Jim1967

Jan 2011 you posted this status: "I had my second fill like 3 weeks ago". Have you had one since then? For some people it requires quite a few fills. It took me about 6 I think. I used to have it in my signature but took it out. I do have 9.5cc in a 11cc band. If you could please share with us your band history it may help us provide you with constructive opinions. Edit: I am home now where I had my fill info in a text file. It was 6 fills for me with the first being the largest. 1st fill 5/29/12 5cc 2nd fill 6/12/12 1cc 3rd fill 7/02/12 1cc 4th fill 8/14/12 1cc 5th fill 9/4/12 1cc 6th fill 1/29/13 .5

Suzzie when is the last time you had a check up from your band doc? Last fill? If you haven't been in a long time you should probably get checked out and make sure your the health of your band is good. You could just need a fill.

I was really bad first 3 days post op. It didn't help that I was sipping apple juice and adding to the problem....not pretty.

Yes, and in fact my wife is having the very battle herself as she is now going through the process. I went through it but at 488lbs I didn't feel I had many options as I was a walking time bomb. For me it was all about health and being around as long as I can. Let me ask you this, What is the hardest part of losing weight for you? For me it was not about losing weight. It was about keeping it off and maintaining it. I lost 170lbs doing Atkins years ago and I gained it all back plus another 90. There is nothing wrong with feeling like you do but I will go on to tell you this is NOT the easy way out. There is no such things as easy WLS. You will still need to make good choices and have discipline. No form of WLS will force you to make good choices. Even with this band I could go to McDonalds and suck down a 1500 calorie milk shake. Band is a tool and that is all it is. You have to do the work and it will help you but you have to control it.

Did they go straight from 7 to 8.5 in one fill or was it slow and steady? 1.5cc jump when already at 7 would be insane. I would definitely call as CG suggested.

I understand what you're going through. I've lost close to 200lbs and all I see is that fat guy in the mirror. I wonder if my brain will ever catch up to my body.

Hi there...actually my drive has increased big time since the band along with the large amount of weight loss. I had issues pre-band but they're all gone now. My testosterone is still a bit on the low side of normal but still within range. I would definitely see what the doctor has to to say. Probably will need to do all sorts of blood work and perhaps send you off to a Specialist. Good news is they have meds now to take care of these things.

I have actually never tried. I usually bring home the left overs or I just don't bother. I probably should try it or see if I could order from the kids menu. Funny thing is I think I would be embarrassed at nearly 300 pounds asking to order from the kids menu. As for the cruise the way I understand it is meals are generally included?? At least it was on the Carnival cruise I did in 2008. Maybe Disney is different.

I bought a Tanita 10 years ago and it is still going strong. I needed a good scale because of my weight at the time. I also liked the fact it had 5 different memory slots so multiple people could use it and it will remember your last weigh in. quite expensive but it was worth it. http://www.amazon.com/Tanita-HD351-Digital-Memory-Function/dp/B0000U6F2M/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1370022277&sr=8-11&keywords=scales+tanita

BCBS MA is billed $130.00. I pay 20 bucks out of pocket. Not sure if the cost would be different if I was uninsured.

Moving right along.....I've made many strides along the way and I am happy to say I can actually walk those strides now as the weight no longer holds me back. Still I have a ways to go but I now have the confidence that I am going to get there. I could not do it alone and Alex words cannot express how grateful I am to have your wonderful support site. Thank you!!

It can be a little frustrating in the beginning but stick with it! It is so worth it...

Taking a drink is the last thing I would do. Drinking just increases the episode in my opinion and experience. I have had my share of stuck episodes and the two times I did add Fluid it made the pain worse and the vomiting more forceful. Vomiting should be avoided at all costs just as stuck episodes should. It increases chances of a band slip 10 fold. I would suggest talking to your Doctor about stuck episodes and the recommended action but in my opinion adding fluid to an already plugged funnel is a no brainer. What happens when you keep flushing a toilet that is plugged?

1 month is a cake walk. Cigna required 6 months of supervised diet. It seemed like time had stood still at some points but now it feels like a lifetime ago..

Thank you Jean!! I am with Terry on this one. Weight issues will always be on my front burner regardless of how successful I am. Fat boy is always ready and willing to come out and play again. There is no such thing as an end to a journey for me unless it is THE end period.

Congratulations. You look great!!

Success relies so heavily on the individual compliance. I can't stand stats for that reason. Stats will show low success rates but they never mention if it was due to legit complications or if it was non compliance by the patient.

I agree with others about the Peer review. That being said, all the people you did see are part of the same practice as your surgeon correct? I went to a center of excellence where all the resources are under one roof. I met my Doctor once during the 6 month monitored diet. Like you I saw the Nurse, mental health counselor, and Nut. for most of that time. This definitely sounds like a proper documentation issue that your Center needs to straighten out for you. I was denied on day 2 of submitting because they did not get all the desired docs and they had my DOB wrong. Paperwork showed I was 17. LOL Once they straightened out those details I was approved two days later. Stick with it and don't give up and talk to your doctors and ask them to advocate on your behalf.

I agree MsMaui. I am certainly opened to the Sleeve if that is what my Wife chooses. My gripe is not about which surgery is better. My issue was how she introduced the three options to brand new people attending an informational seminar. I may be exaggerating a bit when I say she should've just told them all not to get the band period. "You will fail and not lose weight." because that's the way my Wife and I heard it. Basically it comes down to this, they will keep offering the band because there will always be people who want it and why turn someone away someone who is willing to spend money.

My problem is I was struggling at times to reach 800 calories a day and everything I had been reading and hearing was telling me I was possibly putting my body into starvation mode. At that time I was going through like a month and a half period of the scale just sitting in one place. So I went to see the Nutritionist about it and they set me straight. Come to find out I had gotten away from band portions and was eating too much and eating around my band which is what slowed down my weight loss. I also had a couple of stuck episodes during that period and still I didn't see the signs I was doing it wrong. Still though it was confusing because I was consuming more than usual but still struggling with low calories counts and not losing. Now my calorie intake is still on the low end but my portions are back on track and the scale is moving with a little more ease. Like Stephanie says I think its a matter of learning the basics and then finding out what works for you individually. It's too bad it doesn't just work by following basic rules. If it did then none of us would have weight struggles.

Hi Donna, First of all you are doing fantastic!! I also got some conflicting info from two Nuts at my center. I finally had to go to them and tell them they have me confused and I'm going in circles in my head, They got together and told me not to worry about calories or carbs too much. I was getting overly concerned about my low calorie intake because of what I read on here and other places. They told me not to focus on that because as a band patient I would be typically taking in far less then a normal (non band) who is dieting. I was also a former Atkins person so sometimes I was getting hung up on serious carb counting. I still have issues at times with it. They told me to make sure I am doing portion control, measuring whenever possible and make sure I get minimum 80-100g of Protein a day and stay away from bad foods or trigger foods that will set me in the wrong direction. I do one meal per day (usually breakfast) with a Protein shake. I am usually tight in the morning so that works best for me. Both Nuts have told me they find their patients tend to lose better when they substitute one meal a day with a shake. I have read on here that some people were told by their Nuts that is not good practice. Which I do not understand but as we know everyone has different rules/guidelines to follow. I would suggest talking to your Nut and explain how you are getting conflicted information and it has your head spinning with confusion. If they're good at what they do and are dedicated to their patients well being then I would expect they would pull together and get you on the path. I would bring them a good sample pool of food journals for them to review. All the best, Jim

For me it is about getting back to a comfortable weight I was at in 2005. In 2003 I embarked on an Atkins journey where I ended up shedding a 170+ pounds. I let my guard down completely and put it all back on plus another 90 over the years. So my goal is 220 or under at which I would still be considered obese for guy my height. I am only 5'6. I believe BMI charts are unrealistic. So I don't bother with it. Comfortable and healthy in my own skin is all I want.

I rotated it for you and attached it here. Just save it to your computer now and then go upload it like you did the first time.