Jodi_620

This is very normal but it does get better. Gas-X did very little for me too but a double dose would get some bloat out. Walking and moving around helped more. Making sure that you are emptying your bowels regularly is important too. Stool softeners are best (Fiber powders made matters worse for me). I wish I could say this goes away quickly. It didn't resolve overnight for me but definitely got easier week-by-week. I would venture to guess that I had gassy episodes for nearly 9 months. But for sure the first few weeks are the worst.

I rarely ever only ate 3-4 ounces and wouldn't want to be that restricted long term. I have always eaten more like 8 oz and with proper restriction and good food choices I have been successful at that rate. I eat dense food that stays in my pouch longer. I get fills when I eat more that a cup or I find myself getting hungry between meals. I rarely feel hunger. Your doctor should be allowing you to have the restriction you need and I would be demanding it. I would also not stand for being called a liar, why would you lie? It certainly won't get you anywhere. If he does his part and you do your part by eating lean, dense foods (go for natural healthy foods like fresh lean meat, veggies, fruit and dairy...my nutritionists rule is do 90% of your shopping from the outside walls of the grocery store avoiding the processed packaged stuff in the aisles.) and of course daily exercise, there is no reason why this should not be working. That is, barring any metobolic issues which were likely checked pre-op and barring issues with the band (doing a fill under fleuro should answer that). Sounds like it is time to put your foot down!

The complication rate that I am aware of is 9% overall, most of which are minor and reversible; major complications is less than 1%. I am at 2.5 years with no complications.

I've never had a problem swallowing them whole.

Be sure to follow the drs guidelines. I am told not to eat or drink anything four hours prior to the fill then liquids the rest of the day then build up to mushies and solids as they are tolerable. I remember how nervous I was with my first fill but it honestly wasn't bad at all. My dr. doesn't use any numbing agent and it still isn't bad; the feeling is comparable to a blood draw. I agree with Deanna, it is good to avoid looking at the needle and focus away from what the dr is doing. My dr did my first fill with fluoro to make sure everything was ok in there. For this, he inserted the needle, did a little fill then had me walk over to the xray machine. I drank a tiny bit of barium and some Water and watched how it went down on the screen. When we were sure that the water stayed down OK, he removed the needle and I was on my way. Don't expect too much from the first fill. It doesn't always have the full effect we imagine. Slow and steady is best and each fill will get you to where you need to be.

Google "tricep exercises" to get some ideas. I guess it depends on age, genes and skin condition but I can say that though I have excercised regularly for the past two years and a half years with a strong focus on problem areas, the excercise did develop nice muscle tone and pulled in the skin a bit but my arm skin never really snapped back. Maybe not what you wanted to hear but just my reality.

To make changes to your profile you click on "User CP" near the top left of the screen. The options are along the left side of that page. I am not exactly sure where in that page you can change your sex but user cp is for sure where you need to go for profile changes.

I was on Metformin to treat my PCOS for five years prior to getting the Lap Band. I have been very successful at losing weight and was able to go off my meds very quickly after getting the surgery. My cycles are perfect and my other symptoms are pretty much gone. I have lost weight all over including my belly.

All of the above. But also avoid processed and starchy foods. Breads, pastas, potatoes, flours, sugars rice etc. causes spikes and dips in blood sugar which lead to cravings and head hunger. And get most of your food naturally (fresh meats fruits and veggies rather than canned, boxed or jarred food). All of the presevatives and additives in processed foods have an effect on your appetite as well.

Yes, you will be fine. Hairloss can be caused by lack of protein but like others here have said it can also be caused by anesthesia. I had hairloss after Lap Band surgery. I have had two unrelated surgeries since and had hairloss for both. So I am convinced that for me, it is the anesthesia. Anesthesia is hard on the body and it causes your body to go into what is termed survival mode. You body shuts down non-essential processes and hair is non-essential for survival... The hair growth/loss cycle is three months. So the hairloss would occur within three months after the surgery, it can last up to three months then you should see regrowth. So you will be back to normal within six months. Just be sure to eat right and take your supplements. A Biotin supplement certainly won't hurt (a hair, skin and nails formula with 3000mcg of biotin).

They probably just stitched it up. Just like any other area on your body that is stitched, the stitches are only temporary to hold the tissue together while it heals shut. Could you get another hiatial hernia? Yes, there are no guarantees that you won't but hernias are common in overweight people so hernia repair during Lap Band surgery is fairly common. I and many people have had both surgeries toghether and all I can say is that 2.5 years later I am doing fine.

I counted every pound I lost.

Most all surgeons have regular free seminars (weekly, bi-weekly or monthly). I suggest you try and find at least two in your area and attend their seminars (if you are using insurance, be sure the surgeons accept your insurance). That way you can compare notes and find the best guy or gal. Learn as much as you can about the Lap Band and if you decide that the surgery is for you (it is not for everybody), make an appointment for a consultation with the surgeon of your choice. From there, they will help with insurance approval and walk you through all the steps.

Of course you know that you should quit smoking for your own health but you are not asking for and probably don't want that lecture ;0) . I have seen on this site where a lot of surgeons use this surgery as an opportunity to get patients to quit. My surgeon did not require it and you would have to ask your surgeon if it is a requirement. Other than the possiblity of slowing down healing after surgery (an issue with any surgery a smoker might have)and the obvious health risks there is no direct effect on the band.

