citygirl4616

I do not crush my pills. I even take my normal vitamins, but I cut them in half, using a pill splitter.

I doubt your insurance will cover any complications from your Lap-Band surgery. Not because you are having it done in Mexico, but because, I am assuming, they do not cover bariatric surgery (that's why you are self pay...right?). If any complications were to arise as a direct result of the surgery, you would have to pay for it out of pocket. I had the surgery done here in the states, as a self-pay patient, and that is what I was told by my insurance company (Coventry). Perhaps you may want to call and double check with your insurance company.

I have 4 small ones, and one larger one, where the port went. My surgery was two months ago, and the 4 small ones are less noticeable every day. The larger one is fading too. I had no external stitches or staples, just band-aids. The lap-band is the best tool I know for weight loss. I have already lost 25 pounds. I have been on every diet out there, and failed on every single one. It is normal to feel like this may not work for you, but with a little knowledge and a little support, it will work! Read the boards, and check out the success stories. They are all so inspiring.

I had my first fill 3 weeks ago, and I feel very good restriction. As of now, I do not plan on asking for another fill. That is not to say things won't change in a few months, but for now, I am satisfied with my one fill.

What you are experiencing is very normal. It sounds like most of your surgery swelling has gone down, so your appetite has returned. Since your band was most likely put in empty (unfilled), you will feel little to no restriction with your eating until your first adjustment. Just be patient....the first 6 weeks after surgery are for healing, not weight loss. Once you get your first adjustment, you will really feel how the band will adjust your appetite.

Sure, no problem. I only take if absolutely necessary, b/c I find it to work VERY well

First rule out any medical reasons for your hair situation. Go to your internist and your dermatolgist. Assuming all checks out medically, here are a few tips that should help: 1 - In addition to getting your Protein in every day, make sure to take your multi-Vitamin, Calcium and take a Biotin supplement (any generic brand will be fine). Biotin really helps your hair and nails grow in strong and healthy. 2 - Make sure you are eating enough healthy fat in your diet (EVOO, canola oil, etc.) Find out from your doctor how much you should be taking in, and make sure you get it. 3 - Do not wash your hair every day. If possible, aim for every 3rd day. Use a moisturizing conditioner everytime you shampoo, and use a deep conditioning treatment once a week. My favorite line of hair products for damaged hair is Ojon. It will seriously transform your hair. It is a little pricey, but worth every penny. Buy it as Sephora, and if you don't like it, you can return it in 30 days for a refund. 4 - Of course, try to use styling tools as little as possible (blow dryer, curling iron), and try not to use barettes or clips in your hair, as they tend to cause breakage. Good luck!

I had my first fill about 3 weeks ago. I had no problem with bread before my fill. As a matter of fact, I was able to eat almost anything before my fill. I also stopped losing weight before the fill. My fill has definitely restricted my eating. Also, it was a pretty aggressive fill (almost 3cc in a 4cc band). I am going to wait a few days, and try some crunchy, thin-sliced, whole-grain toast. The biscuit was probably not the best choice to try for my first bread.

Sometime I still get a little sore...kind of like a "stitch" in my side. It is happening less and less frequently. I was banded 1/10, and last time it happened was 5 days ago. I took some Alleve and it went away.

Sounds like an eating disorder to me. The lapband is supposed to be the tool to a healthier lifestyle, not one of purging. My guess is this is NOT a common practice among bandsters. I know I don't do that.

I am super tight in the AM, but also pretty hungry. The 2 breakfasts that work for me are" 1 - Carnation Instant Breakfast (made w/ skim milk) 2 - Greek non fat yogurt, with a mashed banana, sweetened with a little honey (sometimes I can add a little crushed, high Protein, flax Cereal for crunch) Of course, you could always do a Protein shake, but I think I "overdosed" on them in my immediate post-op days.

I am in a little rut with my meals these days. I would love to get some ideas, and hear what everyone's favorite meals are. Here are my most frequent meals: B - Scrambled egg w/ cheddar and a little scallion OR Greek non fat yogurt w/ mashed banana & handful high Protein flax Cereal, crushed (for some crunch) L - Egg salad, salmon salad or tuna salad on cucumber rounds Grilled chicken salad D - Chicken meatball and a small salad Small breaded chicken cutlet and small salad Mashed up baked potato w/ cottage cheese S - Skim ricotta w/ cocoa powder and 1 Splenda String cheese

I found the best bras to wear! They are called Lounge Bras by Rhonda Shear. They have no wires or hooks, and come in tons of colors. They are reasonably priced as well. I found them 2 years ago, and wear them almost everyday. They have come in especially handy since my surgery. You can find them by googling "Rhona Shear" or you can get them from hsn.com. They start at XS and go all the way up to 3XL. You will never want to wear a regular bra again. Just check the size chart. The material is very forgiving, so it is good to wear while you are dropping the pounds.

I guess about 10 days. My abdominal region was just so sore until then. My only advise is to tell your partner to watch out for the port site. It is still pretty sensitive to any kind of pressure.

Definitely try salad. I can eat salad at dinner time, but I am usually too tight at lunchtime for a salad (I only had my 1st fill 10 days ago). Everyone is different. I had no trouble with salads before my fill, so I would say to give it a try.

I like making my own hummus. It is so easy, and you can make it to suit your own personal taste. I eat it as a snack, or as a light lunch, either alone, on soy chips, or on cucumber rounds. I find it very filling, and it definitely has Protein in it. Here is my recipe from a local Lebanese restaurant: Hummus 1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled salt to taste juice 2 lemons 2 T tahini (sesame paste, available in any Whole Foods or health store, even some grocery stores) 3-4 T EVOO Place all ingrediants in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. I add a little extra salt, lemon and garlic for flavor, and an extra tablespoon, or so, of olive oil to make it nice and creamy. Taste it as you make it, you can add flavoring at any point, and just whiz it in. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week.

I know many people have experience a "tight" band in the AM, and cannot eat much Breakfast, other than liquids. Since my first fill, my band doesn't loosen up until about 3pm. I wake up, and can drink about half a cup of a cold beverage (water or OJ) and/or a few sips of coffee. Sometimes I can get half of a cup of yogurt down. I can't eat eggs anymore, or fruit, but I am not really hungry anyway. By lunchtime, I am pretty hungry, but cannot get much down without food getting stuck (I get that tight, pressure in the band area). I can eat a small amount of liquids, but that's all. I can barely eat a few bites of salad. Needless to say by 2-3pm I am very hungry. At that time I have a piece of string cheese, which goes down fine. Then an hour later, I will have some hummus, or my leftover salad from lunch. A few hours later, I can eat a normal dinner (small fillet of fish and a small salad), and then a pudding cup before bed. Does anyone else have a similar schedule, where you are super tight in the AM and through lunch, then loosen up for dinner?

I lost 16 # by the 1 month mark, but then the scale didn't move for 2 weeks. At 6 weeks post-op, I got my first adjustment, and I started losing again. I think it has been 9 days since my fill, and I am down another 5 or 6 pounds.

I know you don't want to hear this, but the first 6 weeks after surgery are for healing, not necessarily for losing weight. That is why we have to eat so many grams of Protein per day (I think I was eating/drinking 70 grams a day). Are all of the calories you are getting in the form of good quality protein? Your body really needs the extra protein right now, and if it is not getting it, that may be why you are not losing. Also, have you had an adjustment yet? If your band was put in empty (most doctors put them in empty), you will notice another jumpstart to your weight loss, once you hit the proper fill level in your band. I completely sympathize with you. I lost about 16 # immediately after surgery, then at 3 weeks post-op...I stopped losing weight. I even gained 2 pounds! I just kept reminding myself to wait until my first fill. Once I reached 6 weeks post-op, and got my first fill, my weight loss began again, and I am down about 3 - 3.5 # per week. Be patient...it WILL work!

Yeah....I guess I don't mind. I was just wondering if it was normal. I am very elated with my weight loss...3.5 pounds in the first week after my fill! It is so strange to not be hungry all the time, and then to get full on an ounce or so of cheese. I miss eating my big breakfast, but not as much as I miss the extra weight!

I got the lap band put on Jan. 10, and I could not be happier with my decision. I have already lost about 21 #, and I feel wonderful. The recover from the surgery was not bad at all. Since you have been through childbirth, you can handle the lap band surgery :biggrin: , and the recovery. It is not a quick fix though. Your eating habits will change for life, and you will have to deal with your emotional eating (almost all of us have emotional eating issues here on this board). But..the lap band is an excellent tool to get started. Of course, everyone gets scared at some point in the process of making this decision. I was fine until the day before my surgery when I completely freaked out. I just kept on reminding myself that if I didn't do the surgery, in one year from now, I would probably be 10 pounds heavier, but if I did the surgery, in one year, I would probably be close to my goal weight. That thought really helped me. In the end, the decision is yours. Read through the boards, do the research, speak to the doctors, and your loved ones. For me, it is the best decision I ever made. It feels so good to see the scale finally go down, instead of up. PM me if you have any other questions. Good luck!

I was self pay, so my process went pretty quickly. I had my first meeting with the doctor (seminar in late Oct. is mandatory) in early November, and had my surgery on Jan. 10. I was very motivated, so I got all my pre-op appointments scheduled within 3 weeks. Then I had to wait for the results of the psych evaluation to get to the surgeon's office, before they would schedule the surgery. Once that report arrived at the office, surgery was scheduled for 2 weeks later. If you are using insurance, the process will probably take closer to 6 months.

Good suggestion. I am a very fast eater. i have always been the first person done with my meal at a table. I will work on eating super slow. Thanks!

I got a 3cc fill 6 days ago, and am still having trouble with many solid foods...chicken, salad, cheese, despite the fact that I chew eat bite 20 times. I get that tightness in my chest, while I wait for the food to settle down through the band. It is pretty painful. Beverages and soft foods go down just fine. Do I just need more time and practice with my solid foods, or does this mean I am too tight, and need a small unfill? Will the band loosen up a little, or it this is?

I would have to say bread isn't worth it to me anymore. I just seems very gluey to me know. I don't mind the occasional piece of toast in the AM, but when the bread basket arrives at the dinner table, all I see is a big wad of wet dough stuck in my band! Not appetizing! I haven't wanted a sandwich since surgery. I eat sandwich fillings on cucumber rounds or wrapped in lettuce rolls now. Delicious!