Betsyjane

No more diabetes. No more osteoporosis.

I hope before you consider seriously getting banded, that you will read a lot of this website, and do your research. You have to be psychologically ready to follow the bandster lifestyle, which for me was MUCH easier than dieting...and has had real results like I've never had before. Don't do the band until you are completely past ranting and fully into researching. And thanks, Wendell, for the concise post. I agree with everything you said.

Don't you love having no appetite? My Dr. is liberal, so I was only on liquids for 2 days and mushies for another 4 days. But my apetite came back as soon as I got on mushies.....

I crushed my pills at first, and took away the bitter taste by chewing my chewable vitamin just after. Now I just take my pills whole one at a time. I throw my chewable vitamin and chewable calcium pills in my blender with my ice, fruit and protein shake for breakfast. I use EAS CArb Control shakes because they have around 100 calories and around 20g of protein.

Yeah, some insurance plans cover the surgery and some don't. If yours does, your lap band doctor's office can walk you through the requirements after they check your insurance too. They've been through it so much that it will be worth getting your initial consult soon so you'll know what your path will be.

My dilation was caught pretty early so it wasn't large. I had gone in for a fill because I could eat anything, and she showed me the flouro pic from then and from the time before and my pouch was definitely larger. I was actually back to normal after around 3 days of liquids. One of my problems had been that I'm really restricted in the morning, so I have a shake but I had been gulping it down, and even the liquid was taking too long to go through the pouch and backing up. The dilation was actually a good thing for me. I've become much more sensitive to my pouch because of it. Whenever I feel like I've had more than usual to eat, my next meal is liquid. I needed the wake up call.

Terry! We'll be at the Sahara, and then moving later to Bellagio. I'll IM you my details in case you want to meet for a cuppa.

I had the unrestricted feeling with mine, but I understand that pouch dilation can cause a little band slippage that can make you feel WAY restricted, and that a partial or complete unfill sets the band right back where it is supposed to be...not like major slippage that needs surgery. So you may very well be right.

Hey everybody.... I'm trying to figure out whether to get a slight unfill before I leave for Vegas. I happily keep a pretty tight band, but I'd hate for it to get tighter with air travel. If you get travel restriction, how long does it last?

Thanks Shelli! Here's my new challenge. I'm headed to Vegas Monday and trying to decide whether to get a slight unfill first... I keep a pretty tight band anyway, but I hear so much about people being more restricted after air travel...and I don't need to be tighter!

Hey fellow Spivakers! How many of you get tight when you travel? If you do, how long does it last? I'm trying to decide whether to get a slight unfill before I leave for Vegas Monday. I happily keep a pretty tight band, but wouldn't want it much tighter! Thanks for the help.

Went to see Dr. today. They say that even if you don't reflux, if you have any bile taste, it's probably GERD due to too tight a band or eating in the evening...or a variety of other things...can be caffeine, eating chocolate, spicy food...oy. Mine is most probably due to the Advil I've been taking the last few weeks. They thought I could get away with a few weeks of it, but I couldn't. Advil is a challenge for lots of bandsters. So I'm off the Advil, on short term GERD meds, and I don't have to have an upper GI unless the symptoms don't go away. Oh, AND they told me that if you are using extra pillows at night so you don't reflux, that's not a good idea because that puts you in a position that cramps the abdomen and may actually increase reflux. They said to raise the top of your bed 6 inches by putting something under the feet of the bed..and then just use one pillow. Not my problem, but I thought it was interesting.....

I'll be in Vegas next Monday...but I want to see you all! How about the following Monday?

I just called my lap band Dr's office and they said I need an upper GI because any taste of bile is an indication of problems that left untreated can cause band erosion. They said other tastes may be OK, but any bile taste needs to be addressed immediately.

It's not just about weight loss! I am no longer on pills for diabetes, and myt blood sugar is never out of control. And I just got my tests back and my osteoporosis has reversed...probably due to weight loss and weight bearing exeercise.

Weird. I get mine after the fill is completed!

A fluoroscope is an x-ray machine that takes moving pictures.

Is that what it is? It doesn't taste like a bad breath taste....more like bile, sort of, but without the acid reflux. Does yours taste like bile?

I have a fluoro with every fill. After the fill, I drink a tiny amount of barium and we watch it on the fluoroscope as if travels to the band and then trickles on through to the stomach. It's a way to tell if your fill is giving you restriction but with enough space to be able to eat. It also give a view of the band to make sure it's in the right place and that the stoma isn't stretched.

Yeah, I saw her draw a blank when they asked her at what point she knew that what she was saying wasn't making any sense. I've learned to be grateful for plateaus that just mean no weight loss, instead of meaning that I regain and more! Nice that the band just waits for us to getout act together again!

Yay! She's back! Great to hear from you!

Did you schedule your test yet?

HAHAHAHAHA! You're fine. We all have to test the waters and figure out what we can eat and what we can't. And how to order food, eat out, eat with others, refuse donuts..... It's all part of the process. And once you have your fills and restriction, you'll hopefully have enough practice and have made enough mistakes that you won't be starting from ground zero figuring out how to be a restricted bandster. It's good to have some fear of slippage, and to be cautious, so I don't want to reassure you too much, but we've all been exactly where you are, and we're still alive and kickin'. That's great that your Aunt realized what she did and felt bad about. The people around us have to learn just like we do. You go girl!

Woo hoo! Congrats! You're right on track, future skinny girl!

Er, excuse the typos above. That's what I get for not proofing.