RestlessMonkey

There was a poster on here who had a good handle on band vs bypass because he had each done, but he no longer posts here. He would've been a great resource for you. However I know he'd tell you that WLS isn't a buffet line and you can just go pick whichever you want, but that it is smartest to read, research, and pick in the end which best fits you, your eating patterns, your personality, your needs. :biggrin: Good luck!

I love my band.

Congrats and good luck! :biggrin:

As Mimi said, it's the hormone/clot issue. Hot flashes are a pain but better than clots.

I didn't even have to have the test. YAY It's not an uncommon comorbidity of obesity, though.

The only way I know is research. My surgeon's seminar covered RNY Bypass, the band, the sleeve, the BPD/DS (very successful but you pay in altered lifestyle) and gave statistics, "target client base" and so on for each.

There are also great books (like WLS for dummies) out there that compare and contrast them. Google probably could also produce some data.

It depends on your diet, actually. I go daily still but I'm cognizant of getting adequate Fiber in each day (females generally need about 28 g daily and it's HARD to get that much in!)

As to the Water, no issues whatsoever. Although you most likely will be given some restrictions about beverages with your meals (and after) otherwise liquid SHOULD go through the band fine; you may hear gurgling but otherwise it should process like it used to. In fact if you get so tight (band filled so much) that liquids don't go through, or go through too slowly, you need to get an "unfill" (have some saline removed)

Oddly my sister, too, had this problem after her hysterectomy (she was a year or two older than you, I think). Hers was her diet. I don't remember her numbers and don't mean to be glib about your situation but just hope it is something that is easily and quickly put right for you!

And once they get the numbers back up you'll most likely feel a lot better! So this is frustrating beyond words I'm sure but it's a good thing they found it. :biggrin:

I thought it wasn't necessarily uncommon for pre-menopausal women to be anemic (if that's what you mean) My gyn always checked us for it at our annual physical. Hopefully with you it's something easily corrected! Good luck!

My surgeon told me that now that I'm healed, etc...if I want to drink a carbonated beverage or two occasionally, and IT DOESN"T HURT, I can.

I was really happy about this; fortunately I'm not a soda drinker, or at least not a committed one, but I do really enjoy an occasional beer (like 2 6-packs a year, spread out?) It's nice to know I "can" have it, even if I don't really want it much! :biggrin:

I really appreciate all the input, all the different "guidelines" from docs. In all honesty, I've tried doing what I was told (no drinking 15 min before) and/or longer, and drinking my Water (or unsweet iced tea) literally up until I take my first bite, and don't notice any difference in how much I can eat, and how long I stay full. WHAT I eat impacts that, but not if I have Water up until right before a meal.

Of course one person isn't really a good scientific sample!

I wonder if 1. this rule is a holdover from the early days? 2. a rule that generally applies to other forms of WLS and has been carried over without any research (?) or 3. maybe one of those things that impacts some people but not others?

Yep I'm boring. I like steak (grilled, well done) ground beef, round steak, roast, chicken (baked, boiled, roasted, fried, bbq'd) Pork (chops, ham, bacon) fish (well, kind of) shrimp, lobster and dairy (aka cheese)

Occasionally it won't hurt you. However we need a good balanced diet, including adequate Protein (too much and your body won't use it, just like excess fat and carbs get stored or dumped). It's best to try to eat good balanced meals each day, and take a good multi. :biggrin:

When you lose your body will pull energy from fat (yay that's the point!) but it also pulls from muscle. Adequate Protein intake (besides what Niterun said) can help minimize that muscle loss (although it won't prevent it)

pain in left shoulder is referred pain from the diaphragm, which presses on the phrenic nerve. It's not gas. Pain meds, massage, heating pad, changing position (lying on side, holding arm up over head) all seem to help some people (DH rubbing my neck and shoulders did it for me)

It will get better over time as your internal organs settle back down again!

If you mods think you've taken the high road in all this, you're wrong.

There's plenty blame to go around.

And for the record, if one of you did actually refer to HH's friends as "followers" shame on you. Keep pretending it isn't personal why don't you.

I'm tired of the immaturity. On both sides.

It isn't hard for everyone to eat chicken. I can eat chicken (dry, moist, white meat, dark meat, fried, baked, boiled, roasted, stir fried) just fine.

Ok. My doc is/was conservative too. NOT quite as conservative as yours, but conservative. I asked him about it. (I am curious, I was a nursing student, and the man has the patience of a saint) He said that in his opinion slower fills give the patient time to adjust slowly to the change in eating styles. In his opinion, research indicates faster more aggressive fills can cause problems and mean a less satisfactory band experience. (I cannot quote his research but want to share what he told me, ok?) In his practice, slower fills generally mean more long-term success for his patients, with less complications down the road.

Now, speaking for ME only, I am 13 months out. I can eat about 1 cup of ANY food. ANY. I can eat white bread. I can eat Pasta, dry chicken, well done beef. I do NOT have acid reflux. I can take ALL my pills without crushing them. (and I take some big ones) and I am losing weight well. It took me from 8/29 to May 7 of the next year to reach my "sweet spot" but when I compare how I can eat to other bandsters, when I compare my experience, I am not so unhappy with my doc. Not at all.

I don't mean to imply that everyone who has an issue has it because of a bad doc, fast fills, etc. I am not trying to be judgmental or pissy about anyone. I am just saying what happened to me, with my conservative doc.

I didn't expect speedy weight loss with the band. Regardless of what I've read on here, my doc said an average of 1-2 pounds a week for up to 3 years or so. I'm right on schedule.

Please ask your surgeon why he wants to fill you so slowly. Maybe you could go in every 6 weeks instead of every 8? But just realize that old saying "slow and steady wins the race" can be true, especially in "lap band world". :biggrin:

I believe the success rate in the USA with diet and exercise alone is something like 5%. You may be one of the lucky 5 in 100. And I can tell you that the lap band doesn't help much with emotional hunger. It helps with physiological hunger. As they say, the band is around your stomach, not your head. If your hunger is "head hunger" the band doesn't address it. Therapy is a great start for that.

Any surgery is frightening for most of us, and being trepidatious, anxious, unsure, is a normal reaction. Only you know if those feelings are enough to stop you from continuing. Frankly, some DO decide not to go through with it. Some do and wish they hadn't, but many of us proceed and are so thankful that we did!

If you have specific fears (like about the other post on blood clots) I don't mind addressing them with you (if I can) and your doc and/or his nurse should also be a great source of info and facts.

There are no guarantees in life; you know this as well or better than anyone. But we have to move forward and do what we can. The band may be perfect for you. It may not. You won't know until you try, and only you can decide if the odds are in your favor.

Yes, it's pretty common to get a blood thinner before surgery. You need to watch it for at least a few weeks. For example at my 2 week check up, when they found out I was just sitting in a 3-hour class (nursing school) I was told to GET UP AND WALK!!! every 40 minutes and if I needed a note to get permission, they'd give me one!

LOL. They gave us a break every 50 min so I'd get up and walk during the break.

The farther you are from surgery, the less likely a clot, but realize that anytime any person is very sedentary (like being on an airplane flight, cramped, and sitting for a few hours, or taking a long car ride and not stopping every hour to walk a bit!) the risk increases, even if you aren't post op. Add obesity into the mix and the risk goes up more.

Most of us even when we sit, we are wiggling our legs, flexing our feet, shifting around, etc. If you are on pain meds or in pain and don't move around as much, that sedentary situation can lead to trouble. So move, walk, wiggle your toes, and you should be ok!

The realize port is clamped onto your abdominal wall muscle (the lap band port is stitched) and because it is in the muscle it takes longer to heal, and is more prone to soreness etc when you exert yourself or USE those muscles.

If it doesn't improve, call your doc with your concerns. Just realize that some pain is the "nature of the beast" when it comes to ports and healing. Even months post op, vigorous "different" activity etc can cause it to be a little sore.

Sitting in a recliner can put pressure on the backs of your calves. Wiggle your toes frequently while you're sitting in it! And don't sit for longer than an hour; every hour get up and walk a little, and you'll be fine. Stretching also helps. Realize you don't have to do a power hike, but walk around the house 5-10 minutes or so. Move.

If it hurts to walk, take your pain med and walk anyway. Brace your incisions with a pillow (hold a pillow over your abdomen) and that should help! but move those legs, breathe deeply, keep that circulation going! :biggrin:

I'm sure it varies but at my surgeon's office, you secure financing on your own. It's not like buying a car. You come in with the money or insurance. They do have brochures for finance companies but you're on your own to choose one, apply, etc.

And from what I've heard it isn't "easy" to get approved. If you consider you'll understand why; it is an unsecured loan and if you default there's nothing they can come take back. I've heard people must have pretty good credit to qualify.

If you scroll down on the home page you'll find an "Insurance and Financing" forum. You may find more info there, and get more answers to your question if you post it there. Good luck!

i cant eat the 'sensible' foods; Pasta, fruit, fush, white meat and so I jusy reach for sugary Snacks

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A few things...one, Pasta doesn't really usually have much nutrition for the calories (no bang for the buck) so it may not be "sensible" unless you are getting fortified wheat pasta or some such...?

however my nut (who IS a nut by the way) did say this: cook pastas and rices REALLY well, no al dente, because they usually continue to take on Fluid and can swell once you've eaten them

And...have you tried a VERY SMALL unfill, of say .2 cc or so? Often the difference between "perfect" and too tight or too lose is very minute. It takes "zeroing in".

Also I've found, at my sweet spot, that I MUST listen to my body. I must chew things well. I must take smaller (about 1/2 or so of my "norm") bites. I must PAY attention and stop when my body is cueing me that it's full. If it tastes good and I want more, I have to tell myself "you can have it next meal". It takes our bodies 20 minutes, generally, to say "ok enough food" so eat slowly, give it time. Have you tried that? It may help...

Lastly Have you tried a therapist? I'm a night time grazer and have gone, on my own, to a behaviorist who's been really helpful

No the band isn't for anyone, you didn't "ask" for help, so please don't think me presumptuous! But if any of that can help you make your experience more enjoyable, then great.

AND if you really can't eat healthy and a small unfill doesn't work, go get more removed. You will kill yourself living on sugar!

Opioid based pain meds (like vicodin, lortab, hydrocodone) can also be very constipating and may require intervention if you take it consistently (ck with your doc, don't self-medicate)

Although it is fine that you posted this here, you might get more "action" if you post it under either "Lap Band Complications" or the one (forget the exact name" that is something like "Life after lap band removal". Just a thought.