Alexandra
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Everything posted by Alexandra
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Ginger, CONGRATULATIONS! Only a few more days now... Best wishes for a swift and uneventful surgery!!
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Congratulations, Sheila! I remember that exact moment when I first told my PCP about the band--I was so nervous but she'd never heard of it. She was very open to learning more and now is very interested in my progress since she has RNY patients who've had lots of problems. I personally think female doctors may have more open minds about treatment alternatives, but that's juat my opnion. In any event, it's great that you'll have this doctor on your side. Yay!
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Hey Vampy! Sorry, I just saw this thread. Wow, that must have been quite a surprise! But as everyone else said, it's nothing to get depressed or overly anxious about. Donali's calculations are very comforting, too. Not to worry! You know this is going to be a slow road, and agonizing about every bump is just going to make it seem longer. By now you've probably eliminated (that's a nice way of saying "peed out") five pounds of Fluid from that extra 10 lbs.
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COngratulations, Heather! See, one more hurdle jumped. And it's so easy to get worried about the psych eval when it's really nothing much. Let the countdown begin!!
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I'm supposed to talk about my feelings
Alexandra replied to MeganA's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
Bright, I'm *so* with you on this! All of my life it's been my role to observe the game, not play it; my friends have all used me as a sounding board for their ups and downs along the way. I've never wanted to be a member of that cat race, and being heavy has given me the opportunity to be ignored and/or taken seriously by the opposite sex instead of examined as a possible conquest. I don't actually want to lose that! -
You've had the band for only a few weeks, and it's really not that unusual for there to be minor port problems and adjustments needed. Remember you're just at the beginning of a long road, and before you know it these minor obstacles will be bumps long behind you. As for other people looking at you like you're a failure, well fie on them. I can't stand it either, people asking me how much weight I've lost when I'm only 4 weeks out, but I have to remember they're really just operating on ignorant assumptions based on their limited knowledge of WLS. What really matters is you, and your health and well-being. It must be hard having had all these problems right out of the gate, but you'll hear from other people who have had these and much worse problems as well. What's so great about the band is that as bad as the problems get they're never very bad, and are usually easily remedied. And then you can get back on the weight-loss road! Good luck, and chin up!!
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Hi Laura, Lapband is not excluded on Cigna's policies, but qualifying for WLS at all with them can be a challenge. I do know of loads of people who have had Cigna pay for it, who were approved with varying degrees of ease.
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Vampy, I'm really surprised that someone with 14 piercings would be worried about a fill!! I'm a total needle-phobic and I'm not worried. I hate the little pricks, though...
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Hi Linda, You'll find by reading here that different doctors give very different advice as to post-op diets. My clear liquid phase was only 1-2 days! After that I could go on to full liquids, and I found that fairly satisfying. Cream Soups, especially, helped to fill my belly. Once I started on mushies I took it really slow for a few days, waiting between bites to see if I had any unpleasant reactions. It wasn't hard to tell what might be too much, too soon. I think your body will tell you, too, so just be really careful to pay attention and stop when it's time. Congratulations on becoming a bandster!!
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This morning I hit a milestone that I hope will be permanent. 3.5 weeks out I'm 17 lbs down, which is great but I've heard much more dramatic losses in the early stages. The thing is, this morning the number on the scale was 300, which could be reached with the scale at 250 + 50 (you know, the big weight and the small weight on a doctor's scale?) as well as having the big weight at 300. It has been almost 10 years and two children since that number for me. I'm floored, thrilled, and a little nervous all at once. I don't want to put so much importance on a completely arbitrary point on a scale, but I can't help it. Jeans that have been stuck in a closet for six years are back on my body. And they fit better than they did the last time. Holy sh*t.
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Wendy: Nice to hear from you! Sounds like you're doing great, but I can't believe you waited this long for real food. I couldn't hack it, went to mushy before the end of the 3rd week. Now the liquid and mush just seems like a distant memory. Congratulations on getting into your smaller clothes, too! I have a ways to go before dropping any serious sizes; I'm just wearing jeans in the same size from a different manufacturer that haven't fit me in a long time. 17 lbs isn't that much on someone my size. How cool of your husband to say that he's seeing the young woman he married. This brings up an issue I'm a little concerned about, but I'll save that for another thread. Victoria, good luck with your medical issues. My fingers are crossed for a successful resolution! Vampy, it was nice to talk with you, too. (Hey folks, check out the chat room, it's cool!) Congratulations on your super loss, too!! As for my milestone, I probably shouldn't have mentioned it, since after the weekend I expect I've put back a pound or two. But as has been mentioned before, it doesn't count as a regain until it's 5 pounds. Right? RIGHT!!
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Leo, wow, that's really interesting! I haven't had a single episode so far. I wonder what makes the difference? Joanne, how long after eating a bite of steak would it come back up? My thought is to try eating one bite and waiting, say, two or three minutes before the next one. Having never had a PB I'm certainly not the voice of experience. Can you feel the bites settle? That's a weird question, but I think I can tell when something has gotten out of my esophagus (I guess) and into my stomach. Maybe you're trying too much at one sitting? Were you eating anything else along with the steak? I'm sure I am naive, but I can't imagine 3 bites of something being too much...I guess my time will come, though.
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Hi Mary! I'm not really always so positive. Just ask my husband. But thanks! I'm eating real food now, just a whole lot less of it. One piece of toast with cottage cheese makes a very substantial Breakfast. Phenomenal! I know this will change as the early restriction fades away, but it's enough to give me a good idea of what life with a fill might be like. And I like it! How are you doing?
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Hi thekelbel! I hope you're doing better by now. Come back and let us know how you're feeling!
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Will Be having The Band IN 5 Days
Alexandra replied to POWERWING's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
Hi Jennifer! Welcome, and good luck with your banding!! How long will you be on a liquid diet? I found that Soup was my mainstay during that time. All the Protein stuff is sweet and I just couldn't handle that after a while. -
As of right now, I'm in the chat room all by myself. Anyone care to join me?
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Hi Vampy, I've never actually chatted with someone but I think you've got the right idea. Post a time that you'll be there in this section and perhaps someone will see it and join you there. Are you there now? I'll go see...
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Hey Laura, By this time you maybe should have moved away from Protein bars and shakes and start learning how real food will feel in your stomach. Especially if you're going to have a fill next week, it seems to me that you should first see if you have any restriction now. I eat regular food, thinking generally about protein at every meal. A typical breakfast is one slice of whole wheat toast with cottage cheese and jelly on it. Prebanding I'd have had two such toast slices, now I usually don't finish one and it keeps me full until lunchtime. lunch is tricky; I'm still working out what a good portion is and what can be conveniently brought or bought. Twice this week I went out with colleagues and ordered a fish dish (boulliabaise the first day, red snapper the next) and couldn't finish it either time. I foresee a lot of deli meat in my future. dinner is at 5:30 or so, and I'm usually pretty hungry by then. But the same rule applies--whatever everyone else is having, only less of it and I eat the protein first. So far these three meals have been enough to hold me. It's amazing, actually!
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Hi M_Band! Welcome to the site. This is less a direct-corresondence medium than one where people post messages for all to see. Poke around and see what other people have shared and you'll see there are people here in all stages of banding. Whatever your questions, someone will have been there, done that. I'm in NJ so my insurance info wouldn't apply to you. Like you, I completely ruled out bypass surgery and am so happy I found the band before circumstances conspired to change my mind. Happy posting!
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Hi Sheryl, My surgeon's partner's experience dates back to the FDA trials, so they've been around this for a very long time. I was told my doctor's done "hundreds and hundreds" of bands. The materials given to me by the nutritionist were clearly based on an RNY diet, but were changed for bandsters. The original diet was pretty much what you detailed. My version was clear liquids for 2-3 days postop, then full liquids for up to another week. Then 3-4 weeks of mushy foods, with permission to incorporate solids after the 21st day as I felt able. (And I definitely felt able. On day 24 now I'm eating whatever I want, but chewing very carefully.) Their primary advice was to take it slow. Any discomfort and I was to take it a step back. But we're not retraining our digestive systems so it's definitely a different thing than RNY.
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Lioness, I had the same concern, a little. My family was very dysfunctional but I've been separated from them for so long the effect thereof are ancient history. I definitely think my obesity was exacerbated by my family's behavior when I was a child, but that doesn't mean I'm not a good candidate for WLS. Just be yourself and don't evade talking about any particular subject. You'll do fine!!
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Is It True About Drinking With Meals?
Alexandra replied to SQBEAR37's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
No question, drinking with meals allows you to eat more. And it's a surprisingly hard habit to break! I didn't even think about it beforehand, because if you'd asked me I'd have said I don't usually drink during meals. Turns out I do! And I miss it, but the hour passes quickly enough and then I'm ready to drink yet more water. -
Shelly, I've been meaning to post a thread asking how people handle their Water. Great timing! What I wonder is what sort of container people use. My tactic has been to buy a six-pack of 32-oz bottled water every so often, and re-use each bottle for several days. This lets me feel like the bottles are relatively clean--I've read horror stories about reusing water bottles and the bacteria they can harbor. On most days it's no problem to down two of those bottles. But some days it'll get to be dinnertime and I suddenly realize I've totally slacked off on the water. So I start chugging through the evening, only to be up for hours later on in the bathroom! Oh well, someday I'll find the rhythm...
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What a great thread! Larry, I'm *really* sorry I got your name wrong. Forgive me? Comes of reading too quickly... It seems amazing that there are doctors out there who would implant the band and walk away, but honestly when I think about how much (or how little) info I got from my doctor it's easy to see how it happens. Those informational sessions held with RNY and band people are a joke, as are the combined support groups. My doctor didn't even hand out the Inamed handbook--and that's so EASY to do! How hard would be be for a doctor to point someone at a couple of websites? Then there's the syndrome--especially epidemic in men, I think--of being simply resistant to discussing medical issues at all. Tonia, like you I have a hard time understanding how anyone would agree to go under the knife(!) without asking a few more questions. Not even knowing the name of the procedure is pretty scary. Donali's point about habitual saboteurs being afraid of change is really right on the money, and gives me a lot to think about.
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Great news, MK! Don't forget to let us know how it goes. Good luck!!