Phranp

@123crod, has the swelling/pain subsided any? Do you feel it slowly getting better?

Congrats Jacksdad! I thought I was at my sweet spot for months even though I was losing slowly. Then I started feeling like I could eat way too much, so I went in for a fill. That was Thursday, 2/25, by Saturday I had lost 4 lbs and I could hardly eat anything. I know I am still swollen but I truly believe I am finally at my sweet spot. YAY!! Good luck to you all!

I agree with "tke", Dr. Korman's office is really good and the people are great. I went there too but there was a problem with my insurance. I have BC/BS, our base office is in NY so in CA the insurance turns into anthem BC. So just be sure to have them check your insurance first. I liked Dr. Korman a lot and was very disappointed when he could not do my surgery.

I live in Los Angeles and I have anthem blue cross. The first doc I went to was out of network too. Then I went to two other docs. Try Matthew Lublin or Morad Tourah. Dr. Lublin's surgery center would not take A/BC when I had my surgery in June 2009 but he was signing up with Cedars so it should be okay now. Lublin is in Santa Monica. Dr. Tourah did my surgery. He is in Beverly Hills. Dr. Tourah is crazy busy but a very nice man. I would try Dr. Lublin first and make sure you tell them about your insurance just in case he did not complete the process to have surgical privileges at Cedars. Hope this helps.

The last time I got a fill ... December, I think, I thought I was at my "sweet spot". But of late I feel that I can eat more at lunch, not to mention dinner. At lunch it is easier to only eat what I brought for lunch but when I am home for dinner and famished -- try as I might, I often eat more than I should. I hear many people say that they can only eat a cup of food; and while I may keep my food down to a cup it is usually because I am trying to stick to my food plan. In your opinion(s), do I need a fill? Should I be so full after eating a cup of food that I can't bear another bite or, is it that I should just stop at a cup and give my stomach a chance to feel full?

@arthukd: LOLLLLL, I wouldn't be obese either ... LOL I think I will give my doc office a call, see what he thinks. While I may not think that I have lost enough weight to have changed my band fill -- what do I know ... I'll check with the doc. Thanks everyone.

I HATE to exercise ... I do have some health issues that prevent me from doing strenuous exercises BUT I can still walk and do other things. So, I walk in the morning, but getting out of bed is a fight every morning! (Evenings are not an option for me at this time.) I'm always glad I did it, but getting it done is such a struggle. Knowing that strengthening my back muscles will enable me to do more helps keep me going, but ... My question, to those that hate exercise ... but do it anyway is: "How do you motivate yourself?"

"I really don't think about exercise as either love or hate, but more about something I have to do to live." I like that philosphy ... never really thought of it like that. Thanks much.

I totally understand. My numbers are moving so slowly but my clothes are falling off of me. The pants I wore to work today can be taken off without whiled still zipped and buttoned! I too would like to see the numbers go down, but ... I'll accept smaller sizes for now ... beats the alternative! LOL

I am trying to keep things in perspective but remain a bit frustrated. I am losing weight in my legs and hips rapidly, but my upper body -- not so much. I carry the bulk of my weight in my upper body so, of course, it's going to be harder to get it off there. Add to that my spinal stenosis which prohibits strenuous exercise of the upper body (unless I want to be bedridden for a week) AND diabetes (which I thought was a think of the past, but maybe not). I have been walking for exercise hoping to strengthen the muscles in my body so that maybe I can to more upper body exercises. I move my arms while walking but unfortunately have paid for this -- opening a cabinet is very painful these days. I will continue to exercise though ... eventually my top will catch up with my bottom -- I hope. LOL How about you, where are you losing the most weight?

I would be CRAZY with frustration if that happened to me! Please skip the huge piece of chocolate cake cuz it will only further frustrate you after you have eaten it. I know it is no consolation but, rarely do you get restriction on your first fill so ... getting your fill tomorrow won't make that big of a difference. Hang in there, visit this forum a lot ... people here are WONDERFUL!!

