POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

I'd like some information from people who've been on the band for a year or more. At what level did you hit your "sweet spot"? I'm at 6cc and really can't seem to lose more weight at that level, so I just wanted to hear from others. Thanx

Hi.. I know not a great topic, but I need advice. I am almost 2 weeks post op and I am having a tough time with constipation. I cannot find a happy medium to what works. Anyone have any tricks they'd like to share that may help.. thanks

Hello I have a question i have been drinking propel on my full liquid diet. My question is will the 5g of sugar per bottle increase my liver size?

I was banded 4/24 and am only down about 4 lbs in the last month - if even that. I've had one fill so far and am getting more and more hungry as time goes on. I know this wasn't going to be overnight but all that money and all the recovery and 4 pounds??? Is that off or am i being ultraparanoid?

I got banded on May 31 and am currently in the all liquid phase. And I'm curious how much fluid I should be drinking a day. I'm currently drinking about 100 oz a day including water. Is that an acceptable amount, or could I be stretching the pouch at that amount?

I am in the pre-op process and have a phobia about vomiting. I hate to vomit! Does everyone vomit after surgery, or do some get through without vomiting at all? I'd rather deal with pain all day long than throw up one single time! :thumbup:

Hello- I have had a bitter taste in the back of my mouth for about three days...did a ketosis test and was negative...not acid reflux either. Any one have an experience like this and know what is causing it? Thanks so much- Targa

I have a really large bruise about the size of my foot under my belly button near my pubic bone. Did anyone else experience this post op? I have the regular bruises around my port and incision but the one by my pubic bone has me concerned.:thumbup:

Hi everyone I am a new member here and I am in the last few days before surgery. It has been a long hard road (7 months) to get here. As of today I have 9 days to go and I can't wait ! But this diet is killing me. I am having a real hard time with my will power. I have NOT given in ! But have been come too close. Please let me know I am not alone !:blushing:

I've read people and results that have said you can only expect to loose 50-60 percent of excess weight with lap band. My question is why no 100 percent of excess weight? Is 100 percent of excess weight los not obtainable? How do people recommend going about loosing all of their excess weight? How long do you recommend exercising for daily? Thanks

I am the night before my first fill. Do I stop eating before a certain time? I have pretty much done liquids all day today. Also will I feel up to running around after the fill? I am trying to plan my time after the fill. Any words of wisdom? Thanks!

I just finished the book "Naturally Thin" by Bethenny Frankel and wanted to recommend it to anyone with a lap-band. Yes, it has the same info we've all heard a million times (small portions, stop before you're full, etc.). However, it's still a good read and primer for starting the lap-band lifestyle. One of the principles in the book has really opened my eyes -- the principle of diminishing returns. It means recognizing when a food no longer has the same appeal as the first bite. In the past, I'd finish the dish and get it over with. Now that we have limited space, I'm not wasting my 1/4 to 1/2 cup on mediocre food! It also talks about the myth we tell ourselves…

I was eating oatmeal today and now I have this pain in the middle of my chest the extends to under my ribs. I barely ate one of the small children's pouches of it and didn't have anything to drink within 30mins before and after. What's the pain from? Anyone else experience this?

hey yall, just went to my one month follow up the other day and first fill. I have lost 25lbs since my procedure on April 30th 2009. I am thrilled, checked scale this morning down 2 more lbs. I have to admit that summer is hard because we are a grilling family, but i have adjusted, instead of a hamburger i grill my self a fat free skinless hotdog, ... good without a bun and with just a little bit of mustard, or i boil a small boneless skinless breast of chicken in the house and then put it on the grill for a few minutes to give it that grilled flavor. if we grill veggies i have a small amt. with my first fill i cant seem to have more than a small amt. i am walking daily a…

I was banded December 2007 and lost nothing that has truly made a huge dent in my weight problem. I have finally finished school last month. I have been fighting to get through school taking 18 credits as well as working full time. I was so tired when I would finally get home that I would really eat what ever just to go to bed and have a good nights rest. I feel that getting banded was a great thing but i wonder if I did it at the right time. I originally weighed 380lbs and now recently went to the doctor and saw that I gained back weight and now stand at 368lbs. I'm getting married Sept 1, 2011 and would love to get myself together so I can feel 100% beautiful that day…

One year ago today i had my surgery! 60 lbs later...i feel great!!! It is a slow journey for me....and im far from being done!! But, i averaged just a little over one pound a week! im happy and my surgeon is happy!! 30 more pounds to go!!! Cant wait to lose more!! :frown:

