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Happy New Year everybody as its been a while since I was last on here. I'm quite confuzzled & concerned as I have booked my consultation on 6 March 2013; only to be told that I am meeting a Dietician, then the second consultation included in the price is to meet the surgeon & nobody told me that I have to meet the Dietician first? I'm worried that the Dietician will try to put me off for having / wanting the Gastric Bypass Surgery even though I have to pay £11, 000, 00 for it. I thehen I'll have further regular consultations once I've booked my Gastric Bypass. Can anyone help me & comment about their own experiences starting from their first consultation process all the way through up to the Gastric Bypass Surgery, as would very much appreciate it? Kindest Regards Lucii Xx Kindest Regards <br />Lucii24<br />Sent From Samsung Galaxy SIII Using RNYTalk

I'll be happy when they do actually figure things out and all the Dr's start singing from the same song sheet. There is way too much variance and confusion out there.In the meantime we should all stick to listening to our own Dr, if we are not happy we something they tell us then query it with them. And we should all strive to find what works for us as an individual. e.g I know I'm not going to time the wait between bites. But I do wait until the bite I have just eaten feels comfortable. Sometimes that might take a minute, sometimes it takes longer and I'm sure sometimes it takes less.

Yes, I realize all that Donna, and it has already been explained to Kim about the liver etc and what the diet is for. However, I was responding to her question about the yougurt/cot. cheese versus the chocolate bar having the same amount of calories....so I told her that IN THIS CASE it was about the fat content versus the caloric content. Nothing I said goes against what you said. I was banded by the same docs as she will be banded by, had the same pre-op requirements and she will have the same post-op requirements. So, I feel confident in discussing with her the things that our pre and post operative care personnel tell us. In no way did I insinuate that calories weren't important....I was responding to her query about chocolate versus the yougurt for the pre-op diet as well as to her query about how much of the cott. cheese/yog. she can have. I am in a position to respond to that specific query, given the fact we share the same docs. Just wanted to clarify that I did not state otherwise wrt this caloric/fat issue; I'm quite well aware of the scientific processes behind the whole matter.

@jwinters19 When you get smaller, the VS leggings and fabletics do a great job. Since you are still in plus sizes and losing... Danskin Compression leggings from Walmart perform very well, fit well and hold everything in. https://www.walmart.com/search/?cat_id=0&facet=clothing_size%3A2XL&query=danskin+compression+leggings&typeahead=danskin+compression#searchProductResult You want high waist and since you are still losing, order down a size from what you wear right now, so they last you longer. They have stretch and snapback so if they have to work a little harder at first it will be okay. I always get high waist leggings for maximum control.

Will do. Maybe its normal for us not too lose too much on the first fill. I have a call tomorrow with my dietician. I will query everything with her on why the weight loss has slowed down so I will keep you informed.

As you begin the process of weight loss by changing what you eat, you’ll quickly feel better (and lighter). For example, look at the difference in what you now purchase at the grocery store since your operation--you see much more ‘real food’ and far fewer pre-packaged items in the grocery cart now, that's for sure. But fruits, vegetables, protein drinks and lean cuts of meat cost more than pre-packaged junk food, which can be attributed to one of the reasons some lower income people lose the battle with obesity. Since you’ve made a decision to change your life, including what you eat, you’re going to be buying several of these healthier options in bulk, as they will serve as the new staples in your nutrition plan. Your dietitian and bariatric support team will prescribe some foods and drinks that you will consume just about every day so it makes sense to buy these items in volume. I love Facebook. It’s a way I can stay in touch with my patients (and their families) here in New Jersey between office visits and once they are on maintenance after reaching goal weight. I recently posted a query asking my post-op patients what healthy staple items they buy from the big warehouse stores—BJ’s, Costco, Sam’s Club--and I received many helpful responses that I’d like to share with you. Armed with these terrific recommendations below, you’ll eat healthier, save time, money and require fewer trips to the grocery store during your weight loss journey. “What "go-to" items do you purchase from warehouse stores since weight loss surgery?” · Premier protein shakes · Protein bars · Sam’s chicken sausage with mozzarella · Muscle Milk · Liter bottles of water · Optimum Nutrition protein powders · Frozen Mahi Mahi filets · Cranberry almond chicken salad in 4 oz. cups. · Chicken breasts and ground turkey · Baby Bell light cheese · Frozen veggies · Veggie burgers · Salmon fillets · Fresh spinach · Probiotic 10 and Fiber Gummies · Ready-to-eat veggie tray · Gold Standard Whey, Kirkland Fiber Caps, Opti-Fiber, Kirkland Calcium Citrate · Mini cucumbers · Bagged chopped kale salad · Kirkland plain Greek yogurt · Kirkland citrus green tea, Crystal Light · Figgy Pops, Healthy Choice fudge bars · Quinoa · Chia seeds If you are a member of these clubs, take an hour or two and really peruse the aisles in search of healthy products that support your nutrition plan. Keep in mind, many food items can be frozen and thawed when you need it to avoid spoilage. Ask your IWL dietitian for more ideas or bring in a sample of a food or drink you’re not sure of (take a screen shot of the nutrition label before you buy it). If you’d like to friend me on Facebook, I can be found here.

