kiz

I just got back from the grocery store, and they were giving out free samples of Reese's Valentine Hearts. Double whammy....choc and peanut butter. I ran past the display and didn't take one...score one for me. Rhapsody, I notice the choc ads are gone, maybe someone,took pity on us choco-olics!!

If you're a fish lover like I am, you'll hit the jackpot. Just about every restaurant from Italian to steak, has a nice fish selection. My second choice is chicken. I think I could handle steak, but so far, I've not felt the need to try more than a little sliver of my husband's. He usually orders smaller meals now, and borrows from my plate. lol I've always been happy to bring part of my meal home for the next day. :ohmy: I've eaten chicken and broccoli at two different Chinese restaurants. One was very tender and went down well, but the other wasn't so well cooked, and I had to definitely be mindful of my bites and chewing. At Mexican restaurants, I do eat some chips (not many), and I order a dish with chicken, and generally open up the tortilla, and eat the chicken and the sides, well, at least a small portion. I almost always order a nice veggie omelet when we go out for breakfast. I'm at my sweet spot, and my doctor's recommended 1/2 cup meals, are very satisfying. So, obviously, I have a lot of left over, and plenty to share. If you're band isn't overly tight, and my doctor does not want me to get to that point, you should be able to eat something at most any restaurant. I've been banded for five months, been on vacation, and have eaten out at minimum of once/week, and I haven't had any problems finding something that I would consider relatively healthy and band friendly.

Oh no, PJ. I can't believe your doctor doesn't cover the correction. I'm so sorry you're facing this.

If you don't make your appt for Sunday, are you saying the next time you can get in is in two weeks? Can you make the Sunday appt and cancel Saturday if things settle down? My doctor's rule of thumb is that if you can't get fluids down, you need an unfill immediately. If you can't progress from mushies to solid Protein within two weeks, you need an unfill. It sounds like you might have irritated the band area by being slightly over filled, and now you're really too tight. I would call my doctor, if I were in your shoes. Sorry you're going through this.

You need to check your insurance. At the seminars I attended this question came up, and the answer was that they use the beginning weight of you six-month diet to determine eligibility. But again, check your insurance policy and surgeon's office to be sure.

Can you slip a small bottle of either white grape or regular grape juice into the party, and pour it in your glass? Heck, grape juice tastes better than some wines anyway. RM, brought up some very good points about your liver. Unless your doctor gives you the okay, I wouldn't drink until you're completely healed. I had a glass of wine after three months.

CM, I hope you start to feel better if you get an unfill. You've been through so much, and I know the last thing you need is reflux and trouble eating. One reason you may be getting hungry is that you're eating softer foods that slide through the band pretty quickly. The way the band is "supposed" to work, is that with the smaller upper pouch, the food you eat makes the nerves at the top of your stomach signal your brain that you're full. Once someone is too tight, they compensate by eating softer foods, and then the band isn't doing it's job. You were doing so great on your own, so that if nothing else, an unfill would let you get back to eating the way you were when you were losing weight. Hopefully, at that point, when you're able to tolerate solid foods, maybe the band will give you the boost you need. At least, you should feel better. Please let us know how you're doing if/when you get an unfill.

Thanks, Suzanne. I hope you the scale moves for you too! I know it's incredibly frustrating when you're doing all the right things and the darn scale doesn't cooperate.

With all your fantastic weight loss prior to banding and your age, I can understand why you'd lose a little slower right at the beginning. Honestly though, from all you're describing, it sounds to me like your band is too tight. You're not able to eat normally and you're having reflux at night. You're changing your diet to softer foods because you can't tolerate solid Protein, so you're short changing your band. I would chart your the meals you're eating, and especially what you can't eat, and talk to your doctor. Even a slight unfill could make a world of difference. I really hope you can get some relief and start losing. Here's a very good list to go by, if you think you're band might be too tight.

Hey Suzanne, since we go to the same doctor, I'm kind of curious of how the WW plan meshes with the 1/2 cup per meal plus snack under Dr. B's recommendation. I did WW in the past, and I'll bet many banders have given it a whirl or two (or three or four times) in the past, but I'm sure I ate more quantity of food w/ WW than I am with the band. PS - Grrr to men and their weight losing ways. lol

Thanks for the tip. It looks like a lot of stores carry it, but I'd never heard of it before. 1/4 cup has 130 cals, 4 grams fat, 8 grams of fiber, 14 grams of protein, and 10 grams of carbs. It sounds like it's a good filling snack, with a nice kick of fiber and protein.

