ParrotheadCathy

With no restriction yet, I doubt the sub could have caused you much of a problem -- as long as you were already cleared for "real " food, you should be fine. Now, if you were eating ahead of your diet, maybe not such a good choice at all. Even if it got stuck 2 days ago, it would have broken down and passed through the stoma (opening created by your band) and gone on its merry way. Maybe a little guilt is involved here? If so, drop it. You cannot beat yourself up for what was probably no big deal at all. I don't eat much bread at all, as in a few crackers here and there. But that's a part of life and the band isn't designed to take your life away from you. Most of us can eat almost anything without a problem. As always, if you are in doubt, your doctor's office is the ultimate authority. If you were eating "real" food before you had been okayed for it, you might have to 'fess up to it though.

I think mashed potatoes are the first thing post-liquid diet most bandsters eat, LOL. And, WOW, those were the best mashed potatoes I ever ate in my entire life. I'm 5 months post-op today and will be glad to answer questions, offer reassurance, etc. if you need it! parr0thd51@aol.com Just to make it easy, that's a ZERO in my screen name rather than the letter "oh".

Felkatz....most insurance says a BMI of 40 with no comorbidities is the threshhold for approval. You're there. If you proceed with self-pay, ask your PCP to make referrals for your testing and because of your weight, your insurance should pay for that. But I would hold out for insurance approval. A really good thing to do would be to call your insurance customer service number yourself and ask about requirements to be approved. And it may be that since you have a proven history of obesity both before and after the missing year, you'll be fine. It's always best to talk to your insurance company yourself. That way you have the answers from the horse's mouth.

My daily Vitamin is Berocca Performance, which has plenty of all the B Vitamins, magnesium, zinc and I can't remember what else. Vitamin D isn't a problem for me since I'd rather be outside than anywhere else and sunlight is the primary source of Vitamin D. I read somewhere that Vitamin D deficiency is more common as people stay inside more than they did in the past. Computers (yeah, they get blamed for everything, never mind that you have to actually USE the computer, LOL) are blamed for much of this. Berocca Performance is not manufactured for sale in the United States. I get it shipped to me. It's a product from Bayer Australia. It effervesces in Water and comes in three different flavors. I buy the orange and put a package of Crystal Light Citrus Splash in to truly hide the taste of the vitamins since the flavor added by Bayer does NOT cover it. And, what the heck, I add a dose of Benefiber for good measure.

ALS74, Protein (that you eat, not protein shakes) will give you a feeling of satiety that lasts longer than anything else you can put in your mouth/pouch. Protein is more dense and takes longer to digest so it stays in your pouch longer. Back before I hit my sweet spot and was getting hungry consistently in less than 4 hours, I was told to eat a small snack of protein. Now, on those occasions when I know I must by necessity go longer than, say, 5 hours between meals, I have a bit of low fat cheese to hold me over. It works for me! So experiment with protein in the morning (and in small amounts on those occasions that you are hungry) and see if that turns the corner for you! Good luck!

Guys, remember that the "squeaky wheel" gets the attention. You notice the negative stuff. AND for every negative poster on this or any other forum, there are hundreds of people who never, ever post on any forum on any subject; they are happily living their lives and enjoying the results of their surgeries. Most common problems related to the band (PBing, getting stuck) are operator error. Remember to cut your food into bites about the size of a nickel, take a bite, put your fork down and chew it well, swallow and then pick up your fork and take another bite. While the SOUND of an aggressive fill is good, the REALITY is that a very aggressive fill can likely mean that you will end up too tight and need an unfill. Go with your doctor's plan, make your regular appointments for fills and you'll get to your sweet spot soon enough. There was one poster on this forum who had to have his band removed after just six weeks because he ended up being allergic to something in his band. How often does that happen? Even less than once in a very blue moon. And, I hate to say it, some people got their bands expecting that they were basically buying weight loss. That they wouldn't have to change anything, just merrily go on along the road they were heading down before surgery and the weight would just magically disappear. They are very disappointed in their decisions about getting banded. If you follow your doctor's instructions and accept that you will have to modify your bad behaviors, and regard your band as an awesome tool, you will more than likely do fine.

