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"My BMI is 36.5 and I'm afraid that if i loose too much weight, the insurance would denied me." Babycakes, check with your doctor and insurance about that. In the seminars I attended, that question came up, and presenters said that it's the original weight that is used to determine eligibility. But, needless to say, it's very important that you check with your own policy and doctor.

Cereal and milk can be the same. In fact, as I'm typing this, I'm eating my breakfast of dry, high fiber, cereal. I really enjoy the texture and the flavor this way, and I don't feel like I'm missing anything because it's dry. I thought I would, when I was pre-band. Some people add a little milk, and say it works for them, but I'm all or nothing when it comes to milk and cereal. I always ate cereal floating in skim milk. I tried that once after my band as a treat to myself, and it was one of the two times I had a sliming event. I'll stick to dry..haha

That's pretty much true. Anything that you eat that is very liquidy is going to go through the band faster. That's not to say you can never eat soup again, but it's not going to be a meal that has staying power, unless you make it heavy with meat and veggies, and light on broth.

I just want to add to the above very informative posts, about being a grazer. I was not an emotional eater, although there were times I found myself eating out of boredom, or a big volume eater. I ate pretty normal sized portions, but I also had this hunger thing in my head all the time. I would eat junk between meals, and added to that bowl of ice cream or some other junky snack at night. I'd buy the "lite" ice cream, but I was just kidding myself. I was eating far too many calories every day, but on the other hand, I also have very bad genetics working against me. When I was in my twenties and younger, my bmi stayed around 20, and I ate very little in those days. Really, not a whole lot more than I'm eating with the band, but I wasn't denying myself food, I just didn't need a lot to keep myself going, and I didn't have this constant hunger thing going in my head. So, my main vice was grazing, coupled with a genetic predisposition to need less food to maintain a healthy weight. The band has put a stop to that for me, for one main reason, and that is, I'm not hungry between meals, and I'm fully satisfied on very little portions. For the first time in many years, I feel NORMAL. Everyone has given great advice, but I just wanted to point out that what RestlessMonkey said about getting additional help from a therapist to help with the emotional eating would be very beneficial to you. It could be, as an emotional eater, that you would sabotage any efforts to lose weight, whether you end up with a band or with bypass. Please keep posting, because there's a many people who will be in your corner here, which ever surgery you end up choosing. Best of luck to you!!

I'm glad to hear you're feeling better. Thanks for the update.

I don't think another they could squeeze another drop of saline in my band, and I still don't get that kind of restriction. Having that kind of episode with water must have been very scary. I hope you find you're restriction is fine, and you just need to dump the junk. I had to get my kids' Christmas candy out of sight, because it was calling my name.

Carrie, we're only human, and we all make mistakes. I was one who didn't get good restriction until my band was tippy top full, and I only got there the first of Jan (banded in Sep). Although, I measured my food to keep from overeating, I could have easily not stopped. Now, the band is giving me a clear STOP at 1/2 cup of food, which is where my doctor wants me to be. If your band is putting a stop to over indulging, it seems like you may not want to get more restriction, or you could risk getting too tight. However, leaving off the junk food, which it sounds like you're determined to do, I would measure for a few days, record your meals and times of hunger, and go from there. Whatever you decide, do not get down on yourself.

I'm also looking forward to reading your info, Wasa. A very good friend of mine has had a band for two + years, and even though she's over max full, she never had good restriction. She lost 25 lbs off pure determination, but has never lost anymore. She lives in another state, and I haven't had the heart to tell her that I got a band, and that I've been doing well. I'll see her in the summer, and I kind of feel like it'll just be rubbing salt in the wound because it has worked for me, at least so far. I talked to her about the band prior to me getting mine, and that's the last I mentioned it to her. At that time, she said she was considering gastric bypass, but I think a sleeve is something she really ought to look into.

I'll just give you one warning, OMG...one small wine, and I'm no good to drive. They warned us about that in our support group meetings, and I've seen other posters mention that as well. I'm sure it has something to do with the small amount of food we're eating. So, either way, your husband makes out. You're either the DD or a cheap drunk. :cursing:

I totally agree with LessJess's advice. You're four (five if you count your surgery day) out, and if you are still choking up water, you need to talk to your doctor. The Realize Band is put in empty, but if you got the Lap Band, it's usually put in with some fluid. If that's the case, maybe they could pull some out. I read one person say they were having problems after surgery, and the doctor even pulled the air out.

Welcome to LBT, Jerry. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery. It's natural to be a little nervous of the surgery and the changes you're going to make in your life, and I would have to say the best thing I did to help relieve the stress was to learn as much as could about what to expect before, during and after surgery. The hospital that where I had my surgery has a wonderful support group, and I started attending meetings as soon as I decided to get a band. Of course, I read LBT every chance I got..and I still do. I learn something helpful from the other members every day. So one piece of advice I would give you is to realize the band isn't going to change you over night. For one thing, it may take several adjustments to get to where you have good restriction. I got my band in September, and it wasn't until the first of January where I would say I had very good restriction, but I did have restriction along the way. It wasn't all or nothing for me. Some people get good restriction right from the get-go and others, like me, are a little slower. But, the good news is I got there.

If you can't get fluids down, you need to call your doctor. That's too tight. You can get dehydrated pretty quickly, and you don't want that to happen.

Hi KaitlynMarie, you are definitely on the right track to get to good health. It sounds like your doctor and your parents are fully supportive of you, and you're doing your research. That's a huge part of the battle. There's a whole teen forum on LBT, and you'll soon see that you are not alone. We really can't tell you if lap band is right for you, but it's certainly a very good option. I think if you go to the teen section, you'll see lots of kids just like you who have been very successful with the band. Good luck sweetie.

I've only had what I would call a throat spasm once. It was quite painful. I had been very fortunate to have not overeaten, PB'd, slimed..any of that good stuff, and I got overconfident. I knew I needed to stop eating because I felt full, but I took just one more bite, and wham. (It was chicken and broccoli, which also can sometimes be hard for banders to tolerate. I'll be much more careful next time.) My throat tightened and spasmed, and I had two or three episodes of slime, took a papaya tablet, and the food went down, rather than up, thankfully. That wasn't the exact same as you're experiencing, but I think it's in the neighborhood. I would guess the doctor is going to tell you that you're too tight. I've read where some people have only had just a little saline removed, and it made all the difference. Good luck tomorrow, and let us know how you're doing.

I'm glad you both are hanging in there. I remember dreaming about food on my pre-op diet stage. That's when I knew I had it bad..lol The good thing is, we've all been through it. It's not like we're your skinny girlfriend who just polished off a double cheeseburger telling you she knows how you feel.

Patty, I'm glad you came back and updated a bit. People on LBT are at every phase of the process, and I'm sure you'll get support to help you through this. I was able to start support classes prior to my surgery, and I found them to be very helpful. I still attend the monthly meetings. I hope now that you have some more time at home, that'll you'll be able to utilize the support group in your community. You are correct about what a PB (productive burp). Sliming (kind of a thick saliva or mucus) comes up when you have a stuck episode. I haven't had a PB, but I have had the sliming episode twice for about five mins each time, and it wasn't anything I want to have happen again.

I'm just not going to get to the point of being super tight. I'm about at the max with my fills, and I can still eat just about anything, but a lot less of it. I haven't tried something like a sub or even steak since getting my band, let alone since I've gotten good restriction, but I've had just about everything else people seem to have trouble with, and I've been fine. I just have to take it slow, chew well, take small bites and measure my portions, so I don't over do it However, you really don't know for sure how the band is going to impact your eating until you get it. Some people have trouble right from the start, so there are no guarantees. The way I looked at it was that my weight was going to lead to an early death. There are people who for many health reasons from severe allergies to terrible illnesses can't have a variety of foods. I count myself lucky everyday that I have my band and that I'm losing weight. There's not a cheese sandwich in the world I'd trade for living a longer and healthier life. Also, and I'm speaking ahead of myself because I'm not close to the maintenance phase yet, but I expect to have less fill once I get to my goal. At that point I won't be trying to lose weight, only maintain, so I'll be able to take in a few more calories. I can't see myself ever going for a complete unfill, but I'll just have to see what works when I get there.

My doctor allows wine - a small glass, occasionally. Personally, I don't want to drink my calories, but I've had a couple of glasses since having surgery on a couple of special occasions. I've read where some doctors have said no to alcohol for six months, others a year. This is one of those band variables. Now if someone was a heavy drinker, that's a whole other question, and I understand you aren't asking about that. I'm sure a lot of alcohol, in any form, would be harmful to our stomachs, especially after banding.

I should have bookmarked a post someone made earlier, but I didn't, and I have no idea who made it. She had a very bad result with her band because of eating solids early. She ate a small bite of chicken during her healing phase, and it got stuck. Hopefully, if she comes back on, she'll tell her story again, because I'm sure I'll get some facts messed up. Anyway, she tore sutures and I believe she said later she ended up with such a bad slip she lost her band. Try to envision your band and those raw areas where your stomach is healing, and then sip another protein shake, and be thankful you're healing well. I know it's hard, and it's good you came and talked about here, rather than acting. You're so close to getting to move to your next food stage, so just hang on. Wishing you much success!!

Umm...let's see, I made one post after you commenting on my vote. You're the one with ther trail of protests and judgements. I would say you're the one who protests too much. Anyway, good luck to you when you get your band.

Firstly, if you're referring to me as the self-pay with questionable results, you've got to be kidding. I've lost half of my weight in four months. I'm right on track. I've followed all the rules my doctor has set, and I've not had any band issues, so you're barking up the wrong tree. In fact, if you want to play that game, I can just as easily say that self-pays are more complient than people who have insurance because they have more skin in the game. I could say it, but it wouldn't make it true, kind of like you're little snipes at people. Secondly, I find it rather rude that you're critiquing voters, especially since so few have voted, and if your remark was aimed at me, you clearly don't what you're talking about. Why don't you wait and let the poll tell the story, or if you can't resist the urge to judge, ask the mods to make the poll anonymous. Also, when you get a band, you'll understand more about the rate of weight loss. Some people get restriction right off the bat, but for others it takes awhile. P.S. If you weren't referring to me, your comments are still rude.

Hi Patty, and welcome to LBT. I'm sorry you've had that feeling for so long. It must be miserable. Do you feel like your band is too tight? Are having PB's and/or getting stuck often? Also, have you talked to your doctor about it?

Tina, I started experiencing severe fatigue a few weeks ago. One night, I laid down in bed at 8pm, slept until midnight, woke up and got ready for bed, and slept until 8am. After three days and nights of feeling like I could sleep the day and night away, I added some extra vitamins to my diet. I'll admit that I did this w/o checking w/ my doctor, but I am going to give him my list at my next appointment. I'm not recommending you take these, but I just wanted to let you know what worked for me, and if you think you might be vitamin deficient, run this by your doctor first. I feel 100% myself again, and it only took a couple of days of taking the additional vitamins before I noted a difference in my stamina. I was taking a Walgreen's knockoff of Centrum High Potency A to Z chewable, and a calcium supplement. I added: liquid B12 (years ago, when I was on phentermine, my doctor gave a B12 shot every other week, and I was eating more then than I am now), a liquid vitamin D, and a very small pill and dose of extra iron 34% (my multi-vitamin has 100% iron).

I had my gallbladder removed several years ago, and it's made no difference with my band, although, my surgeries are reversed from yours. I had it done laparoscopically, and the recovery was very quick.

"Rockbandster" (and his various incarnations) was touting his medical training as proof that he knew what he was talking about when disagreeing with other posters, and worse yet, when adamantly disagreeing with their surgeons. It's one thing to come on a message board where 100s of people are looking for other's opinions, and give a layman's opinion, and quite another when someone comes on and says, and I'm quoting RB, "I'm right, and you're wrong," and then attempts to back up his argument by saying he's a quasi expert in the field because he's worked extensively with Lap Band patients. At that point, it's either step and give your credentials (as many on this board generously have), or shut up. I, for one, am very grateful for the posters and moderators who pushed this point. It's also not as if his name and adress was published; it was only his occupation.