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I went to mexico on 3/3/06 I am feeling great and down 19 lbs. I went to belightweight DR Kuri. I chose that one because of the new hospital and they only wanted a $500.00 deposit. The hospital was incrediable. Brand new and so clean and well kept. The rooms had a place for my husband to stay at my side and tv and DVD for him to wach movies. The shower was also a huge tiled shower. This allowed my husband to get in with me post op and be by my side. I drove 8 hrs the day after and then felt good enough to go to work the next day. DONT!! take at least 2 days off. I hope you have as wonderful of am expirance as I did it make sit so much easier. Good luck and good prayers for you all. Brandy

Status Updates My paperwork for the surgery has been submitted, now I 'm just waiting on approval from the insurance company. My follow up appointment for CPAP went well, I don't have to go back for another year. So now it's the wait and see game for me and now it looks like surgery will be in November (depending approval) instead of October since I still have to do the pre-op liquid diet for 10 days prior to surgery. Thanks everyone for the encouragement and listening to me rant and rave.

if you're into architecture, Chicago is world famous for early 20th century architecture. The Chicago Architectural Foundation has TONS of walking, bus, and boat tours. We've been on several - they've all been excellent. Art Institute is great if you're into art; Field Museum is great if you're into natural history. We also do a lot of just walking around when we're in Chicago (I live two hours from there, so we do weekends there several times a year). the Drake is pretty far north in the Loop - north of Loyola. The area around the Loyola campus is nice. But go beyond that and walk down Michigan Ave - so much there. we've been to so many restaurants, but I can't think of any one particular one to recommend - you'll stumble upon tons just walking around. We usually try to hit ethnic places, usually. Scoot over to some of the other streets that parallel Michigan Ave - there are lots of restaurants over there as well. You could always pick some cuisine and do a search on that. We've been to Colombian places, Argentine places, Turkish places, Middle Eastern places, Cajun places, pizza places, delis, so many.....they really have everything there. P.S. there's a Nutella Cafe on Michigan Ave. Might want to avoid that one! (it's great but...Nutella - you'll gain 10 lbs just walking in the door!)

Here are a couple of days... My goal is to eat around 900 calories and at least 80 grams of Protein. Nothing is really "off limits" except for trigger foods (Wheat thins, etc.) I have a little fridge under my desk at work and keep Atkins Protein shakes and Greek yogurt available. Plus I like Luna Protein Bars and Quest brownie protein bars. (The Quest ones are AWESOME after you microwave them for 10 seconds.)

I did alot of first dates online too. Had a couple of guys I even saw for a few weeks etc. I am not entirely certain why I really didn't like it, but most of the time I would not want to see them again. Boring, weird, or just not quite right.... how about the guy that 10-15 minutes in pulls out a deck of personality cards and proceeds to give me a personality test. Of course I gave false answers since no way I want to date someone who does THAT weirdness in the first few minutes... I feel like I managed to connect (ie ones with 2-3 dates) that just had issues. Hell, I have issues but please be over your ex, and not full of dread of women while you also pursue a relationship. Anyway, I know there are great guys out there too, but the whole online thing just put the wrong filters on for me. I feel like meeting someone face to face is more natural to me. My "attraction" or interest in them is the whole package, stuff you can't see from a photo. More importantly, I am practicing social skills. I figured out what I was doing to keep from getting asked out. As soon as I recognized it, things have really changed. I went out Sat night with my meetup group - dressed the same as always (although i did figure out a new make up trick or two) and everyone wanted to dance with me, buy me drinks and ask me out. I didn't want to see any of them, but suddenly it is like i have found the "key" - haha! So, I am practicing this social skills. One of my girlfriends told me that her number one mistake is she waited to be chosen... instead, I am much more actively engaged in "choosing" who I want to see.

