HeatherO

Everyone had great suggestions. You will definitely appreciate the sports bra (or if , like me, you didn't realize you needed it and had to go braless or in pain, a big sweater to hide it). The slip on shoes idea is also great . . . I wore tennis shoes thinking they would be comfortable for walking but it was really an exercise in discomfort to get them on and tied. I wish I had bought bandages and antibiotic cream before banding instead of after. I also found that I had an allergic reaction to standard bandaids and had to go with fabric or the clear plastic tape. You will need a few bigger bandages for the port site but all of the others (4 small incisions) were coverable with normal everyday sized bandages. I wish I would have bought more low-sodium broth because I drank a lot of it and did not realize I would go through it so quickly.

I agree about taking them before you eat with plenty of Water to wash them down. When you get tight restriction food is definitely there for many hours. Perhaps you could even cut the pills to make them go down a little quicker or crush them if they are not time release. They aren't so much of an issue if they are not hanging around in your pouch for extended periods.

I am on the fence with this one. Morally it is just wrong . . . but that doesn't stop it from happening here or anywhere else in the world. I can see valid arguments both for and against it.

I should hope so, lol. That would be one heck of a big baby to still be hauling around.:laugh:

She conferred with both a General Practitioner and the OB Doctor . . . but they didn't have a decisive answer. Laura, do you still have the rash and did the doctors say anything else about it?

I have that testing coming up before too long with the OB. I also get my sugar tested every year because diabetes runs in my family (along with extra poundage, lol) so I know there is a risk.

That is an excellent idea. I think I am going to put some Peanut Butter or maybe cheese crackers or someting in my purse. It has been happening more and more so I am sure it will happen again.

Just do your best, keep following your post-op instructions and remember that most people stall out on weight loss around this time so don't be too upset if it happens since it is normal and even expected. As long as you keep following the plan and start working in exercise you should find success.

Why wait for your first fill . . . there is no time like the present

I wish you the best of luck for high HCG levels tomorrow.

LOL, that was priceless. I have never heard that quote before . . . I am going to have to use it in the future. Jenn, 2 hours talking on the phone is an excellent start. :0)

You were in the hospital and going through a medical crisis. I wonder if you went to the bank and asked to speak to the manager if they would waive your fees due to special circumstances. It is worth a shot and the worse that can happen is that they might say no - 10-20 minutes of effort might save you the $105 in fees.

The doctor wants to remove part of your body that isn't even a problem in order to get insurance to pay for an issue reoccurring twice after surgery by the same doctor . . . that is fraud and just wrong on so many different levels it is not even funny. Because the same issue occurred twice, I think he just needs to fix it. Did he give any reason why you have had 2 kinks in a row . . . when this is not an issue for most bandsters out there???

I am so happy to hear that you are feeling better . . . and what a great doctor to see you at 11 PM at night, you are very lucky.

You can never stretch your band, but you can stretch your pouch with carbonated beverages like diet pop and regular overeating. I would agree that it sounds like you might need another fill but I am not sure how much you have lost, when you have had fills or what kind of restriction history you have had. If you have been losing weight over time, you may have lost a little fat around your stomach which will make your band feel looser.

I use Spectravite chewables from CVS. They are cheap, taste good and meet my nutritional needs. Amazingly enough, my obstetrition said they were also sufficient for prenatal Vitamins as long as I have a folic acid supplement as well . . . so for me they are working as a regular Vitamin, bariatric vitamin and prenatal vitamin and are still cheap and taste good with none of those icky vitamin burps or queasiness.

I have the Realize band too, and I agree that there is a mix. I have lost almost 100% of excess weight with this band . . . and I just like this forum so I post mostly here.

It is definitely the weight loss . . . but the band helps make the weight loss possible so you could say both indirectly. I had my only child 16 years ago and wasn't blessed with another . . . until I got banded that is. I lost almost all of my weight, went off the pill and within 2 weeks I had conceived. It has been a miracle for me and I know I am not the only one who has become ultra-fertile post banding.

My husband bought me an outfit for my birthday in July . . . that looked great and fit perfectly. He would never have done that when I was heavy, but now that I am not he wants me to wear flattering clothes in younger styles.

Banding is the only thing that has ever worked for me . . . and I have lost almost 100% of the excess weight and am now considered "normal." I struggled with my weight all my life, but never had this degree of success before banding. I love my band.

For me it was when I crested 220 again after staying under 200 for almost 1 1/2 years. I just couldn't handle another failure and always ending up higher than before.

My family was rather shocked over the holidays. They knew I lost weight but haven't really seen me much since summer. The last few pounds have really made a huge difference. It was really nice to receive the compliments and made for a fun Christmas. This is my first normal sized Christmas as an adult, lol. What I noticed even more than the compliments were that peoples eyes followed me around everywhere, lol. That showed more of the surprise in the change than the compliments :0)

The quote makes sense to me as well and I wouldn't take it too seriously :0). Live life to the fullest. With all your concerns with your father overshadowing everything . . . perhaps you should have a heart to heart talk with him to let him know how you feel and how worried you are about him.

I like fitday.com because it has charts that show my progress over time. I also save my favorite foods there so it is fast and easy.

Great post and excellent information!!! Thanks for sharing.