POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

after I thought I was on a record streak of not pbing in 3 weeks... it happened today!!! I am afraid to try anything without some advice on what to eat... after not having any appetite the last few days - I do now!

I know this will probably get a lot of negative comments...and I certainly do not mean to hurt anyone, but sometimes I get so tired of reading threads where the person has lost a minimal amount of weight because they have cheated or not exercised...then I look at their stats and see that insurance covered their surgery. I was not lucky enough to have my insurance cover my surgery. I had to finance the $13,900 that the surgery costs. Every time I think about eating wrong or not exercising, I think about the $300 a month that I am paying. I have lost 73 pounds in four months. To tell you the truth, I may not have done as well myself if my insurance had convered mine. …

After your surgery, when did you go home? That day? The next? I am getting mixed messages from various sources.

Hi everyone, time is getting closer now getting banded on 25th March 2009 , and was wondering if you could be as kind as to advise what one is to expect following surgery. My wife and I have a small family run business , most of which is online related , sadly Ive always been the one to keep on top of things online related , our site and online trading. Now Im wondering should I shut the operation down for a few days and take the financial hit , something that may cost us around £1000 a day , having still to pay staff wages etc whilst I have this band fitted, this is something I would not like to do as in todays economic climate, things are hard especially after just …

hello all, I was banded just yesterday, and I am extremely pleased thus far. I'm just a little sore, not really any gas pains or nausea whatsoever. I was banded in Lubbock, TX by Dr. Hall. The nurses in the hospital were happy about how quickly I got up and walking...their excuses for it was my 'youthfulness'. ;D Anyway, I'm just a little confused about what I'm feeling. I really haven't felt hungry at all - but I think it's because I'm just so sore. I really don't think I have any restriction. I haven't had ANY problems getting any liquids down, even right after the surgery. I -could- take big gulps of Water and nothing would happen. I've been sipping Clear Liquids an…

Okay, I finally did it! I got a Wii Fit. This thing is really cool! I haven't been cleared to exercise yet, but I got on there and did some of the balance stuff and yoga. I loved the game where you have to get the ball in the hole! Harder than it looks! My 62 year old mother got on there and did the Hula Hoop game and balanced better than I did. AND her Wii Fit age was younger than mine!! I had to throw the gauntlet down and tell her to come back in a month and we will see who is younger! :laugh: Anyhoodles, I think this is going to be great for the whole family to use! A little exercise couldn't hurt the kids!!! I am actually looking forward to exercise!!! …

I start my liquid diet next Monday, March 23rd... and then my surgery is April 8th. I'm so excited/nervous about this new life I'm walking towards. I've been very hiped up about it... but the last few days, I've been a bit nervous too. This is really happening and my time is really coming. When you've been dependent on food most of your life, it can be a bit scary knowing things are changing. And I don't look forward to having surgery either. But yet, when I think of the possibilities... how good I'm going to feel.... how much more I'm going to be able to do... it almost seems like a dream. Just wondering... the feelings I'm having... did most of you experience the…

So I am getting stuck and im only 6 weeks out from my banding, i haven't even had a fill yet. I have got stuck with yogurt, sobort, and other soft stuff. so what i end up doing to eat is eat a little then water to hard swallow it down...this is so hard to do over and over. anyone else have this problem while they were still wide open????

I have really started to notice I am losing hair, I drink protein shakes every day, take a vitamin, and calcium, now am taking the vitamin called Hair skin and nails, just started that day before yesterday, anyone have that problem too? Is there something I can do, I had the lap band November 25th and am down to 270 already. Help if you can please.

I went for my first check up since my surgery on 3/4. Everything is going really good and I feel better everyday. When I had my appointment with the surgeon back in Dec, I told him I wanted a lap band, not realize. I found out today to my surprise, I have a realize band. It was not the surgeon that operated on me and when I ask why I did not get a lap band, he came up with a story about different body types and the port. He also said unless a patient asks only for a certain type of band, it is up to the surgeon. I told him I did say what I wanted. I could tell he was trying to avoid the subject and told me I will have to talk to my surgeon at my next appointment.…

Hi everyone, I am new here but not new to the lapband. I was banded June 28, 07 and have lost a total of 15lbs since and that was in the 1st 2 weeks. I had my surgery in Mexico and all was great but I didn't get any follow up support. I live in BC, canada and drive to Arlington Wa for my fills but even being almost full am not losing, infact this last month I may have gained. I was so hoping to be thin this summer and its not going to happen as I have 80lbs to lose and we are in mid March. Anyways, my questions to you all are.... 1) What is the 5 day pouch test diet I read about on another thread? 2) Those who have had success, could you give me an idea of your a…

Everything was going very good, not much pain, healing well and feeling good. I went back to work Monday, tired but doing ok. Today at work I feel something running down my belly, and to my surprise it is blood. The incision by the port opened up a little and it is bleeding. I was very scared and called the dr and I have a appointment Wed. The nurse said it is probably a infection. Has anyone else had this happen and is it going to cause me major problems.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I hope everyone is doing well. Next Friday will be my first fill. I can't wait! For those of you who have had a fill already, would you share your experience? I am a little nervous about some big, huge, giant needle. Traci

OK, I was banded last Wed, and my stomach still feels strange. It's not painful, but it's like I can feel the different organs and such. It is an ODD feeling. Occasionally, there is a pinch or a touch of gas, but mostly it just feels weird, both to the touch and the experience of it just being there. I was wondering when it is just going to feel like a belly again. Like I am hyper aware of my port and what I think is my band. Does that die down a bit after awhile, or am I always going to feel like I am altered? I imagine it must be something I either get used to, or something that subsides after the swelling is gone, right?

I had a fill last Thursday and since then have had problems with reflux - mostly at night. For the first part of the night (usually from midnight to about 3AM), I wake up every 10 minutes or so and 'catch' myself starting to vomit. Every once in a while I'll spit up some unidentified stuff (not food), but for the most part nothing comes out. During the day it's not as bad, but I do keep having a lot of small acidy burps. I'm on my 2nd day of mushies and have been very careful not to eat too much. All I've had today (it's 2PM now) was 4 oz of yogurt in the morning, then 4 oz of pudding around noon. Has anybody else experienced anything like this?

I was banded 03/12/09 so I am so new to this. I feel pretty good today. A friend of mine had the Realize but I had the Lap Band. He was told all these exact protein amts to intake daily and how much of this and that he should do. My surgeon simply advised to be on clear liquids for 2 weeks and gave me the lit on the Lap Band. It doesn't even mention protein shakes for like 3 weeks into the process. For the past 2 days I had a couple of sugar free popsicles and a small amt of broth. I feel ok but I don't want my hair to fall out or to be hospitalized for not taking in enough. Any suggestions?

Does any one know why you have to advance from a 2 week liquid diet to puree,to soft, to normal? What happens if you go from a 2 week liquid diet straight to a regular diet? will it stretch the pouch and if so how would you know?

Help! Ok, so I weight myself everyday just to see how the food I eat each day affects my weight. Well since I started mushies on Monday, I haven't lost any weight at all and I'm so discouraged! Do I go back to the liquids for a few days? Do I eat less? I haven't been able to eat more than about 750 cals a day because I can't stand anymore, so I thought that that would help me lose faster, but I just stopped altogether! Help me!! I don't have any idea what to do! :thumbup:

WHAT SHOULD I BRING IN MY OVER NIGHT BAG BESIDES THE NORMAL STUFF :thumbup: Heres The Baghttp://www.betseyjohnson.com/store/productdetails2.aspx?categoryid=9003&productid=6673&np=9003 AND ITS EXTRA CUTE SEE ...WANTED TO TREAT MYSELF WITH SOMETHING ElSE SWEET OTHER THAN food =) :w00t:

Anyone else loose little to no weight on their preop diet? I feel like I have been do really good with nothing to show. I am afraid that my doc isn't going to believe that I did it! My surgery is in two days.

I am in need of some advice! I was banded Thursday the 12th and am having the hardest time eating.I guess I am asking what others have been consuming on average just to compare! I can never eat or drink any more than a couple small sips or few bites. Even when I am eating I feel sick to my stomach. I am so incredibly weak and have lost 15 pounds. Really 15 pounds in 4 days! That's not normal! I am gonna call my doc tomorrow... I just in the meantime wanted all of your advice and experiences. thanks so much!

I have had the worst month ever. I was banded on 12-10-2008. I am down 81 lbs. I have had two fills with no restriction still. I have had a very stressful month with personal problems and been sick alot(upper respitory infection and horrendous menstrual cycle). I barely have exercised and I have not been able to stick to eating correctly. First reason is I have no restriction. I dont know what to do to get my surgeon to give me a good fill. I have 3cc in a 11cc band and it has done absolutely nothing for me. I can eat everything and anything with no problem. I can gulp and nothing gets stuck. I am never filled. Out of being depressed from feeling this choice is another fa…

I got my Lapband a year ago and have been having complications with the port. Now it's infected and I cannot find a doctor anywhere in Southern California that will take Mexico patients. Pleas help!!!

I WAS BANDED YESTERDAY 03/16/2009 AND I FEEL GREAT. MY SURGERY DIDN'T TAKE LONG AND I WAS UP WALKING AROUND THE SAME DAY. NO PAIN JUST A LIL DISCOMFORT WHEN STANDING AND LAYING DOWN. SOME GAS DISCOMFORT, NOT MUCH. I FEEL GREAT.:lunch:

I have been banded for one year now. Ive done excellent lost 50 lbs. i had 0.2 of a cc put in two weeks ago, that makes 8.6 in a 10 cc band. Im pretty sure it is too tight. Cant hardly drink in mornings. Cant eat more than 3 or 4 bites of anything...... I know it will loosen up when i lose a lil weight.. BUT im wondering will i do damage myself or metabolism. SO tuff it out or take it out??

Hello Everyone, Question: What did you eat for your first few meals of real food? How did you handle the transition? Tomorrow I am allowed to stop eating mushies since I am three weeks post-op and can start eating real food again. Part of me is VERY excited!! But I am also scared of both the temptation of eating a lot again and also trying to find foods that will still digest easily with the band before my first fill. Thanks!!

I has been three weeks since I had surgery and I have only lost 7 pounds and that was in the first week. I am taking in about a 1000 calories and at least 60 protein. I work out an hour everyday and still for the last two weeks nothing. Help PLease...................:lunch:

My doctor had me on a pre op diet for two weeks wherein I lost about 10 lbs. Since the surgery on 3/12, I have lost 2 more lbs., but I gained a lb. of that back. I AM SO HUNGRY! I'm following the post op diet to the letter with 3 protein shakes a day, sugar free jello, low fat/calorie yogurt, broth, skim milk, etc., but I don't feel like I'm losing. I've read that until the first fill, healing is the main goal. Am I doing something wrong? Am I overeating somehow? Thanks for your input!

Hey everyone! I'm 6 days post-op from being banded and just wanted to know... What are the signs of a slipped band? Can you tell or is it something the dr finds?? Thanks and Good luck to all!

Hi, I just got banded on March 5th. I went in on the 13th for the post-op visit. I am down 20 lbs from pre-op diet and one week with no fill in my band. I found out, since I am on Medicare, that Medicare will only pay for doctor visits, for fills, every 91 days. (So, if I have problems in between, I will be paying out of pocket.) I talked to my boss, banded 1 1/2 yrs, and she goes in for fills every 6 weeks. But, she has a different insurance. I was reading on this forum about someone telling another person they need a new doctor if the doctor is not aggressive enough with fills between times. I am not in control or have the priviledge to get fills any faster th…

I need some input from the experts ! I'm miserably making my way through the mushee stage and was so bored with my pureed lentil Soup with some cottage cheese that I decided to add some hot sauce. Little did I know the hot sauce I used was really hot :confused:. As my husband watched me mix the whole mishmosh up, he simpathically said "are you sure hot sauce is ok?" and I had no response. All I could muster was a blank stare filled with wonder. So to the question: is hot sauce ok to at the early stages (I'm 12 days out)? Is it Ok ever or should this go onto the no-way-no-how list? Thank you!

To start with I have contacted my Dr. office for advice but nothing back yet. I had my surgery on 4 March and know that I am still healing but the port site not the incision site which is below the "port is bulging" (visible without palpation). Some movements cause pain like I would think being stabbed with a knife would be like. If I apply direct pressure I can move around just fine. Do you-all consider this a normal post surgery condition or should I be more concerned and hound the Dr. office for an answer. I am inclined to just wait for them to contact me or for my appt. with my PCP on Thursday.

Hi Everyone~ Knowing and experiencing everything that you have with the band...would you still have had the procedure done?

I have not been scheduled for my surgery yet but I have had surgeries before where I have been put under but have never had a breathing tube, that I know of. Is this done with all lap band surgeries and do you feel it? Do they put it in after you are already out. This scares me a lot because I have a huge issue with my throat and choking and just want to make sure you don't actually feel it being put in. I have watched on tv when they do surgeries and see it being pulled out as they bring people too and they kinda gag. I am going for my first group meeting tomorrow and will be asking this, but I am freaking out about it. I am just a weirdo! I love this forum though, it's …

HElP! three weeks post op and woke up this morning with the worst nausea and dizziness ever. I was also extremely hot and dry heaved twice. I did let my 1 yr old sleep with us in bed last night and she kicked me in my stomach a few times could she have done something to the band? Anyone else have any problems with dizziness or nausea 3 weeks or more post op?

I am being banded 10/24 in KY. Does anyone know what has been said in regards to tanning beds after being banded? Kathy:confused:

I am just wondering if anyone else experienced numbness anywhere in their body in the days following their surgery. I just had my surgery this past Wednesday and I've had pretty persistant numbness in my tailbone region, which makes sitting down uncomfortable. It didn't start until after the surgery. I am unsure if it's related.

Does anyone use Botin or Flax seed oil to help support the problem of hair loss? I know getting enought protein helps.

