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Without a doubt, if you choose to go to a Dr. outside the US, make your arrangements ahead of time. Not all surgeons in Mexico are out to screw you over, same as not all in the US are upstanding! So with that in mind, plan accordingly. My Mexican surgeon insisted before he banded me that I have follow up care closer to me. He helped me arrange that with the surgeon I would have used had insurance come through---he has done my fills without issue of my being banded in Mexico. Many will simply because that is where they were proctored in the procedure. Where I live there is no close Dr. dealing with bands, so even the one I found and use is over 6 hours away one way. So my surgeon also ask me to contact my local ER and find out about emergency unfills. They would not even talk to me, they did not refuse, they just blanket stated they could handle it. Well I knew from this board that is not always true. So I contacted my former oncologist, and they are adept at accessing ports, and he agreed to both speak with my surgeon in Mexico and provide an emergency unfill should I ever need it. Taking off blindly to have surgery with no details for aftercare is not something anyone should do....but it can be dealt with responsibly. One of my surgeons things he does is the morning you leave the hospital, you have a swallow test done under fluoro, so you get to see your band in place and working---and he gives you a copy of those X rays---for you to have if you go to another Dr. Some surgeons or Dr.s will see no one other than patients they have done. That includes patients banded in the US that have moved. So you do need to do some prep work before hand. My mantra to my kids was always to be proactive rather than reactive----it fits here too! Kat

Hey girls----Happy 2008 to you all! We had a blast! Saw lots of old friends, and danced the night away! Rick is sometimes a bit iffy about dancing, but he told me "I thought this is what you wanted to do" and we danced all night. Sometimes I forget how much I love snuggling close to him and looking into his eyes! I too had a bit too much to drink----enough that the bright white of the monitor kept me away from the computer all day!!! And my grandson come over today, and threw a wall eyed fit, and ended up making himself throw up----that almost had me joining him!!! Now I feel pretty good, but it is going to be an early night, we were up til early morning! All day long though, we look at each other and say what a good time we had! Sorry Denise and Laura--hate that you are sick!!! Sounds to me like a virus Denise...I have never heard of the band causing bowel issues once the liquid in - liquid out phase. Michelle you looked beautiful! Well you always do, but you glowed, as you should have with limo's and ball gowns!!! Me I wore jeans!!! Tight jeans! Jeans that felt like I looked good in them! And a silky black/white/gold print top, with a black lace border, and a deep V neck, and black boots. I have to say it was a night of NSV's. I saw people I hadn't seen in awhile, the compliments were ego boosting for sure! But the biggest thing I noticed, was dancing with Rick, he would rub his hand up my back, and I didn't flinch thinking he was feeling the fat rolls. Instead I felt sleek in the top! And he would wrap his arms around me for a kiss following the dance, and I felt like I fit in there---custom made---didn't feel like he was stretching to get his arms around me anymore. I was not worried about being the biggest woman there, I was not worried about people looking at me when we went out onto the dance floor! A few times we were even the first ones out there! My friends it was an eye opening, heart opening night. I celebrated my smaller fanny off!! 2 years ago, I could not ever conceive the thought of feeling normal, and sexy again in this manner. I love my Billy Bandass Band!!!!!!!!!! Pamela--glad your dinner ended up being worth it! I would have been shocked too! Sounds like you danced for your exercise yesterday too!!! I will be glad to do the daily tip---when it is my turn don't forget to remind me! LOL I agree, that they not only need to be about diet per se, but to be about bettering our lives,and our health. Isn't someone going to monitor our Water too??? I did lots of tea today--rehydrating!!! My first one reactivated my whiskey though!! Oh my......lol! Well I am off to a bubble bath once I check off my email. Will be back to see all of you in the morning! 2008--let's make it great!! Kat

Gingerbug: Sorry forgot to mention. They take your complete medical history. ON my band I have "gastric band", hypo thryroidism, high blood pressure, diabetes. I was also given a wallet card. The Canadian Medica Alert are in the medical field and very discreet. You have to have passwords, etc. Just tell them a gastric band, they don't ask for more information. Doddie

