PandorasBox92264

I had mine done in Philadelphia and was told by my Surgeon that they don't have problems with BCBS approving the surgery. They assured me that it would not be a problem and there wasn't any issues with it. I was nervous too, but they were good to work with.

I use Peppermint as well when on the run. One thing that we also do which is really really good for you is Ginger. We take a little slice of it and blend it in with our protein drink in the morning, you peel it and it blends right in. Ginger is a bit spicy sweet and you use just a bit. My Mom used to use it for heartburn and her upset tummy/heartburn but she would use a little piece of the dried candied ginger and that will also settle your tummy. I also find that I meditate at night before bed, my hubby got me into it and makes our shakes for us. He is not banded nor does he need to be but we work it together. If I have a nervous tummy happening, I also try to do it pretty fast and calm myself down. Many people still drink a bit of soda in these situations just let the bubbles go away and sit for a few minutes if you need to drink it. I will do that will regular coke and that will help but I do not drink soda on a regular basis anymore, I have found I don't want it nor do I need it.

Liquids same day as fill, day two they said puree your food then go back to regular food the third day. This is due to swelling that happens right after a fill. This is also why you might feel really constricted right after a fill. I had 6cc in my 10cc band for a couple of years because I moved and had to find a Doctor to fill me. I didn't have much in the restriction area and could eat whatever except I could get a stick IF I had something too dry and didn't chew properly. I didn't have any PB episodes or anything like that but would just feel stuck. I got 1cc more in my band and really felt the restriction, I am 2 weeks out from that fill and have to make sure I chew and can tell a significant difference. The Dr said that for my type of band the 7cc is for Many a good number, however we will see as we go along. You might just be borderline on your restriction. I always have pretty much been able to eat whatever I wanted pasta/rice/meats/ but I always choose good cuts in the meat that are tender. But for me the 1cc difference made a HUGE difference!

I went though the initial surgery and did the Mourning in 08. I had fluid backed out because at the time I was on the edge I think and a bit overfilled and was going to lose health insurance. I gained back some then almost two weeks ago finally got my first fill again to 7cc, my first refill since June of 09. I also went through feeling bummed and you hit the nail on the head 'mourning for food'. I actually admitted it to my hubby and talked through it. I am fortunate that he is very supportive and has adapted my band diet as his own as well even though I never expected him to or even asked. He has found that his slight tummy has started to flatten and says he feels better. The mourning is helped alot when you feel the difference in your clothing, at least for me. Like my Surgeon said "If you really want something have a bit, you might find you really don't miss it" This way it will stop you from going crazy if you deny yourself on a constant basis. I found for me that having a bit here or there keeps the feeding frenzy under control.

Cottage Cheese, salad, black beans, fresh veggies I like to season them up and bake, or put on a grill. Morningstar farms vegi protein products I also like alot. We like to use ground bison and make burgers and wheat buns. I am good for a half of a burger, and I also keep in string cheese if I need a quick protein on the go item. Alot of people eat the greek yogurt as well.

I have a slightly different scenario because I was banded in Philadelphia 9/08, then opted for a partial unfill because I was in a divorce and decided to move back to Palm Springs, Ca where I was from. My original Surgeon wa Dr. Christopher Kowalski who was really great, and he did move somewhere in Kansas and is practicing there. I had a crazy time wanting to get a fill and trying to find a doctor out here. I tried to see one a couple years ago and some turned me down. So when I finally started to really make calls locally, I did talk to the office of Dr. Bobby Rao here, and was floored with what information I got. In order to fill me being a cash pay client or insurance but to just get an appointment with him I would have to cash pay up front $3,250.00. That is not including a fill or a series of fills that is just to be graced with an appointment to walk into the office. I also called back to talk to someone to see if MAYBE i was given the wrong information. My information was correct and I also found out if I wanted him to do a surgery and get a band I would have to cough up $6,000.00 to $7,000.00 just to get an appointment! The lady I talked to in the office seemed pretty disgusted with the cost. Mind you those fees are payable in cash even before they will attempt to bill the insurance! I found another doctor locally Dr. Awad that will do fills for I think it is $250.00 on a cash pay, however they will also do insurance and seem to not have the major fees. I had my primary care doctor refer me to a bariatric group because of needing a fill and wanting to make sure everything was in place ok. I did request Dr Awad for this procedure but he is not my insurance plans choice for a Bariatric doctor. I am on Desert Oasis Group and they did refer me out to Dr Peter Leport's office in Fountain Valley, Ca. It is a bit of a hike but it is a large practice and you can see any of the Doctor's on staff. I really liked the staff and the PA that handled my fill was great, I saw Dr Kelly Francis there and she was very nice! I ended up paying a co pay of 35.00 for my fill plus gas and stuff to get there. When I was in Philadelphia I think I had to pay 500.00 for the program fee's and I did not get to meet the surgeon up front. I did get to meet him when I physically went into the office for an appointment while he was explaining options. I think alot of places when they have the Seminar's at night you get to meet the Surgeons. Because I had gone to one at a weight loss surgical center that was not affilated with a hospital before I chose this Doctor. I would suggest getting a referral from your Primary Care Doctor and seeing who is affiliated with your particular medical group. My insurance plans seem to choose the ones that have alot of experience in a good reputation or so it seems. Then if it is a big practice, you can choose your Doctor or go with the flow according to when you need to go in for fills etc. I will add that prior to my appointment I did have to have an Upper GI to check movement and placement of the band. I believe that both Dr LePort's office and Dr Awad in Palm Springs will take patients banded out of the country, but you do need to get the Upper GI and if you have medical records they need to know the band size, etc. I had all my records.

When I have restriction the beauty of it is that I don't get that really Full miserable feeling. You learn pretty fast how to eat after you get your fill. Make sure to chew your food, it is not pleasant when you get stuck. If you take medication I find that it is best for me to take a larger pill maybe an hour or so before a meal vs at bedtime. Pay attention to what your eating, if you get distracted and are eating on the run sometimes you can revert to an old habit really fast, not chewing fully and well swallowing while in a rush. That is what will generally get me in a bind. I usually will usually give a big sigh...or a hiccup but you will start to feel where your nearing the end of the meal. Just eat slow and really taste the food.

I can eat either one but make sure I chew chew chew. I make sure not to overdue it, it is more for a crunch..or if having black beans I might toss in a few chips.. I think there are some on the forum that have difficulty with some foods. But they are nothing I want to reach for on a regular basis.

Mine wasn't worried about weight loss, it just caused the liver to decrease in size in case it was enlarged. So they have an easier time flipping it around to get to the stomach.

Your not alone in the thoughts that you are having. I remember waking up a few days after the surgery thinking 'what have I done" The thoughts did go away, and you can go through a mourning period for food is the only way I can describe it. I was banded 9/08 but due to divorce and losing insurance and moving back to California I had some fluid unfilled and did the move. I gained some back, but not all and finally got my first fill a little over a week ago. I went into the same sort of panic of how my eating would be adjusted and then right after the fill went into a food panic of "what did I do" I am a week out from my fill and had to make adjustments to my eating very quickly! I can tell you that I feel 100 percent better already with what changes I have made. Even though I am losing some the better food choices has stopped me from feeling so crappy/sore/tired. As you start to lose the weight you will really rethink and be glad that you went though with it. You will make boo boos in eating where you will take too large a bite, or eat too fast it happens to everyone. Chew well, take smaller bites and learn to listen to your body. As my Surgeon said you can eat lots of things, but it gives you a tool to not overdue it. Out of curiosity what is your favorite food that you think you will miss so much? The thing that I loved having when the Dr asked me was a steak/baked potato and salad.. You can eat all that but in a smaller quantity. I find that after that initial first week detox, alot of what I craved doesn't taste good anymore. This forum has alot of really good information! Good luck with your surgery since it is coming up fast! Keep in mind you will be sore generally on the left side after surgery but that will go away. I had a hard time for first few days getting up from the bed when the pillows were too low it pulled. So if you can prop yourself up a bit, or maybe get something that you can grab onto to help pull yourself up. I even did the roll off the bed thing onto my knees

I did the total liquid for 2 weeks prior, my Doc had me do slim fast 6 a day, and other clear liquids. He told me the same thing that Mayasgram's Doctor told her, if you have a fatty liver I will not band you. First thing I said when I woke up was if my liver was fat... grin

I have always driven, sometimes several hours after a fill. If the road it a bit bumpy I feel a tad bit sore, but that is me personally. You're not sedated or anything, so you should be fine.

