POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

I currently weigh 330lbs and wear a size 10 EE. I can only fit into a few styles of shoes. Did anyone drop a shoe size or get to a normal shoe width after losing weightr?

I finally hit the 50 lbs down mark this morning!!! I am finally back in the 170s -- I haven't seen that number for YEARS!!!! I am so happy right now, and so glad that I decided to get banded. I could never have gotten to this point on my own. I now have only 24.6 more lbs to go to get me to my goal of 155 (with a super goal of 145). What a great feeling!! I just wanted to share it with you guys! BTW, it's taken me nearly 9 months to lose 50 lbs. I saw the other day that someone was lamenting only losing that much, but I feel really good about it! If I hadn't been banded, I probably would have put on another 10-15 lbs during that time, and today I'd be beating…

I was told that after surgery I will be going home on mushies. I wonder why. I mean I have heard alot of people on here that have to be on clear liquids for a week then another week of liquids but more like protien shakes. Then on to mushies. I am kind of scared. Should I follow what doc says or should I dio a week of liquids before starting mushies. I know everyone says "Listen to your Doctor" but it just sound so different from what other doctors say. I dunno. Can someone shed some light on this for me. Thanks, I only have 8 day to go...WooHoo :smile:

I was banded in oct of 08. i lost 15 lbs initially and then another 10. My pa felt as though my esophogus was expanding and so he unfilled me and i gained all my weight back. i have 1.5 now and never lost another lb. he wouldn't never fill me again. I am so depressed. Is this reversable? i didn't have insurance so this was extremely taxing on my finances. Each visit is $250 so do i go back and try again? what am i trying? is there any hope for me? please help. pattirc

Ok, so I'm sure there is already a thread out there on this, but I'm on drugs and just want to get back in bed. The dr let me come home yesterday and I really do feel pretty good except the weird pain/cramp that happens when I drink. It doesn't happen every time, but a burp usually follows. Is this normal? I told the Dr about it because it has happened since I started drinking after surgery. I am sipping and I passed the leak tests, so I'm assuming my new tummy is just getting used to things? The burping also happens when I'm not sipping. Also, I slept in a chair last night and my feet were on the floor, not propped up...woke up with terribly swollen ankles. S…

I have this feeling like there is a rock or lump in my chest, not all of the time, sometimes it feels like it is trying to come up my throat. I have tried to track "when" it happens, but there does not seem to be any "reason". Like right now, I have not eaten yet, but the feeling is there. After I eat, it might go away. Can anyone tell me anything?????:smile:

Does anyone know if you can "feel" the band actually slip?? I just worried, that if something were to happen..would I even know??

I just wondered if anyone else is having trouble eating red meat. I can eat chicken, mince and fish with no problems at all, I can even have ham...but red meat (steak) just doesn't go down and I end up bringing it back up. I have always loved my meat so not being able to eat it is hard. Anyone else?

I was banded on July 2, 09. I went out to eat at Cracker Barrell, and had an egg, a few bites of chicken (less than an ounce), no breading or skin, with gravy on it to make it mushy, and some cheese potato casserole, about 2 teaspoons. Then I had a few more bites, about 3 hours later. Within About an hour I was sick, feeling like I had the stomach flu. I had terrible stomach cramps, felt like I was going to vomit, but never got sick, just felt like I was going:eek: to die! Is this an intolerance or did I just really eat too much and tick my stomch off? thanks, I will never eat what I ate again, please dont be mean...:smile:

I was banded 6/18/09.....I have lost 18 pounds thus far. I am a little worried about getting my fill on the 23rd. I am afraid it won't give me a restriction. I am doing ok with watching my calories & carbs just feel like I can eat anything. Looking for a buddy to help me through this

Hello everyone, Ever since I was a little girl I've slept on my tummy (Ive been told it's not the best position, but oh well). I got banded on July 2nd, and have managed to "force" myself to sleep on my sides, however, these last few days I have reverted to my beloved tummy-down position. I sometimes worry that this might not be good, and I still have slight discomfort when I do sleep this way... Is there anyone else out there in my boat? Thanks!

I have been a very bad girl. Parts of me just want to keep quiet and "deal" with it. But, I know that if I do that I wont stop, so here goes... I have been binging very bad lately. I realized a few weeks ago that I could "actually" eat more than 1/2 cup at a time. I kept pushing it and pushing it to see how far I could go at a time. Nights have been REALLY bad for me. I come home, have dinner, then want something else, then something else. I have to stop eating all the time! One thing I also have to confess is that I am a little afraid of getting a fill. I can assumet that if I get one that this will no longer be possible. But, I am afraid of only being ab…