To all of you saying that you "failed" with the band - try to see it in a different light. Unless you knowingly ate too much or ate incorrectly, irped the food back up, then tried again until it stayed down, you didn't fail. Unless you opted to eat ice cream all day because it's what you wanted, then you didn't fail. Having a mechanical device that is supposed to give you fast satiety, but never does, is not failure. In reality, it's having gone through surgery with high hopes, and finding you still have to "diet" to maintain weight or lose weight. Having a band that maybe worked for a while, then failed, is also not you failing - it's you not having the ability or resolve to "do it on your own" but why would having had surgery change that? If we could do it on our own, we would have long before surgery... and definitely would have long before a second (or third, or fourth...) surgery. The sleeve cannot have the same issues as the band. The sleeve cannot slip (prolapse), it cannot erode through your esophagus, etc. It can limityour intake. You will still have to work at it. Since it is not (or maybe just lightly) a malabsorptive procedure, you will still have to own what you eat. If you cannot own what you eat, then frankly the sleeve might not be the best option. I'm pretty far post-op by band standards. I know a lot of people in the 5 - 7 years post-op range. Those who still have their bands, shouldn't, but are too afraid it will be removed to seek the medical care they need. It has let down a lot of people, and mentally is about a 30x magnification of the standard diet "failure" emotions we've all experienced more times than we care to count. I suspect I will spend the first 6 months with my sleeve "just waiting" for it to somehow fail. I mean, 100% of my bariatric experience tells me that eventually, it stops working, right? But try to focus on the fact that the band is not PERMANENT. Ok, in theory it's intended to be a permanent device. I'll give it that. I don't know anyone 5, 7, 10 years out who still has theirs, so it's not THAT permanent. Every sleeved person I know 5, 7, 10 years out still has their sleeve. I understand your fears, and I share them. We have "failed" at weightloss most of our lives. We "expect" failure again, it's what we've become conditioned to. But if you didn't at least have hope, you wouldn't be here, so run with it.

I was sleeved 3.27.19 - I also had a Hiatal hernia repaired. This was the source of an enormous amount of pain. I had very little in the way of pain both internally and incision site otherwise. I found that using a compression band was very helpful in terms of my mobility. I also wore compression socks at night along with the band. Today I continue week two of my full liquids phase - and it suuuuuuuucks. I AM HUNGRY. I am also disappointed b/c I looked forward to the whole hormonal absence no appetite thingie. That is not the case for me. I follow very strictly the diet/timeline provided me by my doctor and I don't find it fulfilling or satisfying for that matter. In addition I thought I would be down another ten pounds by now, but I understand there are slow losers and my time will come. I walk a bit every day, and I am waiting for my office visit on 4/19 to discuss stepping up the exercise, hopefully that will help. By then I will be able to have eggs for breakfast and applesauce! I have perused the menus for future reference and they leave me hopeful for future culinary satisfaction. Please share your experiences with me. How did you cope with this phase (those who experience hunger)? What were some of your coping mechanisms? So far so good - but still hungry. I did find Bigelow Honey Ginger Tea is a fantastic probiotic!

