NWgirl

look under the surgeons tab to find doctors in your area.

Call your insurance company and find out which bariatric doctors in your area they cover. Call said doctors and ask if there are any "transfer fees," etc to become a patient. Because you are moving on to your second doctor, I would be thorough in finding out how their practice is run, how patients are treated, etc. During my time on these boards, I have read of many people switching surgeons post-op, some for the obvious reason the doctor relocated, some because they had surgery elsewhere, and others because they found after surgery their doctor's bedside manner/availability did not provide the support they needed. good luck!

this is what is known as bandster hell. It's the period between surgery and the greenzone where the band is placed but because it is not filled to the proper level, is not controlling hunger as it should. Just stick with it and keep your head in the game and you will be past it in no time.

I'd agree. I was banded at a higher bmi, but my weight loss has been fairly steady all along. I am now bmi of 24 and am not in any way, shape, or form actively trying to lose weight, but it still comes off. Even as I have settled into this lifestyle and am not nearly as strict about food or alcohol intake (i do love some mixed drinks myself , I still continue to lose at a decent pace. Heck, at this point I am the ones my friends point to when complaining about skinny people, which completely blows my mind.

I was 23 when banded and I definitely had my doubts for the first couple months post banding. I could still eat fairly normally and was worried I had spent a lot of money on something that may not be for me. One day a week or so after a fill, I felt the tip of the green zone and knew I had made the right decision. Everyday gets easier the longer you're on this journey. I cant say I didn't have to hard core diet the first couple months before my band was at the right fill level, but everything has been worth the frustrations I've experienced. I wish that I could have done this at a younger age.

I had to do a few this year due to allergy issues causing severe tightening of my band. I was able to eat and drink normally again and started losing more weight. Before the unfill, it was torture trying to eat and I was not losing any weight.

As was said, the amount of cc's in the band doesn't really mean much when talking about the green zone. I have seen people almost close to the max fill find the zone and myself have never been filled over 5cc/10cc band. Continue going for fills becuase at some point you will find the right amount. How are you doing otherwise in regards to weight loss?

Good luck!

I dont know if you mean people on the boards or people in your life scaring you. If it's the boards, it's probably because you're on a much more lenient post op diet than most are and so to find out youve just had surgery and are eating soft foods can ring as a warning sign. Obviously if that is your drs post op routine, then you are doing exactly as you're supposed to so dont let others get to you. As for the eating, the band is most likely completely unfilled at this point so any restriction is minimal. As you get more fills, you may or may not notice that you can continue eating normally. I can still eat whatever I want, but I have to chew a lot and pause between bites. Pretty much what I'm trying to say is that everyone is on the same path but not necessarily the same stage/mindset. Remember to mindfully eat and you will do great.

Hey guys, trying to figure out why my profile photo doesn't show up in the app? It seems like I can see some profile photos but a majority are blank. Also, is there anyway to access member profiles to see surgery info, photos etc as well as edit my own profile through the app?

Congrats!

I felt the green zone at a very small fill amount (around 4cc) so it's possible that you're close. As you lose with the band, internal fat around the organs goes away too. This is why in the beginning you visit the Dr so often and how you can feel in the zone for a while but then the feeling goes away again. As you lose more weight, fills wont be needed nearly as frequently. I believe I had a total of four fills before I only went back to my team for the required visits with the psych, physical therapist, and nutritionist. I have seen my surgeon a few times in the last six to eight months, most recently to have fluid removed because my allergies were causing major tightness.

I've never had a fill with fluro and dont think it's really necessary if you have a competent surgeon who is working with you to acheive your mutual goals. I have heard of those Dr's who only fill .2 at a time (or some other equally ridiculious amount) from the beginning for what seems like a way to make more money due to more frequent visits.

People will most likely see it as a loss is a loss. I didn't really buy many new, correct fitting clothes through most of my journey so it was harder for people to tell. Now that I wear the right size clothing and even though I've been around the same weight for months, people i see almost every day do come up and compliment me. Sometimes people also notice but dont say anything because weight can be a sensitive topic.

You are doing awesome!

I was put on a low dose of synthroid a couple months prior to surgery. I went back a few months after surgery and my pcp raised my dose slightly. I just went back in a few weeks ago for the first time in almost a year to have a checkup on my levels and was pleasantly surprised that my numbers were perfect, even after not taking my synthroid regularly for about a month prior due to being too tight and unable to swallow the pill. I would hazard to guess that something has stabilized but I will continue to take a low dose a couple times a week.

Shortly after my surgery I was out and about and found a store that was closing with plus size pants at 5 a pair. I bought a couple pairs from 14-20 and it was definitely a good investment. My only true annoyance was that I wouldn't realize my pants were too large until I had already surpassed the next size down. Even now, I am only buying a few necessities as the time comes because my weight and body shape continues to change.

To add some humor here, if I had lost the weight during my band journey simply based on calories in and calories out, I should physically be nonexistent at this point It can be frustrating as hell to do everything right and see no results, but if you keep on the right path, at some point the results WILL happen. I've heard various theories about weight loss and how it's so finicky- the muscle vs fat idea (which is not to say possible over time but In a short amount of time you are not going to be adding pounds of muscle), the idea that your body can hit plateaus based on remembering the weight it was at previous times in your life, etc. Whatever the reason, the body will catch up. I've gone through times when I went for a couple months with minimal results and then all of a sudden I would be down 10lbs. Keep your head in the game and dont stress about when the weight will come off. It's a gradual process and one that will surely be worth the effort.

I've never not been able to eat anything during my band life. It is harder for me to eat thicker breads and dense foods, but at no point did I have to eliminate entire groups. As with varying drs, rules on carbonation, etc are different- my surgeon and nutritionist said I could drink carbonated beverages, although I dont do it often because I end up burping a lot.

If you're pbing at any meal, you should stop eating at that time and let everything settle again. If you are following the right portion sizes/bites, etc and are still pbing, I would hazard to guess that you are too tight.

From what I understand, some will honor and let you order off the kids or seniors menu. There is no guarantee that they will honor it though.

My surgeon gave me a lapband packet from allergan to get the card. I had to fill out a little postcard sized paper with surgery date, band size, and surgeon name and received my card in the mail. I did actually have to ask my surgeon for the packet because they also issue their own card. The back says something along the lines of "this person has had weight loss surgery and cannot eat normal portion sizes." I've honestly never used it but thought it would be a good thing to have just in case because of the information it had printed on it about my band.

My scars healed nicely, but with losing so much weight in my stomach area, everything is a little saggy.

The only things I have problems with are bread type carbs and beets. Everyone is different in terms of what they can and cannot eat, so try it out and see how your body processes it.