khunt719

I go for my second banding (first one unbuckled) on March 14th. My pre-op diet starts on the 1st so I am enjoying all that I can for now. Not excited about going through surgery again but not excited about being fat for the rest of my life either.

I was banded 9-28-09 and since then I lost about 20 lbs, I told the doctor that my stomach didn't feel the same because I gained 30 lbs, so he did a barium swallow. He found out that my band unbuckled. So I go back into surgery 3-14-11. Thank God for insurance. Wish me luck.

I got 2 cc's in a 10 cc band my first fill. That was last Oct. I have gone back every month since then for a fill and go back this coming Tuesday and should be at 9.5 cc's. I want to be as tight as possible so I stay full the longest, that is my goal. The weight hasn't come off like I wanted it to but I didn't use the band like it should have been so I gained at first and ate what I wanted. I should go for a barium fill to see where I am at. Maybe for my last fill. My surgeon does the Water test. I lay down on the table, he has me hold my legs up, finds the port injects a pain killer, waits a minute and then does the fill. I sit up and drink about a 1/4 of a cup of water and if it stays down I make my next appt for one month out. It's a wonderful process, very quick, painless and easy. Wouldn't want it any other way.

Right before surgery I had the Mirena IUD put in so I don't have a period or pms anymore so I never had to deal with it after having surgery. But if you are craving salt, eat some mashed potatoes. I used to love mashed potatoes when I was on mushy foods. That and apple sauce were my weakness.

After surgery, I just wanted to eat everything in site and felt sad when I realized that I could only drink it. I didn't use the band the way it should be used and gained weight for 6 months after getting it. After reading on this site, I came to understand how I should eat and what to eat. But in the beginning I was still using food to cover up any sadness, happiness, depression, gladness, excitedness, any feeling I had I used food to comfort me or to Celebrate. That is how my family has done it for years. I had to come to the reality that I had to change the way I looked at food and couldn't eat myself happy anymore. That is when the band started working for me. I think the sadness comes from losing the friend (food) you have come to rely on.

I have been banded since sept 09, I haven't lost much weight but try every month to at least lose 1-3 lbs like the surgeon wants. I have 9cc's in a 10 cc band and go for another fill this coming Tuesday. There are days when I can eat a horse and others that I can't even eat because I am so tight but I would rather just drink Protein Shakes and not eat then to eat everything in site. So I'll take the chance to get stuck by eating healthy foods and just chew well and hope it goes down okay. I've only had a few stuck moments and thought I would rather die but it is so worth the pain than being as fat as I was. I'll take the feeling of puking and the watering of the mouth anytime. It sucks but it is better than where I was before surgery.

It's Vegas for me. Get my fill on Tuesday and leave on Sunday for the Sin City. I'm not afraid of anything. My husband and I plan on sharing a meal so I won't get too full. I'll be at 9.5 cc's in a 10 cc band. So I hope nothing goes wrong but should know how I feel by Friday before we leave just in case. Good luck to you.

NO barium just Water. About 1/4 of a cup and then I am able to leave the office if it stays down. I usually take a few swallows and then leave because nothing ever comes back up.

The hospital told me $500 for the psyche eval, the nutritionist and the follow up. I did 6 months doctor supervised at $15 a month co-pay. I was denied. So I asked for a refund and was given $250 back. Went to nutritionist for 6 months at $40 a visit and was approved. The hospital wanted me to pay back the $250 for follow up but since I did that through the nutritionist I didn't have to pay anything except the $40 nut visit after surgery. The hospital wanted me to go to their group sessions and the nut. I probably should have since I wasn't very educated and didn't lose for 6 months following surgery.

I didn't lose anything pre-op so don't be discouraged. I had to gain 30 lbs to be at the weight it took to get approved by insurance and then to not lose any was a blow to my self-esteem. Thankfully I have lost it and more. Just take your time and don't think about it. I weigh myself 3 times a day and that helps me to determine if I am going to eat that day or just do Protein Shakes, I know it isn't healthy but I can't stop.

I told my pcp when I got the band and thankfully she forgot because after 6 months of not losing I went to her for diet pills and she prescribed them to me. I don't think she would have done that if she would have remembered I had the surgery. I've been on Adderall for about 5 months now and have lost a little weight but the energy is what I want most from the pill. I've done everything to try and lose this weight and it is coming off slowly but surely. Good luck in Mexico, my mother had the same Dr. you have and she really liked him. She has been to Mexico twice for surgery...lap band that had to be taken out and the sleeve recently. She said it was very scary going to Mexico, not the trip but the environment. Be careful and it should go just fine.

I had mine put in last July and then had surgery that Sept. I lost 20 lbs in those 3 months and have since lost from having surgery so it didn't affect me in anyway. I would much rather have a slower weight loss than have to deal with the heavy painful periods. Mirena has been a blessing.

I have jeans that have the elastic waist and they fit everywhere but are tight on the stomach and it does bother me to have them sit where the port and band are. So another 10 lbs and they will be perfect around the waist but too big in the leg, go figure.

Don't compare yourself to other bandsters, I drove myself crazy doing that. I had no restriction for 6 months and gained and lost the same 4 lbs over that time. I finally got enough restriction that I lost 10 lbs in the 7th month and have lost between 1-5 lbs a month since then. It was so frustrating and still is at how slow I am going.

My doctor and dietician weighed me everytime I entered their office. I was right on the edge so I had to gain 30 lbs during my 6 month eval with the dietician to make the requirements for the insurance company. All worked out and a month later I was approved but this was a battle. From the first doctor's appt to surgery date was 1 1/2 years. I was put on the pre-surgery diet 10 days before surgery and it wasn't hard at all because he allowed me to eat a small piece of chicken and a small helping of mashed potatoes or rice once a day, the rest of my meals were liquids. It wasn't that bad. Good luck to you.

I had surgery on a Monday and went back to work on Thursday. I lift boxes that weigh about 5-10 lbs and walk about 10,000 steps a day and was just fine. I don't remember hurting. Just take off the time that you feel you need.

I was denied the first time we put the paperwork through so I gained 30 lbs and was approved on the appeal.

I am jealous of you because I weighed 270 and wore a 4x or a 30-32 so you aren't as big as I was. My choice to have lapband was decided on because my mother had it done and lost 140 lbs in a year and a half. I'm 10 months out and have lost 45 lbs. I just wished I would have done this earlier in life (I'm 41 now). I haven't told anyone except immediate family because I didn't want anyone to say I took the easy way out or I should be losing faster than what I am and it's nobody's business if I don't want them to know. I had 3 closets full of clothes and have bought smaller ones on clearance and saved money that way. So getting rid of clothes was a blessing because it meant that I was getting smaller. You are right about your job being visually based and you should look at the downside of being a larger person to the upside of being a smaller person. Being vain comes with the territory because you will be getting looks, comments, the door held open, sales people waiting on you faster...it all comes with losing the weight, just don't let it go to your head in a negative way. You deserve to be vain for losing all the weight and bettering your self-image. I am still overweight but my self-esteem (which suffered) is getting better and I feel better about myself. I still have that fat person mentallity and wear too baggy of clothes trying to hide my body but it is getting better. Good luck on your journey and you deserve everything positive that comes out of this. You already have a good outlook on life. Let me know how it goes.

I'm almost 10 months out and in the morning all my pills want to come back up before they even go down so I have coffee to try and loosen the band and then take my pills later in the morning. That seems to help. So maybe try it and see how it goes taking your pills.

I don't think you were rude and it was easier for me to read. We had a potluck on friday and my surgery was on monday. I had very little to eat but I still ate and my surgeon wasn't happy about it. So rethink what you do because it is for the best that you follow his instructions.

I worked until Friday and had surgery on Monday. I went back to work 2 days after surgery. It really wasn't that hard. But I didn't have any difficulties either.

Low carb is the only way I go. If I eat breads and pastas the weight just comes right back on and fast...like overnight. So I try to stay away from them.

I buy the Inspire Protein powder from Bariatric Advantage. They taste ok but it is only 4 oz's for 30 grams of protein. I figure I can choke that down in a few swigs so it isn't that bad. I've tried others but they want 8 oz's and that was too much for me at one time.

I have 8.5 in a 10cc band and about 3-4 hours after I eat I am hungry. It's like there is a big hole inside of me and it is so empty, I must get food in it now or I will die. So I go Tuesday for another .5 and we will see if that helps. I want to try and wait 5-6 hours inbetween meals.

I have Aetna and it took 1 1/2 years from the first consultation to getting the approval letter. It only took 3 weeks after I got the approval letter to have surgery so that runs pretty fast but it took alot of time and documentation for the insurance to approve me. I had to appeal the first denial and it cost me $400 out of pocket but it was worth it.