Acadia

I second Heather's comment. Heating pad or a rice bag (old tube sock with 2-4 cups of uncooked rice - tie the open end of the sock then microwave for 2 minutes - can be reheated around 100-200 times before you need to replace the rice) and lots of walking, stretching, and moving. Mine hurt constantly and those rice bags helped immensely. Especially before bed and in bed. It provides moist heat for about an hour or so. Make sure to wrap it in a towel or t-shirt to prevent burns.

Isn't it ridiculous the types of foods that go down so easily!? Since my second fill I'm just a tad bit tight. It doesn't impact me drinking fluids at all - but I cannot drink with meals because I will vomit. I can't eat in the morning, usually not until noon or 2 PM, then I can eat about 1/4-1/2 c of real food. No more Pasta, rice, or bread. And yet things like Cheetos and popcorn go down without a problem. I'm very conscious about what I eat now. I am at a point where I don't eat for pleasure. I eat when I'm hungry or when I notice my blood sugar dipping. That's it. I no longer buy crap at the store (other than the odd bag of Cheetos), I don't look at Milk Duds as a possible food because I know I'll get stuck. I don't look at normal portions as desirable, a few table spoons is more than sufficient. I even look forward to my Protein drink for Breakfast.

13 lbs is very good for still being within the 4-6 healing window after surgery. Slow weight loss is better for your body and better for your mental adjustment (losing weight too quickly can cause severe depression). Keep doing what you're doing and expect (and desire) a loss of 1-2 lbs a week and you'll do great.

Consider the FitBit (http://fitbit.com).

I've had similar pains and did go to the ER and ruled out a heart attack. Though the doctors couldn't figure out what it was, the guess was gallbladder. Fattening foods, dairy products, eggs, meats with high levels of fat, dairy products, citrus fruits, chocolate, coffee and carbonated soda can all trigger a gallbladder attack. A gallbladder attack can last anywhere from 10-15 minutes to hours and can make it so no position is comfortable, breathing deeply hurts, you sweat, have cold sweats, feel like you need to vomit, and more. It can be some of the worst pain you've ever felt. It's worth getting checked out either way - but if the hospital is unable to find a cause the next time it happens, consider your gallbladder. In the mean time, keep a detailed food diary and you will be able to tell what you ate before it happens (my first had a 6 hour gap between eating and the attack, the second was within seconds).

My surgery was $50,000 total ($49,000 and change so I rounded up). The allowed amount by my insurance company was $28,000. Of that allowed amount, my insurance paid $25,200 and I paid $2,800. So chances are the self pay would have been $28,000. If you go self-pay you'll very likely pay at least $10,000 more than you would through your insurance.

My surgery was at 0900 and I was home by 1300. No hospital stay isn't a problem. Talk to your doctor about doing same day surgery.

Chances are it will close. I don't know where you're located but go to a reputable piercing studio and ask them for teflon or silicone jewellery (if you message me where you are I can recommend an appropriate resource). There's no reason to remove your body jewellery completely. ** And I do know the American spelling of jewelry but I'm not American ; )

I personally don't believe in gods but I can't say 100% positively that they don't exist. They just don't exist for me.

I've been experiencing the same thing since my second fill. I used to be able to drink with meals (a no-no I know, but I still did it) - now I can't even sip with a meal because I'll get stuck immediately and will have to force vomit the Fluid. Since my second fill I'm reduced to 1/4-1/2 c food per meal (except popcorn ... for some reason I can eat 3 cups of popcorn no problem). I can no longer eat Breakfast, only drink Protein drinks. It's definitely helping me lose weight, but it's a little frustrating to wake up and not know what's safe to eat. So as far as I know it's completely normal but very frustrating.

Caffeine is probably the safest. You can get caffeine pills like No Doz, or drink coffee or tea.

Protein (but not in excess), biotin (sublingual pill works), and trying to stay stress free.

Wait the full four weeks before you get your second fill. Fills don't always show their full impact immediately. The band won't make you less hungry - it will just help keep you full longer when you eat and allow you to eat less to reach that point.

Saraboo is right on target. Chalk it up to hormone changes, which were precipitated by weight loss (fewer female hormones being released by fat cells). If you're keen to avoid a period for a while talk to your Dr about taking a birth control pill for 3 months at a time, it's not going to harm you, and will help get you back on track during your weight loss.

Just as you're thinking about what everyone else will think about you - everyone else is thinking about what everyone else will think about them. Don't worry about it. Do it for you. Learn from the others in the class.

CheckYes: Unlike Acadia, I've never had to take extra Vitamins - well, I should say, I've never known I was supposed to take anything other than a multi but I just had blood work done so I am going to check with my doctor on the B12, Iron, vit D and calcium. (Thanks for that info, Acadia). -- You're welcome. Not everyone needs extra vitamins, but vegetarians often do. It's good that you're getting tested. Ask for the actual number and the normal range so you can tell where you sit, not just if you're high or low. You could be 1 point from hitting under normal and they'll still say you're within range. Since B12 can only be had naturally from animal products it's necessary to supplement. Though you may be fortunate to get enough from a Multivitamin, most vegetarians will become deficient and will notice that they're tired more often, will have lines or ridges on their nails, and will lose the moon on their nails. And once you are deficient you *cannot* get what you need from food. There simply isn't enough B12 in food to compensate. That said, as a vegetarian you can still get some from fortified Breakfast cereals, which have around 6 micrograms. If you are lacto/ovo: yogurt has about 1.4 micrograms per 1 c, 1 cup of milk has 0.9 micrograms, an egg has 0.6 micrograms, and cheese has about 0.3 micrograms per 1 oz. The iron, same thing, it's primarily from meat and most vegetarians don't eat enough Beans or dark green leafy veggies to get enough iron. The vitmain D isn't necessary if you get outside - without sunblock - for at least 30 minutes a day. Though these days most people wear sunblock so they don't get enough Vit D. It's good to get tested and supplement unless you're in the mid level. It's good you're getting tested, most people don't bother with Vitamin / mineral testing. I love a little hot baked tofu with a small amount of peanut satay sauce. That's one of my favorite meals. -- I love this too, it's a great snack. I haven't had it since being banded though. and no more Gelatin (gummy vitamins, Jello and some jello mousse puddings). -- There are vegetarian/vegan sources of gelatin and there are many products that are created to be similar to things like Jell-O but still vegetarian. When in doubt call the manufacturer and ask what their source is for the gelatin. Birinak Everyone is different, based on the food they eat and their activity locations (outside vs inside). It's great that you don't need supplements. Unfortunately not everyone will be so fortunate. Vitamin B12 can be very easily obtained from eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, and whey. -- If the vegetarian is lacto/ovo those are options, but a lot of vegetarians aren't. I'm severely lactose intolerant, so no milk or yogurt for me. Cheese is okay if it's a hard cheese (sharp cheddar) and less than 1 tbsp. Whey is okay for me if it has no lactose in it. Many people go vegetarian not only for environmental reasons (including animal welfare) but often because of food intolerance, so they will become deficient if they are not lacto/ovo or pesci. For me personally, if eggs are cooked into something (bread) I'll eat it but very rarely (2-3x a year) will I eat an actual egg dish (like quiche or souffle). Also - it's very important to know that once someone is deficient in B12, they cannot get enough from food and they do need supplementation either by pills or injections to get back on par. Vitamin D along with 15 minutes of sun exposure a day -- There's actually a pandemic right now for vitamin D deficiency. People are wearing too much sunscreen, which prevents the ability to create vitamin D from the sun. And because obese people are already at risk for deficiency, most of the US is deficient. And you're right, the only way to tell if you truly need Vitamin D (and other vitamins) is to get your blood tested every 6 months to a year.

