honk

I have a 11 cc band and did start to get restriction until 10.6, and eventually good restriction at 10.9. So it really depends on your personal biology.

I was really fine on just liquid tylenol; though I did stay ahead of the pain the first couple days (yes you should not over do tylenol over 3-4 days or longer). And I'm sure your parents will enjoy all that grandbaby time! I'll ask my mother (who lives an hour or so away) to come visit me. Her reply "But that's when Fun Great Grandbaby comes to visit me!" (He comes every week!) Sometimes I feel a little neglected.

Any food that disolves in your mouth, or can be chewed to thin mush is a slider: ice cream, candy, cake, crackers, chips, high calorie drinks, protein shakes. Your pouch is just a funnel. Anything that would pass through a funnel will not give you a full feeling.

Most doctors say you should not drink carbinated drinks as the gas may stretch the small pouch that has been created by the connecting the band around the stomach. Some have trouble using straws post op again because the amount of air that gets stuck in the pouch. The only foods I CAN'T eat are cheap doughy white breads and raw carrots. Other foods I CHOOSE not to eat: fried foods, candy, cake, ice cream.

It's all about planning. Keep a supply of low fat cheese sticks at home and bring them with you if you know you will be hungry before your next meals. Lack of planning will be your biggest down fall. It would be better for you to eat 2 cheess sticks at 70 cals each (140 cals )than even one serving of chips also 140 cals. Chips are also a slider so you are unlikely to get a full feeling no matter how many you eat.

I don't have any children. I was not on any perscription pain killers once I left the hospital. I did take liquid tylenol (look for store brands MUCH cheaper). Was pretty good after surgery. Day four I was back at the gym walking the treadmil for about 45 minutes; but I had to come home and take a nap afterwould. If you can I would stay with your parents for 2 weeks. You will be pretty self sufficient but it will be nice to have someone else cooking for him (you will be on liquids and NO cheating). It will be hard to clean up after a baby (bending over). Just my opinionfor what it's worth.

I did not get restriction until 10.6 CC! Buy a scale and weigh your Protein. My doctor says 3 oz. Trust me there is only so much raw carrot or peppers that you can eat after you've had 3 oz of protein. I would try doing regular cardio at least 5 days a week for an hour. Sounds harsh I know. I am a slooooowwwww looser even though I stay below 1200 cals a day and do 1.5-2.5 hr cardio daily.

I personally avoid NSAIDs like the plague. I was on a perscription strength for over a year and had a STROKE at 39. Research has since showed high levels of NSAID usage can lead to higher likelyhood of blood clots. My first Ortho while an A!@#)^% was correct when he said "Your knee won't stop hurting until you loose the weight." After my stroke I went to another doctor who ended up perscribing a product called Synvisc which is a series of 3 injections which is like this gel that expands within the knee joint. If my first doctor had given me those shots instead of the NSAID maybe I would'nt have had a stroke. Now that I've lost quite a bit of weight I have very limited knee pain and don't need the injections.

Ask your doctor. My doctor also did not require 2 week pre op . I had lost 50 lb pre open.

FYI most band doctors tell you to check fo Choline in the childrens chewable vitamins. My labs have been fine. This is what I take: chewable childrens multi with choline (one), Caltrate Calcium Plus chewable (2), Vitafusion Vitamin D gummies (2), Vitafusion Fiber Gummies (3). I do take a Over the counter Iron pill. FYI if you need to take iron supplements do not take at the same time as your calcium (iron stops your body from absorbing the calcium). I take the iron pill in the morning and my other vitamins a couple hour later.

First I understand your concerns. During my one of my consults I was asked if an intern could sit in to which I said sure. Day of surgery I had an intern come see me presurgery (I did not see my doctor as he was having a problem with the surgery before mine.). Day after surgery I had 3 interns come see me. Again did not see my doctor. I do know he did my surgery though. I would talk to the doctor and tell them your concerns. My guess is the intern will watch the surgery and then do any stiching that needs to close you up. I told my nurse a year after surgery that whatever intern did my closing stitches did a fabulous job because my scar is GREAT. She looked at my file and said "Your surgery was in August. NO WAY would the surgeon let them work on you. They were too new."

If you are going to be on these meds long term go get a slight unfil. You need to be able to eat 3 oz of solid protein if you can't you are too tight. Having a too tight band can lead to the band slipping or eroding which are major complicatons and can lead to having the band removed.

