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Your welcome, Kate. Your wise to gather information..the good, the bad, and the ugly. You're right that it's very important to find a doctor that has a wealth of experience with a proven track record as well as great aftercare. Another aspect we can control is to follow the band rules. Don't cheat the post-op liquid &/or mushy diet when the stomach is healing. Don't routinely eat to the point of vomiting (or PB). There's a learning curve, and most people experience a PB here and there, but if you begin to experience them on a reoccurring basis, it's important to discuss the problem with your doctor. It could be that you're eating too fast, too much, or that your band is too tight, but it's not normal to have PB's all the time...even if you are losing weight fast. It's not worth it in the long run. The newer bands are wider, they're sewn in with a different method than was done in the past, so slip rates have fallen. However, like any medical procedure, there are risks involved. Plenty of people have had band slips that are inexplicable. Also, some people seem to PB for no apparent reason, other than band intolerance. They have followed the band rules to the letter, and for whatever reason, they end up with a slip. My personal goal is that if at some point I end up with a slip, that I not look back and know that I brought it on myself. I want to keep my odds of a slip to the bare minimum. Good luck with your decision.

In all honesty, there's no way to say for sure that you will have restriction after your next fill, but you will get it eventually. My first fill was 4.5 cc in a 9 cc band, and it gave me a little restriction for a short period of time, but it petered out, and I had to get another and another, etc until finally, long lasting-perfect restriction. Just don't get discouraged if you're a little slower getting restriction, or if you're restriction doesn't last as long as you expected. The so-called sweet spot can be a moving target. You will lose fat stores around your stomach, which naturally causes your band to loosen. I think sometimes, what I hoped was restriction was just after-fill swelling of my stoma, which subsided after a several days. However, eventually, all it took was one tiny fill to give me the kind of restriction I was seeking.

I just read an article that the obese are dying at a higher rate than normal with H1N1 (higher than with regular seasonal flus). I see by your ticker that you don't have to add obesity to your list. Good for you!! If there's enough vaccine left for those that don't fall into the critical categories, I'll be getting it. For one, there's unlike most flus, vomiting is one of the symptoms that some people have experienced. I definitely don't want to compromise my band with a bout of vomiting. I almost always get the seasonal flu shot and have never experienced any adverse reactions. I never gave it too much thought until my husband came down with a regular flu several years ago and came too close for comfort to dying from double pneumonia. He was in not in any way shape or form in a high risk category. He was in his late 20s, physically fit, healthy in every way, yet that flu knocked him off his feet. As has been described, just as he was starting to recover, he suddenly got very very very ill, and presented with double pneumonia. Not only was his as sick as I had ever seen anyone (barring terminal illness), he caught everything coming and going for a full year. We had dated since we were teens, and before then, he never had a cold. The doctor said the flu/pneumonia had weakened his immune system, but that it would eventually recover. Thankfully, his immune system rebounded to normal, but we get our flu shots now. I would never try to jump ahead of those in the high risk categories, but I'll be in line as soon as there's a a-okay for the rest of us. I understand it's a personal decision, and I don't fault anyone for being reluctant to get it, but weighing the odds for myself, I'm going for the vaccine, if the darn thing ever becomes available for the general public.

Surprisingly, it mixed in well. It might have been the liquidness of the yogurt and vanilla that helped break it down. It whipped right in though. I tried it again with chocolate sf carnation Protein mix, thinking I'd kill two birds with one stone. It didn't taste as good, or maybe the first time I was just in the chocolate/pb frame of mind (lol). I fixed it again with the hot chocolate powder for my husband and me, and he loved it too.

CONGRATS!!

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I was getting a B12 shot because I was on phentermine, and I had to see my doctor every two weeks to check my heart, weight, etc, and she gave me a shot at those appts. I started a sublingual liquid B12 myself after feeling extremely run down after having my band for a couple of months. The NP said it was fine for me to take it, and within a couple of days, I felt 100% again. I had my annual blood work done in Sep, and everything came back within the normal range. Other than the B12, I'm taking a multivitamin/mineral and Calcium.

My doctor used to give me B12 shots when I was on phentermeine several years ago, and it never affected me that way. I take liquid B12 now, because I started to feel really run down a few months after getting my band, and I thought I might be deficient. It perked me back up to normal, but not super normal. Are you sure you're just getting B12 in that shot, and can you send some my way? lol

Absolutely yes!!! I've been fighting this battle through most of my 30s and throughout my 40s with limited to no success. With the band, my hunger is under control, and I feel fantastic. I even hate to put this into words, but if I lost my band today, as long as it was medically feasible, like Big Dan, I would get a new one...without hesitation. This has been the perfect weight loss solution for me.

I barely feel it. In fact, when I got my first fill they told me not to look, although I'm not squeamish about needles, I didn't look since they told me not to, and I thought, man, wouldn't I feel stupid if I passed out. I felt the least little pinch, and I assumed it was a lydocaine shot. I was totally surprised that it was the fill needle. It turns out they don't even do a numbing shot. Often a nerve in the area is deadened, (not sure if they do it on purpose or if it's just a happy accident). I can tell mine was because if I scratch right over my port, there's little or no sensation, but I can feel it if I scratch around it. I'm sure that doesn't mean it'll be painful if you do have feeling there, but I would think it must help.

Did your doctor give you guidelines to follow? My doctor is pretty strict about measuring, but others aren't. You're still very early in the process, so more than likely you're going to be hungry sooner and able to eat more food than someone like me who has had their band for a while and has had several fills. Some people say the Protein Shakes help, but my doctor wants us to be consuming our protein in solid meals as much as possible. If we need to supplement occasionally with Liquid Protein to get enough during the day or because some people just can't eat solid food in the morning, protein supplements are then suggested. Some doctors say three meals and no Snacks. Others say several smaller meals. It's a hodge podge. My suggestion is that you get specific information from your doctor (or his office or your nutritionalist) as to what plan they want you to follow. I really don't think there's a one size fits all, and as long as you're not routinely overeating for your pouch size and restriction level, pb'ing, having reflux, etc, you'll do fine, and you'll be able to work out a plan that fits your needs.

I was outpatient. I had no problems whatsoever, and I was very happy to be going home. The doctor won't let you leave if you're having problems. I had to be able to drink, pass urine, they ran an upper GI and probably some other things that I've forgotten. When you get home, just be sure you follow all of your doctor's instructions, and don't hesitate to call if something isn't right.

Until you begin getting fills, and getting decent restriction, you're going to be doing more of the work to lose weight. It doesn't mean you can't lose weight, but it's going to based more on your will power. Many bandsters had very strict pre-op diets and dropped several pounds, and then there's the added post-op liquid diet. These are short-term weight loss fixes, and it's not unnatural to add weight back as you move back to solid foods. A little can be attributed to Water retention too. If you haven't started already, measure your meals (if your doctor has prescribed that you stick to a certain amount), journal everything you eat, count calories/protein/carbs/fat. It's the ugly word..diet. As you get fills, and move toward restriction, it feels much less like diet, and more like normal eating. There's no way in the world I could stick to three 1/2 cup meals plus a healthy snack (my doctor's meal plan) and feel satisfied without good restriction. All meal plans are different, but hopefully your doctor has given you guidlines. I'd say the first several months of having my band the work was 75% me and 25% band. Now, it's the opposite. My band does 75% of the work, and I'm doing 25%. Good luck, and try not to get discouraged.

I responded to your earlier post, but I prefaced it (at least I hope I did) with something like "unless your doctor okays the shakes" (lol). I hate falling into the trap of saying something along the lines that "since my doctor said x, do x". Anyway, have you tried Isopure for your liquid Protein? It's similar to Gatorade. Some people dislike it, but I think they taste pretty good over ice. I would also check your local Vitamin store for protein that is specifically formulated to be mixed with Water. I'd want a fruit based flavor. chocolate or vanilla with water..blech. These are questions I've had to ask myself when my weightloss stalled: What am I generally eating for my meals, and how much? Am I snacking between meals? Am I getting hungry soon after a meal? What exercise am I getting? With your first fill, you may begin to feel some restriction (or you may not, so don't worry if you don't). Hopefully, you'll begin feeling satisfied longer between meals and with less food, if you feel like you've been eating more than you should. It's not unusual to stall or to even gain a little before your first fill, especially if you were on a very strict pre-op diet. I would also suggest that you track your calorie, protein, fat and carb intake if you aren't already.

Welcome to LBT, Ms. B, and good luck with your upcoming surgery!

That's great news, Bradley! I'm glad you're feeling better.

You've got at least one thing going for you...youth. Also, if you're like many obese people, as your metabolism slows as you age, you're going to put on more weight, which will just stretch your skin more. If I had been obese in my 20s and had the chance for this surgery, knowing what I know now, I would jump all over it. Depending on how much you have to lose, your skin has spring to a point. You can only stretch a balloon so far, even if it's brand new, before it loses it's elasticity. If you watch Biggest Loser, even the younger contestants have stretchy skin problems. They're exercising like bandits, but they're also losing at an extremely fast rate. Skin's going to be saggy if it's stretched past it's breaking point, but I do believe a slower weight loss to allow cardio coupled with weight training helps build a solid foundation, which improves your overall appearance. Also, scars tend to heal better the younger you are, and doctors do a fabulous job "hiding" them. It's easier to hide a scar than a body bloated with fat. I've had three kids and have lost over 50lbs to date, and I have to say my skin is holding up pretty darn well, even at my advanced age..lol Then again, I'm not going for bikini abs, I never grew huge boobs to droop, and I carried a lot of weight in my butt and thighs, which I've kept pretty firm carrying all my weight around, and now, by exercising my butt off...literally. My primary goal was to live a long healthy life. I didn't have any co-morbidities either, but I wasn't kidding myself. Even though my blood pressure was still low, I had two close family members die from heart attacks, high blood pressure runs in my family, I have another close family member with diabetes, my fat ratio was above 35% (yikes), I couldn't walk three miles in under an hour (and at that, I was exhausted), and with 50 looming around the corner, I knew my bad habits (horrible food choices/sedentary lifestyle) were going to catch up with me. I would never try to talk someone into WLS, but I would go so far as to say, do something sooner rather than later to get yourself healthy. It only gets harder, and the longer you wait, the worse the toll is on your body.

Are you eating soft foods to compensate for not being able to eat solids? A lot of times, when a band is too tight, people begin eating high caloric soft easy foods because of hunger. It's really hard to say why you're not losing if you're not consuming very many calories. Also, is there a doctor in the area that you can transfer to? Your surgeon must have had other lap band patients. Is there anyway to connect with another band patient in your area, like a support group or something? There are sub-forums on LBT from different parts of the country. Maybe you could check there to find another doctor. Also, depending where you live, you might be able to get to a Fill Center USA (http://www.fillcentersusa.com/locator/). I don't know anything about them, but you really need to find a doctor.

If it's an even trade, and it makes my band life easier, I'm all for it!

Mine are chewable tablets. I've only used them a few times when I could tell the meat I was eating was making me feel tight and could possible get stuck (so, after I started eating). Personally, I wouldn't recommend using them all the time, because the band works best when your food stays in your pouch and takes longer to digest. Also, it wouldn't be good to get into the habit of over stressing your band, but in the case of an occasional emergency, they've worked like a Get at of Jail Fee card for me.

Which band do you have? I have the old Realize band that holds 9cc. I have in the neighborhood of 11cc in my band. My doctor does a special type fill, a "pressure fill" under fluoro with the Realize band. He hooks up a gauge to measure pressure as he's giving the fill. I think he only does those fill for people like me (and you) who are having trouble getting good restriction. My last fill (the pressure fill) was 0.5cc, which, thankfully, gave me perfect restriction. He said he had a few other patients that needed as high as pressure as I had. It was in the 40s, but I don't know what that means, except that it was on the high side. I've kept my restriction now for three months.

I can certainly understand that. Just try to keep your eye on the prize. Try to get creative with your full liquids (there should be lots of examples in the nutrition forum on LBT). If you can, try to do something to keep your mind off your hunger (easier said than done, but we've all been there, so you're at the right place for support). From the food and Nutrition forum (although always check with your doctor's diet plan):

That's good to know too! I've seen people say they didn't work for them, so it could just be the brand. Since you know they work for you, it must be something with the Walmart brand. I got mine at Trader Joe's for $2.50. They worked great too. You got me curious about the ingredients in my tablets: Mycozyme digests starches. Papain and Bromelain also digest Protein.

Thanks, Donna. That's good to know. My papaya/pineapple enzymes just say "chew one tablet with meals". lol Mine doesn't have amia, but in addition to bromelain and papain, it does have mycozyme.

Believe me, this rough patch doesn't mean you've made a mistake. I know you know it's important to follow your doctor's instructions, but post-op, it's even more critical because your stomach is healing. Call your doctor's office if you feel like you just can't stick with it for their advice, because many times I've seen where people have been given additional foods they can eat to help pull them through this period. Good luck!! It's well worth the pain.