In the part I, I had discussed briefly about how most of the small businesses go about selecting a product, whereas a successful small businessmen would be careful and would evaluate the product based on various aspects listed below before making a choice. I will relist all the important factors, which one should consider before buying an ecommerce product (www.ritecart.co.uk) or software for their company. 1.Ease of configuration 2.Ability to Scale 3.Useful latest features 4.Available marketing tools with the product 5.Ability to analyze data (analytics, not only google analytics!!) 6.Reports 7.Integration (with other modules, Like epos with near realtime online/offline synchronization of data and other packaged application ) 8.Customer Service 9.Technical Support 10.Technical Implementation Aspects 11.Build vs Buy Ease of Configuration- It is very important that the product is configurable and suited for one’s current needs and future needs, Like some of the things one may want to determine that how easy it is to ·Add products, categories and catalogs. Can this be dynamically created using administrative tool and dynamically displayed on the user side? Can it support multiple images with different resolution to be displayed on the user side? ·Look and manage all the orders placed by the administrator? Before placing the order, does it check for inventories? Does it notify the administrators, if the inventories go below a threshold value? Can the administrator mix and match the shipment to the customer? ·Create new sales store and new warehouses for inventories? Can the store’s inventory be picked up from different warehouses? ·Define several types of prices for the same product like list price, default price, component price, sale price etc? Can the price be dynamically setup using a rules engine? ·Associate a product with host of features like size, color, height, width, UOM, density, length etc? Can the product be setup and shown on the user side on any of the feature mentioned above or any of your new custom features? ·Return an order, look at shopping list/wish list, browse through the items last visited, go to most popular products in store, discounted product or special product in store, look at promotional products, place a review on the product, recommend a product or provide a valuable feedback and look at the products which are most sought by the people who had brought the same product as the customer in past? ·Can I select or add a new payment processor easily? I may want to use PayPAL today but I may need GoogleCheck out tomorrow. How many Payment engines does the product support? ·Customize my shipment company or add a new shipping company? Can I integrate directly with ups, RoyalMail, USPS, Fedex etc? Ability to Scale customer support is all the more important. Make sure that eCommerce software provider does provide with the elements you need to keep an online business operating at its peak level at all times. Does the vendor offer notifications regarding product updates or enhancements, personalized service, and technical support? Is there an option for an online help with live chat and IP2IP calling (www.supportnow.biz)? Keep in mind that the eCommerce solution provider should offer the same individualized service that one would want to give to his customers. Technical Support In the same vein, one shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to get someone to aid you if there is a problem with your online store—so make sure the service providers have experienced, reliable technical support and are committed to fixing a coding error or bug quickly. Quality counts; be assured that your ecommerce service provider (www.palindromesoftware.com) has people behind and are equally committed to quality and the customer experience as you are. Technical Implementation Aspects This is one of the most neglected factors by the ecommerce customer community. Remember, Ignorance is not always bliss. it is important to understand that the product development technology plays a vital role in defining product features, customization, support and ease of product usage. It is fairly common these days to use a scripting language to build products because that is the easiest way to build a product for the product supplier!! I encourage customers to ask some specific questions, to name a few ·How can I customize the product behavior? Does it use XML or Property files? ·How can I change my query? Can I change without looking into the code? ·How can I change the content? ·Can my Home page flash dynamically pick up product images, price and other details from my database ·What language is used for development for product? Scripting language like PHP and others are a huge no, no. Make sure that your product is built using a software language like Java or .NET (most preferred ones) ·Can I add more modules to my product? How simple is it? Is the development Object Oriented Our product RiteCart (www.ritecart.co.uk) is built using robust MVC/Struts framework, which is modular, extensible and configurable. Technologies used in this product are Java, XML, BSH. Build vs. Buy Over the period of time, this has become one of my favorite customer questions. Build or Buy? I usually answer this by asking a question- how much ROI do you expect out of your ecommerce investment and product? Building is an expensive option (not from cost point of view but from ROI Point of view). You can build your solution using one of these options 1.Build with a good reliable vendor onsite (with or without an open source solution) 2.Build with a good vendor offshore 3.Build with a small vendor onsite/offshore 4.Go for your own development with some open source tools Point 1, 2 &3 are feasible but one should ask himself the following questions, is the cost feasible? Will the vendor understand all the functional needs of the ecommerce solution? How long has the vendor been in the ecommerce solution market? Will the solution be ever built? Will it work as per expectations? Can the software vendor be relied upon? How much time will it take? What impact does it have on my business if it is not delivered to my satisfaction? Finally for option 4, if you decide to pursue an open-source application to manage your store, make sure to thoroughly research and examine your options. Is the project continuously updated, or has it been stagnant for a long time, with very few updates on the project and very little news as to where it is headed? Several open-source solutions are released every year. However, very few have the longevity that you will need to be used as a foundation for your online store. Examine the programmers behind it, and others who use the program. Buying option is a much easier option. One can feel and see the solution. One can make sure that he has got everything in the product he needs. Also, he can be rest assured that the company has the required functional, technical and support expertise to support all of his needs. Finally, look at the company that’s behind your eCommerce solution (www.ritecart.co.uk). What have they done in the past? Are they a growing enterprise, likely to continually make improvements to their firm, and pass on those benefits to you? When considering a package, make sure that the company you are dealing with is credible, with a solid reputation to back up any claims. See where your customer and technical support will come from. Is it in-house or out-sourced? Do they have a solid, supportive community in the form of a forum, blog, or network of satisfied eCommerce businesses (www.ritecart.co.uk)? Examine the philosophy behind the company. Ask for references or email others, who’ve used their services in the past, and see what they have to say about the different aspects of the company you may be working with. These are the people who are going to help you build your business and make it a success; so choose wisely. Ritecart product (www.ritecart.co.uk) is sold in two flavors (Lite & enterprise). If you are looking for ecommerce software, Please request for a quotation from our Sales team. We have got the right product for you tagged with the right price!!! Author is working as a Senior Retail Analyst with Palindrome Software Labs (www.palindromesoftware.com).

