LiseSeattle

Hi Erik - congrats and welcome - also wanted to say my husbands name is erik and he spells it with a K as well!

Yeahhh - congrats for making the most wonderful decision of your life!!!

Oooh my gosh - I was banded by dr montgomery on 3/4 at NWWLS! He is the BEST - the entire staff are fantastic. I've been blogging about my entire experience via the link below. You should check it out. I can't say enough positive things about the entire experience. It was the best thing I've ever done for myself. Feel free to contact me directly if you would like to chat first hand. Lise

i've lost 17 lbs in the last 4 weeks...but this will not continue...i was just banded on 3/4 and i am planning for the loss to slow down to 1-2 lbs per week.

Congrats on taking this big step to a wonderful life ahead of you! You have so much support from all of us!

Best of luck tomorrow - this is a fantastic thing you are doing for yourself!

Before I got my first fill (but after banding) I craved EVERYTHING and could probably eat everything...but I took care of my band...so I ate only protein and "good foods" such as fruits/vegetables, no rice/pasta/bread...chewed really well, etc. I lost a/b 17 lbs prior to my first fill which is great considering I don't think i had any restriction prior. Now I have restriction and am doing great and am so happy I "stuck it out" during the bandster hell preriod!

I was able to eat 8 oz until I got my first fill (5cc's on a 10cc band) - now 4 oz is definitely enough! I think that if you are at your right restriction, 4 oz is about right.

Just had my first fill yesterday and boy what a difference it made - I am no longer in bandster hell - it's fantastic. I'm at 5cc's and totally feeling restriction (at least I think I am...hope it's not all mental)!

Wow - what a fantastic food intake — is now the focus of a fierce competition pitting consumer-products giant Johnson & Johnson against Botox maker Allergan Inc. Venture-capital-backed outpatient centers are popping up to implant the bands. Growing ranks of surgeons are touting the procedure at free public seminars. All see a vast market in a country where diet and exercise programs have failed to slow an obesity epidemic. Lap-Band v. Gastric Bypass Image A number of recent studies suggest that gastric banding is safer than gastric bypass, and some data suggest comparable, if slower, weight-loss results. Improvements in surgical techniques and follow-up care have helped gastric banding become the dominant weight-loss operation in Europe and Australia. Credit Suisse analyst Marc Goodman predicts that gastric banding will account for half of all weight-loss surgeries by 2010, up from about 30% today. GASTRIC BANDWAGON What’s New: Once dismissed as a gimmick, gastric banding is now seen by some in the medical industry as the next big thing in elective surgery. The Players: Industry giants Johnson & Johnson and Allergan, as well as venture-capital firms that are backing outpatient centers. Patient Concerns: The silicone device can shift after surgery, causing it to lose effectiveness. And patients may eventually need another surgery to replace or remove it.

Welcome! I was banded 3/4 and am down 18 lbs. welcome!

I was self-pay and the cost in seattle was 17.5k. Welcome to the boards! lise

Do you like frappuccinos? If so, try my recipe for a slimfast shake that tastes just like one! Just like a Frappuccino! « Lise The Loser’s Weblog

I have a 10cc band. I had 3cc's put in at surgery and another 2 put in yesterday at my first fill. I'm feeling great right now - very good restriction. but we'll see how long that lasts. :puke:

congrats congrats congrats!!!

i was selfpay so the entire process from seminar to surgery was under 2 weeks!

I just wanted to say that lapbandtalk is a fantastic source of info for those looking to seek info about gastric banding. i can't put a price on the value i have received. thank you everyone for your compassion, knowledge and support!

I went on alaska airlines 2 weeks after banding - no problems with security or anything else. and it was a one day trip for me to orange county from seattle and back!

i would keep up the walking...a trip to target did it for me - i felt so much better afterwards. the gas just "came out" after that ... not sure if it was something about target or what! but keep up the walking - it helps to get the gas moving!

I get my first fill tomorrow....I'm really hoping it does some good because I am torturing myself right now watching the food network....dear lord....pie!!!!

best thing that worked for me was walking. it totally helps with the gas. i know it's not the most enjoyable thing to do right after surgery - but i promise - it will help to "move around" the gas and get it out of you!

i gained 4 lbs after surgery but it came off quickly. is it "that time of the month" for you? i also gained a couple pounds that quickly came off and then some. i wouldn't sweat too much over it - instead, get used to it. you need to look at your fabulous results so far and know that in a year from now, you will be down down down!!!

i wasn't told i had to crush them - just use a pill cutter and cut them in half...have had no problems so far....

I took milk of magnesia for about 2 weeks after banding...until i discovered benefiber. i think that because of all of the additional protein i've been having a hard time with bm's...but the benefiber has been a lifesaver!

i don't have kids...but 2 20lb dogs. I didn't feel "good" about lifting them until 2 weeks out - but at that point I was a lifting machine! i think it's all about what works for you and what your doc says is right.