Clynn

These are arguments for getting banded. It's not just that you want to loose 10 pounds and look good, you want to loose lots of pounds and drastically improve your quality of life. That and a willingness to change your habits by working with the band are the main qualifications doctors look at when they decide if banding will be helpful. Be open and honest with a doctor. If at all possible, it should be a doctor you have worked with before and trust. Luckily you have your father on your side, just keep trying to explain your feelings and motivations to your mother and hopefully she will start to listen.

I think you're going to be surprised how well you feel after the surgery. I sure was. Unless you were planning on leaving the day after your original surgery date, I don't think a day is going to make all that much difference. You'll be fine, deep breath, relax. The clinic really is a first class operation and they would not be moving your surgery if they thought it would cause you harm.

Check back in with your doctor. Doesn't need to be a full on office visit but you should at least give him a call and discuss your concerns. Be sure to mention your allergies as that can cause swelling of the stomach.

You cannot link to external images anymore in your signature. People were using that feature to spam obscene posts. Sorry

That's incredible Vex, you should be proud.

I didn't have a problem, HOWEVER, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if I was late. Our cycles are so sensitive to the things going on in our bodies. The shock of the pre-op diet, surgery, and post-op diet will certainly be enough to cause some hiccups. Stress alone is enough to do that. If you are concerned about it or it continues on, you can always talk to your gyno. I used to have horrible periods or it would just skip for no reason. My gyno put me on the pill and everything has been calm and steady since then.

I can understand what you both are going through. The pre-op diet was sooooo miserable. Taking a fiber pill helped to make it a little easier as it gave my stomach something to munch on. Just think of it as getting your ready for the post-op diet which is a walk in the park by comparison. I never liked yogurt at all but on day four when I had my first yogurt it was the sweetest thing I had ever eaten in my entire life (and still is). I imagine it is what Ambrosia is supposed to taste like in Greek mythology.

Everyone seems to have covered the relax portion pretty well so I'll move on to stuff to bring. They'll give your a hospital gown to wear (the non-revealing kind!) during surgery so don't worry about clothes at the clinic. I took up alot of room in my suitcase bringing my comfy bathrobe and ended up not needing it. Bring comfy clothes to wear the rest of your stay though. I've found Gatorade to be quite useful during liquid stages as it has lots of good stuff in it. The bullion cubes are an excellent idea I'd never thought of before. Other than that just regular vacation stuff: books, music, games etc. Stuff to keep your occupied while you're healing. Good luck! It's a piece of cake.

Yup that's it

Most importantly, if you drink too soon after eating, it will put pressure on the stomach and could cause you to pb. Secondly, it will cause the foods to move through the bands quicker and thus negate the purpose of the band. It sounds much more difficult than it actually is, you just need to develop the right personal habits. When your stomach is empty, liquids will move past the band quite quickly. Be sure to drink before eating so you don't get desperately thirsty right after. Also try to avoid things which would cause you to be thirsty such as spicy or salty foods. You will learn pretty quickly what works for you while obeying the 1 hour rule.

Making the effort is the important thing. If you have honestly done what you are supposed to and lost only 3 pounds it is very unlikely they will cast you out. However, if you blow it off and don't seem interested in following doctors orders I'm sure that is another story. Ok, now take a deep breath and relax. Everything will be ok. Remember, we've all gone through this.

Fills are when the doctor adds saline to the band making it tighter. As you loose weight fat around the stomach decreases making the band not as effective as it has been previously. People get fills when their weight loss has stopped or dropped to an unacceptable level.

Hello Maria. First let me say that what you are feeling is pretty normal for someone looking at this surgery. What are you afraid your friends are going to think? Which changes are you specifically frightened about?

If you are pb'ing often you may want to try getting that under control first. By slowing down and learning to recognize your stopping point you will likely start taking in fewer calories. If that is not an often occurrence and you feel like you can eat just about anything, then it is probably time for a fill. Keep in mind that you are also starting at a lower bmi so the weight loss will not be as dramatic. Since I hit 225 it is like I am loosing a pound every two weeks. I know I just need to be patient. Was that answer convoluted enough? There's good arguments for yes and there's good arguments for waiting so I'd advise you to give it another two weeks to loose something and then make an appointment.

Never heard of it before. Personally I'd be hesitant about trying something that new. One of the reasons I chose the band is because it is reversible should something go awry, whereas cutting nerves is not. I'd advise you call the clinic and talk to someone there about it. We're not ignoring your question, we just aren't doctors and don't have any answers for you on this.

Why stop now?

I'd also advise you to bring something to keep the boys occupied while you're waiting in line as the wait to get back across can be quite lengthy sometimes.

When you go down for your surgery bring your pills with you and show them to Dr Ortiz. I think if you cut them up you should be fine but you may have to go off them for a couple of days. You can also ask the doctor who prescribed them to you and see if there is a liquid version you could take. A VG band is a larger type of lap-band. It holds more saline and is longer than the traditional band. The Dr will decide which type you need at the time of your surgery.

If you are using Dr Ortiz, send Dr Miranda an email explaining when your surgery date is, what your BMI is, and tell her about any significant weight changes in the last couple of months. She'll modify the pre-op diet in order to best work for your situation. I worked with her and was able to get a very workable and effective pre-op diet.

Depends on the level of restriction. When I'm properly filled I cannot eat bread, pasta, or anything starchy like that. When I am in need of a fill I can eat just about anything.

Symantics Schemantics

Cost of fills is $100. If they pick you up from the airport it is more, I think $130 but you'll have to call OCC to be sure. The thing about the ride is that the cost is split among everyone getting a fill on that ride. For instance, if it is just you the cost is $130. If there are two passengers getting a fill the cost is split two ways, three people- three ways, etc.

By flab do you mean fat, cellulite, loose skin, or something else?

My surgery was on a Tuesday and I went back to work the next Monday. I didn't fly home until Thursday and probably could have gone to work on Friday if I'd taken an earlier flight, but then again I probably would have taken it off anyway since I'm a slacker whenever possible.

The band is plastic, not metal, so it will not set off the alarms