You're very welcome. Let us know what you and your doctor decide today.

One of the signs of being too restricted is if you can't progress past mushy foods by two weeks after a fill. It sounds like you're saying you can't tolerate solid Protein foods. If that's the case, getting a fill is only going to worsen the situation (imo). I'm glad you're going to talk directly to your doctor today. I hope you get everything sorted out. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f219/how-do-i-know-if-fill-too-much-58239/

Let your doctor know exactly what you're experiencing and what you are eating to compensate. You seem to be eating around your band...you're eating easy foods that can slide through the band, and you're getting hungry quickly. The band is designed to hold food in your pouch long enough that your nerve sensors at the top of your stomach signal your brain that you have had enough to eat. From your description, I would guess that you are too tight.

Sounds to me like you need a fill. As far as stretching out your stomach, it's hard but not impossible to do. It does take some time. I would think you're most probably okay, especially if you feel like the food is going through the band, and you're not getting stuck or pb'ing, but the doctor can check if he's doing your fill under xray.

That's great advice, Misty. Our eyes can deceive us, and I've found measuring my food really helps keep me in check.

Plain, I totally agree with all of your points.

What things did you hear that you didn't know? The pre-op diets run the gamut of the very strict to none at all. Mine was for two weeks. Two low carb protein shakes, 4 oz of lean meat, two slices of LF/WW bread, plus all the mostly green veggies I wanted (no corn or potatoes, for instance). There might have been some more to the diet, but it's been a long time, so it's a little fuzzy now. If you started a thread with your doctor's name in the title and where you're located, hopefully someone who was banded by him/her would give you the diet info. I'd be worried about not going by his requirements.

I'm glad you're feeling better, Pam. I really thing the most important thing to do is to measure your food. I can't say how much you should eat, but personally, without restriction, I would still try to keep my meals under a cup. Some people eat as much as a cup and a half, but I wouldn't try it myself. Good luck!!

I had seen a few ads for gastric bands about a year or so before I made my decision to get a band. I thought I wouldn't be eligible because I didn't have any co-morbidities and I was under 40 bmi. After trying to lose 20 lbs during the course of the year (that was my first goal), and seeing the scale move just a tad then back up again, I decided to see if there was anyway I would be eligible for the surgery. It turns out, that when you have no WLS insurance, and you have to pay out of pocket, the rules aren't quite so stringent. I researched some before the first seminar I attended the first of June, and after that, I was determined that this would work for me. I signed up for LBT and started asking questions, attended the hospital's support group meetings, and I read, read and read some more. I was pretty much as prepared as could be by the time I had surgery three months later. Of course, as much as you think you know, there's always a surprise or two that pops up. LBT and the support group meetings are great resources for those times.

With only two fills, 5.5cc in a 14cc band, no restriction to speak of, plus no weight loss in four months, you need a fill (imo). My doctor recommended a test to see if you have good restriction. Two ounces of good Protein (ie baked chicken breast) and 2 oz of a firm cooked veggie (ie broccoli). If you're hungry in less than three or four hours, you need a fill. Of course, that's his opinion, and your doctor's opinion may very well differ. The fact that you haven't had a fill in several months, and you never had good restriction, the effectiveness of your band is limited. I paid out of pocket for my band, and I want my appetite to go from the lion to lamb like I saw in the brochure. :crying:

LOL...Well, there is an option to leave a comment on the website. I'm not sure you could get one past the censors though. :mad2::laugh:

I should have added a winky. I was being facetious, if not sarcastic, although as mad as hell I am at this woman for putting her selfish needs in front of her children, I am sympathetic toward the babies and the six at home. I also cannot understand a doctor participating in this.

Prior to getting my band, I've thrown up after waking up after having receiving anesthesia. I let my anesthesiologist know my history, and I got anti-nausea meds in my IV. He also gave me an anti-nausea motion patch, and scheduled me for an additional shot of anti-nausea meds after I woke up. The nurse got me up before I received my second shot, and the room started to spin a little, I started feeling a little sick, and when I let the nurse know, she immediately gave me my shot. I didn't have a moment's problem after that. Good luck tomorrow!

Sorry if this has already been linked, but here's your chance to donate $$'s to Nadia. I notice that there's no mention on the website of the six young children at home. http://www.thenadyasulemanfamily.com/