Emla can work, but as you mentioned, it needs to be on for at least 30-60 minutes before your appointment. And it has to be put on then covered so it stays creamy on the area. If you aren't 100% positive where your port is then using it is pretty useless as it only affects the area it's on. You could as your Dr. for a prescription for lidocaine patches, same idea as emla but in a patch form. Easier to use, just cut to size, peel, and stick. Or ask for a lidocaine, xylocaine, or saline injection (saline's preservative will numb the area oddly enough). They usually use a 23 ga need for the lidocaine injection (not too painful) then a 20 ga or 18 ga for the actual fluid injection (lots of pressure). I just had my second fill on the 23rd and I have 2" diameter bruise around the injection area - and it went really well, one poke and around 10 seconds. So I'm very glad I had lidocaine this time.

I've been vegetarian since 1995 and have been able to be quiet successful with it in three countries. Two of which had virtually no 'premade' vegetarian products. Definitely watch what you're eating - track it in something like LiveStrong where you information stays private (free sites get permission to use your information as they see fit). If you eat a lot of carbs just make them Protein strong, like oatmeal, Beans, protein enriched Pasta. Eating carbs isn't a problem, it's which ones you're eating. ie. don't eat french fries regularly, chips, etc. MY FAVOURITE RECIPE My favorite recipe is Tofu wraps (I originally had these at the Los Angeles Athletic Club then created my own receipe). The full recipe (with photos) are here: http://curvyfitness.com/wrap/wrap.htm Yes, I fry the tofu, but as I say in the entry, "Once everything was done cooking, a mere teaspoon and a half of oil was missing, so three full blocks of tofu absorbed only a tiny bit of oil." You have to have the oil at the right temperature. And once you make all of this tofu (doing many packages at once is ideal) it freezes beautifully and you just put it in the fridge to thaw then add it to anything you make. The texture is fantastic, the flavor (Mrs. Dash or something similar - a powdered spice) is great, and it can even be microwaved and eaten just like that. SOY Soy testing has only been done in animals. Human testing has never been done. So though mice show reproductive issues when given 25 grams of soy per day, humans have not yet shown the same results. However, based on the animal testing that has been done scientists believe there may be reproductive issues over the long term if a human is fed large amounts of soy since birth. The benefits (lower cholesterol, lower risk of cancer) outweigh the potential negative aspects. I personally wouldn't be concerned with the amount of soy you're eating, especially since you'll be eating much less than an average person due to the size of your pouch. recipes Some of my favorites are: Veggie Tacos: taco shells, light sour cream or greek yogurt, Boca crumbles with taco seasoning, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, taco sauce. (makes enough for 3-4 meals, great the next day) Veggie Shepherd's Pie: Boca crumbles with light mushroom soup and small sweet peas is the base, the topping is mashed potatoes with corn niblets and some garlic, a little bit of Kraft parm cheese on top. Freezes well. Roasted Veggie Fajitas: take any veggies you like, slice them in strips, put them on a few sheets of parchment on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt (sea salt) and olive oil, bake around 250 for about 45 minutes, get some thin tortillas, add veggies, light sour cream or greek yogurt. Usually the veggies have enough flavor to avoid any additional seasoning. Freezes well. Veggie Chili: a can of garbanzo beans, can of red kidney beans, can of white kidney beans, can of veggie 'pork and beans' type beans, 1/4 c ketchup, small can tomato paste, chili powder, garlic powder, onion, boca crumbles if you like 'beef texture', corn, peas, shredded carrots, broccoli buds (just the tops so it's little bits of green), and I'm probably missing a few things. A lot of the pre-made veggie meals are great too. Stick with Indian and you'll get a lot of protein, flavor, and a nice balance of amino acids. Mexican is great, red beans and rice give you a complete protein. Oatmeal. If you include eggs you can very easily add them to most any meal that makes sense. IMPORTANT NOTES You will need to take B12 for the rest of your life (sublingual taste good). You may need Iron supplements (1 long release every 3-4 days). You will likely need Vitamin D (5,000 IU/day). You will need Calcium citrate daily (citracals petites). You will NOT need Vitamin C or E. So do not take extra of those.

I use The Daily Plate / LiveStrong. It's $45/year for the gold plan, which allows online and app access, full backup of all of your data, sharing your data, tracking of any and everything, adding meals and recipes (so it figures out the nutritional values), forums, challenges, and much more. Granted it costs, but 12 cents a day is a very small cost for such a thorough site and most importantly - a site that will not take control of your information. For anyone using MyFitnessPal, you should know that you have given them permission and ownership to anything and everything you upload including information, your photos, your journal entries, etc. They can use your name, your username, your photos, your entries, anything you post at the site for their own gain. Including selling the information. And that doesn't apply to just them but also their affiliates, their sublicensees, their employees, etc. I don't know how you feel about your personal privacy but I'm willing to pay 12 cents a day to make sure my information is kept private. From their site: “User Content” is any content, materials or information, not including personally identifiable information (e.g., first and last name, address, phone number, email address, etc.), that You upload or post to, or transmit, display, perform or distribute by means of, the Website, whether in connection with Your use of Services or otherwise. YOU HEREBY GRANT MYFITNESSPAL AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AFFILIATES, REPRESENTATIVES, SUBLICENSEES, SUCCESSORS, AND ASSIGNS (COLLECTIVELY, THE “MYFITNESSPAL PARTIES”) A PERPETUAL, FULLY PAID-UP, WORLDWIDE, SUBLICENSABLE, IRREVOCABLE, ASSIGNABLE LICENSE TO COPY, DISTRIBUTE, TRANSMIT, PUBLICLY DISPLAY OR PERFORM, EDIT, TRANSLATE, REFORMAT AND OTHERWISE USE USER CONTENT IN CONNECTION WITH THE OPERATION OF THE WEBSITE, SERVICES OR ANY OTHER SIMILAR OR RELATED BUSINESS, IN ANY MEDIUM NOW EXISTING OR LATER DEVISED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION IN ADVERTISING AND PUBLICITY. YOU FURTHER AGREE THAT THE MYFITNESSPAL PARTIES MAY PUBLISH OR OTHERWISE DISCLOSE YOUR NAME AND/OR ANY USER NAME OF YOURS IN CONNECTION WITH THEIR EXERCISE OF THE LICENSE GRANTED UNDER THIS SECTION. YOU AGREE TO WAIVE, AND HEREBY WAIVE, ANY CLAIMS ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO THE EXERCISE BY THE MYFITNESSPAL PARTIES OF THE RIGHTS GRANTED UNDER THIS SECTION, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY CLAIMS RELATING TO YOUR RIGHTS OF PERSONAL PRIVACY AND PUBLICITY. YOU WILL NOT BE COMPENSATED FOR ANY EXERCISE OF THE LICENSE GRANTED UNDER THIS SECTION.

Mine are covered 100% (under fluoroscopy) - no copay. If memory serves my statement of benefits said they were billing the insurance around $521 and were getting paid around $485 (writing off the rest). Once my Dr. switches to office visit fills (which they can't currently bill for) then that cost may change.

Glad I'm not alone with the hiccups. I get them if I eat something just that tiny bit too fast. And then I don't eat anything more once I have them. It's kind of like a 'full' indicator.

Have you thought about taking something like Prilosec OTC? It is a Protein pump inhibitor and will reduce the amount of acid your stomach makes. If you're able to eat fine otherwise I suggest trying this for two weeks (ideally 2-3 months). It will help retrain your stomach a bit so it doesn't produce so much acid. If the reflux comes back after you stop, then you may need to find out if you have an ulcer or another issue. It could also be the food you're eating. Monitor when it occurs and what you ate in the hours prior. I hope that helps.

A completely natural cleanse (that is recommended and used by medical professionals) is a salt Water flush. Take 1 L of water and mix in 1 tbsp of salt. shake to dissolve, then chug it best you can. It will taste horrible. You will not want to sip it. However, about 15-30 minutes later you'll start cleansing your system. Do this in the evening when you can be near a bathroom for a while. You'll likely have several movements. It won't kill the bacteria in your system. It won't cause you to be ill from a reaction. It's completely natural, safe, and it works amazingly well. Make sure you have about 2-3 hours to spare for this. Seriously.

I was told straws are not a problem. They actually help you regulate your intake and some people (like me) drink a hell of a lot more with the use of straws.