Terri that necklace is gorgeous! I know Pam will likely murder me if I say something (hah hah), but are they hypo-allergenic? I'm allergic to fake metals, so anytime I've ever bought those things, I break out in a rash within an hour. Are those like that? And Tracy WOW! That swimsuit is HOT... look how perfect your boobs look in that, I'm sure DH is appreciative Jennifer- Everyone is having sales right now, so I've bought some shirts & pants I can't wear right now (or can barely wear, but would do better to wear later) and hanging them in my closet. I'll get there eventually!! I also raided my mom's attic, she has tons of size 12 & 13 bell bottoms she can't wear anymore. Just for fun I tried to pull on some 13's last night.. Barely got them up my legs, and when I tried to fasten them- NO WAY! Hah hah.. they had no stretch.. woosh. One day. I am debating takin pics of me wearin those jeans once a month till I can close them. Then I'd finally be able to wear those clothes I envied my mom for!

Until you have a complete blood work up for Hypothyroidism, a complete work up for Adrenal function and a complete hormone level check. If your doctor fails to preform these not so basic tests, he or she could be selling you a surgery you do not need. Or a surgery that will not give you results like you expect. You need to be sure your labs include Free T4 and Free T3, Cortisol levels via saliva or urine, and hormone levels. Too much estrogen will keep weight on you as well. Look into Liver Detox, the best plan for weight loss will not work if your liver is not functioning properly. I found out I was hypothryoid. I dropped 18 lbs on medication in the first 2 months. I've slowed down to a hault. But that is the plight of hypo patients and no amount of intake restriction is going to resolve the weight gain issues of a hypothryoid person. I'm still reading, but thus far it's a no. I'm waiting for my 6 mo mark on meds to have my levels drawn, then I might get an increase in medication and drop more. At the same time I was going through my journey to dx. My bf went in for LB surgery. She lost some weight during the pre-op and 2 wk post-op and then stopped. She stopped while still on a liquid and soft diet! She has had another fill and still no more weight loss. She is in debt, depressed, and still just as fat as she was in September. She did not get the lab work ups she should have had IMO. She was sold up the river that a surgery was the answer to her problems. She still suffers from depression which is a major sign of hypothryoidism in additon to low energy and lack of weight loss. Just don't get sold up the river is all I'm saying. You have to be your own advocate for better health. Be sure you find out if you have underlying causes. Doctors usually only run the TSH thyroid test and for millions it will come back fine when in fact the main hormone tellers T3 and T4 are not fine and have not been checked. I spent almost a year finding a doctor to actually run the right tests and then he was so shocked I spent another 3 months going to another doctor who was a jack a$$ and back again to my doc. The JA would not run the thyroid antibody tests, the cortisol and adrenal tests, the hormone tests, nothing total waste of my time and money. All he saw was a fat woman w a normal TSH test, he ignorned my super low T4 and T3 levels. There is a stigma against fat -- I'm fat only b/c I over indulge or am lazy. I'm not lazy, I'm not an over indulger. And docs can't get their heads around it. I was told a doc automatically triples what a fat person tells them they eat and subtracts 3X what a fat person tells them they exercise. I'm shot down just by walking in the freakin door! Just don't get sold up the river like my bf. I feel for her, I really do. I so want her to go to a doctor and insist on the right tests.

I don't have children, let alone high school age, but my advice would be - don't be so reactive. Maybe something comes out of this, and maybe nothing does. She acted correctly in getting "her side of the story" filed after the incident was over - a very good practice IMO. Hmm, I know who he is. The only way I've ever heard the term used was as a very rude racial slur against blacks. Here's what Urban Dictionary says (posting only the ones that might be relevant): 1. (Apparently an alter-ego to redneck, and received the most votes) 2. 3. 4.

Laura, you might call and speak to your Dr. or his nurse, and explain why you cancelled the appointment. Oftentimes they will prescribe one or 2 mild sedatives, similar to Valium--to relax you and make the tests easier on you and on them. I do not want to scare you, but there is a reason to do the testing now. Anything that is in the way or perceived by the body to be in the way can cause the body to spontaneously abort---miscarriage. It is very common, but it is also very difficult to deal with emotionally. Maybe make another appointment just to TALK to your OB/GYN. Ask what the risks are, and Why they want these tests now---and if there are less invasive, less painful ways of doing them....there might be---you don't know if you don't ask. I only tell you this to encourage you to be proactive to your fertility as opposed to reactive to tragedy. I know I sound like a Mom, and Hon, this is the advice I would give my own DD. Having lived through cancer of the uterus, I have had many tests with dye---and it is just as stated, a mild crampy feel while the body dispells the dye. If they do not prescribe something for you--and my Dr. always would if ask---and he learned to have it ready for me. He gave me diazipam or something like that---it has been a few years! Some tests---biopsies, I would take the day off and keep my feet up, other things, once the test was over, I was up and going again. Remember it is just like with the band--they must outline the worst possible so that no one is surprised by it. Hang in there, and make an appointment to talk with them about it all before giving up. 77 degrees! It is snowing out here....and a balmy 29 degrees! Fire is a blazing, because my granddaughter hates wearing pants!!! BBL~~ Kat

I agree that your local hospital likely could do it--whether they would is the question, and often the problem. While it is nice to be able to see the barium go through on a fill with fluoro, and most if not all Dr.'s require you to drink Water in the office following a fill--neither of those guarantees you that you will not react to the fill later, and be too tight or swell following a PB to the point of being unable to so much as swallow saliva. When it happen to my SIL, she was fine with the water in the office but withing about 8 hours she knew she was too tight. Just after we got home----our fill Dr. is over 6 hours away! IMHO the best thing to do is be proactive, as opposed to reactive. Plan for those possibilities now! Speak with your local PCP, have them refer you to someone who is used to accessing ports. In my case it is my former oncologist--I set it up with him prior to being banded! I did my level best to cover all my bases, since I am rural, and not close to where my banding Dr, is. There are any number of things that cause us to swell, and it is not all related to the fill, so I would suggest mapping out a strategy now, and not waiting until you are sick and miserable! Better to be prepared and not need it, than need it and find out they refuse to assume the liability of accessing your port! Many do refuse! You are almost halfway Purplegirl--way to go! Kat

This is a real bummer, grrl. Can the docs give you meds to fix the hypo-thyrodism? And I am also deeply in love with stuffing and gravy! :hungry: By the way, you Americans do much better on the Thanksgiving front than we Canucks. You get a 4-day weekend out of it. Ours falls on a Monday and so we only score a 3-day weekend. blehhh! And because we have already had ours we are already subjected to non-stop Xmas music in all the malls. Double blehhhh! :angry

Hi Forestcat Yes, I was definitely getting hungry by my first follow up appt w/the surgeon! Increasing your protein:carb ratio should help decrease your risk of reactive low blood sugars. I've had intermittent problems like that before too. To be honest, Forestcat, I was able to tolerate regular food a few wks after surgery just as long as I chewed it well. It was easier for me to get in Protein that way. That first appt took maybe 1-1.5 hrs. Not too long. I don't think they were expecting any records, but you do fill out a sheet which asks details about how much Fluid, protein, calories you are taking in, and symptoms. The dietitian reviews it w/you. There was one other person there who also had a band; we met w/the dietitian at the same time. I had my first experience w/PBs tonight! Not pleasant. Went to Red Lobster and had salmon, which was a little dry. I didn't puke, but it really felt stuck and I wanted to throw up but couldn't and didn't (thank goodness!). I got up and walked to the bathroom and stood in a stall for a while, burped as much as I can. I can definitely tell I had a fill this time, unlike the first fill! Not hungry for Breakfast anymore (Ben Meir said this would happen b/c the band is most tight in the morning). So I'm back to coffee w.protein powder only (was eating Cereal before the fill). Was warned that turkey frequently gets stuck too...will have to be careful! Happy Thanksgiving!