I can eat almost everything on Andy's list.....except for soft bread. But I was Type 2 Diabetic before surgery and pretty much just didn't eat bread if I could avoid it, so that's just not a big change for me. No longer Type 2 Diabetic (YEAH, that's why I did this surgery), but some habits are just ingrained now. Dry meats can be a problem for a lot of people but in the case of steak, go to a rarer level of cooking and with other meats, experiment with cooking techniques like braising, crock pot, etc. I love just using hot wing sauce as a dipping sauce for chicken and pork. Obviously, spice isn't a problem for me. It's trial and error. Don't ever think because ther is a list of things that someone (or more than a few someones) have a problem with, that you will also have a problem. This band this requires some experimentation and you can learn what works for you.

I paid cash for my surgery too! My fills are $125 per vist after I use the 10 that were included in the cost of the surgery.

Okay, Riane, I am a firm believe in Ebay! You can buy anything on Ebay. I just did a search for "CPAP" and in among all the CPAP supplies, there is a brand new machine for $129. I didn't look through all the offerings but there is that option. It's a "buy it now" which, if you aren't into Ebay, means you don't have to bid on it...you just get to buy it.

Ashley, my sweet spot and your sweet spot will likely be two different numbers. That is simply because it also depends on anatomy, my stomach may be bigger than your and therefore takes up more room inside the band. I know your doctor was trying to make you feel better, and to a point what he said is even true BUT you can't just eat whatever you want. You DO need to make sure you eat at least 60 grams of Protein, partly because protein takes longer to digest and therefore will make you feel full longer than, say, a salad or a bowl of ice cream Most of us have had our greatest success by TRACKING what we eat and aiming for 1,000 - 1,200 calories per day. Many, many people will tell you that if they go too low they stop losing and if they go too high, obviously the same thing happens. Most doctors aim at you losing 1-2 pounds per week. I've lost 70; surgery on 2/10/09 but what's that "fine print" you see on all the weight loss program ads??? "Results not typical" That means you can't expect to lose at the exact same rate as someone else. BUT YOU CAN SUCCEED. If you want to email me "back channel", my email is parr0thd51@aol.com That's a number zero instead of the letter "oh" in parr0t.....

Anatomy plays a major role in that. Last night, if you watched "Big Medicine", Veronica got a gastric sleeve. Dr. Garth commented that she had an unusually large stomach. So if she'd had a band, that would mean more tissue inside the band, and that would feel tighter than for someone with a smaller stomach. I can get a fill and feel absolutely no difference the day of the fill or even the next day .... and then bam!, yeah, I'm tighter. Have no idea why

Kacee, yes you can drink alcohol. The band doesn't change how your body absorbs or reacts to alcohol. HOWEVER, you do have to remember that liquids go straight through the bad (like through a funnel) and you can drink more than you should. By that I mean, more very empty calories. A shot of rum is 60 calories. Some of those mixers are sugar traps. You can quickly drink 1,000 calories if you don't exercise some restraint. So a night of fun in a bar can show up on the scale in a very negative manner. A note on the absorbtion thing....you can't eat as much food, so that means there is less of a "cushion" in your stomach so the alcohol does process more quickly than if you ate a "regular" meal. That's why bandsters tend to think that the band makes them more susceptible to the alcohol. I'm a parrothead (duh, the name says it all) and we have a reputation for knowing how to party. I've been to more than one parrothead event since being banded and, yes, I've had my drinks (I tend to drink single barrel rum, which would be an absolute sin if you mixed it with something). You can, and should have fun while limiting your alcohol consumption. I think an awful lot of people (overweight and not) use alcohol has a lubricant for easing off their social inhibitions. Losing weight should help you come out of your shell a little (shell, what shell???) and I find that I am so busy socializing that it doesn't matter if I have a glass of rum or a glass of Water in my hand.

White meat chicken....for so many people, that means a boneless, skinless chicken breast. Those darn things should have a label on the package that says "Dries out in cooking and turns into a shingle"! Here are my solutions. #1 If you feel you must cook a boneless skinless chicken breast, cook it this way: Sheet of foil Place chicken in center Add about 3 tablespoons of chicken broth slice up some carrots, broccoli, whatever veggies season to suit you Seal up foil package, put on a baking sheet and cook at 350 for about 30 minutes. You end up with steamed chicken and vegetables, ready to eat, and throw away the cooking container. This chicken will be much more moist. #2 The better choice is actually a regular chicken breast with skin and bones. The bones add moisture and flavor and the skin holds moisture in. Throw the skin away when the chicken is cooked, you don't need to eat that stuff. Remember, you did not sign up for a lifetime of punishment. Just because you can't eat two huge plates of food doesn't mean that what you eat can't be delicious, easy to prepare and good enough for the whole family not just poor pitiful you-on-a-diet. Oh, yeah, you can cook a hamburger steak like the chicken but use a little Water and worstershire sauce instead of chicken broth. This is good with a couple of slices of potatoes added to the vegetables.

Relax. You probably shouldn't be able to feel your port at all, at least not yet. I couldn't feel mine at first, just a little hard scar tissue. Now, down 70 pounds, I can kind of feel it. The physician's assistant and doctor have felt so many ports that they know exactly what it feels like while you/we don't really know what it feels like, LOL. You will be fine!

Unfortunately, I have no achilles tendon in my right leg (long story, but I almost lost the leg and I had to learn to walk again)...and I tried the MBTs when they came out and I thought they would KILL my right leg. They're a definite no-go for me. But I am increasing my walking as I lose and and planning to start tomorrow to get up an hour early and walk for 45 minutes to an hour in the mornings. Regular walking will just have to be enough...and after what I went through, I count just walking as a great gift.

Cutest, realize that a lot of insurance policies do not require any supervised diet and you could just be spending money on a supervised diet when you don't need to. The one thing all insurance policies have are requirements of a minimum BMI (usually 35-37 with comorbidities or 40 without comorbidities) and if you were to lose successfully on the supervised diet you could diet yourself out of future qualification. And that wouldn't be bad in and of itself but that wasn't what you were asking. There are too many ifs to speculate on when you don't have insurance at all and have no idea what the coverage might or might not include once you get a job and insurance in the future. Some policies have written exclusions for weight loss surgery of any time and you cannot even appeal for coverage in the face of a written exclusion (mine did so I was self-pay).

You have a lot of options for Protein Shakes. Pre-op, I used a whey Protein Shake powder I purchsed from my surgeon's office. I mixed it with skim milk (because with Water it was yucky but with skim milk wasn't bad at all). Since you will be on the road, so to speak, an RTD (ready to drink) produce would be best. There are some who will tell you SlimFast is terrible but post-op, I have been drinking a SlimFast Low Carb Diet chocolate RTD for Breakfast every day. Chocolate is 190 calories, 20 grams of Protein and 2 grams of carbs. Other options are the Adkins RTDs and EAS. Those are the only ones I've tried. The SlimFast works for me and I like the taste. But we're all different. I've lost 70 pounds (surgery was 2/10/09) so I'm obviously not complaining. I say read a few labels. Obviously, an RTD is the best choice while you're away from home because you wouldn't have to deal with milk, something to mix in, etc. just open a can, drink and toss. At home, if you have a GNC near you, they have quite a few options and are usually pretty helpful. And, I've read on here and another forum I frequent where people were actually able to sample some shakes in the store. Hope this helps.

