marjon9

To me this is a total no-brainer. Get the fill AFTER the cruise. Fills are unpredictable and being overfilled can be a medical issue that needs attention. Unexpectedly extreme restriction can pop up a couple weeks after the fill. The risks are probably small that it would be a serious problem, but why risk it? In the future you may want to plan fewer (food orgies/cruises) for your vacations. But since you have this one planned I say enjoy it and then deal with the fill later. You're only talking about a few weeks.

You had two eggs and 10 olives and you were still hungry?? Wow, how much can one person eat? Just kidding, of course. We were banded the same day. I am one of the "lucky" ones, and I still do have a lot of restriction. This has caused other issues, like a dangerous number of PB episodes, which is not good. But I do know I'm not yet ready for a fill. Try not to worry too much. Just keep getting fills and adjusting the band until you get it right. Then you'll be well on your way. It won't be long now.

In the past when I was a lot thinner I got a lot of attention from the opposite sex. I was better looking than I wanted to be. I'm not bragging, it's just how it was. It did not feel like an asset to me. All the attention always made me very uncomfortable, as I'm basically quite a shy person. I really think this is the main reason I got fat, just to avoid all the attention. (And believe me, it works. As a fat man I find that women do pretty much leave me alone.) To tell you the truth, I'm not sure which version of me I view as the "real" me. In some ways I'm more comfortable as a fat man. But yet when I see photos of myself I look about twice as fat as I thought I was. So I just don't know which me is the "real" me from my own point of view. I don't know whether I will feel like I need to "find myself" as a thinner person. It's entirely possible, I just don't know. If I do get down around 200 pounds again I'm sure I'll start getting too much attention again. But I'm married now and I feel more like part of a team rather than just being out there on my own. So I don't think it will bother me anymore.

Bruce, that drug is Xenical. Did you happen to notice that this very week they are starting to sell this drug, at half strength, over the counter? They call it Alli (pronounced ally). I'm sure that the next big marketing plan will be to sell it in a combo pack with Clorox. It's sad now people will do anything to lose weight even if it doesn't work. Lord knows, I did the same. I think the lap band is going to become incredibly popular over the next 5 years.

I agree with what everyone is saying, but I'd still check with your doctor first. It's really key to get the incisions healed properly without infection. If you have steri-strips you might have a different answer to the shower question than someone who has staples.

I'm about a month post-op, and for me, it would have been a little too early to eat salad at 2 weeks. But everyone is different. If it is OK with your doctor, give it a try. Just be careful and slow and chew a lot. It is true that raw fruits and vegies do have a tendency to get stuck more than other foods. One thing I did when I was craving raw fruits and vegies is chew them up and spit out the "roughage." I'm not necessariyl recommending this to you, but it did work for me. It works better with fruits and vegies than it does for, say, steak or Cookies. That's because there is so much juice in fruits and vegies. Just yesterday I took half a dozen stalks of celery and some carrots, dipped them into some dressing and chewed them up, then spit out the Fiber. It's a little gross but it is quite satisfying. I felt like I had become my own, personal human "Juice Man." And no machinery to clean when you're done!! I'd just be a little cautious about actually swallowing all that fiber stuff at two weeks post op. But the bottom line is, ask you doc.

From reading this forum I get the impression that 90% of the people here had the exact same feelings you are describing. And then after the surgery, if you do it, you'll undoubtedly go through a few days thinking "Oh, no, what have I done to myself?!?" All of that is very normal. But the fact is almost everyone is eventually glad they did it. And as for making a mistake, remember, the band is reversible. If for some reason it does not work for you, you can take it out. The risk of any serious medical complications from the surgery is very small. The decision is yours. At your age especially there is no hurry. If you need more time take it. There is no need to rush into things if you are not ready. But I can tell you this. If you postpone your surgery, you will almost certainly have these exact same feelings again the next time you are 4 days from having your surgery. It just goes with the territory. cj, ask yourself, are you going to lose 137 pounds with diet and exercise?

