2muchfun

Let's assume you can't get your insurance back? I would insist on a fill using fluoroscopy so that you get one fill, done right, so you can start your journey without shelling out hundreds of dollars over the next year. Like Kll said, check on the 6 months of fills and if that doesn't work, see if you can negotiate a lesser fee for future fills? Your surgeon has a vested interest in seeing your success.

Enjoy while you can. There will be a time between this and when your band is adjusted that will remind you how hard it is to diet.

Wow, you sound like the patient who ran into the TRIFECTA of all things that can derail the band?

One more thing? Info-mercials!! I bought a treadmill built for my bike to exercise and all it gave me was a sore ass and I never went anywhere! Also, numerous workout videos(loved the super hot chicks from Canada videos). Then there was some kind of miniature stepmaster? HA! Of course, the miniature trampoline, OMG! Bands( I still use em). Nordictrack, I never bought into this one. I tried one at a friends house and I couldn't stay upright long enough to work up a sweat? So many others and fortunately I was poor or I woulda filled my condo with all that crap. tmf

My wife went on a health food kick a year after which has benefitted us both. She was only overweight by 25 lbs and has lost 20 lbs of that excess weight.

Thanks for painting such a delicious picture LOL Been there, done that. The silver lining is, your band is working! YAY!

Usually your stomach lining swells with extra blood and this can cause your band to be a little too tight. Maybe the bile was trapped in your pouch and seeped back up your esophagus? Be very very careful that you don't throw-up. PBing is OK but a full blown hurling episode can cause band slippage.

I've pretty much been in and around the green zone for over 1 1/2 years and I've always been able to gulp Water. I've had a few episodes where it didn't go down quite as fast as I'd like so I've trained myself to take smaller gulps and pay close attention to feeling the flow as it passes from my pouch to my stomach.

I've never heard of anyone having to make a down payment? Usually it's all covered by insurance. If you're self insured, I still don't see why they need money up front?

Atkins worked for me for about 25 years. I was able to keep my weight within 15 lbs of my current goal weight most of the time but I also ran, played tennis 7 days a week and racquetball in the winter. I think I was able to keep fat away simply because I burned off about 800 calories a day. Once my knees crapped out, the heavy exercising ceased and the lbs started to add up. So, I'm an Atkins success story for much of my life. I also tried all the others previously mentioned. Never worked long or even short term for me. I'd lose 10-15 lbs and then the hunger would consume my thinking. The devil in most diets is constant hunger. It's depressing and consumed almost all of my daily thoughts.

Paws, I can answer the how quick to drink question. Yes is the answer. Even if your band is a little too tight, you can sip Water and it will pass through easily. Gulping it tells the doctor if the band is restricting the water from flowing quickly. If you do the barium swallow you'll most likely have to gulp it down so they can track the flow through your band.

I'd say you're lucky he wants to do a fluoroscopy. You'll get a good look at where your band is and get an exact fill. Maybe because it had an air bubble in the tube or band, he wants to get it right. But yes, drinking two glasses of Water could be difficult. Some of us could do it but when our stomachs have shrunk, that's a lot all at once.

Need more info? What kind of surgery? What does your doc or nut advise/mandate? Every surgery is different and every doctor has different post op protocols.

Candice, I think I get away with it because I include cooked veggies with my rice and I rarely eat bread. I will have those low cal flat breads with deli turkey and a slice of red pepper. I think mixing with veggies seems to keep the carbs from gumming up my band. But just plain bread gums up the works for me too. I very rarely ever eat pasta now. Like I said, it's an addiction I must stay away from.

I don't recall ever seeing anyone post that they were told specifically to avoid rice, bread and pasta except during the pre-op phase diet. All three are high carb foods and should be avoided as a mainstay of any bandster's diet. Protein first and then veggies and lastly, carbs. I don't make a habit of it and concentrate mainly on proteins and veggies. Many of us were/are carboholics. Breads, white rice and pasta are all high glycemic foods and play havoc with our insulin levels and also cause spikes in our hunger levels. I can see a doctor asking us to keep simple carbs to a minimum. Pasta was a drug for me. I loved the stuff in any form with any sauce smothered in Italian sausage or alfredo sauce.

LOL...Well, I admire your honesty Yeah, I did the same over this last holiday but didn't put on that much weight. Still, I'm looking forward to better weather so I can get my old Trek bike out there and feel the wind in my face for miles and miles. So, no more pizza, burritos, subway sandwiches, Pasta for a while eh? Hit it hard and keep your eye on the prize. tmf

What were your symptoms? Was this a surprise or were you expecting a problem? Is it your pouch that's dilated or your esophagus? I think what you're experiencing is on the mind of many of we bandsters. For me, sometimes, two bites of food cause a stuck episode and other times I can eat a huge plate of food. So, I hope the quick stuck episodes indicate my pouch and esophagus are working as they should. But, any light you can shed on this would help the group? For you, my suggestion is to stick with mushy foods for a while? Did your surgeon give you a dietary plan for the next 30 days? Obviously you've experienced success in the past so why not now. You have the know-how so it'll take some will power to get back on track eh? tmf

I lost 12 lbs the first two weeks and then nothing for the next 3.5 months. Not until my band was adjusted properly and I exercised a lot did I start to lose weight. You won't lose weight every week and if you're exercising you're probably replacing fat with muscle. It's just simple math. Lose 2 lbs of fat and build 2 lbs of muscle means the scale won't budge. It's a good thing but it's not a stall/plateau till it's at least a month with no fat loss or inches lost. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBJziqgrQgk Video of fat vs muscle

I think you don't understand that many of us lost no weight for months post surgery. I lost 12 lbs the first two weeks and then nothing for the next 4 months. Mind you, I had no pre-op diet so all of my 12 lbs was just Water weight loss. It happens to many of us. Not saying you're whining or bitching, you may be too impatient though? And that's understandable. We all wanted our journey to start immediately but for some of us, it was delayed by months. I would urge you to not give up and try working with your doctor and his staff to make this work for you? Speak to the nutritionist. They can see many ways for you to make this work. Throwing in the towel 2.5 months into your journey seems like you're not giving this much of a chance. Good luck.

Adrenalin Fatigue? That's a new one I've never heard of before. Had to Google it to find out what it was. Does it affect your willpower to exercise? I'm no use to you but I do sympathize!

Yeah, that is a problem and some people fail just for this reason. For most of us, the band dims our appetite to the point we don't seek out these distractions. Somehow most of us find this new willpower and urge to eat healthy foods for the first time in our lives. But, there are no guarantees with the band or any of the surgeries. You can eat around all of them and stay or get even fatter. The upside? With a diet, you've got a 100% chance of failing. With the band, you've got an 85% chance of succeeding. Check all the techniques out before you make an informed decision? tmf

Yeah, click on the surgeons link near the top of this page, then add your city, state and zip code. Look for docs in your area.

2-4 week stalls are very common. I always hit them when I dieted years ago. Here's a scientific reason why this happens: http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html

I think 99% of the people on all the forums would agree that WLS is worth it. Its the type of surgery that is always the issue. I know of no one on these forums who would say dieting works. The band is less forgiving than the sleeve Imo. Study them all before you decide.

Sounds like you may have eaten too fast or may have had a stuck episode! Dry meats or veggie burger's must be eaten very small and slow. Rice is not an automatic nono food for the band. It is for some people but not others. We all react differently to foods. I had a half cup of brown rice tonite.