fabfatgrl

I agree about the expensive part. The same company has another site called chefsdiet.com where they're offering a special of breakfast+dinner+2 snacks or lunch+dinner+2 snacks for either 9.99 or 10.99/day.... although you have to pay a $50 shipping charge every two weeks.

That's amazing!! Congratulations!!! :whoo: :mad:

I understand what you're saying... However, I have no problems with people eating whatever they want during the mushies/liquid phase as long as it is mushie or liquid. I've read about people blending just about anything. I have a much bigger issue with people who consciously eat solid food during that time, as that can seriously affect their Band. Some people will not lose weight or be able to control their food desires until they have good restriction. Others are veteran dieters who can stick to any diet for a certain period of time. Yet the person who drinks milk shakes during his liquid phase may end up being more successful than the person who drinks only low-fat Proteins shakes.... one can't tell at that phase. I lost all of my weight not by eating low-carb or following any specific diet. I focused on high-quality food, but allowed the Band to limit my portions. So, I'd rather drink hot chocolate made with Godiva cocoa and low-fat organic milk in the morning rather than some low-calorie, no-sugar fake stuff. I'd have one delicious crab cake for dinner... rather than a diet meal. Real mayo, but only a little. Real butter, but only a little. All worked for me. And I exercised daily. It was a lifestyle change... but it was saying good-bye to the diet mentality that really helped me. I do find the, "IcantbeliveIhavetopayacopay" attitude annoying beyond belief, though. They're so darn lucky to have their surgery covered period. Peace.

67 is low. See if you can add 10 carbs per day and see if that helps. I don't see much Fiber at all in your diet, so maybe add a piece of fruit or some Beans (carbs+protein). I vaguely recall reading that 100 g/day was needed to avoid ketosis... but I would just add gradually and see how you feel. So next week, try eating 75 g/day and see how you feel... if not better, up it to 80 g the following week, etc. Does your physician's practice have a nutritionist? If so, why not consult with him/her?

I would be totally fine with many morbidly obese 12 and 13 year olds getting Banded if I believed that: 1) They understood the surgery and the requirements 2) They had a supportive and understanding family. I would have been a good Banding candidate at 16 or 17 rather than waiting until I was 30-something. Would have saved me many years of pain.. as well as preventing my obesity from getting to the morbid point. Weighing over 200 pounds at 12 to me says that this girl is only likely to get more obese as time goes on. However, I have serious concerns about a family (and a surgeon) that encourages a tummy tuck (!!!) and liposuction as weight loss tools... when any cosmetic surgeon will tell you that they are not for that purpose. I hope the girl is successful in spite of her family. As for blaming the parents... I don't think you can do that at 12. At two, yes... but twelve, no. Twelve year olds are usually pretty independent in their food choices/decisions.

Yup... ever since I was Banded. Even when I don't have any fill, I can PB during my period.

The official Inamed position is your Band should be deflated completely. However, depending on how much you weigh (usually the more the better for this case), many docs will play with your fill level in order to ensure that you don't gain too much weight, but gain enough. This is a decision that needs to be made by your surgeon and your OB together... so you really need to contact both of them. Even if they want to keep a partial fill in, many surgeons recommend unfilling during your first trimester due to nausea issues... and some will unfill just prior to delivery as well as one often vomits during transition. Please contact your surgeon and talk with her about it. The first trimester is critical for development... so this is not something you want to procrastinate about. You can unfill now adn then refill in your second trimester, if it seems like you are gaining too fast. Can you take prenatals? There are some chewable ones out there, or at least there used to be? If not, at least find a chewable with 600-800 mcg folic acid.

What's your carb intake?? I don't think you want to be on a low carb diet--even though many WLS patients follow one after surgery. Increasing your carbs should help you with the ketones.

