snowbird

Good idea, Christal, but the doctor always wants me to come back in a week, and my hair doesn't grow that fast! Thanks, Wasa. I will keep him in mind.

General lap band wisdom is three meals a day. The band is supposed to work by limiting portion size. If you graze, it just isn't going to stop you in time. You will be able to eat more than you should because you will not be filling your upper stomach and stopping due to the band.

Thanks for replying. I had a doctor I liked in Gold Canyon, but that's almost two hours from where I live now, which is 17 miles west of Grand. I'll drive to Mesa to get my old hairstylist to cut my hair, but not to go to the doctor! Guess that shows where my priorities are.

Nevermind, I found it in an earlier post. I'm getting curious about this. Utahband has posted quite a bit over the last three months and even gave her full name and email address in an earlier post. It's interesting, because one time she relates the story word for word, but puts it forth as a friend's experience. The other time it is the same story, but the pronouns have been changed to "I" and "me." The story is written in decent English like the writer is a fluent English speaker. The shorter messages are not. I suppose the administrators can tell us if all these posts are coming from the same computer. Oh, what tangled webs we weave . . .

Is there something I am missing, or am I looking at the wrong post? I don't see any reference to Ortiz in the post I thought we were questioning here.

I just got a notice that my PCP in Washington state, where I spend summers, is going to a concierge type service where you pay an annual retainer fee for his services. As I am there only 3 months out of the year, this will probably not make sense for me. So I am looking for a new PCP in Arizona, since I'm usually here more than I am there. Does anyone have a doctor in the Surprise area or within 20 miles that is lap band knowledgeable and friendly? I don't want to either fight with a doctor that is unfavorable towards LBS, nor have to educate him or her in it. Please let me know if anyone has a good recommendation.

For me that is the sign I have just taken one bite too much. Not necessarily stuck, but full to the gills. It feels exactly like that, like I have filled my stomach to the brim and it is going to start backing up into my mouth. The sliming is the feeling that I am so full I can't even swallow my spit, although slime is more than just saliva.

The band is, to a large degree, negative conditioning. We want to do something bad for us, but the band gives us pain rather than reward. If we get slapped upside the head enough by our bands, it eventually gets through that the bad behavior causes pain rather than pleasure. For the lucky ones, the mere threat of pain is enough to steer them away from the bad behavior. For those of us not so bright, we need another occasional slap to keep us on track. The band stops us from overeating. How does it do that? With a gentle "no, no, dear?" Well, actually it does that, but I often don't listen. The pain from eating too much, too fast isn't a complication to me; it's a sign that my band is working. If it didn't hurt, I would still be stuffing myself with donuts. And I am not in pain unless I do what I know I shouldn't do. The hair loss can come with any weight loss. I lost hair on earlier diets; I think it's your body reacting to less food than it needs to maintain itself, so it sacrifices your hair. It came back before, so I expect it will this time too. My incisions are four quarter inch marks that don't even look like surgical scars anymore, and one inch long line. I consider them fairly minor. Your questions are good ones, and ones we all think about preband. The pain right after surgery is minimal for most; I never even took the pain pills my doctor gave me, nor did my husband. The biggest adjustment I thought I would have was the loss of my best friend food; as I've said before, she's still around but I don't like her that much anymore.

Every doctor is different, and every patient is different. My doctor just wanted me to lose 5% of my body weight prior to surgery, and didn't require a liquid diet as long as I could lose the weight some other way (I used Atkins.) I wasn't hungry for about two weeks after surgery. I started wanting more to eat in the third week, but it was more boredom with the liquids rather than real hunger. Some people do complain about hunger in the liquid phase.

No, I go to my doctor's clinic in Tijuana, Mexico. He has two associates that do fills, and they are usually available. They always do their fills with fluoro, which I like.

My doctor had me on clear liquids for the first 7 days, and then full liquids for the next 14 days. However, I was not limited in what full liquids I wanted, nor how often I wanted them. I was probably taking in about 600 calories per day during the liquids phase. Are you sure you aren't allowed other liquids besides the shakes?

No wonder self payers go to Mexico! My husband's surgery was $8000 in Mexico and BCBS paid $7900, just to go to the other end of the spectrum.

Yes, I was right at 35, not on any meds for cholesterol or hypertension, but my doctor wrote up that I was on the brink and my insurance paid. My ticker shows higher because I had already started my preop diet when I went to my PCP.

Twenty four hours or less.

The best thing about successful weight loss is the way we can finally feel proud of ourselves rather than ashamed. Congratulations on your outstanding success, and keep us posted throughout the next six months!

The reason your doctor has you lay off solid food post surgery is to allow your stomach to heal. This is a short term thing, and you should follow his instructions to the very best of your ability. Why risk the success of your surgery over a momentary pleasure?

I couldn't find that, so maybe it has been edited out? Dr Aceves, Dr Ortiz, either way you are in good hands. Dr O asks patients to lose 5% of body weight pre surgery. However, I have not ever heard that he turned anyone down when it came time for their surgical appointment. Prices change over time, and sometimes there are extenuating circumstances for different prices. My daughter paid $8500 but my husband and I paid $8000 with Dr O because we were traveling together and didn't have anyone else staying in the hotel while we were at the clinic. Occasionally he offers "specials" too.

I'm in the same place. How is your weight loss over the past four weeks? If you are losing, I wouldn't do a fill. I'm kind of in the same place as you, being able to eat quite a bit sometimes and nearly nothing at another meal. My daughter, who is a year more experienced than I am, says that she actually slimes and pb's more when she needs a fill, because she isn't reminded to eat slowly and choose her foods well. I guess we both need to be hit over the head with the unfortunate consequences of bad choices before we do what we know we should be doing. You would think that the discomfort of that month would be enough to stop me from overeating now, but it doesn't seem to. Sigh.

Anita, I am very confused. You have had two fills, but are still on soft foods? Granted, every doctor is different, but that makes no sense. The fills are after your stomach has healed, and every doctor I know about says you cannot have soft foods while you are banded. Restriction means nothing to soft foods. Once you are past the first six to eight weeks, solids are a necessity. I have never heard of a doctor that continues you on soft foods after you start getting fills. Has anyone else had instructions like this? My doctor has me on liquids immediately after a fill 24-48 hours, but not continuously.

This comes more under the heading of insurance fraud rather than white lie. I don't think it is worth the risk, apart from the dishonesty angle. If necessary, wait until next year when you can sign up for insurance again.

Subway has Soups too, that are pretty good. If we are out eating Mexican I order a single chile relleno, no Beans or rice. Sometimes I will order bean dip with chips and share it with others at the table. I always check the appetizer menu and often order just an appetizer. It is usually more than I can eat, so I pack it up to take home. These are not liquid phase orders, obviously. When I was eating out on liquids I stuck to soups.

I was a doughnut junkie preband. I could easily eat a dozen in a day. My favorite food. We were on vacation last month and on the last day I talked my husband into stopping at a Dunkin Donuts, since I grew up in Massachusetts and they don't have them out west where we live. I ate a half of one, felt lousy, felt stuck and uncomfortable, and threw the rest of them away. I have no more cravings for donuts, and don't expect to for a long time. Sometimes I think it is good to give in to a craving and find out that your band really does work for you. Unfortunately, this doesn't work with milkshakes.

I am sure I had a breathing tube, but never knew it or felt any effects from it. For me, it wasn't a major issue before or after the surgery.

Why do you have a NJ plan if you are a resident of FL? Do you travel seasonally between the two states? I have Federal Employees' BCBS. I spend summers in Washington, and while I am there I am under Regents' BCBS in Washington. When I am in Arizona in the winter I am under Arizona BCBS. I just notify them of my change of address every six months. Don't know if that is anything like your situation. If I were you I would call BCBS and ask them how things work in your situation. BCBS ultimately is a nationwide plan, so I would think you could find treatment closer to home.

Try one of the sugar free chocolates from either Atkins or Russell Stover. They taste good but don't make me binge on them. I believe that we should get treats now and then.