Everyone's post-surgery instructions are different... I'd assume that you should be sipping slower(longer breaks between sips) and therefore making your 1oz last longer than 3 minutes... But then, I'm not your surgeon/nutritionist... Your best bet would be to ask them... Maybe give it a day or so, gather a few questions (you'll have some), and call them once with a few queries rather than a few times with one question each time.. Good luck to you @@Ilovecats1985 And welcome to sleevehood...

Yeah they were great, and certainly the mostt cost effective option too, the pnly dwn side is the lack of after care, I e-mailed some queries a few weeks ago, and got very vague unhelpful answers. But hey, I'm sleeved, and it cost me what most people pay for a cheap band, so I really cannot complin. Are you uk based too? Cx

I’m 62 pounds lighter since my May 28th LAP-BAND® surgery. In eighteen weeks, there has been such significant weight loss and, more relevantly, so much positive change in my health that I can hardly remember the time when I was medically obese and “lost.” First, let’s dispense with the formalities. Need to know exactly what LAP-BAND® surgery involves? Click on The LAP-BAND® I : "Entering the zone" | Babyboomers.tv. Want to know how civilians react to news that I’ve elected to have surgery? Click on http://babyboomers.tv/content/LAP-BAND®-zone-ii-dealing-civilian-response. Interested in hearing about my status and what happens next? Read on. In addition to monthly post-op visits with Dr. Gellman, my bariatric surgeon, -- click on www.northshoresurgical.net -- I’ve lived through 4 months now as a post-operative LAP-BAND® patient. It doesn’t feel that much different than following Weight Watchers, Atkins, and other weight loss programs. Except … I’ve had laparoscopic surgery to help cure my lifelong addiction to food; There is this device inside of me banding the upper portion of my stomach; The LAP-BAND® is a “tool” to help me cut down on food consumption; While my 62-pound weight loss has been sensational, the doctor reminded me this week that the band was inserted for a reason and it’s time to tighten it now. So, this is a different reality for me. The band will be tightened in a few days by injecting saline solution into a port which has been surgically inserted on the inside of my stomach epidermis. The net result is that the band will be tightened and my little stomach pouch (the “stoma”) will feel full with less food. I’ll have to go back on a liquid diet for a few days to allow the stoma to adjust to its new tighter reality. Aside from my regular visits with Dr. Gellman, I also attend a monthly support group with other post-op patients. These groups are enormously helpful for both the camaraderie of those who have been through my same experience as well as for the practical advice I get from participants. At the last group, the topic was “How have you changed for the better or worse following surgery?” I believe life is drastically different (and better) since surgery. However, I’m still a LAP-BAND® rookie so I asked the group “do you all tell people that you’ve had LAP-BAND® surgery?” Interesting responses: “it’s none of anybody’s business”; “nobody has to know”; “they don’t understand”; and, “I only tell my closest friends and relatives”. I understand. Even though I’ve gone public on this website for the entire world to know my story, there are specific people in my life who don’t know about my decision to go through with LAP-BAND® surgery --- most importantly, my mother and father-in-law. They are in their 80’s and they just wouldn’t understand the surgical procedure (or the need for it). Mind you, they are each thrilled to hear about and see my weight loss progress. The best advice to come from the support group, however, has been “If anyone asks how you lost the weight, tell them you’re on Weight Watchers.” This echoes a similar sentiment from Dr Gellman, who reports: “so many of the patients in our practice simply default to “Weight Watchers” when asked how they lost the weight. There is logic here … the final phase of post-operative eating adjustment encompasses a diet that is very much like the Weight Watchers protocol: Eat fruits and vegetables liberally; Follow portion control: 1 ounce of meat = size of a matchbox; 3 ounces of meat = size of a deck of cards; 3 ounces of fish = size of a checkbook; Medium apple = size of a tennis ball. [*]Use little, if any, sugar; [*]Choose lower fat foods; [*]Avoid fried foods; [*]Eat 3 meals a day; [*]Exercise regularly, preferably 3 or 5 or 7 times per week (I walk 4 miles every day;) Who, among us, has not seen this movie before? And yet it really is unlike the thousands of diets I’ve previously been on. I think it has a lot to do with my commitment to a new way of life once I agreed to the surgery. And, I strongly believe in my ability to do this. Also, there is the reality that the little stomach pouch won’t hold the huge quantities of food I had become accustomed to eating. But, if we’re honest, I believe it’s that I don’t want to betray the promise I made to myself: this time, it’s for good and will be different than before. At our tender age when death and illnesses are dodging us, who is gonna argue? I’ve learned from my support group that the post-op fellowship strongly resembles Alcoholics Anonymous: it’s critical to keep sharing your feelings and to report any incident(s) of falling off the wagon. Fine with me, so far. But then, I’ve never really had a problem losing weight --- it’s maintaining my goal weight that has always done me in. For now, I take it one day at a time. The weight loss has been thrilling and I’m extremely grateful for my newfound health and mobility. I’m off blood pressure medicine, I don’t need the sleep apnea machine and my knees have magically stopped hurting during my 3-4 mile daily walks. As for the outside world and how to respond to the queries about “how did you do it?” … I smile like a Cheshire cat and reply that my answer lies in a renewed commitment to exercise and a diet of fruits, vegetables and healthy proteins. I guess my real shorthand answer can be “I’m going to Weight Watchers.”

Hey guys, I was just wondering how many people on here are from the UK. I use a very busy UK site as well as this one and find them invaluable. It seems like regardless of where we live in the world all our worries, queries and joys are pretty much the same. I live in Colchester in Essex, where are all you guys from? Take care Laura x

Sorry - I posted this twice - once in the wrong forum!:confused2: Hi Guys. Im new here today. I had a band with WGA on 11th April. I have just submitted my formal complaint to the healthcare commission - here's a copy of my letter. Should any be considering using this company - I would strongly advise against it....:cursing: Dear Sirs, Re: Complaint/WGA GASTRIC BAND FRIDAY 11TH APRIL I am writing to inform you of my complete disappointment with the overall level of service I have recently received from The Hospital Group under their Why Go Abroad Company regarding a gastric band procedure. I visited the offices of The Hospital Group in Manchester earlier this year to discuss having a Gastric Band fitted. The consultation went ok and the staff were very helpful and friendly. I was provided with all the information regarding the two different packages I could choose from, the first being with The Hospital Group, and costing £8000, which included a year’s worth of aftercare and band fills . The second package was the ‘Why Go Abroad’ offer. I was advised that WGA was an economy package which cost £4950 and that the only difference with this package was that it the aftercare was only for 5 weeks, and didn’t include any band fills, just an X ray, and a final consultation to be discharged. I was advised at the initial attendance by a lady named Lisa that anytime I had any queries regarding the procedure, I could contact her, (even if I decided to go onto the Why Go Abroad package) and she would assist me as best possible. I was even given a mobile number to call her on should I require. I didn’t book for the procedure initially as I was still very apprehensive given the fact that it was such a huge decision. Lisa, rang several times to discuss the operation and any queries I may have, and on some occasions, to see whether I was ready to book, however, I was still very unsure at this time. After a lot of thought and discussions, I eventually decided to go ahead and I rang and booked my place. My surgery was booked for April 11th in Birmingham with WGA. Not very long after I had booked and paid for my operation, I thought of a few questions I hadn’t previously asked and decided to make use of the mobile number I had been given for Lisa. She seemed very surprised that I had rang and seemed reluctant to speak to me as I was (and I quote) “only on the economy package” (I don’t think a helpline was included in this option). Obviously I was shocked by this remark and felt very let down by it. She did eventually answer my questions, albeit very hurriedly, and made it abundantly clear she was very busy and didn’t seem to have the time for me anymore. My operation came and went very quickly. I was barley in hospital 24 hours for the entire procedure and I felt very rushed – like I was on a conveyor belt. The following morning, I was obviously in pain from the operation, however, was told at 6:15am that I was being discharged as my bed was needed for someone else. My Husband wasn’t due until 7am and I wasn’t even offered as much as a drink whilst I waited, despite previously being nil by mouth for 36 hours. Before I left, I was however provided with my ‘aftercare package’ which to my surprise was just a letter merely advising that there were 2 follow up appointments and pain relief included in the aftercare pack. There were no follow up appointments arranged, and no pain relief provided. My husband had to go and specifically ask for pain relief for me so that I had some for when I got home. A week or so after the procedure, I decided to contact WGA myself to arrange an appointment for my x ray to check that the band was ok – which I arranged without any problems – Only complaint here was that I had to travel back down to Birmingham, when I was previously led to believe that only my operation would be carried out in Birmingham – all following appointments would be in Manchester. Following my X ray