BetsyB

What are you eating? And in what amounts? Are you taking meds or Vitamins that could be upsetting your stomach? Is it possible that you've increased your activity enough that you're feeling muscles that were annoyed by the surgery protesting a bit? I am not sure that going back to liquids is an approach I'd take--there's no sense going backwards unless you've discussed it with your doctor and determined it's the best approach. I think it might be worth a call to your doctor, if you're concerned. But to me, it doesn't sound particularly ominous. You're only a few weeks from surgery, and there are lots of new sensations as you heal. I hope you feel better fast!

My doctor doesn't require liquids or mushy foods after fills, either. He does recommend, however, that we carefully listen to our bodies. And my body now tells me something completely different, after a fill, than it did after the first couple. As you approach good restriction, you are, as my doctor put it, "toeing the line between good restriction and too much restriction." You have to pay real attention to what your body tells you--and if it tells you, "I need to stick to Fluid or soft stuff until this swelling goes down," you need to do it. Some doctors cut to the chase and make it part of their protocol---because really, most people do need to baby their bands a bit after a fill as they get closer to the sweet spot. If you think you've been pushed a bit past that spot, go in for a little unfill.

I've known a few people to be told this. Vitamin D deficiency usually responds very well to supplementation. Certainly, you want to address the problem. Your doctor will tell you how best to do it. But I wouldn't worry too much about it.

If you'll be done with the insurance requirements in six months, you must be working with a very busy surgical practice! A 3-4 month wait after approval might actually jeopardize the approval--especially if starting a new year is involved. Have they given an explanation to you for the long delay? The six-month supervision can start with your very first office visit. Are they really booked solid from October thru January?! Is there another surgeon in your area who accepts your insurance? The six month supervision actually will provide you with a good opportunity to really learn everything you can about the surgery and what you can expect after banding. We all hate THAT wait, but it's for a good reason. However, I would be really reluctant to accept another 3-4 months tacked on without a great reason. I'd be afraid that a doctor who saw so many patients that surgery couldn't be scheduled within a reasonable period is a surgeon who might not be as available as I'd like postoperatively. It might be a faulty assumption--but it does raise my antennae, and I'd want to address that with the doctor before moving ahead.

Bypass is a great surgery for some people. But it causes significant lifelong malabsorption of nutrients--which is something we are thankfully spared. And once the initial honeymoon period, the rate of weight loss success generally equalizes with ours---at a far greater lifestyle and health cost, IMO. You know, if you really want a revision, you can go the bypass route. But I think it's probably more constructive to let go of the grass-is-greener idea. On one hand, you're saying you wish you became ill in response to sugar, and on the other, you're saying that vomiting after being stuck is part of your rationale for wishing you'd had a different surgery. So---which is it? Is vomiting good (keeping you from sugar) or bad ('cause it happens when you get stuck)? From what I've observed, dumping makes stuck look like a walk in the park. I'm sorry you're having buyer's remorse. It's really common--and usually fleeting. I can tell you, we all wish our weight was gone, like yesterday. If, after really giving banded living a good try, you still are dissatisfied, you always can revise to bypass. You wouldn't be the first. As an aside to the poster who mentioned skin sagging: It has very little to do with rate of loss, other than it appears faster in those who deflate faster :smile2:

Awesome! That's just around the corner!

You made it a week---awesome! Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things to do. There just aren't any other drugs that do so "much" for a person. Think about it. The smoker can use a cigarette for stimulation. OR for relaxation. Without any conscious awareness, you can use more or less---take deeper drags or shallower puffs---to create dose-dependent effects. And you tie it in to all kinds of other behaviors, so it becomes really entrenched in your day-to-day life. (You know: cig with coffee, cig after a meal, cig when you drink alcohol---all those connections with other activities. Those behavioral things are really, really hard to break.) AND YOU'RE DOING IT! Pretty amazing feat, if you ask me! I quit about 11 years ago, but used many crutches, including the patch--which (at my doctor's recommendation) I tapered off of much more slowly than the package recommends. Slowly tapering the nicotine allowed me to work on the habits surrounding smoking (things like the urge to have a cigarette with coffee, after a meal, etc...) so that, by the time all the nicotine was out of my system, I already had formed the new behaviors and felt like a nonsmoker. It was relatively painless (in an excruciating way LOL)---and I really did break that connection between smoking and other behaviors. I have rarely even thought of it since (and I was a long-time smoker with some pretty deeply-entrenched habits). I bring this up only because the recidivism rate with quitting is pretty high. If you backslide (and I'm not saying you will---just offering a tool in case you need it), don't beat yourself up. Just talk to your doctor about things that might bump up your chance of success. Quitting will be THE BEST thing you do for your body. Better than the band, even. And with relation to that, it will make your recovery (and pouch health forever after--because smoking increases risk of ulcers) SO much safer and more comfortable. Great job! And good luck--you can do it!

Yep, all normal.

Yeah, the cell wall thing makes perfect sense. They've shown that steaming veggies makes the nutrients more bioavailable than those in (most) raw veggies for the same reason---the cell wall is softened. It seems to follow that blending would have the same effect. I have a boatload of fresh spinach and berries...now I know how I will use them.

What's holding your doctor back from giving you a fill? What criteria does the doctor use to determine whether you need a fill? It should be a combination of things, including that you are able to overeat, and are doing so because you don't have adequate restriction. Your weight loss is also a factor, but should not be the only one. (For example, I'm losing at a rate consistent with good restriction. However, if I tell my doctor I'm losing because I'm white-knuckling it, he knows that a fill is appropriate.) Be sure to be forthright with him about what you are eating and how your body responds. Be specific. Tell him things like, "If I eat 4 ounces of protein and 1/2 cup of veggies, I'm not 'full,' but I'm no longer hungry. However, within x minutes, I'm hungry again." If he has a specific eating plan, it's a good idea to be as compliant as possible so that you can report to him, within the context of what he expects you to eat, your results. Again, in terms such as, "I am sticking to the x ounces per meal you recommended. But it is not satisfying; I am hungry at the end of a meal (or within 90 minutes, or whatever...)." My point is that one of the criteria used by doctors to determine readiness for a fill is patient compliance. Many doctors realize that it requires superhuman effort to comply when starving, and use that to gauge the need for adjustment. Others get pissy when their "rules" aren't being followed---and pissy can equal punitive, if you don't then get a fill. If you have to wheedle a single cc from your doctor, I'm betting he's in the latter camp. And in that case, you need to play his game to get what you need. (Or, better, find a doctor who will give you adjustments when you need them, without requiring that you jump through hoops.) Re: the 5-day pouch test. It can be a really good way to get back on track. But if you have difficulty day-to-day, it might be more extreme than you want or need. It might work better to commit to eating the way you've been instructed to eat. (My problem with the pouch test is that it perpetuates the overeat-crash diet mentality that the band is geared to help us break free from.)

The incisions are tiny, but your body's been through a lot. Sharp pain is typical. Often, it's related to the gas they introduce to the abdomen to make room for their instruments and manipulations. Don't hesitate to take pain meds prescribed to you and, as much as you can, get up and walk, walk, walk. It really does help.

Vomiting can sort of set up a cycle that can be tricky to interrupt. I would ask your doctor (either your surgeon or PCP) for a prescription antiemetic. Nipping the vomiting in the bud will allow your stoma to heal, so that the cycle stops.

I hope we can start celebrating our successes and stop "only-ing" them Word.

You're right--it's not enough long-term. But we're newbies :thumbup: The green smoothie is a great idea; I will incorporate that.

The doctor can see the level of restriction, but that does not necessarily translate into a lasting level of restriction that you'll perceive as your sweet spot. Some people really do feel quite a bit from their first fill. A few find that it does the trick. But most seem to feel very little difference from the first fill. There is a difference--but our pouches still empty too fast for us to really notice a difference in our hunger levels. This usually tapers down over a few fills. Fluoro or not. My doctor does use fluoro for all fills. I had my third about 10 days ago--and do feel restriction now. It's starting to dissipate a bit, though, so I suspect Fill #4 will be necessary. It's worth the wait :thumbup: Hang in there!

I, too, was cleared for cardio immediately postop. I was permitted to walk or bike (or whatever) to my tolerance, with encouragement to push myself a little. I was not cleared for weight lifting until after my 4-week check. Meg, yes--it's very normal to get very tired, very quickly. You're incisions may be tiny, but your body has been through a lot. Your endurance will increase with time.

My doctor's eating recommendations are quite different from the standard. For starters, we don't add starches back until 75% of our excess weight is lost. I focus on Protein (3-4 oz. per meal) and veggies--and one serving of fruit per day, too, at this point. Depending on the day and my choices, I am sometimes one veggie shy of the 5-a-day minimum recommended by all the health-promoting agencies. (I've always preferred aiming for the upper limit of 9-10, but my stomach really doesn't have the real estate at this point.) Some days, I round it out with something like V-8. I'm not really concerned about stretching out my pouch--- most veggies chomp down to next to nothingness. But I am concerned about getting the wide range of nutrients that being able to eat lots and lots of veggies affords. I think it's really, REALLY critical that you do whatever you can to develop the habit of taking a good-quality bariatric Multivitamin each day. I don't know about your doctor, but preoperatively, I was required to sign a document that outlined my responsibilities as a patient, and doing this was among the items listed. It's THAT important. And it just isn't all that hard to do.

My doctor's okay with waiting it out for a week or so, as long as fluids go down and stay down. I had a fill 10 days ago, and have had a couple of stuck incidents since then. I didn't baby my band long enough after the first time I was stuck, and now I'm paying the price by having to backtrack from regular solids to mushier stuff for a few days. If you are concerned, give your doctor a call and ask what his/her protocol is.

It's really common for there to be pain in the coccygeal region after weight loss---it really is due to less padding. It's not common for pilonidal cysts to return, but it happens, sometimes, if the original excision wasn't complete. But when this happens, it's very, very evident. And it sounds like you had a very thorough excision the first go-around. Since your doctor hasn't found any evidence of a problem, I'd chalk it up to losing your "cushion." And I'd try to ensure that you have some cushioning when you sit.

How often do you see the doctor? It sounds as though you need to work with him/her to achieve restriction. Really, it's enormously easier when you reach that point! That said, sugar's not going to decide not to leap into your mouth. You're going to need to make a conscious decision to eat the right foods. Even before you reach restriction (which may take more than a couple more fills, depending on how aggressive your doctor is), you can and should be making choices that promote loss---and sadly, sugar doesn't qualify. I empathize--I have a sweet tooth a mile long. My doctor asks his patients to commit to a YEAR of not indulging---to really focus on achieving 75 percent of excess weight lost (or more) before even adding starchy foods back in. I think he's on to something, actually; when you don't eat starches and sugars, your desire for them really does vanish.

- i would like to have your own personal expirience on how you ahve altered you life to accomadate your band/new plumbing for any bypass/sleeve patients on here. I'm banded. Some of the lifestyle changes I've made far preceded banding. For example, I was exercising daily for about 3 years by the time I made the decision to be banded. I already drank over 64 oz. of Water each day, took a Multivitamin, and tracked what I ate. Since banding, I've adopted a much lower-calorie, low-carb diet. When I have something between meals, it is carefully chosen to help meet my body's needs. I still exercise daily. I take different Vitamins, and when tracking on Fitday, pay attention to micronutrients I'm still missing out on and supplement those, as well. -what suprised u most post op I was surprised to actually start feeling restriction, after many weeks of none at all. I mean, it's something we all aim for, but until you actually feel it, it's such an abstract concept. -how you feel when people think that you took the so called easy way out? I haven't encountered this in my real life, only online. If anyone in my life is thinking along these lines, they're not sharing it with me. As time goes on, though, I admit I'm coming to view it as the easy (or at least easier) way out for me. I spent a decade and a half banging my head against the pavement, trying to achieve success on my own. The band represents hope for me. I am now achieving success. It may not be "the easy way out," but for me ANY way out is easier than the alternative. But I can't expect someone who has not had the same experiences to consider all that I've done--the things that have been hard, and without meaningful result---when forming his opinion. And I can't expect someone who hasn't ever had a band wrapped around his stomach to understand the lifestyle changes that are required to peaceably coexist with the band. And that's okay. They don't need to understand my motivation or my band. As long as I do, everything is a-okay :thumbdown:

It's hard to predict who will have the most problems with excess skin. It depends on age, genetics, the amount of weight lost, how many times you've lost and regained weight, and how long you were overweight---among other things. It depends very little on rate of loss or what you apply to the skin as you lose. It's probably realistic to expect that you will have excess skin. I know that sucks. But think of the alternative: excess skin v. skin filled with fat---well, clearly, you'll be in a better place! You're right, plastic surgery often does not cover removal of excess skin, particularly in areas for which there are few documented medical issues related to the skin (such as the arms). But that doesn't mean you can't have the surgery. You can---you simply have to save for it and pay for it. In the meantime, there are lots of really good compression garments that make it impossible for others to tell you have the skin. Naked may not be as pretty as you'd like, but you can still look like the resounding success you will be while clothed. I'm pretty resigned to either (a) looking like a shar-pei when done, or (:thumbdown: having reconstructive surgery. It's expensive, but no more so than a mid-level American car---I certainly am worth at least that much! Most plastic surgeons offer financing--either themselves or through finance companies. Many will negotiate lower prices for cash payment, as well. It used to be that doctors would recommend maintaining at goal weight for 12-18 months. Now they recommend being at a stable weight for just a handful of months. Time doesn't really do much for excess skin. But getting down to a low BMI does. Sometimes, what people think of as "excess skin" still carries with it a fair amount of excess fat. I don't know if you've spent much time looking at plastic surgeons' before and after photos, but the befores often involve people who stopped losing while they still had considerable fat beneath the skin. The extent of surgery can really be minimized by getting all the way to goal---and choosing a goal that is lower than the "I'll be happy if you get to a normal BMI" that so many of our doctors promote. If you look at pictures of people who have done that--really gotten down to a low BMI (rather than just hitting the top of the "normal" range), you'll see that, while they do have excess skin, it's not nearly as extensive as those who have not. (And when there's less work to be done, the cost can be contained; you may decide that some procedures can be skipped, and it will be far easier to do the ones you deem necessary.)

I have not been told the same thing about pineapple, but I bet I know the rationale: fresh pineapple (not canned) contains a substance that is similar to salicylate. Like aspirin and other NSAIDs, it can be irritating to the stomach. (It can also cause cross-reactions in people who are allergic to NSAIDs.) . I would imagine that any ban would be short-term, when your new pouch is most irritable and apt to be bothered by the acidic fruit. And I would think that canned pineapple would be okay, unless your doctor has a different rationale; of course, the best thing to do is to check with him/her.

There's a very good chance you'll be instructed not to take meds the day of surgery. (The anesthesiologist will monitor and correct your blood pressure; depending on what your usual BP is, your doctor may choose to have you omit morning meds.) I was told to take mine with a sip of Water, first thing in the morning. I then had nothing by mouth until I went into the OR around 1:30. I thought it would be awful, but it really wasn't. If you're super-concerned, though, talk with your surgeon. Some are okay with water closer to the actual surgery than the usual NPO after midnight (or sip with meds in the a.m.).