RestlessMonkey

If you mean "Mrscoco", I think she was just doing a "test" post to see if her ticker was working (which it wasn't)...

The 13's etc are "junior" sizes And you would drop 4 sizes going from 20 to 12 20 to 18 18 to 16 16 to 14 14 to 12

Getting fills isn't cheating either! It's what makes the band work. That would be like buying a car but then being reluctant to put gas in it ... or buying a dishwasher but not washing dishes in it! Without fills (adequate fills) the band is just pricey plastic around our stomachs. don't feel guilty; do what you need to!

How can using the band be a "cheat"? You got it hoping it would curb your hunger! Goodness sake...go back to your doc!

She really REALLY needs to attend a seminar. She'll need to like the surgeon and whether or not her IBS is an issue can depend on the doc and his/her experience. Plus, does her insurance cover lap band? It's worth it to go.. There are also tons of books out there (I bought a couple from amazon) about lap banding that may get her going.

I guess if someone asked you "Where did you get YOUR surgery" I'd be more prone to trust 9 posts solely about the same thing (and many worded the same..almost verbatim) Guess what...most of us think our docs are wonderful. Truly we do. As I said...if you are bona fide, my apologies.... but just because someone posts, over and over, about how great a doc in Mexico is (or any doc, for that matter), doesn't make it so. In truth, most who read this know that fact anyway. MUCH research should be done before anyone picks a surgeon, whether insurance pays, or we are "self-pay", or whatever "other options" may arise. Apparantly LBT thought you were over the top, too, since your posts have been pulled. This is a great site where most of us really try to help each other out. If you meant it in that spirit then you now know you weren't coming across that way...and maybe in your new incarnation you can rein it in. If not, I'm sure they'll pull you again! Hope you really mean it.

if it could get down there, it can get back up. May not be the best thing for you, though.

I don't know how you eat fish, and strawberries w/whipped cream, without chewing but good for you if you have! :thumbdown: You're lucky you were allowed to eat earlier; most of us aren't so blessed!

What does your wife eat, and your sister? How much exercise do they get compared to you? How much did you need to lose, compared to them? You have more muscle so you use calories more efficiently; that's one reason the rate of weight loss for men can be a little faster than for women. There are drugs that cause gain, like steroids etc. But the odds are there are other reasons why you've lost faster.

i agree, not normal for most of us. I was on a very strict post op diet. The point isn't to see what you CAN eat but what you are supposed to be eating right now! You can rip your stitches loose and hurt yourself internally. IF your doc said you could eat real food (solid etc) already, you are one in a very few allowed such a progression.

You're probably just healing, and it's that, or gas. However...if it is still bothering you on Monday, call your surgeon and check to be sure!

Ask your surgeon and/or nutritionist for some guidance. It depends on what your "liquid" diet is. They'll help you figure it all out...and they are your best and safest source for info.

The diarrhea will pass (no pun intended!) in a week or two. It's partly your diet (liquid) and partly post op effects. (some have the opposite though if they take an opiod pain killer for more than a few doses). As to the food...don't eat ANYTHING that isn't on your surgeon approved post op diet. That's very important as this is a time for your band to heal into place. You don't want your stomach digesting and shaking it loose. Many of us are STARVING post op but you can get through it! And just a thought...if you want the banana for it's anti-diarrhea effects, you're better off to call and ask your surgeon for a prescription medication, if it's bothersome. It's best to just let it take it's course, truthfully, unless it is so much that you can't remain hydrated etc. Your surgeon will know what's safest for you!

I THINK there's something a little fishy about this poster...ALL The posts by "her" (LEAH?) say the same thing. It's illegal to advertise here...unless you PAY for it and it's obviously advertisement. I would take this info with a great big grain of salt. I'm going to report it, too, but it's weekend and not sure if/when they'll address it. And of course my apologies if there IS a "leah"...but she should post about something besides her great 5500 doc.

At 54, never "feeling it" when others said "I stuff my emotions with food" etc (my problem is NOT keeping my emotions in...more the opposite if anything!) and so on I finally went through a year of behavioral therapy. I found out I AM a reward eater (I made an A on that test I deserve not to cook supper I'll stop by Sonic...for example) I guess that's "emotional" in a way, but not the traditional way. Regardless, however, we've all had SOME type of issue (loving food too much, rewarding ourselves too much, "stuffing our emotions", whatever) to bring us to the point of the band. I agree though; I think it's tacky to lump everyone into one big stew!

