neptune693

IndioGirl55! As always it is a joy to hear your posts! I have been very worried, because I quit smoking in March 2006, and haven't really craved a cigarette. However, since being banded I started craving one and finally broke and bought a pack. I started off with just one every few days, and now I smoke about 3 a day. I actually had just made a post asking a question about this on another thread on here. I have heard stories of band erosion and stomach ulceration, but have not found any confirmed literature. I work in a hospital, and have even read the CareNotes there that mention nothing about it. I am sure it is detrimental in some way (what that we enjoy isn't?); but I don't feel bad in any way. My theory is, as is how we treat most patients, that if you are eating without problem, not vomiting, still having bowel movements and urination, and no pain ~ your body is functioning properly. Don't know how good of a theory it is, but I'm sticking to it!! Hope you are well, and I hope you never leave this forum! Jason

I was banded 4/14/08 and my Primary Care is Dr. Bruce Kahan in the business center off of Bearss and Medaca Lane. His number is (813) 960-7533. He is very good, and is lap-band friendly, as he supported me completely through mine. If you cannot make and appointment with him, his ARNP Scott Schierer is AWESOME!! Dr. John Dietrick at UCH did my lap-band, and is an excellent surgeon who takes the time to explain everything to you step by step, and is very honest and not driven by making money by volume. You can reach the surgical weight loss center there at (813) 971-6000. I hope this helps, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Jason

Hi everyone, I am an employee at UCH, and yes we do have support groups. They are held at the Surgical Weight Loss Center, typically the third Thursday of every month at 6pm. The next support group is July 24 at 6pm. If you would like details on support groups and the services offered, contact the Surgical Weight Loss Center at (813) 971-6000 and ask the operator for the surgical weight loss center. Dr. Dietrick and his staff are a superior group of people and are very knowledgeable. I have not attended a meeting as of yet, I was banded on 4/14/2008; however the meeting nights fall on a work night. I hope this helps all of you from Tampa, and if there are any other questions I can try to answer, don't hesitate to contact me Jason

Hi! It is a tough decision, but it was the best decision of my life! I am not sure what all you need answered, but any questions, just shoot them my way and I will try to help you. Jason

Welcome! This is a very informative site and will help you a lot! There has not been one of my questions not answered on here, this is a great bunch of people! Congrats and good luck! Jason

Hi! I just wanted to send you a note to welcome you, and congratulate you on your decision to be banded! I joined about a month after I had my lap-band surgery, and this site has certainly been a godsend! I was banded April 14, 2008 and have lost 52lbs total and have gone from a size 54 waist to a 48 waist. Some people are more successful, some less; it all depends on your dedication and your physical makeup (your genes if you will). Don't ever get discouraged if things don't go as you thought they would, my best advice is to communicate with your surgeon and make friends on here to answer questions as you go. I have worked in a hospital for the last 8 years as a Cardiac Monitor Tech; and I can assure you that with this procedure there is very little (nearly nothing) to be anxious about. Most patients are ready to bounce back in about 4 days after surgery and get on with their life. When I had mine, I scheduled 9 days off, and was going stir crazy by the 5th day! There are rarely any complications, and if you do everything as instructed, there shouldn't be any complications. The other bonus to this type of surgery is that it is completely reversible!! So if you suffer anything unusual, it can be reversed. At my hospital there have been no mortalities, and less than 1% in complications (and those were from individuals who did not strictly follow the program). I hope I have made you feel better and more at ease, feel free to message me and ask any specific questions you might have; I'd be more than happy to answer or help you find the answer. Good Luck! Jason

I have had similar problems with codes not matching, etc. However, my solution was to take it to my benefits administrator at my company. She is amazing, and seems to straighten things out quickly without appeals. I work at a hospital, and know many people in the insurance industry; and when they told me to go see my benefits administrator I thought I'd get a big run around. However, much to my surprise, she informed me that it is her job to monitor how the insurance company manages our benefits. She meets weekly with the representative from the insurance company, and takes all employee complaints to him. If she does not get satisfaction from him, all she does is fill out an exception and forces them to process the claim. Recently she went as far as having our insurance company change their service code for fills because there were so many complaints about the claims not being paid. Thank god I am fortunate enough to have a good benefits administrator. So, my advice would be to start there before going throught he headache of appealing through your insurance company. Let me know how it turns out for you, and I wish you the best of luck! Jason

