Leannie

:sick I went for my 4th (blind) fill last Wednesday. I already had 7 cc in my 11 cc band, which lasted me for about 9 months. I hadn't lost any weight in a few months so I thought it was time to get back on track. The doctor said he was going to put in 2 cc, which I thought was kind of extreme, but he's the doctor right? I drank some Water and it gurgled but went down. As I'm driving home, I started feeling like I had swallowed a grapefruit and then I got the hiccups. Then I started feeling really nauseated. Of course by then the office was closed. Pretty soon I figured out that my saliva wasn't going down and started spitting it into a bottle (I'm still driving and getting a little freaked out). I figured I should just get home to my husband and then he can drive me back if need be. The nausea passed but came back. I called the emergency number and the nurse on call said she would get ahold of the doctor. In the meantime, I vomited up a bunch of foam. Then I felt fine, so I figured as long as I kept spitting into my bottle I would be ok until I saw the doctor. He finally called and had me go into the ER. He was going to take out all 2 cc, but I was really disappointed that I would be back to where I started. So he left in 1/2 cc. I feel good now and lost 5 pounds the first day! However now I can't eat any solid foods until afternoon - sometimes evening. Could my stomach be swollen after 5 days yet? I'm not complaining, I am losing weight. Just wondering why this is so different from how I've felt before when I was restricted.

Dawn, I had my surgery in Mexico too and fortunately found a doctor in Menomonee Falls that would do fills. However, he said he is no longer taking new patients because he has found that those of us who have their surgeries done in Mexico don't get any counseling and while they (the Mexican doctors) are the ones making all the money, he is the one having to "deal" with our problems and answer all the questions that they should have dealt with before we ever had surgery. I went to Dr. Chua in Milwaukee for a pre-surgery consultation but he was about $300 a fill. Have you had your surgery yet? Dr. Chua will only do fills on other doctor's patients when he can see them pre-op. There was another one I looked into in Chicago. I couldn't tell you his name right now, but I'll find it if you're interested. Good luck,

Last year when we were trying to find a way to get my surgery done, my husband actually did write to Oprah and explained to her how the insurance company denied me, even though I was trying to get myself healthy to avoid future health problems, blah, blah, blah... He explained why we were going with the band vs. gastric bypass, but never got a reply from them.

Yes, the band can be very wishy washy. I don't think there is anything about it that you can depend on. Somedays I can eat and eat and eat. Other days, I can't get anything down. I've tried to mentally keep track of what could be happening to tighten it (humidity, heat, stress, exercise, etc.) Have never come up with an answer. It is frustrating when you have something really good in front of you that you can't get down, but then I think, boy - look at the amount of calories it just saved me from consuming!

I'm with you Anne, I can eat ANYTHING. The time of day is more an issue with me. In the morning, I really have to take it slow and easy and drink a warm liquid between bites. By supper time, I much less restricted, but I have to admit that most of my problems come in because I'm in too much of a hurry. I can eat any kind of bread too, but I don't push my luck - I rip it into tiny pieces and chew it really good.

Ghosts? It is so wierd that you asked this question today. I have never experienced anything unexplainable that I can remember - until this morning. When I got up, I made the bed - complete with 2 sets of pillows, 2 shams and a teddy bear. When I came back into the bedroom to get ready for work, the pillows (on my husband's side only) were on the floor and the covers were neatly turned back. My side was still made. My husband swears he didn't touch it and the dogs couldn't have pulled the covers back like that. I'm freaked!

How do you know if you've got saggy skin - or just flab? If the skin feels "fuller" is it just flab that can still be lost? I guess if I don't know, I probably don't have it. I've been exercizing since 5 months BEFORE my surgery just to prep myself. Now I exercize 5 times a week (I have a bit of an obsessive personality). Recently, I went to a nutritionist who takes a hair sample and sends to a lab to read to see what vitamins/nutrients your body might be lacking (especially if you're experiencing some kind of health problems). I told her that my worst trouble spot is my legs. Three-quarters of my weight is below my waist I think. She gave me a diet to follow that will drop the weight where you need it the most. I know this doesn't solve the excess skin problem, but when I go back to her for my results, I'm going to ask about that too. What about that lotion (Jergens, I think) that has one type for skin firming? Is there anything to that, or is it just another way to sell lotion?