I also like the types of foods you mention, and I believe that's a really healthy way to eat. From bandster viewpoint, though, it seems like a lot of people have trouble eating a lot of raw fruits, vegetables and salads. It seems that these items, especially skins of things like apples, tend to get stuck. It might be easier to eat these things if you chop them up really small first, and then chew them a lot. Another problem with this diet, as I understand it, is that if you fill up on fruits and vegetables, which is easy to do with our small stomach capacity after banding, then it is not possible to get enough Protein. I'm not sure I understand why we need so much protein, but it seems that the nutritionists and doctors are pretty unanimous on that point. So, I would say that it should be possible to eat raw fruits, vegies and salads quite often, but just make sure you can tolerate them OK and try to get in your protein other ways. Of course, I am no expert. I'm just commenting based on what I've seen people say here on the forum.

I ain't no doctor but I do have to say that for me Neosporin was not such a good thing. When I talked to my doc about my slow-healing port incision he said that Neosporin was part of the problem. He said it was good for surface abrasions, etc., but for deep cuts like a surgery incision it can actually make things worse. He told me to stop with the Neosporin and just keep it clean and dry. Once I did that it closed up pretty quick. Just wanted to pass that along.

If you need to stay on the liquid diet per doctor's orders I would see if there is a way you can at least add the Protein powder or protein shakes. This really helps with the hunger. Even though the protein helps with the hunger, it does not help with the problem of lack of variety. For that I did use the method of chewing it up and spitting it out. It is a bit gross but it's also fairly effective. Just be careful, it's pretty easy to swallow a bit of solid food that way and that's not a good idea at this point.

That's great news. In addition to my papaya enzyme I'm going to get some pineapple juice in those little cans and keep it around. I am sick to death of getting stuck and I want to have all the options I can to deal with it.

I think Ben & Jerry's is your best bet. Just stay away from Subway Sandwiches. Eating Subway makes you lose weight (right). To tell you the truth, in your position I would seriously consider self-pay. There are options with excellent surgeons for under $10,000 in both the U.S. and Mexico. With financing it can be just a few hundred a month and you'll probably be able to cover most of those costs with lower food and medical bills. You will improve the quality of your life in the process and, if you are like many of us, you will actually even save your life. A BMI of 33 is not that high and you are losing weight already. Maybe you are actually one of those who can turn things around with diet and exercise. There is no doubt that this can be done, it's just really hard for most of us. If you are going to try that I would recommend a really helpful book I found (after I was banded) called The Four Day Win by Martha Beck. Anyway, let us know how it goes.

Yes, this has happened to others. My port incision took about three weeis to heal, so things are not really out of the norm just yet. I'm going to pass on to you a little bit of what I learned from reading this forum. I am definitely not doctor. I'm just doing this because you asked. The potential problem is that "yellowish stuff inside." If it is clear and thin it is unlikely to be a problem. If it is thick this can possibly be a sign of infection. If you also have pain, heat, substantial redness, etc., these can be additional signs of infection. I think all that can be said at this point is to follow your doctor's instructions religiously. It sounds like you are doing that. I would do some searches on this forum with words like "port incision" "port healing" "port infection." You will get more information that way. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but since you asked, every once in a while when a port incision does not heal it can be because of infection. An infection at the port incision can be serious. Not really serious from a medical point of view but serious from a financial and inconvenience point of view. In some rare cases it can involve removal of the port, a period of time for healing, and then implantation of a new port. I think in one or two cases the infection got to the point where the whole band had to be removed. I'm telling you this because you asked. I think you need to keep in mind that the serious complications described above are rare, even for people who have a slow-healing port incision like you. The odds are very good that if you follow your doctor's instructions everything will work out OK. The only thing I would add to this is to say that if you sense that something is getting worse on any level, contact your doctor immediately, without any delay. If the doctor is unavailable (or unresponsive), go to the emergency room. Please let us know how it works out.

I've been using the Atkins ones, they are not bad. I like vanilla and chocolate. I don't like the strawberry. They have 15 grams of Protein and are 170 cals. Walmart has a similar brand called something "Edge." People have said it's pretty good. I have not tried it. For protein powders I've been using the "Unjury" brand. I order them on line. A lot of people like that brand. They taste pretty good. One scoop is about 20 grams of protein. (A scoop is pretty big, actually, about 1/3 cup. So, it's a lot of powder). You mix the vanilla or chocolate with milk or Water or whatever you want. You mix the unflavored with soup, etc.) Here is one I've heard people talk about (see below). I ordered some on line a few days ago. They are about $3.50 each on line instead of the $4.50 they talk about here (they cost $4.50 when you buy at the health food store). 40 grams of protein in one drink is really packing a punch. And you really need that, especially now. Here is from a recent post: "i am 4 days post op...my friend found the best protein ever! it is called Isopure and it comes in glass bottles...tons of flavors...i've liked all of the flavors except passion fruit...they are about $4.50 a bottle...each bottle is sugar free no carbs and has 40 grams of protein and they are very easy to drink and very good." There are a lot of other opinions on Protein Drinks and supplements. If you want more info try running a search on the forum. You'll see there are also a lot of other choices. If you are one week post op, on a liquid diet, and hungry, the it's time to hit the protein!!

