Buttsy84

Hey Lauren. I saw that you are from Independence... ME TOO! I live up in St. Joe right now but my family still lives in Indep so I am down there often. How often are you in town? I don't know if you have any band-buddies or not, but if you are interested in having one.. feel free to contact me. Good luck. Rachel

I also had VERY THICK hair. It is now pretty thin, especially in the front. I was banded about 4 months ago, and I started noticing hair loss at about 2 months post-op. My protein intake was more than my doctor recommended, so I do not believe that my hair loss was a protein-deficiency problem. For the past 3-4 weeks I have been taking a large dose of biotin daily. The hair loss has slowed drastically. I feel that I am only losing about a quarter to half the amount of hair that I was before taking biotin. I have read several people on this board that recommend taking biotin and using NIOXIN (a hair treatment that helps with hair loss - find it at most salons) in addition to making sure your protein intake is adequate. Hope this helps.

There are a few different types of Slim Fast drinks. There are the originals, the optima, the low-carb, and the high-Protein. I have been drinking the Low-Carb version, as it has more protein than the High-Protein has. The low-carb Slim Fast has 20g of protein, 4g Fiber, and only 2g sugar, for a total of 6g carbs. The only downside to this drink is the fat content at 9g. I talked to my doctor and his nurses and they don't have a problem with this one at all. They do have a problem with the original and the optima version though. Just depends on which one you are looking at.

LOL... I was totally thinking the exact same thing. I had my surgery about 3 months ago, and I haven't lost very much weight at all. I don't believe I have lost anything since before the 1st fill. But, I know that I am not fully restricted, and I also know what I am doing wrong personally. When I go out to lunch sometimes, I have people say "You can't eat that can you?"... and all I say is "Watch me". Seriously though... tell them to mind their own business and keep doing what you need to do. Surround yourself with positive people and support and ignore those negative comments.

The weeks after surgery are not necessarily to lose weight, but to heal properly from the surgery itself. This is why doctors usually do not fill the band immediately after surgery. You are healing and it is normal to feel hungry. Your doctor would tell you that this is normal. There are many people that feel like they are able to eat as if they never had the surgery. This is why these weeks are referred to as Bandster's Hell. Many people do not lose weight during the time before their first fill. If you do not lose, or you gain, it is okay. You will lose soon enough once you begin getting your fills. If you do happen to lose weight, consider it a bonus. Just remember that everybody is different. Just because one person lost 20 pounds in the 5 weeks after surgery does not mean that you will. Also be aware that you may not feel restriction with your first fill. If you read the threads on this website, you will see that many people do not start feeling restriction or really losing weight until the 3rd-4th fill. Be patient. Just keep making good food choices, try not to overeat, and take this time to heal. Rachel

I just went for my first fill this past Tuesday. My nurse and my doctor mentioned that if for any reason I could not get anything down, had trouble swallowing, or starting coughing in the middle of the night, to call and come back in as soon as I could. I believe your husband's coughing is a sign of the band being too tight. Please call your doctor. Rachel

I had staples with my surgery. I believe I asked before hand though and I remember hearing info about dissolvable stitches. In addition to my doctor, there is another lap-band doctor in the same office. After realizing I was stapled, I learned that my doctor only uses staples, and the other doctor uses the steri-strips? Don't know why such a difference. You would think they would collaborate better and use one method of doing things. It sounded like they both had different post-op diets too. Who knows....

Glad to see you all are doing well. I had my first fill of 3cc in a 10cc band this past Tuesday. Mushies today... back to regular food tomorrow. I feel a small bit of restriction, but not much. I go in for my second fill in about a week and a half. Keep up the good work everybody!! Rachel

So after reading this thread, I decided to go to lapbandjourney.com as was suggested by another poster. Made an account and signed up for the Curves discount. With 50% off of the registration fee, and a 10% discount off of monthly fees, my cost was only going to be $75 for registration and $26 bucks a month. My insurance reimburses $150 max per year for gym memberships.. so.. this is going to be a great deal for me! I am going to contact my local curves to see if they have any different discounts for lap-band patients, or even free registration. With that price, I would definitely look into this ladies! Also, for those with insurance, there are a lot of insurance policies/companies that offer annual reimbursements for joining qualified fitness centers. For my employers choices, Coventry and BCBS offer these types of reimbursements. If you aren't sure if your insurance policy offers this benefit, don't hesitate to call and ask. Just additional motivation to join the gym if you are going to get a big chunk of money reimbursed! Rachel

Soft solid foods 7 days out seems a little early to me. I know that every doctor has different post-op instructions, but it was definitely 3-4 weeks before solids were introduced into my post-op diet.At 3 weeks I was allowed things like scrambled eggs, soft fish, baked potatoes. Lettuce was an absolute no-no until 4-5 weeks. I would stick with something like Egg Drop Soup. Hope this helps. (You may want to visit Lapband.com. This is the official website of the Lap-Band system. They have their suggested dietary guidelines for the first 5 weeks after surgery.)

I have BCBS and I do not have a 90 day wait. A common misconception among people that have insurance is that ALL insurance policies provided through a certain carrier are the same. There are certain restrictions, inclusions and exclusions that your policy may have that others do not. Think of health insurance the same way you would think of car insurance. I'll use Progressive as an example. Just because you have a Progressive policy does not mean that everybody that has a Progressive policy has the same coverage and deductibles. Everything depends on what your employer chose to cover for your benefits. Not all BCBS policies cover Lap-band. With that being said.. Hang in there and get your fills when you can. I am having a terrible time eating the way I should too. I feel like my old habits are returning. Going in for my first fill in about an hour! We will see how this goes... Wish me luck! Rachel

I use the Viactiv Calcium Chews - I like the Chocolate the best (tastes almost like a Tootsie Roll). Good for a sweet/chocolate fix. Each one is 500 mg. My doctor recommends 1500 mg, so I have one with each meal. I buy mine from Wal-Mart ($8.50 for 90).

I will tell you what is working for me right now. I am about as far out as you. I had my surgery March 16th. While I am at work, I have a 32oz mug that I fill with ice water as soon as I get to work. I commit to having that gone by the time I leave. When I get home, I try to have a 20 oz bottle of water drank before I have dinner. After dinner, I commit to another 20 oz bottle before I go to bed. All together, 72 oz for the day. As Restless said, right now we don't really have any restriction. I am taking regular swallows when I drink.

Thanks Melissa. I have to shave/tweeze/nair at least twice a week now. Should probably do it more like 3 times a week but.. ugh! I am not sure what my back looks like. I am pretty sure it is not covered.. yet. I know that it is a problem on my rear as well though. You are lucky to have a bf that is so supportive of you with this problem. Mine is grossed out by it a lot. He knows that I am trying to figure all of this out, but it is just weird to him. Girls aren't supposed to be hairy like this! I guess I forgot to mention that right around the time I started gaining my weight, I also stopped taking my BC. I am sure that my hormones are all out of whack. We will see when I get the test results back! Good luck to you! Rachel

Hey Everybody. This is really embarrassing, but I just have to ask. I am of middle eastern decent, so the women in my family are prone to very very thin but dark upper lip hair. I have always been "hairy" with a lot of dark hair on my arms, thick eyebrows, and of course, that really fine/dark upper lip hair. I have noticed that as I gained this past 70-100 pounds, the hair has increased.. everywhere! I have serious facial hair growth on my sideburns/jaw line, chin, upper lip, and even on my stomach now. I have read plenty about excessive facial hair in women being caused by obesity or PCOS. I have been tested thoroughly for PCOS and do not have it. If this is just being caused by obesity (I know fat cells hold on to different types of hormones differently), after I lose weight, will the hair growth stop? be reduced? or is it just there forever once it has started? I have been looking into laser hair removal, but I do not want to spend that kind of money on something that is not permanent, and that has not worked for so many. I just had some blood work done last Friday to check some hormone levels and talked with my primary about everything. I am hoping that if this is hormone related, that once I lose the weight and my hormones are back in check (if that is the problem), the hair will at least reduce. Has anybody else had this problem? Anybody with any advice? Thanks, Rachel

I have been wondering this myself. It seems as though popcorn is tolerated like breads. From what I have seen, some can and some can't (as with many things). There is always somebody in my office popping popcorn midday and it always smells so good. I am waiting a few more weeks before I even give it a try though (only 4 weeks out now). Good luck. Rachel

No more beer or soda forever! I am 4 weeks out and my boyfriend and I went to the bar this past weekend. Before the surgery... I could take out quite a lot without being phased. This weekend, two drinks did me in for the night. Be very careful and cautious until you learn how your new body will handle alcohol. My surgeons office has no policy on alcohol, but I would definitely suggest calling your surgeon's office and asking. All doctors really try to stress for their patients to avoid alcoholic drinks in general because of the empty calories. Again, it is best to call and ask YOUR doctor. Rachel

I had my surgery on a Monday. I had originally taken a full week and I was supposed to return the following Monday. I ended up taking two more days off because the liquid diet was really exhausting for me. Two weeks should be fine. Just remember to rest when you need to but be as active as you can also. The more you walk and move around after the surgery, the better you will feel sooner. Good luck. Rachel

Today must be the day for insurance goof ups! I just got my hospital bill, expecting to see $250.00 due for my outpatient co-pay (that's all I was supposed to be responsible for), but instead I saw a balance of $2580.00. I freaked! Callled insurance company and I asked them to look into the claim and she said that for some reason, they charged me a $250.00 copay for each line on the claim! She said she submitted an adjustment and that it would take 30-45 days. Basically... an adjustment means that they will look into the claim and send the hospital/provider the adjusted amount. In my case, they will make an adjustment that will leave a $250.00 balance. If they approve your adjustment, your hospital should see another payment from insurance for the $1000 and you should only be responsible for the $6100...Good luck! Rachel

I have been drinking the Slimfast Low Carb. Like Parrothead said, they have 20g of protein and are very comparable to other protein mixes. They aren't packed full of sugar like the regular Slimfast shakes, but they taste the same. I think they are 4 for $6 at Walmart. They come in chocolate or vanilla, and I enjoy both equally.

I am not sure what kind of mixes you are looking for, but I find a lot of my vitamins and mixes on vitacost.com. Everything they have is pretty much 40-50% less than buying it in a vitamin store/shop.

Hey Everybody! My name is Rachel. I am on the last leg of my 2 week pre-op diet. Surgery date is this Monday, March 16th! :confused:(A day before my birthday.. thought it would be a nice present for myself!) Congratulations to everybody getting banded in March. Good Luck to everybody!

I use Biochem's Whey Protein mix. I really like the chocolate fudge. They make a variety of flavors. Each has 20g of protein and less than 4 carbs per serving. I mix mine with skim milk and use a little bit of splenda and it tastes just like a Slimfast Chocolate Royal shake.. (without all of the sugar). I buy mine online for close to half the price health food stores sell them for. Go to Vitacost.com. 28 servings = $20.00. Low shipping costs too.