spicegrrrl

i definitely feel the wrath of all of the artificial stuff they put in protein drinks - i'm fairly headache-prone and any foods with lots of preservatives/sweeteners/msg/etc. almost always do me in. maybe you could try the gnc pure whey protein? the only ingredient is whey protein and it's supposedly unflavored so you can put it into anything you want (smoothies, juice, soup, etc.)

for me, i would say one of the best things is feeling like i have control of my weight and, by extension, my life. i had been gaining for so long i felt like losing weight was hopeless (until the band that is). even just losing 10% of my body weight, i feel much healthier and alive. as for the worst - it's hard to lose slowly at times and look around the boards to see other people losing at double your rate (or more!). my loss was really slow at for the first couple of months and i got a little freaked out that getting banded wasn't going to significantly impact my weight. also, and this is going to sound weird, but i loved eating large quantities of food and that whole full/stuffed/sated feeling that came along with it. i just don't get that with the band - it's more of an uncomfortable feeling rather than a full feeling. so sometimes i really miss being able to get that serotonin kick from large quantities of bad food. it was always a real comfort for me growing up. all in all, though, i wouldn't change a thing. :thumbup:

I actually posted the below in the hospitals area as well but thought I'd see if anyone here had any thoughts one way or the other as far as where I should go. I'd be seeing Dr. Shayani at Day One or Dr. Prachand at U of C. Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Spice Just thought I'd toss this out because I really need to make a decision. I've been approved for lap band surgery at both the University of Chicago Hospital and Day One Health (an outpatient facility). UC pros: in a world class hospital; program is a 'center of excellence'; really liked the surgeon (who performs all 3 bariatric procedures laparoscopically); UC cons: co$$$$t (about double that of Day One); will have residents assisting/working on me as it's a teaching hospital; only 3 months of "free" fills; doc has only done around 50-70 lap bands Day One pros: significantly lower cost; surgeon has performed over 700 surgeries and I liked him okay; "free" fills for a year; surgeon and FT anesthesiologist will be working on me Day One cons: Facility not equipped like a full hospital should anything go wrong; doc only specializes in lap band and is associated with Inamed so obviously has a bias towards pushing lap band; no overnight stay (and monitoring) - just sorta in and out. Anyone out there have any advice? I've gotta decide pretty quick. Thanks, Spice

hey there. i'm sorry i didn't see your post earlier - i could've helped you get in touch with him. yeah, dr. shayani has been transitioning into a new spot. he left day one almost right after i had my surgery (which totally freaked me out). but he has been excellent with keeping up with me, doing fills, etc. he is a very reassuring doctor. :wub: good luck with your surgery!

I totally know how you feel. My doc made me wait 6 weeks before I got my first fill - and that fill didn't do too much to curb my appetite. Four weeks after that (and not losing much weight at all) I had my second fill - a fairly large one and I lost a little. But it wasn't really until my third fill that the weight loss picked up a bit. I was banded on 3/17 and it can be really frustrating to see people banded around the same time losing at twice the rate - but hang in there! I've found a bit of success in journaling my food - you can review what you're putting in and make adjustments if necessary - it's pretty useful. I've also started a walking routine, which may not be helping to shed pounds fast but is making my body feel better. Getting to the right fill point can take time but don't worry! This is a long-term life change. It may happen slowly but it'll happen. Best of luck.

Wow. I think I had assumed that my fills would be super-easy based on all that I'd heard about them but I went in for my first fill today and it was a pretty ugly experience. I'm laying down and my doc starts to poke and prod _really_ hard in search of my port. This is super-uncomfortable. Then he takes out the largest needle I've ever seen. Now, I'm not particularly needle phobic but he had to dig around with the needle for what seemed like an eternity (about 5-7 minutes actually) before he found my port. It totally hurt! So now I have a fill of 3.5cc and my port area/stomach is very, very tender. What the heck? My doc said as one loses weight, it's easier to find the port but I am _so_ not looking forward to my next fill. Blargh...

