JerseyGirl80

If you're tight enough I can see swallowing it maybe being a problem. But gum does desolve eventually (as a kid I've fallen asleep with gum in my mouth, it definitely desolves after a while, even in your mouth it breaks down) it doesn't stay "gummy" forever so this seems a little strange to me that he had to remove all the fluid. That had to suck, I guess anything is possible.

I haven't noticed my gas being any different than before lol, I actually think I burp less now than pre-surgery. I haven't noticed anything odd when I chew gum, but everyone is different, some people might. Thinking back Doc's said the same about drinking through straws, I have no problems with that either.

I chew gum, been chewing it since surgery (Dec 2010) I have no problems. I'm not quite sure why it would be a no-no other than it giving you gas because you tend to swallow air when you chew it?

I've been a big soda drinker since forever, but I've always drank diet. I probably have some soda everyday, but I drink ALOT less than I used to. I never finish a regular can, sometimes I'll finish those little 8oz cans, and a 2 liter can sit in my fridge for a week or longer before it's gone. If I'm at a restaurant I usually can finish my soda since it's much flatter than canned/bottled soda. I don't drink soda during the day, I'll usually have it after dinner, I guess it's more of a treat now than part of my main fluid intake. The desire to guzzle down a 2liter in a day just isn't there anymore. If it's very carbonated, let's say the first sip out of a 16oz bottle, I have to take tiny baby sips until it flattens out a little, otherwise it'll hurt going down. As far as how my Doc feels about carbonated drinks, they're ok in moderation and he suggests to let them flatten out some before drinking it, and of course he suggests not drinking your calories, so no regualr soda.

Everyone in my life that matters knows and my co-workers know, it's no secret. But I don't go screaming it from the rooftops, it's on a need to know basis but I don't hide it. I'm not ashamed, afraid or intimdated by anyone that might judge me. Some people are negative, some are great supporters. I do understand some banders wanting to keep it a secret. It's a personal choice, but for me I don't care who knows or what anyone thinks about it, if they care enough they'll want to be educated about it and if not, they can kiss it. My boyfriend, family and friends know it's not a magic bullet, they know I watch everything I eat 90% of the time and that I work out as much as I can. They also know I'm losing slowly and sometimes I indulge a little infront of them and we laugh and joke that I'm "cheating" it's all in fun though. It's a journey and a process, there are times when I gain a few but I'm only human, no one is perfect at this. It's a shame that there are people watching and judging making some of us feel bad about what we are doing, we make our selves feel bad enough when we mess up, we really don't need it from them. I've been losing since surgery and it's great, I have my ups and downs but that's to be expected, my boyfriend, friends, family and myself don't expect me to lose all my weight over night, they actually think it's great that it's coming off slowly and that I'm healthy. Luckily I have great supporters, not everyone does, but we all run into the nay sayers. I say screw them it's their problem for not being educated. You tell who you want to tell, no one is entitiled to knowing. Good luck to you!

Thank you for sharing this and don't feel ashamed at all, you are not alone. I went through those emotions too, although I didn't cry, I did feel the loss of a bestfriend and felt panicked and sad. I remember feeling scared and worrying about what I was going to do and who I was going to be without my bestfriend, food. But after a week or two of dreaming and fantisizing about cheeseburgers, those feelings subsided. I'm just about 10 months post-op and my old feelings (not yours, because I can completely understand, no judgement here) to me now seem silly. I remember thinking "I'll never be able to eat bread/pasta/rice ever again!" It's been 10 months, I can eat those things, but in very small portions and to be honest I really don't care to eat them that often anymore. You'll be surprised how you can adjust to your band, the cravings that once drove me into binges aren't really there anymore. The need for that comfort is going away, or at least not sticking it's delicious head in all the time lol. I still crave things from time to time (I am a recovering food addict, I can laugh at this now), but a few bites will do and I'm satisfied with it. If I want something that I "shouldn't" be eating, I will have some, but just a little. I believe in moderation not deprivation, deprivation is what got me to the size I was from failing at every "diet" I've ever been on. Things get better as time goes on, and hopefully they will get easier for you as they have for many of us. Good luck to you!

