HeatherO

Your health is so important and an absessed tooth can be a miserable experience. You dont want a major infection being cleared up at the same time getting abdominal surgery. It might seem difficult because you are working on getting the band, but what is 2 weeks compared to the rest of your life :0) It will be done and over with before you know it.

There is no restriction on activity at all. It had no affect on working out, which I do religiously on a daily basis.

Maybe a mix is best. Perhaps you should eat the salad/chicken/etc first and save something sweet for last. Then you will start by being full to begin with.

It can be entirely different based on the doctor/insurance etc. There is no way to know how to compare without finding out their specific rates, portions due to the patient, etc.

I wouldnt wait another moment to see a doctor. You could be causing yourself serious harm by waiting it out. You may have already waited too long.

I had it until about 6 weeks out, and it was pretty intense. I still get a shoulder twinge of pain if I too much. I remember between 3-4 weeks out I was pretty miserable, it is kind of like the pain of your back being misaligned but it is in your neck/shoulder area. Luckily, I am fine now. Perhaps if you hang in there another week or two it will go away.

It sounds like you may have gone to a bad location. I am sorry that you have struggled and had such a difficult time with this doctor and facility. You are definitely correct in that it is difficult to find care here in the USA after you have had procedures performed in Mexico. I was in Hospital Angeles and I found the facility very clean and professional. Dr. Corvala performed the surgery. I was going out of my way to look for any "warning" signs as well, but none could be found. When I had any questions or concerns, everyone responded to my emails or phone calls quickly. My experience was very positive. The only issue I ever had was one male nurse wanted to change my bandages without wearing gloves and my husband said absolutely not. He put on gloves and everything was fine. My incisions healed well and quickly. Unfortunately, staph or other infections can occur here as well. My mother had a bypass operation in a Pittsburgh hospital and almost lost her life due to infection. She ended up in a nursing facility for more than a month to recover from the infection. If I were to give anyone advice, I would say take infection seriously. If you have puffiness, redness around the incisions, swelling and discomfort which are more than expected . . . have someone take a look at it as quickly as possible. Also, everyone should follow their wound care instructions without fail. If it says wash your hands, perhaps washing twice and making sure you carefully clean under your fingernails for good measure is even better. Afterall, it is your health on the line. As far as going to Mexico is concerned, all I can say is research, research, research . . . and when you think you know everything, research some more. Talk to people who have been there if you can. Forums like this are excellent for that purpose. This also means going beyond the list of reference people provided by the group/facility. Any patients with a bad experience/outcome are not likely to be on their referral lists . . . if you know what I mean. You can find professionalism and good results in many places, just as you can find subpar doctors and facilities everywhere.

Steak is certainly worth it and there is no reason to give it up. To be honest, steak is easier on my stomach than chicken. I understand the athlete bit. My workout used to be remote control surfing on the couch. I now work out vigorously every day at the gym and have started running as well. Sometimes I wonder . . . who is this person that I have become. I hardly recognize myself :0) It feels great!!!!

I have been doing a lot of "closet shopping" lately, lol. I think a lot of us who have traveled up and down on sizes in the past have some items in the closet that havent fit right for a while but we can't bear to part with. It has been great!!!!! I also love that I can see the transition in a pair of pants from skin tight . . . looks good . . . omg, i need a belt :0) Another nsv is just being able to go clothes shopping and find cute, non-grandmotherly clothes that fit well. I wouldn't give my band up for the worlddd!!!!!!!

I am very sorry this happened to you. Everyone I have ever spoken with who has gone to Mexico has had a wonderful experience with no issues, including myself. Did you get any information regarding why you ended up with a staph infection?

I have it too but I am not worried about being too tight. Cold Water can give me that feeling and i know that isn't too thick. I go slow on drinking in the morning but I can eat a banana or yogurt . . . you would think that they would be more difficult than cold water, go figure. I still eat healthy food without sticking to mushies but I just have to be careful with the Proteins and some veggies as far as time and chewing. I can drink just fine at night and I get tons of water in the second half of the day. However, I definitely feel that sensation in the morning and also if it is something really cold.

I agree, a small unfill may do the trick. I know it is really hard to get to the point where you have to make a decision to go back for an unfill. I had a problem my last fill (second) where I was pb'ing almost every meal for over a week. I had almost no restriction with my first fill. I made a decision to go back and get a slight unfill and so scheduled an appointment. While waiting for the appointment over a weekend, I decided to go on liquids to let my stomach relax for a little bit. By the time I reintroduced mushy and later solid foods, I was OK again. I don't PB now but I had to learn to chew more carefully. I also learned that I needed to give myself time to readjust to certain types of foods (like salad and chicken which are a cornerstone of my diet). I hope you feel better soon.

Carbs were my downfall before band. Now I try to avoid all carbs that are not in the form of healthy fruits and vegetables. At first I thought I can try just a little and it would be OK, but that was not the case for me. To eat a little carbs just made me want to eat a lot of carbs later. At first it was very hard, but once you break the carb addiction it gets much easier. The strange but amazing thing that has happened now is that my tastes have started to change. I am craving the good stuff and not as interested in the bad stuff. The things I used to have the worst cravings for in the past seem boring now. If you stick with it and avoid old eating habits for long enough, you should find that good eating habits become second nature. Right now you are in a tough spot only three weeks out, getting hungry with no restriction. You may find that everything is a lot easier after a fill or two. Hang in there.

Pre-band, I could eat alot if I was regularly eating alot. When I was dieting, my capacity shrank and less would fill me up. I think our stomachs can accomodate the amounts we are used to eating to some extent.

I wish you best of luck as well. Not all PCP's are onboard with WLS, regardless of the circumstances. At any rate, you may want to look for a new PCP. Even if you manage to get it approved without the PCP's endorsement, you will need a physician that you can continue to go to and share your experiences and health concerns with.

I think eating the right foods, following the plan and staying a little looser are healthier in the long run. Being too tight is unpleasant and not safe. It you are working on healthier eating you are already moving in the right direction. Maybe 1.55 or 1.6 is the right level for you. At this point maybe your fills need to be raised/lowered in much smaller increments, perhaps by .05. You know your current upper and lower range now so the sweet spot must be somewhere in between. I also strongly agree with Jack above. There is the band around our stomachs which needs tweaking, but the band around our minds is where most of the hard work comes in. :0)

I have only told my husband. Not even my teenage son is aware of it. I did not want to add any additional pressure to what was already a really personal choice. One of the reasons that I did not tell anyone is because I have a friend that had R&Y and has had limited success but is still morbidly obese years later. Some mutual friends sometimes comment about how she did not follow up with support needed. Everyone loves her and is very sad that she did not find the level of success she was looking for after taking such great risks. I dont want to be scrutinized at this level, even if it is well intentioned by people who love you for who you are. I am a very private person and I dont want everyone watching my every bite, or looking to see how my body changes. I am one of those people who blushes when someone sings happy birthday to me . . . . if you know what I mean :0). I dont want to be "different" or maybe have my weight loss discounted because I took the supposedly easy road before I have a chance to get into my new skin. However, I am finding success and people notice. People ask what I have done and I tell them honestly what I do every day: daily intentional exercise coupled with small portions of healthy food and elimination of processed carbs from my diet. I have decided that once I move out of the obese bmi range, if anyone asks sincerely how I lost it (and maybe is struggling in the same way I was) I will tell them exactly how I got to where I am. I want everyone who struggles like me to know what opportunities are out there that might help. I just want to move past the preliminary stages of weight loss on my own with the support of my DH if that makes any sense.

I would do it if it were me. I know I am so much more motivated by seeing others that are successful so I would jump at the chance to show others just what is possible with the band. It is a very personal decision which may get you a little extra attention . . . are you ready for that? :0).

I already knew what I needed to do to lose weight before being banded. I have lost 50+ pounds 3 times in my life, and various other amounts depending on my motivation level. So why couldn't I keep it off before . . . 1) the biggest reason is because I was HUNGRYYY and I like to eat. Physical hunger had a lot to do with it with some extra head hunger thrown in for dessert. It is my reward for everything . . . and my solace when i am feeling bad. It is my way of unwinding at the end of a long day; 2) because I had an unhealthy mind set that obsessed over food when I was dieting, or not dieting and I felt I could only be successful if I was feeling incessantly deprived. When I was in strict diet mode, I would even have constant dreams where the entire theme was about eating . . . I kid you not. One thing I would also like to mention is that I was never overweight until I was an adult. I never gave thought to what I ate as a child. Over time, the heavier I got, the more I obsessed over it and went to very strict measures (impossible to continue long term). Even as an adult, I never gained weight from not dieting . . . it was always the yoyo effect that seemed to start tipping the scales in the wrong direction. For me, and this might sound ridiculous, it almost seems like there was a relationship between the heavier I was at any given point in time, the heavier I was going to be in the future. It was almost as if dieting made me heavier in that I tried too hard and if I failed at all I had a massive failure. I have had a very successful life professionally and in relationships but my weight was the bane of my existence; 3) in for a penny, in for a pound . . . perhaps I goofed at lunch time on my unreasonably strict diet and so, since I already feel extremely guilty and ashamed, why stop there. I'll start again with the diet tomorrow or the next day and so dinner can be whatever I want. Self sabotage was imbedded cunningly in feelings of guilt. I never could find a middle road somewhere between deprivation and gluttony. So, how has any of that changed with the band??? 1) I am not hungry all of the time. I did not realize what a massive impact that would have on my ability to lead a normal, healthy relationship with food. 2 & 3) I am not obsessing over food. I feel like a weight has been lifted in that I will eat as much as my body will tolerate. This is the most non-diet eating plan I have ever been on. There is no need to feel guilty for overeating because I cant really overeat by much. It also can not trigger binge behavior for me because there is no room. Another side effect of the band is that I have occasionally made a rare decision to eat something not very healthy for me . . . and my body rejected it causing me to have a distaste for whatever it was and a desire not to repeat the experience. I have become very sick and miserable over a slice of pizza, french fries doctored with melted cheese, sour cream and chives, and a piece of cheesecake. I can tell you that I only tried these items once post banding and I dont want to try them again. I also tell myself that the only requirement is that I eat my Protein, veggies and fruit first and if I want something a little different I can have it . . . but I dont have any room for it by the time I am finished and the desire is gone. I can eat 1 triscuit or 1 bite of chocolate over a period of several weeks, feel satisfied and not worry at all. Food has stopped being good (boring) or evil (off limits but the epitomy of gastric desire). Food has become just food for me. I just make small decisions that lead me in the right direction. and finally . . . Success breeds success. It is easy to be motivated when you see things moving in the right direction. I am exercising daily now because it is easier at a lower weight and my fitness level has improved. I am learning to have a healthy, normal relationship with food. I feel good about myself and it inspires me to reach further and attain my goals. The band was just what I needed to get back on track with real life. Some days are easier, some are harder, but it is all within reach for me with reasonable effort and healthy decisions. It doesnt do all of the work for me, but it certainly takes the edge off. I may not be able to scale the mountain alone, but I can certainly climb the hill with a little extra help :0). Has the band affected anyone else in a similar way?

It depends on how bad it is. I have had projectile only twice but luckily in the bathroom ;0). Sometimes if I have overdone it but not terribly bad, I need to slime for a few minutes and it is slow. What a great post :0) I love your writing style . . . it is one of those posts that keeps me smiling regarding the "joys" of band life.

I go less as well and the volume is diminished. I am happy you are feeling better.

It is pretty well covered by other people above. There are two primary reasons, initial swelling post fill goes down after a time and the fat around your stomach diminishes. Some people have also mentioned that your fill can "evaporate" over time. However, I asked my physician and she said that eventhough it can happen, it is a very small amount over a very long time so the difference is too small to be noticed unless you are in maintenance mode and do not go in for fills for over a year.

There is no comparison whatsoever. It is like comparing a stubbed toe to a broken foot :0). Almost no pain for me and I never did more than 1 pain pill after surgery. Really the only pain I had was if I would cough and even then that was manageable. I suffered a little more from being tired a few days after surgery. I did have the shoulder pain which wasn't pleasant but the incisions were a piece of cake.

I had this doctor at this location. It was a great experience and I would not change a thing about it. If you want to hear more about the details, send me a pm (private message).

Mine was refried Beans with a little chicken broth added to thin it out with a little mozarella cheese on top. Yummmmyyyyy. It was the besssttttt thing I ate in a long time. It is funny, this is not something I would normally eat but it was absolutely wonderful after liquids, liquids, liquids. You are doing a wonderful job sticking to the diet and planning out your mushies stage. Liquids are hard going, that is for sure. Congratulations on working your way through the first stage of your new life!!!!! :0)