BansterNYC

I'd like to drink champagne occasionally -- maybe a few glasses every 2 months or so. My nutritionist has mixed feelings on it -- not a hard answer. Wondering what the rest of you were advised? I don't drink sodas or any other carbonated beverages. Didn't really drink them before surgery either. Any thoughts?

Here's my NSV: I went to a basketball game at Madison Square Garden here in NYC. The turnstiles, where they take your ticket, are quite narrow and were made decades ago when the average American was probably about 150lbs. Now, with a much *larger* population, a majority of the people going though have to turn sideways to fit through or they have to walk around and the ticket-taker manually pushes the counter bar. This past weekend, I presented my ticket and walked through the turnstile - STRAIGHT FORWARD! No sideways step to fit through, etc! I was so happy!

I can feel my port. I have to push on it to fell it with my fingers. Also, when I am doing a lot of sit-ups or abdominal exercises, I can feel that it's there. Not bothersome at all, just aware of it. I can't feel the band at all.

As I go down one size I will buy black pants, jeans, and a black wrap dress at each size. Those get me by for work and casual events. Other than that I don't buy specialty pieces that will only last me a few weeks. Once spring comes around, I am going to do a big shopping trip!

I am the same too!!! I find a cup of hot tea helps *open me up* in the morning, then I try and get in good Protein (a hard boiled egg). If I start eating well in the morning, I have a good lunch, and then don't eat soooo much at dinner. But yes - it is my biggest meal of the day.

Not sure if this was mentioned -- but you need to consider the pain meds you're on. Can you drive a car while on Percocet? I would certainly not. Can you function at work on that medicine? I had surgery on Thursday, and it was REALLY TOUGH being back on Monday (I take public transportation). I ended up leaving a few hours early. If you can switch over to Tylenol by Monday, you should be fine. Clear everything else off the calendar though for the first 3 weeks. Energy will be really low too for the first 3 weeks, and work is likely all you'll have the energy for at that time. Let your body heal and don't push it too much.

You want to heal your scars? TAKE ARNICA MONTANA!!! Then use Kelo-Cote. Arnica Montana -- available at GNC. Many plastic surgery patients take it to promote healing and reduce bruising. It worked wonders for me!!! I started taking it 1 month before surgery. Kelo-Cote -- this is the best topical product for scars. Start using 2 weeks after surgery: Kelo-cote Scar Gel Skincare Product at SkinStore.com Also available for half the price on eBay. I have applied this every morning and night and my scars look great! Here's pictures of my scars:

You want to heal your scars? TAKE ARNICA MONTANA!!! Then use Kelo-Cote. Arnica Montana -- available at GNC. Many plastic surgery patients take it to promote healing and reduce bruising. It worked wonders for me!!! Kelo-Cote -- this is the best topical product for scars. Start using 2 weeks after surgery: Kelo-cote Scar Gel Skincare Product at SkinStore.com Also available for half the price on eBay. I have applied this every morning and night and my scars look great! Here's pictures of my scars:

195 - highest weight, and my weight when I started the pre-op diet. 189 - highest weight measured doc's office and for insurance purposes. ** I use 195 as my starting weight when I measure my how much I have lost. Surgeon uses the lover 189 weight since that's what was reported to INAMED.

Please realize that all the the prices people write about the Band or Gastric Bypass are ONLY if the surgery is without complications. IF you should have ANY complications that require further testing, procedures, or a longer stay in the hospital, YOU will need to pay extra for that. Medical debt is the #1 reason people decare bankruptcy in the US. You need to be sure you can cover all expenses and scenarios regardless if you select the band or bypass. BTW, I am 100% behind lap-band over bypass.

The replies above offer some good advice, but they will only do . However, if you want to REALLY want to get your scars down you need to do 3 things: 1. Use Kelo Cote Scar Gel - you can get it at the link below. Put it on 2x per day. I have been using it for 3 months and only used about 1/2 the tub so far. Kelo-cote Scar Gel Skincare Product at SkinStore.com 2. Start taking Arnica Montana. Sold at GNC. Many plastic surgery patients take it since it promotes healing. 3. Visit a dermatologist ASAP. He/she can inject a tiny amount of steroid into the scar and that will dramatically reduce the "raised" part of the scar.

