Maitai

I eat about 4-5 prunes at least 3x's per week. And I find it helps.

Hello ya'll from Tampa. As my ticker says, I was banded in May and although I have not updated my weight loss ( I'm waiting for the official weigh-in at next fill) I think I doing pretty well. All I keep thinking is ...why the heck did I wait so long to do this?! Good luck to all and I hope we can all keep in touch.

It is a decision you will not regret! Good luck!

I too had to do the six month medically supervised diet and provide weight history for the past three years. And I have pretty much been overweight all my life. But I think it is something most insurances do. Just be glad you don't have medicaid...they have to do an 18 mo. medically supervised diet. Trust me, before you know it the six months will have passed and then everything starts moving PRETTY fast. I wish you the best! I forgot to say that I have Aetna HMO. So it is pretty much normal procedure I believe for all insurance companies.

I had insurance and all I have to pay is my hospital copay which is $250. But I did get a copy of the bill from the hospital that they were submitting to the insurance company and the bill was for $44,000. I also that at the general orientation the cash price quoted was at $16,000. So what is the difference, I'm not sure.

My doctor had me go back to full fluids and then mushies for two weeks. (one week of fluids & one week of mushies) before starting back on solids. Right now I am on the mushies. I believe he'll have you go back on fluids, the length of time is different with every doctor, basically because your pouch will be irritated and swollen after the adjustment. But I am sure your doctor will tell you what he specifically will want you to do.

Try using elastic cami's or shaping tank tops ( available in lingerie sections of dept stores) for support. Two months after surgery I still wear them because at times I feel my port tug when I make sudden moves or twists. They really helped me especially after surgery. I felt it gave proper support and pressure for my port incision without being too tight. ( I bought the barely there brand). And they make you look thinner.

I have the same problem with afternoon hunger. What I have started doing, like Vegas said, is eat. I tend to have trouble squeezing all my Fluid in during the day because I work in a medical lab and we are not allowed to have any food or beverages around. So when I pack my lunch I put in a bottle of Water with those crystal light single servings for water bottles. I drink that on the way home ( which takes about 30min) and then after I get home I grab a quick healty snack. Then I have dinner between 6:00pm. and 7:00p.m. That's how I stop myself from really screwing my diet for the day.

The Centrum chewables were around $10 for a 100 tablets(walmart) the calcium citrate chewables around $13 for 60 tablets and the whey Protein powder was $20 for a 12oz plastic jar. I don't know if you have a health food store or maybe a Vitamin shoppe close by but I would suggest you buy individual protein packets which cost between $2-$3 first in case it turns out you don't like a particular one. And also make sure that when you pick a Protein Powder that it does not contain and excessive amount of carbohydrates. Good luck!

Are you interested in the diet pills because you want a faster weight loss? I ask this because to me it seems you have lost an pretty good amount of weight. I know that we want this to go fast but a think slower weight loss in a lot safer and healthier. If you are trying to compare the band to gastric bypass....gastric bypass offers you a faster weight loss in the beginning compared to the lapband . But the lapband catches up later. Considering you have not been banded a whole year yet, I would at least wait it out until your band anniversary before you look into taking diet pills. And remember , you cannot take diet pills forever because they eventually affect your heart to say the least. I've only been banded two months and from where I am your weight loss looks impressive to me. Keep up the good work!

Hello Dolly, I had my surgery done in Tampa , at Tampa General Hosp.( a center of excellence ) with Dr. Michel Murr. Awesome dr and his personnel are so organized that they make the process a breeze. The ones that make us jump through the hoops are the insurance companies. I had Aetna HMO and I did have to do the 6 mo. of a medically surpervised diet. Anyway, one of the best ways to inform yourself is to go to one of the seminars where they discuss the procedure, the insurance approval process and how to get ready for surgery. If you go to www.lapband.com you can find doctors in your area and when the seminars are offered. Good luck and I wish you the best.

GDC, I don't have pix of my scars but I tell you they are not bad. I only have 2 although the average I believe is between 4 or 5. The smallest one is half inch long and the other one which where the port is and usually the biggest is just 2 inches long. Mine are located between the braline and waistline. For the outside I did not have stitches, my dr uses the steri-strips so I have no scars from stitches. And I tell as the days go by you start to notice them less. So don't be afraid...It's one of the best decisions you will have made in your life.

Hello John and welcome. To qualify for WLS you have to be morbidly obese with a BMI of over 40 or with a BMI of 35 and comorbidities such as high blood pressure,diabetes, sleep apnea or any other health issues you might have that are weight related. As far as which one you get depends on which one you prefer.

Cortney, Yes, pretty much I believe everyone uses the Protein shakes. According to my nutritionist, I'm am to have between 60-80 grams of protein per day in order to not lose muscle as I am losing weight. It becomes very difficult to get that much protein just from food since we are supposed to be eating small amountsof food at a time. And because we are getting so little food at one time, we have to also take Multivitamins and extra Calcium. All this is so that you do not deplete the calcium from your bones and the Vitamins help maintain your health. And trust me, a lot a times those Protein Shakes help keep feeling fuller longer.

J Hi, I just had surgery 2 months ago...and like everyone I was nervous but mostly because we don't know what is going to happen and are not quite sure what to expect. To answer some fo your questions: First, I was not nauseous at all after the surgery, and I hear that if you do start feeling sick, they give you medication for that. You are also avoid throwing up at all, that could affect your pouch. From my experience I do believe that I went through a short mourning period and many people go through the "last big meal before surgery" syndrome. I tried not to succumb to neither one. Yes, we probably cannot eat as much as we did before the band, but on the positive side...I look at it as I will finally be able to have a "normal" relationship with food. That is, I can have a small amount of everything and be satisfied and not want to eat all of it and then feel guilty about afterwards. You can't feel the band, you do feel restriction from the band..that meaning that you will feel satisfied with a small amount of food. What you do feel is the port. In the beginning ,of course, since you are still in the healing process it hurts a little, nothing unbearable, and later on depending on certain movements you will feel it, but not all the time. As for people asking you about eating small amounts of food, you can say that you are on a new diet, which you are! They don't have to know that you had the surgery if you don't want them to know.