GuyMontag

I got a really bad cough like a week after I was banded. My doc told me that I couldn't move the band by coughing. What they really want you to avoid is vomiting.

Congrats! I too am in Kentucky. I live in Florence, KY and was banded in Cincinnati. Good luck on your weight loss journey!

I know a lot of people are going to hate me for saying this but you've got no restriction...so don't beat yourself up. I mean, you have the lap band but it's not turned on. No big deal, just keep getting fills until you get resriction and hit your 'sweet spot'. I don't understand people that freak out about people eating like they did before the band if they don't have any restriction yet. I mean, i got the band to ASSIST me and if i'm don't have restriction then it's not doing it's job yet and I'm sure as heck not doing this on my own. Anyway, that's my take on the whole thing. Bottom line, don't beat yourself up. You've done good so far and you'll do even better once you've got restriction.

I use a digital scale every morning. I guess everyone is different. I know most people say that measuring yourself is key but personally I like using the scale. Some people go overboard and weight themselves like 6 times a day and freak out if they gain a single pount from one day to the next. I look at the scale as a progression. If I gain 1lbs. from one day to the next it could be water weight, salt intake, constipation, etc. So i'm looking more for weight progress over time. That's why I use the www.lapband.com site and the weight ticker to follow my weight over time. Just use what's best for you. If you get a scale and find that it controls your life in a bad way then ditch it. I would recommend the digital type scale if and when you decide to get one.

Yeah, I got my first fill on Monday night and still no restriction for me. I can eat about 60% of what I used to but everything I eat is still passing right through my band. I have a 14cc band and was told I had about 3cc of primer fluid and they added another 3cc at my first fill. That means i have 6cc in my 14cc band but still no restriction. I'm getting filled again this Saturday. I'm still slowly losing weight but i'm a little anxious to get restriction so I can start using the band the way it was intended.

Just an fyi, they also have an online support group through yahoo. If you ask them they should be able to send you an invitation. cincinnatiweightlosscenter : Cincinnati Weight Loss Support Group

I am SO glad I got banded by Cincy Weight Loss. Everything has just been amazing. My surgery was 'perfect' according to Dr. Watkins and I've healed amazingly fast in the the three weeks since my surgery. I got my first fill last night and so far I'm doing great. A couple of suggestions I would make are, first, you're going to be nervous...this is totally natural and everybody goes throught...I'm sure you'll do fine. The second thing is, once you're banded, focus on healing and don't be discouraged if you don't lose weight like you were or if you even gain weight. It's very normal to stop losing weight until you start getting restrictionn through fills. Other than that, I wish you the best and I'm sure everything will go fine. Congrats!

Just to give you a little heads up, a lot of people lose some weight pre-op and initially post-op and then gain a little bit back before they hit their 'sweet spot'. It's important to keep your spirits up during the time between surgery and your first few fills. Remember that it's all about healing at that time. Other than that, remember that follow up care is almost as important as actually getting the band. Remember those couple of things and i'm sure you'll do great. Congrats on beginning your new life :laugh:

Amella, I appreciate your kind words and encouragment. Some people are just angry at themselves and take it out on others. The best way to deal with them is usually just to ignore them and not let them drag you down to their level. The only fear I had is that someone might stumble across the erroneous information and slander found in the earlier posts and mistake them for gospel. That's why I took the time to set the record straight. I look forward to bumping into you on the forums now and then. Peace. GuyMontag

I'm currently reading The Lap-Band Solution and Dr. Paul O'Brien recommends eating three small meals a day. He defines a meal as one that would fit into half of a standard sized glass. It sounds like you are in danger of becoming malnourished. I would definitely recommend you contact your doctor ASAP and discuss this with them. I'm not expert, but it sounds like you are overfilled. The Lap-Band Solution Book, Dr. Paul O'Brien - Centre for Bariatric Surgery, Obesity Support Book

You are no failure. You are in bandster hell...the period between being banded and your first fill. Do not be discouraged. This period is about healing and not weight loss. You have nothing to worry about because almost everyone goes through the same thing during this time. Just focus on healing up and getting ready for your first fill. Don't worry about your weight. Good luck!

This is the best place to come. Also, be sure to take everything you read here with a grain of salt. We're just people so sometimes you'll see us at our best and sometimes at our worst. Good luck with everything.

I had a sore throat the first couple of days after surgery due to the breathing tube they used. Haven't had trouble since.

15lbs. in two weeks for me.

Centrum chewables, Flintstone Complete, even Gummy Vitamins are pretty good.

Same here. Easy peasy.

