Jodi_620

I would do a Google search for Bariatric surgeons in my area. Most surgeons have regular free seminars. Attend a couple that way you will learn a lot about surgery and get a feel for different surgeons...go to at least two different seminars if possible. While there, ask if they accept your insurance. I would assume you need a referral to see the surgeon (may want to check on that). If so, go to your family doctor to get the referral. I recommend you see the surgeon first. He/she will probably have an insurance coordinator that can handle the rest of the hurdles for you. And he/she will walk you through the psych, dietician and all the other stuff based on the requirements of both the surgeon and your insurance company.

No, your band would not be touching your ribs, your liver is in between your band and the ribcage. Could you have kidney stones? I would push the issue further with the doctor, pain should not go on ignored.

First did you eat properly? small bites, chew well, put fork down wait a few seconds take the next bite... Not eating properly can cause discomfort. Also, does this happen with all meals or just certain types of food. Some foods are harder to tolerate or need to be prepared or served differently. If you ate properly and can't connect the discomfort to a particular food then you probably ate too much. If you were to continue to eat past that point then the food would come back up. You want to avoid both of these problems (discomfort and regurgitation). I would wait until I was more familiarized before I got another fill. Measure your next meal. If you are uncomfortable after eating that pre-measured amount then measure a little less for your next meal. If you are not satisfied on that amount add a little more. Once you get the right amount figured out, stick with that amount for a week and see what happens. Are you staying satisfied for several hours, are you losing weight, are you filling up on a small amount of food? If not, then schedule another fill. It takes time in the beginning but if you stick with following the rules and eating the proper amount eventually you don't have to put so much thought into it, it will just come naturally.

Your symptoms would depend on how it slipped. Symptoms could be any combination of the following: Sudden loss of restriction Suddenly too tight Unable to swallow anything Pain when eating or drinking Reflux Throwing up Your doctor would be able to tell by using fluoro to look at your band. Mine used fluro for my first fill and then checks my band under fluoro every six months. If there are any sudden issues like the ones listed above he would check it under fluoro again to make sure everything is okay. With fluoro you do swallow a small amount of barium and then some Water.

As you said you are eating it too dry and too fast so we know the problem just need to solve it. At home don't allow distraction during your meal. Practice eating slower and taking smaller bites, chewing well and waiting for your next bite. Making this habit is very important for long term happy life with the band and it does eventually become habit. Until you get accustomed to eating slower eat softer proteins in public settings (fish, beans, cottage cheese) but still do your best to focus on small bites and chewing well. Add broth sauce or gravy to make the chicken more tender and don't overcook the meat, marinades or cooking it in liquid helps. It took time for me to be able to concentrate on eating properly in a group setting but it is all second nature to me now.

The carbonation can be quite painful with the band as it reaches your little pouch and expands it. It is also believed by some that this expansion can permanantly stretch the pouch allowing you to eat more. I was hooked on Diet Pepsi and have given it up. I miss the beer when I go out to a game or concert but otherwise there are alternatives and the sacrafice has been worth it.

For me, the colder the better and I tend to drink more when it is very cold. I freeze two bottles overnight and let one thaw slowly as I eat breakfast and my morning tea. This keeps it ice cold all morning long. Then I get the second bottle out for the afternoon. Drinking it ice-cold doesn't seem to have had an affect on my loss.

This is common, you swallow air when you swallow food. Add to that the fact that us bandsters are pretty gassy in general. (I had an abdominal ultrasound last week and the tech couldn't believe how much air I had in my system and this was after fasting for around 15 hours!) Anyway, The air takes up a lot of what little space you have in your pouch, you have to burp it up to let the food settle. I have a hard time burping at all since banding but have gotten pretty good a forcing the air up quietly between bites.

I doubt that you will be able to get it done on a payment plan through the hospital. You will not owe all of your money to one place and will be charged individually (psych, anesthesiologist, surgeon, hospital) and especially with non-emergency surgery like this, they all usually want their money up front. With my surgeon, self-pay patients have to pay their program fee, psych. fee, on the day of the each services. The surgeon fee is due 10 days before the surgery and the anesthesiologist bills you prior to surgery and it has to be paid before surgery day. The hospital collects their share when you are checking in on surgery day. Most surgeons provide information on companies that provide credit options but you will need good credit for approval and a decent interest rate.

I was advised to stay around 800 until I started to get fills but not now. I don't think there is a magic calorie intake number for everyone or even one individual. It depends on metabolism, size and activity level. As you lose weight all of those factors change as do your needs. You certainly want to watch that you are not consistently getting too low or too high of a calorie level, which is why I asked about calories here, but don't obsess too much on a number. Mine averages around 1200 but some days I go above the 1500 threshold and some days I go below 1200. I don't obsess over calorie counting. I eat good quality food, colorful fresh fruits and veggies and fresh lean meats. I listen to my body and eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full (not too full). If it gets to the point that it regularly takes too much food to reach satiation and/or I am hungry before my next meal then I get a fill. Don't forget to stay well hydrated too.

