GretaBelle

Once you have restriction you may find it hard to get a larger pill down so it is easier to chew pills or swallow a liquid. Now that I have had adjustments, I would freak out if I had to swallow a large pill. This is just my perception, I am not a physician or nurse.

I live in NC and buy the Oikos and Chobani varieties at Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods. The texture is like sour cream and more satisfying. The vanilla or plain is the best because the fruit flavors have fruit on the bottom that are just too sugary for my tastes. I do not care for regular yogurt after the Greek style. The added protein is definitley a plus, too!:thumbup:

My doctor always hits the port, pulls fluid in to the syringe and then adds the additional to make sure it is in there. I always imagined feeling a cold liquid sensation under my skin if they missed the port.

Congrats on your surgery date!! :confused: I asked my doctor today about the band size and he said that most women get the 10CC and the men get the 14CC because there are differences in the anatomy of each sex. He said 95% of women get the 10CC and 75% get the 14CC in his practice. He said it is much easier doing the surgery on women than men because women store fat differently than men do. Women mainly store it just under the skin and men store more around their organs including their stomach. I just had my first fill today which was 6 weeks out post-op. It was not that bad. My doctor will only do 1.5CC on the first fill and .5 CC at each subsequent fill, which I will go back in four weeks for another check-up and possible fill. He said that in his experience, that it takes at least 3-5 fills before people reach their "sweet spot." With that math, it could take me about 17 months to have my band completely filled. I am not sure what happens if you get completely filled and still can not lose weight. I would suppose that those instances would be few and far bewteen and not typical for the average Bandster. As with anything, I would ask your doctor. I can only relay what has been explained to me or what I have learned through my journey and research. I am not a healthcare provider, so I am not qualified to give you my medical opinion...LOL. Good luck and keep us updated on your progress.

Love the posts! I will NOT miss: Hiding in the back of family pictures so you can only see my face and up. Being scared I won't fit in sits on rides or airplanes. Hearing, "But you have such a pretty face." Sore knees and back The *flap* noise of your stomach as it hits the top of you thighs is you walk too fast! (or dare try running) Dreading going to family and class reunions. Feeling ugly and unattractive. Panic at the doctor's office when they ask you to step on the scale. You KNOW he will chastise you about your weight. Shopping in the "Tent and Awning" section of stores. Sweat under your sagging parts and sweating with minimal exertion. The misery that goes along with overeating and feeling like you have the energy of a slug. There are many more.....these bother me most.... Hurray to us all for being brave enough to share our fears and hopefully use them as a tool to stay motivated on our journeys.

Where do you get Papaya Enzymes?? That may help me. I do not feel restriction, but I do get that "stuck" feeling with meats (even if chewed well) if I do not sit up straight when I eat. I have PBed a few times and that relieves the discomfort. Ate a roll the other night and took small bites and had no problem with that at all. Thanks!

I found out about LapBand when I was 37 and received the surgery the day after my 38th birthday! What a great birthday present!

Hi Donnie! I am from the Newport/Morehead area too! Have you and your wife been banded yet? I was banded on 12/17 by Dr. Johnson and everythin is great! Hope to hear from you soon!

ViVie: I also had my surgery in Morehead, but by Dr. Johnson - Dr. Bell's associate. How are you doing with everything? I am doing well. Keep in touch! Oh yeah - what was your first fill like? I get one early next month and I am a little nervous.

I thought the girl in the bikini was nasty. It made me mad that she got by on looks and no talent. She won't be around long, but they should not have wasted a spot on her. She was rude and condescending to the female judges and I though Paula was going to kick her butt. I was really impressed with the blind gentleman that auditioned last in Phoenix. I hope he goes far. His story is inspirational.

Hey all! Just got banded on the 17th. Did great on my clear liquids for first 7 with no hunger. Now I am in "Bandster Hell" because I am trying to be good on the pureed portion of my diet (now in day 6 of purees) and I am starving....OMG.....I think I may have to move my portion sizes up of the pureed foods so I can feel more satisfied and keep the hunger monkey away...lol I go back to the doctor on the 5th of January, which will be 19 days post-op. I wonder if they will do a fill then? Had one "bad" day on Christmas and pureed a fresh piece of cooked ham in to a paste and ate it. It was good, but I am trying to be good now! Good luck to you all! Thank you for all your support! Happy New Year!:tongue2:

Great weight loss Christy! Keep up the good work. Don't worry.... I think lot of us push the definition of some food items so we can add variety to our menus. As long as it doesn't get stuck, make you sick or cause you to gain weight, I personally would not worry about it too much.I am watching what I eat, but my weight loss has slowed at 23 pounds right now. I get my first fill Feb 6. I hope that will help. I need to incorporate more exercise and I know that will help me. Thinking of buying a treadmill so I can walk while I watch TV. Keep me up to date on your progress.

I take the Orange Centrum chewable and the Caltrate chewable vitamin.

Tuesday B 1/2 C Scrambled eggs with cheese S None L Campbells Soup at Hand (chicken N Stars) S SF Jello D 1/2 Grilled Chicken breast and 1/2 C Baked Beans S 3/4 C Cherry Sherbet and 1/4 C Special K Flakes I find the days that I do not drink enough during the day, that I am hungrier in the evening, which is my "hard" time. Today so far I have had... B 1/2 C Scrambled eggs with cheese S None L 1/2 C Refried beans with cheese (very satisfying) I thought I was doing very bad with my food because I was not eating like a bird, but looking at it, it does not look so terrible. LOL! WAY WAY less than I used to eat.

I was banded on 12/17 and have lost about 15 pounds so far. People can tell in my face. I agree it seems to go from the top down. I am starting to see my collar bones again too. I am sure my Thunder Thighs will be the last to go and not without a bunch of exercise.

Way to go! So proud of you! Keep up the good work. Now I know who to contact when I fall off the wagon and feel terrible guilt for not eating the best.:wub:

I have a ton of rumbling and gurgling that I did not have before banding. It is especially bad when I lay down at night and lay on my left side. I guess whatever food/liquid in my pouch is draining out at that point. It always make me "think" I am hungry, when in fact, I am not. I do not have much pain assocaited with the rumbling, but it can be bothersome and it is embarrassing when others hear it. Hang in there!:wub:

My doc had me do clear liquids (broth, SF popsicles, juice & boost) for 7 days and then full liquids for 7 days (applesauce, cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, pureed soups and SF pudding) Today I can start "mushies" or fork tender items like soft meats and vegetables. My doctor would not let me do jell-o up to this point - unsure why that is, but whatever. Kinda "scared" of real food right now because I got choked on some full liquids once by taking too much at once and it hurt to go down. DON'T want to do that ever again.....yuk! The hardest thing for me is to get all my liquids in and not wanting to drink while I eat. I will have to practice small bites, too, because I have always been a speed eater. Good luck on your quest and I wish you much success!

I have BCBS of NC too. I did my consult in October, Endoscopy, Psych and Nutrition Consult at the first of November and had an approval back within two days of the doctor submitting my paperwork. I had a "last hoorah" at Disney World with my family the week of Thanksgiving and did my two -week low carb pre-op diet starting December 1. I got banded on 12/17 (day after my 38th birthday) and could not be happier. I was very lucky and I feel bad for the people that have such a hard time with their insurance or get denied.

I gained about 10 pounds after my initial consult, too.I was very embarrassed about it. Especially when the doctor mentioned it to me. I tried to laugh it off by saying that I had spent a week at Disney and all the good food must have gotten me, but I still felt ashamed. I have BCBS and they did not require a 6 month diet, just documented weights and a listing of the different weight loss programs you tried. I had it lucky, I did not have the insurance and approval problems that others have encountered. I am very thankful for that!

I chose Lap band because I hated being fat and all the unhealthy side effects that go along with being fat. I have had success in the past with self-dieting, but they were only short-term successes with a feeling of failure that goes along with it that almost suffocates you. Being fat made me miserable and made everyone around me miserable due to my attitude. I want to feel good about myself again and live a long and healthy life.

I agree that eating a snack before you go will be the best route from now on. It stinks that the menu changed on you - sorry about that! I was banded on 12/17 and I made sure my mom & dad knew so they would not get their feelings hurt about me not eating Christmas dinner and to let them know that they did not need to change theirs plans because of me. It was hard though, even though I was not that hungry and still a bit swollen from surgery to smell the Prime Rib, mashed potatoes, greens and homemade biscuits. I had to tell my folks that I did not want to sit at the dinner table and watch them eat so I sat by the kids table and talked with my nieces and my daughters. My dad remarked that he felt bad eating in front of me and I told him not to worry about it. I chose to get banded before Christmas - it was not a requirement. Sorry to rant..... your post just reminded me of how hard it is to "want" to eat something you know tastes good but not be able to have it.:wink2:

1. Liquid Tylenol and Liquid Ibuprofen 2. Cotton underwear and sports bra 3. Slip-on shoes (or someone to tie them for you) 4. Heating pad 5. SF Popsicles 6. I got low-cal Grape juice for calories/energy for 2 days 7. Dixie Cups - perfect size for post-op amounts of liquids 8. Flat pillow to splint abdomen when you get up & walk 9. Favorite flavor of Boost high Protein 10. I went ahead and bought Centrum chewable viatmins and Caltrate Plus Vitamins so I would have them to start week 2. Hope that helps! Good luck :wink2:

I know I am new at banding, but I am not new at trying to lose weight and be vigilant. Remember, all of us are here because we have had issues with weight, food, healthand unfortunately failure to control these. You are not alone. We are all on the same path, just at different points in the road. We will all hit points where we are frustrated and it is important that you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep walking towards your goal. We are all here if you need someone to hold your hand as you walk. :wink2: