dawalsh

I hear you. My doctor feels I'm not losing fast enough. I have lost 55 lbs since Dec. my pre-op diet was on Dec 14th and my surgery date was 12/28/12. I am thrilled with the loss but I don't think my PCP has any concept of how the Lapband works. He feels I should have lost 90 lbs by now. I feel slow and steady wins the race.

Oh point of information, I do not live in Tampa, I live in Titusville on the East coast. It's about a 2 1/2 hr drive without traffic. I researched everywhere went to several seminars and met several doctors. I met Dr. Rehnke and was able to develop a relationship with him. I could talk to him, he's very warm and not clinical, so I don't mind traveling. He also does all his patients fills and does not leave it to the nurse practitioner or his physicians assistant. He is training a PA right now but Dr Rehnke still does all his patients fills.

If you're willing to go to St Petersburg which is just south of Tampa there is Dr. Ernest Rehnke. He is affiliated with Palms of Pasadena Hospital which is a center for baristric surgical excellence.

I have an occasional dirty gin martini but it is so rare. If I have one every two to three months that's a lot but I do indulge in an occasional drink. I gave up smoking 30 yrs ago and I was up to two packs a day. I gave it up cold turkey. That is one vice I'm glad to be rid of. So if my vice is an occasional cocktail every 2 or 3 months I'm fine with that. I haven't traded off food for alcohol at all. I still love my food over alcohol any day. I'm just eating smaller portions and savor inch every bite. I would never trade alcohol for food.

That is awesome! Are you near your goal now?

It's a slow process for me as we'll. I'm down 52 lbs pre and post op. sometimes I get frustrated but when I think about the highest weight I ever was at I'm happy with what I have accomplished.

I have no issue with popcorn and eat it occasionally. I don't add butter but I do have salted popcorn. If you retain fluid that might be a problem but I do enjoy popcorn. As far as a hard boiled egg is concerned, it does not fill me up but is a great source of protein. I might have a boiled egg and a container of yogurt and my coffee for breakfast. I save my coffee until last. Yogurt and a boiled egg will fill me but not just an egg by itself.

I've been on so called diets all my life so there isn't anything I miss. I can eat just about everything except white rice and fried rice. I do get stuck on rice so I avoid it. I can eat any kind of tossed or green salad as long as I chew it thoroughly. Icut my meatinto small bites and chew my food. I used to take two bites of a steak and gulp it down and drink with my meal. Not anymore, I take my time and never drink with my meal. I always wait after a meal and drink a beverage then.

I have the same problem. Do you ever get itchy or is it just a rash without an itch?

Is there something wrong with me lol? I'be never had a problem burping post op. I've been burping pre and post op. when I got severe gas pains I forced myself to move around and walk a lot. It helped tremendously. If you feel you have to burp you could try a couple of sips of a diet soda, just don't drink the whole thing thing. I usually take a couple of sips and let the rest go flat. I drink a diet cola like diet coke or diet Pepsi if I really need to burp but I rely haven't had that problem except for one time. My doctor has no problem with an occasional diet soda but not to drink it all the time. I used to drink. At least 20 oz of diet soda daily. Now if I drink it, it's maybe once a week if that much. It does help you burp however do use it sparingly.

LOL that is exactly how I felt after being banded (like a Mack truck had run over me!) Fortunately for me however my doctor insists his patients stay overnight in case of complications. He did give me Demerol shots while in the hospital and a prescription for Lortab. The hospital has a liaison from the Walgreens nearby and they fill the prescription for you before you're discharged. So they gave me a Demerol shot before leaving the hospital and a filled prescription for the Lortab. My doctor makes sure his patients prescriptions are filled before they leave the hospital. He believes no one should suffer in pain. After a few days I felt good enough to start doing everything normal. Truthfully however, it took a good two weeks before all the pain and gas went away. I promise, it does get better. Good luck to you!

I'm in FL too but East Coast, however I go to Dr Rehnke once a month in St Petersburg and I go to Cleareater often as well! Keep in touch.

Due to my disability about the only thing I can do is walk with my cane. I do notice however that there's more pep in my step than there was before. I'm hoping when I get to ONEderland that I'll hopefully be less dependent on my cane. Since my brain surgery back in 1981 I've had a problem with equilibrium. So, other than me walking with my cane or pushing a grocery cart I don't do much of anything. I do leg lifts in bed everyday so I guess I could consider that exercise.

Don't punish yourself too much. You had a slip up and you owned up to it. Take it one day at a time. Don't be thinking OMG I have to do this for 4 weeks! You'll be obsessed thinking it's a long time. Truthfully however, think about it, this is a life altering event and you'll be watching what you eat for the rest of your life. You're going to love the new you and you'll want to stay that way. The lapband is for life so 4 weeks is nothing compared to a lifetime of happiness with the new you and remember ONE day at a time! Good luck!

What a great question! I never thought about it but I usually ho on an empty stomach. I will have my coffee (because I love my coffee) but on fill day I go on an empty stomach (except for my coffee of course)

Good job ! Keep up the good work!

It sounds like that doctor likes the money he'll receive from your insurance if he does all the testing. Have you appealed to your insurance and explained that you just had an EKG and they paid for it? It sounds like your doctor is bilking the insurance company. He can get in serious trouble if he is especially if he's dealing with any type of insurance such as Medicare or Medicaid. If your doctor is still stubborn by all means change your PCP.

I don't have a problem with eating yet. Everything goes down just fine. I now get a signal when I'm getting a tightness in the chest. I'm not sure if that's the green One but occasionally I'll go over my calorie allotment. But I'm always on average between 1200 and 1300 cal a day. If I go below a thousand my body starts to play tricks on me like I'm going into starvation mode. However, like Ms73 I keep it simple. When I'm hungry I eat. When I'm not I don't. It works for me. I used to live to eat and would say to myself, ooh it's lunchtime I must eat. Now I eat to live and find that I'm not looking for food like I used to. So if I skip lunch I'm not going to worry about it and make it up at dinner. I just eat until I'm satisfied and most of the time I'm a little over 1000 cal a day. I hope it all works out for you. Just remember, eat when you're hungry.

All my life I was on the heavy side. If they had lapband when I was 16 If my parents were able to afford it I think my parents would have opted for it. My mother constantly had me on a diet and I never lost weight. Now I know what starvation mode is because I was literally starving myself living on such a low calorie diet that my body was hanging onto my calories and storing them as fat.as a teen I did pills, shots and everything else. So, I think as a teen if I were sent to learn about the lapband and how it worked it would have been a blessing. I think kids have to also understand nutrition and fully understand how WLS works.

Just curious, do they do routine fills in Mexico? I met a lady at a travel convention from Alaska. She had Lapband surgery done in Tiajuana and was going to fly from Alaska for a fill. She had gained quite a bit of weight back and felt she needed a fill to get back on track. I live in FL and that would freak me out if I went to Mexico. I mean, what if complications set in? I would rather be closer to home just in case there was a problem.