papoose

Congratulations to you too. My BMI was 51, now it is down just under 40. So I do feel good. As for you the slower you lose it, the longer you will keep it off. I am in a 16 now, trying to get to size 14 before my 1 year anniversary. I got to incorporate exercising. I really hate to exercise. I was starting to walk more, but in NY we have heat advisories going on for the next few days, since I am asthamatic I won't be walking outside much.

Thanks LisaA. I have 5 ccs. For the month of May I was hungry a lot. I felt I was eating a lot more. I also started snacking on chips. Plus my weight was up and down. One week I lost the next I gained. I felt ready for a fill. But Dr. said I was pretty tight and didn't want to add to much more. Today is my first day back to eating and I can feel the tightness, so I am making sure I am chewing, chewing and eating slowly. I also was eating very fast and throwing up a lot.

Hi all, I had my band put in 9/22/10. Just wanted to share with you all that I have lost 80 lbs. so far. Sometimes it is easy and sometimes it is hard. Just had a small fill .2. Dr. didn't feel I needed more. I have my last fill in February, so I was starting to feel hungry in between meals. I was not lasting 4-5 hours. I just can not get into exercising like I see a lot of posters do. I have been walking a lot more. But just can not get myself to go to the gym.

try drinking smooth move tea (traditional medicines). I drink a cup a night and it helps me go. I may not go the next day but the following day I will go. I have the same problem.

I have the same problem. I can not drink cold drinks from the refrigerator. I have to let it get room temperature. Also if my food gets to cold I can not eat. If I try and reheat it with the microwave it won't go down. Yes I can eat ice cream and ice pops with no problem at all. Curious to hear what others have to say about it also. I was banded a month after you 9/22/10. How is your weight loss? I have lost 80 lbs.

Sounds like you are doing great. About the constipation try Smooth Move Tea by Traditional Medicines. I also drink Naked Protein or any other brand Green Drink - it has vegetables and fruit in it. It looks terrible but tastes pretty good. I suffer really bad with constipation until the point have I really bad pains in my port area because of it.

I have been in menopause for 2 years and I have gotten my period twice with cramps since I had my lapband surgery. I always got cramps when I was regular. This time when I got it I was very tight and threw up everything I ate. Does anyone have any ideas why I am getting my period all of a sudden. It has been 6 months since the last time. I had my surgery 8 months ago. It is so annoying. O

I have had my band since 9/22/10. Today I had my 4th fill. I never felt the needle before going in and today I did. I guess because I have lost a lot of fat in my stomach. It really didn't hurt. I guess because he also was pushing down on it. He gave me a fill but said I probably didn't need it. He added .2 saline. I think I have 5.0 in a 10.0 band. Today I am on liquids. Tomorrow I can go back to eating, he said if I have a problem then go back to liquids for a couple of more days. Hopefully everything will stay down. I just have to remember to chew, chew and eat very slowly. I have lost 80 lbs so far.

I was told not to take psyllium husk because it swells in your stomach. We can take benefiber, metamucal and miralax. Also you can use stool softeners.

Also check with your insurance carrier - ask for a bariatric surgeon. That's how I found mine.

My insurance required that for 6 months my weight be documented. My surgeon had me come in once a month and documented it. So maybe check with your surgeon's office and they will do it.

I don't think will deny you if you gain weight. I gained a few pounds right before my surgery and my Doctor just told me not to gain anymore weight. I have Aetna and had to have my weight documented for 6 months. So good luck.

I am in North Jersey. My doctor is Dr. Vadim Gritsus in Paramus, he also has an office in Pequannock. He does his surgery out of Chilton Hospital and Valley Hospital. All adjustments/fills are done at the Paramus office since he does each with the flourscopy machine. I had my surgery Sept. 22, 2010 and have lost 80 lbs. so far. Very nice Doctor and staff.

I also check online. I have Aetna and they had all of their bariatric requirements online.

I was having pain when I was wearing underwire bras. I mentioned it to my doctor and he said not to wear underwire bras, because my port was underneath my rib cage. The underwire of the bra was resting right on it. I found Playtex Secrets and Bali without underwire that lift very well.

