LiseSeattle

Just walk away from the ben and jerry's!!!! I was an icecream junkie prior to surgery - i would have at least a pint every night. but - i've come up with an alternative. I've come up with a recipe to create a slimfast shake that tastes like a frappuccino but i thicken it up so it's like a chocolate shake that i scoop out of a glass and i still (5 weeks post op) have one a day whenever i have that icecream craving! here's my recipe (see link): Just like a Frappuccino! Lise The Loser’s Weblog

i was in the same boat 2 weeks after surgery - but your body is adjusting after having gone through so much - it will start to move again - but get used to the stalls. they continue. i just had another week stall but then the past 2 days I went down 2 lbs...it's going to be a constant up and down journey - but in the end - it will be a great success. :thumbup:

Hi Kathy! Congrats!!!! I did get another fill last thursday (now at 6.75cc's in a 10cc band) and I too am at restriction!!!! Yeahhhh!! Isn't it fantastic?!?!?! I pb'd once on friday but have been great since (eating slower, chewing better, etc). How about you?

finally got restriction with my last fill - i'm at 6.75cc's in a 10cc band and boy o boy do i feel it - in fact, yesterday for lunch i ate my tilapia wayyy to fast and didn't chew well enough and PB'd...ugh! But for dinner I had some steak and chewed super well and ate slowly and could only eat about a golf ball size before i was like...no more - must stop!!! Yeahhh - restriction!!!

Yes! I take Flintstones chewable Vitamins everyday but I am also on meds which I'll be on forever - I use a pill splitter and cut them in half. I've had no problems with them but always take them first thing in the morning with a big glass of Water. :cry_smile:

For those of you who got the realize band, do you have access to the special "website" area of the realize site for realize members only? if so, what do you think of it?

A recent article listing one doctors view of the difference between the realize band v. the lap-band. “I don’t know which band is going to be better,” he said. “I think it’s like a pickup truck. What’s better, a Ford or a Chevy? Both of them have little differences. Both of them carry you from A to B, and you can carry a ton of stuff in the back.” The new band is wider, which could keep it from slipping out of place. Slippage occurs in only about 2 percent of his cases, said Schmitt. The most common complication with a stomach band involves the port that is just under the skin’s surface and attached to the abdominal wall. Doctors use a needle to pump a saline solution into this port, which adjusts the stomach band. Schmitt said sometimes the port comes loose, flips around and can’t be accessed. The Realize Band has a different way of attaching the port. It’s quicker to put in, and may secure enough to prevent complications, Schmitt said. The Realize Band also exerts a slightly lower pressure on the stomach, which may reduce a rare complication called erosion. This occurs when the band erodes into the stomach. I’ve done over 250 of these cases, and we haven’t had any erosions yet,” Schmitt said. The main thing the Realize Band brings is competition to the market for these popular medical devices. The Lap-Band costs $3,100, and the Realize Band will cost about the same, Schmitt said. Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Alabama or Medicare usually pays for the operation. If a patient is paying cash, it costs $15,500, Schmitt said.

PBing mean productive burping and it is what happens if you eat something that cannot get past the band. Basically you just throw it back up. Sliming usually precedes pbing and it is when your body creates a lot of saliva in your mouth and mucus in your stomach to aid in throwing the stuck item(s) back up. It sounds gross, and well, it is, but if the band is properly adjusted pbing can be avoided by chewing thoroughly, knowing which kinds of foods are likely to cause a problem for you, and eating slowly.

Well everyone - I got that 4th fill and boy oh boy am I in restriction land! I actually PB'd once yesterday while eating too quickly! Was fine after I started eating slower but let me just say that restriction is AMAZING! I can only eat about a golf-ball size of protein at a time before I know I must stop or else. Band is definitely not a dud!

That's amazing! I'm so jealous!!!

Oooh yes - I remember that stage and am glad that I'm no longer in it! It will pass - and soon you'll be in the lovely stage of restriction!!!

I was out of the office for 1 week but started working from home the day after surgery! this schedule was perfect for me.

Thanks, Chica! The husband and I are quite a pair... :tt1:

i started eating meat at about week 3 and a half...now i eat everything - steak, crab, chicken, tuna, prawns - no problems but i chew super well.

i go in for my 4th fill tomorrow - i'll let you all know if it does any good! fingers crossed!

my fills are not aggressive - or at least i don't think they are because i have no restriction at 6.5ccs in a 10 cc band. i go in for another .5 cc on thursday. i have .5 cc put in each week until i hit restriction.

one week was just enough for me! i could actually work from home the day after my band (returned a week later).

I personally didn’t go to Mexico for my band - I went to Northwest Weight Loss Surgery in Everett, WA - but I know a lot you did or are planning to. The cost savings sure is tempting… Approximate Lap Band Surgery Costs Across the Globe (source: Mexico tourism authority) Canada: $15,000 India: $ 7,000.00 USA: $ 20,000.00 UK: $ 17,000 Mexico: $ 8,000 Thailand: $ 12,000 So - I wanted to post this list of tips for those who are thinking of heading south of the border from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but posted in the Arizona Daily Star. Your health insurance probably will not apply, except for emergency services. Malpractice laws in the United States do not apply in Mexico. Ask what your recourse will be if something goes wrong. Know that the quality of medications purchased across the border may not meet U.S. standards. Ask whether the facility is certified or accredited. Only two Mexico hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission, a non-profit accreditation group. Ask how you should pay. Since your insurance company likely won’t be billed, you will need cash or a credit card to cover costs. Ask questions about the physician’s qualifications, including where the physician was trained and in which medical field the physician was trained. Also, ask how many times the physician has performed the procedure, how the physician learned the procedure and who else will help during the procedure. Ask how the staff is qualified. Ask detailed questions about the procedure, including how it is performed, how long it should take, how sedation will be managed, how much pain to expect, how long it will take to recover and warning signs that could require follow-up care. Sources: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Travelers’ Health: Yellow Book”; Arizona Medical Board For the whole article, click here. It’s quite good.

Jack - you are one smart cookie! By the way - do you really look like your avatar? :smile2:

I had my first fill right at the 4 week mark (actually a day early) - then 1 fill per week since. :smile2:

Thank you all!!!! Very very very much! You give me hope!

We have really close stats - I was 230 (highest as well)!

graycie - very good post. thank you!

Ohio Girl - do you mind me asking what your starting weight was?

Yes! I went to NWWLS and had Dr. Montgomery. He is absolutely fantastic. I've noticed that it can be a bit hard to get in for fills as the office can be really busy and over-scheduled...but that is the only negative so far.