Kalipso2

the cost of my surgery included (2) years of fills... which ended April 2010. thankfully, i haven't needed another fill since then but if i do, my doctor charges $100 for any fill or unfill. i have a 10cc band and currently have 4.4cc right now. it took me numerous fills and unfills before we got it just right!

i didn't lose any of my hair the first 2 months after surgery. i thought i was one of the lucky ones that wouldn't. well, 3 months after my surgery my hair started falling out. my hair dresser made a comment but i had already noticed. i knew it wouldn't be permanent so i didn't do anything about it and just let nature take its course. i have very thick hair so i wasn't overly worried. it all grew back!

no, i don't think i would have waited either. personally, i think i got a good deal to begin with. my surgery cost $12,900 with 2 years of free fills under flouroscopy. if i had wanted cheaper (at that time) i would have gone to mexico. what it came down to is i wanted my surgeon (who i trusted) and i didn't want to wait!

when i was doing research about my weightloss surgery i read about non-weightloss victories. i just had one today. when i met with my surgeon for the last time in april he told me i lost 60% of my weight and i'm considered a "success". i questioned him about losing 100% of the weight and he said most likely i never would... that i have a bigger bone structure. he pissed me off. since april i've lost an additional 15 pounds and i plan on continuing to lose. i even lost 2 pounds over thanksgiving weekend! anyway... that's not my victory. my mom gave me a $50 giftcard to kohl's... my favorite store. they're having another "BIG SALE" which they have every week but i decided to go spend my money... can't have it burn a hole in my pocket, right? i grabbed a skirt, a couple of shirts, corduroy pants and a couple pair of jeans. what sucks is that i'm in one of those in between sizes so i have to take 3 different sizes in the dressing room. i always start with the biggest size and work my way down. the skirt, which i have a few different patterns already... the size 8 TOO BIG! i'm now a size 6! the corduroy's... the size 10 TOO BIG! i'm now an 8! the shirts... the large TOO BIG! my boobs now fit into a medium! now the jeans... i hate jeans. i hate the way they fit. i hate the way they feel. i always get disgusted trying them on. today was no different. the Levis size 10 were too big but the size 8 felt too tight. there happened to be a pair of skinny jeans size 8 already in the dressing room when i got in there. for shits and giggles i tried them on... and they fit AND i looked good in them! ME in SKINNY jeans?!?!? i'm beginning to LOVE shopping...

ooohhhh.... popcorn isn't the best thing to eat so soon after surgery!! its really hard for the stomach to digest. at least it is for me!

i agre with Mel... see if your surgeon's office will work with you to either change your height or get re-weighed wearing heavier clothes or ankle/wrist weights. i know, it sounds like cheating (and it is) but you shouldn't be denied just because of 1 BMI point!

each doctor is different. my doc told me no soda or alcohol for 3 months post-op. i drink diet soda now... 1 or 2 cans a day... and my stomach gurgles like its hungry when it passes thru the band. i get a lot of funny looks lol

you should be fine with the V8 because there aren't any carbonation bubbles in it and that's what you want to avoid.

i agree, salad might not be the best choice in meals so early out. you should be eating as much Protein as you can... eggs, cheese, chicken, Beans.

welcome to my world *sigh* i have an angel sitting on one shoulder (with the lapband) telling me i don't need to eat anymore. i also have the devil sitting on the other shoulder (my brain) telling me that the food is soooo yummy and to keep eating. always listen to the angel!! and unfortantely, i'm 3 years post-op and i STILL struggle!

i'm at 29.1%

1. why do I have to wait till the 4th week to eat foods?? I feel like my body can handle them already. So I have been trying, but if there is a good reason for me not to, then I won't. I still only eat half a cup and feel full. SO I am doing ok with quantity. because those are the rule your doctor has set-up for your recovery. he's not trying to sabatoge you by setting unrealistic goals. we've ALL had to follow basically the same post-op diet. you have to give your body time to adjust to having the band around it. do NOT go against your doctors orders because YOU feel like you're doing okay. there are rules for a reason. 2. This is a little TMI but, how often do you guys have a BM? It seems to be once every few days for me, and I don't know that that is normal. this is a problem most of us have had after surgery so there's nothing to be shy about. since our diet has changed dramatically, so will the BM. check with your doctor and see if you can take a Fiber supplement to help you out. 3. will the gas and bloating ever calm down?? yes... i promise, it will calm down! 4. Do I have to take small sips of Water forever?? I am so thirsty I just want to chug water but I am scared to. ALSO I hate the Protein drinks I have (haven't found one I like yet) and I could get through them perop because I chugged them, now I have to sip slowly. Any suggestions?? for now, no chugging. your band is way too new. continue to sip, sip, sip. i'm almost 3 years post-op and i can drink a little quicker now but just remember how tiny your stomach is right now. if you drink too much too fast, it won't have anywhere to go and you'll end up throwing up the water. and that is a big no-no!! 5. Will our serving sizes be 1/2 a cup forever? I mean as long as we have the band?? yes, your stomach will remain the same size so that means the amount of food you can eat will remain the same. i'm sure it probably seems unattainable right now to eat that little basically forever, but it gets easier with time. i usually eat off a small saucer plate and not a big dinner plate. that way my plate looks full.

congratulations on your hard work! you know, your sister is just envious (or jealous) of your success. that's nothing for YOU to feel bad about! you and your sister sound like you have a very close relationship. talk to her about what she's feeling. let her tell you what she's feeling and why. i had an incident with my sister too. my sister was never as heavy as i was but the same time i had my surgery, she decided to join Weight Watchers. so as i was working so hard to lose weight, she was losing weight too. i felt like she was trying to steal the limelight from me. i was extremely jealous and angry at her because this was supposed to be MY time to shine. now, almost 3 years later, we're the same weight and while i'm slowly still losing but only 1 or 2 pounds a month, she decided to go back on WW after New Years. i honestly think my sister is threatened by my weightloss. could that be something your sister is dealing with?

unfortunately, insurance companies don't consider weight loss surgery as preventative medicine. do you have a surgeon picked out already? i didn't have to do this because i was self pay but what i heard of some people doing is wearing heavy clothes and wrist and ankle weights while getting their initial weigh-in to submit to the insurance companies to make it look like they weigh more than they really do.

when i cough at night it is usually due to my acid reflux... and could be the reason for your husband's too.

i know many people go to Mexico and i don't know either way about the surgeons BUT you have to be careful about who you will see for your aftercare (for fills and such) because a lot of surgeons won't touch patients that they didn't band. my surgeon, Dr. Trace Curry, is out of cincinnati but he has a satellite office in columbus! check him out at www.thebanddoctor.com. i can't say enough good things about him or his office. i was self pay and my surgery cost $12,900 with 2 years of free fills. i hope you find out your insurance covers the cost! just remember, the initial consultation fee with any surgeon is free so if you don't get a good vibe from one, find another! let me know if you have any questions!!

welcome to the forum and congratulation on the beginning of your journey! i'm a crazy bird lady with 5 birds (and 2 cats)! where are you at in ohio? i live in the cleveland area but had my surgery in cincinnati!

i'm glad i could help! it took me a long time before i got it too. you'll notice that it becomes a struggle between your band telling you to stop eating (an angel) and your brain telling you "one more bite" (a devil). which one will YOU listen to?

my port is on the opposite side of my belly button... and its right above the scar. you'll have occasional pain there. even 3 years post-op i still get a twinge every once in awhile especially while at work because my desk seems to be the same height as my port and i lean on it all the time!

i'm 3 years post-op and i don't know if i'd say i REGRET having the band but it has been such a difficult journey... more difficult than i ever imagined. i thought i did all the research beforehand. i knew how little i'd be able to eat. i knew i'd have to give up my favorite foods. i thought i'd be okay with that because i'd be skinny, right? it's as hard today as it was 3 years ago. BUT... i am happy with the results i've achieved. i've gone from a size 16 jeans to a size 6. it's almost like being in a catch 22. i'm glad with what the band has given me. i just thought that my addiction for food would disappear with the pounds and it hasn't.

you have to REALLY learn your body to recognize the new signs of feeling full. to me, its not so much as a physical response but a mental one where i think to myself, "if i eat one more bite i'll throw up." i do get short of breath or the hiccups are 2 physical responses i get.

my go to foods when eating out are grilled chicken (no bread) with a baked potato, quesadilla, nachos or chicken fingers. luckily all my friends know about my band and we all share appetizers or they let me eat off their plates lol i can't eat most breads... including pizza. i can handle the crust of one piece and the toppings from two pieces. i also can't eat any ground meat which has been just as rough as no bread!

i'm on the opposite side of the spectrum... my doctor said no carbonation or alcohol for 3 months then after that time period it was fine. i drink 1 or 2 cans a day plus my Water. i've had absolutely no problems except for a gurgling noise when the soda passes thru the band that sounds like my stomach is growling. i'm almost 3 years post op.

it could be that you are too filled. i do know that my body tells me that if i take one more bite i'll throw up. can you NOT take that one more bite and see what happens? after you have an episode of throwing up, you should do liquids for a day or mushie foods to give your stomach a chance to heal from the vomiting.

good luck on your first fill! have you seen or read about how a fill is done? i hadn't and it totally freaked me out! my doctor sprays the port area with a liquid pain med and quickly sticks the needle in but during my first fill i wasn't expecting it to happen so quickly and i grabbed the doctor's arm before he could stick the needle in. lol its not really painful but can be a bit uncomfortable until he finds the port with the needle.