I need some exercise tips for the legs. I have always been unproportioned in the legs. I mean, their big all the way down, but on the insides of my knees there is a lot of flab. I've been walking, biking, aerobicizing, stairsteping and doing leg lifts. I can feel working on the outsides of my legs, but not by my knees. Also, the calves and ankles are huge. I have a really hard time finding pants to fit. If I can get them over my calves and knees, then the waist is about 3 sizes too big. Also, anybody that has similar proportions - where do you buy pants and what brands?

Hi Kathy, You know, Venezia jeans is about the only jeans I could wear and I just got into some size 20's I had put away. Have you tried to buy any lately? Last fall I tried to buy some at Lane Bryant and found that they had changed the way they made them. They are no longer bigger in the leg, so alas, I can no longer where them either. I have been going through all my old clothes that I had grown out of and have them all lined up for when I can get back into them. I sure hope I have enough to last me until I can find another brand that fits.

Thanks for your comments. This is so cool getting advice from all over the world!

I got my 3rd fill last week. I'm up to 7cc in the 11cc Inamed. In the mornings I have trouble even drinking. It goes down, but it gurgles. So I drink a Protein shake for Breakfast (around 9am). Sometimes I get hungry by 11 again, sometimes not. Sometimes I can eat anything, sometimes not. I have been having problems with meat and bread getting stuck in my chest. I've PB'd once. Usually it goes down on its own. My question is this: Is this was restriction is? What causes the food to get stuck when you know your stomach can't possibly full? I don't usually feel very full, but then again I don't get really hungry like I used to either. I'm so confused. Is this what its all about?

Darcy, I like a shake from GNC called Spirutein. chocolate is good, then I freeze my milk for a little while, added a couple slices of banana and a big spoonful of Peanut Butter and mix with a hand blender. YUMMMMMMM!

Before my surgery I had acid reflux and heartburn all the time. In the last 7 years I never went to bed with out taking an acid reducer. Since the surgery I haven't had either. I told this to my fill doctor and he said "didn't they tell you that that cures acid reflux?" (by the way he's not the doctor that did the surgery). He also said that if I started experiencing heartburn or acid reflux, I should call right away because that could mean a slippage. Now I was so excited that my acid reflux was cured that I've been talking to my husband about getting a band too. Not that he wouldn't like to lose some weight, but he has horrible acid reflux and a hiatial (sp?) hernia. I was thinking that maybe having it would help him, but from listening to your stories, I'm afraid it might make it worse. His doctor doesn't recommend the surgery for the hernia itself, because he says sometimes it doesn't work and opens back up again. Any thoughts? Also, our insurance wouldn't cover the band for me, is there any chance they would cover it for his problems?

One more thing to try to avoid any "new" gas created by drinking and eating too fast - use a straw and eat really slow. It really worked for me.

Dawnsunshine, I didn't tell anyone except my husband, mom and 3 friends that I was having surgery and I made them all keep quiet. When I make a decision, nobody is going to change my mind. Especially something I've wanted so bad for so long. I didn't want anyone saying unsupportive things that would make me worry. So what THEY don't know won't hurt ME! The next time someone says that somebody died from having that surgery, ask them how many people die in car/ airplane/ pedestrian accidents? Do they stop going places because they could potentially get killed? Probably not. Do what you have to do to be happy and you won't regret it.

I just paid $10,350 plus airfare to Mexico. Also spent a little on souvenirs too! But sure saved a lot on food!

Alex, Instead of a fill, why don't you try different types of exercise. Maybe your body is used to what you're doing and just trying something different will shake things up a little!

Becky: I used to snore all the time too. After I read your post, I went and asked my husband if I've been snoring and he said he doesn't recall hearing me snore since I had the surgery either, and if I do, I haven't woken him up like I used to. I lost 16 pounds before surgery, but was still snoring. Surgery was almost 3 weeks ago and have lost another 18, so that must've done it!

