thesuse2000

Oh - you're pre-op, I assumed you were on post-op liquids. In that case I'd say go for whatever works for you as long as you stay within your calorie requirements. Good luck! Susan

The liquid diet isn't about calories, it's about allowing your stomach to heal. It's only a short period of time - you can hold out! And then you can have peanuts. For now, if you crave peanuts, maybe you could mix some Peanut Butter into a Protein shake or something. Best, Susan

Lucky you! Sounds like you're doing great. I wouldn't think your doc would give you a fill as long as you're feeling good, yyour hunger is under control - and you're losing weight. As they say - if it aint broke, don't fix it. Congrats on your progress! Susan

Hi there, Sorry to hear you haven't had as much success as you hoped. I hope this forum proves to be helpful to you! Just curious - do you know how many CCs total you have in your band? And how many it holds? Do you feel some restriction with the band? Also - have you counted up your calories - even just for a few days to gauge your average daily calories? I went to a nutritionist a while back and discovered I was eating at least 3500 calories a day, when I thought I was eating a "normal" amount closer to 2000 (I thought maybe 2500-3000). It was an eye opener for me. Also - have you been tested for things like hypothyroidism? I have it, and it definitely plays a role in my weight - if I'm not taking proper meds. Anyway, it's great that you're taking the step of joining this forum - I'm sure you can find ways to succeed with your band! -Susan

Hi Judy, My understanding is that people generally gain back the lost weight if they have the band removed. You could get a total unfill if you wanted to have less restriction, without having to have another surgery - that's what is recommended when people get pregnant. The band with no fill only gives very minimal restriction, if any. I hear that Sharon Osbourne got her band removed - I haven't heard whether or not she has regained any weight. I'm assuming I'll just keep mine in forever, unless a serious problem arises that requires that I remove it. :thumbup:

You can't physically feel the band since it's under your ribs and liver and whatnot - but you do feel the effect of it - especially once you have a good fill - you get full quicker, and if you don't chew well enough, or are too tight, you can have pain in your chest (where the band is) and have to PB (productive burp) the food back up. It's not the end of the world, but definitely not so pleasant either. It just really reinforces the need to chew really well - especially things like meat and fibrous veggies. Most people can feel their ports, but it's not a big deal or anything. I think for some people the port can become visible through the skin once they've lost all their weight - but still not a huge deal generally. I've had just one fill - get the 2nd one this week - and it barely hurt at all - no worse than a regular shot - probably even less painful than that. Totally not a big deal. There are definitely some adjustments to make with the band - but so far I'm really happy with it. I need to work harder at cutting back on sugar in order to accelerate my progress, but I could never have done as well as I have without it, and for the first time in years I actually have hope and confidence that I'll actually be able to succeed at getting rid of at least most of my excess weight - if not all. That's a really great feeling. Good luck! Susan

Good question - I've wondered the same thing. What you described is what is normally referred to as PBing (productive burping). I do think that if you are too tight or not chewing well enough and are PBing a lot - that can be bad for your band - but I've never been totally clear about this issue. If anyone can clarify - I'd really appreciate it too! Thanks, Susan

You might be a candidate - if your bmi is at least 35. You can check your bmi here: Calculate your BMI - Standard BMI Calculator I was banded in Mexico at the OCC (Dr. Ortiz) because I didn't fulfill my insurance's requirements - my bmi was about 40, but I hadn't been that heavy in the previous two years. To get banded at the OCC you just need a bmi over 30. I'm getting my next fill in nyc - at nyu bariatric. They have an excellent surgical team. Check them out here: Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass - Types of Surgery - Surgical Weight-Loss by Laparoscopy, NYU Medical Center Good luck! Susan

I tend toward being a worrier myself, but I would still be concerned if I were you - just because I've heard some stories about people having to get their band removed because of damage, where the only sign of a problem was persistent heartburn. I'm sure that is not always the case though. If your original surgeon is far away - maybe you could just call the office and get their thoughts regarding your symptoms? I wish you all the best.

I'm not sure. With a bmi between 35 and 40 I think you may need to have more life-threatening co-morbidities like diabetes or sleep apnea. But I really don't know for sure. Also - I'm pretty sure you will need to do a medically supervised diet for 6 months. I'd say talk to your regular doc or call your insurance co - or both. I have to tell you - my bmi was around 40, but not that high in the previous two years, which is key to the insurance companies, and I don't have any co-morbidities so I didn't bother even trying with insurance - I went to the OCC in Mexico (Dr. Ortiz) and got the band for about $7k (I got a good rate because my sis and I got banded together). It was a great experience overall - and much cheaper and faster than if I had done it in the US. But if your insurance will cover you that would be great. I also have heard that if they reject you the first time, many people appeal and win the 2nd time around. Good luck!

Hang in there Bree! Have you tried blending different soups? Just to mix things up I bought other chunkier soups during the creamy liquid phase and blended them up - it really helped me get through it. Fudgesicles are also a lifesaver. I know it's hard, but you can do it. This is just a few weeks of your life, and you need to protect your band and let it heal - indulge with some ice cream if it helps, but don't eat solids before it's time. Good luck!

Yes - I would call the doc asap! It doesn't sound to me like a slip, but I wonder if it could be signs that the band is eroding into your stomach? I don't know, but these definitely sound like signs that something is wrong - the sooner you address it, the better chance you have of a full recovery without surgery or anything. Good luck!!! I really hope everything turns out just fine.

