jfrost6

Helen, I am asuming that you have been filled. If so how much? I had the same problem and after some time I went back to the docs office and they figured out that I was over filled. Check with your doc.

Dr Brown is my surgeon and he has been so supportive and has helped me lose a ton of weight. THANK YOU!!

I would have lapband surgery again in a heartbeat. I am 5' 10" and I weighed 410lbs. I had surgery in Sept and now I am already down to 330lbs. This has changed my life so much that I am able to feel more confident about myself and I have noticed that I have a lot more fun in my life now. Dont think of the band as the solution but as a tool to help you acheive your goals. Dont base your decision on others outcomes because you will still need to work at it and change your lifestyle. If you are expecting the band to do the work for you then you will want to try something else cause it will be a waste of time if you dont fully commit to the diet and exercise. Take your time to decide but I think that if you are willing to make the change in your life and stick with it you will find that loosing the weight is easy and you won't really think about it all that much. It takes 22 times to make something a habbit. If you stick with the change for 22 days and dont defer it will become a habbit and it will seem like a normal day thing for you. All in all... Make the decision based on what you want and your expectations. Dont rush cause this will take some time but I think that if you get it done you will look back on this and say to yourself that it was well worth it.

The reasons you are to stay away from all carbonation in general is due to stretching. Over time if you blow up your stoma enough it will double and even triple in size defeating the purpose of the band. Also the artificial sweetner is a downer for your digestive system. You wont digest your food as well and it does cause cravings. I am supprised it is not considered a drug. Another reason is most carbonated drinks contain caffine and that will dehydrate you too fast and will cause problems with your digestive track and make you want to drink more. Remember. sip sip sip on water, caffine free tea and crystal light.

Gum wont get stuck. It has to be a large piece for that to happen. I buy "5" spearmint flavor and they are fairly small pieces so you wont have to worry about that.

Misty is correct. Ketosis will cause you to have bad breath. What happens is when your body burn your fat stores for energy it also burns a chemical that is in the fat cells which causes bad breath. If you add some carb back in it will be either gone or very mild. Make sure to not add too many carbs as your weight loss with suffer as a consquence. What I do is carry a pack of sugar-free gum with me or breath strips. Mouth wash also helps if you use it twice daily. Happy losing!!

Aweome froggin!!! I got banded by Dr. Brown in Sept and he is very good. The hospital is very well equiped and the staff are great! Dont hesitate to ask question with Dr. Brown, he will answer everything you have for him.

Sounds like its the size of your bites or how fast you are eating. I still have that problem everynow and then. Just make sure that you take your time and also when chewing you might want to count to 100 in your head to make sure you chew long enough.

what site is your ticket from?

This is normal without a fill right now. Your stomach is no longer swollen and can handle more food. Keep doing what you are currently doing and make sure that you dont starve yourself. I was like this for 3 weeks and when it came time that my doc was ready to do a fill for me I started to drop weight right away. Just hang in and dont get discouraged... it will go down again :thumbup:

All my friends know that I have had the surgery done. If you just tell them what is going on I think it takes a lot of the pressure off. So what if you dont want to drink... have a tea or something. I would think that they just want to hang out and have fun with you than just want to get you drunk or something. Me and my friends have more fun now that I am dropping weight than ever before. I live in the Rocky Mountains and having the ability to go mountain climbing and hiking is what is making this all worth the effort.

Scarecrow hit the nail dead on. I am a guy and in a relationship with a thicker girl and I find her more attractive than anyone I have ever met. She is a very fun person to be with and she has a great personality. Dont just think that since you are a thicker girl than any skinny out there that you cant get the guy of your dreams. Most girls out there have a hard time with that since I know a lot of guys just want one thing and then move on but thats just how they work. All in all just be yourself and have fun. You will find more guys that way.

That is normal till you get your first fill. That just means that the swelling on your stomach is going down. Some people feel the restriction right after surgery and dont need a fill within a few months depending on their doctors orders. Just make sure to stick with your diet and try to not eat a lot but also dont starve yourself as your body might start hoarding the calories and not burn them. Hope this helps Jeremy

I was going to Metro State College for a while but then went to an online school. I am an IT Engineer. how about you?

Hey... I am not currently in college... taking a year off but Cali, I got banded by Dr. Brown. He has been very good. Bikini... I think you live near me... I live over on Hampden and Gilpin near Swedish Hospital. anyways just saying hi to everyone and trying to get aqauinted with others that have the band. Laterz Jeremy

Dont worry both of you... I got banded on 9/23/08 and I had major cold feet where I almost did not go in on my surgery day. Just sit back and see what it can do for you in the long run. In just 6 weeks I have lost about 40lbs and my back and knee pain are gone. The recovery can be a bumpy road but if you just take it easy and take your time when you eat you will have an easier time. Follow your diet... I know the pre-diet can be hard especially when you are used to eating at a normal pace but its best to just keep thinking of your goal and just stick with it. The diet afterwards is super easy in my mind as long as you dont go out to eat all the time. Eat small bites and take your time. Also... stick to this rule.... DON'T RUSH.... if you rush this will start to fall apart.

Here is what I did at 2 weeks out and eating normal food without complication was a form of a burrito. I would take a vegitarian refried bean and some cooked ground beef. Mix it together and top it with some cheese and that held me for about 4-5 hours without feeling hungry again. It is also filling so it does not take a lot to fill you up. Its also good to add low fat sour cream to it.

Hello Everyone!!! I have been banded for about 4 weeks now and I am down about 20lbs. Good to be here to answer any questions for pre-op if there are any