bluetigereyes

I would also check with other doctors. I have heard alot of negative about 1-800-get thin.

I only told people at work, so most people at my work do not know I have the band (I work in an office with l35 people...my one on the keyboard decided not to work lol) I have lost 50lbs and starting to get alot of people noticing. I love the attention and the fact that they can tell. Its always a compliment to me

They have every good intention behind it. Dont read into it as a negative thing. I get told all the time that I look thinner and that I look great, I dont take offense to it. Choose your reaction and choose not to be offended by it. It will change your whole outlook on things

Call your surgeon and call your insurance carrier. I work for a large hospital (In the billing dept) and there are times when, based on your employers policy, that your insurance will still be accepted. It all has to do with the contracting network. The insurance itself can remain the same, but the contracting network can change. Work closely with your insurance company, employer, and provider to make sure you have everything in writing that they are still going to pay contracted rates.

I typically put the eggs in a pan and cover with cold Water. Put a lid on the pan and turn on medium-high heat. Bring to a full boil, and let boil for 5 minutes. Then (without removing the lid) let sit in the hot water for another 10 mins. After the 10 mins is up, drain the hot water, and fill with cold water and ice. Let the eggs sit in that for about 15 mins to totally cool, then peel. If the eggs are very fresh, they will need to sit in the hot water for an additional 10 mins before cooling or the shells will not peel off easily.

Bravo, while I do agree that the decision is totally and completely up to the person having the surgery, it is also beneficial to know the stories of others that have had the same and/or similar procedures. I personally have the band, and LOVE it. However, when choosing a doctor, some are totally against the band and will do and say whatever they want to sway the person to the way they prefer to do the surgery. I was just putting out my family's experience with the sleeve. This is just to give one more informed 'possibility of complication' and to know it truly does happen, and can be deadly.

OK, I will tell you my story....Both my parents had gastric bypass when it was still experimental, about 30 years ago. Things were great with them (although they have both gained part of their weight back). Recently my dad had to have surgery for colon cancer. Due to the way his gastric bypass was done, they needed to reverse the previous bypass and do a gastric sleeve. He had that surgery on May 17th of this year. He was in the hospital for a week, and came home, looking and feeling pretty good. Within 2 days of him being home, he lost energy, became white as a sheet, and was not himself. He only wanted to sleep and take his pain pills. I finally convinced my mom to take him to the ER after he had been home a week. Well, his sleeve had SEVERAL leaks and he had a septic infection. He was in ICU for 9 days, and so far has been in the hospital for over 3 weeks. He has had over 15 surgeries in that time, and still scheduled for at least 3 more, and will be in the hospital another 2-3 weeks. His bill is OVER $1,000,000 right now and the end is not in sight yet. I DO NOT recommend the sleeve! This has been a horrible experience for my family and my dad almost died several times. I am SO glad that I have my band. Yes, the weight loss is slower, but the complications are no where near what my poor father has been going through. I have had my band since 12/22/11, and so far lost 50 lbs, I would not trade my slower weight loss for the complications that my dad is going through EVER! please make an informed decision. I wish my dad would not have gotten the sleeve and they did the band instead for him, he would have avoided all of these complications!!!!

It took me at least 4 fills to really feel the restriction as well. I am now at 8.75cc in a 14cc band and feeling GREAT. I lost 17lbs in 7 weeks, and my dr was hesitant to give me another fill on Monday. However, I was getting hungry every couple of hours and I knew it was time. So, he gave me the fill (after having to manipulate and flip my port back over) and I can definitely feel this fill. Its wonderful!!

You should be able to go back for another fill if you need it sooner than that. My doctor allows every 4-6 weeks until you get to the green zone and dont need them as often

You cannot physically FEEL the band. You do know its there when you eat too fast, eat certain foods, drink while you eat, or get full. You do get full much faster when you are at your 'green zone'. Personally, I cannot eat breads with my band, they will make me VERY sick. So, I have realized that the breads just are not worth it and I stick to the better foods. In return, because I have cut the carbs so much, I dont crave them nearly as much anymore either. I have had my band for 6 months, and I have lost 50lbs now. I was getting discouraged at first because I didnt lose as fast as other people that I have seen on the boards, but it does work. There is no magic number as to how much or how fast you will lose. That will be up to you. You can choose to eat/drink the foods that go through the band way too easily that are high in calories, or you can choose to stick with the proteins and foods that will help you stay full longer. The choice you make will directly affect the end result you achieve. The band is only a TOOL....it does not force you to lose the weight, you still have to use the tool correctly to be successful.

Well, I went in for another fill today and once again my port flipped! UGH This is the second time! Well, luckily he was able to manipulate it from the outside and flip it back over, but he thinks that I will be a "Port Problem" patient...evey fill has hurt like crazy and this one was HORRIBLE!!!

