kacee

It's the carbonation that will get you. I'd be VERY careful. That being said, there seem to be quite a few people on the forum who say they have no problem with things like sodas, so it appears to be an individual thing.

Wow, it's gonna depend on your body style (where does your fat mainly sit...belly, all over, etc.) and heavily on your genetic predisposition and your age and probably also how fast you lose too. I think a lot of the "horror stories" you hear about are tied in with gastric bypass where the weight loss is extremely fast and the skin and tissue has no time to adjust. Might as well not worry about it though. It will be what it will be and you can only be proactive to a certain extent. You've got the rest of your life afterwards to consider the possibility of PS. Good luck! (I'm 55 and keeping a close look at my double chin going away.....that's the first thing I will be tackling if I wind up with an "old lady turkey neck"...ICK!

I have also seen where people can use (not 100% of the time, I would suppose, but worth keeping on hand) papaya enzyme lozenges to try to break up the food. This is basically meat tenderizer. There are products available, notably Clear Ease which is marketed for sinus problems and used by scuba divers (I know, sounds weird). I bought some and keep it in my purse "in case of emergency". Some clog ups you can maneuver apart by moving, walking, twisting, stretching....some not. Nothing's more "fun" than feeling like someone has a sharp knuckle stabbing into your breastbone for about 3 hours. Mashed potatos did it to me once just after surgery. YUCK. Never want to go through that again.

I am going to assume that a small band holds fewer cc's....he probably picked it because of your body size and amount of weight to lose (don't quote me on this). I too have a "low profile port" (I requested one). That just means that the port you have is smaller than the "normal" port put in. I asked for one because I have very little belly fat. I didn't want to run the risk that the port might stick out a little bit when I lost my weight. Don't know if it would or not (some people say they can see their ports bulge a little when their weight gets down), but thought I would be safe. I was banded 5-23. Had my first fill last Thursday which did nothing, and am going back in on Wednesday for additional fill.

I was banded by Spivak on 5-23. I think he is dynamite. His office staff is the greatest. You may, or may not, see him after the surgery. He's a surgeon foremost, and many times when surgeons are done you don't see them again unless there is a problem. I went in for my first fill yesterday which was done by Leslie, his nurse, who was wonderful. She also had nothing but praise for Spivak. She said he is a dream to watch him operate....he's like an artist. She was very impressed with him. I think you will be happy with him, and happy with your aftercare. There are some threads devoted to Spivak on the Doctors part of the forum and everyone just sings his praises....me included. For info on the procedure, read the posts about pre- and post-op. Find out everything you can about how to plan for your hospital experience and after. Can't tell you how you will be hungry wise, but I was totally NOT hungry for about 2 weeks after surgery. When my stomach growled, I fed it. Going into week threeI noticed my capacity for food was quite a bit greater...this is as it should be....it means you are healing. You just have to stick it out until your first fill. At Spivak's you will get your first fill 30 days after surgery. Then it will be trial and error to get to where you are sufficiently restricted. May that 1, 2, 6 trips....everyone is different.

<p> </p> <p> </p> <p>1. You can expect to drastically change your eating habits, probably moreso the amounts rather than the specific foods (though those may change as well, based on what your own body can tolerate with the band)</p> <p>2. You bet your kazoo!</p> <p>3. Not a one.</p> <p>4. The best way to go in is informed, informed, informed. Take a few days and read everything you can on this forum, with the caveat that everyone is different and one person's experiences could be drastically different from another's....take everything with a grain of salt, except the recommendations for post-op. Especially read about what to expect just post-op, what to have on hand to be the most comfortable post-op (very important). Get your ducks in a row before you go in and have everything ready for yourself when you get home. Freshly post-op there are only two rules: Drink and walk. Expect to be pooped for about two weeks minimum after surgery (if you haven't experienced major surgery before). Do NOT push yourself. Then when the swelling goes down and the healing begins expect to feel hunger kindof like before during the period before you can get your first fill. It is totally expected. Roll with the flow and just set your mind that you can do ANYTHING on a temporary basis (i.e., the liquid and mushies diet for the 4 weeks after surgery....and the accompanying hunger when the healing really gets going before the fill). Whether you have made the right decision is totally personal, but you will find that the majority of folks here overwhelmingly said YES to their own decision.</p> <p>5. Doctors/websites, etc. all say you can expect to lose about 50% of your excess fat in ~2 years. That is really conservative in my mind. The band is a tool and you will get out of it exactly what you put into it. It will be work, but not nearly as bad as what you have been through trying to shed poundage previously (in general). Look at the before and after pictures on the forum. Those are probably pretty typical. You are in good company here.</p>

I took Xenical when it first came out. It was SOOOOOOO not worth it. What a MESS!