I had 2 clots also. One in my leg and one in my lungs. The day of the surgery they gave me a shot of lovenox. I was given a prescription for lovenox and I had to give myself a shot for 30 days. I had no problems, just a little bruised from the shot. Just follow your doctors instructions and you will be alright.

It may be gas. 4 weeks after I was banded I had serious pain in my stomach. I called the Dr. and he told me to go to the emergency room. They gave me all kinds of tests, ultrasounds of the stomach and all my organs, flouroscopy. All kinds of blood tests. Thank god nothing showed up, except I was constipated. So he said it was probably gas. Told me to take stool softeners. This next morning it all came out. I felt so much better. But you should definitely call your Dr.

I can drink up until I eat. Eat, then wait 1 hour to drink again. I think I should wait 2 minutes between each chew. If I chew and drink I at the same time I get stuck. I know all surgeons give different instructions, but never saw those instructions. Maybe you check again with your surgeon's office.

You should check with your nutrionist at your Dr's office. All the Dr's office are so different. After a month I was told to eat what every I wanted to eat. Just start with your 4 oz. of protein and some vegetables. I am 7 months out and I still eat a lot of chicken, eggs, oatmeal, tuna fish, chicken salad. I have a hard time eating beef ( i can eat meatballs or meatloaf). You just have to experiment with different foods and see if you can tolerate it. My Dr. told me from the beginning no pasta, no rice and only toasted bread. The other day I had macaroni & cheese it went down real easy. But I do try and do a low carb diet. Good luck.

I am seven months banded. After my last fill in Feb. that was happening to me. Every other meal I was getting stuck. It just stopped, now I can eat normally. I think I was tight for the first few months, so I had to be very careful. I know I am very tight in the mornings, sometimes I drink hot tea, before I eat or eat oatmeal. I probably should of went to the Dr. and got an unfill, but I didn't. My next appointment to discuss fills is in a couple of weeks. I thought I didn't need one, but I feel as if I am eating more and I am not getting stuck as much. So I guess it is a process we go through and we have really listen to our bodies. I see many people on this site talk about fincky bands. I guess I have one also. Also my weight has been plateaued for the last month, I have lost 72 lbs. since Sept.

Don't worry once the weight starts falling off you will definitely start feeling good about yourself. Good luck.

I don't think my personality has changed. But I was told by my good friend at work, that someone said I was COCKY since I lost 70 lbs. I was so livid. My friend did tell the person that she would be COCKY also if she lost all that weight and she worked very hard to lose it. Everyone is noticing that I lost weight and they come up to me and ask me about it. If I am sitting, they tell me to stand up and I do and then I do a little dance for them. We laugh and they tell me they are so happy for me. If you don't mention anything about my weight I don't say anything also. I just said screw that person. I am happy, I feel good, I can now wear cute dresses. So leave me alone. LOL

I have Aetna. I told my primary dr. that I wanted the insurance, he thought it was a good idea. I went on Aetna's website and found a bariatric Dr. that was in-network and center for excellence. I checked him out saw that he looked like a good dr. I then went to his informational seminar. They said the next thing is to make an appt. with him. I went, his office told me with my insurance I had to see him for 6 months while they track my weight. I did that. By the end of the 6 months I had to see the nutrionist, psych that told me to go to (after seeing nutrionist I find out the Aetna I have does not approve nutrionist's so I had to pay out of pocket for that). I had a list of all the different tests I had to take, I got my medical clearance from my primary and then was scheduled for the surgery. All of that took about 8 months, it all went very fast. Call your insurance company and make sure. Maybe you can do the 6 months with your bariatric surgeon. Because the bariatric surgeon may have different rules for you to follow. Good luck, it is well worth the weight. I am now down 72 lbs. I had my surgery Sept. 22, 2010.

I think you are drinking your protein shakes too cold. I can't drink anything cold or with ice. It has to be room temperature.

I have noticed the same thing, when I am constipated I have a hard time eating that day or I get stuck. I have tried everything, but I am constipated at least once or twice a week. I am trying some enzymes I got from the health food store, they work some days and some days they don't work. I also drink a lot of water/tea.