flowers

Hi, Im in Dallas. On the other threads, for fill doctors I think it is, someone posted a link to a fill doctor in Garland they used they said uses fluoro and $200. Im driving to Tyler to see Dr. Stephanie who uses fluoro but who goes very slowly with the fills. Iv had two fills and barely have a tad of restriction after the 2nd fill, but at least I know she is doing it the safe way. she charges $200 cash too, but its a long drive. She also does every other saturday in tyler, the next sat in college station. I wouldnt go to someone who doesnt use fluoro (sp), because of the chance of poking the tubing or whatever. There are accidents, and I dont want to take the gamble with my band. I did see a thread from someone who uses a fill doctor who I wouldnt name in Dallas who doesnt use fluor asking if we thought her band could be leaking and a surgeon here in Dallas said they know of instances where this doctor has caused folks to have to have surgery to fix problems. why take the risk? with the fluoro the doctor can see exactly where the band is and I drink some barium each time and she watches to see that it is flowing into my stomach (I know grosses me out too), but she can see that the fill isnt too tight so you wouldnt ever get overfilled, because she would take out some fill if the barium wouldnt flow into your stomach. The fill doctors who just poke you hoping to find the port, they cant see if they are filling you too tight and sometimes miss the port and have to keep poking you, you can read plenty of threads where folks go to fill doctor who dont use fluor and get poked multiple times until the port is found. Im debating checking out the place in Garland since its so much closer to my house, or making the drive back to Dr. Stephanie. She was banded in Mexico, and does her own fills, not a nurse, so I know she is good.

I mentioned this on your other thread, but the choices you are making that you say are the good choices arent ones I would make to lose faster. You say the good choices here are a can of Dinty Moore stew or hamburger helper. Anything with gravies like these is full of bad calories. Even hamburger isnt something to eat often to me. The potatoes in the stew are high gi foods, I stay away from corn and potatoes. You should be having green type veggies. I know you are in college, can you prepare a bag of frozen veggies, there are several blends that are low in calories that will fill you up. Do you have access to a oven, where you can bake chicken breast (no skin) and dump a can of tomatoes on them for taste?. tomatoes on top are much better calorie wise than anything with gravy. I know I lost over 80 lbs with eating low gi foods last time. I admit I put it back on eating fast food when my dad got sick and I didnt take the time to fix what I knew I should be eating. But I know eating that way works and can fill you up. I think the band in place will help from putting the weight back on, but for now you still should be eating as if you are on a diet and help that weight go away faster. Im swearing to myself this will be the last time to lose this weight. I know its the pot calling the kettle black, I know how to eat, just would rather eat more junky foods. The rule is anything green is good to pick for veggies. I truly believe you cant just count calories, some calories will help you build muscle and lose the weight, some will spike your insulin. If not now, when you get my age the problem will be worse. If I didnt love junky foods, then we all probably wouldnt be here though right? If you eat foods like baked potatoes that spike your insulin, the insulin will be produced and store as more fat, you dont even need to eat the extra calories to put on the extra weight. Its important to eat the right foods. Once you lose the weight or for a treat now and again later on, then you can have a treat like corn on the cob or baked potatoes, but not when you are trying to lose. Try eating plain ole food without the gravies or anything deep fried like those chicken nuggets, which are breaded. Cut the carbs and sugar as much as you can, and grab a piece of lite laughing cow cheese for instance or a hard boiled egg.

Its 3:44 a.m. and Iv been up at least an hour. If you are waking up during the night and craving, that is often a sign of high sugar, which will eventually go away as you control it with high Protein choices. I drink some milk or something, but Im eating or drinking something too. Maybe you dont have high sugar, but its often a sign of being pre diabetic that you wake up during the night craving carbs. another word for it is insulin resistant. another way to tell, one of the biggest signs is you carry your weight in your stomach. the best thing you can do is just stick with this and try and not eating sugary or carbs during the day and get it under control. Last time I went thru this I did a low gi, but it still took 2 or 3 months for my blood sugar to quit spiking, then I was one of the bigger losers on the site. Once that blood sugar quits spiking at night you will be fine. It will happen eventually with a better diet. I got the lap band because I didnt want to go thru this again and knew the signs when I started waking up again during the night and couldnt sleep until I had something to eat or drink. Its true it might just be habit, but it could also be a sign of insulin spiking. Just hang in there and it will get better. Im a insomniac to start with. That doesnt help does it?

