faithmd

I would really try to plan for surgery in Late July and then Europe early in September, here's why: a)that should give you about six weeks for recovery time b)you should be on "real" food by then c)you'll be farther post-op and hopefully diminsh your likelihood to develop a DVT on such a long flight d)you'll have lost a bit of weight and be more comfy flying I also would probably hold off on a fill until after your trip to Europe. Though it will be your first fill and very rarely do folks get their "sweet spot" in terms of restriction with their first fill so waiting is debatable. I personally would hold off on my first fill if I were in your shoes for a couple of reasons. 1)I have also heard that some folks get a feeling of fullness when flying, and your flight will be a long one. 2)If it were me and my bad luck, I'd get my restriction (sometimes it takes days or a couple of weeks for the restricted feeling to come after a fill) in Europe and have to find an ER for an emergency defill (rare, but with my luck...) 3)food in Europe...need I say more? 4)depending on how soon between your fill and your flight, you mught be on liquids or mushies for the first couple days of your trip (based on what your doctor's guidelines are for diet post-fill).

:welcomeB: Welocome to LBT! Glad you found us all. There is a great deal of wonderful info here, take a look through the forum lists, you might wish to join the March 06 forum. Most months have forums that motivate each other for exercise and the like. There is also a great exercise forum here, too!

I was told not to take Metformin any longer when I was discharged from the hospital.

My surgeon puts a big elastic binder on our abdomens (like a velcro and elastic girdle). We are supposed to wear it whenever we are up until our post-op visit. I was instructed to walk a minimum of five minutes an hour.

In 22 weeks you have lost 40 lbs? That's WONDERFUL! Please remember that though some folks lose very quickly, the band was intended for losing at a rate of 1-2lbs per week. You are right on target! :confused:

You'll find a couple of threads like this in the FAQ forum: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f73/

July 4th Challenge Week 8 Name.............................Starting….Current…...Goal….....To Go losingjusme..(Christine)......317...........291 .............295...........-4 tann.............(Tammy)........257.......... 228............232........... ..-3 juliegeraci..........................232.......... 232..............220...........12 Josette..............................340.......... 322..............315.............7 Inner_me.....(Chris).......... ..306...........295 .............280...........15 Elisabethsew..(Elisabeth).. .281....... ...270 .............260...........9 Waterlily1072...(Nicole)...... 278..... .....272 .............252...........20 Libra..(Angela)................... 230...........218........... ..205...........13 Lapbandit……...............… .208………..206……..…..185…….....21 RidinMyHDDream.(Carol).. ..281...........270 .............256...........14 FaithMD............................ 341.5........320..............310.. ........10 Course now I'm post-op, maybe I *will* make my goal?

I was permitted to shower on post-op day two.

Hooray!!!! Happy dance!!!!!

Totally depends on the surgeon. Most fill for the first time between four and six weeks post op. Fills after that are usually based on how well you are losing (1-2lbs per week is the goal) and whether you are hungry or not. My surgeon told me that he will fill me even if I am losing, but am truly struggling with hunger. The band is supposed to be a tool to help us by enhacing that "satisfied" feeling after a good meal (not by making us feel like we just ate Christmas dinner).

bfyne, you are certainly posting some very motivating stuff, keep it coming! :confused: :welcomeB:

Wonderful!!!!!

Good luck to you, kleta. May I ask, are you a very short woman? I am just kind of amazed at getting banded at 165lbs and that your high was 173lbs. Well, the band certainly is an excellent tool for all of us to use, whether we are grossly overweight (me :hungry: ), or moderately overweight. Welcome and hope that your surgery goes very well and you have very little discomfort!

Quote: Originally Posted by HarleyNana Wonton soup or Egg Drop soup, even French Onion soup at your stage. As soon as I am cleared to, I'm heading down to the nearest Chinese place and getting wonton, eggdrop, and hot and sour Soups. I think the broth from each would be HEAVENLY! The egg drop I figure I should be able to do whole when I get past this initial two weeks, the wonton and the hot and sour I'll strain or perhaps puree. I also see myself pureeing some French onion without the toast or cheese in it.

I went straight to my refrigerator and drank some....yummy!!!!!! Now the problem is, I gotta stop with the pickle juice or I'm going to have some pretty dry pickles!

Gosh I hope so. I'll ask Thursday, unless someone who is seeing their doc between now and then can ask. I was just pleased as punch that I could still scuba dive.

I'm glad to see our latest bandsters back home and doing relatively well. I am five days out now and still having some pretty good "tearing/ripping"" type pain to the right of my port incision when I try to get out of bed, or roll onto my tummy (basically when I use my abdominal muscles). I am using my belly pillow and wearing my binder, but WOW. Other than that it's still a bit sore around the lower incisions. I get my staples out Thursday afternoon.

Hello all, I will be seeing Dr. Obeid at Hurley's bariatric center in Flint on 3/20/2007. I went to an information session he conducted and I have to say I really liked his refreshing honesty. But having been a Michigander all my life and working in the healthcare field, I haven't heard lots good about Hurley as a hospital. Can anyone offer some more insight? thanks!!

losingjusme: WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Skinnyirishbabe: If this is what you feel you have to do, then I would at least urge you to call your surgeon's office and let them know. If you already have and have the blessing of your surgeon to eat three days after banding, then goodonya, but that wouldn't be me. If you read my response a few posts up it explains how the band is stitched on the FRONT in place, but NOT on the back. I do wish you luck! Frankly, I can't imagine how much more depressed I'd be if I slipped my band already.

I was tossed during some rather rough turbulence once and cracked my head good. Never again, I "borrowed" an extender on that very next flight.

I posted on your other thread...

From what I've read here and on other sites, it depends on the person. Some people maintain without having to go for fills and unfills. Others have a complete unfill and then slowly refill it if they slide back on their weight. Here's what the Allergan book says on this: Check-ups with your doctor are a normal and very important part of the LAP-BAND System follow-up. Many surgeons see their patients weekly or biweekly during the first month and every four to twelve weeks for the first year. Adjustments are performed during some of these visits. It is typical for follow-up visits to be scheduled every three to six months during the second and third year, depending on the individual case.

Jody, I am noticing you are posting loads of good questions. First, :welcomeB: take some time, look around here, you will find loads of info here already, right at your fingertips. If you are like me you want to know answers right NOW. I'm sure you'll get good responses to your threads, but know these are all questions that have been asked many times over and if you don't want to wait to hear from others, the search function works very well here, you can search by keword per post, or keywords in titles only.

Some say yes, some say no. Here's some links to threads with varying responses: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/diet-coke-26965/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f9/i-want-diet-coke-19796/ http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f78/dr-c-question-regarding-carbonation-26776/