HW: 280 (08/01/16) Start of my pre-op diet SW: 267 (08/23/16) Morning of my surgery CW: 194 (02/05/17) this morning after Breakfast Total weight lost: 86lbs in 5 months!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hello, I am new to this site. I am 40 years old with a BMI of 39.6. I have been overweight for most of my life, with the exception of high school and a couple of years after I was married. Right before my wedding, I had dieted down to 130 pounds with the help of Phen Fen. I had my daughter when I was 30 and gained over 60 pounds that I was never able to lose. In fact, the weight kept creeping up after that, and I now weigh about 10 pounds more than I did when I was full-term pregnant. I have been trying for the past 10 years to lose the weight, but I can only lose a little bit at a time, then I gain it all back plus more. You all know how it goes. I have lost and gained the same six pounds for the past year or so. I can never make any long term progress. I got fed up and started considering a lap band, because I thought that was the only option besides a gastric by-pass, which I am not willing to do. When I called Bluegrass Bariatrics, they suggested that I consider the gastric plication. They said they had had a lot of success with it, and it was the cheapest option, which makes a difference for me because my health insurance won't cover a dime. I've read all the posts here, and I am both excited about the prospect of having the surgery, and terrified all at the same time. I want my life back, I want to be able to do all the things that I can't or won't due because of my weight. Part of me still thinks this is ridiculous, that I should just be able to knuckle down and diet and exercise and lose the weight without any surgical intervention. But I've read the statistics, that only about 3-5% will actually succeed with this approach. I went to a seminar this past weekend and met Dr. Oldham. I really liked him, and he's gotten good reviews on this site. I have my intake appointment on 2/15, and when all those results are back, I will have my surgeon consult. I am going through the process, with the knowledge that I can still back out if the fear gets to be too much for me to go through with it. I am terrified of severe pain and complications, although I have been through a c-section with a vertical incision. My husband is also very scared for me to do this, and people keep telling me that I'm not big enough that I should be considering surgery. Is what I'm feeling pretty normal? I would love to hear from some others who have been through this, and also folks who have had their surgeries wiht Bluegrass Bariatrics. I am looking forward to talking with you all, and I thank you in advance for sharing your experiences with me.

I had a pre surgery diet similar to Atkins, with limits on everything. The day before surgery I ate exactly the same thing as the other days, which was meat, dairy, vegetable, and fruit. Just had to quit by 11:00 pm for a 7 a.m. surgery, and no bowell prep. Guess I was lucky. I had not problems at all. I've often had problems with IV insertion. Finally someone informed me that I was probably not drinking enough, so the night before surgery I drank water until 10 with the blessing of the nurse. No problem with IV. Just a hint that might help somoene else someday. I've had up to 10 tries with hot packs to get an IV in, and just drinking lots of water the day before made all the difference difference. Same with blood draws.

To answer the question above, my doctor required that I lose 10% of my body weight prior to surgery - he requires that of all of his patients. For me, that was 28.5 lbs. I wanted to get the surgery as fast as possible so I did the most strict version of his pre-op diet in order to shed pounds fast and get my surgery scheduled. The options he gave me were to have three slim-fasts a day plus all the vegetables I wanted or to have an extremely strict diet of plain chicken or fish, vegetables, nonfat dairy and a fruit a day. Everybody is different but for me, it was easier to just not deal with food and to stick to the slim-fast diet (I ate a few vegetables but not many - I drank either three or four slim-fasts a day and then every three or four days I'd have a very small regular meal). My doctor told me that very quick weight loss - preferably from a mostly liquid diet - would get the liver to shed fat the fastest and make the surgery easier and safer. When I went in for a pre-surgery weight check, I had lost so much weight so quickly that he moved my surgery up two weeks. I hadn't quite lost all of the 10% of my total weight he had originally told me but he said since I'd lost it so quickly and stuck to mainly liquids that he'd go ahead and operate earlier. So that's why I had six weeks of liquids. For me - and everyone is different - it was too difficult to stick to the strict diet. It was easier for me to stick to the liquids. And I wanted to surgery to happen as quickly as possible. I'm self-pay so I didn't have to wait for insurance approval.

Think about it, China and India's economies are prospering, growing at alarming rates why, among the many things these countries buy, buying into global warming isnt one of them! U.S.A., U.K., France, (European Union) have deteriorating economies growing at a snails pace if at all, why, we believe in global warming. So lets regulate our industry to the point where they cant afford to prosper here in turn leaving for China and India where there are no regulations! Now people in this country cant afford to buy cars because theyre way overpriced because of emissions regulations, oh and because there are no good paying jobs left here because they all went to China and India. In the 70-80s good paying industrial jobs where everywhere, now our leading field is the low paying service industry! In turn we will be falling behind China in 10-20 years because they werent stupid enough to buy into it! Basically the world still produces the same amount of pollutants (just the other side of the world now)which cause acid rain as it always did, oh no, thats what they called it in the 70-80s, I meant greenhouse gases, the ones that are eating away the ozone layer(because we had high hair in the 80s and needed alot of aerosol hairspray cans(see if we just would have used "the pump"), actually thats what it was called in the 80-90s(you get the picture here)its now betrween global warming leading to climate change! WHAT A MONEY MAKING CROCK!

