Dave_NW

I always liked how Jack Lalanne said it. He ate "whole" foods, and lived to be a gazillion years old. He said when you go in the grocery store, shop the perimeter only and don't go up and down the center aisles. That way you'll get the vegetables and fruit, dairy, meats, and such (in most stores.) The center aisles are all the processed food and empty calories. His other very wise saying was "If man made it, don't eat it." I can't argue with that. Dave

Wishing you nothing but the best of luck with your surgery Jack. Remember all you've researched, trust your instincts, and follow your doctor's instructions. Three major points to keep at the forefront: Walk till you think you'll drop, sip Water till you think you'll float, and use painkillers as needed. You'll be fine. I'll make room for you on the Bandsters Bench. See you there! Good luck! Dave

How's your sleep quality? I had chronic tiredness a few years ago, until I had a sleep study done. They discovered I don't have sleep apnea, but I do have restless leg syndrome. I wasn't getting rest because I kept moving around in my sleep. Dave

This is a little late, since your flight was last night. So you probably already have your answer. But my understanding is that the altitude change and pressure inside an aircraft can cause the band to get tight. But once you've landed, unless you're at an extreme elevation change, things should normalize out. Not everyone has a problem. I flew last weekend on a short commuter flight, and didn't notice anything unusual. Dave

I think you're right to have had enough with comments like that. But it seems most are being expressed by inappropriate people in inappropriate places. The people may mean well, but the choosing of time and place needs to be adjusted. And as for Facebook: I have a FB page, have lot of friends and family members as Friends and I have ZERO posted there about my surgery or the weight I've lost. I know the Internet is a neverending story, and I choose not to hang my weight loss laundry there. If I want to share pictures of myself, I email them directly to the person, with requests to not share the image, or express permission to share it. So far, everyone has respected my request. At the end of the day, it sounds like your friends and coworkers are trying to congratulate you for a job well done. But it seems like they need to understand boundaries. Not sure at all how to handle such a situation... Good luck! Dave

Welcome aboard, Jim. You're in the right place. Be sure to ask any questions that you don't find answers to. Good luck! Dave

I'd say don't be too hard on your family and friends. They want you to succeed, but don't know quite how to approach this sort of surgery. My experience has been that people tend to adopt a "wait and see" attitude. If they've been around me any length of time, it started as a matter of "Here we go again - another diet!" But after surgery, as the weight started to fall off, those same people stepped right up and were quite interested in how I'm doing. After the few "You've lost so much weight, are you sick???" questions some people asked, and I tell them I was banded, virtually everyone asks how I'm doing, if I'm having any problems, how does it work, and such. But unless they have a weight issue themselves, they don't really have a point of reference. So I don't hold it against them if they don't ask a lot of things up front. Where I have to be very careful is about getting on my soapbox toward anyone who is obese and who could benefit from surgery. One woman at work was initially very interested, asked me a lot of questions about it, and all that, but has since done nothing about it. I've lost 85 pounds in 5 months, and she's probably gained 25 n the same period. When I see her in the hallway at work she ALWAYS has some kind of food item or fancy coffee drink in her hand. She invariably says "Hi Skinny!" when she sees me, and it's all I can do ti bite my tongue to keep from saying "Hi Fatty!" back at her. Then I realize that weight loss is a highly personal thing, and I hope if she ever gets to the point where she's had enough with being obese that she'll ask me. In the meantime I just have to allow myself to be "that guy at work who had lap band surgery and lost a lot of weight." And that's a title I don't mind at all. Dave

I think there may be some confusion here. Tricare Prime WILL pay for the sleeve, if it's done at a military hospital. They WON'T pay for the sleeve at a civilian facility. At least that's how they do it here in Washington state. When I started this I could have had the sleeve done, if I wanted to wait for an opening at Madigan Army Hospital. It would have been several months' wait, and I don't live near Madigan, so I opted not to wait, and I had band surgery in Seattle instead. So before you commit to a surgery you don't necessarily want, be sure to check out all your options. Dave

