JaniceBlack

I hope someone from OCC can answer my question.

I think the biggest concern is the air that gets swallowed while chewing gum. I personally have had no issues with drinking from a straw on occcasion, having a beer from time to time. Which are also in the "air" catagory. I think anything in moderation is a-ok. If you don't get good feed back give the OCC a call and ask. Can't hurt to get there opinion.

Thank you! Have a wonderful evening

I am not a big gum person, but I wanted to tell you I love your Snoopy! I heart my band too.

I like to chew gum when I walk. Just didn't know if we were allowed to chew it or not.

This is the link that I found Snoopy enjoy!

http://www.glitter-graphics.com/

Sorry, Question about chewing gum? Are you able to chew gum????????? Is that a silly question???

Good Morning everyone,

Can you help me with some options on what to eat for breakfast???? It says no mushy foods and so oatmeal and eggs are mushy ?? HELP !

Thank you Angie and Lindsey!!! Your information helps me....

Good Morning everyone,

Can you help me with some options on what to eat for breakfast???? It says no mushy foods and so oatmeal and eggs are mushy ?? HELP !

I can not believe this day is here. I started the process of researching the band in August of 2009. I was going to get it here in Reno but thankfully a friend pointed me in the right direction. If she wouldn't have I would still be doing my 3 month weight loss appointments with my doc and fighting with insurance. I doubt insurance would have helped me out and even if they would have I STILL would have ended up paying more!

Anyhow, I am so excited and I think I am more nervous about the flight than getting banded. I will update with a full report on my experience. Thanks to everyone for all of the wonderful advice and caring words that you have shared over this past month. I appreciate it and thank you so much.

Yea, tomorrow's the day!!! I think I was more scared about going through the boarder then anything. LOL It's been years since I have been to TJ..something like 40 something (OUCH) You will not be sorry and I am excited to hear all about your time there and weight loss adventure Good Luck and keep us posted.

Janice

I am just trying to follow the rules that the OCC gave me and am doing well. Eating healthy , smaller portions, not drinkig with meals and exercising 7 days a week. I personally have cut out junk food and most carbs but I have alot to lose and am determined to do it within one year.

The band is awesome because you feel full quicker and it makes it so much easier with portion control.

Good luck on your decision.

Debbie

Me again...........

What do you eat for breakfast most days?

Glad to hear that. I assumed when you said medifast that you were drinking a shake with your egg. My error

Debbie

Hi Debbie,

It's ok.. this is new to me so I'm just doing the shakes, eggs, oatmeal, soups and a regular dinner. They have bars too but I kinda want to stay away from them right now. I haven't lost anything since being on solids but will keep going. Thank you for all your help!!! I love reading all of the information I can get on here.

Janice

Just eat the portions that were suggested by Dr Miranda and you will do fine. Don't test the band to see how much you can eat instead see how little you can eat and be satisfied.

It is a big mind game to begin with as we are used to eating huge portions. My advice measure your portion and stick with it and no snacks. Also don't drink with meals. Medifast and a egg would kind of defeat the purpose of feeling full because the medifast would wash the egg right out of your stomach. At this point you should be eating only solid foods and no protein drinks . That is what Dr Ortiz stresses and that is what I did and still do. I eat my protein don't drink it.

Hope this helps

Debbie

The egg is powder egg from medifast. They have oatmeal for or eggs for breakfast. I was going to try and do the egg or oatmeal for breakfast and lunch the soups and a regular meal for dinner. They do have the shakes also for meals. I'd eat 1/3 the amount I would at a regular meal. Not drinking 1 hr before and 1 hr after meals too.

Today is my first day eating solids... I don't feel any restriction whats so ever. I've lost 13 lbs and noticed that I lose a lb every 3rd or 4th day. Not bad but afraid that I'll gain if I go on solids.... VERY SCARED!!!!!!!!!

I am doing Medifast and I had the egg's this morning. No restriction............

Hi!

I am really new to this but I was just banded 12/9/09. Part of me is pacing my house still thinking I am completely crazy for doing this and the other part of me is so excited to begin my transformation that I don't know why I didn't do this sooner.

I am 31 yrs old, 5'1" and before pre-op diet I weighed 238, day of surgery I was 229.

So far so good except for my shoulder pain which seems really weird.

Congrats on your step to a new life!!! You will not be sorry I had my band on Nov. 24th and every day I wake up thinking one more step to feeling free. My husband keep says he can already see that I have lost weight in my face... Kids call and ask how I am doing each day too. As for the shoulder pain keep doing the windmills with your arms and it will help. Good luck and please keep us posted are how you are feeling and doing. Also, coming on this sight each day reading all the wonderful family member's stories will help with any questions you might have.