Please don't take this the wrong way. Doctors say you can loose 1-2 pounds per week with lap band. You have lost 2 pounds per week; so you are loosing on the high side. This is not bypass surgery. I have been a slow loser. I think this is because I had already lost 100 pounds per surgery. The hard facts are you lost the Water weight presurgery and now this is allllll real fat. It takes either burning off and or not eating 3500 calories before you can loose ONE pound. So in the last two weeks you have burned 14,000 calories. That's a lot. One bandster wrote "Rome wasn't built in day and neither was your butt."

There is a needle stick. Not really very painful; my doctor doesn't even use any kind of numbing agent. By my first fill I was on solids and had no trouble eating anything. Can you go 4-5 hours after eating before you are hungry? By the way the band does not mean you CAN'T get hungry. I do get hungry if I go 6+ hours between meals (I am at restriction.). My doctor says 3 oz of solid protein (Yes I do measure even now. ) 3 oz is NOT a lot of food and you are almost guarenteed to think 3 oz looks like more than what it is. I ate low fat/cal veggies until I felt "full". Personally I feel satisfied vs full. That is something you will have to learn on your own. I ask myself am I hungry enough to have another bite. If not a I stop eating.

You mentioned it's been awhile since you were filled. My nurse said that saline does evaperate. Slower than water but it does happen. I would have them pull out all your fill; see how much is still in there and then refill to at least the original level. You may have lost fill. I don't think I would move to a new surgery just yet. I agree REALLY CRITICALLY look at what you are eating. Are you drinking coffee at work? Do you use sugar/cream? That alone could be adding literally 500 cals. to your day.

My doctor did not give me the option. I do have Realize 11 CC. I wish I had the 14 CC band as mine is at 10.9.

Protein shakes give you bad gass not sure if that's what you are referring to. If possible space out your food as much as possible so that your blood sugar does'nt fall. I am not diabetic but noticed a reaction when I was only eating 500 calories a day.

Call your insurance give your ID number and confirm coverage. Every policy is different. It really depends on your company and what they write into the policy.

Well, most of them won't be their high school weights either.

I am a slow loser but I also don't have hanging skin.

Yes it will help!!! When I was 365 I could hardly walk the grocery store. At 215 I do a 3-3.5 mile walk daily and then do 1 hr Water based exercise at night. I highly recommend water based exercise for heavy people. I started out doing lap swimming but with the following: snorkle (makes it easier to swim since you don't have to worry about the breathing), and a water proof MP3 player makes the time go by soooooo much faster (available on Amazon and so worth the money). When I can't get a lane at the pool I join in the water aerobics class. You can ask the instructor for ways to me the exercise easier for now and harder later on. If I can walk out in front of the entire high school swim team in my fat lady swimdress and weighing 365 pounds ANYONE can. Exercise is like a self forfilling prophecy-the more you work out the less you weigh. The less you weigh the easier it is to work out.

Not a bad event. One suggestion is to do a crunch (like you are starting a sit up). This made it easier for the nurse to find the port. My port was pretty deep. When I got my first fill I did feel a tightening sensation in the center of my chest. So basically as the saline entered the band. Not painful, or upsetting just a sensation. Make sure you drink water before leaving. Also, follow your doctors order regarding post fill diet. My doctor calls for 24 hour full liquids and 24 hours mushies.

Great NSV! Funny story. I had a professor in college grew up in the 1960's south (father was a minister). Now this was a very thin woman. She finally told her mother she was no longer going to where a girdle when it FELL OFF while she was walking. She had bought the smallest one she could buy. It was socially expected that women wore girdles whether they had any fat to suck in or not.

My doctor also says 3 oz off protein. FYI some people have issues with eggs. I don't though I also tend to eat egg whites not the whole egg (Something I have'nt eating ine YEARS is Buttered toasted spread with well cooked egg yolk. Oh my head!)

I drank 8 oz off broth three time a day and a Protein shake 3 times a day the first 7 days. I was able to take my blood thinner pill (which was very small) no problems. My doctor did not want me to take Vitamins for 2 weeks. I did misc walking around. Day 2 after I went out shopping with my mother (she drove); and would walk around a store or 10-15 minutes, go back to the car drive to another store and walk around some more. I agree with previous poster. Did you get a fill at surgery? I would'nt worry about stretching your pouch. Think of your pouch as a funnel. Water/liquid goes through the funnel no problem.