OK. Hello Everyone! It's Day 12 Post Op for me and I am feeling pretty good. My incisions are pretty much all healed up. The Gas pain in my shoulder is gone. Mushy foods are wonderful. There is one thing that is not wonderful though... This nagging Port pain, below the large incision, to my left side. Either walking or standing for more than 20 or so minutes really irritate that area. Its like a pulling pain in my abdomin. Does that ever go away? The Gym. My Doc said no strenuous exercise for 4 weeks. Other than the port discomfort, I feel like I am atleast ready to work out a little. When did you guys hit the gym? When were you back to "Normal"?:thu…

Hello, my name is Morris I am new to this site and I am setting up to schedule my surgery on Monday. I have a few questions about fills. My Cousin did not have to get a fill after surgery until a year. Is this because their Doctor filled them during surgery? Do Doctors always not fill you until a few weeks later? Has anyone been filled during surgery and not had to go back for a while? I know a lot of questions but I need to know lol. I am going to be about 5 hours from my Doctor and not going to want the hassle to have to drive back and forth to get a first fill if it can be done during surgery. Please let me know Guys and Gals! :wink2:

Ok heres my question. Is it possible to loose without getting fills. The reason i ask is ive lost a fair amount of weight since my post up diet. I have never had a problem loosing, just keeping it off. Im pretty motivated to start exexrcising and getting in shape. The band so far has gave me a great start. I just dont see the point in getting fills if you are loosing and can keep loosing comfortably. I know its there if i need it and i know i will need it to keep the weight off, but not so much to take it off

I'm sure I'm at a plateu..any advise on how to break it. I am eating 1.000 -1.200 calories a day and working out 30 min. 3-5 days a week. HELP!!! I feel restriction.

Was banded 7/15/09 and noticed a few days ago a rash between the breasts, under them, and on the stomach, however not around the belly button which was the sole site of my procedure. This rash itches slightly. Any ideas what could be the cause? Other than that getting along great although I hit my tolerance of drinking Isopure. Had to do other protein drinks instead. Going for my one week post op Wednesday; just didn't know if anyone else had this issue, and if so what did their docs say.

I was banded on March 31st. I have had 3 fills and I'm losing weight. The only thing that I am having problems with is one day I can eat fine, the next day, everything I eat comes back up. I can keep my fluids down, but on my 'bad' days everything I try to eat sits right in my chest until I cough it up. Even stuff like pudding that should slide right down. Does anyone else have this problem? It is honestly an every other day occurance since my last fill 2 weeks ago. Thanks!

I had different insurance when I had my surgery, which covered the lap band surgery. Shortly after my surgery, my husbands company changed insurance companies (to Health Assurance) and they do not cover the surgery, nor do they cover the fills. Has anyone had to appeal the fills, and if so, how can I do it? Thanks.

I'm 9 days post op now & sipping has become much easier. I can now sip larger amounts more often without the pain that I had for the first few days. I am still careful not to take in too much with one sip & if I do I still feel "tightness", but I can take larger sips. I am considering this a good thing as it helps me to get in more liquids throughout the day. Just wondering what everyone else's experience has been...I guess I just want to make sure I'm relatively normal! :thumbup1:

I am addicted. I'm great about getting it decaf and nonfat, but still hooked non-the-less. So what's my best bet if I get something? I am not a fan of straight up black coffee. Love all of the iced drinks. I know I'm not suppose to drink my calories, but this is definitely a weakness for me. Any thoughts? TIA!

Yes, someone who knows I had the surgery actually said that to me!!! When did you start noticing weight loss via the mirror and not the scale? I was banded 4/10 and I walk past reflective glass everyday at work and I still look the same......... surg 320, today 290lbs

I'm a little almost a year out from my surgery (April 22) and I think I'm getting hypoglycemia. I keep getting these episodes where I suddenly get nauseaus, lightheaded, kinda hot, and almost dizzy near faint. I hage never been diabetic before even at my highest weight and it does not run in my family. I know it isn't my blood pressure because I did check it and it was fine. Once I eat something, then I feel okay just weak for awhile. Has anyone experienced this?

hi! Just had my band fitted a week ago and was wondering if anyone else gets a funny pulling sensation from the area around their port after they've eaten?It feels as if my belly is being pulled inwards by an invisible wire...very strange!!

Hi, my name is Jamie. I had my surgery on July 7th. I am burping alot does anyone else have this problem? Also when I clean or just walk I get out of breath fast. I wasn't having any of these problems before surgery.

I was banded on 5/30/08 and have lost 70 lbs :thumbup: Last night I had a pill get stuck!!! I though I was dying :thumbup: I was hurting in my throat and chest. A friend of mine who has also had the lapband and is an RN told me to get some Papaya Enzyme for the next time it happens. Has this happened to anyone else??? If so, what did u do? Has anyone tried the Papaya? Any suggestions would be great!!! It was the most miserable feeling I have ever had!!!

