Vivinthewoods

Hi Amey, Welcome! 'btrieger' has quite a few of us groupies following him around this website, so join the club! He writes with good common sense. Anyway, I just wanted to say howdy and welcome. Do let us know how your journey progresses and don't stay in the shadows. Kindly regards

Humming Bird - Thank you for sharing the dental info with us, although I have not had an episode with vomiting this is good information for banded and non-banded folks to know. Cheers.

I am 9 weeks post-op,with 5 ccs in my band and I have never vomited, slimed, PB'ed or got stuck. I also seem to be able to eat anything - bread, tomato skins etc. I do chew, chew, chew and cut food into small pieces and try to remember to put my fork down between bites. I have been completely trouble free so far.

Wooooohooooo!!!! Glad you shared your success with your banded buddies. I wish you many more 'fitting room moments'. I do understand how you feel - this weekend I pulled a velvet jacket, that I just love, from the back of the closet (I have not fitted into it for years, but held on to it) and now I can wear it again. I was so surprised!!!! Good luck

I agree and endorse ElfiePoo's comments. Just play up the positive things in your life. You do this well in your post - you 'survived' your parents divorce. You have a stressful job, but you are 'grateful' for it. I had to write a statement about 'me', which I ended by letting the psychologist know, that I have handled trauma in my life and come out of that OK, that I have a good life, a supportive husband and family. That I am mentally strong and the WLS was something that I was going to do for me. He told me there and then that he thought I was a good candidate for WLS. I wish you good luck - you will been fine.

So glad the unfill worked successfully for you. Keep us posted on how you are doing. Good luck

My weight on the morning of my surgery was 201, today I am that 187, so have only lost 14 lbs. I did loose 36 lbs in the 6 months prior to surgery. 2nd fill next week - hoping for better results then.

Oops! I did not notice you were in Perth - I should have, as I have been to Perth many times. My sister lived in Lesmurdie for many years, but has now moved south to Bussleton - a place I love. When visiting my sister I would go for a walk along the beach each morning and my footprints were the only ones in the sand - such a tranquil spot. I have been shopping in Woolworth's, in Bunbury. I'll have to get some nut mix on my next visit. I have not heard of Goji berries but will check them out - thanks for the info.

Your nut mix sounds really good, do you buy it pre-mixed and ground? If so, may I ask who it is made by and do you get it at a health food store or supermarket? Or do you mix it yourself? If you do the mixing what ratio of nuts do you use? I try to eat as healthy as I can - I eat 1/2 a cup (cals 35) of blueberries each day with breakfast - they are packed with antioxidants. Thanks.

Sunflower seeds Cals. 799 - per cup The good: This food is very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus, Copper, Manganese and Selenium, and a very good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol). The bad: This food contains Trans Fat. Linseeds Linseed seeds contain many beneficial nutrients, such as Protein, fibre, various Vitamins and minerals and omega-3 fatty acids in the form of lignans. Lignans have been recently discovered to have anti-cancer properties, as well having antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antiviral properties. Lignans are phytoestrogens, which have a positive hormone-like action in the body. Lignans have very strong antioxidant properties as well as strong anti-cancer properties. Various studies have shown that phytoestrogens can possibly prevent some types of cancer, including oestrogen-dependent breast cancer, as well as colon and prostate cancer. Almonds Cals. 842 - per cup The good: This food is very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Magnesium and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol). The Bad - -o- Hope this helps. Sounds delicious and healthy to me!

I lost 36 lbs in the 6 months prior to surgery and 13 lbs post-op - slow but sure. Good luck to you - you will be fine. :rolleyes2:

I have just been banded 6 weeks and so far no regrets. I've lost some weight, my clothes are feeling baggy and the best thing - I am exercising more now than I ever have and it feels soooo good. I'm eat more healthy - it feels great and hopefully it will only get better as more weight comes off.

Yes, I too was banded in Dec and I have the same things - a sticky-out area from under my boobs to my waistline. If I bend over I don't stay down too long, feels as if there is something in the way. I also sometimes have a twitching and a pulling sensation. It is not painful just there.

Hi Lis, Dr. Felix Spiegel was my surgeon, he is very experienced (approx 8000 surgeries), he does a lot of revision surgeries too. He has 3 offices, one in the Galleria area, I see him at his Woodlands office. I also met with Dr. Collier and was very impressed with him again very experienced. He has an office in Conroe, but also works with 'Journey Lite' - I think they have an office in Houston. I have friends who were banded by Dr. Spivak and love him. You could Google these doctors for addresses etc. Hope everything goes well for you:smile2:

Although this thread is about WL & exercise, I think it is also important to remember some of the other added benefits we get from exercising, that will make for a healthy body. Exercise will: - 1 - strengthen muscles 2 - increase bone density 3 - tones muscles 4 - increase blood flow to the brain 5 - heart will work more efficiently 6 - improves balance - very import as we age 7 - improves metabolism - even at rest you will burn calories at a higher rate. 8 - helps you loose inches Just a few of the of the advantages of exercise! Then throw in that you will loose weight faster - its a win win thing. Viv - (burning 500 cals a day and loving it!)

