MissBS

Hi jen. I did lose some hair. It seemed like a lot at the time, but it did stop and I'm growing new hair now. That started about 4 months after my surgery and lasted for a couple of months. Some say you lose hair because of the surgery, some say not enough protein, I've heard not enough water...... who knows?? I've taken Biotin, but not sure that helped any. I'm sure there are some people who do not lose any hair. Maybe you will be one of the lucky ones. I do take a multi-vitamin every day (Walgreens A to Z chewable). I also take a B 12 dot each day for energy and chewable calcium. I was told to make sure to get 60 grams of protein each day. When I first heard that it seemed like a LOT, but it really isn't hard to do. I had to have 2 protein shakes a day for my pre-op diet and still have to have one every day for breakfast. I like the Atkins Advantage shakes. I like the chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. They are kinda expensive.... but we are worth it. I'm sure some people don't like them... but I do. I try to keep my calories at about 1000 a day. You might want to check with your surgeon - these are the things my doctor told me to take/do - yours might want you to do something different. Don't worry. It all seems overwhelming at first... but it gets easier after awhile. Good luck to you. Let me know if I can do anything to help you out. Becky

Hi Catemc. I had no restriction after surgery, none after my first fill, and none after my second fill. Things did change after my third fill. Everyone is different, so it is hard to say what is "normal". Sometimes it can take a few days, or even a week or two for a fill to take full effect. Good luck to you!!! Becky

I wish I would find out that ice cream is carbonated.

Wow. I can't imagine having an hour to sit and eat. I was also told 30 minutes, but like someone said - some things don't even take that long to eat - even if you eat them slowly. If you are eating something hot, I don't think it would be very good after an hour. I could eat AND get in a power nap in an hour. Of course you should do what your doctor tells you to do, but you might want to double check on this one. Good luck to you. Becky

They just told me not to eat anything before my fill - that day. My post-fill instructions are 2 days of liquids and 1 day of soft foods/mushies - then back to solids. I'm getting a fill tomorrow too (my 4th). I'll be thinking about you. Good luck!! Becky

What is the suga buster?

Hi Jan and welcome to LBT!!! It sounds like you've been through a lot and that you are ready - I'm excited for you. I can really relate to what you said about losing your best friend - food. That has been the hardest part for me. I used to eat when I was happy, eat when I was sad, eat when I was lonely, eat when I was nervous, eat when I was celebrating, and eat when I was bored. Now I have to deal with those feelings and find other ways to move through them. It takes time and changes, but you can do it!!! You will find a lot of support here - this is a great place to get answers, meet nice people, vent, and spend time away from the kitchen!! Good luck to you. Let me know if I can do anything to help you along in your journey. Take care! Becky

Hi. You are so right about all the food commercials. Did your surgeon give you a post-op diet?? Like the pre-op diets, there seem to be many different post-op diets, and I think the important thing is to follow what your doctor wants you to do. Mine was a week of clear liquids (broth, sf jello, sf popsicles, tea, Propel water, juices), a week of liquids (protein shakes, strained creamy soups, thinned cream of wheat, sf pudding), 1 week of soft foods/mushies (well cooked mushy veggies - no stalks, soft canned fruit, scrambled eggs, baby food - yuck, thinned mashed potatoes, ff refried beans, lf cottage cheese, soft ripe bananas), and then on to regular foods. Eight 8 oz. glasses of water the whole time of course. I know what you mean about wanting to chew on something solid. My pre-op diet was 4 weeks and then I had to follow that post-op diet. I was dreaming about "real" food. Good luck to you - it gets better!!! Take care!! Becky

Hi. It is really hard until you get good restriction, and that can take a few fills. Don't be discouraged - you are doing great. I had NO restriction after my surgery, none after the first fill, and none after the second fill. I was trying to just eat what I was supposed to and not what I could - because l really could eat as much as before my surgery. After my third fill I had good restriction and got fuller faster and on less food. That time between surgery and restriction is rough. Some people gain and many just lose a little bit. It is good that you are practicing eating slower and chewing lots. That will help you once your band is tighter. I didn't practice that like I should have and it made it harder for me when I got restriction. Just hang in there and do the best you can. Good luck to you!!!! Becky

I love my band too!! I've said all this before, but since you asked...... I had my surgery done in Sept. 08. I've lost 70 pounds, I'm off of the blood pressure meds that I took for years, I'm wearing clothes that I haven't fit into for a long time, I've lost 28.75 inches, I'm sleeping better, I have a lot more energy, and I am so much happier. Life is good and I am blessed! Take care! Becky