I have pretty good restriction (9cc in a 14cc band) and find that how I'm eating is more crucial than what I'm eating, in terms of getting stuck. If I take too large a bite, don't chew properly, or eat too quickly, I'm headed for a stuck episode with just about anything. But if I slow down, take a proper sized bite, and chew properly, I can eat most anything. If there is a food that doesn't seem to matter, and that usually gets stuck, it's bread. So I usually eat sandwiches without the bread. Or I'll toast it. For some reason, toasted bread rarely gets stuck, where plain bread usually does. Stuck episodes for me are the sensation that I feel the food isn't moving easily through the band. I put down my fork, relax and let things work themselves through. Within a minute or two the item has passed through, and I can continue with my meal. I have never PB'ed, and only slimed once. And that was due to my own reaction to getting stuck one of the first times. (Salsa and chips at a Mexican restaurant.) I have since learned how to deal with being stuck, and it's pretty simple. But now I'm much more cautious when I eat. Don't rule out slider foods as a source of good nutrition. Sometimes you need to eat something healthy and filling without a lot of effort. If that's a slider, then it's not necessarily a bad thing. My go-to food is Wendy's Chili. It's small portion is 220 calories and 18g of Protein. Quick and easy. Even my Nutritionist is on board with it, and she's a seriously tough nut. There are bad sliders, certainly, like ice cream and such, but you don't need to avoid good sliders, if they fit into your eating plan. Dave

Welcome, Josh, to both you and your anonymous wife. Congratulations on your decision to get things in control. I'm retired Navy, and didn't really start gaining weight till I left the military, so I can relate to your situation. There is a wealth of information here from people at all levels on this journey. Don't hesitate to ask questions. The more educated you are about the process, the better time of it you'll be able to make. It takes effort and planning to be successful, but there are many who have gone before you. Have a seat, and keep reading. Good luck! Dave

There are a number of them different people like. My preference is for the Premier brand. They sell them at costco, but I'm sure you can get them elsewhere, too. http://www.premiernutrition.com/ I like them because of their fresh taste, and how satisfying they are. They come in three different types, are quite filling, and most important - they don't taste like cardboard. I really like their ready-to-drink Protein shakes, too. The bars average about 270 calories each, but contain 30g of protein. I use them as Meal Replacements when I'm in the car, stuck at my desk at work, or when I think I need a snack. (I eat about a third of one at a time, and follow bandster eating/chewing rules.) It works well for me, and I find I don't have to worry about what I'm going to eat, if other foods aren't readily available at mealtime. Hope this helps. Dave

I had two hernias repaired during my surgery. One was a hiatal hernia they found during an endoscopy prior to surgery. The other was a ventral hernia I asked to have repaired during surgery. I figured as long as they were going to be under the hood, they may as well do a full tune-up. I didn't understand what symptoms a hiatal hernia can exhibit, but learned after the fact that excess heartburn is one of the primary symptoms. Pre-op, I used to get heartburn regularly. After surgery, with the hiatal hernia repaired, I have had ZERO heartburn events, regardless of what I've eaten. It was like flipping a switch. The ventral hernia was a different matter. That's also called an umbilical hernia, even though ventral hernia is the preferred term. It's where the abdominal wall tears, and part of your insides push through the opening, making a bump. Mine was right above my navel, and stuck out a fair amount. During surgery they cut the rest of the muscles, inserted a mesh across my abdomen, then stitched the muscles back into place, holding everything inside. Combined with everything else I went through, the pain from the hernia repairs wasn't exceptional. But since my recovery was from banding and two hernia repairs, I can't say how bad any part of it would have been. I took three weeks off work to recover, mainly due to the ventral hernia repair, and I was glad I had that much time available. Dave

Yay Rick! Feels great, doesn't it? I love finding clothes at regular stores. As I've been losing I've made a point of cleaning out my closet regularly. If I try it on and it doesn't fit right, out it goes. Life is too short to keep old clothes I don't ever intend to wear again. I was in tight 3X shirts when I started this. It wasn't long before I blew through 2X, and I'm now wearing XL shirts. Pants have followed similar size changes. My blue jeans started out in the 44-46 waist range, but the last pair I bought are a comfortable 36 waist. Needless to say, I'm thrilled. Congrats to everyone who is getting smaller! Dave

