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Hello all!! First I must say this forum has been an invaluable resource for me during my bandster journey. I was banded on Feb. 19 and as of yesterday, I am down 50 pounds!! I have never lost that much. Anyway, 50 pounds was my first goal and I met the deadline I set for myself. Plus, I am just 3 pounds away from Onederland. Haven't been there for over 10 years. If anyone out there is discouraged, or wondering if the band really can work- it does and it can!! I love the control over food the band gives me. Best wishes to everyone on their bandster journey! :biggrin2:

I hope I can answer some of your questions. The COE designation is not really for the physician per se, but more for the hospital's SWL program itself.The surgeon typically functions as a medical director. There are many standards to maintain- alot of reporting to maintain your designation. Some of the standards include a required certain number of procedures, pre-op and post-op care, education, outcome monitoring, things like that. My surgeon and SWL center actually share office space and it is located in the campus of the hospital. the SWL center is run by the hospital and the staff are hospital employees- the surgeon's office and staff are a separate entity though in the same physical location. Hope this answers some of your questions.

I was wondering if anyone out there has had a flipped port? I have felt "pulling" sensation with some tenderness at my port recently. I contacted the nurse at my SWL center and she suggests I make an appt to see the surgeon because that my port may be flipped. Has this been your experience if you have had one? How is it repaired? Does it require another surgery? (yikes!) thank you everyone! 252/208/150 Dr. Wheeler Kentucky :tongue:

Hello all fellow nurses! I have been an RN for the last 16 years, last 8 years in the ER and still love it. I work for a regional medical center in KY and for a "small town hospital" we ROCK!! (if I do say so myself). Mom to 2 kids Daniel, 5 and Sophie, 3. Can't imagine ever leaving the ER- but I may change my mind after doing a rotation of nights this summer. Typically I work days, but agreed to go to nights for 4 weeks because they are hurting for staff in general and charge nurses in particular. Anyway... great thread! Thanks for starting it!:wink2: BTW... I got banded 2/19 at my facility. Did most of you all get banded at your hospitals?

I did it!!! I just ordered my bodybugg and I am so excited. I have been thinking about it for a while, picked up some on call at work so now it is on the way!! Can't wait for it to get here. I will let you all know how it works out!!

Just had my second fill. Now even though I am not needle phobic, I am a big fat weenie. I was really nervous with the first one, and when he pulled out the 3 foot needle that did not help much. BUT... it was over and done before I knew it. My second fill was pretty much the same way. I mean, I have shoes that hurt worse than that! My doc does not use anesthesia (local or otherwise) nor does he typically use flouro. IMO it is overkill to do so for every patient because not every patient needs it. So... I hope this makes you feel better about fills. :thumbup:

:lol:OK so I finally have a surgery date- Feb. 19th. Woo-hoo!!... Anyway, as I am waiting to see the nurse that does the actual scheduling, I look through my chart at the surgeon's office. Imagine my surprise when I get to the psych eval! Turns out, according to the health attitude survey, that I did not really know myself very well. Among other things I am: distrustful and suspiscious of the medical system (I am an RN- ok so maybe that one is right), suffering from low self esteem, timid, passive, afraid of what others think, and unable to make appropriate health decisions. LOL!! Now I know you all do not know me, but believe me when I tell you I am none of those things. So... beware the Health Attitude Survey! Maybe I misunderstood the instructions- so I am stupid, not crazy. LOL:lol:

Hello fellow bandsters! As my workouts and eating routine become second nature to me, I have become interested in the bodybugg. I have reviewed their website and watched the video but had some questions that only other BB users can answer. If anyone can answer these questions for me, I would be grateful. Is it time consuming to use (entering in all your info everyday)? Has it really helped you with your weight loss? Is it useless without the subscription to the online account? Is is easy to use, such when entering your intake- can you easily find and enter in your food or do you have to keep track of your calories yourself and just enter a number? Does it give you a target deficit or do you have to figure that out for yourself? Do you wear it everyday?? Sorry this is so long- but I don't want to spend $300-$400 on something that will become more of an aggravation than assistance. THANKS !!

Hello HK!! Good job on your weight loss! Truly an inspiration. I would think that you have lost enough weight to schedule a consultation with a plastic surgeon. Only he/she can tell you if you could have PS done now or if you should wait. It all depends on your fat and skin distribution and really what your goals are. As far as lipodissolve goes, I can't imagine any plastic surgeon worthy of the title MD recommending that. It is not FDA approved (though the facilities that perform it will tell you it is). I did some research on this recently (a news story piqued my interest), and the results can be devastating. Perhaps it was only the providers that I saw on the story and online, but I did not run across anything positive about the procedure. Hope this info helps, best wishes in whatever you decide!!!

I don't know if your doc is making fun of you or not, but needles (the hubs) are usually color coded based on size for ease of identification. However, if I were a betting woman, I would wager that your doc knew you had no idea of the differnce between a green and blue needle. Physicians are especially gifted at answering questions without really answering them. :thumbup:

I actually discussed it with my WLS team. I picked an absolute goal and a "Christmas Wish" goal. Everyone was in agreement that my goals were reasonable and achievable, so there it was. We'll see what happens from here. :ohmy:

A huber needle is bent at a 90 degree angle and was originally designed to be non-coring for access to various types of ports and has been around alot longer than the lap-band. You may refer to my above post to see what my doc uses. Best wishes!!

not all needles for lapband fills are huber needles. THe needles my doc uses are by the same manufacturer as who made my band- the package actually says "Lap-Band Port Access Needle". It is scary long and ultra sharp (which is a good thing). The type of needle used depends on your port, port profile, and surgeon preference. Hope this helps.

LA girl, I was doing the same thing about the same time. You're doing fine- as long as you are getting in your protein and have good energy, it is all good. Best wishes!!!

Are you aware that Vicodin contains acetaminophen (Tylenol)? Didn't want you to take too much Tylenol. If you do that too often, it is pretty tough on your liver.

Counting, I recommend asking your doctor himself about the Chromium Picolinate, especially if you have any cardiac or hypertension issues. It carries a risk of cardiac arrhythmias. Cookie

Bibo- I experienced the same symptoms post op. I was miserable for several days- especially my back. I found that because I was guarding my movements it really strained my back muscles. The good news is it got better and once I was able to exercise, I included back exercises that have completely relieved my back pain. No real advice here, just wanted to encourage you and perhaps suggest some back exercises if you can tolerate them. Good Luck!!

the best thing yet came from my husband. I was telling him that the band contains some silicone components and he replied... "when I wanted a wife with silicone implants this is not what I had in mind" funny, very funny. Actually, he has been very good and supportive- although he did have the nerve to come down with the flu the day before my surgery!!

Shannon, the reason for the breathing tube is twofold. First, when you are unconscious, you are unable to maintain your airway. That means you are not able to clear your throat or cough. Plus the meds that put you under severely depress your respiratory drive. Secondly, and not many people are aware of this, you are paralyzed during surgery. This provides better airway control and prevents involuntary movement during surgery. I would hate to have my surgeon try to hit a moving target.:biggrin2: The medications to knock you out and paralyze you are given in your IV. I could be wrong on this next part, but I do not believe gas anesthesia is used very much anymore. That provides more of a conscious sedation versus anesthesia. And finally, the tube is inserted through your vocal cords into your lungs. The breathing tube is not in your esophagus (if it is- that is a bad thing). Sorry if this is too much info- that is the educator in me coming out!! Best wishes!!

Gen. anesthesia with intubation is required for this surgery. When I asked my anesth. about an LMA breathing tube (for another lap surgery), he said direct intubation was required to maintain your airway due to the pressure the inflated abdomen creates. Makes sense to me. Discuss your concerns and history w/ your anesthesiologist. Sometimes they can do different things to prevent certain reactions. Good Luck!!

Well, I am 3 weeks out and go for my follow up visit with my surgeon today. After my surgery, during my overnight stay, my heart rate dropped to the 40's in the night. I chalked it up to drugs and my beta blocker. Hospitalist comes in the next day, decreases b-blocker, orders EKG, all is good-right? I go home happy. So he says today- "what did your primary MD do about this heart rate? You know you basically flatlined during surgery- your heart rate went down to 10" WHAT???!! :teeth_smile: He told me it was a vasovagal reaction (stimulation of the vagus nerve causing severely low heart rate) and I quickly recovered with medications. He also said that any time I get laprascopic surgery to tell them to inflate my ABD very slowly! Well, I guess so. As a nurse, I know vasovagal reactions respond very wellto meds, but I am still thinking it is a good thing I was unconscious at the time. Good to be alive folks!!:drool:

Laurend, have you tried a temp agency like Kelly Services or Manpower? Sometimes you can find temporary work doing all kinds of stuff. My sister is a Sr. super for Kelly and she finds work for folks in your shoes all the time. It can be a good way to earn a few extra bucks. Hope this helps!!!

Malby- this will pass. I was miserable for an entire week. If you are unable to tolerate much, just keep up on your hydration. The protein can wait until you feel better. Don't stress out about it and BEST WISHES!!!

Seems a healthy fear of pain and nausea have been helping me through Bandster Hell. I am such a weenie. LOL

do they not give you FMLA? FMLA authorizes up to 12 weeks a year. It would depend on how you progress, however the heavy lifting is worrisome. They don't have to know specifically what surgery you are having. Good luck!