The sleep study was the worst part for me, I swear I'd go through surgery 5 more times before I'd ever want to have a sleep study again! I did it a year ago and I can still complain about it as if it happened yesterday lol, so I feel you. I was pissed because I couldn't use my hair products, so I can only imagine how upset you are about your hair, with it being so expensive. And are you sure you have to take them out, I'm really not sure how extentions work? All the tech really needs is to be able to stick leads to your scalp, would this really merit removing of them? Anyway what stinks is that there really is no getting around a sleep study. Insurance companies require it and they don't just do the study to find another co-morbidity (other health issues), large people are prone to sleep apnea. So if you have sleep apnea and go under anesthesia it can be dangerous if the doctors don't know this. Your surgeon and anesthesiologist must have this information so that he can properly monitor and sedate you. If you stop breathing, or have trouble rising from anesthesia you want your doctors to know so that they will be ready to treat you for it if needed. Sleep apnea patients can be very high risk, so you are better off knowing for sure if you have it. Good luck and feel free to vent your heart out!

From what I know about insurance companies, it doesn't matter how much you know you've done in the past or how much your doctors knows you've done. It's not personal for the insurance company, they can't just take your word for it or your doctors word for it and just say "ok you're approved". They want what they want, and if that's their requirement that's what you have to give them. If they want you on a monitored plan that's what you have to do, it doesn't matter that it's failed in the past or that your doctor thinks it's a waste of time and money. Unless your doctor knows a way around the insurance, you're gonna have to do what they want you to do in order to get approval. Basically to them if it's not on paper it never happened, to them it doesn't matter what you've done before. And certain meal plans or pills will not count to them. For whatever reason what's good for one insurance isn't for another. I almost didn't get approved because of my medically recorded weight, it went back exactly 2 years to the month, if it didn't I would have had to wait longer for approval because my insurance required proof of me being fat for at least 2 years. Mind you I've been fat since birth, but that didn't matter to them, they needed proof. Unfortunetly some insurances are harder to please than others. I don't mean to bum you out, and maybe there's ways around it but none that I've seen or heard of, that would be something your doctors office would have to find out for you. I had Aetna, and from what I've been told by my doctors office, they are the quickest at approving you. I went to my first seminar in Aug of 2010, by Dec of 2010 I was banded. They only things they really required were a co-morbidity (and I had a few) a summary of past diets (which were just a list of Weight Watchers memberships, Nutrisystem memberships and other diets pills/shakes) my weight record for the past 2 years, and 3 months of "diet". That "diet" was just me eating a little better and getting weighed every month by my doc for 3 months. If I were you and I was serious about getting this surgery I would suck it up and do what I had to do, even if it takes another 6 months or a year. Regardless of how stressful, aggravating and how much of a waste of time and money it seems. If you don't do it you'll be wasting even more time possibly gaining more weight and feeling worse than you already do. 6 months to a year may seem like a drawback right now, but think about the big picture. In a year you could be banded and losing weight, or you could be doing what you are doing now. Good luck to you! again I'm sorry if I sound like a downer, but anything worth it is never easy.

Missed my Oct 8th check in, Starting weight was 254, as of this morning I'm 251.

Thanks Rachel. Where do you get the Just the Cheese White Cheddar snacks? I try to keep my carbs low too but I'm a chip/dorito addict and the cravings drive me crazy sometimes, I need my crunchy salty treats! lol

This really made me laugh lol because for about a week and half after surgery all I did was fantasize about food, cheese burgers mostly.. But the fantasies went away after a while, once I started eating food again I wasn't daydreaming or actually dreaming about food or seeing my friends turn into french fries anymore lol.

