kiz

I've not had any problems drinking water. I've never been a big gulper, but I can drink as much water as I want at any given time. I usually drink 16 oz in the morning before breakfast, another 16 oz or more before lunch, and at least 32 oz before I go to bed. I've been able to drink without problem from the get go, and I still am feeling a good restriction from surgery as far as food intake. I'd love to stay this way, but I'm sure the hunger will set in before long.

Hi brikads, and welcome to the board. I found the first surgical group I visited through the Internet, and one of the doctors in the group had been recommended to me by a friend, so they were my first choice. After I went to their seminar, I felt they were more interested in bypass surgery rather than lap band. I found this board, and I found a different surgical group through here. I've been very happy with them. You might want to ask for advice for a surgeon on here. Chances are, somebody will know a doctor in your area, and give you a recommendation. My road to banding was seminar, consultation with the surgeon, and then having the required tests and meetings (psych eval, nutritionist visit, medical tests, two week pre-op diet, band). I'm self pay, and it took me three months, although, it could have been a little quicker, but my schedule didn't cooperate. Good luck!

My surgical group is also a member. I googled Bariatric Center of Excellence to find more information about it once I saw the designation in their literature, and I was very impressed. So far, I've received the best of care. I would consider a huge plus.

A lot of rules are different between doctors, but one that seems pretty consistent is NO carbonated beverages after banding. It's the carbonation that causes the problem. There's the empty calorie thing too, but the carbonation is the big issue. Same goes for soft drinks. He said a small glass of wine now and then is okay, but that has to do with the liquid calories, and not any effect on the band. I thought not drinking during meals was going to be a big problem for me, but staying full longer is a huge motivator. Eating out and not drinking is going to be a little harder. My doctor said a few tiny sips during meals is okay, so I think that will do me. I've only gone out to eat once since I've had surgery (I'm still on mushies), and I ordered Soup. It was a little spicy, so I did have one small sip of Water at the end, but being it was soup anyway, I don't think it made much difference.

Wow, do I feel fortunate. My questionnaire took about ten mins to answer. My psych eval took about 20 mins. I'm a very optimistic person too, but the psychologist thought that was a positive trait - How novel is that? I only paid $100 for the whole thing. Sorry, you have to go through that again, and now you'll be second guessing your answers. I don't know how I could do the questionnaire again, if I'd been accused of trying to make things look better then they really are. "Don't try to take off my rose colored glasses, I like them just fine."

I have a 20lb limit for a month. I don't have any young children depending on me. That has to be hard on you and the child. I really feel for all of you who are trying to balance your needs and the needs of your young children.

First off, you are absolutely not a failure. Being overweight is just one part of your life. You should never measure your self worth by your weight. For one thing, you're a mother, the most important job in the world. You sound like a very thoughtful and loving woman, and I'm sure you're children are being raised in a wonderful home. Look at your life, and don't get stuck on diet failures as a measure of your worth. Secondly, you've had some very successful weight loss victories, but there's just something out of whack when you can lose weight, but not keep it off. I have friends who eat like there's no tomorrow, and they don't gain an ounce. I blame my ancestors. They were rugged pioneers who worked hard, and I'm sure needed a slow metabolism to stay healthy during lean times. Unfortunately, for me, life is just too darn easy. :tt2: I was used medically prescribed diet pills for weight loss, and they worked great for a short period of time. My body adjusted, and soon, the affect wore off. They really are a short term solution. I've only been banded for two weeks, and I've lost 20% of the weight I want to lose to be healthy again. Part of that was during my two week pre-op diet. I still have good restriction from being so recently banded, but I can tell you that I've never had this feeling of satiety with so little food. Once I start feeling hungry, I'll be able to get fills that will keep me in this zone. The band isn't magic though. Food cravings can still hit you, you have to make good healthy food choices, and there are changes you'll have to make when you have a lap band. For me, those small sacrifices are worth it. I already feel so much better. My clothes are loose, rather than skin tight. I feel victorious, because I know I'm going to win this battle once and for all. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. But know, that there is help for you, and you're not alone in this.

I started off with two "mushy meals" and one protein shake. I could have up to 1/2 cup of food, or until I felt full. My first mushy was a boiled egg smashed up with a bit of ff salad dressing. That wasn't a whole 1/2 cup of food, but it was all I could eat. I've been on mushies for almost a week, and I'm still full with one egg, and it carries me to lunch. I've also mostly been drinking a shake at lunch to help me get in my protein.

Hi bloom. I was banded on the 4th as well. Lucky for me, I didn't have the dreadful gas pains. I was on full liquids the day after surgery for a week. I'm on mushies for two weeks, and then on week four, I start real foods. I see my doctor tomorrow for my follow-up exam.

Great discussion, and it got me to investigate the calcium my doctor recommended, two sugar free Tums. I am a milk, yogurt and cheese eater, so I'm not too concerned with extra calcium, but I do want to do what's best. I found this article on Tums, but I thought the interesting line was this: "Watch your Protein intake. Too much can promote calcium loss from bones." I wish it would have said how much protein is too much. I never had as much protein as I am now, and it makes me think I should pay more attention to my calcium intake. Tums for Calcium?

Thank you so much for that clarification, Brina. I had never stopped to think about the different type of tubes, and I had this big fear of being in a car wreck, or something similar, and someone trying to stick a tube through my band. I can't think of an emergency situation (within reason), that a NG tube would be placed. Your post made me feel so much better.