It is simply because I was vertical. I've done some experiments. I am always very restricted in the morning - barely can get my meds down and they gurgle for an hour. lunch is pretty tough too and dinner is easier. Tried lying down in the afternoon for just an hour and sure enough, I cannot eat dinner. Okay, now figure out why being vertical makes the band so tight. Does it flatten out or something?

I've lost the thread we had so I wanted to start another one. Just wanted to be able to check in and see how everyone is going with their weight loss so far. I had my first fill about a month ago now to 4cc but haven't lost any weight since! :wink2: I'm getting a little discouraged. ...I haven't been doing too well with eating the "correct" healthy foods so I'm starting fresh today. I've had some yoghurt for Breakfast and for lunch I intend on having some cruskits with a slice of cheese and tomato on top which I love. My hardest time is after dinner, I've always been an "after 7pm snacker" so that is tough. I bought some milo today so I'm going to try having a hot cup o…

I looked at my driver's license today. I'm 50 pounds under what it says. I believe that puts me in a minority. Too bad I have a year to renew it.

I am so NERVOUS! I have never had any type surgery whats so ever! NONE! I have to be at surgerical center by noon! SO today i need to get ready and buy the stuff I need for the week. What do you suggest I should get that worked for you all? Brand..etc? I know its a full liquid diet. Clear liqujid.. They say apple and grape juice.. thing is I don't like that! broth.. hmmm like chicken Soup broth or the plain broth? can i get the tomato vegggie broth? I'm so nervous... OHHH Multivitamin & Calcium supplements? I"ve never bought any before.. what brand would work best for being banded... I'd be nervous to take anything with just being newly banded. Yo…

I am so sad :cursing:. I have been doing ok with my eating during the day. But at night, I lose control. I am so sad and dissapointed in myself. I got rid of my scale and my ticker.... It's like the pressure is making me eat worse! I eat well during the day... protein, protein, protein. But, then at night, in the middle of the night, many times every night, I get up and eat anything half asleep. Then, the next morning, I see the evidence. Some stuff I don't even remember eating! I don't keep "bad food" around. But, I do have a son, so I do have some food that I shouldn't be eating. I ate half the box of Frosted Flakes the other night!!! There was a trail of Frosted Flake…

my friend had bypass surgery close to 3 months ago....she claims to have lost 60 pounds...i saw her on saturday and was taken back...i saw absolutely no difference!!!!!!!!! none at all!!!!!!! in fact she looks as though she has put on weight in her chin and neck. she kept asking me if i noticed a difference...i stayed quiet and changed the subject...she kept telling me how much smaller her thighs and waist have gotten...i honestly didn't see any change...i wanted to...i tried to...but i don't see it...when i started my journey i weighed 10 more pounds then she did...after losing 60 pounds it was quite noticable...should i lie and tell her i see it??????? or just keep chan…

I was banded June 03,2009 and my 21st bday was on July 6th, it was A BLAST.. but ultimately not good for my band.. Not only did i eat everything NOT good for me(chips,fried foods,cake etc...).. I ate and drank at the same time.. Drank alcohol (granted not that much) and i just cant seem to get my self back on track since.. On July 8th i went to the doctor and got a fill (4cc) and got test ran which the fill is obsolete if u eat and drink at the same time.RIGHT? Because in the mist of all my eating and what not i really didnt feel any resriction or any pressure... and def no vomiting.. I guess i just wanted to vent and ask... am i a total lost?.. Ive lost 30lbs prior …

I had a horrible post op experience-adverse reaction to the post surgery pain meds. I'm home now. Can't sleep. Can't eat (obviously) more than 3 T of any broth. Sore sore sore.... At least I've lost some weight.

Hi All, I am a little confused and I am sorry if this issue has been addressed somewhere in this forum already...but, I am confused about slider foods. I always thought slider foods were things like, puddings, Jello, Soup but I have read about chips, pretzels, cake, crackers being slider foods, this is causing my confusion. Are slider foods things that pass straight through or do they stay in my pouch? Should slider foods be avoided.....or are they ok in between meals. I am working very hard to stay with the program and work through the time I am a little hungry. I am 3 weeks post-op on soft solids, and am down 21 lbs. and have only had 2 days where I felt reall…

Since last Tuesday when I had a major "stuck" episode I have been reading the post about papaya. I first have to say that I unstuck myself with pinapple juice it worked great. I have been reasearching papaya and have decided to get some to keep in my purse. Much easier to carry a bottle of chewable tablets than a can of pinapple juice. I also learned that papaya is also an ingrediant in meat tenderizer. It breaks down the protiens to make the meat less tough. That is why meat tenderizer works on stings, the papaya breaks down the protien in the veneom. You learn something new everyday.

So I was banded 2 days ago and it kinda hurts ...Im thinking that what hurts the most is the Haital hernia my Dr repaired...Ive lost 13 lbs since Monday (6 days) :smile: , so Im pleased with that. I have NO appetite at all... Any tips or knowledge you can toss my way?

Part of what drove my wife and myself into obesity is the Buffalo Wing. If you want to see part of my obession about wings, go to columbuswings.com. I have been thinking since surgery about my wing website and the great pleasure it was brought us. I am a judge at an annual wing festival and even travel to the national festival, and the Anchor bar every year. This year the judging and the wing event came the same week and my annual golf, hooters, Cininnati Reds game with my friends. Going into this week, I came very close to my goal. Going out of this week I can say I had a wonderul week and enjoyed everything and did not gain weight. Using the things I have learned …

It has been 8 days since my surgery and I have already cheated on what I am suppose to eat. 2 days ago I was still on just full liquids and I ate some veggies in my soup. Today i had a little piece of chicken with my gumbo. I feel fine, but wandering if I could have messed something up?

I have an offer to travel to Argentina (I live in Philadelphia) about 3 weeks after my surgury. Anyone here travel that soon after a banding?

How long after you swallow something does it take until you know you're stuck? I'm asking because here lately I've noticed that right after I swallow, I'll think, "oh, I should've chewed that better," and I instantly feel the stuck pain. Should it be that quick? I mean, shouldn't it take a while for that bite to work it's way down to the opening? I'm wondering if I might need a fill, but I'm battling with myself that I'm still getting stuck occasionally, so I must still have ok restriction. Then again, shouldn't it be a few minutes after a big-bite or bad-chew mishap before I feel it? I haven't lost weight in about 3 weeks, but I don't wanna go to Mexico for a fill onl…

I had my band removed 3 days ago. My stomach is bloated, very sore, and the inside has a very warm sensation. When I call the doctor, he seems to think I'm fine. I'm haveing a harder time recovering from the band being taken out then being put in. Has anyone experienced my problem?

HI all, I am still on full liquids until Tuesday! Yipeee!! then I can move to pureed!! I am sooooo looking forward to that. It was time for my lunch of my Protein shake. I bought some whey protein from Target the other day and tonight I mixed it with 4 ounces of skim milk and about a half teaspoon of Peanut Butter and put a little splenda in it.. Let me tell you! My son and husband LOVED it. My husband lifts weights so now he is hooked on it. It tastes like a Reese's peanut butter shake or something. I made one for my hubby but put more peanut butter in his. My little one wanted one, but of course wayyyy too much protein for him. I let him drink the remnants …

I was wondering how long everyone took off work when they had their surgeries? A few people at work got the band and one was back on Saturday after surgery on Wednesday. A few took a week. I myself had my surgery on Wednesday the 8th of July and I'm still home. I'm planning on staying home tomorrow as well, and I will see about Wednesday when it gets here. Of course I have a job where I can sit all day if I need to and my boss is accommodating. She's so accommodating that she said I can come in at 4am till noon to avoid people if I wanted. I may try that on Thursday. I may go in at 4am and work till maybe 9. I'll see when it gets closer.

Has anyone become lactose intolerant after having the lapband. I read that it does occur but I am not sure why there would be any correlation. I am running to the bathroon an awful lot and am wondering...........

i am 3 days post op and should probably feel better than i do. i am doing well except for being unable to take a deep breath (still). yawning is too painful and i can never finish a good yawn. when i try to take a deep breath, i feel like someone is squeezing me all around my abdomen and forcing that air right back out again before it has a chance to get all the way in. another poster told me that they suture the port to your ab muscle. is this common? could this be why i feel a painful tightening in my abdomen when i breathe deeply? my surgeon said that as long as the pain and tightness isn't in my chest..it is just a matter of a few more days healing. but i find …

What are the symptoms of slippage? I thought I read somewhere that coughing was one of them.

I am feeling depressed....I have only lost 14 lbs since surgery on 6/26/09. I haven't lost anything in almost a week. I am feeling discouraged. I know I shouldn't compare myself to others weight loss but I feel I should be consistantly losing....anyone else feel the smae as me?

Well, I was banded 7/9/09. So, I am only 5 days post-op. Pain wise I doing ok. I hurt a little, but not enough to take meds. But, today I am soooooo hungry!!!!! My DH and I went to the movies tonite and after the movie, I wanted a milkshake. Don't know why, but I was starving and REALLY wanted one. I just started crying because I knew that I could not have it. I am still on a thin liquid diet, and I can not stand the thought of another bite of Jello! I just cried and cried. Partly because I miss eating. I mean, I have cut out all sugar, caffene and food all at once. Is it normal to feel this way? Please help

Is it normal to not be able to drink water without it hurting? I read about everyone feeling no restrictions immediately after surgery and can't help wondering if something is wrong. I'm 3 days post op now and am just starting to feel like I can drink very small sips wihtout it hurting.