First of all, disbelief, sarcasm, and condescension are never effective debate tools...unless your 7. I mean this in all seriousness, take a class in critical thinking...you'd learn a lot. Secondly, I just called Dr. Watkins office and you are WAY off on the fill pricing. It's actually $250 for fill for someone that was banded in the US and $400 for someone that was banded in Mexico. There is a onetime transfer fee of $400 if banded in the US and of $1000 if banded in Mexico. As for me, since I was banded by Dr. Watkins, my fills are free for two years and then $50 thereafter. Really, that's about all I have to say to someone that has a hard time being civil and discussing something like this on an adult level. As for you having all the experience with weight loss surgeries and surgeons...I was simply providing first hand knowledge on someone that you were providing false and offensive information about. If you take offense at that then I apologize for stepping on your toes with the truth and first hand testimony. PS - I applaud Dr. Watkins for sticking to the real issues about weight loss surgery and staying on task in this thread. This topic is about erosion and that's what he addressed. Kudos.

The only real unpenetrable roadblock for the insurance company is when it's in your exclusions on your policy. If your policy doesn't specifically exlude weight loss surgery then you should be able to appeal or take other steps to get this taken care of. Good luck!

Congratulations and keep up the good work. Just remember that this period is all about healing. Take care of yourself and just get better so you're all ready for your first fill!

I am currently in bandster HELL...but it's okay...I just keep telling myself this time is all about the healing. I was banded on February 13th, and don't get my first fill until March 12th. I have my appetite back and I'm eating so-so. If i gain a few pounds during this time I can deal with it. Don't forget the analogy that everyone here uses, you have the tool, it's just not turned on yet. Don't fret until you start getting fills. This is a process and it's not going to be easy or just a drop in the bucket. Stay encouraged, talk a lot with your doctor and/or nurse(s), and I'm sure we'll all do fine. That's my story and i'm sticking to it!

Hey, you're going back to the doctor and that's a great start. I applaud you for getting the ball rolling again. I'm sure there are plenty of people here that have had similar experiences and will be willing to coach you along. Good luck!

Yup. I went through the same thing. I was banded on February 13th, 2009 and I haven't had any regrets.

here's a tutorial: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f5/ticker-tutorial-pictures-41782/

I just want to toss in my two cents here in a little defense of Dr. Watkins. I know it's easy to toss in things like, (the guy who charges over $1,000 for a lap band fill), without really knowing the guy. I was banded by Dr. Watkins on February 13th, 2009. Let me tell you something, he's an amazing doctor. I say this for many reasons. First, his clinic has performed almost 5000 lap band surgeries with only one reported case of 'slippage' and that one case happened after the patient had undergone chemo...not saying that it was the cause but it is an interesting coincidence. Also, when I went in to meet with Dr. Watkins on my initial consult he spent over an hour not only answering every question I had but also filling me in on many aspects of the lap band that I had no idea about. He also took the time to chit chat with me about himself, his upbringing, etc. and made me feel more comfortable than any doctor i've ever met before. Also, i'm about 12 days post-op and my surgery day started at 9:30am and I was in the car heading back home to recover by 1pm the same day. My recovery has been awesome. Since the procedure was laparoscopic my incisions are healing very well and i am exercising and feeling great now. In fact, I've already lost 30lbs. in the last 3 weeks. I would also like to point out that Dr. Watkins didn't say that the band was more powerful than the sleeve. He said that the band is a powerful tool. He then went on seperately to say that the sleeve is newer...i'm sure he means as far as approval by the FDA for weight loss uses...not as far as invention goes. Also, his point about the adjustability is for reaching an ideal weight and maintaining it. I have a friend that has the sleeve and honestly he's lost TOO MUCH WEIGHT...he looks like a skeleton now and it's really sad. The nice thing about my band is if I begin loosing too much weight I can always have my band adjusted to whatever ideal weight I desire. Finally, I would like to address the comment about going to a surgeon that performs all the surgeries for a balanced opinion. I don't know about you but I don't take my Lexus to Wal-Mart to get my servicing. I take it to a specialist that works on my type of car exclusively and has a proven track record working with high performance machines. To me that is what Dr. Watkins has done. He has chosen the procedure that he deems most successful while balancing risks and benefits and has chosen to make a stand and to specialize in that one particular procedure. To me that's a good thing to know that i'm getting specialized care catered specifically for the exact procedure that I chose to receive. I'm not going to knock the sleeve or bypass just because I have the band. I will however defend my doctor for being nice enough to write a message about why he performs and recommends the lap band over the sleeve. He was taking the time to give his opinion in a polite manner and i don't think that he deserves to be discredited in a public forum by someone that doesn't even know him. Again, just my two cents.

I live in Florence, KY but was banded by Dr. Brad Watkins of Cincy Weight Loss in West Chester, Ohio. www.cincyweightloss.com