Hi Stacy: I had mine deflated about a week or two after I found out I was preggers... so 7 weeks or so. Although you only need 300 extra calories, that assumes that you're eating a normal amount... which I wasn't as I had good restriction. One other thing to be careful about is morning sickness... which often occurs during the first trimester. (Although I never had it.) In theory, if it was really bad it could cause a slippage. No iea if there are any reported cases of this, though. Oh, I'm assuming your doctor has you on prenatals. Just so you know, there are a few chewable ones out there in case you have trouble taking regular ones. I actually switched to an OTC prenatal (Rainbow Light), but was on the chewable prescription ones at first. My OB gave me some samples to try before I had to commit. Good luck

I just read your OH profile and see that you've had GD during all three pregnancies. If that's the case, then yes... you may want a small fill... but please wait until you get to about 20 weeks of pregnancy. (I had three GD pregnancies too... and we talked about a possible small fill during my third one.) Mabrook on your pregnancy. Just please, be careful with restriction at this stage.

If you end up in Cairo (Egypt), go to Cairo University Hospital. (Kasr al-Aini). Will be quite cheap, yet top-notch physicians.

Unfill, please. Now is not the time to put your baby's health at risk... especially during the crucial first trimester when so much critical development takes place. If you need a small fill later on (2nd or 3rd trimester), you can talk with your OB and surgeon about it. Also, if you end up with 1st trimester morning sickness, you could cause a slippage. So please, schedule an unfill today. Your body is telling you through hunger that it's not getting what it needs to nourish the baby. Yes, it will take from you and give to the baby first... but it's still risky. (I've been through three Lap-Band pregnancies.) If your'e not taking prenatals, please start. There are some chewable ones out there, BTW. BTW, Assalamu Alaikum Kabeerah :car: You're no longer kabir anymore!

Clinical Trial: LAP-BAND AP Early Experience Trial (APEX) Please refer to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00501085 Allergan Medical devicetrials@allergan.com Not sure if anybody has posted this, but it's pretty recent (last week).

Sliming is also called stomach snot... which is actually a more accurate description. (Yuck, though.) When something gets stuck, your body wants to get it unstuck. It produces a clear slimey liquid (looks like clear mucus) to try and lube things and get it through. Usually, you'll produce a lot of this... and it will be part of your PB (productive burp... vomiting... regurgitation.) Sometimes if things are really stuck... nothing gets through... so you'll end up PBing your own saliva and sliming a lot... until it makes its way through. PBing means Productive Burping. The reason most Bandsters call it that over vomiting is that it's not like the vomiting you knew before Banding. Usually, one goes to the toilet (or holds up a bag) and literally coughs... and with very little effort, it all comes back up. Sometimes, it comes up without any effort... which is why a lot of new Bandsters in my day used to keep baggies in their purse/car. I don't know if I experienced PBing until I had significant restriction... it's been so long that I don't remember. I doubt I experienced it immediately post-op or after my first fill. I have nothing in my Band... yet I still can PB on occasion, which sucks. Usually has to do with hormones affecting my Band.

I don't know of anybody who has done that... probably because one could achieve the same thing by having the Fluid removed without the risk of surgery. I've sort of experienced life as a non-Bandster for a long-time... longer than I've been filled and Banded, actually. In my first 18 months of being Banded, I lost 95 pounds. Then I became pregnant.... three times! Each time I've tried to fill after the pregnancy, the Band hasn't worked the same. So I've had to be unfilled again. Up until the start of my third pregnancy, I had maintained a loss of 60-65 pounds of the 95. It's the first time in my life I've ever maintained any weight loss for more than a day. Seriously. I was not one of those people who lost 100 pounds and gained it back. I was the person who never loss more than 7 pounds to begin with... and always gained it back + 10. I just had my third baby... so we'll see how my final attempt at a refill goes in about 6 weeks. I can't imagine not having a tool to use... so I'm looking into a VSG should I need a revision. I really wish the Band worked as promised, however... as I really don't want to go through surgery again. It's such a different decision when one is single vs. when one has three little people to care for.