i felt so terrible after my first fill - as you can tell by the post - but i've had 2 since then and both have been _so_ much better. he was able to find the port much faster and had little to no needle trouble. thank goodness! didn't ever use flouro or anesthesia - it all just worked out. :thumbs_up:

well, nearly 3 months in and i had my 3rd fill today, complete with my first productive burp (pb). that'll teach me to finish off the last few bites of tofu. all in all, not a horrible experience (sliming/spitting/regurgitating food) but it got me to thinking: now what? what exactly does one do after a pb? i know now to be a bit more careful and pay better attention to my body's signals - is there anything else? should i just drink liquids for the next few hours/days? what does everyone else do after a pb? anything special or do you just continue on your normal schedule? Thanks!

i used to be on depo but i had horrible side effects - weight gain, headaches, terrible mood swings...needless to say, i'm not the biggest fan of the med.

i can see it either way. for me, it wasn't an option but i was super-happy to crawl into my own bed and have my partner take care of me right after surgery. i just felt really comfortable...then again...maybe that was the liquid vicodin...

girlfriend, you are _so_ not alone. i've been one hundred pounds lighter than i currently am and even in my skinnier days i felt like i had so much weight to lose and that i was still really heavy. now i'd kill to be that much lighter... congratulations on your weight loss - i'm sure there are many things that are more enjoyable/easier to do now that you've lost the weight. sometimes, in the moment, it's hard to realize just how outstanding you've done and how great you actually look. there are a few books out there that deal with body/eating issues - i've got some names somewhere if you like. also, you may want to consider talking to a professional - it could help. whichever way you go, just know that you've got lots of people around here who know what you're going through. best,

my fills have been a.m. appts and my doc says no solids before your fill (on that day). liquids are ok. after the fill he recommends that the next meal be a liquid/soup and if i'm able to tolerate that fine, then to go ahead back to solids.

i had a really, really bad first fill - complete with lots of pushing on my stomach and needle prodding. i swear, it took an eternity and it hurt! however, i had my second fill today and my doc found the port no problem and it was over before i knew it. it was super-easy. so i guess i've had one bad and one good experience.

Hi all, I've been doing quite a bit of research on lap band in the Chicago area and have found out the following information on having it done at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, University of Chicago Hospital, and Day One Health in the 900 North Michigan Avenue building. Thought it may be useful for anyone out there. NW: Called to register for their seminar. Was told the process was to go to the seminar and if you qualify, you have 6 months of classes to take (a class each month, i believe) before your actual surgery. Seminar was at NMH and given via PowerPoint by one of the surgeons (Dr. Hungness). If I'm remembering correctly, they've done over 1,000 RNY surgeries but only 100-something lap band ones. Seems like NMH has outstanding facilities. I specifically asked about getting the surgery done out of the country and the Dr. said he thought it was a terrible idea and that you'd be hard pressed to find a doctor for your follow-up care in the U.S. Estimated cost of surgery: $20,000 out of pocket. U of C: Must register online and fill out their questionnaire. Then someone from the office will call you to register you for their info seminar. Seminar was laid back but very informational - U of C is a "Center of Excellence" which means (i believe) they have a very high quality, comprehensive program. Very few programs in the U.S. have been named centers of excellence. They perform all 3 bariatric procedures and do them all laparascopically (this is also rare). They have a team of nurses, dieticians/nutritionists, surgeons, psychologists working to help you achieve your goals. however, the price for all of this excellence? ballpark $50,000 out of pocket - though they say it varies by patient and that if you pay all up front there's a 25% cost reduction. I nearly bugged out when I found out it cost SO much more than any place else. Also, i believe only the first 3 months of fills are free. YEESH. Day One Health: Called up the office, spoke to a very friendly lady who was able to register me almost right away to talk to their surgeon Dr. Shayani. They're located in the 900 north michigan building with 4 seasons and bloomingdales, etc. Filled out paperwork, had vitals taken. spoke to a very friendly nurse who had had the procedure done - she let me see her scars and feel her port, which was pretty cool. Talked to Dr. Shayani for 20-30 minutes and I felt really comfortable with him. He answered all questions and addressed all of my concerns. Their program (unlike NMH and U of C) does not have you stay overnight after surgery. Dr. S said that 60% of all bariatric surgeries are done on an outpatient basis like they do at Day One. He himself has performed over 700 lap band surgeries and used to be at Loyola for 10 years. They have their finance person and nutritionist on hand should you decide to move forward that day. Oh yeah, cost of surgery is $16,000 and includes one year of free fills. On one hand, it definitely feels more like a business at Day One - get you in, get you out but everyone was very friendly. At the two hospitals, it feels much more holistically centered on your health. I'm kinda up in the air between U of C and Day One. I'm meeting once more with U of C before I make up my mind. I'll try to post if I learn anything new. Cheers, Spice