Seconding RM!!:wink_smile::thumbs_up:

Good for you for getting back on track CC. We all need wake up calls every now and then. Keep checking back in, and don't hide away again. I bet if you follow your rules, and with your new fill, you'll start seeing some success. I'm glad you shared your story, because it's easy for any of us to become complacent, and seeing that you're have a new resolve to improve your life is inspiring.

I had mine removed awhile ago. Not having it has never been an issue for me.

CONGRATULATIONS, MOM OF TWINS!!!! I'm glad you're doing so well!!

My doctor contacted my husband at 8:45am to let him know my surgery was over. I'm not sure how long it took, but I went in sometime after 8am. About 10am, the nurse woke me up in recovery. I must have been out sound asleep. I was groggy for a few minutes. She asked me on a scale of one to ten how much pain I was in. I said a six, she put something in my IV, and within minutes, I gave her a two rating. I would have said one, because I really wasn't in pain, but I could feel the incisions were there. So, don't worry, you'll be in good hands!!

From the Lab Band web site (www.lapband.com): "When the Lap Band® Adjustable Gastric Banding System is first placed, your surgeon usually leaves it empty or only partially inflated." dwrd73, your doctor is following protocol. Not that I need to tell you, but it's so important that false information is corrected.

I hope you have a detailed food diary to take with you when you go in for your fill next week. If you don't, start today. Even with no exercise, at 500 to 700 cals/day you should be losing weight. You obviously can't take in fewer calories, so although a fill should help you not feel hunger as quickly, that's not your problem. It sounds like you're getting a good amount of Protein and very few carbs. Either you need to shake up your diet or there's another issue causing your body to hang onto the weight. If it were me, I'd want to bring in the details of my diet including amount and foods I'm eating. I haven't had a fill yet, but my doctor's office has a form to complete and bring when we go in for fills with our food diary. Good luck, and I hope things turn around for you.

Good Luck!!!! Sounds like you're well on your way.

I'm just starting out, but I'm supposed to eat 1/2 cup meals three times/day and one snack.

Thanks for the link!! That looks like a great site, with lots of good info.

I had my surgery on Thursday, and if I had to, I could have gone to work on Monday, but it wouldn't have been my first choice. I was tired, and I felt more comfortable in a semi reclined position. You're much younger than me, I'm in my 40s, so that would probably play into your recovery as well. It does make a big difference as to what your job is too. If you're able to rest as needed and not lift anything to speak of, you should be fine. Really, though, you need to ask your doctor for his recommendation.

I just wanted to share some information I've found: From the Lab Band web site (www.lapband.com): "When the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System is first placed, your surgeon usually leaves it empty or only partially inflated." (so, in other words, if your doctor places your Lap Band in empty, although rockbandster may disagree, the doctor is following the standards set by Lap Band). From this web site, I couldn't find the weight loss information on the Lap Band web site, (Compare Adjustable Gastric Bands - LAP-BAND vs. REALIZE Band) : "average loss of weight first year with Lap Band is 40% to 50%." The weight loss is given for Realize Band on this site as well, but its percentages loss is given three years out. So, not a true comparison. From the Realize Band web site(Realize Adjustable Gastric Band Health Benefits - REALIZEBand.com), the average weight loss after one year is: "Patients in a 3-year clinical trial lost a mean of 40 percent of their excess weight at one year." It's clear to me that weight loss with either band is similar, just as most of us have concluded. I think either go by your doctor's recommendation, if (s)he favors one over the other, and/or by your own research. I had a preference, but with all my research, I would be just as happy with either band as far as weight loss potential is measured.

I have the Realize Band, and so far I couldn't be happier. I haven't been hungry since the surgery, and my doctor offers a fill in one month, not six to eight weeks. My recovery has been fantastic, and I have had very little pain. I got to compare both bands (Lap Band and Realize Band) side by side, and there was no question in my mind that the Realize Band was the best choice for me. My doctor, whose office is qualified as a Bariatric Center of Excellence, gives the patient the choice of bands. My doctor is very pleased with the results he's had in his practice from both bands. So far, I've lost almost 20% of my excess weight, with the majority of the loss in the last week since surgery. I haven't had a chance to spend a lot time on the Realize web site, but from what I've been able to do so far, it's been very helpful. One of the major reasons I chose the Realize Band was the great anchoring method it uses for the port, and the size and shape of the port. I've had very little port pain, and from what I've read, that seems to be a major issue for people. Also, I loved the Realize Band's pillow system. It's much softer than Lap Band, and such I plan to keep my band for years, I felt it would be much safer to have against my stomach as a foreign object. Also, the band itself was wider, which I felt made it safer as far as potential slips. I'm certainly not trying to discout the Lap Band. I think each person needs to weigh what is important to them for the long haul, and those were a few of the reasons I felt the Realize Band was the better choice for me.

For me, part of the reason I ate when I wasn't physically hungry was that I felt because I'm already overweight, I might as well eat when the urge hit me. I'm only three weeks into to this (two weeks pre-op diet and one week post-op), but not only have I not eaten outside of the required diet, I've not wanted to. I finally feel like I can lose this extra weight once and for all, and, more importantly, keep it off. That's always been my biggest dilemma; keeping the lost weight off. So, while I don't know for sure what my future holds, this ability to feel full on very little food and then to stay full, plus the confidence that I can keep these lost pounds off, is keeping me honest.