Snack foods always seem to be the easiest food for me to get down.. I hate that.. You probably really need to be getting in some healthy Protein. Have you tried eating Beans? Baked beans or something like that? I'm not a fan of beans but they're loaded with protein and they're much mushier than meats. Maybe beef Jerky if you can get something like that down? My doctor suggested beef jerky whenever I crave salt because its full of protein, and it's better than eating chips. eggs are always good to have, or maybe chicken salad if it's mushed up enough? When I was on my mushy stage I used to make a mashed potato fish bake. It was just mashed potatoes, made with skim milk, low fat mozzerella cheese, fat free sour cream, non-fat spray butter (just poured it out of the bottle) salt & pepper I would cook the talapia (with whatever seasonings i was in the mood for) in olive oil or pan spray then I would add it to the mashed potatoes and mix it all in, mixed it into a mushy mess lol, and baked it. I added alot of fish so it was more fish than potato. I really liked it and it did the job, it was pretty easy to get down and was filling. You could doctor it up, use different fish or even chicken, different cheeses and even veggies. Hope this helps a little. Have you tried the brand "Pure Protein" Protein shakes? they come in powder and also pre made ones in cans. I cannot stand the taste of powdered protein, it literally makes me nauseous. But the pre-made shakes don't have that whey taste. They're similar to slim fast shakes taste wise. I have a hard time eating in the morning so I have a shake for breakfast everyday. Sometimes I pour the can into a blender with ice and add frozen fruit to bulk it up, it makes it taste even better too. Or I'll add a scoop of non-fat low sugar ice cream. These cans certainly helped me out of my hating protein shakes funk. Good luck!

I work a desk job as well. They were generous with my time and allowed me to take as long as I needed, so I milked it and took from my day of surgery (Dec13th) off and didn't return to work until the day after new years. I was really tired most days once I returned. I'm a medical coder so I spend most of my day reading the unreadable and researching, which is a headache on a normal day. It was very hard for me to sit still and concentrate while I was uncomforable, itchy and in pain from the desk rubbing and my bra irritating one of my incisions. I had to keep getting up to walk around, and wound up leaving early a few times. This went on, but only at work, for a few weeks. Other than sitting at my desk I was fine, but everyones different, sitting may not bother you.

Thank you Jess. We're all in this together and just have to be patient and find what works for us. I can see now what my mistakes were and I'm trying to fix them. I'm not perfect at this and some days are a struggle, some aren't. But anything that's worth it, is never easy. And btw, I've been on Weight Watchers at least 6 or 7 times lol, it works but I'd always lose my mind and eat everything in site after a while. I definitely needed my band to keep my cravings under control or at least give me alot less space to pack it in when I indulge a bit.

In the end only you can make the best choice for yourself, it's your body. But, I chose to do the band because I wanted to lose weight slower, I also liked the idea that it was adjustable and that I'd still be able to eat anything I wanted (but limited amounts of course) without becoming physically ill (other than a few stuck episodes from time to time) what I mean by sick is with the other surgeries you could get very ill from eating certain things, or by having too much sugar. I liked the idea that I wouldn't have to deprive myself of some of my favorite foods like when I've "dieted" a million times before, doing this in the past only caused me to fall off the wagon and binge eat. Now everything is in moderation and I'm still losing. Another reason, I had many reasons lol.. I didn't want them removing anything, cutting me or re-routing anything. I did not like the idea that the sleeve and the bypass are not reversable, if something goes wrong with my band they can take it out, they can't give me back my stomach once they remove some of it... I also did not want to risk some of the side effects from those other surgeries, malabsorption, dumping syndrome ect. I felt safer with the band. My boyfriends sister had the bypass and she regrets it because she is always sick, since surgery she has become anemic, gets sick after eating alot of foods, her hair falls out and its very thin and brittle now. But I also have another friend that had bypass and she's doing great. I do not know anyone that has had the sleeve, so it's hard for me to form a personal opinion about it other than me not wanting to have part of my stomach removed. Everyone is different, but it scared me too much to have such an invasive surgery and by seeing some of the potential effects first hand. If for some reason the band does not work for me, and I had to do something else I might consider the sleeve as it seems to be better than bypass in my opinion. But let's hope that doesn't happen! So far I couldn't be happier with my decision, but it was a chance I took just like anyone else. There is no guarantee this will work for anyone, but we have to try. This is my attempt at taking my life back and so far so good. I'm loving my band, so far! Good luck you!

I had Aetna when I had my surgery. My first doctors appointment was in Sept and I had my surgery in Dec of 2010. I don't remember exactly how long it took to get approved, but it was quick. The office staff told me Aetna was one of the easiest and quickest at approving patients.

3 months for me, from seminar to surgery.

I've been on "DIETS" since I was 15yrs old, I'm now 31. I failed at every diet I've ever been on, I believe the main reason for this was deprivation. I'd quit all the "bad" foods cold turkey only to lose my mind while losing large amounts of weight only to "slip" and devour everything that was deep fried or covered in cholocate. Then I'd just give up on myself, and gain all the weight back and then some. I did this over and over again for as long as I can remember.. I've been banded almost 10 months, I do not deprive myself of anything. I've been losing consitantly, slowly but consitantly, and it works for me. I cut out alot for the most part. But the foods I have cut out are mostly carby filler foods that just take up space and keep me from eating my Protein, and to be honest I hardly even want to eat them anymore anyway. When it comes to my cravings (or my old habits coming back), I feed them, but in very small amounts. If I feel I need McDonalds, (which was my drug of choice, that and any other fast food) I'll have it, but maybe only a few chicken nuggets or just the meat off a cheese burger and 4 or 5 french fries. This will kill my craving, I physically cannot over do it because my band keeps me from it. But I do have some days when my band is easier than other days to "eat around" so I have to know how to limit myself. I do not keep junk food in my house, if I feel I need to eat crap like chips, chocolate or ice cream I'll buy a small bag or just a serving of it, have it and move on and continue to exercise and eat well the majority of the time. I understand everyone is different, and this may not work for everyone, but I am a true believer in having everything in moderation. Thinking back, deprivation was what got me to my heaviest weight, it caused me to lose my mind and over do it when "cheating" on diets. Now I'm satisfied, I can control my craving and I'm still losing weight. My advice to you would be not to beat yourself up about having some "slips" , it's ok to enjoy "bad" food on occasion, just not in outrageous amounts and not everyday. Stay motivated, exercise as much as you can and never forget why you got banded.. Good luck!

I used to take Flintstones but I got sick of them getting stuck in my teeth and I don't like the graininess of them. Now I take One A Day VitaCraves Gummies, they don't taste like vitamins at all and they go down easy.

Don't be bummed, stay excited and motivated, it sounds like you are doing great, congratulations! I wouldn't be too concerned, the doctors are being cautious, and you want them to be that way. The first month or so really isn't about losing, just healing, so they probably just want to be sure you are doing things the healthy way and not over doing it. Your weight loss will most likely slow down to a normal rate soon. I lost about 15lbs my first month post-op and I really wasn't strict with my eating and wasn't doing any sort of exercise. To me it doesn't seem to be so far fetched that you would lose 25lbs with being as active as you are. Alot of that weight is fluid after surgery and with being active and keeping your calories low you were able to take off even more which is a bonus, not all of us can do that right away. I don't think this is cause for alarm unless you keep losing 25lbs every month, that wouldn't be healthy for anyone. Remember, slow and steady and everything in moderation... Keep up the good work, stay healthy, and good luck on your journey!

I'm very large chested too. I have a tiny incision at the top of my belly, it's pretty high up so after surgery when I wore a bra it hurt, but only when I was sitting for more than a few minutes. Doc said to wear a bandaid on that one until it healed completely, it's probably my smallest incision but took as long as my biggest one to heal because of my bra rubbing against it. After about a month I was fine, it didn't hurt anymore. BTW, I always wear underwire bras, and the incision is just under where the 2 wires meet between my breasts, so while sitting it would really irritate me from the rubbing, I'd recommend a soft cupped or sports bra for a while.

Hello everyone, I'm in! This is my first time participating in one of these group things, so be gentle hehe.. Name, real or screen~ Victoria Age~ 31 Weight on October 1st~ 254 (doubt this will change overnight) Goal Weight for October 29th~ 244 Exercise Goal for October~ 2-3 miles of walking 3-4 days a week (I hate working out more than anything) Dietary Goal for October~ Avoid chips/doritos lol dang salty carbs! Personal Goal for October~ To remind myself that I CAN DO THIS! Date Banded~ December 13th 2010 Total Weight Loss Since Banding~ 44lbs (11 pre-op, 55 total) (didn't lose all summer, time to make up for it!)

I'm a food addict too, and like many others on here I believe in eating everything in moderation. Deprivation was a major mistake for me everytime I "dieted". I'd quit all my favorite foods cold turkey and when I'd become weak or just fed up with salads and grilled chicken I'd eat all the garbage I loved til I was sick to my stomach. I'd go on a bender that wouldn't stop until I just didn't care anymore about what I shoved into my face. That is the reason I've gained back all the weight(and then some) I've ever lost (pre-band). For us, unlike drugs food is everywhere. We dont have to go to a dealer to get a hit. We won't go to prison for odering a 20 peice nuggets and washing is down with #2 supersized. We are surrounded by food everyday. We just have to be aware of what we are doing. Seriously now if I feel I "need" chicken nuggets, I'll go get it, maybe I'll eat 3 or 4 and be full. That will kill my craving and I'll move on. This is how my life is now and I'm happy here. The weight is coming off slow, but for me the weight coming off fast means deprivation and that's never worked before and won't work now, even with my band. But Suzzie the other issues you are having with reflux are terrible, I'm so sorry. I hope you can find a happy medium with your band and start losing weight again. Also, here's a tip that might work for you when it comes to cravings/addiction. Do not keep crap in the house, ever. If you crave something or feel you need it buy a small bag of it, or a serving size. That's what I do and it works, for me anyway. I want something, I eat some in that moment once it's gone it's gone. Having it laying around would cause me to eat it just because it's there. These are very hard habits to break but it is doable, it's not a scam when people say "everything in moderation" there is truth to this. Also look for lower fat snacks/ice creams, at first they don't compare to the real thing, but they can kill those uncontrollable urges. There are many "healthier" alternatives to the garbage foods we love. I hope you do not think of yourself as "crazy" "weak" or "stupid" we are all struggling with the same or similar food issues and anyone of us could be in your shoes in a year or 2. The band was never a garuntee, we need the fills to help us, if you're out there with no fill how could you even be getting help from the band, it's as if you are on your own again battling your weight. Getting the band was for help, no fills+no restriction = no help. Wasn't that the point of all this? Perhaps you should see your doctor and get very small fills until you find that "sweet spot" where your reflux is under control and you have restriction. I wish you the best of luck and try to stay in touch and active on this site, it surely helps when you are in need of motivation or feeling down. Who better to understand you than others that have walked and are walking in your shoes?

I had habachi and sushi as my "last meal" lol and for dessert I had vanilla soft serve with wet walnuts and strawberries .. I've had it since with no problems (in much smaller doses though), and I've been losing consistantly since surgery. It's funny how I really thought and paniced about there being foods I'd never be able to eat again. Luckily I'm able to eat anything, although as time goes by and I get more restriction some things are getting harder to eat. But enjoy your last meal as it will be a while before you can enjoy real food again (other than liquids and mushies). Good luck!

My doctors office has support groups once or twice a month, I don't go to them because they are mostly bypass/sleeve patients. I also feel out of place with them, it's very uncomfortable. To me it's a different journey with the band compared to the bypass or sleeve and we need different support. Just like when I went to my pre-op "class" I was the only band patient there, and some of the things they went over had nothing to do with me and I was getting confused with what I had to do and what suppliments I'd have to take. The people giving the class seemed to just assume everyone was getting the bypass or sleeve. I had to ask a million questions only to be told, "oh that doesn't concern you, you're getting a band, this is for bypass/sleeve patients" it was very frustrating. I could be wrong but most of the time it seems like its more of a struggle for band patients. My boyfriends sister had the bypass almost 3yrs ago, and lost most of her weight within the first few months without doing anything, but she also regrets getting it done. She has alot of health issues since her surgery, she said if she could do it all over she would have gotten a band instead. It may sound catty or ignorant but I'm just being honest, I kinda get uncomfortable and maybe even a little annoyed when I hear about how much weight they've lost in only a few months with no effort. I understand they are more at risk and some suffer from Vitamin deficiency and malabsorbtion but like seriously, I'm still working my ass off even after surgery to lose weight! Now I'm just complaining lol.. Anyway, this is what I chose and how I wanted to do it, but I feel the support groups should cater to all WLS patients and separate bands from bypass/sleeve patients as we have different needs.