Cocoabean

Way to go!!! Woohoo!

Back when I was one week post-op I asked why wasn't I losing weight????? I was so very frustrated. I had 'only' lost 4 pounds since my surgery the week before. Boy, was I young and naive. Those 4 pounds were just the fluids from the surgery, and about the only weight I lost until about 5-6 months post-op when my fills finally kicked in and started working for me. But, the nice people here at LBT boosted my spirits and reminded me that until I got to my green zone, my weight loss would be limited. Then I starte getting my fills, and the weight started coming off...pretty easily too. Easily if not consistently. The Lap Band literature tells us 1-2 lbs per week. That was a pipe dream for me. I averaged 3/4 lb per week. Yes three quarters. Some weeks were more than others, some weeks were gains, some weeks/months were plateaus. But the overall trend was down. I stuck with my new portions and habits, and I got to a healthy BMI, my blood pressure normalized, my cholesterol normalized, and my blood sugar improved. Sometimes, when the short-term is sucking...look at the long term...focus on portion control, food choices. Even if your portions are not tiny, make them better. One of you was banded in November...you've had what? 1 maybe 2 fills? The band isn't helping much yet. But it's there, and you are working on it. The July bandster, DON'T compare yourself to bypass patients. We had completely different procedures. That will mess with your psyche and set you up for failure..."why should I get a fill, it won't help..my brother's lost 100 lbs already...there's no point, I'll never catch up." We are in this for life, being banded is not really about losing the weight. It is about making changes forever that help you become a healthier, thinner person. Work on the habits...the weight will follow.

Was the sleeve around back then (I know they could do it as the first step of an RNY and not do the bypass part)? I was banded in Feb. 2008 and I don't recall it as even being experimental then, but my memory sucks. The good news is you were successful with your band, so you pretty much know you'll be successful with your sleeve. The possibility of long-term complications is something we must all deal with. It stinks, but it is the reality of any implanted medical device. Knee, hip, heart valve, yada yada. But, here's to a speedy recovery, and an even quicker journey to goal!

And all I can say to YOU Miss Diva is WOW!!! I remember when you were struggling with your band and so frustrated. You look amazing! Well done, Woman! :-) I am so happy it's worked so wonderfully for you. Keep up the good work.

Thanks

Wow, Jax..that's quite the ordeal. Very sorry it happened to you. I wish you all the best with the sleeve!

They should cover emergency situations having to do with the band, if your life is in danger--they have to cover you. But that is a fight for another day. It could be pancreatitis. Or it could be a slip. But what it could be is best answered by being seen. I hope you feel better soon.

Oh, yeah, since my last fill....pickles are a problem...go figure :-/

Rather than fill then unfill, why don't you consider postponing fills until after you are back? I know you'd like to get to the losing, but really I think you would be doing yourself a disservice. I waited an extra month for my first fill due to a Panama Canal cruise. I did not want to risk getting a fill right before we left and then having a problem. Or at least consider just spreading out your fills so as to not unfill anything. You got the band to help you create better eating habits. Getting unfilled for trips doesn't do that. There's plenty you can eat on a cruise. We usually eat at the buffet. I check out the entire thing first and then make my choices, so I can keep it under control. I use a salad plate not the big dinner plates. Just my opinion...for what it's worth..

Thank you so much! I consider myself a Lap Band success. I lost 100% of my excess weight in about 2 years (it was slow going, but it came off!). I've maintained it for about 2 years now. Next month will be my 4th Bandiversary. I was very fortunate, the weight loss came very easily for me, and the maintenance has been just as easy as well. I went from a size 18 to a size 10. My blood pressure is now low-normal, my cholesterol is normal, and my blood sugar is good. I can't ask for much better result than that!

Oh I love sushi! But it is REALLY hit and miss. I've been known to deconstruct it, but it just doesn't taste the same. However, a Dragon Roll doesn't taste as good coming up as it does going down. I do better with the nigiri sushi or sashimi. Rolls are my favorite though.

It is a requirement many insurance companies have. Proof of an attempt to lose weight or some such. To me, it is their attempt to get people to go away and give up. I submitted Weight Watchers records which were accepted by my insurance company, but it still took over 6 months from when I went to my surgeon's seminar until I had my surgery. It took that long to get all the other tests done.

Foods I eat with my hands are always riskier than knife and fork. Like elcee, I do a half of a sandwich. A whole sandwich is not possible. Toasted bread is better than soft. Wraps are a better selection for me than breads, but some bandsters have trouble with tortillas. For me, they are a slider food. When I eat with my hands, I need to be very careful to take small bites, chew well, and wait between bites.

I always have a learning curve with each fill. Go very easy for the rest of the weekend and super duper easy when you start solids. Keep yourself well hydrated. Dehydration can make you feel tighter, too. I think I would stay on liquids the rest of the weekend so as to not have to call my doctor in I needed an unfill. So, back to basics, sip, sip, sip, and chew, chew, chew! I hope you feel all better soon!

It could be either, but if you cannot get liquids down, you need to go in immediately. Dehydration should not be messed with.

Congrats on your loss! I would not do it. I've been on 4 cruises since being banded. One was before my first fill, so doesn't really count. My concerns would be that I'd not want to get filled again because I'd just love eating "normally" so much, or that when I returned I'd not be able to get restriction back like I have it now. There have been folks here who've been unfilled for various reasons that just could not get the same restriction back. I also don't want to get into a yoyo idea with my band. For what do I unfill? A cruise? A trip? A long weekend? A wedding? Just because? But, it would be nice to not have to worry about getting stuck while on a cruise. Whatever you decide, have a great time!

In the US the FDA has approved the use of the Lap Band for BMIs down to 30 with a co-morbid condition: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm245617.htm But even before that occurred a doctor could prescribe banding for someone if they felt their health would be improved by its use. There is an American who used to post on this board who self-paid at a BMI of, I believe, 32 with no co-morbidites. However, that doesn't mean your insurance company will pay for it. Have you called them or looked online to see what your coverage is? You don't have to wait for the appointment to find out.

I am sorry this happened to you. Did the chili have hamburger in it? Hamburger can be very hard with a band. My worst stuck episode was on tacos. It went on for 5 hours. You might have had more swelling than expected from the fill. It happens sometimes. I was slightly overfilled once. Had some taken out, felt much better. Then I was able to go back a month later and have it put back in, plus a little bit. My surgeon doesn't have a fluoroscope in his office. I am not sure what would happen if I asked for a fill under fluoro.

Wow, just wow. If you can call the other doctor and not mention this one. That's what I would do. Just call and say I am interested in weight loss surgery and would like to have a consult. Are there any other bariatric surgeons you can go to? I know with my insurance, I only had the choice of two.

I don't know about erosion issues. Regular soda, beer, or bubbly wine has calories to take into account. Diet soda has chemicals that can stimulate your appetite. For me, carbonated drinks sometimes give me the hiccups or burps. Mostly not worth it. Unless it's the weekend and I am having beer. THEN it's worth it! BUT, I am maintaining, so I am not concerned about calorie count. If my weight goes up, intake goes down until the weight goes down.

I have lost my taste for things that my band refuses to accept. Yeah, burgers on buns were a favorite of mine, and they still "sound" great. But I know it won't go down, so that makes it unappetizing. So, I don't consider it denying myself. When we BBQ burgers, the hubs has a regular one, and does me up a veggie one with no bun. I am completely happy and satisfied with my choice. I know the veggie burger will go down, I also know that a regular hamburger (bun or not) won't. It makes the choice very easy. Since my last fill, pizza has become an issue. We used to go often, now it's become not so enjoyable. Maybe it's just me, but aversion therapy works very well. When I was considering getting banded, I thought I'd still be able to eat everything. That is part of what attracted me to it. If my band were looser, I could eat more things, but I like this level of restriction. I am very easily maintaining my weight loss and enjoying my improved health. The trade-off is totally worth it for me.

Am wondering if they cut a larger nerve in the incision than normally happens, due to some anomaly in your anatomy or something...? Total guess on my part, I have no medical background. Hopefully it will calm down as you heal.

Wow, Dianne, I read your blog posts. I, too, get migraines. When I did my pre-op, it wasn't pretty. But after the 3rd day it got much better. I had to do 2 weeks. I just want to say that if you decide to go ahead, your attitude will be different for the pre-op. You will know that you cannot post-pone it. It is for the goal of making your surgery safer. You just power through and get it done. I did Medifast, I had tried it before and failed miserably after a day. But for my surgery, I stuck to it and did not cheat once, because I knew I had to and I had a short-term goal in mind to focus on. I knew I didn't have a choice. My surgeon said if he got inside and my liver wasn't ready he'd close me up and no band, or maybe have to do an 8" incision and do it open...no thanks. After surgery, yes, things change...but not as dramatically as many think. Yes, there is a post-op diet to make it through. That period sucks as well, but after that, you DO get food again. I eat the same foods I ate before. I even have some junk from time-to-time. Not in the same quantities or as often, but as a treat? Yeah.

As you do your research and find questions write them down. Don't be afraid to bring a list with you to the seminar (if they do that in Aus) or to your consult. Make it as concise and organized as possible, but that way you'll not forget what you wanted to know. I'd want to know if the doctor feels lap band is best for me. Why or why not. How long should I expect for a recovery? What tests do I need to do before surgery? How long do you think all testing and procedures will take before I can have surgery? Do I need to do an extended pre-op diet? What will my post-op diet be?

Practice saying "thank you!" and walking away. Accepting compliments needs to become something you can do with grace, because will be something that happens often. And in odd ways, too. Don't lose any more! You're gonna get skinnier than me! How much are you planning to lose? It's a nice acknowledgement when people say "Hey Skinny!" I'd say, "HI, and thank you!"