Sorry, I just can’t relate. My methods are just different. I understand that some people need the structure of counting, measuring and documenting everything but don’t let it make you too crazy. With the Lap Band I have never really counted calories or measured. I eat three meals a day making sure I get all my nutrients and eat until I am full. Some days my energy expenditure is higher than usual so I am hungrier and eat more. I don’t fret over it; I just keep eating right and stop eating when I am full. If it gets to the point where for and extended time I can’t stay satisfied on a reasonable amount of food or I am gaining then I look into what I am eating and if necessary get a fill. I would choose a solid Protein over a liquid shake; you are going to get much longer satiation from solid lean protein and frankly I think it is healthier. Plus my doctor said no more liquid nutrition once on solids (except of course for two days after a fill). Protein shakes were recommended during the liquid phase because #1 the liquid diet was necessary for healing and #2 protein makes us feel fullest and helps us get through that difficult phase. But once on solids it is no longer recommended with my doc. Under fluoro, you can see how quickly liquid passes right out of the pouch. Each meal should contain solid food from various food groups. Go for high protein and high Fiber (Lean meat or Beans with high fiber fruit, veggie and/or whole grains). Reverting back to dysfunctional eating is no way to go. The Lap Band is supposed to train us to eat normally, without the crazy diets that never work. It is not a race, I am not sure where you are in this process or what exactly the contest is all about but if causes you to stray too far from the Lap Bands purpose then I would rethink being part of it. Just my two cents worth.

hair is on a 3 month cycle. Hairloss will start around 3 months, end within another 3 months and start to regrow within another 3 months. That is, as long as you keep getting in your Protein and Vitamins. Mine was just as bad, my drain was actually clogged by my hair twice! My doctor assured me that none of his patients have gone bald or had peramanent hairloss and that I would recover and he was right, I did. If you are getting your 60G of protein and taking a good daily there is not a whole lot more you can do but try to stay calm and give it time. You can try adding Biotin (Hair Skin and Nails Vitamin). If your hairloss is due to a deficiency in B-Vitamins and Biotin it will help. Even if it is not, it is good for your hair and will help it grow back nice and healthy.

I would never have been satisfied on 1/2 cup either and can't imagine eating so little food and having enough calories to sustain me. Always listen to your doctor but mine never told me to measure out 1/2 cup, only to eat until I am satisfied which takes more like 1 cup. You shouldn't feel hungry with the band, that is the whole point of having it. So are you eating 1/2 cup 3 times a day? How many calories, Protein etc. are you getting on that amount of food and what kind of exercise are you doing?

In a situation like that I would imagine you would know your port flipped or that there was damage because there would be instant and prolonged pain. Your port is sewn into muscle and nerve and you would surely feel it if it were suddenly torn loose. If the port were to come loose and flip slowly for whatever reason, you probably wouldn't know until it was time for a fill. As far as the band goes, it would take a lot more than that to slip it. The band is deeper inside you padded behind your liver. Once healed , normal movement and activity should not affect the band. Slippage would more likely be caused if the band were not placed properly, improper eating (eating too soon, eating too much) or keeping the band overfilled. Symptoms of slippage depend on which way and how far it slipped, and can range from no symptoms at all to reflux, difficulty eating, pain when eating or not being able to eat or drink anything at all.

Yeah, time for your first fill. I didn't last that long till I needed a fill and I lost restriction that suddenly with my first three or four fills. I got my second fill, felt great restriction then all of a sudden a week later I needed another fill; similar story with the third fill. It literally felt like my band emptied overnight. I started to worry that I had a leak or something and my fill doctor explained it to me like this. When you are overweight you have fat around all your organs including your stomach. Your weightloss has melted some of that fat and like a belt gets looser when you lose weight, your band is now looser due to fat loss around the stomach. Expect to see this a couple times before it is all done, it is perfectly normal. Eventually you will lose the fat around your stomach and the fills will become fewer and further between.

A whole meal is too much for me too. I don't eat frozen dinners very often but keep a couple in the freezer at work in case I can't get home for lunch. I buy the smaller meat and veggie meals (I avoid the pasta dishes) and I can typically eat the main course and half of the veggie. The bigger dinners with larger main course, veggie and a fruit dessert are way too much and get wasted.

The diabetes should not affect your weightloss and your weightloss should improve your diabetes. As far as thryoid disease goes as long as you are keeping your thryoid levels under control then there is no reason that it should affect weightloss. My Synthroid actually had to be lowered after losing weight.

It may not take 30 days to get approved. I have UHC and was approved in less than a week. A third party did the approval and the approval letter came from them with an approval code.

I reached my goal and then decided I wanted to lose 17 more pounds. The last bit does not come off easily. You have to really track what goes in your mouth and get in the exercise. I lost 4 of the 17 and that was slow and difficult. For the summer I chose to just maintain but I fully intend to fight off the last 13 pounds, no doubt it will take some work though.

Not necessarily. Sometimes the customer service people are not clear on everything (sometimes they are not clear on anything!) You should have asked for details of coverage in writing. It is possible that with the co-morbidities they may allow 35-40 BMI, a lot of insurance policies do. Then again, it is possible that they do not allow for co-morbidities. Either way, you should get the information in writing so that you are armed with the facts.

Sorry to hear about this. I would be concerned about what after care is going to be like if this guy is already being so discouraging. The aftercare is an essential part of this. Is he going to be supportive and allow you to have the adjustments you need, when you need them? Do you have any other options for doctors?