flowers

Im in Richardson. I used a doctor near Medical City I googled and got, cant remember his name for the rash. Sounds like a lot of Texans here.

I dont like vanilla either. I have a bunch of SF syrups from my low gi diet days Im using. I add one of the berry ones usually, raspberry, peach, cherry, and then either carmel or chocolate to the protein cans. Almost as sweet as a dessert. Im saving them for when I get my next fill, need to make the protein shakes from powder more often. You are right, need to get motivated and have those protein drinks and make them more appetizing.

Sounds like you are not getting enough Protein in. You need 60 g a day to build muscle and lose faster. Read some books on low gi eating. I would throw out that box of cheez it crackers, those are the type of thing stalling out your weight loss, anything with high carbs and no nutrional value you need to eat, if at all, very rarely. Crab cakes are also very little protein and mostly junk food value. Try baking or broiled plain fish. No breading. greens, stuff like that is what you need to lose faster.

Can you use a pill cutter on them??

Good question. I was using mederma and also trying to put zinc oxide creme on them, then monday I got stronger creme from the dermatologist I got on my biggest incision and the one next to it and they turned bright red, and inflamed half a inch around them. Im thinking the creme was too strong for the half healed incisions, so Im leaving them alone now and on antibiotics, they look better, but Im not putting mederma on them right now until they are not red around the incision. My entire breasts were inflamed and bright red, then it started on my abdomen too, in addition to what happened to my lapband incisions. I was a mess. Imagine showing a doctor your breasts and fat abdomen, I was so embarrased, but it had to be done to get help last Monday. I dont know you might have developed something the second surgery?? I dont know why you had trouble the second time, couldnt find many answers with google when I tried to find out rashes, its a mystery. I hope you are better too.

I knew on the ship my car would go underwater, thats why I was freaking and stessed out. Bought it brand new from the dealer. Ruined the cruise for me plus I took two disabled pax, my sister and her friend who was on a huge walker that I had to deal with when the ship dumped us on the curb in New Orleans, and neither of them could help me. Allstate said the Water came over my dash on the car, but the towing company sent the garage door opener on the visor, and they said it looked like it had been underwater. I havent seen the car, and the wheels of Allstate grind exceedingly slow, more stress. So, there could be multiple reasons for my rash that was spreading. I also dont have any insurance, but paid a dermatologist monday and he gave me some medications, he wasnt for sure what the rash cause was either, could have been stress. Truely, I was freaking for a couple of weeks over my car going under water and if I had to get down there and try to start it or should I drive down there to get my CDs out of the car, would they wash off and still be ok? The cruise parking started charging storage fees, after an extra week, when the tow company still hadnt towed it, more stress. Finally making headway to getting a settlement with Allstate, but of course out of the blue trying to decide what car to buy (got a Nissan Versa), its been like a job with daily input trying to move Allstate faster along. I know, I know, there are other people affected by Ike as Allstate keeps reminding me. Doesnt mean I wasnt stressed (Im a worrier anyway), so thats my excuse why I was banded before some of you, but I see many of you lost 40 lbs already. I feel like Im behind, and reminding myself the turtle can still finish the race. I was walking every day like you, up to 4 miles a day until the rash and my cruise. Im just getting back to it and looking to get the weight loss going again. I needed to get my head back in place. Time to get back to normal and my diet.

Im up northeast of Dallas, so not too far from you. I have this thread bookmarked, thanks. Sounds like my car isnt too far from you. I was parked in Galveston during Ike and on the Carnival Conquest, and they towed it to IAH towing, which I hear is near the Houston airport. Havent seen my car since before Ike. So I was absentia for a few weeks from these threads when I was totally stressing out over my car. Im back now. It also looks like I got my band a little before you, Im also a July Butterfly, 7/9. Hope you are doing well, its lovely up here today. Unless someone has a magic wand to make the weight just dissapear, I guess Im ok, just impatient.

I did a version of low gi, mostly cooking on my own and bought a few nutrisystem dishes on ebay to show me portion sizes, even though Im not crazy about their foods. I lost over 80 lbs and was just walking. The downside is once my Dad get in a bad way for amost a year, I managed to put all the weight and more back on lickety split. I can diet, its keeping on the diet forever without help is why I got the band. low gi loses wegith faster than low calorie or low fat according to recent studies. See how that works for it. Similar to south beach.

Thanks, and thanks for replying . I was beginning to wonder if this was a closed group or if I was invisible. Maybe the rest of ya'all have been posting here awhile and it takes a while to get accepted? Let me introduce myself. Im in Texas and Im 58, so in this age bracket too.

Id heard to get chewable Vitamins and all that, but I can eat anything. My surgeon after he put in the lap band gave me the biggest anitbiotics you ever saw and I admit I was surprised, but they went down. Even after 2 fills I can swallow any kind of pills, guess Im not very tight. I sure could swallow a little Alli pill. Im curious still, if anyone talks to their doctor what they say. Im wondering if they might cause gas that could stretch the pouch.

When 3 cc's was too much for me, then the doctor started to doubt that I really had a 10 cc band. I had to get a signed letter from my surgeon saying yes it was a 10 cc band and he recommended 2.5 cc, but I already had only gotten 1.8 cc fill by then (total waste of money, pissed me off, she took me down to 1.8 cc). The doctor was saying things to me like maybe I misunderstood and really 10 cc was the diameter, not the size of what the band held and all sorts of things telling me I misunderstood what size band I had. griped me to waste $200. Im guessing from the fill doctors reaction, most people can take 3 cc their first fill. I sure couldnt. I drove 5 hours round trip besides the waste of $200 for my first fill. She gave me 1.8 cc, the typical first fill for a 4 cc band and made it clear she thought I was confused. I felt insulted. Shows ya that doctors dont always know everything.

I went to the doctor monday, and he has me on antibiotics and gave me some creme to put on them. Now my scars from my lapband surgery got infected with the rash, or the creme got on them and was too strong and they turned red for about and inch along the scars, so I quit using everything on them, not even Mederma so I wouldnt get the creme on them. The doctor had a couple guesses for the rash, and said if these dont cure you, come back and he will have to start some biospys to find out what it is. I think I saw some daylight below the 200 mark once, but now Im back up 2 lbs to 202 lbs. I have tried to start back walking. Been off track for about a month, need to get moving again. Everyone else's weight loss is passing me by. The prunes didnt work to get me below 200 :wub: How are you doing? Hope your weight is just flying off lol. :smile2:

I too have a 10 cc band and the doctor put in 3 cc, but when she tried the barium test, the barium wasnt going down, so she went down to 1.8 cc, which was zero restriction. I wish she had found a in between number :smile2: I went back and paid another $200 and she put in another 1.8 cc, so Im now supposed to be up to 3.6 cc total. Some people 3 cc is too much in a 10 cc band, even if its more common that most can take that much, I couldnt.

I was pretty casual in my approach, that this isnt a race to the finish, as long as you stay in the race. Dont let all these things get to you, if there is a problem deal with it when it happens. I did get sweets and most of the candy out of the house, still have some here but have been giving away madly, even gave two bags of stuff to my next door neighbor. Dont have anything in the house you know you cant resist. I know your family has to help with this if you live with other people, but surely they can find something else to eat if there is something you just love. Other than cutting down on my sugar, and trying not to snack at night, thats about all Im doing. Im still eating everything else. Losing slowly?? Yes, true. I was a speed demon on my last diet and gained it back. This time trying the slow and sure approach.

I have some Alli left that I was wondering about too. If you get a answer from a medical source, like your doctor, Id like to know too if it would hurt the band. Im losing ok, just curious myself.

That 4 weeks after surgery, no matter if you are doing liquids or mushys seems like it will never end. I hated it. If thats the worst you did, you should be fine. Im eating regular food now again, just staying away from junk mostly. I had a Scholtzey's 1/2 of a sandwich for dinner tonight. I had pizza on my cruise. I might not lose as fast as someone who never cheats, but I wouldnt go crazy either. Just being good 90% of the time.

