RestlessMonkey

Respectfully, call your surgeon's office tomorrow; tell them you NEED A LETTER releasing you to work. Tell them if they want to put lifting restrictions in it that's fine because your job is a desk job (or whatever) Terll them if they can't just "do" one for you, that you MUST come in and be seen, because you don't have 3 weeks paid leave accrued. DO IT. They'll accommodate you. Sorry I can't help with the other.

May I suggest you try this? Try getting at least 64 oz of water each day for a few days and see if your issues number 1, 4 and 5 don't resolve? Get 4 16 oz bottles and drink one over say an hour, space them out, but get it in. By day 3 you shouldn't be having the "tight in the morning and noon" issues. I say this because I have a friend who posts on here who was really struggling with similar issues. I offhandedly asked my surgeon "Why is the band tight sometimes and not others" and he offhandedly answered "hydration. When you are hydrated things seem to to through more easily. When you aren't your band seems tight". I happily shared that with her; she was miserable and felt she couldn't eat most things part of the time, other times could eat too much, sliders went down too easy etc. She was quite unhappy with her band and experience at that point. She said it my info changed her band life. I am really good about drinking the water and do NOT have the "tight now not later" issues... Could be my surgeon is right? They are sometimes. Just try staying hydrated with water for a couple days and see if it helps you. It may not; that may not be causing your issue. But superficially you sound like a classic case. Don't GULP the water; think trickle hose not flood :smile2: Good luck!

Honestly...now that I have great restriction, it's easier to follow a plan. IF I eat protein dense foods like steak or baked chicken breast, I am literally full for HOURS. Truly. no physiologic hunger. I find that so liberating, that when I have a choice between something like the steak or white meat chicken, or say bean burritos, baked fish, enchiladas, chips? I pick the steak/chicken because I know it will 1. taste good and 2. fill me UP I get tired of being hungry. Doc has been adamant about NO SNACKS and now that I have my fill to a good level I find it is easy. I literally go HOURS without even thinking about food. And let me tell you if someone even 2 months ago had told me I'd be in that place today I would've ROFLMAO. But, it's true. Hopefully something similar will happen for you!

Literally half (or just over) of the almot 60 I've lost has happened since 5/7 when I FINALLY got filled to good restriction. Seriously; after the fill I made a decision to go "carb free" for a couple of days (re-did my preop diet) and I felt so darned good NOT being hungry that I've mostly just kept it up, unless we had company etc. You DO have to work with the band, I'll be the first to admit that. BUT it works WITH you if you give it a chance. Eat those protein dense foods like chicken breast and steak...give them a chance. Decide to go a couple days without any carbs except some green veggies...low fat...jump start your loss. Understand I am not advocating eating that way forever. But during the weight LOSS phase, it may help you not be so hungry and carb-seeking. Try it. You may just amaze yourself. I truly honest-to-God prefer now to eat the "right" stuff because then I am free from hunger for hours and hours. I find that liberating and wonderful.

You guys hang in there! You'll see!

I think odds are she took the .5 cc out exactly as she said. The odds of your scenario happening are not likely, and would of course be malpractice. Often as we get close to the green zone just a little makes a big difference. Make an appt with your surgeon to get some put back in.

I'm glad someone got it! LOL :w00t:

You're more likely to get good aftercare if you stay in the system...but other than that I can't really help you with your dilemma. Sorry!

I could take pills fine. If you are having a problem, I suggest you call your surgeon and tell the office you can't take the pain meds given.

Many surgeons don't like taking over someone else's patient. I do post this any time I see someone here considering going to Mexico or away from their "home" for surgery. Literally we SHOULD be able to figure out to ask; but when we're getting the band I think most of us are focused ON the band and don't have an idea/understanding about how very important follow up care is to success/health.

I've had the band just under a year, have pretty good restriction, and can "tolerate" anything. (I keep my band tight enough that I can eat about 1/2 cup of food and stay full for hours) As Cleo's Mom says, some prefer their bands to be so tight that they can barely keep their own saliva down; to me that just sounds like hell. I'm losing fine at this level; just at 33 pounds since May 7. What you'll be able to eat post band will depend largely on you; not only your physical make up (strong esophagus, for example?) but how you use and maintain your band.

Logically they have to be, as long as you adjust your purchases to suit your new appetite (as you get restriction)... If you can only eat 1/2 to 1/4 (or less) what you used to, you will only need to buy 1/2 to 1/4 as much food FOR YOU... It will definitely be cheaper than doing a "diet" like WW etc.

My doc began stressing this more as I got closer and closer to restriction. It started at...."Only liquids for the rest of the day" to "Liquids for two days, then mushies, and see how you do". My first 4 fills did NOTHING for me; I could've gone from the fill to Whataburger and chowed down and it wouldn't have mattered. LOL

I love my band. It does take work but I don't mind that. I would never have the courage to have a more invasive surgery (and all respect to you Headhunter; I think you are pretty darned fair considering your bad past experience!) and anything that cuts up, re-routes or removes part of our functioning innards is too invasive for me. I've lost just at 60; over half of that since I got restriction (FINALLY!) May 7. I'm sure some do get exasperated with the band because it is a process. Average loss is 50-60% of excess 3-5 years out...so that means some lose all their excess, some none. Do pick the option YOU think will work for you.

Our food budget has dropped to nothing. For example we had rib eye steaks and baked potatoes for supper yesterday. I will be having the rest of my steak tonight and tomorrow (fine with me; I LOVE IT!) My husband is just eating whatever (foraging). Our bill is literally 1/2 to 1/4 what it once was.

Chris this isn't strictly true; many of us DO eat less but the body doesn't absorb MORE caffeine because we only drink 1 cup than if we drank 2, and the food stays in our UPPER stomachs longer. Most digestion occurs in the intestines. Alcohol is not digested normally so some may think they can't drink as much but actually liquids (which is the form most of us get our alcohol IN! LOL) go through as fast as they ever did for those of us who aren't so tight that we can't swallow our own saliva. So I'm getting from my 1 cup of coffee in the AM essentially the same thing I WAS getting from it prebanding.

Seminar July 10 2008 First surgery Date Aug 11 2008. I wasn't self pay, either.

Personally for me how long I stay full is based very much on WHAT I choose to eat. Things that are Protein dense and have to be well chewed, like steak, chicken breast etc, keep me full for hours. Other things, like baked fish or salad, don't have the same punch. Most of us can and should be able to drink easily...I CAN gulp but don't want to overload things and stretch my pouch so I don't. If you are really getting truly hungry too soon after meals then you need more fill.

I think you should probably find another doc. Most likely your insurance has contracted with him (or part of a network) to provide services for a set fee; I think the "admin fee" is his attempt to make a run around that and get more money. I don't know if it's illegal, but it isn't really, ummm...on the up and up? Check around for different surgeons, or if he's the only one in your area, call and talk to your ins about it; get their take. As to hernias, many of us have one of some type; some have them fixed before or during surgery, some wait. It's not usually a big deal.

If you thought I was criticizing the original poster, I'm sorry you interperted my post that way. I wasn't. But to each his own.

Respectfully, you should know the answers to some of this already...if your surgeon educated you, and if you researched the band. (don't mean to be snippy, just get exasperated with lack of basic info out there! Docs should be making sure their patients are better informed.) Your first fill probably won't do much unfortunately unless your doctor is very aggressive with fills, or you are one of the few who doesn't need much to have a decreased appetite. The band takes care of physiological hunger. The emotional/head/just because hunger you have to deal with on your own. Yes many gain post op, until restriction, unless they intentionally diet. It's because, until the band is tightened, it's there but not really doing much. Hang in there and it will happen for you! :grouphug:

I agree. If all you want to do is sit around, well, you don't need the band for that! Exercise is LOTS of things....it's walking while you shop, it's being able to run errands without needing a "scooter" it's being able to take care of life without needing frequent breaks to rest and catch your breath. In other words, exercise doesn't mean doing an aerobic video every day. However your heart needs you to get active enough to sweat. I don't "like" exercise either but I like less feeling unable to do things I want to do because I'm too darned fat. So you have to ask why do you want to lose: if it's to be healthy, exercise is part of that. You can be that fat lump sitting on the couch, or a thin flabby lump sitting on the couch....OR you can exercise and be that active person! If it's for looks, then exercise is just as important! There's no reason to take the drastic step of banding where exercise doesn't make as much sense.

NewMommy1 you shouldn't be so tight that you PB with each meal (that's not healthy or good for you!) The band takes care of true physiologic hunger but we have to deal with our habits on our own. A discussion with your doc or nutritionist might help. My doc is quite clear on how he feels we should "use" the band and when I follow his advice it works marvelously. If you still have trouble perhaps some counseling may be in order! Good luck!

I live in S. Texas. Of course you don't have to give up spicy foods!

Did your doc say you could have propel? If yes, you're ok. If no, don't drink it. If unsure, give him a call. :thumbup: