rodriguezequal

Thank you all very much for the advice and tips! I got a piece of letuce today with some mustard, a tiny piece of pepper jack cheese and some turkey and a few crushed cheddar sun chips for a little crunch and it was soooo good. Thanks again.

I chose the Band ove Bypass for a few reasons: The band is reversable. The recovery time is quick and not too painful. My stomach isn't cut at all. The weightloss is slower with the band, but it is maintained easier. With the bypass I think it's easier to cheat. You can eat and eat and eat and stretch your stomach back out. With the bypass you also don't absorb all the nutrients that you should so you have to take supplements. I am so happy that I chose the band and I wouldn't have it an other way. I wouldn't change my choice for anything in the world. Good luck and I hope you find the surgery/option that is right for you.

A lot of times they do the supervised diet to make sure that you are willing and ready to make changes in your eating habits. I also have a thyroid condition and have been on meds for it for over 10 years now. A hypothyroid can also cause or at least help along weight gain and inability to lose weight. Good luck and I'm sure everything will go well. :eek: Take care.

Right before my surgery my surgeon gave me a Hepran shot right before my surgery. My surgery center is only an hour and a half drive though. I have a clotting disorder where I am very prone to clots and I didn't have a problem at all...they may suggest that you stop and stretch your legs every hour or so. Good luck and I'm sure things will be fine. :eek:

Before my surgery I had to have only 4-6 EAS AdvantEDGE drinks a day plus one Lean Cuisine that could be around 400-600 calories. And then I was allowed water. All of this was in order to shrink the liver. I stuck to it and now I'm reaping the benefits :sad_smile: Good luck

I got this off of a LapBand surgery Info site...they don't recommend Centrium or Flinstones if you have had gastric bypass, but they are both fine if you have had the LapBand surgery because they don't bypass your stomach... LAP-BAND® The LAP-BAND® is a purely restrictive operation and does not result in any decreased absorption. For this reason the Vitamin requirements are less than for a gastric bypass. For the first 3 weeks you will need the following: <TABLE width="100%" border=2><TBODY><TR align=middle bgColor=#6633cc><TD width="34%"> Item </TD><TD width="25%"> Times Per Day </TD><TD width="41%"> Notes </TD></TR><TR bgColor=#ffffcc><TD align=middle> Chewable Multivitamin </TD><TD> 1 </TD><TD>Flintstones or other chewable children's or adult's vitamin </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> After your 3-week postoperative visit, you will probably be advanced to the following regimen <TABLE width="100%" border=2><TBODY><TR align=middle bgColor=#6633cc><TD width="34%"> Item </TD><TD width="25%"> Times Per Day </TD><TD width="41%"> Notes </TD></TR><TR bgColor=#ffffcc><TD align=middle> Regular Adult Multivitamin </TD><TD> 1 </TD><TD>OK to take chewable or standard swallowable vitamins</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> Your bariatric team may suggest a Calcium and/or Iron supplement if needed.

I was told that when you start getting hungrier that it's actually a good sign because it shows that the swelling is down and that you are healing well. I wasn't restricted on the amount I could eat really, I was told to eat until I start feeling full, but I tried to keep my portions under control and plus I was so afraid of getting stuck or vomiting I didn't eat very much :sad_smile: Good luck

My surgeon recommended Flinstones Chewables...they're easy small and they don't taste too bad. Maybe someday I switch to adult vitamins, but for now these are just fine :sad_smile:

Okay. I used to eat sandwiches A LOT. Now I can't have bread....what can I replace it with...tortillas, pita bread, pocket bread??? Help...I would really like to have something yummy for lunch :sad_smile:. Thank you in advance

I also have the Biggest Loser Scale that came with a DVD. I love it and so far I have had no problems with it!!! It's got a good price and so far worth every penny!!! Good luck in finding a scale :sad_smile:

Basically it comes down to how you handle rice after you're banded. I can't eat rice, bread or potatoes without getting "stuck" or just uncomfortable, but everyone is different...only time can tell :sad_smile: good luck

I live in Washington State and all of the places here that do LapBand surgery refuse to contract with TriCare. They told me that TriCare barely pays out enough to cover the cost of the band itself let alone the surgery and the annesthesiologist (ss for sp). I applied for CareCredit. It's just like a credit card, but just for medical expenses. My surgery cost a little over 16,000 dollars, but has been oh so worth it!!! Good luck and I hope everything works out for you.

