spicegrrrl

I was banded a couple weeks ago and haven't experienced any acid reflux but prior to the band I had _really_ bad reflux - to the point where I was downing a fistful of rolaids every day. I found that certain foods - especially tomatoes or other acidy foods/fruits made the reflux worse. Also laying down soon after eating or overeating in general. I was also told, pre-band, that the band may make my acid reflux worse and I think if a band is too tight, one may also develop symptoms. I'd recommend looking up foods that tend to trigger reflux and then try eliminating them and see if it helps. For a couple of weeks I was on a prescription antacid and it worked wonders. Good luck!

Yuck. I was on Topamax for a good part of a year and it definitely had heavy duty side effects as I was titrating up. I also didn't like the idea of taking a medication every single day. I feel like I've tried literally everything for migraines. I know how crazy this sounds (to all those who suffer from regular migraines) but I suffered from migraines for over 10 years - it got so bad that I was taking a prescription drug (relpax) every single day. Then I read this book that changed my life - "Heal Your Headache" by David Buchholz. It advocated changing your diet and stopping taking medications that would have a rebound effect (medications like Excedrin and my Relpax). I follow the diet restrictions pretty closely and only take my Relpax every once in awhile. Just following the book's advice worked wonders for me. I really feel like I have control over my headaches. I guess if your headaches are infrequent and the Excedrin works for you and you're happy with it, stick with it. But if they ever increase or you want to try to get off meds altogether, I totally recommend that book. Best of luck.

Hi Stacey! I was banded on 3/17 and the first week I was all about the veggie broth - with salt and pepper it was the best! If you don't like store-bought kinds, it's pretty easy to make your own vegetable stock. I also bought a giant jug of apple juice and if you're worried about Protein, Isopure makes these 40g of clear Protein drinks that come in glass bottles. You can get them at GNC. You've got a lot of options when you start with mushies. Refried Beans, silken tofu, hummus, eggs, cottage cheese, possibly tuna/tuna salad. Right after my surgeon made me do a swallow test with barium and then apple juice. Maybe your surgeon will let you do juice instead? It seems silly that he'd make you drink chicken broth. Anyway, best of luck to you!

Where I was banded, we were able to select whether we wanted a regular port or a low-profile port - however, the low profile port was about $1000 more (if I'm remembering correctly).

Hey there, I was banded 6 days ago and had your same problem for the first few days. The folks at my surgery center recommended Maalox for any backed up issues. I took it for the first few days post-surgery and everything seemed to work itself out by Day 3.

Well - I've ultimately decided to go with Dr. Shayani at Day One. I feel comfortable with him and I really like how experienced he is with the Lap Band System. Plus, paying out of pocket - U of C was just too, too much. I feel pretty good about my decision and will be banded in less than a week! Kinda crazy...

yeah. it's funny - i've read some not so great things about dr. galvani at day one but i've also read some excellent things about dr. shayani and he's who i'd be going to see. when i scheduled my appointment with dr. shayani, i had already been to northwestern's seminar and u of c's seminar and i explained this to them. i didn't particularly want to sit through another seminar and they didn't seem to think i had to so i avoided the seemingly not-so-great day one seminar. my meeting with dr. shayani was pretty good but so was my meeting with u of c. thanks for your thoughts.

Thanks Jack and Karri. Some good thoughts. I will be paying out of pocket so there's not particularly pressure to go to one place over another. I suppose I am leaning more towards Day One...I'll update with my decision. I appreciate your input. Spice