My story should really cheer you up because 90+% of the people on this forum have done better than me. I was banded on June 15, 2009. Had my 1st fill 3 weeks later and continued to get fills every two weeks until ... my "sweet spot" ... at about fill 6, I think. But, alas, it wasn't my sweet spot, only close to it. So, I went in for maybe 2 more fills and I am finally at my sweet spot ... or close enough cuz I can still eat more for dinner than I'd like to. But, I can only do liquids for Breakfast (too tight) and even as I am eating my Lean Cuisine for lunch right now I am having a hard time getting it down my throat so, I don't think I need another fill, I just need to be more careful at dinner time. Anyway, my weight loss is slow due to minimal exercise. I have only lost about 37 lbs. BUT, and this is a big BUT (though a smaller but than it was before the band, LOL) I cherish every pound I have lost and give myself credit for not giving in to the frustration of losing so slowly when so many have lost so much more much faster. We all lose at our own pace and a lot has to do with how much work we are willing to put into it. Hang in there, it WILL get better. When you are at your sweet spot you will drop lbs like crazy! Don't lose heart, just be patient! Good luck.

My weight loss is slow compared to many, many others ... but I have absolutely no regrets ... except maybe that I wish I had done it sooner!

YAY! I too got on the scale this morning and I am now in the 250's as well! It is a great feeling. Mine has been a long, slow process but I won't give up. By this summer your children will be chasing YOU down the beach trying to keep up! CONGRATULATIONS!

My 1-4 fills were fine ... but no restriction ... then at my 5th fill my doc could not find my port -- scratch that, even I could find my port without looking -- my port kept slipping when he tried to get the needle in. My doc does not use a flouroscope. He stuck me until the numbing agent wasn't working anymore, so he put in more numbing agent. That still didn't work. Finally, after 3 numbing shots and numerous shots to try to find my port entry spot, he finally got the needle in and gave me a fill. I was traumatized! And I was bleeding. It was awful. Unfortunately, I still was not at my sweet spot so I needed to go back. took me two months to get the courage up to go back. I went back with a plan in mind. I laid on my back and pushed my stomach out and voila! he was able to get the needle in the right spot after just a couple of tries! And, I had restriction! YAY! My doc is a really good guy so I didn't hold it against him. He let's me come in for fills whenever I feel I need it and he doesn't charge me the insurance co-pay. I am at my sweet spot after my last visit in December. I understand your need to change surgeons. You really need to have more control over your fills. Good luck, I hope you get to your sweet spot soon.

I understand how frustratdd you must be. The bottom line here is, if you don't have restriction your band is not useful. I would suggest that the next time you have money for a fill you get a GOOD one. One of the requirements by my insurance was that I see a therapist so that I understood exactly what I was getting into. I started seeing a therapist 8 months before I had my surgery. I continue to see my therapist twice a month. I chose an obesity specialist. It was a good thing I did because my weight loss is slower than most, but when the weight comes off -- it stays off! Had I not been in therapy I would have let the slowness of my personal process get me down. Thanks to my time in therapy I focus on my progress. FOR ME therapy has been very helpful. I hope you don't give up and that you are able to get enough restriction to have a "working band". If you are already eating right and exercising, once you have restriction you will have great success! Good luck!

I am having the hardest time swallowing today! My vitamin didn't go down very well this morning. I felt nauseous. I have already decided to go back to liquid vitamins but I haven't bought it yet. But I took the vitamin at 8:30 this morning! Getting my lunch down was really hard (Lean Cuisine Chicken Chow Mein). It got stuck! I haven't had as much water today as I usually do because since taking my vitamin I haven't been feeling very well. I made a salad for dinner and couldn't get it down. Any of this sound familiar to anyone? I had my last fill sometime in mid November. I have felt pretty sure I am at my sweet spot, so why am I feeling tighter NOW? I am perplexed.

