Kalipso2

i was self-pay but when i went to see my doc for a fill this past weekend, there was a new patient and she got on the scale and got back off. she put her coat and shoes on and got back on the scale and got back off. she then picked up her purse and got back on the scale. there are ways for you to "gain" 5 pounds for insurance reasons and your doc should be aware of that. if all else fails.. a couple of ankle weights should do the trick!!

My doc charges $100 also.

congrats!! at least you've been doing some research here and probably know a lot of the answers but it's nice to hear from actual people who had the procedure done. my first info session (yes i went to more than one!) was a horrible experience. i asked the surgeon, "how many lap-bands have you done?" and his answer was, "none... yet." !!!! i was self-pay and that got the ball rolling really quick. i had my initial consult, nutrition session, pre-op surgical check and actual surgery all completed in 45 days!!

i have depression and anxiety issues. i do (or did) take medications for both but recently was able to stop taking my anxiety meds which actually helped me lose an additional 5 pounds. i hope to eventually be able to stop taking my antidepressant (with my doctor's permission, of course). i'm happier now and feel more self confidence than i ever expected!!

see... i'm not sure i agree that you totally have to give up sweets (or sugar). the key is to eat in moderation. as a binge eater, it's no longer possible for me to eat a dozen Cookies. i feel satisfied after eating 1. this is where the problem with the band comes in... whether you are going to listen to your brain or your band. if i take a big portion of food, i can't stop eating whether i'm full or not. that's listening to my brain. if i only put the 1 cup of food on my plate and finish it, my band wins. does that make sense?

my 2 year anniversary is april 22nd so i went in for a last flouro exam and small fill on 03/06/10. i've felt fine the past 3 months but the week leading up to my appointment i did feel more hungry but not overally so. as soon as i drank the barium... i hadn't even swallowed all of it yet... and the nurse said my pouch was dilated and pretty bad. i also was having reflux which i was not feeling. she took .5cc out which now leaves me with 4.2cc in a 10cc band and i was put on liquids for 3 days. she said the pouch should go back to normal and to come back in a month. what happens if it DOESN'T go back to normal? i've had nothing but problems with the band since day one with reflux and dilation over the past 2 years and i'm SO frustrated! i've lost over 40 pounds... half of what i wanted to lose... and i'm okay with how i look and feel but i don't know what to do!!

if i'm going in for a normal fill, i lay down but if i'm getting a fill under flouro i stand. i don't think i've noticed any difference other than when i'm given a fill under flouro they can actually watch the fluid flowing thru the band.

seriously... enjoy eating while you can because once you're restricted it will end. also remember, the band is only a tool... YOU have to CHOOSE the healthy food!

my surgeon allows his patients to drink diet soda 6 months after surgery. i've had no problems with the carbonation at all. the only thing weird is when my stomach is empty and i take a drink, my stomach makes a gurgling noise and i can actually feel the liquid passing thru the stomach and past the band. sounds and feels like my stomach is growling.

i've only had fills with a numbing spray so i don't know what it would feel like without it... i think i'm going to try at my next fill just to see!

before i lost weight, i dressed in baggy clothes... i guess to try to hid the fact that i was fat. now i feel confident enough to wear clothes that actually FIT so... heck YA i'd wear a miniskirt!

that scar is going to give you a healthier life. most likely that scar is right where your port is and i touch that spot on my body when i need a reminder that i look and feel SO much better. it's almost like my security blanket in some ways. give it time... you'll learn to LOVE that scar!

you have to realize that your band has no restriction. it's absolutely NORMAL to still feel hungry! is it good to cheat? obviously no because "cheating" is what got us all overweight, right? don't beat yourself up over it. tomorrow is another day! if you're hungry, eat something healthy... it's OK to eat! try to be patient. even after 1 fill you still might be hungry before 4 hours. it can take a couple of fills before that goes away... but it will. remember, it took you time to gain the weight, it's going to take you time to get rid of it too! 15 pounds in 3 weeks is AWESOME! be proud of yourself and don't feel so guilty about eating some crackers!

as long as you're feeling fine, it should be fine. i wouldn't get your first fill until after you come home after the trip just in case you get filled too much. i felt (almost) back to normal 10 days after surgery.

good luck on your journey, bob!! i was pretty lucky, i didn't have any gas pain but the strips would be good to have just in case. don't be shy with taking the pain meds either. they give them to you for a reason!! Protein shakes are a must as well as non-creamy Soups. i had a small pillow that i clutched when getting up or sitting down... it helped with the pulling sensation near the incision sites. and lots of rest!!

maybe it was just an off day? there are just some days where i'm more hungry than others but i admit, i rarely feel hungry anymore. just this weekend i went out for valentines day and ate almost an entire chicken breast when i normally can eat less than half. i also ate half of a baked potatoe. i haven't been able to eat that much for SO long that i thought for sure i over did things but i felt fine afterwards. also, i seem to feel fuller quicker when its that time of the month. just take it one day at a time!!

