Humming Bird

Giggles, I can only tell you what I would do. If I were having reflux and BP problems I would first make sure I was chewing properly, not making bad food choices and not eating too late in the day. If the problem was still there I would go get a very tiny unfill, like .1 or .2cc. As far as the holiday issue, I've learned to focus on things other than the food and the large amounts of food consumed during the holidays. I now focus on friends and family and enjoying their company and the spirit of the season. If you have lost enough weight to wear smaller sizes, go buy a fab christmas outfit!

You have done so well. Now that calls for a reward! What will your 200 pound milestone reward be?

I LOVE it!!! Thanks for sharing! what a great feeling!

I stopped drinking soda (or pop where I'm from) many years ago and switched to iced tea with sweet n low. I don't like the pre-made teas because they taste spoiled to me. I use lipton tea bags. I fill a 2qt picher 3/4 of the way with hot water, let 3-4 tea bags steep for a couple hours, then add 5 sweet n lows and ice..... yum. I have tried a few things with carbonation over the past 2 years and find that they cause me quite a bit of discomfort.

I was only there a few hours. It worked great for me.

Thanks for the details! I cringe when I hear the crazy liquid pre-op diets people have to do. Dr. K. had me do Atkins and it worked great as a pre-op diet. The 22nd will get here fast and you will be on your way to skinnyville!

I don't know if I would want to deal with a jerk for my surgery and all the follow up. My pre-op diet was 2 weeks of Atkins and I lost 8 pounds. If you did Atkins for 3 weeks 10 could be done.

The ER is not the place for help with lapband. It is a place for emergencies. That being said ..... Where are you located? have you contacted all the bariactric surgeons ? The reason I ask is because my lapband doc retired in October and there were quite a few surgeons in the area wanting to take on all his patients. Income is income and there were at least 4 other surgeons wanting all the retired guy's patients to come to them.

I didn't have insurance when I got banded, so I don't think there will be a problem with me not having insurance if I have a problem. I will just have to finance it and make payments like I did the first time. My min. monthly payment was around $100. I'm not sure I understand. Are you expecting a surgeon and a hospital or surg. center to do surgery for free? Just because you believe a Dr. is rich doesn't mean he or she should do your surgery for free. Here in the US if you have a true life threatening emergency you can go to most E.R.s and they have to treat you. Many people never pay the ER bill and that is how they get medical treatment free. The rest of the people who do pay end up paying for those unpaid bills in some way or another. That is one reason hospitals are so expensive. I'm not sure what kind of work you do, but I would think you expect to get paid. The surgeon also expects to get paid for his work. Many surgeons donate time to the needy as a mission, but I'm not sure lapband would fall in the guidelines of those missions.

Getting unfilled during flu season does sound a bit crazy to me. That's why they have the flu shot. I am a dental hygienist and deal with people's spit every day and don't get the flu and would never get an unfill like that.

I used equate brand pain patches (Walmart ) and they helped quite a bit.

When was your last fill? It sounds like you may need a tiny tweak.

2 pounds per week .....so, 30 pounds is not realistic

I get a flu shot every year.

Sanction, you sure have a way with words.

You could have something stuck (like a pill you took whole?), or it could be something else like a slip. You can try papaya ensymes or pineapple juice and go on liquids for a few days. Is there any way you can get in to see your lapband Dr. in the next couple days?

I don't go in very often, about one time per year or so. I will try Dr. Weaver first when It's time. Of course I'll go sooner if I have any issues.

Thought all you exercise gurus might enjoy a funny

I should start by telling you I am a dental hygienist and have been for many years. No matter what part of your digestive system the vomit comes from, it is highly acidic and can do some severe damage to your teeth and esophagus. When you are throwing up so often, there could be some pretty bad things going on. When the enamel is gone from erosion, it will never come back. No toothpaste in the world will bring it back. I would tell any patient with the problems you are having to stay away from anything that says "whitening". Many people have found that paying for dental insurance is more expensive than self pay. I don't know what type of plan you will have, but the wait may cost you more damage to your teeth. I don't know what to tell you without looking at your teeth. I can give you basic/general advise as a dental hygienist and as a fellow bandster. You should be able to go talk to your dentist about it for around $45.

I used strawberry banana and it turned out very yummy. My grandson ate some tonight and loved it. The oranges sound good too.

I am thinking about going to Dr. Weaver for follow-up and fills since Dr. K retired. I would love to hear what Dr. Weaver is like.

He should join the site and jump back in! There are some really great banded men on this site. There is "the men's room" where he could start talking to some of them and find new motivation.

I was not required to have a sleep study or any other pre-op testing for lapband surgery. I was self-pay, so that explains quite a bit. I did have a sleep study done in 2006 because I had chronic fatigue and I snored like a lumberjack. The study showed I did not have apnea, so you don't always have to snore to have apnea and not all people who snore have it. I am very happy to say I no longer snore after the weightloss

If it were me, I would call and beg to get in sooner. They need to make time to see emergencies.

I have not counted calories from day one and have had great success. If you are one that LIKES to count, measure and track, then 690 does seem low.