Jodi_620

Not really. Most people lose more weight for the first few weeks but those averages are so very different from one person to another based on genes and metabolism. Plus the way people are instructed to eat after surgery varies a great deal. And one more thing, heavier people will lose weight faster.

I agree with Trish, call your doctor. I can eat the day before a fill. I can have no food or Water for four hours before a fill. Pasta is OK every once in a while if you can tolerate it. But it is not the best choice nutritionally (carbs and calories with little nutrional value AND the carbs will give you insulin spikes which bring on cravings later). You can pretty much eat anything you can tolerate but to lose weight you need to eat the proper foods (always Protein first, then veggies, then fruit, carbs like pasta and bread should be the last choice if at all)

I am not speaking from experience, I have UHC too but there were no requirements for approval with my policy. I wouldn't think that the fluctuating weight would hurt you. It shows that you have problems maintaining weight loss. Plus you were not that far below 40.

I thought the gallbladder was on the right side??? Your band is under your left breast just below the rib. If you are having pain on the lower left side in the back maybe it is your kidney. I have had kidney pain and it is always associated with taking a deep breath.

OMG! As nauseous as I was, I would never have passed that test!! The most time consuming thing for me in post-op was finding the right cocktail of anti-nausea meds to make me feel well enough to move. A shake would have just added fuel to the flames. The only requirement my hospital had for discharge was that I be able to pee before I left.

At this point the danger is not so much in stretching your pouch as it is in popping the sutures that hold the band in place which could cause band slippage. The more dense the food the more churning your stomach will do and that can cause the stitches to break. You need to allow the scar tissue to heal around the band so that it is securely in place before you eat dense foods. The pouch is already there but the band is loose so the food you eat passes out of the pouch and into your lower stomach much more easily than it will after you get adjustments. After getting the adjustments, the food can't pass through so easily so if you overeat, the food stays in the pouch and the pouch stretches. Consistently overeating and streching the pouch will make it permanently larger.

Less than a week with United Healthcare.

I would wait a week. My surgeon always tells me that if I feel I need more then I should come back after a week. Sometimes I feel tighter several days after a fill.

Nah, you don't sound dumb at all. I'm thinking you may be due for a fill. But working out more will definitely help. 1.) How often do you eat? 2.) How much do you eat per meal? 3.) How many calories per day? 4.) Are you eating solid food, Protein first then veggies then carbs?

Does GasX help this? It seems that GasX is more for gas trapped inside your digestive system, I wouldn't think it would help for air that is trapped outside your digetive track and outside of any other organs.

Yeah, when you have laproscopic surgery, they blow up your abdomin like a balloon so that there is room to work. When they close you up, alot of the time they don't get all of the air out. It tends to migrate north and settle in your left shoulder. I didn't have it too bad but it came and went for about a month. Moving around helped for me. The hunger will decrease as you get more solid food in you.

Tell us more. How much and what are you eating? Are you exercising? Are you following the band rules (eat only when hungry, take small bites, chew slowly...)? How many fills have you had and when was the last one?

Yeah it was, LOL :thumbup:

Here is a link to a place that does the surgery LAP-BAND: Laparoscopic Obesity Surgery | Easyband

It is funny to see you asking about this, I just read about it not more than a 1/2 hour ago. It is called the easy band. It isn't available in the US yet only Europe and the UK. Instead of a port it has an electronic receiver or antenna that receives a signal from an outside device telling it to open or close the band. Less painful, more accurate, no chance for leaks and less chance for port infections. It will be interesting to see how well this works.

Thanks again Patchelton! I stopped by the Vitamin Shoppe last night and bought the single cans of Worldwide Protein shakes, one of each flavor to see which one I like best before buying a whole 12PK. They had each flavor except Cookies & cream in cold single cans. I tried the vanilla this morning and it wasn't bad at all. I like that it isn't thick; goes down easy and with 35g of protein it's fantastic! I also saw the protein shots there, I just like these alot because I can get them down easily in two or three gulps. I got a case of 12 shots 25G of protein for $32.99, I just hate to go without these... So with the 35G in the shakes and the 25G in the shots plus my three meals I am getting a ton of protein (over 100G per day). That combined with my hair, Skin & Nails Vitamins will hopefully help stop this hair loss!

Welcome to the forum kuzziam!

PB= You get stuck and burp the food up it is just food and a little mucus (or in my case, since the surgery I can't burp anymore so I gag the food up) Vomit= You throw up the contents of your stomach including stomach acid Sliming-=You get stuck and your stomach produces a large amount of mucus to try and dislodge the food, you get mouthfulls of mucus

It is probably the gas. Mine didn't come until almost a week after surgery and I would get the shoulder pain off and on for about a month maybe a little longer. I guess it takes a little longer for the gas to migrate up in some of us.

I am 3 months post-op and still have some numbness.

OMG! I have only lost 37 pounds and I am already seeing that! I was putting on underarm deoderant while looking in the mirror this morning. When I lifted my arm, all of the skin of my upper arm sagged down toward my pit and it looked like the arm of a 90 year old woman! :smile2: I made a mental note to get rid of any top that does not sufficently cover that mess!

In the morning after I use the potty and in my jammies :smile2: I agree with lanakila, it really doesn't matter as long as you are consistent.

I had to do the seminar first then a consult. But I would think they would only look at the now. Is your BMI above 40 or 35-40 with co-morbities? Do you understand how the Lap Band works and that it is just a tool? Do you have any physical or mental issues that would keep the band from working properly? These are the sort of things they look at.

Thanks a lot Patchelton! I did a search and it looks like they are low in sugar too! I will get some today!!

Thanks everyone for your responses. I do have one shake a day (12G protein). Three meals and a shake are about all I can handle right now and I am not supposed to replace a meal with a protein supplement. I have been using the protein shots, which when I can get them at Walmart are $1.97 each but I buy them out and then it takes a long time before they restock. Online they are about $38 ($3.16 each) that is like $95.00 per month. So I was wondering if at $1.06 a serving Unjuryunflavored mixed with my food or drink might be a good econimical option. Like I said I can only choke down one shake a day and I am shedding a lot of hair so I want to try and get my protein intake up. I am also taking "Hair Skin and Nail" supplements with 3000mcg of Biotin hoping that this and the increased protein will stop the loss. I have baby fine hair and have had bouts of thyroid imbalances in the past that have left my hair just a little thin so I can't afford to lose any more!