This is just a variety of Xenical, which has been around quite some time. I took it a while back. The side effects were a pain in the ass (no pun intended). I blew the whole thing off early on.

I think a lot of this just confirms what we need to DRILL into our heads. We have been given a TOOL, not a panacea. A tool by itself just lays there like a lump. It takes a person to pick it up and USE it for it to be successful as a tool. This tool comes with great responsibility for us to step up to the plate (no pun intended) and rise to the occasion and USE that tool in the manner it was designed for. Only then will you see the results you wish to accomplish. If you see the band only as a miracle and sit back waiting for the miracle weightloss to just happen, you will be sorely disappointed.

May double sure you are getting in all your protein and drink drink drink. I would think nausea could be caused by sugar and electrolyte imbalances. I had no nausea but I found myself being dizzy sometimes...in thinking back it was when I wasn't being really cognizant of getting in my proteins and liquids. They DO make a HUGE difference.

I made a half-hearted effort to put in the papers realizing it was going to be an uphill battle. Decided to go ahead and self-pay knowing I could regulate my surgery date myself. I am much happier that I did it that way. I would not want to have waited months or years for some yo-yo at an insurance company to decide how I live the rest of my life. pppfpffffttttt to that!

I was told that while you probably would have to crush some pills initially, or at least cut them into halves or pieces, eventually you should be able to swallow most pills (not huge caplets probably). I just had my first fill yesterday and took 6 pills this morning....all whole, with exception of two caplets which I broke in half. Nothing stuck at all. It is totally a personal thing. I was told to start with the smallest pill....something about the size of a thyroid pill...try it, see if it works, and work my way up size-wise experimenting.

<p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Why did you send your CPAP back? Do not assume that because you had surgery your apnea will go away. I was informed of this when I got my CPAP right before surgery. They said that there are some people who are thin who STILL have it and it doesn't necessarily disappear when you lose weight, thought there is a percentage of people who benefit from it. If you were diagnosed I'd be very careful until you have been tested once again. Apnea is extremely serious.</p>

Did you see Leslie? She was very nice. I didn't have to do the barium drink because their flouroscope person was out, so I just had to gulp a bunch of water. She gave me the omnipack stuff instead of saline solution, so hopefully it will stay in there longer. She said it is normal for a first fill to lose some of the saline pretty quickly. I live towards Galveston so it takes a while to get into town so maybe this will alleviate having to come back so soon for fill number 2. Keeping my fingers crossed. I understand all of Spivak's fills will be done in his office now (as opposed to the Surgicenter) now that he has the flouroscope.

Just got back from Spivak's office for my first fill. They said I was in the top 10% of weight loss because most folks lose around 9 pounds (I am sitting right at 20) because they have a lot of trouble with hunger after the healing starts and tend to overeat, and I actually have not had much trouble at all. I asked if I could start solids after this three day liquid thing for the fill and the nurse looked at me funny and said "You are not on solids?" and I said Nooooooo....it's 4 weeks mushies...I am in my 4th week. She said she was really surprised because most people have so much trouble following the instructions they start early. I said no, the "solidest" thing I have had to eat was fish and steamed broccoli flourets. So after these three days of liquids and mushies I can do solids! Yay! I got 1.8 cc. We'll see how it goes. She did give me omnipack and said it would last longer. The fill injection was a total NON-ISSUE even though she had to "fish" for the port, which was "bouncing around"....it didn't hurt AT ALL. She even pulled out the stitch I was trying to "spit" from my left-most incision (glad to get that out...it felt like a splinter).

Hey Rag and mcgreen....let us know how that goes for you guys. Marjorie...are you going to Spivak's office? My first fill is tomorrow morning. I guess I go to the office to see him because they didn't say anything about the surgicenter. REALLY counting the hours down.

