Wendell Edwards

Exactly. (I have to add this in order for this to post)

:)Thank you.

It varies from person to person. Some doctors have a list of food that they PREFER you not eat. As far as ABILITY to eat a certain food, I have the ABILITY, but not the DESIRE.

This may help you in understanding the restrictive mechanism of a Lap-Band. The INAMED protocol for Lap-Band fills calls for a six-week delay after surgery, prior to any fills. The purpose for the six-week delay is for the patient’s stomach to heal from the surgery, as well as allowing time for the Lap-Band to “Seat” or “Nestle” into the fat pad between the stomach wall and the interior wall of the Lap-Band. Prior to receiving an EFFECTIVE fill, it is VERY uncommon to have any restriction from a Lap-Band. Some patients will NOT lose weight, or may even GAIN weight until they have received an effective fill in their Lap-Band. Normal weight loss with a properly restricted Lap-Band is between 1 and 2 pounds per week. The normal cycle of fills, restriction and weight loss is as follows: 1. The patient's Lap-Band constricts when the patient receives a fill. Swelling for a few days after receiving a fill is very common. Many doctors require a patient to go on a liquid diet for a day or two after receiving a fill. A fill may have a “Delayed Action” of up to two weeks. A “Delayed-Action” means that the fill may not become effective for up to two weeks after the fill. That is why the INAMED protocol states that fills should not be performed on patients who will not have access to medical care for at least two weeks after a fill. 2. The patient's stomach capacity is lessened as a result of the restriction caused by the Lap-Band. 3. The patient loses weight because they cannot eat as much food. 4. The residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the outside of the patient's stomach reduces in size because of the overall weight loss in the patient. 5. The reduction of the residual fat-pad causes the Lap-Band to become loose again. 6. At that point, the patient needs another fill, because the Lap-Band is loose, and the patient has a loss of restriction, which allows the patient to eat larger amounts of food. 7. The patient receives another fill and the process starts all over again. Most Lap-Band patients receive several fills to adjust the Lap-Band as their weight loss progresses, and there is less and less residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the exterior of the stomach wall. Once a patient has lost all of their residual fat-pad, fills become less common. As the Lap-Band patient progresses in their weight loss, the effect of very tiny fills (Less than .2ccs) becomes greater and greater. It is not uncommon for a late-stage Lap-Band patient to experience a significant difference in restriction with as little as .05cc of fill.

If the scale weight causes you anxiety, anger or frustration, I recommend you not do that to yourself. This is why I recommend that people stay off their scales for 6 months after banding.

The best article I know of is the INAMED instructions to bariatric surgeons. It specifies fluoroscope for fills. The reasons that my Doctor, William Neal, M.D. quoted for using fluoroscope were these: 1. Easy to locate the port. 2. Increases likelihood of a one-stick fill. 3. Decreases the likelihood of puncturing the tubing. 4. Decreases the likelihood of tearing the septum, the thin membrane that goes across the port. 5. Verifies that the fill needle is in the port before saline injection. 6. Prevents saline injection into abdominal viscera. 7. Verifies the position of the port, and allows port flip to be seen easily. 8. Visually confirms lack of esophageal spasms. 9. Visually confirms lack of pouch enlargement. 10. Visually confirms an open stoma at the conclusion of the fill. 11. Allows tighter stoma because the tech can add saline until the stoma closes, then BARELY OPEN IT back up. 12. Allows checking for a slipped band, and verifies correct placement of the band with each fill. Dr. Neal believes in fluoroscope so strongly he bought one when he opened his new office in Olympia, WA last year. http://www.pacsurgical.com/ Quoting: "We have nutritional and psychological counseling resources, scales (2) to 1000 lbs., an IV Fluid hydration suite, a fluoroscopy suite for band adjustments and a large conference room for informational forums and support groups, all under one roof."

My doctor requires nothing but liquids for 8 hours before a fill. He requires me to stop drinking one hour before the fill. He specifically recommend drinking Protein shakes to help deal with hunger.

Greetings! Congratulations on taking the necessary steps to save your life!

I would. But questions like this are best answered by your surgeon or nutritionist, since they are aware of your medical history.

Hi Donna! Welcome! Congratulations on making the decision to save your life!

My Mom taught me that you can tell a lot about people by the friends they keep: http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/sandyr/uzone,friends/userid,90275/mode,friends/page,3/ Nancy B. listed on SandyR’s friend’s list.on obesityhelp.com http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/sandyr/uzone,friends/userid,90275/mode,friends/page,13/ Chelle B. listed on SandyR’s friend’s list.on obesityhelp.com http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/sandyr/uzone,friends/userid,90275/mode,friends/page,3/ work_n_prgrss listed on SandyR’s friend’s list on obesityhelp.com. I think that pretty much says it all.

