aliciab

Sometimes an unfilled band can give you enough restriction. There are some lucky people who never have a fill.

Every doctor is different. Mine is no pre-op diet other than low carb. One week of liquids/soft food and then moving you straight to trying anything you can tolerate. He's quick to explain though that anything you can't crumble in your hand will have trouble going down the band.

Not everyone has to do one. I do not. My doctor only rquires a low carb diet prior to surgery.

Why no support from family and friends?

I honestly think its because we have a real bond with food and we feel like we're going to miss it. I'm like any other addict. If I wasn't I wouldn't being taking a life altering step like the LapBand.

ILLINOIS - DR VAFA SHAYANI $12,200 Includes Surgeon, anesthesia and facility only. The lowest price I found for self pay in the Chicago area.

I'm having mine done in IL and it's required. However my own PCP was able to do it.

Yep, my BMI is 37 too and I have Diabetes (Also self pay). If you've been over weight for sometime and can't seem to keep weight off once you lose it you might want to consider it.

From everything I've determined you'll probably feel fine in about a week so I would think you'll be just fine. Other than the eating this should be way easier than your C-sections.

I know and realistically I haven't gained weight. I just noticed that I was eating more than usual and things I would never think to eat?

I'm doing much better with it.

OMG shadst8? They flipped in manually?

I agree that you have to speak up for yourself. You HAVE to be your own advocate and it's OKAY to have a reasonable level of expectation in care. He is working for you, not the other way around.

I have my doctor's cell number, I also have his email address - he answers both within a very reasonable amount of time and never more than a couple of hours. He is a center of excellence as well and he conducts himself as such. He is only in the office I frequent 1 day a week but he has other locations that he visits that are in my area as well so if I had to see him I have a few days a week to do so. You're doc sounds unprofessional and lazy. I understamd you cant be everywhere at once but in this line of work you really have to be dedicated to your parients. I would find a different doc.

I think it's fun fun fun and exciting for you both! If you're like me the first place you loose weight is in your face. It's hard for people not to notice.

Good luck and I'm sure things will go great!

Isn’t amazing how your relationship with food and excess weight consumes you. I don’t know about anybody else but it seems that my health has become my full time job. So in essence I work two full time jobs. In other news, I have to count my blessings. When I look at some of the struggles other bander’s have had and look at the bmi’s that you’ve been able to battle back from and it’s just amazing. You’re all a tremendous inspiration on this journey and I wan t to thank you.

It can be a serious problem. I like Rachel412's ideas. Try and add healthy fats to your diet through full fat dairy products and nuts, seeds etc. Also i would make sure that your blood work is current to rule out any unknow causes of the weight loss.

I guess my question is what else is going on in your life? Do you have diabetes or other co-morbidities? Are you able to keep weight off after you loose it? I guarantee you that most of us can loose weight, we just can't keep it off and thats why we're here. For me 50lbs makes a huge difference and if you think you may not be able to keep weight off after you lose it on your own you may seriously want to consider the band. We've probably all lost 50+ here many times. We just can't keep it off.

My primary care doctor is being allowed to do my psych eval. I think it varys wildly from doctor to doctor and program to program.

Fantastic!

Dave I don't think I could have said it better myself. A LOT of people on here have A LOT of excuses for why it magically isn't working for them. Its because its not magic. Its work. The band is simply a tool. You have to put the work in.

My surgeon does not require the liquid diet either. I will have a low carbohydrate diet the week before surgery and that's it. Your liver grows in size as it try's to process carbohydrates. When you don't eat them it shrinks. He also wants me to move to more solid food quicker than a lot of surgeons. Post-op diet is for one week and then if I'm healing just fine he want's me to start incorporating solid foods. He is a center of excellence and I'm very confident with him.

Any news?

You're always gonna feel that way at least a little bit. It happens to us all. Women, men etc. When you look in the mirror you still see and feel like that really heavy person. It makes shopping for clothes very weird. You're always trying to pick up clothes that are two sizes too big.