I went through CareCredit. You can apply online. I have very very bad credit so I had to have my dad co-sign for me :grouphug: Good luck. I hope all works out okay for you.

Stretching your pouch is very very possible. Especially if you over eat on a regular basis. It's a part of your stomach and your stomach will stretch if over filled!!! If you watch the amount you eat then you should be okay!

Only you can make up your mind. I'm 5'3'' and I was 253. I got cold feet right before my surgery too and I felt like I should change my mind, but I didn't and I am so glad!!! I love my band and it is so so worth it!!!! If it's what you want and what you think will work for you then go for it. As for "only doing 30 mins 5 days a week...that is a lot more than I could do before my surgery!!!! Way to go for you :tongue2: Good luck

My surgeon's rule is I can drink up until the very first bite of each meal and then nothing to drink during and nothing to drink for an hour after I finish my last bite...it's not too bad. I can still get in all of my water and it's not that hard to stop drinking when I eat :biggrin: Good luck

Only you can make the "right decision". Also...have you talked with a surgeon and what not because most surgeons here where I live won't do a LapBand surgery on someone unless they have a BMI of 40 or higher or have a BMI 35 or higher with comorbidities and your BMI is only about 26-28? Look into it!!! I'm not sure if I would have had surgery to lose those last stubborn 30 pounds. I had over 100 pounds to lose and I was doubting having surgery until I woke up afterward :wink2: lol. Good luck though. Also I paid over $16,000 out of pocket for mine.... :laugh:

LOL....I think what she was saying is that she has 5 more pounds to lose before she can have the surgery...not 5 pounds overall to lose...

When I decided to have my surgery I was READY!!! When I was laying down onto the operating table I started think OMG what am I doing?!?! If I said stop now would they? OMG OMG OMG...what have I done....is this all just a mistake? The next thing I remember I was struggling to wake up...once I had healed I was so thankful that I had gone through with it!!! It's worth it!!!

After my first fill I had one scheduled for the next week and then one the week after that....They put 3ccs in my 10cc band when they put in my lapband and then my first fill they put in 2 more ccs to give me a total of 5ccs....I guess every doctor/surgeon is different in what they want and how they do things....good luck

I just wanted to say something. You keep saying that you want to be somewhere where they're equiped for things that could go wrong...the surgery center that I go to has just about everything they would need if something went wrong. If your surgeon was concerned with you having problems because of your health he/she would tell you that it needs to be done at a hospital. Did you at least go and visit the surgery center? Or tell your surgeon how you feel about the switch? Try talking with him/her so that they know your feelings...that may help you make your decision as well...

Okay so Friday I started feeling sick...I went to the Urgent care on Sunday and they told me that I have a sinus infection and a bronchial infection. I've been coughing a lot and pretty hard. Is that going to hurt my band or make things swell....? I can drink water and swallow things, but everything I eat makes me feel like I'm going to vomit...I don't though...I was supposed to have a fill on Monday, but didn't go because I'm sick...Any suggestions or things that I should be concerned with?

I had mine done at a surgery center and I'm glad that I did...their were like 2 other people in the waiting room. Their weren't sick people there...and their visitors...it was comforting to know that everyone there was there for the same reason as me and that all of the doctors/nurses only did lapband surgeries!!!! I liked it more and if you have a surgeon that you're happy with then go for it!!!! Good luck

I was just curious...to me high cholesterol and sleep apnea are both major...sleep apnea means at some point when you're sleeping you stop breathing. Even if it is just slightly that seems pretty bad to me. Congrats on your band!!! Good luck everyone. I'm sure you'll find your answer somewhere :thumbup:

I also paid usig CareCredit and the great thing about them is you can reuse the card as long as you have a balance on it..so say when I have hanging skin everywhere ...lol I can use my card for it...lol.