onikenbai

I had my band put in on October 19 and since then I've lost the big doughnut. (not an actual doughnut, although I wouldn't care if I had lost an actual doughnut since I don't really care for them)

The band cost me $4700. I'm sure my doctor got a bulk discount based on volume though. Depending on how many your provider uses, it could vary widely.

From now on you may have to embrace sashimi instead of sushi. Regardless, it's probably still too early for sashimi as well as it has a habit of sliding down your throat in giant pieces once it gets into your mouth. If you're in the mood for Japanese, maybe some of the following will fit the bill: Buridaikon Recipe - Japanese Fish Recipe - Japanese recipes Tamagoyaki recipe - Recipe for tamagoyaki rolled omelet recipe Simmered Sweet Kabocha Recipe - Kabocha Amani Recipe Yudofu Recipe - tofu hot pot recipe - Japanese tofu recipe

It's theoretically possible to lose that much in a month but it's not the best idea. I lost 30lbs in 30 days doing the pre-op diet, but I was also losing hair in handfuls, lethargic, and sending my hormones on a roller coaster ride. It was not fun. You'll also send your body into starvation mode and it will hold on to every calorie you eat for dear life and slow your whole metabolism down, which is definitely not what you want. Since I've come off pure liquids I haven't lost an ounce in a month. I'm sure I'll start losing again once I get a fill and my body gets the idea the starvation is over.

Man your bruise is nothing compared to the beauty I had! I literally was black with tinges of greens and blues for weeks. You look fine (relatively speaking), but I will agree that the bruise does hurt like a bugger.

It sounds like you got heparin for your surgery. I did too and the bruises are technicolour! Even little bruises I had before the surgery got bigger and more impressive after. It will go away eventually but, from what I understand, it may take some time. I was warned not to have any unnecessary dental work for the next three months due to excessive bleeding from the heparin so obviously it has a long residence time in the body.

I'm in bandster hell, and not in the usual way. Yeah, I've not lost an ounce since my surgery and, in fact, I've gained 8lbs but I'm not particularly concerned. Losing 31lbs in 31 days pre-op was not good for my body and I could use a little plateau time to regroup and get rehydrated. My bandster hell is my mother. I've tried to explain the whole thing to her multiple times, but the fact is that she's angry and she's not holding her temper back (does she ever?:mad2:) In her world, the fact I've had a band for almost a month and not lost any more weight is cause for great ire. I told her it had a slow start, but once it picks up momentum it will be all good but NOOOOO! She wants it NOW! Good lord, who is the child here? Maybe because she has her own food issues my not dropping weight like a rock is sending her into a tizzy, or maybe it's just one of those irrational mother things, but apparently I am to blame for her stress. Hey, I'm not the one who hides food in closets around the house and under beds. I have never consumed an entire pound of butter in one sitting. I am not going to take the blame on this one, work out your issues on your own mom.

I had my band put in almost a month ago and haven't had any fills yet, but whenever I walk after drinking anything, I hear this terrible sloshing sound! Obviously it's coming from my stomach and travelling into my ears, and I can sort of feel liquid going back and forth. Does this last forever? It's not painful but it is distracting. I would expect it if I drank after eating, but even if I drink on an empty stomach I get the sloshing. I thought it would have gone right through the band.

Nope, not gurgling. I can actually feel liquid going side to side like the tide in my stomach with every step I take. Doesn't matter how slow I drink and can last a couple of hours. I'm not particularly worried but, as I said, it is distracting when I'm trying to work and my stomach feels like a boat with a bad keel.

Got my period two weeks into the pre-op diet despite being on the pill. Just like I wasn't taking any drugs at all. Every time I lose a good chunk of weight this happens. It's your body's way of telling you that you are not ingesting enough calories to sustain a pregnancy right now. Expect things to be screwy while you are losing weight fairly rapidly and it's probably a good idea to use a back up method of birth control.

