Elisabethsew

Congratulations, Lapbandit. You're pictures show how much weight you've lost and the result is beautiful.

I find it's best to stay away from discussions on religion, sex and politics. Since this thread is on politics, the BEST place to show support is at the polls when voting. It's amazing how many people have very stringent opinions about political issues but are NOT registered to vote.

Mucus is produced to help the food sliddddddde on down the digestive tract and carbs begin digestion in the mouth. Once you've reached the point of being full and the stomach can accomodate more, it begins over producing digestive enzymes and mucus and that can lead to the runny nose, etc. I find once my nose begins to run a little, it's time to put the fork down. If I get hiccups, it means I've over eaten.

Today is an all or none one for me. I find some foods I have to totally avoid and candy is one of them. Tons of empty calories slip right through the band. If I don't have ANY, I'm fine. If I have "just a taste" I'm doomed and keep eating. What I do have on hand all the time are the fun size packets of M&M's. They are only 90 calories and satisty the chocolate need when it arises. Happy Halloween!

I believe if your banded in Mexico and the port flips, you can return to Mexico to have it repaired. If you were to have it repaired here in the United States, you would need to find a surgeon willing to do the surgery. You can call your insurance company to see if they would pay to have the repair done here.

If you've never had a problem with your blood sugars, why are you testing? A fasting blood glucose of 125 is a little high and could be an indication of diabetes. Call and make an appointment with your MD to have this investigated.

I only told two people about my surgery and that's how it remains to the present time. I've successfully lost (and regained) weight in the past and did not want to deal with people judging or monitoring me. A few people have noticed that I'm losing weight but I don't get the third degree yet of "how are you doing it." Being banded does not mean one doesn't have to work VERY hard to get the weight off. Unless you've been through it, you can't fully understand that concept. My advice is to keep the surgery PRIVATE.

You should be very thankful that you DID find out you were diabetic so that you can get treatment. Complications from this disease are greatly decreased when you gain control over your blood glucose levels. Being informed is something you that is very necessary to optimal health. Talk with your MD, consult a registered dietician, and see a podiatrist once every month or two. It is very likely that once you lose the weigh, the diabetes will no longer be a health concern for you.

Welcome. It's natural to be nervous but you'll do fine. I am from L.I. also. Where are you having your surgery?

Because everyone's anatomy is different, there is no way to predetermine how many cc's will be optimal for you. Normally, the MD evaluates how much saline to inject after assessing your weight and asking you questions. It can cause permanent damage to your esophagus if you are over-filled. While I can understand your wanting to save money, you should also consider your overall health as well. The best advice is to consult the MD.

A1ikou...............240...............XX Aza....................299...............XX BPM..................230...............XX candy444...........299.................23 Elisabeth.............275.................16 Ericsmom...........250................XX Indianlight...........280.................22 Josette................340.................25 JulieNYC............235.................23 Koala.................275..................24 Ladydi................270 .................33 LapBandit...........250..................19 Libra...................270.................14 Mariguita.............290.................XX NatesMommy.....275.................XX Waterlily1072.....275..................23 I am doing my best to avoid ALL candy for Halloween. I'm an all or none type of person so if I have one piece, it will definitely lead to a binge. There are some foods that I have to completely avoid. I hope everyone else is doing well.

Mr. P. stated that he thought he would "eventually" end up with the caregiver. You "assumeed" that this meant the minute the wife was institutionalized, Mr. P. and the caregiver would enter a sexual relationship. Are you sure they're not already in one? Since the caregiver has to stay with Mrs. P., why don't you invite Mr. P. to come over to your house for breakfast or lunch so you can talk WITH him and discuss things in general. Frequently, this often leads to more in-depth discussions. Based on THAT meeting and conversation, you'll be better prepared to make a decision that does not conflict with your thics and morality.

EVERYONE gets a tube down their throat when they undergo general anesthesia. The endotrachial tube protects/maintains the airway and allows for the proper administration of oxygen to maintain adequate saturations of oxygen in the blood. If you are fairly sure that you have sleep apnea, you NEED to tell your surgeon AND the anesthesiologist. The problem will not be during surgery but afterwards. Anesthesia takes quite some time to completely be gone from your body and can cause respiratory depression. Post-op sleep apnea patients should be using a C-PAP mask/therapy post-op as well as when they sleep at home.

If you're having problems with your gallbladder now, you'll definitely have more trouble after your banded. Hopefully, your lapband surgeon will agree to take your gallbladder out at the time of the banding. Mine was removed a few years prior to banding.

I'm sorry for your friend's misfortune. Many patients fail to report PB'ing and vomiting to their MDs for fear of receiving an unfill. A PA at my surgeon's office told me that several patients ASK to be overfilled so that they can lose weight quicker and "toss" the extra food if they overeat. An overfill not only leads to inflammation of the esophagus, but also can result in weight gain as people go back to mushy foods which are often higher in calories than solid proteins.

I am trained in accessing Inamed ports and am an RN but there is no way I would access my own port. I see the PA's at my surgeon's office every 6-8 weeks for a weight check and to have fills. They estimated on the last fill that I might need up to 2 additional fills before I am at optimal restriction and are now only giving me tiny fills. I am happy with their management and see no reason to doctor myself.

I had a tiny fill yesterday and don't notice any real change yet. Sometimes it takes me a week or so to "feel" the fill. I was told that I might need another one or two small fills before I am where I need to be but the person who did my fills the past 2 times seems to want to give only very small fills. Sigh! Hang in there everyone.

I don't believe any insurance company would pay for WLS for a patient at goal. A slippage might be able to be replaced or repaired as it is a complication of a surgery that was already performed. Don't dwell on complications as they are not all that common. Focus on the positive aspects of weight loss.

I chose not to tell any family members and only one friends knows. She is very supportive.

Welcome! A good place to start would be to call your insurance company and ask if lapband surgery is covered. Research through the posts and you'll find a lot of good information.

Thank you for sharing the information. Much of what he says makes perfect sense.

Hi Lapbandit, I was banded just over 6 months ago and played around with losing and regaining the same 3 pounds for a few weeks. I am back on track but it does take a lot of discipline. Try planning your meals for the next day the night before and include one or two snacks. I am now back to eating the 3 meals in the correct portion sizes and only usually have one snack a day. Are you due for a fill? I have yet to get proper restriction (getting closer) and have an appointment scheduled for the 18th. I am hoping that also helps. The last one was only 0.3 cc and that did nothing. Hang in there, you WILL get back on track.

I am sorry for what you went through. As a healthcare professional, I can tell you that MANY MDs are not familiar with the lapband procedure. Therefore YOU need to teach them in ways they will understand. I would suggest telling the MD that you have a mediport device in your abdomen that is attached to a band around the upper portion of your stomach. The band is filled with saline and it needs to be emptied. Tell the MD you need an RN certified in accessing and deaccessing mediports to withdraw the saline. In effect, you are telling him the problem and the solution as well as getting the person who you need to fix the problem.

Follow your pre-op directions and don't add or delete from it without checking with your surgical team. I was required to consume Medifast shakes with no added protein.

You might want to check with your insurance company to see if you qualify for lapband surgery with a weight of 199/200. For me, my insurance pays for people who have 100 pounds or more to lose and have a BMI of >40. They required TFT's (thyroid function tests) pre-op to make sure that was not the cause of my obesity. It seems they consider hypothyroidism treatable with medications and don't allow it as a co-morbidity.