SeattleSweetie

I totally wish you all the best, I think you'll really love him and his whole team!

Hi there, I'll keep this short, but if you're in the Seattle area looking for a WL surgeon, I highly recommend doctor McMahon. He's my surgeon, and he and his whole team are fantastic. He's got a dedicated insurance specialist, dedicated bariatric nutritionist, and a whole team of support people, nurses, even therapists and psychologists. The ladies who do his fills are super supportive and always available to help you out, answer questions, provide guidance and emotional support, and more. I say all that to point out that if you're a patient of Doctor McMahon, you have tons of support, and are never without someone who can help you. If anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me, I'll be happy to answer!

I feel for you! It's horrible being stuck. And being in a public place the first time it happens - horrifying! I felt like I was going to die my first time. The pain is just excruciating. I can tell when I'm about to throw up, cause for the few seconds before, I completely lose the ability to breathe. I try to inhale, and I can't, and then I throw up. Just wretched! Thank God I've figured out how to eat without getting stuck, but it happened a few times before I learned to be really careful. Learn from your first time and be super careful about everything you eat. Hopefully you won't have to go through it again!!! ((((hugs!)))

How to shrink your liver (and increase ST weight loss) – the low-carb, pre-op diet Hope this helps!

I'm glad you guys like the site! It's been fun to make because it gives me incentive to try cooking new things. I'll be posting some crockpot cranberry pork ribs soon that I made tonight! YUM I'm lucky, Pasta still agrees with me at this point, but it has to be fresh-cooked. When I make larger pasta dishes, everything that's not eaten in the first meal becomes lunches and leftovers for hubby. Re-heated pasta just hates me. But it saves me from having to prepare/shop for/cook/think of lunches for him, so it works out well. The one leftover pasta thing I was able to eat was the chicken-yogurt-pesto-pasta that I made. I'm not sure if it was doable because of the creamy yogurt, or cause I cold-rinsed it right away after cooking ro whatever, but that's the one thing that still seems to agree with me. As for bread - it normally doesn't go down real well, but TOAST is still great for me. :biggrin: Also, if you like my site, you'll love this one even better: FoodWishes It's not mine, but it's a site I found quite a while back and really, really enjoy. This has really been the hardest thing for me too. SO MANY TIMES I walk into the kitchen cause I just feel like I need to be eating something. Anything. I want something sweet, I want something salty, I want some carbs, I want some milk or juice. It's horrible. I talked to my PA about it when I went back to get another fill` last week, cause I've really been struggling with wanting to consume everything around me, and she put me back on diet journaling. When I was pre-op, I was journaling everything I ate because I had to be uber-strict about my carbs so I could drastically reduce the size of my liver. After surgey though, I stopped. She thought that if I wrote down every single things I put in my mouth and kept strict count of my calories, it would be easier to motivate myself as well as watch out for my problem areas. I realized I have a strong desire to graze at night after dinner more than any other time. It's like I don't want to go to bed feeling even the tiniest bit hungry or empty. Now that I've realized that, I've started a "process", sort of, to help control it. After dinner, I portion out any leftovers into individual meal tupperware containers for lunches and dinners the next day so that I don't have a big pot or casserolle dish that I can just munch out of. Also, I've started being super-concious about the snack-type foods I have around. I no longer keep bread in the house, and all my snack things are relatively low-calorie easy things, like applesauce, low-fat yogurt, string cheese, etc. It helps having something to go to for a last-minute snack before bed that's only going to run 50-100 calories at most. I get my fix without trashing my 'diet'.

After what everyone else posted... if it still doesn't get better pretty soon, you should consider going to your doctor for a small unfill. Don't worry about 'not having any Fluid in the band'. The goal isn't to have a lot of fluid, the goal is to have the right amount (or non at all) to get you to comfortable restriction. If Water hurts going down and it doesn't get better soon, see your doc, that's not normal or desireable. If it is stress-related tightness or something, you can always get a new fill later when things get less stressful.

I asked this question of my nutritionist not too long ago, and she said to eat soups and cereal as you wish, but just to not drink the leftover liquid after the solids are gone. She said the liquid that mixes in with each bite is fine, it's just guzzling the milk or broth left in the bowl that will help wash things down too quickly.