appointment I rang WGA several times to try and book an appointment to be discharged but with no success. I was met with a number of reasons for this namely either that my surgeon was on summer leave, that I had to go to Birmingham (even though I was assured my follow ups would be in Manchester), or that I had to wait to be called back. My calls were never returned, and I was not offered a discharge appointment. I finally decided enough was enough after several attempts of trying to arrange a discharge so I contacted WGA complaints dept and spoke to Sarah with a view to advising her of my situation and attempting to speed matters up to obtain a discharge appointment as I hadn’t had any joy at all from the appointments department. She seemed to have a “couldn’t care less attitude” and was very blasé about the entire thing. She wasn’t interested in anything I had to say and merely stated that ‘they only accepted complaints in writing’. At this point I wasn’t even making my feelings about the matter official and it made me feel like she had simply switched off from listening to what I had to say and switched on to ‘auto pilot’ mode giving me an answer that didn’t even relate to my query. I finally seemed to make some headway this week and was offered a telephone discharge on Friday? How can I be properly discharged over the telephone? My wounds/scars are supposed to be checked, and my band felt to ensure it is the right position. I was desperate to be discharged as I am unable to have my band filled until this step is complete and at the moment, it is doing nothing for me at all. I didn’t need to worry however as I never received the “telephone discharge” call. I waited in all evening, by the phone but no call came. After this telephone call was arranged I was told I could go ahead and book my band fill with Obesity Care – which I did for Monday 16th June 2008 at a further cost of £125 which had to be paid for at the time of booking. My situation now is that I won’t be able to have my band filled as I have not been discharged – and I will probably be £125 more out of pocket. I felt that as soon as I made the decision to go ahead with the procedure, especially on the WGA package, no-one seemed to feel the need to make any further effort with me whatsoever as I had already been ‘reeled in’, and unfortunately this situation continued after my operation. I have received no customer service or after care at all with my so called ‘package’, despite it apparently including 5 weeks after care, and a further consultation in Manchester which, not surprisingly, has not even been provided to me. I am disgusted that I paid the sum of £ and received literally nothing more than a ‘no frills package’. I specifically chose to go private for this procedure as I was under the impression that paying privately got you not only a quicker all-round time scale, but a little peace of mind that things would run more smoothly, and that I would be taken care of in a more personal and professional way. I was sadly mistaken. I am aware that I opted for the ‘cheaper’ of the two packages; however, it shouldn’t mean that I have to sacrifice my right to decent customer service and after care. I honestly expected to receive the basic element that I paid for and I feel utterly appalled that this is not the case. I am disgusted by the entire experience I have encountered with this procedure at the hands of The Hospital Group/Why Go Abroad and in some ways, feel that I have wasted money that I could not afford to throw away. I paid an extremely large sum of money for a product that I have not received. Had this money, for example, been used to purchase a car that turned out to be faulty, or, a new bathroom/kitchen suite that did not meet the advertised requirements, I can assure you that such products would have been returned immediately and a refund demanded. Unfortunately however, in these circumstances, this is not the case as the ‘product’ I have purchased cannot be returned and I feel I am simply expected to ‘shut up and put up’. I feel completely let down and cheated by everyone concerned in this matter. I would therefore be obliged to receive any advice/feedback from you in response to all of the above, within the next 14 days. Yours sincerely,

Hi Cindy, Sorry I was a bit slack getting back to you! I have just been down to Calgary to see Dr Mitchell. I have been getting my fills from him. He seems to be happy with the fact that I had mine done in Mexico. He now charges $150, and I think he is planning to expand his time. He used to only do fills on a Tuesday or Thursday from 4 to 5pm. But he has been so busy that the time frame is now greater. I will go down in May for a 1:30pm appointment! That means we get home in daylight. Any other queries, I should be online till we head for home for 3 weeks. I can tell you the warmth in New Zealand is calling loudly! Dana

Hi Jennifer . I really hope you aren’t kept waiting too long . I know what you mean , I had been going and collecting information I was asked to get , and they never even asked me for it .Yes , it’s SO frustrating , and when you’re told one thing is happening and it doesn’t , and you don’t even hear anything from them. They asked me to make a special appointment with the surgeon to discuss when my surgery would be done, a 2 day performance for me to get there , and he told me November 2018, and I never heard anymore . I probably wouldn’t have done by now if the dietician I saw hadn’t queried it ! Stick with it Jennifer , it will be worth it in the end . I’ll definitely keep you posted. I know it may be different in the UK to the U.S. but it’s good to be able to compare notes! Good luck Peggy .

This may come across as brusque to those with an overly active conscience, but I live my live by the following mantra: I owe nothing to no one. I am not an open book and I owe no one any particular thing, not even the unadulterated truth. Some queries are a bit intrusive. If some random stranger asked about your favorite sex position (missionary, doggy style, etc), would you divulge? If a convicted rapist who arrived home after serving the past 10 years in prison asked for your address, would you divulge? After all, the truth shall set you free! (sarcasm intended)... In essence, my weight loss surgery is no one's business. If not divulging is considered a lie, then call me a liar. After all, it is one lie that has caused me to feel at peace for the past 2.5 years.

