POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

When I had my surgery in March I decided not to tell many people. Only my husband, kids and mom. I only told 3 people at work because I did not want to deal with all the comments and have everyone watching everything I ate. Well in the beginning it was easy because no one knew I was on a diet. I'm losing weight slow so no one really noticed. But the few last month I had to buy new clothes, because I could not sew my old ones in anymore. Well everyone now tells me how great I look and asks what I doing. I always say eating no bread, sweets and exercising, which is all true. The problem is I feel so guilty and don't know what to do. I'm afraid if I tell the truth I …

Question for the group...how many grams of carbs are you eating? I have a Realize band and track all my food consumption on their web site so I know exactly how many carbs I am consuming. But what is "normal" for us bandsters? I am going to email my nutritionist but I wanted to hear what others are consuming too. Thanks. This site is marvelous and I can't imagine going through this journey without this site.

I am currently on meds for depression and anxiety. Anyone else on meds for this before surgery? After surgery have you gotten to come off of the depression one? Most of my depression is due to my weight. I am hoping with the weight coming off my depression may lighten or even go away. Anyone out there who knows?

I was banded on 9/30 and recover is going really well. Lost 16 lbs so far. During the time working up to surgery I learned about putting a pillow on your stomach area to cushion against the seat belt. I couldn't find one that I liked. They all felt like they were going to smother me so I made my own. OMG! I could not have recovered so quickly without this pillow. I made it out of some fleece that was on sale and used the fluff out of a pillow that had seen better days. It's in the shape of a capital D. The flat edge I use just under by breasts and it fits comfortably from one side of my abdomen to the other. I really suggest everyone make one of these. I used i…

So, I was wondering if anyone else is having problems with nighttime hunger? I'm talking about being woken up 2-3 times per night with horrible hunger pains that can not be ignored. I was banded on 9-4-09 and go in for my first fill tomorrow, but for the last 5 weeks I've been having huge problems with waking up at night due to the hunger pains. At night, it feels really hard to get control of. If you've had experience with this, what things have you eaten, done before bed, or anything else that has helped with nighttime hunger? I JUST WANT TO sleep A FULL NIGHT! I have a super stressful job, and have been falling asleep during the day when I meet with cl…

Hello all this is my first post i was banded yesturday in the am . I am feeling a lot of pain in my stomach . my surgeon tells my he also repaird a sizable hernia . I am so sour in my stomach i slept around 2 hours if that last night . i was having a really bad back pain probably gas. My electric blanket has helped with that pain. but my stomach is so sour i cant lay down at all without a lot of pain. The only medication for pain i was prescribed was 125mg tylenol with 12mg of codine. but i dont think this is enough. any thoughts out there... thanks

Hi, I had my 3rd fill two weeks ago and have little restriction. I do get stuck often, which leads me to eat less, but I am still hungry. I am hoping with my next fill I will reach my sweet spot. I do have some questions, though. What is the difference between stuck and restricted? When you get stuck, what actually happens? Should we want to get stuck so food stays in the pouch. What keeps the food in the pouch, if it is too big, it would get stuck, which is what we want so the pouch stays full? It confuses me. I know we have the pouch so it fills up and food stays in there and we eat less, but what keeps the food in, a small opening, therefore stuck. I do not mean to go…

I had my surgery on Oct 2nd and I have been eating lean protein for dinner already. I have protein shakes for breakfast and lunch and for dinner I am starving so I eat my protein. I am extremely careful and chew it up really good and havent had any problems, but am I totally sabotaging my self???

Greetings, I was banded 2 yrs ago, and have lost a whopping 25 lbs:mad:, I do cardio 3x a week,weight training 3x week, I eat small meals,and still only lost 25 lbs:mad: with the band, I have had all the lab test in the world, all results have been normal.Recently I have had acid reflux from HELL!!!!,Iam having an EGD on mon,considering revising band to bypass, has anyone had similiar issues with the band or know of anyone that has gone band to bypass?

I am only 3 months post op and I am noticing my weight going down in my legs and chest but my stomach is not going anywhere. Have you lost your belly fat? If so how??? I know it is still pretty soon for me but I want to start the work now! I do exercise about 3 times per week for 20-30 min each.... I know I need to increase my workout. Your suggestions are appreciated!

I thought I'd be a smart@@@ and eat a fresh pear and now my throat has a tight squeezing feeling. It doesn't hurt, but is really, really, really uncomfortable. How long until it goes away? ps. I keep a food diary on fitday.com, and my annoying pie chart of nutrition says that I eat mostly carbs and fats...just trying to find fresh foods of the carbs that I can eat without getting stuck!!! I'll worry about the Protein in another post.

Hey Y'all: I was just banded on Tuesday. I started on my clear liquid diet yesterday, and noticed pretty bad reflux and general stomach discomfort. As an RN I know this will go away, but, I would just like re-assurance others have been through this.

Ok, so I know we are not to drink liquid while we are eating, but what about soup? I've just eaten a couple bites of well chewed chicken and I have some tomato/basil soup. Will the soup make my stomach upset?

Just got the hospital bill. this is the day I have been waiting for. The grand total for Surgery(not including the 5K dr's fee) was $57,800. Obviously that does not take into account the $40K discount to BCBS so a net of around 18K. I don't know why they even put in the high number. If I was self pay it would have been about 17K. Luckily I only have to pay $2500 for everything for the year. I need to think of another surgery to have before december so it will be on the house:biggrin: Greg

Hi There Everyone, Has anyone done any international traveling lately? My husband and I are planning a trip to Ireland this summer, and I want it to be great. We have been looking at flights, and I don't think I will be able to fit in the small 17 inch seat that is on most planes. Anyone faced this problem? What did you do? Any info would be greatly appreciated!:thumbup:

Nothing appeals to me, even the bad stuff like ice cream or milk shakes. I can go all day with out eating anything and be ok with that. Though my body is suffering for it. I have to force myself to eat something and it is a struggle. I can tolerate most solid foods, but nothing sounds good. I am drinking a lot of Carnation Instant Breakfast just to get nutrition. Anyone else having issues of lost appetite? -BSG

Hi everyone!. I have not been on for a long time. I actually needed to reregister, it has been that long. I was banded 11/04/06 First Fill 12/31/06 second fill Feb/07 pre band weight 225 total weight lost 40lbs current weight 194.5 1 month prior to my surgery my gal bladder was removed, result of all the pre op testing etc... Jan of 07 while in Disney, I became ill immediately after eating luch. ( was not food poisning) Over the next few months, I would have attacks. 20 min after I ate I would have severe lower abd pain, relieved by a BM. These attacks would last for a few hrs. This went on for several months. Colonoscopy- neg endoscpoy- ned food …

Hey guys, I am new to this site. I have been overweight for a long time and a physicians asst friend of mine suggested the lap band. I am going to one of the seminar deals on Wednesday but I had a few questions before then. So you get the surgery and you lose all kinds of weight. What happens when you reach your ideal weight? Do they have to remove the band or do you have to live your entire life eating super small portions? Thanks all, I am sure that I will have many more questions.

Ok so...Ive had 2 fills. First one not enough, the 2nd too much and then 2 unfills after that. My surgeon warned me about the band loosening about 2 weeks after a fill and thats why its important to wait it out. Well I didnt after my 1st unfill so after I got my 2nd unfill, I felt perfect. Well now 3 weeks after it, I think I have totally loosened up. I can eat now in the AM which I wasnt able to prior and I have to eat bigger portions to be full and seem to snack more. I NEED HELP! Anyone go throught this? Im cash patient so I have only 1 fills left of my free ones and then its 300$ a pop. I need to use it wisely!

i was banded may 2008, and my esophogus has had enough of the band. the reflux got horrific. so my surgeon suggested removing it and doing the bypass. has this happend to anyone else? does anyone know how long this whole process could take?

Anyone here using the Wii for exercise? I'm thinking of getting it for our family and am looking for suggestions for the best apps to get that will benefit us physically. A friend said the boxing app was great for upper body (which I desperately need and I just read on another thread that they have a hoola hoop that should help with the stomach...but any other recommendations? .

I'm having a hard time with meats. Seems like everything gets stuck except fine ground beef in like spaggetti sauce. chicken always gets stuck. What kind of meats do you eat????

Just got the hospital bill. this is the day I have been waiting for. The grand total for Surgery(not including the 5K dr's fee) was $57,800. Obviously that does not take into account the $40K discount to BCBS so a net of around 18K. I don't know why they even put in the high number. If I was self pay it would have been about 17K. Luckily I only have to pay $2500 for everything for the year. I need to think of another surgery to have before december:smile:

I am 11 days post-op and still get severe left neck ("gas") pain at least once a day, usually in the evening. Within 30 minutes of taking 5mg of oxycodone/acetominophen liquid, the pain is completely relieved. How long should I expect to be having the neck (gas) pain? Otherwise, I'm doing great. Thanks for any insight you might have! yiya Surgery: 8/22/08 Dr Moeinolmolki Baltimore, MD 220/216/199/165 Highest weight/surgery/current/goal Height: 5'6"

Really, how do you do this? I am sitting here with my 1/2 cup of cream of wheat this morning and I am literally dipping the spoon and licking it off. I have been sitting here for about 10 minutes and it is almost gone (and getting cold- I hate cold food!) so I finally just set it aside. Any ideas??

