salsa1877

Yep...if you follow the rules you can eliminate that problem. What you experienced is the reason my doc doesn't put anything in during surgery. I did have my first pb for a LONG time (6+ months) after being banded and it was because I was an IDIOT and swallowed something almost whole because I wanted to answer a student question. Learned my lesson. HURT LIKE CRAP! So if you do have that kind of pain again it is important to stay on liquids. Your stomach swells and makes the opening even smaller. I am sure that you will be fine after you fill...you have already learned your lesson. There is a steep learning curve, but once you get it, this band is WONDERFUL! Good luck...and chew, chew, chew!

I do think it is probably a little normal to feel sad. Now that I really think about it...I was totally depressed. I blamed it on the fact that I was staying with my brother who lives in the back 40. No cable, I couldn't figure out how to turn the damn stereo on, my cell phone didn't work, he doesn't have a computer, and I was all by myself aside from his 3 month old kitten. Yeah...I was depressed. But I think more than that I began realizing that in that situation before I would have found a way to eat, and now ...I couldn't even do that. For most people that have this surgery, food is their companion, friend, shoulder to cry on...and now it has gone. I think we go through a period of grief similar to a friend moving away. Hang in there though...the benefits soooooo outweigh the few days of sadness and depression. Good luck!

Peaches...Does it only happen with certain foods? Maybe that food has a difficult time going through the stoma. I haven't had this problem but that was my thought!

My doc used to think that you should wait, but he has changed his opinion. He said he has seen too many patients that have gained the weight back because they get depressed over their extra skin (which we perceive as fat!) So now as long as you are within 10 pounds of goal he gives you his full blessing. Besides, if you see my tummy pictures there is no way it is going away. If you want to lose your appetite they are posted on the August 2007 thread under Plastic Surgery ROCK STAR! Right on... it gives you such a boost when you hear that from your doctor!

My lap band doc told me I would need it the first time I saw him. He told me that if I was successcul with the lap band that there was no way that the amount of skin that I had was going to go away. His nurse told me that I would need an extensive TT...and she was right. Also, he said that it used to be his opinion that people should wait 12 months after reaching goal for a TT, but in the last year he had changed is opinion. He said he had witnessed too many people loose their weight, get so discouraged with their body image, and start putting weight back on. So he has given his full blessing for me to have mine 11 months after my lap-band surgery. I do know that they do bring in PS to their support groups 2 times per year. I live FAR away from my doc so I attend the local bariatric doctor's support group and they don't believe in educating people about PS. They won't give their blessing for at least 2 years after WLS. There are other problems with these docs which is why I traveled so far to get my band!

My PS has done several lap-band patients and told me the same thing your first doctor said...she was going to have to be very careful pulling down around the port because she didn't want to damage it...but more important she didn't want their to be disruption to the blood flow to the skin. I am having vertical incision so there is the possibility of blood flow complications. She was very honest that lap-band patients have an added complication with the port. I was less concerned about before and after pictures because they don't represent me...they don't represent my skin type, my BMI, my skin elasticity, or my body shape. I just asked to see what a vertical incision would look like so that I knew what to expect after surgery. She showed me but told me this may not be what you look like because your beginning photos are nothing alike. All I wanted to know was how prominent the scar would be! Good luck in finding a surgeon. I was VERY limited on my choices, so I was lucky to find one that I really liked.

I used Isopure. It is a clear, fruity liquid drink. Just make sure it is VERY cold. It is very low in calories and has 40 grams of protein. I got it at GNC and it comes in a variety of flavors...orange, fruit punch, grape, blue rasperry. YOu could also try making your own with rice milk and unjury powder.

I use Kraft shredded FF cheese. I have used it on my crustless pizza, in the quiche, and on my fajita salad last night and it seems to melt alright. It's no velveeta, but it works for me!

Hope everything settled dow and the burning stopped. I hate getting things stuck...and yes it can happened unfilled!

If for some reason you have to be unfilled, you don't necessarily gain 20 pounds back easily. I have been unfilled for a month and am struggling to STOP the weight loss. I have lost almost 9 pounds since being unfilled. I think Kareyquilts was filled for the surgery, but then had to get unfilled afterwards. Just a word of caution...make sure your PS prescribes your pain meds in LIQUID form. You might get tight after surgery because of the stress your body undergoes, and you dont' want to be taking a pill that could get stuck.

Frangi beat me to the question...Has you band been checked to make sure that something didn't happen to it during surgery?

You most likely did not stretch your pouch. You just dont' have any restricition. Most people do not feel like they have any restriction until the first fill or beyond. You might feel some restriction after the first fill...or you might not. THis is just how the band works...sometimes it seems like an incredibly slow process!

I have not had experience with this, but I would certainly be appealing. I know that a lot of lap-banders get denied at first and have to appeal. I would think this would be the same thing. Good luck...DOn't give up...You have come too far to do that . you have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Now it is time to roll up those sleeves and attack this appeal with as much fervor as you did with your weightloss.

I think that there are several of us who are planning to endure the binder during the hottest months of the year. I think for us PS is not going to stand for Plastic Surgery, but rather for Profuse Sweating! I found that the Feb/Mar and April/May threads were very helpful to someone like me that wanted information from a variety of people without jumping all over. I will probably have my own thread as I get closer, but if you are having your PS this summer come join us!

I made this really great quiche the other day that tasted just like a mexican casserole. For those that are filled eating 1/6 of it would MORE than fill you up. 3 eggs 1/2 cup FF cheese 1 can of S&W chipotle beans 1/2 pound ground chicken. Cumin Garlic Powder Chili Powder Cayanne Pepper (for those that like it spicy!) Brown the chicken in pam until almost done. Dump in the entire can of beans and let them cook down until most of the juice is gone. In a separate bowl mix three eggs with a little water, beat until the are a little thicker than just eggs. Add FF cheese and spices (use what you think you would like in terms of amount...I don't ever measure spices..I give my OCD a break). Add a couple tablespoons of the meat mixture to the eggs to temper them. Add the rest of the meat mixture to the bottom of a pie plate which has been lightly sprayed with PAM. Dump the egg mixture on top and mix just slightly to get the egg mixture all around. Bake at 350 for about 1/2 hour or until an inserted knife comes out clean. If you have a few spare calories and you can tolerate a tortilla, it makes a great burrito. Janet's comment about burritos reminded me to post this here.

I could eat a whole sandwich at 6 months. To be honest I have been told that it is quite hard to strech your pouch. I don't know if that is true or not. One of the reasons I was able to eat more than most is because I chose to not be very tight. I couldn't handle eating through pain. I didn't want to cause slippage problems and I didn't seem to handle fills well. I have a lot of restriction with just the band. I pb'd just the other day and I am completely unfilled. What your nutritionist says is reasonable. You have a great attitude and seem to be mentally prepared for this. That is 98% of the battle. Good luck and I wish you continued success! Thank you for the compliment and luck wishing...I will need it. I am getting jealous of all my Crazy Ate members that are having theirs done before me! Just kidding...I love em all...even if they have a flat tummy before I do!

Yep Frangi when I saw your post I realized we kind of needed one place where we could all pose questions. I think for specifics it is good to have your own post, but this is kind of a central meeting ground!

Guess I should have posted that I am having an extended tummy tuck with vertical incision. My date is July 3! All you Junies make me GREEN with envy!

From your band date I am assuming that you are on solid foods. The entire time I was losing I ate 1 cup of food. All my nutritionist said was to stay between 800 and 1000 calories. Eat your protein first, followed by veggies the fruits and carbs. Other than that I didn't get any other advice. I kind of figured out what worked for me. I ate a lot of ground chicken and I replaced rice and pasta with beans. I didn't drink any protein drinks and only supplemented with low sugar protein bars. Hope that helped a little!

See I can be a rebellious daughter!

Ok...this is NOT fair. :biggrin:I am stomping my feet and throwing a temper tantrum. Just picture me as a acne faced teenager whose cell phone was just thrown in the toilet by their parents. :thumbup: Why you ask....I want my TT sooner! :thumbup: I have to wait almost a whole month after you. Do you see my ticker????? I have OVER a month! POOPY that is what this is.:thumbup: All the green faces represent my jealousy! No really I am just kidding. :biggrin:You both have done so wonderful with the band and have actually had quite the journey to get PS. Looks like setting the PS date has been a difficult trend for us Crazy Ates! But in the end...it all worked out. Actually having the date later lets me run the half-marathon. I figure even though i won't be able to exercise for several weeks, that going into the surgery that I will be in the best shape of my life. :thumbup: (but yes...I am still green with envy!) Congrats to both of you...De

Hey...I just made my 1000th post! Yipee!!!!!! Okay well now this is post 1002!

I am glad to see that things are looking better for you. Fills are crazy. I have had such misery with mine that I am really hoping to not have to have one ever again. Of course I will if I have to...that is the beauty of the band...but I don't EVER want the thought of being too tight again. Hope you are getting in a few more calories. Do you have to be on liquids after a fill. My doc requires minimum 48 hours. I know that a lot of them are very different though!

DH is so cute! Gosh I found a good one. :thumbup: When we were walking back last night and I was half keeled over in pain, he was planning my run and where he would be on Sunday. He will take his bike down to the canyon and he has already mapped out my water stations. :tongue2:So after he gives me water the he will ride is bike to the next water station. This is going to be our plan for the remainder of my training. I am not allowed to do more than a 4 mile run in the canyon without him. Otherwise if I want to run I have to go to the gym where I can have water with me at all times. He said he would write it up in a contract if he needed to and make me sign it since I like to follow rules.:thumbup: By the time I went to bed last night I had drank around 100 oz of water. When I woke up this morning and peed like crazy :w00t:I stepped on the scale...it was down 2 pounds.:thumbup: I am hoping that it is because I was still dehydrated. Cause I think if at my official weigh in tomorrow that I am down 2 pounds my DH is going to FREAK out. I promise I have been eating all the food that I need to. I won't change anything for another week though because we know that the body needs to adjust. I thought "if I could have eaten this many calories before being banded then I wouldnt' have needed surgery". Then I reminded myself that I was eating upwards of 3500-7000 calories a day pre-op. Kind of put it in perspective. I guess I did have a good metabolism after all...just couldn't keep up with the fast food, candy bars, DQ trips, doughnuts and MULITPLE helpings at dinner. Funny how we think we have a slow metabolism when we most likely do not. Yet another delusion we had!

The biggest emergency that would happen is if you need an emergency unfill. Since I live so far from my doctor my fill nurse gave me the special needle and told me to keep it some place safe so that if I needed an unfill I could take it in to the emergency room. If you ever have to do that ask for a chemo nurse to do the unfil. They are familiar with ports.