Congrats on making such great progress despite going so long without a fill - and with a larger band too!

Debbie - I can relate to the fear of feeling trapped by the band. I will say that for the first few weeks post-op you might feel a bit like that - I did. But by the time it was really driving me crazy it was time to move to the next stage and that was a relief. And while it was annoying, it really wasn't even that bad. You're just so psyched to have the band, you're willing to do whatever it takes to take care of it and make sure it heals properly. Since then, I'd also have to say that I've had a few frustrating experiences where I want to eat something, but it just doesn't go down well. But the amazing thing is that now I just avoid those problem foods and don't even feel much regret about it. So - yes, there are some small times/ways when you will feel limited by the band, but overall I can absolutely say that I am SO happy I have it. The few moments that it's a bummer are SO far outweighed by all the times that it lets me feel more in control - of my eating, my weight - and really, my life. If I lost it today for some reason I wouldn't hesitate for a second before getting ready to do it all again. It's SO worth it!

Yeah, I really didn't have much pain after band surgery. A little, but nothing some pain pills couldn't deal with - I had prescription drugs for the first couple days and then took liquid tylenol after that. For me anyway, the benefits far outweigh a few days of pain. But I can imagine that having had one surgery you might not be so excited to have another. That's a bummer on the timing. I hope you can at least get a good break in between surgeries. Once you get past these two surgeries your odds of a healthier future will be much brighter!

Chicamam1 - that's a great accomplishment! Congrats! I have a hard time seeing my weight loss too - but I keep looking to make sure I find it. I feel like it's really important that we cherish our progress as much as possible - it makes it easier to go on when the going is tough. I lost 70 pounds from about 1999 to 2000 and kept it off for a couple years, but then slowly gained it all back. So I've got relatively recent clothes going back to size 14 (only fit into a few of those). I was a 22/24 at my biggest - both this year before banding - and back in 1999. So this weekend I went shopping in my closet and found that all my 18 pants fit - as well as my 1x and 14-16 shirts. Yay!! The timing couldn't be better since the seasons are changing anyway - now I have some "new" fall clothes without spending a dime. A double pleasure! :cry_smile:

Hi there, Here's a link to a similar thread about Dr. Martinez: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f18/dr-ortiz-wont-there-my-surgery-dr-martinez-good-second-choice-74690/ I agree with Cujo's advice on this thread - if your husband is a higher risk patient I would try to stick with Dr. Ortiz since he is more experienced, but otherwise, Dr. Martinez has been working closely in surgery with Dr. Ortiz for at least a couple years, and I'm sure he has lots more experience than most bariatric surgeons in the US who mostly do gastric bypass. While I can't testify on behalf of his surgical skills (I was banded by Dr. Ortiz) I can testify that Dr. Martinez is absolutely wonderful to deal with. I developed severe diarrhea about a week after my surgery and I called the OCC for advice on a Sunday and Dr. Martinez called me back literally in about 10 minutes and spent about 15 minutes on the phone with me asking me questions about my symptoms and then offering clear advice and guidance on the different things I could/should do to get better. He also asked me to call him back in 3 days to review my improvement. I was just so amazed by the very thoughtful and careful attention - especially on a Sunday. I expected just to hear "Take x and it should get better" or something like that. And with his advice my symptoms got much better the next day (so I could go back to work) and was all better in a couple days. Good luck whichever way you go - I'm sure it will be fine either way.

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it either. Severe alcoholism causes liver problems, but a normal to slightly heavy alcohol consumption shouldn't cause any problems - and you say that you already know that your liver function tests came out fine - so you're good! At this point reducing the size of your liver is just about reducing calories - especially carbs - so you can use up the storage of glucose in your liver. Relax - as long as you follow your pre-op diet you'll be fine.

Hi all - I take Synthroid for hypothyroidism and I'm wondering if my dose will need to change as I lose weight. Has anyone needed to decrease (or increase?) their thyroid meds after losing weight? Just curious - thanks!

Thanks all for the responses! It sounds like I should just get it checked as regularly as I have been (about twice a year) but I shouldn't expect any drastic changes. :wink_smile:

I got mine done at the OCC in Mexico with Dr. Ortiz. I had to fill out some forms and do a pre-op diet - but it was only about a month between my first contact with them and my surgery - very fast!! And affordable - and he's one of the best lap band surgeons in the world. I have no idea what the process is like in the states, but it definitely costs at least twice as much. Good luck!

My inclination is to think it was just gas bubbles moving through your chest - but to be safe I'd say to call your doctor and run it by him/her. Hope all is well! I am guessing it is.

Wow - that's a lot of difficult stuff you're dealing with - with your worry about your mom probably tripling your stress/concern about your brother. I'm not sure what to say... there's obviously no easy answer in terms of the stresses you're dealing with. I don't know you, but I can see that you've done a tremendous amount of work on improving your self and your health - just try to remember how strong you are and also how important you are. I totally understand that you are committed to your family, but you won't do anyone else any good by mistreating yourself. Choose to take care of yourself - by not overextending yourself, and by giving yourself the foods that will make you feel better physically and emotionally. If you make sure to take care of yourself you will probably be able to better take of others as well. Most importantly - don't beat yourself up if you have a weak moment - or series of moments - remember to be kind to yourself. I wish you all the best.

I would think that they fill your abdomen with gas - just as they do for the standard band surgery. It's probably more noticeable now that you're so much thinner! I'm sure it'll go down over the next few days. Hope all goes well!