ParrotheadCathy

Happy is so right! There are certain medications that can negate the effect of BCP. So, if you have been taking any medications since your last cycle, check with your pharmacist, who can tell you if there is any risk.

I used to make a cream of mushroom soup using cottage cheese pureed in the blender, with chicken broth and seasonings and then cut up cooked mushrooms into it and heat it through. I can't remember the proportions but you could play with it a little. And just add your cooked mushrooms to the mixture in the blender so that it meets the liquid requirement?

MsFab, that gas that just sort of moves around and causes pain is actually not gas in your digestive tract. It is gas that was pumped into your abdomen to give the surgeon more room to work in. Unfortunately, that gas has to be absorbed into your blood stream and then eliminated from your body. no medication will help it. The only thing that will help is to move around as much as possible. Walk, wave your arms in the air, and I even read one woman's comment on a forum that her doctor had told her to sit in a rocking chair when she sat and to rock. Putting a heating pad over the area where the gas seems to be hurting you helps some, too. Just don't put the heating pad over your incisions without clearing it with your doctor.

Morenilla, the restriction on drinking while eating is pretty basic. You chew your food, you swallow it, it fills your much smaller pouch quickly, stimulates the vagus nerve and you feel full. Remember that liquids do not stay in your pouch but pass through quickly. If you drink while you eat or immediately after, you will not only have the liquid pass through quickly but a portion of the well-chewed food along with it. That would in turn mean that you would have to eat more food to feel full, and more food would ultimately sabotage your weight loss. It's a big adjustment. I grew up (and still live) in the South .... where every meal is accompanied by a big glass of iced tea. I had to at first really limit my drinking to just a couple of swallows and finally doing away with that.

Mandie, you still don't say .... are you trying to do this under insurance or not? If yes, call your insurer and ask what their requirements are for coverage....is there a minimum BMI? Do you have to be at that BMI for a specific (and documented) period of time? Then you will know if you stand a chance of having this surgery covered by insurance. If you are already planning on being self-pay, you have a lot more freedom. Just do as Jodi says ... call surgeons in your area and ask if they will perform the surgery at your current BMI.

There are plenty of surgeons who will do "low BMI" surgeries. Not usually covered by insurance as most insurance has a "floor" or minimum BMI requirement. Be aware if you are considering gaining weight for insurance approval that many not only have a minimum BMI requirement but they may also require that you be at that BMI for a certain amount of time. A friend was denied coverage because while she was ath a BMI of 37 she had not been there for 18 months.

Food has a much smaller place to go into and the band keeps it from moving in fast .... so there's a little bit of a "traffic jam" that you feel as pressure in your esophagus. The moe full your little pouch gets, the more pressure you feel in your esophagus.

Giselle, there are lots of things you can do to help keep yourself focused. #1, and many, many of us swear by this, TRACK EVERY BITE. There are several online choices you can use or you can just buy a little notebook and write it all down. If you are completely honest with yourself, you will see that there are times of day and events, and even places where you get off track more than others. Then you can use the information to hold yourself more accountable. #2 Don't blame "him" BUT it never hurts to say, when he wants fast food, that you just can't eat "there". He may not even realize what you should and shouldn't be eating. Ask for an alternative. If you have no choice, keep a bottle of low fat viniagrette dressing in your purse (no lie, I have a girlfriend who carries her bottle of ranch dressing everywhere she goes because she only likes ranch and she only likes one brand) and order a salad with grilled chicken on it, tell them to hold the cheese and eat that. It's not as easy as a "#2 with a diet coke" but it's not that hard. #3 Find a support group. Ask your doctor's office if they have one. If not, I believe the surgical group True Results has an office in Richardson and I know they have a monthly support group (I go to True Results in Atlanta). #4 Exercise. No, it's not easy to consistently have exercise in your day. I get up an hour earlier than it takes to get up and go to work and I walk 4 miles (yes, in the dark) in my subdivision and the one that adjoins my subdivision. Oh, I would so much rather be in my bed that last hour but it wasn't working for me to consistently get exercise any other way. I'm working up to using intervals where I can run for a minute or two a few times along the way. #5 DON'T discount this: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. Just because you've been off the wagon, so to speak doesn't mean you can't get back on track. Don't look at it week by week, or even day by day. This morning's exercise. A meal by the book. Drinking at least 64 oz of Water. Small pieces of a successful day..... Cathy

Clinique makes a product called Super Balm. No scent, color, etc. This is the best product I've ever used, hands down. $12 a tube but for me worth every penny. I drink TONS of water, more than the 64 oz. and I don't put a darned thing in it...but I still have very dry lips that peel and even split on occasion and it doesn't have to be cold weather. I'd tried everything and was in the department store and walked by the Clinique counter and simply asked the consultant if Clinique had anything. She put a sample squirt on my finger and I put it on my lips and felt instant improvement. I went back the next day and bought a tube.

