NowNotSoBigGuy

Easy to deal with, many options as to number of payments, even a 6 month interest free deal. I recommend it highly.

I've been walking 2.5 - 3.5 miles 4x week. I'm enjoyed a steady weight decline and benefitting greatly from having been banded. Before surgery, walking to the mailbox was a chore. I'm planning on staying with walking, varying pace and distance as necessary to keep from straining the feet, ankles, knees, hips and lower back. I highly recommend starting with walking. Get a digital pedometer to gauge how far and fast you're going and what the calorie burn is. It's a great motivator.

Try refrigerating it if you have trouble taking it. I also had hot incisions for the first week as well as bruising. The first week is the toughest, without question. Rest and heal and make sure you get enough Protein. Best of luck to you; you're on the road

The scale confirms this morning that I no longer dwell in "Three-mopolis" but have in fact crossed over the border into "Two-terville". If you are unfamiliar with these terms, look at my weight loss ticker below for a hint. I didn't carry much luggage, since most of my old wardrobe is no longer useful in this new location. I'm nearly half-way to my goal weight, so with continued intelligent eating, exercise, a few more fills and the continued support of DW, friends, co-workers and the LBT family, by May-June 2007, I should be ~60% of the man I was at the start of my lap band journey. Many thanks to the other bandsters who've provided answers, insight, encouragement and support. The band and this forum have been a godsend.

There are so many more options with the lap band procedure rather than the bypass. Then look at the variety of complications and the morbidity potential. It's your decision of course, but if you're asking for input, mine is simple: GO with the band!

I only regret waiting an extra year or two, postponing what is the best decision I have ever made and the best money I have ever spent ($15K self pay). You have such a tremendous opportunity being approved for insurance coverage. GO FOR IT, but be aware, the band is only a tool. You have to do your part to make it all work and it will involve significant effort to eat smart and change move away from bad eating decisions. The band will help you, physically and psychologically, in the journey, but in the end, you will be the one to decide how successful you will be. A colleague of mine said in explaining his decision to be banded, "I need something to protect me from ME". Good luck and be sure to visit LBT often for advice and insight.

Not sure why, but even at 3.5 I'm not getting the "full" sensation as quickly as I'd like. Hoping my 3rd fill on 12/5 will take me to my sweet spot.

:hungry: I'm giving lots of thanks today for the opportunity I've had to be banded and for all the support I've received since my journey began. It's ironic that today is the primary holiday in which the ritual of overeating is the main activity. Unlike years past when I'd indulge myself with oversized (and multiple) portions piled atop each other on a dinner plate, I'm looking forward to sampling many of the holiday favorites. And before we sit down to dinner, I'll do my regular 2.5 to 3 mile walk. It's amazing to me how the mind understands what the band is telling it. I have my bags packed for the move from Three-mopolis to Two-terville, hopefully next week, although as Jack so aptly says, "pack light because most of your clothes won't fit you when you arrive". A happy and joyous holiday to all bandsters, current and future. And, yes, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

One would assume that a 4cc band has a maximum fill capacity of 4cc, but I have seen posts that indicate the capacity is in fact 4.5cc or even 5cc. Can anyone confirm whether a 4cc band can in fact be filled to MORE THAN 4cc? Is this a recommended practice? I'm also interested in knowing the rationale for surgeons selecting the 4cc band over the 10cc band. It would seem to me the 10cc band gives a greater range of fill capacities, therefore a broader range of sweet spots. Did the 4cc band come out before or after the 10cc band.

I appreciate your replies and now understand why I received a 4cc rather than a 10cc band. I'm doing very well at 3.5 currently, but I plan to request another 1cc on my third fill on 12/5 to take me to 4.5 total. They do the fluoroscopy immediately after the injection and if 4.5 looks to be a problem I'll have them remove 0.5cc and leave me at 4 total. I love my band; it's the best thing I ever did for myself.

Here's a very good thread on the same topic http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=24267

The band is working and the waist is shrinking. I'm comfortably down to 50x30 individual fit waistband Dockers and it won't be too long until 48x30. I have about 8-10 pairs of 54x30 and two pairs of 52x30 that are scheduled to be donated to charity. I'm thrilled to be losing, but the cost of rapid wardrobe replacement isn't insignificant. If any of my fellow bandsters or their DH's living within a reasonable proximity to Katy, Texas (25 miles west of Houston) could make use of these pants, I'd be happy to hand them down. Due to the hassle of packing and shipping them, I can't extend the offer to anyone beyond a short drive. Email or PM me if you're interested; I'd be happy to meet you halfway.:bandit

I took Phen-Fen when it was the "magic bullet" for weightloss; fortunately, I didn't suffer any ill effects when it was discontinued other than regaining all the weight I'd lost. Now that I think back, being banded and taking Phen-Fen do offer similar feeling of satiety. As Jack so wonderfully states (thanks Jack for all your insightful and often humorous posts), the feeling of satiety is your goal, forget about feeling full. With the band, I don't have the cravings I had pre-band. With the band, I can stare down a box of glazed donuts someone brings to the office; I can walk past the Breakfast cart in the lobby of my building and not yearn for bacon and cheese breakfast tacos or sausage and cheese kolaches. I can go to the cafeteria and walk past the pizza buffet. I just don't want to eat those things anymore. I believe the positive effects of being banded are as much psychological as physiological. I know if I were to make some bad food choices I'd face the unpleasantries of PBing or vomiting, but the real beauty of the band is that I no longer "want" to eat like that. I still enjoy food, I just enjoy much smaller quantities. Life is so damn good for me after being banded I sometimes just have to take a minute to realize how fortunate I am to have managed to live long enough to finally have the surgery.

But that's not gospel. Do you know how many cc's of saline you received on the first fill? Do you know your band's fill capacity (4cc's or 10cc's). I am told by the folks who did my fills that of the initial 2cc's I received 4 weeks post-op, 1cc had "evaporated" by the time of my second fill, 8 weeks post-op. They said this is normal for first fills and no cause for concern. That missing 1cc was replenished at the second fill, and another 1.5cc's were added, taking me to 3.5cc's in my 4cc band. My fills were done at a facility that does fluoroscopy (instant x-ray) after each injection of saline (barium swallow to see how well Fluid travels through the band). At each of my first three fluoroscopies (1.5cc, 2.0cc and 3.0cc), the physician's assistant and the fluoroscopy technician remarked "You're still pretty wide open"; when my total fill was increased to 3.5cc, the comment was "Now there's some restriction". And they we're right; 3.5 is my initial "sweet spot". I can eat moderately and the sensation of satiety (I love that word) comes much sooner than before. Read all you can in the Fills section of LBT and err on the side of conservatism. I've been fortunate to avoid any of the dreaded consequences of being overfilled (PBing or worse), but from what I've read, those conditions are best avoided. Good luck to you.

The thread is titled "Reasonably Priced Doctors for Self Payers". Houston has several great surgeons and a brand-new Hospital dedicated to lap banding; my surgery in September was $15K.

Katylady: I'm from Katy and I've had two fills from PSC Houston. If you'll confirm that is where you're going to have yours, I'll let you know my experiences there. BTW, we're trying to assemble a support group in Katy and are looking for a meeting location.

I was banded 9/13. I believe I have a 10cc band. At my first fill on 10/11, the technician asked me how many cc's I'd like. I asked how many can I get and she indicated 3-4 cc's. Having read enough stories about overfilling on LBT, I opted for 1.5. After getting 1.5 and doing the fluoroscopy, she commented "you're still wide open"; we agreed to add another 0.5 cc to get me to 2cc total. I felt virtually no restriction then or in the 2.5 weeks since the fill. My second fill is scheduled for 11/7. I had planned on getting 1.5cc to get to 3.5 total. Many of the patients had their surgeries performed at the facility that does the fills and for them, the first year of fills are free. I had to have my surgery done at the hospital due to an obstructed airway, so I have to pay $150 for each fill (and perhaps, unfill) so I'm hoping to get to my sweet spot sooner rather than later. A colleague of mine has found his sweet spot at 4.5cc, so I've established that as my target. 1.5cc's in November and another 1.0 in December will take me to 4.5. Anyone out there have any wise advice or counsel for me? I appreciate everything the LBT participants do to share their experiences as "bandits".