I had Abalation done in January 2003 because extremely heavy bleeding lasting a couple of months making me Anemic. I didn't have anything for awhile, then only minimal spotting here and there. Still after all this time I only get a spot here or there but not enough to warrant anything more than a liner and tampons have not been needed since surgery. I will go through some feelings of light cramps or backache maybe every two or three cycles. It is the BEST thing I did and for me it has curbed the severe PMS, the Mood swings, etc Hope that helps

I had horrible pain when I tried to sit up or move after my surgery. It is how they secured my port according to the surgeon. It should go away in a few days, however still now if I strain myself, or am dehydrated in any way I will get a charlie horse in that area of my abdomen. I don't know if this is common but it is like when you get one in your calf due to dehydration or needing potassium. I have found up the water intake.. get some potassium down.. and I apply a heating pad to make it feel better.

I got Banded in Sept 08, I was partially unfilled to from a little over 7cc (which was a bit much) to 6cc in a 10cc band after 9 months due to moving out of state and losing insurance. I slid some but not all the way and got another 1cc in band last week so I am right at 7cc. I had never had a PB as they call it and had to look it up to see what it meant. I had one the other day lol... not pleasant but helped the situation.. I had gotten into some not so great habits and had to quickly learn to slow it down.. chew, chew, chew. I was wondering IF I had a bit too much but it seemed to have relaxed just a tad. I also found out that I was stressing ALOT over the idea of getting stuck which I had done before the fill on occasion, how I didn't have a PB before I do not know..I also have made sure when I eat I am somewhat relaxed and try to get the anxiety out of my stomach area... that has helped alot!! Since the fill did experience getting stuck and my mouth kept filling up with Saliva which I kept spitting out in the sink.. I wondered how much would have been collected if I actually measured it because it shocked me. I also did the lean over and some liquid poured out.. sorry to be graphic but it is what we experience. I also had the freak out in the middle of the night after I got the band. I remember saying to myself "What the hell did I do" It goes away when you start feeling better.. I even went though it a bit last week when I got the fill again.. I THINK it would have to do with being in Mourning for your food or afraid you can never have something that you have looked forward to in the past.

I was banded in Sept 08 back east when I was married to my EX Husband. Initially he was against the band because he felt it was going to be too expensive and he didn't understand why I needed to get surgery he felt I should just diet and exercise,exercise,exercise and I could become the 105 lb girl that he wanted with the legs up to her neck. Mind you the body size he had i mind for me and I am 5'4 was the type you see with the women who are 5'7 or taller, longer legs, no butt and pretty much straight up and down. I did advise him that for me it was an unrealistic shape because I would never be 105 lbs nor would I want to be. I was a size 16 when I met him anyway, so he knew when I met him that I was meaty. My goal was to become healthy because I had lost my Father in 05 to Cardiac Arrest, and My Mom had been diagnosed with Colon Cancer months before my surgery and passed away about 4 months after I had my band. Not all Partners will be supportive and try to think of things that they do or things that will help. Right after my surgery I had to deal with the eating of super sized GIANT hershey bars, not the one's you get that are big for one person but the ones you break apart for Smores! He would sit down and eat it right in front of me while watching TV and eat the entire thing. He would bring home the gallons of Ice Cream and sit right there eating away. It was not after I got settled into my routine but RIGHT after surgery when I was even in the liquid phase both pre and post op. Now I did not expect him to stop eating the junk food, but when someone is prepping for surgery or in the liquid phase one could limit the exposure in the house especially if you had to hear how much I needed to exercise and diet in order to give him the figure he thought was the right one for me. Anyway I dropped back down to a Woman's 16 and some 14's in Jeans. There were other issues that came into play into it that could fill a whole other blog on another type of site. I went through the banding, then lost my job, went to school fulltime, my Mother passed away and with all the changes I left and filed for divorce. That was April of 09 and even though it was a very tough year, I moved back home to California. I have backslid because of losing insurance but still about 10 lbs less than my original weight and a size 20 in Women's Jeans. My new insurance paid for a fill, I am back seeing a new doctor out here and got my first fill since 09 last week. I am letting people know that good things do happen and come true, because I also had met a Guy January 1st 2010 who was from Texas. We did the friendship thing first, ended up doing the long distance thing then he moved to California and we have been living together for over a year and a half. We never fight, or argue which my sister finds to be amazing and are best of friends and lovers. He went with me to my fill appointment, which was a first for me and could hear what the doctor had to say about meals, fills, etc even the fearful number on the scale! He makes us Protein drinks and wants to help me find the best foods for US to eat. He even did the liquid diet with me post fill and then pureed things after the fill to make it easier so he joined me in that. This was the type of relationship that I have always hoped for (not meaning food wise), but had evaded me, maybe I had looked too hard. Maybe I had to learn some things about life and experience two bad marriages. He fixed us each a nice Salmon dish tonight, and Loves to cook and is now looking for Band Friendly receipes. I guess the biggest thing is that he Loves me for me whether or not I am a size 20 or a size 2. You hear there are stories where Relationships break up over Lap Bands and Gastric Bypass, I guess I am part of that story however I wouldn't change it for ANYTHING. So to anyone who has a Relationship that is having a hard time stick with what you need to do for you! Don't do it for anyone else do it for yourself. If they want to keep you down, don't let them... Live your life! Look forward to the next adventure! You might just fine what you hoped for all your life!

Finally back with the Program after not being able to see a Doctor since July 2009. I had my band installed in Philadelphia and then ended up moving out to California due to divorce and had lost insurance because plan didn't cover visits here. Was able to find a Doctor here two hours away that was on my current health plan. I had backslid during the time of being off and I guess it somewhat loosened. I would have periodic sticks, but nothing that I generally couldn't manage. I just had a fill last Thursday of an additional 1cc so now I am at 7cc in my band. Things are going ok during the day but I have a nighttime pill I take which is on the large side and I cannot cut it in half. Last couple of days I have had a bit of a backup I guess I ate then took the pill with the food still not all the way down, some of it came up. Then tonight I took the pill and a half hour later tried to eat something which I think was too soon. I did the sliming thing, and last night i had the PB's which seemed to take care of the problem. It has been awhile and I think with all that I probably still have a bit of swelling inside as well. Anyone know tips or tricks to taking a large pill, to make sure it goes down? Do you take it after you eat and how long do you wait. I have read to drink something warm to help relax the stomach. I am able to drink liquids, protein shakes, I did eat some chicken which was fine when chewed well. It was just I guess learning to space the meal and the pill taking and in which order is the best. Anyway.. Hi to everyone i am doing alot of reading and learning about what you all are going through. I will add I did not have any problems with my pill at 6cc in it, and I can't remember but will it loosen up slightly? Just curious..

Thank you for the info! So this might sound silly but will the pill stop the water going through? Or will the water still go thru and help wash the band through if the rest of the pouch is empty? I was even trying to find a video of what it looks like internally for where the pills usually sit etc.. lol.. I am now rusty on all I had learned so I am trying to learn FAST!!

Try IsoPure the dutch chocolate is really good! It doesn't have sugar, it is Whey Protein and the Nutritionist that I had said it was a Great to use. I turned hubby onto it and we protein shake together, you can add fruit to it we put in banana sometimes and also put in Kale, Celery and a sliver of Ginger. Pop in some ice cubes and you have an excellent shake!