ParrotheadCathy

The Diva's got it right! I went to Dress Barn ... they have plus sizes and others as well. The clerks are very helpful. I explained to her that I'd lost (at that point) 60 pounds and needed a dressy outfit for my high school reunion as well as some basic things like black slacks and a dress. She looked at me to guess size, went and got a bunch of stuff and put me in a dressing room. Some things fit, some needed to be a size up and some needed to be a size down (gotta love that size down, LOL). I walked out with a really cute top, a pair of black slacks, a killer dress-up outfit for my reunion and a really pretty dress that I probably would never have even tried on if it hadn't been in with all the other stuff. It's an ego boost if what you try on is even one size smaller....and you're probably looking at several sizes down. You don't need to buy a lot because you're still losing but sweetie, you SOOOOOOO deserve something cute and fashionable so you can show off! Good luck... Heck post a picture in a new outfit for us!

Here's how to make your own stock: Put a whole chicken in a large pot and cover with Water. Add a little salt, pepper, garlic powder (if you like garlic), a bay leaf, chunks of carrot and celery and cut an onion into quarters -- you don't even have to peel it. Cook until the chicken is falling off the bones. Strain off all the solids and you have a rich stock. You can do the same thing with a beef roast. IF YOU CAN HAVE pureed STUFF, you can puree a large can of tomatoes and add to the stock for a tomato-rich soup without any solids in it. But don't do this if you haven't been cleared for it by your doc. Either recipe will give you a good sized container of stock to simply reheat in the microwave.

Actually, using a tortilla as a crust for pizza is a really good idea. I use the low fat ones! There used to be a frozen pizza on the market called Blue Moon Pizza and the crust was, in fact, a tortilla! It cooks up crispy so the problem with breads that some people has doesn't apply because it is no longer soft and stretchy with soft gluten!

Babekopp, cut yourself a little slack! You're 12 days post-op. Mushy foods. You're still healing AND you're in bandster hell. Yeah, you're feeling pretty good and better everyday and you have no restriction yet. Start adding some exercise to your days and wait for the fills to make your band the tool you want it to be! Good Luck! It WILL work for you.

I'm not a big beer drinker, but I do love Belikin Beer (national beer of Belize) -- and when I was in Belize just 6 weeks after banding I ordered one.....took about an hour to drink half of it and decided it wasn't worth it. My preference is single barrel rum, which you drink straight like you would a good brandy so I just stick with that.

I would think your pre-op diet will have at least three Protein shakes a day. As for other stuff, IF broth is part of the food list after you check with your doc, don't buy the stuff in boxes or cans. Unless it says "low sodium" it's loaded with sodium and none of it has much taste. Try this instead... Put a whole chicken in a large pot and cover with Water. Add a little sea salt, a little pepper, a little garlic powder, a bay leaf, quarter an onion (don't even bother to peel it), some chunks of carrots and celery. Simmer until the chicken is falling off the bone. If you have other people in your household, that chicken can go in a pot pie, chicken salad, etc. Strain off all the solids and you will have STOCK, which has a lot more flavor than broth. Post-op, when you advance to mushies, you can puree a can of tomatoes and add to that stock. Yummy. You can cook a pot roast the same way..... sugar-free popsicles, sugar-free Jello, juice (for sure, post-op but ask to make sure if it's on your pre-op), Crystal Light, 64 oz. of water a day.

Here's a newsflash, something I wouldn't have believed -- sometimes as little as .2cc can make a BIG difference. So trust in the band and let the doctor take you to your sweet spot. 5cc was a pretty aggressive fill and they certainly didn't want to make you too full (trust me, I've been there and you don't want to experience that). You should be close and if you don't try to push it, you may just find that you are full on less than that cup-plus! Most of us overweight people consider "full" to be that Thanksgiving-dinner-two-plates-full-of-food" stuffed to be what "full" feels like. That is overfull. Full is when you eat about 3/4 of a cup of food (I can eat more if it's a salad with meat on it) and you don't get hungry for 4 hours. That's a new way to define full.

I chose to be completely open, although originally I wasn't sure about that. I work in a law firm and not one person has said anything negative, not one word! I get a lot of praise, "how much have you lost now," "you look so good!" The reality is, if someone gives you grief, of course you're going to wonder why they chose to be negative. And if somebody criticizes your choice, tell them this: I've been overweight and truly miserable for years. I've dieted and then regained everything I lost more than once and always with a few extra pounds for good measure ... and more misery. Why would you criticize me for seeking help to end my misery? Do you think I should just be miserable for the rest of my life?

Lisa, a PB is "productive burp". It's a pretty good description, but some people do think it's vomiting. It's not ... your stomach doesn't empty and there's no stomach acid involved at all. But what happens is, you take a bite that is too big, don't chew well enough (eat too fast) ... and the bite just makes it part way down your esophagus and gets stuck. Very uncomfortable feeling. And it just doesn't seem like it's going to move on. DON'T try to wash it down with liquid because if you do PB, all that liquid will come back up too. Usually accompanied by sliming .... lots of saliva and mucus which is essentially smoothing the way for that bite (or bites) to come back up. And come back up it will. Later, when you have more restriction, some foods may not work well for you. LOTS of people can eat anything (ask Restless Monkey), but for some of us, some things "don't work." For me, it's soft bread. So, I just don't eat it. No great loss. Cut your food into bites about the size of a nickel and chew each bite well and this will greatly reduce the chance of getting stuck.

Okay, Beth.....how is taking low MPG vehicles off the roads in whatever numbers a bad thing? And a stimulus to keep people working in car dealerships (which have been very hard bitten by the economy) isn't terrible either. AND, I didn't see where anybody was told they had to trade in their high MPG cars. They've done other things with stimulas dollars that probably didn't help as many people as this did dollar for dollar, that's for sure. But, oh wait, you didn't complain about that, LOL Just about being told what car to drive......

I went to a seminar at my doctor's office earlier in July. They asked me to come as a patient to answer questions for potential questions. Anyway, I was chatting with the Lap Band Advocate and she said that BCBS of Georgia has done away with the requirement for the supervised diet. Obviously, I'm past any changes since I'm post op BUT I suggest that if you haven't gotten a letter you call your insurance provider (there should be a customer service number on your insurance card) and ask them to detail all changes.

I think a lot of overweight people have used their weight at one time or another to create a sort of "wall" against lots of different things. Certainly some of your experiences individually might have triggered weight loss....rape? loss of a child? Some women who have come out of really bad relationships drown their sorrows in food. The main thing is that here no matter what triggered weight gain and supported keeping the pounds on, we've all come a long way! Congrats to you for stepping beyond your past.

How very odd that the only supporting emails are from people who have made exactly ONE post on this site....to support a hinkey product. How the heck did they find the website and this thread in the first place???? Because they went looking for a place to support the product. Next question? Just how much were they paid for those posts? we get paid posters on here supporting Mexican surgeons, etc. The bottom line is if you use some supplement diet aid, the only thing that will get slim (and stay that way) is YOUR WALLET.

Relax, that's no rant. Just stating facts. I have a BCBS HMO and, as I said, mine specifically says it will not cover any weight loss surgery. My best friend, who had surgery exactly 2 weeks after me has a BCBS HMO as well and hers says it will cover weight loss surgeries BUT you have to have had a BMI of 37 or higher for three years; hers was that high for only 18 months so they denied her. That's employer negotiations that are based on cost control .... what can be provided for a specific cost. I would hate for someone to see you say HMOs pay for it and everything else....only the have their hopes dashed when they are denied. This isn't the place for a debate of the healthcare plan, but something has to change because a huge number of people have no insurance whatsoever, are not eligible for assistance as far as medical care, and just pray daily that nothing disastrous happens to them.

ThinAli, Let me point out that you made a sweeping statement that is incorrect. All HMOS do not pay for lap band surgery. I know, because MY HMO contains a written exclusion for any and all weight loss surgeries. I've said it many times here. EVERY POLICY is different. Your employer negotiates the coverage for which is it willing to pay. Just because Jane Doe's BCBS HMO paid for her LBS does not mean that John Smith has the same coverage under a BCBS HMO from a different employer. MountainGal, even if the President's health plan is approved, it won't be in this session (they are now off for August). And it will take some period of time to ramp up and get it operational. Certainly not overnight. In the meantime, how long would it be before you know what kind of coverage it might end up providing? Or even if it will apply to you. I mean, I even see the possibility of it being gutted down to guaranteeing coverage only for those who have no insurance, like say all the unemployed or workers whose employers don't provide any insurance (like fast food and retail, etc. because they make sure to not give them employees enough hours to qualify for such things). One of the things that is a tiny part of the health plan is to eliminate exclusions for pre-existing conditions. That would keep thousands, if not millions, of Americans from being underinsured ... that is, no coverage for a condition covered under a previous policy but excluded from a new plan because it existed prior to enrollment. The plan has good and bad but somewhere in the middle a hell of a lot of people would benefit.... We'll have to wait and see.

I can't answer the Medicare question but as far as meds go.... In the first couple of weeks after surgery, there is a good bit of swelling and it can be tough to swallow much of anything .... part of the reason for the post-op liquid diet. Most meds can be crushed but your pharmacist can tell you which ones can't. A good many meds are available in liquid form. Most of us discovered that once we were back to solid foods we could swallow pills but just 1 at a time. Starting the day of surgery, I am off all my medications. I was Type II diabetic, had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and was taking an anti-depressant because my doctor felt that an anti-depressant was an important part of treating Type II Diabetes. But if you've ever taken a Calcium supplement you know they have a good size to them and I can swallow those with no problem.

The pounds really won't help you much. I'm 5'10" and 214 pounds looks a lot different on me than it would on somebody 5'2". And then there's the whole distribution issue....one person who weight 175 could carry all their weight in their hips (pear shaped) and another one could have the weight more evenly distributed.

Immediately post-op you may have to crush them. After you're healed and the swelling has gone down you may find that you can either take them whole one at a time or at most cut them in half. Let me also point out that in the case of Type II Diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol and even depression meds, after you lose weight (not even all the way to goal) you may not even need the meds at all. I haven't take any meds since the day of surgery and pre-op, I was take 3 diabetes meds, 3 blood pressure meds, lipitor and an antidepressant. None now.

