POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

Hi all. I'm feeling a little frustrated this morning because I feel so tired. I've been banded 16 days and have advanced to mushies, but have cheated with some well-chewed soft foods as well. I went back to work Thursday night 7p-7a and went for my post-op appointment after work. I'm a nurse and the hospital was VERY busy. I barely got time to drink any Water let alone find twenty spare minutes to sit and have a little meal. I felt washed out and deflated by morning so I had the surgeon give me another week off. I'm drinking 2-3 unjury shakes per day and sticking to high Protein mushies like refried Beans and Greek yogurt. I took some B Vitamins this morning, but I stil…

hey all you february 09 banders. hows everone doing so far? how many fills have you guys had? anybody else hit there sweet spot yet? i think i might have gotten lucky and either found or gotten close to it on my last fill. (only my 2nd one!!) hope you guys are all doing great.

I have been suffering for six weeks: having some good days but mostly bad days. Good days = able to eat and drink small amounts of food. Bad days = nothing goes down at all. We had been working with my surgeon from the very beginning to figure it out and frankly I was starting to get the feeling from my Dr. that he was a little pissed off at me for not trying harder. The tension was getting so bad between him and my wife that he stated that he could not communicate with her anymore and would only speak to me - she was very forceful in pushing for a solution from the Dr. About the 4th week into the ordeal my stomach shut down all together and I spent 6 days in the hosp…

Hello! I was banded on may 19. I felt awesome until Sunday may 24. I started becoming short of breath, dizzy, very weak and tired. Went to emergency room and was admitted. My surgeon is 2 hours away so was seen by my general doctor. I had fluid build up on my lungs and the lower portion of both lungs were collapsed. I was given IV Lasix to drain the fluid and it worked. To date I have lost 26 pounds. I felt good yesterday and came home from the hospital. But, today I am very tired weak and dizzy again. No shortness of breath. I am doing my diet exactly as instructed. Going to see my surgeon this afternoon. Has this happened with anyone else???

ok i thought i wouldnt have an appetite for awhile after surgery but the day after i came home from the hosp i am starving! i am following the sample 1 to 2 week meal plan but im worrying that something is wrong with me. did anyone else have this problem? thanks!

I'm curious as to what everyone did once they lost weight. I know some people by goal outfits and some people get tattoos and piercings. Some people are just happy with the weight loss itself. What did everyone out there do? I was thinking I want a tatto on my ribs... I think this will help me stay positive and have something new and exciting to look forward to... :smile:

I am 7 days postbanding. I was fine until yesterday when horrible nausea kicked in. And, the thought of having to drink more Water literally made my stomach turn. I know my body. If I didn't get something significant in my stomach I was going to start puking. I ate just a few tablespoons of oatmeal and the nausea subsided significantly. Anyone else experience nausea from having to drink so much freaking water? And postop diet? What are the different diets for 7 days postop? I have heard still only liquids, mushies, and above. I think a lot of my nausea yesterday was because for the first time I was actually HUNGRY! :thumbup:

My surgeon has ordered ten days of injections that I do at home for blood clots after lapband surgery. I haven't read about these on any of the posts before. Has anyone else had these? Are they hard to give?

I hit a new low this morning (Yea, I'm here bragging, that is what you are here for :thumbup: ) I'm in the home stretch for the last 15 pounds. Based on recent results I'm guessing it will take 15-30 weeks to get there. Anyone else lose faster in the last few pounds? (So glad I did this)

Today at work I ate half a grilled cheese sandwhich and some tom soup. It made me miserable and I had to vomit. Now I am worried about vomitting, could one time hurt the band or does it take more provuse vomitting to cause slippage? I am14days post op, I know I should not have ate that but I did and Iam paying for it now. Will I ever get this down and get over eating ^comfort^ foods. I know it is a lifestyle change and I walk anywhere from 2-3 miles a day and I had been sticking to my diet but failed big time day!!!

I find myself worrying all the time about band slippage/stretching etc...even though I really think that I shouldn't be. I am now on "mushie" foods, and although I do cheat a little and eat regular foods - I make sure I have chewed and chewed until they become mushy before I swallow. I have also been sticking as closely to the 1/2cup of food per 1/2hr as I can. I haven't vomited ONCE or felt nauseas at all since I started mushy food. So I guess that's a good sign right??? I have also been able to get through 1ltr of Water a day now by sipping regularly (occasionally a couple of sips at a time)....but I guess I'm mostly just worried because I haven't lost any more weig…

2 days before surgery and I am very nervous. I am a 56 year old man who has never had surgery, never had anesthesia. I keep questioning my decision to go under the knife. On one hand I feel fine right now, enjoying life, why would I elect a surgery that will commit me to a recovery process and months of fills trying to get that “sweet spot”. Its not like I am hurt or physically ill where surgery would make you feel better. This feels almost like cosmetic surgery, where you are not sick but get an operation to look better. On the other hand I am diabetic, high everything, sleep apnea and feel like man mountain when walking around. I wear my car. My knees are starting to …

So I have read a lot where people are saying there left side is really sore. Which side are you sore on after the surgery? My right side has been sore from the beginning. My port is on the left side, but for some reason my right side is very sore. Left feels great! Right hurts when I cough, sneeze, take in really deep breath or in the process of laying down. Which side hurts for you?

