kiz

Nikki, since you're a little scared of solid food, have you tried Greek yogurt? It has something like 16 grams of Protein. Before my first fill, that was one thing I ate that seemed to stick. You may not want to add nuts yet, but adding All Bran Cereal to it, made it a little thicker, gave me some needed Fiber, and it kept me feeling full longer. I also liked eggs during this period and my homemade chili. I use ground turkey and 4 or 5 kinds of Beans (including green beans) and made it pretty thick.

LOL!! :thumbup:

Hi deidra. I was self pay too ($13,000), with one year of follow-ups and fills included. After that I have to pay $200 for fills and once annual check-ups. My doctor is very committed to getting his self-pays to goal in a year, if possible, and I will say he's followed through. He's very agreeable to fills, whenever I've called, and he's not stingy with the saline (he gives good fills). ---------------- I have to know, what's up with the Minnesota Lap Band Support Group forum. People post in this forum all the time. Are you guys from Minnesota just that darn friendly? lol

I hope her book deals cover the cost of raising those children, so we don't have to.

I'm like luluc, too. Although, I choose to not drink during meals at home, when we go out I'll drink small sips of my water, tea (up to 1/2 a small glass) or a small glass of wine (my doctor said an occasional small glass of wine is fine, and I've only ordered wine twice since banding, because I hate to drink calories). If push comes to shove, my doctor said, in a support group meeting, that a small amount of water is okay..he's talking like a medicine cup full. Personally, I drink so much when I'm permitted (1/2 hour prior and 45 mins after, I generally don't get thirsty during a meal). I truly do believe that not drinking keeps my food in my upper stomach longer, so I might drink that small amount with a meal once or twice a week tops. On the other hand, I have no pain with drinking, but maybe it's because it's such a small amount and I'm sipping, or maybe it's just one of those weird band things.

I'm sure you've noticed all the variances with the pre-op and post-op diets. It seems the fill requirements vary too. lol My doctor has us on full liquids for two days, and mushies two days. You're requirements will most likely be different, given the history of diet requirements

You're just down the road from Richmond. I love the Charlottesville area. Dr. Brengman is one of the best surgeons in the Richmond area with a top-notch reputation, and he has been happy with his patients' results with either band. Good luck on making a decision!!

The reason I didn't say was because I feel like my preferences wouldn't be yours, and the bands are changing. There's a new Realize Band (I have the old style), and at the time I got my band, the Lap Band didn't have a low profile port. Anyway, I picked Realize because I really liked the size and fill of the port and the way it attached. The material of the balloon in the band itself was much softer to the touch, and, for me, that was very important. Also the band was wider, and was a plus. I know I sort of agonized over the decision, and there may have been more reasons I went with the Realize Band, reasons that seemed important at the time, but now, I'm just thrilled I have a band. Which part of VA are you in, if you don't mind me asking? I went to Richmond Surgical, Dr. Brengman, in Richmond.

Have you had an opportunity to physically compare the bands? I read all the stats, and was leaning in one direction, but my decision was really made once I got to compare the bands myself. Don't fret too much though. Both bands are terrific tools.

Bless you....seriously! lol I have maple flavored Quakers Weight Control oatmeal. This morning I added a teaspoon of peanut butter, and it tasted just like an oatmeal/peanut butter cookie. I add a half of scoop of Protein powder my oatmeal after cooking to boost the protein. I usually throw the remainder out, but today I saved it in the fridge for my snack tonight. It's really that good! :w00t:

I was going to comment on that statement too, but Heather covered it very well. The question of losing weight and going below the 40 BMI threshold came up in the seminars I attended and the response was that for approval, the insurance companies go by your starting weight. But, as Heather also said, you have to verify this information with your own insurance company. You don't want to risk losing coverage on hearsay. Best of luck to you!

Hi Mary. Insurance company's requirements are all different, but if your BMI is less than 40 but greater than 35, you may qualify for coverage if you have other conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea etc. I didn't have WLS coverage on my insurance policy, so I'm not familiar with all the comorbidities that might be included. I think some policies require one ailment, while others may require two. You'll have to check with your policy to get the details, since they're all different.

I'm very sorry that you're having so many problems. When you say you got sick on 1/18, was it a stomach virus with vomiting, or do you think it was band related? I'm just not sure if you mean your illness on 1/18 was from your band being too tight. If you caught a stomach virus and you were vomiting, you might have irritated the the area where your band was sutured to your stomach, or possibly you've just irritated the stoma (the small opening betweeen your upper and lower stomach), and you're having swelling issues. Has your doctor told you why he thinks you're having these problems? Since you were just about a month out from surgery, had you just started regular foods? Another possibility would be that you ate something solid and didn't chew well or ate too much, and irritated the area and it's caused you extreme swelling. I hope you're feeling better soon. I wanted to add that if you don't get very many responses in this thread, start a new thread under Lap Band Complications forum. I notice that you're new to LBT, so I wanted to go ahead and give you a link to that forum: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f78/

Right now, I have a pile of clothes sitting in my closet that I can no longer wear. I haven't donated them yet, because I just love watching the pile grow. I'm going to hang onto my roomiest pair of pants, just as a reminder of how far I've come.

