Search the Community

Thanks for checking in. My application for approval was sent to the insurance last Thursday. My coordinator says 5-10 days. It had to go two two insurance companies. United health care and BCBS. So I wait. Trying to keep busy.

at about 2 months out, I started bleeding a few days a week lightly. (I have PCOS & only have TOM maybe 2-3 times a year at my highest weight of 265lbs.) That went on for probably a month or so. Then all the sudden I started bleeding A LOT every single day for probably 10-14 days. During that time i had my hemoglobin and hematocrit checked and it was super low 23.4 and 7.9. I was very pale as well. Finally at a dr.'s appt. my OB/GYN told me she could do a D&C THAT day. So 2 hours later I was prepped for that and then when done, I received 2 units of blood. Long story short, I know for a fact that my weight loss had everything to do with the onslaught of TOM. My hormones were obviously WAY out of whack. I lost 95lbs in 5.5 months. The last 2 months I;ve lost about 10lbs (my fault.Kind of took a break,but now getting back on track to lose the last 30-40lbs). I would say it's your hormones. I would certainly go see a doctor as soon as you can. Good luck!

Okay, I've always loved Jif Peanut Butter. After lapband surgery on 09/19/13, when I finally starting introducing soft and reg foods after the 2 week liquid and 1 week mushie, I would come home from work and eat my 4oz for supper and then find myself feeling hungry an hour or so afterwards. I know this is probably more habit then hunger at night, as I would eat a few times after supper. I tried some greek plain yogurt and added 2 T of PB along with 3 or 4 splenda's with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a tsp of vanilla and I was hooked! Now, instead of coming home and eating the meals I prepared for the week, I eat this yogurt/pb instead because I did not want to overdo it with both, and the yogurt has 15-20 grams of Protein and the pb has 7.. But then lately I've been getting more than 2 T PB and even go back later for more PB or another round before going to bed. Tonight I stopped by the store and got another jar along with sunflower seeds hoping it would help me feel more satisfied. Damn Comfort Food!! When I do eat this, I find some discomfort with the PB as I feel it is sticking, but I continue to eat it because it is soooo good! Has anyone else had a similar problem? Any suggestions on how to get away from this (nightly snacking) would be more than welcome. I need a swift kick in the butt!!! I've lost 32 lbs as of my last dr visit on 10/31/13 and am due form my 2nd fill Nov 21st. I'm afraid I may start putting weight back on.

Well I've lost 22# since the 10 days before the diet to now (5 days after surgery) and so far I can tell in my face and my "pooch" so maybe it'll all be in my stomach!

My hair loss started about 6 months post op and now, 10 months out I'm still losing but not as much. I started taking Biotin1 month ago and do notice little hairs growing and my nails are growing stronger too. I have a lot of hair so no one notices except me. I do notice, however, my hair is more coarse than before, dryer and thin around the ends, hoping to have my "nice, full curly, healthy hair" back soon.

Dont cry, please. This is the time for healing, not for losing weight. I know how hard it is to be patient. I am in the same place you are, I came out of surgery hungry, always hungry. I started walking a mile and a half, well not all at once, but I upped my distance until I got there and would like to do it twice a day, except its too blasted hot here, so Im frustrated too. I cant cut down on my eating and snacking so I had to up the exercise to keep losing anything, and I havent lost as much as you have, even counting what I lost pre surgery. I dont get a fill until august 16th, and from what I hear I probably still wouldnt have any restriction. They say it will be probably my 3rd fill before most feel enough restriction that it stops them from being so hungry. 3rd fill??!! So, even if you had gotten a fill last Thursday, you more than likely still would be just as hungry. Another trick is to concentrate on short term goals, 10 lb intervals, 20 at the most as a longer term goal. Any longer than that you will get too discouraged. You cant say well I need to lose 100 lbs, because then you will think you will never be able to get there and give up. Im right there with ya. hugs. My worst time is at night when I start grazing. Get a big box of SF popsicles and stick one in your mouth. I still want CANDY lol. We are all in your boots and know just how you feel, its called bandster hell.

I was 38, 5ft 10 and 245lb when I got banded. i am now 150lb at 42. I lost weight quite slowly compared to some, none of this 100lb in 9 months stuff, it took me a good 2 years to lose it, but it was steady and I lost well over 100% of my "excess" taking me well below the top of the normal BMI range. I also ended up with very little loose skin. I've got enough that I feel a bit dejected about it from time to time but really, you cant tell i was ever as fat as I was.

@@jack35 there is an old, but true expression on this board (some people might be sick of hearing it ) "the one thing we have in common is that we're all different!!!" "they" say losing 10 lbs a month PO is average/good you've lost 67 lbs in 6 months - woo hoo!!!! OMG that IS something to be proud of you can look, but take no mind how much or little others are losing, in what time period etc. only think of yourself with positive vibes around you not sure about you, but when i was sad and depressesd in my "past" life i would eat, and eat, and eat some more chin pointed upward easier said than done sometimes keep eating and drinking as you've been told, i'm sure you are doing that things will continue to go upwards, or "down" whichever way you look at it good luck kathy

Yeah it suks!!! Trust me i know!!! Test (blood) detects Cointine which is nicotein base for a heavy smoker and it coukd take up to 2 months to clear...now if they do urine? Than thats 4 days...now and days docs arent that dumb and they know the diff so 9 times out of 10 they request blood sample. @@Leesa926 Good Luck!

I think I Have been reading way too many books, and have scared myself. I have read that the port can actually flip and then it is unable to get a fill or access at all, then you have to have another surgery to correct it. How do you know if this happens? Also today i was watching a movie and laying on my back and looked down and saw a large bump on my stomach, at the port site. I have never seen this before, why is it sticking out so much and it is a huge bump. When I sit down or stand up it is not there. Anyone else have any of these issues? I am scared. I was banded on the 24th of July and first fill is 9/10. THank you.

I tried to eat a healthy, balanced diet from the get go. Besides eating plenty of Protein and veggies, I was putting soft fruits like peaches, mangos and bananas in my Protein shakes starting the 2nd week postop. Since artificial sweeteners hurt my sleeve I was using pureed fruit to flavor my plain Greek yogurt. I was OK'd for seeds and skins at 3 months postop and started adding berries to my smoothies and I had 1/4 apple with Peanut Butter as a snack several times/week. I put craisins in my mixed nuts which I. snack on everyday. In the summer, frozen pineapple, frozen melon chunks and frozen orange segments are a favorite. All that fruit and I still passed goal at 7 months and have maintained 10 pounds below goal for over 9 months. I still shoot for a healthy, balanced diet of protein, veggies, fruit, whole grains and plenty of Water. I must be getting good nutrition because I only take a 1/2 dose of a whole food based Multivitamin, some extra Vitamin D and B12 and my bloodwork is perfect.

i'm back from the hospital now after an overnight stay (required by the insurance company). here is a brief synopsis of my experience. i was scheduled for surgery at the nix weight loss center in san antonio, tx with dr. keith wright at noon. i was asked to check in at 10:00 for admission to the hospital. i got there at 9:30 to check with the surgeon's office to let them know i was there and see if there were any last minute things i needed to do. i also bought some "bariatic advantage" chewable multivitamins while i was there. around 10 i went to the admissions office and checked in. after that i was taken to a waiting room and told to take everything off and put on a hosital gown. i waited there while a nurse went over disclosures and paperwork. they also drew some blood. after about half an hour, they took me to a hospital room and lay me down, put in the IV and i waited there for over an hour. the surgeon apparently had 6 surgeries that day and i was number four, i can only imagine he was running behind. they finally came to get me and rolled me to another waiting area where they administered antibiotics through the iv and i met the anesthesiologist. after another hour or so, they finally wheeled me into surgery. the room was much bigger than i expected. i haven't had surgery since i was 12, so i had no idea what to expect. i did learn something though about the actual operation. apparently, it is performed with the patient hoisted up on a vinyl type table almost standing (at about a 45 degree angle). when i moved onto the operating table, there was a team of about 5 people that went to work. everything was so fast paced that i'm surprised i remember anything at all. they had me breathe pure oxygen for about 2 minutes and then injected the anesthetic, which was warm in my veins and knocked me out in about 10 seconds. when i woke up, i was in the recovery room. i think it took me a good hour to regain my senses and i don't think i regained them fully until about 5 hours after surgery. i lay there in a big room with several other patients and nurses milling about. every once in awhile someone would ask me something, but i have no idea what they were saying. after awhile, they wheeled me away and took me to do the barium swallow so they could do a video xray of my insides and see if the band and port were properly placed. i was scared to swallow the barium because it was pretty thick. it tasted like lemon antacids mixed with chalk. i could only get a small amount down and they kept telling me to drink more. i briefly saw a picture of my band and port but couldn't really tell what was what. then they took my to my room. luckily they were able to arrange a private room so my wife could stay with me overnight. the rest of the day was spent trying to keep liquids down and trying to stay conscious long enough to watch an episode of family guy. they kept me well stocked with crystal light, jello, and veggie broth. the warm veggie broth was the best on my throat. the staff was all very helpful, friendly, and professional and though i had very little actual contact or communication with my surgeon, i think he was the best person for the job. i spent one night there... the nurses came in every so often to check vitals and blood sugar. i woke up around 7 am for good and had a veggie broth, tea, and jello breakfast and checked out soon after. the hardest part of the whole process for me was being so out of it for so long because of the anesthesia. the pain is completely manageable and causes the most problems when i use my abdominal muscles. my throat is very sore from intubation and the gas pain doesn't seem to be a problem for me in the traditional sense. the gas seems to have travelled through my body and into my joints and muscles, causing my whole body to ache as if i had the flu or a bad cold. it's been about 24 hours since surgery now though and really starting to subside. the only really noticeable pain now is aching from the incisions. i did take a look at my incisions and after comparing them to so many other pictures on this board, i have to say i believe my surgeon did an excellent job. i have 4 very small incisions (less then 1 inch) and one larger one (maybe 1.5 inches). dr. wright is top notch! it has been almost 48 hours since i last ate solid food, and the hunger has just start to hit. the broth seems to be the best thing to hold it at bay. i weighed myself today and i'm about 5 pounds heavier than this time yesterday. i imagine it's all the fluids and i'm sure i'll be dropping it pretty quickly once i get into ful liquids and mushies. my goal now, having the week off work, is to relax, recover, and move around as much as possible. 160 lbs, here i come!

I would get edema and to even take lasix pills before my journey. I haven't had the edema since the surgery on 1/29/19 Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Here I am sitting in Mexico, just as nervous as I can be. I don´t think I was this nervous with my first child. Surgery is Monday Morning at 10:00 everyone please cross your fingeres for me, and any thing else that you can cross ha ha

Hi Toots! I just posted a diet plan under "what are we eating" Check it out I just lost 10 pounds in nine days and it's a very healthy diet and very easy to digest. I am never hungry. Several people at work are on it with me. Here is the website with details. http://www.magic925.com/magicmornings_aux2.html

I have to second and third Betsy and vlp. I had my 2nd fill yesterday(No issues this time!) which brings me to 6cc in a 14cc band and have found I eat 1/2 to 3/4 cup(total) of food and I am full for 3 to 4 hours. Not stuffed but like Betsy B said and I'm not hungry. I also eat 5 to 6 times a day but I eat 3 small meals and have 3 to 4 snacks a day. I snack on natural almonds, yogurt, a slice of cheese or Protein bar. I am NEVER starving but I do get hungry. It is so cool to be learning the differance. I have lost 38 pounds since 8-15-10 It has taken over 40 years to put all this weight on and it is gonna take some time to loose it.:eek:

Hey Guys, So I had my 4th fill about 10 days ago, bringing me up to 6.75 cc in my 11cc band and am feeling better restriction. What I'm going through now is that I'm eating much less per sitting, but I find myself hungry about 2 - 3 hours after each meal. Is this normal? Does this mean I'm close to feeling full restriction? I was banded in June and have plateaued at around 23 pounds lost, hoping to lose more before the holidays. Thanks! Steve

So, I have to have the sit down chat with my dad soon. I'll have a date shortly and will need to tell him. I've posted this story before but real quick - I was supposed to have surgery five years ago, when I was 19. I was still on his insurance, and my mom and I thought it would be best to wait until everything was set and ready to go before we told him what was happening, that way we could answer all his questions and could give him a time and date that it was happening, ect. He operates best under those circumstances, but he flew off the handle, and canceled my surgery 48 hours before it was to happen. Needless to say, he probably won't be super thrilled about it this time around. However, a few things are different now: I no longer live at home, have my own insurance, and am financially independent from my dad. I do not want this to be the thing that completely dissolves my relationship with my dad, but would also not be able to go through with it without him having knowledge that it's happening. So please throw your positive stories my way!! I would like to be able to show him all of your successes, if we even get that far. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, and will do this with or without him in my corner, but having him there would be nice. Also, any advice on how to deal with a stubborn, recovering alcoholic (five years clean and sober, go dad!), I'll take that too! TIA!

I ordered some fruit protein drink powder from American Bariatrics - it is a little like Crystal Light. It comes in several flavors. I couldn't do the shakes, but I really enjoy these fruit drinks. They are 90 calories and have 15 grams of protein! Mix it with 8 or 10 ounces of water, and you are getting in liquids, calories, AND protein! They have really helped me to meet my minimums. And yes - take those supplements. I have known others who have not and have landed back in the hospital with complications.

This time last year I was a solid size 20 pant and a 1x or 2x top, now I am a size 8 or 10 pant and a size med top.

Pre-op I was in a size 22-24 at Avenue (hated that store, everything seemed to be covered in sequins or glitter--so not my style!). Post-op size 10 tops (kept my boobs) and size 6 pants! It's still so unreal to me to say I wear a six in pants!

I know!! I can't believe it when I go shopping and can just pick up an 8 or 10 and count on it fitting. I still gravitate towards the 18/16 stuff and then have to tell myself " nope self you are not that big any more" LOL

I have Anthem BC CA had surgery recently luckily my out of pocket is only $1000, + $250 deductable AND 10% CO PAY I owe the hosp $600, put had to pay 10% before admission which was about $300 so should only owe about $300. My group ha a program fee for after surgery which was $3500 and had to pay that up front not covered by BC so toatl cost of lapband to me about $4800

When I was on my 10 day liquid diet I had a dream about a ribeye and a baked potato. In the dream they were the best ever on the planet. It was so vivid. Anyone is going to have cravings and dreams about food if they have essentially been on liquid for a month. The one thing I noticed about my cravings is they never translated to my stomach and cause me to be ravenously hungry like they would have in the past. That is when I knew my sleeve was really working, and that made me really satisfied with my choice. I see a lot of people licking foods, chewing and spitting food out just to get the taste etc. That is a path to eating disorders and I am recovering from one eating disorder (binge eating), I am not going to start the path to another. I do understand that other people have more temptations. I live alone, there are no bad foods in my home. I do not work in an office, I work from home. There is no one eating around me, and temping me. The only place I go every day is the gym, and everyone there is drinking Water and Protein shakes just like me. When I really want meat I drink the organic lamb broth from Whole Foods with unflavored Protein powder in it. That solves my craving. It is the ONLY store bought broth I have found with flavor.

I am apparently in "bandster hell" right now where my swelling has gone down, but I have just about no fill (2ccs in a 10 cc band), so I'm hungry and pretty much have a wide-open band. Well, it put me into a plateau because I was losing weight like mad on liquids. So . . . I decided to get aggressive on my own. I decided to log my calories on thedailyplate.com, log my exercise, step up the cardio a bit, and increase my protein/water intakes. No, the scale still hasn't moved . . . but I'm determined. Yeah, I could sit around and wait for the fill in 2 weeks, then another 4, then another 4 or whatever it will take to get me to my sweet spot . . . . but I don't have patience. I just don't. So, in my downtime, I have to use it to my advantage and just know that the hunger will only be for a short time until I to proper restriction. That knowledge (a forseeable future) is the only thing that is helping me to not scarf up anything and everything in my presence. So, I guess you're like me . . . kind of at a crossroads and trying to decide how much work you're going to put into it or how much you are going to rely on the band. I decided to put in the work because I know the waiting would kill me . . . HTH