beachgirl

He's my doctor and his nutritionist told me that it is empty calories but that you could have a diet soda occasionally that it wouldn't hurt anything. I'm not Dr. C and not a Doctor but that's what she told me.

My, I sure hate that for you. I can't imagine that much fill. I too have the 9.75cm inamed band that hold's 4.00cc's and I had to go last week for a unfill. I had 2.00cc's in it and they took out .4cc's and took me back to 1.60 cc's and that seems to be perfect. I was pbing daily and couldn't eat hardly any fill. Weightloss has been pretty decent until that. I had lost 60 pounds in 5 months but none in the last 3 weeks. Maybe this will help. He said it was good that I had an unfill that being too tight will cause the band to erode into your stomach. Hope your feeling better soon.

I had surgery in Monterrey Mexico with Dr. Sanchez, unfortunately he was killed last week. I didn't have Dr. Kuri but I can assure you and hubby that mine was a quick 45 min. surgery, just one hour in recovery and up walking immediately, flew home next day, cleaning house and doing laundry 3rd day and day 7 rode 4 wheelers all day long. Don't worry it's a very simple surgery with very little complication rate. Good luck.

Just swelling probably. There's quite a bit of that right after surgery. In time you'll get use to everything. Congrats on your surgery.

Just wanted to welcome you and congratulate you on your surgery. It is a life changing event. Just give yourself time to heal and for the first month don't worry about losing weight just worry about healing first. Good luck.

Yeah according to People she had the banding. I don't think they know how to explain the differences between the band and bypass. They need to do a little bit more investigation.

My surgeon didn't have us on one either. He said 2 weeks on a liquid diet would not shrink your liver and it would be fruitless. I ate normally up until midnight before surgery. You'll be fine.

Just tell him the complication rate is like 1 percent and my surgeon has done over 7000 and never lost anyone. It's a very simple 45 min. surgery and I was in recovery 1 hour and then up and walking and flying home 24 hours later on a long flight. You'll be fine. Just draw close to each other and have faith. We will all keep you in our thoughts and prayers and you'll do just fine.

I agree, it's a very simple, 45 min. operation and one hour in recovery and then you usually go home that day. Don't give up. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers and pray you can work something out. I had to end up being self pay so I know a little bit about what your going through. Keep us informed.

I would still like to ask for your prayers. I woke up this morning suffering to death with what they are still saying are kidney stones but I fear it's much worse. I'm taking loritab and percocet and it is only taking the edge off. Please pray that this too shall pass and it's nothing more serious. I will continue to pray for all of you. Thank you for your continue support and prayers.

It was the only way I could eat while I was too tight for a solid month. I had a slight unfill and yipee, now I can eat meats again and can eat sitting down.

I will tell you about my experience and maybe it will let you know a little bit about someone personally. I have two sisters and they're mother whom are my neighbors who live about 1 mile from me. They all 3 had the bypass. I graduated with the sisters and they're mom just had her's done. The sisters are both now anerxoic (sp) and can't keep up they're weight. One of the sister's had to quit her job at the newspaper becuase she keep's going to the bathroom in her pants. They have the dumping syndrome and malnutrition. Now here's my story. I am not against the bypass at all, my daughter works with the biatric unit here at the hospital on the floor and I'm just not willing to have all of that done to me. I had tried every diet known to mankind. W.W., Nutrisystem 3 times, Jenny Criag, Richard Simmons, Dexatrim, Phentermin, Phen Phen, and many others. I also was a heavy coke drinker. I had the surgery on July 10, 06. I was self pay and had in done in Mexico. I was 270 pounds and 5'7" at surgery. I lost 50 pounds in a little less than 4 months and have now lost 60 pounds in 5 months. It would have been more but I'm suffering with kidney stones right now and have had 3 steroid shots and predisone. My surgery was 45 min. and one hour in recovery and was up walking as soon as I got to my room. Flew home a day later. On day 3 I was cleaning house, doing laundry, grocery shopping and day 7 rode 4 wheelers all day long. I'm 41 yrs. old and this has saved my life. I could have never ever done this on my own and was getting ashamed to even go to church with my size. I was in size 24 jeans and 3 x shirts. I now wear some 16 jeans and 18's and large and xlarge shirts. I have absolutely no problems whatsoever. I just wanted to tell you my experiences to give you someone's view other than a bypass patients view. good luck on your decisions. I also have pics of one hour after surgery pics, scar pics and getting fill pics if you would like to see them just pm me.

I had tried every diet know to mankind. I'm talking W.W., Nutri system 3 times, Jenny Craig, Richard Simmons, Phentermine, Phen Phen, Dexatrim, and other. I've spent thousands of dollars on them. I'm 5'7" and weighed 270. Yes I was huge. I was worried about the same thing. I have two neighbors who are sisters. One I graduated with and her sister. They both had the bypass and so did they're mother. The mother just had her's last week. Both are now considered anerxoic and can't keep any weight on and are having the dumping symdrome, malnutrition and other problems. One sister quit work becuase she keeps using the bathroom in her pants. I'm not knocking the bypass if that is what someone wants I just wanted to tell you my experience with the band and you can decide for yourself. I had the surgery on July 10,06 and was self pay and had it

I bet that feels odd. I don't guess I've ever felt mine. I had .4 taken out last week myself. I went from 2.00cc's to 1.6cc's and feeling much better. Are you able to eat okay? Hope your feeling better.