i'm almost 2 years post-op and i still have a hard time when it comes to my food addiction. it's sad but i have a list of "vomit worthy" foods and when the craving gets too intense, i give in. it's not often but i do occasionally give in to the temptation. with my band, i can't eat bread or ground meat anymore so pizza and burgers are out of the question... unless i'm having a "vomit worthy" moment. i can't stop at one bite... or two. i've often wondered if i have an addiction to food and should attend Over Eaters Annonoumous or if i have more of an eating disorder and should seek a therapist...

ahhhhh... i don't think the cravings ever really go away! unfortunately, i can't eat ground meat or bread anymore so i'd almost give anything to eat one more burger!!

measure your food and you can make the decision if you're eating too much. i don't know how much of a fill you have but you should probably be eating 6-8 ounces at a meal. if you find yourself staying within that range, it should take you 20-30 minutes to eat that. i also started throwing up a lot about 5 months out. i just figured i was eating too much or not eating the right food. i WAS losing weight so i wasn't in a big hurry to get things looked at. when i finally did give in and tell my surgeon, he did my fill under floro and i have been having a MAJOR case of acid reflux. i had no idea. i had no pain. i never had acid reflux before the surgery. i couldn't feel it at all. so i got almost completely unfilled and started with much smaller fills. it's taken me about 6 months to get my band being tight again and it was a frustrating 6 months because i had gained 6 pounds right after my band was unfilled and it's taken me a long time to get those 6 pounds back off. i'm finally under what my lowest weight was before my unfill and i feel great! good luck on your journey!

don't worry about gaining weight at this point. you're on liquids at first because your stomach was swollen from the surgery. as the swelling goes down, your stomach basically goes back to it's normal shape and size since you haven't had a fill. seriously... eat while you can because as you start getting fills, that WILL change. the hardest thing i've dealt with over the past 1.5 years since my surgery is the limited portion control. while my stomach is satisfied with 3-4 ounces of food at one meal, my head feels like i haven't had enough. so mine is more of a mental torture than a physical one. i WANT to eat more than a 1/2 slice of pizza. i WANT to be able to eat a bagel. i WANT to be able to eat a normal sized meal instead of 1/2 of a kids meal. good luck on your journey!

in my opinion, i don't think it's so bad to eat every 3 hours or so. if you eat every 6 hours you may not get in as much Protein as you should. i'd wait maybe a month before the next fill to see how much weight you can lose with this fill. for me, i was very aggressive with my fills and ended up having extreme acid reflux. i had to get almost completely unfilled and start again from scratch... getting .4cc's a fill instead of the 2.0cc's i was getting.

i'm 1 year 3 months post surgery. i'm not going to lie... this has been the most difficult thing i've EVER done. there are some days i wish i had never had surgery... that i would almost give up my life just to be able to eat 2 pieces of pizza one more time. BUT i'm beginning to love my new body. i wouldn't have been able to lose weight on my own. if i could have i would have. it's still hard knowing i'll never get to eat certain foods anymore... pizza being on of those foods but you learn to live with it! i take a few medications in pill form.. 2 of them being capsules... and i've never had any problems. you should be fine after your fill. don't give up just yet. it WILL get easier, i promise!!

i am allowed to drink diet sodas. i do drink before i eat but NEVER after. if i drink right after i eat, the liquid comes right back up my throat.

i was banded almost a year ago. i do have one of those cards but i've never had to use it. i order off the kid's menu (and pay the kid's price) without any problems at all from places like Denny's, Cracker Barrell, Friday's, Long Horn, etc. Don't forget... you can always order just an appetizer instead of a full meal (which you'll never be able to eat in one sitting ever again!)

i had another fill appointment this past saturday. i was looking forward to another adjustment because i've been able to eat a lot more than usual. i told the nurse that my acid reflux is bad 3 out of 7 nights but i've stopped PB'ing during the day. she wanted to look under floroscopy. i just couldn't believe it when she showed me that my band was too tight. hardly any of the barium was flowing thru the band and the reflux was bad (which i still can't feel). she also told me my pouch is severely dialated and if she didn't remove at least .5cc that i had a very high chance of my band slipping because of how the food has been stretching my pouch. my stoma is stretched a lot. so now i'm back to square one. i got the slight unfill and the barium flowed thru quickly. i have to go back to liquids, puree, mushies and then regular food... just like i did after my surgery to get my stoma back to the original shape. i don't know if i can do 1 week of full liquids only, 1 week of puree and 1 week of mushies again. after my surgery i wasn't hungry because i was healing but i'm hungry all the time now. saturday was the first time in 9.5 months that i wished i had NEVER had this surgery.