What happened to our thread...did it max out? Just wanted to announce that I hit ONEDERLAND TODAY!!!!! 199.0........just in time! My first fill is day after tomorrow and that was my mini-goal! YIPPPPPEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Got up this morning and decided to strip (did everything but shave my head....and you guys KNOW what I'm talking about here! hahahaha) and climb on the scale for the first time in 3 days. I've been sitting at 200.4 all week. Lo and behold! 199.0!!!!! My Goodness, I haven't seen those numbers in a decade or more! WOW:eek:. I still don't believe it. I think it will be gone by noon....it's just a dream! Well, my mini goal was to hit Onederland by the time I went in for my first fill....day after tomorrow!!!! YIPPPPPEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!:biggrin1:

* Finding myself napping all weekend instead of doing ANYTHING * Being diagnosed in February with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and welcoming a CPAP into my bed....YUCK * Listening to my Mom and my doctors (GP and GYNO) bitch at me * Listening to my doctor threaten me with the potential for diabetes soon if I don't do something now * Turning 55 and realizing that I am no longer "invincible" (you know...the old "I'm young and I'm going to live forever" thing we go through) * Having to upgrade my BP meds in January because they weren't working anymore and on, and on, and on....

<p>Ohhhhhh can I relate. I attempted some mashed potatoes (knowing that it could be a potential bomb) whenI first got to softer foods. WHOA! Ate about a small ice cream scoop's worth. My stomach said "Let the beatings begin!" and I was promptly in agony for about three hours, as I clutched my chest and staggered to my food journal with my orange hilighter to circle my mashed potato entry and scribble weakly beside it... NOT NO BUT HELL NO! Ohhhhhhhhhh, can I relate!!!!!!</p>

Way to GO!!! I too am teetering on the brink.... (weight a few days ago at 200.8) and I am bound and determined to break Onederland by the time I go in for my first fill on the 21st. For ALL of us Twotervillians....that is a MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR goal! I celebrate for you!!!

Pre-band, my definition of "full" was literally a "full to bursting/bloated" feeling in the bottom of my stomach (just above my waistline, from side to side). Now, I define "full"/restriction as a tight feeling in the center of my chest, below my sternum. I think the term "full" really should not be used anymore with regards to the way we are "constructed" now.

I saw this and thought of it kindof as my theme song...I am trying to tame my BEAST. It's still in there....but I am trying to make it submissive........ The beast in me Is caged by frail and fragile bars Restless by day And by night rants and rages at the stars God help the beast in me The beast in me Has had to learn to live with pain And how to shelter from the rain And in the twinkling of an eye Might have to be restrained God help the beast in me Sometimes it tries to kid me That it's just a teddy bear And even somehow manage to vanish in the air And that is when I must beware Of the beast in me that everybody knows They've seen him out dressed in my clothes Patently unclear If it's New York or New Year God help the beast in me The beast in me <SCRIPT language=javascript src="../../song_in_bot.js"></SCRIPT>

"I kind of understand what people mean. I have seen people lose to much and they would look better a little heavier. I know for me I am at between 185 and 190. But I am just trying to stay here. I could still lose more. But my face now has some lines and the skin all over is saggier. If I was to lose more it would be even worse. So I think that I would rather stay where I am and not have to worry about more skin. Just my opinion though." Try doing this when you are in your 50's! Being younger, most of you have pretty elastic skin (barring any specific genetic predisposition). You know, you talk about lines on your face....ever consider that those lines may be part of your face make-up? In other words...if you had never had a weight problem at all, chances are those lines are part of the way your face is constructed. Fat people are ALWAYS smoother than everyone else...heck....we're blown up like balloons! The natural lay of fat and muscle on the individual frame is not soft and smooth. I think we all need to keep that in mind. We're used to seeing ourselves smooth and puffy....and we equate that smooth with the way we are supposed to look....not necessarily so.

Not just yes, but HELL YES! And I am only three weeks out...I have hit a mark on the scales that I have not seen for 12 years. This means EVERYTHING to me. I think I am doing GREAT. Haven't even had my first fill yet (!!!!!), but I'm able to stick to my soft foods easily. Also having no problem not drinking with food....after the first 5 minutes it is NO BIGGIE. When I DO overeat, I make sure and overeat something like steamed broccoli with homemade dill sauce....stuff like that that doesn't add calories but will fill me up just to appease the BEAST. I just wish I had had this option available to me 20 years ago..... I think my biggest initial problem was portion control, as opposed to sweets, starches, pastas, fast foods....and this tool has been a Godsend.