coloratura

There are several soy-free vegetable protein powders. Naturade is one brand of them. You can go to any healthfood store and they can help you find a protein powder that is soy-free. Dairy foods, such as cheese, yogurt and milk are a good source of protein as are eggs. In fact, Egglands Best eggs are a staple of my diet. They now even have boiled, peeled eggs in a resealable bag, which makes it so easy to grab one in the morning to tuck away for lunch at work.

Thanks for the report, Greg

I've thought about doing Zoom but friends here in the states have had bad sensitivity problems. I can only use Whitestrips for a few days and then my teeth hurt for several more Have you tried other whiteners and if so, what was your experience?

Right now my fill at .8cc is doing fine so hopefully the new Dr. will get lots of practice before I need another one. But I'll still track down Dr. Romero just to look at his cute face

I used to work for a dentist and found out that the reason your teeth are sensitive after whitening is that the peroxide makes your teeth more porous. Naturally, with the pores open, your teeth are more sensitive to air and cold/hot liquids. The remedy for it is to use a flouride rinse, which closes the pores (which is why it helps prevent cavities). If you are doing home whitening, you can just alternate whitening and flouride rinse every other day until your desired whitening is accomplished.

As a newbie to this forum, first let me say that this forum is wonderful. I am seriously considering getting banded here in Toronto Canada and have already had my initial consultation. Having read most of the forums here especially the post op food forum, I was wondering why even bother with lap banding when most people are having to eat properly now after their surgery. I read about how some people are having protein shakes for breakfast, and small portions for lunch and dinner and very little snacking, no drinking with their food, chewing properly.....if I ate this way before getting banding, I would be losing tons of weight. I'm not trying to be condescending about this but I'm just thinking why spend $15,000 on a lap band when if I just ate properly the way I should be after lap banding, I probably wouldn't need the surgery.

My problem is portion control and I'm looking to this surgery as a way to control the portions but not limit the foods I eat. Thoughts?

Thanks

First of all, if you have the surgery done by Dr. Ortiz in Mexico the cost is only $8500. (Most of us would spend three times that amount on a new car, why not spend it on your health?) I just had the surgery done by Dr. Ortiz and he, and his whole clinical staff are wonderful. I felt like I had much better care than I would have gotten in the U.S.

Secondly, while it's true about portion control, chewing and eating slowly being the keys to losing weight, most of us don't do those things because there is no immediate consequence. The band causes immediate consequences. It is aversion therapy. You feel the consequences of eating too fast, not chewing properly and eating too much, so you don't do it again. It in essence, forces you to eat the right way. If people could do the right things on their own, there would be no need for diets, diet pills, the diet industry..... etc.

Human nature being what it is, most of us need help!

Hi my name is Bri and i am 17 years old and 305lbs. I have been overweight all my life (have tried weight watchers nutrisystem and other diets but am not really seeing results) and am so sick of not being a "normal teenager". I have been researching this surgery for awhile and have recently expressed my opinion about getting it to my mom and grandma. They arnt in any hurry to look at my research or attempt to find solutions with drs and such. They are also concerned about the cost of the surgery and if it would benefit me. If i were to get the surgery in TJ Mexico...how much would it cost? What would I have to do? How much weight could i lose? ( my grandma isnt convinced about the weight loss bc some of the other teens didnt look like they lost alot to her???) and is it really safe to travel the long distance (i live in illinois) to get the surgery???

PLEASE HELP I WANT BANDED SOOOOOO BADLY!!!

-Bri-

Bri,

The following article was posted on the forum earlier. Maybe you could qualify for this study or find out about other studies that are similar.

By First Coast News Staff

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- The FDA is conducting an adolescent lap band trial that provides free lap band surgeries for overweight teenagers in five states, including Florida. There will be 25 surgeries in each state.

Usually Insurance companies do not cover this type of surgery for teenagers under the age of 18.

The FDA is now giving free lap band surgeries to teens under 18 to see how effective they can really be. The idea is to possibly turn insurance companies around to pay for these lap band surgeries in children 14 to 17 years old.

The FDA is looking for adolescents to participate in the lap band study; each participant will get a lap band surgery at no cost.

If anyone is interested in applying, contact JACKSONVILLE SURGICAL ASSOCIATES the number is 904-399-4004. Ask for Jody Debord.

To be accepted in the study, teens have to be between the ages of 14 and 17 and they have to be at least 100 pounds overweight.

Created: 6/15/2007 4:19:37 PM Updated: 6/15/2007 4:56:43 PM

Hello! I got banded 10-26-06 and have done very well with my weight loss thus far. I have had a little evil friend from the past revisit me twice though since my band was placed. Hemroids!! I haven't had them since I was last pregnant 7 years ago. I am getting hit hard now with pain pain pain. I went to the doctor in May and got really no relief except to say I have a clotted internal hemroid and to not get constipated. Well after 1 week of horrible pain it went away as fast as it hit. Now tonight I was yet again constiapted after not having a bowel movement in 3 days and (sorry for the gross detail but I really need to know if you guys have ever experienced this) I had to actually assist myself in going if you know what i mean. Well to my surprise my hand was covered in blood! Know my hemeroid is bleeding and I am kinda scared. I eat so little what can I do to stay regular?? Does yogurt work? Anything I can take on daily basis? Anybody out there with the same problems please give me some advise.

ps. I had my band adjusted for the 2nd time in May and it is a little tight. I went to Dr. Maese in Dallas. I am thinking about going back to the OCC to have it loosened a bit.

Thanks! Teresa

SW = 256 lbs.

Weight day of surgery 10-26-06 = 244 lbs

1st fill 12-12-06 = 246 lbs

2nd fill 05-16-07 = 200 lbs

CW = 187 lbs )-69 lbs lost

GW - 150 lbs

Hi Teresa,

Even for "normal" people, it is hard to get in all the vegetables and fruits needed in a day. I would imagine it is even harder for those of us who are banded. I take a product called Juice Plus, that is whole fruits and vegetables in capsule form. You might try it to see how it works. I take 2 capsules in the morning and two at night and it gives me 5-9 servings of veggie and fruit per day. You get all the nutrients, antioxidents and even fiber. Taking it doen't mean you don't have to EAT fruits and veggies....it is a supplement not a substitute, but the benefits of getting enough fruits and veggies are astounding, including helping keep you "regular". Also, it is an all-natural solution to your problem. I think their website is juiceplus.com

Good luck!

I thought this article was very interesting:

Could nerve-snipping spur weight loss?

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer

Mon Jul 2, 7:23 PM ET

An old ulcer operation is getting new attention as a possible alternative obesity surgery: a quick snip of a nerve that helps control hunger. It's far from clear if cutting the vagus nerve really helps

Hello, everyone! I will be going shopping today and tomorrow for my supplies. I will be banded in 3 days....gawd, typing that made me shake! Your lists have been very helpful. Can someone please tell me what the best tasting protein supplement is? There are so many....my surgeon's list says it has to have at least 20 grams of whey protein per serving and low, low in sugar. Please help? I dont know what to get. Thank you!

I like NutriMed.

I did join Curves, it's low intense but it's moving!! Better than sitting and you don't have to work out with people who look like they don't need to be at the gym, it's a very comfortable situation for us older gals!!

I love the Curves concept and the fact there are no mirrors and it's all women, but my problem with them is that the hours that they are open (at least here) are geared for women who don't work. They don't open early enough in the morning, they close too early in the evening, they close at noon on Saturday (not even opened on Sunday) and they shut down for 3 hours every afternoon! I can't manage with my work schedule and commute!

I wish they would get the message that women with jobs would love to do CURVES too!

OK... here's the answer to this question (kinda!)

absolutely do not use these products before the glue falls off. After that you'll need to follow package directions as there are so many of these products on the market.

hope that helps!

Thanks Lori,

All the sheets I found say not to use it on open wounds, so that is what I figured. Do you know of anyone who has used them and if so, did they worked?

I've heard that lapband is for people who dont' have that much to lose. I'd be starting at 300 and would ideally like to end up at 160. I'd like to hear from people who have lost 150 pounds with lap band, how long it took, why they didn't do bypass, etc.

Also, do you keep getting your band adjusted forever, or do you reach a "sweet spot" after a few fills and just keep it that way?

If I have to pay for fills out of pocket, how much would they cost?

Also, why do they say you can only lose so much with lapband vs. bypass. The percentages vary, but I have heard you can only lose 30-50% of excess weight with lapband vs. 50-70% with bypass. Why would the amt. with lapband be less? I can understand it taking longer, but if you keep getting fills, why wouldn't you just keep losing.

thanks.

I have 100 lbs to lose and just got my lapband one week ago. I can honestly say that the worst part of the whole experience was the 4 hour plane trip each way.

The statistic that I found in my research says that after 3 years the weight loss is equal between gastric bypass and lap band. You lose at a slower and steadier rate, as opposed to the bypass where you lose a lot of weight immediately, but slow down after the initial period. The lap band does not permanently change your physiology, is adjustable and does not cause malabsorption of nutrients, which is what causes many of the very unpleasant, and even dangerous side effects. One that I have read of recently is thiamine deficiency that causes symptoms similar to altzheimers disease!

My preference is to lose more slowly and steadily because it is a much healthier way to lose and will give your skin more of a chance to rebound...meaning less likelihood of drastic cosmetic surgery.

I would suggest you get Dr. Ortiz's book LapBand For Life. It answered a lot of my questions. There is also a book called Weightloss Surgery for Dummies (yes they have those for EVERYTHING!) that I heard is pretty comprehensive.

Good luck in making an informed decision!

Hello everyone,

Does anyone have and good recipes for the liquid phase? I'm not on the protein phase yet and I need some good ideas!

Here is my contribution...it's pretty good:

I quart carton organic, low-fat chicken broth

4 or 5 medium yukon gold potatoes...peeled and cut into chunks

one onion chopped

one Tablespoon chopped garlic (I use the kind in the jar)

Boil until onions are soft and potatoes are falling apart

Cool a little

Put in blender and blend on liquify setting until completely smooth

I put it in a pitcher with a lid in the fridge, and when I'm ready to eat it, I heat it in a cup in the microwave, add a dash of Texas Pete Hot Sauce and sip.

Hi forum fam................

I am cracking up because I am not normally a whiner............. BUT......

More often than not, I find myself struggling to take my liquid vitamins.......... That is nuts, because normally~ if it were a pill form vitamin it would be no prob............

I have liquid Centrum.......... And it's so disgusting! Bright yellow (bile in appearance if you really want to know) smelly and so horrible~! I want to take care of myself and I KNOW what I know when it comes to supplying your body with enuf nutrients. We need to heal and adjust to the band without depriving our bods of what it needs.......... So it's not like I don't realize the value of why we do this..............

HOWEVER......... As I am a cheapskate and don't waste anything, I am involved in a full blown struggle each and every day when it comes to this nasty ritual........... My daughter can smell it on the spoon even after I rinsed it off....... She grosses out with it even on my breath. I immediately put a s.f. fruit bar in my mouth to kill the taste. What a bad example I am to my 10 yr old! Like a pacifier in the mouth of a big ol' crybaby, I walk around being grossed out for like 10 minutes suckin' all the flavor out of my victim of the day till the vita-taste is completely outta my mouth........ Seems like an eternity..........

Thought I would just complain to folks who have had a 'hit n miss' with LapBand aftercare purchases............ Or if you are a pre bander wanting to learn from my mistake....... Hee hee. I'm riding this one out....... I think it was only 14.00 or something.........

But COMPLAINING IS FREE! HOW COOL!

I thank you all for your time and hopefully have amused some of you that know what I'm talkin' about! Shheeesh! Anyone got a good SECOND TIME'S A CHARM liquid vitamin?

Take care!

Cheryl

Try the gumball vitamins. Mine are called Vitaballs. They are terrific!

> HELLO LADIES!!!!!

How are ya'll feeling????

Ruth I am feeling better today, I think I wasn't getting enough liquids. I also bought those vitaballs vitamins and I think that helped.

Jennifer how are you, I hope doing great!!!!

I too am back at work today and I feel really good actually, still SORE, but other than that no complaints.

Keep in touch girlys, hope you continue to heal, arn't ya'll glad it is all over, it was like the anticipation was killing me, now I actually have the band, I can't believe it.

Well I better get to work, take care!!!

Ashlee, Glad to hear you're feeling better! I am certainly glad it's over too and can't wait for the healing to get further along. Just think though ...The surgery may be over...but it's only the beginning of the last time we will ever have to lose weight!!! WooHooo!

June 24, 2007

On Her Weigh

Lisa Manger takes first step in journey to shed pounds

By ANNE GEGGIS

Staff Writer The News-Journal is following the story of Lisa Manger, who had Lap-Band surgery to help her lose weight. This is the third in an occasional series.Weighty matters had been propelling Lisa Manger onto her scale almost daily since a surgical procedure May 30 made her stomach 90 percent smaller -- so the first official weigh-in was anticlimactic for her.

But for Diane Allen, who's been supporting Manger ever since she started trying to reduce nearly 18 months ago, the scale's unblinking 318.4 -- showing a total of 12 pounds lost -- set off Allen's cheers, which Manger joined in on.

"Wonderful," said Allen, a dietician at Halifax Medical Center's Weight Management program who monitors dieting patients, describing Manger's progress.

Two weeks after her Lap-Band surgery, Manger, in fact, was at the top of her class. Among the first three patients to get the new procedure at the area's largest hospital, weight loss ranges from 8 pounds to Manger's 12.

It's only the first step on a long journey. Manger said she wants to reduce enough to get into a size 16 -- from her current 28-30 size. And then maintain that for life.

She had the surgery, she says, because previous diets have failed and she needs help getting to a weight that would allow her to join a profession that could require a lot of time on her feet: nursing.

The reversible, surgical alteration to her stomach size came from having a Lap-Band implanted in her stomach. The band's constricting powers mean that it takes less food to fill her up. But the surgery has its costs and risks -- and the aftermath basically requires patients to give up normal eating habits.

As she waited to be wheeled into the operating room last month, Manger was philosophical.

"I might as well get food out of my head -- I'm not going to have any for a long time," she said.

A growing army of morbidly obese Americans is seeking bariatric surgery to solve a condition that a 2003 study for the Centers for Disease Control says accounts for 9.1 percent of the nation's health care costs. The 177,600 bariatric surgeries done in 2006 represent nearly a 1,000 percent increase in the surgery since it was introduced in 1992, according to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

Bariatric surgery, when it was first introduced, was known as gastric bypass, in which the stomach and intestines were permanently altered. Celebrities such as Roseanne Barr, Carnie Wilson, Al Roker, and Sharon Osborne have joined the parade of those who shaped up through surgery.

The Food and Drug Administration in 2001 added the Lap-Band to the surgical options for those trying to find a way out of obesity. And it seems to be the more popular option in this area. While 76 have undergone gastric bypass since 2004 when Halifax Medical Center began offering it, Florida Hospital Memorial has already matched that number with Lap-Band in less than two years.

Industry projections show the Lap-Band is projected to grow from 15 percent of all bariatric surgery to account for 20 to 25 percent, while traditional gastric bypasses are projected to decrease or increase just slightly, said Dr. Neil Hutcher, past president of the metabolic and bariatric surgery society.

Some of the area's insurers haven't been so quick to follow along in covering Lap-Band surgery that costs about $16,000.

Medicare introduced its bariatric surgery coverage in November 2005 -- allowing the surgery at designated "centers of excellence" of which there are none in Volusia or Flagler counties. Most of Humana's group policies don't cover it, unless a special rider has been purchased. And Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Florida doesn't cover it either. A spokesman cited safety reasons.

Dr. Stephen Levine, who has performed 75 Lap-Band surgeries at Florida Hospital Ormond Memorial, said that about 50 percent of his patients have insurance for the surgery, a significant increase since he started the hospital's program.

Insurance companies' reluctance, he said, is easy to understand -- even though the surgery makes it less likely the patient will need costly treatment for diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure in the future.

"We know it will save money," he said. "But in all likelihood you will be with a different insurance company in a couple of years."

Manger, who works at a behavioral health facility, is grateful that the cost of the surgery isn't an issue for her. A $525 bariatric surgery fee is all that she had to pay, so far.

Within a few hours, she went from surgery to the recovery room to a hospital room for an overnight stay. She was up and walking around before evening.

"I feel like I've done a thousand sit-ups," she said.

I can certainly relate to the THOUSAND SIT-UPS comment!!!

Hi, I was banded on that same day! How are you doing with pain,liquids ect??

Hey Jen!!

I am doing well. I started doing the yogurt drink yesterday evening and had no problems. I am still achy....which is natural, but am back to work today will no problems. How are things going for YOU?

I was just banded in TJ on June 21 and everything went great. The people at Dr. Ortiz's clinic are all great and Dr. Ortiz has trust-enducing confidence, without being arrogant. He was great!

I was just wondering about scarring. I have been reading reviews of ReJuveness, which is a silicone patch that helps reduce the appearance of scars. The reviews I read were very favorable. Has anyone had any experience with any of the silicone=sheet scar removers? How long after the surgery do you have to wait until you can start working on the scars?

Has anyone had any luck with other products designed to reduce scars? Any home remedies? I read that some plastic surgeons say that vitamin E can actually make scars worse!

THANKS!!

I just read up on my insurance web page and it states that no weigh loss assistance is covered. Including surgery's, medication, counseling. NOTHING. Is there a way to force them to cover the surgery?

Thank you in advance

glen

I have the same problem with my insurance. In doing some research I found out that Insurance companies really don't care about the long term health benefits of weight loss. The fact is that most corporations change insurance carriers every one or two years, so long term health means nothing to the insurance company. They will not be the ones who reap the financial benefit of an obese person's health improvement. If they would just realize that if ALL insurance companies covered weight loss procedures, then ALL of them would reap the financial reward of healthier clients.

O.K it was very hard to post thisonly because it's embaresing. I have been having bad breath every since I started solids. I did some research only to find the way I am eating is very similar to Atkins because I always try to eat protien first which usually fills me up before I can get to any carbs. Anyway..... research shows that people who don't consume too many carbs go into something called ketosis ( forgive me if its spelled wrong). That is what causes the bad breath.Please be advised I just visited the denist who gave me an a++ visit so its coming from my gut I know it and its gross any suggestions?

I used to work for a dentist who did a study on halitosis...the fancy word for bad breath. He found that the most effective treatment is tongue scraping, which removes all the food particles from the deep crevices on your tongue. The food particles, if left in the deep crevices, form sulfur gasses...and you know how bad sulfur smells! Brushing your tongue can actually do more harm, because it can push the food particles deeper. Using a tongue scraper is the best way to remove the particles, thus eliminating the halitosis. You can get a tongue scraper from most drug stores. If you can't find one, I'm sure you can do a google search and locate someplace that sells them. In a pinch, you can even use a spoon. You just turn it upside down on your tongue and scrape from back to front several times. You will be amazed at what comes off your tongue!

By the way, using mouthwash containing alcohol can actually make things worse. The alcohol turns into sugars which can form sulfur gasses.

I swear by my tongue scraper. I can actually eat raw onions, then scrape my tongue and not have anything register on the "breath-o-meter" (Yes there is such a machine!) LOL

Hi forum fam................