Yes, I did swallow it whole, but I've done that before ... but I agree, it's not a good idea. But duhhhhh, why didn't it occur to me to buy CHEWABLE Vitamins???? Thanks, I will buy some tomorrow! The liquid vitamins go down well but they taste terrible! LOL If the Vitamin is still stuck that would be weird ... but I suppose it is possible.

I have Anthem BC of California. I live in L.A. Originally I was giving the doc's office my co pay but when he moved his office to Beverly Hills he no longer requires the co pay. He says that the fills are part of the surgery. I don't get it, but I ain't knocking it! Good luck!

Sorry to hear you are suffering, I am suffering too and I think it is acid reflux. I went out Saturday and had one alcoholic beverage, ONE! And I haven't been able to eat since ... I just forced my lunch down ... couldn't drink my protein drink yesterday morning, but got it down this morning. I forced down a Lean Cuisine for lunch toay and my esophagus is burining a little ... I'm going to start drinking cold liquids in about half an hour. Hope you feel better soon.

Currently, I drink a protein drink made with Chocolate Muscle Milk powder and soy milk (very tasty). 16 ounces holds me till lunch -- now that I am at my sweet spot -- can't really eat real food for breakfast at this point (maybe I could but it would take forever). I am not a big breakfast eater so it works for me. Before I hit my sweet spot I ate Quaker Oats Weight Control Oatmeal, one packet.

I stayed overnight as required by my insurance. And, although the nurses did come in hourly, I was already up going to the bathroom EVERY TWENTY MINUTES, must have lost 5 lbs of Water weight in 24 hours ... lol Also, my arm was hurting soooo bad. I didn't realize that it was gas and the nurses either didn't know or didn't mention it, but they gave me Tylenol and a heating pad and extra pillows. I really did have great nurses during my stay. They catered to my every whim ... that was nice. :thumbup:

I am sure you are right, ParrotheadCathy. I guess I just didn't think that cutting my carbs so much would take me down ... but, again, I believe you are right. Reaching a happy medium is certainly a challenge for me ... always has been, I guess (hence my obesity ... lol) Thanks.

I was in therapy years ago trying to deal with my eating issues. Finally stopped because there was nothing left but to "do it". But I never did. When I started thinking about having lapband surgery I decided to start seeing a therapist. So, in October 2008 I started seeing an obesity specialist and I had my surgery in June 2009. My therapist has been extremely helpful, mostly because I am conscious of when I am trying to fight the process. She would give me feedback and I would tell her why I couldn't do it. Eventually I realized that I needed to listen to someone other than myself. So I stopped saying "I can't" and started saying "I can do that". Let me tell you, it works! Last night I was in tears because one thing after the other was going wrong and I had been to visit my mom in the convalescent home and I was very sad. The sadness turned to anger and I gave myself a headache crying. Now, I still had to stop at the grocery store to pick up something for dinner. I credit therapy with being able to see my favorite slice of chocolate cake and saying "how is that going to help?". And passing the Tostitos and saying "that's not going to help either". And being able to leave the store with what I intended -- salad stuff. I have changed my thinking for the most part. I still struggle but not nearly as much. Hang in there and good luck!

I am tight in the morning and pretty tight at lunch time, but by dinner I am able to eat more. I have read that other experience this too. I recently had a fill (12-16) and I am not very tight. Yesterday I had my usual Protein drink for Breakfast and for lunch I had my usual - Lean Cuisine - but, since my fill on 12-16 I have been unable to eat the whole thing (all 280 calories) ... this is new for me because usually I am able to eat the Lean Cuisine and I am satisfied. But this time, after a few bites I couldn't eat anymore, so I waited an hour and tried to eat another couple of bites, no luck. So I threw it away. I was famished when I got home from work. I heated up a Lean Cuisine and was able to eat the whole thing. I was full when I was done, but I was able to eat it just the same. Why are we able to eat more for dinner than for lunch or breakfast? Anyone else experience this?