Marimaru

Do any of you keep Medical ID's? A bunch of the RNYers on Obesityhelp.com have mentioned, and they list things like the type of surgery, No NSAIDS, and No Blind NG Tube on theirs. Is this something I should have thought of? I'd hate to have my band removed because something happened to me and the paramedic didn't know any better...

Wow, I didn't get a card for restaurants. What a neat idea. NSAIDS are medicines that are stomach irritant, like ibuprofin and aspirin. I'm not actually sure what an NG tube is, maybe for stomach pumping? I imagine that's the only thing that would 'blindly' be shoved into your stomach that could be dangerous if someone didn't know to be careful....

I did get the card. I was just thinking that a medic might not think to dig through my wallet for a card is all. Not that I'm "expecting" anything to happen. It was just mentioned and got me thinkin'.

So does that mean that it all starts over when we go under for reconstructive (read; saggy skin removal) surgery?? waaaaaa!

I would also recommend fighting for the band. There's people that have fought a few times and finally won their coverage. Also, obesitylaw.com will help with appeals if they think you can win. But it all depends. Why did you chose the band? Many people chose it because it affects your organs the least out of any of the other surgeries. There are still staples and cuts in your stomach tissue if you get the VGB. Do a google on it, there's all sorts of images and things to help you decide. Good luck, and let us know.

4 months? You mean I have yet to start losing my hair?? Stupid me, I thought if it was going to happen it would have happened already! Man, what a bummer. I started losing my hair a few years ago from stress, and it's just starting to fill back in! *sob* What about Rogaine? To slow it down a little? Has anyone tried that? I wanna keep my hair!!! Love you all

Kathy - Try not to worry too much. For whatever reason I was SO nervous when I got my first fill that I felt silly after. It's really not that big of a deal

I wasn't actually told anything specific about sodas when I got banded. Like everything else I take things a step at a time. Before I was filled I could drink a soda. I didn't let myself have more than one in a day, and it took me an hour or two to drink it. I don't let them go flat, as that kind of kills the point of having a soda in the first place.... After my last fill Water filled me up pretty good so I just stayed away from soda. I had a Diet Root Beer yesterday and one today. I sip them slowly and they go down. I'm in for a fill in 2 weeks and I'm sure I won't be drinking soda after that (I hope!). 12 diet cokes... wow... I would say you need to find a non carbonated substitute, even if you were to find that you could still drink a soda.

Jack, that's putting it lightly... lol... It basically happens when you don't chew well enough, take too big of a bite, eat too fast, or eat something that your stomach just can't handle. We call it a PB because it's different than throwing up, in the sense that it's quite literally just your food coming back up. There's not any stomach acid involved or anything. From my experience they are pretty mild for the most part, but the other night I had Pasta that didn't have enough sauce on it and it was kinda painful when my stomach was trying to get that to come back up. I'm pretty sure the key to everything is making sure ALL of your food is moist enough.

Big Fat Loser? I watched the Biggest Loser last night... is there a 2nd one??

It is possible that your wieght we affecting your cycle, and the 33 lbs you dropped (congrats) got things kick started again. I would say you should talk to your doc about it though just in case.

This is interesting. I'll have to keep in in mind. I havent' had it come up yet though. Cindy - They say that if you are losing 1 or 2 lbs a week you are right on track. I would say that you should stick to where you are at right now..

I think coffee can be an irritant. I can't drink it in the morning anymore. I can drink cold coffee drinks, but hot coffee in the morning just makes me nauseous. I did have some the other night that went down pretty well. Just depends on the person. My doc told me that I could have coffee if I wanted.

Too funny. It's definately addicting though. It's nice to have people who know enough to help you, or to be someone who knows enough to help someone else. And I love finding new topics and questions that haven't been covered before. hehe

Zoe, that's a great post you've done. I had my first fill already, and read all I could on it, but I was SO nervous. I had all these visions in my head of having more of the same pain from the surgery, which wasn't bad at the time, but I wasn't looking forward to a second round . I felt so silly when I was all done with my fill. At Dr. Kuri's office they have the screen in a place where you can see it. That was pretty neat. There they do the first barium swallow under floro, then you go lie down and they do the fill, then you go back under the floro again for another swallow. Also instead of a freezing agent they used a tiny tiny needle to inject something to numb the area. I felt the needle and the port connect, but I didn't feel the needle in my skin at all. Michelle- I have a feeling that if your insurance is going to cover the surgery, they'll cover the after care, but many of us are self pay, in which case we gotta pay for our fills as well .

"Remember you're not gaining!" Ain't that the truth! I got really depressed for a while, but got happier when I thought about that. I mean, the scale has not budged an inch in two months... EITHER WAY... so this is good in that sense. My mom has some interesting theories about why I'm not losing too. She says that deep in my mind somewhere my weight might be a sort of security blanket that I don't want to let go of. She says if I go out and have some fun and 'let go' I'll start melting away.

I went to Dr. Rumbaut in Monterrey MX, and have my fills done by Dr. Kuri in Tijuana. Dr. Rumbaut and all of his staff were completely amazing and I can't recommend him highly enough. I only saw Dr. Kuri for about 10 minutes when he did my fill, but he also was super nice, and the other ladies there who were under his care were in love with him. Let us know if you have any more questions

What Penni said! I was a little surprised with the pain when I woke up from the anesthesia, but it really was no big deal. You should probably arrange for some time off from work if you can, but I had my surgery on Friday and was working on Tuesday. I have a desk job, so it wasn't that big of a deal. Like most people here, I would totally go through it all again knowing what I know now. I don't think I'd change a thing. You guys might consider checking out local support groups if you are nervous. This board is fantastic, but it might give you some peace of mind to meet actual bandsters.

Janie- From everything I've read, your band should NOT have been filled to the max during surgery. They used to fill them half way during surgery, and now they mostly don't put in any fill at all. I had .6 cc's of Fluid in my 4cc band after surgery. I would say you need to schedule an appointment with a surgeon for a fill, and have them tell you what is in your band. When I got my first fill, they first too everything out to make sure they knew what was in it, before putting anything in, so maybe you can have a doc do that for you? Keep us posted please. I'll be curious to see if you find anything out. LOVEMEACB4E - I think you are panicing! Here's what 'they' say: Any weight loss before your first fill is a bonus. So you are 11 lbs ahead of schedule. Also... I saw a post where you said you were eatin' pizza. I know someone else said something similar to this elsewhere, but you really need to be careful. If you are eating solid foods before your body is fully healed, you could pop a stitch or slip your band. I wasn't on solid foods for a least a month. Some people are sooner than that, and other have to wait 6 weeks. Always keep first in mind what your surgeon told you, but also keep our friendly advice in mind.

Wow, hey, new forum layout... but that's not my big wow... you guys have to read this story. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6056600/ It makes me wonder how many other people are out there like this guy who need help. I wish I had the kind of money to start an organization to help. :cool:

I think also that Mexico has a very bad reputation for their doctors, and I think it's based on old, and maybe not accurate information. People are still scared of Mexican Water, when Mexico has had American sewer systems installed in most of their cities for years now. Dr. Rumbaut was my surgeon, and I couldn't have been happier with him. I had a small procedure done a year or so back at a hospital here and I was so much happier with Dr. Rumbaut and the hospital staff in Mexico. When I was researching I didn't find anyone in the US for less than $18000. Perhaps I didn't give the US a fair chance, but after Dr. Rumbaut called me personally 2 weeks before my surgery just to make sure I didn't have any questions for him I was even more sure that I'd made the right choice. Beyond just liking Dr. Rumbaut, you also have to consider that the band is relatively new to the US, and most of the US doctors were trained by Mexican, Italian or Swedish doctors. The FDA claims that current crazy health costs are caused by us footing the bill for studies in new medical technology and new medicine, but it seems to me that most of this stuff is developed and researched outside the US, and the Healthcare facilities here are just takin us for a ride... (stepping off of soap box now)

I think it depends on the Doctor. Dr. Kuri works with a company for financing according to his website. There are other ways you might be able to get loans, even if you had to pay your doctor up front. I think if you self pay you don't need a referral. Referrals are usually for insurance purposes. How long have you been fighting your doctor? It might be worth not paying for it to wait until he refers you, but on the other hand, it might be worth the money to you not to monkey around. :cool:

Very much normal :cool: I'm actually in the same boat you are, and I'm getting another fill on 11/4. Other people have mentioned a magical 'sweet spot' where you get just the right amount of fill, and as long as you are getting enough Water and calories in a day, and a bit of exersize you should drop a pound or two a week. They say that any weight loss before your first fill is a gift, and this can even be true before your second fill. You and I will get our fills in November, and we'll see what happens from there

Well, if it's paid vacation I'm not sure why she cares either way... I mean, if you weren't having surgery and took the same week off, you'd still be paid, and you'd be using your vacation. Womens are silly sometimes (myself included I'm sure ). I flew in to Mexico on a Wednesday, had my pre op tests on Thursday, surgery Friday, and I flew back on Monday, and worked on Tuesday. I work for my mom's technology company, and she was adamant that I tell her if I felt I needed to go home. I also have a job where my heaviest lift is a pen, so I didn't have much trouble. There was one day where I did a bunch of errands and over did it a little bit and napped right after work, but I never felt like I needed to leave work. But I think you'll enjoy the time off. I wouldn't have thought of the idea that she might be thinking that the weight loss surgery was 'her thing'. That's an insiteful thing. Anywho, good luck :cool:

Heyo, What research have you already done on the band? Or other weight loss surgeries in general? Alot of us prefer the Lap Band to other options for alot of reasons. A few of these may be: - no changes to how your organs work - adjustable. You can have more or less of a fill in the band if you need it - completely reversable, if something were to happen that you needed it reversed - if you have to have the band removed, in a lot of cases you could have another one put on. The band is usually removed in cases of stomach or esophagus erosion. As far as what you can eat, that varies by person. I personally have trouble with most breads and tortillas. Some people have trouble with Pasta or rice, and what you can or can't eat also depends on how tight your fill is. I may start having trouble with pasta and rice after my next fill, even if they don't bother me now. You have to get yourself into the mind set of eating your protien first. Protien >> Vegetables >> carbs, or whatever else is left. In most cases, after your protien foods, you will be full. The liquid diet isn't that big of a deal. Depending on your doctor and your current weight, you may be required to do a liquid diet for a couple of weeks before you get the band. I didn't have to do this, but I imagine that part would be difficult. I did not have much trouble with the liquid diet after surgery. I wasn't much hungry. By the time I got to the mushy phase I was happy to be there, just because I wanted to eat my food instead of drinking it, but I didn't find myself starving during that time. I know other people have felt differently, maybe they heal faster, and they get hungry during the liquid/mushy phase. Let us know if you have any other questions. :cool: