L12

It depends on what you mean by "full." I used to love being full--having eaten a great big meal, not quite nauseous but stomach a little bloated and a sluggish feeling. Sounds unpleasant, but sometimes I still miss that feeling. :thumbup: However, for the most part my perception of full really has changed to being satisfied. I've had enough unpleasant experiences of eating one bite too many with the band that I've become accustomed (and comfortable) with a new feeling: satisfied vs. full. It really is a different feeling for me, but I'm appreciating it more the more weight I lose. :frown:

I have a big cup of coffee every morning. If it makes me hungry I would say that's a good thing, as I've not really had much of an appetite since my last fill (not too tight--just right!). But even before banding, I always felt that coffee filled me up for at least a couple of hours. Now, especially if I happen to drink a skinny, fancy coffee drink, it sometimes fills me up all day and I have to remind myself to actually eat something. I do think dehydration could make people feel tighter, but I drink so much besides the coffee (water, Crystal Light) that I don't think it really has that effect on me.

:scared2: :confused: (LOL, had to throw the carbonated beverage smiley in there :wub:) I never doubted that you want to help. It's all good, nice to know someone cares about all of us so much.

You're not missing anything. Neither company indicates on their website that carbonated beverages (or some of the other so-called "no-no's") are forbidden, just NOT to drink them while you're still healing, they MAY cause gas, burping, etc., some doctors recommend patients not drink them, and basically to use caution when ingesting them (and pretty much everything else). :scared2: Of course, there are plenty of indications that even diet soda isn't beneficial and can even be unhealthy. That's something I can get behind, and is why I don't drink it too often. But my doctor is fine with some diet soda consumption as long as I stay hydrated with Water and other healthy beverages. I'll work with my doctor's guidelines, everyone else can work with theirs. :wub:

I have problems with large pills since I was banded. Thankfully the ones I've ever had to take so far were able to be cut up; the biggest ones I cut into thirds.

Wow, happy2lose. My surgical group also allows me to have NSAIDs, alcohol, and caffeine. If you like, I can give you the contact information to yell at them. I'd prefer you berate them rather than me for following my doctor's instructions. :thumbup:

My doctor allows soda. I do drink diet soda once in a while with no problem. I drink less now than before I was banded, and the less I drink it, the less I crave it.

I still have diet soda (and other fizzy drinks) occasionally; not nearly as much as before surgery, but when I feel like it. My doctor has no problem with soda (or caffeine or alcohol) as long as it doesn't bother us, we don't overdo it, and are conscious of our calories. I generally try to eat healthier than before surgery, which was my primary reason to reduce the amount of soda (and alcohol) I drink. Since I've cut down, I don't crave it as much.

Once I had decided upon the surgery, I would have called Tricare right away to get their list of approved surgeons in my area. Instead, I farted around for a couple of weeks looking for surgeons online; it turned out most of them either didn't accept Tricare or Tricare didn't accept them. Plus I wasn't able to come up with a complete list on my own anyway. Calling Tricare first would have been much quicker and easier.

Tricare does NOT require any type of diet prior to approval. However, that doesn't mean the doctor can't require it for his/her program.

:sad: Aww, don't worry! All in all, I think it's more of an aesthetic preference or norm. There's no way a piercing down there would keep me from being with a guy if I really and truly cared for him, and it wouldn't stop me from getting to know him in the first place. I might even find it intriguing if I already liked him before I found out. :sad: And, as I mentioned before, it's likely that people will be getting to know you, at least a little bit I hope, before they get to know your penis. If they reject you because of that, they'd probably do so for other things just as insignificant to your heart and soul.

I used to drink quite a bit (whatever that means--1 or 2 a day, maybe more on weekends), but have cut down since surgery. I don't have restrictions from my doctor (or the band itself) on alcohol, but I keep in mind the liquid calories! Plus now I'm not really used to drinking as much. I have anywhere from 0 to 3 drinks most weeks; sometimes I want more, but usually the calories keep me from doing it! And even on special occasions, I try not to drink too much; there is NO way I want to drink to the point of getting sick with the band--I cringe when I think of how unpleasant and dangerous that would be.

