Alexandra

Hi Birdee, You don't say if you've just recently had a fill, but unless that's the case you should be eating normal solid food. Yogurt, mashed potatoes, and soup are all mushy foods and won't do much to keep your appetite satisfied. There's no reason to feel "guilty" if what you're eating is nutritious, even if it is chewy, crunchy, and delicious! The band works by keeing solid food in your pouch and keeping you feeling full longer. A small amount of real food goes a long way. Eat Protein (lean meats, Beans, etc.) and then vegetables, and if you still want something else after that go for whatever is left. If you have good restriction and are eating "real" food, you won't have much room or desire for junk food. At least, that's the way it's supposed to work. My suggestion would be to stop with the soft foods and start eating food that takes some chewing. Don't forget to chew carefully! It takes longer, but that's the whole idea. Good luck, and let us know how you're doing!

Hey Bethanie, No one shoudl be offended by your sharing your hobby with us! The Lounge is exactly the right place for such off-topic messages, and I for one would like to see more of them. It helps to build a sense of community and friendship, and that's a great thing! If I weren't so embarrassed about being a geek, I might start a thread about Tolkien.

Well, it's great to hear that lots of doctors approach fills in the right way. Maybe when I know more about my doctor's office's reasons I'll feel less critical of their practices. In any event , I'm 100% ready for the fill next Thursday morning. And wouldn't you know it...today I'm feeling more restriction from my empty band! Another mystery...

Congratulations, Ladybug! These next few days will likely be the worst you'll feel through the entire banding process. And it's not that bad, is it? Sounds like you came through it with flying colors! Hope to see you around more often, and that you'll be another one of the success stories!

What great news for you, Bob! An extra $10K or so in your pocket sure could come in handy, hey? I haven't actually met Dr. Bertha. I attended the seminar last summer and just called the office to make an appointment with whomever was more available. Dr. Abkin had the first open appointment. They were both at the seminar but it's not the sort of meeting where you have a chance to chat. (Can you say, auditorium filled with 500 people?) The paperwork they hand out is blessedly clear. I had no problems at all getting my pre-op testing out of the way. And if your carrier is band-friendly I'm sure the office staff are extremely efficient at all of those issues. One of them even called me today to remind me that I needed a new referral! (That's pretty much unheard-of for a busy specialist's office to do. It's the patient's lookout, not theirs.) Frankly, my exposure to the surgeon has been minimal. I think I saw him more on surgery day than all other times combined, and that was a total of about 10 minutes. He's a lovely guy, very nice and encouraging, but I have much more contact with his staff. And as far as I know, the doctors share the staff. You won't get much out of the seminar, unless they've changed it significantly since I went. But you must attend to pick up the paperwork. However, so the evening won't be a total loss, check out this great Afghan restaurant over near the courthouse. I highly recommend the eggplant appetizer!

Thank you. :P

(Shelly, I used my magic admin powers to delete your duplicate post.) Part of the problem with my doctor's office is that they don't do them in the office. The fills are done in the radiology department at the hospital. I have no idea who precisely will be doing it, but I'm positive it won't be the surgeon. Perhaps it comes down to the dearth of band patients around here. Doing all the adjustments on one day a month must work out for them some way. When I first called I wasn't even sure I'd be able to get in for the October date--I was worried it would be filled up already and I'd have to be making my appointment for November. But I was assured that never happens, and that it's always possible to be slotted in on short notice if necessary. I just think it's not going to be considered "necessary" unless there's been no results for what I think is too long. You'd think they'd want to do whatever they could to help people succeed! Doling out adjustments like they're made of platinum is no way to do that. Their way just increases the risk of over-restriction, IMO.

Holy cr*p, Donali, that IS a freaky story! But you have a great attitude and sound like you're getting through it just fine. I've only fainted once in my life and it is NOT a pleasant experience. But it does seem that people either have that tendency, and know it, or they don't. If you're going to get a concussion, a doctor's office is a good place to do it. My first fill is on Thursday. I don't expect to faint, but I am a weenie about pain. Tell us again how the first three fills were uneventful, and painless!!

Hey Bandsister!! Congratulations on your first fill, and good luck with the kickstarting! I'm having my first fill next week, on Thursday. I haven't lost any more weight either, still hovering at 17-19 lbs down, and it was a trick to convince the doctor that I really wanted a fill. (That may be a topic for another thread.) But I'm really looking forward to it and to getting on with the journey. I'm so glad to hear it was painless. I'm going to the hospital too, and am a little nervous. You make it sound easy!

Hey Nichole, you have to let us know what happened! My experience was pretty much the same as quakergirl's. The idea of surgery was not wholeheartedly embraced at first, but once I explained how much safer the band was over RNY my doctor was very impressed. She now is watching my progress carefully because she'd had two RNY patients who had lots of problems and would much rather be able to support something else. So how did it go?!?

Hey Lenny, How are you doing with your recovery? Last we heard you were having trouble getting anything down. Did you talk with your doctor? Are you able to drink fluids yet? Please let us know how it's going...we're rootin' for you!

At one of the pre-op sessions I attended someone asked this question. The nurse practitioner actually had to stifle a giggle. Evidently the chances of needing a transfusion with this type of surgery are so slim as to be laughable. Once she stopped laughing, though, she did say that's every patient's prerogative. I think you'd have to contact the blood bank at the hospital to arrange it.

Lori, in answer to your question about how restriction can change, I think it's because our stomachs are not rigid things. Depending on all sorts of factors the stomach muscle may vary in thickness from time to time, and when it does the size of the stoma will change. The esophagus plays a role in moving food down into the pouch, where the stomach itself starts the process of moving it through the stoma. When the pouch is full, or even maybe when the esophagus senses that it's getting there, it might clamp down a little to prevent that next slightly too-big bite from going down. I know I've felt that, and it's definitely an esophagus thing, not a pouch/stoma thing. There's so much unpredictability in the way the band works from person to person, so it seems to me that the variables have to be with the people and not with the band. A beautiful mystery!

NSVs, what a great thing! I love the idea of recognizing our progress even if the scale refuses to cooperate. So far I've had a couple. There are the jeans that I couldn't wear since before my first pregnancy (same size, but a very different cut that just would *not* go on). Then there's the fact that I can walk up and down the very steep main street of our town without huffing. And yesterday, at the playground, I got on a swing and SWUNG without my hips being bruised, and without fear that the swing would fly off. It's only 18-20 lbs., but somehow it's making a huge difference to me. Yahoooooooo!!!

Hi Linda! Congratulations on your approval, and good luck with your surgery! I know what the waiting is like, and then when you get your date all of a sudden it seems like it's too soon. I waited a year and now it seems like it was no time at all. I'm a mom of small children myself, and one of my challenges now is convincing the younger one that I don't want to eat that goldfish she's so eager to feed me. Or brownie, or potato chip, or whatever.

Here's another set of good vibes headed your way, Zoey. Don't forget to come back and let us know how it went!

That's exactly right!! Each and every adjustment is a chance to kickstart the losing again. Isn't it amazing--the band will be there for us FOR EVER and we'll always have another chance! I love it...now if I can only get on that first-fill bandwagon so I can see what it's all about! Earliest possible date, October 16. More likely, November sometime. Waiting, waiting...

Sandy that's really good to hear. I'm really hopeful that a fill will do the same for me. Good luck with your weight loss!

Congratulations, Tosha! I too had outpatient surgery and was home by 2:00 p.m. Isn't it cool? Walking does help, indeed. Take it slow, though; you don't want to find out the hard way that you overdid it. Make this the weekend when all you did was heal!!

Oh, Bob, I'm so sorry. Amerihealth is definitely the worst carrier in NJ with regard to the band. I think you're right, and that they will come around, but I don't blame you one tiny bit for not wanting to wait. If you had a small-group plan your chances of winning on external review would be good, but with a self-funded plan your employers can stipulate what they like and no one can tell them different. Best of luck to you in Mexico, Bob! What's Halloween like south of the border?

I am the POSTER CHILD for eating too fast and taking too-big bites. Coincidentally enough, I came to the board this evening to post about the experience I am having right now, very much related to this bad behavior. Background: I'm prefill and don't feel like I have any restriction at all. Well, yesterday I found out that I may have to wait another 6 weeks for a fill. OK, so I figured I'd just live my life for the next few weeks, enjoying the ability to eat what I want. Then tonight I ate a chicken thigh in my usual manner. That is to say, in huge mouthfuls that I only absentmindedly chewed. Next thing you know my band is making it PAINFULLY OBVIOUS that it's there, and that this was NOT a good idea. I walked around my backyard and the cool air helped. Then I had a "sliming" episode and felt much better. But the chicken is still down there, somewhere, making itself felt. OUCH!! I wanted to write about it so I'd always remember how incredibly uncomfortable I am right now. If this isn't negative reinforcement, I don't know what is. There are no little tricks that I can use to slow down and take smaller bites, but FEAR OF PAIN just might do it for me.

Hey Megan! Congratulations!!! I don't know how I missed this post. You ARE a lucky devil! I'll be very interested to hear how things go, especially with your aftercare. I know we're all pulling for these trials to be a huge success, and I hope the medical teams are well-trained in making that happen. GOOOO, Megan!! Our very own LBT guinea pig!

Hey, Lenny, CONGRATULATIONS! I'm glad to see you posting so soon. I've heard other people with this exact same complaint. Evidently your stomach has swollen more than expected. It will pass, in time, and the important thing in the meantime is to see if you can take in fluids. Try the tiniest sips possible. But don't be blind to signs of dehydration--stay in touch with your doctor! Please post again in the morning and let us know if you're able to drink. TAKE IT SLOW, but do try to drink Water. Tiny sips, remember. No chugging!

Hey JC! Wow, you're doing great! I too can eat a lot at this point, but I'm OK with that. I know that after a fill my portion sizes will drop like a rock so I'm enjoying this time. I feel terrific six weeks out. Tomorrow I'll be seeing the doctor and I hope scheduling my first fill. No post-op ramifications at all, and my scars are smaller every day. Cool!

Angelpantz, don't feel at all weird about the psych exam. It's important for everyone's sake that patients truly understand what they're about to undertake, and that they're not going to sabotage the band every chance they get. People with serious eating disorders or undiagnosed mental illness are bad candidates for the band, and the psych exam is primarily to screen out those people. If you don't have a serious eating disorder or undiagnosed mental illness (of which you would surely have some symptoms), the psych exam is painless if a little tedious. Sit back and enjoy that time of pure self-reflection! It's very rare in our lives these days.