Can I join in and just vent about my surgeon's office staff. Although my doctor is very experienced, he employs a staff of former patients, but I do wonder how qualified they are. When I called for an initial consultation it was scheduled at the wrong office, (he has 3) 100's of miles from where I live. Luckily one of his staff caught this mistake before the appointment date. I was asked to bring my psych evaluation on a certain day to the office. The doc did not have enough appointments that day, so did not open the office, Unfortunately no one let me know, I turned up and waited an hour for someone to arrive - not fun on a Aug afternoon in Texas! On my pre-op visit I was suppose to get a 'bag of goodies', but the staff forgot to bring it. I don't know if there would have been anything in there that I would find helpful. Before surgery I called the office to ask if I should take the steroid med I am on the day of surgery - as it has to be taken with a full glass of Water. I heard the girl on the phone call my question out across the office, to other members of staff. I was told not to take it. At my pre-op testing at the hospital the nurse said I must take that med before surgery, but with just a sip of water (not only must this med be taken every day, but it should also be taken at the same time of day). Shouldn't my doc have someone on staff that knew this???? And now for the latest kicker! I had assumed that because I was asked to pay for my first fill that they had checked with my insurance and fills were not covered, but for some reason I decided to checked on this myself - and yes my fills are covered! They would have gone on charging me and I would have gone on paying for fills if I had not persisted in getting this info. There have also been many phone calls, from me, which were never returned - I would have to call them back. Because of this any info I did give to the staff over the phone I backed up by sending that info to them by mail also - this way there was a paper trail. I hope by posting this it may help others with questions to ask of their surgeon.

When I first talked with my PCP about looking into WLS I had high blood pressure and cholesterol, plus my blood sugar was creeping up, so I was close to diabetes. She just ask me to just eat more sensibly - healthy foods and to start vigorous exercise for an hour a day, 5 days a week. I started walking on a treadmill and slowly worked up the time, pace and speed. I steadily lost 37 lbs prior to surgery and my BP, BS and cholesterol were all within normal range. I just felt so much healthier than I did 6 months earlier.

You are quite normal. You are swollen from your surgery and need to give your body time to heal. Each day you will feel a little better. I started to feel well about 2 weeks after surgery. My tummy took/is taking longer to go down. Hang in there - it will happen for you.

Congrats! It won't be long now, after waiting 4 years. I wish you all the best for your surgery day.

"Love it. They really do find every possible way to milk the consumer don't they!" Elcee - Yes, the hospitals sure do try to sick it to you. Ocotillo - Yes, I will have to pay 20% of the over charge, but I will try for an adjustment. I'll let you know if I'm successful. I'm not knitting any booties yet!!!!!:thumbup:

Now that I am one month post-op, statements and ‘Explanation of Benefits’ have started to arrive from the hospital and my insurance company. Although my insurance covers 80% of my Lap Band surgery, I was intrigued to know what the large amounts money, submitted to the insurance company, were actually for – they are listed on the ‘Explanation of Benefits’ under the nondescript heading of ‘Service’. I called the hospital and asked for an itemized listing of these services, which the hospital provided. Being a non-medical person I do not understand what the majority of items are, but a couple of things did catch my eye. # 1 - on the statement for my pre-op testing there is a double charge for an Electrocardiogram – same date, same service code and same amount of $348.50. # 2 - again on the pre-op testing statement, I see my urine was tested for pregnancy. On the paperwork I filled out I listed all surgeries, which included a tubal ligation done 25 years ago! Due to the fact that I have not become pregnant in the last 25 years, I take this as good proof that the tubal ligation has worked and that it is highly unlikely I would be with child now! This, and the fact that I have been post-menopausal for the last twelve years and I am nearly sixty one years of age, I see as almost certain proof in ruling out the possibility of me being pregnant and yet I was still tested. Cost for this test, $135.00. #3 – if one pregnancy test wasn't enough, there is another charge on the statement (this time on the date of my surgery) for a second pregnancy urine test. This is a completely false charge, as I never gave my urine to any one on that day. In fact, on the day of my surgery I had very little urine at all. This was because I arrived at the hospital before 5:00 a.m. and my surgery was delayed and delayed and I did not go into the O.R. until 7:00 p.m. that evening. As I had had my last drink at 11:00 p.m. the night before and did not get a drink of Water until 10:00 p.m., this meant I went 23 hours with a sip of water passing my lips. I certainly would have remembered giving up a urine sample - they would have had to squeeze it out of me! Another charge of $135.00. To my reckoning that is a total of $618.50 of wrong/unnecessary charges, and that is only on the few things I could figure out what they were. It makes me wonder about all the other items listed on this 4-page statement!!!! I will be calling the hospital and my insurance company tomorrow.

Thanks Fanny for those encouraging words, I can't wait to see my 'pouch' go down. Small world - I was in Perth last year; my sister lives a bit further south, in Busselton. I hope you get some cooler temps and rain soon.

I have the same problem. I started walking on a treadmill in May-09 (banded in Dec.) and the weight has come off my thighs. Since being banded I have noticed my boobs are getting smaller, but my tummy area is not moving, in fact since the op it seems harder to pull my tummy and stomach in. Does anyone have this problem? I know I'm just a month post-op, so fingers crossed my belly will go away with time.

Welcome Logan, You will find lots of helpful info here and great support as you start your WL journey. Good luck for your surgery.

Yes, my doctor said to expect to be tight first thing in the morning. He wants his patients to drink a protein shake for breakfast from banding to eternity!