ParrotheadCathy

You should at least consider making an appointment with your doctor. Small amounts of Fluid can "evaporate" from the band over time. That's why, I was told, you should see your doctor every 6 months even if you have been at your sweet spot. The other possibility is that you just had a bad day. Now, I'll grant, that wasn't the absolute worst thing you could have eaten but try to stay away from Taco Bell :redface:. It means pulling yourself up by your sexy sandal straps and getting back to the "plan" but you can do it and you know you can. We know you can, too!

I never took any pain medications at all, not even Tylenol. Quite a few people say that Tylenol was all they needed. So if you have to skip pain meds to go on an interview, it's not like they're likely to call and say "be here in 30 minutes". I drive starting the second day out but could have driving the first day out if I'd needed to because of no pain meds. Surgery on Tuesday, back to work on Friday.

You can eat around a lap band, you can eat around gastric bypass. It happens. Slider foods, sugary drinks, too many carbs and alcohol are just come of the things that can contribute to regaining weight. I assume since you are here posting, you don't like what's happen and want to fix it. So my questions are, when was the last time you went to the doctor and got a fill? How full are you and what size band? If you haven't been to the doctor in the past six months, GO. Fluid levels in bands can decrease slightly over time; bands can sometimes leak. Get it all checked out, get a fill ... and get to work.

You need to talk to your insurance company. Some insurance companies require 3 or 6 months of supervised dieting before they will approve lap band surgery. Usually, your surgeon's office can be the one to supervise this diet period. If you are self-pay, then don't worry about it. You don't have to do it. It is only an insurance requirement. If you haven't talked to your insurance company yet, I would recommend calling. Find out that they for sure cover lap band surgery, what their requirements are (most have a minimum BMI that you must have been at for a specified period of time) and depending on your BMI, may require co-morbidities. Supervised diet is another possible requirement, along with a psych. evaluation and visit(s) with a nutritionist. Find out what doctors in your area are approved by your insurance so that you start out with an approved doctor, too.

I was there at like day 8 -- and really, as I've gotten fills, it has slowly improved. Got my 4th fill yesterday and if this isn't my sweet spot, it's VERY CLOSE. Just have to wait and see if the restriction lasts longer than a week. bear in mind, though, that the only Fluid in my band after surgery was .6cc which was left in when the doctor drained the band after testing it before he put it in place. That's pretty much the same as nothing. I now have 5.6ccs and this is the first time after a fill that I saw the need for liquids the rest of the day. Heck, I think I pretty much want liquids today! I've been kinda stuck at 55 pounds gone but I'm expecting to break that when I get on the scale next. How much "prep" is a small amount? Do you know how much is in your band? I've read people's comments here that they have 5ccs post-op and some even had to get an unfill when they were on the liquid post-op diet.

She's right! Fat takes up more room but weighs less. So a pound of fat takes up more room than a pound of muscle. SOOOOO when you lose a pound but build muscle, you get smaller but weigh the same.

Protein shakes are important -- you need the nourishment. SF Popsicles, SF yogurt, SF Jello -- all sweet and seem like a bit of a treat when you're on such a limited selection of things.

Nasty gas! Gas-X will help that kind of gas. Comes in dissolvable strips in mint or cinnamon. For trapped gas (left over from the gas they put in your belly to give them room to work), moving around is fantastic. I just read a few days ago where someone's doc suggested sitting in a rocking chair and rocking. Makes sense and you might try it if you need it. A heating pad also helps with the trapped gas (seems like it gets into your shoulder(s)). Just put it over any area that hurts. You are officially on the road, my friend! GOOD LUCK

still more likely gas pain than anything else. put a heating pad on it, move around extra -- and you should feel relief!

YYEEEAAAAHHHHHH JASON!!! You are doing such a fabulous job! I can feel your motivation and your excitement! You're practically a third of the way to 100 pounds and that's no small accomplishment! PLEASE keep us posted and let us cheer you on!

CATHY why are you a parrothead? is that a nickname? Anyay I do eat when I'm sitting and watching t.v. I like the idea of a walk after dinner but it's still kind of cool here. Hope the weather is warm for this weekend. OH NO - WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO THIS LONG HOLIDAY WEEKEND WHEN EVERYONE ELSE IS EATING THE GOOD STUFF (you know the really bad stuff for us banders) Parrotheads are Jimmy Buffett fans. There are Parrot Head Clubs all over the US as well as out of the country. All started with my club, in Atlanta, Georgia, 20 years ago. Yeah, we love the music (other Trop Rock artists as well as JB) but we love the lifestyle....the laid back, island time thing. Those who are members of Parrot Head Clubs have made a commitment to community service as well, just as Jimmy Buffett has. If you'd like to know more, you can go to www.atlantaparrotheadclub.org and www.phip.com . My club presents a cruise every year (wwwparrotheadcruise.com) and through that event we have raised more than a quarter million dollars for breast cancer research. The Parrot Head motto is Party With A Purpose. Holiday weekend....I'm headed to the beach on Friday morning and will spend much of my daylight hours outside. Walking on the beach is a favorite pastime and I will get to do my share of that! Get your chicken, steak, fish, fresh veggies and even fruit and FIRE UP THE GRILL. There is a grill accessory to put fish on to grill it,you just spray it with PAM and it works great! To keep your chicken and steak from getting too dry, marinate it first. The band isn't a punishment. Make the most of it! Oh, you can mourn your french fries, pizza, giant bags of chips and stuff but the fact remains that you can have a great meal every meal and still eat within the guidelines we've been given. It's not what pirates of old called "piss and punk" (warm beer and stale bread). Don't make your holiday food-centric! Play badminton, volleyball, take a hike, walk on the beach, move your body as much as you can. Then, when you sit in that chair in the sun, relax. You've earned it.

