-
Posts
715 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Everything posted by Clynn
-
I've heard some real horror stories with US doctors doing Lap-Band. Does that mean all US Lap-Band doctors are bad? Certainly not, nor would I ever begin to make such a statement. However, being involved with the US health care system in general my entire life, I like to think I have a pretty good idea what the norm is and what one can expect when they seek care. Dr Ortiz, his staff, and the OCC facility blew that norm out of the water. If I had tried to find a private facility in the US that could match them, I would be paying a much higher price. So please understand that when patients come to this forum with rave reviews it is not to put your particular doctor down, but to raise Dr Ortiz up.
-
According to Google, one 1 cc = 0.00422675282 US cups, which means it takes 236.589 cc's to make a cup of fluid. .5 cc's is not alot of fluid and it is not missing, it just didn't make it into the syringe when they drew the saline out and measured it. This happens often after the first fill and it is either in the needle part of the syringe itself and/or stayed behind in the band as a syringe alone does not create enough of a vacum to suck out every drop of saline. No worries, it's in there somewhere.
-
OMG!! MY FIRST FILL... A mistake?
Clynn replied to kimmizing's topic in Weight Loss Surgery Testimonials
So far I've paid $375 for fills with flouro and $150 for blind fills in the US. You are being way overcharged and they are being irresponsible by putting such a huge amount in blind when you came back for the 2nd adjustment. Blind fills are fine but you have to have a pretty good idea what you can handle and it's best to be conservative as being overfilled will do much more damage than being underfilled. I certainly would not recommend one the first time out. Find a lap-band support group in your area, they'll tell you who the good fill doctors are and who to avoid. -
*virtual hug* You'll do great! By this time tomorrow you'll wonder what you were so worried about. You will not be grouchy and tired forever, that's just the adjustment your body is going through. Once you get in the swing of things you'll feel much better. Good luck
-
feel like trowing the towel in
Clynn replied to terbear's topic in Gastric Band Support & Discussion
That's the spirit! -
feel like trowing the towel in
Clynn replied to terbear's topic in Gastric Band Support & Discussion
You haven't even given it a chance to start working and you feel like giving up because of five pounds? MOST people GAIN after they go back on solids because the band is empty. It isn't doing anything at this point to help you and so you are no different than prior to surgery. What you are experiencing is perfectly normal. Aim to eat healthy, go on Atkins, South Beach, or whatever. Make your fill appointment so you can go in as soon as you are healed up. Take a deep breath and relax. You are not off track. There's a long and sometimes difficult journey ahead of you and if you give up because you gain a few pounds you will never get there. -
Just all depends on where you are. I've gone to two clinics around here for fills. One of them them I made the appointment a month ahead, the other one the attitude was more just come in whenever.
-
how can i tell if i need another fill?
Clynn replied to 2thebeach's topic in Gastric Band Support & Discussion
When you loose your feelings of restriction and/or stop losing weight then it is time for another fill. Nobody but you will be able to decide when the time is right so just pay attention to your body and don't be afraid to make the appointment - you can always cancel later if things change. -
Looks like your posts are going into the patient testimonials section rather then the more used support/general discussions section
-
Your doctor will have the codes you need or can point you in the right direction.
-
Hard time eating and not losing weight
Clynn replied to suefromca's topic in Gastric Band Support & Discussion
Being over-filled will actually work against you, as you will tend to eat the high calorie & carb softer foods and avoid the foods rich in proteins and nutrients. The band is POWERLESS against soft foods as they go right through. This is called eating around the band as your are negating any benefit it may give. Eat normally but stay away from breads and pastas since they are very likely to cause a problem and have little to no redeeming value nutrition-wise. Chew slowly and thoroughly and stay away from the foods which give you a problem. Keep a food journal and count your carbs and calories. You might be surprised and where they are coming from as foods you thought were harmless can often be surprisingly bad for you. If none of these work then give Dr Miranda a call and share your food journal with her. She can look it over and make suggestions. -
The general rule is that anything you can get through a straw is ok once you reach full liquids. Of course, if you have to alter something a little bit to make it go through the straw, I don't see how that could be a problem. In the last week or so of the post op diet I would take soups and run them through the blender until they were smooth as milk. That way I still got all the nutrition from the full soup without having to worry about it causing a problem.
-
Answer 1 Each doctor seems to have their own preferences for post op, and you should default to what they tell you. My doctor said clear liquids for the first week, with the exception of thinner drinkable yogurt which could be started at day 4. After the first week I could eat anything that would go through a straw. Answer 2 This could be gas, was it painful at all or did you just feel full? Answer 3 This is very normal and will go away with time. Usually 1-2 weeks.
-
We all had that fear of failing, but in the end, all we can do is our best. True failure is not doing anything to make ourselves better. Pb'ing = Productive Burping. It is when food gets struck and comes back up. Unpleasant to be sure and you should do everything possible to avoid it, but not the end of the world. Sliming is associated with PB'ing. When your stomach gets irritated it produces mucus to try and ease the blockage along. Sometimes the mucus comes up. The mucus is clear and closer to spit that snot, but still pretty gross. Eating slowly, chewing thoroughly, identifying and avoiding problem foods, and maintaining a proper fill level will help you to avoid PB'ing and sliming. Good luck!
-
I don't know how satisfying you'll find my answer but here goes. . . . I think the first and foremost key to my success is that I'm 26. My body is still malleable and open to changes. The surgery and the changes it brought seemed only a bump in the road and my metabolism is still working with me instead of against me. Secondly, I live alone. Right before surgery I told my significant other to hit the road (shortly after surgery, I told him again, but that's another story ). Looking back I simply cannot imagine losing so much with him still around. He also had a weight problem and would bring tons of junk food home from the grocery store. Now I and I alone control the foods coming into my home. With only very few exceptions it is all quite healthy. I can resist the temptation for junk food while I am at the store, but not while the yummy sugary calories are sitting on my counter. Under the same topic, there is also the fact that I was growing and changing into a better person, while he was staying in the same place. I think seeing this transformation in me caused insecurity, as during my pre-op diet he would offer me chips, cookies, and ice cream. I'm sure he never thought in his head that he was sabotaging me but that was what was happening. Thirdly, I get a B-12 shot every month. How is this important you may ask? It means once a month I go into my doctor who knows I had the surgery and asks me how I'm doing, and wants to know all about any problems and progress I've had. Talking to him every month helps keep me honest and working towards my goal. Beyond my doctor, everyone in my life knows I got banded - family, friends, co-workers, everyone. They were all curious about the procedure and want to talk about it, even a year later. They are genuinely interested in how I'm doing and it often feels like they are cheering me on. Fourthly, when I got the surgery I was classified as extremely obese. People with a higher BMI tend to lose faster and I was not an exception. Now that I've come down to the 210-220 range the weight loss has really tapered off. My days of loosing five pounds a week are over but I'm not upset about that. I knew when I started it would be a long journey and would take work and patience on my part. Finally, I've never thought of myself as on a diet. That means if I have a cookie once and awhile I don't feel like I've ruined anything. I'm living a healthier lifestyle all the time that starts anew every morning rather than a diet in which feel like I've deprived myself. That's all I can think of right now. I didn't include the obvious eat right, exercise, get fills when necessary tips because we've all heard that before. Hope this helps and good luck to you.