Carbonated beverages The arguments against drinking carbonated beverages are these; 1. Most soda is very high in calories. The additional calories may be sufficient to prevent weight loss. The Lap-Band is designed to help people eliminate between 500 and 1,000 calories daily from their food intake, which equals 1-2 pounds per week of weight loss. As an example, regular Pepsi-Cola has 150 calories per 12-ounce can. It would only take 3-6 cans per day to wipe out the calories lost from eating less food. Of course, artificially sweetened beverages like Pepsi Max will have fewer or even no calories. Of course Beer also falls into this category, with 143 calories for a Budweiser, or 95 calories for a Bud Light. 2. Some doctors believe that carbonation *may* cause the "pouch" or "upper stomach" to expand. That would be a "pouch dilatation". Diagnosis for a pouch dilatation is done with a barium swallow under fluoroscope. Normal treatment for a pouch dilatation is a complete unfill and a liquid diet for a period of time, normally between 2 and 4 weeks, followed by a fill. It is unusual to fill the band to the previous level after a total unfill for a pouch dilatation. 3. Some doctors believe that the increased downward pressure caused by trapped gas *may* cause the Lap-Band to slip. If there are any other arguments against drinking carbonated beverages, I am unaware of them. Doctors have very different opinions on the consumption of different foods and drinks after Lap-Band. Your doctor may not agree with one or any of the above reasons, which is why it is always best to ask your doctor.

Hi Hope! Welcome! Congratulations on deciding to save your life! Different doctors have different instructions. Most tell people no lifting for at least 6 weeks after surgery.

Hi Tia! Welcome! Congratulations on deciding to save your life!

Here are the arguments against coffee: 1. Coffee is a known gastric irritant. Anything that is a gastric irritant could *possibly* contribute to erosion of the Lap-Band into the stomach wall. (This is also why Band patients are told to avoid NSAIDS) 2. Coffee is a diuretic, and most Lap-Band patients have difficulty in getting in enough fluids. If a person is drinking *any* beverage containing caffeine, the diuretic effect of that beverage must be compensated for by additional Fluid intake. (This is one reason why people are told to avoid caffeinated soft-drinks) 3. Coffee is a stimulant due to the caffeine content. Some doctors believe that *any* stimulant will *also* stimulate hunger. If there are any other arguments against drinking coffee, I am unaware of them. Doctors have very different opinions on the consumption of different foods after Lap-Band. Your doctor may not agree with one or any of the above reasons, which is why it is always best to ask your doctor.

I recorded all TV so I could fast-forward through commercials. I emptied my pockets, house, car and wallet of cash, because cash got spent on food. I did not go shopping for anything. I chewed a truckload of Trident.

I can assure you that your life is not over. Food became "different" for me after banding. Where as it once took huge quantities to satisfy my hunger, now "Enough is enough". I still eat Rice A Roni and Cheetos (Not often) but in greatly reduced quantities.

Welcome! Congratulations on saving your life!

I just wanted to say Welcome! Congratulations on deciding to save your life!

Welcome! Congratulations on saving your life!

Hi Carrie! Welcome!

Hi guy! Welcome! When was your last fill? The answer to the problem could be as simple as you losing the residual fat-pad underneath the band, which makes the band looser, which allows you to eat more food.

Hi Amy! Welcome! Congratulations on saving your life! :whoo:

That is a beautiful piece of work, and quite nicely points out the utter insanity of the current selection process for the Nobel Peace Prize. I believe Alfred Nobel would reject the decision that the committee made this year as one that was formed by popular opinion and political correctedness run amok.

Here are the arguments against coffee: 1. Coffee is a known gastric irritant. Anything that is a gastric irritant could *possibly* contribute to erosion of the Lap-Band into the stomach wall. (This is also why Band patients are told to avoid NSAIDS) 2. Coffee is a diuretic, and most Lap-Band patients have difficulty in getting in enough fluids. If a person is drinking *any* beverage containing caffeine, the diuretic effect of that beverage must be compensated for by additional Fluid intake. (This is one reason why people are told to avoid caffeinated soft-drinks) 3. Coffee is a stimulant due to the caffeine content. Some doctors believe that *any* stimulant will *also* stimulate hunger. If there are any other arguments against drinking coffee, I am unaware of them. Doctors have very different opinions on the consumption of different foods after Lap-Band. Your doctor may not agree with one or any of the above reasons, which is why it is always best to ask your doctor.