In the end its your decision. I do find surgeons more often than not recommend by pass, that way they know the folks will lose weight, the problem is they probably will put it on later if they dont stick to the diet and start overeating. Long term I think the band works just as well, its just not as fast in the beginning. We have to keep getting fills until we hit our sweet spot. I had my surgery 7/9, and still not close to getting the restriction I need. Lap band is a longer process, but you wouldnt put the weight back on as easily if you have your fills and get to where you need to be.

I just do low gi, seems to work better for me than all out atkins because eventually when you go back to eating right, you gain some back. Hope your jump start works. Im finally back to walking, rash or no rash. I went to Mexico for my band too, so I guess it was easy for me as you put it, I didnt have a long bunch of tests. I think Im trying to lose to a lower point than you, I want to get to 120 lbs. I have a thin frame and dont look good much over that. good luck.

The tests should not take that long. It sounds like you just are not wanting to travel back and forth from testing and surgery and stuff? I dont know of anyone who spent 3 weeks with their doctor. Maybe you have a lot of health issues Im not aware of. I went by myself to Mexico. I admit I decided to come home a day early, wasnt much fun by myself when hardly anyone spoke English. Wished by the time I got home I had spent the one extra night. Iv never heard of spending 3 weeks though. At most 2 extra nights to indulge ourselves with some Mexican doctors.

lynn Im going to have that lose skin problem myself. Considering plastic surgery sometime in my future. Congrats on medium size sweats. I cant wait myself. Im having some prunes, hope they dont spike my insulin too much lol. Im trying to move that scale needle below 200 already. Trying ye ole clean out to move the scales, even if its temporary. Im going to walk tonight too, and put some effort into moving the needle below that 200 mark. No more, vamose 200s.

The seminar I went to mentioned all types of surgeries. They also said most insurance plans wouldnt pay for the sleeve, but they will pay for by pass. I heard several say out loud ..... "well that decides it for me".

I use Dr. Stephanie too. Wondering if you would share what it is you dont like?? privately of course, not on the public boards. I saw a post about a place in garland that does fills and wondering about changing to them, or should I stay with what is safe? My only concern with Dr. Stephanie is how small her fills are and my lack of restriction. Iv had two fills of 1.8 cc. She doesnt try to find a in between number, if 3 is too much she goes down to 1.8 cc. While eventually we will get there, meanwhile, Im not getting to hardly a tad restriction. I had nothing after the first fill and twice she assured me I would feel it. I didnt.

I went to a seminar and they too pushed hard for other surgerys. They said things like "will you be happy only losng half the weight you want to lose". They turned everyone away from the idea of lapband and I cancelled my surgery, but after thinking about it, decided it would help me. I can lose with a diet, the lapband is training wheels to keep me from falling on my face and regaining what I lost. Apparantly 50% is the average weight people lose the first year, some lose it all and some dont lose. We had a lady who gained with the lapband in my seminar (to further sway people), who said she was on the road with her job and didnt have time to go get fills, so she had done nothing after she got her lapband and eventually got diabetes on the lapband, so she was there to have it removed and have by pass instead. I think you have to decide if you have the time and will go get fills and work with the tool or you just want by pass, and lose easier at first, but more side effects, if you eat wrong, and you will be in danger of gaining it all back if you stretch your pouch, nothing you can do to fix it, no fills. I know several with by pass who regained all they lost and more.

As some others are asking, how did this lapband doctor have your mom's phone number?? Did you list it as an alternative or some such? Yes, its wrong, and I hope you have set up a time to discuss with him, he owes you at the very least a huge apology and at most he's in trouble if you report him.

Im in Dallas, and lapband is just under $10K here too, and probably as good as the doc in Colorado. Even with the cheaper price here, I choose to go to Juarez, it was a hop on a plane and they take care of you more and longer. I live alone and my parents are elderly, so I wanted the extra care I knew I would get in Mexico to lean on. There were 3 of us on the floor and 5 or 6 nurses and a doctor who came around besides my own to check on me. In the U.S. they often send you home in a few hours and you are on your own. I think it depends on your circumstances. I meet two gals at my fill doctor who had it done for $6K each, and doing well, even cheaper price than I paid. Prices are low in Mexico with more nursing care and after surgery care.