CarlaG

I am new to this board. Is there a group that is specific to the Hampton Roads/Peninsula area? I'm going through the process at the WLSC in Newport News and would love to talk with some local people who have used the same doctors. Thanks!:biggrin:

Isn't that the point of the surgery to help with that. I would get another opinion. Weight loss usually equals/helps lower blood pressure. Good luck!

I just had to have an unfill of .5 cc because I could not get anything down at all. It made a world of difference so if you can get stuff down, just feel restriction .5 might be a little much out with it loosening with the lower elevation. If you are getting stuck a lot and/or having pain when you eat, I say get the unfill. I was uncomfortable when I ate and then it went to not being able to get anything down. I thought the uncomfortable feeling was "normal" for restriction, but it isn't. I definitely wouldn't want to be out of town and all of a sudden the band is so tight you can't eat at all. That would stink especially while on vacation. Ask your doctor again about the loosening on its own. You don't want to lose any progress you've made in your weight loss. Good luck!

I had my gallbladder out years ago and had the same sort of pain. My doctor said it was scar tissue. The pain I have from the kidney stones feels like it did after I had my gallbladder out and also radiates around to the back. It is good that you are getting it checked.

I too have had kidney stones since my surgery. There were indications before my surgery but in the last year I've had a least 4. I've only seen one actually come out but my doctor finally took an xray and it indicated kidney stones. I feel like it is from the increased Protein but my regular doctor and my surgeon both say no. My regular doctor believes it is from increased vegetables and says that your kidneys pull something out of leafy green vegetables so if I know I'm going to be eating a salad or whatever to take a Calcium chew before that and whatever the product is will stick to the calcium from the chew and not get filtered through the kidneys and cause stones. I know it sounds crazy but it made sense when he was telling me and I do try to do what he said and so far, so good, no stones. Good luck and I hope you feel better!

Has anyone with the band had a colonoscopy? Do you have to do anything different as far as the prep goes? I know my husband had to drink ALOT of stuff and I don't think I will be able to get that all down. Will I have to get an unfill? I'm self pay and I'm finally at a sweet spot so I sure don't want to pay to get an unfill and then start all over :thumbup: Carla

Thanks! This makes me feel a lot more at ease.

When I say alot, he had to drink 32 ozs of gatorade with miralax in an hour. I don't believe that I would be able to do that with the band. LJV52...As for the taste...I too have a pretty touchy gag reflex so I will ask about the pills.

I, too lost a lot of hair but I had read about it so I had started taking Biotin as soon as I had my surgery. Once the hair loss really started, I upped my dose and started using a biotin shampoo. I know people are saying the hair loss will stop, but I felt better using the Biotin products. My hair grows much faster now and my nails look so much healthier. Oh and I did make sure I got all my Protein in, but the hair still falls out. It has to do with the shock to your body from the weight loss and the surgery. I use a Biotin pill I get at Walmart and I am now using Avalon Organics Biotin + B Thickening Shampoo. You can go direct to their website, but it is cheaper at drugstore dot com. Good luck and it will get better!! :thumbup:

Good luck to everybody. My surgery was a year ago and I wouldn't change a thing. A friend of mine is also having surgery tomorrow. I will keep you all in my thoughts and prayers!

My favorite thing after surgery was chicken cooked with bullion and yolk free noodles blended up in my Magic Bullit. I loved it. It tasted the same just blended up. I still had the satisfaction and taste of "comfort food". Another thing I used to eat was ricotta cheese with a little bit of sauce and mozzarella cheese melted on top. Sometimes I still eat that. Get creative! Good luck...believe me, you will make it through!:confused:

I totally agree with what you are saying. I feel like people used to look "through" me and not look "at" me. I've lost 67 lbs and am still over 200 lbs. but even today when I was out and about, people (even men) are actually "looking" at me and smiling before I smile at them. Unfortunately, I am at a point right now where it actually makes me angry and sad at the same time. I am still who I was, just lighter. Our society is just so superficial

