Dave_NW

The Muscle Milk Light from Costco in the 8.25oz size is the only Protein shake I'm drinking. Of everything I've tried, it's the one I tolerate best. Drink it very cold, and it's pretty easy. But if you try one and dislike it, Costco will take the rest back. Just tell them it didn't work out for you, and you'll get your refund. Dave

Bob, think about your kitchen sink. It has stuff in it. Open the drain, turn on the tap, and Water washes things right down the drain. Your band is similar. food in the pouch can be "washed down the drain" into your lower stomach by drinking during meals. By eating slower, and not drinking during meals, food stays in the pouch longer, and has more time to put pressure on the vagus nerve, resultng in you feeling "full" for a longer period of time. If you drink with meals, you flush things down, and you get hungry sooner. Everyone is different, but that's my understanding of how it's supposed to work. Dave

I agree with Melody. My surgeon says he puts in 14cc bands (when appropriate to the patient) because they just work better. Curious to see Fluffy's info. Dave

I can see the dichotomy you face. Maybe you should have a direct, face-to-face with him, and be frank. "I'm telling you as my chiropractor, and not as my client. I'm sharing this with you because I feel my chiropractor should know about this..." Or words to that effect. If he can make the distinction between the two hats he wears in your life, it may work the way you want. On the other hand, if you aren't comfortable, maybe it's time to find a new chiropractor. ??? Dave

Tori, it's as others have said - start with a referral from your PCM, and the rest falls directly into place. Just be sure your referral is to a Tricare-approved surgeon/clinic that is authorized to perform the surgery. I also live in Washington, and I have Tricare Prime. I just went through all this. I was referred to two different Tricare-approved places first, only to learn they don't/can't do the surgery. On the third go-round, I was finally referred to the right place, and everything was smooth sailing after that. If you're close to Ft. Lewis, they can do the surgery for you right at Madigan. They have surgeons on staff, and a very active bariatric program there. There are many others in your same shoes, so nobody will be judging you. In addition to lap band, they also do both RNY bypass AND the vertical sleeve gastrectomy, if either of those is a better option for you. I believe Madigan is the only place in Washington where you can get a sleeve surgery that Tricare will pay for. (I initially wanted to have that surgery, but found I could only get it at Madigan, which wouldn't work out for me. Banding was my second surgery choice.) If Madigan isn't an option for you, Swedish Hospital in Seattle is the next closest, I believe. (There may be others.) That's where I had my band surgery. Awesome program, excellent surgeons, great staff. They combine many appointments on the same day, which shortens the time from initial intake appointment to surgery approval. In my case it was about three weeks till I was approved by Tricare for surgery. Good luck with your journey! Dave

Melissa, can I just take a second to compliment you on your success? Your numbers are AWESOME, and your band guidelines read as a textbook case of how to properly live with a band. I will use these, if you don't mind, as a pattern for my own progress. I get my first fill in a few weeks, and I really want this to succeed. I'm nearly a third of the way to my goal, but I still have quite a ways to go yet. Congrats again, and wishing you continued success! :clap: Dave

As far as I know, it is only sold online. Dave

I was not maligning anyone. I was saying some doctors are more cautious than others, and mine happens to be extremely cautious. That was all I said. My 100% reference was about band placement and slippage, and his approach to how he allows his patients to progress into living with the band. It was not about how well that person performed after the fact. It was about healing from surgery. Let's not split hairs, ok? Dave

David, sorry to hear you're having trouble. You need to see your doctor. It sounds as if your band is too tight, and you need a small unfill. I would not go on your trip till you've resolved the issue. Good luck! Dave

I think you'll be fine. You'll probably be driving back to Flag, so the elevation increase will be slower. (Wave at my good friends who live there. ) I think the elevation thing is more about airplane heights - like tens of thousands of feet causing things to be tighter than at lower elevations. People get a fill one day, then jet off to wherever the next day, and develop an issue along the way. Just understand that your band tightness will change periodically. Good luck! Dave

You're right - I haven't read the book. But I am friends with several people who claimed to be experts on Atkins. They never ate carbs. Nobody I ever talked to on Atkins ate carbs. None of my friends are still on Atkins, and in fact, several of them are dead, from unexpected heart attacks and such at too-young of an age. So I made the leap that Atkins was anti-carb. Pardon the hell out of me for being mistaken. I was not criticizing you. But I think you'd agree it doesn't much matter what I think. Since you are obviously vehemently defensive of your desire to use Atkins, then go for it. Nobody here will stop you. I wish you success in your weight loss, and a safe and happy New Year. Dave

Hey Chad. Welcome to the party! Have a seat and join in the fun. All topics are welcome. Good luck with your journey! Dave

I think it's related to the surgeon, and his/her success rate. Those who are more cautious probably want to minimize the chances for problems, whereas those who aren't as experienced, or who aren't as concerned may be a bit more cavalier in allowing patients to move on to solids or whatever shortly after surgery. My surgeon insists on three weeks of liquid diet after surgery. That liquid diet is Protein shakes, broth, and Water. Period. No pureed anything, no Soup you can't see through, no yogurt, Jello or popsicles. He won't even allow patients to drink through a straw. His logic: He uses more stitches to put the band in place, so there is more to heal. He doesn't want slippage or stitches pulling out, so the band needs time to fully heal into place. After that three weeks, he skips patients directly to soft foods. No mushie stage. And three weeks after that, he gives the first fill (liquid diet for two days), then allows the patient to go on to solid foods. His success rate is virtually 100%. I can't argue with that kind of number. Dave

Before I had surgery I only told a few people I was having it done. After I was off work for three weeks and came back on a light-duty status, it was a bit harder to not tell people who asked after me. But when I came back to work substantially lighter than I was prior to surgery, they all commented on how much better I looked, and many asked if I'd had weight loss surgery. (I work at a hospital, so it's harder to hide stuff like that.) After trying to dodge things with some folks, I finally figured, "What the hell?" and I ended up telling anyone who asked about it what I had done. I don't care who knows. Everyone has been great about it, and some are openly jealous. One side effect is that several people have asked me about the surgery, about insurance, and where they can learn more about the process. The ones most interested are people who seriously need to have surgery, so maybe by being honest I may actually help some folks out. My Mom taught me to always tell the truth. That way you don't have to remember what you said. Dave

Kim, spend some time reading through some of the THOUSANDS of posts here about this process. Everyone has a different journey, and a different experience. There is no one answer that says everything. Check the forum titles, and work your way through it. You'll be better off for exerting a little effort. The more educated about things you are, the better your own experience will be. Good luck! Dave

I always had better success folowing a South Beach kind of diet - high Protein, low glycemic carbs. It felt more balanced than Atkins, which was so anti-carb. As one nurse bluntly put it to me, "You need sugar for your brain, you idiot!" LOL! Dave

I haven't yet had a fill. My first fill will be at six weeks after surgery, at the same time I'm cleared onto solid foods. After three weeks on liquids only (no mushies), last week I was cleared directly to soft foods, supplemented with Protein shakes. Over the last week I've tried various things, to learn by experience how to eat with a band in place. By and large I have little restriciton, since I only have 3cc's in a 14cc band. I've kept portions small, ate slowly, chewed well, and I stopped eating when I felt myself getting full. Foods I've tried over the last week include scrambled eggs with ricotta cheese, Wendy's chili (awesome stuff!), oatmeal, cottage cheese, thinly sliced turkey lunch meat, fried eggs, Breakfast sausage, baked potato Soup, pickled beets, corn chowder soup, chicken curry salad, a bit of teriyaki chicken, and some fresh fruit. Everything has been well tolerated, but I haven't pushed it. The closest I got to getting stuck was with the breakfast sausage, and with sliced peaches. In both cases I swallowed too large of a bite without chewing it down enough first. I immediately felt what was wrong, and waited till it had passed throguh the band before continuing. I have not gotten sick. Hope this helps, Dave

I hear ya. I know it'sa bonus at this point, but I was just so surprised to have things just stop so suddenly. Just wondering if it'll start dropping again at some point. Dave

I know not to expect a pound a day loss to continue like it was. I'm just surprised to experience the sudden change in loss. It's like as soon as I went on soft foods, the loss stalled. It's weird. I haven't been cleared for exercising yet. I had a hiatal hernia and a ventral hernia repaired during my band surgery, and my abdomnal muscles are still healing from their internal stitches. About all I've been able to do is walk - gently - so my activity isn't yet up to speed. My next doctor appointment is the middle of the month, and will includr my first fill, so I hope to be cleared for exercise at that time. Dave

The physical location of my band is apparent to me. If I press on the skin there, I feel a firmness that I don't feel if I press lower on my stomach. So in that sense, yes, I can feel the band. When I look at the area in the mirror, I see no outward sign of the band location. There is no internal feeling of the band, other than the sensation of something feeling stuck if I swallow too large a bite, or eat too fast. Then it's like a knot at the top of my diaphram, kind of like the sensation of a trapped gas bubble. By moving around a bit or drinking sips of Water, the stuck item passes through the band and into my lower stomach. It hasn't been that bad, but it is a way to make me focus on what I'm eating, chewing, and swallowing. Since the band is filled with Fluid, it is affected by barometric pressure. Its relative tightness will change as you travel up or down in elevation. That's why doctors don't recommend getting a fill right before you go on vacation - if you have an issue, you won't be near your doctor to fix the problem. Also be aware that women may experience more tightness during their TOM, due to fluid retention. Experienced bandsters say they learn to "listen to the band," in order to know how to approach their day. Dave

Hi All. I was banded December 6, and recovered from surgery pretty easily. Had a few sidetracks along the way, (like learning I am lactose intolerant), but overall, it's gone well. I was on Protein shakes and Water for three weeks, and lost a fair amount of weight. Now that I'm cleared for soft foods, I'm eating smart (I think) high protein meals, supplementing with Protein Shakes, and sipping the ever present water. I haven't eaten anything I'd consider "wrong" (no sweets, fried foods, no alcohol), and feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. So why has my weight loss stalled? Where I was losing about a pound a day, in the last week I've only lost two pounds, and today I'm actually up a pound. I'm confused. Anyone have ideas about this? Why is it happening, and what can/should I do about it? Thanks, Dave

What you're feeling right now is a false restriction, caused by stomach swelling from the band placement. In a few days your stomach will calm down, the swelling will go away, and you won't feel as much restriction. So when you eat or drink, you will notice you aren't feeling full as quickly. That's all normal. The performance of the band comes later. The calories you're eating right now are also less important. RIght now your task is to heal up from the surgery. Banding isn't instant, nor is it automatic. It takes time to get your system tuned up to best performance with the band you have. It will all come in time. For now, keep doing as you've been instructed. Over the next several weeks things will change, and you'll find you have a new "normal." Good luck! Dave

This is so weird. The last couple of days, my stomach has been itching. Not inside, but outside. It's like my skin can't stand to be contained under my clothes. It's localized on my stomach skin, not on my back or sides or chest. I get all antsy, and have to gently rub my skin under my shirt. (Not the best image, since I'm at work...) After awhile it goes away, but it comes back now and again. I'm not eating anything weird, don't normally have allergies, and I have no idea what's going on. It's like the nerves are misfiring or something. Anyone else experience this, or have any ideas what it may be? Dave

You may want to contact a good WLS clinic or hospital in your area, and ask to speak with their insurance coordinator. That would be the person who deals with insurance companies the most, and who may be able to help you sort through some of the paperwork required. It may be easier than you think to get approved. Good luck! Dave

The restriction you'll feel after any fill may not last, since the area of your stomach where the band is placed may swell a bit from the increased firmness in the band. That's why some surgeons want you to go on liquids for a day or two after a fill, to make sure your system has time to calm down. So you may still want to work your way up to it, rather than jumping off the deep end all at once. Getting one giant fill and backing off till you can manage water is one way to handle it. For me, it sounds risky. I have a 14cc band with 3cc in it currently. Jumping to totally full in one session seems pretty extreme. But everyone is different. If your surgeon thinks you can handle it, well, what can you do? By all means, keep us posted. The one thing I want to urge you about is developing patience. You are not going to lose your excess weight overnight, no matter how quickly you achieve restriction. The band is a tool, and like all tools, you need a bit of experience learning how to use it to best advantage. Good luck! Dave