Welcome to bandster hell! It's a little uncomfortable in BH but the good news is that it's a fairly short stay. Your first fill, depending on your doctor, could be as small as 1 cc which is just a start or it could be quite a bit more. My doc's first fill is 3cc-4cc, for example. Until you get enough in the way of fills to be able to go 4 hours between meals without feeling hungry, snack on Protein. For your meals, EAT your protein. Don't drink Protein shakes. Put solid protein in your stomach. Protein takes longer to digest than carbs or fruits or veggies, so that means it's in your stomach longer and the longer something is in your stomach, the longer hunger is staved off. Until I hit my sweet spot, when I got hungry I ate a piece of low fat cheese, a little low fat cottage cheese or even some leftover meat or shrimp (leftover fish goes straight to the trash or to the cat's bowl because it isn't very good warmed over, LOL). Just remember, you've only started the journey and you shouldn't beat yourself up for a wrong turn. Enjoy the ride as much as you can.

Depends on your pre-op diet. If you're on liquids, obviously the answer is no. My pre-op diet was 2 Protein shakes and 2 lean meals that consisted of 3-4oz of lean protein and vegetables and, yes, I could have eaten lettuce but salad dressing would have been a no-no. Frankly, to me, lettuce isn't worth chewing because it has little in the way of nutrients and is mostly Water. Dark greens like spinach, turnip greens, and others are much more nutritious. I suggest that if you don't have a written list of permitted foods for your pre-op diet, you should call your doctor's office and talk to the nutritionist or PA about any questions you have about the food list.

Another option may be to rent one. Depending on the severity of your OSA you may see a rapid improvement after surgery and not need the machine for all that long.

Deb, on the welcome page of this site, there is a link to a comparison of gastric bypass vs. lap band. My own thinking (whether medically correct or not) was that I wasn't fat enough for bypass surgery...LOL. I needed to lose 134 pounds and I felt that the rapid weight loss of bypass wasn't what I was looking for. My internist agreed with me when we talked about it. In the end, you are right ... you and your doctor should decide. But don't let anybody try to talk you out of your own decision! You are the only one who has to live with your choice. Ask the questions that will help sort out the differences (good and bad) between the two procedures. Keep researching! Ask us any specific questions you might have and I'm betting someone here has an informed answer.

With your surgery just 8 days ago, I am assuming you are on an all-liquid diet and perhaps will be moving to mushy food very soon. This is the time when we all started getting pretty hungry and it is tough. But (if you are on liquids still) drink some extra broth, eat some SF Jello or SF pudding. If you're up to mushy stuff already, try low fat cottage cheese....it's quite high in Protein for a small serving and protein takes longer to digest so it keeps you full longer. I only had .6cc in my band after surgery and that was left ater the doctor tested it before he placed it. I'd say most of us had negligible amounts of Fluid in our bands immediately post-op. It's bandster hell. As your stomach recovers from the insult of having that band put around it and most likely stitched into place, the swelling goes down and you do start to feel hungry and that is "bandster hell". It gets better. Just keep sticking the foods on your approved list, take in a little more .... and you will feel better and do fine!

"Stuck" is about 95% operator error. So be careful.....cut your food into bites about the size of a nickel...all of it, before you start to eat. Put your fork down between bites and chew at least 25 times (may take more with some proteins). And, if that protein is a little dry, take a small sip of water WITH it to better chew it or use some sort of sauce like a flavored mustard, etc. to moisten it. I have to watch myself when I'm really hungry because that's when I get stuck. I've learned that if I cut everything up before I start eating, I don't get carried away and take a big bite. Hope it helps you as much as it helps me. I always make my fill appointments for EARLY in the morning. That way, if I were to have a problem, I can go back to the doc's office the same day. You sound like you really want to get back on track so chin up, chest out (yeah, I'm poking fun a little....did you smile?), and go get that fill.

Since your calorie count is so low, that is probably contributing to your slow weight loss. Today, try adding a snack of protein .... a serving of cottage cheese, cheese, even leftover meat or (my fave) a few steamed shrimp. And make your dinner portion of protein a bit larger. Tomorrow, slight increase the size of your protein servings at all three meals enough to bring you up to about 1,000 - 1,100.

I'm one of those incredibly lucky people -- it takes something huge to nauseate me. My fills are no big deal as far as I'm concerned. After my first two fills, I could have solid food right away. After the third, it was up to me. For the 4th and 5th, I was told liquids for the rest of the day and then the day after was up to me.