I definitely have a more feminine shape, with a more defined waist (instead of being a big lump!). My profile is also much slimmer. I measure frequently, and pretty much everything is reducing at about the same rate. But my poor chest--these babies are getting SO flat and flabby. I can fold them, wrinkle them, and tuck them to the side under my arms. They will definitely need work. My stomach will probably have a bit of loose skin, but I don't think it will be drastic; I've noticed it shrinking and tightening lately, which is awesome--no tummy tuck!

If I liked the guy and he already had one, then sure, why not, don't really care (assuming I got to know the guy before I got to know his penis :wink2:). But my husband doesn't have one, and I might have to hurt him if he ever does that! :redface:

Oh...I just saw your age in a previous post. This could be a reason for denial, though I haven't seen anything in writing for WLS. I saw in a few places that Tricare covers "age-appropriate" things, so maybe they don't consider this appropriate for your age. How did your doctor determine that you were full stature? I didn't reach my full height until about 19.

Did you just notice it this morning? I often fluctuate by a couple of pounds, I usually assume it's fluids, etc. If you've been really careful about your diet, that's probably what it is. If you keep going up, then be meticulous about logging what you eat and see what's happening with your foods and calories.

Ohhhh, sushi! I haven't tried it since I hit my sweet spot, but I WILL get around to it eventually! I don't have a problem with rice if I eat slowly, so maybe it will work. YUM!

Tricare was SO easy for me and many others, and since you seem to meet the requirements, the only thing I can think of is that your doctor's office must have an error somewhere. Tricare can make mistakes, but they've received your info twice; I just think it's unlikely that they'd process it incorrectly both times. I would be talking to both the doctor's office AND Tricare...

I didn't have emotional upheaval after surgery, but I've had near nervous breakdowns in the past, so I can relate. I LOOOOVE Lexapro. It enables me to be a calm, pleasant human rather than a tense, angry demon with horns and a tail. :smile:

I still go out to eat and drink with friends. I either choose different dishes (appetizers, salads) or just eat smaller portions (1/3 to 1/2) of regular entrees. On football weekends :thumbup: I have chili, wings, loaded burgers without buns, etc. instead of pizza or sandwiches. I actually like eating out MORE now because I'm so happy about getting full on small portions, and it's usually cheaper! And my doctor doesn't restrict me from drinking; I just never drink till I'm sick. Don't take this as harsh, but I agree with ElfiePoo. Develop some interests!:smile:

I haven't come across any negative judgements, but I don't get into a lot of deep conversations about it. The only way to change peoples' minds about it is to be successful, and even that won't do it for some of them. Other people can think what they want about how I'm losing weight; I'm doing it for ME, not for them. As far as portion control, even when I was thin I never ate such small portions--I was HUNGRY if I only ate 1/2 cup of anything. The changes induced by the lapband help me to be full, satisfied, and physically comfortable with much less.

I'm doing great--I hit Onederland today! It seemed like I had a slow start to all of this, and only hit my sweet spot in June. But things have been pretty smooth sailing since then! 39 pounds till goal! Well, my first goal; I'd like to lose more than that, but we'll see. Glad to see other December people on here! Keep up the good work!

Hmmm... I voted "I don't know." I think I COULD give myself a fill/unfill, I just don't know if I WOULD. I've given myself several piercings and had to give myself injections when I was younger, so I don't think I'd be too squeamish. If at some point it became acceptable/common practice for patients to do so, I'd probably learn how, and might try to fill myself; until then, no. As far as emergency unfills, I would do it if it was in fact an emergency, was sure that's what was needed, and no other band-knowledgeable medical professional was available to do it.

I wasn't catheterized for my band surgery, but I just had a cystoscopy last week, which is similar to being catheterized, just for a shorter amount of time. They actually gave me the same info as cath patients. It hurt more after the tube was withdrawn than when it was inside of me! I was told that I could have some pain for a couple of days (especially when urinating). They said to call the office if I had pain past a few days, as an infection could develop. Luckily it subsided after two days. I would call the doc if you are still in pain at this point.

Some really simple things I've prepared recently: Meatloaf Fish and shrimp tacos Slow cooker chicken parmesan Slow cooker beef stew Beanie weenie (my husband loves this :tongue2:) Oven BBQ chicken Slow cooker ham, potatoes, and green Beans Grilled chicken or salmon on salad Tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad I LOVE to cook, and there are some really fast, easy recipes out there. Allrecipes.com is my favorite recipe website; Campbells Soup also has some really simple, tasty recipes--lots of easy one-dish meals.