Jodi_620

OMG! I have only lost 37 pounds and I am already seeing that! I was putting on underarm deoderant while looking in the mirror this morning. When I lifted my arm, all of the skin of my upper arm sagged down toward my pit and it looked like the arm of a 90 year old woman! :smile2: I made a mental note to get rid of any top that does not sufficently cover that mess!

In the morning after I use the potty and in my jammies :smile2: I agree with lanakila, it really doesn't matter as long as you are consistent.

I had to do the seminar first then a consult. But I would think they would only look at the now. Is your BMI above 40 or 35-40 with co-morbities? Do you understand how the Lap Band works and that it is just a tool? Do you have any physical or mental issues that would keep the band from working properly? These are the sort of things they look at.

Thanks a lot Patchelton! I did a search and it looks like they are low in sugar too! I will get some today!!

Thanks everyone for your responses. I do have one shake a day (12G protein). Three meals and a shake are about all I can handle right now and I am not supposed to replace a meal with a protein supplement. I have been using the protein shots, which when I can get them at Walmart are $1.97 each but I buy them out and then it takes a long time before they restock. Online they are about $38 ($3.16 each) that is like $95.00 per month. So I was wondering if at $1.06 a serving Unjuryunflavored mixed with my food or drink might be a good econimical option. Like I said I can only choke down one shake a day and I am shedding a lot of hair so I want to try and get my protein intake up. I am also taking "Hair Skin and Nail" supplements with 3000mcg of Biotin hoping that this and the increased protein will stop the loss. I have baby fine hair and have had bouts of thyroid imbalances in the past that have left my hair just a little thin so I can't afford to lose any more!

I just called my surgeon to verify. He said that the Lap Band brand has a little titanium in the port(wasn't sure about Realize but said it probably does too) . He said that not all security systems will pick up on it but some of the newer more sensitive systems will.

I would say yes, it is time. I had the same situation between my second and third fill...I got 1CC added and it made a world of difference!

The steri-strips come off on their own. After a week or two they will start coming loose and once they get so loose and when it is comfortable for you, you will be able to remove them. They will weigh you and discuss how you feel (pain, hunger etc.), what you are eating and where you will go from here. Congratulations on the weight loss!

That is what my nutritionist suggested too but I think it depends on the person. I have always been an "All or Nothing" type of person, I can't just cut back or wean off I have to just say enough. I did it that way with smoking and also with the bad carbs and the caffeine. And I quit all of these vices within 3 weeks along with surgery!

I had a week between the time I knew I was approved/scheduled and the time I had to start my liquid pre-op and I ate all of my favorite foods and drank my Diet Pepsi right up until my first day of liquid diet. I had buffalo wings and mozzarella sticks one night, Gyro the next, pizza from my favorite Italian Place...you get the picture. I ate MacDonalds and all my favorite fast foods. I was like Simon and got it in my head that I won't be able to eat these foods for the rest of my life so I may as well get in my last fix...now three months post-op, I realize that I can still eat these foods, just not every day and not in huge quantities. I gained almost five pounds in that "last supper" week but they came off--and then some while on the two-weeks liquid pre-op.

This site has a few different styles all say the same thing. It is actually a gastric bypass site but the wording works for bandsters too. Just click on the one you like and print it on heavy stock paper or laminate. Restaurant Card Bariatric Surgery

I received mine at my first follow-up visit. I didn't get the food card but you can download those for free online. The one my surgeon gave me states in English on the front: <MY name full>[My full name] has an adjustable Gatric Band implated around the stomach to assist in weight loss. If you have any questions please call: [surgeons name and number] <MY name number and doctors> *Caution should be taken when prescribing potentially ulcerogenic medications or performing and gastric or abdominal procedure. Maximum fill volume is 10 cc. Then it is repeated in four other laguages on the back.

It really is a personal choice. I chose to just wait until the surgery which was a good thing because it turned out I did not have to self-pay and with a BMI of 41 with no co-morbities losing a few pounds would have disqualified me for insurance coverage. But also, at the time, I felt that after surgery I was going to be missing out on my favorite foods for life and I wanted to pig out on them before it was over. Of course it turns out that there is very little that I am missing out on, just eating a lot less of it. If you feel that you need to start losing weight on your own right now, it certainly can't hurt to do so.

My surgeon said that the port can set off the wand type metal detectors in some cases. He told me to carry my "I have a Lap Band" card in case this happens. He also said that I need to make sure I tell any physician that I have the lap band expecially when I am getting x-ray's. It doesn't mean that I can't get any type of x-ray, they just need to be aware.

I know that since I got the band my tummy makes a lot more noise than it used to but that is typcially gas and digestion. If you are like me, pre-op we rarely felt hunger because we were constantly putting something in our stomachs. Here is how I guage hunger now: If you hear gurgling in the lower part of your tummy it is digestion or gas. Move around and it will help. If you are craving a particular food and having problems putting it out of your mind it is head hunger If you just have an empty feeling but not craving anything in particular you are probably dehydrated. When we get that empty feeling we tend to automatically want to fill it with food. Drink as much as you can to try and rehydrate your body and the feeling should subside. (2-3 glasses of iced tea usually do the trick for me) If you hear and feel an uncomfortable rumbling in your stomach (higher/near the ribcage and as far up as your throat) it is true hunger.

That is probably just restriction. I have different restriction at different times a day, and when I am stressed I get tighter. Maybe you are just eating just a little too fast. When you are sliming you will know it, first off it will happen because you got stuck so you feel the stuck pain first then you'll get a mouth full of mucus, several mouthfulsl if you are really stuck.

ebvillal, I just got a letter from my insurance company today (it came since my last post in this thread). Now when I looked into getting the lap Band like I said, I was quoted $17,500 for the whole package. I have paid out of pocket, the psychiatrist $500 and the initial visit of $375 plus a $3,000 down payment to the surgeon required prior to surgery. I have also paid through insurance for the upper GI and the bloodwork and EKG. The letter I got today was a CC of a letter they sent to the hospital concerning their portion of the bill. They were writing to say that the hospital sent a statement but they needed a detailed bill. Anyway , the bill amount was mentioned in the letter and it was over $29,000.00!!!:eek: I am going to watch closely to see how this turns out. The hospital amount plus what has already been paid comes to about $35,000.00--double what was quoted. Plus there was and additional $4,000.00 charged to insurance for the surgeon assistant that was refused by insurance and written off by the doctor. Now I did have hernia repair too but that shouldn't have doubled the bill. I am going to ask for a detailed bill too so that I can see what exactly was invoiced. I am sure the insurance company will get that amount reduced. If they get from the insurance company anything above and beyond what was originally quoted, I at least want my $3,000 deposit back!

You might want to give it a try at home, lie on your back feel the area where the needle went in then lift both legs a couple inches, you should feel the port very easily. If it works at home you could use it if you ever get the nurse for a fill again. I have to do two days liquid two days mushies after a fill. I am on day two of liquids after my third fill and haven't been hungry like with the first two. Glad to hear that the fill has helped with your appetite. Do you know how much saline they put in ?

Yeah, I get this sort of tightening in my throat and gurgling sensation from my stomach traveling up to my throat...very slight sensation but weird. The worst part for me is when they take the needle out, it doesn't hurt but that sort of "pop" sensation is almost nauseating to me. But it goes pretty quickly. I have been fortunate enough to have no problems finding the port. Did they have you lift both legs off the table so that the abdominal muscles push the port forward?

As far as I know the largest is 14CC. Don't worry, you have not failed. I felt very little on my first fill. I just got my third yesterday and I can just now start to understand what true restriction is and all it took to show that drastic improvment was an additional 1CC. It is very normal and does not mean that you have failed. You do need another fill though. Are you able to move the date up for your next fill? Some doctors allow that and some don't.

I agree with Dionna. My mom was against it. she had thoughts of the dangers of bipass and knows someone who died from bipass. Even though I tried to explain that lap band is different she still freaked out. I just stopped discussing it with her and went ahead with it. She is much more supportive now and she found out someone she knows had it done a year ago, said she lost 100 pounds and is so happy with the band. This helped my mom to get more excited about it.

Yeah, $23K sounds awful high. Mine was $17,500 with everything (office visits, psych, nutritionist, surgeon, hospital & anethesia). Where are you from jmegirl?

Is it a steady pain? Can you call your surgeon?

I haven't yet but I was told after my first fill that some people experience bruising.

You are only 3 days post-op and pain is very normal this early. I promise it will get better every day. I felt much better after 5-7 days and it was completely gone in two weeks.