tweenwaters

Hey guys, I wanted to see if anyone has tried the New Whey Protein bullets yet...they have 42 grams of protein in 3 ozs. For me...they help tremendously! I take a 24 ounce water bottle, drink a little to make room for the 3 oz protein bullet. Pour the protein bullet into the water .... you can add a serving pack of crystal light if that will help you. The protein bullets are flavored.....I've tried the blue raspberry, grape and fruit punch. Getting in the 42 grams of protein this way....just sipping my water throughout the afternoon....helps me so much. I hope you will benefit from this too:) Let me know what you think. I've found these protein bullets at the Vitamin Shoppe....I think they are @ $4 each...maybe a little less. The box of 12 was @ $35. Hang in there T & B....we're here for ya when you need anything. The mushie stage was the hardest for me....I gained some back during that time. Be careful....try to stick with any liquid protein source that works for you...it will fill you up and help you over come the hunger. Best of luck....you can do this!

congrats T!! How ya doin today? Hope everyone is doing well. I've been out west with my fam for spring break. Just got in this evening....we drove 3200 miles in 7 days! It was exhausting but AWESOME!! I was worried about my eating while away.....but I actually did really well and lost weight instead of gaining. That was a sweet surprise! 2 more weeks until fill #2, and I am really ready for it!

1-2 lbs a week is the average loss.....so that varies quite a bit in a years time. (52lbs or 104 lbs).....so just go with how you are feeling and stay aware of what and how much you are able to eat, then get fills accordingly. I met with the doctor & dietician yesterday for a 2 week follow up to my first fill. They just wanted to see how my restriction was working for me and if I'd had any problems so far with any particular foods. I was down 6 lbs in 2 weeks...since my fill. Looking forward to my next fill!!! I really want to hit my birthday goal! Dianne~ how are you feeling with your fill restriction? Hope you are doing well. TexasT~ you will soon be in bandland with us and helping the next TLC folks to follow!! Hope your pre-op is going well and you are seeing the scales more during this phase as well. Hang in there!!

I am self pay and used TLC Edge & Prestonwood Surgery Center. There are several surgeons who have their own practices and also do LB at TLC.....my surgeon is Dr. Kim. He was awesome!

Not that I'm happy to hear that you do have co-morbidities.....but YAY, it sounds like you should get this surgery covered. My self pay price was $9990....so it is being offered here in the US for much lower prices...thankfully. Good luck with your band journey and keep us posted. ~Stacey

Hi T~ glad to hear that your leg cramps are better. that is an awful thing to go through. well....I started at 229 (BMI 37) and for my height of 5'6", I think the range was 120-146lbs. So the dietician helped me set my weight goal at 130. Dr. Kim thought it was a great goal and that I should be able to reach it in one year......that would be a 99lb loss. I'm down 32 .... not sure if that answers your question but to lose 100 lbs was not something they discouraged me from trying to reach.

TLCEDGE....you can choose from several doctors. There is a seperate link that many of us contribute to....look for the TLCEdge link on this same page.

I'm 5'6"....beginning weight of 229...BMI was 37. UHC denied me for surgery b/c no co-morbidities.... SOOOOO, I am a self-pay! Had surgery done on 1/17/08...down 32 lbs so far. All I can say is if you REALLY want this surgery, it's the best money you'll ever spend. If you only want it if insurance will cover it....then I hate for you to get your hopes up.

I haven't had any leg cramps yet.....but my husband gets leg cramps from time to time. Can you take motrin or aleve? I know we're not supposed to take it after being banded....just tylenol. Hope it goes away quickly!!

Hi Susan~ Welcome to the TLC info post. You will be very well cared for and love the whole experience if you go with TLCEdge. My surgery was 1/17/08...and it was my understanding (at that time) they were offering a low self-pay option through the end of February. Has this been extended? I hope so.... As T mentioned...it covers your initial consults, bloodwork, EKG, pre-op consult (where they go over your pre-op diet instructions etc...), surgery, a 2 week post-op check up with your surgeon, 6 months of fills and also any follow up care that you might need to speak with the TLC nutritionist, nurse or anyone on their care team. They also offer FREE on-line support and conference calls (weekly) for the first 6 months. The only added out of pocket expense other then psych eval is the Optifast shakes...whcih are expensive but so worth it....IMO. They taste great to me....but I'm a chocoholic:) ** Dr. Kim is AWESOME if you are still undecided on a surgeon. ** His office is based at North Hills Hospital in Hurst (I believe that's the city it's in). Good luck...keep the questions coming! There are quite a few of us who check in on this link daily and will be happy to help you along the way. *** I must confess that I've experienced being "stuck" and "sliming" twice this week....since my fill on 2/28 *** Not a pleasant experience, so everyone please take care to chew really well and avoid over cooked meat!!!! *** ~Stacey

pre-op....do you mean the diet? I did the pre-op diet for the 2 weeks leading up to surgery. I had 4-5 Optisfast shakes each day....and lost 14 lbs. Payment was given on surgery day.....BUT I used a low interest credit card. If you are financing using something else...I would call Prestonwood to ask. You will be getting calls from Prestonwood and their billing department and they will answer all of your questions. You will also get a call from the anesthesiologist a day or two prior to surgery..... They were very organized and I felt reassured with the whole process.

