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1. Do you FEEL the LAP-BAND® around your stomach? Does it feel tight or uncomfortable? Not really. Mostly just the port. 2. I think giving up soda will be really hard. WHY must it be done? I am a former diet coke and seltzer Water junkie. Never drank flat. But I followed the rules. I have been told that the carbonation is added gas and when you are healing and learning how your band works you want to do whatever is recommended until you get to know how your band and body will get along. Sometimes mine doesn't play so nice - I named her Princess. She's a little better behaved as they (my body and band) play well now. :-) I just stayed with flat water and am fine. I don't miss diet coke - sometimes seltzer. 3. What is the purpose of the liquid diet pre-surgery? And post? Pre-op: To shrink the liver, and make the surgery easier on your body. Post-op: To aid in healing, your stomach does not need to work as hard. I was a bad patient when it came to this. I ate WHATEVER I wanted...up until the night before the surgery. Awful. But I was fine. Thankfully! 4. Did your insurance company cover the procedure? How long did the pre-auth take? Did you have to do psych evals, etc? My insurance did cover it. With TONS of requirements, it took about one year - yes seemed like forever. Attended the seminar, then surgeon's visit, blood work done, pysch eval, 6 month monthly appts with primary for history - waited painfully 3-4 mos for approval from insurance company. 5. The port - does it physically bother you? Can you see it initially, after losing, etc? My husband is kinda freaked out about it.... All five of my scars are visible. It will be a year in Feb since being banded and I've lost 85 lbs. I have started to notice my port sticking out more and more (bc of weight loss) it's right under my breasts and looks like an alien living in there. I showed my dr a month ago and he said we could do a low profile port revision but I want to lose more so would rather weight until it's all gone. But I am interested in doing it. 6. Does getting a fill hurt? Or does it feel like getting a flu shot / giving blood? Not at all - I go in - chat a few mins - lay down and pull my shirt up, left arm under my head - they stick huber needle in and done. Don't feel anything and no bandaid needed. 7. Do you have restrictions with taking pills? I.e. is Tylenol still effective, does it digest regularly, etc. Sometimes but after surgery I switched to every chewable or liquid that I could. Vitamins are chews or chewable and if nessa I use liquid tylenol for pain. Recently, I haven't had a problem with regular vitamins and/or ibuprofen. Fine. 8. What about drinking alcohol? Is it OK occassionally? I have no troubles with it. I am a big fan of wine. I have noticed I cannot drink as much - that's a good thing. Especially wine though - it causes acid reflux to me. I've tried to determine if it's red/white/heavy/etc. It's a little better but no more than three glasses - GOD telling me something - another reason to love the band! btw - I had wine two weeks after surgery. 9. WHY IS IT YOU CAN'T DRINK liquids, LIKE WATER, RIGHT BEFORE, DURING OR AFTER A MEAL? This one is still tricky for me. Not so much at first. But now - I guess bc I'm filled. I can't have both - food and water at the same time. I can have liquid up to 15 mins prior to eating but 60 mins after. In fact, at a time when I've felt like I ate too fast or was going to puke or stuck - if I drank water - it immediately came up. That was a good thing for me bc I can't take being stuck. I do have to be careful sometimes with gulping water or milk...u can't drink or eat anything too fast. This past summer I would even have Protein shakes at around 4:00ish at work so I wouldn't be starving when I got home and inhale food. It helped a lot. Now I think I've got it but I can have a glass of wine, eat some dinner but I cannot drink a drop of liquid for a good 60 mins after eating...tea, water, whatever - I have to do it slowly and be careful. I just can't have both at the same time. It looks like some pepl can. I hope has been helpful! This site has been my savior! GOOD LUCK!

7. Do you have restrictions with taking pills? I.e. is Tylenol still effective, does it digest regularly, etc. I use liquid Tylenol and it works just fine. It's a 'slider'. 8. What about drinking alcohol? Is it OK occassionally? Yes. .

Hypnosis didn't work for me AT ALL! The way I look at it is I'm a foodaholic. Literally. I really, truly feel like I'm addicted to junk food. I've done this over and over again. If I have ONE tiny bit of 'bad' food (chocolate, ice cream, chips), tomorrow I'll have two, then I'll have four, and it spirals until I am literally out of control. When I decide to go on a diet, I initially get the shakes from withdrawal. When I get banded in Nov, I'll have to do that liquid diet. That will be the 'getting clean' portion. Once all the junk is out of my system, this is it, I am not going to have one bit of junk ever again. I've done it before and I've gotten more and more out of control over the years. It's as though I have to 'stay clean' just like alcoholics do. I'm not paying $16,000 to then F it up. I'm sick of it already. I don't know why I eat the way I do but I know when I have a long amount of time when I'm 'clean' of the bad stuff, it's easy to eat well. Anyway, does this have any relevance at all to the topic at hand? It's late, I'm tired. I just know this is the end of the road for me, my last shot at losing the weight - nothing else has worked, this is it, I've got to do it the best way I possibly can. Linda

Congratulations on taking steps to get healthy! You will likely have no problem qualifying. Usually most insurance companies will approve a person with a BMI over 40 as long as you follow their requirements. Jumping through all the hoops is a pain but in the end you learn a lot along the way. I am glad to see you are excited! I know I felt the same way going in, the morning of surgery felt like Christmas morning for me. I was very ill and knew this was literally going to save my life in the long term for me. There are things you can do now that will set you up for success post surgery: - begin removing as much sugar from your diet -if you smoke, quit now, you will be required to and it gets hard changing everything all at once -if you drink carbonated beverages now, stop. You won't be able to ever again post surgery. -if you drink caffeine, try to ween yourself off if it. You will need to for a period of time. If you can live without it, even better. Caffeine dehydrates you and post surgery it is difficult to get hydrated properly -if you drink alcohol, you will need to stop that as well. It hampers your weight loss and your body changes post surgery to where you can become drunk very quickly. My surgeon had me sign a contract stating I would not drink for the first year. Not hard for me I only drank a handful of times within a year. -start drinking lots of calorie free liquids. 64 oz. per day - start walking everyday for 30 minutes. - remove distractions while eating so you can pay attention to how your tummy is getting full. Along with this eat slowly over the span of 20 minutes to no longer than 30 minutes. This will become important post surgery. -this one is harder than you think to do but nothing to drink 30 minutes before or after a meal. Once you have surgery this becomes much easier unless you eat a lot of spicy food. These don't all have to to be accomplished at once but these are a lot of the changes required. For me, I had 9 months to work at them so by the time I got to surgery day, life was a lot easier to adapt to! best of luck to you and feel free to reach out with questions!

by the way...just joking about the martini's.... have to shrink the old liver... so no alcohol everyone!!! I'm just a jokster!

I am down 65 lbs in 20 months. That being said, I lost 40 lbs preop so I am down 105 in 20 months. I am 35 lbs from goal. I do not exercise and I drink too much alcohol. So if you eat right and exercise you can lose a lot more. Good luck.

That was wonderful! Thanks! I learned a lot! I have been following the rules for the most part but there were things I was not sure about like drinking with the meal being OK. Alcohol in moderation is OK. I love the 8 Golden rules!

In the early days people would make comments and I would be well that's how I'm losing weight eating less of everything and giving up alcohol!! Now i eat almost as much as most peeps. The comments start to get tiresome but imagine if they knew u had surgery then to would be - will that make u crap yourself? Or do u wish u could eat this cake? It will pass people get over it and eventually u can eat more.

