RestlessMonkey

There's a difference in oxygen at that level but I can't imagine it would directly impact your band. I am not a doc or an altitude specialist however; I say ask your surgeon to be sure. I wasn't told to avoid altitude or pressure shifts (like deep sea diving, for example) I don't think it matters, but its possible I'm wrong.

Ask him how he DOES check. If he doesn't, you can decide it that's a deal breaker or not. Mine had me do barium before and after..checks for hernias too, not just making sure things are routed properly.

I had blood work, ultrasound, etc etc...and a 3 week preop diet and still when opened up my liver was too thick. I agree if you are given a preop diet follow it TO THE LETTER. No cheating. No modifying it.

Thanks for explaining what that meant, Paxie. I think that would drive me nuts! Well, MORE nuts!

How? It doesn't transmit anything? Just curious! I have the Lap Band...AP It's what my surgeon uses and prefers.

Per the chart in my doc's office, you are TOO tight...as long as it's working for you, I guess "who cares", right? But you need to be able to eat a healthy diet, maybe a very slight unfill would make that happen for you? You know best, not me, of course...but maybe your surgeon could give some guidance. I dont' think most of us are supposed to be restricted to only soft foods....too easy to turn to those fattening "slider" foods instead of eating healthy things.

I had no restriction until my 4th fill.

Please realize that for every 10 fill "horror stories" you read here, there are THOUSANDS that are non-events. Seriously. If they were that bad, the band wouldn't be as popular as it is. I've had 4 fills and they were all fine...easy breezy. Please remember to place anything you read on here in context. Many many happy bandsters are not posting here; and many people who post here are either new with questions, or have a problem. For example it would never occur to me to post "I had a fill. It didn't hurt" When you play the percentages, odds are your fill will likely be so easy you won't even know it happened. Don't be overly scared....the band needs fills to work.

Frankly it took me until my 4th fill (5.5 ccs total in a 14 cc band) to begin to feel any restriction. Hang in there.

I think you're very smart to wonder, and I think discussing with your surgeon is good advice. Honestly, if you graze and snack, bypass may be the smarter choice. If you just eat large meals, or can handle "emotional" or head hunger, then the band is a good choice. Diet and exercise has dismally low success rates and you are young; to get a handle on your weight now is a gift you could give yourself, your fiance, and your life to come. Its your choice. It is big and scary. Ask your surgeon by all means.

Who told you "no lettuce"? If you are early post op then you have a specific diet yuou're supposed to follow and lettuce may not be a part of that, but otherwise, who said? Unless your surgeon or nutritionist bans foods, please take any advice with a grain of salt.

Personally I'd want an unfill anyway, but that's just me. First off there are no "bad" foods...there's food that is nutrient dense, and some that isn't; but IMHO food is food. We make bad CHOICES sometimes! My surgeon (bless the man) feels that in order to have long term success, we should be able to eat essentially anything. While he stresses protein, variety is the spice of life, and variety keeps us from becoming mind-numbingly bored to death. Only you will know if an unfill for you can be a good thing or a bad thing.

If you're in doubt, call your doctor. What's "normal" for one person isn't necessarily normal for another! Just to be safe, give him a call, if it hurts you that much!

That's up to your surgeon and how quickly you recover. Best to ask him what's average for his patients.

Surely we are all different! :thumbdown: I guess from my personal experience, being obese used to be considered a character flaw and many people have guilt or other issues, especially those of us who gain enough that we need surgery to help correct it. HOWEVER! I don't like lumping people together...so I do apologize that I read into your post instead of reading your post! There are people who read your posts who are different from both of us, too (I know you know this LOL) and just want to make sure to reiterate that we are all in control. I almost didn't get the band because I don't like the word "NEVER' as in you can NEVER have bread again...so because I have that facet, and I know other people share it, I think I beat a dead horse (and am still beating it, aren't I LOL) about how truly flexible the band is. So I'll leave the horse alone now! Enjoy your last meals!

