Gangy

okay, i've lost another pound and a half. since i cant contribute it to exercise since ive only worked out twice, i have to say it is more than likely due to the water.. i drink about 30 ounces at home in the morning before heading to the office, we have the best crushed ice machine at the office so i have no idea how many Water snowcones i make throughout the day, at least 4 or 5 at a minimum and then ive been drinking no less than 30-40 ounces at night as well. i really think the water is doing the trick..

thanks skinny. i went ahead and made the 1st avail fill appt with spiegel on the 29th. way to go on the 12 pounds. i started drinking lots of Water this week, and worked out twice on monday and tuesday, and unbelievably i have lost 3pounds. my scale at home is a little quarky though so i cant wait for dr appt so i can get an official weigh in. have you gone to any support group meetings? if so where? i think that will help motivate me as well.

I have not lost a single pound. Have had several fills, the most recent of which seems to be "taking". The others gave me zero restriction.

So now, 3 months after surgery, I feel like a failure and have to re-think how to eat like a bander! What are the basic rules, etc again? I forgot them!!!

And what also worries me is even though I feel restriction, I find a way to "move past" it and keep eating.

What do you guys, my fellow Oct 07 banders, suggest???

HELP!!!!

Ditto to Snappy3k.

I've had one fill so far of 1.4cc. I've lost 10 lbs which I feel is due to my own accord of eating low carb now and then. I have no restriction. I have enjoyed delicous steaks at Taste of Texas twice, once after surgery and once again after my fill. I feel like my band didnt take. I'd like to have my next fill done under flouroscopy just to make sure it is still in place. Any suggestions on where I can go to have this done as I do not believe Spiegel does this in his office.

Does anyone have any recommendations? I've had one fill so far on Dec 18th 1.4cc. I am still not losing any weight though. I would like to see it under Xray. I can still eat pretty good, and i dont get full as quickly as I believe I should be. I know I should be, but I have not been execising at all. Of course it plays a huge role in my weight loss success, but I think I should still lose at least a few pounds even without exercising. I'm joining a tennis class at a local community college which should help, but other than that I have two toddlers, a full time job, and taking 15 hrs in college and dont have any extra time for a regular exercise routine. Any advice would help. Thanks

Just got the call today...UHC denied. I knew they probably would, but it's still a blow. Looks like I have to fight them now, but I'm up for it.

Fight em and Good Luck!

I am really upset about the fullness difference. Hubby says it makes them look more natural and they are fine, but I hate them when I see it in a picture. I just don't think I spent $8k to be lopsided! What do you think??? Should I have them redone so they are more full and match better or am I being an obsessive idiot???? I want to know your TRUE feelings. The poll is anonymous!

yes, the right one looks larger than the other and it also has that walleyed look or whatever they call it. they still dont look bad though and maybe hardly noticable unless you are standing still and someone is just staring.. but im sure you paid 8k for perfection.. i would def address it with dr. and get him to correct now rather than later, but they still look good though.

i was banded 10/26 by spiegal. i chose him and spivak based on experience. i went into this knowing that dr spiegal bedside manner was non existent but i wanted the most experienced operating on me so my only two choices were spiegal and spivak. i had an appt with dr spivak but was told he was out of my network which is why i moved on to dr spiegal. im just blessed to have been approved by uhc fairly quickly and had the surgery 3 weeks following seminar. i will deal with post op care as it comes. im glad so many have posted on the topic cause i would have been blindsided by the cost of the fills. mh hubby kept asking did he charge for fills but i just assumed it was part of the cost billed to uhc. i will ask when i go back for 1st fill. it is a cattle call of sorts but i def recommend arriving 20 mins prior to appt time b/c it will save you an hr or so in the long run as you share your appt time with 30 others. anyway im pleased so far, dont care about the complaints b/c i knew about them upfront from reading these forums and everyones opinions. thanks for all the great info and keep posting!

I've lost 9 pounds, was banded 3 weeks ago on 10/26th.

im surprised ive even lost that much with this appetite of mine. im like what is this band good for cause it doesnt stop the hunger thats for sure but i hear all of that will change once i get filled. im going on a cruise dec 10th so i am going to wait to be filled after that.

my goal is to lose 10 lbs a month.

workout 2 hrs per week in december

that's it!

im trying to be realistic in my approach to lose weight. i dont want to lost too quickly or start any diet or exercise plans that i wont keep up.

Hi everyone,

I was banded on 11/1/07. I've lost 10lbs since then but not for reasons to be proud of. I have had excruciating gas pains everyday. Sometimes in my gut, shoulder, and jaw. Othertimes in my hips and down my legs. Drinking makes it worse. My surgeon is very strict about what we are allowed to have after 5 days. He is insistent on liquid shakes for the next 2 weeks. The shakes in his office sent me into the bathroom for hours. Waited 24 hours and tried again. Same thing. Yesterday the gas was so bad that I could barely sip Water. I spent a few hours last night in the ER on an IV. They x-rayed the band and found a huge gas bubble. Tried Mylanta and Gas-X but this sucker won't pop. Everyday, I'm wondering why I voluntarily did this to myself. Anyone else had such awful gas pain? What did you do?

oh yes Cindy, i had terrible gas immediately following surgery. i could not walk or move.. idiots in hospital kept telling me to walk. i walked walked walked around the hospital wing and the gas would not come out and i couldnt burp. they told me i wasnt walking enough although one nurse said most patients burp or pass gas as soon as they stand and take a few steps. they would not give me anything for the gas in th hospital but once i got home the next day i took mylanta, gas x, milk of magnesia, and finally drank mineral oil. needless to say, gas and half of my intestine came out eventually and i felt much better after about 2 days of being in the bathroom. now i find that i have to carry chewable gas x in my pure.. i also have a hard time burping and get hard pains in my chest that feels like a stuck burp.

since im a baby bander or whatever they are calling us, no, i couldnt stick to the liquid diet because i was hungry from day 1.. i tried liquids all day long but had the weirdest and most painful hunger pains ever experienced in my life that liquids couldnt satisfy.. after 4 days, dr moved me to week 2 diet which included soft foods, and day 7 he moved me to week 3 diet.. i had actually lost 9 lbs by changing my diet but when to happy hr with coworkers and had an enchilada dinner and margarita and gained 2 lbs instantly... i know it sounds bad, but without the band i would have been able to eat appetizer, meal, dessert, and 2 drinks.. im going on a cruise dec 10th and am going to wait until it is over to have my first fill...