Hi RAB, welcome to the LBT. I'll try to answer your questions. 1) I am about to attend the Seminar (my first step in the journey) and I'm curious about what comes next, after the Seminar? I went to two different seminars (two practices). After I made my decision for a band, and decided on a doctor, I made an appointment for a consultation. At that appointment, I had some preliminary tests done (weight, height, bp, etc), and spoke with the doctor about the surgery. 2) How long does it usually take from the time you attend the Seminar till you are in the Operating Room? It really depends on the practice schedule, your schedule, and if you have WLS insurance. Some insurance policies require a six-month diet. I was self-pay, and from my appt to surgery took about six weeks. 3) What are the Pre-Op requirements? If you have WLS insurance, you have to meet those requirements. Different doctors require different pre-op tests, from blood work to an upper GI. Also, many doctors require a two-week pre-op diet. Again, this varies from doctor to doctor. Good luck!!!

Fluoro is a fill with x-ray. I just stand with my back to the machine, drink a mouthful of barium, and they take an x-ray as it's going down. They also may take an x-ray before placing the needle to check for your port location. I don't get numbing and the needle doesn't hurt. Actually, the only pain with the procedure is pulling off the bandage later.

Hi Kimmie, and congratulations on getting your band! Right now, the best advice I can give you is to follow your doctor's instructions. Walk, drink fluids as you can tolerate them, stick to the diet you were given, and take your pain med as you need it. Baby yourself the first few days, and you'll heal faster. Wear those old sweats, relax in an easy chair, no heavy lifting, etc. It will help your port area heal faster. You may experience some shoulder pain from the gas used to "inflate" your abdominal area, but I didn't, so it's not a given. Also, learning some of the terms used on LBT is helpful...bandster hell - the time after you heal until you get some good restriction when some people experience a lot of hunger (it wasn't bad for me), PB (Productive Burp) - when you're on solids and eat something that comes back up, Sliming - heavy mucus that comes up when you have something stuck. You don't have to worry about most of these issues just yet, but you'll see these terms repeated on the forum. Good Luck, and keep reading and posting!

You really need to clarify this with your doctor, as I'm sure different practices have different rules. My instructions are "liquids only" two hours prior to band adjustment.

Hi Pearl, and welcome to the board. You'll find lots of great info here. I had my surgery on a Thursday, went to a party on Saturday, and by Monday I was able to drive and run a couple of errands. My port area stayed tender for a month, but it wasn't terrible. I just took liquid Tylenol as needed. I didn't need my prescription for pain after Sunday morning.

Khashi makes a good high fiber/high protein bar. They're very filling, and 1/2 a bar is plenty. I buy individually packaged prunes to have on hand when I'm traveling. I have to get my fiber in every day, so I carry my 1/2 cup of 100% bran cereal with me when I don't have time to eat it before I leave the house in the morning.

First, welcome to LBT, and you'll get lots of great answers to all of your questions. I have a low profile port by Realize Band, but I believe Lap Band is also now offering a low profile port. I'm sure you can find pictures of the ports online, but my doctor had both of them for his patients to compare. The low profile port seems to make a difference on how much it protrudes. I don't carry a lot of weight around my stomach, and I can only find my port if I'm determined. It's definitely not something that is conspicuous. Maybe it'll be more noticeable when I get to my goal weight, but at that point, I'll be so thrilled that a little bump will be worth it.

debbie, 199, absolutely fabulous!!! I'm so thrilled for you. Congratulations!!!! :thumbup::thumbup:

Several years ago, I saw a very interesting study. They took people (one at time) and applied makeup to them that make it appear they had a jagged red scar on their face. They told them they they were to go to pre-arranged interviews, and rate how the interviewer treated them. (The interviewers only knew that they were to conduct a mock interview and also weren't aware of the actual purpose of the study). Just before they went into the room for the interview, the makeup artist told them that a touch up was needed. They were not aware that the ruse was on them, and that the makeup was removed. Each person said that the interviewer stared at their "nonexistent scar", couldn't concentrate on the questions, was put off by the scar, etc. I do know that there is prejudice against obese people, but I've always found this study to be very interesting. Personally, I don't know that I've been treated differently whether obese or thin, but I don't believe that there's been a difference. By the time I put on weight, I was in mom mode. As far as know, if I've received poor service, it was due to some other factor than my weight. I've always had a lot of self confidence, so maybe that's part of the equation too. I've never felt less a person, or that I deserved less due to being overweight.

I don't know this to be fact, but I read that she got started with IVF being an egg donor. She was paid to be hyper-stimulated, and agreed to split the eggs that resulted with a recipient who paid for both of their medical care. She produced eggs she was paid for and eggs that she had fertilized with donor sperm, all during one or two sessions. One by one, or two by two, she had them implanted. Then, she had all that were left implanted. There is an investigation as to whether the clinic knew what was going on or not. This is as plausible explanation as any I've read.

Hi tstand, and welcome to LBT. Stick to the diet, and I'm sure you'll be successful. My pre-op diet wasn't as strict as many others either, and I lost 8 to 15 lbs (I can't remember the amount now). GOOD LUCK!!