TwilightLover83

Hey there- The band isn't magic it's a tool you have to use. Restriction will come. Does your doctor do ALL fills under fluro? I recall when I had a complete unfill due to a complication... I had to be headstrong. I worked out, I ate like I still had restriction (meaning I stopped when I knew I was supposed too). It wasn't easy. Nothing about losing weight is easy & simple. You have to WANT it bad enough. You have to make other modifications in your life besides just having the band and think it's all going to fall off without hard work. Because for alot of us, it doesn't work that way. Good luck

Hey AnnG123- I just wanted to give ya my input . I would stick with your surgeon's diet plan. There is a reason for it. Your stomach needs time to rest & heal. Right after surgery is a time to let the stitches & such heel, regular food can at this stage in the game could cause some unwanted & unnecessary problems for ya. Of course there will be others in this forum who disagree but that's fine. :ohmy: Your energy will come back in due time. Try not to push yourself too much, and keep up on your protein drinks during the liquid phase, it helped me sooo much! Best of luck!

Lots of things contributed to me being obese. Never thin as a child...always had the "baby fat" my mom thought. My parents didn't have alot of extra money laying around to spend on good healthy groceries.....i never was shown good eatting habits or the importance of exercise. Then in my teens a gf & I started using food as entertainment & it was just fun to eat. I really started picking up the weight then. In my freshman highschool physical I weighed 236 pounds! Of course I had tried diets but that's another subject. Then after highschool I was sooo heavy that I was depressed about it, but I would eat to momentarily feel better about myself. Turning point- my sister got engaged & wanted me to be in her wedding. I started Jenny Craig at 362 pounds (only being 5'3.5") lost 50 pounds & then stayed there for nearly 2 years (well I did gain about 5 pounds back) before being banded. So that's my story in a nutshell.

It may be that your band has slipped from the puking & coughing? Just a thought.. or you could just be swollen from the puking, and may just need to let it relax some. But if you aren't getting any liquids down dehydration will set in fast, not to mention with the flu you may be alittle dehydrated as it is. Goodluck & let us know what your Dr says.

LOL! I've so been there before, pretty nasty even if it is your own toilet. ha.

Hey All- I'm here w/ yet another medicine question for you all. Calling the doctor tomorrow- but I really need to take something. I'm a year post-op & this is the first time I am sick! I appear to have a nasty cold. Stuffy yet running nose & I'm hacking colors of the rainbow out of my lungs...yeah sorry probably TMI. Can we take things like Day-Quil or Nigh-quil? I'm dying here! Worse part- my port area is tender from my coughing so much & so hard, that has me alittle nervous. :smile2: Any input is greatly appreciated!

Thanks for everyone's responses! I called the bariatric pharmacist- her input for my surgeon is that we are not to take them since even 1 dose could cause an ulcer. Ulcers are hard to treat & depending upon where it is could lead to the band being removed. If my PCP feels that the benefits outway the risks, he must get ahold of my surgeon. That's me pretty much quoting her. Ibuprofen was recommended by my PCP for my time of the month over tylenol or pamprin. So I guess I'll just suffer through the sucky time of the month. :smile2:

Hi All- I had surgery alittle under a year ago- my question is my surgeon says no anti-inflammatory meds (example: Ibuprofen). I never asked him the reason why. I have had my PCP tell me to take ibuprofen for this & that lately, but I've reminded him that I can't since I had surgery. I'm just curious if anyone knows the medical reasoning? I do plan to ask my surgeon next time I see him, but just curious for now. Thanks!

Hi All- I just wanted to share I finally made it to Onderlander! Wahoooo! What a big change from my highest weight of 362 in 2007 when I started Jenny Craig & from 318 when I had surgery last March! Yay! :smile2:

My surgeon had a either $300 or $400 program fee. That includes life-time support group meetings & other classes I want to attend (some are really great!). I have access to a bariatric pharmacist, exercise guy, dietician, and a total of 3 Bod Pods (that cost typically $25 each). The Bod Pod measures lean weight vs fat...had 1 pre-op & then 1 6 mo post op & 12 mo post op. The Dr wants to make sure you aren't losing too much muscle. I personally didn't have a problem w/ paying the small program fee my surgeon required b/c he is awesome. Oh, and if you were a self-payer he waived the program fee for ya (i had insurance though). 4k does sound odd to me. Any other surgeons in your area you can talk w/?