Hello everybody: Well it's official. I was banded Saturday in Monterrey by Dr. Sanchez. I still cannot believe I did it. I've never had surgery except for a tonsillectomy. Never had a baby, nor a stitch or a broken bone. I'm even afraid to have a pap smear. So how did I do this? My husband said that I wanted it so, so bad that fear wasn't even an option. The whole time I was there, I wasn't even afraid, except for landing in Mexico and going through Customs and not knowing what was going to happen next. I can even remember laying in pre-op and thinking that I wasn't afraid and how strange and unlike me that was. But I'm back and feeling pretty good - just really stiff. And oh yeah, down 4 pounds already. Just wondering if anybody else felt like this and wondered if maybe it was all just a dream?

I just had a chocolate Protein shake with a banana in tonight, but I added a big tablespoon of Peanut Butter too. Be sure to use a blender or a hand blender though. I thought it was very satisfying. Did you have your surgery on the 27th too?

Shelly: Are you in a union? Some contracts say that if the employer changes insurance contracts, they are obligated to get you AT LEAST comparable coverage or better.

I am 10 days post op and have been trying to eat full liquids since Sunday. I've been taking it really slow and even swishing it around in my mouth before I swallow. It goes down ok but I'm keep getting so bloated. Today I had to upzip my pants while I sat at my desk. I get little "pinchy" pains here and there like it could be gas. And even when I'm hungry and my stomach is growling, I feel like I'm full right up to my neck. Sometimes when I drink, I hear gurgling noises in my throat. I'm not getting nauseated, I haven't vomited. The Clear Liquids went down fine, but I was so hungry and looking so foward to full liquids. I took some gas medication and it has helped. I'm waiting on a call from my doctor's nurse, but in the meantime, any ideas?

Thanks for your reply Alexandra. The nurse told me pretty much the same thing - that I must still be very swollen and that I should eat everything through a straw. Today is much better.

Marsha: I was denied by my insurance company too and I thought that would be the end of it, but my husband said that we've scraped up money for less important things and we'd do it again. So we bought kind of got obsessed researching this and other types of surgeries. We felt this was the safest. Especially when you are paying out of pocket - if something went wrong you could lose everything you own. Anyway, while going through all these Web sites, we came across Dr. Sanchez just by chance. It sounded like he had a lot of experience, so I filled out the form on their Web site and e-mailed it to them to see if I qualified for surgery. Somebody called to talk to me, I asked them some questions - but didn't make any commitments - and they didn't pressure me. We just kept reading all these posts and never found anything bad about him - only very, very positive stuff. So we got the money and I called and made the appointment for about 2 1/2 months down the road, so I had plenty of time for it to sink in and also change my mind if I wanted to. I still kept reading and reading and for every positive thing I read, my confidence grew and pretty soon I was really looking foward to it. In fact, all the way up to the time I was laying in pre-op having all this time to reflect - I never got nervous. And this is not something I do every day. I still can't believe I did it. I want to tell you, though, that every single thing I read about my doctor, his staff, the hospital, the surgery, the pain, etc. was absolutely true. It is still very fresh in my mind and it was exactly like I expected it to me because of all I had read. The only thing I would do, if you have never been out of the country, is find out exactly how going through the Mexican airport works, what forms you'll need to fill out, etc. That was the only part that caused me some anxiety. It wasn't bad - I just didn't know what to expect - and I hate surprises. If you'd like to know more, e-mail me. I'd be glad to talk to you while it's all fresh in my mind.

Thanks for thinking of me. I only told 4 people and everybody else thought we went on vacation, so it's nice to know SOMEBODY was. I got an Inamed band (I didn't an instruction manual for it, so I hope that's what I got) as the doctor I think I'm going to for fills will only use an FDA approved band. You are so right when you said that Annabelle and the rest of his staff were so nice. Did Claudia work there went you went? He also uses a "guesthouse" now for all his patients to stay in. He rents it in San Pedro. It had been vacant for 2 years and they just opened it the week before I went. It was really nice to be there with only people who knew what you were going through - because I was not quite as sociable as usual and felt kind of self conscious. I don't like to be sick when I'm not home. But you knew everybody else was in the same boat and you could compare stories.