Call Tricare back and ask them to tell you who they want you to see IN NETWORK, then make some phone calls and ask ahead of time about whether that clinic accepts Tricare, and if they are an approved surgical center. You might also call known surgical centers in your area and ask which surgical centers take Tricare. If you ask the right questions, you should be able to find out who can help you the most. You should also be able to talk to your medical center on base and ask them who does the surgery under Tricare. I went through something similar up here near Seattle. I got a referral (at my request) to an outfit called Northwest Weight Loss Surgery. I went to their free seminar, and scheduled an office visit. When I called to discuss the scheduled appointment, I was told they'd take the payment Tricare would make, but that I'd be on the hook for the difference, which could easily be over $10,000. I said No thanks, and canceled that appointment. Tricare then sent me to a surgeon in network who does accept Tricare. I went to see him, and had a great visit. Nice guy, and is a sleeve patient himself. It was only at the end of the appointment that I learned his clinic had not yet been approved for performing the surgery. So even though he was a bariatric surgeon who accepted Tricare, he couldn't help me because Tricare wouldn't let him do the surgery. He did offer to do my aftercare and fills, if I wanted him to. That surgeon was the one who gave me names of other surgeons in my area who performed the surgery. I called them and asked whether they took Tricare as full payment for surgery. I found one I'd heard of, did my research, and finally I was on my way. i wasted three months with this rigamarole. But once the ball started rolling, thigns went smoothly. Good luck! Dave

I have the Bodymedia FIT armband. That's the same thing as the Body Bugg, made by the same people, except it also measures sleep quality. Mine used bluetooth to sync with my Droid Incredible phone. I had issues with it at first, because it only would sync to the phone the first time I tried it, and not again after that. But Bodymedia put out a new software version recently, and now it works perfectly. No issues at all. So those YouTube videos may have been made before this latest update. The armband is awesome. I wear it 24/7, and rely on it daily to take care of the "paperwork" part of my weight loss. I log my meals properly every day, including making my own recipes and meals, then adding them to the catalog. I use it to confirm my progress on a given day, and track where my weight loss has been over the last several months. I swear by it, and recommend it highly to anyone who wants to let go of the mundane details of their day to day progress. Dave

Stan, you and I have compared notes offline, and one thing I don't think I've mentioned is that I've exchanged eating anything and everything (sometimes twice as much twice as often) for looking for healthy ways to increase my weight loss. One thing I've done is focused very clearly on exercise. I've made it a part of my daily routine, so much so that I won't let myself eat dinner unless I've worked out first. And if I skip a day at the gym I really feel it. By making my daily stop at the gym part of my drive home after work, I'm "forced" to get my workout into my daily activities. I know once I get home, I'm not likely to go back out to the gym, so I make that part of my overall workday. So in a sense I've traded my daily overeating bad habit for daily working out good habit. It's a win-win for me. Dave

Stan, wait till you've lost a fair amount of weight, and you bump into people who haven't seen you in awhile. I usually get "Oh, you look so different! ARE YOU SICK?" I work at a hospital, so maybe my coworkers are predisposed to thinking that way, but it's kind of strange that they automatically assume I'm gravely ill to have (finally) lost weight. Dave

Thanks, Rachel. I'm sorry the post was so long. I laughed when I read it back and saw where I'd said I'd try to be brief. LOL! Dave

When I was on the liquid diet, everything tasted sweet to me, even if it didn't have added sugar in it. The boredom factor was wearing on me pretty heartily. When I finally started back on solid foods, I literally had to retrain my taste buds, because food tasted different to me. I'd lost my sugar addiction by then, and no longer craved sugary foods. Even coffee tasted bad. It was really strange. Within a few weeks things got back to a degree of normal, and I was more myself. I could even drink coffee again. But my desire to eat sugary foods was gone - and still is. It's funny how we develop eating habits that have little to do with actual taste. (How many people do you know who season their food with salt and/or pepper before tasting it? How do they KNOW it'll need seasoning? Answer; They don't. It's a habit.) Dave

