54Shirley

Well, glad to hear your doing so well ! Yes this is normal. Take your time and heal. and enjoy your new life. Shirley.

I'm sure you know cobra is very expensive. You can always go to fill center usa for your fills. If theres one in your state. you'll have to google it and see if its near you. Contact them, tell them the story, same as mine so they herd this a million times. Find out what it will cost you straight out for a fill since you have no Ins.. Its usually cheaper. Nutrition Programs Fillcenters USA- Irvington Irvington, IL 62848

Try letting the fill relax. Stay on Fluid for 3 days then mushies for a day, and then try food Gently ! You could be sensitive, I know I am. Thats what I was instructed to do, and it works.

Congrats ! That is a Major Accomplishment.

If you feel like your eating way to much, then you might want to go back to the basics, and see if your food intake shrinks some.

You probably have not been stuck yet, thats a experience by itself, For me Taking Antibiotics "in this case" is a pain. All it takes is 1 time or every day of putting down huge capsules, and I will swell up and stay swollen. As a result I will have to have 1.2 of the fill removed, and then start over again. This is the second time for me, and they better learn that I need it in liquid form. This is one of the worst things i think. I have to go in next Thursday when there up here and get a unfill. I' look at it this way though, at least its not a slip. Its everyday living with the band. I'll bet they never told you about this either. Keep it in mind. Shirley.

It's a way to reset your pouch. 5 day pouch test. Day 1 & 2 Liquid Protein. Stock, cream Soups, Jello, Protein shakes. s.f pudding Day 3 Soft Protein. Canned fish (Tuna, Salmon) eggs, fresh soft fish (Orange Roughy Sole Tilapia) Day 4 Firm Protein. ground meat (Beef. Lamb, Turkey, Chicken), Seafood, (Shellfish, Scallops, Lobster, Fresh Salmon, Halibut. Day 5 Solid Protein. Poultry, Beef Steak, Pork, Lamb, Wild Game. I would print and keep this.

He should check you out under fluoroscope. Fill and unfill, and see if he sees anything out of the ordinary. If you don't have any success, try another surgeon. I did and I was filled under fluoroscope, and they took me rite to my fill line. Acid Reflux is a symptom of something that is not rite, even Gallbladder, So good luck with the surgeon. But throwing up is not the thing to do, for sure you will end up with a slip, or if your not swollen now you will be. See your Dr....

I hear the both of you's ! I have a 4cc band and lost over 100lbs. my first time around. The Dr. Deflated, because he thought the balloon was blown do to a over fill. Well he was wrong ! Last year I finally got a Dr. to take care of me, and I am in the process of doing it all over again. I'll say one thing..... Its easier the 2nd. time around.. You know whats expected of you. You know what to tight feels like, or getting stuck, so you work twice as hard to avoid all the bad things, and do what you can to make it. Just remember its a s l o w go. So be patient while you succeed the second time around.

Another possibility is HAP insurance. They are across the street from the Hospital. You could purchase the Ins. threw them, and they would insist on Genaw or Carlin. It would save you both money, and it covers your fills. I know because I had HAP Health Alliance Plan. It has come along way..... They are owned by Henry Ford Hospital.

No I was not self pay. But if this helps at all I will give you a little info on H.F. The Canadians come by the BUS full to have the surgery done. They accept the Canadian Ins., and Canada insists that they come to Michigan, because of the excellent work thats done. I had my band done there, and he didn't just put the band around the stomach and tighten it like a belt. He put it in place and pulled part of the stomach up threw, and over the band, then stitched it in place to help prevent slippage. Just a little info for thought.

If I were you, I would contact Henry Ford Main in Detroit. Hurly Bariatric Center in Flint. Mid Michigan Bariatric Center in Clare. Find out if they have a payment plan, tell them its for both you and your husband. Find out there prices, and go with what you can. These are all very good places, and with your location your going to do some driving either way. So call them, and get your information. You can go to Mexico and go to Fill Center usa for your fills, but if you ever need care you still need a surgeon in this state. So your caught in the middle again. Let me know what you find out. Shirley.

