Acadia

I had it, you can still have it with an outward navel, you'll just have a bit of a visible scar, they actually cut just above the belly button (but on people who are overweight it looks like it's on the inside). It's also not always single incision. I had a very tiny extra incision and a little dot incision. The former was to get a better view with the camera, the latter was for a suture to hold the liver out of the way rather than inserting an instrument to do it (less invasive). The recovery is much faster, you can do it as outpatient (reduces costs dramatically), and overall you'll have a better experience faster simply due to having fewer incisions and less moving around inside your body. You may also be able to request that a plastic surgeon come in (your surgeon may be able to do it too) and make your outie and innie at the same time (umbilicoplasty) - they may be able to accommodate that if that's something you're interested in. That way your scar will be completely hidden in your new navel.

It definitely helps to watch the surgery to understand what's going to happen to you. It will remind you why you need to listen to your Dr and take it easy the first 4-6 weeks.

I suggest sticking with what your Doctor suggests. There's a reason he told you to do that particular diet. If you can't handle 7 days without solid food you may want to reconsider surgery. 7 days of inconvenience for the benefit of the rest of your life. If you really want some solids, make Jello with Isopure Zero Carb as the cold Water. It's a semi-solid, will provide you with Protein, and will help you feel full. And the IsoPure tastes great. If you don't know where to get it call a Gold's Gym, GNC, or the hospital where you have your surgery may sell it in their pharmacy. I was on the 7 days preop Protein Drink only diet and it sucks, but you'll lose some weight, and you'll be in a much better position when you have surgery and adapting to what will likely be a liquid diet for a week after surgery. Also - try a few shakes with carbs in them, they will help with your headaches.

For the first few days you may only be able to get down 24 or so ounces easily if that (my Dr figured I'd get down about 8 oz the first day, around 16 oz the second day, and so forth). You're very swollen and healing. Watch the surgery on YouTube to see what kind of trauma you've just gone through. That will put it into perspective. And you don't need to be eating Jello at this point if you aren't able to tolerate it. You likely won't be able to eat much or drink much for the first few days, I was on liquids for 7 days. It's okay to stay on liquids, just be sure to be drinking Protein shakes to get some calories and protein. Don't drink only Water, you need calories, protein, and carbs right now to heal.

I suggest you ask your Dr to do your fills under fluorscopy so he can see the port clearly and you'll only get one stick. Earlier in this board there are mentions of people having their port poked so many times that a hole forms and they have to have a revision. For my fill today they gave me a lidocaine shot, which I don't like because it stings going in and you can build up a sensitivity to it. However, my fill was done under fluoroscopy so it was a single stick and the whole thing was done in about 15 seconds. She did say that if the first three fills go well then she will do blind fills in the office (there's no charge for in-office fills as some Drs can't charge for them when they're done in the office), but will add in a fill under fluorscopy every 3rd fill after the first three to make sure everything is still okay. Fluorscopy may be more expensive (most insurance will cover the total cost) - and there's no copay - but the benefits far outweigh the cost. You get to see if your band is positioned correctly, if the tubing is in good shape, if the port is in the right position, and more. It's nice to have the reassurance that everything looks like it's supposed to.

If your Dr. knows where your port is and is sure there are no issues then going in blind may be fine. But the first 2-3 fills should be done under fluoroscopy. It's the only way your Dr. will be able to see But doing them under fluorscopy allows your Dr to see issues before they happen like port flipping, band twisting, band slipping, too tight a fill etc. Considering how many times I've read on here, and heard from people, about their tubing getting caught up, about their port flipping, about their fill being too much, about their band slipping after an appointment, and on, and on, and on... doesn't it make sense to pay a little more to have the reassurance that everything is fine and you won't be paying for surgery to fix a problem or for an unfill? Or if you do have to pay for something you can find out before it's a huge issue. For those with insurance there are ways that your Dr. can bill so insurance covers fluoroscopy completely.

You may want to consider NOT working out so much. Seriously. If you work out every day you're not giving your muscles time to repair themselves and grow. Instead of working out every day start doing it every other day. Or even every third day. Cardio is fine every day to a point - if you do all leg cardio then you're stunting your leg muscle growth. And when you do weights do heavy weights, so you can only lift them 5-8 times per set. You won't get huge, but you will build muscle, which will burn more fat. You may gain during this phase, but if you're taking your measurements you'll see that they change (and go down where it counts - waist, hips : and go up where it counts - biceps, thighs). If you don't believe this will work do a little research on HIT (High Intensity Training): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_intensity_training Look up Kettlebell swings: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2011/01/08/kettlebell-swing/ Less can be much much more when you're working out.

I'd suggest two days of liquids, two days of soft foods, two days of mushies, then ween yourself back to eating full servings. And measure everything to keep your intake around 1.0-1.5 c per meal (depending what you're eating - 1.5 c of Soup may be perfect but 1.5 c of Pasta may be too much). And track your food on paper or online (fitbit.com / thedailyplate.com / sparkpeople.com). You may be surprised what and how much you're eating. Going back to where you started will get you back on track because it will help shrink your stomach a little bit and will make you mindful of what you're eating again.

I'm really surprised that doctors are doing fills without fluoroscopy - especially the first fill. That's the Doctor's first time to see the band position, the pouch size, the restriction you currently have, how the fill affects your restriction and much more. There's no guessing involved. It may cost more, but isn't it worth it to pay and know you'll get a fill that is appropriate for you for your current state?

Your Dr. should be doing them under fluoroscopy to begin with. If he's doing them without then he's doing them blind, so he can't see the band's position, how big your pouch is, how the restriction you have is impacting how food and liquid flow through, how the fill affects your restriction and much more. I would demand all of your fills be processed under fluoroscopy.

Good point about food temperature. I haven't had any issues with hot or cold foods yet - but then again I don't get a fill until tomorrow. Something to keep in mind, the band is squeezing on all sorts of nerves, pumps, ducts, vessels, etc. so it's bound to change how your digestive system functions and how well you tolerate different foods.

Very well said. If you haven't reached the point of being ready to make the changes that are required, which truly does require a lot of willpower, then hold off for a bit. You may even want to have a few meetings with the psychiatrist who will be doing your evaluation. I can tell you that the three appointments I had with mine, before she would write the report the Dr. required, were incredibly helpful in truly realizing what my issues were and how the band could help me control them. And those appointments helped me realise that I really was ready. Remember, the band is just a tool. It will reduce the amount you can eat, but won't change what you eat or how much you move.

Once the wounds are 100% healed shut, no scabs, then you can take a bath, swim, etc.

A 'cheat' day is okay once in a while (generally once a week or once every two weeks). Increase your calories by 300-500 (which isn't much when you record what you're eating). It will make your weight go up because of the sodium if you eat sodium heavy foods. But a week later you should notice that your weight is actually down over that longer term.

I chew it every day, as long as you don't swallow it you're fine. The action of chewing gum will produce more gas though so be prepared for some belching.

It could be that your husband's company put that exclusion clause in. It's not specific to insurance but the employer. They decide if they'll cover it or not. If it's excluded in the handbook then chances are, you have absolutely no recourse to get approved.

Call your insurance and ask for the prerequisites. Every insurance is different. Also - depending on the type of company you work for, they may have additional requirements.

Care Credit.

Protein won't prevent your hair from falling out. The damage is already done. Your hair grows in three phases, and at any given time 10-15% of your hair is dead and falling out, which is 50-100 strands per day. This phase lasts for 3 months. When you induce trauma (surgery) you can also cause your hair to fast forward through a phase. Take Biotin every day (sublingual), make sure you're taking your B Vitamins, and a Multivitamin. The ANAGEN Phase This is the first phase of your hair growth cycle which is also known as the growing phase. At any one time, 80 - 90 percent of your hair follicles on your scalp are in the ANAGEN phase. During this period Your hair grows continuously The growing will continue for 3 to 7 years Grows at the rate of half an inch a month The hair bulb produces your hair pigment Blood supply provides nutrients and minerals to your hair Looks thick and nourished The CATAGEN Phase After the ANAGEN phase, your hair will turn into a transitional phase before going to rest. This short phase is known as the CATAGEN phase which last for 2 to 4 weeks. During this time, Your hair detaches from the blood supply The detached follicle will slowly shrink to about 1/6 its size The hair bulb stops producing the color pigment The bulb will be pushed upwards towards the surface when the new hair is formed Approximately 2 - 3 % of your hair will be in this phase in your scalp The TELOGEN Phase This is the final phase of your hair growth cycle. It is also known as the resting phase where your hair follicles will slowly fall off and replaced by a new hair. Around 10 - 15 % of the hair in your scalp will be in TELOGEN phase 50 - 100 hairs from this phase will shed daily This period lasts for 3 months before the hair falls out The hair follicles become weak and thin and you can easily pull them out - new hair follicle will emerge once the hair the hair falls.

Take your measurements. You may not be losing weight on a scale but you may actually still be losing weight. Just last week my weight plateaued. It fluctuated throughout the week but I ended where I started. Rather disheartening. But, I lost 2.8 inches. I admit I was upset when I saw that I didn't lose anything, but then when I took my measurements I was pleasantly surprised. Take the following measurements: Neck Chest (under breast) Biceps Forearm Wrist Waist (narrowest part) Belly Button Hips Thigh Calf Ankle You may be pleasantly surprised. Also - increase your calories. Less than 1,200-1,400 is going to put you into starvation mode where you'll start retaining every calorie you eat. And once a week add about 300-500 calories extra (which isn't much, a couple of pieces of bread, a bowl of Cereal, etc.) That will spark your body to expect more calories, thus it burns a bit more, and you lose more weight. Sounds odd but it works.

Your body may be developing an intolerance to them. It's quite common actually. I'd say stop drinking Milk and OJ. You don't need either of them - they're empty calories. You can get the Calcium and Vitamin D you need from Vitamins, which you should be taking anyway, and too much Vitamin C is linked to kidney stones. Chances are, you're getting more than enough just by eating and taking your vitamins. A few things to consider about Orange juice - it's really not good for your system. And I know this could get a lot of responses but take a look at this (fully documented by Tim Ferris - The Four Hour Body): THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT: FRUCTOSE Can fruit juice really screw up fat-loss? Oh, yes. And it screws up much more. Not to speculate, I tested the effect of fructose in two tests, the first during a no-fructose diet (no juice, no fruit) and the second after one week of consuming 14 ounces-about 1.5 large glasses-of pulp-free orange juice upon waking and before bed. The orange juice was the only thing distinguishing diets A and B. The changes were incredible. Before (10/16, no fructose) and after (10/23, orange juice): Cholesterol: 203 -> 243 (out of “healthy” range) LDL: 127 -> 165 (also out of range) There were two other values that shot up unexpectedly: Albumin: 4.3 -> 4.9 (out of range) Iron: 71 -> 191 (!) (out of range aka into the stratosphere) Albumin binds to testosterone and renders it inert, much like SHBG (discussed in “Sex Machine”) but weaker. I don’t want either to be out-of-range high. Bad for the manly arts. If you said “Holy sh*t!” when you saw the Iron jump, we’re in the same boat. This result was completely out of the blue and is not good, especially in men. It might come as a surprise, but men don’t menstruate. This means that men lack a good method for clearing out excessive iron, which can be toxic. The increase in iron was far more alarming to me than the changes in cholesterol. Here is just one of several explanations from the research literature: In addition to contributing to metabolic abnormalities, the consumption of fructose has been reported to affect homeostasis of numerous trace elements. Fructose has been shown to increase iron absorption in humans and experimental animals. Fructose intake [also] decreases the activity of the copper enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduces the concentration of serum and hepatic copper. The moral of the story? Don’t drink fruit juice, and absolutely avoid a high-fructose diet. It doesn’t do the body good.

After one week I was approved for 25 lbs. After two weeks 50+ lbs. I was able to comfortably lift around 10 lbs four days post op. Then a week post op I was fine with 25 lbs. Then by two weeks I was back to working out with a 55 lbs kettlebell. Just go at what feels comfortable with you. And get a belly/back belt, it will help.

After surgery you can eat pretty much anything -- in moderation -- small and deliberate bites. It definitely teaches you to indulge carefully.

Think about military exercises. I had two car accidents and couldn't use weights or machine for two years. Here's what I did: Three sets of 20 situps (normal) -- Abs / core Three sets of 20 air squats - Legs / core Three sets of 1 minute plank - Whole body / core Three sets of 20 pushups (use knee pushups if you're not core steady enough to do full pushups) - Upper body / core Three sets of 20 situps (bicycle, side twist, reach, anything other than normal) - Abs / core The whole workout takes about 30-40 minutes. You can also incorporate wall pushups, jumping jacks, leg lifts, etc. Your focus should be to strengthen your core, it will make everything else easier. If you can get any single piece of equipment get a kettlebell. Around 35 lbs - 55 lbs and do kettlebell swings. They are a full body workout and the whole workout takes about 20 minutes twice a week.

It's normal to be hungry, remember that the first 4-6 weeks are for healing so don't count calories. Once you get to mushies or solids though you'll have to really minimize what you eat so it doesn't get stuck and so you don't get overfull too quickly.