hlenoble

I can tell you that spicy food has not been a problem for me. In fact, I find that I like food more and more spicy than ever before. Not that it matters in this discussion, but I was banded 12-3-08.

I had a similar experience a few weeks ago. My insurance company was charged, and paid, $20,400 for the band itself, out of a total of about $43,000. It was listed as "prosthetic" and was considered reasonable and customary by Empire Blue Cross. The bill does not include the surgeon or anesthesiologist, who bill separately. I was very lucky, my total out of pocket was less than $100.

I bought the GNC ON (optimum nutrition) Gold, in "delicious strawberry" and "chocolate malt" flavors. I find the chocolate very good and the strawberry good. I mix them in the blender with Water and a little crushed ice, to avoid the calories and carbs in milk. I also bought three bottles of Isopure, the orange/pineapple/banana, lemon iced tea, and apple melon. I thought the orange was lousy but drinkable, the iced tea absolutely awful, and I haven't tried the apple yet.

I had my 1st post-op appointment today, five days after my 12-3 banding. I had posted about how my Dr recommended only Water, and then a few SF popsicles, until this appointment. Anyway, I made it through the five days without any trouble, and with only water and a total of 3 popsicles. I am down 15 lbs since the surgery and a total of 43 lbs down since my initial consultation. I'm off to a good start and I'm excited about it. My Dr now recommends two weeks of Protein shakes for all three meals daily. I had an 8 oz chocolate shake for dinner tonight that I bought from the office and I was pleasantly surprised. It was MUCH better than the EAS AdvantEdge that I had tried before the surgery. I only bought one shake today because I was leary of the taste but now I'm sorry I didn't buy a 6 pack. Tomorrow I'm going to GNC to buy their ON Gold strawberry whey Gold Standard™ Delicious Strawberry that was recommended by my son. He says it tastes great even with water, which is important to me since per Dr's recommendations the shakes should be under 120 calories and adding milk would put it over. I'll let you know how it tastes. Does anyone have a favorite Protein Shake, either pre-made or powder?

A quick update: The Dr.'s office called yesterday to check on me and they said I could have an SF popsicle if I wanted, but that was all. As of now I'm still only on water and feeling very well.

The Kellogs powder (Special K Brand) lemonade has 30 calories. That's well above what my Dr. recommends for a drink. The 5g of protein is not enough to make up for the calories IMHO.

The instructions say that if I'm lightheaded I can drink apple juice heavily diluted with water.

I was banded 12-3-08 by Dr. Kwon of Tri State Bariatrics. The surgery went well, I went home the same night, and I'm feeling good with only some soreness at the port site. My eating instructions are clear, ONLY Water or diet iced tea or no calorie crystal light, at a rate of 1 oz per 20 min, until the post-op appointment. The post-op appointment is on 12-8-08, which means I am taking in ZERO calories for five days. I'm not complaining and I have every intention of following the guidelines but everyone I speak to questions the wisdom and "healthiness" of those guidelines. My sister and my friend who are banded had completely different recommendations and are doing well about 18 months post op. What do you folks think? Thanks, - Hal

I was banded 12-3-08 by Dr. Kwon of Tri State Bariatrics. The surgery went well, I went home the same night, and I'm feeling good with only some soreness at the port site. My eating instructions are clear, ONLY Water or diet iced tea or no calorie crystal light, at a rate of 1 oz per 20 min, until the post-op appointment. The post-op appointment is on 12-8-08, which means I am taking in ZERO calories for five days. I'm not complaining and I have every intention of following the guidelines but everyone I speak to questions the wisdom and "healthiness" of those guidelines. My sister and my friend who are banded had completely different recommendations and are doing well about 18 months post op. What do you folks think? Thanks, - Hal

I have been doing the research for several months and I am now looking for a (fairly) local Doctor. I live in Binghamton, NY and I am pretty sure there are no Lap-Band Doctors in Binghamton itself. I am looking to see if anyone has any experience or referrals for Doctors in Syracuse or Ithaca. I have Empire Blue Cross as my insurance provider, so if you know any Doctors that accept that insurance it would be a big plus. Thanks in advance, - Hal