Honestly you're safest to take Iron when the doc says you need it; most modern diets have enough and too much is as dangerous as too little. Ask your doc what he suggests; are you getting a balanced diet...enough Protein (60 gms) enough fat (yes we need some!) and so on? Are you maybe just a little bit depressed? AND honestly you should be getting 8 hours of sleep each night; we Americans are chronically tired, or so I've heard. There could be many reasons for your malaise; your surgeon would be a good place to start finding out why (this of course assumes you USED to feel differently! )

you'll have to ask your insurance but it sounds like it would to me! I didn't have to fill that req but your records sound very thorough.

Ask the Phoenix surgeon what happens if you have a problem...how is it handled. If he gives you a good answer, I'd go with that. The "Dr. Kirschenbaum" answer is a good one, too. AND...have you checked neighboring states? Don't know where exactly in AZ you are, but what about New Mexico? Utah? Yes, aftercare for at least 1 year is VITAL. And all those labs can be pricey. I just had blood work done my doc wanted(standard stuff plus thyroid and b and d vitamins...just for info, not because I'm sick or anything!) and it would've cost me over $650 out of pocket, had I not had insurance! Good GRIEF! I'd just plan on a jaunt to Phoenix every other month...treat it like a mini vacation.

I'm a nursing student (graduate this may) at the Univ of Tex Health Science Ctr in San Antonio Tx. Here's a link our president sent to us that may help you: Swine influenza and Severe Cases of Respiratory Illness in Mexico | CDC Travelers' Health Media or not, our school is taking this threat very seriously. Locally several DISTRICTS have closed schools for the next week or so...it's not just hype to make "news". Vitamin D won't help prevent it and the flu shots from this last year aren't really helpful either.

Gall bladder is on the right, not the left. You definitely should ask your doc...in fact I'm shocked you haven't already! The band is for weight loss, not suffering and torture. Plus you may have an issue that needs to be treated; you could be hurting yourself beyond repair. For example, GERD left untreated can erode your esophagus. Call your doc tomorrow...if not lap band, then your primary.

It DOES impact anesthesia...here's an article I found. Just google it. Trust me...almost an RN here....and a former smoker. It impacts oxygenation and that definitely impacts anesthesia. 1: Anesth Prog. 2000 Winter;47(4):143-50. Links The effects of cigarette smoking on anesthesia. Rodrigo C. Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Cigarette smoke contains over 4000 substances, some of which are harmful to the smoker. Some constituents cause cardiovascular problems, increasing the blood pressure, heart rate, and the systemic vascular resistance. Some cause respiratory problems, interfering with oxygen uptake, transport, and delivery. Further, some interfere with respiratory function both during and after anesthesia. Some also interfere with drug metabolism. Various effects on muscle relaxants have been reported. Risk of aspiration is similar to that of nonsmokers, but the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting appears to be less in smokers than in nonsmokers. Even passive smoking effects anesthesia. Best is to stop smoking for at least 8 weeks prior to surgery or, if not, at least for 24 hours before surgery. Anxiolytic premedication with smooth, deep anesthesia should prevent most problems. Monitoring may be difficult due to incorrect readings on pulse oximeters and higher arterial to end tidal carbon dioxide differences. In the recovery period, smokers will need oxygen therapy and more analgesics. It is time that anesthesiologists played a stronger role in advising smokers to stop smoking. Either way, the safest course for the OP is to tell the surgeon and let the pro decide what is or isn't important to that surgery.

I think if you want the band and your surgeon prefers bypass you'd be better off to find a new surgeon. Three years out weight loss is similar for each option, or so I've read and been told by MY surgeon. However the band needs maintenance..fills, etc. You want a surgeon who is GOOD at the aftercare and committed to it and to you. If you have one who thinks you "should" do bypass...well...I wouldn't think that type would be in your corner if you get my drift. Find a new surgeon.

Nicotine may be gone but by products (like conitine) remain for weeks. If you smoke, tell your doc. Tell him how much. He can determine if you're at risk or not. And if he wants you to quit totally, do that... you don't want to not get surgery because of that. OR get surgery and have issues with anesthesia because of smoking. (even one cigarette can mess that up) So you're safest to tell your surgeon and see what he says. Please realize he's not your daddy or the boss of you! LOL You will tell so that the two of you can determine your healthiest course, not so he can fuss at you for an occasional cigarette.

Call your doc!

I agree...if your insurance doesn't cover lap band, it doesn't. But if it does cover it but you don't meet the requirements, that's a different matter. Please understand too you can have the surgery done in the USA for less than 18K...you just have to shop around and so on. And 18k sounds like a lot but we spend that much on cars...you are worth more than a kia, don't you think? (not to diss kias lol)