marfar7

Nada. I also had to wait 6 weeks for my first fill (which was 5cc, btw). Some drs do and some do not put Fluid in it at time of surgery Marci

I had no idea the VA even paid for the sleeve! Medicare is paying for my revision, but I might just check into the VA. Maybe they would do it sooner, since I'm already banded and it's slipped. Thanks for the idea!

I've had hypothyroidism for about 8 years now. Take Synthroid everyday. I lost almost 100 lbs. I'm banded now, but I'm gunna revise to sleeve soon (slipped band). It's harder but definitely doable! Good luck!

Great! Good luck to you!

Thats a great dilemma to be in! Have a fun weekend! And have fun shopping! Marci

From day one, I never counted anything (calories, fat grams, carbs). I just ate till I was satisfied (after my 3rd fill and restriction was felt, of course). It's why I got the band in the first place - so I would never have to diet again! Alot of people with band do watch their carb intake however. I think it may be due to the fact that high carb items (bread, Pasta, rice) have a hard time with some banders getting down. They tend to get stuck easily. recently, however, I've been counting calories. I've gained a few lbs after some complications so I need to reel it in and get some control! Good luck! Marci

WTG!! Conrats! Keep it up, you'll get there!

I had a minor slip last year that just required an unfill, then filled back up. Last week, my band herniated and I have to have revision surgery. I decided against getting another band (have had it for 3 1/2 yrs) and I'm revising to the vertical sleeve. After much research, this is the plan for me. Even tho the band has allowed me to lose 100 lbs, I'll be glad to get rid of it. It's caused nothing but problems and pain (not to mention nightime reflux) for over a year. If I had to do it over again? Yes, absolutely. Got me from a size 22 to an 8! Can't argue with that! Good luck on your new band! Marci

I sent a box of clothes to someone in Houston TX about 6 mths ago. I didn't charge for the actual clothes, just shipping. She gave me her UPS shipping acct number and I just took them to UPS. If you bring them to Fed Ex, the Post Office, or UPS, they should be able to tell you exactly what shipping will cost. Or you can get a rough estimate on the postal service website by weighing and measuring the box at home. Just plug in the numbers and it will give you a price. I had a walk in closet FULL of 2x-3x clothing that I literally just gave away to different people. Had I know about the full figured consignment shop in town, I might have been able to make a buck. About 25 items still had tags on em. Oh well, live and learn. marci

I had this same question. I'm only about 30 lbs from goal (BMI 27) and Medicare wouldn't have paid for it except that my band has a complication. Even if you're at goal weight, if there's a complication, I don't think it matters. Obesity is a lifelong problem - you're not cured once you've made it to goal. I have a whole lifetime to keep it off. Check out your insurance requirements. They may say the same thing. And thanks to all who replied. I'm not having the revision done until my Alaskan cruise (in 3 weeks) and my vacation to Ca are over (late June), so my tummy's inflammation should be down by then. Marci

My arms aren't really too saggy (I'm 45), but I have saggy skin and backfat on the side of my bra line. Prevents me from wearing tanks. Have a whole closet full of them tho - for when I wake up one day and the skin/fat magically dissapears! Marci

Like at Olive Garden, for example. It's soup or salad and breadsticks with the entree. I usually order soup (luv their chicken gnocci) and eat about 1/3 of it. I might have 2-3 bites of hubbys salad. I eat about 1/2 of a breadstick along with about 1/3 of my Pasta (take it home for 2 more meals. I'm usually sick of it by the 2nd meal however and it gets wasted). I rarely get dessert but if someone else does, I might take 1 bites of it. I do everything in moderation. Just take a couple bites of each thing and you'll be good! Marci

After being banded 3 1/2 yrs ago, every food that I would see would become my want for my first "real" meal. I'd go to Albertsons 2-3x a week to stock up on tomato Soup and smell the fried chicken in the deli. Thats would be my first meal. Then, I'd drive by Olive Garden and smell the garlic. That would be my first meal. A commercial for Applebees, no THAT would be my first meal. My first "real" meal was a Burger King cheeseburger and I regret it to this day. Put me on the slippery slope to unhealthy eating. While I lost over 100 lbs, I did so eating tacos, cheeseburgers, and pizza. I just ate very little of them. Now that my band isn't working, I wish I had learned the art of healthy eating. Looking for a fresh start with the sleeve. This time I will do it right - no cheating! But yes, I know what you mean about everything looking so good!

I've too had their fish taco (with the tortilla) and it was yummy! I luv fish tacos and was pleasantly surprised that a fast food joint can be so tasty. I also don't like the fried fish tacos (like Del Taco). Carls Jr needs a little more tartar sauce and they'll be neck in neck with Senor Frogs in Puerto Vallarta! Marci

I always lose in my butt and legs first. I look like a marshmallow held up with 2 toothpicks. My face is always last. My dad had a fat face and was never overweight. After losing over 100 lbs, I still had a sack of fat under my chin/neck area. I wouldn't really call it a double chin, I call it a blob of fat. When I went to the cosmetic surgeon a couple months ago to get an estimate on a TT and lipo on my chin, she said I'd had it for so long that it might end up looking like a turkey neck (the fat stretched it out so long that sucking it out might cause saggy skin). My mom says it won't be "me" without it. I'll probly live with it forever. You are all lucky who lose it in the face first! Marci

My card is paper also, not laminated. The only place I'd tried to use it is Hometown Buffet (where I was hoping to get a kids price, since I'm a wasted of $ there), but they no longer take it. I also usually just order off the regular menu and take home about 2/3 of whatever it is. Alot of restaurant also have senior meals, which would probly be healthier than the kids menu Marci Marci

After almost a week of researching and talking to my dr's nurse, I think I'm about 98% sure I'm going to revise to a sleeve (last week I was in the ER with a herniated band - totally unfilled). I'd prefer to wait until after my upcoming Alaskan cruise (3 weeks from today) so I don't have to be on a liquid diet and that fits perfectly with my nurses recommendations. She said if I want to have the revision all in 1 surgery (take out my band and replace with the sleeve at the same time), I have to wait for at least 6 weeks for the inflammation to go down, otherwise I will have to wait between the time they take it out and the time they replace it with the sleeve. But until then, I can actually feel everything that I eat. With an unfilled band, I can actually FEEL my band for the first time ever. No pain, I can just feel it. Even Soup. I've done much research on this and found that most people who have had a slipped band and replaced it with another band, have problems with the placement in the future. I'm tired of driving the 6 hr round trip journey for tweaks of my band anyway (not to mention the $160 for every adjustment). I want something permanent. Now, if I could just get a little more support. My husband is very supportive, however my mom, sister, and best friend think I should just leave it out and do it on my own. While I only have about 30 lbs to goal and I could probably (eventually do it on my own) I know I could never keep it off forever. I don't want to risk it to find out. Medicare will pay for a revision now (even tho my bmi is only 27) because of complications. I don't think they'd pay if I gained a few lbs back having it completely taken out. I know myself. In a few years, I'd be 250 again. Never again! So wish me luck! I'll still be on this board till the actual revision (no actual date yet), and will probably check in from time to time to see how everyone doing! Marci

Agreed, it's the calories not the carbs. Why Jenny Craig and Nutri System work (temporarily) is because of portion control. I don't know about you but thats why I got the band - so to never diet again, but lower my portions. I think Jenny Craig and the like would be good for a while, just to teach you portion control. My band actually does this for me tho. I eat whatever I want, just in really small portions. While unhealthy carbs (white breads, sugars, etc) aren't good for you (because they tend to be higher in calories), it's actually the calories that matter, not the carb content. Fruit has a high carb content but is very healthy. People who lose weight on Atkins do so because lowering their carbs automatically lower their calories. Good luck with your decision. My decision when I got the band was that I was thru with diets, measuring, counting anything. Worked for me - till my band slipped. Now I'm counting calories with My Fitness Pal . I've found that 1200 is too high for me (gained a lb this past week), so I'm lowering them to 1000 this week and see what happens. Marci

