NJC

I found that I ate just about anything for the first 13 months after the band operation, but in small bites with each chewed 30 times minimum. During the 14th month, I got an "over-fill", which after it was corrected, left me with a list of foods that don't agree with me. Believe it or not, one of them is Chocolate!! Anthing with eggs and some dairy products (which is where the chocolate issue comes from) also don't work. Any kind of peppers and apples also cause a problem. I have no problem with fish, ground meat, most veges if the are cut up, cookies and my favorite exception to the no-dairy is ice cream. It goes without saying that the size of each bite and the size of the overall portion is paramont to success in each meal and for the overall life style change. By the way, the trick I started using in the first month when it comes to the daily Dunkin Donut stop, is that before I leave the counter, I break the dount in half and leave with my coffee and half the donut. This does work.

The preop diet really does help. I was banded September 2005. My loss goal was in the 60-80 pound range (my beginning weight was 225). Last week, I hit 99 pounds since the first visit to the Dr. which was June of 2005. The first 12 pounds came off preop, and the operation was all around smooth. I took all of 2 pain killers total on the day of the operation, didn't need any after that, and I was back at work 4 days after. At this point, I actually enjoy food and eating more than I ever did before because I actually chew and taste every mouthful verses "shoveling" the food in big gulps, chewing 6 times at most and swallowing before I knew what I has just eaten. I attribute a great deal of my success to starting the diet before the band. This is my opinion, and I really feel you should think about it.

I am new to the site. This is my first posting, so HI TO ALL!!! I was banded on 9/24/05. It was smooth sailing until my band adjustment of 2/14/06-I had a bad reaction. During the next 3 months, I was sick off and on. In May my LB DR scheduled GB removal surgery. Long story short-It isn't the GB but an ulcer and bent esophagus. My regular DR would not give Med clearance for the GB surgery without tests, and lucky for me as she found the cause of my distress. I am seeing the LB Dr in the AM to get this straightened out (litertally) and treated. The moral of the e-mail is ask questions and get tested-even the best Dr can be mistaken. If anyone has similar problems, let me know.... Thanks, NJC