kiz

Here's a post from LBT that someone's explains their take on left shoulder pain not related to surgery. It sounds very similar to what you're describing. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/631145-post63.html

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I watched Allen last night on the Leno show. He totally held his own in a cooking segment with Jay and Charles Barkley (who admittedly needs to lose at least 50 lbs). My husband, who doesn't watch BL, commented that Allen was very confident and comfortable directing Jay and Charles. He also looked terrific.

Personally, I think you might end up drinking even more calories then you're eating, because as fast as solid food is moving through your stoma, liquids are going to sail through. The NP wanted me to be sure to stay under 1 cup at meals, but to add a heavier than normal high protein fourth "mini-meal", rather than a small snack. Tuna, Greek yogurt with fiber cereal, or boiled egg, for instance. Often bandsters do put a few pounds back on during this period, so try not to stress too much. Once you start feeling restriction from your adjustments, it'll become much easier. If you're really starting to feel like your starving, you might want to call your doctor for advice on how to get through this stage..Bandster's Hell. Good luck.

My doctor is okay with coffee, but no more than two cups/day. I drink decaf most often anyway, but either way, it doesn't make me noticeably hungrier either. The coffee that really fills me up is a small skinny vanilla decaf latte. It's like a mini meal for me.

I would think if you're able to drink liquids okay, the gum passed. If you feel discomfort, call your doctor. Wouldn't you know you'd swallow gum now of all times. I'm sure you've chewed gum a hundred times without it happening.

Before I got my band, I was on my way to a double chin, ack. Of course, my face and especially my neck have deflated since losing weight. Over the last several months I was noticing ripply lines on my neck, sort of like a deflated balloon, but not quite horrible looking...yet. After reading your post, it made me think that I hadn't noticed my neck looking so ripply lately. I just went and looked in the mirror and the lines are barely there now! I had already told my husband that I was getting a neck lift if the skin stayed wrinkled or became saggy. Now, I'm hopeful it's going to snap back. Here's hoping!!

Six weeks for me.

I understand there is room for variation, and we all heal at different rates, but he's moving you through the food stages much faster than most doctors as you've noted. I always try to follow my doctor's recommendations to the letter, but I would be concerned about your doctor's diet regimen. He's not following the guidelines set by lap band, for one thing. Personally, I would stick to soft foods/mushies for the next week or two. http://www.lapband.com/life_after_surgery/life_after_surgery/first_few_weeks_after_surgery/

I've had my band for over a year, and I've never had any of the restrictive eating problems that some people report. Basically, I stay away from celery because of the stringy texture. I eat filet mignon (3 oz, so I always have leftovers for home), pizza (one slice, and I'm full), homemade yeast rolls (1/2 of small), etc. I've had the infamous sliming issues less than a handful of times. I can name the times, and the fault was mine...eating too fast a few times, and eating too much once (it was tough chicken from a Chinese restaurant that I no longer frequent :redface:). I don't have bags stashed around in case of sliming, because it just doesn't happen to me. Like happy, I eat out with my husband and friends without any worries. Nobody would ever know I have a band based on watching me eat. I order regular meals off the menu and know that I'll either share some of my meal with my husband or have some great leftovers the next day..sometimes two. :ohmy: I lost over 2/3 of my excess weight in my first year, and I will say the last twenty pounds are coming off slowly, but although this past week I didn't lose any weight, I put on a belt yesterday that I haven't worn since last week, and I had to do the happy dance when I realized that I had gone down a belt hole. :confused::thumbup: I love my renewed active lifestyle. I love eating small healthy meals and not getting hungry again for several hours. I love that I can buy clothes without sifting through a pile of 18s to find something that "fits". I'm so happy that I was able to have this surgery before the co-morbidities started piling up. High blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease run in my family, and I'm thankful every day that I missed those bullets, but I never forget I was on the barreling down the road toward those problems.

