Ellisa

jlweb, You are absolutely right, if you know you can't stick to a plan, a band will not help you. It's just a tool. It makes me feel full more quickly and limits how much I can comfortably eat. It doesn't make food choices for me or get me on the treadmill. Frankly, without insurance I would not have been able to have the surgery. And either would have continued gaining or kicked myself in the butt and got with a good program like Atkins or Weight Watchers, etc. I wish you well and am so sorry that it didn't work for you 15 years ago. I can only imagine what that must be like. But thanks for popping in and reminding us that we have to make good choices, even with the newer bands.

Just wanted to mention on the $$ point, I know of doctors who get "prizes" for writing a certain number of scripts for certain meds. (I don't know if this is still a practice, I should say I know it happened a few years back) but, they didn't prescribe them unless they believed they were useful. but another thing they get from these companies is samples which they would give to patients who couldn't afford them. Isuza as you said before doctors are taking money from BOTH companies. So maybe that's why my husband's surgery was over $20,000 2 years ago and mine was $17,000 ish just 3 months ago. AND my doctor is charging $12,500 as of Jan. 1 of this year. He opened his own surgical center. So isn't that wonderful? The money from the band companies has allowed him to lower prices?

Isuza, I was informed that my band would be empty for 4 weeks. Thank heavens it was, I wouldn't have been able to eat a thing if it had been filled. The swelling following surgery and the band itself provided more than adequate restriction. I believe you aren't a proctor or sales rep for LapBands. I believe you are exactly what you say, a busy med student planning to be banded soon. Just try to trust that those of us who chose (or whose surgeons chose for us) something other than the product you prefer are safe and happy, just as you will be. But bless your heart, if anything goes wrong with your (or anyone else's) AP band, I hope you won't go looking for some conspiracy from Allergan. Sometimes things happen regardless.

To clarify, a piece of cake and ice cream will certainly not bust a diet or cause 5 lbs of fat gain. I've found that starchy/sugary carbs will make me hold more Fluid than consuming salt. And the good news is, the fluid tends to whoose away with extra liquid consumption and reducing the "bad" carbs. Notice I said "reducing" not eliminating? I do have a taste of them, they just aren't the main entree. When I did Atkins induction (several times) I couldn't even taste them without a weight gain (fluid), but within a day or two it would come right back off if I followed the plan. But it was still very discouraging. I lost so much fluid with my pre op and post op diet. My ankles that had been puffy (my sister, who's a nurse called it pitting edema) became bony. But as I began eating real food again some of it came back. I tend to be a person who has considerable fluctuation with fluid. My point was that sometimes it's hard to tell why our weight does these crazy ups and downs. And they are very discouraging. We just have to keep reminding ourselves of the big picture.

Aren't we glad our doctors aren't our family? If we don't think they are the best for us, we can just look for another. I'm going to have to find a new PCP soon. The one I have is okay, I don't think he's the greatest, but certainly not the worst. I don't have many medical issues, the occasional bout with arthritis or bronchitis. And he has given me weight loss medications over the years. But I selected him because I work out of town it was convenient to not have to come all the way back to where I live for an office visit. But now I'm realizing that convenience has a price. If I have a medical emergency, I will most likely be at home and if it required an admission, I'd have to travel to where he is or have doctors I'm not familiar with treating me. He wasn't overly supportive of my surgery, but provided the medical clearance to have it. Now my GYN, I wouldn't trade her for the world. If she moves I'll have to move with her! LOL She is awesome. She didn't know I was having it done until after the fact. She thinks it's great and while she didn't know much about it, she asked a ton of questions.

Just a thought on the gain. I find that eating high carb foods makes me hold fluid. Perhaps you are losing fat, but held some fluid due to the cake and ice cream? I went 3 weeks since my last fill not losing anything. Then this week I lost 5 lbs. I know it's a fluid thing with me.

Isuza, It's really not unusual for photographers to show products looking their best. The thing does bend, it goes around a stomach. So if it's straight or curved for the photo isn't "hiding" anything, just showing that it can curve. I have a Realize band and saw it "in person" before my surgery, I don't feel deceived by the photos. How many boxes of frozen dinners have you ever bought that don't look like the picture on the box. The same stuff is in there, but the veggies look all bright when in fact when I heat them they are covered with brown sauce. Then the pictures of fresh fruits and vegetables, they look so shinny and colorful. they are coated with oil and PhotoShopped for the picture. Photographers do that to make things look appealing. We won't EVEN go into human models. Posing and positioning is something that photographers do. So what? I've asked women to stand slightly sideways with one foot and their face toward the camera, it's more flattering, I'm not trying to pass them off as something else. Some years ago a car dealer in Columbus Ohio was accused of false advertising because he said he had a "used car factory." Somebody thought he was trying to mislead people. Well the powers-that-be realized we are all smarter than that and he can still use his cute advertisement. But again, Isuza, it'll be great when you get your band, maybe you won't be so stressed out by this stuff and you can get on to enjoying your success with your AP band. I know how stressful waiting can be. You mentioned you might wait for the next generation band, (on the Realize thread) I hope if you do, it's not too long. I've lost 5 lbs. this week (went a few without weight loss, but losing inches) so I can tell you that success like this doesn't make me one bit concerned about my band's photo shoot.

I gave up caffeine several months before deciding to have the surgery. I was such and addict that I had migraines without it. My surgeon doesn't forbid it. I do have it occasionally, but no longer drink 8 - 12 diet pepsis per day. The soda is something I'm only supposed to have rarely, but the caffeine isn't considered an issue.

DH had to have his resized a couple of months ago. He got out of the car and it rolled down the street. We found it and went to the jeweler the next day. His is a plain gold band so it could be done without looking badly. Mine is the same, but I really don't expect to lose weight in my fingers. My fingers are always bony.

Michelle, Congratulations! You're off to your new life.

As you've mentioned before, we can all be very successful and healthy with either band as long as we follow the rules. Even the old LapBands aren't necessarily dangerous. I think we all agree that marketing is highly influential today and everything isn't always exactly what it seems. And all companies have their share of BS when it comes to marketing. Thankfully there are laws that can cause companies to have huge lawsuits/fines if their advertising is proven to be false or misleading. So get the best surgeon you can and trust his judgment.

Easy mistake. Pre-doctors have such bad handwriting it seems to jump right over into their typing. I wish I could count the posts I've gone back and corrected for spelling/grammar only to see 10 more that I didn't correct. What's my excuse? Isuza, you mentioned you are going to be banded soon. I assume that will have to take place between quarters/semesters how are you coming along with your prep for that? This really is a board for support and we're here to support you on your journey, regardless of the rough start. You obviously love research, so I look forward to your insight on aspects of banding besides band-brands. For once I am not being sarcastic with you. TexasFire, I'm still at the exercise... you really are going to be a great trainer. Just a little nudge from you did it.

Funny, DH and I just bought several salad plates to use as our dinner plates last week. For Breakfast, we've been using what I think are saucers without the indentation for the cup (correlware?). Maybe they are really for another purpose. LOL Whatever, it does make a difference in the head game. Somehow we feel cheated when our food is on a regular plate.

Yeah, and I bet people would monitor the children a little better also. We watched children (at the place I mentioned previously) going back several times for Desserts. That might just curb some of the childhood obesity too. I don't mean to sound "holier-than-thou" because truth be told, I didn't pay enough attention to things like that when my children were young either. But now going through what I have I really wish I'd set a better example and been more conscious of what my kids were eating too.

I can only say what my experience has been with low blood sugar. When I eat sugary/starchy carbs and not enough Protein I have the yo-yo effect spikes up, (but not in the diabetic range...at least that I'm aware of) then crashes. But when I eat only small amounts of those (or none) carbs and eat "good" carbs and protein, no problems at all. In the "good" category for me are low glycemic fruits (mainly berries), whole grains, green veggies, small baked sweet potatoes, squash (summer and winter), legumes, etc. I can eat the "bad" carbs, but in small quantities and along with better choices. The trouble was before banding "small quantity" was much bigger. :thumbdown: It seems to be a ratio thing to keep my blood sugar more even.

Funny how we all see ourselves in another's post. :thumbdown: I thought "wasting money" was reference to DH and I paying full price though the server had discounted it. We were simply being honest. The server thought I only ate one piece of fish and didn't realize I had also gotten the salad bar. And knowing the server wasn't the owner we insisted on paying full price. For our meal & entertainment it was a real deal, by no means a waste of money. And we truly did eat the "recommended daily requirement" for a meal. Too bad we didn't always eat that way. But in reality OH-Juli probably wasn't referencing any of us. Just commenting on the different strokes aspect.

Banded 2 years apart, but it is very helpful. DH was first. He's like the food police. But that's a good thing. Well, it's not so much the food he polices, it's reminding me to take smaller bites and chew better. Although I haven't had many issues yet, he reminds me that with better restriction I will have so I need to practice now.

My understanding is that the sleeve is where the stomach is stapled top to bottom lengthwise then the excess is cut away. The stomach is shaped like a long sausage and can only hold a specific amount of food. The cost was about the same for the surgery at the time I had mine. (I think his prices have gone down since he opened his own surgical center.) This is on Dr. Curry's web page. Trace W. Curry, M.D. Lap Band, Realize Band, Sleeve Gastrectomy, and Gastric Bypass Surgeon :: Weight Loss Surgery :: Sleeve Gastrectomy

I will have to add that I too liked that the band is reversible. But it would have been nice not to have to pay for fills (insurance doesn't cover them) and not to have to travel over 2 hours for them. The lady who shared my room in the hospital had by-pass, we had the same surgeon, but she traveled out of the country a lot so he recommended that for her. I really think it has to be an individual decision with your surgeon considering your lifestyle among other things.

I totally agree with that. We need to remember for the most part we are eating normal adult portions. The buffets could charge everyone less if we (and other people) had always eaten normal sized portions. :thumbup: But I too am no longer a fan of buffets. As has already been stated for the most part the quality isn't that good and that's become much more important to me. I usually order an appetizer or sometimes ask for the lunch portion of an entree. I don't think I've ever been turned down on that. And even that is usually too much. But boxes are great for later. Now here's one for ya. We recently went to an "All you can eat Walleye" dinner at a family owned restaurant in a small town. The price includes two sides, rolls, salad bar, and desert bar (with homemade deserts). It's under $10 and they have live (and very good) music, which they expect you to enjoy for a couple of hours while you eat and socialize! I don't expect a discount for that! I asked the server to bring me one piece of fish and no sides but I would get salad. DH asked for 1 side, but he doesn't get the salad. I was brought 3 pieces of fish and felt badly because I could only eat one. When we got our bill, I was only charged $3.00 for my meal. We went to the waitress and explained that I also had salad and that was too large of a discount and that we would pay the full price. We had to insist! We watched as people (heavy and thin) were eating piles of food off the salad bar, getting extra fish (they bring it around fresh from the deep fryer), and eating several Desserts, they were not small sample sizes. We wondered how long this family will be able to stay in business this way.

As much as I love my band and all it's doing for me, I would have preferred the sleeve. The deciding factor for me was $750 out of pocket for the band and $17,000 out of pocket for the sleeve. My insurance doesn't cover the sleeve. My DH is 2 years out from his banding and doing very well, so when I went to the surgeon for consultation that's what I planned to pursue. I learned about the sleeve during the consult (he discussed by-pass, sleeve, and gastric banding). I think I would have been very disappointed had it been the other way, if I'd gone in planning for the sleeve, only to be denied by my insurance. But I was told upfront at the consultation that my insurance only covered by-pass and banding. Had I been self pay, absolutely would have chosen the sleeve.

I have Realize (2 months), DH has LapBand (2 years). We are both doing well. Realize has some online support, which I admit, I don't use, but can be useful to those who do. My Dr. offered both too. I liked the way my port is anchored and the lower profile. But it's just a tool. They both work very well if we do what we are supposed to do. Don't stress out about the decision. If you don't want to decide, tell your surgeon and he can decide for you. Wish you well and much success! Edited to add: Your surgeon should be able to give you literature on both bands. Both companies also have websites.

5'3" here. Petite length works for the legs, but the waist to crotch is too short. Regular length of course have to be hemmed, but if they are anything but straight leg, they look funny just hemming. And often because I don't have much tummy but excess booty, they are too high in the front and too low in the back. Dresses? I go with skirts and tops most of the time. I need smaller top but long to cover my torso and larger bottom but shorter length. A petite skirt with a regular top, with short or 3/4 sleeve works. If we can figure out we are all different, why can't manufacturers?

Great job on the weight loss! And I think you already know what to do... no fizzy for awhile! Follow your doctors recommendations. Now you know why they make them. I make mistakes in following instructions too, that's how I know to say that.

TexasFire, That's awesome that you are doing so great with the exercise. No doubt the inches are falling off like crazy! Toss me some of that motivation and discipline! That's very good point too about weight loss not necessarily being what it seems. Also people will lose differently based on age, sex, and a host of other reasons that have nothing to do with our bands' brands. It's so much an individual thing. I'm sure everyone is tired of hearing me say that DH and I have different brands. He's lost 140+ over 2 years. The main thing we can say is that we've both done better with the band than with anything else we've ever done. We both love our bands, but I wouldn't care if I had his, and he wouldn't care if he had mine. And we wouldn't care if we had yours. LOL