Ok but don't enjoy it on my behalf! My point is I can (and sometimes do) HAVE these foods, without guilt. I had popcorn the other night while watching a movie. Mostly we CAN have what we want. This isn't an enforced diet so much as a true new lifestyle.

Remember too that YOU are in control of the band. IF you find yourself too restricted, you may have it loosened or "unfilled" a little. Sometimes only .2 of a cc can make the difference between being able to eat, say, breads or not. Like heartfire who says she can't eat ciabatta bread but doesn't really miss it...you'll decide what are absolute must haves and what are can do withouts for you! :thumbdown:

Maybe you sleep with your mouth open? Have you been checked for diabetes? Too you may be getting too much Water...although the amounts (I assume ounces?) you are drinking aren't that high. If you're worried, ask your doc. It is probably nothing but better safe than sorry! :thumbdown: UNLESS...you are just one or two days post op. They give us something to "dry us up" and it takes a while to get back to normal.

that shoulder pain is most likely (not a doctor) referred pain from your diaphragm. Just about EVERYONE has it to some degree....it's the nature of the band surgery and how our "innards" are configured. Your vomiting probably didn't help it but it didn't hurt it either. WALK WALK WALK. Having my husband massage my neck and shoulder muscle helped me immensely because it relaxed the cramp. Some use a heating pad (I hate them) but only use it on your shoulder, not your incisions. And take your pain meds as needed. It will pass.

Donnainva is correct. Your safest bet is to wait and see what YOUR surgeon requires of YOU. They are individualized by surgeon and then by patient. I had to do a 3 week diet, many of my surgeon's patients do much less. So wait and see what is required of you before you waste money on things you won't need or be able to use!

I know losing weight can only help your COPD, but I don't know about the surgery. I suppose that will depend on many factors like your surgeon and his skill, your anesthesiologist, how advanced your COPD is, etc. Good luck; I hope it all works out for you the way you want it to! There are older bandsters (I'm 54) and I think there is a specific forum; you can check under the forums tab is you'd like to find them!

Welcome and I hope you have your date soon. Your fears are normal and are normally unfounded! Hope you find your experience as great as I have found mine to be!

I really don't understand our politics etc here in the US and so can't even begin to pretend to understand what you have going on in Canada! :thumbdown: I just know that not all surgeons are greedy money grubbing people...any more than all fat people are stupid, or so on! (if that makes sense) In other words, aftercare is something we all need to line up if we're going to get surgery one place and live in another. It is a problem, apparently, everywhere. Surgeons often don't like to treat you if you were someone else's patient. At any rate, I don't speak for all surgeons either I don't even know one really! Just hope you find the care you need, as I hope I do when I move in a few years!

I have to chime in on the "can eat anything" side. In smaller but satisfying amounts. I am not hungry, and am satisfied with WAY less than before. I have spaghetti, I had part of a hot dog last night. (it was low fat and on a high fiber bun but that was my choice...it was a hot dog, anyway!) I CAN drink carbonated beverages but it is too much a pain to do so. Sip burp burp burp sip burp burp burp. :thumbdown: That may or may not improve, but I was geared to give up my occasional beer and even more occasional coke for weight loss and health, so I'm not feeling deprived about it.

NSAIDS can be hard on the stomach....that's a well-known fact. That's one reason some aspirin are coated, and we're told to take aspirin and ibuprofen with food, adequate Water, etc. Because of the nature of the pouch (slow empty into the lower stomach) NSAIDS (aleve is one too) can sit in the upper pouch too long and cause erosion. It won't erode THE BAND...that is plastic and durable. It will erode your stomach tissue. Ask your surgeon. Take in a bottle of the aspirin you are using and show him. Mine has told me that if I am careful to time when I take the drug and to make sure I flush with water, it is ok. But I don't take it daily, either (take aleve occasionally for plantar fasciitis) You certainly don't want to take it on an empty stomach or with just "broth" because even though things "flow on through" until you are restricted, you can get irritation of your "lower" stomach. Unless you are taking it because a cardiologist or other doc prescribed, you can wait to see your surgeon and ask. If it is a priority, call him Monday and ask! :thumbdown: