A thread for super-sized bandsters - starting BMI over 50?

[synicalchick 0]

Zannie- since you are about 8 weeks out - have you been to get a fill yet? If so- how did that go? Is it working on the first try? I am only 1 1/2 weeks out. My hunger is coming back quickly, after surgery. I thought the "swelling" would help longer. I would like to know more about peoples first fill. Does your doc. do " blind fills"? or flouroscopy(spelling??)? My doc. says flouroscopy only. I wonder how common this is?

Have you tried more of the protein/fruit flavored drinks? ? Hope you can "enjoy" them. I like how well they can travel with you (the shaker bottles). I just leave a few in my truck, and when others do fast food- I order an ice Water to mix it up with!!! I'm not too sure yet about the pink lemonade I got (not in the shaker bottle). They do have a good hot chocolat though!!!! Nice change to something warm.

Good luck and I hope your recovery was quick and painless/painlittle.

I think I have narrowed down some of the differences on this forum and why they are different as far as "blind fills" vs. Flouroscopy fills AND feeling restriction with one or two fills vs. mulitple.

There are reperesented on this forum two sizes of bands. The larger band/VG band not only is a larger ring but of course holds more saline 10-11 cc's I believe, where as the smaller band, the one I have, the ring is smaller and only holds 4cc's the people with the smaller band feel restriction quicker. The other difference which I thought was kind of neat, is on the larger VG band there is a mark on the ring that can been seen with flouroscopy and there is not this mark on the smaller one. SO, I'm assuming that if we know what size band was 'installed' we can better taylor our expectations according to what we read on this forum. I like to refer to my fill as "The blind touch test". I am now 10 days post my 1st fill and boy is this sucker working. I called the doc yesterday to re-confirm that I still needed to come in again on the 23rd & they said yes, even if I didn't need another fill they wanted me to come in.

T

[ginger3151 0]

It's so great to hear all your success stories, it truly gives me hope! I am so happy for all of you! You are truly inspirations!!

I started at 288lbs, however I've been struggling for the past 2 months with not loosing any weight. I think I'm getting on the right track now - - God I hope so. I've re-adjusted my diet to really push the Protein and praying that will do it.

Keep up the good work!!! :clap2:

[maziemommy 8]

synicalchick- I hope the restriction works great for you- I do not yet know what size band I have- I go for my first fill May 17th-2007- I have heard from another of my doc.s patients, that under flouroscopy they will do a swallow test, as they fill. They begin with a little saline, then have you take a swallow to check how fast/slow it trickles through the band. If it's too quick, they give another bit of the saline and it continues until, you just get a trickle of Fluid through the band after a swallow.

For you, do they not "see" any of this, and just send you home,to see for yourself, if you are restricted? I think that blindly being filled could take longer or cause unfill due to tightness. I have also heard of a fill missing the port. That can be costly...and some doc.s make you wait some time between fills. Am I misunderstanding anything about blind fills? I would like to be well informed in case the policy changes at his office, and I get an option.

[synicalchick 0]

synicalchick- I hope the restriction works great for you- I do not yet know what size band I have- I go for my first fill May 17th-2007- I have heard from another of my doc.s patients, that under flouroscopy they will do a swallow test, as they fill. They begin with a little saline, then have you take a swallow to check how fast/slow it trickles through the band. If it's too quick, they give another bit of the saline and it continues until, you just get a trickle of Fluid through the band after a swallow.

For you, do they not "see" any of this, and just send you home,to see for yourself, if you are restricted? I think that blindly being filled could take longer or cause unfill due to tightness. I have also heard of a fill missing the port. That can be costly...and some doc.s make you wait some time between fills. Am I misunderstanding anything about blind fills? I would like to be well informed in case the policy changes at his office, and I get an option.

My fill took less than 10 mintutes. My Doc is one of the pioneers of this procedure in the states and has done well over 1,000. He placed the port on the muscle wall of the sternum and it's not hard to find at all. I can feel it myself when I press down. i posted my 1st fill story not to long ago so you can read the particulars there. BAsically he goes by sound and how quickly I'm able to drink the 9 ounces of Water and how it feels and reschedules you in 3 weeks whether you need it or not.

T

[Zannie 6]

I’ve had my LapBand for exactly 2 months. :clap2: My 1st adjustment was 9 days ago, on April 5th.:bounce:

I felt fine prior to my 1st fill (not having “between meals” hunger, not overeating at meals, drinking my 50g Protein Shake every day, getting in my exercise thanks to the Feb’07 Challenge). And both the dietician & the head nurse thought my fill would be postponed, so I wasn’t all that anxious when I went to the appointment. They were wrong!:faint2:

I arrived for my fill & talked to my surgeon about how I was doing with hunger & the kinds of foods I could tolerate. He said I’ve been doing wonderfully & reminded me of our goal: 2 pounds a week for the 1st year since I’ve got 200 to loose. At that point, I weighed in at 292 having lost 28 pounds for an average of 4 pounds a week over 7 weeks, but I'd also been stalled for a week. That said, Dr. T felt it was time for a fill. My clinic does adjustments under fluoroscope. I stepped up into the horseshoe shaped machine, put my back to the one end & watched as my innards appeared on the monitor above the other end. There he was: Jiminy Cricket ( as I’ve come to think of my inner conscience, the LapBand :lie:). I sipped on barium for a bit, shocked to see the liquid pool for a moment in the pouch & then slide right through. Apparently I had next to no restriction at all. ( How then was I handling the hunger & why was I feeling so full after 1/3 cup of food? :noidea: Mind over matter, I guess, perhaps because I wanted the LapBand to work…? ) Dr. T. then gave me a shot to numb up the port area & came at me with a gigantic syringe of saline! ( I do not like needles!!!) The fill itself was easy. Eyes glued to the screen, I felt pressure as he inserted the needle, but no pain at all. I continued to sip at the barium as he added a full 4cc to my 10cc VG Band. And then Susie, the nurse who is both the surgical coordinator & our support group leader (had bypass & looks terrific) and has been there at every stage of this process, gave me a post-fill pep talk. :nervous I was on liquids for 48 hours, followed by mushies for another 48. My port-site & stomach were a bit tender, and loud stomach gurgling started before I’d left the building – both lasted for about 3 days! But no other side effects from the adjustment. I felt & continue to feel just great! :teeth:

In fact, it’s almost like I didn’t even have an adjustment. Which, I suppose, is not a good sign, considering that I technically had nearly no restriction at all prior to the fill!! I actually went down to the clinic to hop on their scale yesterday – just to be sure my #s were right. (They weren't. :straight) I’ve lost 3.5 pounds since the fill a week ago, which is great because the scale stood still for over a week prior to it! That brings me down 31.5 pounds since my surgery to 288.5 with a 52.8 BMI. But I think it’s just my "diet willpower" that’s doing the work right now, though I hope I’m wrong! :decision: That willpower’s got a track record of only being trustworthy for about 3 months!

My 2nd fill will be on May 17th, 6 weeks from the 1st one & 2 days after my 3-month Bandiversary.

[kansas sooner 0]

Faith- you are down what? 23+# that's great! Are you still waiting to hear what your surgery date will be? How are you losing for right now? Hope you hear good news soon.

I was banded 4-2-07 and I am pleased to announce that I have had, NO need for "toilet tongs"!!! I was having some doubts pre-op, but have lost 24# including pre-op diet, and I am able to reach!!! Maybe too much info. for some. But, others can relate!

Hi,

i am searching for the place to go for LB surgery saw where you had yours and was a self pay could you tell me aprx what the cost was!!! i have so much to loose glad to see this thread.

[ihomeschool4 0]

Hubby and I are both banded. We decided to bring his laptop so we could e-mail friends and family...

Surgery went well! Dr. Rumbaut was VERY happy that we had done the preop diet. He said it was easy to see from the size and condition of our liver that we had followed it well. He also said we would really notice it in the recovery time.

The incisions don't hurt badly at all...but the gas pains...oh my!!!!!!

It's funny...when I was on the way to recovery, I woke up and realized that I really had surgery...and that I did it in Mexico...left my four kids at home with my Mom and went to Mexico for surgery...that's just not a "me" thing to do...I was fully awake by the time they got me to the recovery area and I was able to hear my hubby (who had surgery BEFORE me) waking up and asking about his "esposita" or little wife, in Spanish. I tried to call out, but my voice was hoarse and he couldn't hear me.

Surgery went very well for both of us. He is doing better with the pain than I am, but he has had a very easy time getting the liquids in (he drank his yogurt smoothie AND half of mine at the hospital the morning after surgery). I just didn't want anything. I was having to make myself drink. I had a reaction to one of the medicines and it made me very naseous. There were four people other than my hubby and I who were having the surgery yesterday. They are all here at the hotel...very nice folks. They hadn't heard of LBT, so I told them to check it out. Anyway, the nausea side-effect is supposed to only happen in 1% of the population and mostly in males...it happened to three of us ladies...

It was difficult to take deep breaths without pain for the first two days, but I just keep on keeping on.

To be honest, I was in ALOT of pain for the first few hours after surgery, but it is getting less and less. I got a shower before we left the hospital and that was HEAVENLY.

Today was so much better compared to the last 48 hours! I have actually felt hungry and wanted some broth or something to help with the hunger. At this point, the liquids are still working nicely to get rid of the hunger.

Dr. Rumbaut and one of his other doctors came and saw us in the hospital to check on us. He just sat and tlaked with us for about 20 minutes and let us ask him any questions that we had...awesome doc!!! We leave tomorrow afternoon and will get to go home and see our wonderful kids again...it's nice to have a break every once in a while, but BOY do I miss them!!!

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. It's all down hill from here!

:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

BTW, the Mexico route with Dr. Rumbaut and team is AWESOME!!!! The facilities at San Jose hospital and the level of care is so much better than anything I have experienced in the states!!! The nurses are awesome. Dr. R's office staff gave us a list of some phrases we might need to use with the nurse and I brought a spanish/English dictionary with me.

Well, I'm gonna go for now. I am really tired!

WE'RE IN BANDLAND!!! WOOOHOOOOO

[Maurdan 2]

Just reading your experience has me re-living mine. Not that I'd want to go through surgery again, but I'd LOVE to get back to Monterrey soon for a check-up. Everyone is so wonderful!

Glad you are doing well.

[Hazelbunny 0]

I thought I would share this with my fellow supersize bandsters. It has been a long time since I have been able to buy an article of clothing from Wal-mart. And only 17 bucks!!

I was so excited. Plus I am only six pounds away from being under a 50 BMI.

[Zannie 6]

Hazel, great job! :cheer2: Only banded a month and already a NSV! :clap2: Wahooo!

I can't wait to be shopping anywhere that isn't a plus-size catalog!

[faithmd 14]

Faith- you are down what? 23+# that's great! Are you still waiting to hear what your surgery date will be? How are you losing for right now? Hope you hear good news soon.

I was banded 4-2-07 and I am pleased to announce that I have had, NO need for "toilet tongs"!!! I was having some doubts pre-op, but have lost 24# including pre-op diet, and I am able to reach!!! Maybe too much info. for some. But, others can relate!

I'm sorry I missed this post! I've been denied because I didn't lose the 5% of my excess weight the insurance company required. Loooong story, it wasn't my fault, my MD sent a letter saying it wasn't, it didn't matter. They still denied me. So, I'm trying again a the end of the month.

I'm losing by trying to eat like a bandster now, so it won't be such a shock post-op. I don't have the Portion Control, of course, but I've changed the rest of how I eat. I use baby spoons and forks for small bites, I chew, chew, chew. I try not to drink with meals (that's the hardest), and I'm eating Protein first, veggies second and complex carbs/fruits last. I have given up all refined sugar and enriched flour. I've almost given up all artificial sweeteners (they cause me to crave carbs). I'm logging every bite of food and every bit of exercise on fitday.com So far, so good. But I'm slowing. So I'm mixing up how many calories I'm eating, and adding five minutes a day of exercise. I will start a liquid diet tomorrow for the week before my next weigh in in hopes of losing the last few pounds. I have to be 335 by the 25th of April.

Congrats on your banding and no need for the "tongs!" I've got my handy dandy locking tongs from Target at the ready, whenever I get approved. If I don't need them, then I'll just have another pair for the grill!

[kansas sooner 0]

I am so glad that there is this thread for higher bmi's this last weekend i made the decision to have the LB. As of yesterday i am scheduled for may 24th for surgery. I have SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much to loose i know that it will be a jounery but with DH by my side and the vision of a new me... I am ready,,, scared excited but ready!

Just wanted to let you know that i will actually be part of the group soon! i look forward to my time here. thanks

[synicalchick 0]

I thought I would share this with my fellow supersize bandsters. It has been a long time since I have been able to buy an article of clothing from Wal-mart. And only 17 bucks!!

I was so excited. Plus I am only six pounds away from being under a 50 BMI.

My goal is to be able to comfortably shop at Target. They only go up to a size 24........

[synicalchick 0]

I am so glad that there is this thread for higher bmi's this last weekend i made the decision to have the LB. As of yesterday i am scheduled for may 24th for surgery. I have SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much to loose i know that it will be a jounery but with DH by my side and the vision of a new me... I am ready,,, scared excited but ready!

Just wanted to let you know that i will actually be part of the group soon! i look forward to my time here. thanks

what are your stats if you don't mind me asking?? (height, weight, BMI etc etc.)

T

[maziemommy 8]

Faith- It sounds like you are on the right track.. and didn't you already loose 28# ??? How much more do you have to go??? I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT !!! AND, FOR WHAT THE COST IS WITH NO INSURANCE--- YOU CAN LOOSE IT FOR $20,000.00 RIGHT!! If you need any support or encouragement just P.Message me- I check in once or twice daily!! Please don't get discourgaged. Just stay determined. I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!! GO GO GO!