RestlessMonkey

LOL I AM A Restless Monkey! :thumbup: I was thinking "Darn...Plain beat me AGAIN" (evil laughter followed) LOL

Is he against it because he's worried about your health? Or for a less palatable reason? If it's your health, I can think of some stuff that might help. If it's for some other reason, well, then just don't let him hold you down! :thumbup:

You need to ask this of your surgeon and nutritionist. With all respect (I truly don't mean to be mean!) you should already know what, if anything, you are giving up before you get the band placed.

The large liver thing does happen, because it did to me, and I know of 2-3 others. BUT it is rare, as your surgeon can attest. So just do what he tells you to and you will be fine! I was lucky, as I said, that mine was large but not diseased.

If it were me...I'd buy a couple books on the lap band (which, in fact, I did) and I'd ask friends and my PCP to recommend bariatic surgeons (although I don't care for the one my PCP recommended, actually; I love the one I did use!) and then go to a couple of seminars. They will tell you the cost during the seminar. Of course, what you have to pay shouldn't be the deciding factor, but after a couple of seminars you should be able to pick the surgeon with the support staff that best suits you. Remember some include free fills for a year, etc. AND...I've learned that the post op care is as important (if not moreso) than the surgery. Find out what fills will cost you once any "free" service is used up, and find out what the cost will be if, for example, your port flips or leaks or if you have other post op complications. That should be a good start. You shouldn't have all the prereqs that insurance requires. How fast will depend on many factors including you, your health, the surgeon you pick and his/her schedule, etc.

Sorry I am not sure I understand your post...Your doc knicked a blood vessel and said it COULD cause swelling making it hard for you to swallow on day 4 or 5? Did I get that right? And you have pain like trapped gas? I can tell you odds are you do have gas... what did your doctor tell you to do? AND...I'm shocked they let you go home without someone around to help you out! Lots of people are great after surgery, lots more aren't! My husband did go to work but it was in the city...I knew I could call him or a few friends if needed. I'd have felt worried if I had been alone in a city and not known anyone!

The E cigarette as I understand it isn't a tool to quit smoking but a way to deliver nicotine to your body when you can't smoke because it is banned or prohibited. The patch gives you a minute amount of nicotine over 24 hours to help your body "come down" from nicotine. You still have to break the habit of smoking. Nicotine (whether you smoke it, use the ecigarette, "dip" tobacco etc) increases heart rate and blood pressure and blood glucose. It constricts blood vessels and can impair healing. Most lap-band Docs want you to quit smoking for THAT reason...the benefits to your lungs from all the stuff that smoke has in it is just secondary. The nicotine in the patch is way less than what is in one cigarette, let alone a pack (or more) over 24 hours. So I'd say NO, the e-cigarette would not be considered an acceptable alternative because you'd still be getting the nicotine and the bad effects of that drug. I also don't think the e-cigarette will help you quit smoking any more than tapering off on your own will. I used the patch, in 1995, did the work, and quit. It gets easier. You may just have to bite the bullet and do it. It is worth it in the long run.

Well, it didn't happen immediately, it was 20 minutes .. and you hadn't eaten anything immediately post banding, so the timing could just be a coincidence. But it could also be gas or some type of erosion, heart burn, a spasm, many things! I'd call my PCP and have him/her at least check me out; then you can go back to the surgeon if necessary.

I do, but it wouldn't be any big deal if I didn't.

don't eat until the doctor tells you you can! please! and yes, your pouch is 2 oz. but, how big is the passage between it and the rest of your stomach? Until you are restricted, most things will still pass through easily. so you will be hungry! but please quit eating ahead of your post op diet that is dangerous for your healing!

You need to discuss this with your surgeon and your prescribing doctor. I'd ask the surgeon first, for direction, because while he is NOT the prescribing doctor (as you said) he IS the doc familiar with the band and how differently we absorb pills etc once it's in place. He can give you some guidance so you'll know what to tell your prescribing doctor when you talk to him (and you most likely WILL need to talk to him!) Once you are banded and restricted, often time release pills are contraindicated because they just sit up in the little pouch and dissolve (timing is all wrong). Your best bet is to take this to the docs!

Did you tell your doctor about it when he did the unfill? If so, what did he say? If not, maybe you should call and tell him about it?

First ask your surgeon if you can have something nutritious while you are fighting the flu. He might prefer you have protein drinks instead of soup....but ask him. Then realize you've only been sick 4 days and just started your antibiotics. Your surgery is two weeks away. Reassess how you feel next week; that's plenty of time to reschedule depending on how you feel. Odds are, you'll feel a lot better by then.

Where is your port? Depending on where it is, you could have some other issue and you just "THINK" it's your port. Either way I too am one to say "Tell your doctor and have him do whatever test necessary"

ROFLMAO Unfortunately the rest of me matches the girls! LOL LOL :thumbup:

I don't know about you, but there's not ROOM in my bra for 10 more pounds! LOL

Ask your doctor where you can get that type of iron supplement. If you can't find it, odds are most of his patients can't. He'll have a source for you.

My surgeon is another one who takes it slow! (And no I get free fills for a year so he's not doing it for the money) He took a good while to explain why, and I found research to support his position, and I'm totally on board with it. Sure, I'd like to lose faster but if that had been my total goal, I'd have gone for bypass. I want long term loss and a normal life.

Click on "USER CP" (headings in white under the photos at the top) then scroll down the left hand side until you get to "settings and options" under that will be "edit signature"

I not a doc! :wub: I'm a nursing student so don't you EVEN call me doc! LOL AH I see....the "Dr Sonny Cavazos" is MY doctor, not me. If I can remember how to edit my profile, I'll elaborate. When I joined, lots of posters were listing their surgeons at the end of their signature info...

Tell you what; I'll send you a link to a tutorial if you quit calling yourself an idiot! :wub: I couldn't do mine either and I am FAR from an idiot! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f5/ticker-tutorial-pictures-41782/

I'm one of those whose surgeon doesn't put fill in until healed. thank goodness! He said "there's some primer in there, it's negligible" when I asked him. Please stay on top of it; you can get dehydrated really fast! I hope it resolves soon! That's just wrong!

I love processed foods like white flour, sugar, all high in carbs (not so much veggies with carbs in them LOL) but honestly when I go on a high protein low fat low carb diet I feel really wonderful. You'd think I would find it easier to stick on it becaused of that; I don't. (no such luck) but usually low/no carb (esp processed foods) means high high energy for me! Maybe you'll get that boost in a few days or so. The first few days I'm on it I'm so darned hungry, I don't know if I am tired or wired, I'm just mosly starved!

My doc does fills after 6 weeks (the first one) then every 4-6 weeks after. And I have more bad news; I'm at fill 3 and still get hungry and have no restriction that I'm aware of (although I'm not gaining and not dieting so I guess I am eating less, as my doc said I would) For some it takes 4 or more fills/unfills to get in the zone. Just tough it out; it's not bypass, it's slower, but it works if you do your part!

Check with your surgeon. And the only person you're hurting is you...you don't need to say things like "I know, I suck"...it doesn't hurt us that you ate a burger, just your own self. You're the one who needs the apology!