Hi, I have a complicated story and need some input. I won't go into a long story as it is quite twisty turny. Long and the short of it is that I had an RNY done 3 years ago and lost all my weight to goal in 9 months. I kept it off and loved my bypass. Then at the 2 year mark, I developed a rare side effect and the decision was made by my medical to team to reverse it to see if it would mitigate or relieve the effects/complication with the intent to sleeve me as soon as I was healed to continue with the restrictive aspect. (because it is not a common situation, they knew it was possible it would not help) They reversed it in Sept 2014. Again, I healed great but promptly started gaining (Even though I did my very best to maintain my RNY eating habits) in January 2015, I was cleared to have the sleeve done and I have been working out like crazy daily to hold the weight gain at bay. The complication is still an issue but we have resigned ourselves to that fact and have been managing it quite well. My sleeve date will be mid june.... Here is my query... I loved my RNY. I loved the restriction and everything about it. I hear so much about people failing the sleeve/the sleeve failing the people and converting to an RNY. I am very afraid that the sleeve won't be enough. I regained 40 lbs and only need to lose 40 to get back to goal. I would like to hear some feedback about the sleeve. Do you have restriction? Is it noticeable? Average weight loss? IS it a tool that can work? I know how the RNY works. Can I (if I use it properly and respect it) have an honest expectation to lose weight with the sleeve?

My PCP scheduled me for a Bone Scan February 7th, perhaps,THIS is why; I am relatively certain he reads as much,as I Do, and folks I read lots! Self-taught at 2-and-half years, yeah you saw that correctly. I was the youngest person in my city and library to have a card, well before 4. Mama took me in there, queried the Head Librarian " How old do you have to be to receive a card?", answer was "late in Grade 1, because children don't read well until then". Mama said " But she reads already!" Librarian , her name was Miss Edwina Fitzgerald, went to reach an Early Reader to test me, Mama said :" No No, something without pictures" so a Grade 5 level was proffered, which I read 7 pages of letter-perfect, why not? One of the books I started with was the New Testament at home, matter of fact, the story in the family goes, I started learning to read because I got peeved, Mama wanted to do housework, like laundry instead of reading to ME. So-o-o! I really don't remember Not Reading that well. Any-whoo I am a RnY and 73 so Maybe It Is a GOOD THING.😝✌

You'll still have it... In fact, you'll need it more than ever!! But it's unlikely that you'll be able to down 16oz at a time... At nine months out, I usually go thru about 600 ml during my training session (1hr) each morning... So you'll certainly still be able to drink it... I hope that answers your query to some degree...

Hey guys, I've got a question hopefully someone with puff pastry knowledge can help me with. I'm making a quiche, using puff pastry as the crust (frozen, from the store). It says to put it in a GLASS pie plate though, and I don't have one. I'm wondering if there's some secret I don't know that you can only do puff pastry in glass plates, (oven proof, I know) or did whoever made up the recipe just put that to mess with me?! Can I use my regular old metal non-stick pie plate?? Thanks Mandi

When my mum has a reaction to medications she gets the numbing of the tongue, seeing as you've been on antibiotics for a while you might want to query it with your doctor. Also if you have weird taste check you haven't developed thrush because if the antibiotics.

Thank you all for your responses! I am seeing a cardiologist. I have a small blockage in one of my arteries and this will not go away without some sort of surgery. Hence the baby aspirin once a day. I've been to all the nutrition classes, and pre-op and post-op classes. Yesterday, only a week before surgery, we had another one and this one was much more informative, but I was angry, because this information should have been one of the first things they give you. My Dr. is one of the top in the field, but he is stuck on by-pass surgery and not so on lap-band. He's very good at what he does and I believe he is being overly cautious. Which can be good, at times. Since I've been trying to figure all this out, I've found out that I can take liquid ibprofen, which may be another option for my pain. One person, here, mentioned that my knee pain would lessen after I lose weight. I realize that, but it will not make my arthritis go away and I have it in other areas of my body. I've had surgery on both thumbs already. Since I already have a partial replacement in one knee, I will eventually need a full replacement in that knee. And the more I find out about what to expect after surgery, I'm getting more and more frightened of what I'm about to do. I woke up this very morning with terrible knee pain and a back ache. I know I need to lose this weight, but the surgery is scaring me. I will stay on liquids, until I can decide whether this is the answer for me or not. Thank you all, again for answering my query.

This is somewhat of a strange query. Im hoping someone can offer some insight. I would appreciate if readers could concentrate on my question rather then trying to persuade me in another direction (eg suggesting I should just worry about my health). Recently my port broke through my skin. So the port was on the outside of my abdomen with the tubing going inside. I am awaiting further testing as to the underlying complications. However in the mean time i have nil tension on the band as all the fill came out when the port was cut off. Now i am piling on the weight. I have a small degree of self control to stick to small quantities without it. Is it possible to inject some fill into the tube and plug it up somehow? The tube that was connected to the port is still sticking out through a hole in my stomache. However there is nothing to stop any fill coming straight back oy

A flipped port can happen because it wasn't stitched down properly or because of some movement or exercise that you have done, possibly prematurely, that causes the muscle and therefore the port to move. It is quite a common occurrence but the fix is usually pretty simple. $3000 sounds like a lot of money to pay for them to correct this. Have you queried it?