Hello everyone, I was sleeved on the 23rd Sept (almost two weeks now) and i am starting to eat mushy foods now. I am really worried though because since the surgery I have lost hardly any weight whatsoever. My boyfriend was sleeved 14 months ago and has lost 160lbs to date. He has told me not to worry as the weight loss takes a while to kick in but im finding it hard to believe as i cannot understand if no food is going in, then why am i not losing weight. Any help/advise would be great Claire.

Hey everyone, I need your help! I am putting together a book about weight loss journeys, for those people who think they are the only ones have have issues losing the weight. If you want one of your experieces in the book I would like to hear your happy, sad, angry, disappointed, crazy, obnoxious and silly stories of your weight loss journey. Please make sure your name is at the end of your story with the city and state. Please feel free to write as many as you like. Thanks so much for your help. Please e-mail them to: brendakay7597@msn.com Thanks in advance for your help. Brenda :thumbup:

:crying:sorry if im repeating my self im having diff with posting my question and keep getting cut off so i wll b quik 3 yr bander after only 20 lb loss 13st down to 11/6 and spots of blood in fefux aicid saw x ray specialist who said my band was cutting in and stongly ad 1/2 de fillout of my 14ml band :mad2:I had 10.25 in i have neverr felt the fullness i was expeting he said my band was higher than most not enough to warrant re adjusment im really stuggling with my weigh after diets gym work cyling and angry at wasting 8 thousand of my own money:angry: i cant keep paying for x rays its 6 month on now should i have another fill can i avoid reflux damage …

.........down 77lbs!!!!!!!!!!

I just had my first stuck experience and OH MY GOD.. PAINFUL!!!! Please remember to take small bites and chew well! I just had my 3rd fill last Thursday which put me at 6 cc's in my 10cc band. My PA always asked if chicken goes down well for me, which it always has. She has also said that most people are happy with their restriction at 6 or 7 cc's so I knew this might be it for me for a while as I have not had ANY restriction since the first days of my surgery. So I was making white chili today for the football game and I must have taken too big of a bite of chicken and didn't chew it well enough and I knew instantly I was in trouble. UGHH..... felt a horrible pain in m…

I just got back from my fourth fill. When I stepped on the scale at the doctor's office, the numbers were 199!!!!!! I have not seen those numbers in more than 15 years, and I am psyched. I feel great, and I love my band. Just wanted to shout Woo Hoo!!! GatorGal

Hi all - I am now 5 days post-op and feeling great but a little guilty! I was told to crush all medication (or dissolve it). On the plane ride back home, I got a headache but I had packed my dissolvable pain meds - so I bit a Tylenol into 3 pieces and took that with a lot of liquid and didn't have any problems. Have since taken my allergy med without crushing and tolerated that just fine too. Is there some hidden risk to not crushing the pills? Won't they will dissolve anyway as they are meant to do? I am worried that I am being a little to lax with the rules but I haven't suffered any consequences... :thumbup:

Hi Everyone, Just wanted to step in and say that I am offically on the "band wagon". I had my surgery on yesterday and all went well. I am feeling great and back at home today. I have started on my different protein and none have been great so far but I have sipped them down. All in all, everything went good and I am feeling great.

I had surgery yesterday and everything went well, I went home the same day. I had some water, sugar free popsicle and little bit of a protein shake yesterday. Today just water so far, I am scared to drink too much how will I know when to stop drinking? Also I have pain in my shoulders and neck very uncomfortable, anyone else experience this? Last question is about my chest, it hurts like someone is pushing down on it, lots of pressure, normal??

This sucks! I am 2+ weeks out and am starving and the pureed foods just arent cutting it. I have a MAJOR craving for McDonald's. I am exercising, eating what I am supposed to and my weight is stuck. This is why I always quit diets and stop going to the gym. I work hard and eat right and NEVER see any results. I know that others have/are experiencing this, but this is the hardest thing I have done. I cannot wait to get filled. 3 more weeks! And, I may just have a couple of fries.

OK, so I may not even be in the right place but I am very happy to say that one year post-op (9/29/2008) I am down a total of 71 lbs. I visited my doctor and nutritionist yesterday and they are happy with my progress. I of course was hoping to loose 100 lbs they tell me that is how most people feel but it can vary. I did talk with the nutritionist and she gave me some other ideas to keep things fresh. I posted some new pics that are as current as this past saturday to show how i've changed over the last year. I am looking forward to the coming year and seeing further changes. My best wishes to all Patty

I have noticed over the past couple of days I have developed a dry cough. No allergies, no cold, doesn't exist when I go to bed only really starts when I try to talk. I am even able to do those breathing exercises without coughing. Do you think this can be another side effect of that anesthesia? It was totally worth it - I wouldn't have done the surgery without it, just curious if it is how long it will last?

i am 6 days post op and feeling very week, i have no energy and feel so full all the time, maybe because i am constipated (SORRY) but maybe u guys have some advice!

