Cocoabean

If you tell one co-worker, figure it will get around to all co-workers. Unless it is a very close friend you can trust explicitly. So many here have told one co-worker or worse, a boss, only to have the entire staff know the next minute. I am very open so I told anyone who asked what my secret to losing was. I just didn't feel right leaving out the tidbit of having a band. Because I was always looking for the 'magic pill' when I'd see others losing weight. I got interested in WLS when someone that I didn't think was very overweight to begin with got down to a fantastic weight opened up to me that she had gastric bypass. Saying you are eating better/less and exercising is certainly no lie! For me? I didn't really care who knew...so I told. Except for my MIL who'd have made such an issue about it, and would still be asking me to this day if I was OK from my surgery, bless her heart. She thinks I am eating right and exercising :sad:. She won't tell anyone that her gall bladder is about to blow up she's in such pain, but heaven forbid anyone gets a paper cut, we get asked about it from months!

Eating slowly will come as you gain restriction. Once your band is screaming at you to slow down, you will. Right now, you are depending on will power for weight-loss. I am thinking you have not been greatly successful with that in the past, else you would not have been banded...well, at least I wasn't. Don't beat yourself up for being hungry right now! And you know what? Even with restriction, you will experience hunger..not as much, though---yay! You say you are exercising, focus on that and making healthy choices, not on the number of calories. This time period sucks, but keep your chin up, you WILL get through it and the losses will come. Being banded is not about quick weight loss, that is a fact!

After I was on a regular diet post-op and before fills I could eat all Pasta, rice, and bread. Even now I can eat most. I have problems with very doughy breads, like soft french bread or bagels, and sometimes with sticky rice. I can do most pasta but I have to go very slowly with lasagna noodles. My band is pretty loose. Just take it very easy at first. Even if you chew the heck out of it, some starchy foods seem to re-group in the pouch and form a plug.

Congrats! Very exciting news!

For me, I won't try chicken breast or turkey breast. Other than that, it depends on the day. In a public setting, I won't try soft breads/bagels, just in case. My band is fairly loose. I am contemplating another fill, so the list may change soon.

Well, glad you asked! Yes, most surgeons say no NSAIDS, period. Hopefully you'll be able to get it resolved soon. You could do an aspercream type of thing. If it is tendonitis, it probably would not help, but you never know. Also, glucosamine/chondroitin/msm is said to help joints. For me, when tendons flare, ice is often the best pain relief I can find.

yay! We are waiting for you on the losers' bench!

I am so sorry you are going through this! Try not to get out of the exercise habit. Hopefully a bit of rest and all will be well. I have bad tendons in my hips and arthritis in one knee. Have you asked your surgeon if you can do a short round of NSAIDs for a particular injury? Mine will let me do short bursts, but I cannot take them on a daily basis. Of course, do what YOUR surgeon says. Maybe you can do some upper body weights, even just using canned vegetables as weights if you don't have any, to keep the habit going. Pain sucks that is for certain!

I know it is not fun to wait, because you are wanting that fill so badly. But it is best to wait. I postponed my first fill due to a cruise as well. I had my surgery Feb 15 and did not get my first fill until early May. I was upset at the time, but understood how bad it would be to get a fill and be outside of my doctor's reach for two weeks. Having since then gone through being over filled and needing to be unfilled, I can truly understand why my doctor thought it best that I wait for my first fill. Go on your cruise and enjoy it. You don't want to be worried about having a problem with your band while on vacation. When I was overfilled, it did not become clear immediately that I had a problem. It can take a while before we know that we need to be seen. Best wishes for this time of "Bandster Hell"....but please do enjoy your vacation!

Karen! Well done!! woot woot! Shad..congrats on the promotion!! Just in time as you turn the century corner! HB..WOW on the 100 mark. That is fan-bloody-tastic! Glad you are feeling better. Leigha, that link was hysterical. I think I am finally due for a fill. It has been since last August. My weight is starting to creep up and I seem able to eat a bit more. 'Course it could be a reaction to the stress of the MIL situation. But nearly a year seems about right for a lil top off. I find I get on the scale and see the number, and am coming up with things like, oh, I had soy sauce. Oh, I had a cold. Oh, TOM coming -- bloated. More excuses than days my weight is where I want it to be. Bad trend, that. So, appears to be time!

Did your doctor/nurtritionist prescribe a long-term diet of less than 500 calories per day? That seems very low to me for a daily long-term eating plan. Many of us eat 800-1200 (women bandsters, that is) daily during the losing phase.

Even the first fill might not give you restriction. It may take several. I say this not to be a downer, but to remind you of what you probably already know. Bands don't provide us with immediate post-op weight loss. It will happen as you proceed with fills and gain gradual restriction. Keep working on good band habits, and it will happen.

Awww...Thanks Leigha...and an FYI...from Dictionary.com Bulimia: An eating disorder, common especially among young women of normal or nearly normal weight, that is characterized by episodic binge eating and followed by feelings of guilt, depression, and self-condemnation. It is often associated with measures taken to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting, the use of laxatives, dieting, or fasting. Also called bulimarexia , bulimia nervosa . I don't think that applies to trying to get unstuck. Never felt guilty, nor have I condemned myself!

Me3, Not a pissing contest, just a discussion. I never meant to suggest my methods as applicable to all. When I was stuck for 5 hours, I did call the surgeon. It was the middle of the night, my options were the ER or wait it out. I waited it out. Checked in with my surgeon the next day. I did not mean to come across as cavalier, if I did, I apologize to the OP. Being stuck is not to be taken lightly, but it is a fact. My band is fairly loose, so I rarely get stuck. But after 2 1/2 years, it has happened more than once. Best wishes in your journey.

True. Sorry, but I refuse to call my doc for an unfill when a lil urp will take care of it.

Alcohol is absorbed normally in our digestive systems. We do not get drunk faster than before surgery, unless tolerance is decreased due to drinking less frequently for caloric reasons. Bypass patients do, due to the restructuring of their systems, the alcohol is metabolized quicker.

Stacie---did ya get it in the eye??? HA!! I got called bulimic on another thread today. How exciting! Yeah, I don't think so. Guess that is what I get for playing on lapbandtalk at work! :grouphug: Karen, glad you got to the woods. I urped into the bushes outside of a Fudruckers hamburger restaurant once. Was walking around the parking lot hoping it would go down--it didn't. Luckily there was no one around.

That is interesting they won't tell you what the 7 to 10 things are. I suppose they don't want you to cheat :thumbup: I just read my brochure and it says call us for further information on criteria for surgery. The criteria is not limited to what is shown. It also changed from when I had my surgery to a BMI of 35-40 an one co-morbidity. They also don't list a 6 month medically supervised diet. So it is constantly changing. As a side note, I haven't seen any insurance companies covering the sleeve procecure yet.

Babyk, being as you are so young, that 5 year requirement might not apply anyway. You would still have been growing up 5 years ago! They might accept "overweight" or "obese" if you can show the history. Medical records will come in handy. Pictures, too, if you don't have medical records. BUT, first step, before getting nervous about all that is to give them a call and find out. Asking the question will not cause any troubles with getting approval. It is what I did first. When I first asked, bands weren't even covered. I was told that they would be covered the next year, so I waited a bit.

You are in bandster hell. Without a fill most of us don't get any help at all from our bands and must rely on will power. Gaining only 2 pounds on a 2 week vacation is fantastic. I had to postpone my first fill due to a vacation, so I feel your pain of having to wait. I had my surgery February 15 and did not get a fill until the beginning of May. Someone who was a veteran when I got my band said that having an empty band is like having a new sports car with an empty gas tank. It looks really pretty, but it is useless sitting in the driveway. So, did you waste money on a band? How can you tell? Until you have restriction it isn't helping you at all. Anything you might lose right now is from pushing the car. It is all from your own efforts. I don't know about you, but I got the band because my own efforts failed miserably. I hope you get on the road to fills soon!

Not only can the flour tortillas cause problems for some, but the hamburger in the taco can be an issue, also. I had one of my worst stuck episodes on loose hamburger we had cooked for tacos in corn tortillas. I was stuck for 5 hours sliming and vomiting. Called my surgeon the next day. He said hamburger is up there on the list of stuff that gets stuck. You are probably tighter today from the trauma of the other day. Take it easy for a day or two and you should be feeling better. Sorry your first episode was in public. Mine was, too. Welcome band-land. :thumbup: Hope you are feeling better soon.

I would call the insurance company and ask them if they cover it and what their requirements are. Also ask what your copays are for the procedure and office visits. You might even be able to read up on it online. My company's information is right there. Find out if with the PPO you need a PCP referral. Find out what BMI they require and how long you have had to be there. If they require a BMI of 40 with no co-morbids but that you had to be 40 or over for 5 years, there is no point in purposely gaining to qualify. Find out what their co-morbidities are to see if you have any of them. Then with a BMI less than 40, you know you are OK. Requirements are similar with insurance companies, but not always the same. Some have implemented a requirement of a certain BMI for 5 years, to disallow the purposeful gain of weight to quailify for surgery. You can also ask for doctors and hospitals in the network. Go to the seminar armed with this information. If you are denied, your insurance company should have a grievance or appeal process. Cross that bridge if it happens.

Maybe you are weird (you said it, not me!), but well done just the same! Congrats on your losses so far!! Apparently the band in place offers you enough restriction for you to be successful.

35 lbs. is 6 months is 1.5 lbs a week. That is a fantastic rate of weight loss. If you need a fill, get yourself a fill. But don't beat yourself up over 'only' 35 pounds down. I think we often have unrealistic goals with our bands. Remember 1-2 pounds per week is what we can expect. You are right in there where you should be. Keep up the great work!