LeeB1946

Update. Did find plastic surgeon who takes Medicare, but Medicare will only pay for a skin amputation in the stomach area. No tuck, no butt lift, no skin removed under arms, etc. So then the general surgeon said I should have the skin done and then he will see if it will still be necessary to do the other hernia and muscle repair. He thinks that the skin removal may take care of the other for awhile. He does not want to do both surgeries at the same time because the healing process from the skin removal will take some time and doing both would make the healing process more troublesome. So, maybe there is hope.

all that you have gone through you are still doing you best. Attend your support groups like your life depended on it. Yes, this is for the rest of our lives, but one day at a time. We will slip, I sure have. If I did not have my overeaters anonymous support people I would not have lost 90 pounds in 9 months with my band. Now, I am learning how to maintain at this weight even though my mind wants me to lose another 10. The old tapes are playing in my head, "great job, but if only I could lose another 10 pounds I would be happy!" Oh, brother where does that stuff come from. My OA friends keepm me in check as well as my PA and dietitian.

Had a similar thing right after I would eat. I coughed and coughed after eating and spit up slim for a few hours. Bad was too tight. This is more than 3 months after the fill that took me to 6cc in a 10cc band. Removed.5cc and has gotten much better. Call you doc to check it out.

Anyone out there interested in exploring a face to face support group with bariatricpal?

Down nearly 100 pounds in a year. My diver's license is actually wrong for once in the right way. I am 160 the license says 180. Not going to change it either.

I have a flight coming up in July from Seattle to Rhode Island and it will be a 5 hour and a 2 hour journey to get there. Looking forward to being smaller for the coach seat too.

The side effects when I say the ad sound worse than things that could happen during surgery. Just another attempt of "give me a pill and let me eat!" Our society wants the easy way out, but not willing to do the work. Sorry, did not mean to be judgmental, but I've done it too.

I had 3 weeks of liquids and wanted to take a fork and stab something the whole time. 7 weeks ugh! but sounds like you are getting through and it will be worth it when you see the weight loss and how you feel. Hope you like soft foods too.

LaddyMaggie and I have the same opinion as my doctor sent me when I was within 15 pounds of goal. You have to make sure you will not have a significant weight loss after plastic surgery and leave more skin to be removed in another surgery. Not sure if I will be having surgery but could sure use it. My insurance will over do a "skin amputation" which is only on the stomach. If I have anything else I have to pay out of pocket.

Anything like this happening on the West Coast?

I had this discussion with a dietitian at my weight loss clinic. I know what success can be if I let it. Success is that I have set a goal to loose 103 pounds. Now that I am at 93 pounds gone I am plateauing and weight loss has all but stopped. Success is allowing myself to be at this weight without the mind game of calling myself a failure. I have not failed at all. In fact she told me that she just hates to see me speak at pre-surgery information nights, because I, as a band user, have lost a lot of weight in a short time. She hope the people attending don't think all bands work this fast for everybody. That, in itself, makes me feel like a success, but knowing I am down to a reasonable weight that I have not seen in 50 years really makes me feel successful. Now, I have to maintain that success by keeping up the work. You are a success.

Lots of good advice here. Have you ever been to Overeaters Anonymous or seen a therapist that specializes in eating disorders. This has helped me immensely before and after my surgery. I too am an emotional eater. Working with others who understand this issue might help you. www.oa.org to find a meeting. Best of luck and keep on trudging down that road of happy destiny.

I had 3 stuck episodes and after each one I did not want to put anything in my mouth for hours. Then I only used liquids or mushy foods for the next 12 to 24 hours. One of my stucks lasted for about 4 hours of slimming and spitting, but could not throw up, try as I might. Dry leftover meatloaf, never again.

Sadly, we don't know about the gas pain until we wake up. I was told about the gas pain by the person who signed me into the hospital 2 days before the surgery. She was a patient of the same doctor I have and she old be about the shoulder pain from the gas that is pumped into the stomach cavity. The doctors should tell the patient in advance of what to expect. I walked around my house the first day then outside and finally was able to make to my mailbox which is up a short hill in about 3 days and on day 4 gas was gone.

Sounds like he took his time to determine that the port had flipped. The x ray should have shown it I would have thought. I had the PA hit the rim of my port with a needle and he thought the port had flipped but just by feeling around with no pain on my part he found the port in the proper position, but determined mine "floats" a little so he finds the port and holds it in place when he "needles" me and there is no pain. We don't use x ray to do fills at the surgeon's office where I go, but have never had any such issue as you did. Best of luck on getting the port back in place. Hope the anchor it better this time.

Maybe a call to your surgeon's office and a nurse could help with what is going on. There were a few days in the 3 week liquid post op period I felt kind of yukkie, but did not gain then. I would say call the doc to see if someone there can help.

I am 14 months out and my scale has not moved in the last month. Well, it moved this AM when I saw that same number I moved the scale to under the bed. My dietitian said I was weighing way to much. for me it was the clothes sizes that let me know I was getting smaller. When I was XL and larger I could only find things I liked in XL. Well, guess what? The other day I saw a shirt I really liked and it was a large (way too big) and of course could not find it in a med. Oh, I could only laugh at my predicament, what a way to go!

Had a store clerk say to me that I was Half the man I used to be! Nearly fainted at the checkstand.

Beware the leftovers. Have had stuck and sliming when I got leftover meat not warmed up and soft enough to get through. Live and learn!

When I do what the PA and dietitian tell me to do. Weigh and measure my food and eat only every 3 hours, chew and chew and chew I seem to have better weight loss.

Had my band at 66 and have lost over 90 pounds in less than a year. Have never lost more than 45 pounds before it came back. I have been told for a bandster I am ahead of the game. Have been told those of us on the older side of life are more likely to follow the instructions and not try to get around doing what needs to be done to make the band work for us as we work for the band.

Sugar is a killer.

Had to have .5cc removed due to coughing and sliming a bit but that seems to have helped.

Hang in there kid! There will be days that just suck! Did you not have bad and good days before surgery? 14 months post op and 90 pounds gone and I get on myself because I have not lost 100. Oh, what the heck is going on in my head? There is no Perfect as someone wrote! Do you have support groups from your surgeon's office? People to call to talk too about this? The end of liquids was worse than the beginning, but keep on truck'n and you too will be trudging the road of happy destiny!

I too have lost a lot of butt but need to lose more gut.