The band is for life- some people simply fall off the band wagon on the lifestyle. I personally know I could eat Ice cream all day if i wanted too. If they gain it back & then some I would say they are making some really poor food choices. The band helps limit/control the amount of food I eat, but it doesn't fix the head hunger! ha!

Reshee, Congrats on the surgery date! I just wanted to comment that Feb 18th is a great date, cuz it's my birthday! :biggrin: Goodluck!

TN_girl21- hey there! Jillian Michaels is killer! Have you tried her 30 day shred? She makes you hate her, lol. So a suggestion I have is trying a DIFFERENT gym? Or investing in an IPOD so you can't hear anyone if they are rude and make a comment? On a sidenote- not to be harsh, but it almost seems like you are at the point of making excuses why you can't do this or won't do that. If you don't take charge, your results of your band is not going to be what you probably want. I joined a gym at 362 pounds- mind you at that point I had a workout buddy (safety in numbers!), i never heard anyone make any comments, but if they did oh well...atleast I am trying to better myself! Goodluck!

I think it's funny when doctors give people anti nausea meds via pill form... do they really expect it to stay down long enough for it to start working? ha. My dr gave me compazine suppositories. Yeah it's not the most pleasant- but I was lucky enough only to have to use 1 one time post-op. But it may be worth a try to get some- if you can't get your fluid in- dehydration is the worst! It will land you back in the hospital. Plus your body is already stressed b/c of the surgery. Good luck!

Just a small correction it's an Echocardiogram. I was lucky enough not to have to have any cardiac testing.

So they are really helping you? I asked my Physical Therapist about them, she is very skeptical of them & told me to save my money. PT b/c my knees are killing me from the gym & all the movement now! But you totally have me rethinking this!

I have Personal Choice BCBS in IL and i think it took bout 3-4 days to be approved after my 2nd appeal. Would've been GREAT for BCBS or even my surgeon's insurance coordinator that I had to have 6months of supervised diets by my PCP! My surgeon's insurance coordinator was "out of the office" the day of my very first consult, and the person I spoke w/ at BCBS didn't know her butt from a hole in the ground I've decided, telling me all i needed was a letter from my doctor of medically necessary. Boy was she wrong. So start to finish for me, just under a year.

Funny you should mention this. Just yesterday I seen my PCP- he asked me who was treating my thyroid. I said "i didn't know there was a problem w/ my thyroid." My t3 & t4 levels are elevated (so opposite of yours), not sure bout my TSH. Ive been cranky, sleeping more, & unmotivated. So we are checking it again in a couple of weeks. What I find funny, the lab he was looking at was my PRE-OP labs from March of 2009!!!! He is just now addressing it? WTH! I've been to his office like 4-5 times since then. However, .2 seems alittle silly to me to jump u on meds. Maybe do a repeat lab in a few weeks? Could be an error? Good luck! let me know how everything turns out for ya!

There is what they call "soft stop" warning signs... I believe those include running nose, hiccups, burping. maybe a couple more that I dont recall off the top of my head.

I really enjoy Wendy's small Chili, like said earlier high protein & low fat. I like a fruit n yogurt parfait from McDonald's but recently found out I can eat an ice cream cone from there for less calories if I add the granola! Steak n Shake's chili is yumo! Not so healthy though!

I'm in the same boat as 2GoodDogs too embarrassed. I just either do soup or salad when I go out. Plus alot of times I've glanced over the Kids Menu and it's usually all higher fat items, nothing that we should truely be eatting. Plus if I went to Olive Garden I'd really want a breadstick, haha!

Hey All- I went to see my PCP today, and we were discussing my progress w/ the weight loss. My goal weight came up. My goal weight is 145 pounds (that will put me at a healthy BMI for my height). He told me that 145 pounds is too skinny. On the other hand- my surgeon will not tell me what I "should" way. His office just doesn't do that. Should I rethink the weight? Did my PCP tell me this b/c I'm coming up on a year for my band, and is worried I won't make my goal weight, and doesn't want me upset? Has anyone else been told by their doctor that their goal weight is too thin???? P.S. my apologies if I shouldn't of stuck this thread here, I was at a loss on where to place it. Thanks!

My doctor charges $250 for a fill, thank goodness my BCBS covers it.

Consumed- Clear liquids (chicken broth, sherbert, italian ice, Water, apple juice, cranberry juice, etc) Length- 5 days Lost- 8 pounds (I was told this isn't real weight loss) I was extremely tired on the clear liquid diet. I take Parlodel for a Pituitary Growth.