MyNext30Years

Awesome NSV! Congrats!

I thought I would share my experience with my first fill. Ultimately due to $$ and time, I decided to go to an internal medicine Dr. about 2.5 hours away in Frederick, MD. Overall my experience was a good one. Dr.’s Background – Dr. Susan Brinkley banded in Mexico by Dr. Sanchez (has passed away) 7 years ago and has been doing fills since that time as well. She has lost 85 lbs. due to the band. She was very down to earth and had a great personality and I didn’t feel rushed. She probably spent close to 30 minutes with me (and my dad who had ?s since he is considering the band as well) even though my fill probably only took 5-7 minutes. She says she does fills for a lot of Dr. Ortiz’s patients. She charges $200 for a fill and $150 for an unfill. It is a blind fill, but she said in 7 years she’s only poked 2 tubes – once was an emergency and once there was a pocket of fluid around the port. The Fill – She puts in 4cc on the first fill with my size band and from there on, the fills decrease by ½. So, 1st fill = 4ccs, 2nd fill = 2ccs, 3rd = 1cc… She also judges the fills by the way the saline pushes/bounces back in the syringe. So, I got 4cc and she removed about 1cc of air. I’ve already set up my next appt. She also said that she likes the 4cc bands because they keep their fills and need little adjustments later on; whereas, the larger bands (mine) tend to lose about ¼ cc/yr. A couple of things that she told me were to not go by weight – to pick a size I want to be and aim for that. She said that when she was gaining weight that 180lbs. was a size 18 and on her way back down, 180 lbs. was a 14 – due to all the extra muscle mass and bone built up to carry an overweight body! She said she says that being overweight was her way of fighting against osteoporosis! lol Also, she wants me on 2,000 mg of Vit D a day (reduces risk of colon cancer by 66% and breast cancer 50%), 1,000 – 2,000 mg of Vit C a day, and Vit B Complex 1-2 times daily along w/ a multi-vitamin. Anyway, just thought I’d share!

I have not had a fill yet (1st fill is in 3 days - WAHOO!), but I can tell that after 2-3 fills I won't be able to do bread anymore since even now I get a sensation of heartburn when I eat it. I LOVE bread and will too mourn the loss of it, BUT I know that it will be a good thing for me!

From what I've read too, you are supposed to use only certain kinds of deodorant, shampoos, soaps, toothpaste, makeup, etc. Are you abiding by this too or using your regular stuff? Just curious because they say it's supposed to affect the weight loss, but I'm hoping that you'll say you're using your regular things and you're still losing.

From what I've read, the drops and the injections have about the same results - the drops are a lot cheaper. I know that with the drops that you aren't allowed to use products (makeup, lotions, etc.) with oils in them and I don't know if that is true w/ the injections or not (please let me know). Also, they are supposed to make you burn the stored fat especially in areas like the stomach. I think the theory behind it is that when your body is OR thinks it's pregnant it burns more calories. It also is not recommended to excersise while on the diet or light excercise for 20/day since you aren't getting but 500 calories. I'm not saying it does or doesn't work - just telling you what I've read since I considered doing it for my pre-op diet.

Happy Birthday Angie! Debbie - My mom SWEARS by Miralax! She used it when she had her TT & hernia repair and is very much a believer! I've seen it at Costco if you are near one. I've had it and it's tasteless and you can add it to any drink.

So glad to hear that you finally have some restriction! CONGRATS!!!!

Jillian has TONS of videos available through Netflix including that one. I just added it to my queue! I might be cursing you the first day lol

Ok so I was watching The Biggest Loser this weekend and Bob said that if you have a desk job to get a balance ball and use it as your chair. It will strengthen your core muscles while trying to stay balanced. So I went out and bought one and am using it today at work! (Even though I'm short and the small ball is where I fall into, I got the large so I can sit up high enough) So far I can tell that it definitely helps with posture and am hoping that it's helping in other ways as well. Also, a group of 4 of us are now walking 1-2 times a day (weather permitting) up to 1.5 -1.75 miles each time. Baby steps!

Congrats! I think that's an awesome story!

I did a very brief google search this morning, and it seems like I remembered correctly. There's a lot of results that say the same thing. Here's one from John Hopkins. http://www.johnshopk...trol_813-1.html

The liquid phase was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. In the beginning I lived on gatorade which probably wasn't the best of ideas, but it's always been a comfort for me when I'm sick and on the mend since I was a small child. I made a creamy potato soup that I blended until smooth and ate that every night for dinner for almost a week. Campbell's soup at hands were perfect sizes...my favorite was Tomato Parmesan Bisque (only available at Target and Food Lion around here) they also have Creamy Tomato and Creamy Chicken that are good too. At then end I also made a Brocolli and Cheese soup that I blended. Oh, and I found a Progresso Creamy Tomato Basil that I loved! Also, the activa peach drinkable yogurts are very good and I hate yogurt! That's mostly how I got through - except for the jello that I found out at the end was considered a solid and illegal so to speak!

I heard a very long time ago and I don't know how true it is, BUT that when you lose weight that you will never actually lose the fat cells that they just shrink. They only way to actually lose them is to have lipo or other PS. So in my mind, wouldn't it be easier to gain if the cells are still there just waiting to be filled again?

Does your Dr. do fluoro? Will he bill insurance?

I didn't claim it on my taxes, but I did pay for the surgery and will pay for fills on my Flex Spending Account (pre-tax) through my and my husband's work. I just emailed a CPA friend from college about claiming my airfare and she's going to do some research and get back to me because it's not very clear. I'll let you know when I hear something if you want.

D. - I'm thinking about arriving on April 15th (fill on 15 or 16 depending on arrival time)and leaving on the 17th. I'd go the week earlier but airfare is about $100 more and I can't justify it! But let me check with my husband first, I'd love for him to be able to go! I'll let you know by a PM in the next day or two for sure. OK?

Isn't that just the luck?! I hope you have a great first day of solids! I can't wait to be there myself - 5 more days!

I'd love to try to plan to go together! Keep me posted on that! I'm with you - if it weren't for the swelling and the restriction that goes along with it, I'd be in trouble, but so far so good! The smells of real food sometimes kill me, but I'm definitely on the downhill stretch now! You are even closer!!

Thanks everyone for the words of reassurance! Like I said, I'm a worry wart. I get it honestly from my dad! hehe BrownEyedGirl - I'm thinking about going down about mid-April for my first fill. The flights are a little cheaper if I wait a couple of weeks after Easter. Do you know when you are going? Thanks again! I feel much better!!

WAIT A MINUTE...I CAN'T HAVE JELLO?! OH NO, ADD IT TO THE LIST!

Ok, so I'm 16 days post-op and am very paranoid about causing a slipped band before I even get started. Like did I chug my gatorade the first few days too quickly and is that why I threw up on day 4 - did I cause damage? Is my cream of potato soup after pureed still too thick? Basically, I'm scared of causing damage by accident or ignorance. I hope I'm normal to have these fears...anyone else have/had them? I guess that is the biggest reason I'm going back for my first fill to do under fluoro. I'm such a worry wart!

I was just banded a couple of weeks ago and I too couldn't remember if they said which band I got. So I emailed Lori and she had Gloria email me my surgery report that has the band on it.