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BetsyB

LAP-BAND Patients
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Everything posted by BetsyB

  1. BetsyB

    Protein

    My favorite are the Inspire line from Bariatric Eating. They're powdered, but dissolve easily. They also offer a line of ready-to-drinks, but they're expensive to ship, and not as good, I don't think, as the Inspire.
  2. No problems at all. I went down easily and emerged easily--very easily. (In fact, I was still intubated when I emerged; no biggie---they recognized I was aware, reassured me, and extubated.) My concerns about anesthesia were really put to rest by the pulmonologist; I knew I could withstand it. The duration of anesthesia is so short that it just didn't frighten me. I think I told the anesthesiologist to make sure my heart kept beating--apparently he did his job quite well because it continues to do so :thumbup:
  3. BetsyB

    Dr Refusal

    Holy moly--that's a big fee! I have Empire BC/BS---related to Anthem (they're the ones who sent my approval). My "aftercare fee" consists of a $30 copay for each visit/fill after the first 3 fills. I also pay for my Vitamins, which I purchase from my doctor's office (but don't have to). I did have a program fee of $400 (I think; it might have been $350.) That covers several classes and use of a well-supervised gym on the hospital grounds. What does that $7000 cover? I'd actually talk with Anthem about it--it doesn't sound quite Kosher. (Do you have an out-of-pocket cap? Is there another doctor who performs banding in your area?)
  4. BetsyB

    Frustrated as hell

    As for the Emend, your doctor can prescribe another antiemetic/antinausea med. Emend might be his preference, but there is a huge arsenal of drugs to choose from. In fact, he can administer something while you're still inpatient/in day surgery so that it is covered more fully by insurance. My antiemetic was administered via IV at the time of surgery; I never had any problem with nausea or vomiting. So, this is one thing that can be easily corrected. I'm sorry you're facing roadblocks--I do know it's frustrating. But some can be tackled pretty easily.
  5. I honestly have not had this experience. I guess I've been tremendously lucky--or tremendously oblivious. The feedback I've been given has been overwhelmingly positive. If anyone's thinking or saying otherwise, it's totally eluding me.
  6. BetsyB

    Miscarriage

    I'm so sorry for your loss. I've experienced the same, and know it's horrible and gut-wrenching. Please don't try to find reasons--or blame yourself. Most pregnancy losses are simply due to embryonic issues that aren't compatible with life. Sometimes, they are due to things like progesterone deficiencies; if your doctor thinks this is the problem, it can be addressed with future pregnancies. Take good care of yourself; the emotional and physical healing can be difficult. It's a huge loss. I'ms so sorry :thumbup:
  7. BetsyB

    when it all comes off

    I don't think that's quite what she meant--or she expressed herself poorly. When you reach goal, your band will still be in place, and will provide restriction. This will prevent gain. Some people have theirs slightly unfilled, to permit them to eat a bit more. Why? When you no longer are aiming to lose, some people find they need more calories in order to maintain. For these people, easing restriction a bit is important; they achieve the balance they need to stay at their goal weights rather than continue losing. Your band will be there when you are at goal. It will be repurposed as a weight maintenance tool. This may or may not mean that it needs to be tinkered with a bit, in terms of adjustment. But it won't be a useless noose around your stomach :thumbup: (I wonder whether the nurse was attempting to give proper "credit" to the patients for THEIR contributions to the loss. The band is just a tool, and perhaps she was trying to acknowledge the big behavior changes that DO take place as you work toward goal. You will change your behavior a lot. But dang, the band makes it a heck of a lot easier, since you're not dealing with the ever-present hunger! Don't worry, you won't be given that hunger back at the end!)
  8. You may not have lost in the past few weeks, but your ticker shows a significant loss---big enough that plateau is probably the culprit. Plateaus just happen. They have no rhyme or reason. You can be doing everything right, and find the scale just sticks for a while---and then resumes its happy downward trend. It's very frustrating, but chances are, if you just ride it out, you'll find that you're soon losing again :thumbup:
  9. So, Savvy, what was your goal with this thread? What did you hope to hear? Did you want validation that your approach is wise? To be told that the rest of us ignore our doctors' recommendations and lost weight really well and really fast? You're right--blindly following bad advice from a poor physician is not intelligent. But neither is making up your own "rules" when you discover you made a poor choice of physician. Your way HAS NOT WORKED IN THE PAST. You have NO reason to believe it will now. You're dissatisfied with your doctor's aftercare. That's understandable. The logical leap is NOT, "Eff it all, I'll do what I want." It's, "Where can I find a doctor who really provides great aftercare, welcomes questions from patients, and is open to discourse/debate about things I don't quite 'buy.'" No one personally attacked you. They answered the question YOU asked. Take a pill, and read the responses you've gotten. You've received some very, very thoughtful advice from people who are succeeding with the band. This is not a freaking punishment. It's a fabulous opportunity to change your life for the better. Make good use of it.
  10. BetsyB

    Am I eating too much?

    Please don't be disappointed if it takes longer than this to achieve restriction. I'm heading into Fill #5 in a couple of weeks (I'm 5 months out), and am darn close to "just right" as far as restriction goes. But 1/2 cup a meal wouldn't do it for me, most meals. Thankfully,it's not my doctor's aim (he goes by weight for Protein, and 1/2 cup servings for veggies). I can't imagine having reached that spot with Fill #2! Fill #1, though it got me closer to where I needed to be, didn't produce a discernible change in the way I felt. Fill #2 produced a tiny change. Fills #3 and #4 produced more, with less Fluid added. All along, I've eaten as though I do have restriction. Even if that meant going hungry. My point? Don't give up hope. For some reason, some docs just don't like sharing the realities of bandster hell with their patients. I think it does a terrible disservice.
  11. BetsyB

    Am I eating too much?

    What guidelines were you given, in terms of amount? How much--and what---are you eating? There's no way to answer your question without information. (I have to disagree with Bob, though I almost always agree with him. "Eat until you are no longer hungry" may not work if you don't yet have restriction.)
  12. None of the answers really quite fit for me. I didn't feel restriction until after my third fill. But my stomach capacity was reduced immediately. The problem was that the upper pouch emptied into the lower part of my stomach very rapidly, so my hunger was not abated for long.
  13. BetsyB

    Is this as good as it gets?

    I'd recommend journaling what you eat --and your exercise---on a site like fitday. Often, we tell ourselves we're eating little enough to lose, but really, are not. My body is resistant to loss---which is why I got the band. I have to stick around 800 calories/day. By journaling (both long-term before surgery, and after), I have made sure (a) what my needs are, and (:thumbup: that I meet and do not exceed them. I know it's not the case for everyone, but foods like granola bars really undermine my success. I need to focus on lean Protein and nonstarchy veggies. For me, there is no such thing as "eating like I did before, only less." Quality is as important as quantity. So, just a suggestion: make sure you're keeping that in mind, as well.
  14. He gave you a reasonable explanation for this. Look, you're very fresh post-op. Your expectations are high----and unrealistic. Your band will work. You WILL get restriction. But being able to drink Fluid freely at this stage is perfectly normal. There will be days when it's easy, and days when it's not. When you're a little further postop, you will at least be spared the mood swings associated with the trauma of surgery itself---I suspect a lot of what you're feeling is due to that at this point.
  15. Divorce statistics after bariatric surgery are VERY high. If the person who has surgery was "normal" weight when s/he met his/her partner, the odds seem to be higher that the couple will weather the big changes associated with big weight loss. I'm struggling in my marriage now--with issues that predated banding. I was not aware of most of them. Those that I were, I now have more confidence to address assertively; those that are new are being confronted instead of attributed to something I somehow "deserved" because of my obesity. The dynamic has changed--for me, for the better. I am not sure my marriage will survive and thrive. But I will.
  16. Well, the thing about the band is that it's designed to slow gastric emptying. The problem is that for some people, this results in acid reflux. Has your doctor recommended/prescribed a good medication to reduce acid production? Have you been given good practical advice about the timing of eating, foods that can aggravate it, and so on? It might be a good idea to schedule an appointment to address these issues. Reflux can be managed--and it often resolves, too.
  17. Okay, what you're describing are half-breasts of chicken; that's a very different thing. (A whole breast has 220 calories, on average.) And no, a 'normal' person probably would NOT eat more than half a cup of potatoes. We all have horrible portion distortion! The "right" way to eat (non banded---the "normal" way none of us really mastered) is to have that half-breast of chicken, the half-cup of potatoes, a cup or so of cooked veggies, and then fill up on salad (or another veggie). If you've been cleared for veggies, you might try subbing out one of the breast halves for veggies and subbing a whole grain for the potatoes to see if you get more staying power. But really, 3 hours is pretty good staying power---I'm 4 fills in and only get around that much time before I'm ready to eat again! (I have reached the point where I can postpone until mealtime now, though--which is a huge relief. I no longer want to eat the legs off the kitchen table....) I'm glad you're losing---it will get easier with restriction.
  18. I'd have the dietician double-check with your surgeon's insurance specialist. Lots of times, they go with BEGINNING weight---loss during the supervision time, even to a BMI lower than the one they require--is okay in those circumstances.
  19. Try not to get too caught up in argument/convincing of the naysayers---it's just not a battle worth fighting. You know what's best for you.
  20. I think the Inspire line by Bariatric Eating is very, very good. I'd steer clear of more than a serving of soy per day; soy Protein isolate, in particular, is linked to various health issues.
  21. BetsyB

    still not on board

    My husband was initially not on board because he had fears about the surgery. I took him to one of my surgeon's intro seminars, as well to an appointment or two with me. Once he became comfortable, he became very supportive.
  22. You can choose not to eat something else. That's what those of us who lose/lost during bandster hell do/have done. The time before you have appropriate restriction is very difficult. You will feel like you are dieting (you are!) and you will be hungry. It gets better once you have restriction, but I'd be lying if I told you that the mental battles end. You need to work on those NOW. You can lose, if you choose to do so. Thing is, you will have to modify what you eat. Two chicken breasts AND potatoes is overeating. It's overeating for a NON-banded individual! A normal portion of Protein for a non-banded individual who doesn't need to lose weight is the size of a deck of cards. Two chicken breasts is too much. Starches like potatoes can trigger hunger, as well. You can say you don't think that your portions are of line for someone without restriction---but really, the fact that you required a gastric band indicates that your judgment in this sort of matter is flawed. I don't say this unkindly---we ALL had distorted ideas about foods. You can choose to change yours---and lose weight. Or you can wait for the band to be adjusted enough that your body rejects more than a certain amount of solid food. But if you don't get past the mental part, there's the very real chance you will find a way to eat around the band, choosing foods that bypass its restriction and prevent loss. Get your head in the right place. All the rest will follow. In your shoes, I'd use this opportunity to eat as though you DO have restriction, and get the ball rolling on weight loss. CONQUER THE ATTITUDE OF ENTITLEMENT TO EAT. Your body has a great deal of energy in reserve; you can feed it less and tell yourself NO MORE. No bandster in bandster hell has ever died of starvation. ETA: your day, including 2 chicken breasts and mashed potatoes, comes closer to 1400-1500 calories, depending on the brand of chili used. Be sure you're journaling honestly. Every single BLT (bite, lick, and taste). You can't assess what requires changing without brutal honesty with yourself. ETA again: i see in a later post that you say that a chicken breast holds you for 3 hours. I think it's important to note that at your stage, 3 hours is a REALLY long time to stay satisfied! If you reframe your thinking, and time your meals carefully, you may find yourself feeling a lot better about the process. At your stage, I was on 2.5-3 oz. protein (and NOTHING ELSE YET--veggies came a bit later) 3x/day. By adding 2 protein supplements (either unflavored in broth or something nice and chocolate-y or peanut-buttery---I recommend the Inspire line from Bariatric Eating) REALLY REALLY REALLY helped, without bumping calories up much at all.
  23. BetsyB

    wondering??

    I really do think that there is a significant percentage of banded patients who either are not educated by their doctors or who do not HEAR what their doctors have to say. My surgeon prepares patients quite well---but in the group classes, I've noticed that there are people who simply do not hear what is being said. They have the same questions over and over. Surgery is stressful, and stressed people often require a great deal of repetition. My surgeon addresses this need by providing a CD-ROM with every imaginable scenario addressed---and honest to God, there are patients in my group who don't even know they have this resource, even though the rest of us saw them receiving it! Different people respond to stress differently. That said, they often use this as an exercise to avoid personal responsibility. At times, it can seem like almost willful tuning-out. And that really does get frustrating to address and re-address. Poor prep can only take you so far. There is abundant information available to anyone interested in learning more about what to expect. Sometimes, people just don't like the answers. They don't like that, if they want to lose weight during bandster hell, they have to eat a lot less, exercise a lot, and feel hunger. They resent it, and blame their doctors and bands when, in fact, they are experiencing what most of us experience. It's too bad; really, simple acceptance makes it so much easier to adopt the behaviors that produce the results everyone wants so badly!
  24. I eat low-carb and high-ish Protein. I probably am not ever in ketosis--the Atkins aim--but do aim to keep my net carbs <50 g/day. This is recommended by my doctor, whose patients have a really great success rate in terms of meeting goal---and staying there. At maintenance, more whole grains are added in (as you would expect when you no longer want to lose). I've had really good success with this sort of eating plan. I hesitate to compare it to Atkins, although more recent versions of Atkins have corrected, to a certain extent, the earlier (and still persistent, in the minds of many followers) insistence that saturated animal fat is not a cause for concern. While it is true that refined carbohydrate/sugar can blow triglycerides out of the Water, it's also really important, from a health perspective, to watch saturated fat intake. And Atkins does not adequately emphasize this. If you were to pick a "diet" to follow, I think that South Beach is far more aligned with what we know about good, safe, healthy nutrition. Your band will, of course, limit portions to a large extent (once you have good restriction). You can't find much fault with a nice, well-balanced diet that emphasizes lean protein in adequate (not excessive) amounts, LOTS of nonstarchy veggies, heart-healthy fats, nonfat or lowfat dairy, and whole grains and fruit in moderation. Atkins can be...well, abused. And this abuse can harm the body terribly.

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