I have not been stressing this whole procedure. I fly out tomorrow morning from Florida to Mexico and I have not even really thought about the whole surgery is this normal? I have not been worried, or concerned, and been very passive about this. I think my friends and family are more worried then I am. Not just because I am going to Mexico but because I am having the Band done. To everyone that just had surgery in the last few days just wanted to say I hope you are all okay and feeling well. God Bless!

I made the decision not to tell anyone in my family about the surgery for several reasons. My husband of course knows because bless his soul, he handed me the cash to have it done, since I don't work any longer. Anyway, I felt like I had put a certain amount of pressure on myself to succeed with the band since my husband worked so hard to give this to me, if it isn't going to work, it can't be because I gave up or didn't try. My daughters would actually be very supportive but live 1700 miles away with my grandkids and this was something I didn't want them worrying about right now. They can't be here physcially for me and I know they would want to. I also didn't want the other people I know back there and here wondering, did I lose weight, how much, etc etc,, I don't want it to be a consuming thing. I recently told a newbie, learn to "live" with your band, not be "consumed" by it, which I think could very easily happen, especially in the beginning when we are just learning how to live with it. I also truly beleived before I got the band, it was just what they said, a "tool" and I was going to have to work my butt off even with the band. So as I lose weight if people ask me how I am doing it I am going to simply say, I am eating better, living better, taking better care of myself, because you know what I am. My husband and I discussed this, and he really thought I should tell my girls, but we didn't, later I found out he forgot we decided to tell no one at all, and I walked into his office several weeks after surgery to "how do you feel?",, "you look good",and didn't understand why, he has 10 women who work for him,,, turns out he told them about my surgery,, It upset me he told them, it has made me not want to go back into his office because I dont want them to look and wonder, etc,, you know what I mean. It is an odd feeling, and I know these girls,, they are nice,, but it seems strange now. anyway,, that was my way to handle it.. Maybe later I will change my mind, who knows only time will tell. So far I was banded on March 28, had my first fill on April 24 and am doing great, I have lost steadily since day one, and am happy. I work out 3-4x week and have had no negatives yet. I eat well, food I like and feel no restriction but am losing.

I know this has been talked about a thousand times already but my question is this: I am 10 months post-op and I have very severe left shoulder pain. It's not all the time and it's usually in the afternoon, although I've had it in the morning too. It doesn't always happen after a fill and it can be very random but when it's there it's PAINFUL! I have done about as much research as I can and I've come to the conclusion that it's the phrenic nerve (possibly referred pain). My doctor doesn't know what to do with me and thinks it's odd that I still have shoulder pain as he has concluded it's free air. I have a hard time believing that. So, does anyone out there have any suggestions as to what kind of doctor I should see or start with to try to fix this? The only relief I get is from narcotics and laying on my left side. :thumbs_up:

@@Jentastic19 Only about a week to 10 days, they were so minor that I don't really recall. I had one incision (where they pulled my stomach out) that was sorer and still has a lump from the suture under it, but nothing really painful. I'm sorry this is all happening to you

Here's my 2 cents. I paid close to $2000.00 for my photos. Why in the world will I ever need 15 8x 10's and a million 5 x 7's and 11 x 14's. I liked 1 of the photos. All you really need is 1 nice photo to enlarge and the rest need to go in a book somewhere. We had our engagement photos done and you really only need one pose to hand out. I have all these pictures left over I will never do anything with. And my brother in law took better pics of us than the photographer did. Decide what you can actually hang in you and your families house and the rest can go in a photo book of proofs. A friend of mine found a photographer that took all the pics and then posted them online and handed out cards at the wedding so the family could go on and buy what they wanted and order online for themselves and she only had to buy what she wanted for herself. My point, I guess, is to not buy a huge package. You seriously only need one wedding picture of you hanging on the wall somewhere. Find a photographer who's style you like and don't spend a fortune excess pictures.

