shortgal

do you have a GNC store or Vitamin Shoppe near you? Just type in those names and you can do a store locator search online. They carry lots of health food, power bars, Protein powders etc.

I have heard this, too. But I think I read not the walk through ones, but if they use a "Wand" on you, it might be detected. I carry a wallet card with me that says I have a band. Haven't flown yet, will the end of this month, tho'

Lots of self pay people here on the forum, including me. Some people go to Mexico for surgery where it's cheaper and there are varying prices in the US depending on where you live. One US Dr. in Co charges around $9000. Read through the Doctors and Hospital section on the forum or look under the support section for your state's group. Go to support, then US, then look for your state.

I could not sleep on my stomach for about the first week, after that it was fine. Might depend on where and how your port is placed. good Luck with surgery.

Jaymie, you had a low starting BMI, which can make a difference for pre-op diets.

Name...................Start..........Current..........Goal ......To Go Momto1plus1.........228.8............227.6............218 .8.......8.8 Teresajo...............195..............188...............185......... ....3 Shortgal.................189..............184................182.............2 I squeeked out one pound since last week. Sort of in a stall ( again). Doing my usual day of liquids (today) when that happens. Fill next week, still can't get the fill right, yet. My original challenge goal was 184 and I changed it to 182 midstream, since end of challenge is before my fill, not sure I will make revised goal, but overall scale continues to go in the right direction. Good Luck everyone!

If he is overweight and has medical problems, ask why he doesn't follow his own advice of life long dieting? Tell him, he's right and you both need to diet together. so start one together and I'll bet he cheats first. That's when you can explain to him, that you know you need the help of the band. That just like he couldn;t stay on the diet, neither can you. I'm sure you've tried that many times anyway. He just hasn't reached his own "lightbulb moment".

One of the signs of being too tight is acid reflux ( heartburn). I would go back to all liquids and see the Dr. as soon as you can. a slight unfill usually makes a big difference.

If you must cheat, no steak! Have a small piece of grilled chicken and a salad. The pre-op diet helps to shrink the liver, high fat foods are one of the causes they get fatty. I can still eat steak with my band. This is a craving and you will have more of those along the way, even with your band you have to use some self control. Good time to practice that, is now.

More fish in the sea!

I tell myself all the time that I don't have good restriction (still believe it's true) but I do wonder how it's possible then, that I have lost the same amount of weight in three months, that last time I dieted, took me ten months. The band must be doing something. I do thing our bands work to help us but sometimes it really is head hunger or more accurately what I call carb craving. If I let too many carbs sneak into my day ( even if I am within my usual calories) I start to think I'm hungry even if I just ate dinner. So I go back to tracking my Protein level and sure enough when I start getting those cravings, it because I was getting too many carbs vs. protein. I am having this problem right now and tomorrow, I am doing a high protein all liquid day, to get rid of the cravings. I know we really all do need the right level of restriction in our bands, but I think there are times when no matter how much we are restricted, we still have the head hunger and cravings. There is no other way to explain how we can eat but we still lose weight.

Yeah, right after you weighed it! LOL!

Your ins. company probably won't pay your Dr for fills during the 90 day post op period. It probably encompasses all visits during the 90 day period as part of the surgery procedure payment. so if your Dr. waits until 91 day, they can bill ins co. If I am correct on this, it is very unfair of your Dr. to do this to his patients. A fill takes very little office time and VERY little cost. A syringe with a needle and saline. THIS IS ASSUMING HE IS NOT USING FLOROSCOPE, as those are more costly with an x-ray tech/radiologist.

LOL, yeah don't they just sit there and whisper to you, "come get me, you know you want me". Actually, I think they scream it to me. I doubt I will ever be safe around those foods. I just keep them out of the house, as much as possible. The worst time is if you have company and there are leftovers of anything. Let's face it we're addicts.

I think 14 pounds is great. Your Dr. might have siad that from anger that you're not satisfied with the band and asking for removal. Anyway, I'm sure we are all curious, now that some time has passed, you've lost 14 pounds are eating again, Have you changed your mind about band removal? Or do you still want it out?

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An open container of ice cream or chips ( or anything like it) is NOT safe around me. If I was able to handle single portions of those food while the rest sat in the freezer or cabinet, I would not have needed the band. One bite and the whole thing is gone! Before I was banded, for halloween, I had my husband buy Skittles and Starburst only. The leftovers are still in the cabinet. Those are about the only two candies I could think of that I wouldn't eat. I can also not be left alone in a house with Twizzlers and Tostitos! I have not had a twizzler since surgery. Fear keeps me away. I just think it will sit like a lead bullet in the pouch. Please don't tell me they won't.... Maybe with better restriction ( still waiting) I'll have more willpower, in the meantime those foods are not allowed in the house.

I assume you have or will search for a surgeon and attend one of their seminars. Check with your ins. co. about coverage and their requirements and you're on your way! Good luck and welcome to the forum!

Each Dr. has their own set of directions for you to follow. Have you contacted your ins co. to ask if your policy covers weight loss surgery? And ask their requirements? Some require a 6 month supervised diet before approval. Many require a minimum BMI of 35 and two co-morbidities ( like diabetes or sleep apnea, HBP etc) or a BMI of 40 and no co-morbidities. Others want doucmentation of previous attempts to lose weight or documentaton of your weight history over five years. If you call them they can explan what your policy requires. Read as much as you can on the forum and then you'll know waht to ask the surgeon. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

If you have trouble eating in the early a.m. Perhaps you could have a glass of a high Protein, low carb drink ( like Isopure clear). That might help your hunger level until mid morning so you can eat (but not overeat) when you have your b'fast later. One glass or 1/2 bottle is only 80 calories and 20 gms of protein. Pork and beef are higher in calories ( and fat) per oz than chicken. Are you eating the rice that you made for the kids? If yes, did you measure your portion? I find it's easy to underestimate the amount and calories, if I don't measure and weigh. Try eliminating the carbs, they will only make you crave more. Remember as you lose weight, it takes fewer calories each day to maintain that weight and even less to continue to lose.

Following a high Protein and reduced calorie diet can be helpful. That was my pre-op diet and then I had two days before surgery of clear liquids. Not every overweight person has a fatty liver, a lot depends on how much fat you consumed in your pre-surgery everyday diet adn your starting BMI. Many surgeons do bloodwork that includes an LFT test (Liver function test) would can indicate if someone might have a fatty liver. Bottom line is it can't hurt to watch what you eat starting now. You might lose a couple pounds, too which will be a nice mental boost when you're not feeling so great right after surgery. Why take a chance your liver is enlarged and why not make the surgery as easy as possible for your surgeon? good Luck next week!

If it were me, I'd schedule an appt with the surgeon and just tell him, that I need to hear an explanation, that I can understand,( layman's terms) ( with diagrams if needed) of what happened. I would feel entitled to that. A short explanation after a person is still groggy from the anesthesia would not be enough for me. I would also want to know why they felt changing the laproscopic procedure to an "open" one was not considered or if it was considered why they didn't do it that way. If the explanations made sense to me, then I would be ok with it, if it didn't make sense then I'd want to know that now. Remember your surgeon was not the only person in the OR and if there was something wrong that shouldn't have been, I would want the hospital to investigate, this would require interviewing any other Dr., nurse, sugical tech and the anesthesiologist that was in the OR. Their memories of what happened will be better right after the event, not months later. We all know things can happen beyond the Dr's ability to control, but mistakes happen, too. Hospitals have protocols in place for possible mistakes. Peer to peer reviews etc. A group of surgeons review the notes and interview the other people in the room and decide if appropriate treatment took place. If you already feel the Dr.s explanation makes sense then I understand. I was not there to hear his explanation, maybe you feel it was complete and acceptable.

Weight loss is faster with GBP, but is a riskier procedure. Was this the surgeon that recommended GBP or your PCP? Maybe your PCP is just not very familar with the lap band results. Many patients are able to lower their diabetes meds within a month or two of being banded. Search around the forum for more info or ask the lapband surgeon for some typical results for diabetics and you can relay those results to your PCP. Most people with sleep apnea also get improvement with weight loss. Good Luck

Glad you got back out in circulation. Each time will get easier and feel more natural. So, no love match this time, oh well. The right one will come along and sometimes it takes a few dates with the same person to decide if it's right.

I agree, you've had so much done. Your brain is probably just saying "What, more?" You know a fill isn't a big deal, so you'll have to decide if you are thinking logically. Weigh out the consequences of waiting two more weeks and decide if that's what you want. Six weeks is generally the recuperation period, so maybe it's just too soon and your body is telling you that.