Cocoabean

Every person's anatomy is different. I'd rather they not continue the surgery than risk my health trying to force a band where it won't fit. I don't think judging the surgeon by stats here is necessarily fair. Of the 9 patients who list my surgeon, I am the only only one at a normal BMI. But there is no way to know how many people have drifted off and not updated their status. I am not saying don't get a second opinion, but to say he is a poor surgeon based on that..well...I don't know......

There's nothing wrong with cold drinks. But if they hurt, then lay off them for a while. You are still healing. I don't have any problems with ice water or other ice cold drinks. You just might not want to drink something that cold right before eating.

Mine is the oh so creative Bandit. I chose it because he steals meals from me occasionally. He has a mind of his own, and does what he wants!

Way to go! That is soooooo wonderful. You are really rocking your band!

I had things taken in. It was about $10.00 for a pair of pants. Much cheaper than buying new for work clothes. I work in an office, so I wear professional clothes. You might also try different brands. They might fit differently.

I have cruised 3 times since being banded. If it were me, I'd postpone the fill until I got back. Which is what I did for my first fill. My reason not being that I wanted to eat more, but that if there were any problems I could not get in to see a band doctor. I've been overfilled since then, you really don't want to be on vacation and overfilled! Unlike a previous poster, I do mostly buffet. That way I can totally control my portions and choices. I grab the small plate, check out all the choices before putting anything on it, and go from there. Stick to your normal eating pattern as much as you can. For me that is a cup of coffee in the morning then an hour or two later I eat my breakfast. Well, on cruises we usually have coffee, fruit, and croissants delivered daily. On our last cruise in March, I discovered that this plan didn't work any longer at my current fill level. Every day I tried to eat fruit with my coffee I'd end up stuck. Once I went back to my normal pattern, all was right with the world.

I got mine from americanmedical-id.com I have a sterling bracelet and a stainless dog-tag necklace. I switch off between the two. The say the same thing. Adjustable Gastric Band w/Abdominal Port No NG w/o Scope Then I have my emergency contact info. Be sure that whatever you get is easily identifiable as medical jewelry. If the medical symbol doesn't really stand out on it, it can be missed by first responders.

You know, most of us go into this surgery in a "fairly healthy" condition. I mean, we might have diabetes, or high blood pressure, but we aren't acutely ill. We walk into the hospital under our own power then get cut on, get our innards pushed around, wrapped up, our stomachs stitched over the band, and then we get sealed up. Although everyone says this is "minimally invasive" surgery, I say it is still one heck of a trauma! You go in healthy and come out sick. You haven't eaten much in days, it hurts to move, but you have to move. Everything takes five times more effort than ever. Keep healing and following your doctor's orders. it will get better!

There are plenty of posts on the boards of those who are very hungry right after surgery. It is frustrating because you figure you just had surgery, the trauma alone should mean no hunger! For many it is like that, but not for all of us.

I think I woke up hungry in the recovery room! By three days post-op I was ready to eat my dog! Hang in there! I got to move to mushies sooner than expected because I was healing very well, and my surgeon said he didn't want me to eat my dog...I could not have caught him anyway, he's just too fast.

Just keep in mind that your surgeon might not want you using them all the time. I bought a bunch of the stuff only to find out that my surgeon wants me eating my calories, not drinking them. Oh well.

Shaundra's post was from September, 2008. Not sure if you will get a response.

When I am eating out, I don't worry so much about calories as getting stuck. And you being so soon pre-op, should also be more worried about healing than calories as well--at least for the weekend. If necessary, go to a convenience store and pick up some Protein shakes, so that if the restaurant doesn't have any foods you can eat, you can have that instead. Almost all restaurants have soups. Shrimp can get stuck, be very wary of it. Also look to the appetizer menu. They often have easier to eat foods there. Again, not the healthiest choices, but right now you are limited with the 'soft food' requirement of your healing phase. If your hotel has a refrigerator, I'd get some yogurt and other things I could eat. That way I could eat before going out and be less tempted to order something I shouldn't have. Best wishes!

