POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

Hey everyone I am 14 months out of surgery and I have lost an estimated 40 lbs. I have a 14cc band and I had 8.5 cc in my band. I have no experience of stuck food or pbing. I went to the doctor Wednesday and learned that I gained 2 pounds over 1 month period. My doctor did a flouro fill on me today and instead of putting fluid in he took fluid out -saying that I am to full ???? I explained to him that I think I actually need some fluid because I find myself eating alot but he tells me to eat the right foods and see him in 2-3 weeks. OMG If I wanted to diet I would not have put myself through this surgery and just starved myself. I am very frustrated and in serious thoug…

Have to let off a bit of frustration. Last week my family and I attended my son's graduation in Florida. I knew going on this vacation that making the right food choices was going to be a bit of a challenge and I think I did fairly well. Things weren't to bad until, as the week went on, it got hotter everyday, 90s and higher. I found that even with a 35 lb. weight loss I still struggled with the heat and dehydration, I was just so frustrated I could have screamed, I truly felt as if I was holding everyone else back from having a good time because I couldn't hack it. I did consume alot of Water during the day and couldn't figure out way I was dehy…

I'm one week out, but I"m allowed to start mushy/soft foods on Tuesday -- it seems that many others say they can't for 2 weeks. Anyone else allowed to switch to Soft foods on day 8 after surg? Just wondering. . . My doc gave me all kinds of info and said that's the "plan" but I wonder if I should continue liquids just a bit longer (not that I want to!) but since I paid so much for this surgery-- I want to get the full benefit. Maybe let my band settle in a bit longer. . . Lisa

Which one should I choose? My doctor said that they are both the same but that the other doctor in the office doesn't like the realize bands because he has had more problems with them. What do you guys think? It would nice to have the tools but I just want to darn thing to last so I really don't want to use that as a determining factor, ya know? How many CC's does the lap hold and how many does Realize hold. DOes it make a difference? Thanks!

i am 5 days post op, and have a sharp needle pain around my port. when i make a sudden movement in bed or get out of bed or laugh. it feels like i have a needle inside of me. has anyone else felt this? tommorrow i have my post op doc appt.

I am 2 weeks post op and the first week, due to the liquid diet, i lost a couple of pounds but haven't lost since then and am getting frustrated...at this point, im in the mushy stage but i find that i dont feel any restriction and can pretty much eat whatever i want...of course i dont, but i dont feel that full feeling and may be eating more than i should...anyway, the weight is not goign down and i dont go in for a fill for 3 more weeks and im afraid that once im off the mushy stage and can eat regular, i might actually gain instead of lose...i want to see results already but its just not happening...is this what they call bandster hell? anyone have any advice?

anyone know if sushi is ok with the band??

Okay ladies...I started taking TKD classes with my son & husband, and I am NEED of a sports bra...As you know starting this journey at over 300lbs, and if anyone has been able to find a sports bra and been happy with it, please tell me where you got it and what kind you got. I have looked at Dick's Sporting goods online....BUT I do not want to buy online so i can try it on. I am currently a 44DDD, and that number has gone down in the last 2 months. From what I have seen apparently the companies that make them dont think anyone over a 38 should be working out...AUGH...I can wait to get into a smaller bra again.

In case something goes wrong and they have to go in a fix it? Does it just depend on the insurance or do most of them do it? I don't think mine does.

I wish I would have kept my big mouth shut before telling my mother in law what I went thru this week not being able to eat for almost 3 days. She said: why don't you just get that thing taken out? Then proceeded to lecture me on all I ever needed was diet and excercise. Of course she is a size 2 or 0 and has been her entire life. All I could say was that I love my band and it was the best thing that has helped me control my weight all my life and that obesity is on the same level as being an alcoholic or dug addict. A few days of not eating was not going to kill me. Still...she is verrrrry opinionated and I feel like she is shaking her head at me. It's not li…

I am waiting till June 3rd to see the surgeon, but I know tricare can be very picky about the weight and such. I am 5'4" 239 lbs I have 1 co morbity Hypertention. And I have been over weight for my whole teen and adult life. I have found many different hight and weight charts and everyone seems to be different. If anyone has any info just let me know. Thanks Jennifer

The doctor told me I should walk & take it easy. What I want to know is how much walking should I be doing? 5mins or 10mins three time a day? what would you guys recommend? Obviously I should be comfortable but I want some sort of guideline.

How was your pain the day of the surgery and the couple of days after. I am going back to work 5 days after being banded and want to make sure I can function. My WLS said I should do just fine considering my pain tolerance. I have had swelling and bruising on my left ankle and they x-ray yesterday at pre-op cause they noticed it and it's broken! I mean it's like an achey sore feeling but I would have never guessed broken. So I'm curious how I will handle the post band pain!

well i m on my 8th day post op and feeling great. Got my staples out today, lost 6 lbs past week so Im ready to move into exercise mode and make the best out of the band I can. I m now on phase 2,blended/pureed till day 14 and so far i think i will do good on this phase. Today I had a banana,mashed potatoes w chopped spinach topped with canned fat free beef gravy and to me it tasted great . If anyone has any tips for this phase please post. Thanks and good luck.

Last night and tonight I have had indigestion. Well I at least I think that's what it is. I have been sticking to my Fluid diet. I just feel as though I have something caught in my throat or something - which I know is pretty much impossible... Anyone else had this?? Have any ideas of what it is and/or how to get rid of it faster. It's not painful or anything - just an uncomfortable feeling. Oh, I forgot to add that I have been burping a lot and have had hiccups a couple of times today - so would it just be wind? Am I drinking too much or too little or maybe too fast?? (I've been having a couple of sips at a time)

Hi, lap band date in two weeks here... If even after hitting the "sweet spot" fills are needed from time to time...essentially, will I be slowly streaching my stomach out until my pouch is a duffle bag?:scared2: Sorry, I had to ask.

Today marks the one week mark since I started having port pain. I went into the Dr last week (Mon) and he said that I probably pulled the muscle it is stitched in to. Well it still hurts to bend over or be too active and it is burning, stabbing pain. I'm going to go back in tomorrow morning. What do they do if you do "pop a stitch"? Does this mean I will have to have surgery to fix it?

I was a runner in high school, but that was 32 years and 110 pounds ago. Today I completed my first 5k run. I started running again this spring after losing about 40 pounds. Today's race went better than I expected. I had hoped to complete it in 30-33 minutes, but I ended up completing it in 29 minutes, and that was after dodging traffic for the first mile or so. I'm not the sappy emotional type, but I really did draw energy from the people around me. It was the Susan Komen Race for the cure benefiting breast cancer research. I was on the starting line and had to make way for a trolly full of people who are currently battling breast cancer to lead the race. I saw…

The Leptin Diet here is a link to 3 videos...informative information here and interesting... curious to see what others think of this information

So about a week after my surgery I was put on soft foods. They went down just fine, in fact now I'm 2 weeks out with little restriction at all. The problem is, for the first week after I started eating soft foods I was getting pretty bad heartburn. It actually took me a few days to figure out what it was because I had never even had heartburn in my life before this. For the last couple of days it has gone away and I'm hoping I'm in the clear. I can imagine after eating nothing but protien shakes for 2 weeks that solid foods can be a bit of a shock to the system. I guess my question is, is this normal or could there have been something else wrong like band slippag…

For those of you who have gotten to a sweet spot with really good restriction, how long does it last before you need another fill? Weeks? Months? Just curious!

I went for my 2nd fill this past monday. I'm now up to 4cc in a 10cc band. I felt really tight and threw up a lot the 1st few days. I assumed this was due to swelling and would subside. Well lucky me , I got strep throat 2 days ago. So now I can barely keep anything down but liquids. Am I too tight or just still swollen from being sick? So my question is how long do I stick this out before I call the doctor? Right now I can't even keep down mashed potatoes.

there are some members who post threads about very valid worries...stomach erosion...band slips...surgery risk...etc....but then u get some post with members worried about scars...having to give up cake...occasionally throwing up...and i said occassionally...lol....come on!!!!!!!!! i myself was headed for 300 pounds...i welcomed a scar...or having to figure out what was going to agree with me...when i went to my surgeon's seminar there was a lady so over weight she could hardly raise her arm to ask a question...her question was about hurt burn...okay...ya who wants to have heart burn....but aaaaaa what about heart attacks???????? do u want one of those....of course look i…

I've just had the consult and am gearing up for pre-op tests (scared but dealing with the fear as it comes up). I've been reading all the posts, but wanted to ask about the reference to SWELLING after getting a fill? Why is there swelling; what causes it? How painful is the needle poke for the fill and how (besides fluoroscopic exam) does the doc know where the port is? Can YOU feel it? Thanks for your explanations.:scared2:

hi everyone, i am sitting here just so frustrated, so here goes. surgery date april 20th on liquids for 5 days before. lost 1 pound after surgery gained 5 but lost after a few days home. then lost a total of 14 pounds. i thought great ( i am on regular food, but trying very hard to keep within guide lines) i am eating between 800 to 1000 calories a day, and taking a Protein bullet once daily (26 grams). ok here goes got on scale this morning a gained 4 pounds. (i weigh myself once a week) WHAT THE HECK GIVES????????????? i had this surgery because i have been been over weight for about 8 years due to a bunch of reasons (medication stress). i am 61 and…

I was just wondering what everybody was doing for their exercises besides just walking. I'm just clueless about what I should be doing. I do my walking, but what else would be helpful. If I do some sit ups, then I think, am I doing enough or am I doing too many... :ohmy:

It's now been 4 days since I was banded...I'm feeling ok. Surprisingly I really haven't been hungry at all since having the op - which is great!! I guess it's doing what it's supposed to do. My gas pains are mostly gone although I do get a little sharp pain every now and again in my shoulder and my stomach is still tender...but I'm ok to move around now... How is everyone else holding up?? :frown:

I was banded on May 5th. I am supposed to be on soft foods. Well, last night I ate about 1/2 of a chicken breast. I thought I chewed it well, but I don't know now. I did probably eat too fast. Anyway after eating I had that full feeling in my chest. Now, all day today, I still have that feeling, but I also have a pain under and through my left breast. Any idea what this is? I have been drinking water all day long. I have not been nauseous or anything.

Just wondering if you always get offered a fill @ 4 weeks?? How do they know if you need one or do they just give you one?

I'm sure looking forward to it. This time last year I couldn't run 100 yards. I did a 5k distance in prep Wednesday at 32 minutes. It has been so worth it.

Question - n this might be a duh question, but anyway... I struggle with getting a full feeling. I haven't really been getting a "signal," I've just been stopping when I know I've eaten about what I should. But sometimes, I still eat more. So my question is this.... If I were to stretch out my pouch, is that it for me? I mean, will I have ruined everything, and my pouch will never return to what it should be?

Please help!!!Anyone!! I just got my second fill today (up to 4cc) I am on liquids for three days but I hope to feel some restriction very soon!!!:w00t: I was chatting with a few bansters at the doc today and was told I am eating slider foods so I am not staying full. Can anyone please give examples of foods and meals I should be eating to stay full longer???:thumbup:

Well its been a little over 2 months and I'm down 34 lbs with about 36 to go. I had a fill at 4cc. For me I don't need another fill the restriction is there. I find that what I can eat 1 day may not go down the next. The slimming is not to good with the pain of food being stuck. I was on protein shakes when I lost the most weight. I went to a morning shake and 2 meals and didn't lose weight till I dropped a meal. For those with fills coming up be careful not to overfill or you will have problems. Good luck to all.

depressed- watching how these people did it "the natural way" as I sit here trying to hydrate my body with sugar free popsicles because I can't keep anything down! inspired- to go work out more and eat healthier wondering- if I got completely unfilled- would I be able to do this? Will hunger defeat me? Would I make the right choices? I am so jealous of them!!!!!

Help, I need advise! My Doctor's office is closed until Monday. Last night I was out to dinner and had my first PB. I THINK it was because of either a small bite of duck or a leaf of raw baby spinach, both things I tried for the first time after surgery. I realized something had gone wrong and went to the bathroom. The piece came up after about 2-3 minutes. While it was not an enjoyable experience, I didn't experience horrible pain, which I am grateful for! Last night I only had Water after that and this morning have tried a Protein shake and more water. However, every few minutes, I get a sharp pain from where I am assuming my band is. It goes away quickly, al…

I really hate the way pain pills make me feel. I almost feel worse on them than off. When I had my tubes tied I hated the Percocet they gave me. Has anyone been able to bounce back with just taking ibuprofen only?

I was banded on April 16 and my incision port has still not healed!? About a week after my surgery I had some drainage that was clear in color, and what was "melted fat" from my body trying to create a capsule around the port. That stopped about a week ago but the incision is still not healed...there is about less than a cm of the original incision that seems to refuse to heal! It is not infected, but it seems that it just doesn't want to heal completely!! Has this happenned to anyone else? What can be done to faciltate healing?

For the last 2 days I have been having tingling sensations and very annoying discomfort in my hands and feet..feels better when i'm active or stretch my hands tight or wear gloves. This may not at all be due to surgery but if so i would like to know before i go see a doctor and waste mine and their time. Have an appt. this morning:confused:

Hi, I'm considering lap band surgery in August or September, and I'm just starting with all the preliminary stuff. Do any of you have an ICD (implantable cardioversion defibrillator)? I just wondered if there was any advise you might give me that will ease my mind a little. I haven't had any problems with firings or anything for almost 7 years, but I can't help but wonder what a procedure like this might do to change the status quo. Thanks in advance for any advise.

My port lump is very noticable. If you place your hand on my stomach you can feel it. You don't have to press, it's an obvious lump. It reminds me of being pregnant and haveing a foot or an elbow jabbing be. Is this normal? Will this go down? I had surgery just under a month ago. :tt2:

in the first 4 weeks post op?? I'm 8dpo and have lost about 5kgs I think (not sure wat that is in pounds - how do I work that out?) I really just want to know how much to expect I will lose by the time I go to my follow up apt (averages, as I know everyone is different).... So what were your numbers??? I'm impatient - can you tell???

Cause I feel like crap! I'm not regretting the surgery or anything like that, but I feel like crap. So I totally do not understand those so happy and bright the day after. I'm in pain and certainly in no mood to think of how wonderful this could be. But like I said, I'm not regretting and I know it will pass. But, waaaa! I don't feel good. :biggrin: Guess I just want to complain for the moment. Thanks! :tt2:

OK maybe I'm just being a little bit paranoid but I'm wondering if anyone else has had this happen. I posted before about getting stuck and then having what feels like muscle pain in the center of my chest a few days afterwards. It's still there and it's been a month. I went in for a fill 2 weeks after it started and my surgeon didn't seem concerned at all. She said it could be a pulled muscle or a piece of food that's still stuck and said she wouldn't really know what it was until it went away. Well, it's not going away. My next fill is on the 20th and of course I can't see MY surgeon I have to see another Dr. because she's not in town. I can eat and swallow things just …

Does anyone else have tummy sleeping restrictions. Im 2wks post op and my Dr told me I have 4 more weeks to go before I can sleep on my stomach again! I hate to complain, but my gosh. I am a tummy sleeper all the way and this is difficult. Sleeping on my side, to me, is a baby step away from sleeping on my stomach. I have no pain around my port, so I do not understand the problem. Does anyone have the same problem?

at 8 days post-op. Yesterday I actually found myself getting hungry!! ARRGHHHh... I'm still on "nutritional fluids" having 1/2 cup every 2.5hrs or so...is this what everyone else did at 8 dpo? I'm happy to stick with the fluids for the next 6 days (as per doc) but not sure about the amounts and how often I should be eating.....my friend was banded just over a month ago and told me that I should/could be eating upto 1 cup at a time??...not sure...any ideas/help??

I was banded on 3/27 and I had my first fill on Monday (5/11) I don't feel as if I have much restriction, but from what I have read, that is to be expected. Anyway, my doctor told me when I come back for my 2nd fill at the end of June, he will be doing it under the x-ray so he can see exactly what he is doing and not "guessing" at how much to put in. He told me that this is the new way of doing fills. Has anyone experienced this x-ray technique before? Does it really work better than the current "guessing" method?

Hi Everyone, I just need to vent a bit. This morning I woke up after about only two hours of sleep and had a practical meltdown. I haven't been having the best of recoveries. I had a bad reaction to the anethesia that left me nauseas beyond even the medication and dry heaving for the next five days. I finally had a day without a heave on Monday, but the nausea hasn't gone away. Absolutely EVERYTHING I put in my mouth makes me want to gag. I didn't get fat from eating sweets so all the Protein shakes are making me sick and I can't seem to get the taste of them out of my mouth no matter what I eat. To top is all off I have nothing but liquid coming out of places of my bo…

I posted before about my double pb on Monday Tuesday and Today I have been on a clear liquid diet of plain tea, sugar free popsicles and broth I am sipping extremely slow- it is taking me an hour and a half to consume a cup of tea or the broth and it doesn't feel good at all. Has anyone felt this way? If it doesn't resolve by tomorrow I am definately calling the dr... if anyone has any experience with these issues- let me know to get me thru the night!

Hi all its my TOM and unlike alot of women, I am certainly not any tighter than normal. I feel I have good restriction. My problem is I just WANT to eat... I am having cravings and want to graze. I have not had any problems other than when its my TOM. I definitly notice a difference. what do u all do when u are NOT hungry, but really are craving food?? I guess this is head hunger? or perhaps your body needs more calories during the tom? ( I heard that a long time ago) Please let me know your own experiences, thoughts and opinion. I don't want to eat more and "fall off the wagon". thanks in advance for your imput. amy

I was banded on 4/28 and I feel for the most part my incisions have healed. I have been getting out walking a little and I would really like to get in the hot tub after walking. I was wondering if it was too soon for this? Does anyone have any experience with this?