Wheetsin

Thanks Kat, it's very happy news, just unexpected. We'd been trying off and on. Trying, needed gallbladder out, stopped trying. Trying, had back-to-back auto accidents, stopped trying. Trying, vacation came up and didn't want the stress, stopped trying. By "not trying" I mean not actively trying, timing my ovulation, etc -- but still not using birth control (which we haven't used for 3+ years, so one wouldn't be inclined to think anything would be different.) It's a very happy surprise. I did get an OB referral from the doctor, finally. They work out of a hospital that's about 5 mins from home, which is nice. And about 3 mos ago they just completed construction on a brand new OB wing, which is really nice. The one thing I really don't care for is that unless you're an existing GYN patient, you don't get a primary doctor, you just kind of float through whomever's available whenever you happen to have your appointment. Hopefully they have their shite together and I won't have to tell the whole frickin' story to doctor of the week. Several of my friends have had babies in the last 2 years, but none of them in my area, so they went to hospitals & clinics closer to them. We did find that one of DH's friends has a good friend that works at the place I was referred to, so we've been able to get some insider info from her and so far all of it is very positive. I've yet to contact band surgeon. I know I need to, but I also know that his policy is that the band is fine as long as morning sickness isn't an issue (I'm going on 7 weeks in and no problems yet... knock on wood), and that you're able to meet some basic calorie requirement. Considering that I've basically maintained the last year (maybe 15 - 20 lbs down, mostly when I didn't take the time to eat), I think I'll be ok with calories... but I will def. call him to check in.

BTW, hairloss started for me about 3 months out with my band surgery, and about 2 months out with my gallbladder removal (about 6 months ago). With band surgery it lasted a good 2 months, and with gallbladder it lasted about 6 weeks. People like to tell you it's because Protein, this, that -- the chances of that being accurate are tiny. We're just not going to get there. Body trauma, anesthesia, etc. cause hairloss. Hence I experienced virtually the exact same thing with my gallbladder removal as I did with my band, and I was getting more than enough nutrients with both.

Thank god for doctors who give accurate information. I could kiss him/her. Biotin is a supplment that's probably not going to do much for you. People like to load up on supplements... probably a mental thing, largely, because adding additional nutrient to your body normally doesn't make any positive difference unless you have a defecit of said nutrient. If you don't know that you don't have enough of it, why would you just pile on more? (that kind of thing) Pasting some of my previous posts so I can be lazy and not have to re-type: I would suggest using our search functions. These threads and many, many more (a lot of them containing questionable information, so reader beware) can be found using search terms such as "hairloss" or "biotin," etc.

Ideally the news would wait a while, but I need to vent and can't do one without the other. So my news - I'm knocked up. Despite my irreverence, DH & I are actually quite pleased. So here's my vent. I have a PPO so no PCP, but I do have a doctor that I think of as my family doctor. She has her issues, but overall she's great. Of course she's on vacation, and I didn't want to wait for the preggo confirmation, so I booked with the doctor in the clinic that had the soonest availability. Some guy I'd never seen before. We go in there and he won't look me (or DH) in the eye. You know the type, where their conversation is between them and your shoulder, or elbow, or knee, or whatever. So I'm already bugged. That's one of my pet peeves and it makes me terribly paranoid that I've ripped a piece of clothing or spilled something or have a boogey hanging out or something. The doc asks me if I've had a home pregnancy positive and I told him yes, several (we were stunned with the timing of it and hard a hard time beliving it, to say the least). So he asks, "Then why are you here?" Umm - to start the process? To get answers to my questions, and because I mentioned pregnancy I was told a confirmation test would be needed? To get some OB recommendations that work through your hospital? You tell me smarty pants. So I'm that much more bugged. Then when he tells us the test was positive, instead of just saying that, he says something stupid like "Well the supreme court never agrees with anyone but we're lucky our pregnancy tests aren't senators or from Rhode Island." Whatever. I couldn't even figure out what he was saying, I had to look quizzically over at DH with a nice "WTF?" expression... see that DH was equally confused, and then ask the doctor, "What?" So he says, "Our test confirms prior suspicions. Congratulations, I guess." I had a ton of questions, and asked him what I should avoid eating, or try to eat more of. I did tell him I was banded, but more around the issue of vitamins/supplements than anything else. My questions were mostly around the current/research validity behind things like - don't eat salmon, don't use artificial sweetners, get extra AOX, avoid honey, etc. Instead of answering my question he starts to have his conversation with my stomach and says, "You know, you really don't need to worry about extra calories yet. Eating for two comes later, you're no where ready for that yet!" Now - if I had asked him, "Should I eat more?" or "I've been eating more, is that normal?" I could maybe (as in - not) see that being an appropriate response. I just kind of looked at him and said "Yeah, I know, but that's not what I asked." I'm currently sitting around 40 lbs left to lose. Maybe 50 on a bloated day. My BMI is still "obese" but I'm iwithin 15 - 20 lbs of "overweight." Now, I don't want to justify being obese, and I'm not trying to make it sound like I'm blind to the fact that I'm still overweight. I know that medically my weight is still not great. But holy heck. I'm starting to feel like I need to have a shirt printed up that reads, "Two years ago I was almost 400 lbs so give me a F-ing break!" I'm there for a freaking pregnancy, and the guy doesn't answer my questions, but will tell me that I don't need to start eating for two just yet. :sneaky: Stupid doctor, or stupid man doctor?

I had my surgery on a Wed. Got home from the hospital the same day around 3. Pretty much slept through that morning and a good part of Thursday. Friday I was restless and went to Target so that I could walk around a bit. Saturday we drove out of town to visit my parents and were gone most of the day. Sunday was pretty much business as usual in terms of trips, leaving the house, etc. except that I did not drive since I was still taking the Lortab (didn't really need it, but wanted it in my system in case I did).

My surgeon advises that pregnant women can keep their fill as long as they are able to meet caloric requirements and not having issues with sickness.

My main questions are: When, where, and how successful has the procedure been for you? Not sure I understand this. When has the procedure been for me? Where has it been? Do you mean where geographically did we have our surgeries? And when chronologically?? What do you wish you had known BEFORE the procedure? Some of the unspoken truths about what daily life with the band can really be like. Any regrets, anything you would change? Taking more advantage of the first 6 months.

The purpose of the pre-op diet is to decrease the size of the liver by reducing the sugar stores it's holding on to. This is done by forcing it to release the sugar stores into your body by cutting the sugar you're eating. Most liquid diets require sugar free liquids, hence they will deplete the stores. Low-carb diets drastically reduce or eliminate sugar stores, hence they will shrink the liver. Same gross result, but one gives you a lot more freedom in getting there.

I don't use myspace but I know people here do. There have also been some threads on the topic. Try searching for myspace and see what hits you get - you'll probably see a handful of threads and/or others' links.

You don't say anything about the types of food you're eating. You can be very tight, eat only heavy cream, and not lose weight. Please post a sample week's menu including your water intake and exercise routine.

Pasting so I can be lazy and not re-type.

One end comes up over the other, or side. I believe end-end is more common but that's really just a guess based on the anecdotal evidence here.

Sounds good but is that a tablespoon of the slimfast, or one of the slimfast scoops, or a teaspoon, or...? I can just see myself making it wrong and having it be gross.

Everyone needs a different amount to feel restriction. A friend of mine with a 10cc band insists on at least 9.5cc of fill, because anything less and she doesn't feel restriction. Others have restriction with a lot less. Am I understanding your question correctly?

Laurend have you looked into any grant programs for students writing/completing a thesis? I can't think of any off-hand, but that seems like a likely candidate for something out there.