I hope you after you talk to the doctor, you'll feel more at ease in making an informed decision on whether to have WLS, and which type might suit you better. Chances are you'll have some loose skin regardless of the type of surgery you choose, but you have youth going for you, so you're skin may bounce back a little better than someone much older. Also, if you don't smoke, all the better. Genetics play a major role as well. You might find that your surgeon's office offers a LAP-BAND®® support group. Often, you can start attending even before you're banded. In fact, the surgeon I go to makes it a requirement for all pre-banders to attend at least one meeting. However, you can always make a visit here for online support. :ohmy: Good luck on making your decision. I can't express strongly enough how happy I am that I have my band. There's positive and negatives to all the surgeries, and it's a matter of finding the proper fit.

I agree with the others about going back to your fill doctor. Really, the number of fills has little bearing on whether you're getting good long-lasting restriction. Based on my history, it took several fills to get to my personal "sweet spot". Some doctors also give bigger fills than others, so don't feel discouraged because you feel like you've already had a several adjustments. You need to stay on track by getting your fills until you reach the level of restriction that you can eat the meal plan prescribed by your doctor and have good satiety between meals.

Generally, I go to the gym very early in the morning, and I like to have a quick Protein drink prior to working out. The Isopure ready to drink is clear and has a Gatorade type of consistency. Occasionally, the protein is in a white glob in the bottom, but once you shake it up, it dissolves. I've tried all the flavors, and I like them all equally. I recently bought the Isopure powder in the fruit punch flavor. One scoop gives you 25 grams of protein at approx 105 cals and no carbs. You mix it with Water, but it's a thicker consistency than the ready to drink. I think you might find it to be a little on the gritty side. I thought it tasted great though. I even had my husband try one, and he liked it too. I really liked that you only have to use a spoon to mix it. Isopure is also made from a whey protein isolate which according to them and unjury is the best form of protein. Personally, I don't know one protein from the other.

I'm sure you'll feel relief as soon as you get your unfill, and as elcee and mimi said, it might only take a small amount to make all the difference.

We have a home just in time for the holidays! :Yawn: Amlus, you should have the honors of first post. :woot: Self-Pay LAP-BAND

Just my opinion, but I think your friend might be right, so maybe you should try something like GasX for the pain. As long as it's not excruciating, I wouldn't get too concerned. One case of vomiting shouldn't cause you to have band trouble, and you did the right thing by staying on liquids and soft foods the next day. I asked the NP about what I should do in case of the stomach flu, and she said one day of vomiting shouldn't cause band problems, but if it continued to a second day to come in for a band unfill. I also have pills to take to help stop vomiting. So, I really don't think you should worry that you've caused a slip or anything by one bad PB incident. Chances are, it's coincidental that you had this other problem.

Just try to stay busy, and it never hurts to daydream about how great you're going to look over the holidays. While others are gorging themselves and feeling downright miserable, you can sit there smiling as the weight is just melting away. (Okay, I know it's not melting, but it's only a daydream..lol). There's nothing wrong with a little feeling of superiority in our thoughts as we're working toward good health.

Since you're already banded, I know you're aware of how critical good follow-up care is to the success of the band. If your friend is able to get back to the doctor in Mexico for fills and care, then there's no issue. If she can't do that, she needs to be sure has follow-up care lined up before her surgery.

I agree with Cathy. A one time six inch sub, especially since you have any trouble whatsoever getting it down, is very unlikely to have caused your pouch to stretch. You also said you're not planning on making a habit of it, so I'm sure your little pouch is a-okay. :biggrin:

I'm sorry you had such a rough start, but it's not too late to make your band work. The first thing you're going to have to do is to set a lap band food plan - either with a dietitian or with your food guidelines. With good restriction, my meals are three 1/2 cup meals heavy on solid Protein followed by vegetables, if room fruit, and then starches. Obviously, I don't have a lot of wiggle room for fruit and veggies, so I try to incorporate them into my snack. The 1/2 cup meals are my doctor's recommendation and also the recommendation on the Realize Band website (I have the Realize Band). I have a 4 oz pouch and with good restriction, I stay fully satisfied for four or more hours after a meal. I rarely have beef, maybe twice a week. I mostly eat chicken, fish, and eggs for protein. I have pork on rare occasions too, but neither pork nor beef are a mainstay foods in my diet. If you're going vegetarian, I'm sure you can get some great ideas for meals in the LBT nutrition section, but you just need to make sure you're not relying on slider foods that don't give longterm satiety. I can only give you advice based on my doctor's recs, but he wants our band to be adjusted to where we can eat three 1/2 cup meals, one healthy snack, and plenty of Fluid in between meals (stopping 1/2 hour prior to eating and starting 45 mins after a meal). Some people have problems eating in the morning, and the NP that leads our support group said to be sure and start the day off with a low carb high Protein shake to get the metabolism moving in that case. I can eat, so that's not been an issue for me. If you find you can't eat your doctor's recommended meal which often leads to eating slider foods, he may want to take a tiny bit of saline out. If you're getting hungry when eating those 1/2 cup meals (ex. meal - 3 oz chicken, 1 oz broccoli) in less than two or three hours, you need a fill. I don't want to come off as saying my doctor's way is the only way though. Being a bit heavier than me, your doctor may have your band looser because you should be able to eat bigger meals and still lose weight. But, I wasn't sure if you were given clear instructions on how to get the most from your band. It's very important not to throw in the towel. Now, that you have a better doctor (at least I hope he's better), I'm sure if you made an appointment with him and gave him detailed information on your diet, how well you're able to tolerate solid food, and how often you're hungry, he'd be able to get you back on track.

After six days of liquids and not being able to tolerate soft foods, it definitely sounds like you're overfilled.

Would it be possible for you to have a consultation with a dietitian? I also wonder if your band isn't too tight since you're only eating two meals/day. I know it's calories in/calories out, but I'm concerned that you're not getting proper nutrition based on your post. I'm not a nutritionist, but from the little I know, it's important to keep our bodies fed to keep insulin levels and other functions running properly. During your two meals, are you eating large portions and/or making unhealthy choices? Also, are you grazing throughout the day due to hunger? It's great that you're walking daily, and regardless of whether you're losing, that is very good for you. Congratulations on your dedication, because I know it's easy to give up when you don't see results on the scale. I really think you need to get your band at a fill level that you can eat a minimum of three meals/day. Many plans also call for at least one healthy snack, and some plans call for more but smaller meals. Regarding the loose skin, chances are you're going to be faced with that as you lose the weight. With the amount you need to lose, you may find that you have a medical necessity to have a tummy tuck that will be covered by health insurance. If you have recurrent infections under the skin rolls, be sure and have them documented by your doctor. Also, remind yourself that flabby skin won't shorten your life, but fat will. Good luck, and with some tweaking of your fill level and meal plan, I'm positive you can get back on track. You obviously have the drive to make this a success.

The hospital dietitian came to one of our lap band support group meetings to demonstrate many different ways to cook soy. So, I would say, in general, soy is very band friendly. I have also fixed some of the Morningstar Farms products, and they are tasty. The dietitian had some Fakin' Bacon, and I have to say, that stuff was baaad. LOL

amlus, last week Alex said he'd be happy to start a forum for self-payers. I sent him a reminder PM today, so hopefully we'll have a spot soon.

I was self-pay too, with one year of fills, but that also included fills under fluoro. Now that my year's up, it's all on me. The price at my office for a fill under fluoro is astronomical, in my opinion. The fill is around $150, but I also have to pay a fee to the hospital for using the x-ray which is around $500 or so. It works out to be in the neighborhood of $700. I think an experienced doctor can get a good idea of how your band is holding Fluid by pulling it out manually himself. He can measure the fluid level (mine was always less than he put in, and I've read that the many people have the same issue, so don't get worried if it's not the same amount), and he can feel the pressure of the fluid as it's coming back into the syringe.