Ezma

Your post sounds so much like one I posted last week that I even thought it was mine at first. I had my first fill last Tuesday and was pretty concerned. Turns out it was a piece of cake. Very, very tiny stick from the needle they used to numb me and then just weird feelings. When he inserted into the port the first time it startled me cause I could feel it pop thru the rubber - didn't hurt just felt freaky. Afterwards I was put on full liquids for 24 to 48 hours. I started pureed the next day and worked up to whole foods by dinner. I wanted to take it real slow cause I had felt very tight right after the fill and kinda nauseous. I think that was just nerves though. I didn't think he would do a fill since I was losing weight well and felt full most of the time but he did fill it and he was right to do it. Good luck and try not to worry. You'll be laughing about it in a couple hours.

AP Large here - it's the only type of band my surgeon uses now.

Think things are starting to settle down a bit for me now. I do get very hungry about an hour before meal time. My doctor did want me to do 4 small meals instead of 3 but I haven't found a way to work in 4 yet. Cantweight2go - hope things are getting better for you too. When is your next fill scheduled for? Susan4794 - thanks for the encouragement to hang in there, think I'm gonna make it now :tongue:

59 pounds since the very first visit with the surgeon. 41 since my 2 week pre-op diet. Woo hoo!

You shouldn't have to start over. I had a couple months from my PCP records but I did most of my 6 month with my lap band surgeon's office. With my insurance it just had to be a doctor documented attempt.

I just miss whole foods and breads. I had my first fill yesterday so I get to try some whole foods real soon. I was on full liquid for 24 hours and I think I'll take it real slow until I'm sure it's going to go down well. But breads, my precious breads. I miss sandwiches. I miss garlic toast. But the thing I don't miss at all is the extra weight. So, guess I can live without the carbs.

I love my doctor, Dr. Schuster from Banner Gateway Bariatric. If you're like me and live in the east valley and don't want to drive a lot, you'll find it convenient too. I'll add the phone number here too since I was having a horrible time finding doctors. / 480-543-2606

This usually happens to me when I have to take pain medication or when I don't get enough water for a couple days. Couple of chewable fiber tablets and extra water usually do the trick for me real quick. Plus I don't get any of the laxative side effects. Hoping you don't have to go thru it again, it's never fun.

My 6 week post op appointment is coming up on Tuesday and I'm scared of my first fill. Not scared of the procedure to fill it but of the restriction. Not sure if I even need a fill. So far I've had very little hunger especially in the morning. However, in the evenings I'm very ready for dinner and crave carbs like crazy even when I'm not hungry at all. Pretty sure I'm still losing weight but I don't know cause I need to buy a scale. LOL Any thoughts on whether I'll get a fill and how small of a fill can they do? .5cc? And has anyone found anything to help with the carb cravings? I've been pretty good until the last week or two when I've had a couple small crackers, half a cookie or 1/4 to 1/2 cup of ice cream. Yesterday I ended up with 745 calories but the carbs were bad, 81g. However, I felt really satisfied with almost no cravings.

Thank you so much for the encouragement. I totally think you hit the nail on the head. I used to be on the computer all the time at night and I rarely snacked. But since my husband had his brain tumor removed and the radiation/chemo, he doesn't feel like sitting at the computer for long. So we end up watching TV and that's when the snack attack hits. Think it's a great thing to watch out for and be aware of constantly. Maybe I'll be able to head the cravings off by heading to the computer. :thumbup: Also, though I'm very, very happy with my weight loss it's not all in the last 6 weeks. I lost 24 then gained back 6 during my pre-op 6 month monitored weight loss. Then between my 2 week pre-op liquid diet and my 2 week follow up I lost 28 pounds. I really wish I had paid attention to how much I weighed on surgery day. Looks like I've lost about another 12 pounds in the last month but waiting for weigh in on Tuesday at the doctor's before I update my ticker. Woot! Just didn't want you guys to think I lost it all in 6 weeks. And by the way Sue Magoo, you're doing fantastic! Love seeing those kind of results in someone so close to my own age. Way to inspire! And I'm rooting for you on your bandiversary goal. Go, girl, go!