Was banded in September 08 and would do it again in a heartbeat!!! I have lost 70 pounds, feel great, and am no longer taking the high blood pressure medication that I took for years. I have a lot more energy and I'm fitting in to clothes that I haven't worn in years. I wish I had done this years ago. Good luck to you!! Becky

Hi. I live in Albuquerque New Mexico and no one here does Lapband surgery. I flew to Houston to have my surgery done. I went to True Results and Dr. Ken Hollis did my surgery. I am so happy that this is where my weight loss journey lead me. Dr. Hollis has been great and the staff at True Results have been helpful, kind, and supportive. I am coming back to Houston this Wednesday for my 4th fill. I paid for my surgery because like you, I did not want to go through the insurance hoops. The surgery/aftercare package that I got at TR was a good deal. So I got great care AND a good deal - who could ask for anything more? Good luck to you. Becky

Hi Barb. I did all of my research, had copies made of some online information about the band, figured out a timeline, and then told my mother and my daughter that I needed to talk to them. We went out to dinner and I told them that I had decided that getting the band was what I needed to do for me. They looked over the information, asked some questions, talked about the timeline I had, and told me that they were there to support me. I cried as I was telling them.... but then, I'm a crybaby. As with many things I've been afraid to do, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. As you said in your post - "I need to be healthy which is the bottom line." If your sister or your brother point out how well they are doing, tell them that you are proud of them and have supported them, and now you would like their support in your weight loss journey. Just remember, that you have to do what is best for you and only you can decide what that is. I hope it goes well for you. Good luck and know that you have a lot of support here. Take care. Becky

I was self pay too. Quick and easy!!! I had my consultation on August 13th and my surgery was scheduled for September 12th. I didn't have to have a phych eval or a supervised diet. Just had to have some lab work done and an EKG. Good luck to you!! Becky

Hi. I can only tell you about some of the things that I considered when making my decision to have lapband surgery. Although I too thought about walking into a room and not being the heaviest person there, shopping in the regular size section of a clothing store, and looking in the mirror and liking what I see, my health was what I thought about most. I did not feel good, could not do the things I wanted to do, had high blood pressure, and even worried about dying. I knew if I didn't do something about all the extra weight I was carrying these issues were only going to get worse. I had tried so many diets that I knew I needed to do something more. After doing lots of research and soul searching, I KNEW the lapband was right for me. I'm sure all of us who have had the surgery were worried before we actually had it done. Worried about complications and worried that this might not be the tool that will get us where we want to be. Now almost 7 months after my surgery, I am soooooo happy that I made the decision to get the band. I feel so much better, I have so much more energy, I am off of my blood pressure meds, and..... I look better too!! Lastly.... I didn't want to die from complications caused by morbid obesity and have someone tell my child that I was too scared to try something that could have saved my life. Making the decision to get a band placed inside you and adopting the new lifestyle that it takes to make it work are not easy things to do. Only you can decide if it is best for you. I wish you the best of luck. Take care. Becky

My granddaughter is 4 and I explained the whole surgery to her. I told her how Grandma was going to get a band put on her tummy that would help her eat healthier. I drew a picture of my pouch, the band, and my stomach. I showed her how when I eat, the food goes into my pouch and then slowly goes into my stomach. Later, she drew a picture of us together and she had my pouch, the band, and my stomach in the picture. She could even explain it to my daugher when she showed it to her later. I took it to my PCP (who sees a lot of band patients) and she keeps it in her office. Kids are pretty smart. She knows I want to be healthier and even helps me with eating right. Sometimes I think she is my mini doctor. I've noticed that she has started to make healthier choices too. She is a very bright 4 year old.... but that's what all the Grandmas say. You know your children best - do what you think is right. Good luck to you!!! Becky

