Jodi_620

Percentage-wise you are about where I was at 7 months. And you are running marathons!...how cool is that! Maintaining is where I have been for a couple months now. I would like to lose another 13 pounds...with my frame I think that I would look great then. But lately I have just been working on seeing where exercise will take me, at least for the summer. Maybe this fall I will get back to trying to lose the last bit of weight. Right now I am around mid-range normal BMI and if I didn't lose another pound I would be perfectly fine with that.

Hi spauding01 (from a coal miners daughter-granddaugther & great granddaughter) :thumbup: 1.) This is a common fear and it was my biggest. I also have PCOS and as you can see from my milestones below, you can lose weight successfully. As a matter of fact, my PCOS symptoms went away almost immediately. I have been off my Metformin since the beginning. 2 & 3.) We are all pretty much in the same boat as far as not knowing what will happen in the future. Any one of us could change jobs or lose our current coverage-especially in todays economy. It is a risk you will have to weigh for yourself. It took just under a year and six fills for me to reach my goal. It is a necessary part of the process so if you think you may not be able to maintain it then another route may be best. Good Luck in whatever you decide!

Go BillOh!!!!! :thumbup:

It sounds to me like you are a great candidate for the band. I think the biggest failure rate comes from those that get the band thinking that it requires nothing more on their part. You have dieted before so you understand how to watch what you eat and you are already accostomed to eating healthy foods. You are already active. Your biggest problem is controlling your portions and the band will take care of that. You will still be able to have most of the foods that you love as long as you can tolerate them but you will get full on them much faster. As far as all the fears and anxiety goes, it is perfectly normal and in the end you will realize that you built it up to be much worse than it is. There will be pain but it is quite manageable and short-lived. The cost is pretty painful too but in the end it will be worth every penny... there isn't a wiser investment than investing in your health. My biggest fear was of failure. To go through the pain and cost of surgery and fail would have been so humiliating. Like you, I had been on so many diets and failed that I was sure that this would just turn out to be another failure but it didn't. Good luck with your consult!

I would typically say that it is normal and probably due to stress or hormonal changes. My restriction feeling changes from time-to-time. But because you recently did a lot of vomiting, maybe you should go have your doctor check to make sure everything is still good, especially if you start noticing other signs like pain, food coming back up or acid reflux. I was told to come in and get an unfill if I get stomach flu with a lot of vomiting because it can cause slippage. It could be nothing but it is something you want to think about.

Thank You and right back at ya! :eek:

I've given up carbonation because my doctor said to. So I do miss my beer. I have non-carbonated mixed drinks on occasion. I am serious about weight loss so I don't choose to add these empty calories on a regular basis but when an occasion arises I have a few drinks with no guilt. Vodka and SF Cranberry Juice with a slice of lime (Cape Cod) is my drink of choice. Had a few jello shots with Vodka and SF Jello on my vacation last year. Alcohol does not affect me any differently than it did pre-op nor has it affected my weight loss at all.

Your nutritionist will no doubt tell you exactly what he/she wants to to eat but I will offer a few tips. People will tell you which shakes taste the best but it is really a matter of personal preference. So buy a few different brands and see what you like before you stock up on something you don't like. I went with Atkins and like Ensure High Protein as well. At first I used regular chicken broth, then someone here mentioned that strained Soup was more satisfying. So I bought some Progresso soup and strained the chunks out and it honestly was better both with taste and hunger control. And sugar free popsicles can be a life saver. After a few days you will want to chew on something and they will help to satisfy that need.

I would say it is just still healing. It got easier every day, but it took a full two months before my port discomfort was gone. You are going to feel a lot of pains and weird sensation during this period don't worry yourself too much.

We can't really say for sure whether you need to do more ab exercises without knowing what you are doing now. But one thing you can do to make your workout more effective if you are not already doing it, is to make sure you keep your ab muscles tight as possible during your entire workout routine whether you are working your abs, legs, arm or doing cardio. It is hard to remember to keep up but it is effective. It helps to tighten your abs and improve posture. I actually had the opposite problem, my scale wouldn't budge but I was noticing my clothes getting looser. But the same problem as far as losing last in the stomach. It has always been the first area to show weight gain and it has been the last area to shrink and it is mainly genetics. My decision to continue to lose weight past my goal is because I still carry a little bit of a gut but I have been persistent and it is slowly going away.

It took two months for my incision to really heal well but I was only restricted from being immersed in water for two weeks. My doctor said that once the steri-strips have fallen off on their own (removing them yourself does not count) then I could bathe and swim again.

Lauren, You are confusing "Fibrous" pertaining to consistency with "High Fiber" pertaining to nutrition value. Fibrous veggies would be foods that are stringy and hard to chew well and digest (ie celery, broccoli stems, asparagus, brussel sprouts etc.). Of course you should avoid foods like this as they can be hard to chew well enough to pass through the band comfortably. I was referring to high Fiber (as in nutrient content) like Beans, tomatos, zucchini, peppers, etc. High fiber foods are necessary for good digestion and fiber can actually slow down the digestive process so that you stay full longer. Fiber is necessary for good health and will help us avoid constipation. We can't be healthy on meat alone.

Sometimes, if my PC is not available (the office is often very busy). As a matter of fact, it was an NP that did my pre-op tests (bloodwork, EKG etc.) and arranged the surgery release letter for my surgery approval.

I remember that UHC denied the surgical assistant part of my bill which was $4,000.00, the reason written in was "Procedure must be performed by a surgeon" the assistant is a PA-C. I called the surgeons office and they said that part would just be written off by them and it was. Additionally I just recently had my gallbladder removed and had my Lap Band doc do that procedure too. UHC paid a bill or two submitted for the PA-C's part in it then came back and asked for a refund for the same reason, my surgeon's office refunded the money. Hope it was the same for you.

You probably did cause some swelling. Some people would go on liquids but I never did that. I would just take it easy for a few days, eat slowly, softer foods and don't overdo it. Give it a week and if you don't feel better see your doc. If you start throwing up, having reflux or unusal pain go in right away.

Solid Protein and high Fiber veggies. Avoid soft,mushie or liquid foods that will go right through your band. As we get more and more restriction we can be drawn to the softer stuff because it is easier to get down. But the solid foods, while they take more work and time to get down, will stick with you much longer. Go for lean chicken, meaty fish and tender beef with colorful fresh veggies which have more fiber and Vitamins.

Actually at the time I was not aware of any others besides Lap Band and Gastric Bypass. I compared the two at length and my reasons for choosing Lap Band were the fact that it is 1.) Less invasive-no removal or rerouting parts of my digestive system. Simple Laproscopic outpatient procedure with a fairly quick recovery time. 2.) It is adjustable-If I start gaining down the road I can go in for an adjustment. I know two people that had bypass and gained weight back one has gone back for the band and the other is considering doing so. 3.) It is reversible-If I had complications, the Lap Band could be removed. 4.) It seemed right for me. I knew that I could make the necessary changes to make the Lap Band work for me.

It depends. If I didn't chew well or swallowed too much then I know right away. If I ate the wrong food or ate too much it may take a little while. But don't make the mistake of determining restriction by whether you are getting stuck. One really doesn't have much to do with the other. If you are getting stuck then that is an indication that you are not eating properly or you are eating the wrong foods. Early on, I could get stuck when my band was empty, obviously I was not at restriction I simply was not eating properly. Take smaller bites (about the size of the nail bed on your index finger), chew well, swallow and wait a few seconds before you pick up your fork again. And stop when you are no longer hungry. Master eating properly first then you can determine if you need a fill because the tighter you are, the worse the stuck episodes will be. To determin if you need a fill, you should be getting satisfied on 1 cup or less of food, staying satisfied until your next meal (at least four hours) and of course losing weight.

Of course people have different opinions and are given different plans from their doctors. But in my opinion, if you were satisfied then it is fine. I don't obsess over how much. I concentrate on eating the right foods the right way and stopping when I am no longer hungry. If I am not losing weight and not staying satisfied until my next meal then I get a fill. Through the whole process I have averaged 3/4 to 1 cup per meal and have done well with that.

RestlessMonkey, Haven't been coming around much lately and I just noticed your ticker, ...you're doing great!! :confused:

Talk to your doctor. It could mean you are not getting enough Iron, unexplained bruising is a sign of Anemia. Look for other signs like being tired, dizzy, ringing ears and thirst.

We rarely get to the right restriction on the first fill. Because we all react differently to fills the doctor needs to take it slowly to find your sweet spot, better to take it slowly than to fill you too tight. Believe me, I was filled too tight once and it was a miserable experience. On average it takes four fills to really start feeling it.

Hi Emmylou, yeah we're neighbors! Had my surgery done in Reston. Won't go anywhere but Reston Hospital. For about a week or so post-op I had severe pain when I needed to burp. I was told that the pain comes from the area where the esophagus passes through the diaphragm (the site of the hernia repair). Anyway, the pain does eventually go away. I've had the forehead pain (is it sort of like a brain freeze?). I get it if I eat too much or too fast though. I remember a lot of strange pains and sensations for about a month post-op. Eventually it all pretty much gets back to normal though.

There is really no way around the withdrawal feelings. It will take a couple of days of struggling but eventually you'll get the crap out of your system again. Get some sugar free stuff (fudge pops, popsicles, Protein bars) in the house for when you are really desperate and put yourself on a strict low GI fresh food (unprocessed meat, veggie, fruit and dairy) diet for a week. Then add back a few whole grains eaten with lean protein. Drink lots of Water too. It won't be easy but you know that in a week or so it will have been worth it. And the next time you consider eating the bad stuff you can remind yourself of what you have to go through to reverse its effects. And find yourself a fill doctor ASAP.

I don't know about Paulette, but I am jealous...what I wouldn't give for just one good burp, LOL.