I know we all like our instant gratification, but I'm really impressed that your program includes the possibility for behavioral mod classes. That's so impressive! Our behaviors are the single largest key to success with our bands, and too many programs disregard them. Be patient, and don't worry about re-evaluation. I know it's a speedbump you'd probably rather not have to slow down for, but long term I think you will be thrilled it happened, and will probably have better results for taking it in stride and learning from it.

(1) Will my Tufts PPO pay for this surgery or a portion of it Ask them? They can tell you better than we can. (2) What is the recovery period really like Most of the posted stories are accurate for the poster. Everyone's recovery is different. I took 2 days to leave the house, 3 days to go out of town, 5 days to return to work. (3) How much are you expected to lose per month Average loss 4 - 8 lbs/month. This is going to vary a LOT. (4) Anything else I should be asking or Any other questions you have.

GasX won't really do anything for the surgical gas, it's not in your digestive track it's external to it where the GasX can't do anything. If you have digestive gas it may help, but not the gas they'll blow you up with. Save your money on that one. :thumbup: There is a list around here somewhere. Caveat being - everyone's list is slightly different.

Once your past the initial fill amount (~1 for a 4, ~3 for a 10) it isn't unheard of for surgeons to want to progress slowly, in .5 or 1 increments. You really don't want to be too tight, and a tiny, tiny amount of fill can turn "ok" into "too tight." If you truly want to be more aggressive with your fills, then tell your surgeon that.

1. If your insurance requires a 6 month physician supervised diet and exercise program, what does that exactly mean? Does a program like weight watchers count? Is it a prescribed program with special food? Is it a monitored thing where you get weighed in every week at the office? Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc. are not medically supervised. Medically supervised means you are seeing a qualified medical provider specifically for purposes of weightloss. Whether it's weekly, less or more will depend on the doctor. Your visits have to be specifically for this, and coded as such I believe. meal plans, support-based weightloss programs, etc. do not count. 2. Does hypothyroidism count as a comorbidity? Can that condition eliminate you from a Lap-band program? You should call your insurance provider and ask them if they consider it a comorbidity. 3. Do you have a choice where the port is placed? Most surgeons I've heard of will consider the patient's wishes in port placement. However, they may override if it's necessary for access.

Hunger will probably be what it was pre-band. The band cannot work until it is filled to a level that gives you restriction. In the meantime, it is important to follow the gradiated post-op diet. This gives the tissues, scarring, etc. around the band a chance to do what they need to do to heal and help ensure good, long-term band function.

Chech seafood counters for yellowfin tuna, it's one of the more common "at home" sashimi/sushi fishes.

Sometimes, but not always. So far I can't really make any connections. I can fly somewhere 10 times, and maybe 6 or 7 of them I'm really really tight. Sometimes it begins while in the air, sometimes it begins a day or two after landing. I used to think it was destination. I do a lot of travel to Florida, so maybe the humidity, but then I'd think it would be more consistent. *shrug* Chicago is another common destination for me. Of the last 10 times I've been, maybe 4 I've had trouble. Once started during drink service en route - I could barely get my apple juice down. But I was ok a day after landing. It really makes no sense.

Maybe "yes" and definitely "no". With proper and perhaps even too tight restriction, the band can prevent, to a degree, large quantities of food from passing through the stoma at one time. Caveats including "at one time" - it cannot do much for head-driven grazing, as well as "large quantities" - see grazing idea, and the fact that the band is most effective with solid foods. It can't do much to keep you from eating a gallon of ice cream if you really want to, hence it wouldn't prevent you from overeating. Think of the band as "artificial will power." Just as with your natural will power, it's still up to you to control your eating, you just get varying degrees of assistance. The band functions in much the same way.

Flying doesn't bother me, I'd be much more freaked over the idea of having to drive it. Or of having to go to Vegas. BUT, I do a lot of work travel, including travel with people who are terrified of flying. Easiest solution -- call your doctor, explain the sitatuation, and ask for some valium or something else to help you relax. In Vegas you will be in a taxi or walking, so no worries about being able to drive.