I am cracking up because I am not normally a whiner............. BUT......

More often than not, I find myself struggling to take my liquid vitamins.......... That is nuts, because normally~ if it were a pill form vitamin it would be no prob............

I have liquid Centrum.......... And it's so disgusting! Bright yellow (bile in appearance if you really want to know) smelly and so horrible~! I want to take care of myself and I KNOW what I know when it comes to supplying your body with enuf nutrients. We need to heal and adjust to the band without depriving our bods of what it needs.......... So it's not like I don't realize the value of why we do this..............

HOWEVER......... As I am a cheapskate and don't waste anything, I am involved in a full blown struggle each and every day when it comes to this nasty ritual........... My daughter can smell it on the spoon even after I rinsed it off....... She grosses out with it even on my breath. I immediately put a s.f. fruit bar in my mouth to kill the taste. What a bad example I am to my 10 yr old! Like a pacifier in the mouth of a big ol' crybaby, I walk around being grossed out for like 10 minutes suckin' all the flavor out of my victim of the day till the vita-taste is completely outta my mouth........ Seems like an eternity..........

Thought I would just complain to folks who have had a 'hit n miss' with LapBand aftercare purchases............ Or if you are a pre bander wanting to learn from my mistake....... Hee hee. I'm riding this one out....... I think it was only 14.00 or something.........

But COMPLAINING IS FREE! HOW COOL!

I thank you all for your time and hopefully have amused some of you that know what I'm talkin' about! Shheeesh! Anyone got a good SECOND TIME'S A CHARM liquid vitamin?

Take care!

Cheryl

Do they still make Polyvisol...you know the liquid baby vitamin? When I used to babysit as a teenager, I used to love the taste of it, but the Polyvisol with iron was terrible!

...

[quote name='wishinginWA' date='Jun 14 2007, 04:51 PM' pos

Hey,

I used part of Flexible Spending on my Lap Band surgery. I took out a credit card advance to pay the clinic. When I turn in my reciept to be reimbursed I had to have a letter from the doctor at the clinic why I needed surgery(which seemed crazy to me-well dah I'm to fat). So, my advice is to get a letter while your at the clinic to turn in for surgery reimbursement.

Good Luck

FYI- I'm Still thrilled with the medical care I received

Connie

Great advice! Thank you so much for your feedback. Were you banded in Mexico? If so, did you have any problem because the surgery wasn't done in the US?

Thanks again!

You mean we can never have errr... vigorous...sex again? What a bummer! Maybe I need to rethink this whole band thing! ROFL!

We do take credits cards, we just take them through Paypal. Too many of our patients would come down, credit card in hand only to have their credit card company not accept the charge because it is a foreign country and that waves a red flag... then we have to cancel that patients surgery.

Paypal is a safer, easier way to make your payments without having to give out your credit card number! We still sometimes have some credit card companies not allow the full amount to go through and our patients have to make several smaller payments over the course of several days.

If you are speaking of Care Credit, no we don't take them because they don't take us. They won't finance surgeries performed outside of the U.S.

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions

We do take credits cards, we just take them through Paypal. Too many of our patients would come down, credit card in hand only to have their credit card company not accept the charge because it is a foreign country and that waves a red flag... then we have to cancel that patients surgery.

Paypal is a safer, easier way to make your payments without having to give out your credit card number! We still sometimes have some credit card companies not allow the full amount to go through and our patients have to make several smaller payments over the course of several days.

If you are speaking of Care Credit, no we don't take them because they don't take us. They won't finance surgeries performed outside of the U.S.

