GuyMontag

That sounds like the right approach...lots of doctor patient dialogue.

Congrats! Keep up the good work. You've found the best lap band family on the web

My wife has already lost 5lbs and I was banded only a week and a half ago. My kids are eating better too because i'm not always bringing fast food into the house. I think it will probably help her.

I was banded on February 13th, 2009. I've lost about 25lbs. and I too am losing weight from my face, neck, feet...but I am also losing in my stomach and my 'dunlap'. Actually, that's the been the the biggest area that I can tell the weight loss is that little pouch beneath my stomach. It must just be that everyone is different...plus, it might depend on where you tend to gain weight. As I was getting really heavy, the last place I noticed myself gaining weight was that little pouch...so it kind of makes sense that it's the first thing to go :tt1: I guess we get small in the exact reverse that we got bigger

What does your doctor say? How many fills have you had...are you at your sweet spot? Have you gone to any support groups after your surgery?

My favorite vitamins are the gummy bear vitamins for kids...yum.

It might also be a good to start with really small portions and work your way up to find that sweet spot. I find that it's better for me to measure out a specific amount of cottage cheese rather than to just go back to my old habit of filling a bowl with it. If you do smaller portions from the start you won't have to worry about overeating and hurting yourself.

Things get easier on the mushies stage. Keep looking forward to it. Remember that this is about healing right now...you don't want to deal with any nasty complications. My wife's food processor has become my new best friend What's the family having for dinner? Lasagna...NO PROBLEM...WHRRRRRRR...DING! Instant mushie lasagna Keep your eye on the prize...it'll all be worth it.

I talked to one lady that needed 13 fills to find her 'sweet spot'. So don't be discouraged...sometimes it just takes some trial and error. Good luck.

You need filled. Don't get discouraged.

I was told I could start treating them as soon as the steri strips fell off on their own. This is usually around week 2.

I've only been banded since February 13th, 2009 and i've already lost 20lbs. I can't tell you how, for the first time in a long time, excited I am to be losing weight and know that it's for the long term. No more yo-yo diets. I know i'll be around for my family longer and my quality of life will be infinitely better. I was self-pay on the band and it's already been worth every penny.

I definitely agree that the mask can be key. When I got my cpap machine I had a nasal pillow. Unfortunately, I'm a mouth breather so I had to invest in a full face mask. Once I got that things were much better.

I vote for wait.

I had the lortab and for me it was the bee's knees. If it's not effective for you then I would ask for a different script. Everyone is different and there's no reason for you to be in pain.

One thing that kind of freaked me out about the bypass was the 2% mortality rate...i mean...1 in 50 dies from it?!? Yikes. Also, recent studies have shown that after five years, people who are banded actually lose more weight and keep it off than people who go through bypass. Also, the adjustability really appealed to me. I don't want to lose my weight too fast and become some malnutritioned skeleton. I have a friend who had the bypass...and sure, he lost 225lbs...and looks like death. I don't want to look like that. Losing your weight at a slower pace will allow your body to adjust and allow your skin to slowly shrink back in place. It's like Aristotle said, everything in moderation. Sure, if you want to be skinny for your next high school reunion in 3 months then go with the bypass. If you're loooking at making manageable changes to your diet with the use of a consistent tried and true tool...then choose the lap band. At least that's my take on it. PS - You might want to check this out: http://www.lapband.obeseinfo.com/lap-band-gastric-bypass.htm

300lbs. as of today.

Everyone is different. I place I chose to get my lap band done has banded over 5000 people in 7 years. To me that translates into experience. That being said, I was banded on February 13th and today, February 17th, I am in no real pain. My port is a little sore and I use ibuprofen for that. I've read through a lot of horror stories and inconveniences that people go through after the surgery and I am happy to say that I have had none of that. I'm currently on the liquid phase of post op recovery and doing fine. I'm a little hungry but it's nothing I can't handle. The first couple of days after surgery I took the liquid hydrocodone and if I had any pain I guess I just wasn't aware of it. I was a bit proactive I guess...i figured, they gave me pain meds...why wait until it hurts to take them...but I've even heard of people not taking them at all. Just remember, everyone is different, so what is painless for one person is not for another. If your'e really serious about the lap band then I would encourage you to do a lot of research locally and be sure to choose a surgeon that has lots of experience and great references. At one point I was interested in possibly going the Mexican route to save money, but when I found Cincy Weight Loss and found out that for a few thousand dollars more I could get all my fills, visits, etc. for free for two solid years after I was banded...that swayed me. I decided to spend the extra money for the long road...and so far it's working well. Good luck.

Chemo was one thing that my doctor brought up during my pre-op consult. He said that in 5000 lap bands they had only seen one case of "slippage" and that the patient had recently had chemo and he wondered if they weren't related. I would say it's definitely something to talk to your lap band doc about.

I had constipation the first couple days. Tons of people recommend Miralax. I chose the natural route and mixed about 4oz. of prune juice with 4oz. of apple juice and I had a BM the next day.

I'll guess i'll join the fray. I'm only three days banded right now. I guess i'm in what they call, bandster hell :rose: I'm surviving on protein shakes and cream of chicken soup right now. I started at 325lbs. and i'm down to 306. I won't be surprised if I gain a little before my first fill but I figured I should at least document what i've lost so far. You guys are an enouragement and I hope you all keep posting. BTW, any tips would be appreciated! PS - I was banded at Cincy Weight Loss in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Have you had any fills yet? I was told not to expect weight loss until after I started getting my fills. Sure, a lot of people do lose weight immediately after post-op but that's not the goal. Post-op is for healing. Don't be discouraged.

I'm plan on keeping my band forever. I know that the band has only been approved in the states for around 7 years. Before that they had been doing it Europe for around 10 years. My doctor told me that Europe is kind of like our guinea pigs...we let them get all the kinks out before the FDA approves it over here. Believe it or not we actually have all the lawsuits to thank for that in this country. Our country is super diligent when it comes to approving medical procedures. As far as complications, I was banded 3 days ago and so far so good. I went to Cincy Weight Loss to be banded. They have performed over 5000 lap band procedures in the last 7 years. And from what i've heard, they have very few if any complications. Good luck with your banding.

I was banded yesterday and I had the same problem with urination. When I called my doctor he told me if it persisted into the late evening then I'd probably have to go to the ER and have them drain my bladder. He said that it's a rare side effect of the anesthetic that affects a small number of people. He recommended sitting in a warm bath and peeing while I was sitting down. He said he knew it sounded gross but that it works for a lot of people. I chose to just keep sitting on the throne picturing water falls and such. Eventually I got a few drops and kept going back and finally got enough urine out to turn the water yellow. I am just now feeling like I'm able to urinate more like I used to be able to. However, I have not yet had a bowel movement...I hope that doesn't keep up...I hate the pain that can come with constipation so i'm going to keep a close eye on it.

I'm on day 5 of my 2 week pre-op diet. Yeah...it's definitely a challenge. I hate the term 'cheating'. I'm supposed to do 800 calories a day...I might push 1000 on most days...that's still good. Last night was the first time I had anything solid. I put some mozarella cheese in my tomato soup. So sue me. I've lost 8 lbs. in 5 days so I'm not too worried. I think the big thing to watch is how much and with what you're cheating with. Cheating with some vegetables...or some crackers here or there...big deal. Now eating a whole pizza...THAT would be cheating and I would discourage you from doing that. Hang in there...others have been where we are and soon we'll be looking back giving helpful advice to the upcomers...won't that be nice? I can't wait to be post-op :cursing: