happy2lose

All of my fills have been done under fluoro and I have been overfilled once already and had to return 2 weeks later to have some fill removed because the swelling would not go down. So, obviously I agree with Jachut on this.

I'm allowed alcohol but alcohol is too high in calories sadly.

Dr. Aceves in Mexicali is a great surgeon. He advertises right here on this site.

Did you experience any ringing in the ears or loud grinding sound just before you fainted? When I passed out a couple of weeks ago from dehydration this is what happened to me. Either way, you should still get a doctor check up to be on the safe side. Doctor should check all your labs.

Nobody should have to skip Christmas! Can't you still celebrate the holiday without gifts? This is what we do. We still decorate the house and enjoy each other's company. Plan a special day at home with your family doing family things like playing a game or something. As far as eating the pain away, did you realize what you were doing as you were doing it? I feel for you but you really need to find another way to deal with disappointment besides stuffing yourself. Change your focus and go for a walk or something. Have you considered telling the people you buy for that money is tight this year and you just don't have the money for gifts? Make little trinkets instead or do some baking and give it ALL away. Cheer up! This economy has to get better soon.

I really hope things work out for you. Don't give up either way though. If you get turned down, fight it!

I'm sure you are on a rollercoaster ride of emotions now. This is totally normal though. Don't think about what your are giving up, think about what you are gaining........good health, confidence, good looks and much, much, more. Congratulations to you, Donna

Congratulations! I'm very happy for you. You say you lost the weight without doing any "additional" exercise? Does this mean that you did exercise some? I'm just really curious because I have had to exercise my butt off to achieve the results I have. I don't really mind too much though because I seem to feel happier when I exercise.

I totally agree with 2flyguys about keeping the exercise going but I myself have taken a couple of short breaks that last a couple of days. What we really need to do is make a lifestyle change and I feel that daily exercise is a very necessary component to losing this weight and keeping it off. I find that I do still have days when I am lazy. On these days I push myself past it when I am able but if I have a headache or feel tired I do tend to procrastinate some but I do always return to daily exercise after a short break. My weight loss is very inconsistent. I can go weeks at the same weight then suddenly realize a 5 pound loss. It is so weird how our bodies take time to adjust. I love your term for the treadmill (hamster wheel). This is so cute. I could not do a treadmill. My attention span is much too short.

The one thing I believe I will miss is my Christmas fudge. I look forward to this every year.

I love this thread. It's really cute! I haven't fit into my wedding dress for almost 25 years. My goal is to fit into it by March for our 25th wedding anniversary. I thought it would be fun to try it on again.

Congratulations! I'm sure you are very excited. Sure hope this time passes quickly for you.

Hey guys, Been thinking some and realized I've been too opinionated here. My goal is really to help those who need it and I did get way too much of an attitude about this subject. As you all know I am very passionate and strive to follow the rules so my band isn't compromised. I wish you all the best and hope you all do well with your bands. Thanks to all of you for the reality check. Donna

I couldn't agree more! I'm looking forward to eating a few bites of my favorites but feel quite confident I wont blow it. Thanks for always being so encouraging. Donna

Instructions on how much to eat varies from surgeon to surgeon. Ask yours how much you should be eating. Cathy is right though about comparing how much fill you have with others. Everyone is different and there are different sized bands in use as well.

Sounds like maybe you are experience hunger pains. If it persists you should probably let your doctor know just in case.

I would give it a couple weeks and see how you feel. With good restriction you should be able to eat much less, somewhere around the 1/4 cup serving and feel satisfied for 3-4 hours and begin losing 1-2 pounds per week steadily. If this happens, you are at your sweet spot. Donna

Yes, I will send you a private message to discuss this.

Are you eating solid foods yet or are you still on the post-op diet?

Any drug store or Walmart carry papaya enzymes. Have a great night!

It's my understanding that with GB your stomach size is greatly reduced to the size of the tip of a thumb. I really don't think GB patients get as much enjoyment from food as you are assuming. You made a great choice for your health. Give it some time and I believe you will come to realize this.

I sincerely hope everything works out well for you with your insurance coverage. Insurance requirements can be overwhelming. Donna

I'm glad your fill went well. Just think, your already further along then you realized as far as getting to good restriction. Best wishes, Donna

I'm not interest in berating you or your surgeon or anybody else for that matter. Perhaps you should re-read my previous post. My insurance carrier will not cover lapband surgery anymore because of the high failure rate. For this reason and this reason alone, I had to self-pay for lapband surgery. I am extremely careful not to do anything through my own negligence to damage my band. Therefore, I do follow the manufacturer's guidelines to the letter. If Allergen says not to consume carbonated beverages then I will not consume them. I do follow my surgeon's recommendations so long as they coincide with Allergen's guidelines. I feel extremely thankful to my husband for supporting my decision to go outside of network for a procedure my insurance would not cover. It was a financial hardship for me and my husband to pay out of pocket for my surgery during this poor economic time and even more of a hardship to have to pay for revision surgery especially if its for something I could have prevented. Remember, if even a fraction of banded people don't follow the band rules and increase the failure rate, it affects everybody down the line who has the hope of getting a lapband in the future. Perhaps now you will all understand where I am coming from. I really don't care a rat's ass if you disagree with me or not. Perhaps all of you need to calm down and practice a little more understanding of other's views on things because afterall, this entire thread would have been concluded if a select few of you didn't keep stirring the pot. As far as I'm concerned you can all keep this going or you can let it rest, but I'm done! Goodnight!

I really don't know how much the band itself costs but I'm sure it isn't $7,000. I went to Mexico for my surgery and the total cost for it installed was $7,000.