At my Spiegel seminar in August, he announced that University General Hospital was a new facility being built in Houston for Lap Band surgery. I imagine it will replace the Physicians SurgiCenter on Main. I had my surgery at 12 Oaks in September and went home the same day. Cost was the same at Physician's SurgiCenter as 12 Oaks, but the fills at PSC are $150 each since I didn;t have my surgery performed there. A small price to pay in the grander scheme of 100-150 lbs weight loss, but annoying none the less.

Interesting turn of events at my 2nd fill today. I learned I have the 4cc capacity band not the 10cc capacity band I thought I had. 1cc of the initial 2ccs in my first fill had "evaporated"; I'm told this is normal and that it only occurs after the initial fill. So the missing 1cc was replaced and another 1.5cc's were added. The fluoroscopy shows restriction at 3.5. I sure hope I feel restricted at 3.5 because there doesn't seem to be much capacity left. Anyone have any information on why 4cc bands are used when 10cc models are available? It would seem to me the greater the capacity, the better the ability to find the "sweet spot".

First off, refrigerate the liquid Tylenol; goes down much easier cold. Clear liquid stage: Jello, SF popsicles, broth or clear Soups. Think Protein, protein, protein. Consider strained egg-drop soup as an alternative to broth.. Hummus is also high in protein. Thicker liquids: Campbell's Select soups or Imagine organic soups. By all means, get a Magic Bullet blender (eBay and other online merchants). Once you get to the mushies stage, you can pulverize chicken, tuna or egg salad to whatever consistency you like. You can also blend Protein drinks. Once you're past the mushies stage, the South Beach Diet frozen dinner have lots of protein with very modest calories and they taste great. Best of luck to you. Tell your husband he won't regret one cent of what you're spending on the surgery. It will be the best money you ever spent.

Both are superb surgeons. You can gather all the personal preferences of others that you want, but in the end, you decide. They use the same facility and their staffs are similarly trained. I used Spiegel and was extremely pleased; others have used Spivak and been just as pleased. I believe Spiegel has done a few hundred more lap bands, but the only one that mattered to me was MINE and that one he did extremeley well. Best of luck to you; make a decision and get on the road to Band Land. You'll never regret your decision. If you're self-pay, check into Capital One Healthcare Finance.

Anyway, this young lady knew her stuff. At the center where I get my fills, they muster about 20-25 patients into a hallway and run them through getting filled. It reminded me of getting shots in the military, except the seats were more comfortable and the conversation more stimulating. Apparently, they do 8-10 surgeries in the morning and then they do fills in the afternoon.

I love sushi rolls and prior to surgery, I would get the inside-out rolls, with the ingredients wrapped in seaweed paper and rice on the outside. I'd go to my favorite sushi place and get 6-8 pieces of Philadelphia, California or Cruncy roll, often to go. No store-bought sushi rolls for me. Rice and seaweed paper are on my no-no list after banding, but I had read a post on here which said it's possible to get the same ingredients without the rice. So I stopped by my favorite sushi bar this afternoon and explained my situation. The response from the sushi chef was "no problem, we use bean paper for you, we make you whatever roll you want, no rice"; and they weren't kidding, they whipped up some salmon and avocado and other tasty things in a soft bean paper wrap, slice it into 10-12 pieces, sprinkled the crunchies on top, and voila, sushi rolls any sushi-bandit would die for. Folks: you can still have many foods you enjoyed pre-surgery, you just have to go to a little more trouble to customize them to fit our new diet restrictions.

See my 10/14 post under Food for info on sushi after banding. Enjoy

During the last days of week one post-op (the Clear liquids stage), I experimented with egg drop soup. I strained the "egg" portion and just ate the "soup" part. There were tiny chucnks of chicken in there that caused me no problem. I progressed to eating small portions of the "egg" part, very well chewed. Egg Drop soup is an excellent source of Protein, not to mention a whole lot most appetizing that straight chicken broth. Just remember: it gets better, the first two weeks are the toughest. Be sure to get enough protein.