Insky67

I have the realize band and I had HORRIBLE pain. I don't think it had anything to do with what band I got just how my body reacted to the surgery itself. I am two months post-op and still have tenderness in my port area from time to time. I picked the realize band. My doc uses both, said she had no preference. I liked the web tools it comes with and the fact that is is a 10 cc band.

Oh yea I remember that pain. Everyone told me it would just feel like I had done some sit-ups. It was horrible! It was about two weeks before I thought I was gonna make it thru. Hang in there and take it easy!

I go in for my second fill next week and I cannot wait! I am so hungry all the time it is all I can do to not pig out! I could eat 5 boxes of poptarts right now. I need some restriction!

Just go to your PCM and ask for a referral. Tricare will handle it from there and let you know what surgeon you can see. You might want to look into going to a free seminar in your area too.

Wow, I was on liquids still at this stage for you...then mushies and even then I had to make myself eat. I just wasn't hungry and didn't want much to do with food. If you eat more Protein and less carbs and sugar it will keep your hunger level down. Maybe try and get a Protein shake in...good luck.

Hi Emmie! We were stationed at Fairchild too...I loved it there. We are now at MacDill. Don't worry about your fill, it will be so easy! I was worried too and it was over before I knew it started. How are you doing with your weight loss so far? I was banded June4th. Robin RobinNGabster@aol.com

I would really like to get a tattoo over my main incision one day. I have read that you should wait a year for complete healing. Has anyone else gotten a tattoo over their lap band scar/s or a tattoo to symbolize this journey? If so what did you get??? :tt2:

Getting stuck last a different amount of time for everyone and it also depends on what is stuck. My first time lasted 45 mins, the times after that it varied between 20 and 30 mins. My doc never said we could not have rice, breads or Pasta. But to introduce these things slowly and to chew them very well. I know people who have no problems at all with these foods and others who will never eat them again. Just go slow. I think if you search this site for "stuck" you will find lots of stories on what to expect when it does happen.

I also found that laying on my side...almost my stomach with a pillow pressed up real close felt better. It gave me some support or something. It was easily a week before I started to feel better...I had lots of pain!

I had my first fill July 15th and havent lost a single pound! I am always hungry and can eat just about anything right now. I am not scheduled to go back until Aug 12th I wonder if I should call and see if I can get in sooner? What do you think?

I had no problems cooking for my family while on my pre-op diet. My shakes were great. I woudl get up before anyone else and start having my Breakfast shake...it took the edge off hunger and when I started cooking for them it didn't bother me. It brings me great pleasure to cook for my family. At dinner I was allowed to have a meal. I had to stick with chicken, fish or turkey and one green veggie. That was not a problem for my family...they would eat that too and if I made something else like rolls or biscuits I just skipped it. I think if you are unable to cook for your family a good idea might be to fix a bunch of meals ahead of time and freeze them. Then all they have to do is follow the directions for reheating. You could make up a ton of meals in one afternoon. This would work for pre-op and post-op. My husband was so sweet after my surgery. For some reason a lot of food smells would make me totally naseus. He would start cooking for himself and our daughter and then he would run upstairs to our room where I was resting and ask if the smell was bothering me...if it was he would close my door ...run down and open windows and turn on fans. LOL He brought me my pain pills around the clock and for the first 3 days he was scared he might bump me in our sleep and hurt my tummy so instead of sleeping in the guestroom where he might not hear me if I needed him he slept on the floor right beside me. He is a keeper! I hope you can work it all out...it's a long road if you don't have the support you need. And if you can't get it at home remember there are a lot of us here who will help you and back you up as much as we can over the net. Hang in there...

It feels like hell. When I get stuck it has been on a bread type item. Toast, pizza, cracker...it happened right away like after the first or second bite. I could feel it go down and get stuck right in the middle of my chest. It hurts so bad sometimes I thought I couldn't breathe and then the slime starts. Mouth starts watering like crazy. Can't swallow it cause it hurts more so you have to lean of the toilet/sink and just keep spitting. Your body starts sending mass amounts of saliva and mucous to your pouch to either make the stuck food go down or come back up. Usually for me I start gagging like I am gonna throw up and all of a sudden a huge amount of slime (mucous) comes out and then if I am lucky so will the offending food item. This has happened to me 3 or 4 times now. It is awful so please be very careful when you start introducing real food back in. Eat SLOW and chew it to death.

I think they are good!

Very nice! I still have all mine but they are looking better every day.

Looking Good!!! Even your chest looks perkier and your middle is vanishing before our eyes!!! You go girl!

My insurance paid for it so I didn't have any costs. But I believe it is pretty much the same as other places...15 to 16 thousand. I do know they do financing...you'd have to go to a seminar to get more information, or call the office.

I live in Tampa and my surgeon was Dr. Tiffany Jessee. Her office is in Largo and she performs her surgery in St. Petersburg. She was wonderful! Welcome to Sun Coast Bariatrics

aw that's too bad...I got all kinds of comments like that. Just think you can both live your lives much longer together too!

AZChick...my surgeon told me I was the last tricare patient she would see because they paid her and the hospital so little. I felt bad but am glad I got in when I did. FYI...I was born and raised in AZ. What part are you in? I am a Tempe girl.

Meggers, Tricare paid for all of mine, I didn't even have a co-pay. Approval happened very quickly...I was shocked how fast it all went. My husband was deployed when I had to do all the foot work...appointments and all and then he came home just in time for my surgery. He was home for 3 weeks and has deployed again. I can't wait for him to see the new me when he gets back home! Robin

Dr. Tiffany Jessee, she is with Suncoast Bariatrics and Palms of Pasadena. She did my lap band June 4th and is wonderful. ObesityNoMoreFL.com - Getting Started

I was totally freaked out about that too, and that was the ONLY thing I was worried about. They did it all while I was asleep so I never knew but my throat was sore afterwards...not bad just sore and I was sooooooo thirsty.

I had heard tricare will pay if you are 75 pounds over weight with comorbidities. I would say you have a very good chance for approval. You can log into the tricare web site and check the status of your requests...

My husband is in the Air Force so all of my medical treatment is done at the base hospital. Every time I go I end up seeing someone different...I am shocked at how many PCM have little to no knowledge about the lap band. I usually end up explaining it to them and how it all works...

Went thru the same thing here. I was banded June 4th and just couldn't get the liquids down...I did develop a UTI and then I had to force myself to drink. I also said a hundred times "WHat in the WORLD was I thinking" after surgery. That lasted for about a week and then each day it got better. Hang in there...the worse is over.