I'd kinda like to know this also. You're getting revised at the same time, right? I'm hoping to do this, hoping my inflammation goes down in the next 2 months. I'm totally unfilled now and can feel everything I eat. I'm going on an Alaskan cruise May 7-14 and then to Ca for 2 weeks in June, so I was hoping to wait until after thats all over with so I'm not on vacation on a liquid diet! I did pretty well after my band surgery in Oct 2009, minimal pain, minimal gas. I'm just wondering if 2 procedures (removal and sleeved) make it worse or the same? I spent one night in the hospital with my band and I will also spend one night with the sleeve. At least this time I have someone to take care of me (got married last year!). I guess that also means I have to watch someone eat also! Oh well.... Hope you get some answers, cuz I'm curious also!

Everyones already said it - stick to your drs advice. You poor thing! A vacation while on a liquid diet? I postponed my band to sleeve revision till after May 14th -as I'm going on an Alaskan cruise and didn't want to be on a liquid diet. Have a nice vacation! Marci

I hope you meant 204! If you were 104, I'd seriously question your need for the sleeve! LOL

When I used Protein Powder ( for a few mths post banding 3 1/2 yrs ago), I sampled many from GNC. Didn't like any of them. The unflavored truly weren't. I found Syntrax Nectar pretty untasty (added it to puddings, Soups, mashed potatoes, etc) and reasonable in price. Here's a link to Amazon (I think it's the cheapest around) http://www.amazon.com/Syntrax-Nectar-Medical-Unflavored-1-Pound/dp/B001I1NSUY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1366053471&sr=8-2&keywords=unflavored+protein+powder Good luck! Protein that you actually like is hard to find. I never did find a Protein Shake that I liked. I held my nose and gulped them until the 4 weeks was over and never had another. Marci

Amen! I love that too. Enjoying "normal" things that "normal" people take for granted. Like eating just 1 cookie, 1 cupcake, 1 pc of pizza, 1/2 sandwich. I'm not a perfect bander, far from perfect dieter, but I enjoy being "normal" occasionally. I also give in to my cravings. When you try to eat around them (like you're craving chocolate. You eat an apple trying to get rid of the cravings. Doesn't work. Then you eat a PBJ. Nothing. Then SF pudding. Still craving chocolate. If you have the chocolate first, you avoid all the extra calories by trying to stall the inevitable). I keep a bag of Jolly Ranchers on my bedside stand and suck on a few while watching tv at nite. And thank God whoever created Skinny Cow stuff. Their mint ice cream sandwiches are out of this world and 150 calories Marci

Jut an fyi: Fred Meyers has it's own store brand (owned by Kroger, so I'm sure Krogers also has them) has a pretty tasty low carb yogurt. Only 4 gms per container. In Feb, I gave Atkins a real try. Would've killed my mom for a cookie. My husband has no problem going off carbs but I' very cranky. Didn't cheat for 4 weeks. Didn't add yogurt or sour cream till the 3rd week however. They were too many carbs for my <20 gm allotment. 4 weeks later, I had lost 14 lbs. A month later, I've gained back 12 after resuming carbs. Thats why I hate diets. Marci

Not sure if this is helpfful or not (maybe making it easier to know the right decision for you) but I'm 3 1/2 yrs post lapband (slipped, now awaiting a revision to sleeve). I've never thrown up so much in my life. The first 2 1/2 yrs it was daily. This past year, it's weekly. I've gotten so used to it, it's part of my routine. Doesn't even bother me anymore. My mom and sister are like you, however. They just DON'T throw up. Can't imagine. You're making the right choice in getting the sleeve vs the band - especially if you're paranoid about vomiting. Marci