FLORIDAYS

That is fabulous.... You are going in the right direction!!!!

Now that I have had some trouble with the accumulation of blood I asked him that same question. He said there is no way of knowing if someone is going to have to have trouble like I have... He said it is rare. Lucky me. But he said when he used to use drains it took people longer to heal and there was more infection post op. that's why he stopped using them. In my case I suppose they would have been a good choice but hindsight is 20/20 of course. On Thursday He did make an incision just above the scar line and packed it with gauze which actually came out today when I was changing the bandage. I called and he said nothing To worry about... It's not bleeding so he believes the incision will close on its own but he still wants to see me Monday morning.

Aren't you funny for this late hour. you aren't so bad yourself....

Just make sure to count the calories... Enjoy

No carbonation is the hardest one for me although I haven't cheated on this one...but it's soooo tempting sometimes

Hi I am also in Tampa . To answer your questions...you have to get insurance approval as well as the drs approval to make sure you are a good candidate for surgery. Tests like a mental health eval, blood work, cardio work up and anything else your dr deems necessary for surgery. Also the insurance company if covered may require a advance diet. That said on this site if you see waiting for approval the odds are someone is waiting for insurance approval There is a port placed in the wall of your abdomen in addition to the band. The dr gives you fills through the port via a needle filled with saline. No surgery is required and considering ou will need an average of 6-8 fills over the first 2 years that's a good thing. Hope this helps.

I see from your updated post you went to the dr. I hope you will now find relief.

If you are having chest pains I would call 911.... It may be nothing but Better safe than sorry

That works too. My dr told me never to take anything bigger than a size of an aspirin. But I even cut those up. like u I know how bad it feels. Glad you are doing better

I have Aetna and it wasn't covered. I know people who have different Aetna plans ho were covered. I think it depends on the plan..

Note to self....buy a pill cutter at drug store for $5. Cut said pill into quarters...problem solved.

I could be wrong but I believe what you are feeling is your port not your band. The band is on the stomach which is above the waist and would be impossible to feel through your liver I would think Chck ith your dr just to be sure.

Soups are tricky. The broth passes thru the pouch and ac like a slider food. For me they fill me up but don't hold me for more than about 3 hours. bit I love them and eat them often so I try to have a fruit for a snack. To get a good idea make sure you measure the veggies to know how much you are eating. Count the calories then see what the calories are in the broth.... Then you will know if you can eat more broth.

I haven't figured a way to cook for 1.5 people.... And for the past year my daughter and 18 month old granddaughter have been living with us... So i now cook for 3/4 which is most likely what i cooked for before. But I can honestly say my bill stayed about the same. If I was single I would be saving a bundle. What has gone down is eating out. When it just the two of us hubby eats like he did but I get an appetizer or something of the child's menu and no alcohol for me or sodas so our eating out bills have decreased dramatically. Also I used to spend at least $50 a week on lunches and that has dropped dramatically to basically nothing. However once in a while I will go out with coworkers for a treat but my bill is usually under 5$ depending on where we go.

If you stick to the liquids and do what the doctor says you should see it go down in a week or so.... It's normal.

Congrats on taking the first step. Being banded isn't the easy way out and you will no doubt hear that it is from a lot of uninformed people. I say ignore that type of information. When banded You must follow lots of rules with regard to eating, portion control and food selection if you want to be successfull however it can offer a long term solution if you work with our band instead of fighting it. Best wishes as you make your decisions.

At home I used baby utensils in the beginning to get used to small bites. At restaurants I didn't but I made sure to make myself eat properly. I thought it was a wonderful idea!!! Two year later I will still grab a baby fork or spoon occasionally with Pasta or a slider food liked mashed potatoes. Nothing wrong with it

After day 5 I was just dandy... Headaches gone, hunger not even too bad...it's like my body got used to the nutrition I was feeding it and adapted. It was hard of course just the fact of not eating but every day I would step on the scale and it was a smaller number than the day before so I was a happy camper.

That is the truth. Being in the green zone just means you cannot eat as much of it. Our heads didnt get banded... our stomachs did. Nothing except willpower will stop your hands from putting M&Ms in your mouth.

Sounds like you are doing great ....congratulations .lF you eat proportionally you shouldn't worry about getting into old habits.... that's the beauty of the band! As for what your friends think or say remember most people don't have a clue about weight-loss surgery. Unless they are obese they can't understand what you are thinking and feeling as much as they might want to try. That said what they're saying is surface stuff it really has no bearing on you you and your Journey. Unfortunately in this society everybody is focused on looking like a supermodel or reality star... so their comments are in line with that way of thinking I wouldn't worry about it too much Best wishes for a successful journey

I am maintaining so am not as strict as I was during the losing stage.... So I ate proportionally and didn't lose and didn't gain. I love my band!

I am sure they can...it's just a pain.... But on a side note my tummy is still flat and my boobs look like they were photoshopped....LOL

Thanks very much... At least my incissions look amazing