I bought a scale. Hasn't been one I could use in my house for probably 25 years. And it looks like the news was good and I may be down another 12.5 pounds!! Just need to weigh in at the doc's on Tuesday and compare them. I'm very excited.:thumbup: Anyone else scale-less prior to Lap Band?

Dang it! Sounds like I'm with you on this cause if I eat some I want more. Now last night I did have a McDonald's vanilla ice cream cone and I felt great afterwards No more cravings and I was completely satisfied. I know it wasn't on the mushy diet but at least it was only 150 cal and only 4g of fat. Down side was it had 24g of carbs. Kinda afraid I'll always crave the carbs. I was under 30g of carbs for almost a month and most of that from the skim milk from my Protein shakes - still craved em. :thumbup: Thanks for the responses. :w00t:

Hey Scorpioqt! Welcome to the group. Who's your doctor? Mine was in Mesa too. I went thru Banner Gateway Bariatric and I had Dr. Schuster. Loved him and the whole office.

Woot! Congrats Amsderb! I know you're psyched now. Glad to hear the insurance it taking care of it for you. That's always such a huge concern. Do you have a pre-op diet? I was on clear sugar free liquids plus 3 protein shakes a day for two weeks. It was so hard but in the long run I'm so glad I did it. Shrunk my liver up well so they had an easier time with the surgery plus I know I lost a good bit of weight before they even put the band in. Keep us all informed on how your journey is going. I'm so excited that I have my 6 week post op appointment on the 1st. Can't wait to see how much more I've lost.

If the pain is near your port site it's very normal. I had to be up and around a lot right after my surgery and that's what happened to me. Once I took some time and slowed down to rest for several hours I felt a lot better. My pain was also in the left shoulder and back right behind the port. Hope you get feeling better soon. And never worry about contacting your doctor when you have things like this happen. Mine got mad at me for not calling. LOL

When I was on post op bariatric full liquid I could have creamed or strained soups, lite yogurt, thinned cream of wheat type cereals and SF pudding. If you don't get those you may want to check with your doctor to see if they would be okay. Definately follow your doctor's orders, you'll be happy you did. Lack of complications and all the lost pounds will make up for the few shorts weeks of lack luster food choices. :wub:

Wow, you tried the two that I know of that taste best. The Unjury chocolate tastes like a chocolate milk shake to me. And the Isopure is a great change from the shakes. The Isopure is definately better in some flavors than others. I prefer the apple-melon one best, then blue raspberry and then the grape. You could try the unflavored powders but I found those even worse than the flavored ones. Of the powders I use Body Fortress chocolate with some SF raspberry syrup but I think Unjury tastes better. Body Fortress is just much, much cheaper at Target. Just keeps trying them and I hope you find one you can tolerate. They do get old way too fast.

I lost 18 lbs before my pre-op diet. Then during 2 weeks pre-op diet and 2 weeks post-op I lost 28.5 lbs. That was on 3-4-08 and I'm dying to know how much more I've lost. :thumbdown: The whole process took me several months because I had to have 6 months of documented weight loss attempt and then I got delayed due to them closing Banner Mesa and moving it to the new hospital, Banner Gateway. During the move it changed tax IDs and showed as out of network for me, so I had to wait until after January 1st. Hope all goes well for you. It feels so great to be able to see the difference so fast.

I don't miss the dry mouth and bad breath but I really miss the ketosis cause I know it was burning fat like crazy. I lost it cause I couldn't resist that stupid chocolate cake. Think it only takes a few good days to get it back so fingers crossed that I can be good. I guess I haven't been that bad since I've been almost totally faithful to all the pre and post op diets. Couple small pieces of cake over a couple days is pretty normal I think. Plus if I beat myself up about it, it will only make me cheat worse. So here's to willpower and a good dose of ketosis.

