Cindy2013

I just purchased the Kirkland brand at costco. The one I chose is Performance Multi Energy Formula. It seems to have all the required Vitamins, except I also take a Calcium and Vitamin D supplement. I was told to take 1,500mg of calcium daily and this only has 165mg. This particular vitamin contains Panax Ginseng Extract, which is supposed to be good for inflammation, weight loss, and energy. I have been taking it for a few days and I feel much improved. It does make my urine very yellow though. I was told that any multi-vitamin is okay, so I don't buy the expensive stuff. My previous multi was from Walgreens, and I ran out a few weeks ago. I got real sluggish and just felt crappy, so I'm excited to see that this one is helping me now. My advice, try it before buying the bariatric ones. Save your money for a new wardrobe!

I was stressed out about the psych eval. As a chronic pain person with depression, I worried that they wouldn't let me have the band. It was not hard at all. I just went in being myself, was honest, and the psychologist said all was well. I told him I was worried about it because I had a work comp case and their psychologist report came back absolutely ridiculous. The lapband psych said it was their job to do that. His job was to take care of me, not save work comp money. So if you are worried about the eval required before doing the lapband, don't sweat it. Just be yourself and it should be great. I also had to prove a history of all my previous weight loss efforts. Listing every diet or plan you have ever been on, with the length of times and any weight loss/gain satisfied my 6 month supervised diet requirement, but I had worked with my pcp on several different diets. Just list everything you have ever done. Each insurance company is different though. Also, with the weight loss plans in the past, I was advised that if I showed I could lose 50 pounds WITHOUT surgery, they would probably not approve me. It was not an issue for me because I could never do that. I hope these points help you out. As always, we can't say what your insurance will do, but sharing our experiences is what it is all about, isn't it? I was stressed out about the psych eval. As a chronic pain person with depression, I worried that they wouldn't let me have the band. It was not hard at all. I just went in being myself, was honest, and the psychologist said all was well. I told him I was worried about it because I had a work comp case and their psychologist report came back absolutely ridiculous. The lapband psych said it was their job to do that. His job was to take care of me, not save work comp money. So if you are worried about the eval required before doing the lapband, don't sweat it. Just be yourself and it should be great. I also had to prove a history of all my previous weight loss efforts. Listing every diet or plan you have ever been on, with the length of times and any weight loss/gain satisfied my 6 month supervised diet requirement, but I had worked with my pcp on several different diets. Just list everything you have ever done. Each insurance company is different though. Also, with the weight loss plans in the past, I was advised that if I showed I could lose 50 pounds WITHOUT surgery, they would probably not approve me. It was not an issue for me because I could never do that. I hope these points help you out. As always, we can't say what your insurance will do, but sharing our experiences is what it is all about, isn't it? I was stressed out about the psych eval. As a chronic pain person with depression, I worried that they wouldn't let me have the band. It was not hard at all. I just went in being myself, was honest, and the psychologist said all was well. I told him I was worried about it because I had a work comp case and their psychologist report came back absolutely ridiculous. The lapband psych said it was their job to do that. His job was to take care of me, not save work comp money. So if you are worried about the eval required before doing the lapband, don't sweat it. Just be yourself and it should be great. I also had to prove a history of all my previous weight loss efforts. Listing every diet or plan you have ever been on, with the length of times and any weight loss/gain satisfied my 6 month supervised diet requirement, but I had worked with my pcp on several different diets. Just list everything you have ever done. Each insurance company is different though. Also, with the weight loss plans in the past, I was advised that if I showed I could lose 50 pounds WITHOUT surgery, they would probably not approve me. It was not an issue for me because I could never do that. I hope these points help you out. As always, we can't say what your insurance will do, but sharing our experiences is what it is all about, isn't it?

I've been trying to figure out practical meals to cook. We have a dairy farm with fresh milk, eggs, beef, etc. I have given up the fresh milk, but still like those whole eggs. In perusing over hundreds of recipes, most of them call for egg whites or an egg substitute. My question is will using a whole egg ruin the recipe? I've never used egg substitute and seldom use just egg whites. My doctor encourages eating whole eggs, even suggested keeping boiled eggs in the fridge, having an egg for breakfast, or an omelette for lunch. I haven't been very successful at this lapband thing, but I am back on track now. I need to keep the momentum going. Is it okay to put the whole egg back in a recipe that now calls for egg white or substitute?

