Thank you for sharing your story! I am glad you are feeling better.

A lot of bandsters have trouble with eggs. No matter how they are cooked. I do OK with them. The only time I've had an issue was with a fried egg that had the crispy stuff on the sides. I didn't get it chewed up enough. One of my favorites post-op was mashed potatoes and peas. At 5 weeks post-op, I was on solids. Around 6-7 weeks out, I did a 10 day cruise. I put off my first fill for that. It was on that cruise that I got the fried egg stuck. Proteins that I can eat regulary are, dark meat chicken and turkey, flaky fish (of which I am none too fond, but am trying), cheese, Beans, pork (if cut into VERY little pieces), steak (many bandsters cannot eat beef, I can), eggs, and Peanut Butter. Try smaller bites and chewing them like a fiend. Eggs might not work for you. A banded friend of mine absolutely can't eat an egg. It takes some trial and error to find what works for YOU. You will figure it out, and these things change over time. Lay off eggs for a while and see how things go. I got stuck on a banana shortly after my second fill. Didn't eat them for over a year. Then I tried one and was OK until my last fill. Now they are off limits again. Best wishes in your recovery.

Thank you sooooo much for the post, Freebird! Knowledge is power. I appreciate your willingness to share. I am two years post-op, also.

Sounds as though you certainly know the difference between stuck and gallbladder first hand. ugh! Glad you are getting the gallbladder out. Hope you are feeling better soon. Too bad you could not have had it all done at once. I tried to talk my surgeon in to it, also, but I have had no troubles with my gallbladder--so he wouldn't go for it. Hope you feel better very soon!

Hi Curious, My weight has been pretty stable for several months. I am happy where I am at, and am not working hard to lose the little bit left to get to my stated goal. I am also thinking of changing my ticker goal, as it was an arbitrary number I selected when I first had surgery and put my ticker up. The ticker doesn't take into account how long you have been at or near goal. I really had no idea where I wanted to be. I am maintaining with ease, which gives me hope that I will not regain the weight as can sometimes happen. My weight now is 5 lbs above a normal BMI, my blood pressure is normal, my blood sugar is normal, my cholesterol is good. I have a thyroid issue in that I don't have one, and my levels have been unstable lately. I think it is a little low now. I have an appointment next month to get that addressed. I am hopeful that when I get my levoxyl (thyroid hormone) dosage raised, I can drop a few more pounds. I am also wearing a size 10 and feel fantastic at this weight. When I was actively losing, it was at a rate of a little less than 1 lb per week average. With a band, 1-2 lbs per week is to be expected. So, mine was a tad below that. But it wasn't 60 lbs in two years, it was more like 60 lbs in 1 year 4 months. Or a bit less, as I was not at my all time high when I began my LAP-BAND journey. I have always been a slow loser. It is the way my body works, so I was not surprised that the weight came off at the lower end of the expected rate. I also don't exercise as much as I should. Your band mileage may vary. You can burn more calories with exercise and increase your weight loss. 50 lbs in one year is very do-able. Keep your motivation up. But just remember, setting a pounds lost goal can be discouraging if it doesn't happen. Our bodies let go of weight when they are ready. If you say I want to lose 10 lbs in 2 months and you lose 8, you feel like you failed because you did not reach your goal. When in reality you have succeeded because you lost 8 pounds! Just food for thought. Time passes by. At one year out, whether you are down 30 pounds or 50 pounds, you are still a healthier you. The other 20 pounds will follow. You have to find the band program that works for you, and one that you can do for the rest of your life! Ok, enough blabbering......it's all about the journey!

I gurgle a LOT! Love the Water cooler simile. I'll just be sitting quitely and all of a sudden...rumble, gurgle, smurgle...all these noises arise from my tummy! I can be hungry, full, or satisfied. It doesn't matter.

Most likely you are encountering a bit of restriction with food going down. But not a lot. chicken is a hard meat to eat. Especially breast meat. It is just too dry. I only eat dark meat now. As another poster said, you might also be taking too big of a bite. I still do this if I get too hungry. Even though we know we are to take small bites, our first bit tends to be like our old-habits-type of bite. As my surgeon told me, my eating habits were 43 years in the making when I had surgery, they weren't going to be relearned over night. I cut meat into bites the size of the first knucke of my pinky finger or smaller. That size of a dime bite? I'd cut that at least in half, more likely thirds. Also, when you say getting stuck...do you mean the food is not going down, you are in pain, and sliming? Or you get a bit of pain then it goes down? If the latter, to me, that indicates to large a bite.

Hi Mickey, I don't know about gallbladder surgery with the band. I doubt it would be a problem. My question is, are you sure the pain was gallbladder and not a stuck episode? Meatloaf is next to impossible for me. The hamburger is tough on a band. Even though it is ground it has a lot of gristle that is hard to get down. I suppose if you got the pain pills down, that answers my question. Plus you obviously know what gallbladder pain feels like. But I just wanted to pose the question. Best wishes! Hope you feel better soon.

