Elisabethsew

You'll be able to eat ANYTHING you tolerate in moderation. Some people have no "bad" foods and others have foods that give them some trouble. In the soft food phase, you can have mashed potatoes and meatloaf.

Don't be in a rush to get your husband home. He needs to get out of the bed and start moving. He also needs to splint his stomach and deep breathe and cough to clear the anesthesia out of his lungs. The MD likely had a hard time retracting his liver and that's why he's in a lot of pain. Make sure he has an incentive spirometer to help with the breathing and he should walk, walk, walk. In the AM, he should have another swallow test.

Welcome! You'll find plenty of support and a lot of information here. Feel free to jump into discussions and ask questions. I'm a fellow New Yorker.

Congratulations on your very low slip rate!

If you have to change insurance in August, why don't you have the surgery by the partner of the pregnant surgeon since she's out until late July? If she decides to take additional time off, it could mean you having to find another surgeon unless you already know that your new insurance will cover the surgery with this MD.

I don't have that problem but trust is very important in a marriage. When you calm down, maybe you and your husband can have a civil conversation. The answers you desire can only come from him.

If you have restriction and never feel full, what are you eating? Do you consume hard protein like chicken, fish, beef, pork, or do you only eat a diet of soft foods? Have you tried tracking your intake of food on fitday.com or sparkpeople.com?

It's more important for YOU and YOUR surgery that you stick to the pre-op diet designed to shrink your liver and make the surgery easier. I know some of the Mexican surgeons won't operate on people over 300 pounds unless they lose 10% of their body weight but I never heard of losing 5 pounds just because.

You have to lose 5-7 pounds? Why? Congratulations on your approval.

Hi Keith, I'm glad that you were in the hospital overnight so that this complication could be detected before your condition became a lot worse. Thankfully, PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) lines make it possible for patients to get antibiotics IV and recover at home. Give yourself time to heal and then worry about if you're going to go ahead and have the band surgery again.

Christine Ren, MD, FACS, is an assistant professor at NYU Medical Center, a leading LAP-BAND surgeon and a member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. According to her and Inamed, "The LAP-BAND is a much less complicated procedure than the standard Roux-en-Y gastric bypass; it may occasionally slip farther down the stomach, however. This complication “prevents the band from working properly to allow people to continue to lose weight,” Ren explains. “The most common symptom of band slippage is severe reflux or regurgitation, particularly in the middle of the night, and this would require the band to be loosened, and if the band is loosened, people will regain weight. Their appetite will come back. So that’s the main reason for surgical revision of the band if the band slips. It happens in 3 percent of the population. The reoperation itself can be done laparoscopically in an ASC.”

Libra, you need to call your MD. Estrogen is stored in fat cells. While fat cells never die, they do shrink. If is not uncommon after losing a lot of weight for your period to go "off cycle" but when you're on the pill and this happens, it often means that you need a higher dose of birth control pills (most come in 3 strengths). I hope that helps a little.

Dr. C. You mentioned that this patient opted to not have a repair. Out of curiousity, how many incisions do you make when repairing the band and is the recovery easier than the initial banding?

During the 3 months of "waiting" for the surgery, I tried to eat healthier to prepare for surgery but did not diet to lose weight. I gradually got all the crap out of the house and cut down on fats and high sugar foods. A 10% decrease in your weight makes a big difference and that's about what I lost before having the surgery. I didn't count calories or weigh foods but I did make a conscious effort to stop eating when I felt full. Hang in there. You're doing great.

Do a lot of research and ask a lot of questions. Determine what kind of eater you are... sweets and high calories foods or a volume eater of healthy foods. Beware that ice-cream, chocolate, chips, and other simple carb. foods easily slip past the band. Unlike gastric bypass, the band does NOT cause you to lose weight through malabsorption. It's a restrictive device designed to make you feel full after eating a balanced diet. SOME surgeons do not advise lapbanding if you're a junk food junkie while others say it doesn't matter. Take your time and make an informed decision for yourself. Don't get talked into something you're not ready for or sure of. That said, I am happy that I went ahead with my surgery.

You don't need to go to the hospital. You need to get up, straighten up your posture, and start moving around as much as possible. As far as the BF/Fiance goes, I second Stacy's advice. Good luck to you.

You'll get yes and no answers on this one. For me, weighing daily is not something that works for me because my weight fluctuates so much. It goes a long way (no pun) for my self-esteem when I see consistent weight LOSS and not ups and downs. Therefore, I weigh once a week on the same day (if possible) wearing a bra and panties.

What were the patient's presenting symptoms? Thank you for posting the pics.

My weight loss seems to be cyclical. I will lose 2 pounds and then nothing for a week or so. I would love to be able to see a loss every day or two the way some people do but that's not the way my body seems to work. In the end, what's important is that the weight comes off and stays off. I'm looking forward to my next fill in a week.

Quote: Originally Posted by laurend Why not? The side effects caused would be offset by the fact that there wouldn't be drug-addicted children being born, right? Why are those side effects not acceptable, but the women never being able to have children again is acceptable?Well, it's women that you want to stop from reproducing, right? . Have you ever had a blood clot, heart attack or stroke? We're already talking about people with suppressed immune systems. Leatha, thank you! I had TWO blood clots that went to my lungs (pulmonary emboli) and I would not wish that on anyone. I never smoked but I was on oral borth control and obese. Imagine diving down too low in a pool. You fight your way to get to the surface to take a deep breath. With PEs, that breath won't just won't fully expand your lungs. One other point, the United States no longer purchases blood or blood products. Donations are voluntary and tested for many diseases. In addition, a person CAN donate blood knowing it's not safe and then elect to use the "don't use my blood" sticker in the privacy of a cubicle.

CONGRATULATIONS JULIENYC!!! Do something wonderful to celebrate. You're a star!

I'm the opposite of you. I work full-time, mentor 8 graduate students a semester, am a full-time PhD student working on my dissertation, have a heart condition, had pulmonary emboli and was diagnosed with a hypercoagulability, and need 2 knee replacements. My house is clean and organized. It sounds like you're using your husband's refusal to clean as justification for you not to clean. If you both don't want to clean but do want a clean house, PAY someone to do it.

Will they approve you with a BMI less than 40?

Having dealt with a drug addicted brother for two decades and seeing the devastation that it causes to family and friends, I am all for voluntary sterilization. When you see infants detoxing from heroin and other drugs and see the effects... developmental delays, fetal alcohol syndrome, AIDS, etc., it's a VERY GOOD thing when addicts are offered the opportunity to not procreate.

JulieNYC, you brought back memories. Shortly after one of my fills I was in a restaurant and the fish dish was dry resulting in me needing to "get rid" of it. I had to wait in line for the bathroom and the pain just got worse and worse. Like you, I can control when the "losing it" happens but the longer I wait, the worse the pain becomes.