You've just hit a plateau, we all have them. I had around four so far through my weight loss. When I reach a plateau, I switch up what I am eating. Eat a little more than normal for a few days and drink even more Water. Eventually the weight loss starts up again. What is your calorie intake per day?

Unless you are eating spicy or salty foods or are not keeping hydrated between meals, it it probably has more to do with habit than being thirsty. You should not have a drink in front of you during a meal or you will grab it out of habit. I drink before my meals and wait 30 minutes after a meal to have another drink. But yes, it was very difficult in the beginning; but really stick with it for a week or so and it will get easier and eventually become habit. At 10 months I don't even think about a drink and no longer need to watch the time, I can tell when my 30 minutes have passed.

I think this would be a slider food. This type of food liquifies quickly then slips right through the band. You want a protein that is going to keep your pouch full for a while.

That is true, I have discovered that many people have trouble identifying true hunger after surgery. You definitely need to figure out the difference between gas rolling around in your digestive system and tummy rumbling hunger pains...certainly another part of the learning process for many.

LOL, no...I'm not in that big of a hurry! Actually it was just yesterday that I had the abdominal ultrasound; I doubt my doctor has even seen the results yet. I hope to reach goal before I go ahead with the surgery that is unless my doctor objects for some reason.

The pouch stretches when people graze all day long keeping it consistently full or overfilled. If you eat three meals a day and let the pouch empty out between meals waiting until you are actually hungry before you eat again you should be just fine. Right now the food will pass through pretty quickly if your band is empty.

I still can't burp but my hiccups are very deep and hard...almost painful.

If you are going to weigh yourself every day, understand that you need to be able to handle and understand fluctuations. You can use these fluctuations to learn and keep you accountable but don't let them drive you crazy or make you feel defeated. I can gain three pounds in the same day...water gain, exercise, full bladder/bowel. Only truly count what the scale says once a week use any other weigh-in's as reference. Or simply weigh once a week.

Good advice as usual Heather!

We are the same height too! Sounds like you are doing great :cursing: Thanks for the congrats.

I get the hiccups and the nasal drip too but I also sometimes (glad is it not too often) get another goofy one...a "brain freeze" type headache! No, I am not eating ice cream for dinner, just a typical meal then suddenly that stabbing pain, like an ice-cream headache...it doesn't last but a second or two but it definitely makes me put the fork down!

I eat more than 1/2 cup per meal, more like 3/4-1 cup. Is that all you can eat or do you just stop at that? I am just wondering if you are not too tight. If you are chewing well and taking small bites you should be able to get most lean meats down. Can you give an example of a typical day of food? (what , when and how much)

It took nearly two weeks before I was able to lie flat after surgery. Getting in bed was fine, but getting back up was just too painful. In bed, there just wasn't anything to grab and brace myself with--like the arm of the sofa. I couldn't use my ab muscles to sit myself up or roll myself over-if I tried, it felt like my entire stomach area was ripping apart. I do not own a recliner so I used cushions and pillows to prop myself up on the sofa. That was best too because I didn't disturb DH while dealing with movement and pain meds. The first week I was in an almost seated position and I was able to lower myself slowly through the second week.

You need to try and see if you can figure out what is triggering this. Is it emotional...boredom...hormonal? Contintuing to eat that way could at the very least hinder weight loss and at worst cause damage. Stick to three meals a day and when you want to eat between meals stop, try to drink a bottle of Water or do some cardio or even a small walk. Tell yourself that you can have what you want but not until your next meal. Watch your white carbs. Things like bread,crackers, chips, Pasta, potato, rice and sugar will trigger cravings for even more carbs. It is hard but if you stay strong it will eventually get easier. It may help to get counseling or talk to your nutritionist. If you are truly tummy rumbling hungry when you eat then you may need a fill but because the food is coming back up, it sounds like you are eating when your pouch is full, eating past full or eating too fast.

Went for my abdominal ultrasound this morning and was lucky to have a tech that didn't mind letting me in on what she found...my gallbladder is shot and I have several stones. :cursing: So it guess it is back under the knife for me. I did ask why I am not experiencing severe pain and she said probably because my diet is better now. She said that a bad gall bladder does not hurt all the time, only after eating rich and fatty foods. Because my diet is good I am not having the severe pain but I am getting the discomfort from the stones moving around in there and blocking the passage...just thought that was interesting enough to pass along.