This surgeon needs to update his info re: Lap-Band. There are 10 year studies out there... so saying no long-term studies is misleading. I also can't believe that he (or she) keeps comparing it to the VBG... and even includes a column on the VBG. VBG was abandoned by most reputable surgeons way back in the late 90s when I first started researching WLS. Here's a better (IMHO) comparison chart from a surgeon who does ALL of the surgeries... and realize that not every surgery is right for every person. Weight-Loss Surgeries Compared

Band was right for me six years ago. It was so comforting during my pregnancies to have all of my fill removed, and know that my babies were at no risk for any complications due to my WLS. However, post pregnancy, my Band hasn't worked again... and I'm meeting others who have the same issue. Nobody seems to know why. So, if me and my doctor can't figure this out, I'll be going for a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. Basically, 80% of your stomach is removed... including the portion that produces a lot of the ghrelin. Your pyloric sphincter is in tact, so no dumping. It's restrictive only... so no malabsorption. Partial gastrectomies have been performed for years on cancer victims... and the partial gastrectomy has also been the first part of the DS which has been used for at least 10 years. If you need to revise the VSG, can add either a DS or RNY malabsorption component... but it seems that very few need that at this stage. I used to be really nervous about having anything permanent... like having part of my stomach removed. But, I'm more comfortable with that over an RNY pouch-like stomach... where part of your stomach is blind... and you deal with staple line issues. With a VSG, after about 6-weeks, there is no more risk of leakage or issues with your new stomach.

Great website! That's right about where I put my goal weight on my own.

Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy... it's the first part of a Duodenal Switch operation. Basically, they shape your stomach around a thin tube, called a bougie. They staple it off into a banana shape... leaving the pyloric sphincter in tact, so no dumping. It's restrictive only... no malapsborption. Has only been done as a stand alone for about 4 years... but results seem to be as good or better than the Band. No fills... no PBing. It's becoming very popular both as a primary operation as well as a revision for Bandsters. You can find a bunch of Bandsters talking about it on the Obesity Help VSG forum... also there's a post by an ex-Bandster in the Band Removed thread. I think his name is Andrew? Laparoscopic Associates - Weight-Loss Surgery San Francisco, Bariatric Surgery is one group of doctors that do a lot of them I really really don't want surgery again... but if I can't get my Band to work, I'll have to. When I first had surgery, I had no kids... was single. Now I have three little people under four that need me. Totally changes the risk profile, KWIM?

I think it depends what you have done and who does it. I've been quoted anywhere from $12000 - $18000 to go from a Band to a VSG.

I"m there! I've had my Band unfilled for three pregnancies. Everytime I get it filled after a pregnancy, I have issues with the fill... lots of PBing, etc. So have it removed. I just gave birth and will try to refill one more time in about 6 weeks. I really hope I can get my Band to work again or else I'll need to consider revision surgery.

I have a Tanita one. I don't think it's accurate because my %bf never changed... even after losing 95 pounds! I've been told that they measure more of your hydration level than body fat... not sure if that's accurate or not. Accurate ways to measure body fat include MRI, underwater weighing, and those body pods. Skin calipers vary in accuracy... with a lot depending on the person using them.

That's really interesting. Good thing carbonation of any kind doesn't agree with my Band when it has a fill in it!!

I agree. It was a good book, although some of the info on other operations was out of date. (Seem to remember bits on DS being out of date.) My library had a gazillion copies--so I just borrowed one. One thing that ANNOYED me was how the writer used the term water instead of saline for fills. For some reason, that really bothered me... as I found it misleading.

Hi Olivia: I'm so sorry this has happened to you twice! Did you have a new Band put in?? If not, you may want to look at the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. Sort of works like a Band, but no fills. (Restrictive-only.) Difference is that part of your stomach is removed... forever. Try the VSG forums on ObesityHelp for more info.