He was so much fun, and no they dont stink if you feed them right and they are hypo-allergenic and clean- he loved to take baths- and honestly just flippin cute!

Hey Lori, Patty & Dave, Thanks fo each of you for the input. Great info. I'll talk to my Dr. today about switching to the liquid Prozac (I bet they don't have a generic for that one!!!) and I'll grab the liquid adult tylenol. I'll also stop the Lipitor for a couple of weeks & then start it up again. And rest assured, I will talk with my family practice MD to ensure this plan is ok. Patty - as for my Lipitor, I have a genetic high C-Reactive Protein that's some type of lovely indicator for the potential of heart disease (besides the high cholesterol). So I may have to cotinue taking the Lipitor even if/when the cholesterol levels drop. Guess I'm just lucky that way!!! Thanks to each of you. You are more help than you can imagine! Judy:)

Yep, get back on the wagon my dear. Get a fill and begin again. I know that without my band, I too would gain all my weight back. That is the beauty of the band. This is a lifetime tool and all you have to do is reactivate it and start losing again. No reason why you can't have a meal with your wonderful Polish family, just less of it. Good luck and go get those skinny clothes back, you will be needing them again. hugs We all need support from time to time. I know I sure do.

Has anyone had problems with a high reading on their c-reactive protein level and with lapband surgery it was reduced?

This is my PCOS story.. . I wrote it a long time ago.. and it is copied from my old LowCarb Website. Hey there: Kick up your feet and stay a while, as you read my PCOS story. Hello, I'm Tracy... I was first diagnosed with PCOS while undergoing infertility treatment during my early 20's. (Mid 30's now) ..... Period at age 9, Birth Control pills at age 16-18, Married at 18 no birth control, no babies... finally at age 22 I sought treatment. I was told that I had the thyroid of an 80 year old man, and that I had PCOS.. he put me on synthroid for my HYPO-thyroid, and told me that it was just my body type that caused me to have PCOS... no offer of help or anything... just to accept it. Since I had PCOS, I wasn't able to ovulate.. my periods had NEVER been regular except when on birth control pills...... Treatment didn't work: charting, pills, shots... nothing could budge my follicles to pop out any mature eggs..... so I went on with my life, childless.... then fast forward to 1999... I was surfing the net and came accross an article "Losing Weight With an underactive Thyroid" Well, this peaked my interest, and from this article they mentioned Low Carbing and Dr. Atkins..... I was like "What the HECK" is low carbing???? Well anyway, on my lunch break I went to the book store and bought Dr. A's book, I started to read, and read, and read.. and that night I threw away the nasty slim fast, and made myself a bunless cheeseburger.... I had been starving myself on Low Fat Slimfast shakes and GAINING weight....... I would cry because I was hungry and then to get on the scale and actualy GAIN weight... life just wasn't fair..... ok.... so I took dr. A's advice and decided to devote 2 weeks of my life to the diet.... I did... meat, cheese, eggs, and water.... I started dropping weight like crazy.. 14 lbs during induction.. my husband was shocked... but as the pounds came off and the sizes went down... everyone soon became a believer. OK...... so, I was about 3-4 months into the program when I realized by looking at my weight chart that my period was starting a pattern of every 28 days... I couldn't believe it.... from the first month my cycles had reset themselves to be just like a regular person!!!! THIS WAS A MIRACLE... my cycles were SO regular that I could set a clock by them... so I suspected that I was ovulating too.... my hopes of being a mom returned.... and BAMM, a few well timed whoopee sessions and I ended up preggo... unfortunately I suffered 3 miscarriages right in a row. So here I was down 80 lbs, PCOS symptoms were non-existant, and I FINALLY saw the little pink link on a home pregnancy test all with out meds or dr's... but life was unfair and I lost 3 precious babies.... all at about 7-9 weeks... one after I even saw the Heart Beat... that one killed me, and I went into a deep depression.. and I started feeding my sadness with High Carb things... I really feel that I was sabbotaging myself..... Lots of other Life events followed... got caught up in a corporate meger/layoff... so my job of 12 years went bye, bye.. and so did my husband my best friend since age 15.... had replaced me with someone who he said was "just like me" just 10 years younger...... so ok..... divorce, heartbreak, money issues... yada, yada, yada..... life goes on! Get your butt up and live life!...... ok so time passed... I hooked up with a new guy... technically my "rebound" guy from hell.... we both started LC'ng, the wieght had returned and my periods were slipping to sporadic bursts at no particular time.... PCOS had taken it's hold again.... anyway I told him, If I start LC'ng I might end up preggo........ he didn't believe me.... but ONE month after starting to eat right again.... I ended up preggo... and now I have a son who is the light of my life! April, 2004 I rededicated my eat life to Low Carb.... it may not be for everyone.. but it is what keeps my PCOS in check and I lose weight as a side effect! Edited August 11, 2005....... my little Low Carb miracle has now turned two years old. It was funny, that during my first Low Carb journey where I had 3 misscarriages.. no one wanted to believe that a formerly infertile woman could get preggers, simply by changing her diet. I had started seeing articles in the Atkins Center magazines for open calls for women with PCOS that had noticed changes in their cycles or had gotten pregnant because of this WOE... I called and told them of my experience.. as so many had done... NOW, in 2005... every PCOS website will lead you to a Low Carb way of eating, also they've developed drugs to help with the symptoms... .I feel proud to have been "IN" on the discovery of this phenom...... you will see LOTS of women popping up pregnant all over the Low Carb Friends website, and many threads where the gals are pregnant and doing a maintenance level of LC'ng to help control the amount of weight they gain during pregnancy.... IT IS AWESOME! I feel like broadcasting to the world.... I AM FINALLY A MOM!!!!!!!!! All thanks to the Low Carb way of eating.