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions

Thanks for the response. I have had a PayPal account for years and use it frequently. The problem is that because PayPal is not coded as a medical provider, I am not able to use my card. A Healthcare Flexible Spending Account is money that you have taken from your paycheck pre-tax. The money can be used for any medical expenses that are allowable with the IRS. Our flexible spending account administrator (ADP) issues a Visa card that you can use to pay any eligible expenses....but the place where you use it has to have a special code in their credit card machine that designates it as a supplier of medical services or products. For instance WalMart sells over the counter medications, so they have that designation code in their credit card. Pharmacies and doctors' offices have the same coding. But because PayPal does not have that coding, my flexible spending card is refused.

I'm sure that if Dr. Ortiz accepted credit cards directly through his website, he would get that medical coding and there would be no problem for people in my situation. And if we are required to pay in advance, there would be no problem with surprises once we got down there.

As it is now, I am having to scramble for the $1500 up front. Of course I will be reimbursed for it afterward, once I file it, but because I am nervous enough about going for the surgery alone, it has sort of frazzled and upset me...especially when I was so worried that I would not be able to have my surgery as scheduled.

To top it off.....my temporary crown, that I had to shell out so much money for this week, is hurting! LOL

Help!

I am being banded next Thursday (the 21st) and was going to pay part of the fee with my Healthcare Flexible Spending Card, but found out that the clinic does not take credit cards at all. (who in this day and age doesn't take credit cards?!) They said to pay through PayPal, but because PayPal is not a medical facility, I cannot use my card.

Has anyone had any experience with using a healthcare flexible spending account for the lapband surgery? Carolyn said I can pay up front and then file with my flexible spending and get reimbursed. I'm having to scramble for the up front money, because I was counting on just using my card, (just had to pay $1000 for a dental crown...ouch) but has anyone filed their surgery on their flexible spending account? Are there any issues with the surgery being done outside the US that would make it ineligible? I have looked at all the IRS info on allowable medical expense deductions and cannot find anything about it.

I would appreciate any insight!

The good news is that with the new medical deduction guidelines, if you are obese, treatment specifically for obesity, even a health club membership, is deductible if it is prescribed by a doctor!

Thanks!!!

yikes! as a nurse, i know that pain + upper right abdomen = potential gallbladder problems... just never thought that it could happen because of the band! i have a dull to sometimes sharp pain in my upper right abdomen area just under my ribs. it is sore to press on with my fingers. i haven't noticed it being more painful after eating, but that is usually a sign, especially after fatty foods. i read up alot on the subject, and how it relates to the lapband, and was surprised that weight loss is a HUGE contributing factor for development of gallstones. it has to do with your gallbladder not contracting enough (i.e. through missed meals, small meals, etc.) therefore the stones develop.

risk factors include:

-women between ages of 20-60 (yes!)

-obesity (yes!)

-bariatric surgery (yes.)

-birth control pill (again.)

-dieting/fasting (yep.)

-rapid weight loss, more than 22 lbs in one year (yes again.)

-native americans, mexican americans, northern europeans

-diabetes

-cholesterol lowering drugs

anyway, below was taken from an article i found on the topic:

*Rapid weight reduction is one of the most significant risk factors associated with gallstone formation. Approximately 25% of persons who lose weight through very-low-calorie diet programs or bariatric surgery will develop gallstones.* (http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/124/5/533-a)

i go to the doctor tomorrow. it may be something else, but i suspect green mr. gallbladder is at fault!

anyone else had this problem? blah! (

I had my gallbladder out when I was 19.....(MANY years ago). There is an old saying that you get gallbladder problems if you are "Fair, Fat and Forty" but I was only 14 when my painful attacks started and doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. It seems I have the Dr. Atkins diet (I went on the FIRST time when I was 11) to thank for my trouble. My surgery lasted 6 hours, I still have a huge 10 inch scar on my abdomen and was in the hospital for 2 full weeks! Nowadays things are much simpler. Sometimes gallstones can be disolved with ultrasound, but even if you have to have the gallbladder removed, it is done laproscopically (MUCH smaller scars) and you only have to stay overnight. My how things have changed!

The upside is that I now never have to worry about gallstones (or my appendix...since they removed it at the same time)!

Good luck with your gallbladder!!