So sorry for your loss. Be careful with alcohol. I was revised almost a year ago and I rarely drank but it has developed into something else. It is not the same as before. The bypass has changed the way alcohol effects me and its more or less instant relaxation/gratification? I really cant explain it but I can tell you its no good. I do realize that some bypassers will still have no issues but I am not one of those. I start therapy soon. I had to reach out before something terrible happens. Good luck to you

Well, I am also 2 years out and not at goal. I haven't lost nearly as well as you have to begin with, but I too am glad for what I have so far, but sad for what I don't have yet. Have you considered having a panni removal? That would take care of the lower belly and you might be able to run and kick your exersize up a notch once you get healed up. If it's causing you issues, you could probably even get insurance to cover it for you. My issue is that I'm either eating just enough to not lose, or if my eating is good, I'm drinking alcohol. I've got some sort of mental block going on where I just can't buckle down and do what I need to do. *hugs*

This article in today's New York Times pissed me off and I thought others here might be interested in reading another skinny man's inexperienced opinion against WLS: The Stomach-Surgery Conundrum By STEPHEN J. DUBNER and STEVEN D. LEVITT Bariatric Surgery Deborah Kattler Kupetz is a Los Angeles businesswoman and mother of three who tries to watch her weight. That’s why she recently bought two lifelike plastic models of human body fat from a medical-supply company, a one-pound blob and a five-pound blob, and put them on display in her kitchen. By doing so, Kattler Kupetz wouldn’t seem to have much in common with Han Xin, a legendary Chinese general who lived more than 2,000 years ago. But she does. Upon entering one battle, Han assembled his soldiers with their backs to a river so that retreat was not an option. With no choice but to attack the enemy head-on, Han’s men did just that. This is what economists call a commitment device — a means with which to lock yourself into a course of action that you might not otherwise choose but that produces a desired result. While not as severe as Han’s strategy, Kattler Kupetz’s purchase of those fat blobs was a commitment device, too: every mealtime, they force her to envision what a few extra pounds of fat looks like. It is hard to think of anyone who employs commitment devices as avidly as the overweight American. Perhaps you once bought a yearlong gym membership or had a three-month supply of healthful meals delivered to your doorstep. Maybe you joined friends in a group diet or even taped your refrigerator shut. The popular new weight-loss pill Alli, which partly blocks the body’s absorption of fat, is a commitment device with real consequences: a person who takes Alli and then eats too much fatty food may experience a bout of oily diarrhea. So how are all these commitment devices working? Not very well. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one out of every three American adults is obese. Which is why so many people have begun to embrace a far more drastic commitment device, one that Han Xin himself would probably applaud: surgery. This year, more than 200,000 weight-loss, or bariatric, operations will be performed in the United States, a nearly ten-fold increase in just a decade. The most prominent types are gastric bypass and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (or “Lap-Band”), although there are a few others. Each one works a bit differently, but the general aim is to reduce the stomach’s capacity and thereby thwart the appetite. If all goes well, bariatric surgery leads to substantial weight loss, especially among the morbidly obese. Marc Bessler, director of the Center for Obesity Surgery at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, is an innovator in the field who personally performs about 200 bariatric operations a year. Because his own father was morbidly obese, Bessler brings a personal zeal to his work. “The whole time I was growing up, he was so overweight he couldn’t play ball with us,” he says. “He died at age 54 from colon cancer. It may have been picked up late because of his obesity.” Bessler acknowledges that bariatric surgery has a checkered history. “In the past, it killed people, and it didn’t work,” he says. “In the late 1950s and early 1960s, even though it was effective for weight loss, there was lots of complications and mortality. Then in the late ’70s and early ’80s, there were much better surgeries, but they didn’t really work that well. The weight