I don't miss the dry mouth and bad breath but I really miss the ketosis cause I know it was burning fat like crazy. I lost it cause I couldn't resist that stupid chocolate cake. Think it only takes a few good days to get it back so fingers crossed that I can be good. I guess I haven't been that bad since I've been almost totally faithful to all the pre and post op diets. Couple small pieces of cake over a couple days is pretty normal I think. Plus if I beat myself up about it, it will only make me cheat worse. So here's to willpower and a good dose of ketosis.

Just wanted to add myself to the list of AZ bandsters. I had my surgery on 2-18-08. It was done by Dr. Rob Schuster from Banner Gateway Bariatric. I've been very happy with him and everyone at the office. I never have a problem getting a appointment at a time that works for me, they have been on time except for 1 time when he had an emergency surgery and everything was covered by my UHC insurance except for the deductible and max out of pocket garbage. Anyone else go through this office? Gonna go read the rest of the thread now to see if I can answer my own question - LOL

I ran into the same problem with WLIA. I have UHC insurance and only one of the two doctors took it. Since they both work on the surgery I would have had to pay out of pocket for the surgeon that didn't take it. Why would they not both take the same insurances? Just curious about that. I ended up going with Dr. Schuster out of Banner Gateway Bariatric. Loved him and everyone at the office. And best part is that everything is covered by my insurance. With WLIA I would have had to pay for the second doctor, the psychological part and I think one other part of their program.

Hey all, Just wanted to introduce myself. I'm from Tempe, Arizona and I'm married with one son who just turned 13. Had my banding done on 2-18-08. It's going well so far but I'll be really glad when I get off pureed foods. My doctor has a pretty rigid diet plan it seems from what I've read here. I had 2-week pre-op diet that was bariatric clear liquid only with 3 Protein shakes. Then post op was bariatric full liquid until my 2 week post op. Now it's 2 ozs of pureed protein and 2 ozs of pureed veggies or fruit per meal plus 2-3 Protein Shakes. My next appointment is on 4-1 and I should get my first fill and then get whole foods the next day. Been doing pretty well on the diet though I have had a couple chocolate cake slip ups. Heard someone mention something about "PB and slime" or something like that as a reaction to eating something that your stomach doesn't like. Anyone know what that meant? It was enough to make me want to eat better. Other thing going on in my life right now is that my husband of almost 14 years was diagnosed with a brain tumor 4 days after my surgery. They removed the tumor and he's now started chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Think that's also helped me stick to my diet, just not hungry most of the time. I have a blog that I do for his care but figured this could be a place for me to focus on my health. Look forward to chatting with you all.

Well, I just found this site so I'm gonna try to catch up. I started this process on 4-28-07 at a seminar for Banner Bariatric. I did all the preliminary paperwork and doctor's records, etc. then had my first appointment with Dr. Rob Schuster in June of 2007. I had to have 6 months of doctor monitored weight loss attempt for my insurance so we began that process. I lost about 25 lbs but put back on 6 at Christmas time. During this process the original hospital, Mesa Banner was closed and everything moved to the new Banner Gateway hospital campus. Due to this change, my insurance wouldn't cover it until after the first of the year since it was showing out of network. Another lovely delay that ended up causing me problems with the $1000 flex spending I had set up to cover the surgery in 2007. Oh well, at least I didn't lose any of it as I was able to find things to spend it on. Pre-op appointment was on 1-29-08 and I had lost about 18 pounds at that point. On 2-4-08 I started my pre-op diet that consisted of SF jello, SF popsicles, broth and zero calorie drinks plus 3 low carb protein shakes a day for 2 weeks. That part was a bitch but really gave me a head start on the weight loss. It also helped shrink my liver to make surgery easier and shrunk my stomach to help keep the hunger away. Surgery was on 2-18-08. Everything went well and I had a pretty decent stay at the hospital. I came home 2-19-08 and started my full liquid diet on 2-20. This consisted of 2 oz serving of SF pudding, Lite yogurt, thinned cream of wheat type cereal or strained, creamed soup plus 3 protein shakes. On 2-22-08 they found a tumor in my husband's brain and I had to take him to the ER at St. Joseph's hospital. On 2-25 they preformed surgery to remove the tumor and he was released on 2-29-08. He has malignant brain cancer. And so the fun began. He'll be doing a year of chemo and radiation - 6 weeks of 5 days a week and then to maintenance dose of 23 days off, 5 days on for a year. Enough of that. I already have a hospital blog for his care but this is my place. 3-4-08 was my first post op follow up and I had lost 28.5 pounds since my pre-op bringing it to a total of 46 pounds since beginning my journey. I also got to change my diet to pureed foods plus 2-3 protein shakes. Woo hoo! I was excited, now I'm sick of it. Oh well. Dying to know how much I've lost now but I don't have another appointment until 4-1-08. I can't begin to say how sick I am of protein shakes. Isopure drinks have helped a lot. They have only 160 calories, zero carbs and 40 grams of protein. Nice wallop of protein there and tasty too. I've only cheated a couple times with cake. My son had his 13th birthday on March 10th and some people from church have brought some wonderful food and desserts including the oh so tempting chocolate cake. I am just now getting hungry and think that maybe I will be ready for my first fill. I really do need to cut the carbs back down though so I don't lose my ketosis. Fighting a tiny infection in 1 of the puncture sites but it's almost healed finally. More later now that it's mostly caught up.

Well, I just found this site so I'm gonna try to catch up. I started this process on 4-28-07 at a seminar for Banner Bariatric. I did all the preliminary paperwork and doctor's records, etc. then had my first appointment with Dr. Rob Schuster in June of 2007. I had to have 6 months of doctor monitored weight loss attempt for my insurance so we began that process. I lost about 25 lbs but put back on 6 at Christmas time. During this process the original hospital, Mesa Banner was closed and everything moved to the new Banner Gateway hospital campus. Due to this change, my insurance wouldn't cover it until after the first of the year since it was showing out of network. Another lovely delay that ended up causing me problems with the $1000 flex spending I had set up to cover the surgery in 2007. Oh well, at least I didn't lose any of it as I was able to find things to spend it on. Pre-op appointment was on 1-29-08 and I had lost about 18 pounds at that point. On 2-4-08 I started my pre-op diet that consisted of SF jello, SF popsicles, broth and zero calorie drinks plus 3 low carb protein shakes a day for 2 weeks. That part was a bitch but really gave me a head start on the weight loss. It also helped shrink my liver to make surgery easier and shrunk my stomach to help keep the hunger away. Surgery was on 2-18-08. Everything went well and I had a pretty decent stay at the hospital. I came home 2-19-08 and started my full liquid diet on 2-20. This consisted of 2 oz serving of SF pudding, Lite yogurt, thinned cream of wheat type cereal or strained, creamed soup plus 3 protein shakes. On 2-22-08 they found a tumor in my husband's brain and I had to take him to the ER at St. Joseph's hospital. On 2-25 they preformed surgery to remove the tumor and he was released on 2-29-08. He has malignant brain cancer. And so the fun began. He'll be doing a year of chemo and radiation - 6 weeks of 5 days a week and then to maintenance dose of 23 days off, 5 days on for a year. Enough of that. I already have a hospital blog for his care but this is my place. 3-4-08 was my first post op follow up and I had lost 28.5 pounds since my pre-op bringing it to a total of 46 pounds since beginning my journey. I also got to change my diet to pureed foods plus 2-3 protein shakes. Woo hoo! I was excited, now I'm sick of it. Oh well. Dying to know how much I've lost now but I don't have another appointment until 4-1-08. I can't begin to say how sick I am of protein shakes. Isopure drinks have helped a lot. They have only 160 calories, zero carbs and 40 grams of protein. Nice wallop of protein there and tasty too. I've only cheated a couple times with cake. My son had his 13th birthday on March 10th and some people from church have brought some wonderful food and desserts including the oh so tempting chocolate cake. I am just now getting hungry and think that maybe I will be ready for my first fill. I really do need to cut the carbs back down though so I don't lose my ketosis. Fighting a tiny infection in 1 of the puncture sites but it's almost healed finally. More later now that it's mostly caught up.