Welcome aboard, guys. And good luck with your surgeries! Dave

Dave, you can't compare food portions post-banding with food portions pre-banding. That's because it's completely different. Once you're healed up and start getting fills, (usually starting about six weeks after surgery), you won't be able to eat like you once did, and you won't want to. The placement of the band at the top of the stomach puts pressure on the Vagus nerve, which controls hunger and production of ghrelin, the chemical that causes hunger pangs. So you'll eat a smaller meal, but the miraculous part is that you'll feel full after a small amount of food. And if you're feeling full, and are not hungry, you can safely stop eating without any problems. It doesn't matter that you only ate a fraction of what you used to, your stomach THINKS it's full. And that is the magic of the band. If you use it right, you can eat less and not feel like you are not eating a typical full meal. Once you get out of the habit of eating "big," you'll be able to focus on eating healthy, and eating smart. And the natural side effect of eating smart is weight loss. Easy, simple, and remarkable weight loss. You made a comment in your reply to my last post that it's our culture, and that everything is about food. I used to think that, too. Then I learned that holidays are about family. Food is just something we do to have a reason to get together. My family still knows and loves me as much as before. And we still get together. They eat "big," and I eat what I want, until I'm done. I still socialize and enjoy the time together, but the one difference is I eat less than I used to. Oh yeah, and I take up a lot less room at the table. Okay, you asked about my recovery. I'll try to be brief. Ask me if you want to know more about anything: I had surgery Monday, December 6, 2010. My doctor did not require a pre-op liquid diet. They put me on high Protein, low carb instead, to try and shrink my liver. I only had to do one day of clear liquids, on the day before surgery. During the surgery itself I had a hiatal hernia and a ventral hernia repaired, so where most band patients end up with five or six incision sites, I ended up with thirteen. I spent two nights in the hospital because they wanted to monitor my recovery, since mine was so involved. I was discharged on Wednesday, Dec. 8th. I had several weeks of sick time available to me from work, so I opted to take three weeks off work for recovery. My surgeon required three weeks of liquid diet after surgery. Nothing pureed or creamy. Only Protein shakes, and liquids you can see through. I had no appetite for quite awhile, and managed to get along drinking two ounces of Protein shake every hour from waking up till going to sleep - about 16 hours a day. In between the protein shakes I was drinking 64 ounces of Water daily, roughly four ounces per hour for those same 16 hours. Things went along normally for the first week, until I hit the only speed bump I've had. I discovered I was lactose intolerant, something I never knew. On the Monday one week after surgery I started having "dry heaves," but I wasn't throwing anything up. My body just had the wracking spasms that go with that. After consulting my surgeon (who was about two hours away), I made a trip to the Emergency Room. They gave me a single pill, and the urge to throw up instantly stopped. They found I was dehydrated, and gave me two bags of fluids via IV. After that I was fine. My Nutritionist and I went through trying a number of alternate liquids for protein shakes, different kinds of milk, soy, whatever, but nothing helped. I finally started drinking ready-to-drink shakes (Muscle Milk Light and/or Premier Protein Shakes, both of which were great, taste good, and filled me up perfectly with no side effects.) They worked great, and from there on out I was fine. At the three-week mark I went on soft foods for a week, (slider foods, thicker Soups, creamy stuf, and pureed foods.) It was like heaven. Then I did a week working my way back onto solid foods. The first thing I had was Wendy's Chili. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. It was amazing, and remains my "go to" food when I need a high protein meal that's easy to get, tastes great, and is perfectly band-safe. By the time I was back on solid foods, I felt absolutely normal. I can't feel the band at all, and I was ready for facing life as a bandster. At six weeks after surgery my hernia repair doctor (who had done his part during the band surgery) cleared me from all restrictions. I'd been on a "light duty" thing, not allowed to lift more than 15 pounds prior to that. On the same day, if I recall things correctly, my surgeon gave me my first fill. It was 3cc's, to go with the 3cc's he put in during the band placement surgery. So I was suddenly at 6cc's in a 14cc band. A month later I got another 2cc fill, which put me at 8cc's. A month after that I got a .5cc fill, putting me at 8.5cc's. And just today I got another .5cc, so I'm now at 9cc's. My surgeon's team and I agree I'm right at my sweet spot now, and I probably won't need any more major fills - just small .1cc or .2cc fills from here on out. My hunger is well under control, and I can go four hours or more without feeling hungry. You asked about my daily routine. For the last few months it's been pretty consistent: I've chosen to follow a modified South Beach kind of eating plan, with higher protein, lower glycemic carbs. I avoid (note I didn't say "never eat") fried foods, heavy sauces, and Desserts. So when I'm looking for a meal, I will gravitate toward a higher protein option. I eat "real world" food, not "diet food" because I know I have to function in my own life. I eat out in restaurants regularly. I don't drink alcohol, or anything with carbonation. I know some bandsters do, but I choose not to. I don't miss it. I do use artificial sweetener (Splenda, or one of its derivatives) when I want to sweeten something. I do drink coffee, tea, and unflavored iced tea often. When I wake up, I have a cup of coffee while getting ready for work. In the car while driving to work I have a ready-to-drink Premier Protein shake. (160 calories, 5grams of carbs, 3g sugar, and 30g of protein.) It kick starts my metabolism, and balances my blood sugar. About an hour after getting to work I have what I call a "naked sandwich." It's a Breakfast sandwich without any bread: A fried egg, a sausage patty, and slice of cheese. About 300 calories, and about 20g of protein. I'm good to go till lunch at that point. For lunch I usually have some solid protein, like a grilled chicken breast, roast beef, steak, pork loin, or similar. I may mix it in a salad, usually with a touch of a vinaigrette dressing. Sometimes I'll get a grilled turkey BLT sandwich, and set the bread aside. I'm fortunate to work at a hospital, and the cafeteria offers a pretty good selection of choices. If the volume of food is fairly large, like a full-sized sandwich, I usually only eat half of it during my lunch break. I take the rest back to my desk as leftovers, and I may or may not eat it as a mid-afternoon snack, if I need it. When I leave work I go directly to the gym, where I work out for about an hour or so. I usually ride a recumbent bike in the "fat burn" mode, but lately have been gradually adding some weight training. On my way home I may grab some dinner (like Wendy's Chili or their half-sized Apple Pecan Chicken salad. Maybe a Sourdough Chicken Club sandwich from Jack in the Box. Good stuff!) I don't get the "meal deal" at fast food places - so I'm not tempted by French fries or soft drinks, and I usually peel off the bun or bread and set it aside. Later in the evening, if I feel the urge to have a snack, I'll eat a cheese stick or two, or a cup of lowfat yogurt. I don't keep "trigger" foods in my house. No junk food, desserts, chips, or empty calories. And I drink water all day long. I keep a bottle of it with me at work, in the car, and at the gym, a tall glass with ice water at home, and anytime I'm awake. It really helps. If I go out to a restaurant for dinner, I try to select something higher in protein, and substitute steamed vegetables for any sort of potatoes. One favorite is at Olive Garden. They have a Steak Toscano. 12 ounces of grilled to order steak. I eat about a third at the restaurant, then take the rest home, where it makes two more meals. It's very filling, and the whole thing is only 400 calories and has 20g of protein. That's about all there is to it. As you can see, I'm following what works for me. I am NEVER hungry, I get in at least 100g of protein every day. I take my Vitamins and supplements daily, I drink lots of water, and I work out regularly. I was banded five months ago this past Monday, and as of today I've lost 83 pounds, with more to follow. My surgeon says I'm doing exactly what they expect, in terms of weight loss, and they are very encouraged that things are going so well for me. I hope this gives you some real world tips you can use. I learned what works for me, and I do my own thing in terms of how I eat, and what it means for me to be banded. I don't measure anything, and as I said, I drink with meals. But I eat slowly, I chew thoroughly, and I take small bites. All that is in deference to how the band works. I manage it, but I don't let it manage me. The rest is in the details, sorting out how to make the most of it. Hope this helps. Dave

