:bored :bored :bored well well I guess this site has nobody from the chatt. area and let me also guess that no body has been banded at memorial hos. by dr. fromm-paynter-or ponce?? Geez I sure feel like the lonesome stud here lol.

As far as I can detemine both bands work about the same. I just liked the lower-profile port on the Realize Band. And I just figured out that I'm getting the second generation Realize Band-C (which was just FDA approved in October 2008).

I thought I was going to be starving drinking six glucernas a day. Turns out I can only drink about four - just not hungry (very weird). And I've had to stop my short-acting insulin for now because my blood sugar was too low (still on the long-acting insulin). I'm eating the right amount of yogurt and fruit juice. I hope to lose a few more pounds prior to surgery.

You are going to do great. You are going in with quite a bit of knowledge which makes such a big difference.

I had the same thing happen to me with the glucerna. There was just now way that I could drink 6. I bought several cases of it thinking I would drink it all. I gave away 2 cases and threw away the vanilla case.

Looks like you are doing great on your weighloss. Is it coming off consistently per week?

What's the lower profile port?

It's good that you are doing the preop diet. I think it really helps with the weigh loss after. I didn't have to do it and my loss has been very slow.

The port on the Realize Band is flatter, so it shouldn't be visible when you lose weight (the port is also stapled instead of sutured). There is an optional low-profile port for the Lap-Band also, but Dr. Ponce doesn't use it (they said if you have plastic surgery later the low-profile port could be installed then).

The pre-op diet has been a lot easier that I expected. I was getting tired of just staying at home eating cold food, so I went out last night with my wife to the Imperial Garden chinese restaurant and got a large bowl of WonTon soup (without the wonton - broth only). So much better than chicken broth from a can. We normally share chinese food, so she had plenty left over for lunch today. I lost another pound yesterday (4 so far since Monday afternoon).

Looks like you are doing great on your weighloss. Is it coming off consistently per week?

It's not consistent just yet. I fluctuate quite a bit right now. I am still working on getting good restriction. I am going back on Monday to get another adjustment. I haven't gotten to the point where only a cup of food keeps me satisfied. Right now, I seem to lose the most weight the week after an adjustment. After that, I fluctuate the same 3 or 4 pounds.

slim, how many fills have you had?

I have had 3 fills. I go for number 4 on Monday.

I have been lucky. I had good restriction with the second fill. They put too much in the 3rd and 4th and I had to have some taken out both times. It really sucks to be too tight.

Is there a default amount that GBI adds at each adjustment? I'd like to get to the "sweet spot" within the first year, since the price goes up from $50 to $125 per adjustment after the first year.

When were you banded, Carrie?

Is there a default amount that GBI adds at each adjustment? I'd like to get to the "sweet spot" within the first year, since the price goes up from $50 to $125 per adjustment after the first year.

It's hard to know if there is a default because they don't really like to tell you how much they put in. Dr. Ponce told me once (during my 2nd fill) how much he was putting in there, but I don't have a clue how much is in there now. I know that you are self pay for your surgery, but do you think your insurance might pay for the fills?

I got my insurance to pay for my upper-GI (they discovered a hiatal hernia, which Dr. Ponce is going to fix), and the labwork yesterday was submitted to my insurance company. But I don't think my insurance would pay for the adjustments, since they are associated with my gastric surgery, which is specifically excluded in my company insurance policy with BCBS TX.

They told us yesterday that they don't post how much your band contains on the Realize Band website because people get fixated on that. I don't really care as long as I get to the correct restriction. And I don't want them putting a half cc in at a time just to stretch the process out to make more money. since they are only charging me $50 selfpay the first year for adjustments, hopefully they won't do that.