andyisbanned

I was wondering the same thing. I have not been on in a while but wanted to chat. Does this new format have one?

Here is a list of common foods that can get stuck or cause problems. Some or all of these my effect you. This is only a short list. You will have to go through trial and error to discover if any of these foods you can tolerate. Just remember to chew, chew, chew your food really well. 1. Red meat such as steak, roast beef, and pork. Red meat is high in muscle Fiber, which is difficult to separate even with a great deal of chewing. Always be careful and chew well. 2. Dry meat. 3. Shrimp. 4. Untoasted bread or doughy breads. 5. Pasta. 6. Rice. 7. Peanut Butter. 8. Membrane of citrus fruits. 9. Seeds and skin of fruits and vegetables. 10. Dried fruits. 11. Fibrous vegetables such as corn, asparagus & celery. 12. Nuts. 13. Coconut. 14. Popcorn. 15. Greasy or fried foods. I have only tried Pasta, Peanut butter, and some hot wings. These items went down okay before my second fill. I have had pasta since my second fill and it seems to do okay if I remember to chew well. I realize I should have skipped the hot wings, but they are my weakness. With this new fill, I will be avoiding fried foods. Just a note on fiber. Constipation may occur after surgery and is most often attributable to decreases intake of food, fiber, and fluids. In order to prevent constipation it is important to drink plenty of fluids. It is recommended to consume a minimum of 64 ounces daily. It may be helpful to try baby prunes or unsweetened prune juice. High fiber foods may slow down stomach emptying.

When did you have surgery? --- February 14, 2008 Where did you have surgery? --- Marshall Medical North Guntersville, AL Who performed your surgery? --- Dr. Stephen Britt/Dr. John Groves assisting When is your first fill? --- March 20, 2008 When is second fill? --- May 1, 2008

My doctor follows the recommend guidelines from the manufacturer which is 6 weeks between fills. He will adjust the schedule based on individual needs of the patient. My fills have been every 6 weeks apart so far. My doctor did say this time after my fill, that if I needed to return early to just call the office. He did ask that I give this new fill 2-3 weeks to work. So if I need another fill, I will be going back early. Otherwise, my next fill will be in 6 weeks, which is June 12th. The following is information provided by my surgeon during my pre-op class concerning adjustments: The adjust-ability of the Lap-Band is one of the great advantages of the Lap-Band over the gastric bypass or duodenal switch. The Vertical Band Gastroplasty or VBG, is a restrictive operation but is not adjustable. After a period of 6 weeks following Lap-Band placement, a patient may require an adjustment known as a "fill" Three main factors are used to determine whether or not to add Fluid to the Lap-Band: 1. weight loss, 2. level of hunger, 3. degree of restriction. If the patient is not losing adequate weight (less than 1-2 lbs. per week), is ravenous, and seems to be able to eat more with meals, then it is time to do a fill. Most adjustments can be done in the office in less than 15 minutes. Fluoroscope or X-ray is only necessary if the adjustment port cannot be accessed in the office. My doctor uses the Fluoroscope over at X-ray for each fill, which makes a fill take less than 2 minutes. It takes longer to get on the table and the prep than the actual fill. It is so cool to watch your fill on the Fluoroscope. The 1st adjustment is done no sooner than 6 weeks post-operatively and is a 1cc volume fill. My 1st fill was a standard amount of 2cc. Subsequent adjustments are done at 4-6 week intervals based on the aforementioned criteria. The second and third fills may measure 0.5 cc to 3-4cc. My second fill was 2cc. I now have 4cc in my 14cc band. It is important to look out for negative symptoms after an adjustment. Symptoms of chest pain after eating and drinking, nausea, vomiting, and reflux can mean the Lap-Band is overly tight. More subtle signs can be night time coughing and choking, and inability to eat a range of foods. It is important that patients remember that weight loss is to be gentle and gradual. Patients must resist the temptation to be too tight too fast. This can lead to dysfunctional eating habits, in which the patients convert their diet to liquids calories. If obstructive symptoms are present, then fluid should be removed from the band. I just thought I would share this information with you. Each doctor is different in how he/she proceeds with your fill schedule and the amount of fill. Just remember to work with your doctor, you are a team working together to help you meet your goal!

Agnes: Congrats on making this decision for yourself. I can say this has been the best thing I have done for myself. I do not regret it. Just realize, this is a tool that you must work with. It is a lifestyle not a deit. It is normal to get scared and to worry about this working or not. Just be prepared that you may have times of little or no weight lost as we all hit a pleateau. In fact, I just started moving down again after about a 6 month pleateau. The key is working with your doctors and getting fills (adjustments) every 6-8 weeks til you get restriction. It takes 3-4 fills for most people to get restriction. So be prepare for this to happen. Start now practicing portion control and not drinking with meals. You cannot drink anything with you meals. No drinking anything 30 -60 minutes prior to a meal. No drinking anything 30-60 minutes after a meal. liquids wash the food thur the band. Also remember to Celebrate NSV (non scale victories) such as dropping a clothes size. I had many of these nsv during my plateau. It helped keep me motivated. Remember to drink or sip you liquids slowly. I drink mainly Water or diet green tea. It is best to find some zero calorie drinks and save you calories for you food. Tho' I have my cup of coffee each morning. You will need to trial and error to see what you can and cannot eat. I have a list of no-no foods my doctor gave me, which I have avoided. Some of the foods on my list, others can eat without a problem. Just like we all are different people, we all react differently to the band. Our bodies tolerate different foods. So don't be surprised you cannot eat the same things as others do. I think you have done a good job educating your self about the band and I believe it is key to being successful. The chatroom here is a great source for support. There are groups on here and yahoo that may help you too. The forum provides good data as well. Just know this is your journey and it will be as unique and special as you are. Listen to your doctor and follow his guidelines & instructions. Find you a fill doctor here in the states and make sure to work with them to get your fills in a timely matter. Good luck and much success on your journey. July will be here before you know it. You can and will make it. Positive thinking, a great atitude, and working with your band equals great success. I hoipe this post helps you!

Eat 3 meals per day. Do not skip meals. Avoid snacking. Snacking or gazing throughout the day may prevent you from losing weight or cause weight gain due to excess calorie intake. Eat small amounts. Eat Slowly. Each meal should last 30-45 minutes. Do not gulp foods or fluids. Remember to chew, chew, chew your foods. Chew all to a paste consistency. Sallowing chucks of food may obstruct the outlet of the pouch. Use a small fork or spoon to help control your portion size. Put your utensil down between each bite. Wait for 1 minute between bites. Stop eating as soon as you feel fill. Signs of fullness include nausea, pain in upper chest, or pressure (sense of) fullness below the rib cage. Do not drink with meals. Liquids will cause the food to pass or wash through your stomach to quickly. You may consume liquids 30-45 minutes prior to a meal and 45-60 minutes after a meal. Drink plenty of non-caloric liquids (i.e. Water) between meals. Remember to sip, sip, sip your fluids slowly. Avoid high calorie liquids, which provide absorb-able calories without providing the feeling of fullness. Avoid foods high in sugar and fat. Eat a well-balanced diet.

Your lap-banders group at Yahoo! Groups is good to go. Here are the details on lap-banders: Group home page: Lap-Banders : Lap-Banders On Yahoo Group email address: lap-banders@yahoogroups.com

Altho' you experience can happen, I believe it is a low occurring event. I am sorry for your troubles. I pray the doctor only has to replce your port. Good luck. Please update and keep us posted of your progress.

Back in the mid 1990's I had a blood test show high liver enzymes. Since I worked in manufacturing, the concern was it was from something at work. I had a bunch of test ran and finally a liver biopsy. It was determined fat in my liver and I was put on a diet. Once I lost a few pounds the liver enzymes came back down to normal. Prior to banding, the liver enzymes were elevated again. As mentioned in the thread earlier, this is common in obese people. My PCP checks me with a full blood panel work up every 6 months. My liver enzymes have been normal since banding. I had to do an Atkins diet for 7 days prior to banding surgery. My surgeon says my liver was small and easy to work around. He said he could tell I follow my diet. It took 20-30 minutes to install my band. A lady that was banded after me, took my surgeon almost an hour and a half to do her surgery as she had failed to do her pre-op diet. She also ate a regular last meal the night before. My surgeon was not happy with her. He spent extra time with her explaining the importance of following his instructions with her before he came over to release me from the hospital. So, does the pre-op diet help? Yes! Is it important to follow it to the letter? Yes! If your doctor does not prescribe a pre-op diet, should you do one any way? It cannot hurt. If anything it will help with surgery. Most pre-op diets are either an Atkins type diet or a clear liquid diet for 1-2 weeks prior to surgery. I hope this helps.

I am on Lexapro. I take a 10mg dose daily. It is the only med I currently take. All of my other meds are no longer needed since banding. I have been on it for 3 years and banded for 14 months. I can tell when I do not take my Lexapro. I take it to help with my depression, anxiety, and anger. I am a bear to live with if I am not on it. Just ask my wife, she can testify to that fact. I have not had any side effects other than I am more a difficult to tolerate if I miss doses. Lexapro keeps me well balanced emotionally. I love my Lexapro. It is worth the $40.00 a month. Maybe an increase in dosage or changing to a different depression med would help you. you should really discuss stopping or changing you med with your physician prior to just stopping. you could actually create more problems for yourself by just stopping cold turkey. Please seek medical advice before just stopping.

New NSV for me. Dropped a pant size in the last month! Yeah!!!!!!