Yes you can, but ! you really have to start stuffing down food to do that, and its painful. If you think you have done this"say in the future" You can always look up the 5 day pouch test, and this will reset your pouch to normal or near normal. Its on here...

If your in the Detroit Location ! I highly Recommend Dr. Jeffrey Genaw out of Henry Ford Main. He is a Fantastic Surgeon, but he's not that swift on aftercare. "That was 5 1/2 years ago." He might have learned some things by now. But for Surgery ! ! ! I don't know of a better one. In Mid Michigan I would go see Ernest Cudjoe. I see him for my fills and he to is rated with a Center of Excellence. He's in Claire, but sees people in Midland. Hurley Bariatric Center in Flint is also a Center of Excellence, and a few of there Dr.'s were trained by Dr. Genaw. So location here is everything. Any questions about them, get back and I can help. Shirley. The problem with going to Mexico, is trying to get a Dr. to touch you after someone else's work. I know its tempting, but if you have a good Dr. here, and you need a unfill because your to tight or something, If its done here you go to your Dr. Out of the Country who will touch you ?, Think about that.

Yep ! not unusual at all. You need to practice putting the fork down, after you have chewed your bite, about the size of a dime" really well, like applesauce. So take your time. Also measurer your quantity ! Your pouch only holds so much. If you over fill, you can feel that too. So put your fork down while you concentrate on your job of eating properly, and soon this will come naturally. Shirley.

I'm in Michigan, and would be interested in the size 18 summer cloths. We can do this Parcel Post It goes up to 70Lbs... Let me know if interested. Shirley.

Go to myfitnesspal.com its free, and a lot of bandsters are over there. You can track your calories, plan ahead of time by looking foods up, and finding out if you want to eat this or not. Everything is kept in memory, and totaled out for the end of the day. You can also keep track of exercise on here like walking brisk pace or Cardio how many minutes, and the computer will figure it out for you. You can view other peoples diary, and see what they are doing, and get ideas for yourself, and chat. this will also predict "if you stay at a certain calorie per day" how much you should lose in 5 weeks. All in all, its a very good site. Look me up, and I'll friend you in if you want. I'm Losingintime on that site, hope to see you there. Shirley.

We were put on Flintstones Complete with CHOLINE 3 a day. These are chew-able, and googl choline, and you will see it is tied into vitamin B. I have tried off brans, and no luck with them. I stick to the real thing, and all my blood work comes back in good shape. I don't need any other supplements with these. You can go to there web site and print a coupon to save some money. I would copy that coupon a few times, and buy them on sale, and then save money with the coupon. Good Luck, Shirley.

I just went through a similar situation, but it was Antibiotics, and getting into a hot argument with the Dr... I don't walk around and think of myself as a Lap Band Patient 24 hrs. a day. I think of it when I eat, or when I try on close, getting weighed, and seeing a Dr... Well the pills were getting to me, so I went to see her for some liquid antibiotics. She said why? Its not like your a Bariatric Patient or something ! I shook my head in disbelief like I didn't hear that. I said just because i'm not a bypass patient doesn't mean i'm not a Bariatric Patient. She said you only have the band.... I said it gets tight, so I need a liquid medication. She said NO ! So she started, and I got mad and dished it back. So I pd. the price dearly . My back hurt, shoulders, my stomach swelled shut, I couldn't even swallow Water. I'm just now getting back to drinking Soup and water. I hope I don't have to be unfilled, and I learned to control my feelings about what other people say and think.

When its time to get filled, ask to have it done under fluoroscope. They will see your band, and you will see it on the screen too. They will look at its condition, and fill you to your fill line. That means you are now at the proper fill level. Not to full/not full enough ! This is available, and should be used more often. You will then no exactly, what they put into your band, and you should know the proper amount for your band. once filled, if you loose weight, and say I'm getting hungry more often, so I'll get a fill. You take the risk of being in the RED ZONE. So you have to learn to live with it. Good Luck, Shirley.