I drove the day after, too! I wouldn't recommend starting a cross-country drive the day after surgery, but you should be fine to drive normally.

Have a heating pad on hand...it will help with gas pains. Have Gas-X strips for gas in your digestive tract. Mix Benefiber with one of your liquids for the day to help you keep from getting constipated, which often happens after surgery. Have a variety of liquids on hand. Not just broths, but Crystal Light, teas (hot and cold), SF popsicles, SF jello, juices, etc. Have your protein shakes religiously because you need more nutrition than the liquids alone can offer. That will keep your strength up and that's important. Remember to move around. Walk some, even if it's it small amounts several times in the day. I recently read where someone's doctor suggested rocking in a rocking chair to get some motion to help with gas pains. Don't lay in the bed. Get up and try to do normal things because that will help you feel better too!

There are SO MANY people who have had a successful experience with the band! Many, or maybe even most of them, don't belong to any online forum. They are quietly succeeding. Those with problems will find a place to vent or seek help with their problems...and you find them here doing exactly that! There are some who imagined that they would not have to eat healthy for the rest of their lives, or who thought that the band was a magic potion that would magically melt the fat away without any effort on their parts. They're wrong....but they will come here to voice that their bands have failed them. Some people do have legitimate problems but, statistlcally, they are in the minority. But I shouldn't have to talk to you into something nor do I want to do that. You have to be right in your mind about it. Good luck with the decision making process.

I have given away all the size 3x as soon as they were too loose. I am now going into 1X and am looking at giving away 2X stuff very soon. I do not intend to ever need those sizes again. This is a permanent deal. And I don't want that stuff hanging in my closet taking up space when soon I will want to have a closet full of smaller, cuter things! Can't help on cookbooks ... I just experiment. Overweight spouse? Mine is deceased, gone for a long time. So not a question for me.

Would he consider THIN CRUST PIZZA? I can eat a little pizza if it's the thin crust. My 20 year old granddaughter lives with me and she complained about the first one but now she loves the thin crust too. So maybe your dad would make that concession for you?

Hyegirl, how much fill do you have in your band? When was your last fill? Maybe it's time for another fill???

You could ask your insurance company for the names of a few doctors that are on your plan. Then go back with those names to your PCP and see if he's heard of any of them. If not, do your research....how many bands have they placed? Do they have a support program (support groups, etc.) And any other questions you can think of.

The PB wasn't because your band is too tight... you already know what caused it. In the end, you need the fill so long as you aren't at your sweet spot. I've had a couple of PBs now and both were my fault...eating too fast. And I've had a couple of fills since the first one happened.

Lap Band AP comes in 10cc and 14cc. I believe the Realize Band comes in 9ccs but I'm not positive about that. They work pretty much the same. The Lap Band AP has a different structure to the part that inflates with saline so that the whole surface of it does not make contact with your stomach...supposed to help eliminate the risk of erosion. Pretty much everybody I've talked to has the Lap Band AP but it has been around for several more years than the Realize band. I seriously doubt that having one versus the other will make a whole lot of difference. As for the 2 sizes of the Lap Band band, I believe the surgeon makes that decision based on your stomach.

I was given an injection of blood thinner just before surgery and was sent home wearing compression socks. I suggest you talk to the doctor who has been caring for you related to the blood clot issue.

Under FAQ at the top of the main screen: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/faq.php?faq=vb3_board_faq#faq_abbreviations

Caryn, I haven't noticed that walking in the evening makes me hungry. I come back in and have a glass of water with Crystal Light while I read my email, etc. I know though that may not be true for others, depending on what or how much they eat for dinner. I aim for meat, poulty and fish, with a vegetable side dish rather than cottage cheese or soup or something softer and faster to digest. Hope this helps.

Lisa, I advanced to mushies about that time. First added cream soups and SF/FF pudding, runny mashed potatoes and the like. After about 7-10 days, I was allowed to start adding "regular" food slowly, with the caution about bite size and chewing.

Monkey, I certainly did not intend for it to sound like exercising with his wife would be the end all of support. It was one of several things to do and I still say it's a good one. But my other suggestions are things I've talked about with other bandsters and I think they are excellent ways of showing support.