Hi, I will try not to make this too long, but for those of you who know me, I'm not good at making a long story short. I got my band in September 2008. No restriction after surgery, none after my first fill, and none after my second fill. I got my third fill on December 18th, and boy was that one different. I thought I was a bit too tight, but because I had my surgery 750 miles from my home, it was the holidays, and I had a vacation to Las Vegas planned, I did not go get an unfill. I could keep liquids down and some foods too, but I had many PBing incidences. At first thought it was because I was not taking tiny bites, chewing enough, and taking time between bites. Then I just figured there were some foods that I was just not going to be able to eat. People said you could eat the same foods only less of them, but I was having problems with some. All this time while trying to adjust to the new tightness/restriction, I was NEVER really feeling full. I would stop eating because I knew I should, or because I was afraid of getting stuck.... but not because I had that full feeling that I had read others talking about. This week I read a post that has opened up my eyes and hopefully changed my lapband journey for the better. A wonderful lady (Bullwinkle) had a post that was my EXACT story. She had been struggling with fills/tightness/restriction and not feeling full for 2 YEARS. She explained it to me and oh my gosh - it made soooooooooo much sense. I am so very grateful to her. When I had no restriction, the food I was eating was going right through my pouch and into my stomach - I could eat anything. When I got that third fill, I had restriction. My band was tighter, and the opening to my stomach was smaller. When I ate bulkier foods/solids, they would often get stuck, and I would PB. From the research I had done and the posts I had read, I figured this meant my band was too tight. I didn't want to get an unfill, because I thought I would just go back to being able to eat everything. Bullwinkle explained to me that what I needed was another fill. Sounds crazy... right?? Well.... the opening to my stomach was smaller, but not small enough. When I would eat those solids, they were getting into the hole to get stuck, or coming back up. With another fill, and the hole becoming smaller, the bulkier solids/proteins will have to stay in my pouch because they will not be able to fit into, or through, the hole to my stomach. They will eventually make their way through, but not quickly. She said for the first time that she is feeling full. Like I said before, I had done plenty of research before getting my band and read LOTS of posts on here, but just had not come across this explanation before. I thought I was at my "sweet spot" but was not feeling like there was anything sweet about it. I was beginning to have doubts about whether I would ever get to that place where I could eat without PBing all the time, feel full, and have the band work for me like I want it to. I hope this will help someone like it helped me. I have a fill appointment and a flight to Houston scheduled for the 15th of April. I am excited and will let you know how this turns out. Again - my thanks to Bullwinkle. Take care!!!! Becky

My surgeon put 2 cc's in mine on surgery day. I didn't even know it until I went for you first fill. Didn't have any restriction after surgery. Take care. Becky

Hi Amy. Congratulations on finally getting your band. A long journey to get there, but it sounds like you are doing great!! I am from Albuquerque New Mexico, but had my surgery done in Houston. I have nothing but good things to say about my lapband experience (well... Hurricane Ike did hit while I was there, but that's another story). Where did you have your surgery done? Good luck to you!!! Take care. Becky

Thank you so much for this post!! It answered a lot of questions that I've been having and gives me renewed hope!! I'm going to keep it and read it often. Congratulations on finally getting to a spot that is where we all want to be. Take care and thanks again!!! Becky

Silver. 8 weeks on liquids???? I would have eaten my doctor if he told me to stay on liquids for 8 weeks. I too am a firm believer in doing what your doctor says, but...... You have done a great job and in my opinion, creamy soup is not going to hurt you. Do you get to move to soft/mushy foods and solids now?? Sure hope so. Don't be hard on yourself - just keep on doing the best you can. We are all learning - this is new and will take some time to get right. Take good care of yourself and give yourself a pat on the back. Becky

Just wanted to share my experiences with you. Since my last fill, I now have LOTS of restriction. There are a few foods that I just can't eat, and chicken seems to be one of them. Sometimes if it is in Soup, it doesn't give me problems, but just plain chicken (baked, grilled, boiled).... always seems to come up instead of going down. I've tried it a few different times and the same thing always happens. White flour Pasta and bread are the same way for me. Of course I have problems with other foods IF I don't take TINY bites, chew LOTS, and wait between bites.... working on that. Good luck to you. Kelly - PB is productive burp. When I eat foods that don't go down, I feel like I need to burp. The food that I just ate comes back up, with saliva, and I have to spit it out - gross but true. To me, it is different from vomiting. The food never even makes it into my stomach, it is not acidy, and getting it up is not as violent as throwing up. It can happen if I eat the foods I metioned above, or if I forget to take tiny bites, chew lots, and wait between bites. Once I got restriction, I have had a lot of trial and error eating. I'm taking one day at a time and learning how I have to eat now. I love my band and the adjustments I'm having to make are worth it!!! Good luck to you!! Becky

Hi bnb!! Welcome to LBT!! Congratulations on getting your band and losing all that weight the first week!! I like your attitude. You are a fighter and you have a positive attitude. That will get you to those goals you are setting. Don't be afraid to move to soft foods and then into solids. Keep coming here and reading, learning, asking questions, and sharing. I can just tell that you are going to be successful!! Take good care of yourself. Becky

Are you having problems??? $12,000???????? If you are not having any problems, I would tell them NO WAY!!! Does your doctor know that's what this place charges?? I think I would do some more research on this place. YIKES!!! Good luck!!! Becky

I agree with the others. Once you get restriction, you really can't eat fast. I keep a Soup At Hand at work just in case there is a time when I can't eat as slowly as I need to. I know soup is not something I'm supposed to have often, and it doesn't fill me for as long, but..... Good luck to you. You are so right about this surgery being a blessing. Take care!!! Becky