First, has anyone had gallbladder surgery and then this surgery later? If so, is the pain similar? I have had my gall bladder removed, spleen removed, and a hysterectomy, and now the lap band surgery. The lap band surgery was a cake walk. I had my surgery on a Thursday and was back to work on Monday. I was a little tired, but it was fine. The only reason I took any of my pain meds is because they were a pain/anti-inflamatory combo and he wanted me to finish them completely. (pst... I didn't). Yea, I was probably swollen for a longer period than I should have been, but I was fine. Hopefully coffee counts as part of a liquid diet.. I don't drink coffee, so I can't answer this one. Second, if I have the surgery it will be in Tijuana (I live in San Diego so it's close and since my insurance won't cover it...) and Dr. Ortiz's office claims I can get the surgery on a Friday and be back to work on Monday?? see above When I got my gb out, I felt great the first few days and then the meds wore off...:paranoid I have a desk job and don't plan on telling my boss what kind of surgery I am getting (or where). The doctor's office claims this surgery is less invasive than gb removal- anyone know if that's true? Yep, see above again I got laposcopic surgery for that; got there at 6:30 am and was home by 11:30 am-so if this is less invasive, why do I have to stay the night before and 2 days after surgery? I will only be at work for 4 days and then I am on vacation for a week. The reason for the night before is probably because the pre-op tests and stuff will be done the afternoon before. The two days after are just a precautionary (sp) because they know you are travelling to get to them and you don't live within the same city like if you had it done in the U.S. You will probably be fine working 4 days then being off the next week. You will probably be tired those 4 days, but let your friends and family know so they can take up the slack and let you rest every chance you get. Third, I've read great things about Dr. Ortiz; does anyone have any bad experiences with him to relate? I haven't heard any negative things about him at all. I would query the old posts and see what you come up with. Fourth, can you feel the port under your skin? Can the outline of it be seen under your skin? I can feel the port, but it isn't visible. Fifth, how do they fill it? Does it hurt? I would think they would have to pierce your skin each time, right? I haven't had a fill yet, but yes they pierce the skin with a special syringe. From what all I have read, it doesn't hurt at all. For some reason this surgery is scaring me alot more than my gb one did and I'm not sure why. The gb surgery is much more invasive. They actually cut and take something out. The cutting on this one is through the skin and they stitch a little flap over the band to hold it in. Any and all comments would be MOST appreciated. If I get the surgery it will be on Dec 15. If I missed anything, let me know. I will be more than happy to try and help. I have recieved so much great advice and help on this chatboard that I like to return it when possible.

A man posted this in the general Lapband and no one was replying so I thought I would help him and post it in here... Hi I hope you don’t mind me posting like this, but I wondered if any of you might be able to help. To introduce myself, my name is Henry Austin and I am a North American Correspondent for Look magazine in the UK. Please see our website at www. Look.co.uk We are a large weekly women’s magazine, similar in style to People in North America and we pride ourselves on ensuring the welfare of people who are good enough to entrust us with their stories and experiences. My editors have asked me to find a young lady between the ages of 19 and 31 who has lost a large amount of weight after having a lap band. While maybe slightly unrealistic they asked for about 250lbs. We were hoping it might be possible to interview them and produce a feature for our magazine. Please rest assured that if someone decided to go ahead, everything would be treated with the utmost care and sensitivity. They would remain in control of the procedure throughout and I would not do anything without your prior agreement. As with everyone I write about, I would also guarantee to read everything back to you before publication to ensure both accuracy and your happiness with the piece. While I’m sure it is not a prime consideration, it is my duty to inform you that we do compensate everyone for their time in speaking with us or indeed make a donation to the charity of church of their choice. This is usually $1000, although this can rise at the editor’s discretion. If at any point you have any queries please by all means e-mail me at henry.austin@yahoo.ca and I will be happy to answe them for you. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and may I wish you all, all the best for the future. Kind regards Henry