My thoughts are with you. I haven't been diagnosed with that but I have had kidney stones the last 2 weeks and passed 4 so far and I wonder if I don't have a cyst too. I'm still hurting so bad in my lower left side back and lower left front. I'm taking oxycotin and percocet and it's not phasing it much. They say I'm still passing some but how can you pass stones for two weeks is beyond me. I still have blood in my urine too so I have to go to a urologist in 2 weeks so the internet says it could even be cancer. I'm really nervous and upset. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers and I"m sure everything will be okay.

Well Beth, I hope for you a good weigh in tomorrow. Hope poor kitty gets to feeling better soon. You won't believe what I done tonight for the very first time since being banded. I lost it. I got really nervous, with this health stuff and why I just don't quit worrying is beyond me, then our son who is almost 19 has really been a handful lately and I won't even go into that but I just spazzed out. I started eating everything I could get my hands on. I even popped open a coke for the first time in 5 months. I have been like a drug addict or alcoholic that falls off the wagon. I'm sure I didn't do too much damage but that just shows that even though I'm losing weight, mentally I'm no better with weight control than I was before. I guess we all falter at one time or another and tonight was my night. Oh lord, I've got to do better tomorrow. Hope everyone is having a good week. Talk to all soon,

Happy Belated Birthday Mark, and horray for you and the band is wonderful isn't it.

I'm am soo sooo sorry for your loss. I feel horrible asking for prayers when something like that has happened to you. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. I can't imagine your loss. Thank you for thinking of me in your time of need.

Hi NatesMom, We had surgery about the same time, mine was July 10th and I've just hit the 60 pounds mark myself. Kinda weird how close we are in dates and weight loss. Need to update my ticker. Glad to hear everything is going good for you. Us Julyer's rock don't we!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I concure, the best site. There are a couple others but they can't hold a candle the lbt. Welcome and I don't know what answers vary mean but everyone here is helpful, concerned, nice and honest. We've all been in the same boat that your in right now and I wish for you a great banding experience.

Don't stress out, you'll be fine. I had more trouble with my root canal than my banding surgery. I don't know about the band. I wanted the lowprofile band, and that's what I got. Mine's the inamed 9.75cm that holds 4cc's. I am sure the newer the better, that's usually the case. It's a very quick, simple operation and you'll do great. Congrats on your surgery date.

You should not worry about losing any weight until 4 weeks until your healed. The first 4 weeks are all about healing and healing only. Your surgeon should have stressed that too you. After that once you start getting your fills and good restriction I promise, the weight loss will come. I had pretty good restriction after surgery for 4 weeks. Then got one fill, and nothing, two fills and nothing and then after the 3rd fill the restriction was there and you just won't eat much. I lost 50 pounds the first 4 months and then now it's been 5 months and I've lost 60. Just be patient and don't expect a whole lot until you get your fills and restriction. Just try to get all healed up and it will come. Take care of yourself and congrats on your surgery.

Most everyone has pretty good restriction right after surgery and usually lasts about 4 weeks. Then, for me and most it took 3 fills for me to get really good restriction. My surgeon let me get first fill at 4 weeks and then I could get more every 2 weeks. So far so good. I think I had lost 50 pounds in a little under 4 months and now I've lost 60 in 5 months. Once you get good restriction it's much easier. I have also seen people on here who have good restriction and never need a fill. It's just according. It took 3 for me.

I had the same experience with BC/BS. Can you pay and go to Mexico. That's where I had mine done and it was a wonderful experience. Only 8500.00 including everything. Or maybe refinance your house. Put it on a credit card? There are several financing places too like CareCredit and oh, I can't think of the other one but when I think of it I'll post it. I'm just trying to come up with some ideas for you. Can you not fight they're decision. Sometimes that will work too. Just don't give up. Maybe everyone else here might have some ideals too. OH, capital one has a medical credit line too. Usually like 2percent interest, very low rates and payments aren't usually bad either. Luckily we had enough in savings but I busted us, now our savings account looks horrible. Let me know if any of these will work for you and I have email addy's for all of them.

In the states Margo it's usually between 18000-28000. I had 3 estimates before going to Mexico. I found one that was 13800.00 but it had to be paid in cash. I would say you could roughly figure around 18000 especially since insurance charges more than cash paid. Good luck and keep me informed. I was afraid but I was using Dr. Sanchez who had done more of these surgeries than anyone in the world. All the local doctors I contacted had done 125 surgeries at the most and I just wasn't comfortable being someone's guinea pig. The hospitals and my experience in Mexico was better than any surgery I've had in the states. Better care, better facilities and just more caring nurses. Good luck.