Cocoabean

San Diego area here, 3 years banded.

I believe they do remove the 75-80% of the stomach that is cut away during a sleeve procedure. Please research "strictures" about the sleeve. It is an uncommon complication, but scares the heck out of me. Also speak with a bariatric surgeon about the insurance, they usually know if a procedure is going to be covered any time soon. I have BCBS Ca HMO and they do not cover the sleeve. You might pop over to verticalsleevetalk and see what they have to say. Just a word of caution, they are several people who've had bad band experiences there. Not everyone with a band has had a bad experience, but it is a great place to get sleeve info!

Do NOT proceed with any bariatric surgery procedure unless you are sure. Without total commitment to what you are doing, you will regret it. Learn as much as you can. Keep asking questions. Having a band or any bariatric surgery is a huge change. If you are not committed to it, then any time you have a problem will seem insurmountable rather than just a speed bump along the way. As a note, I do not journal my food. I have kept a journal for 3 days since being banded. That was just for curiosity's sake to see how much I was consuming while maintaining my current weight. I lost all my excess weight without journaling. The band does help me cut down on my portions. I can no longer eat the quantity of food in one sitting that I used to eat. This isn't true for everyone. It also keeps me satisfied between meals, so that I am less likely to snack. Does that mean I am not tempted to? No. Does it mean that I am unable to eat between meals? No, there is room to eat foods between meals. But the fact that I am satisfied makes the battle easier to win.

We leave on Wednesday! Soooo excited. Got stuck on cereal last night. REALLY? Cereal? Come on! I mean, that is usually my fall back food. We had steak for dinner, I cut that into the tiniest pieces known to man. It went down ok. I only ate about an ounce of it. So I was hungry again by bed time. So fixed a bowl of cereal for a snack. Yeah, no go! Blah. Gonna do liquid and mushies today, and hope things calm down. Last thing I want is an unfill before a cruise! Yikes! And trying to fit in a unfill appointment between now and then...ugh. But the "meatloaf incident" was a bad one, I guess. This are irritated. I have a sore throat today, I think from the yakking. (It better be!). Now that I have my new computer, my DH stole my iPad today...what a jerk! I'll get it back though.

Well done, Cliff! If your thyroid is treated and stable, you should continue to do well! I have just a little bit of thyroid function after having an overactive nodule radiated. I have to slowly up my dose of synthetic hormone as it has died off. But I lost the weight. Keep getting your levels checked periodically and adjust dosage as needed.

Ok, I can tell I am getting ready for a vacation. I got stuck on meatloaf yesterday. (Yes, I know ground beef can be a hard one to eat...should NOT have taken that last bite, dork). Then this morning, I got stuck on graham crackers and Peanut Butter. Sheesh. Just when Bandit was behaving so nicely. Guess I better pack my shake mix. Cruise and tight band do not mix, I am thinking.

Every doctor you go to has a financial interest in you. You are paying them. Granted, not every one is a surgeon, and the OP could seek the opinion of primary care and other doctors for their opinions of this treatment for obesity. But a PCP may say, see me monthly and I will oversee your diet, and you can work with the nutritionist in my group, and use this diet food I sell, too. That is a financial interest in a patient not having this procedure. It works both ways.

Do you snore? That is one sign of apnea.

Melody, my surgeon posted a link to this article on his facebook page: http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/650137.html Just something for you to ponder.

Hi Everyone! Well, I went shopping for new dresses for the cruise. I bought a Mac Book Air! What fun! It's soooo cute!!! And I got two dresses. Yes!! Get this...One is a size 12, one a size 8. Go figure!

Ok, question for you Guinness drinkers. The fact that they use nitrogen...it is still bubbles, isn't it? When it is served, it has a head on it. So, they don't use Co2, but..aren't bubbles bubbles?? When I have beer, I prefer a Hefeweizen. It seems to not be as bubbly as a domestic. Plus, I much prefer the taste.

At mine, they took my height, weight, blood pressure. The did a thorough medical history. Gave me an extensive list of tests I needed to have run. The surgeon and I had a long discussion about bypass and band and why I wanted a band. We discussed the pros and cons of each procedure. From there I went to the lab and got that ball rolling. I had to schedule with the nutritionist, go to a couple of support and education meetings, do the psych eval. Then when that was all done they submitted to my insurance. It took about a month to get my approval (it was during the holidays). Did my pre-op appointment and diet, pre-op class and appointment at the hospital, surgery and done. Ok, a bit more than you asked, but there you have it! I don't know much about Tricare, tho.

The only thing that is a constant on this journey is that the band is fickle! One day I can eat and eat and eat. The next day mashed potatoes don't want to go down. You need to take it one meal at a time and learn to go with the flow. Before each meal I stop to remind myself to eat slowly. If I have an issue while eating, I stop. It is what it is. Our bodies let go of weight when they are ready. As happygirl pointed out, it is not an immediate reaction on the scale. Keep doing the right things most of the time and the weight will come off and you will be healthier.

For the gas..walk walk walk...and heating pads. Some say gas-x strips help. I didn't try those. If you can have mashed potatoes, then cream of wheat or malt o meal should be fine. Keep up the good work!

Couple of things going through my mind. One, call your surgeon to check in. Tell him or her what is going on. That you had the virus and have had problems since. You might get an Upper GI ordered just to be sure all is well. Second. Ground beef can be VERY hard on a banded person. One of my worst stuck episodes was on loose cooked hamburger. When I called my surgeon he told me it can be a doozy. Even though it is ground, it has a lot of gristle holding it together. Banana can also be a tough one to get down. It was one of the first foods I got stuck on, and to this day if I don't eat it slowly, it will get hung up. Feel better soon.

Yay Deb! Seeing family is always good. Glad you are losing. Take it slow and easy as you get used to your band's new rules! Melody, my 2 cents. Without any form of WLS, you know what will happen. You do. I do. We all do. Else we would not be here working our bands. I'd not hesitate to revise to another procedure now that I've "been to "Paris" as it were. I don't want to go back to the land of high blood pressure, the road to diabetes, heart disease, and not liking my body. Talk, talk, talk to your surgeon. If he has to remove the band, and he can revise during the same operation, why not? Why risk two surgeries? But, if you revise and leave us here at LBT, as Jim Carrey would say in the Grinch, "I'll hunt you down and gut you like a fish!"

Yeah, what she said! Well put Heather! To put it in pre-banded terms...I can eat one cheese enchilada with a little bit of Beans and rice. Or I can eat half the enchilada, half the beans and rice and put the other half away for the next day. From a pizza place...A medium pizza, 1 slice. From Round Table, a small veggie, 2 slices...maybe, it depends on the day. Somedays only 1, somedays 2 1/2. That will keep me satisifed for 4 hours or more.

Sorry, Cleo's. I made a generalization and spoke it as fact. I should have stated that for most the band does not work without fills and adequate after care. It can take some people many, many fills to reach the green zone. The band is not a "set it and forget it" WLS like bypass or sleeve. If I were in fear of losing my insurance coverage and did not have adequate resources to pay for fills (I have seen amounts for fills here on LBT anywhere from $75 to $250), I'd have to give the other procedures serious consideration.

That's so cool! Haven't seen you a in a while. Glad you know you are doing well. Was just thinking of you a week or so ago.

My surgeon said they can overfill a band to a certain degree. Not sure how much, but some.

1-2 pounds per week is expected with a band. You are WELL ahead of average. That said, many people do not lose during the immediate post-op phase. Not feeling restriction is not uncommon. Do not feel alone. Go about your busiess, get your fill, and relax. You are doing fantastic!

Something to consider with a band. There is quite a bit of after care. Fills do not come cheap if you have to pay for them out of pocket. The band does not work if you do not get adequate fills to provide you with the restriction you need. I certainly am not wanting to talk you out of the surgery, but do consider all sides before you proceed. Having an empty band is like having a beautiful sports car with an empty gas tank. It looks great, but gets you no where. If you cannot afford to fill the tank, it just sits there doing no good.

Sometimes our bodies just do what they want to do. It cannot be explained. You can do everything right, and the scale will not change. While I was in the losing phase I found that my body would part with the weight in fits and starts. I'd lose 3 lbs one week, then stay the same for a couple of weeks. Then 1 lb down, then up 1, down 2, stay the same for several weeks then lose 5. It was not a steady 1-2 lbs each week. Even though my diet was the same, my body parted with the weight when it was ready. It made absolutely no sense, but it became a total of 70 lbs down. Once I saw the "pattern" of no real pattern, but the weight going down I was able to relax and go with it. Be confident in the fact that you are eating a healthy diet. You are also coming off of a "crash" diet and eating solids for the first time. Your body is adjusting to many changes at ones. Losing weight with the band is a journey. A long one at that. It isn't a short term event. Keep up the good work, and the weight will come off.

I don't know if you can choose the location, but definitely tell your surgeon about the pain you have. It could make a difference in where he places the port. Mine is on my left side, about 2" to the side of and 1" below the level of my navel. It's fine there unless I wear pants with a waistband that hits it and is tight. That rarely happens, so I have no issues with the placement of mine.

I've eaten watermelon and had no troubles. If it is a trigger food for you, then be careful. Whether or not you should eat it is up to your personal triggers and the food plan your surgeon has you on.