Fiona, I am also curious how long it took you to eat the hamburgers? On a day when I can eat, if I sit there long enough, I can put the food down. I limit myself to between 20-30 minutes. If I haven't finished what I dished out, then I am done. That rarely happens. I am either finished with what I took or I have felt saitiety and stopped eating. Does your surgeon withdraw all the Fluid from your band when he gives you a fill? That is an easy way to check for leaks. Right now I am going through a rough patch. I got stuck on some chicken the other evening and now am very swollen. I could not get any solids to stay down yesterday, but can get liquids down. On another day I could eat 2 pieces of chicken. Those days are rare that I could consume that much solid Protein in one sitting, but it could happen. It also depends on the food choice. I'd never get a hamburger down, we just don't get along. But a cheese quesadilla? Oh yeah, a large burrito sized tortilla with gobs of cheese and salsa will go right down with no trouble for me. So, I choose not to have them every day or else I'd not be able to keep the weight off. Restriction for me is feeling a wisper of satisfaction on a smaller portion of food. It holds me longer than a meal used to, and that helps me fight the food demons in my head. It's not exactly what I dreamed it would be, but it's been great.

If you are having complications, then consider revision. But revision for revisions' sake? No thank you! Most insurance companies in the US don't cover the sleeve yet, so you'd likely have to pay out of pocket for it (if that is a factor for you).

If you are losing (you are) and you are not forcing food down (you aren't) then you are fine. You have a bit to lose looking at your ticker, so you will lose at a faster rate to start. Although a pound a day is pretty fast. You might discuss the rate with your surgeon to be sure it is acceptable. As you get closer to goal, the rate will slow down. Some days I can eat more, some days less. I don't measure my food. I never have. I was told 2-3 oz of Protein, about half a cup of veggies and a starchy side if I wanted it/had room. I quit when I am satisfied.

You can get a necklace with a longer chain and wear it under your clothing. I have a necklace and a bracelet and switch off. That is what I do. Thanks, Pink! That is exactly what the EMT who taught my CPR class said. He also said do NOT wear one as an anklet, there's no way it would be seen. He very much stressed the don't make it look like jewelry aspect if you want it noticed. I also have a watch with a small medical symbol on it and my info engraved on the back. He said it would be easily missed, and also they would not remove the watch to read the back. Mine says: Adjustable Gastric Band w/Abdominal Port No NG w/o Scope Then my In Case of Emergency contact info.

NG is a naso-gastric tube, one they put down your nose into your stomach. The fear is that due to the small hole into your stomach created by the band that some damage can be done to your stomach by the tube they use. A scope can be used to help guide them in the placement. A 'blind' placement is done by just pushing the tube up your nose and into your stomach.

That IS rapid loss. But you started at a high BMI. Mathematics do enter into it. A higher weight person needs more calories to maintain. If one person weighs 300 lbs and one person weighs 200, they eat 1000 calories a day...the person who weighs 300 will lose faster than the person who weighs 200. That could have something to do with it. You are following the rules. If you are creating a large caloric deficit, you will lose rapidly. If you are satisfied with your meals and able to go about 4 hours between meals, you might not need a fill. If you are white knucking it between meals but losing so fast, you might need a fill, see the difference? Congratulations on your loss so far, you are doing fantastic!!

Congrats on your marriage! Have you thought about working with a therapist to help with the addiction issues? My suggestions for getting back in control: Take it slow, baby steps. First find yourself a band doctor and get things checked. Get a fill if that is what you need. Set small goals. Pick parts of what I have below and implement them slowly. Changing our lives in one big swoop can be overwhelming. These need to be changes that we can live with forever. Start back with your band rules of eating. Solid Protein, small bites, veggie side dishes, starches if you have room. No liquids with food. No liquid calories. Try not to eat highly processed foods (i.e. junk food) as they tend to slide through the band and do not sustain you for long. Don't eat between meals. Drink 8 glasses of Water per day. Exercise? Yeah, I hate it. Start slow. Walk up and down your block for 5 minutes. Park farther away than you usually do. When you go to the mall take a lap around before beginning your shopping. Adding activity into your life doesn't have to be major workouts. You CAN do this!

We second guess ourselves all the time. It is human nature. Even sleeve patients have issues. All procedures have issues. It is too late to change your choice now, so I'd say work with your band to the best of your ability. If for some reason you need to revise, then look at the sleeve. For me, it wasn't an option. My insurance didn't cover at the time I made my decision, still doesn't, and I cannot afford to self pay.

Can you get sips of liquids down and do they stay down? If not, it's time to call your doctor. If you can, you are most likely not stuck now and just sore or swollen. When I am well and truly stuck, I'll drink down a few oz of Water quickly. That usually will bring everything back up. Rapidly and with little trauma. If I sip liquids while stuck, it just adds to the pain and does nothing to help it go down. This is, of course, not the book answer. But sometimes, ... well, drastic measures are called for.

I wore a bracelet for the first few years. It says Adjustable gastric band with abdominal port. No blind NG. So they know that there is a small hole into my stomach if they have to insert a tube down my nose into my stomach. It also lets EMTs/emergency personnel know what the port is, they might think it is a tumor or something. I took it off a few months ago for a formal dinner and just haven't put it back on. I don't carry the restaurant card. I either share with my DH, order from appetizer menu, or take leftovers home for lunch. I am sort of funny, I share my band story with everyone, but don't want to make an issue of it at a restaurant. I did ask once at Outback Steakhouse if I could order off the child's menu because I'd had gastric surgery. They said sure, for a $2.00 upcharge. Which makes the smaller portioned kid's meal as much as an adult meal. So I got the adult meal and a doggie bag. Their pork ribs reheat really well!

Untreated hypothyroidism can definitely slow things down. Now that you've gotten it addressed, hopefully your levels will normalize and you'll start losing. Just beware of blaming everything on your thyroid. Yes, it plays a factor, but some folks blame it all on it. If your PCP doesn't answer all your questions, you might ask for a referral to an endocrinologist who specializes in metabolism. I had a growth in my thyroid that over produces thyroid hormones. I was hyperthyroid. Most people lose weight when hyper. Not me, I was one of the lucky ones who could gain while in a hyper state. So I had radiation treatment and now barely have any thyroid function at all. I will be on replacement medications forever. I have my levels checked periodically, and due to the thyroid condition that I had, I have to adjust them from time to time.

I don't see it as jealousy so much as guilt and deflection. A overweight friend, (possibly an eating buddy?) see you take positive steps to get healthy, it just points out that their habits are unhealthy and they have to face that fact. Rather than face it, they try to put you down for your efforts. As to "the easy way out"...nah, it is a way out. But then again, I drive a car rather than riding a horse, or bicycle or walking. I use a dishwasher. I use a washing machine and dryer. Someone else grows my food and butchers my meat. I buy clothes at stores rather than weaving the fabric and making them. We take the easy way out all the time. When I had appendicitis, no one thought I should not get it treated. My father had heart disease brought on by years of smoking. No one thought he should not get cardiac bypass surgery. There is still a bias against the obese in our society. It is our fault we were the way we were and we should not have medical help to correct our condition. When I was being told I was getting too skinny, I'd just say you think that because you are used to seeing me obese. If they wanted to continue the topic, I'd say I am at the top end of the healthy weight range for my height and my doctor is happy with my weight. Or if they were annoying me, I'd tell them my doc wants me to lose another 10 lbs. My doc will tell me when I am too skinny. I heard an interesting interview on the radio a couple weeks ago. The doctor being interviewed is studying genetics and their effect on weight. She said that our height is 100% genetic. Our weight is about 70% determined by genetics. She said if someone told you they were going to exercise and work VERY hard to grow 2 inches taller we'd think they were insane. But that it is nearly the same with weight. We can somewhat influence it for a time, but that the body fights to return to what our DNA says it should be. Without medical intervention, we stand very little chance of lowering our BMI to a healthier level.