I found (and many others say) that the best way to deal with hunger at this phase is to drink things with a lot of Protein. If you have protein supplements mix them into what you are drinking. Or go to the health food store and get protein shakes. A lot of them are really not too bad. They really make a difference with the hunger. I also agree with mary to call your doctor's office. They will have suggestions for you on what to eat and also help motivate you to follow the rules. It is important right at this time to let yourself heal. This phase passes quickly.

I understand where you are hailing from on this, Wheetsin, and of course one comment from a man doth not endeth a marriage. But when you read the posts from janiee, you must admit, one can hear the echoes of much more than this one comment.

Hey, colorful PB is a positive. Remember, the cup is half full of orange PB.

It's hard to know too much from just one post, and there may be more to the story. But from just the description you provide your husband's behavior is off the chart of "normal marital ups and downs." I agree with Cascadian's description of the behavior as sadistic. It's hard to imagine having any sort of a loving relationship with a sadistic person. It sounds to me that your world at home is so disfunctional and corrosive to the spirit that fixing that is a good bit more important for your health than even losing weight. I would seriously consider getting yourself free from this situation and then figuring out the weight loss later, especially since you say your husband will not go to counseling. The lap band is not that expensive. You can find a way to do it on your own when the time is right. Of course, it's easy for me to say this posting on a forum. And all I have to go on is just your one brief description of your situation. But from what you tell us, your situation is cancerous and simply intolerable. I would think about dealing with that first.

The auctioneer at the wedding was pretty funny.

So I guess you don't like the "beard combovers" they showed in that Superbowl ad? I can't understand why. I think they look great. I'm starting to grow my beard out now so I can comb it over just for the look of it. I'm not even bald.

Yes, my tastes have changed as well. I used to love bread, Pasta, pizza. I ate sandwiches all the time. Now I don't even think about that stuff because there is no room for it anymore. With a smaller stomach you have to be pretty deliberate about eating nutritious food. If you use up the room you have stomach on fluff, you can become weak. For a while my biggest problem was finding a way to get in enough calories to avoid feeling weak. How's that for a change of perspective. And when I do eat I often find that I enjoy it even more than I did before. I have to eat slowly and chew very well so this sort of forces a person to really taste the food. In the past I would just stuff the food in without paying much attention in a sort of shark-like feeding frenzy. Food just has a different role now. Now I enjoy the amount I need to feel healthy, rather than wallowing in a feeding trough in response to some sort of a compulsion. I do want to mention that I am not suggesting that everyone has or will have the same type of experience I do. One of the more interesting things about the band is that there is so much variety in the way different people experience it. I'm just describing my own experience.

I just want to say how excited I am that I have found a solution to my PB problem, at least for now. I decided to try the papaya enzymes that people talk about, and they work really well for me. Holding my breath did not help at all. But the papaya enzyme works for me better than I could have hoped. I've been banded about a month and I have been very, very restricted so far, unable to eat anything, even mushies, most of the time. When I've tried to eat solid food or mushies I've gotten "stuck," and felt the golf ball, and ended up PBing, almost every day for the last couple weeks. I've really been worried about it because I know I can risk a slip that way. So, I went to the health food store yesterday and bought some papaya enzyme tablets. They taste sweet, are sort of chalky, and dissolve in your mouth easily. They are not unpleasant at all. Last night I ate a few bites of pot roast. I chewed it really well and ate very small bites, but I still knew for sure this would get stuck. I figured I'd just PB it up if the papaya enzyme did not work. So, I felt it get stuck, I felt the golf ball, I felt the the hiccups, then the slime starting. I popped in a few papaya enzyme tablets, chewed them up, and the golf ball subsided in less than a minute, I was unstuck shortly thereafter, and felt fine in a few minutes. I tried it again today with chicken with the same result. I have no idea why this works for me, and I have no way of knowing whether it will continue to work. But it has worked great so far. I'm so relieved. For those who PB a bit more often than they would like, I say give this a try.

Hi Cascadian. I ain't no expert, but I'll chime in with a few observations. What you are saying is essentially correct. The idea with the band is that after you eat a few bites you will feel stuffed. But it's not quite that simple. To try and give you an example, did you ever try and use rabbit ears to get a picture adjusted on one of those old black and white TVs? If you did you will recall that you had to constantly adjust the rabbit ears. It was tough to get the picture just right. And even if you did, it was likely to change the next day, or the next week. The band is sort of like that. When you have it working just right, you feel stuffed after a few bites. But it needs adjustment in the form of "fills" and "unfills" until you and your doctor settle on just the right amount of "restriction." When you find that perfect restriction it is called the "sweet spot." You can reach it after one fill. You can also miss it after 9 fills. A few people say they never find it. Some people have it just from the surgery and never need any fills. So, it's really hard to predict how the adjustment process will work for you. But once you get it adjusted right, the band does effectively control stomach hunger. But it's just a tool, and head hunger is your own responsibility. The band can't help with that, and some people do manage to defeat the band eating chips and ice cream and never lose any weight. (A few people also don't lose weight when they seem to be doing everything right, but those people are pretty rare.) Yes, a McDonalds cheeseburger is a big portion with the band. But beyond that, you may well not be able to eat something like that. Probably more than half the bandsters have trouble eating bread at all. And more than that, since you are so limited in what you can eat, you need to really pay attention to getting the nutrients your body needs into the little amount you are able to eat. With that in mind, you would rarely want to waste the space on worthless fluff like a McDonalds hamburger bun. Bandster nutritionists recommend that you start with Protein items, then eat vegies and maybe some fruit. You also need to take a Vitamin supplement and Calcium supplement, and drink a lot of Water (which is a big task in itself, since most people can't take big gulps with the band). I also have started taking some cod liver oil to get the Omega 3. So that's a little overview of information I've learned from reading a lot of posts on this forum and a little bit of personal experience. Good luck getting it all figured out. So far I'm feeling like I've really done a good thing here by getting banded.

I just wanted to pass along my experience with this item. I've been banded for almost a month and I've been having an awful time with too much restriction. Much of the time I have not been able to eat anything solid at all, even mushies have been too much. At least 2/3 of the time I've tried to eat anything beyond liquids, I've participated the ritual we all know and love, the PB. I've been PBing almost every day for a while, which is really not good, especially so soon after surgery. This has been quite a concern to me. So, I've spent some time here on the forum looking for how to avoid PBs. It seems that holding your breath works for a lot of people. It does nothing at all for me. I've seen talk of pineapple juice and meat tenderizer. I'll try the pineapple juice. I'm not too keen on tenderizing my innerds if I can avoid it. I've also seen mention of papaya enzyme. I was quite skeptical about it, to be honest, but I thought I'd give it a try. So yesterday I went to the health food store and bought some papaya enzyme tablets. I ate a few bites of pot roast, very tender, chewed to smithereens, swallowed it. And, of course, as usual I got stuck. The golf ball came next. Hiccups were not far behind. And I knew that the slime was hearing the call to duty. A PB was minutes away. So, I opened my little bottle of papaya enzyme. They are sweet tasting chalky little things that dissolve quickly in the mouth. Nothing unpleasant about them. Almost immediately the golf ball started to subside. Within about a minute I was unstuck. This is the first time since I've been banded that I experienced a golf ball that did not lead to a PB. I was impressed. I tried it again today and it worked again. Not only that, I've been able to eat some solid items without getting stuck at all. So, I don't really understand how any of this works. I don't know if it will continue to work. But the papaya enzyme has had a remarkable effect on me so far. I'm pretty happy about it. I feel like I can finally start to eat food again. Besides that, my port incision has healed nicely now. I feel like I am finally a living, breathing bandster, instead of a person recovering from surgery. :clap2:

Hi Mini, honestly the best place to start is to read this thread: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/weight-loss-people-t21117.html?t=21117&highlight=older This topic has come up a lot lately. I'm 54 and banded about a month now. I'm happy I did it. Remember, 60 is the new 40. Best of luck on your journey.