Its only been 4 months and Im already down 86lbs! I would have never thought I would have lost so much so quick. I still have 75 more to go!

First Congrats!! Second....... I agree with the rest of the ladies.......give us the 411 PLEASE sitting by the computer and waiting

Hi Angie. Thanks for the information on uploading pictures. I have put some on my signature because you asked yesterday . I can't believe how different I look. I am so glad I took pictures when i started. I only wish that I had a picture of me at my heaviest which was 317.

Anyways I am soooooooooo LOVE MY BAND

You look Amazing!

Seeing your pictures and reading your post gives all of us motivation and hope! Thank you

I'm wondering what you all found to be the best liquids for the first few weeks.

Anyone have a great place to buy the optifast? Is that what it's called? I really like Slimfast so maybe I'll just stick to that?

Hi,

Are you using the powder Slim Fast?? All can's have been recalled.

http://www.medifast1.com/

I'm doing it.. I have been doing the shakes and drinks. Nothing more since I am still on the liquid diet.

Hello Everyone, I just thought those of you that are using Slim Fast please read:

The maker of Slim-Fast announced a recall of its canned, ready-to-drink products due to possible bacterial contamination.

Unilever, the company which also makes products like Skippy peanut butter and Ragu pasta sauce, said the weight-loss drink may be tainted by Bacillus cereus, which can cause diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.U.S. Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman Rita Chappelle said the recall affects 10 million cans distributed in the United States.Unilever (UL) said it is still in the process of identifying and correcting the production problem that led to the contamination. The FDA, which was notified by Unilever of the possible contamination on Dec. 2, is currently investigating the company's production facility in Covington, Tenn.All Slim-Fast ready-to-drink products served in cans, regardless of flavor, best-by dates, lot code or UPC number that are currently in retail distribution centers, on store shelves, in warehouses or in consumer homes are being recalled, the company said Thursday.The recall does not apply to other Slim-Fast branded products, such as powdered shakes, meal bars or snack bars.Englewood Cliffs, N.J.-based Unilever urges consumers who have purchased the possibly hazardous products to discard them immediately and contact the company at 1-800-896-9479 for a full refund.

If calling to receive your refund on SlimFast use # 1-800-754-6327 and leave your name and address/phone number amount of can's you have. They state that they will send a refund in 4 to 6 weeks.

Hi everyone...I just scheduled my appointment yesterday for December 18th!!! So excited but nervous at the same time. I am freaking out over whether or not to just go alone or try and get my honey's passport, days off etc. I am also waiting for an answer from the finance company. I do not see why they would not approve me but still...it is nerve wracking.

Is anyone else getting their surgery on the 18th?

Hi, I was banded on Nov. 24th and went by myself. It was so easy and so many wonderful people at OCC and the Hotel. I stayed at the Marriott for 3 nights and the service was nice. Make sure you try the both ...its really good (Thanks Maureen for telling me about it). The trip going back to the air port was smooth, the hotel driver tells you each step of the way to get through the boarder. I took my lap top so I could keep in contact with my family from the hotel. They have free internet, I did not use my phone because it would cost to much. At OCC you will have access to the internet and phones anytime also. I was nervous !! but it was easy, you will meet others that are having it done or there for fills. Good Luck and keep us posted on how you are doing.

Janice ~

Hey there Janice - It really depends on where you go. If you are going to a provider who utilizes floro or not. Where I go, they use floro. It's a major hospital, so for the fill, I go down to radiology. They put me on a table that can stand all the way up. They put the floro machine or the x ray part over my tummy so the surgeon can see my port. Before they do the fill, they check out my esophogus, and stoma to make sure it looks right and is not disended or stretched. I do a barium swallow so they can see my restriction level and also to check me out. ( When they have you do the swallow, the table is up right, so you are nearly standing.) Then they insert a special needle called a huber needle into my stomach. This is a tiny pinch and mostly pressure. They have to make sure the needle is in the port. This feels weird. They put some saline in the band and tip you up to a near standing position to do a barium swallow. You can see the barium going down you into stoma and flow into your stomach. This I am told should take no more than 17 seconds to flow threw. They adjust the level by the way the barium flows threw. It's cool, quick and really painless. It is weird to be upright with the needle still in, but by no means does it hurt.

I will say the needle is a larger one. So if you have a fear of the needle don't watch. The stomach is a great place to get poked, it is not super sensitive. It's a pretty neat process. I like watching every step of the way.

Some places will put a topical on to numb the area. They don't where I go and personally I don't see the need for it. I do not fear needles and it is pretty cool! Hope this helps!

Thank you for all your help!

I have a question regarding Full-liquids

It says that you are to have at least 30 grams of protein a day. If so how many calories a day are you allowed?

I just scheduled my fist fill for Jan. 5th 2009 YEA!! Please tell me how this process goes.................

Hello Everyone, I just thought those of you that are using Slim Fast please read:

The maker of Slim-Fast announced a recall of its canned, ready-to-drink products due to possible bacterial contamination.

Unilever, the company which also makes products like Skippy peanut butter and Ragu pasta sauce, said the weight-loss drink may be tainted by Bacillus cereus, which can cause diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.U.S. Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman Rita Chappelle said the recall affects 10 million cans distributed in the United States.Unilever (UL) said it is still in the process of identifying and correcting the production problem that led to the contamination. The FDA, which was notified by Unilever of the possible contamination on Dec. 2, is currently investigating the company's production facility in Covington, Tenn.All Slim-Fast ready-to-drink products served in cans, regardless of flavor, best-by dates, lot code or UPC number that are currently in retail distribution centers, on store shelves, in warehouses or in consumer homes are being recalled, the company said Thursday.The recall does not apply to other Slim-Fast branded products, such as powdered shakes, meal bars or snack bars.Englewood Cliffs, N.J.-based Unilever urges consumers who have purchased the possibly hazardous products to discard them immediately and contact the company at 1-800-896-9479 for a full refund.

Wow! I see a lot of familiar faces and so many new ones! It has been a long time since I posted, but I wanted to update everyone. I did it! I reached goal and I am in a size 5!! That's a long way from the size 22 woman I was when I stepped in the OCC on March 28th, 2008! I can't wait to see everyone's pictures and I will also post some new ones. Great to see everyone!

Congrats!! I can't wait to see your new photos. Hearing your achievement give me so much hope!

~ Janice ~

Hey ya'll. I have made a decision. For the longest, I have been weighing myself twice a day.....yes....a bit over the top I know. That being said, I want to stop being a scale whore.

Here is my new plan of action. I am going to weigh in on Wed on this board. I've already put my plan of action into progress and stopped stepping on the scale. I'd love some support! I am finding myself wanting to step on the scale. *bites finger nails* I didn't weigh myself last night or this morning. Boy was it temping too! Anyway, will you join me???

Margaret posted a post last weekish, that talked about the ways we hender our weight loss. Very profound post by the way! Loved it! I thought about several things I am doing as a result of the topic. Ahhh gotta love some self reflection. Pain torture....choke! Just kidding! Ha!

What I realized is lately I have been managing my weight. Kinda like I am at goal and holding, only I am not nearly close to goal. By stepping on the scale so much, if I go up a tency bit, I get stricked. If I go down a 1lb I REWARD MYSELF! WITH FOOD! AHHHHHHHHHH! Not a huge change in behavior for me, cuz let's face it food has been my best and worst friend for a while now. HOWEVER~~~~I am working on change....so I am confessing what I know to be true, and working on a different solution. An yes, I know I need to find a different way to reward myself....but for me I have fallen back in the good old stand by.....FOOD.

My hubby likes that I weigh in and thinks I am making a.....well hasty decision. Which I can see his point, however I want to give this a go. If I don't weight in all the time it will leave me wondering what my weight is like. If I don't know if I can

"AFFORD" a tastey treat, then I won't want to gamble....ya see fokes, I am not a gambler by nature. I like the security of restults.

So, with out going on and on. I am asking you to join me if you want. If you are already in the mode of a once a week or month weigh in, please share any and all pearls of wisdom you can offer. I am white knuckling it right now and I am being honest. NOT STEPPING ON THE SCALE IS HARD FOR ME.

Hi Angie,

I will come on board with the Wednesday Weigh in's... I too weigh myself each morning and have been doing it for years. UP AND DOWN over and over again. But so excited that for now it will be DOWN DOWN DOWN ! I love reading your post!!! Thank you so much for being here for all of us.

ok, I already weighed this morning so SORRY .. I do my best and move the scale to the garage and see how that works.

Janice

Hi all,

My sister has the band too, and lives in San Francisco. She's never found a doc in SF who will see patients who were banded in Mexico, and has gone to the OCC for fills. At this point she's really wanting to find someone local.

Let me know if anyone has any suggestions - thanks!!

Susan

Fill CentersUSA is a nationwide business for aftercare for Lapband patients. Dr. Ortiz is on their medical advisory board, so we are associated with them in that resepct, but he is not an owner of the company. If you want to have fills with FillCenters, you would have to pay the fees that they charge. You can get info from them by calling 866-345-5872.

http://www.fillcentersusa.com/

The above information was given to me when I asked about the website

Am wondering if anyone else will be at the Marriot Nov 23+24th?

Hi, Sorry I missed you... I guess I was tired. How did the fill go and your trip home? I am so ready to get home. I wished I knew that I could have left Wednesday. I just stayed out at the hotel. It was wonderful to have you with me on Monday and thank you for all your help :-h