untfluter

I am in S. Florida... who did your surgery? I am nearly 3 yrs out...

I would ask your surgeon what his policy is because they all have their own programs. My surgeon said no alcohol for a year, which I stuck to.

I really like the Pure Protein bars but I also really like the Detour Lean Muscle bars.... the numbers on both of these are very good...

I saw that too.. I was freaking mad about it too... My first thought was, your band is not adjusted properly and then my next thought was that she didn't eat right... and the fact that she seemed embarrassed to have had the lap band done... I am proud that I did this... and you were right, she made ALLLL kind of excuses and took no responsibility for how she ate with the band, she blamed the band saying it didn't work for her....I was really pissed at her....and the way she made it seem like the band wouldn't work for anyone....

My insurance did not cover it either... It is my understanding that every insurance company covers it, it is just a matter of whether or not your employer chose to have it as part of your coverage. My CEO told me that we were not even given the option of choosing it as part of our coverage, I am sure it has to do w/the size of our group and coverage limits. I am almost 3 yrs out, and I was fortunate that I had enough money in my 401K that I was able to take a hardship withdrawal for medical purposes in order to pay for my surgery. I don't regret taking the money for a minute, it was an investment in my life. I can rebuild my 401K but my life is not replaceable. Good luck!!

I was banded 26 months ago by Dr. Paul Wizman in Margate... He is AMAZING.... i have had a great experience and I am down 133lbs so far....

I had several NSV over the Memorial Day weekend.. I flew up to MD to visit friends. For the first time in I can't remember HOW many years.. I did not need a seatbelt extender... AND... I was able to use the bathroom on the plane.... I truly can't remember how many years it has been since I could do that... I was so excited when I got the seatbelt buckled I actually did a little jig in my seat... and it was a VERY full flight and there were lots of people in the aisle.. needless to say, I got a few strange looks.. LOL

My surgeon said that the size of your fat pad over your stomach will affect how much fill it takes to feel restriction... the bigger the fat pad, the less it would take, but as you lose weight, the fat pad will get smaller and the band will loosen up.

If you are gonna use something over the counter, use acetaminophen. My surgeon says no NSAIDS, which ibuprofen is... he said that NSAIDS are bad for the stomach lining and can harm the area around the band.. but... that being said, I would check with your surgeon and see what He says about NSAIDS.

I didn't/don't have any pain.. I had some discomfort but I thought it was from some constipation...which by the way, is a symptom of an incisional hernia... LOL so I don't know if the discomfort was from some gas/constipation or from the hernia... but if you are having pains, I would definitely get it checked... it is a common thing that happens when you have had abdominal surgery and it can happen years later or right away...

Well, I have my first real complication 10 months in. I went to my surgeon yesterday for a fill and much to my surprise, he found a hernia. Needless to say I didn't get a fill. My port is right by my hernia and my intestines are in the hernia, so he didn't want to take a chance on missing the port and hitting my intestines and causing a whole other set of issues. So now we have to do a hernia repair and he is going to move my port since it is right by the hernia. Has any one else had this issue? I am not concerned, I trust my surgeon 110%. I was surprised because things have been going so smoothly since my banding in May 2009.

My surgeon is in Margate and he WILL take patients of other surgeons. His name is Dr. Paul Wizman and you can reach him at 954-969-1355. He's a great guy and a great surgeon....I know several people that had their surgery done by other surgeons and they go to him for after care... I do know about Dr. Bass, a friend of mine was banded by him and I met him personally last year at the S. Florida Walk from Obesity... he's a nice guy, but not knowing his practice, I don't know if he takes other surgeons patients.. a lot won't.. good luck!!

You probably should check w/your surgeon.. I am on depo provera and I was told if you were on birth control, I had to stop like 30 days before my surgery.. I was due for my next shot close to my surgery date so I didn't take my shot... DEFINATELY check w/your surgeon.. the reason they want you off all birth control is because of the clotting danger that comes w/birth control plus the clotting danger w/surgery.....

I have my protein shake every morning for breakfast... ever since my fill in like August I have been too tight in the morning to eat.. but I control the calories because I use Pure Protein shake mix, it is Whey and has 25 gr of protein and I mix it w/Skim milk, another 9 grams of protein, some ice and some low fat peanut butter, more protein... and that holds me for several hours....