Yeah, I agree, it doesn't sound quite right. Like Restless said, the doctor shouldn't be "pumping you up" for a surgery, but they shouldn't be trying to nudge you toward one that's more dangerous, a far bigger change to your system, and has a much higher risk of complications, if that's not what you went there for. I agree it sounds like he's got a bias toward GB for some reason. If it's that he's more experienced or feels more comfortable with that surgery, you'd probably be better off finding a doctor who's comfortable and supportive of the surgery you want to have. I would hate to chance going into surgery with someone who doesn't really want to do that particular surgery, and having their mindset lead to some sort of problem...

I also am just cooking for two. When I cook, I make about 4 servings of whatever I’m making. That covers dinner for us both at night, as well as leftovers for lunch the next day. This helps me cut way down on my food bill since I’m not going out for lunch or buying extra, specific lunch-type items at the grocery store. (shameless promotion here: check out my lapband recipe blog. It’s got pictures, nutrition info and hopefully some ideas that you can adapt to your own situation) I cook what you could consider “normal” meals. They always include a good Protein (in a texture I can eat – such as meat cooked in the crockpot, boiled, or baked only till done but still juicy), as well as veggies or fruit and a starch-type side dish for hubby. Typically if I make a side dish of something like boxed Stovetop stuffing or boxed scalloped potatoes, they will actually last for two days – through the next day’s lunch, dinner, and then the following lunch – since I’m not eating them. It works out to a nice two-days worth of side dishes and cuts down on the amount of work to prepare dinner the second night as well. I really never prepare special foods for myself for dinner (just for Snacks and whatnot), I just make sure that some components of my meals are healthy for me to eat. Hubby has absolutely no problem eating like a cow around me sometimes! :thumbup: I just sit and chew slowly while he mauls through a whole plate, and we both finish about the same time and both feel satisfied. It works out well for us. As for friends feeling bad to eat around me though, or eating too much, it’s really not that bad for me. While they eat a lot of food, I just take a few bites of the various things they’re eating. I stay within a reasonable amount of food, but I still get to try everything they’re having and be satisfied in the end. Sometimes it’s hard, but in general, being able to eat the same TYPES of food, if not the same amount, really helps me feel good about it. Of course, this isn’t something I do on a regular basis, so when I go out with friends, it’s not a big deal if I splurge just a tiny bit.

:cursing: Congratulations!!!!

Just be careful with what you eat and make sure you get back on track before surgery. I went into surgery after a two-week pre-op diet (I didn't really do too well on it :cursing:) and my liver was too big for my doctor to properly place the band, so they closed me back up and made me go home and do a 6-week low-carb diet to shrink my liver and then I had to have a second surgery to actually get the band in. It's super-hard to stick to something like this, but just try to remember that this little bit of "suffering" now is going to help make it possible for you to get through the rest of your life in good shape and (hopefully!) happiness.

This isn't a weight-loss specific site, but it's a blog I've been reading for about a year or so now, and I just love it. The guy who runs it (Chef John) is a professional chef down in California and he does short online videos of all his recipes (He's also an about.com food guide and a foodbuzz featured publisher). It's great especially for people who may not be the best cooks cause you can kindof get a better idea for the technique of things by watching. Also, Chef John is rather funny, so the videos are not only informational, but entertaining as well. chicken.html" rel="external nofollow">some-good-frickin-paprika-chicken chicken-chili-or-chile-verde chicken-caesar-springrolls-ultimate-low-carb-wrap getting-under-skin-for-great-big-juicy-breasts turkey-chili-mooooooove-over-chuck garlic-fennel-and-orange-grilled chicken-breasts-with-herbs-de-provence budget-beef-merlot-succulent-beef roasted-pork-tenderloin-with-fresh-plum roast-pork-tenderloin-with-apple-dijon italian-meatballs-lets-get-rolling i-have-met-enemy-and-he-is-me-please black-pepper-crusted-pork-tenderloin Hope you enjoy!!

I absolutely LOVE Trader Joes also! Here are a couple more items for you to try if you have any way to transport frozen foods... Lapband Eating 4 Life: Delicious nutritious chicken strips - straight from your freezer! Lapband Eating 4 Life: Super Easy Cheaty Spaghetti and Meatballs These are really really uber-great. Hope you're able to try them!

Agreed, get in touch with your insurance company first - either through their website or customer service number, and ask for the names of any in-network bariatric surgeons or centers they work with. Next, call whoever they refer you to - every bariatric doctor that I have heard of has an "introductory seminar" type event, if you will, that they require all new or prospective patients to attend. It's basically like a sales meeting where they tell you the benefits, the requirements, etc etc. While you're there, you'll get a packet of papers giving you next steps and exactly what to do to get started. Also, I recommend you attend sessions like these with at least a couple of different doctors. You'll get somewhat different info from each one (such as their pre-op requirements, diet, etc), and you'll get a feel for who you really like or which doctor seems the most responsive, friendly, personable, or whatever traits matter most to you. I went to three different seminars before I found a doctor that I really liked. He seemed much more thorough and strict about his pre-op diet and his medical and office assistants that were at the seminar were all very friendly and caring. It would seem to some that they would want to go with a doctor who would go easy and let them get the surgery no matter what, but I wanted a doctor who was more strict and concerned with proper pre-op and post-op diet and whatnot because I felt he was more concerned overall with the general care of the patient, rather than having a lax, 'anything goes' type of attitude just to get patients in the door. The doctor I ended up choosing also had the lowest rate of complications, slips, and other problems, probably because he was so determined to help his patients take care of themselves properly. Overall, it was a great experience, and there really is a HUGE difference between different doctors, so attend a couple of different seminars and go with your gut instinct. I know it will probably take an extra week or two to schedule multiple appointments and whatnot, but take it from someone who knows, picking someone you're really comfortable with is more important than getting into surgery a week earlier. You will be relying on this doctor and his or her staff for so much, you want someone you feel good about. Once you've picked the one you like, contact their office or read through the instruction packet they gave you at the seminar. They will be quick to help facilitate and oversee everything you need to do, such as pre-op testing, evaluations, organize medical histories, etc. More than likely, they'll have certain doctors that they use all the time for various tests, so they'll know who to send you to for everything. When I started the program, I was actually given a checklist of each test and evaluation I needed to have done, the name and contact number for the doctor to do it, and the timeline of which things I needed to do first in order to submit for insurance approval, and then the smalled things I could have done later down the road. Just talk to the doctor you choose, they'll get you going on the right path.

Ahhh... this thread makes me sad. :cursing: I quit smoking weed about 4 years ago in the midst of a "Moral Improvement" or something, and at the same time got rid of a lot of friends who really weren't good for me. I don't miss the friends, but I dearly miss the weed. I guess once you're an addict, your addiction never goes away. Honestly, if I still had weed-smoking friends, I'd definitely start again. Unfortunately though, they were all gotten rid of long ago. No contacts anymore. Plus, the way the economy is now, I'd probably be afraid to start for fear of losing my job (I work in the banking industry) and having to pass drug screens in order to find a new one. Anywhoo, this doesn't have anything to do with the original question, but it just got me musing... :thumbup:

I faked it by telling people I found out I had a thyroid condition and that it was finally being treated. When I started losing weight and obviously having more energy and whatnot, I attributed it to medication and hormone replacement for thyroid treatment. I know, it's not good to lie, and I should 'stand up and be proud' and all that, but that's not how it worked for me. I have a number of people I work with that I don't particularly care for, and I didn't want to feel like they were looking down on me with the standard thin-person mentality of "oh look, she had to get surgery cause she couldn't do it on her own". I kindof chose the thyroid excuse as a way to say "hey look, it's not my fault I'm fat, no one knew I just had a medical problem". Sad, but it was much easier to handle that way and I don't feel self-consious at work wondering what people are thinking or saying about me behind my back. And plus now, when people say I'm looking good and ask if I'm losing weight, or how I'm feeling, I feel really good about myself knowing they're actually happy that I'm getting better, instead of judging me behind fake smiles or something.

Haha. Glad most of you enjoyed! I love this, and I agree, I don't understand what the heck she is doing as the VP nom. Good pick for Obama, bad pick for McCain.

Haha, gotta love it. As posted by John Ridley on Huffingtonpost.com hair on national TV it's an "adorable moment." (Seriously, forget about abstinence only, teach these folks some grooming skills). DTD SAYS: If your pastor rails against inequality in the United States of America, you're an "extremist." If your pastor welcomes a sermon by a member of Jews for Jesus who preaches that the killing of Jews by terrorists is a lesson to Jews that they must convert to Christianity, you're a "fundamentalist." If you're a black man and you use a scholarship to get into college, then work your way up to being the president of the Harvard Law Review, you're "uppity." If you're a conservative and your parents pay your way to Hawaii Pacific University . . . you only have four more schools to attend over the next five years before you somehow manage to graduate (it might be five more schools over the next five years. No one has yet verified whether or not Palin was actually ever registered at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. But, you know how shady people are who ever attended any kind of school in Hawaii). SeanOcali says: If you're 18, white, and get a 16 year old girl pregnant "life happens." If you're 18, black, and impregnate a 16 year old girl, you're a "registered sex offender." If you spend 18 months building a campaign around the theme of "Change," it's just "empty rhetoric." If one week before your party's national convention you SUDDENLY make your candidacy about "Change," that's "red meat." And your last lesson for the day: If you are a Democrat, an Independent, or even a moderate Republican, if you're female, male, white, black, Asian, Hispanic, bi-racial, multi-ethnic, or GLBT, if you're a Jew, Gentile, Muslim, agnostic or atheist -- "Yes, we can!" If you're a pitbull with lipstick from Alaska, "Yup, yup!"

There is a whole subforum on the topic of fills. You'll find your answers here - Lap-Band Fills - Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum

I got my first fill today (yay me!) and have a question - I have a 14 cc band, and I found out today that they already put 4ccs in when I was in surgery. So today, I go in and the PA who does the fills asked me how much I was eating and how often I was hungry, and whatnot, and then decided to give me another 1.5 cc's, for a total of 5.5. She said she starts most people out with a 5cc total fill, but since I had 4 already she'd give me the extra half. That 1.5 ccs just doesn't sound like a lot, considering I've been almost as hungry lately as I was before surgery and I'm able to eat a lot of food (I try not to, but the hunger kicks in). So my question is... is a 1.5 cc fill enough to really make a difference in how hungry someone is? It just sounds like such a small amount, it seems like that would barely be any additional restriction.

Thanks and I wish you all the success in the world too! :biggrin:

YES!!! You should be on liquids after surgery (for how long depends on your doctor's orders). You should not be eating ANYTHING that you have to chew right after surgery. The reason is because when they put the band in, they stitch part of your stomach up over it to hold it in place. When they do this, there's nothing but the stitches holding it there. Your stomach has to grow scar tissue around the stitches to hold it there permanently. When your stomach has to digest something, it pulls and contracts, which pulls apart the scar tissue that was just created. It can also pull out the stitches, so that there's nothing left holding your stomach in place. Also, no matter how well you chew your food, your stomach will still have to digest it further. Teeth just aren't able to digest food as well as it has to be digested to go through your system. If this happens, then your chances of having a slip either now or later go up dramatically, which can potentially be a big problem. Depending on the severity, this could result in you have to have your band completely removed later down the road. Just because you don't feel pain, doesn't mean that you're fine. There really aren't nerve endings in the stomach there, so even if you tore all your stitches, you wouldn't feel it until you got sick. Please, please, please go back to your doctor's liquid orders. If s/he didn't clarify them, then call and ask! I don't mean to sound like I'm trying to scare you, I'm really not, but hearing things like this really worries me for your sake. Also, having only been eating like this for a couple days, I'm sure you'd probably be fine if you stopped now and went back to liquids and followed through on the rest of the orders properly - I'm not telling you that because you ate something for a couple days your life is over, nothing like that. I'm just trying to explain the potential consequences if you continue like this is all. I'd hate for you to have problems later down the road because you didn't follow doctor's orders, or because the doctor wasn't clear about them and you didn't know. I really wish you all the best though, keep to your doctors orders and I'm sure you'll be very successful!!

Hi Everyone, I need some Breakfast ideas. I've been looking at the posted recipes and I see a lot of Protein Shakes and things like eggs eggs for breakfast, but eggs are kinda 'iffy' for me and I'm so tired of Protein shakes. Any other ideas for breakfast? Because I'm out of creativity to come up with something on my own... :biggrin:

After I made this thread, I decided to post it as a recipe in the recipes section of the board. Here are step by step instructions, including what a roux is (a mix of flour and fat - like oil or butter), and how to make it come out great: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f82/solids-stage-recipes-17638/index3.html#post925159 Hope you enjoy!!! :thumbup:

Thank you thank you! (/takes a bow) That's my super-easy cheating chicken pot pie. Start with a roux, add chicken broth (add an extra boullion cube to make it super-flavorful), a bag of frozen veggies, some cooked chicken breasts, and top with cut up chunks of Grands biscuits. Not hard, but definitely tasty. You can also take the same filling idea, but use the pre-rolled pie crust that you find folded in a box in the refrigerated section instead of buscuits. Put a piece of piecrust on the bottom of a baking dish, bake for a 10 minutes in the oven, take out and fill with the chicken filling, add another piece of crust over the top and poke a few holes, back in the oven, and in 35 minutes.... YUMMY!!! Love it!!