Dianne~ Good luck tomorrow...I'll be thinking of you! I'm very curious to see if Dr Kim put in any saline on your surgery day. I had no clue that I had 2.4cc in my band from the day of surgery. I have 5cc in my 10cc band. I also had my first sliming experience today....not fun! Painful!! Here is some advice to hopefully save you from the pain I experienced. DO NOT reheat leftover chicken....it is too dry and will get stuck. I can't tell you how awful and painful that was today!! Take the next two days slowly....stick to liquids and then mushies for a couple days to heal and get use to the restriction. I am also much tighter in the mornings.....so take the mornings slow as well. Best wishes and looking forward to hearing from you!! Stacey

George did my first fill on 2/28. He is very nice and knows what he's doing....you are in good hands. Good luck!!

Knowing what to expect from a surgery is a HUGE advantage for you.....that's great! You already know your pain tolerances etc... and will be able to heal and recover quicker knowing how to manage the pain. Hopefully you will not have any of the gas pains that many people write about on here. I didn't have any gas pains...at least that I was aware of. I had serious bruising at the port and that is where most of my pain came from. The not telling anyone is such a personal choice. Like I've mentioned several times....just my husband knew the day of surgery. About 3 weeks ago, I was talking with a friend and she confided to me about her lapband surgery...which prompted me to share about my surgery as well. It's been wonderful to have someone to share daily victories and struggles with. I don't want to share this with my other friends and family for fewar of being judges....being a self pay, this is a HUGE sacrafice on my family, so I didn't want to hear negative comments about how expensive it is either. Maybe someday I'll share the whole truth but for now....it's safe.

Was it in Euless? Just remember that you can go to ANY TLC location for follow-ups and fills. Your surgery will be at Prestonwood and you know Dr Kim is fantastic (we've all agreed on that...all of us who have him as our surgeon at least). My kids are still young, so I would get so freaked out and scared that I felt sick. This was my first surgery....so I was extremely afraid of dying and leaving my husband and kids behind. The day of surgery, I cried and cried at the thought of leaving them. I finally just started praying and put it in God's hands. I am a Christian and truly believe that God is in control, so I needed to stop worrying and just let God handle it. That's the best advice I can give you....just pray about it. Hopefully you will find peace about it sooner then I did:)

well my NSV today is that I am FINALLY wearing my Levi jeans that have been hanging in my closet for 3 years!!! Last week, I tried to put them on and couldn't get them over my hips. Had my first fill 2/28 and dropped 3 pounds to enter ONEDERLAND...and fit into my favorite jeans!!! So happy I could cry!!

Hi T, good luck with the Optifast...I enjoyed the chocolate best. I didn't try the soup. As for telling people about lap-band....only my husband and one friend knows that I have had this surgery. My children are young, so not ready to share this with them. It's a personal choice....do what ever you feel is right for you. Looking forward to reading your journey along the way!! You will be in bandland before long!!

Thank you Dianne! I'll be thinking of you this week as you go for your first fill. Please post your experience .... if you had any saline in your band from surgery, how much you have added etc... I can really feel the restriction in the morning. As the day goes on, it seems to loosen up a bit and I'm hungrier. The scale is still the same, haven't seen any more of a drop yet. I'm going to the Vitamin Shoppe today for those protein bullets....New Whey (42g). I really need to make my fluid intake a daily goal...that is my real problem area. The New Whey protein added to a 1 liter water bottle will help me get both in each day. I love that! Have a great week and stay in touch!! Stacey

Hi T~ I did buy the Optifast from TLC b/c I've had other Protein drinks (EAS brand for Body for Life....you can buy this from Walmart etc...). The Optifast was good, I actually like the taste. I bought 2 cases pre-op and then another 2 cases that I took home with me on the day of surgery. I still have a case left and use it for one of my meals each day to get the added protein. I believe Dr. Kim requires the 2 week pre-op diet to be Optifast. Not sure what the other TLC surgeons require. Best of luck and keep the questions and updates coming. I can't tell you how thrilled I am to have had this surgery and to see the changes that have occured in just 2 months. It's worth every penny. best wishes on your journey~ Stacey

I wasn't going to share this with anyone except my hubby...he was always very supportive through ALL my diets. Jenny Craig, LA Weight Loss, Fen-Phen (yes, I tried it before it was banned)..... A friend told me about having the surgery over Christmas break.....and as she was telling me her story, I felt that of all people who I could trust with MY secret....it was her. She has been such an inspriation to me and so supportive....as our surgery dates are just 3 weeks apart. It feels like I have an instant support system who I can share things with and ask questions at any time. My husband is the only other person who knows but he's not overweight....the support is wonderful. I will not trust anyone else with my secret though....the negative comments would put me over the edge and I just invested $10K....so I'd probably punch them out!!!

