Elisabethsew

Thank you all so much for your kind words. Chris... I see Dr. Geiss and hope I can do as well as you have. Congratulations on your progress. It's also nice to see another person here from Long Island. Was Dr. Geiss your surgeon as well?

Welcome! You'll find a lot of information here to help you come to an informed decision.

You can get great quality for sale prices at QBOutlet.com and I believe woman's shoes go to 13WW.

Your pictures are proof that if you follow the program, success WILL follow. Congratulations!

Hi Steve, Congratulations on your successful surgery and I'm sorry to hear about the loss of the job. For now, concentrate on healing and getting in the required amounts of protein. I look forward to you sharing your successes and 19 pounds is an excellent start.

Hi Mouster and Fiona, I wish you both good luck on your surgeries and a speedy recovery. It's the beginning of a whole new way of life.

Welcome Josie! I hope all goes well with the tests and that your band proves to be in the right place.

Hi Mandi, I was banded the day after you and agree that it's hard to resist temptation. For the first 5-6 days food was no problem because of the swelling. Now that the healing process is well underway, I don't ever feel restricted or full. I started soft foods today and see my surgeon tomorrow for the first post-op visit and weigh-in. We're human and the band is just a tool. Forgive yourself, make better choices, and move forward.

My best advice is to follow the pre-op diet. You'll want the surgery to go as smoothly as possible so you'll need to do your part by shrinking your live so the surgeon can do his job.

What you are describing sounds more like a hiatal hernia. Acid reflux (GURD) is caused when bile acids from the stomach reflux up into the esophagus causing a burning pain that, when very severe, can mimic cardiac chest pain. You might want to see a gastroenterologist (GI specialist). Feel better.

I did not have the "participation fee" but I did have to shell out $200 for an hour with the dietician and $250 for an hour with the psychologist than insurance would not reimburse. My fills are covered with the surgery with no additional costs other than the co-pay and there is no limit on fills.

My friend was scheduled for lapband surgery the first week of May last year and ended up having his appendix out on 4/29. He had the lapband surgery on July 1 and did fine so I don't think you'll have a problem going forward as scheduled.

The catheter was inserted in the OR after I was under anesthesia. I had no bowel prep and the IV was put in prior to going to the OR.

I don't do well with anesthesia. The first thing I remember (12 days ago) was the anesthesiologist calling my name and telling me the operation was over. I was still in the OR. I tried to swallow and my throat felt like the dessert. I felt myself being moved off the OR table and onto the stretcher. Ahhhhhhhhh... it felt like a bed of feathers. I was then moved to the recovery room (6:20 PM) and began having uncontrolled shaking and nausea (anesthesia side effects). I was given demerol and zofran IV with relief. At 8 PM I was brought to my room and walked from the hall into the room. I felt like I did 1000 sit-ups and asked for pain medication. The nausea returned and they gave me a stronger medication (phenergan) which sent me into a coma. LOL. At midnight, the RN came in to remove the foley and by 4 AM I was up to the bathroom and doing laps in the hallway. I did not need any meds after that. I went home the next morning and did fine.

The surgeon advised 2 weeks in my case.

I take Aleve twice a day... in the AM and in the PM (need a knee replaced) and have NO problems.

I am a die-hard Chris fan and think he performed well. Like others, I was not familiar with the song but it did showcase his voice and talent. I 100% disagree with Simon's assessment of Paris. She "nailed" the performance and got my vote for top performer of the night. Her personality is a bit too much but that does not detract from her talent. Elliot came the closest to "capuring" the spirit of Freddie Mercury and his voice is amazing. Bucky surprised me. I was expecting a disaster but he molded the song to his musical genre and really did give an entertaining performance. Kelly looked like a zombie. Was she the one who killed a man or was she the corpse? She gave a fair performance and will likely get a country recording contract but she won't be the next American Idol. Katherine's performance sounded like a screaming session. The key was too high for her to "hit" the high notes and she lacks charisma. While talented, I don't see her going all the way. Taylor needs to get his act together and go back to his original style. Last night was horrible and failed to show case his talent. Ace, poor Ace, he's got to go. Mandisa got voted off because she was talented but did not have the figure American's want in an Idol. Ace has little talent but has the "look" that America does want. What's with all the marriage proposals he's getting? LOL. Sorry, but Ace and Bucky are in the bottom 2 and need to go. The judges need to get with the program and Paula needs to be replaced. Actually, Paula is great for weight loss... her antics make me want to barf. Randy needs to learn some new phrases, "It was just OK for me, man." "Yo, you in the dawd house." As for Simon, it seems he rates the entire show based on the first performance. If it's a good one, he's upbeat, if it's poor, he's ticked off and miserable for the rest of the show. Still, he does give the most honest feedback even if his delivery leaves a bit to be desired.

It's so sad that MANY MD's unfairly judge obese patients and predetermine that ANY health complaint is a direct result of their weight. Earlier this year, I went to the hospital complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath. The cardiologist came in and wanted to know what statin (cholesterol lowering drug) I took. I replied I did not take any and he immediatley left and returned with my blood results stating, "Wow, you have a perfect lipid (Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, etc) profile." As an RN, I am embarrassed by how health care professionals falsely judge obese patients and am very glad to hear of your NSV and that you found a caring and non-judgmental MD.

You're funny, Carlene. :-) Do you have the gun loaded and ready?

Make sure you're getting in 60 grams of protein a day, take a multi-vitamin, take a B-complex vitamin, and an iron supplement. Many people are iron deficient and don't know it because they have a normal hemaglobin and hematocrit (H & H). You need a blood test for iron (Fe), ferritin Ferr), and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) to diagnose an iron deficiency. I hope that helps a little.

It's amazing to hear how varied the "fill" experiences can be. I see the surgeon for my first post-op visit on Friday and I guess I'll find out at that time when he'll do my first fill. Since I really don't have any restriction now, I am both dreading and looking forward to the first time. LOL.

Coughing and deep breathing are encouraged after surgery to keep the lungs clear so there's no need to worry about allergy symptoms.

Yes, you buy Medifast online. I keep it in the fridge and shake it up and drink it over ice with no after taste. You can also add skim milk to tone down the flavor.

Hi Bright, Do you still have your gallbladder? Is the pain ever centered on the right side or right back? Many people with gallbladder problems are intolerant to fats and dairy. An abdominal sonogram might give you some answers.

Welcome and congratulations on your decision to have the surgery.