You can discuss it with your doctor, but my doc said bacon and sausage were completely off limits. I work in a hospital, and did some reading and not only the fat content is a problem, but sausage has "bits" of unchopped gristle/fat that have difficulty making it throught the stoma. I know the exact pain you are speaking of though! I had some roast beef my mother made for a family dinner, and I chewed, and chewed, and chewed til I thought I had chewed enough, and when I swallowed, it felt like someone had stabbed me right below the sternum. I kept swallowing trying to make it go down, and the more I swallowed the worse it got. I had to excuse myself, and as soon as I got to the bathroom I gently began to, excuse me, regurgitate the few bites I had taken. I've learned to avoid roast beef (even Arbys or deli roast beef) as for some reason, it just not go down well. Everyone is different, and it may depend on the size of our bands, the size of the stoma, and the size of our pouch. You will find in time what you can and cannot eat, and unfortunately we have to learn it during lessons such as yours and mine. I hope you are feeling better! Jason

Congratulations!! That meal looks absolutely delicious!! I just had my third fill last week, and right now soft foods are the only thing that agree with me. I have a problem with breads, they seem to make me feel a lot of pressure, so I eat them in moderation. You look like a wonderful cook, and it is very smart of you to cook a lot and save, I wish I had more time to cook and do the same thing, LOL!! Congrats again, and I hope you enjoyed your dinner! Jason

Hey Jorge, I just wanted to check in on you and see how you are doing? I am hoping all the support you got helped your sense of disappointment and discourage! This is a really wonderful site to turn to when you are feeling weak or discouraged, or just plain have questions. I has answered many of mine, and given me the support when I need it. Just to give you an example of why it is important to communicate, I was bouncing on the scale, some days 294 some days 292, some days 298. I was like what is going on??? So I made an appointment with my doctor, and told him what was going on. He advised me that it was obvious I was not sticking strictly to my diet portions, and I had to confess that it was true. He told me he thought I would benefit from another fill, and I agreed. Well, it has been a week since my third fill, and I am feeling much more restriction. I couldn't eat more than a cup if I wanted to! And even better, I have lost 4 more lbs in just this past week! Communication is always to the key to success. I would love to hear from you and what your progress is, and even if you fall off the wagon, you can talk to me about that too ~ANY OF YOU CAN :biggrin2: ~ I just don't want you to feel alone in this journey, this forum is about making friends and getting support, and probably most importantly getting your questions answered! When it is the middle of the night, and something I haven't experienced before starts happening (i.e. I have been having terrible pain in my lower chest under my left ribcage) I first turn to this forum, and most times I find the answers here to calm me until I can consult with my doctor. So I hope this finds you well, and in better spirits, and I hope to hear from you! Jason

Hi all you GLBT Bandsters! I love this group! I have read all of the posts, and you all seem like a fun group My name is Jason and I am 39 and my partner is 19. We will be together 2 years this December. I actually had the lap-band to improve my health so that I can really spend a long happy life with him. I never really seemed as concerned about my weight until we got together, and I have him to thank for so much in motivating me! Not only did I get the lap-band, but I am starting back to school in the fall to finish my degree, 16 years after dropping out of college!! I have a dreaded question, that I know I am going to get lectured long and hard on, smoking. I quit smoking in March of 2006; however, since having the lap-band on 4/14/2008 I crave a cigarette. I finally broke one day and bought a pack. I smoked one, and didn't feel anything bad. So I stowed the pack away in the trunk of my car (my partner of 2 years really despises smoking) for those times I might crave one. Well it started with one every few days, and then slowly worked up to one every other day, long story short I smoke at least 3 per day now (cigarettes that is, not packs!). I can still go several days without one, because they only time I smoke is when my partner and I are working, our days off I go without. I keep throwing packs away saying I'm going to stop, but then end up buying another. Are there any other smokers out there, and if so have you had any problems with your band because of it? I worry that I am doing something to really muck up my band, and it scares me; but obviously not enough to fight the craving. I wasn't sure if it had something to do with my not having food addiction or food cravings anymore, or if I felt like I gave up food and I need some kind of vice. I keep trying to psycoanalyze it, but to no avail. If there is anyone out there that can help, please respond. On a positive note, I am doing well with my weight loss. I have lost 52lbs so far and dropped from a size 54 waist to a 48 waist. I just had my third fill, and it is difficult to eat sometimes now, but my doc said to give it a week or two since I can swallow and not throw up; I just get really uncomfortable gas pains under my left bottom ribcage (anyone else experience that?). Well, I have talked everyone's ear off enough. Thanks for the great thread, and if anyone can help, I will greatly appreciate it!! Jason