Hi, I just celebrated...yes celebrated my 1st year anniversary since my band. I have lost a total of 66 pounds....i started at 227 pounds. I feel great and I feel beautiful...i love the compliments...my life has completely changed. I have had 2 fills and up until a week ago, I used to throw up at least 3 times a week. but it stopped bothering me. Once in a blue moon it was unbearable. Here's my concern: for the past 5 months, i have been eating everything! yes everything. I drink soda, i eat ice cream...a scoop each time, sometimes every day for a week, i have a small piece of chocolate every dayl, i eat chips...the only thing is i eat them in a much smaller portion.…

Hi All...I'm 6 days post-op and the hunger is starting to set in. My doctor says water, broth, jello only for the first week and that's what I've been doing. I'm trying to learn when I'm "full". It feels like my pouch gets full after 4 - 6 oz of liquid, but there is still a "lower stomach" hunger. Has anyone else had this? It's very strange to feel like you can't drink anymore but yet deep in my stomach I feel a gnawing hunger. I wonder if this is just the way hunger feels now.

I am almost 4 weeks post-op and am on mushies. I 've been getting that "stuck feeling" or at least that's what I think it is- sometimes when I eat too fast. It's a pain in the center of my chest almost like I can't swallow the food down- until I take a sip of water or try to puke some of it up. Why is happening? It doesn't happen with soup , or protein drinks but it happens with string cheese, tuna, eggs. I think that I am probably eating too fast for my stomach- I don't have any fluid in the band yet- my surgeon said it is in neutral position. Is this my body's way of trying to tell me to slow down? Any advice is welcome- still haven't lost anything since surgery…

I am tryn to fiqure out what is everbody talking about when they say sweet spot? please someone explain thanks.

Please help: My gas situation is NOT getting better, in fact I think something is wrong with my stomach. I am unable to burp at all, and I'm totally not kidding, I can not get any gas out of my abdomen. Yesterday, after having my 2oz. of Breakfast and 2oz. of lunch, both consisting of mothing more than broth and Protein shake, I can barely get down the 2oz. at a time. Well, I put a total of 4 oz. in and no gas came out, neither end..if you know what I mean..and I ended up at 4PM dry gas heaving in the weeds next to my son's soccer game. I was totally mortified. I mean really, I'm 5 day's post op and I can't eat but 2oz. at a time. This just doesn't seem right to me and…

I chose the lapband because it is a slower and healthier way to lose weight compared to GB surgery. My surgeon makes his patients wait 3 months after surgery for the first fill. That is an eternity in Bandster Hell...... I finally got my first fill of 2cc's in a 10cc band this week. My weight loss has been very slow, but steady.. I was banded 12/10 and down 28 lbs. I started an exercise bootcamp and do that for an hour and a half 2 days a week. That is the most intense exercise you can imagine. I also do cardio for 30 minuts on my own 2 days a week. But I am so sick and tired of people who know I have had the surgery, looking me up and down and getting that look …

Hi everyone, I was banded March 11th (doing very good) is it okay to sleep on our sides? Thanks, Sherry:unsure:

I am just wondering.....does everyone have this feeling that you are so full. My stomach is so swollen. I am on a Clear liquids only diet and I feel like I am eating to much. Today I had 4oz sugar free Jello, 12 oz Water, 5 oz chic broth, and 3 oz diet v-8 fusion. Is it just in my head that I am eating to much? But at the same time I want to make sure I do not get dehydrated. Any advise would help. I was banded on friday and just want to make sure what I am feeling is normal. Lucky Loser!

I was wondering if the recovery from lap-band surgery is similar as recovering from a c-section? I've had 3 c-sections (the last one was in 2003) and am having my lap-band surgery on 1/27. Has anyone had both surgeries? Are there any comparisons in terms of recovery? Which one had an easier recovery? Is the pain similar? Thanks!

Hi everyone, I was banded on Dec. 1, 2008 and have had 3 fills since then. I had my last fill almost 2 weeks ago and have had some issues and was curious if anyone had any suggestions. Since the fill periodically I have had the gurgling, and just can't seem to get much food in. I don't have this happen all the time, its spuradic. Maybe one day dinner is hard and when I eat just a little bit I get a tight feeling and the gurgling. I am thinking its irritation, but not sure if it means I am to tight. I am getting a little concerned because I have never had this before with any of my other fills. I am concerned that I'm not eating enough and not sure if this is no…

I was banded yesterday and the surgery went good. My only complaint is severe back pain. I called the surgeon on call and they say it may be muscle spasms. What can I do. I am putting a heating pad on it for about 30 mins at a time and the pain is down from a 8 to a 7-6 but it still really hurts. The pain meds really just dull the pain for an hour or so. Any ideas??? lucky losers!

i am day 10 and now i have shingles has this happened to anyone else?