I know you are trying, but you really shouldnt be eating chicken nuggets. Baked chicken breast is great, so get a sandwich and throw away the bun, but deep fried anything you know isnt good and the breading is also bad to lose weight. I try and eat fish, plain baked fish, whenever I can to lose weight. I know calories are not calories. I can eat a whole lot more calories if they are Protein than if Im eating things I shouldnt. I dont even lose well on chicken, fish works much better for me to drop weight. I bake a piece of salmon with steak pepper on it to dress it up. Still not my favorite, but at least I can fill up when im hungry. Sounds like you might need to look at what you are eating if you want to lose faster... or maybe the example you gave wasnt typical. If not, then I aplogize. I think most of know how to lose weight, we just dont like to eat that way. It does sound to me like you are trying and counting calories. Maybe we can all put our heads together and help you find better choices. If you really believe chicken nuggets are a good choice, then Im guessing if you put down your other choices, maybe we could help. List some of your other choices and maybe we can guide you to some better choices that would fill you up better. I read a book on eating the low g.i. way which helped me immensely know what works better for me to lose weight. I got the books free at the library.

.... and here Iv been a bit jealous of folks who got prefills. My surgeon doesnt believe they are safe. Try not to be too scared. Im scared of shots too and almost fainted, second fill went a bit better. Its not as bad as what you are scared of. Are you having the fill done under fluor?

I just read your other post and I am first of all sorry someone was rude to you. That of course is uncalled for or any comments on weight from some kid behind the counter. I dont blame you for contacting over his head. Iv also been mystified by the comments that we cant eat subways. I can still eat bread and had 1/4 of a subway today, my family shares a footlong 4 ways. They are small eaters, and too skinny so its np for me. Thats not saying its how everyone wants to eat, Im sorry you didnt get what you wanted. But why cant we have bread if we can eat it? Im being good about Desserts and junk food, cant skip everything good. Im not racing to the finish line I guess as fast as some others. I also went on a week long cruise a few weeks back and ate pizza and was proud I didnt gain anything.

Iv had two fills too, and am not tight enough to have enough restriction to stop me from eating anything and everything. So far its like a regular diet to me too, with a teensy amount of restriction finally. Im assuming as the fills make us tighter this will get easier, or I hope so anyway. Some have said on average it takes 3 fills to have enough restriction to help much with appetite. Im debating when to set up that 3rd fill!!!

Im not sure its possible to lose 7 lbs in a week, that isnt mostly Water weight which fluctuates. 14 lbs in 2 weeks and then only 1 lb as your body catches up and you are discouraged? You need to burn 3500 calories for each lb lost. If you ate nothing all week you wouldnt actually lose 7 lbs of fat in a week. 15 lbs in a month shouldnt discourage you at all if you are holding it off.

Tell them all the diets you have been on and show them that you have a history of trying to lose weight.

I went to Mexico and was supposed to stay in the hotel next door and extra night, but paid to change my flight and came home after one night in the hospital. My surgery was late the day before I left. I probably should have stayed the extra day because I came home exhausted. Im also probably quite a bit older than you, so you may not be as tired after the surgery. I decided and had the surgery in a matter of weeks, just decided it was the thing for me and did it. I needed to get it done so Id have time for the 4 weeks of mushies before I went on a cruise I had booked. I didnt want to still be on mushies, so I scheduled it pretty fast. That first month after surgery when you arent allowed to eat regular food I thought would never end. I tend to be impatient. Just be aware this isnt a overnight process and try and be patient.

Im not sure this will help as you sound young, but no matter your age, parents or others in your life will say things like this, you just have to make up your own mind. Im much much older than you, both my parents are too thin, in fact my dad had to have a feeding tube because he cant make himself eat enough (sighs). I heard the same things you are telling me. If you have to go on a diet anyway, why get the lapband, its a lot of money (I was self pay). Why cant you just go back on nutrisystem, you did really well on that diet (but I gained it all back and then some when life became tough). Sometimes you just have to make the decision for you, not for what others will approve, just what is best for you.

I was banded more than a month ahead of you and barely lost more than you have. You are doing awesome. You are also probably building muscle with the new works outs. Anytime you start working out you retain more water and muscle weighs more than fat, so working out stalls out your weight loss for a while, but you are losing inches, just not pounds right now. Take your measurements so you can see your own progress.

I went into Dr. Jayaseelan's office and said I was told he did fills for $150, they said $250 if banded in Mexico. I made a remark that I felt kinda like I was being treated like a second class citizen and the girl at the desk got rude with me too. Said I was lucky that he would even see me. I mentioned this on another message board, that I felt his staff to be rude and they all defended him and flamed me so bad I quit the message board. They said I was lucky he would see me and I should feel priveledged. Im sorry, but I think anyone I pay for services should say we are glad you are doing business with us, not the other way around. Thats why I went to the fill doctor in Tyler, she also uses fluoro. I refused to do business with someone who has a rude staff. Just on principle.

Thanks for the information, I travelled twice to Tyler TX, she is good there, but very small fills, 1.8 cc each time in a 10 cc band. frustrated. I live so close to Garland, I cant believe no one knew about this fill place when I posted and asked a few months ago. thanks again.

Hi, I never felt restricted after my surgery, as the previous poster said, some seem to have more swelling than others after the surgery. Iv now had 2 fills and barely now have a little restriction, had none at all after my first fill. She only did 1.8 cc in a 10 cc band, dont ask me why. She either does 3.0 cc or 1.8 cc. I did pick someone for fills that does the whole fluoro and barium and she does the fill while looking at it on the scope. You will read some posts from folks who didnt do this who were poked and poked trying to find the port by nurse's not even the doctor did them. The danger here is some doctors who do fills have a bad rep with the surgeons because they have poked holes in ports and the tubing so the surgeon had to go back in and replace something. I dont want to risk that, so for me it was worth having the fill done under fluor. I dont have insurance and dont want to pay to be opened up again and dont want another surgery, however minor it is to fix the problem. The other reason to use fluor is you wouldnt be overfilled. Most want to be really really tight, but if you are under fluor the doctor can watch the barium flow into your stomach thru the neck of the stomach. She tried to give me the standard 3 cc's and the barium wouldnt flow into my stomach. There is a thread i just read someone was overfilled like this and caused her pouch to stretch, you dont want that either. I wish I was tighter, but Im told it will come in time, just be patient. I do think its worth the extra $100 or whatever you have to pay in your case. Someone in the waiting room last Sat when I was getting my fill said, she would never now do it without fluoro, she knows a lady whose tube got poked who now has problems. Its just safer under fluoro. Like buying insurance, you might never need insurance, but if you need it, its good that you had it.

Someone here posted back to me it could take up to 6 fills to hit your sweet spot where you arent craving food. ... but it is possible to get there, just have to be patient and get your fills in a timely manner.

I dont know where you are having the lapband revision, have you gotten a cost estimate? Have you considered having it done in Mexico. I had my original surgery done there and if my band slipped I would be going back to have it fixed. I see no reason to pay U.S. prices and afraid of all the add on costs of U.S. surgery. I have no insurance. Hopefully, you are not in the same boat I am, and if your doctor says the surgery you had caused the band to slip, you will be covered. Let us know how it goes.

Wow you have had a lot of personal medical issues to overcome. Awesome that you are so determined to take off the weight. WTG Your post also reminded me that WHEN you get fills and start having enough resistance can be a big factor imo. OP if you can get fills in a more timely manner, I think that will help you lose faster. I know due to circumstances, my 1st fill wasnt near enough and the 2nd fill is mucho delayed. I think getting fills and getting some resistance should help start the weight loss ball moving faster. The first weight comes off kinda easily, then it slows down, thats when you want the lapband to start helping. (imo) Having fills and getting to the sweet spot faster I think plays a big part in your weight loss.

I started out about the same weight as you did. I did reset my scales because they were reading high, but Iv been down as low as 208.5, back up to 210, got heat rash walking outside and cruising next week. I certainly expect to be below 200 way before Christmas even with regaining 5 lbs next week on the cruise. I fully expect to be there before Thanksgiving, even with taking all this week off and not losing anything (my heat rash got really really bad infected) and next week's set back. Im also betting Im older than you, so its harder to lose. btw I also lost 9 lbs pre surgery, same as you that Im not counting into my weight loss chart in my signature. Yes, I am sure you can get below 200 before Christmas if you keep exercising.

When I was on mushys, I had to make my chicken into chicken salad with mayo. It can still be cooked well done, just has to be shredded into little pieces and creamed with mayo or something.

I obviously need a tighter fill, but have to wait until after my cruise next week and I can eat anything right now. The only problem I had was kinda gulping down some cantelope, I felt like it almost got stuck. I think how tight your fill is will determine what all you can eat, and that is kinda up to you. I want to be tighter, because IM HUNGRY ALL THE TIME. Sorry, but its driving me crazy trying not to nibble.

A mother and her adult son also were picked up at the airport, the mom was a U.S. doctor and had researched our surgeon and said he had a great track record. Yes, the surgery went fine, but some of the details could be a little better. The reason I only got a teensy fill was because I didnt have anything in writing with my band size on it and the fill doctor thought I might be confused (I knew) so she gave me a fill for a 4 cc band instead of a 10 cc band. Ever since then Iv been trying to get a operating report and they act like they dont know what Im talking about. They did email a signed letter saying I have a 10 cc Realize band I can bring to my next fill. I also think maybe the fill doctor could have told me I needed something before I went to save me all that driving and $200. Thats why Im saying you wouldnt save as much as you think with a doctor in Mexico. the $10K surgeons here include a year of fills and after care. There is a closer fill doctor for $250, who charges U.S. bandsters $150, but its $250 if you were banded in Mexico. stuff like that evens out the price somewhat, but I knew that going in. I knew that being a all day snacker and never sat down and had a regular meal most days the lap band was iffy, but I think other WLS's were too radical and tired of gaining and losing this darn weight. I also know some bandsters who get so tight on purpose they cant eat solid food, not sure I want to go that far, but if I start regaining, its a back up plan. I was walking and exercizing real well, and then got some kind of bad heat rash and cant go out in the heat and walk. I am determined to lose the weight, whatever it takes in the long run and keep it off this time. I lost over 80 lbs on nutrisystem and was down below 155 in 2007 and put it all back on, I could kick myself.

My surgeon is 12 hours away, Im driving 5 hours round trip to a fill doctor. If you can find a fill doctor who meets your needs closer than 45 minutes, go for it.

I lose when I do a day of baked salmon. Might be because Im pre-diabetic and eating the fish all day long whenver Im hungry keeps my insulin from spiking. I always lose a few lbs in lump sums when I can stand to do this.

A lot of us have tried every diet out there and lost and gained and lost and gained. I was pre-diabetic and would be diabetic soon had I not taken some steps. Im self pay. There are lots of doctors in Dallas TX that are in the under $10K and under $11K price that I know of. You can go over the border, like I did to Juarez, but Im not sure how much you save in the long run, since you will still need to pay for fills locally, cost too much to go to Mexico every time I need a fill. My first fill was a waste of $200. I dont feel like I overeat, I think my biggest problem is eating the wrong foods, I love to snack and nibble, so Im still not sure the lapband will work for me. So far its all been will power with no help from the band. My fill doctor only works every other Sat in alternating locations and had a wedding, then I have a cruise, so my 2nd fill wouldnt even be until Sept 27th. Lapbands are not overnight answers, thats for sure. My thoughts are it might or might not really help me lose, since I wasnt eating large meals before, but it might help me keep it off, I can get a really tight fill Im hoping if I start to regain the weight like I always do when I cant stand not eating candy and popcorn and Snacks, the band will make it hard to eat these foods if I feel full. Thats my hope anyway. Im not sure lapband is the answer for everyone, but it might be your answer, but its still just a tool and dieting is hard work. when I get to my sweet spot, hopefully, I will be saying wowie, this really does work. When some post say this could take up to 6 fills to get there (at $200 a pop and Im driving 5 hours to get to where I can get this price).