I also agree with the other posts in saying that it could very well be your husbands own insecurities. Is he overweight? I also understand the financial burden it puts on the family as I am also a self-pay. In just two months I'll be turning 40....that was a HUGE wake-up call for me to take this risk and get healthy....not only for me but for my husband and two children. I'm down almost 30 pounds since beginning my pre-op and the best part is that I'm not so insecure anymore. It has helped me to ignite that passion with my hubby again....and the compliments and support he gives me is priceless. Maybe show your hubby some extra lovin...and help his insecurites be put to rest that you are not going to stop loving him once you are at your healthy goal weight.

Have any of you tried the New whey Protein bullets (3 oz) with 42g of protein? If not, do a search for them on-line and check them out. A friend gave me two different flavors to try. I used them the day of my fill and the day after....to make sure I was getting in enough protein. I took one, poured it into a HUGE (1 liter) Water bottle with a packet of crystal light lemonade.....mixed it all up and YUM!! It was so EASY to sip on that all day and know that I was getting in my protein. Getting all my water in each day is a struggle for me, so this added protein was a huge motivator for me to keep drinking. The Vitamin Shoppe sells it in the DFW area....otherwise, you might have to order it on-line. Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!! Stacey

B~Optifast shake (trying to finish my last case) S~mid morning-cottage cheese with diced peaches L~either 3 oz tuna w/lite mayo & few wheat thins or egg salad D~ either a Campbell's select Soup or 1/2 grilled chicken breast w/ veg for protein~ New whey Protein bullet (42g of protein)....mixed in a 33.8 oz Water bottle!!

Hi Diane, I don't understand your doctors responses to your questions. Of course he should have put Fluid into the band and then taken it back out to make sure it measured the same.... I thought that was just pretty much standard. That is how they check to make sure before each fill....at least that is what I was told. The P.A. who did my fill was actually training a new doctor on how to do fills with using the sonogram to locate the port. I did not feel pressure on the port site at all.... Once he had the needle in the port, he said he was going to check to see if my surgeon had put in any saline at surgery (TLC Edge uses different surgeons and PA's to do the fills...) and he withdrew 2.4 cc and marked it on my chart. Then he put in an additional 2.6....for an even 5 cc. He also showed me what it would feel like to be "too full"....and increased the saline and had me drink Water. It literally felt like it was at the back of my throat waiting to come back out. Then he pulled some saline out and I felt the water drain like a funnel....it was kind of a neat experience. Now I can without a doubt tell if I'm too full/tight after a fill. You deserve more of an explanation from your doctor on the fill process. I just don't see where he is coming from at all..... I feel like the band is there to help me to not over indulge....but it is shear will power to make good food choices. I'm craving chocolate and ice cream....but have not given in yet. The feeling in your chest sounds like restriction....make sure you are taking really small bites (nickle size) and chew,chew,chew... I think that is the hardest part for me. I'm always eating on the run....and really have to stop, sit down, eat slowly and then I can run around and do whatever needs to get done. It's a whole new way of eating for me. Best of luck and keep after your doctor for better explanations on your fills. That just doesn't make sense or seem fair....you are PAYING him for his care and answers!! Stacey (Tweenwaters is our favorite place to stay in Florida...Captiva Island).

Hi Diane~ We are really similar....almost same height (I'm 5'6"); almost same starting weight (me~229); almost same surgery date (me~1/17/08). I had my first fill yesterday 2/28. He did not use floro to do my fill but used a sonogram/ultrasound machine to find the exact location of my port....marked in with pen on my belly. I was amazed to find that I had 2.4 cc put in at surgery (didn't have a clue)....and yesterday he put me at an even 5 cc in my 10 cc band. I will be on full liquids today and can really feel the restriction with each drink.....it's pretty cool! I'm happy to finally feel what restriction is like. Are you feeling the same as you did before your fill? I would think that this morning you'd be able to really notice a difference. If you are not sure or have some concerns....than don't hesitate to call your surgeon. This is an expensive tool....so make sure you are happy with it and getting the benefits of it working correctly. Keep us posted!!