I'm interested in the 22 and 20s. I don't have a lot of money, but I would like to know what you have and prices. Photos would be great. Please let me know, because I am coming down and needing some size 20 things. I still have very fat arms and so I have to wear the 22s on some of the tops. Dang those flabby wings--they WILL go away soon. my email is cindy.swainston@gmail.com if you want to send me info. Thanks!

Me too. I just don't want to mess up a recipe. I'm not worried about the added fat from the whole egg. It has a lot of Protein which is what we banded people need. I was banded in 2013, but did not follow the program at all and consequently lost a little at first but gained most of it back. I've been hard at this again for about 3 weeks, and I'm not quitting this time. Just want to do it all correctly, so I'm a little stressed out about finding the right foods to eat.

As one who struggles with getting enough Water, I understand! My nutritionist just this week told me about MiO drops. You add them to the water, and it works much like Crystal Light. I am not a fan of Crystal Light, but the MiO Orchard Apple is delicious. The berry Pomegranate is good too. She did tell me not to use the MiO Energy drops. http://www.makeitmio.com/~/media/Makeitmio/com/Images/Carousel/hero_home_Energy.jpg My goal is to drink 32 ounces of plain water and 32 ounces of flavored. Hoping that breaking it enough with variety will help.

At 2 weeks out I was ravenous and it didn't make sense why we couldn't have food. My assumption was that the reason we couldn't eat solids was that food would get stuck and it would hurt. The two times I cheated, that didn't happen so I was thinking maybe I would be okay if I skipped the blended foods and went right to soft foods. So me being new around here and not educated enough, I asked the question of why we couldn't eat solids. I was shocked that I had made it all the way through surgery without being told the why. Apparently the band is stitched to our stomach. Everything we put into our stomach, causes the stomach to move. Clear liquids are easier, full liquids requires a little more work from the stomach, and with each stage the stomach has to work harder to process that food. When the stomach works, it moves, and that can cause the stitches to fail. So at one week, when the band has not scarred in at all, we can only have clear liquids. The band gradually scars in more and more, which is why we gradually eat different textures. By 5 weeks out, it should be secured in place well enough that it won't slip when we introduce regular foods. Well, the light bulb went on for me! In my mind, I could handle a little discomfort or pain from eating the wrong foods, but I certainly didn't want to damage my band. I agree with the ideas the others gave you, other than the Greek Yogurt--nasty! Yuck! But give me other yogurts and I like them. We each have our own tastes. I enjoyed puddings (some sugar free, some not). When I didn't know what to eat, I would rely on a protein shake until coming up with something more nutritional. Blended soups were good during the third week. I enjoyed blended raviolis even. That first 4 weeks post op were difficult to come up with things to eat. I've only lost a total of 25 pounds since I began this journey, but I go weigh again next week. I've struggled with just not feeling well, no energy, and so I'm not getting much exercise in. It is difficult to lose when I'm laying in bed all the time. Gotta get on top of that. I'm afraid that your June goal may be a bit unrealistic, but by that time you should be able to go down a couple of sizes and buy a fabulous outfit for your birthday. Just not a bikini yet.

My center in Idaho is doing the same thing. $7,500 for cash pay includes everything unless they have to do a hernia repair, or something out of the ordinary happens and you have to stay in the hospital longer. Includes psych eval, surgeon, anesthesiologist, hospital, bloodwork, nutritionist, physical therapist, etc. Maybe the more competition happening, the doctors are having to lower their prices?

AJ, what you have done is helped those of us who think we are the only ones who cheat know that everyone does. And what you've done is helped yourself get recommitted. Your last sentence shows your dedication to staying thin. Don't beat yourself up over this. I'm so impressed that you made it this far. I'm way behind where you are, but I'm looking up at people like you who have gotten to their goal, and telling myself that if you can do it, I can too!