FWIW, I'm into BodyMods, specifically piercings and in that realm titanium is regarded as the best materia to place in a fresh piercing as it so rarely causes an allergic reaction. It's almost entirely hypo allergenic.

I'm supposed to eat 4 oz every hour. I can't, it's too much in one shot. So I eat 2 oz every half hour. For the food portion, I Water down Campbells broccoli and cheese. I make a big pot (1 can-skim milk based) and put it in the fridge. Then when I need some, I just measure out my 2 oz. Because it cools quick, I make it nice and hot and eat with a spoon. For my powder I do: 8 oz skim milk 8 oz Crystal Lite Orange (sugar free Tang is even better, if you can find it.) 2 scoops whey vanilla (contains 60g protein) purchased at Walmart. BLEND WELL. Chill a tray of orange ice cubes. Either drink (or nurse )4 oz ever few hours, or nurse an 8 oz glass half the day, and the other, the second half. The orange ice cubes help keep the taste going, and it really takes like an orange smoothie. I'm sure other Crystal Lite Flavors would substitute well, like strawberry. OH and I keep a diary so I don't forget. Weird, before the lapband, I could get up in the morning and not even think about food until 6 hours later. Now, I'm HUNGRY. I guess it's completely psychological. As a large person I knew I was supposed to eat three meals a day to keep up a good metabolism (and mind is sluggish and hypo), but I just couldn't bring myself to doing it. BUT was forced to to keep that diary and eat all those meals to prepare for the surgery. Now that I'm used to eating all day, going liquid sure is hard. I feel that I just need to immerse myself in some work and I'll forget how hungry I am all the time. So that when I set the timer to remind me to eat, I'll be pleasantly happy OR maybe disillusional.:eek:

Hi again - its me with the interesting questions! My friend who is also considering surgery has Hypo- Thyroidism - does anyone know if she is a candidate for surgery or not? kind regards M:)

Getting effective restriction is something that is really hard. First off, many doctors do not use INAMED's recommendation to use a fluoroscope to obtain a visual confirmation of the effects of the fill. Plus, some patient's stomachs have a very dense fat-pad which resists the pressure from the fill at first, then it gives way, resulting in a delayed-action fill. Plus some patient's stomachs are more reactive to the pressure cause by the fill, and those people will experience reactive swelling caused by that irritation. In those people, a fill that would provide normal restriction in another patient will completely swell the stoma shut, sending them back to the doctor for an unfill. Some doctors use an arbitrary number for a fill amount. Like the INAMED standard of a 4CC fill in a Vanguard Band, followed by 1.0CC fills. Some doctors use the amount of resistance the feel on the plunger of the saline syringe to determine fill level. Some doctors fill a band to obstruction, then have you swallow Water, which pools in your esophagus, then they slowly back out the plunger in the saline syringe until you feel the water going down your neck. Some doctors have you drink water before you leave the office after a fill, and some don't. Some doctors tell you no solid food before a fill, some don't. Some doctors tell you to go back to solid food immediately after a fill, some say take it easy or put you on a Clear liquids or full liquids diet for a number of days. Some doctors will fill as close as 2 weeks, some will not fill unless 12 weeks or more have passed. Some doctors will not give a fill if you are still losing ANY amount of weight. So yes, getting to a "Sweet spot" (What I call "Effective Restriction") is not only tedious, time-consuming and expensive.... IT'S FRUSTRATING, AS WELL.

Kat - Hi! I'm doing good since last fill. Just staying quite and trying to stay caught up with all the posts. I had red spots on my tongue before - they said I had strep throat that wasn't treated and spreads - I have a thyroid condition - hypo (under-active) -all they ever did was blood test to check hormone levels -- I hope all is okay there. Judy - Fantastic pictures - WOW the boat is HUGE! Pamela - WOW - you look fantastic! Terri - hope you are having fun! Have a good day everyone!

I thought about having that also, not sure if it would work with both rings together now.. but my husband told me (the jeweler said it was 10 bucks), the metal they use is 'fake metal'.. which I'm highly allergic to, I break out in rashes unless it's real gold. Do you know the content of them? If they are hypo-allergenic I wanted to try those. Otherwise, I think I'm going to end up tying a string in there.

Make sure you're taking a daily. Potassium is the culprit for me. Other elements can be a cause, too. Also, don't go out and start takings lots of supplements. I've seen people do this reactively - bad thing. Take what you need and what's within safe guidelines, nothing more. Bad, bad things can come out of "harmlessly" taking too many Vitamins, potassium supplements, etc.

Well, have to tell you all ... my baby turns 21 at midnight!!!!! YIKES!!! Talk about a restless and nerve racking night!!!! She just left for the evening and I am a bundle of nerves!!!! I can't wait til these next few days are over!!!! She just thinks her dad and I are way to over reactive, but man, it scares the daylights out of me!!! She did promise not to drive and will stay at a friends, but nonetheless, they are going out too!!!!:nervous Oh well, besides that, we took her to Red Lobster tonight, because that is where she wanted to go ... I'm thinking well, what am I gonna eat there? ... it wasn't bad, I had about 3 bites of salad, 5-6 bites of mashed potatoes, probably 1/4 cup of cooked veggies, and 1/2 of a haddock broiled and lightly seasoned haddock fillet. So wasn't bad, no problems and I am feeling great this evening!!! So there is life after the band!!!! I do enjoy going out once in awhile, it is nice to know we can!!!

Hello, I had my first fill on the 19th. I have a total of 5.6 cc's and it's taking some getting used to. I didn't have a problem with any foods prior to the fill, now I'm hungry but can't eat much. I've done the whole Pb'ing etc..... even with mushies. Tuna was the only thing that worked today. I'm happy that the weight loss has been reactivated, but it's hard to keep enough proteins in me so that I don't feel light-headed.

I was on Lactated Ringers IV fluids (contains some glucose) so no worries with going hypo. Then they monitored my blood sugar and gave me a small dose if insulin when it was too high. Post-op you may find that you have to decrease your dosages of diabetes meds. Check with you doctor and see what s/he says. I stopped taking one of my meds about a week pre-op with the intent of going back on it after surgery, but not only did I not ever get back on it, I was completely off ALL DM meds about three weeks post-op.