I'm in bandster hell, and not in the usual way. Yeah, I've not lost an ounce since my surgery and, in fact, I've gained 8lbs but I'm not particularly concerned. Losing 31lbs in 31 days pre-op was not good for my body and I could use a little plateau time to regroup and get rehydrated. My bandster hell is my mother. I've tried to explain the whole thing to her multiple times, but the fact is that she's angry and she's not holding her temper back (does she ever?:thumbup:) In her world, the fact I've had a band for almost a month and not lost any more weight is cause for great ire. I told her it had a slow start, but once it picks up momentum it will be all good but NOOOOO! She wants it NOW! Good lord, who is the child here? Maybe because she has her own food issues my not dropping weight like a rock is sending her into a tizzy, or maybe it's just one of those irrational mother things, but apparently I am to blame for her stress. Hey, I'm not the one who hides food in closets around the house and under beds. I have never consumed an entire pound of butter in one sitting. I am not going to take the blame on this one, work out your issues on your own mom.

Something you should know about aspertame is that, when improperly stored, it definitely is bad for you. When it reaches 80F, aspertame changes its chemistry and converts/produces a compound which is known to be a human carcinogen. There has been some inquiry as to whether improperly stored diet coke may have been a part of the problem of gulf war syndrome. Aspartame in the desert... good chance it got too hot. Don't leave your crystal light in the car in the summer!

Just as an FYI, root beer isn't as strongly carbonated as other pops, unless it's a fountain pop, in which case it's the same as the pepsi etc., but canned or bottled root beer isn't as carbonated. It has something to do with the flavour.

I made a special request to my surgeon to vacuum me out at the end. She did, and I had very little gas pain to deal with. All I had was a little bit in the belly area and none of the evil shoulder pain other people are reporting.

The bad breath is indeed from the body's switch from an ATP-based metabolism to a ketone-based metabolism. It sucks in the short term but it is a good thing! This means your pre-op diet is being followed properly and that your body is being starved of carbs and is consuming the energy stored up in your liver and shrinking it. Often you can also smell the difference when you pee as it will be darker and will have a funky smell. Drink lots of Water and have mints & gum handy to help tackle the bad breath. In the first couple of days of ketosis you will probably have to pee like the dickens because it takes a huge amount of water to store ketones in the body and when you burn the ketones, you ditch the water. This is also why you tend not to lose weight right after surgery: you're switching back to an ATP-based diet and gaining water weight as you store energy again. So many people get really excited that they're losing huge amounts of weight before the surgery but you have to realise that it's not all fat you're losing so much as water and emergency energy reserves. Don't get discouraged immediately after the surgery when your weight doesn't continue to drop like a rock because you're not gaining back fat, just water and emergency reserves again. Modern man didn't evolve hand in hand with drive-through windows... we need those emergency reserves just in case we have to go out and hunt something to survive (such as an antelope or the perfect pair of shoes). This assumes you are not diabetic. Ketosis in a diabetic is not so much a good thing as insulin is an important factor in processing ketones. Diabetics need to be under very close medical supervision if they are going to send themselves into ketosis because it can result in some serious medical problems such as the kidneys shutting down. A lot of people who are diabetics and don't know it report having problems with bad breath and the truth is they are sliding into ketosis and can't read the signs. Apparent drunkeness without actually having consumed any alcohol is also a sign of ketosis in a diabetic person and that person needs to be fed. This concludes your public service announcement on ketosis.

My pre-op diet consisted of baked/broiled chicken and fish, and all the veggies I could munch with the exception of corn, potatoes and cooked carrots. I was also to stay away from sugars (including all fruit) and fats. I could have hummus, olive oil, seasonings, avocadoes, non-fat yogurt and milk. No cheese or yogurt with fruit on the bottom. I lost 21lbs in 3 weeks and, although the diet was a little boring, I didn't feel starved. Quite the contrary. You may want to give that a go because it seemed to work. Zero Protein shakes for me... I was allergic to ALL of them! The first two days are the hardest. After day 3 you really don't feel that hungry.

My surgeron is well known as being the soup nazi of medicine. No surgery for you! I did ok but it does happen. Ideally you want your BMI under 50 for surgery because it lessens the chance of complications dramatically so that can be one reason a surgery gets postponed.

First, people are rude for asking so I think you're perfectly justified in lying through your teeth and telling them it was a bear attack. Or maybe viscious kittens.

You can try Campbell's bean and bacon soup if you throw it in the blender first to chop up the lumps. Very high in protein and it fills you up. I've been throwing a lot of lumpier soups into the blender to get the right texture for the full liquid stage.

I was just banded at CIBO a few days ago. If something goes wrong with your band, such as a leak or port problem, they will replace it free of charge as that is a product defect. I'm a little less clear on slippage and erosion, but I believe it's covered too. And yes, considering I had this done recently, I really should be better at knowing these answers. They told me what was covered and what wasn't, but I didn't get it in writing, which is too bad. I would think that if you've stretched out your pouch due to constant overeating, then they really shouldn't be on the hook for fixing it. Things that were not of your making though, such as a flipped port or band slippage as just one of those things that happens, I would completely expect them to fix without any additional fee. You also get unlimited band adjustments for life, fills and unfills if necessary. One year worth of nutritional & psychological counselling, and physiotherapy. According to Nisrine at CIBO, they're a little flexible with the one year thing so that if it takes you a little longer, so be it. Signing up at CIBO, you'll have to plunk down $1800 before the operation to cover the pre-op testing and whatnot, but if they decide you're not a lapband candidate, you get it back in full. You can put the deposit on your credit card. You have to pay 100% by two weeks before the surgery by cashier cheque or money order. There was no extended warranty option. I have nothing to say but good things about the surgical team at CIBO. The support staff I'm still reserving judgement as I haven't had enough interaction with them yet to really give a verdict.

I'm only 12 days post-op but I've managed to gain 3lbs. I'm not too concerned about it though as it's likely water weight. I lost a stupid 30lbs in 30 days pre-op and my body was not pleased about it at all. I think it needs a little breather time. Once I get back to work and out doing field work again, I'm sure things will get rolling again.

Beer doesn't count. :Yawn:

Have the Jolly Ranchers... they take the longest to eat. It's cruel to have absolutely NO candy on Halloween. Possibly even unethical.

Yoga is your friend but is harder than it looks. Get your own mat because sharing is icky and you really should be doing this barefoot. If you do get your own sticky mat, insider secret is to immediately take it in the shower with you and give it a good soaping down to get rid of the chemical residue or else you'll have a chronically slippery mat. I also recommend a yoga block if you cannot yet reach the floor for all your poses because you can seriously hurt yourself if you lose your balance mid pose, especially anything triangle. Been there, done that. Focusing on a drishdi (a spot on the ceiling sounding just so much more exotic) during poses will also help you not fall over. At 275lbs you should probably not be doing the plough pose or anything inverted that has you putting a large amount of pressure on your head or neck. As you get lighter you can have a go at the inverted poses. My yoga teacher was also a nurse, which was wonderful. Since I also have fibromyalgia, which is also limiting on my ability to move, she was very helpful in teaching me to modify my poses slightly to something I can do rather than to suck it up and hurt myself trying to keep up with the rest of the group. Yoga is not a competitive sport. It does require some symmetry though. Always do the poses on the right side and left side so that you don't stretch out one set of muscles without doing the other side of the body. If you quit half way through you will pay for it later with a feeling of serious unevenness in your stretch. Last bit of advice is not to snore during the post-workout rest... One day I will get the tree pose.... I will dammit! Eventually my thighs will be small enough to get my foot wedged in there properly.

I lost 21lbs in the 3 week pre-op diet. Post-op I've lost zero. I'm not terribly concerned about it though as my body was pretty clear about being pissed about the 21lbs in 3 weeks.