I was 180 the day of surgery. 195 was my highest.

No more fad diets for me! I follow the bandster rules and the guidance from my nutritionist. I got the band to stop doing the fad diets and yo-yo dieting. Think about it.

I was told to wait 4 weeks. Remember, alcohol may affect you differently.... you have less calories to absorb it, and you will likely weight less. For my first glass of wine, I actually had 1/2 wine 1/2 Water and it took baby sips and finished it in 40 minutes. A few days later, less water in the wine,and it only took me 20 minutes. After having wine a few more times after that, I realized I need to have some food with it -- so I have 15 little goldfish crackers about 15 min before I have the wine. If I don;t have a little something in my stomach, I feel really drunk pretty quick, even on a small amount of wine. I know this is against the bandster rules to eat with liquids, but it works for me only in this scenario. Once I am finished with the wine, I then wait 10 min until I start my dinner. If I resume drinking wine, I will wait a full 60 min after I complete my dinner. Bottom line: you need to ease into alcohol use to see how it will affect you, and you may want to start out doing it at home and not in a social setting.

I really like Iso-Pure protein powder, and you can purchase it at GNC. No-carb and low-carb versions available. No sugar, low calories, and comes in a variety of flavors. I add 1 or 2 scoops to 2 cups of skim milk and it's yummy and really fills me up. You need to play around with a few protein powders to see what works for you. But, yes, I prefer Iso-Pure, and it was suggested by my nutritionist. :eek:

I recommend using Kelo-cote which you can purchase at this link: Kelo-cote Scar Gel Skincare Product at SkinStore.com Since you develop keloid scars, you may be well served by visiting a COSMETIC dermatologist and discuss your scar situation and your upcoming surgery. That's what I did, and my cosmetic dermatologist here in New York City recommended Kelo-Cote. Go to the Scar Stages link. I posted my scar pics there, and you can see how well I have healed. I posted 3-day and 20-day scars. They are even better now that I am 8 weeks post-op. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/scar-stages-share-yours-6117/index29.html

Tanning, in a bed or the sun, will hurt the healing process of the scars, especially in the first 18 months post-op. It will "set" the scars in place, and dramatically reduce their ability to heal further. Is that worth it to you? I love tanning beds too. If you want to go, why not drape a towel over your belly so the rest of you--the visible parts--are nice and golden. Unless you plan on being in a bikini, and if that's the case, then read the first sentence again.

Glue and dissolve stitches. The stitches were not visible.

I live here in Manhattan and was banded 7 weeks ago by Dr. Brian Jacob at Mt Sinai Hospital. I have lost 23lbs so far (pre-op and post-op loss). I am now filled to 6cc in my 11cc VG band. I feel restriction, but can still eat a lot of food at each meal. Maybe the next fill will get me to the "sweet spot".

Do not unfill yourself. Even though you're a trained nurse, you could puncture the tube leading to the band and put yourself up for another surgery to fix that. IMO it's not worth the risk. If you're losing at least 2 lbs per week, then you likely do not need a fill. Also, no questions are stupid. We're all here to learn.

For 3 weeks before the surgery and for 10 days after surgery I took 4 Arnica tablets 3x a day. I take is about once a day lately. The tablets dissolve under your tongue. Several companies manufacture Arnica and sell it. I used the "Hyland's" brand. Thank you for your kind words. I am thrilled with how well my scars are healing. I am lucky, and I have a GREAT surgeon!

I went on a cruise 10 days after banding... and I started a thread on it. Look at the past threads I started to locate it. Towards the end of the thread I wrote my reflections after returning from the cruise. It may be helpful to you.

$8500 for Dr. Ortiz in Mexico. ObesityControlCenter.com

No - the band does not set off metal detectors at the airport... I flew 10 days after surgery and returned home with no problem.

5'1" 195 was my highest and I was squeezing into size 14 pants. Skirts and dresses were all size L from stores like banana Republic, Gap, Ann Taylor. I just bought a size 12 winter coat that fits comfortably! I am going to wait until I lose more before I start buying more clothes.