First, it won't be painful. What a crock. You can request that the numb the port area before they put the needle in and then there's nothing to feel. Just the little sting from the lidocaine needle. Removing any saline shouldn't hurt because it will be an immediate and noticeable relief. I've been too tight once and it was like a giant ball of ice in my chest melting at warp speed. Yes, it will lessen with time, but how long? Nobody can predict. A lot of your tightness is post-op swelling and no two people heal at the same rate. So you have to decide can you get in enough hydration (I can't stress how important this is) AND enough Protein (which I am assuming you are getting from protein shakes) on a daily basis. If not, go get a bit of an unfill.

In the beginning, I was told that the goal was that I would feel full on about 3/4 cup of food and that I would feel full for about 4 hours. Anything less than that meant that I needed another fill. It's held true for me.

Hey, it's medical. If you are a self-pay, you have most likely exceeded the minimum medical expenses to have it included as part of itemized deductions (it's a percentage of income and we don't make the same amount). I know I have! This will reduce your taxable income. If, on the other hand, your insurance paid for it, your co-pay may not be enough to exceed the minimum but by all means do the worksheet when you do your 2009 taxes next spring. And, remember to keep track of your donations of clothing that no longer fits because that is a charitable donation and reduces your taxable income dollar for dollar. But you get a few wonderful benefits whether it affects your taxes or not. Healthier, happier, thinner, can wear "regular" clothes.....need I say more! All that is better than a tax credit. I always do my taxes with TurboTax (I work in a law firm and the originator of that product was a client so I was one of the first to test it out) and that and similar tax preparation programs will take all the numbers and determine if you've met threshholds, help you get the charitable donations stuff entered, etc. And, AirKuhl, they are talking about funding health care with a "sin-ful" tax on fattening foods....if they do that, at least we will be avoiding that one, LOL!

Okay, FIRST take a deep breath. It's really not going to be that bad. Believe it. "I was told that I could not lift more than 10 pounds after surgery. How long does that restriction last? I hear law school books are pretty heavy and I have purchased a rolling back pack so I will not worry about carrying them for awhile, but I would like to be able to eventually carry them." The restriction is just for a couple of weeks. You don't want to put any pulling stress on your incisions at first, that's all. "Also I was told that after surgery it is best to avoid steak and chicken......any opinions on that???" Don't let anybody tell you now that there are foods you won't be able to eat. We're all different. For example, I have had a problem with soft bread pretty much from the start, but many, many people eat sandwiches and dinner rolls and buns with no problem whatsoever. The truth is that DRY Protein of any kind can be a little difficult to swallow. Steak cooked rare to medium rare is easier than well done. If you cook chicken yourself, don't buy those expensive boneless skinless chicken breasts (styrofoam in disguise). Buy regular chicken breasts with bones and skin, cook, don't eat the skin (or the bones, LOL) and that chicken will be moister and tastier. Marinades and lo cal sauces can take care of the dryness too. Crock pot cooking produces moister Proteins too. Getting a band is not a life sentence of not being able to eat delicious foods that you like. It is learning not to eat so much of them! If I had read all the posts here about how people can't eat this, that, or the other when I was just getting ready to have surgery or just recovering, I would probably have thought I made a HUGE mistake. The truth is, I can eat just about anything. Do I miss the soft bread? Not really. I'm not a sandwich person to start with so no great loss. pizza....lots of people say they can't eat pizza anymore. But I can eat the thin & crispy crust (which is what I like the best anyway) without any problem at all. Just try foods. The only real restrictions are (1) cut your food into bites about the size of a nickel. (2) chew really well, swallow and then pick up your fork and take another bite.

Eating too much a couple of times won't cause a slip. For those that consistently overeat, it becomes more of a risk. I think if you were to really assess those who have come on here who have actually had a slippage versus how many posters there truly are you would see that it is a very, very small percentage.

You just had a fill ... only the second one. Did you talk to your doctor (or physician's assistant) at all? That's the best time to express questions. Second best .... get on the phone. You certainly aren't the only patient they have who has questions so relax and ask away. A few comments. "Full" without a lap band and "full" after being banded are two different feelings. You shouldn't ever eat until you have that Thanksgiving dinner Full feeling. That's over-full. "Full" now should be that you eat a meal within your eating plan and you are no longer hungry. And you should not feel hungry again for 4 hours. If that's not what's happening you, need to schedule another fill. Getting stuck happens. Maybe the bite was too big. Maybe you didn't chew it quite enough. I've gagged myself a couple of times to just get a stuck bite to move. Slips do happen but they aren't so common. Like I said, you need to call your doctor, ask your questions and answer any they may have for you. IF (and that's an all-capital IF) you were to have a slip confirmed (probably with fluoroscopy or a barium swallow), the first line of treatment is an unfill with liquid diet for a couple of weeks. But don't worry about that yet. Talk to the doctor first.

dbinnc, email me and I promise to help with meal suggestions. I think I can offer up some simple, tasty meals once I know a little more about what you like, etc. parr0thd51@aol.com