POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

I had my surgery Tuesday and I wore the hospital CPAP. It went well but now I'm at hope and I'm afraid of air being pumped into my stomache from it. I know it goes into your lungs but... I use to end up with too much gas/air pressure from it before I got the machine changed out. Is this a normal fear? How has everyone else faired out with their CPAP or BIPAP since their surgery?

Hi folks, I've just had my third fill taking me up to 6 mils in a 10 mil band and I am now suffering from acid reflux, having never suffered before in my life. My question is, has it gotten any better for anyone as the band starts to settle or will it worsen if I go for another fill? I'd really appreciate people's thoughts on this matter. Thanks, Miss Flump x

Hello everyone, I am hoping to offer and find homes for clothes that no longer fit. I have already sold on Craigslist a HUGE amount of clothes that don't fit (size 20-22) and now I am exiting the land of Lane Bryant all together (WOO HOO). I am looking for any spring/summer clothes in size 16-18 that are collecting dust in a closet. I will be happy to pay any shipping fee and be happy with whatever comes my way. I'm just finding that I'm going from size to size so quickly that NOTHING fits! It is a huge success to say that, but is also very frustrating trying to get dressed every morning. I also have many clothes I've grown out of if someone is interested in t…

the only reason y i am posting this thread...is bcuz i get a lot of members that ask how i took off my weight so fast...i dont believe my way is better than anyone else's...i had this surgery at 296 pounds and was an over eater and did not exercise ...please do not send me replys telling me i have the bypass...I DO NOT HAVE THE BYPASS...i have a realize band...please do not send me reply's telling me i'm unhealthy...my surgeon and m.d. keep a very close eye on me...i have had lab work done twice and check out a-okay...basically do not send me negative replys...i get a lot of negative private messages...this is a support group...i am more than happy and willing to support …

hello, i was banded on the 31st of march, and thought i was ready to go back to work on this past tues, the 14th, but my surgeon had faxed over a lifting restriction of nothing greater than 20 lbs for 6 weeks,, and the work doctor did not clear me because i am a nurse, and our department does not take anyone back with any lifting restrictions. I did not think this would be the case at all post op, because all i heard preop was how quickly people return to work, did anyone else have this length of lifting precaution placed on them as well? thank you!

BORED BORED BORED...I AM SO BORED. Is there anyone out there that may be as bored at this moment as I am? Anyone wanna start some kind of conversation with me? Male or female, I don't really care. Just someone please conversate with me.....

Hey all, I had my f/u appointment today. One week down and doing well. I had 14 pounds gone...yeah me. The surgeon told me to start lumpy foods. He said to stay away from bread and meat but to advance slowly. I am happy. I had some cottage cheese for lunch but I am scared and at a loss for what to have for supper. If you have any ideas for me that would be awesome. thanks mama59:thumbup:

I am pre op and my surgery is scheduled for the 11th of May...I have type 2 diabetes and insulin dependant and I am curious as how others have coped with there surgery and what has happened with their diabetes...Do you still have to take insulin shots and how dramatically have your levels changed. I'm feeling nervous but excited but would love to hear what others have experienced with their diabetes... Looking forward to hearing from you... Thanks Annie

How active were you the first few days thru the first week of surgery? How much walking is enough? How much is to much? What other activities did you do?

My husband and I have been married a little over a year but been together for 3 years and were together only 5 months when I had my band placed. These past couple months (since the weight has been falling off rather fast) he has been telling me that alot of marriages break up after one spouse has this surgery done and looses the weight. I love my husband more than I could ever even begin to put into words, but lately he has been driving me crazy. He is always calling second guess if I am going where I say I am going. Example: I went for my fill this Wednesday and when I got home I decided to take a shower and wash my hair. He calls right when I get in the shower and…

I am in the process of adding pureed to my mushies stages but there have been a few days that I will do liquids in the morning/lunch and have Soup or liquids in the afternoon/evening because I am full. If I am doing liquids (ie Protein shakes, soup, broth etc) do I still need to wait and not drink during the "meal"? what do you do if you eat something that is nasty and you need to get the taste out or if it is too hot? Silly questions but curiosity is killing me on what others do in this situation.....