I voted that I never have regrets, but I would prefer a choice that once in a great while I second guess myself. I don't regret my decision to have WLS, but I do sometimes worry that my band might cause problems long term. When I am in the middle of a stuck episode, I wonder if I should have done bypass instead. These moments pass, and I am happy my blood pressure is normal, my blood sugar is normal, and my cholesterol is much improved. I am also no longer the largest person in the room. I don't feel like people are looking at what I am eating and thinking, "she shouldn't be eating that!" And every time I put on my size 10 jeans...Oh Yeah!!! :thumbup:

I am wondering if you slipped a little and the pain you felt in the bath was things correcting themselves? Please post what you find out. My first thought was that you had a stuck episode and were swollen, but maybe not. Hope all is well! Sounds good that you are switching docs.

I know it would be fraud, but my mind would be saying, what would be wrong with me cashing the check then telling the surgeon I will take the cash price please! :thumbup: Then I guess I'd have to find a country with no extradition and live on the proceeds! I got a copy of my bill. It was $42,000 or $45,000. Not sure if that included everything like anethesia or the OR. Sometimes they are billed separately. My appendectomy with 3 days in the hopsital out of network (since I was on vacation, of course!) was $11,000. For the band, I was in and out the same day. Go figure!

I'd go to urgent care if possible. Black tissue is never a good sign. It could lead to body wide infection. At the very least, call your doctor's office immediately and talk to the on-call doctor for guidance. My health care group also has a nurse hotline I can call 24/7 to speak with a nurse for guidance about issues such as this. Do you have something like that? Best wishes!

I'll be 2 years out on February 15! Best wishes to you all! Walk, walk, walk, sip, sip, sip, and cough, cough, cough after surgery. Keep your chins up during the pre-op, it sucks but is soooo worth it to be as healthy as you can for the surgery!

Hey Betsy! 3 months isn't bad. The psychologist I used took nearly that long to write the stinking letter stating that I knew what the surgery was and that I was ready for it, and that I understood the changes I needed to make to be successful! :thumbup: I had to resort to daily calls. Finally I got a call that it would be done on such and such a day and they'd fax to the surgeon. I told them I'd pick it up. Didn't trust them to actually fax the thing. Two hours in waiting room later, I had the letter. Saw him in early September. I didn't get the letter until late October. What was so hard about writing a one page letter, I don't know. I also had to appeal the denial of my PCP's referral to the surgeon, so that took another month! That was before the psych. debacle. So, I was 7 or 8 months in process. But for me to have it covered by my insurance, yeah, worth the wait. :ohmy:

Hi Karlsmom, I understand what you are saying. But I interpreted the OP's question to be whether or not the PCP's clearance is needed for surgery. If not jumping through insurance hoops, I don't think the PCP needs to be involved if she does not want to be. I believe the surgeon can decide if the patient is healthy enough for surgery, or if cardiac or other studies are needed. If the PCP is not being supportive or is refusing to care for the patient after surgery, then a new PCP can be found. It is the patient's right to decide the best course of treatment. Case in point..I had a PCP who was fresh out of medical school. She was all of 103 pounds. When I asked about WLS I was told, "Oh, you don't need that, it is all diet and exercise. It's an easy fix." Uh, no, it isn't an easy fix...put on 100 pounds and try for years to take it off, then we can talk. Or at least work with patients for a few years and see their struggles before you say something like that. So, DH had a PCP he really liked. I changed docs. I didn't know it before I saw him the first time, but he was also obese. He's more mature and been in the biz much longer. We are a much better fit. I say he -was- obese because he had gastric bypass about a year after I had my band surgery. By the same surgeon I used.

Yippee!!! If I were 5' 6" I'd be NORMAL BMI! Think at 46 I can grow an inch and a half? 5 more pounds, 5 more pounds.....he he he he he!

I don't care who made your band! All are welcome! Effie is cute! It can easily turn into "you Effing Band!"

Oh my gosh! Ralph had DH and me laughing for 5 minutes!! Great choice!

Sooo funny how alike yet different we are. I am right there with you on the bacon thing. I can eat lettuce. But I have issues with tomato skin and celery "threads"! Chele...you might be able to do bread. I can eat whole grain breads. It is the really soft, doughy stuff that gives me problems. Alot of it depends on how tight your band is, too. It seems to me that with the doughy breads, even with the smallest of bites, they regroup and get stuck. But, after a few nasty stuck episodes, I don't miss it. Before the band, had I been told I would hardly eat breads post-op, I would have been like you. Now it's like, ah, whatever, I don't have enough room for the bread anyway!