Has anyone tried The Bariatric Advantage High Protein Meal Replacement shakes? Anyone have a favorite flavor?? Im really picky and too sweet or too chalky makes me puke or gag. Anyone have a recommendation on another brand? Thanks.

Hiya...I think I've just realised that I must be losing more centimeters than weight and that's why it's not showing up on the scales. I have just managed to lose 2kgs FINALLY after my last fill (currently at an even 5ml) so I'm very happy with that, but that is the first amount of weight I have shifted for a good 2 months now...that being said, my pants are all falling off me!! I decided I would measure myself and now I will only be looking at my measurements rather than standing on the scales. I feel as though I'm losing weight, but when the scales tell me otherwise - its very discouraging. It is somewhat fascinating though as I don't do a heap of exercise...just the ge…

hi all - my post band weight loss is going slow and whilst ive los weight i dont feel like i ever quite got going the way i had expected. i had my band in on december 23rd 08 - and its now october the 8th. so nearly 10 months. my highest weight was 319 my op weight was 295 and now im 260. Its going very slowly - it took lost of fills to get it tight enough 10/14mm and im now going well but its so much slower than most people. I do cheat at times with choc bars which i know i shouldnt - but my body feels entitled to such things as my mains meals are just a few 5-7 bites - because i can eat so little food i feel like i need some and so ill sometimes by candy e…

I had surgery in May and am having some discomfort and pain in near and surrounding my port. I am def eating more then 1cup of food at a meal. I have 3.5cc in the band. I have things get stuck alot and ten to burp from it a tremendous amount. Should I be worried?

Hi all - I looked for similar posts but couldn't really find my answer. I had my surgery Sept 28, did great in the hospital, and was doing well at home until last Sunday (day 7). My daughter came over for supper and to celebrate how well I was doing, I had cream of broccoli/cheese soup - my new gut rebelled - bloated right up, rumbled, ached, didn't sleep that night. I went right back to clears but it was still upset the next day, sore and bloated - had some diarhea and didn't sleep well that night either. Well, I am still feeling bloated and full - I can get my fluids in along with 2 protein drinks/day and some jello but when will this stupid feeling pass? I could kick m…

I've always been a stress eater and unfortunately getting banded doesn't take away all the stressful situations life brings. What I'm looking for are ways to deal with this issue of wanting to eat when I am stressed, angry or bored. Tonight I got really angry at a situation that I have absolutely zero control over and found myself with a bag of oreo's and glass of whole milk. Thankfully, I have the band, but I was able to consume almost 500 calories:cursing: before I stopped myself. I could have easily downed another 500 had I not said to myself...it's not worth it. How do I keep from getting myself into this in the first place? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!…

Hey guys! Its me again with yet another question! Hope you dont mind! I am now on mushie foods and im finding that I am completely stuffed after 4 tsps or so! How am I ever going to get adequate caloric intake? I mean due to the nature of my job (a nurse), I cant just eat all day long. Any suggestions, I am only eating Proteins, I dont even want to get into the carb thing. My surgeon told me to maximize the next six months, so that is what I am going to do. When I drink Protein drinks, I get some carbs from them but not many. I do not want my body to go into starvation mode.:thumbup: Help Please! LOL

Hi Stoongal, I've been thinking of you and wondering how you got along. Did you make a post that tells all about your trip and such? I've been looking and didn't find one. Curious minds want to know! Nancy

OK...I was always regular before the surgery but now nothing and way more difficult to move out. It is like little bricks and pretty painful! I drink 40-70 oz of Water but doesn't seem to help. So I called my Dr last week and they advised to take dulcolax at night before bed. Which I did and have been for the last week! The following morning I would go several times and get it all out. Today I woke up at 3:30am with horrible pains in my tummy and then the flood gates opened! All day today my tummy is killing me and I have finally stopped going early afternoon but I am still crampy. Even now at 7:30 at night! So I spoke to my Dr's office and it turns out I have been …

I was banded about 5 weeks ago. I just started eating real foods again (a few days ago). I am feeling some cramping (minor, not unbearable or anything) in my lower left abdomen. I am so paranoid that my band slipped or my pouch stretched (can the pouch stretch prior to having a fill if I feel no restriction?) or my port came undone or flipped over or something. I have been admittedly eating larger portions than I should be (although its all Protein...but instead of having 1 cup of tofu, I'll have 3 cups, etc.). Does anyone have any advice? Could my band have slipped?? I've been getting so nervous for the past couple of days. If anyone has gone through this and can g…

I had the old band and loved it. It was a 4cc band. I lost 100 pounds!! Then I got pregnant and the band slipped. Now I have the "new" 14cc band. I am filled to 12.5, and I still haven't lost any weight!! Any one else have this frustration?? or suggestions? I still don't feel restricted, and I have had many GI's and they show that I "should" be fully restricted.:wink2:

Just wondering.... Are you able to sleep on your stomach with the port or does it hurt to do that?