I had my surgery about a year ago and have lost almost 100 lbs., I also have lost about 50% of my hair. Can anyone recommend anything?

Hey everyone! Hope everyone is having a wonderful day. I had my 5th adjustment today, the doc added 0.5ccs to my band. I'd tell you the total amount of ccs that I have now but to tell you the truth, I have lost count. Anyways, the last fill I had until today was Feb. 22 of this year. I knew I was doing good since this fill with finally starting to loose the weight and all. I noticed my clothes were getting really baggy on me but didn't pay alot of attention to how much I was loosing. I was informed today that since my last fill I had lost 36 pounds. OMG!!! You could have knocked me over with a feather when he told me. 36 pounds in less than 2 months. I was so …

Hi, I am new and looking for info on GERDS. I am experiencing acidic liquid coming up a little during the day and several times each night. It has gotten to the point where I am afraid to sleep. :crying: I was banded 9/28/07 and have had 5 fills now. I started to experience this discomfort a few weeks before my last fill 2 months ago. I have also started to gain some of the weight back. I was down 64 pounds but found 9 of them again. I am getting discouraged and need some help. :rolleyes2:

I used to majorly over eat- like polish my plate and seconds, here are some examples to show my point of various meals I would eat. I could eat 3-4 slices of pizza in a sitting, be hungry an hour later and eat 2 more slices. I could eat a plate of Pasta with chicken- probably 2 cups worth. I could eat an entire portion of a chinese food dish. I could eat an entire burrito from baja fresh with chips I could eat an entire sub from subway I am sure my stomach was pretty stretched out from all my over eating... so my question is... after all this restricted eating has my stomach shrunk? I am wondering because I am considering trying to get pregnant in a few mo…

Hi all. Man here. I got banded on 3/12 and had my first fill this past Monday with 3cc added. I had some initial restriction after I had the procedure but after a few weeks I noticed I was able to eat respectable amounts that weren’t going to allow me to lose any additional weight. I can definitely tell I have more restriction now after my fill but I am having a hard time determining if what I am feeling is food getting stuck or if this is my “new full”. After I eat I notice it feels like food is backing up in my esophagus and my chest gets real tight…is this my new full?? This may be TMI but I even feel like I could probably bring the food up if I had to and being on …

Hey everyone. I was banded on 2/19 and for the longest was doing great. :thumbup: Even six or seven weeks after suregery I wasn't really all that hungry and was able to stick to the recommended diet. Had my first fill of 1.5 cc's on 3/24/09 and was still doing great. However, within the last few weeks I have been getting really hungry and eating far more than I need to. :tt2: I have not really gained any weight, but am afraid I will if I don't watch out. I am scheduled for another fill next Tuesday, but am concerned because even after my first fill I couldn't really tell any difference in what or how I was eating. Has any one else experienced this?

Hi All, I was banded on 3/5/09 and went for my first fill today. I have lost 17 lbs since my surgery date, 30# since I first saw the surgeon. The Physician's Assistant who saw me told me that she wasn't going to make an adjustment today since I am losing weight and have manageable hunger. The PA said I was ahead of the curve in terms of weight loss. She also told me I have to wait for an hour after eating to drink any fluids (I thought it was 1/2 hour) and see if that makes any difference in my hunger. I have another appt in 4 weeks for follow up. We did spend a long time talking about the diet and foods that are better than others and how to gauge what works and what …

How long does the pain and swelling last? I'm so scared, I'm screwing up my stomach. Am I drinking to much liquid, drinking it to fast? Am I bending, sitting, standing to much? I'm scared I have slippage or pull a stitch.

