thesuse2000

That's great news! I'm so glad you got the attention you needed from your doc and are feeling better. Yay! And if you end up feeling like you don't have enough restriction you should be able to get a .5 CC fill - and maybe that will be just right. You've done amazingly well - I'm inspired by your achievements. Good luck with the rest of your journey!

Check out lapbandforum.com - it's the forum on the OCC site. Their main site is at Lap Band Surgery in Mexico - Dr. Ariel Ortiz at the Obesity Control Center I did a fair amount of research and found that Dr. Ortiz had the best qualifications in Mexico - although there are a few other good options as well. It's a big decision so it's good that you're being cautious. There are complications that can happen, but the worst of them involve having to get the band taken out (and that's pretty rare). But there are very very few problems with just getting the surgery - it's relatively safe - and much safer than gastric bypass. And I know that I am reducing my chances of getting diabetes (runs in my family) and will likely live longer than I would have. I'm certainly very happy I did it. Best of luck to you!

Yep - I went to Dr. Ortiz at the OCC in Tijuana. had a great experience overall. Just went back for my first fill last week - they're the best. And since my insurance wouldn't cover me it was an awesome affordable option. Good luck!

it sounds to me like you're too tight, and while hopefully you haven't done any damage to your band yet, all that throwing up and/or PBing could cause your band to slip. I just met a woman last week when I was getting a fill who had lost about 180 pounds and then got a fill that was too tight and was throwing up constantly and didn't address it quickly enough. After 3 months she went to the doc and her band had slipped and she had to have it removed. She was so upset and I felt so badly for her. I will definitely remember her and make sure that never happens to me. And I don't want it to happen to you either! I'm glad you plan to call your doctor again and insist on attention, and I would think, a bit of an unfill. jmegirl - PBing means "productive burping". When food won't go through the band you feel it in the back of your throat and have to sort of burp it back up. Usually that event is associated with pain in the chest (around the band) and what's called sliming - which is pretty nasty, your body produces a huge amount of saliva in an effort to deal with the plug at the band. Fun stuff. You can avoid it by not being too tight, chewing your food really really well and avoiding foods that are a problem for you - for many people bread and chicken are the most common culprits. Good luck both!

You won't be hungry after surgery for a few days, and then as mentioned already you should start on liquids and then possibly mushies (my doc has us go directly from liquids to solids). It's incredibly important to follow your doctor's post-op guidelines to make sure you don't do any damage to your band as it heals in place. But you should be able to get in enough calories for you to feel satisfied, but still lose, by drinking Protein shakes, Soups, juices, etc. Good luck! The first few weeks are the hardest but it goes by fast - you can make it through. Many people say that the focus just after surgery is on healing properly, not necessarily losing.

You probably ovulated later than usual before your last period due to your restricted diet in the month prior. We stop ovulating when we don't eat enough (many models never get their periods because they don't eat enough to ovulate). I'm sure it was just a one time thing and that you'll get back to your normal cycle moving forward.

I was banded just a few days before you - best of luck to you in your journey!

Thanks for the tip! My hair issues are not band-related, but this line sounds like just what my dry damaged over-treated hair needs. Just ordered some online.

I had that too - it was not pleasant! I was going to the bathroom at least once every hour. Pepto bismol helped me a lot. But definitely once I got onto full liquids (creamy Soups, etc) it started to improve. Good luck! It will pass.

I don't think it's a bad idea, but I'd say talk to your doctor about it. He/She can explain all your options. FYI - the period we get on the pill is not a real period - you only get a real period after you ovulate. The pill suppresses ovulation so you won't get pregnant, so the bleeding you get is just mimicking a real period. So there is no problem with only getting this fake period every four months instead of every month. That said, some people do experience bleeding between periods on Seasonique - especially in the first 3-month cycle - but it improves in the 2nd cycle and gets better with each cycle after that. Good luck!!

Hi Manatee - I'm recently banded and have been thinking about looking for a shrink to help me make the best of this tool. Psychology Today has a site that allows you to search for someone in your area by specialty: Psychology Today: Find a Therapist Thanks for the reminder - I'm going to take a look myself. Good luck!

Thanks all - I think I've figured it out too! :biggrin2: -Susan

It was great to read about your experience - thanks! I am getting banded on 6/24 and am starting ahead trying to lose weight. I haven't done too well yet, but will kick it into high gear and do the liquid diet for the week prior. I've been thinking that what I am sure I don't want is to have my surgeon to be feeling annoyed at me for not shrinking my liver enough during the surgery. I want to get that same gold star after I'm done. Good for you! Susan

This is my first post here - I just scheduled surgery for 6/24 - yay! About mortality rates - my understanding is that for bypass surgery the rate is 1 in 200, but for the lap band it's only 1 in 2000. So rest a bit easier!