sweetcalichic

Brandon, if I'm at a club, I'm drinking to get drunk, so you know you don't eat and drink with the band!? So, I don't eat before I go out and in a social setting, dancing and standing up seems to make liquids so down better! I have no problem keeping it down!

Hi Brandon! Hope this helps, I've been banded for two years and will answer your questions from what I have experienced. A meal consists of small portions. The perfect size meal for me is the amount of food that is in a lean cusine that consits of only 2 items, not the ones that have three items. So, this is the smaller packaged ones that usually come with a meat and a vegtable. Thats to give you and idea of size. As far as chili, hot wings, etc, I can eat a small bowl of chili, maybe a cup, hot wings 2 or 3. How much I can eat depends on what it is and how my band is feeling at the time. If I havent eaten in a long time the band seems tighter and after a few bites of whatever I'm stuffed! You can gain the weight back by eating the wrong things and the band doesnt do all the work for you. Exercise is still very important. Stop moving and keep eating the wrongs things and the weight will slowly creep back on. My band wasnt filled with anything at the time of surgery. I had no appeitie for the 1st week while my body was healing. After that, there is a time called "bandster hell". This is before your 1st fill, you have little to know restriction, the hunger is back you basically eat whatever. This time is a testament to your will power. To answer your question, no your band is not tight when you first get it. A fill is adding liquid to your band, this is when restriction comes into play. It is done by putting a needle into the port and injecting it with saline Water. Some are done under x-ray, mine is but many are just done in the office. You cant just go to your dr and say, I want to pig out this weekend, take out all the Fluid and I'll be back next week for you to tighten it up. Liquid is usually only taken out when you are extremely too tight, if you cant keep any liquids down inculding your own spit let alone any solid food. I've had two unfills! From my experience I don't know anyone who has reached goal and had all fluid removed. I wouldn't, it would be too easy to gain the weight back. juice is fine, don't worry about not being able to drink it. I had a problem with carbonation before just recently, I can handle carbonation better. This is something that will depend on your body, its a 50/50 toss up. So, I didn't enjoy a soda for almost two years. Don't worry about alcholol, you'll be just fine. I like to party and club sometimes also I don't remember puking after surgery just because. Do I puke a lot now? Yes. Sometimes you think a food is going to go down easy but it doesnt, for some reason it gets stuck. It might be something you have eaten a million times but this time the band doesnt like it. I don't like that uncomfortable, stuck, stuffed, I cant breathe feeling and prefer to just throw it up. Sometimes, it just takes getting up and walking a little to get food to move down. Its a lot to learn and your experience will not be exactly like mine. Hopefully, this will help! Good luck on your journey.

These comments come from the misconception that the band is a quick fix. I treat these times as a chance to educate and too reiterate how happy I am with my weight loss.

You lost me at no potatoes! I live off mashed and baked potatoes!

Congrats! It is such a good feeling. I said goodbye to LB a while ago and haven't looked back. Its still an adjustment for me. I feel like I'm still kind of holding on to my past. There is a store I go to that is half plus size and half regular size. I will browse both sections but the last time I bought two shirts they came from the regular size section.

I'm also a Cedar Sinai patient but my dr left to start his own practice

I'm sorry, I couldn't see your band date when I was reading this on my phone. The band is still fairly new to you that you haven't seen the results it can produce. Once you learn how to eat your favorite foods again and have lost 50+ lbs, I think you will be happier.

When were you banded?

When this happens you guys don't just throw it back up? I do.

Congrats on finally getting your date, I wish you much success. 1. If you look closely at someone's ticker it should have the website they got it from, either at the bottom in the middle or towards the right of it. 2. I like Pure Protein shakes in the can, Isopure powder and Isopure drinks in the glass bottle. The ones in the glass bottle were the best, taste more like juice or poweraide. I also got these tubes of protein with 42 grams in them, they are thick like syrup, it was kind of hard to get down but for 42 grams I just dealt with it. I got all of this from the Vitamin Shoppe. Is there one near you? 3. Where I had my band done you have to stay overnight but many people go home the same day. 4. The day of my sugery I was told no food or liquid after midnight, I arrived at the hospital midday, they didn't get to me for hours, I was weighed and had a IV started, of course by then with no Water it was hard to find a vein, then the dr came to talk to me and we were off to the operation room. 5. Wasn't given a choice, I don't have the realize band. 6. I lost 9lbs on a 2 day clear liquid pre op diet. 7. Without a doubt, one of the best decisions I've ever made!

I has banded on a Monday, went back the following Monday. I have a desk job and felt that I could have went back on Thursday.

I want to plan a pregnancy next year. How was your experience? Did you gain all the weight back? Did your dr completly un fill your band? Were you considered high risk because of the band?

My approval came pretty quickly, once submitted, less than 30 days. I had high bp, borderline diabeties and have been overwieght for most of my entire life. My primary doctor is who suggested it to me.

I have the *** and they paid 100% for mine. Approved for medical reasons, of course!

Maybe somone or a group of people (hint, hint) that put together a really good one will get rich!

You will get through this. I was banded 6/15/09, I was in the liquid phase during 4th of July, knowing that it would be hard to watch others eat I choose to stay home and away from festivities. I don't think you would have gone through the process of meeting with doctors and all the pre band stuff if you were not ready to make a change in your life. There are going to be plenty of times where your going to want to throw down on food but that's not going to work now. The beginning is difficult but for me the positive outweigh the negative. Stay strong, you can do this!

My insurance is billed close to $5,000 when I go for a fill. Only emergency unfills are done in the office. A normal fill is done under x-ray, which I'm sure is why it cost so much. They bill $30 for drugs, $647.03 for supplies, $1,498.45 for radiology, $2,406.46 for surgery-gastric band and $173.32 for clinic. I have no co pay.

I rarely have periods and mine started after surgery also and lasted for like 3 weeks. My ob/gyn said it was probably due to the weight loss.

Popcorn is one of the foods that never gets stuck for me!

In the 1st meeting with my band doctor he told me, some people lose a lot of weight and some lose no more than 20 lbs. Its all about how your body reacts to the band and how you use it. My advice it to stay positive, negative thinking is what kept most of us fat. I think we all wish we could have done it on our own and vowed many times to do so but its not that easy. You have a tool that can help you, use it the way it was meant to be used. If you love your band it should love you back . Is there a support group near you that you join?

Mine was also a breeze. Like the above answers, she asked me why I wanted the band, my medical background, if I've ever attempted suicide, about family support and did I have hobbies. Just be truthful and confident and you should do fine

I'm 5'5 and started at 255 wearing sizes 18/20 jeans and xl or xxl shirts. I'm now 190 and can comfortably fit in size 14 jeans, 12 if there is a little stretch in them and 10 if there is a lot of stretch. I shop at Old Navy a lot and their sweetheart jeans I can wear a 10, I tried on some shorts in a 12 and 14 and the 12 fit better. I have always been overweight so this is just amazing to me. If you keep losing at the same rate you should be in a 14 by Aug. GL (good luck)

I too have to do 2 days of liquids after fills. It is so much harder then the post op weeks of liquids. At first I was better now I go as long as I can, have sherbert or smoothies, broth, tomato soup and other liquids.

I'm having the same isssue. Got a fill on wed. 9/30 and can only keep down a few bites or liquids. I called my dr.'s office to see if I should wait a few days or go for a small un-fill. Hopefully, they will get back to me soon. I think I've heard of ways to relax it a little. Does anyone know how?

If there is a Vitimin Shoppe near you, they have the Isopure fruity drinks that are 40 grams of protein made by Nature's Best. They are not shakes but actually juice like and taste pretty good. I wouldnt be hungry after one and they are resonable priced. I throw my powder protein in the trash after I found them.