So I was banded on the 20th of April I was down to 320 from 359 (347 surgery date). Today I stepped on the scale and its up to 324. So a four lbs weight gain in four days since getting a fill. I have 5.1 in a 14cc. My hunger has definately gone back up after the two liquid days last week. I find myself grazing and I don't want to start that cycle again. Breakfast was 1/2 cup oatmeal. lunch was 4oz salmon. Tough going down - think it might have gotten a bit stuck or I hit the fill point, not sure which, but I def. got the "oh crap.... something ain't right" feeling. It went away after awhile. What do you guys think? Eating too fast? Not filled enough? …

I was banded on 5/22/09 with a hernia repair. I feel like my insided are heavy. When I sit up or try to walk I get dizzy and nauseated and my chest it feels like i can't breath. I just feel horrible all the time. I try drink something and my stomach feels so full. My fiend had her band put in 2 years ago & she had no pain & she was back at work the next day. Will this ever pass?:smile:

Some people say they are hungry after surgery, and some say they are not. For those that say you are hungry, are you unable to eat or drink enough to satisfy that hunger? I am thinking that even before you first fill there must be some restriction anyways, right? Does the small amount of liquid diet you start with not enough to slay the hunger? Or do you feel you can’t eat anymore but am still hungry? I am 6 days away from surgery. I am just wondering how the hunger thing is dealt with before the first fill? It doesn’t really matter, I am doing this crazy thing anyways but I am puzzled about the hungry thing after surgery and before the first fill.

My question for today is a pretty simple one so here goes. I was wondering is anyone out there in bandland is having the same problem I am having. My problem: I am barely able to eat anything during the day. I try to eat a really late breakfast at noon. 8 out of 10 times, I can't eat. I can get down a few bites of something like oatmeal or grits but that is all. I start feeling like my food is getting stuck and it makes me feel as if I am about to throw up. So, I stop eating. About half an hour after I stop, I end up hungry again. I hold off until dinner time which is usually around 4 and again, I can take a few bites of food and it feels like it is getting stuck…

I am now 9 months and 7 days post-op. I have went from 267 pounds to 191 pounds (as of today), making a total of 76 pounds lost so far. I have went from a size 26 in pants to a size 16 in pants and from a 3X shirt size to a Large or XL (depending on the make of the shirt). I'm just wondering (since I have lost my booklet), how long am I suppose to wait to drink after I have eaten?

Now that i m banded 3 weeks ago and feeling hungry I was wondering what is the average time for us to get our first fill.

What brands of unflavored Protein do you like? Where do you buy it and how much does it cost? How do you use it? Thank you!

does anyone else have severe tmj and found now that ,not chewing , is causing worse pain all over face and head? Jennie

Hello, I was originally banded in 2002 and lost 100lbs in about a year and kept 70lbs off for 5 years. In 2007 I had various problems with the band and an unrelated appendix surgery and after a year of pain and surgeries, my band was removed. Within 7 months of removal, I put back 70lbs. I was devistated. On October 31 of 2008, I was rebanded. Since then, I've lost nothing and have in fact gained 20 pounds. I find I have no restriction. The feeling this time around has been NOTHING like my first band. I am having troubles with the fills. I am only at 6cc. If I get a fill larger than .5cc, I have difficulties. When I'm at the dr. office, I feel fine post …

After being banded in February and filled at the end of March I had some restriction. I could eat about 1 ½ - to 1 3/4 cups of food (about 1200-1500 calories a day) with an occasional stuck episode and some random PBing. I was doing pretty well on weight loss, losing about .2 to .4 lbs daily (down about 50 lbs since 1 week pre-op ). I just had my second fill (up to 4.5cc now) on May 13 and boy am I feeling it. After the fill, I tried to eat some chili and could only get in about 6 bites before I hit the wall. Last night I was able to eat about 3 bites of dinner. Today is not much different, 3 bites of eggs for breakfast and 4 bites of chili for lunch. I have b…

I am 5 days post op doing pretty well. I woke up this morning and my incision on the side of my abdomen was itchy. When i pulled up the bandage back a little it was pink under the tape. Is this normal or should i call the doctor? I usually heal really well and dont think i've had an infection in a cut since childhood so i don't know what i'm looking at. Any thoughts??

I got my lap-band done yesterday and stay at the hospital overnight. This was my first surgery ever and I was totally not prepared for the pain. My body aches, especially joints. Is this normal for lap-band or any surgery? I know I'm supposed to walk a little throughout the day, so I've been doing that. I live by myself though, so I don't want to push it too much in case something happens! So, is this full-body pain normal or am I just a big baby? :wink2:

I'm still on full liquids for another week. I don't know about you, but I'm so sick of Protein shakes and canned Soups that I needed a break. Not wanting to jeopardize the healing, I don't want to cheat and sneak a mushie. However, I needed some real flavor. Well, I found a great recipe for low fat potato and leek Soup that I made tonight. It did not disappoint. My DH could not believe that it was something I was allowed to eat because it was that good. For anyone else confined to full liquids (even if you're not), give it a try. Here's the recipe: 2 tsp canola oil 2 medium shallots, minced 3 medium leeks, sliced (white and light green parts only) 1 pound Yuk…

I knew the weightloss would be slow- 1 to 2 lbs a week is the goal. But in reality I keep wishing it was quicker because I still have 75 lbs to go. My focus today to keep me in perspective is to look forward to a year from now with the idea that I will be at goal or very close. Also- I am going to focus on the fact that I won't gain the 25 lbs back that I have lost. My question is for those that have lost 75 lbs or more----------Did you weightloss come off in 1-2 lb increments once you settled in or did you have huge loses and that is what helped you get to goal. Just need to hear that 1-2 lbs a week is going to get me to goal from those who have had huge loses. Than…

Hi, Im having some issues with getting in enough protein. I'm 4 mo. out, should i still be taking in protein shakes? I still feel like i am not eating enough, though i am not hungery. Does anyone have an example of what they normally eat in a day and how often. Maybe I should be writing my intake down? Also does anyone have issues with swallowing pills?

I got banded on April 16, last Thursday....but I am freaking starving!!! I have also lost a ton of weight! Is this normal? Am I a freak???:thumbup:

Hi there, Six days post-op now and wanting to know when the pain goes away and it doesn't feel so tight inside of you. It still feels like my abdomen doesnt have the space to accomodate the port and band...like parts of me inside are being squeezed. It hurts when I sit up. I want to start feeling normal again already!

The only trouble I've consistently had since surgery is problems going to the bathroom. I don't eat that much anymore so my bowels just don't seem stimulated enough to work well. I go to the bathroom every couple of days but don't produce much. Then every several months, I get severely impacted. It's so bad that I am homebound for a couple of days. The first day, I writhe in pain and pray for death (just kidding). Then I take laxatives and crap my brains out for a whole day and a half or two days. It seems incredible that a human can crap so much. Does anyone have this problem and has anyone found a way to avoid it?

Ok so my post op paperwork says to take a laxative 3 tabs orally if no bm for 2 days after surgery. Well my mom got me those, but I am scared to try taking them, because I haven't had any pills unless they are crushed, and you can't crush these. I'm hesitant to call my doc to see if it's ok, because I've already called a couple of times about other stuff. Did anyone have to take laxatives to go to the bathroom? If so, is it ok to swallow them whole? Thanks.

For those of you who have kids I wanted to know how did you deal with your child who thinks that they are your shadow and you are there chair? My three old thinks I am her chair her bed and anything else that requires her to be on me. My band date June 12th and I am just not sure how to let her know that she will not be able to climb on mommy.

One of my very good friends had gastric bypass a few years ago. Her experience is the reason I am leaning toward the band. She initially had incredible weight loss, but with the bypass she was actually not able to eat healthy. The only thing she could eat that was actually good for her was lean Protein. Things like veggies and fruits sent her into vomiting (veggies mostly) or the trots (fruits). With being years since the surgery, she is actually to the place where she can eat bread again, but still not veggies. Something like a salad with raw veggies blended in would put her on the couch for hours with terrible indigestion. And this means after maybe 3 bites. …

So I've read everyone that is on the same day as me or near the things they eat, and my dietician basically just gave me a sheet of what to eat - At the moment I'm on day 12 (banded on the 12th may) and so far I've had Soups (thinned out) but I'm worried because not alot of people seem to be doing that? I know it's totally stupid to think this but oh well, paranoia sucks lol. Last night I had pumpkin Soup that my mum made with some bacon in it, she used a bar mix to blend it up but there were still bits that I could chew, so just worried about that, but the amount worries me more, I had about a cup and a half and then I had pain under my left rib cage. I'm scheduled to ca…

I am trying to increase my exercise (banded April 16) as I got the go ahead from my dr. He said to wait four weeks. So yesterday I tried jogging. I got this new game for my wii called eas active. Well part of the 30 day challenge (I put it on the easiest level) requires some jogging. I did it the last two days. Today I feel very sore in the port area. I am really bummed and hope this is only a temporary thing and that eventually I will be able to run again. I am assuming/hoping that it just isn't healed 100% and made it tender. It is by no means terribly painful just sore like I felt about 8 days after surgery. So I am thinking I need to lay off the jogging and give…

Help! I am 3 days post-op and I feel pretty good. I am doing everything I am supposed to do. Here is the kicker. Whenever I inhale deeply I get a pain or an uncomfortable feeling near my R shoulder blade and sometimes the center of my chest. It made sleeping on my back uncomfortable for a couple of nights. Is that the band? Will that feeling go away? I'm worried?

Is it normal to have a heart burn like pain nearly constantly. It usually only lasts 2-3 seconds but it is throughout the day. Usually when I burp or my stomach spasms a bit. It feels like soreness at the band site. It is starting to bother me 9 days post op. and i think perhaps that the pain meds i was taken up until 7 days post op were keeping it minimal and thats why i didnt notice it. Its really really starting to bother me. I am thinking of going and taking some Extra Strenght Tylenol or something cause its hard to function being in pain all day. Just a note its not constant pain and its not excruciating by any means its just a semi dull heartburn like pain at t…

i was banded on 5/5 and since i have no restriction yet does anyone know if it is safe to have carbonated drinks before first fill.

Ok I am 3 week post surgery and everything has been going great. I am still on my mushy diet and last night went to dinner with my husband. I think I overdid it a bit but not horribly. I did have 3 glasses of wine throughout the night. Well at about 3 am this morning I woke up and I am terribly sick. I am vomiting and have diarhea. This has gone on all night and still is this morning. I can't keep water down. I don't think I have a fever. Have I caused a problem with my band or is it more likely that I am sick? Thanks for your help!

I am in Overland Park Kansas and was banded on 5/5 of this year. Anyone else close?

My two week bandiversary is today and since I've been switched to a regular diet, I have gained several pounds. I could hardly eat the week after surgery and subsequently lost 15 lbs the first week!! I knew I couldn"t keep losing at that rate, but I certainly didn't expect to be gaining. :thumbup: I really think a lot of it is Fluid. I have always had "puffy" feet and fingers which subsided shortly after surgery. However, this week old Puffalicious is back! I am so discouraged and am having anxiety about going for my three week check next week. They are gonna think I'm eating like a fool which just isn't the case. Has anyone gained after surgery (pre-fill)?

i am wondering how many ounces of protein shake we're suppose to have a day on full liquids. Do I make one in the am and drink the rest in the pm. Or do I have 2 full ones. Yikes, there large.:wink2:

I've gone to a couple of different seminars and they have each emphasized that the lap band system is much less intrusive on your body than gastric by-pass. As I've read here I've been very surprised at all the pre-op and immediate post-op restrictions. The latest surgeon indicated there were basically no pre-op for banding. He was also very clear that it might be months before the band was fully functional and giving the restriction you want. Until they reach that "sweet spot" (his term), he said he's had quite a few patients gain weight after having the band installed. So that leads to my question. If the stomach is not being cut and you do not feel much restrictio…

I was banded on January 27, 2009. I had one fill in March and a second fill this past Tuesday for a total of 6 1/2 cc's. I was not able to keep food down after the fill on Tuesday so I went in to have a slight unfill done. When my doctor was accessing the port, he almost had to climb up onto the exam table with me and stand on the needle/tubing to get it to go in. He said I am developing scar tissue around my port area. Has anyone else had this issue? What is the future impact of this situation? Will it affect my ability to have fills done? Any information will be appreciated.

When did you guys start riding bikes again? My kids are wanting to ride and I was banded on 5/5. Any idea when it would be safe again?

For those of you who are losing 2+ lbs a week and doing cardio 3-4 times a week, do you know what your daily calorie intake is? What is your typical meals like? I do spin class 3-4 times a week and my weight loss is 1+ (if that some weeks) and I dont think that im getting enough food?

I've had a difficult past couple of weeks and I've been really down. I lost my job (laid off) several weeks ago and took a different job that cut my pay in less than half of what I was making before. I've went thru any excess money I had, and live paycheck to paycheck as a single mom. I'm kicking myself that I didn't build up a bigger savings account in case this happened. Being broke just sucks. Plus, it reminds me that I'm lonely. I'm tired of being single and having no help, either financially or around the house. And I can't afford to pay anyone to help me with the yard anymore, so my weeds don't make this any easier. I can't even take my kids out for ice cream if it …

I use www.sparkpeople.com to keep a log of what i eat every day. I am finding that i am not eating enough carbs...or at least according to the website. How many carbs a day do you eat? Where do you get your carbs from?

What are some of the things you all ate the first week after surgery? I am eating Jello, crystal light, caffeine free tea, and fudgecicles. Not to mention the water and chicken broth. What did you guys all eat?