I get the premier protein shakes from Costco. They are really good, 30gr protein, and only 1 gr sugar. They are less expensive than the ones online and I dont have to pay shipping either (They are about $24 for 18 shakes)

I lost 20lbs in 4 weeks on the pre-op diet. I didnt have to do the liquid diet prior to surgery because I did so well on the per-op diet.

The third day was the worst for me. Just get lots of rest, put a heating pad on your shoulders if you have pain there, and sip the water and broth. The warm liquids felt the best for me until about 3 weeks post op, then I did better with cold stuff

I just have to say, I havent bought any new clothes since I started this journey. However, all my pants are getting VERY big on me (They are all 20-22's). So, I decided to clean out my closed/drawers and have 3 HUGE bags of pants that are all too big. This is great, except I needed some new pants. So, I went to Old Navy last night and grabbed a pair of 18's, tried them on and even those were too big. So, I tought, there is NO WAY that I can be down to a 16......but I tried some on anyway and they fit! not only did they fit, they looked great! I am so happy.....I can fit into a 16 again. I havent seen a 16 in over 8 years!!!!!

I've taken it. I would suggest you start on a Friday morning, because you will be so wired the first couple of days that it will be hard to sleep. After the first 2-3 days, you will get in a better pattern, but those initial days are insane!!! It does work as long as you take it daily.

I drink the Peach Mango one all the time without any problems. How long has it been since you were banded? It could be that you are still healing, or something with your body is changing. Try to drink a little slower, or just give it more time. I drink at least 2 packets of it a day as well, I have no issues with caffeine (I also drink 32oz of iced tea a day in addition to the crystal light energy)

I have had my port flip. Mine flipped even before my first fill! I could not feel it flip, nor did I know it was flipped until an x-ray confirmed it. The dr tried several times to do my fill and could not access it. It was frustrating at the time, but now I can look back and know that it was just a speed bump in the road.

Call your insurance ahead of time, let them know that you have a band that is defective after so many years and that you need to get it replaced. See if they will cover it and what criteria they will need to cover it. Its better to be informed ahead of time.

I LOVE this thread....I too have my list of reasons... I want to look in the mirror and LIKE what I see in the reflection I want to wear a bikini I want to wear a little black dress without having to use a girdle I want to walk with confidence I want to run....not just walk I want to be the mom my kids are proud to have show up at school I want to go sky diving I want to go to an amusement park and ride ANY ride...not be too big for the seat belt to fit I want to go to the beach and lay in the sun (Without being called a beached whale by superficial idiots) I want to go sky-diving I want to be the one that turns heads when I walk into a room (for the RIGHT reasons!) I want to have energy I want to go skiing I want to learn to dance I want to run a marathon I want to set an example for my kids I want to be healthy I DONT want to get diabetes I DONT want to deal with Sleep Apnea I DONT want to die early

When I went in for my first fill, we found that my port had flipped. This is a possibility. I was discouraged at that point, but had to schedule a time that I could go in and have it fixed. The doctor set it up in the procedure room in his office, numbed the area good and opened the area up for my port. In all, it took about 45 minutes to do everything. He gave me the fill while he had my port out, then got everything sutured back into place. I was sore for about a week after that, and had some REALLY ugly bruising, but at least the port is back where it should be.

Just an update...my dad had the sleeve on May 17th, (I had the band on Dec 22, 11), I went to visit my dad yesterday since it was his birthday, he is having a VERY hard recovery, he is depressed and all he wants to do is sleep. He is in alot of pain and honestly not doing well. The Sleeve is not the only surgery that he had done, however, that is the one that is making him not want to eat at all. He refuses to even drink his 4oz protein shake, all he wants is water or crystal light. In my opinion, the sleeve is a VERY drastic way to go, I am so glad that I have my band. My recovery was about a week, and I was feeling back to normal. The choice is yours, do your research, and make the decision that you can live with!!! (remember, the band is fully adjustable the rest of your life, and can be reversed if needed, the sleeve is a one shot deal)

Its absolutely normal to gain a few pounds after surgery, especially when starting the mushies stage. This is "Bandster hell" Dont give up, it does happen and you will get through it

This is the PERFECT time of year for a delicious (and healthy) Fruit tray!

I have the band, and my dad just had the sleeve done last week. This is how I look at it. With the sleeve you will drop the weight qucikly, however is typically only effective for about 80% of your weight loss. It is NOT reversible and can never be revised. Witht he band, you can have revisions and it is fully adjustable the rest of your life. Get a second opinion and talk to people that have both the sleeve and the band, make an informed decision and do what is going to be the best for YOU!