I am two months post op and am barely losing weight. I was wondering if the weight loss will pick up once my band is filled to where it is suppose to be. I work out everyday and eat quality meals and still nothing. Almost all the weight loss on my ticker is preband.

I want to know how everyone is doing! :sad: I've seen us all on a couple of threads and I thought I'd just start a new one to hear about everyone's updates, how you're feeling, and generally how this whole process is going for you! I'm only down 15lbs since surgery, I can eat pretty normally now and am having trouble reducing my food intake as a result. I'm 4 weeks out, my scars are barely noticable (I generally heal well) and I'm going to be scheduling a fill within the next 2 weeks. I'm not exercising yet as I've been having a problem with what I think is scar tissue pain where my port is. I have a hard time eating dry chicken and scrambled eggs - but everything …

I had surgery in November. Just went for my 4th fill last friday. On Friday night, I could not even get water down. I called the Dr. and he wanted to touch base with me in the morning to see how I was on Saturday. When I spoke to him on Saturday, I was able to drink water and protein shakes and soup. But, ever since then, I have not been able to eat anything that has any texture to it. I have been able to drink water and protein shakes, but anything else gets stuck. Am I overfilled? To date, I have 6cc's. At 5cc's I could eat comfortably without any pain. I am afraid that if I do not get a small unfill, that I could do damage to my stomache where the band is by …

I had no idea icees were carbonated! I splurged and had one the other day and today. My husband asked me today, "aren't those carbonated?" I was totally bummed when I looked it up online and found out they were! Whoops! No more icees for me! I'm guessing my band is ok...I didn't have any discomfort or anything but now I know!

Hey everyone. I was banded on 4/7/09. I have lost 19 lbs so far. I am taking in about 800-1000 calories a day. I am so worried that I am going to start losing my hair or become unhealthy bc i am not getting enough vitamins, minerals, and protein. How many grams of protein should I take in per day? What is the best protein shake and bar out there. Should I start taking a vitamin? I really havent been given any clear directions as exactly how much of all this to eat. Help!!!!!!!!!

I was banded on 4/7/09 which was about 8 days ago. I was told that I can have cream soups with no chunks, pudding, jello- you know things like that. I have to admit that I ate some chunky food once today and had no probs getting it down. I chewed it very well and had no probs with it. Can anyone tell me what the exact reason is that they say no chunks? Why must it be basically soup and stuff if it goes down fine? I know that there is a reason for it!!! Did anyone else out there eat food food before they were supposed to? I know I need to stick to the plan...just searching for support.

I was banded 2/09 but unfilled due to complications. Is anyone else out there unfilled? How are you maintaining/losing weight. Sure could use help:smile:

Hi - I was banded on 4/10/09. I am having a hard time with this full liquid - high protein diet. I am sooooo hungry. I am following the diet my doc has given me, but really hate the protein shakes. My problem is, during pre-band, I replaced 1 meal with a 3-scoop protein shake. I made it with crushed ice and a cup of water and 3-4 strawberries. I liked it because it was so icy - but now the diet says 1 scoop in 4 oz of water or milk. I cannot choke it down!!! I made it this morning with crushed ice and 4 oz water, turns out to be ~9oz - that will take me all day to finish. Has anyone else went thru this??? Later on down the road, if I can eat my recommended prote…

I noticed recently that there have been a lot of threads saying something to the extent of "I was banded less than 6 weeks ago and haven't been filled yet. I haven't lost any weight. Is this normal ? " I'm also in this position. I read another post in another section of the forums explaining why you really need to have a fill before you lose significant weight. I think I am trying to stick it out no matter what, but I'm just interested in those people that are further out that WERE in my/our same position. Did you have a lot of anxiety before getting a fill that maybe this wasn't going to work either ? Then you got a fill and realized, "Oh ! This DOES work !". I think I…

I had my second fill on monday, was ok and liquids been keeping down fine. Stupid me was starving for an orange and I ate one. I thought I chewed it up well, now I am in discomfort. any suggestions? I can drink ok but until pain goes away I'm affraid to try anything plus I am probably swollen again. I feel like throwing up, but that feeling isnt enough to trigger doing it though. Please help! Thanks Kim

I had my surgery March 24th, i have only lost 12 lbs since the surgery and my period is 2 weeks late. Has anyone else had this problem?? Theres no way i am pregs.