I am 10 days post op and I am a stomach/side sleeper. All night I was tossing and turning because of a pain I was experiencing on my left side under my rib cage. It hurts more when I take a deep breath and I'm just wondering how common this might be and does it eventually go away? I've read elsewhere that it might be scar tissue forming. The pain is directly above one of my incisions. I was already at the hospital yesterday for a CT scan and nothing was found. This was because I had shoulder pain. This pain right under my rib cage is something new.

Go back to square one. Re-educate yourself with protein shakes and liquids for 10-20 days then go onto purees for 2-3 weeks. Re-establish your beach-head for future weight loss. Get back to your clinic or the paper advice they provided. Talk to your family doctor.

Water is essential to good health, yet needs vary by individual. These guidelines can help ensure you drink enough fluids. How much water should you drink each day? — a simple question with no easy answers. Studies have produced varying recommendations over the years, but in truth, your water needs depend on many factors, including your health, how active you are and where you live. Though no single formula fits everyone, knowing more about your body's need for fluids will help you estimate how much water to drink each day. Health benefits of water CLICK TO ENLARGE Functions of water in the body Water is your body's principal chemical component, comprising, on average, 60 percent of your weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues. Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. How much water do you need? Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water. A couple of approaches attempt to approximate water needs for the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate. <LI class=doublespace>Replacement approach. The average urine output for adults is 1.5 liters a day. You lose close to an additional liter of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements. food usually accounts for 20 percent of your total Fluid intake, so if you consume 2 liters of water or other beverages a day (a little more than 8 cups) along with your normal diet, you will typically replace the lost fluids. Dietary recommendations. The Institute of Medicine advises that men consume roughly 3.0 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day. Even apart from the above approaches, it is generally the case that if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce between one and two liters of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate. Factors that influence water needs You may need to modify your total fluid intake depending on how active you are, the climate you live in, your health status, and if you're pregnant or breast-feeding. <LI class=doublespace>Exercise. The more you exercise, the more fluid you'll need to keep your body hydrated. An extra 1 or 2 cups of water should suffice for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise lasting more than an hour (for example, running a marathon) requires additional fluid. How much additional fluid is needed depends on how much you sweat during the exercise, but 13 to26 ounces (or about 2 to 3 cups) an hour will generally be adequate, unless the weather is exceptionally warm. During long bouts of intense exercise, it's best to use a sports drink that contains sodium, as this will help replace sodium lost in sweat and reduce the chances of developing hyponatremia, which can be life-threatening. Fluid also should be replaced after exercise. Drinking 16 ounces of fluid per pound of body weight lost during exercise is recommended. <LI class=doublespace>Environment. Hot or humid weather can make you sweat and requires additional intake of fluid. Heated indoor air also can cause your skin to lose moisture during wintertime. Further, altitudes greater than 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) may trigger increased urination and more rapid breathing, which use up more of your fluid reserves. <LI class=doublespace>Illnesses or health conditions. Signs of illnesses, such as fever, vomiting and diarrhea, cause your body to lose additional fluids. In these cases you should drink more water and may even need oral rehydration solutions, such as Gatorade, Powerade or Ceralyte. Certain conditions, including bladder infections or urinary tract stones, also require increased water intake. On the other hand, certain conditions such as heart failure and some types of kidney, liver and adrenal diseases may impair excretion of water and even require that you limit your fluid intake. Pregnancy or breast-feeding. Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. Large amounts of fluid are lost especially when nursing. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink 2.4 liters (about 10 cups) of fluids daily and women who breast-feed consume 3.0 liters (about 12.5 cups) of fluids a day. Beyond the tap: Other sources of water Although it's a great idea to keep water within reach at all times, you don't need to rely only on what you drink to satisfy your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion of your fluid needs. On average, food provides about 20 percent of total water intake, while the remaining 80 percent comes from water and beverages of all kinds. For example, many fruits and vegetables — such as watermelon and cucumbers — are nearly 100 percent water by weight. Beverages such as milk and juice are also comprised mostly of water. Even beer, wine and caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea or soda can contribute, but these should not be a major portion of your daily total fluid intake. Water is one of your best bets because it's calorie-free, inexpensive and readily available. Dehydration and complications Failing to take in more water than your body uses can lead to dehydration. Even mild dehydration — as little as a 1 percent to 2 percent loss of your body weight — can sap your energy and make you tired. Common causes of dehydration include strenuous activity, excessive sweating, vomiting and diarrhea. Signs and symptoms of dehydration include: Mild to excessive thirst Fatigue Headache Dry mouth Little or no urination Muscle weakness Dizziness Lightheadedness Mild dehydration rarely results in complications — as long as the fluid is replaced quickly — but more-severe cases can be life-threatening, especially in the very young and the elderly. In extreme situations, fluids or electrolytes may need to be delivered intravenously. Staying safely hydrated It's generally not a good idea to use thirst alone as a guide for when to drink. By the time one becomes thirsty, it is possible to already be slightly dehydrated. Further, be aware that as you get older your body is less able to sense dehydration and send your brain signals of thirst. Excessive thirst and increased urination can be signs of a more serious medical condition. Talk to your doctor if you experience either. To ward off dehydration and make sure your body has the fluids it needs, make water your beverage of choice. Nearly every healthy adult can consider the following: Drink a glass of water with each meal and between each meal. Hydrate before, during and after exercise. Substitute sparkling water for alcoholic drinks at social gatherings. If you drink water from a bottle, thoroughly clean or replace the bottle often. Refill only bottles that are designed for reuse. Though uncommon, it is possible to drink too much water. When your kidneys are unable to excrete the excess water, the electrolyte (mineral) content of the blood is diluted, resulting in a condition called hyponatremia (low sodium levels in the blood). Endurance athletes — such as marathon runners — who drink large amounts of water are at higher risk of hyponatremia. In general, though, drinking too much water is rare in healthy adults who consume an average American diet. If you're concerned about your fluid intake, check with your doctor or a registered dietitian. He or she can help you determine the amount of water that's best for you. RELATED Vitamin water: Better than plain water? MayoClinic.com Bookstore 'The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook,' Concise Edition (Softcover) ARTICLE TOOLS Print E-mail this Larger type Reprints and permissions By Mayo Clinic Staff May 23, 2006 © 1998-2008 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Reliable tools for healthier lives," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. NU00283

So, have not been feeling too peachy last couple of days. Insurance changed some of their requirements for surgery. I was scared. I sent an email to my coordinator asking the status of my approval...because I was thinking positive. She said sorry...no news yet. Within 10 minutes of her email, I got another email which stated I was approved. Woo hoo. Chubby girl dance. Thought I would share with anyone reading....all smiles.

I had that same issue for around 10 days n then started losing again other day! It will come off! Just body catching up :-)

So Happy that my surgery is only 2-1/2 weeks away!!! I have been working on getting my house clean this week and today and man till today I didn't realize how much my weight holds me back. I did most of the cleaning this week and today I just swept the rug up in my hallway upstairs cause it's a low pile rug and I wanted to get all the fuzzy's up and my vacuum is a POS, so I did that and it's only about 15 feet long then swept it down the stairs which there is only 10 stairs with a little landing in the middle and I am sweating like no other and now I just want to take a shower cause I feel like crap? So I don't think I am getting much more done today. I can't believe just how far I let myself get, and how much it holds me back. I am lucky I have a wonderful boyfriend that will help me out with the house cleaning and keeping it up, and my kids well they will when they realize what I just went through after the surgery. They don't know yet, cause I don't want them telling their father or mostly their fathers girlfriend, she thinks I take drugs to loose weight, but i am the biggest anti drug person I know. I don't drink alcohol, and I definitely don't do drugs. So I have decided that I won't tell them till the day before. I just got my paperwork in from the doctor yesterday confirming my date and time for my appointments coming up and I am super excited for all this to begin. I have to go to the hospital where I am having the procedure done on the 4th at 9:30 and then to my doctors right after I am done there, then start my 2 week diet the 5th, and then on the 19th I need to be at the hospital at 6 am for a 9 am surgery. I am going to have to figure out what I will do with my kids that morning so that I can get them off to school, but I am sure my mom will help me out. So I am ready and nothing is stopping me now. I hope that everyone that has their surgeries coming up in march and in the future good luck!!! I know much this means to me, so I know how much this must mean to you too!!

@@josiek1988 In my case, I didn't have "classic" symptoms like slippage or an infection at the port site. The first sign I had was a return of my acid reflux. I had it before banding and it went away for about 2 years but then it came back. That happens to a lot of folks so no one seemed concerned. The second symptom (which no one thought was band-related at the time) was a horrible sharp pain that started in my side and radiated to my back. It would last about 3-4 days, then go away for a few weeks, then come back. Everyone thought it was muscular but I knew it wasn't, it was deeper and it was debilitating - it hurt to do anything active (I could no longer run), heck even going over a bump in the road while driving caused agony. I had every test known to man -xray, CAT scan, MRI, dye tests, endoscopy, colonoscopy - you name it. Nothing. I think they started to think it was psycho-somatic. FInally during a barium swallow my surgeon saw a small pocket of air but said it was nothing to be concerned with and couldn't be causing the pain. Eventually I just stopped complaining about it and it lessened over time. I kept getting band fills and would feel restriction on some days but others I could eat anything without issue. I slowly started regain weight - I assumed it was because I couldn't work out. Then one weekend I came down with a high fever and what I thought was the flu and ended up in the hospital for 10 days. Whatever infection I had made me septic, my kidneys had shut down. I got so dehydrated I ended up with a bowel obstruction and that is really what kept me in the hospital for so long, waiting for that to clear up. While I was there more tests showed my band had completely eroded into my stomach. The reason I was feeling restriction sometimes was that not only had my band eroded, but my stomach actually birfucated and grew around the band so the food had two paths to go down, one banded and one not. I am convinced that mysterious infection was either caused by the eroded band or my immune system had been so weakened by it, I couldn't fight strep or whatever it was I had (they never figured it out). Long story short, symptoms may seem unrelated because pain may manifest in other areas, or because of secondary infections. If you feel anything abnormal a simple swallow study and an upper GI can help determine if the band has slipped or is eroding. it is a foreign object and erosion is often caused by your body trying to reject it.

I used Chantix 3 years ago to quit smoking... worked amazingly well! You take it for a week and keep smoking, then you quit smoking. I was fine! No cravings or anything like before... I did have habbit moments- in the car on a long car trip, sitting on the porch, after a meal... times I usually smoked I felt like I should be but it wasn't that I needed it. I actually stopped taking it after about 4 weeks because I just kept forgetting to take it (as I hadn't smoked in weeks it wasn't on my mind) and I still haven't smoked since. Side effects that were a pain... VERY nauseous on it. I never got sick but I would spend a good hour after each pill thinking I was about to. Strange dreams. Very vivid. Very odd and disturbing, not nightmares, but dreams that make you nervous and make you think there's something wrong with you. But a few weeks of that was worth it to not smoke anymore!!! Also glad to not smoke since it's about $10 a pack in NY now!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck! You'll do great