-
As I said in my earlier post to Lauren, you are REALLY jumping the gun here. The point of this period between having the surgery and getting your first fill is to HEAL, not loose weight. That part will come later. This is not a crash diet and the fat is not just going to fly off. Losing 10 pounds before your first fill is not the normal experience, most people gain. I've only heard of a few people having their band filled during surgery and even then it is a very tiny amount, not designed to give restriction at all. Your band is not doing anything since it is not filled and this is by design. Once you get your first or second fill you will start to experience restriction and then your weight loss will begin. Secondly, this is not a contest. You are working against you and no one else. If you start comparing yourself to other people you will go nuts and get disappointed very quickly. I can already see you going down this road by being upset you've only lost 10 pounds in a little over two weeks. That is absolutely amazing and you are putting yourself down for it. Everyone's weight fluctuates a pound or three (or more) due to water intake and with your cycle. This is not a straight road so keep your eye on the trend rather than each individual point. You are doing wonderful and I am so proud of you. I just wish you could be happy for yourself and not feel like you're failing somehow when you really aren't.
-
The technical term for people like that is trolls. The goal of a troll posting on a forum it to begin a flame war like the one that went on with Tom and will get quite inflammatory in pursuing this aim. I've seen trolls proclaim that cancer patients are all homosexuals being punished by God and then of course it is game on after that.
-
Your experience right now is right where most people are. The swelling in your stomach has gone down to the point where you have lost all feeling of restriction. Most people do gain weight during this period. Your body is still healing even though it may not feel like it and that is what you should be concentrating on. Do not worry about your weight until your first fill, that's when things will start rolling. The band is a long term solution, and unlike the crash diets out there it takes a little while to get going. To question whether or not it will be successful when you have hardly begun is not going to do anyone any good. So basically, my advice is to relax . . .and give your husband a good natured smack for me, he's not helping!
-
I was told that Mondays are usually not too busy. However, you need to call and ask. The fill doctor may not be there all day or may be taking tomorrow off.
-
The way the band works is that it makes your body desire less food and you feel full after having eaten much much less. It sort of tricks your stomach and mind into thinking it is filled to capacity after a short time. Knowing the correct way to eat is much much different than doing it. The band is an excellent incentive towards eating well and will cause discomfort when bad eating habits are used. Eating too fast, too much, or not chewing throughly are examples of bad habits. As your habits are corrected by the band they will become second nature. I was banded a year ago and there is just no comparison the difference in my energy levels. I can exercise twice as long and I want to go out and do things rather than just be a spectator. I feel like an entirely different person. The only time I felt really tired and weak was during the post-op diet when I was on liquids. This was due to poor nutrition on my part and by working to get more nutrients in I was able to correct that.
-
How much weight will I drop?
Clynn replied to mommasonj's topic in Gastric Band Support & Discussion
How much you lose depends on you. Those who have a higher starting BMI tend to lose more quicker. Those who adhere to the prescribed diets tend to do better. Those who make the necessary life changes tend to do better. Those whose lives do not entail much chaos and uncertainty tend to do better. The list goes on and on but in the end it all boils down to you and no one else. There just isn't an equation which can be applied to everyone. -
OH GOD MY EYES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
I know how you feel with the doctor thing. My gyno was dead set against me getting the surgery (and still is, quite honestly). Luckily my primary physician took the time to sit down with me, give me a full medical evaluation, ask me questions about my life and behaviors before giving me his opinion and he's been incredibly supportive of me ever since. Unfortunately there's no database anywhere for that kind of thing. The best advice I can give is to ask your friends and family if they know someone. You don't have to tell them what you want to talk to the doctor about if you don't want to. Just say you're looking for a doctor who is easy to talk to and will listen to your problems.
-
Try to time it so that you won't be on the liquid post-op diet for the holidays. Watching friends and family have fun and eat and eat and eat while you can only have liquids makes a difficult phase more so. Other than that, go for it. Unless you have some other issues which you have not elaborated on here, you'll do just fine.
-
The soreness does not surprise me, but the blister and the not drinking concerns me. If she isn't taking any nutrients in then that is where the dizziness could be coming from. The blister could be from the lack of nutrients, or the inability to drink could be from the blister. We're not doctors so it's impossible for us to say. Call the doctor who did your daughter's surgery and ask their opinion. They'll give you much better advice.