Ok friends let me update you quick. I had a kinked port tube and an over fill that completely closed off my stomach. It led to an emergency surgery last Thursday and kept me in the hospital for four days. They scoped my stomach, trimmed up the damaged tubing, and relocated a low profile port on my right side. Has any one else had this problem? And my second question is why does this hurt ten times more than the original surgery? I know they said that it was hard to get my original port out and my right side where the new port is hurts like hell. Should it be hurting this bad six days out?

i dont want to sound unappreciative or like a head case...i'm 16 pounds away from my goal...i havent updated my ticker...i lost so fast...sometimes i wake up like what happened??????? not only do u have to adjust to the physical changes...but the mental changes as well...the thought of not having to worry about my weight anymore is something i haven't comprehended yet...now that i'm almost there and dropped almost 120 pounds in less than 7 months...i'm feeling overwhelmed...not depressed...but i feel like i didnt get to enjoy a size 16...14...for very long...i just dropped and dropped...my friend is getting ready to embark on this journey and told her this morning to work…

Ok this is my first post... I've been lurking awhile though... I'm 1 week and 4 days post op, on pureed stage... I am having the hardest time making my food last an hour... It's is so hard to slow down, I've always been a gobbler but so far the only thing that has helped is to get up, do something else, come back eat a bite, do something else, eat a bite... etc... does anyone have any other suggestions?

I have noticed that as I incorporate more "real" foods (as opposed to liquids) into my day I tend to feel hungrier. Is this normal? When I did liquids, soup, jello etc- I felt full and satisfied. Now I eat lets say a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and 1 hr later I feel hungry again. I know it is hunger hunger and not mind hunger because it is a true discomfort from not eating (similar to before surgery). Any advice?

I am 1 week post-op and I am just never hungry... It takes me 2 to 3 hours in the morning to get down 1 Atkins shake. then another 2 hours to get down 6 ounces of Water, then another 2-3 hours to get down some Soup, then back to water... I know most of my tiredness is due to lack of nutrition, but I cannot get any food in. Any suggestions? -BSG

im so happy! i weighed myself earlier this week and finally made it below 200. i keep weighing myself over again thinking my scale was wrong but its actually gone down more! i was 196.6 this morning. i've been below 200 hundered many times before but have never been able to maintain it for long. you diet for a few months and as soon as you eat again it creeps right back up. but just knowing i have this tool to not only keep losing now but to keep it off forever makes me feel so much better than any weight loss ever has!

Hey all, I was banded in Mexico on Feb 7th, 2009 by Dr. Aceves. Up to this point, I've had no problems at all. However, I've had a really bad cold for the last few days with A LOT of chest congestion, and have been coughing quite a bit. Tonight, I took my first ride on my mountain bike since being banded (thanks to the lovely Seattle weather...) and upon returning home I am in quite a bit of pain. I don't want to rush off to the ER if I just over-did it and the pain will be gone by morning, but I haven't experienced anything like this since being banded and don't know if I should be all that concerned. I have really sharp pains around my port when I bend over or reach …

Had surgery yesterday. I thought I was doing really well. No nausea, drinking Water OK, walking around the house. My incisons, especially left/port side is hurting sooo much. It's very difficult to get in/out of bed and sit/stand. I haven't been able to sleep hardly at all. I'm uncomfortable no matter my position. I'm taking my pain medication and tylenol in between. Any suggestions?

Ok, so I was banded 10/21 and I have had success. I've lost 62 pounds. But over the last few weeks I've just stayed at my current weight. I work out 3-5 days a week. I've even changed up the routine but no change. Anyone else experience this? This must be a plateau but it is sooooooooo frustrating!!

i'm 2 weeks out from surgery... i really really want a drink... how long did everyone wait til they started drinking again?

Hi! I am 23 (soon 24), getting the band and super scared but excited!! I'd LOOOOVE some last minute pointers if you have any. I am going grocery shopping tomorrow for my post-surgery diet for a week or so, any favs when you were just starting out? I'd love to hear the good, bad and the ugly! Anything will help! I'm kinda panicking lol Thanks a lot!! Steph

my surgeon dr. paya who i absloutely love!!! does not play the sensitive surgeon role and i love him even more 4 that!!!! he is great dont get me wrong...but he doesnt sugar coat anything...even at 296 pounds...i dressed cute..did my hair..got my nails done (i'm a nail freak!!!!)...wore makeup...put it this way...i didnt look shlumpy bcuz i was pushing 300 pounds....during my consultation he said...i can tell u take care of urself...u groom and maintain ur looks...u wouldnt ruin ur hair..u wouldnt ruin ur skin..u wouldnt ruin ur nails (never that ...lol)...u wouldnt ruin ur clothes....y ruin ur body???????? and its true...i almost feel guilty to my body for spending so mu…

I know I sound like an incredible baby, but I'm very scared of the first fill I have coming up next week. I have an awful needle phobia and hear it is a really large needle. Does it hurt???

I changed doctors today to the one I went to for my second opinion last week. My current doctor had only done 22 bandings prior to me and doesn't have the experience do deal with complications. This new doctor looked at the same upper GI and said I have a slight slip (part of my stomach is pushing up through the band). My doctor didn't see this. Also, there seems to be some confusion about what kind of band I have. My operative report says #10 (a specific model that holds 4cc) but my doctor says I have an AP Standard 10CC. I am in the process of getting this information clarified from medical records. So, in my 7 month journey since being banded, I have only been…

Hi everyone, I'm so scared right now, I'm not even sure where to start. I had my lap band done march 23/09, so its been just over 3 weeks now. Following my surgury, I was in a lot of pain, mostly in the upper stomache, and I vommited following my surgury 3 times (Probably from the anasthesia). Anyways, I havn't had much surgury before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, so I thought all this was normal. A week later I was feeling good. Anyway, I have followed the diet perfectly, I have done everything just as I was told, but I have a problem. I can feel the band (or something) in my upper stomache (in the middle, just below my bra line. I have never been a small girl, …

Hi all, I am thinking about getting the surgery done. I have discussed it with my therapist and she brought up a good point: if I am emotionally eating now, how will the surgery make any difference? I was wondering if there are any other people out there whose weight issues stemmed from emotional issues and if they could comment on this for me. Thanks so much, Pang

I had my 3rd fill last week. Everytime I eat, the first few bites give me a little pain and I continue eating after it passes in a minute or two. I read this as signs that I have not learned yet to eat slowly and chew. My other issue is near the end of my meal, I get the same pain. This time I stop eating. Am I getting the 2nd pain because it is the sign that I have eaten more than enough and my stomach is telling me so? Am I too tight? Is this normal? Does anyone have any thoughts? THANK YOU!

Random question, but I was just wondering. It sounds really good! Just wanted to know if popcorn is possible. TIA!

Why do they say carbon beverages cause the pouch to stretch and you can't have them any longer after surgury? Is this for all the surgury's? I am trying to understand why it stretches the pouch - does it do that before also? I am having VSG so curious if they mean for the band or VSG also? Thanks )

I don't know what I did. I am 3 weeks out and did some more bending than usual today. But for some reason when I let out my breath I get a pain in my chest/sternum area. What could this be? It is not from food, because I wasn't able to each like I usually do, and the pain started early today, when I had only eaten a yogurt- the pain started a few hours later. suggestions PLEASE!!!