I actually posted the below in the hospitals area as well but thought I'd see if anyone here had any thoughts one way or the other as far as where I should go. I'd be seeing Dr. Shayani at Day One or Dr. Prachand at U of C. Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Spice Just thought I'd toss this out because I really need to make a decision. I've been approved for lap band surgery at both the University of Chicago Hospital and Day One Health (an outpatient facility). UC pros: in a world class hospital; program is a 'center of excellence'; really liked the surgeon (who performs all 3 bariatric procedures laparoscopically); UC cons: co$$$$t (about double that of Day One); will have residents assisting/working on me as it's a teaching hospital; only 3 months of "free" fills; doc has only done around 50-70 lap bands Day One pros: significantly lower cost; surgeon has performed over 700 surgeries and I liked him okay; "free" fills for a year; surgeon and FT anesthesiologist will be working on me Day One cons: Facility not equipped like a full hospital should anything go wrong; doc only specializes in lap band and is associated with Inamed so obviously has a bias towards pushing lap band; no overnight stay (and monitoring) - just sorta in and out. Anyone out there have any advice? I've gotta decide pretty quick. Thanks, Spice

Hi Sonia. Thanks for the info. Couple of quick questions - how did you decide on Day One? Were you required to do pre-op dieting? How long did you stay after the surgery? I'm strongly leaning towards going there but haven't made up my mind yet. Spice

Hey there, I also have insurance with no coverage. You may want to look into Day One Health in downtown Chicago. They're 16K but you get a year of free fills, which I suppose can be pretty costly otherwise. Additionally, there's a fee of $375 to meet with the psychologist on staff before the surgery. Not great, I know, but reasonable considering U of C costs $1000 for similar pre-screening testing. Hope this helps.

Hi all, I've been doing quite a bit of research on lap band in the Chicago area and have found out the following information on having it done at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, University of Chicago Hospital, and Day One Health in the 900 North Michigan Avenue building. Thought it may be useful for anyone out there. NW: Called to register for their seminar. Was told the process was to go to the seminar and if you qualify, you have 6 months of classes to take (a class each month, i believe) before your actual surgery. Seminar was at NMH and given via PowerPoint by one of the surgeons (Dr. Hungness). If I'm remembering correctly, they've done over 1,000 RNY surgeries but only 100-something lap band ones. Seems like NMH has outstanding facilities. I specifically asked about getting the surgery done out of the country and the Dr. said he thought it was a terrible idea and that you'd be hard pressed to find a doctor for your follow-up care in the U.S. Estimated cost of surgery: $20,000 out of pocket. U of C: Must register online and fill out their questionnaire. Then someone from the office will call you to register you for their info seminar. Seminar was laid back but very informational - U of C is a "Center of Excellence" which means (i believe) they have a very high quality, comprehensive program. Very few programs in the U.S. have been named centers of excellence. They perform all 3 bariatric procedures and do them all laparascopically (this is also rare). They have a team of nurses, dieticians/nutritionists, surgeons, psychologists working to help you achieve your goals. however, the price for all of this excellence? ballpark $50,000 out of pocket - though they say it varies by patient and that if you pay all up front there's a 25% cost reduction. I nearly bugged out when I found out it cost SO much more than any place else. Also, i believe only the first 3 months of fills are free. YEESH. Day One Health: Called up the office, spoke to a very friendly lady who was able to register me almost right away to talk to their surgeon Dr. Shayani. They're located in the 900 north michigan building with 4 seasons and bloomingdales, etc. Filled out paperwork, had vitals taken. spoke to a very friendly nurse who had had the procedure done - she let me see her scars and feel her port, which was pretty cool. Talked to Dr. Shayani for 20-30 minutes and I felt really comfortable with him. He answered all questions and addressed all of my concerns. Their program (unlike NMH and U of C) does not have you stay overnight after surgery. Dr. S said that 60% of all bariatric surgeries are done on an outpatient basis like they do at Day One. He himself has performed over 700 lap band surgeries and used to be at Loyola for 10 years. They have their finance person and nutritionist on hand should you decide to move forward that day. Oh yeah, cost of surgery is $16,000 and includes one year of free fills. On one hand, it definitely feels more like a business at Day One - get you in, get you out but everyone was very friendly. At the two hospitals, it feels much more holistically centered on your health. I'm kinda up in the air between U of C and Day One. I'm meeting once more with U of C before I make up my mind. I'll try to post if I learn anything new. Cheers, Spice