HarleyNana, I went and saw Dr. T yesterday for my 10 month check up. I get down sometimes on my slow loss but he actually said I am doing better than the "national average". He wanted me to lose 55 lbs. in the first year and I am at 66 lbs. down at 10 months. He said if I keep going at this rate, I will surpass the goal he set for me which is fine since it is still considered overweight. The sad thing is, if I lose to his goal for my height I will still be considered obese. If I lose 20 more which will be a total loss of 132 lbs. I am still overweight by 20 lbs. I do have to say though, last night I got up out of the recliner and walked across the room towards my husband. I was wearing the smallest pair of jeans I have and a misses size shirt (yahoo!) that accentuated my chest (LOL) and he was in tears (yes, he's a cryer). He said he is just so proud of what I have accomplished and how great I look. He said I am not a skinny minny, but I look "normal" and beautiful. That has made all the adjustments and hard work worth it. So to everybody else who is considering Lapband...believe me, even self pay, I would do it all over again. :wink:

Gina, Where do you live now? I was just catching up on this thread and saw a note from a while back asking how I was doing. I'm doing so-so. Weight loss is slow. I seem to keep plateauing, lose a few pounds, plateau, lose a few. Its a pattern. Unfortunately, I am not as dilligent as I should be on my diet. I eat things I shouldn't (mainly carbs). It is a limited amount, but they are still there. Also I can't really get down veggies too much so now I'm dealing with constipation. I can't quite figure it out though. One day I can eat almost normal and think maybe it is time for a fill because I don't feel restriction and then the next day (or few) I'm as tight as a drum and can't get hardly anything down. It is very frustrating, even more so because the scale is not moving as fast as I would prefer, but as a friend said, at least it is not a gain. That is so true, but I am at the lowest weight I always seem to get to and it is like my body is absolutely refusing to budge. Carla

Terri, I live in Gloucester also, near the Courthouse. I'm a transplant from Va Beach through marriage. Been here about 6 years. Its okay, but I miss being close to shopping and such. With gas prices I try to combine trips so I miss being able to just run to the mall at the drop of a hat. I think you had posted that you know a couple of other people in Gloucester who have had lapband. Are they sisters by chance? If so I met them one day when I was getting a fill. We should try to start a Gloucester support group of something Carla

VeeJee, You have hit the nail on the head! Absolutely true! Oblong, I can see more so why doctors would be against gastric bypass because it permanantly changes your anatomy and I feel your physical well being. LapBand is not permanant and still allows your body to absord the nutrients it needs. For me, LapBand was the "healthiest" of my choices and allows me the option to unfill if I need to at a later time. That was the biggest deciding factor for me.

I self paid for my surgery and while the going has been slow at times, I would do it all again. I have lost approximately 63 lbs in 9 months and I either plateau for a bit or lose. I am not gaining and that is what is important. I would not have gotten this far without the band. Believe me, I would spend the money again in a heartbeat. Even in this terrible economy I can totally justify the investment in myself!

I too was losing my hair. I started taking 2000 mg Biotin daily and using a biotin shampoo and conditioner I got from GNC. The shampoo and conditioner are $10 total. I take the biotin daily but use the shampoo and conditioner every other day. I am now definitely seeing new hair growth. My daughter told me I had split ends when I had my hair pulled back but it is actually the new, shorter hair coming back in. I'd say it took about 2 months to see the growth and notice a lot less hair in the brush. Oh, I also didn't change the amount of Protein I was already taking in. I do drink a Protein Drink every morning and try to focus on protein with meals. I do believe that regardless of how many grams of protein I'm taking in now, it is way more than I was taking in before surgery. Sometimes the hair loss is from the shock of the surgery to your body and the weight loss. Take heart, it will slow down and grow back :thumbup:

I went to Capt. George's in Virginia Beach last night for dinner (not by choice, had to go with the flow). Since they are so expensive, I asked the manager about a discount due to bariatric surgery. I tried to be discreet even though my party is aware of my surgery. The manager said as long as I had the restaurant card I could show it to our server and the cost would be half price. Well when the waiter came to the table I told him I needed to show him my card and he, very loudly said "Oh you mean for gastric bypass?". So much for trying to be discreet. I was so embarrassed that he should threw my business out there to all the other patrons. I never use that stupid card and the first time I do the waiter has a big mouth! To top it all off, he brought the bill, my father in law paid and the waiter comes back to the table and in a loud voice again says "Here's $15 back, I forgot to deduct for the gastric bypass"!!!!! I'm still debating whether to write something to the manager. I really think their servers need to be educated and/or directed how to discreetly handle people with the restaurant cards. I don't know that I'll ever use that card again :thumbup: