Veronda

Yes, this is exactly what I have! My Vitamin D 5000 units capsule is so tiny that it's totally swallowable. If I can stay away from anything chewable I will because I get so sick of things so quickly and they make me gag. My mom is the same way, so I blame her. I'm so grossed out by my sublingual B12 that I might have to go to the Nascobal, which is a $25 copay every month, whereas the SL B12 from costco is so much more economical. I might get to the point where I'll give myself the shots.

My center's nutritionist has mentioned Citracal Petites and that they are small enough for most of their patients. I bought a calcium citrate powder that I can just have with a bite of something, basically tasteless in a very small quantity of powder.

My insurance counted all the years with the band as my "diet" attempts. I was approved easily the first time. However, my employer is a health system that does the procedures and they are self-insured, so it was likely easier for me. I had my revision done ten days ago, and I am fairly young (38) and active, and I feel that I am definitely not ready for work. I am fortunate in that I pay for short-term disability and have a large bank of PTO, so I can afford to take more time off, but I would recommend taking off as much time as you can possibly afford. This has wiped me out far more than the band did. I went back to work after one week for the band, but I definitely wouldn't feel safe doing that now. Just today is the first time I've woken up without needing even Tylenol. I am only getting 300 calories a day, and I'm sure that is affecting my stamina. My program requires two weeks of heavily restricted full liquids, whereas I know other programs will allow eating earlier on. I have my post-op nutrition appointment on Tuesday where I will be advanced to most solid Protein. I feel I'll be able to do more then. Yesterday, post-op day 9, I took a shower to go to Target and had to postpone because the shower took too much out of me! If your job is super-sedentary, it may work, but I'd be nervous at only one week....

So sorry about that surgeon!! I'm fortunate because I told my surgeon that I failed and he told me that the band failed me, so I had a more positive experience. I find it terribly embarrassing to have gone through surgery and couldn't lose weight with even that. I had mine in 2009, and now he tells me that at that time the band was THE THING and they were pushing it because it seemed like a miracle, but now only five years later they're constantly taking them out. I have my revision on Tuesday the 19th. By now you're recovering, hope all is well!

@@Magnettaj I keep reading about this pain after revision, but my surgeon insists it hasn't happened to any of his patients, so I'm hoping for the best, but it's what I'm most worried about! I have my surgery Tuesday, and the earliest I'll go home is Thursday (they keep us for at least two nights, nothing by mouth--not even Water or ice--until the day after surgery and a test is done to make sure there are no leaks, then just water and ice for a day (only 2oz every four hours!!) and then on Thursday I can start slowly on Protein shakes, ugh!! Anyway, one of the tips I found somewhere was an abdominal binder. I mentioned it to my surgeon and he was very supportive of it and he will order me one while I'm in the hospital. I hope your pain gets better quickly!

When I had my Lap-Band placed in 2009, I had met a girl at a support meeting who was having the band the day before I was. We've become great friends, and it was fabulous having someone going through the same thing at the same time to talk to, bounce ideas off, question, etc. I don't know anyone having revision surgery. My revision to bypass will be on May 19. Anyone in a similar situation need a virtual revision buddy?

Hi there! I'm scheduled for a revision from Lap-Band to gastric bypass on May 19. I have had my band for 5.5 years and have just had too much trouble with it almost the entire time but worse for the last two years, and I'm looking forward to having it out. I initially wanted nothing to do with bypass and thought the band would be my perfect tool but of course didn't anticipate all the negative effects. It took me a while to decide to revise and now it can't come quick enough!! I am most nervous about my port coming out as I've read that it can be quite painful, and it's been sitting in there getting all encapsulated for more than five years, whereas it seems like the majority of revisions are only two-year-old bands. My biggest hurdle will be my Protein shakes. I can't tolerate artificial sweeteners too well and don't really like whey protein, so I've been researching alternatives. I have an egg-white Protein powder and a vegan powder ready to go, which both are highly rated by consumers. I tried a sample egg-white powder and it was far better to me than whey. They are both sweetened with stevia, also better for me personally. I am also planning on purchasing unjury chicken Soup, which is whey but (apparently) better hidden with the savory flavor. Most of my prep is done and I'm just waiting. PS, I'm not too patient!!

I find this topic so interesting because a few years ago I was wanting to revise but keep my band because I felt I needed it to keep on track, like I'd need it to maintain the weight loss. I couldn't find anything about it, and even the surgeon's PA couldn't even answer. Then I wound up having so many problems with my band that I can't wait to get it out. I've regained all but about five pounds and just this morning got my surgery date for revision. I'm very excited about what's to come, but also very nervous, not just about the surgery but about maintaining. I'm so scared that I'll fail....again!! My surgeon assures me the band failed and my body found a way around it....sure hoping this body can't outsmart the bypass.

Hello, everyone! I guess I fall somewhere in the middle of most of these posts. I really feel for those of you who had not had success. And I'm quite envious of those of you who are near or at goal!! After 1.5 years, I've lost 69 pounds, and I'm still about 44 pounds from my "100% happy" goal. I had made a list of fourteen goals with #8 being 100% happy and everything after that as bonus. I'm less than two pounds from hitting my goal of losing half of my excess weight, which my surgeon considers a successful band. At times I've not been too fond of "Esther" (as my band has come to be called), but all in all I'm happy with the surgery. I have been losing very slowly because I've taken my own approach...I just couldn't imagine a life without some guilty pleasures, so I have not followed any particular diet. The band has helped rein in my hunger and control some of the things I eat. Best of all, if I do lose control, my weight stays fairly stable, whereas in the past I'd gain and gain. I might gain a few pounds, but it usually falls back off when I get myself under control. I can't eat bread, potatoes, or pasta, but I don't mourn them like I thought I would. I mean, if my husband has fries, it's difficult, but I might take a tiny bite, and it helps me deal. I've lost track, but I think I have 5.75cc in my 10-cc band. I've had a lot of discomfort lately and might have some taken out. I also want to get back on track to losing more quickly. I have a group of band girls that meet regularly (for dinner, ha ha). We had decided after a year that the support group through the surgeon was filled with cranky RNYers, so we broke off. It's been interesting living with Esther. I couldn't have taken off 69 pounds without her, and while I'd like to have lost more, I feel like we still have a lifetime together.

I frequently get hiccups, though they've calmed a bit as I get more used to the band. Sometimes they are very loud and strong hiccups, and sometimes they're tiny. I don't get them with every meal, though if I do get them, I might feel a little stuck...at the same time, I don't hiccup when I'm badly stuck. I almost never burp anymore, and when I do, they're tiny and I have to force it out. I really thought I was the only one because my surgeon's office hasn't heard of any patients having hiccups, and my local "band buddy" doesn't get them. Another (possible TMI) side effect I have is that when I'm stuck, my bowels want to move. The whole band lifestyle is pretty funny when you think about it!

It's been about two months since this original post, but I wanted to share that I did not have any restriction until my THIRD fill, so feeling none at the first is fine. It's frustrating, but remember that bandsters can expect to lose weight for up to three years after surgery, so there is plenty of time to get it right. After my first fill, I was supposedly at 5cc, but when I went back saying I had even less restriction than post-op, pre-fill, and it turned out when my surgeon took out the fluid to measure, there were a full 2cc less in there than was supposed to be. It's my belief that the needle slipped out of the port and saline was injected under my skin as I had a huge bruise for weeks over my port. I still had almost no restriction after my second fill because they start filling more slowly after the first...I only noticed food getting stuck more easily. At my third, very tiny fill, I finally had restriction...but even then I could still eat more than others I knew with the band. It's a very personal thing, so there's no way to get it right without some adjusting...but that's one of my favorite things about the band! Hopefully by now things have begun to improve.

Could artificial sweetener be a problem for you? I have several of the same symptoms as you described when I have artificial sweeteners. I have found a select few protein shakes that use stevia instead of artificial sweeteners, and I have no problems (other than not being a fan of the shakes in general). I really, honestly like Betty Lou's Low Glycemic Shakes a lot. They technically have more carbs than I was permitted pre-op, but if you don't count fiber, the carb count drops to 5, which was within range for me, and there aren't many shakes that have fiber anyway. I highly recommend them.

I have been going out to eat regularly. Sometimes I make good decisions, sometimes poor ones, but the band does seem to make some decisions for you. I've ordered plenty of sandwiches without the bread. I haven't really attempted ordering off the children's menu. I can eat more than a typical bandster, but far less than I used to. Sometimes I'll take leftovers home, and sometimes I'll just pick out the best parts of the meal and leave the rest. I do get stuck sometimes, and my husband is used to my excusing myself to go to the bathroom (usually just standing and walking helps me, and sometimes it's to deal with the sliming, but I don't PB or vomit). It also helps that my husband is an extraordinarily slow eater, so it's not like one of us is done waiting for the other.

My surgeon and/or insurance required family members to write letters of support for my getting the band, and my husband, who has always been slender, wrote that he wishes he could give me the feeling of satiety that he automatically feels and that I never seem to. I believe it's true that our bodies have a different sense of hunger. I was always hungry. Always. I used to wish that a skinny person who felt she could say, "Just diet and exercise," could get into my body and try to lose the weight...it just didn't work like that for me. I have almost always exercised, and it still would do nothing for me but make me even hungrier. Since getting the band in December and more specifically since finally having some restriction after my third fill in April, I finally feel normal about food. I get hungry, but I feel as though I get hungry appropriately, which I can't say before the band. I still make some poor choices, but I also make some great choices. Jachut, you've been an inspiration on these boards because you always post my beliefs about the band...and those techniques have clearly worked for you. I'm glad to see that you continued to lose over two years. I have lost 40 pounds since starting my pre-op diet two days before Thanksgiving, and I expect to keep losing slowly (and I feel as though that's one of the plusses of the band...the body has more time to adapt!). I try not to get too upset when I'm at a plateau (like I am now after a steady 1.5-pound loss each week for eight weeks) because I know I have this new normalcy to help me through, and I know I can keep going. I get a little down sometimes when it seems like it hurts to eat anything, but I also feel lucky that I have this built-in mechanism to keep me from eating too much. I'm also happy to know that I wasn't alone in being hungry all the time...though it would have been nice to know at the time!

I hear you! I had my first fill on January 28, and I have no restriction. Honestly, that's not entirely true because I get fuller faster than I did prior to surgery, but I can eat a full regular-person meal without issues...smaller meals than pre-surgery, but FAR larger than you'd think a Bandster could eat. In fact, I noticed no difference between before my fill versus after (I had 3.5 cc from surgery, and they added 1.5 cc for a total of 5 cc in a 10 cc band). I'm discouraged having read about those of you who are having success after fills and I'm barely maintaining my pre-op weight loss, but I'm trying to remember that I have this tool for life and I can't expect it to be perfect after one fill. My next fill is at the end of this month, and I'm hopeful that I'll experience some restriction!

Okay, it's my fifth day post-op, and I'm feeling pretty good! I still haven't been drinking enough fluids. My nausea has mostly resolved...now I'm having trouble distinguishing between nausea and gas, but I think it's mostly gas. I can't really burp, either. My insides are still making LOTS of noises all day, though they've quieted a little bit. Even though I'm taking pain meds about four to five times daily (to prevent pain...I haven't been in much actual pain), I've been able to stay awake all day and only sleep at night. For the past two days I've been able to get out of the house for about three hours at a time without problems. I'm on the lucky side because I've been reading about those of you who have been so tired...I'm so sorry for that! On the other hand, it's making me worry that I'm not experiencing the norm and that the band won't work for me! Oh, me and my worries with no fact behind them. I always say that worrying keeps me on my toes and doing what I need to be doing. I've been averaging about 300 to 400 calories a day. Typically I've had one protein shake throughout the day plus a cup of broth-y soup (I've been mixing chicken broth with V8 and a scoop of unflavored protein powder and microwaving until warm) and a snack-pack of pudding. I have a hard time drinking between, though. I probably could drink more, but I'm afraid of overdoing it. I just discovered Fage Total 2% Greek yogurt, and it's amazing...I highly recommend looking for it. I found it in a small market called Earth Fare geared more to healthy living (like Whole Foods but not as fancy); I can't recall seeing it at regular stores. I know Trader Joe's and most likely Whole Foods also have it. Anyway, it's 130 calories for a 7oz cup with 17 (!!!!!!) grams of protein. There is not another yogurt that can compare with the protein content!! I tried it plain and it was good enough, but I did mix in some organic maple syrup to sweeten it...it raises the caloric content, but my goal is to make it back to eating it plain. I was able to eat half the container before putting it away for later. I think it's a great alternative to the protein shakes because I have a hard time with them since they all taste funny to me. I wanted to share that with you in case you hadn't heard about it yet. I go back to work on Wednesday, which I'm nervous about. My time off is going waaaay too quickly, even though I'm not doing anything! Why is that?! I've lost 25.8 pounds since my pre-op diet started on 11/24, so it's a good motivator. Good luck to everyone getting their shot next.

My surgery was Tuesday and I feel pretty good. I've been taking scheduled low-dose pain meds to be on the safe side. I've had no troubles with walking. I've been a little down thinking about what I've given up without a clear picture of the end result (right now it's hard to imagine it). In the end, I know this is a great thing for me and my future!

Hi, all. It's taken some time to get caught up on the 38 pages I had neglected to read in the past few weeks (whoopsie)! This will be an in-depth look at my first few days, so if you're not interested in details, you may just want to skip ahead!! I had my surgery two days ago. I had no idea what I was getting myself into because I'd never had surgery with the exception of my wisdom teeth, which hardly counts. So I'm pleased to say it wasn't so bad. Right after rolling out of the OR, I had some pain and nausea in the PACU, and my throat was bothering me from the breathing tube they'd used during the surgery. When I was coherent enough, I realized it was 1:00pm, which was my original surgery time, but they'd moved it up 1.25 hours, so it was nice to already be done. I really could only feel the port incision and couldn't even tell the others were there. They gave me some Zofran, Reglan, and fentanyl in the PACU, and then that was it until I started getting some oral Roxicet back in short stay. My pain never really went above a 2 or 3 on the 10-point pain scale (but I am still unsure what a 9 or 10 would feel like, so it's my own scale for sure). I just hung out in bed for a few hours in short stay waiting to be discharged. They told me I could sip one ounce of water per hour...and I was sooooo thirsty!! They gave me a little medicine cup of water...it was hysterical (good thing I could laugh about it). The bariatric educator had come in right when I made it to short stay to say she'd let me get settled before coming in to go over the post-op plans, and then I heard her say to the nurses at the station that she had a meeting from 3:00 to 5:00. Well, my husband and I were there for hours just waiting, and when she finally came in at like 5:30, she said, "I got a haircut, can you tell?" I was livid!! As if that's what I wanted to hear after all the waiting!! So anyway, after she left, the nurse came in to get me walking and to the bathroom. I walked like a champ. The only hard part was getting in and out of bed and on and off the toilet. After we left the hospital, we went to Target to get my prescription (my surgeon didn't give it to me ahead of time, which would have been preferable...if you can, ask if you can pick it up prior to surgery so you don't have to worry about it). We walked around Target for half an hour without any problems. It actually felt good to be up and walking. Sleeping on my back only was very hard as I'm usually curled in a ball on my side. Doping up with pain meds helped. I've opted to take the pain meds around the clock for the first few days in order to prevent the pain (it's better than chasing pain after it's started), so I take one teaspoonful about every five hours, which is on the low end of the prescribed directions, and it's worked perfectly. Other than some stretching-type pain when I'm getting up or down from a chair or bed, I can't complain about pain. It's difficult still for me to breath in deeply. I was given an incentive spirometer as a breathing exerciser, and if you have one, definitely use it after surgery. I was told to cough to help clear the anesthesia, but I've found that to be difficult. I am not drinking nearly enough fluids. I'm drinking tiny amounts from a sippy cup, and I just can't do much more. My surgeon goes for clear fluids on surgery day, then progressing to protein shakes plus full liquids by the first day after surgery. I'm supposed to be having two ounces of protein shake every three hours and full liquids as tolerated between the shakes. Well, yesterday I had maybe an ounce and a half of my protein shake in the middle of the day, and I was ridiculously nauseous for the rest of the day, so I couldn't do any more. I kept trying the clear fluids, but even those I had a hard time with. They're going down fine, but it's making me nauseous. Today I went with a different, more watery shake (I can't do artificial sweeteners, so I've had a devil of a time finding ones I can tolerate...the one I'm drinking now is Bluebonnet strawberry, and Proteins+ is okay too...both have stevia instead of artificial sweeteners...I also have BeneProtein to mix into broth, etc.), and I'm not as nauseous as yesterday. One big thing that I didn't expect is that I've become a little sad. I think I'm just starting my mourning process of losing my old life and I'm having a hard time of seeing the end result. I think this is normal, and some people may have gone through it pre-op, but even though I understood everything that would happen from an intellectual standpoint, all of a sudden it feels very emotional. In my opinion, there is no way to prepare for this. I have a lot of support, but it's difficult to get through this part. Not to get any of you down, particularly those of you who have dates coming up in the month, but I know I wasn't prepared for this because I thought I understood everything prior to surgery. You know how things are never as good or bad when someone tells you one way or another (like someone will go on and on about how good or bad a movie was, so when you see it, you have high expectations for whatever you were told, so it's never the same experience for you??)...I'm just hoping that knowing that this may happen to you will help you deal with it. Yesterday was harder than today emotionally, and I hope it will continue to get better. I view the band as a good quality of life because there are fewer restrictions than bypass and, in some ways, even non-surgical weight loss, so I know I'll come out ahead. In good news, since my two-week pre-op diet began, I have lost 21 pounds, which is 18.5% of the weight I want to lose to reach my "100% happy" goal. I have many goals between now and then, and even some goals beyond 100% happy, so this is a good start. My first goal was to lose 20 pounds by surgery day, and I made it exactly. Yay me!! Congratulations to all of us for making it here and having the courage to do this for ourselves. Earlier in the posts I noticed people talking about it not being the easy way out...we know that for sure!!! And honestly, those close to me who have watched me go through this process are also learning that it's not easy, so I'm glad to play a role as educator to others too. Good luck, December!!

I obviously haven't been back to the board for a while...last time I checked there hadn't been a thread started yet for December, and now this one has nine pages already! After THREE-PLUS YEARS of working up to it, my surgery date is set for December 8. Wahoo!!!! I start a low-carb, low-fat, low-calorie, two-week pre-op diet on November 24, but other than that I don't have any requirements for weight loss prior to surgery. I'm incredibly nervous and incredibly excited. More than anything I'm looking forward to never "dieting" again. Good luck to all of us!!

I have BeneProtein, which is 6 grams of protein per scoop with 25 calories and no carbs. It can be mixed with anything wet or mushy! I discovered this on my own and even took my nutritionist by surprise when I told her about it.

Nuts! That's actually my problem, too. I work for a health system, and they only cover it if it's performed at one of our hospitals, so there's only one group I can choose from. I was quite disappointed because I had such a good experience as an interested party with Dr. Simpson and then this group is soooo unlike him. I'm okay with my surgeon now, but I would have preferred having choices. They don't have near the communication and other extras that Dr. Simpson did. I had also looked into Scottsdale's program, and I didn't like them at all!! Good luck with it.

I think most surgeons do one band or the other. As far as I can tell, there aren't too many differences between them. Have you looked into Dr. Simpson in Phoenix? I'm in North Carolina now, but if I were still in Phoenix, I'd be going to him. He only does bands (ie, he won't even do bypass) and he's sooo responsive. I've sent e-mails through his website, and he personally answers from his Blackberry, even to non-patients!! I went to his website recently (really, I'm quite upset he won't be my surgeon), and it seems that now he's done at least one one-incision LapBand! Anyway, wanted to give my two cents.

It is disappointing. When I first started looking into surgery about four or five years ago, I was on student insurance and WLS was excluded (even though the company as a whole does have plans that cover it). I was very close to paying out of pocket...if you think about it, it's less than the cost of a car, but you get so much more from it than you do from a car! I did hold off, and now I've been approved through my current insurance. It's still going to cost me $2,000+ in co-insurance and copays, and I've lost out on four years of the band, not to mention all the costs of getting to approval (eg, the six months of going to a bariatric clinic for supervised weight loss, etc.). Don't feel like you've hit a dead end...it's just an inconvenient obstacle. Consider the costs of waiting for insurance that covers it versus financing. You'll get there somehow!

That was great! After watching, I feel like I can picture what's going to happen much more clearly than with all the animations. Very, very interesting!!

Did you check with your insurance company prior to starting? I think at all of the seminars I've been to they tell you to call your insurance company to find out if it's covered.