make sure to tell your doc if you're feeling any illness. my surgery was scheduled on a monday and i caught some sort of stomach bug the weekend before - had a fever and everything. i spoke to my doc the night before surgery and he recommended holding off a week so that i was in good health before banding. needless to say, i was SUPER disappointed. but i had it done a week later and it was probably a good thing that i waited until i was no longer sick. see what your doc thinks. best of luck.

Thanks everyone for your input! Local anesthesia sounds like it may be a good idea if there's to be more poking and prodding. Eek, I'm having flashbacks to this morning...staring up at the ceiling clasping my hands together in a death grip... Time-wise I would say poking/prodding was about 5 minutes and the needle part was about 5-7. Then drinking Water while filling/unfilling was another 5. So, in all, probably around 15-20 minutes...though it was perhaps the longest 20 minutes of my life. Ah well. I'm hopefull that this'll get easier. :blushing:

that's awesome! belly dancing can be a really good (and sexy!) workout.

It is a bit far but not terrible. Google maps says it's 27.7 miles and will take around 38 minutes to get there (and up to 50 minutes in traffic). Depending on when your show is, try to be aware of the rush hour traffic - it sucks to get snarled up in it. Intercontinental is really fun - they have a great pool. And the W is great - they carry my favorite bath products (Bliss) of all time. If you're choosing between the 2 Ws, I'd recommend the one on Lake Shore Dr. - the one downtown is more of a business-y place. Have a great visit!

I'm a believer in exercise - particularly lifting weights. The more muscle you have, the more calories/fat you burn. Plus, muscles give the body a more sculpted look. There's the dreaded "skinny-fat" look where you lose weight but are not necessarily in shape - I think exercise helps alleviate that condition. And it's really difficult for women to turn into She-hulks by lifting weights so I'd say go for it! If you're looking for reading material - check out Oxygen magazine. I've read it on and off for years and it's really inspiring.

Word - I've been pretty much restricting my MSG intake for almost a year. It can be a mighty big pain looking through all of my groceries for hidden MSG but the additive to totally correlated to my migraines. Cutting it out has definitely helped in cutting down on my migraines. Cursed MSG - it's in EVERYTHING.

My surgeon said something about taking a liquid ibuprofren (not that I've ever seen this at the drugstore - maybe prescription?) if I needed to take it. His concern was having the anti-inflammatory sit in the pouch but the liquid should pass through. However, we were talking about occasional use - not so much regular usage.

I had insanely bad gas pains after surgery and took gas-x but that didn't seem to help much. What really helped me was sleeping on an incline (4 or 5 pillows), walking around, having someone pound on my back (like burping a baby), and a really hot, hot water bottle placed wherever I was feeling the pain. If you can get someone sweet to move it around and hold it in place for you, all the better :bolt:

I was banded on 3/17/08 and I don't particularly have swelling anymore but I definitely felt pretty weak for the first 1.5 weeks. I also am still feeling tender around the port area but otherwise am pretty much back to normal.

actually, the book covers the whole range of triggers for migraines - from things we can't control (hormones, barometric pressure, other people's perfume, light, etc.) to things we can control (diet, medication, sleep, etc.) the premise is to change the things we can control so that we're less susceptible on any given day to the things we can't control. (did that sentence make sense?) It also says that if you're still suffering from headaches after changing the way you eat and the getting off of the rebound-effecting meds, then you should try migraine drug options - and he goes over things like beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, anti-seizure drugs like topamax, certain anti-depressants, etc. And though certain drugs tend to make people rebound (imitrex, relpax, excedrin, etc.) if you're able to drastically reduce your frequency and severity of your headaches, those can also be drug-treatment options. It's such a great, informative read. The best book I've read on migraines by far.

I would think you could count them as both. There's fluids to count towards your water and protein to count towards your protein.