I was self pay.. when I go to see my surgeon, if I get a fill, I pay $150... if I go and he doesn't do a fill, I pay nothing... if I have to go back for a slight unfill after a fill, I have gone back twice, the first time was a week later, the 2nd time the next night... I was NEVER charged for a unfill...have I mentioned that I LOVE my surgeon?? LOL

I think you are definately over thinking it.. LOL Go to your appt... talk to your surgeon... tell him what you are thinking, feeling, etc and that you are not sure if you need a fill or not, he will know.. but if you are not losing weight, I would say you do need at least a slight fill. And you are right, everyone is different so I don't know that there is such a thing as normal when it comes to how much it takes for us to feel restriction... After my fill in Dec, I have 3.25 CC in my 10CC band.. and I had LOTS of restriction... I lost 10 lbs between then and January, exactly 1 month later... about 5 days after I saw my surgeon in January, all of a sudden I could eat more, didn't have as many issues w/getting stuck, etc and I have only lost 3 lbs since mid January.. it's definately time for a small fill... LOL Good luck and go see your surgeon and I bet you will get at least a small fill. I understand being afraid of being too tight. But as long as you can swallow water after your fill you should be ok.. and remember, it is not uncommon for you to get a little tighter a day or so after....

for me to bring up something that is stuck, all I have to do is cough and there it is.. LOL but usually it's not the stuck food, but I slime and that also helps the food to go down....

I have lost around 75 lbs and I have gone down 4 sizes, from a size 28 jean to a size 20 jean.. I have always thought the 10lbs=1 dress size is a bunch of BS... my sister weighs at least 25lbs less then me and she also wears a size 20 jeans... and she is like 2 inches taller then me... so it truly depends on how you carry your weight, etc..

Any of the Leslie Sansone Walk away the pounds videos are very good

I don't know where in Florida you are but I am in Florida. I was banded May 19, 2009. I am very fortunate that I have a ton of support. Feel free to contact me w/any questions you have or when you are having a moment that you really feel like you need some support... I guess I would be like your sponsor in AA.. LOL you can contact me at untfluter@comcast.net Congratulations on your surgery date and good luck!! You will do great!

If you can handle a wrap, spread the laughing cow light, I am partial to the garlic and herb myself... heat in the microwave for about 10 sec and then put some slices of either turkey or chicken breast. Then heat in microwave about 30 sec. You can add some sauteed veggies or just some lettuce, tomatoes, etc and wrap it up...

I work in the Travel Nursing staffing industry. There is STILL a HUGE nursing shortage. In order to entice people to go to nursing school, hospitals are offering very generous packages, such as tuition reimbursement if they commit to working at their hospital for a period of time to offering large sign on bonuses, even for new grads, but they also must commit to a certain amount of time working at that facility or they must return the sign on bonus. In regards to the travel RN's some facilities are offering large completion bonuses but the RN's can not call out sick for ANY shifts...

Here's what I do when I'm scheduled for a fill and I'm not sure if I need one.. I go see my surgeon anyway.. I tell him what has been going on and that I'm not sure if I need a fill or not... I let him make the decision, he's the expert.. LOL

I'm so sorry you are having such a hard time w/the infection.. I too had an infection in my incision on my belly button that was discovered when i was 2 wks post op... what antibiotic do they have you on?? My surgeon gave me Levaquin.. it's a VERY strong broad spectrum antibiotic and I had developed a staph infection in my incision... it did the trick for me....

I have a friend, or rather had a friend, who had bypass several years ago. When I told her last year, like March, that I was doing the lap band, she basically started asking me if I was sure that the band was right for me and basically telling me that I should be using her surgeon, etc... I have never heard from her again...I have called her, texted her and emailed her and she has never responded. The sad thing is a little over a year before that I had gone to visit her in Chicago for my birthday after SHE begged ME to come visit her. You would have thought that she would have been more supportive of me considering that she had had WLS herself... oh well, guess she wasn't the friend I thought she was... and if that's the case, I am better off w/out her..