susan1961

My doc doesn't even like to use the word 'restriction'. His goal is being satisfied with less food, and not being hungry/thinking about food all the time. Having been on this site for a few months I am struck that people seem to settle out into 2 camps. Some folks will eat unless they can't- ie they are physicially restricted from swallowing, are getting things stuck, are PB'ing. Others are better able to control their food and benefit from the reduced hunger and earlier satiety of a well-adjusted but non-restrictive band. The latter approach seems to be where we're supposed to be.

Count your blessings re the last meal.... because of professional commitments I waited several months between deciding to have the surgery and having it.... and in those 5 months put on an extra 10lbs having lots of last meals! You'll be able to eat sushi before you know it. I can eat anything, in moderation, which as far as I'm concerned is just the way the band should work. I would rather lose at a reasonable pace of 2 lbs per week than lose more rapidly but be saddled with numerous dietary restrictions. Good luck!

I decided post-op that white wine is, in fact, a clear liquid :cursing: and often have half a glass or even a full glass in the evenings- and started doing so within a few days of surgery. No beer or carbonated beverages, though.

Jamba Juice just started offering steel cut outmeal with a variety of toppings; I had a free sample yesterday with berries and it was great. Of course not as good as making your own, but it'll do in a pinch. You can also buy frozen single servings of steel cut oats. Dont' remember the brand name off the top of my head.

I was allowed nuts in week 3 and they saved me! I have found very thin crunchy crackers I enjoy with these little single serving packs of hummus. Also ate a lot of 'mini pops', these adorable little popsicles that are like 10 calories each.

Concur...the steel cut oats are a whole grain. Especially if you have them with a few nuts and some skim milk, it's a very healthy breakfast. Instant oatmeal is more of a simple carb and harder to defend. Unless you're having problems with your blood sugar it's hard to take issue with what you're doing- you've lost 77 lbs in less than 2 months, so it's working for you, and whole grains are an important part of a balanced diet. Keep up the good work Pete!

Hi all. So today I went for my first fill. My port is pretty easy to feel. The first needle stick there was this funny, gurgling sound almost like air escaping, and I could also feel this funny gurgling sensation inside. She pulls out the needle and says 'what that your stomach?' and I said 'no, that was the band'. I asked her if she'd done the fill and she said no, she wasn't sure she was in the right place. Then she does a second stick, it feels different (I could feel a nice pop) and the needle goes right in, and she injects a cc. The discomfort associated with the whole procedure was minimal, probably less than a blood draw. Now, interestingly, my sorest spot is a few inches away from the port. I am really wondering if she hit the tubing and some of the saline leaked out into the sub-Q tissue and that is what is making me sore. It's pretty minor, it's just in a wierd spot. Has anyone else heard a funny sound or felt an internal gurgling sensation during a fill? Does this likely represent a puncture of my tubing? Is a single puncture likely to seal itself, or will I need my tubing replaced? Thanks for any answers you can give! Susan

I know it's not as quick as you'd like, and I hope the fill gets you to your sweet spot, BUT remember you've lost 40lbs in < 6 months.... if you're anything like me you normally would have gained 5-10lbs over that time... so you're still way ahead!!! And your husband will be thrilled to see you as you are. : )

I wasn't heavy until my 30's, and I've been up and down ever since. I dated lots in my 20's and have been married and divorced. Bottom line for me: I won't date if I'm overweight, for a variety of reasons, including that I don't attract the attention of men I find attractive, so that has kept me out of the game the last few years. I will probably be open to the idea again another 20lbs from now (which will be a size 12). I don't feel like my eating is all that strange. I just don't eat huge portions anymore. I see myself as eating like a thin person. I don't imagine it will provoke questions. I go out to dinner a few times a week, eat lunch out most days, and my eating has never attracted attention. I wouldn't tell someone I was casually dating about the band. I would tell someone with whom I was in a relationship.

My doc told me that 50% of people have hiatal hernias noted at time of surgery, that need to be repaired at time of surgery. If part of your stomach is in your chest (which is what a HH is!) then the band doesn't work properly. I had one I didn't know about, 'pretty good sized' per my surgeon, that was repaired when my band was placed. I can't see why you will need an endoscopy to figure this out. Your doc will be checking this and fixing it at surgery anyway. Check with your surgeon before having this done at recommendation of your PCP- your surgeon may not think it is necessary.

LOL and to address the actual thread question: It was not unusual for me to bike 100 miles a week (at 18mph pace) on my bike, do pilates 2-3x/week, lift weights a few times a week, and take the stairs up 6 flights at work- before banding. No shortage of exercise for me, before or after.

A couple of points: a) look at the statistics about sustained weight loss, without surgery, among the obese. Yes, some can do it, but odds are about 10:1. Exercise ALONE will not get you to loose the weight. This is especially true of women. Both exercise and calorie restriction are required. I had lost the weight before, and knew I could lose it again. What I've never been able to do is KEEP IT OFF. To sustain weight loss would require a single-minded focus that I, as a professional and mother, could not sustain. Plus, frankly, I didn't want the number one priority and effort in my life to be maintaining my weight! I knew the lapband would provide the extra edge to succeed where I hadn' t been able to before. It isn't a cop-out... it's a tool. Trust me, there's nothing lazy about this approach... but it is easier, and obviously much more likely to be successful. In short: tell your friend to pound salt. :scared2:

Summertime you should ask your doctor directly if they will be able to do the scope with your band full or if you will need an unfill. They should be able to see your esophagus and the pouch, but it's getting past the pouch to see the rest of the stomach that may be an issue. So it sort of depends what they're looking for.

I was one of the lucky ones, too. 1 week of clears, then right on to mushy food for a week, then 'real food' by the third week. Count your blessings. My doc is a recognized leader in the field, has done thousands of surgeries...so I'm not at all worried that he is inexperienced or exercising bad judgment by not exactly following the recommendations on the websites of the companies that manufacture the bands. Know that the way FDA works the company info for the device has to echo the approach used in the clinical trial that resulted in the device approval, so that even as standard of care evolves the company info won't change unless they do additional trials with new approach and apply to the FDA. The evolution in practice is the device equivalent of 'off label prescribing'; it is common to see a disconnect. What the docs do often reflects clinical experience and evolving practice after the initial approval.

The list of things that can cause abdominal pain is very long. The posters above have mentioned a few (celiac disease and diverticulitis). You can add pancreatitis, appendicitis, ovarian cyst, irritable bowel, and more. If your surgeon feels he's ruled out a band-related problem then an internist or gastroenterologist should be able to help you sort it out. Gallbladder- shouldn't cause pain after removal. The enzymes still get dumped into your gut, only difference now is that that is not so well timed with meals. Every once in a while a stone is left behind in the biliary tract and can cause trouble. They would usually see something on a blood test to indicate a blockage. Good luck getting it figured out.

I thoroughly researched the issue, met with my surgeon, and then went to my PCP and said 'I have researched this, here's what I want to do and why, and I'll need a letter from you supporting it'. I think it really helps your case to have done your homework, to know what you want, and to state it clearly. As a cash patient, I didn't have to worry about insurance, but my surgeon still wanted to know that my PCP concurred with the decision. Under some forms of insurance your doctor may have an incentive to NOT refer you for surgery- they may be held accountable for the costs of the care of their patients (if it's a capitated plan). If they don't support your decision ask them to tell you exactly why.

My pre-op diet was 1 day of clear liquids... I have heard of others needing to do 2 or more weeks of liquids. I think it in part depends upon pre-op weight, and in part upon your doctor's preference. They'll tell you exactly what they want you to do.

The psychologist who did my pre-op evaluation very explicitly warned about this, and it was also in my pre-op information packet from the doctor. I think you mentioned the big ones: sex, alcohol, and gambling. Exercise would be the best of the options!! Good luck to you and keep safe!

I had absolutely no physical hunger for nearly 2 weeks. HOWEVER this period provides a great opportunity to really contemplate the 'head hunger' vs physical hunger issue... because I would find myself thinking 'hmm, what can I have?' and then would pause a second to realize I was not hungry but was wanting to do some of that 'relieve the boredom' eating that got me into this boat!! Personally, I think some of the routine post-op is about learning that you won't die of hunger, teaching you disciplined eating, and having you post a big weight loss in the first few weeks for its psychological value, to keep you motivated and on track.

Emma, I don't think the band will stop you from eating sweets. They will go down easily, and the more you eat the more you'll want. I love key lime pie, and I know I could eat it with no difficulty given its texture- so I just haven't bought any since my surgery. There is still a candy dish on the secretary's desk outside my office, and my band won't stop me from eating tootsie rolls. However, knowing I went through the surgery, and seeing my weight loss to date, keeps me motivated to do my part. Because I'm less hungry, I am less inclined to go to the vending machine- in that way it helps. But it doesn't actually stop me from going. That's still willpower. The band meets you halfway but you have to have some discipline. I have read that the band works best for people who are 'volume eaters', as opposed to 'grazers'. If your main problem is eating too quickly and too much when you sit down to eat, the band works great. If your problem is grazing on carbs all day, I think you'll derive less benefit. Just my opinion. The bypass will make it unpleasant to eat sweets. The lap band won't.

Gallbladder problems frequently occur with marked weight loss. I had mine taken out after developing severe cholecystitis after a 40lbs weight loss that I had with dieting alone, long before my band. I think whether or not to routinely remove the gallbladder with WLS is a numbers game.... it does pose increased risks. If only half of people will subsequently develop problems, then you're subjecting them to increased risk for no gain. On the other hand, if you don't always remove it, a sizable minority of patients will end up needing a second surgery at some point. There is no consensus on this. My doc doesn't routinely remove the GB when he does bands or bypass, but he does put patients on Actigall to try and lower the incidence of problems.

Congrats, naynay, and all the rest of you who have worked with your bands to find success. Homer1, look at the threads that say 'would you do it again?'. I think they run >90% yes. My take, from spending much time on the board and from having a band myself, is that those people whose psychological addiction to food is profound, and who can't or won't follow the plan, or who are expecting the band to do it all for them (and thus want their bands extremely tight, so that they don't have to be disciplined), are the ones more likely to run into trouble. I have not had ANY of the problems described- which I like to think is because I have followed instructions to a T. Eat the right things, eat them slowly, listen to your body, and chances are things will go well. Yes, some folks just have plain bad luck, follow the rules, and still get into trouble. But I think that's much less common. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. And I paid cash.

I believe, as a prior poster said, that any increased risk for cancer would be mediated by an STD, such as HPV (human papilloma virus), which could be contracted through anal sex and is a well-recognized risk factor for cancer. Of course, HPV can be contracted through vaginal sex,and is also associated with cervical cancer. So by that line of argument vaginal intercourse 'causes' cervical cancer.

It was very impressive. He is an inspiring orator and an obviously intelligent and thoughtful man. All of these things are a change from the last administration! The NY Times magazine did a spread on folks in the Obama administration... I think his chief speechwriter is 27 years old. WOW. I feel old.

You shouldn't even have to see your PCP again, or repeat anything you've done. Just call your PCP's office and tell them you need a new referral to a surgeon who is in your network and operates at a hospital with which your insurance has a relationship. Might help to call the insurance company in advance and find out which ones qualify. You will want to be sure that the anesthesiologist who supports your surgery is also in network so there are no surprises. This doesn't have to hold you up all that much, though changing horses midstream is rough.