I go when I can (sometimes, obviously, I have conflicts). I've found that the support groups cannot be replaced by this (and other) forums. There is usually a planned topic which is discussed in depth, then questions about the topic and other issues. I was surprised that I actually enjoyed the support group sessions I've gone to. I thought it would be ho-hum and that I wouldn't be able to get out of there fast enough.

So, call the dietician yourself....the squeeky wheel gets the attention. I bugged the living daylights out of the doctor that did my sleep study to get his report in on time to keep my scheduled surgery date.

Gastric bypass produces faster weight loss, as much as a pound per day in the beginning...and the result is a lot of loose skin. My surgeon told me that your skin going back to "before" depends on a great many things including your age, your physical condition (are you toning up) and that your skin continues to rebound for as much as a year after you stop losing weight. I'm nearly 59 and I have a little loose skin after 70 pounds. Not sure what it will be like in 64 more ..... There is a separate thread on this site regarding plastic surgery. You might get some answers there.

Well, I hate to say it but .... if the insurance company says you will owe 50%, then you should be prepared to pay that amount!

I've heard of some people having a fill of +/- 4cc done at surgery ... and more than a few of them had to have an unfill shortly thereafter because the fill combined with post-op swelling to be so tight they couldn't swallow liquids. Most docs wait 4-6 weeks to do the first fill. There may be a very small amount left in the band when the surgeon fully fills it and then drains in before placing it because he wants to make sure it isn't defective. Mine had .6cc in it after surgery. Some doctors are very conservative with fills, only offering 1cc or so at a time. Others are more aggressive (I got 4 cc for my first fill). Since you are so far from your doctor's office, I would suggest that you discuss the first fill on a cost effective basis...that 3-4 ccs as a first fill is better because of ther 10 hours of driving involved for you. I would consider hanging around the area where your doctor is located for a few hours after your first fill (heck, after any fill) just to make sure it doesn't get tighter after you leave the office. I'd hate for you to have to drive back to get an unfill because it suddenly got too tight.

The best (and really, only) way to know exactly what your insurance covers and at what percent is to call the customer service number on your insurance card and ASK. Even though your doctor's office will do all that, it's really in your best interests to call yourself and know absolutely! I know of one person who had called, was told her coverage etc. but someone in her doctor's office made a mistake and told her she wasn't covered at all. She knew otherwise, had a person's name that she'd talked to and was able to straighten it out the same day the doc's staff error came to light.

Darlene, as I recall, the one person I actually talked to about it said that the surgery to fix the port position was even shorter than the band itself, had virtually no recovery since it was just the one incision and she had no troubles. So, here's hoping they anchor the darn thing down with a little extra!!!

Papa, take your bike to a bike shop and talk to someone there about a different seat. There are so many different ones out there and one will undoubtedly be more comfortable for you! Also, "real" biker shorts, that have the pads in the "sitter downer" part of the shorts help too.

I have heard of ports flipping. Not a huge number but maybe (not counting you) 4 or 5. Figures you'd become a statistic, right?

Funky, ask them to give you a lidocaine shot first to numb it That will sting just a little but you absolutely won't feel the fill itself. Donna, why would a 10cc band hold only 4cc? The old Lap Band band held 4ccs but the new LapBand AP 10cc version will take 10cc if that's what it takes. Are you sure they didn't give you the old platform band that's only 4ccs?

Sheavens, they call it BANDSTER HELL for a reason. But that first fill, which is the first step toward your sweet spot, is right around the corner. Please don't expect that first fill to put you "there" -- at your sweet spot. What it will do is get you on the road. I was told to eat exactly on plan.....1/2-3/4 cup of food, with 3 oz being lean Protein and the rest veggies at each meal. If I got hungry before 4 hours (and you likely will), EAT PROTEIN as a snack. Low fat cottage cheese, low fat cheese, a little left over meat or shrimp. But EAT it; don't drink it. Solid protein will stave off hunger longer than anything else because it takes longer to digest. Now, find yourself a distraction for the evenings. Here in Atlanta, it's not dark until 9:30. Go take a walk in the evenings and kill two birds with one stone ... time AND exercise. Get a hobby. Sounds inane but TV throws all those yummy looking food commercials at you at night and it makes it more tempting to go graze. Do something that doesn't throw those temptations in your face.

soocal is right. There are other possibilities that you might think could be a yeast infection. Chalmydia, haemopheolus B, Beta Strep .... and others. Call the doc who prescribed the Diflucan and tell them you are better but not cured and you want to come back to see the doc.

Good restriction would be evidenced by a couple of things. You can eat comfortably as long as you follow the rules (small bites, chew well). You should be full on 1/2 to 3/4 cup of food, focusing on getting in that 20 grams of Protein per meal. You don't get hungry for at least 4 hours. Until I wasn't getting hungry in less than 4 hours, my doctor was giving me fills and edging me closer. The last fill I had was just over 4 weeks ago and was .5 cc. I did not get a fill when I saw the doctor earlier this week. We agree that I am "there". Indigo is right .... what you may think is "full" is actually too full. Now, about the sweet stuff. I eat a small piece of birthday cake every month at work. I may occassionally eat a cookie. On the 4th of July I ate a small piece of Coca Cola Cake. Sweets are not high on my list but, yes, I enjoy these small treats. And with moderation, they are a part of a healthy lifestyle. It sounds to me as if you are denying yourself reasonable foods and that would certainly make any of us miserable. I don't know how much Fluid you have in your band and it wouldn't matter if I did! My sweet spot and your sweet spot are most likely not the same place. I drink a RTD Protein shake for breakfast because it's convenient. And, I'm tighter in the mornings so I don't have to worry about taking a long time to get breakfast in if I'm drinking it. I eat a simple lunch of about 350-400 calories and pretty much whatever I want for dinner. And I won't lie, that has included a piece of fried flounder a couple of times and sauteed chicken plenty of times. Rice simply doesn't work for all bandsters. I eat long grain wild rice without a problem, but seldom eat white rice. It works as sushi because I dip it in soy with wasabi so it's really wet rather than sticky. I eat scrambled eggs...but I always tell them if I'm ordering out to cook them "just barely done". They taste better, have a fluffier texture -- that's how I like 'em. That's how I cook them at home, too. What precautions do I take? (1) I drink right up until it's time for my meal. (2) I take the time before I eat to cut my food up into bites the size of a nickel. (3) I take a bite, put down my fork, chew it about 20-25 times and swallow it. I take a nother bite and repeat the process. I don't get stuck unless I eat too fast. (4) I avoid dry meats. That means I cook them using methods that keep them moist. Avoid boneless skinless chicken breasts for the styrofoam that they are. Buy regular bone-in chicken breasts. Grill them with the skin on and just don't eat the skin. The bones and skin will flavor the chicken, will keep it moist while it cooks. Marinate meats -- there are lots of marinades on the market and plenty you can make at home. An endless variety of flavors...and moister protein in the process. Email me back channel at parr0thd51@aol.com and I will see if I can help with recipes and suggestions. You WILL get to that right spot. One thing. I suggest when you go to the doctor than you have them take out 2-3ccs and THEN put you under the fluoroscope and have you drink while they fill you to the spot where you say you're feeling tighter. They should be able to see the restriction. Then stay in their lobby for 30 minutes, drinking Water. But please email me. I'll be glad to help all that I can.

Normally, I wouldn't say ask for fluroscopy BUT I think that they need to do an unfill, put you on the fluroscope and have you drink as they fill so that they don't get you too tight but get you tight enough. I'm at really good restriction and if I take a big swallow of liquid or drink too fast, that's uncomfortable BUT I do not throw up and you shouldn't be either. The band is not supposed to make you miserable. I think your doctor's office sounds like it is staffed by a bunch of heartless, rude people and I'd stand up to them. Maybe you could throw up on demand, right on the counter, LOL. Maybe THAT would get their attention.

People are nervous about this undertaking and some really don't need much to make them run. The question about the port .... let me just say that I've had more people ask to feel that! I mean, it's worse than being pregnant. I tell them they can't really feel it, just a little hard scar tissue. Self-pay can finance the surgery BUT the longest you can stretch out the payments is 7 years. If you finance the whole amount, that's well more than $200 a month (I financed $10,000 and it's $187 a month). I suppose a home equity line of credit might work but I don't like the idea of encumbering my house for anything. You're lucky your insurance covers it! Mine has a written exclusion for any weight loss surgery or treatment so I knew from the get-go it was out of my pocket.