untfluter

with the issues you were having, your stomach pouch is probably very swollen... you need to be on liquids and mushies for at LEAST a week to allow the inflammation to go down... good luck and i'm glad the slight unfill helped.

I wanted to let you know that first, what you are going thru is completely normal. For a lot of people, it takes several fills before they feel restriction...and it also isn't uncommon for it to loosen a week or two after you have gotten a fill. Don't get discouraged... second... I too was taking Metformin along w/Actos for my diabetes prior to surgery. After surgery, my surgeon's nurse, who is a certified diabetes educator, had me stop my Actos and cut my Metformin in half. My fasting blood sugars are generally in the mid 90's to low 100... my A1C did go up from 6.3 prior to surgery to 6.5 after surgery.. BUT... I wasn't taking one of my meds and cut the other in half.. I was perfectly fine w/that and so was my PCP.... feel free to email me if you have any questions.. untfluter@comcast.net Good luck!!

I think this is great advice..BUT.... just because her surgeon allowed her to have mashed potatoes, doesn't mean that yours will. PLEASE make sure to follow YOUR surgeon's instructions... if he tells you liquids only for 2 wks, then stick to that.. I KNOW it will be hard... I am going in for a fill the week before thanksgiving...so I know I will be very tight...so I won't be able to eat much and I am cooking for the family this year.... congrats on your band surgery date but please make sure to follow whatever instructions YOUR surgeon gives you... EVERY surgeon is different and they each have their reasons for how they do the post op diet for the first 2-4 weeks.... good luck and let us know how it goes!!

I had a BMI of over 60 the day of my surgery. I was banded on May 19th... including my pre-op liquid diet, which was 2 wks before my surgery, I have lost 60 lbs... so don't let those people get to you... I know of people who weighed MORE then me and was banded and were very successful. Good luck and congrats for making this decision for your health and your life...

I had a similiar situation about 2 wks after my surgery... I never had the lump, but part of my incision on my belly button opened up and was draining BAD... it was a Friday night.. I called and spoke to the surgeon on call and he said as long as it wasn't red and inflammed and wasn't running a fever and the discharge didn't have an odor, to just continue to dress it and allow it to finish draining, that it wasn't unusual for Fluid to build up... just as a precaution, I went to see my primary the next morning, yes my primary has Saturday hours... LOL she took a culture and gave me an anitibiotic... I already had an appt w/my surgeon on Tuesday, just a few days away to see if my suture's where ready to come out... by the time I went to see him, the culture was back as Staph... my surgeon put me on Levaquin... I took a week course, went for another culture and did one more round of Levaquin and all was good... but my surgeon was talking about that he might need to go in and take out the port so that the band didn't get infected... I was self pay... while he wouldn't charge me, the $10k for the hospital, I didn't have... thankfully he was willing to take my suggestion of getting a repeat culture after the first round of antiobiotics and to do a second round... and all was right in the world... What antibiotic did they give you??

I actually buy the vitagummies... they make gummi Vitamins for adults... I buy them at both Walmart and Target...

Where in Florida are you? I am in Florida and my surgeon will take patients that were banded by other surgeons.....

I found your post very interesting because it is true...even though we are losing weight and inches... we stil see ourselves as fat... my surgeon has a saying and it is SOOO true... he says " It takes one hour to change the body but it takes 5 years to change your mind" so while the surgery to change our bodies only takes about an hour, it's going to take a few years for our mind to catch up to it... but just the fact that you have lsot 38 lbs, you should feel great about that and be very proud of yourself... Good job!! Keep up the good work!!

My surgeon charges a program fee but it is only $500. I wound up being self pay when my insurance declined me and they include the program fee in the self pay price.... I am in south Florida area... $4k seems excessive...

This is how my doctor does fills as well. I go on Nov 18th for my 4th fill. He didn't do a fill when I went in for my 4th....

I just had to share w/everyone what amazing, supportive co-workers I have. My birthday is tomorrow and in a group of us, we usually get a cake and card for the birthday person...well, all of my co-workers know about my LB surgery.. one.. because I have a big mouth and two... because I was so excited to have my surgery that I had to share... LOL anyway... they took the time to cut up fruit in fancy shapes and make a beautiful fruit bouquet that rivaled anything I have ever seen from Edible Arrangements. They did that instead of the cake because of my surgery. One of the girls who made it was up until about 2am cutting up all the fruit in to the great shapes.... and then another co-worker got someone to let her in to my locked office and put 2 balloons on my desk... I am truly blessed!! :wub::cursing:

Interestingly enough... I have a friend who had GB several years ago... she did very well, but when I saw her a year ago, she had gained a little back, but still looked amazing... This time last year I was in Chicago visiting her for my birthday... at that time, I had no plans at all to have WLS.... when I made the decision... I spoke w/her in like March of this year... she questioned my choice of surgeon, she thought her surgeon was the ONLY one to use and questioned my choice of LB instead of GB. Since that conversation, she has not answered her phone when I call, returned my voicemails, emails or texts.... I find this very sad and very confusing. You would think that her having gone thru WLS and been successful, you would think that she would be supportive and not forgotten about our friendship... it really sucks to lose a friendship you cherised over something like this...

OMG!! that sounds SOOOOO good.. I'm from Maryland originally.. grew up w/Chesapeake Bay blue crabs and there is NOTHING like a MD style crab cake... I can't wait to try this!

I found out after my surgery that my surgeon mentioned to my parents and sister when he went to see them after my surgery that he would have preferred to do GB for me. When I met w/him the first time, he asked me which surgery I was interested in and I told him.. when I started telling him my reasons, he said you don't have to tell me.. if that's what you want, that's what we will do. I figured he thought that I would do well. Apparently he would have preferred to do GB but he was willing to do the LB...I have done great so far... I weighed in at 358.5 2 wks before my surgery... since starting my 2 wk pre-op liquid diet, I have lost about 60 lbs... and every time I see my surgeon for my fills, he tells me how well I am doing... I would suggest you ask your surgeon WHY he thinks the RNY would be better for you... other then your high BMI.. I had a very high BMI... but every surgeon is different.. talk to him about the LB... see what he says.. give him your reasons for wanting to do the LB as opposed to the RNY... let us know what he says!! Good luck and congrats on starting your journey... I LOVE MY BAND!

I have actually thought about cutting my hair recently but I have been growing it out for several years now... so I don't know.. BUT.. I have always wanted to do the teeth whitening... sooo... to treat myself since I have lost around 60 lbs already, this does include the pre-op diet....I was banded on May 19th... and because my birthday is this weekend, I took the plunge... my dentist took the impressions for the bleach trays and they are ready for me to pick up... woohoo!!!

I like the way you think!! LOL

I did not know that Capital One has medical financing... I have a regular CC w/them and they like me.. LOL Maybe when I am ready for PS I can get them to approve me... HMMMMMMMMM... something to think about... thanks for that info!!

I finally entered two-terville this weekend!! Couldn't believe it when I got on the scale the past three mornings and my scale was under 300lbs for the first time since I bought that scale almost 2 yrs ago!! YEAH ME!! I was so excited... but I don't count it until the scale is under 300lbs 3 days in a row and this morning was day #3..... I was SOOOO excited... I can't remember the last time I saw under 300....

I only had 3 incisions.. my belly button and two on my torso... and the stitches were covered w/steri-strips.. which fall off when they are ready... I was allowed to take a shower the very next day... told to wash w/antibacterial soap and not to scrub the area.. just gently wash....

I use the Pure Protein brand.. chocolate.. I buy it at Target for like $18 for a big jug....it has 25 gr of protein...I mix it w/skim milk, which give me even more protein.. sometimes I add ice and Peanut Butter and put it on the bullett for a nice thick shake...

Suzanne.. that's awesome.. my email is untfluter@comcast.net Thanks!!

I would be interested in answers to this as well. My insurance turned me down stating that it was a true contract exclusion... but in the letter they stated that our policy doesnt' cover stomach stapling or bypass... the band is NEITHER... so.. instead of dealing w/them for months on an appeal, I didn't want to wait..I was at 358.5 lbs 2 wks before my surgery w/HPB, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and a degenerative issue w/one of my knee and they said no.... so I took the money from my 401K and was a self pay... now I am planning on sending an appeal to try to get them to reimburse me... which will be less then if they originally paid for it as my surgeon gave me a good break on his fee... I have my pre-op and consult notes from my surgeon along w/the pulmonary and cardiac evals as well as copies of my blood work from before my surgery and this month, which was about 4 1/2 months post-op... my cholesterol has gone from 238 10 days before my surgery to 177... so any help would be greatly appreciated...

by the way.. you put TBL of pumpkin... is that supposed to be tablespoons??

that sounds DELISH!! pumpkin pie in a glass... LOL can we add some no sugar added cool whip?? LOL

get the gas-x strips... It will make a HUGE difference... Congrats on starting this journey... I am 5 months post-op.. feel free to email me at untfluter@comcast.net if you have any questions or just want to talk to someone who has been going thru this...