JustinsMama

Great, keep us posted! I'll hopefully have been able to scrape up Dr. Enochs' transfer/program fee ($400 ) by the next week or two.

Not actually true. It came out under the Realize name recently but from what I've heard it is the Swedish design that's been around for quite awhile in Europe and Johnson and Johnson bought the rights to the design and are now calling it the Realize band. I had surgery with Dr. (Kenneth) Mitchell in Pinehurst and I have the Realize band. He is very caring and compassionate, great bedside manner and all that good stuff. His P.A., Brett is a great guy too. I am however thinking about transferring to Dr. Enochs in Cary who is also a great surgeon with a great bedside manner also. My main reason is the drive from Clayton to Pinehurst is going to get tough when I go back to work in October. The second reason is Dr. Mitchell's office seems a bit too conservative in doing fills. Don't get me wrong, I love their practice and highly recommend them but I had surgery on May 12th and since then have only had two fills and lost about 15 pounds post surgery. So combine those two situations and hopefully, I can get into Dr. Enochs' program for follow up care. I also wanted to add that I believe Dr. Mitchell has the most years of bariatric experience in this area, but Dr. Enochs has more experience with the lapband (which may be why Dr. Mitchell's program is so conservative with the fills). Good luck in your decision!

Not sure if you get on the Obesityhelp site, but there is a separate Realize band forum on there (also lapband).

Do you have the Realize band? If so, I had the same kind of sutures coming out on both ends of my port incision. Don't trim it yourself, just keep it down with a band-aid if your steri-strips have fallen off and let the doctor remove it at your two week follow up. Apparently it has something to do with helping anchoring in the port after it's sewn up.

mstrina you are too funny!

I've watched a sleeve video and they only pulled it out the largest laproscopic incision. Why would they pull it up through the mouth? They don't even insert any instruments down through the mouth to begin with.

Wow, he filled you at basically 3 weeks out? Good for you. Between my doc's office only doing fills after the 6th week and me going on vacation right about that 6th week, I have to wait until I get back meaning I probably won't get my first fill until around July 4th (boo-hiss!). Glad to hear you're doing okay!

Quite possibly. I was able to choose the band I wanted and I thought when I was told this it was after I told them I was choosing the Realize band. I'm sure they see lots of patients and it's hard to remember everything. My last consult with the doctor before surgery and the nurse weighing me/checking me in said you're getting the bypass right? I was like noooooo the lapband (and please make sure that is noted in the OR!).

Katie, Ok - I was just repeating what the P.A. at my surgeon's office told me (said it had to do with the size a person was on the inside (I guess he meant stomach area). Good luck to you!

I was told that the there are two Realize bands - a 10 cc and an 11 cc I was told the 11 cc was for really large people (like say 400 pound men, etc.).

I was banded 5/12 with the Realize band. I just had my two week post-op visit today. I'm not feeling a whole lot of restriction but I am eating less than pre-surgery at any rate. We are going to Disney World June 22nd and I asked about getting a fill before I go, but was told they would wait and would do it right after I get back since that is basically right at the 6 week mark and if they fill me and then I end up needing an unfill but stuck in Florida with no where to get one that might not be good. So, I'll go enjoy my vacation (but not too much if you know what I mean) and hopefully the real weight loss will start after the end of June. Wishing everyone a good outcome!

I'll be honest, if (a) insurance covered it; or ( I had the money to pay cash for self-pay I would have probably gone with the sleeve. However since my insurance covered most of the lapband procedure and there was no way I could afford to self-pay in the next few years, I jumped at the chance for the lapband. I hope to utilize it for all its worth. If for some reason several years down the road, I end up having problems with the lapband and insurance then covers or I have enough disposable income, I would probably look into the sleeve again.

I had one about a week or so after surgery, so I take it this is common?

I chewed a few meatballs with my Soup the other day and spit them out. Highly unsatisfying! My stomach was so angry that the meatballs didn't come down it's way. It's better for me to just deal with the liquids until my mushy stage on Monday. I think you'll be okay.

Reenie, I tried that with a meatball the other day. All it did was make my stomach even angrier with me since it got a taste but no meatball came its way. It's just easier for me to go without food until Monday when can start mushies. Glad it worked for you though!

Thanks for the tip!

Good for you!

Let us know what he says. I have almost a full box of Alli that never really got used before but now that I have the band (and when I start real food), maybe it would come in handy until my first fill or two start working. Thanks in advance!

Dude or Dudette - whatever you are, this person isn't in Bandster Hell they were 12 f_ckin' days out of surgery. I know that in 4 days (my day 12), I'm not going to be scarfin' down mexican food like fajitas, rice and beans and chili rellenos, salad, dessert - oh yeah and 3 fiber cookies and risk blowing my stitches apart. Hell no, I'm not perfect and whose to say what I'll be doing say 6 weeks from now, but I sure as hell ain't stupid enough to eat that crap less than two weeks out from surgery. You sound like you're pissed off at the world and looking for a fight so please feel free to PM if you've got anything further to say.

Nothing wrong at all with treating yourself now and then but come on... All this just 12 days after surgery? I hope you didn't rip the stitches right off your stomach from all the digesting it's had to do. Not trying to be a bitch but you obviously would not have posted all that if you weren't wanting someone to give it you straight. At any rate, good luck to you...

My sincerest condolences to you and your children.

Excellent post - thanks. Now worried because I had to take in some groceries the other day (including a heavy box of cat littler) as my husband was out of town for work!

Bandster hell is when you are hungry and have no restriction yet. Basically you can eat like you could before the band and it isn't really doing anything for you yet, after all the swelling from surgery has gone down also. Unless your stomach tissue healed superfast and the swelling has gone down all the way already (which I doubt) then you aren't in bandster hell yet, you're just having cravings. Believe me I know about cravings, I dreamed about eating spaghetti and meatballs last night (and I just had surgery on the 12th). So far I've stuck to my full liquids but to kind of ward off the cravings today for lunch and dinner I had cream of tomato Soup with a little chili powder and spices in it. Was definitely not the same, but I guess it will have to do for now. If you're on full liquids and some people say pudding counts as a full liquid, I'm sure you were fine with a little melted ice cream. My TOM is coming soon I think, but luckily so far I'm not craving sweets, unfortunately I just want some REAL food!!! I keep telling myself okay, only one more week and I can move on to mushies (refried Beans with guacamole or ground beef with spaghetti sauce thrown in a blender), I'll probably think I've died and gone to a buffet or something. Good luck to you and take care!!

Just be careful...I guess I got overconfidant today in how good I was feeling and drank my first Protein shake of the day fairly fast. I didn't gulp but I probably finished a decent size shake (10 oz.?) in 10 minutes. Then around noon after a little warm soup and I went to drink some cold crystal light - let me tell you, that did not feel good at all. As soon as the cold liquid hit near my diaphragm area it was pain and pressure. I layed off the cold liquid and have just had a small amount of warm/lukewarm liquid since then. Just about 20 minutes ago I was thirsty and tried some cold Water (very tiny sips) and it seems to be doing okay, but I'm definitely going to slow it down from here on out and maybe switch back to clear Protein drinks for a few days. Best of luck to everyone!!! I guess it is definitely a learning process :thumbdown:

Cydli, I'd be pissed too! I hope you called him on it and asked him what in the hell he was thinking going against your wishes like that. I hope you're feeling better soon!!