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Sneaking in here, for the the light brown spots you got with pregnancy. It's called 'mask of pregnancy' I believe, and I got a few patches on my face from my twins. Good times. I have found that Alpha Hydroxy with 10% Glycolic Acid from Ulta works really well. It is gonna burn coming on, but that is normal. It does dry your face out, so make sure to use a hydrating lotion in between applications.

I've had peripheral neuropathy (PN) for some 10 years now. Although it started off as fairly mild, in recent years it has progressed to where I have daily pain in my hands and feet and I take a cocktail of medications to deal with the symptoms. I have just begun to consider Lap-Band surgery for myself. My main concern is that it might aggravate my PN rather than alleviate it. I've decided against gastric bypass surgery for that very reason: although it can cure diabetes, a small-but-significant percentage of patients develop PN as a result of malabsorption of B Vitamins. I'm assuming that if it can trigger neuropathy, it may also aggravate existing neuropathy. Has anyone else gone into lap-band surgery with preexisting PN? thanks, Sue

My insurance didn't have a weight loss requirement. I did have 6 months of monitored weigh-ins but I was just told not to gain weight in that time. I ended up losing 68 pounds though. I did an elimination diet where the first month I cut down my portion sizes and didn't go back for seconds, the second month I cut out soda, third month I cut out rice, fourth month I cut out pasta, fifth month I cut out bread, and sixth month I cut out potatoes and beans. As for exercise, I have two back injuries so what I could do was really limited. I just walked 3-4x a week 10-30 minutes. It worked for me. Plus, it made it easier for me not to cheat and I was better able to prepare myself for how I would be eating after the surgery.

Depends on what size band. I have 14 cc's so 9 cc's wouldn't be THAT drastic for me. Also I agree, if you're paying $1100 a fill, you need to look around for cheaper fills! OK DUH I just re-read the thread title and see you are in a 10 cc band. SO I agree; do they count what's in your tubing? 1 cc isn't much....as a guideline, a teaspoon is 5-6 cc's. Otherwise if you don't have restriction, either your pouch is really stretched, or your band is leaking. I think you should discuss with your surgeon! Good luck!

I am not feeling restriction. What happens when you get to 10cc's. Has anyone else had this happen. I keep thinking with every fill (at $1100/fill) that this one will do the trick. I will have a 1 year anniversary for my surgery in Jan 09. I have lost weight, but can still eat alot. Do people have to have them replaced? Jeanette

I was sleeved 10/29 i go to the doctor on the 29th

In one week I will hopefully be prepped for surgery and getting ready to go under. My surgery is scheduled for 2pm on June 17th. Today is day one of my pre-op diet. I am crashing hard!!!!!! Everything was stockpiled and ready to go to get thru the day. I am taking RELIV vitamins and Isopure protein drinks. I am thanking God above for Isopure--although right now I can't even bear to think about drinking another one--they are a God-send! How well do I remember the days back even 10 years ago--and the hideously disgusting protein shakes that I would choke down doing the Body For Life challenges and trying to get ripped. I'm a LONG way from ripped--but this stuff makes this phase so much easier. Right now I am sweaty, nauseous, shaky, can't think or focus, want to cry. This is my body's typical reaction to drastic drop in blood sugar from cutting out carbs. I've had my limit of carbs already for the day and have been snacking on nuts and other NO carb things....but not helping. Completely second guessing my resolve and my ability to get this surgery. I'm wondering if I totally caved and ate something if I would just feel better. But I know I WOULD feel better--but I would not be better. This is part of the cost I counted before I started this journey...and I will be ok. It is day one --six more to go until I'm banded. It is a miracle that I was even approved and so many of my friends don't have this opportunity. I've got to seize this day for me, my little family, my sister that wants to get this, and all my friends who would die to be a week away from surgery, but aren't able to. My daughter went to be with her dad for a few days, then to Missouri to visit my sisters and family for a week. I will miss her SO bad, but thankful she will be away for this pre-op diet---that I don't have to make any food for her in the next week and that she won't be around for the surgery. She'll be back 2 days after with my awesome sister who is the best nurse in the world. My husband is the best in the world! SO supportive of me and is vowing to go on some kind of crash diet this week too, so I won't be alone. The good part about this is not having to smell or make good food (tuna is not a temptation) or fast food or any of that stuff. He will likely lose more weight than me in the next few days but who cares. I'm going to be banded in a WEEK!!! Oh, side note----ha ha ha---my skinny mother in law (who still knows nothing about the surgery) made a comment about how much weight I had gained since Easter. She thinks it's thyroid meds causing me to go "up and down". And she was concerned. I've gained 9 pounds since Easter--but have to agree....these last 9 pounds were BAD ones---and I felt like each one was an extra comorbidity for how horrible physically I felt with each one--not to mention the inches around my middle! My ex was at my daughter's kindergarden graduation last night--and he didn't say anything but I prob'ly weight more than him for the first time ever. Not cool. I had my "last supper" last night, and had heartburn (STILL) from it clear up till 11:00 this morning. I CAN make it thru today...and will take this one day at a time.

Congrats to you all! I am with Bedhead. When I woke up in recovery, it was a total 10. My nurse was there, of course. I told her I was hurting SO bad. She put the pain pump in my hand and told me to be sure and use it. I was still hurting by the time I got in the room where my family was waiting. I had a major "what the hell did I do" moment and even vocalized it to my family. But the pump was a tremendous help. My pain was managed from then on. I never met my Water goal during the first 3 weeks. Never. I would get in 40 on a good day. I still struggle at 5 weeks but am doing much better, hitting it more days then not. It often depends on what my work day is like. I had a terrible taste in my mouth constantly and a coated tongue during the first 3 weeks. I would wake up with my mouth and throat completely dry in the middle of the night. I believe I was going through some level of dehydration that entire time but I made it. You'll do great! Please update us!

Hello!! New here!! I am looking for answers, so I hope someone can help me. I have had 3 fills. Fill #1 was great, I felt restriction the first time around. It lasted for a week and then the restriction went away. So I had another fill. Fill # 2 was even better, more restriction, but it only lasted 9 days. So I had another fill. Fill # 3, I was sure would be my green zone fill at 6 cc's in my 10 cc band. The restriction was even greater and I had 100% signs of being in my green zone according to the chart above. BUT.... 2 WEEKS to the day after my fill, my restriction went away!! I am not restricted at all again. Why is this happening? I am worried my band is leaking. I know restriction can vary day to day or hour to hour... but it has been 2 days now, and I dont think my restriction will be coming back. I dont see my doc for another week. This mystery is driving me crazy and I have been doing so great. I dont want to fall off track and lose control of my portions. Is this normal for my restriction to subside like this. I thought your fills last longer than a week or two. - Amber

I had my surgery 2/22/10 i have lost 42lbs as of today and i had only 1 fill and that was at time of surgery. I've seen my doctor 2 since then and he did not give me a fill. I see him again next month and im starting to feel hungry between meals. I may call him before then and let him know. I'm on a less than 1000 calorie "diet" I use sparkspeople.com to keep me on track. Im starting to lose 2 to 3 lbs a week which i heard was normal. :thumbup:

since this last fill I also noticed that if I can prim my digestive tract I can enjoy food without getting stuck. even if I just eat one little tiny bite of food and wait 10 min's or so the rest of my meal will go down without trouble. but if I try and take mouthful followed by another I will get stuck. you wrote your post so well. I smiled because you are me. so if there is 2 of us. there are more.

I was starving after surgery also. Moving towards real food helped - particularly the step from full liquids to purees. This is where I started to be able to eat some normal protein containing foods, like eggs and cottage cheese. (I really, really hated protein drinks until I discovered my protein powder latte.) After 1-1.5 months, when the amount I could eat also increased somewhat as the swelling went down, I went from starving to really full. Now I'm 18 months out and I still feel much reduced hunger. Personally, I think when people feel starving right after surgery, it is often because they aren't getting enough protein and their body has started to eat its muscles. I was reading a study the other day that says out of all the muscle mass you'll lose in the year after bariatric surgery (about 10-15 lbs on average), you lose half of that muscle mass in your first two months. That's almost certainly because people aren't getting enough protein at the very beginning because of the liquid diet/small amounts you can eat. Sure, it may be head hunger. But either way, I'd try increasing your protein first. Any time you feel hungry, start with whatever you can tolerate/is currently on your diet plan that contains protein.

i have the same hun and im 19 days post op but as RJ said it gets easier every day! just keep doing what your doing taking each day as it comes angel xxxxxxxxxx

I am 3 weeks out. I had my surgery on July 16. I weighed twice once a week & the scale never moved. I weighed again & had lost abt 10 lbs. I knw tht its impossible not to loose weight w the amt of food im eating. So dont get discourged, it will come up. Inches are coming off, i can tell in my clothes.

Hi and thanks so much for asking about the surgery. It went ok, considering. My band was an old model from 2006, with the buckle in it. My surgeon said most of my stomach has prolapsed up through the band, and formed a lot of scar tissue. The surgery took 2.5 hours to repair the scar tissue damage and replace the band with a newer, updated model. Im not sure exactly which one yet. Post-op wasn't too bad, but I did stay in the hospital 2 days because of the extensive scar repair. Right now Im feeling pretty good. Up walking around, driving, and doing small stuff. No lifting for 10 days. I have surgical staples still in place till the 21st. All in all. an ordeal but Im glad its over and happy I got right again. Ben some nausea this time around, but not too bad. Will be on stage 1 for 4 weeks. My surgeon is ultra-conservative and extremely cautious; couldn't ask for a better person to be in this with. When I got home, I was horrified to have gained 6 pounds in the first 4 days, without so much as a morsel of food consumed. My brain knew it was swelling, fluids, post-opjunk, but to any heavy person who hasn't eaten in 4 days, a 6 pound gain is mentally devastating! Glad to say that today, 5 days post-op, I am back to my starting weight. Although this has been tough, Im happy I was able to be rebanded. I did so well with it for so long. I intend to recommit myself to keeping with the program, going to support meetings, and working the band to my best advantage. I feel very grateful for this second chance!

April 11, 2008 As most overweight people i have been fat since about 5 or 6 years old. I've always been into sports so i had lots of muscles etc. I was made fun of but but i took it OK. I'm a real jokester. Anyway i did every diet took weight off put it back on and then added another 20 or so pounds. when i reached 354 i couldn't believe it. So I told myself lap band for me. July 10, 2007 attended the meeting at NYU the next week i started the journey. 6 months of Dr. visits, all the stuff NYU wanted and then on March 3, 2008 I was banded by Dr. Ren. I have lost a total of 30 pounds so far, I got my first fill 4/8/08 doesn't seem like its tight enough i need more, next fill 5/7/08 I will ask for more!!!! April 19th still the same holding at 30 or so pounds with no restriction, I can and do eat everything, i called the Dr. Ren's office last week they told me to eat meat and chicken.............I am sooo confused they tell us not to eat that stuff cause it will get stuck.what's up. Next fill may 7th we will see. I want to stop crying about this. Viv:sad:

So far so good. it's hard when you have to cook dinner for your family, temptation , but I didn't do it, kept drinking Water . My surgery date is Sept 19 in Bakersfield. Sent from my iPhone using VST

The gas was the absolute worst! Mine has finally subsided considerably, but it took about 10 days or so... Walking does actually help it, but there were times where the gas was so bad it took my breath away and I would end up practically doubled over sobbing in pain. Thank goodness that part seems over.

Kayla when did they find that?. I had RNY 6/19/12. They saw it in hosp but thought it should go away. Also how are you feeling. I'm still sore on the left. Can't sleep on that side. But otherwise doing great.

If you get in at least 30 or 40 on your third day you are doing great. Continue sipping your shakes as you can and be sure you are drinking enough water. If you're able to get 30 or 40 grams today, you should be able to increase your intake by 10 or 20 grams per day, each day, over the next few days. You want to make an effort to get your protein in, but you don't want to force it.

I am also a fellow Texan, but I have not heard of this Dr. I used Dr. Spivak and loved him. My surgery was done at Herman Hospital and I was treated like I was the only patient there that day. It was great. Surgery was done at about 10:00 in the morning and my husband and I drove up in the driveway at 5:30 that afternoon. And I live exactly one hour from Houston. Recovery was easy, but I had 2 Csections to compare this to, so it was really easy for me. I hope recovery will be as easy for you. Had mine on Wednesday, went WalMart shopping on Friday, grocery shopping on Saturday and went back to work on Monday. They barely new I was gone from work and most of the people had no idea I even had the surgery until the first 50# came off and people got curious.

Unless you have money to throw away. First I want to say that I am extremely thankful for this forum. I found this site a couple months prior to surgery and I learned so much and went into surgery with my eyes open. My surgeon even commented that it appeared I had done my homework. But when I first found this site I went gung ho. Found the pre-op shopping list and got pretty much everything on it. Here's a list of the things I have that I would not have gotten if I had it to do over again because I didn't need them: Two ice packs. Two different kinds of gas-x (the nurse told me gas-x does not help eliminate the gas that you get following surgery that is caused by the surgeon blowing air into you). I could have lived without the heating pad. Two boxes of ex-lax. 12 lbs of Protein powder in 3 flavors (quit laughing)! What I have used: liquid Tylenol Maybe a pound or so of the Protein Powder SF & FF pudding Special K Protein Water (lots of this) I have used the heating pad, but have not found it nearly as wonderful as others have indicated. Magic Bullet blender/mixer (love it) I am not saying that you and I would have the same lists, but I will say that after the first day I felt well enough to go shopping and I wish I had left things like the ex-lax, the second box of gas-x, the ice packs at WalMart and waited until after surgery to see if those things were really needed. I also wish that I did not have more then 10 lbs of protein powder in 3 giant containers taking up space on my kitchen counter!!! That's my tip for the day.

Krista, I don't know anything about Dr Alvarez since I didn't research him or use him. But I can tell you my experience with Dr Aceves was positive. My insurance did not cover the sleeve and even if it had I wouldn't have been covered since I was a lightweight. I chose Dr Aceves for many of the reasons that Tiffykins listed and also because I had wasted so much time researching the lapband and when I decided I the sleeve was the way to go I just wanted it done before too much more time had passed. I wanted a date without waiting too much longer or jumping through hoops. Money wasn't an issue for me (self-pay lapbad was going to be $20,000 locally and that didn't include fills or followup). So I knew I had to go out of state since at the time no one was doing the sleeve locally. Going to Mexico to Dr Aceves was a no brainer since the recovery was in a hospital and everything was taken care of - and he has tons of experience and great reviews/stats. I had briefly checked out some US physicians and wasn't 100% impressed. If I had wanted to wait longer I might have stayed in the US and gone to Cirangle or Jossart but like I said by that time I just wanted it done. I am a nurse so I am picky and not easily impressed. I would certainly recommend going to Dr Aceves for surgery. Good luck in your journey. Frankie VSG 03/22/10

I either have a scrambled egg, a Protein shake, or sometimes I have an Atkins AdvantEdge bar. I'm not really crazy about eating breakfast bars like that but I'm not a big breakfast eater so I'm trying to make a conscious decision to eat SOMETHING before around 10:00 am. I found myself falling into my old routine of only drinking coffee in the morning and not having anything until 1-2 in the afternoon and I know that's not good for me. So I'm trying...