TQUAD64

I have read threads on this forum in which people do take diet pills with the band. You can do a thread search with the topic "Diet Pills". I was on phen phen years ago and the phen and so many others. I personally, want to stay away from diet pills and the possible heart complications sometimes associated to them.

My doctor told me to take my pill, so I do with no problems.:biggrin:

I have hypothyroidism and I was approved. I take Levothyroxine .088mg.

Did you have any food in your tummy, before you had three drinks? No food and alcohol don't mix well.

Congratulations! This is so awesome and I am really excited for you. Keep up the great work.

I really researched both procedures, but when it was all done, I selected the Band. Less evasive Quicker recovery No cutting of the stomach Reversible More control with the fills No issues with malabsorption Slower and gradual weight loss

Yes, there are blood and urine tests and it can take up to 72 hours to clear your system. A lot of insurance companies (for life insurance) perform these tests. Here is an article regarding it. Life Insurance Rates for Smokers | Insurance.com

Okay, I recommend checking out Youtube for real banding surgies. You can see from the videos that you are somewhat covered. I am not sure what they call the material, but it is a light blue color and appears to be made out of cotton. There are a couple of ways to perform the procedure. The doctor can stand between the patient's legs, but again you are covered with the light blue color cotton drape. Or the doctor can perform the procedure from your side. This is a great video: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHzljCq2jbk&feature=PlayList&p=B723FF4F01435CB2&index=0]YouTube - Live Lap-Band® Surgery Part 1 of 5 - Kansas City[/ame] The video is broken into I believe 5 sections. I hope the video help you.

I was diagnosed in 2001 with Hypothyroidism. At one time I was taking .75 mg and today I take .88mg. On Saturday I took a blood test to see what my thyroid levels are post op. Maybe I will need a lower dose now. I will find out next week at my 4-week post op checkup. Anyway, 10 pounds down pre-op diet and 20 pounds down post op. Surgery was on 11/11/08 with a 10cc Lap Band prefilled at surgery with 3ccs.

The only time I feel realt tight restirction is in the morning. I have tea or coffee, something warm. Then a couple hours later I have breakfast.

Hi sistasassy: This is my worse nightmare. It has not happen to me yet. But, when I let myself get really hungry, I forget to slow down. Then I feel the restriction. I try to catch the hunger before I get way to ravenous.

Hey Logan: I try and distract myself with an activity. Walking or getting up and removing myself from the food. Or get on the phone and call a life line (AKA Family).

Hi Gotbeme. Whatever you do, don't give up. Make an appointment with your doctor. Start journaling your food in take and track your exercise. There are some fun free websites that will help you keep track, plus they have exercise video/clips. Sparkpeople.com Thedialyplate.com

Okay, I am back on track and as promised 50 minutes treadmill at a 4% to 5% grade. Upper body free weights. Plus the Christmas tree and decorations are up. Yahoo!!!:sad_smile:

If you are looking for Protein during the clear liquid phase, then try the Isopure products. They have 40 grams of protien and come in great fruity flavors. This product is low carb high protein and tastes great. Plus, it is consider a clear Fluid. Think of it as a Crystal Light drink, except less sweet and lots of protein. You can find them at GNC. See the link: GNC - Nature's Best

Great question! I worried about this as well. I was required to do the 6-month medically supervised diet with Blue Shield of California. I started in January 08 and did not lose weight because I was told not to drop below 40 BMI. Personally, I think the insurance company requirements are ridiculous for bariatric patients. The issue is not weight loss, but keeping it off. I can lose weight, but struggle to keep it off. Anyway, I never went below a BMI of 40. I was told to make sure not to gain weight either during the supervised diet. In August my primary care doctor submitted my supervised diet records to the insurance company along with a letter recommending me for the procedure. The insurance company approved me in August to move to the next step, which was to meet with a bariatric surgeon. Once the bariatric surgeon met me and weighed me, that weight became the official start weight. Not the the weight at the 6-month diet. Then, I had to complete an upper GI and a H-pylori test. Once those two tests were completed, barring any complications, my bariatric doctor submitted all her records pertaining to me to the insurance company for approval of the bariatric banding surgery. Once, I was approved for the surgery (approval in 24-hours), I could officially start the pre-op diet and lose all the weight I could without having to worry about the insurance company rejecting me for a lower BMI. Hope the information helps. It really is dependent upon your insurance company's requirements. Good luck!:tongue:

I would call your bariatric doctor just to be on the safe side. I would not self-diagnosis.

Good question. I wonder about this too, especially in-light of the cold weather. I like to have liquid soup with a small meal.

Oh, I love that part of the show too. It gives me hope when I can see other people accomplishing their health goals. It is not so scary when I can see others going through what I am going through.

I love Ruby and I am rooting for her. I really hope her support system can give her the love, encouragement, and strength to win her battle with weight. I really want her to live a healthy life. She is such a great person!:sad_smile:

Are you are stating that you are having surgery on 12/8/08 and that your doctor told you can not have Fluid or food after 7:00 a.m. If that is the case, I would call and get some clarification. I have had 11 surgeries and each time I was instructed no food or fluid after midnight. The only exception was an instruction to take my thyroid medication the morning of surgery with a small sip of Water. I would be careful. If you have something in your tummy and you vomit during surgery, it could be potentially serious.

This past Friday's episode was really interesting. Robert and Garth (the doctors) have to help Robert's daughter...Garth's sister. The sister had gastric banding done, but lives out of their area. She had an issue with a fill. It was odd, because it was a delayed reaction to the fill. She had been doing great with the fill, but then she could not keep fluids down and was vomiting. I got the impression from the show that her bariatric doctor told her to go to the ER for help. The ER room did not know how to help her. They tried over and over to find her port, but could not. She called her brother and he and her father both instructed her to get on a plane ASAP to get to Ohio, where they were at. When she got to her brother and dad three hours after a plane flight, she was shaking and really scared. When she layed on the table and they lifted her shirt, you could see all the bruising and marks left by all the attempts the ER doctor made in trying to locate the port. As soon as her brother (Garth) removed some Fluid, she was able to finally drink (8 oz water) and was much better. The moral of the story: After care is so important. How available is your doctor to handle emergencies???

Thanks for the tip on the December 21 marathon. I will Tivo it.:sad_smile:

Hey, what do you guys think of the t.v. show Big Medicine? It is about two doctors Father and Son who perform banding and bypass procedures on obese patients. You get two meet the patients, see their struggles, see their surgery, plus their aftercare. I love this show, because they keep it real. They show the good and the bad.:sad_smile:

Friday my energy was zapped no exercise. Saturday: A million and one errands and a day out with the girlfriends. No treadmill. But I went up and down the flipping stairs at my home with the flipping groceries. So that was 10x up and down. Free weights upper body. Back on the treadmill tomorrow.