allwright

I accidentally drank right prior to a meal as I was really thirsty; I forgot about it until I took a few bites and all of a sudden I could feel a welling in my throat and thank goodness I made it to the ladies room in the restuarant. I learned a valuable lesson with that for my system anyway:thumbs_down:

Dr. Tanner is my doc....at University Surgical in Louisville. Did my surgery at Nortons....he is in with Dr. Allen and other docs! Very well pleased!

The fear of any surgery is normal and expected. We are relying on someone else for our safety and well being. This is the reason we chose reliable surgeons and hospitals. The nurses are trained to care for you the whole time you are there. They are "angels" for the most part. They have cared for numerous patients and know almost your every need. Making the decision for yourself is the first step. Knowing that the end result will change your quality of life was my incentive. I am so happy that I trusted that instinct. I was banded in March 07' and have lost 63 lbs to date. I have a ways to go...but each day I thank God for my good health. I feel like a new person and look like one too. Good luck and best wishes for a speedy recovery. Let us know how you are doing. This site is great support and full of new friends waiting to share.

Hello all Marchie's....I have made it through Mother's Christmas dinner....and actually quite proud of myself. Ate a few bites of pork roast, green beans, peas, and alas, mother's jam cake. But that was the only meal except for liquids that day so all in all not too bad. I'm going to join a gym but am concerned about what I can do and shouldn't try. Can you put pressure on the port site without problems? Do I need to tell them I am "banded" as no one knows except DH and a couple of family members? Wheee....sorry I am long-winded this morning...also one last issue I'm having....can't get my ticker fixed...it still shows old loss and can not get to the prompt to change, so wondering if I should just do another one and lose all my weight loss info. Have lost 60 lbs! Thanks for any reply and have a great new year!

Wow, sorry to hear about the problem. We all fear the worst might happen when we take this leap of faith. You have to be good to yourself but, your health is so important. A couple of weeks of liquids sounds like a really long time...but, surgery, recovery, liquids for an even longer time, would make me, personally, stop and think. If you have to cheat....call the doc, talk with your support group, maybe your doc can tell you some foods that you can have a few bites of. Last, but not least, don't beat yourself up anymore. You need to stay focused on your future and not past mistakes, it's over. Now that I've said all this, do what is right for you...be good to yourself! Let us know how you are doing. You are not alone...

Coke, pepsi, it's all the same...I was told it will make the band more flexible (eating away) letting it expand, thereby defeating our whole purpose. The air in the belly is a second negative effect for most people. True, sounds possible, (it eats the bug stuff off your windshield) Worth it? Not to me personally. I invested too much personally and financially to risk it all for a soda!

I had the "heaviness" feeling and it scared me at first. I remember I needed to chew, chew, and chew some more. My doc warned me not to use a staw and no beef products. He said air (sucking thru straw) was not my friend in the belly. Beef would not breakdown as easy as other non-muscle meats. He also told me the inside took longer to heal and could get irritated easy. Really small bites helped, no fluids with meals and FOCUS on what you are putting in. Hope this makes sense...it helped me, alot.

Hello all Marchies...I can not believe it is September already! Where has the time went. I am doing ok I guess....52 pounds, but I want more and I want it now!!!!! Soft foods lets me eat more so I need to stick to solids to lose more evidently. I go back to doc Oct 4 or 5th whichever is on a Friday(no calendar present) woo-hoo!!! Wish everybody to be a great loser is last weeks of September!!

I have had 4 fills but dr. will only do .5 each time. I always have restriction for a week-10days and then am not as restricted. He will only see me every 6 weeks but I wish I could get in sooner, maybe at four weeks. I still have some restriction but as with all things we want more and we want it now!

Veronica, you do not need validation to do what is right for you. Did you get it to put on the weight...I think not! People can be cruel if we allow it. That is why a lot of us only told people that had a need to know. My husband, mother and favorite sister in law are the only one's who knew. I had their support for my decision. Almost 5 months have past and 50 lbs less of me so far. No one else knows and I do not go through the "How much have you lost", or "Are you sure you should have that" or any of the statements I hear others getting from the nay-sayers! Again, do what is right for you! Good luck with your decision.

Why would you be ashamed? Did you have a setback? Yes, are you human? Hopefully! If you were able to do this completely on your own, you would not have had the surgery in the first place. That is true for most of us! Think of yourself before it gets out of hand. Do what is right for you to get the weight back off. Admit that you had a weakness and the weight gain was preventable, or not. Get back on track and quit beating yourself up! A little secret....I bet you are not the first to have a gain....a bigger secret...you are probably one of the few that admits it! I admire you for that. Now, do what's right for you!

I due my 4th fill Friday 24th! I am so-o-o-o-oo-- ready for it too! I have those grazing attacks in the evening...maybe this one will "fill" me up!

Hey there, Dr. Allen did my surgery 3/29/07 and he is great!! Good luck with your surgery. I go see Dr. Allen this Friday for my "fill"!

Yeah, good for you. Let us know how it goes. Thoughts and prayers for you!

I went a seminar in Sept 06. Called my insurance co. Oct. 06 and ask what was needed for approval. Made a list as they dictated the info necessary for approval. Went to my family practice MD with my list. He scheduled my sleep apnea test, stress test, chest x-ray, blood work, and gave sent my medical records for past 5 years that showed my many attempts at weight loss and my health issues with BP, arthritis, back pain, family history of heart and stroke issues. He also sent a letter of recommendation for the surgery. My neurosurgeon that I went to for back pain also gave me a letter of recommendation for the weight loss surgery at my request. This all took 6 months to complete only because the dietician and the psych visits had to be scheduled by the weight loss clinic as well as the videos and questionaires. I was told I needed additional blood work to rule out bacteria in the stomach. It took two more weeks for that(actually 10 days). I was approved on March 23, 2007 and had surgery the following Thursday March 29, 2007. Hope all this makes sense. Good luck with your adventure!

My surgery was 3/29/07 and I have not had hair loss, yet!!! In fact it is in better shape that it has been in years. But I was told that was one of the reasons I needed to be on a pre-natal vitamin. Maybe that is the answer....anyway if I lose some of my hair it is worth it to me to get the weight off.

Hi everyone, August is here and hot, hot, hot! I have had three fills and need another. I go back to the doc on the 24th! Can't wait....seems like you all are doing great! Keep up the good work and we will be big time losers!

I too, had my surgery on Thursday and was back at work on Monday. But I did not have to take pain meds and that is a big part of the risk. You do not want to be driving or working with pain meds in your system. It is more of a precaution than anything for our own safety. I stayed in my office and did paper work and had a small cooler with my crystal lite water and protein shakes. Do about 6 hours and ventured home. Each day was a little more adventurous as I increased my work load and hours. Main thing is be safe...protect your surg-site!

Hello Rose and welcome to the "bandster family". We are always looking for a few good folks to join in. This is a great site to explore and visit. You also can go to the chat site and see what everyone is talking about. Ask any questions or voice any concerns. Most of the questions have been asked and are posted but every now and then someone surprises us with a new one. Good luck on your journey. Let me know if I can help.

Good for you on your decision. I have been banded for four months today. Wt loss 45 lbs since surgery...50 lbs since starting the whold process. Insurance companies across the country are all so different. Basically they have a coverage allowance and a restriction policy. I contacted them and ask exactly what was needed to have the surgery. I then followed the path to achieving my desire to be banded. It was well worth all the documents, test and waiting. Best of luck!

Congrats on your successful weight loss. It is inspiring stories like yours that makes it seem a reality for the rest of us. I look forward to the day I can say the same thing. I am well on my way and it is indeed one of the best decisions I ever made...just for me!

Welcome and congrats on your weight loss! When you sign in and under Introductions...there are numerous areas to explore. One of them is surgeries cosmetic and all...check it out!

I know that different doctors say different things, but, many docs stated no soft breads as they can get "stopped" up. Everyone is different and cannot tolerate same foods. Main thing is to chew, chew and then chew som more. I feel slight pain or discomfort if I let a larger bite go down or take one more bite when full.

I was told to not eat but drinking was ok. Liquids for 24 then soft and back on to solids. I just chose not to eat or drink as I usually do not that early and they always weighed me when I went for office visit. It makes sense not to have solids in stomach before fill. You have to drink water after fill to make sure it stays down. If it doesn't then everything you ate probably will reappear!

Absolutely! Muscle weighs more than fat. Toning up you will lose inches before pounds. Keep going and the scales will move. I try not to weigh but once a week or 10 days. I know I am doing the right thing so I do not need verification but, it is nice to see every now and then to be able to update your goals.