BratKat

I need a good surgeon for continuing care/fills in either San Diego or Phoenix. I had my surgery on 11-1-07 and I am moving from Tampa to Yuma, AZ in a few weeks. I'm almost at goal but I may need one more fill and I prefer not to do Fill Centers. I'll still need follow-up care during the next few years while I'm in Yuma to make sure everything's okay with my band as well. Anyone have any recommendations?

I have flown to Qatar, Japan, and Australia in the 16 months since I've had my band. The first trip was just 3 months after. I had no problems with any of my trips. I'm just careful about what I eat, pack a few of my own snacks-Protein bars that go down okay in case the food on the plane is something I can't eat. I avoid the bread on the plane and drink plenty of Water. The only thing special I did was take a needle from my surgeon and my lap-band card with me to Japan in case I had any complications and needed an emergency unfill for some reason. Lap-band is done in the Qatar and Australia so I knew I wouldn't have any problems showing up in a hospital there but Japan is a whole 'nother story!

I always struggle with snacking, especially since I'm a night owl. I keep a bag of small apples in the fridge just for that. It satisfies my desire for something sweet, and it lasts a long time because I have to chew, chew, chew. It's low in calories and it helps me get in enough fiber, something I've struggled with since being banded.

I was banded Nov 2007 and PCS'd last summer....to Yuma, AZ....where there are no bariatric surgeons at all. I was living in my hometown while DH was on a one year unaccompanied tour. So it didn't make a difference for me. I still haven't been able to get a surgeon in Phoenix (3hrs away) to commit to me as a patient but I see my LB surgeon when I go "home" to visit my family. Good luck though.

I'd be surprised if you're not in a smaller size than 10/12 when you get to your goal if you're built anything like me. I'm 5'4" and at 160. I've got a small waist too and I'm wearing 12s and 10s. I was in 16s when I was around 185. My goal is to be a size 8; I think I'll get there around 145. I bet you'll reach 10/12 sooner than you think!

Tall skinny decaf cinnamon dolce latte at 130 degrees or Tall skinny decaf iced latte--I don't like SF syrups when it's cold. Either way it's only 90 calories and I justify it by getting in 12 oz of milk, which is about the only way I can drink the stuff.

POS (point of service) only applies if you are Prime but go outside of the network/without referral to get care anyway. It is 50%, I believe. If you switch to Prime, your co-pay is 20%. There is no such thing as POS with Standard. Certain ranks (E6 and above, I think) have to wait a year to switch back to Prime if you go to Standard. I don't have any experience with the Lapband area of Tricare as I was self pay but I am in the middle of the rest of switching back and forth between the two coverages otherwise.

You could also be low on sodium. Have you tried a cup of broth?

Mine hang so bad that without a bra on I can only see two of my five incisions. They've always been like that though, even when I was fairly thin. I don't wear a bra at home. I did wear a sports bra (rather than my underwire) for the first two weeks after surgery. Then I wore my regular bra but at a looser setting because it was putting pressure on one of the incisions. Now I'm back to wearing it the regular way almost four weeks post surgery.