I had my first fill last week (4/2) and I'm so excited with the results thus far. I thought I'd share the experience so that others who have no idea what happens in a fill will not be so worried. My doctor had me lay on the table. He looked at my incisions, talked to me for a minute about what he was going to do, then got right to work. He first felt where the port is supposed to be. Mine tended to move around a bit the first few weeks, and that created a bit of a problem for him hitting it (took him 4 sticks). He prepped my skin with a cleanser and offered to use Lidocaine, but I declined. The needle is attached to a syringe holding the saline. I wasn't really worried about the needle, so I didn't notice how long it was. He had me raise my legs while laying on my back. Apparently that does something with the abdomen that allows him to feel the port better. Once he got in with the needle, he had me sit up. He put in like 9 ccs at first so that I would know what it feels like to be "stuck." Not a pleasant feeling, but he then took some of that saline out to relieve the pressure. It didn't really hurt, just pressure that made me feel like burping and I felt it in my chest and back a bit. So once I understood what it feels like to be stuck, he then took some of the saline out, and experimented with the correct amount to put in at this point. I ended up with 6.5cc for my FIRST fill. I am excited that I have more than 1-2 as I have read from some of you.. He had me drink a bottle of Water and tell him how I felt with each adjustment of the saline. When I felt like I could feel the pressure but it wasn't painful to drink, he stopped and said we'll make another adjustment in 5 weeks. At this point it is definitely working to keep me from eating a bunch of food. I had to go on a 4 day post-fill diet, which wasn't real hard because it is basically what we did post-op, just one day at each phase. Now I am able to eat all textures and types of food (as long as they are healthy). I can only eat a few bites at this point, but the swelling will go down and that will change. I do get hungry within 2 hours of eating, but I've been drinking lots of water and that helps. So, that basically tells the story of my first fill. I am so excited that I have this tool. It was a bit frustrating to have had the surgery and wait for 7 weeks before getting any help from the tool. Right now though, I'm a happy woman! 6.5ccs in the first fill and it is working to keep me from eating much at a time.

Also, my card shows the name and phone number of my doctor, what size band, and says to use caution when doing any abdominal procedures, or something like that. You could probably all get one from LapBand.com if you haven't got one yet.

I received a card in the mail from LapBand. Did none of you get one? I'm keeping it in my wallet with my drivers license. But a bracelet is a great idea. I like the one shown above too, but $86 is way too pricey right now for me.

To answer the questions: I have a 14cc band. He didn't put any in at surgery, so the 6.5 is all I have in it at this point. This amount is enough to tell me that I need to stop eating after only about 3/4 cup. I get hungry within a couple of hours though, so I have to work hard at not eating again. How much weight have I lost? I just had this fill on the 2nd, and I won't weigh again until tomorrow. I do feel like I have lost some though, because I put on a pair of pants that didn't fit the week before. Yay! I tend to get a lot of leg swelling so the weight is hard to tell from the Water gain in the leg. From the time I began the pre-op diet, I have only lost about 18 pounds, and not really anything post op except for this week's weight loss. But my issue was complicated with a 2nd surgery after the lapband (unrelated) so this set me back quite a bit. It was NOT wise to do the 2 surgeries so close together because I am just now getting to where I feel like I can make it through a few hours without having to go to bed. But the good news is that I know I've lost this week from the way my clothes are fitting. Weigh in is tomorrow. Soon I'll get my sewing machine out to take in some jeans, and that is so exciting. I had no idea what would happen during a fill, which is why I posted the details. Perhaps other doctors do it differently, but I thought I'd share my experience. It wasn't painful, the needle stick wasn't bad, and the post fill diet wasn't hard because it moves so quickly to the next phase (at least with my doctor). Good luck to you ladies about to do your first fill. Add me as your friend, and message me how it went. I need some lapband buddies to keep me motivated, and I'll try to motivate others as well.

This may sound dumb, but I've found chewing on ice chips to be satisfying. I just finished my full liquids yesterday. My doc allows yogurt on full liquids, as long as it doesn't have fruit in it. I enjoyed V8, Premier Protein shake, Unjury shake blended with a lot of ice, puddings, and jello. I'm on blended today, soft tomorrow, and then regular foods from there on out. I'm glad the post-fill is diet is shorter than the post-surgery! Do you feel like this "fill" is going to help?

Hello everyone. I'm so ready to move forward and get this lapband tool working for me. I go for my first fill tomorrow. Up to this point (7 weeks post op) I haven't really felt like I have a band, although for the past 3-4 days I seem to be feeling some restriction. Strange that I never have before now, so I don't know what changed. But I go for a fill tomorrow and I'm so excited. I hope the doctor will put enough in that I get some results. It has been difficult these past few weeks (as it is for all of us) to not have any restriction and go through the bandster hell eveyrone writes about. I guess I wasn't ready for it to not work in the beginning. I thought it would be beneficial from the start so it was disappointing to realize that we don't get a fill for 6 weeks. I've had another unrelated surgery, with some complications afterward, and I feel like my body is just ready for a break. My energy has been extremely low, and so has my willpower. I think I've maintained most of the weight I lost pre-op, but I haven't lost any significant amounts since surgery. I'm almost embarrassed to go to the doctor tomorrow because of this. What if I have gained? That would be awful. But I am just getting back to feeling more like myself and now I'm ready to get going on this weight loss stuff. I meet with the trainer tomorrow too, so I'm sure she'll give me an individualized plan for exercise. I've been walking on the treadmill some, and that seems to help, although my left leg swells up a ton with Water weight. I'm also getting that checked out tomorrow. So I have an 11:00 appointment for the vascular stuff in my legs, 3:00 with the trainer, 3:45 with my pain pump doctor, and 4:30 with the lapband doctor for the fill. It will be a busy day. At least they are all in the same building. So did anyone else all of a sudden start feeling the band after 6 weeks with no fill?

Day 6 so I assume you are still on clear liquids. Once you move on to full liquids, it does get a bit easier. I purchased a bunch of different flavored teas, but honestly I didn't like the taste of tea, so it didn't matter what flavor, they still have that subtle tea taste, so they are all still sitting in my cabinet. You can crunch on ice if you feel the need to eat something. Also, drinking lots and lots of water is helpful to avoid the hunger pains. Good luck! You can do this.

Hello everyone. I haven't posted for a while. I hope you are all doing okay. I am at the stage post op where I can have all textures of foods. Problem is I don't really have a specific plan to follow, and it is difficult to stick to the diet when there aren't specific instructions. I've found that now that I can eat, I want to eat everything. Being hungry for the 3 weeks ppre-op, and then the past 4 weeks post op was difficult, and I think now that I am able to eat anything, I want EVERYTHING. I did not do well during the mushies stage, and in fact, I had a lot of high calorie puddings and yogurts. I was so hungry and after feeling deprived, my brain kept telling me that it was okay to eat. Anyway, I need to get recommitted and get started losing weight. It has been 10 days now since my 2nd surgery (unrelated but I have 6 inch incision in my abdomen and a 2.5 inch one in my back, and the recovery hasn't been easy). 2 surgeries within a month was a bit much for me and I haven't had the energy to fight through the dieting. So, I need to get completely back on track. What kinds of menus are you guys having. I need suggestions. Thanks, Cindy

It is good to hear that someone else is at the same weight loss as post op. I lost 18 pre-op, have gained 3 or 4 of that back now. I get my first fill next week. My situation has been complicated by a 2nd unrelated surgery 2 weeks after the lapband. I feel like I've been in recovery mode for way too long, and now my 6 in incision from the 2nd surgery is separating and I have to be really careful to not bend or stretch so that it doesn't open up any more. My abdominal flab hangs down and pulls on the incision, so walking is a problem too. Ugh. I'm really frustrated. On top of that, I have not been following the plan the past 10 days or so. I need to buckle down and create a menu with a lot of vegetables and protein. Right now I have a protein shake for breakfast, and then I typically have 3-4 snacks throughout the day on top of lunch and supper. I need to cut those snacks out. I keep telling myself tomorrow I will get down to business with this, but tomorrow hasn't come yet for me. So disappointing because the preop diet was difficult but I did well with it and was motivated. This post op stuff once I moved on to regular foods has been hard because there isn't a set menu plan. Are you having the same issues?

I'm just a newbie so not sure, but is it possible your pouch was still holding the food you ate, and when you added the cupcake there was no place for it to go?

Duh. {Palm to forehead} It's been 12 years since my hysterectomy--can you tell I don't think that way anymore?

Hello everyone. I am a bit frustrated and need some encouragement. My lapband surgery date was 2-18. I lost a total of 18 pounds during the pre-op and first 2 weeks post op. That feels really good. But... My concern is that I stepped on the scale last night and I am up 5 pounds. How can that be? I've still been watching my food intake very closely. In fact, I am just now moving to the soft foods phase. Yay! But how can I have gained 5 pounds on such a low amouint of food? I guess I just need some words of wisdom from you experienced folk. I am frustrated. It will be a few weeks before I can do much for exercise, even walking is limited. I know my activity level is way down, but how can I gain weight when the food intake is so low. I haven't gone over 1,000 calories for weeks, and it just seems strange to have gained back 5 of the pounds already lost. Any encouragement. I'm really struggling with motivataion this morning.

Thanks for the encouraging words. I know I'm not drinking enough, so I can work on that. I typed a whole paragraph about my other surgery that was on Thursday, but it disappeared. I didn't realize it wasn't there when I posted the original post. I had a pain pump implanted on Thursday, and after thinking more, I'll bet I have a lot of Fluid retention. You know how IV fluids are. I think having 2 surgeries so close together has played with my emotions too. I haven't been able to be up moving around much, and so there is bound to be fluid retention. I'm realistic enough to know that I won't really lose anything for the next couple of weeks while I let my body recovery. I think I just panicked when I saw the scale, because I certainly don't want to gain. I have a 5ish inch incision in my abdomen and a 2.5 inch one in my back, so I'm pretty ouchy. Dumb question here, but what is TOM? Anyway, thanks for the encouraging words. I am moving to soft foods today (yay, no more pureed stuff), and I'll be very careful with what I put in my mouth! Cindy

It does get better. I was so surprised when I had so much post op pain. I was told there was very little pain with the procedure, so I was not expecting to wake up with so much pain. I was actually a little angry that my doctor hadn't prepared me for the pain. He said it wouldn't be bad and they could control it. Well that didn't happen, but I had a problem where they had to reverse all the pain meds out of my system and then couldn't give me anything. Long story there. Don't feel too bad. Pain is very real, and it is okay to give in to it for a few days. It should be improving day by day. I found a heat pad on my belly helped, and sometimes alternated that with ice. Remember no lifting more than 10 pounds, and make someone else do the vacuuming, mopping the floors, etc. This is your time to rest and heal up. We've all been where you are. I'm 2 weeks post op, and don't feel incisional pain at all. Good luck.

Yes, Mandamom, it felt great. I hope to have many more of those moments. Had a good one today. The 2nd week post op has been hard, and I've drank lots of stuff just trying to get through it, even sugared drinks. I was worried that I had gained back some of the previously lost weight. I feel bloated and had avoided the scale. BUT I just weighed myself and I'm the same as last week. Whew! I thought for sure I had gained. They tell me that this post op period is not for losing weight, but I certainly don't want to gain any back that I lost so suddenly pre-op. I began phase 3 of the post op diet today. It was so good to have some real food, even though it is pureed or fork mashable. I even felt satisfied after lunch!

My post op diet has been a little stricter I think. I had clear liquids for 7 days, full for 7 days, and the next phase is pureed foods. I was banded on 2/18 and days 9, 10, and 11 were brutal for me. I was so hungry but it has gotten easier now. I actually just moved to the pureed foods today (one day early but with permission) and I feel completely satisfied for the first time post op. Texas1971, I think it is normal to feel hungry. I "ate" a lot of jello, tea, and apple juice for that first week, and of course water. My bladder was not happy with how much water I was drinking! I was sooooo happy to move on to the full liquid phase when I could have something with more substance. No one really explained to me why we have to avoid food. I found out during the full liquid phase that the reason is that if we put something in our stomach that makes the stomach muscle work, the chance of the band slipping is high. The band has to scar in and we have to keep the stomach quiet for that reason. Another member kindly explained that to me here, and then I asked my doc about it on Wednesday at my post op appointment. Be good to your band.