Ok, so I have had some pretty frustrating meals since my first fill and I'm hoping the more experienced bandsters can help me out. 3-4oz of Protein + 1/2 cup of veggies + pencil eraser sized bites + only 20 minutes of eating time = does not compute. I am finding that there is NO WAY I can get down that quantity of food in the 20-30 minute time frame that I am supposed to be eating for. Last night, I ate for 45 minutes and I only got through the 4 oz of fish and maybe an 1/8 cup of veggies before I quit. Bigger bites = painful going down Smaller portions = hungrier before the 4-5 hours Longer eating time = warnings from posters that food is already starting to go …

I'm so fascinated with anyone who has lost a lot of weight because I've wanted to for so long.. right now its hard to fathom how I would feel when I get there. For those who are there, how do you feel? Are you comfortable in your own skin? Do you have access skin? Is it hard to buy clothes in a size that small? How do people treat you? Do you surprise yourself when you walk by a mirror at the store and realize its your small body in the mirror?

So, I gave myself my last Lovenox injection today, I'm very excited. I hate shots. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone experienced any side effects from the shots? Not just common ones like bruising, etc, but anything more unusual? Thanks!

Hello - I was banded on May 4th. My Dr. told me I could receive my first fill at 6 weeks, but now I have learned that he will be on vacation from June 15-July 1. Six weeks would be June 15. so, I could ask him for a fill next week - say Wednesday, or I can wait until July. I haven't lost any weight in the last 10 days or so.... I am anxious to begin experiencing the benefits of the band! I tried searching for threads about time of the first fill, but I coudnt find one.... Based on your experiences, what do you recommend? thanks for your responses....

Can any one tell me why we are suppose to watch the carbonation intake? I have not really given up my diet Coke an haven't had any problems. Maybe I should ask if everything is ok if I am not having problems, LOL. kathy

Is it possible to lose restriction when battling strep throat? I've read about post nasal drip clogging (for lack of a better term) bands but I am HUNGRY! Like I could eat a cow hungry. Anyone else experience this?

:biggrin:Hello all. I have a question. I got my band this past Friday May29th 2009. My first fill will be on June 29th 2009. I was curious to know, if and when I sneeze, cough, burp or hiccup. Will that hurt my band? I also feel my stomach rumbling and twitching, like a muscle spasms, sometimes is that normal? Please help a brother out. Thank you. good luck to all my other lapband family. Dallas Lucas:confused:

Last night I tried my first food. I had a quarter cup of ricotta. I ate very slowly. Since then, through this morning, I have a pain in my back just to the left of my right 'wing'. Anybody else experience this? Is it something I shold be concerned about?

Hello You banded folks...I just wanted to ask you guys a question... What would you do differently if you knew what you knew now about the band? It can be anything...ie.. eating, drinking, exercising...ANYTHING...Im being banded next month and would like some imput.... Thank you in advance.:biggrin:

I had my first fill on May 14, I got 3cc in a 12cc band. This is my question. How much of that fill really went IN the band...Think about this..the saline has to get in the band by way of all of the tubing so how much of the saline goes in to band? I did notice several days of more restriction, but it seems now that the restriction is gone. I go back on the 16th of June for my second fill...DO i request more? or ask the question and hope they do 5-6cc? :blushing:

I have never seen any information about whether or not having the band does damage to your stomach even if you don't constantly throw up - I know erosion is possible but has anyone heard any news about how long it is safe to keep the band in - I know someone who has had one for 4 years with no problem but she tells me to be careful about being too tight and throwing up because of the erosion but what about just having some foreign object tight around part of your stomach - is your stomach that flexible? Thanks.

Been a while since I was here. I was banded in Feb 08. I have never has a problem until now. I half heartedly let my doctor give me an "unfill" because of reflux and vomiting. Gross! Well..she took 4 tenths out which was too much. But now I have this extreme pain in my upper stomach that feels like a bad cramp but is relieved with a burp. This happens randomly even if I havent eaten anything. I am going for a 2 tenths refill on Wed. but now I am worried something is wrong with the band. Anyone has slippage issues that can tell me how that feels? :blushing:

How long did you wait after having surgery to get a colonic, I mean a real one not a colon cleansing pill... I want to get one and use to get them before surgery but don't know how long I should wait. The place I use to go, is no longer in business. Any suggestions, Also can someone tell me how to fix this damn ticker!

I just dont stay full for long off of protein. I love chicken and can eat it all the time, same with fresh turkey meat from the deli, but they dont keep me full for long. I know we are "supposed" to stay away from carbs, but if I throw in a med sized potatoe and have that I am full, and for much much much longer. I tried talking to the dr about this and he was pretty ticked at me for eating carbs and yelled at me to talk to the nutritionist. I dont like talking to her since she is a "quack" and has no clue about anything! Insurance doesnt cover private visits with her either. I just dont like being yelled at by the dr, it's not like it's a Double Cheeseburger!

I sure did because it allows you to order smaller sized portions at restaurants. There is a clause on it that states this person cannot eat large quanitites of food and please allow them to order smaller portions. It works great at restaurants! I can now order off the kid's menu at restaurants. At Chilis they have a great grilled chicken on the kid's menu and it's 1/2 the price of regular portion and it's still a really big piece! But it's a really good card to have anyways becuase if you are ever in an emergency situation it tells the emergency folks that you have this device. It has your name, the size of the band, surgery date, dr's name & # Just thought I woul…

i was banded in july of 2008 i have lost 70lbs i have a 10cc band and am filled with 8.3cc i was losing weight for a while and now the weight seems to have stopped coming off. my Dr. wont fill me up b/c she says im very tight which is true because when i eat most of the time i fill up fast but i find myself getting hungry much quicker im so afraid of gaining weight i take a mixed martial arts class 5 times a week but still i havnt lost any weight in a month am i doing something wrong any advice will help thanks i crying because i feel like im failing at this now __________________:biggrin::crying::biggrin:

Its important to remember the funny things.... We all are in the midst of a journey obviously, but I am a firm believer that a little bit of humor makes everything better: food, Exercise, Sex, and yes... even our PB'ing and BM's. So I was thinking the this morning about the funniest thing that has happened to me since I started this journey seven months ago. (You know prior to the dreaded 6 mo diet and exercise bull shit). My wife, who is a 3rd grade teacher, was running late to our "pre-op" support group meeting at the surgeon's office. Basically, I later found out that this "support group meeting" is more-or-less an "ok, this is the crap you need to do if you…

To those 'Band veterns and experts, In was banded back on Sept 2008 and have had no problems. It has taken me a long time to get some restriction - finally - and now suddenly I'm experiencing a raw, hot sensation in my esophogus [sp] and stomach area. I have allergies and post nasal drip ~ which might be aggrevating things. My PA asked me to take pepcid and sudafed to address the symptoms[sp - sorry about the spelling]. But I've also had some pb'ing early in the day - seems like I am really tight in the morning / lunch time. and there has been some very light puking - more like spitting out the slime. The pepcid seems to help. Should I be worried about anything e…

Okay, so since joining this Board a couple month ago, I have noticed some interesting things. I'd like to start with the differences in posts: POST 1 EXAMPLE: "Oh my gosh! I just ate twelve brownies, two bagels, a piece of french bread pizza (but it was whole-wheat ), sixteen orders of french fries and topped it off with two large chocolate milk shakes and I feel sick.... what should I do?? Help me, help me now!!!" Then there are some like this: POST 2 EXAMPLE: "I accidently ate 5oz instead of my doctors precribed 4oz meal, what should I do?" The reactions of some posters are equally as interesting, as "some" posters will answer the first post with: "Oh heck…

I had my band surgery 5/22 and have been on the lovely liquid only diet. About 45 minutes ago without thinking, i swallowed my gum. I feel fine, but should i worry? Thanks!

Not sure if anyone tried these yet, I think there are 4 flavors. I really enjoy the Acai-Blueberry-Pomegranate - and for the whole bottle there are 20 calaroies. And it has 250% of my vitamin C and 20% of the daily Vitamin B that my dr wants me to take :redface: So thats even better It's a nice change to plain ol' water or crystal light, etc.......

Hello Everyone! Was just dropping a note to see how everyone is doing with their bands and new lives? What problems have you had? Any success stories? Please share!! Banded - 12/19/08 Highest - 325 lbs. Current - 268 lbs. Goal - 150 lbs. Have had 4 fills, and 1 unfill...Currently 4.4 cc in a 10cc band.

I seem to have only two phases. I can chew my food really well, and have zero restriction and seem to be hungrier than a horse all day, or I don't chew a piece of something well and it gets stuck. Then I practically have to do a backflip in order for it to pass, and I'm pretty horrified by the experience that I don't want to put anything in my mouth for a while. I get my first fill next week, but I'm wondering if there is a phase 3 perhaps? I don't want to chew my food until it's liquidy... it'll pass too easily. But a chunk of something almost always get stuck. Is this normal for one month post-op? I just want to feel full :biggrin: The good thing is that I have…

Filled on the 21st of May to 5.5cc total. First week and a half after the fill, was basically able to eat whatever, and didn't seem like much of a fill and was thinking about calling for another one.. So then just this past week while traveling, it is like something friggin' kicked in. Can not eat more than 4oz, def. feel the sternum discomfort if I eat too fast or too much, crazy tight in the morning.... So my question is: What the Hell happened between the two weeks and this week? Did my band just wake up one day and think "well, shit... I guess I'll start working!"? Steve

I had the lapband on 4/3/09 and my first fill on 5/05/09 and will be getting 2nd fill on 6/09/09. I have been having female problems since Jan 09 and will be having a procedure on 6/29/09 to remove a polyp and fibroid tumor. My female doctor checked my blood count yesterday and it was 7.7. I have to get my iron up by 6/25. Does anyone think that getting my 2nd fill will interfere with getting my iron up? I want this fill because I haven't lost any weight since right after my first fill. I started out on 3/19 at 279 and my current weight is 238. I don't want to mention this to the lapband doc because I'm afraid that I want be able to get a fill.

I was banded 1 year ago December. Lost about 80 lbs. I'm planning a vacation soon, and haven't gone swimming in years; okay decades. I carried most of my weight in the hips and thighs so the legs are... well, oh my. Anyway, anyone else with this issue? I want to swim in a pool, but can't handle the thought of these thighs being bare. Is there some kind of garment? I don't know, like a heavy footless pantyhose type thing that won't end up in shreds, that could be worn under a swim suit? Something somewhat (fair) skin colored?

I love the holidays -- and all of the cooking and baking that goes along with them.. How do you survive the first few holidays with NO SUGAR ?? I have a sweet tooth that rules my life -- I am wondering how I am going to deal with this after my banding ?? Anbody have any suggestions .. PLUS we have 5 Christmas parties to attend every year ( 2 mandatory for husbands work). NOW for the biggest head problem-- I had a very scary dream last night - - woke up crying becasue the surgery did not go as expected .. Surgical complications .. am I being a scardy cat ???

I have been on liquids for 4 weeks. First week on liquid diet surgery post-poned due to insurance then one more week of liquid and had surgery and liquid for two weeks post op. Long story I am supposed to be on mushy but feel like I can eat anything.. Is this normal? My first fill is in 3 weeks and am worried I may eat too much.. I just had a slice of pizza(which is down from a whole pizza I would eat before) and I feel really guilty.. I am getting protien from shakes but I am worried about overeating before my next fill.. Anyone else experience same thing?

Hi everybody,I had lapband surgery may 26,(1 week ago) and for some reason the one area (under my left breast area incision) is very sore,not the incision, but it seems to go deeper,is this the area they used more, it kinda feels like they used my ribs to rest the laproscopic rod on and manuvered it back and forth and back and forth, I don't know, maybe it's me,I am a 42 yr.male being a whimp I guess. It hurts the worst when I get out of bed, thats the only time it really hurts, just wondering if anybody else had this problem?

What? I am going to see my surgeon on Tuesday that will be 10 days prior to my surgery which will be my last chance to ask him any questions. I am not good at thinking of questions....the only one I can come up with is "Where are you going to put my port?" So can you all help me out with questions you wish you thought to ask now before you were banded? Thanks!

Just to the right of my port (which is just above my belly button), about 3 inches toward my right hip I noticed swelling today. The entire tummy area has been a little swollen since surgery (9 days ago) but it looks like the rest of my stomach is almost back to normal except this one area. It's about the size of a decent sized fist. When I showered this evening I noticed it felt kind of hard too. I have a doc visit tomorrow but I know I'm going to spend the rest of the night wondering if a surgical towel was left in me, or if my port tubing got undone somehow and tangled itself around something, or God knows what my pea brain may think up next. Everything …

It's been awhile since I have confessed. i havent worked out in about a month now, i have been eating badly for 2 wks and I've been lucky enough to not gain any weight just yet. I'm 2 lbs from joining the 150 lbs lost club and want to recommit myself infront of all of you this very nite. I promise that for the next 51 days till my 1 yr. banded date I will work harder than I have ever worked with the band to lose more weight. i will stay away from M&M with peanuts, I will drink my water, workout, take my vitamins and be a good bandster. This I swear to you all.... man its going to be touch to start all over again..wish me luck

Hey all, I'm having my first fill today...just curious if anyone has advise on waht to expect..i've heard the needle is pretty big--will i be sore afterward? also, how long do i have to be on liquid diet? Thanks.

How did you change your eating schedule/habit from 3 meals a day to 4-5 small ones and possibly a snack? I am finding since my 2nd fill I am eating more because it is time to eat and not that I am that "hungry". BUT.... I am drinking a LOT and not snacking as much as I did after the 1st fill... So I basically feel I am forcing myself to get in the nutrients/protein. I call it habit eating and not hungry eating... does this make sense?:confused: Also riddle me this... Why is it that eggs for Breakfast dont fill me up anymore (they did pre-band) and yet now I can eat 1 granola bar or a oatmeal bar which is tiny tiny and feel stuffed? Don't get me wrong- I still love eggs…