Never be afraid to go to your doctor, he/she is there to help you through this. I too went on a food binge shortly after my surgery on April 14, 2008. However, I talked to my doctor and he moved my first fill up by a week to help me out. I have since had a second fill and I am doing well on my eating, however I seem to have plateaued with my weight loss. I have been stuck between 292 and 293 for weeks now; so I was getting discouraged. However, I again spoke with my doctor, and it is typical for the actual weight loss to plateau in the 6-12 week period out of surgery; but what he told me to look for was body changes. Sure enough, I am able to fit into clothing that have not fit into in years. This is all a process, and it is a slow process. Our weight did not come on overnight, and neither will it leave overnight. We all have to be strong, and when we have our failures, get right back up and start again. In time, we will learn how to manage our eating and be healthy individuals. Time is everyone's enemy, but this forum is one thing that can help you through. Also, see if your weight loss center has a support group that you can go to; I work in the hospital where I had mine done, and have a lot of support, so I am lucky. Don't worry Jorge, you will get there! Keep your chin up and stay strong, YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Your welcome! Glad it worked for you! :biggrin2:

I had my second fill this past Thursday, and I can finally feel my band working. I do feel when I am full, and my satiety lasts much longer now. I don't get hungry for about 5 hours now after I eat my cup of food. I have had to seriously measure everything, and sometimes I cannot finish the cup. My surgeon said that once you reach that point that you may be able to go a little longer until your next fill. I'm glad I reached my point at the second fill, I've heard sometimes it take 3 or 4 before you reach the lap-band green zone. Good luck with your next fill! You will know it is there :biggrin2:

Cut and paste the code for message boards into your signature in your profile settings. Hopefully that helps you :-)

This has probably been one of the best threads for me. I had a lot of fears, and reading all that everyone wrote really put my mind at ease. I had my second fill today, and although I "felt" as though I were overeating and gaining weight, it was obviously just in my mind; because I lost another 6lbs! I have gone from 340lbs to 298lbs since starting the program in March, and my surgery was April 14, 2008. Much of what we feel is what the "old" us used to feel. Not only do we have to teach ourselves a new way to eat, we need to teach ourselves a new way to think. I am learning much in my journey to the new me; and I want to sincerely thank everyone on here that posts their stories. We all have many of the same fears and experiences, and I know for me it is comforting to know that others are out there with me. June 19th I will attend my first support group that is offered by my surgical weight loss center, and I think I will become a regular member. I truly believe you can never have too much support in accomplishing your goal. OH! And for everyone out there, if you want a good form of excercise that is low impact, I have begun doing Water aerobics!! It kicked my butt the first time I did it!! My surgeon says that it is a great form of excercise, and my muscles would have to agree!! My best to everyone! I hope you are all having a great week! WE CAN DO THIS!! Jason :wink2:

To those who have said eating soups is good, be careful! I was banded on 4/14/08, and work at the hospital I was banded at. The director of the Surgical Weight Loss Center warned me of the dangers of Soup. It tastes great and goes down easy, but what happens is, it is a liquid and passes quickly through the stoma so you get hungry again much more quickly, therefore you end up "grazing" eating small snacks in between. I am 4 weeks out now, and am finding it very difficult. I am hungry all the time, stomach growling and gurgling. I seek out food, and then feel guilty when I eat it. I did very well up to about 2 weeks ago, that is when the hunger hit. But I agree with all the others that posted, it is a boredom issue, or a "head" issue. I think part of my problem is, my doc has not cleared me for anything more than walking. I am dying to start a swimming regimen! But for now, I can walk and work and watch TV. I was glad to read on here that I am not the only one having the eating problem, it has given me encouragement that I can get back on track. I want to thank everyone for their input, since I just joined the forum tonight, I have learned much from reading everyone's stories. This is really a great resource and I look forward to participating in more discussions.