would start coming back.” Technological innovations, especially the use of laparoscopic procedures, have made for considerable gains in safety and efficacy. While the operation is still dangerous in some circumstances — one study found that for a surgeon’s first 19 bariatric operations, patients were nearly five times as likely to die than patients that the surgeon later operated on — the overall mortality rate is now in the neighborhood of 1 percent. But even if bariatric surgery doesn’t kill you, there are things to worry about. The operation often produces complications — physiological ones, to be sure, but also perhaps psychological ones. A significant fraction of postbariatric patients acquire new addictions like gambling, smoking, compulsive shopping or alcoholism once they are no longer addicted to eating. In certain cases, some people also learn to outfox the procedure by taking in calories in liquid form (drinking chocolate syrup straight from the can, for instance) or simply drinking and eating at the same time. Surgery is also a lot more expensive than even the most lavish diet, with a Lap-Band procedure costing about $20,000 and a gastric bypass about $30,000. But Bessler and other bariatric advocates argue that the upsides outweigh the downsides, especially for a morbidly obese patient whose quality of life is already suffering. While asking a bariatric surgeon if bariatric surgery is a good idea might seem akin to asking a barber if you need a haircut — in fact, Bessler does consult for companies in the industry — the data seem to back up his claims: not only do most patients keep off a significant amount of weight but the other medical problems that accompany obesity are also often assuaged. One recent analysis found that 77 percent of bariatric-surgery patients with Type 2 diabetes experienced “complete resolution” of their diabetes after the procedure; the surgery also helps eliminate hypertension and sleep apnea. From an economic standpoint, research suggests that the operation can pay for itself within a few years because a postbariatric patient now requires less medical care and fewer prescriptions. That’s why some insurance companies cover bariatric surgery — as more do, it will likely lead to a further spike in the volume of operations. This is especially good news for the hospitals that have already grown dependent on the significant cash flow that bariatric surgery generates. There are at least two ways to think about the rise in bariatric surgery. On the one hand, isn’t it terrific that technology has once again solved a perplexing human problem? Now people can eat all they want for years and years and then, at the hands of a talented surgeon, suddenly bid farewell to all their fat. There are risks and expenses of course, but still, isn’t this what progress is all about? On the other hand, why is such a drastic measure called for? It’s one thing to spend billions of dollars on a disease for which the cause and cure are a mystery. But that’s not the case here. Even those who argue that obesity has a strong genetic component must acknowledge, as Bessler does, that “the amount of obesity has skyrocketed in the past 30 years, but our genetic makeup certainly hasn’t changed in that time.” So the cause is, essentially, that people eat too much; and the cure is, essentially, to eat less. But bariatric surgery seems to fit in nicely with the tenor of our times. Consider, for instance, the game shows we watch. The old model was “Jeopardy!,” which required a player to beat her opponents to the buzzer and then pluck just the right sliver of trivial knowledge from her vast cerebral storage network. The current model is “Deal or No Deal,” which requires no talent whatsoever beyond the ability to randomly pick a number on a briefcase. Maybe the problem is that despite all the diets and exercise regimes and gimmicks that have been put into play during our national bout of obesity, the right nonsurgical solution simply hasn’t yet been found. So here’s a suggestion: Hang around your neck a small Ziploc bag containing a towelette infused with an aroma of, well, of something deeply disgusting. (In the interest of not offending anyone who happens to be reading this over Breakfast, we won’t offer specific suggestions, but you can surely conjure a horrid odor on your own.) Every time you’re about to open the refrigerator or look over a menu, unzip the bag and take a whiff. Now that’s a commitment device. Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt are the authors of “Freakonomics.” More information on the research behind this column is online at Freakonomics - Opinion - New York Times Blog.

<p>One of my friends once admitted to me that he couldn't go to sleep at night if there was a beer in the refrigerator. Then, I got to thinking that my addiction was not alcohol but food. I don't get banded until next week, Jan 16 2008. To lose weight, I know I can only have lowcarb foods and drinks in the house. Fortunately for me, it's just my husband and I at home and he is willing to stay on the same LowCalorie LowCarb foods that I am. </p> <p> </p> <p>I do believe the LapBand is a good tool. Just as you can have all the top-notch tools to build something but you still have to put the labor into it. Our labor is to consume LowCalorie, very LowCarb foods and drinks.</p> <p> </p> <p>I've learned just on this Pre-Op diet that my 51yr old obese Type 2 Diabetes body is responding so well to those foods. It's returned my bloodsugars to almost normal in just a few days and I've had diabetes for years. The lbs are just melting off and I feel better than I have in years. It's Wednesday, all this since Sunday! I'm not kidding.</p>

Are you kidding me?!! Boycott a store because they put some yummy, sugary, pastries on sale? This is about taking responsibility for you choices and actions. That would be like an alcoholic saying, "Poor me, I'm trying to stop drinking, but alcohol is everywhere. They even sell beer and wine at the grocery store!" How about a law against fast food restaurants, all you can eat buffets, donuts, sodas, candy? I don't mean to sound harsh and flame me if you want but the whining and blaming have to stop. Perhaps those of us with overweight parents and grandparents should just give up. It's their fault too that were fat! It's not like we walk in to a store and if you're overweight, you get charged more for your food than the thin people. Perhaps diabetics should complain and get a special discount on what they get. BTW, overweight people cost this country more money. Overweight people tend to have more health problems, take more sick days from work, go on disability, etc. Someone complained about the cost of weight loss surgery. Well, for heaven's sake, if you weren't obese, you wouldn't need the damn surgery. Of course it cost money. Perhaps plastic surgery should be discounted for unattractive people or people that need it to feel better.

I am so envious of so many of you!!! My doc says complete healing doesn't occur til 8 weeks and won't do a fill til then. He said he knows most do it at 6 but he doesn't recommend it. He hasn't had a slip or any complication in over 3 years, so I trust him completely... however... I'M IN BANDSTER HELL!!!! I have NO restriction. I have a food addiction and have NO restriction. I have not felt nausea or vomited at all. Everything passes through the band just fine. I am able to overeat and don't really realize I have til it's done. In restaurants, I have not had more than 1/2 an entree and box the rest... which is much less than before... but still too much. I live in constant (albeit probably irrational) fear that I am going to hurt my band. I know Toni shared the same feelings. We were banded on the 1st of the month so are at 4 1/2 weeks out. Things change. It's discouraging for me to hear that some of you are full after 2 tablespoons of food. I don't get it! We don't have restriction, so how is that possible? Other than occasional pressure in my chest when I need to burp... I wouldn't know the band was there!! I have to live this way 3 1/2 more weeks. I was a self pay also and can't afford to screw up this band. I want to succeed!! But I have a true food addiction, and I believe breaking that is the same as any other addiction. Food is part of our lives. I feel like I should be locked up til my first fill, cause I don't have the will power. I wouldn't send an alcoholic to a bar after the first week of AA!! I wouldn't want a gambling addict to frequently walk through a casino but trust this time he just won't sit down and cave in! I have no signs of problems, slip, etc. I know I'm fine. I just fill like I'm a ticking time bomb... mostly because I've screwed up weight loss so many times, I just can't accept that I've done something that is actually going to work!! I lost 16 pounds during the week before surgery til 2 weeks after surgery. I have crept up 2 pounds since then and fear it will continue to creep up... I feel like a failure already... Before the journey has even begun. I hope this surgery wasn't a huge mistake and waste of money.

I don't have issues with anything passing through the band, or being uncomfortable going down. However, what I do notice is that there are certain fruits that give me a stomach ache; honeydew melon and pineapple....to name a couple. I haven't eaten all the fruits I used to eat, but I'm guessing I'll find more that no longer agree. Weird on the alcohol, huh?? I heard people say that you get buzzed a lot quicker, and they were SO right! I can feel the first sip of wine. That's not to say that I don't drink the whole glass, but I've certainly become a cheap date - LOL (if I were dating)

Thanks for all the input. Do you think avoiding the "Rumored" causes of erosion will make a difference. Coffee, asprin, alcohol and all the others listed. I have learned that its a crap shoot and we need to have that checkup at 18 months! I am getting so many unsolicited dos and don'ts from friends and familys and other bandsters...that is why I posted the question because if I should be doing something to help avoid its occurance, I want to do it....

I have a friend banded last april who keeps telling me that shes heard that caffine and alcohol lead to the erosion of the band. I have never heard the such. Has anyone else heard this? I have seen nothing like this in all the complication posts, or erosion topics Cristan Banded 7/04/2005-ORTIZ 335-275 and losing!

Sugar alcohols are chemically engineered laxatives = why

The reason sugar alcohols can sometimes create intestinal problems is because some of them (ie, Xylitol, Malitol) are not absorbed by your body and go straight through you. Erythritol, however, does get absorbed and is filtered out by your kidneys. I like this one the best. I use it to make cookies and muffins. From the research that I have done the benefit of these are that they do not cause tooth decay and they do not create an insulin response like other artificial sweeteners.

Post-op, I had problems with chewable vitamins and powdered vitamins mixed in water; caused nausea and vomiting. Most likely due to sugar alcohols in them. Solution: I waited until 4 weeks post-op then used a pill cutter for the larger vitamins until I could swallow them whole. No problems and my labs have been great.

I can't stress enough to STAY OFF THE scale. I only weighed about 6 times in the first 3 months. The NSVs are way more important than numbers. But if you want to compare, here's my numbers.... 0 pounds lost at 11 days 17 pounds at 7 weeks 30 pounds at 3 months. I've read so many posts about people whining over losing way more than that. It astounds me because I was thrilled and encouraged by every single pound I lost along the way, no matter how fast or slow. Of course dropping pant sizes and being out of pain and crossing my legs and my rings actually becoming too big we're all way more exciting. I still surpassed my surgeon's goal by over 20 pounds and my personal goal by over 10 pounds. And no matter what your rate of loss, if you are eating healthy then you are not failing. My plan was very simple.....60-80g Protein everyday. Minimum 64oz Water everyday. Vitamins everyday. Plenty of veggies as I could eat them, a little bit of fruit. Stayed away from white carbs (pasta, bread, rice, crackers, alcohol, sweets) until I was within 10 pounds of goal.

Nothing to worry about. My psychologist asked about my eating habits, alcohol use, smoking use, have I ever been bullied in school, when did I first notice that i was getting heavy, if there was any alcohol abuse at home or if you had any kind of abuse at home as a kid, what kind of exercises I was thinking about doing. She asked me about my past weight losses. Etc... Just don't seem like your suicidal then they may delay your surgery

I know that feeling, had a birthday weekend and my body craved simple things after. Had 1 small piece of cake and I felt like I drank alcohol.

For me personally, I have a hard time with sugar free foods because of the sugar alcohols. Everyone is different though. The key is moderation!

#1. I agree, around 6 weeks. #2. Regarding the fruit. Fruit is high in carbs and most diet plans want you to keep your carb intake fairly low. Also, many fruits are very fibrous and can cause a blockage(stuck episode) and that's not something you want so early in your recovery. #3. Jean's right again. Worthless calories. I've allowed myself one beer or one glass of wine per week. Sometimes none and sometimes two. I've found I really don't miss alcohol as well as many other foods. #4. Most doctors and nutritionists do recommend no fluids up to 15 minutes before and 60 minutes after a meal. I have to say I don't follow this rule and I'll tell you why below. I drink right up to a meal. Sometimes, if I'm excessively tight, I need the liquid to help my meal pass through my stoma(not often). I will also drink right after a meal but only if I have satiated my appetite. But, you should follow your doctors advice. Now my caveat. As we all travel down our own paths with our bands, we all find ways to make it work(or not) with our bodies. In the beginning I followed the rules as closely as anyone. But as we became familiar with each other(me and my she-band) I've made some adjustments that work for my band and also aid my weight loss journey. Such as drinking during or after a meal. I found that sometimes I had to drink just so I could consume enough of my food to keep up my nutrition levels. I've never drank fluids just so I could eat more food. I'm the one in control over this element of my weight loss plan. You are not here yet. And it takes time to get to the green zone and understand how your body communicates with your band. For some, it's 3 months and others, years. So be patient and follow the rules till you have some experience under your belt. tmf