You're freaking out about all the horror stories you've read. In truth, you likely won't experience most of those things, and maybe none of them. What will happen is that you'll find your own way with your band, and respond to how your body works. Keep in mind that those horror stories you read are only because the people who are having issues are asking for help. But for every one of those posts, there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of others who don't post here because they're having no problems at all. Only the people with problems or questions are posting in these forums. I drink with my meals. I have not vomited once since my surgery. If I get stuck, I know how and why I got there, and what to do about it. The stuck item usually passes within a minute or two, and life goes on. I drink a TON of water daily, with no issues at all. Now that I have proper restriction, I DO NOT GET HUNGRY like I used to. Forget about the four to eight ounces per meal thing. I eat normal food until I feel full. I feel satisfied, and I go about my day till it's time to eat again. Was that four to eight ounces? Oh, I guess maybe it may have been. But the point is that I ate till I felt I'd had enough. The focus goes off of food, and the constant pursuit of another 5000 calorie meal. It becomes a non-issue. Your system will change, and you will not be the glutton you once were. Neither will you be a slave to your former bad habits. If you sincerely want to change, you will. If you are looking for the band to fix your issues with food, you'll be disappointed. So if you feel this far in advance that you're going to fail, I strongly recommend you get the counseling you need to deal with your food issues before surgery. And also, Dave, read over what you posted in this thread. Do you honestly think that you can lose this weight successfully by yourself? By your admission, you are over 600 pounds. How may diets have you been on? How many times have you sworn that "This time things will be different?" You may have the best of intentions in the world, but you've come back time and again to a place where you're looking for some help. The band can be the tool you need to finally win the obesity battle. But you need to give it a chance. It can be removed, and if you really, honestly have that much of an issue with it, you can have it taken out. But my wager is that two or three months into things, once you start feeling the right amount of restriction, and you're tallying up the amount of weight you've lost with so little effort, you're going to have an epiphany about your life with the band, and you won't want to go back. I know that because I was just like you before my surgery. And now, they're going to have to pry this band out of my cold, dead body. Trust me. Good luck, man. You're going to be fine. Dave

Tricare will pay for the sleeve. But you have to have it done at a military base hospital. Here in Washington state, they do the sleeve, bypass, and banding at Madigan Army Hospital. That isn't convenient to where I live, so I opted to get the band instead at a civilian hospital closer to my home. If you really want to get the sleeve, make some phone calls. It may be easier to do than you think. Good luck! Dave

Pulling for you, Rob. Good luck! Let us know how it goes. Dave

Dave, as one Dave to another, welcome to the Forum. You are absolutely making the right choice for your life, and you're taking the first steps of getting things back in control. I congratulate you on having a realistic expectation of your life. Knowing you need to get things under control is a great place to start. Having said that, it's important that you also develop a sense of patience about this. Banding is not a magic bullet, a quick fix, or an easy way to eliminate your excess weight. You'll need to manage your diet, plan your days, learn to listen to what your body is telling you, and be as active in things as possible. It will take time, but if you do it right, you WILL lose weight. Very likely, a lot of weight. So be patient, be calm, be smart, and please educate yourself to the entire process of how banding will affect your life. The more you know, and the more you listen to your body, the better your experience will be. Focus on your future, not your past. It's easy to regret gaining all this weight, and to try to blame yourself or others for why it happened. The end fact is that you ARE morbidly obese, and you have taken the first steps on changing that. In a year or two or five, you'll be a new man. And when you walk your daughter down the aisle at her wedding, you'll be a completely different man. I sincerely wish you total success in this entire process. Search the Forums here for answers to your primary questions, and don't hesitate to ask for answers to things you don't understand. Above all, don't stress yourself out if something occurs you're not sure of. Banding is a mechanical process, but it's just that - a PROCESS. The device is a tool to be used to achieve your goals. It's part of the overall experience, and if it's managed properly, it can help you get to be where you want to be. You have a lot of people here who have a wealth of experience with banding. Keep coming here, keep reading, and be proactive in your life. You're going to feel a whole lot better. Congratulations for taking the first steps. Good luck! Dave