LAP-BAND Surgery Forums

Hi - banded a week ago and have been experiencing a really, really sharp pain behind my collarbone. If I press my fingers just above my collarbone it seems to help it some, but it's getting so bad today I could cry. Is this normal? :faint:

Yesterday was pre op...I got all of it done, including the psych evaluation. I even got to sit down with my surgeon and talk for a little bit. Made hubby feel much better I think. We also got to talk to some patients in the waiting room that were 2 weeks out. What an emotional roller coaster! I fell asleep siting up watching tv last night! Now the long wait until surgery begins!

Ok, I need some serious helpl. Had my one week post-op today. All is well so he says. I have a hematoma where my port is (is this common) it feels like a hernia because it feels like a big ball with a knife in it. I'm supposed to be on liquids still but could eat a side of beef (is this common) I can't eat as much as they want me too, but as far as going off liquids, I ate a few bites of mac and chees and it did'nt bother me at all! (is this normal) Am I healing quicker, did it not work! What's with the hematoma? Anyone with any answers, opinions, suggestions, I'd appreciate it. What does restriction feel like? Kim

im having a hard time not wanting to eat at night... what do people do to distract themselves from wanting to eat...besides the internet!

I had my band put it almost two years ago. I just found out that I have to have it taken out because of erosion. I am going tomorrow to Mexico. I know the doctor said that I could probably wait 6 months and have it put back in. Has anyone else done this?

Hi! WOW! I can't believe it! I have my surgery date finally!!! I still have to complete a bunch of pre-op stuff (nutrition classes, psych eval, bloodwork, etc.) but she called today and said that the clearances I've done are enough to get me scheduled!!! I am soooo excited and soooo nervous too! My date is February 22nd! Only about five weeks away!!! I can't believe it!

Hey girls, I talked about meeting today at Showmars for :hungry: and haven't heard from anyone. So how does tomorrow look? I have a 10:00 at Queens College then I"m open. So if we could meet at 11:45ish that would be great. I'll call Loretta, she doesn't come on here much anymore.

Hey all~ I had my first major PB last night, I have had them before but this one I would call MAJOR. I ate a 6" pizza Sub from Subway (says Heather as she ducks from all the screaming I will get for eating something so bad) Well this morning I wake up with a horrible sore throat... and the sniffles. I have a cold, but I also think that I really irritated my esophagus last night. I tried to eat a salad at lunch and couldn't get any down. Should I stick with liquids and mushies to heal my throat? I think I have seen you guys post that here before. THANKS, and don't worry, I will never eat the BREAD BEAST again!!!

Yup, it's true! After all the 'drama' I'm going in at 8:30am! Nervous a little, excited alot! I want to say thank you to all the sweethearts here for all your support. I'd have been a mess if I didn't have people here to relate to me. My wonderful loving husband even got on here and cruised the threads this evening. And the computer literate man helped me to set up my picture and a little ticker thingy! cool!! lol! Well, off to bed! I have to leave the house by 5am to make it in time! Hugs!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I go in Monday for a revision on my band. They are calling it a stomach prolapse. So in other words my band slipped-Right? I just hope once they get in there they don't find anything to cause them to take it completely out. I have been vomiting for a few months now and the surgeon hasn't been in any hurry to do anything about it. He completely emptied the band hoping that would correct things-NOT! It has been so bad I sometimes hope they will take it out, but then again have loved the weight it has helped me get off. I know if I would have it off I would gain it all back because I could eat all the things I have been craving and can't eat with the band as it makes me…

Have anyone had to go back to the doctor becauseof a banded blockage. Why and What did you eat, How did you know something was wrong?

Since having my band removed 12/27/05, I have been nearly perfect on my 1200 calorie diet. Till last night! I think I proved my surgeon's advice about avoiding artificial sweeteners. Before discharging me from the hospital, Dr. Billy told me how he wants me to eat. His number one rule is: No Equal, Nutrasweet, Splenda or any artificial sweeteners, no diet, lowfat, nonfat, fat free or anything labeled as such. If I want a Dove Bar, eat one as long as I count the calories in my daily total, and I'm allowed 1200 calories a day. Since then I have avoided my favorite drug - diet Pepsi (or Diet Coke, I'm not picky.) Yesterday I had my first Diet Coke in the mornin…

Hi all, I'm glad I found this site and hope to find a doctor who can do fills for lap-band patients in or around the Corpus Christi, TExas area. If anyone has any information regarding this, please e-mail me at tigeroo@swbell.net Much thanks

Hello, All. Has anyone had problems with malnutrition? I’m concerned as I have a condition similar to hypoglycemia (but not hypoglycemia exactly), which causes me to “crash” if I’ve not eaten. Does anyone know how the Lap Band will affect this? Also, is the pre and post-op liquid diet likely to cause me to crash, even if I am getting lots of protein? I worry about this specifically because when I was a teenager and on an Optifast liquid diet, I fainted for lack of calories (and really gave myself a nasty crack to the head). So, crashing is something to which I’m prone and of which I am fearful, given the relative permanence of this procedure. Certainly, I’ll ask my sur…

NBC 4 Annual FREE Fitness Expo is coming up on January 14 & 15 9am to 5pm. My sister works at the tennis venue every year. You can get health screenings, try various games and sports i.e. golf, rock climbing, cooking lessons, aerobics, scuba diving last year and so on. They have oodles of freebies and you can bring the entire family and or friends http://www.nbc4.com/healthandfitnessexpo/index.html

ok so sometimes after i eat i feel nauseas... is that normal? what causes that?

ok, I need a fill ASAP!!!!!!! My regular doctor is out for surgery. I am a Mexico, self pay patient, willing to drive. I live in Maryland, but I will go to VA, WV, DE, PA????? If ANYONE knows a doctor that takes self-pay in any surrounding area, please let me know! Thanks!

Okay, had my second fill to 1.8 cc in 4cc band on Monday 1/9....have been struggling w/PB's ever since. Went back to doctor thinking needed to remove some and when I told nurse I could barely eat a chicken breast (takes 2 hrs or more) and i had just a couple bites of scramble eggs in the a.m. and she said I should not be eating any solid food in the a.m. However, i have not been able to eat anything that doesn't cause a PB this last week........can't touch Pasta or bread of course....had a couple bites of breaded fish the other night and have PB's all nite long..... Yesterday, had piece of bacon in a.m............couple bites chicken and couple bites of carmeled po…

Hello all!! I received my first fill today, so I'm on liquids tonight and then back to mushies tomorrow then solids by the end of the week. Today marked my three weeks out since the surgery and I had lost 13lbs. I am pretty pleased. I was suprised they filled me, but even more suprised that he had put in a 10cc band. Is that normal? Thanks in advance.

I just wanted to just say Thank-you to everyone here at LBT and expecially to Mr Alex for providing me with this forum. I have always found this forum a source of support and community. When I need to vent about being a Turtle, I have never once been accused of not following the rules, of cheating, of exageration or lieing about my journey. No one has told me that I'm a quiter, a finger-pointer, or having a victim mentality. I have been having a very difficult time accepting my status, and lately all I want to do is rail at the universe. I know it isn't really productive, but sometimes I have to kick and scream and basically act like a 2-year-old. Thanks for being h…

Dr. Sayeed Ikramuddin - Univ of MN Hosp.? I am having my surgery Jan. 12, 2006 by Dr. Kuri in Mex. I could not rest until I found a doctor that would handle my fills or emergency issues if I were not able to get back to Kuri. I made many calls in and around the metro area of St. Paul/Mpls and found that Dr. Sayeed Irkamuddin at the Univ. of MN Hospital - will take patients that have had their surgery in Mexico. I have not recvd his confirmation letter yet (I made an appt to see him in Feb) so I don't know what he's like or how much he charges. He is the Director of Bariatric Surgery and specializes in non-invasive surgery at the U of MN Hosp. Has anyone heard of him o…

I had my first fill on 11/2. They put 1cc in. I felt fine, and had very little restriction. I had my second fill today. I now have 1.75cc in. Wow. I defintely feel it. I hope it's not just swelling, and stays just like this. 100 calories for lunch after the fill and I was plenty full. Taters and gravy (Healthy Choice diner minus the turkey which I knew would never fly) for dinner and full up I'm feeling a little lethargic, and I wasn't going to do my exercise tonight, but I forced myself onto the bike to do at least 15 minutes - ended up doing the whole 25 Good band day. Very good band day.

Have you read any good books on the lapband that you would suggest?I recently got the lap-band surgery,the complete patient guide to success with the lap-band by Ariel Ortiz Lagardere.This had some great info. in it!!:decision: :decision:

Hi everyone. I know the subject of erosion is running rampant around here lately, but I have a question for those who have had the band removed (and anyone else who'd like to chime in). I understand erosion can be caused by any number of things. I've heard mention that the body sees it as a foreign object and attacks it, causing the erosion. I think I've mentioned before, that I have an underactive thyroid that I'm being treated for. My dr told me that my immune system is attacking my thyroid, trying to destroy it, for which, I take medication daily. Now to my question....for those who had to have your bands removed, did any of you have an underactive thyroid?…

hey folks, just to let all the north carolina girls know i haven't forgot you all and to let you know i think i have an appointment with dr.ortiz/dr,martinez. after alot of calls to the office i got to speak with dr.ortiz himself and he said he was going to look after me , he won'ts me to email him some info on my band and i did and he said he would get back to me personally !!. so i booked an appointment on the 25th feb and :clap2: i am a little nervous about going to mexico but as far as exspence theres really no difference from getting it done locally !!.and i am actually looking forward to having a night in a hotel with my husband without the kids . so really just w…

Hello! I know this question has probably been asked and answered a million times on this site, but am I suppose to have restriction before my first fill. It seems like I can eat just about anything and I stay hungry!! I had surgery on Dec. 28th and the doctor told me we would talk about a fill on my next appt, which is Jan. 30th. Any info would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks a bunch!

Hello everyone! It has been a while since I was here so i have heaps to read! I would love to hear any of you ladies out there who has been through pregnancy with the band because I am indeed 8 weeks pregnant, very scared (miscarried in september at 7 weeks) and having tremendous morning sickness ( I dont know why its called that, evenings are worst, but anyway I was wondering if there is any written material regarding what happens and why. My band is actually not tight enough that I cant eat a normal size meal, but tight enough that I must eat very slowly. I also have this feeling that it has stopped me from throwing up with the nausea, since the gurgling and indigestio…

Hello all. My husband had his band placed 18 months ago, and to date he’s lost 180 pounds (down from 600 pounds). One of the many changes that have happened has been the different way he now relates to food. When you eat half a stick of butter in one sitting, well, you’ve got problems…. He also tells me that he used to go to the drive through and order 2 or 3 full combo meals and scarf them all down before coming home for dinner. Mike has now become a huge fan of cooking shows, especially Alton Brown. It’s pretty funny when he insists on giving me cooking tips. (One of the reasons my first husband left me was because I “was too good of a cook.”) I don’t know what my c…

OK, I finally figured out how to post pictures. If you get tired of seeing my bunch just let me know. lol This is my daughter ( Brittney) This is my son (Allen) This is my pride and job (Trestin) My husband (Steve) and grandson (Trestin) Another picture of Brittney

i am on the fuller liquids/mushies phase of my post op diet and i feel like i can tollerate more then i thought.... is that bad? i mean im not really sure when to stop eating. Its not like i am eating these huge portions... but it seems like im eating more then i originally thought would be possible. is this normal? for example- i ate a banana and like 3 oz. of cottage cheese... then a little later (like a half hour) i had about 4oz. of Soup... i just want to make sure that im not hurting myself by doing this. I feel fine and there is no discomfort so im not sure what kind of guide to give myself in terms of when enough is enough.... i know this is kind of a vauge thin…

i finally had my first consultation with my surgeon today. he says im borderline with my bmi ( 35.78). anyway had my bloods done and will get an appointment to see the physician in about a week. he needs to agree with my surgeon in order for the surgery to go ahead. fingers crossed i get the go ahead!!!

My understanding was that after you are off post surgery restrictions, you could eat whatever you wanted. Of course, you wouldn't lose weight, but if you were really hungry for bread or something, you could have it, if you had very small bites and amounts. I assumed the no white flour/bread and sugar was for losing weight and receiving proper nutrition. Is this correct? Or are there some things that are just impossible to eat even in small amounts?

I'm looking for actually documentation (not hearsay, or my doctor said) about the minimum number of calories the human body needs to be healthy and safe. Obviously I've put way to many calories in my body that's why I've had my surgery. However I don't know if I subscribe to the "starvation theory" either. . . .heck almighty, if I was going to starve to death that would have happened during my liquid phase. What have you actually read? That I can look up and read in black and white myself, about how many calories you need to eat. This is purely a question out of my own curiosity, not meant to insight comments about rebellion or "listen to my doctor" *laughter* Than…

Hello all-- OK, I was eating some chicken for lunch, and I may have swallowed some bites that were too big- so I got the intense pain-- but this time it kept coming in waves, and the pain was more intense, so I drank some water- which made it worse. Then I started vomiting a bit-- just Water though- but then there was some blood in it, so I was a bit scared I damaged something and almost went to the ER, but then the pains calmed down, and now they are gone. About 20 min later I drank some water which went down OK-- Has anyone else aggravated their band this way? I need some feedback. Kelly:sick

Has anyone ever heard of fleets at6:00 and midnight the day befor surgery?Don't remember if I heard that here or not.It's supposed lessen the gas pain after surgery to almost nill.

I have been banded since 11-15-05 and the only weight I lost was the first 2 weeks when I was on liquids. I have had one fill and felt some restriction and am keeping my calories to about 1200 a day. I drink all of my water and then some but the scale has not budged. Seems like everyone here is in love with their band and I am just missing the boat. I did go to the dr. yesterday and had my thyroid checked. I am currently taking synthroid. I am hopeful that is the problem. I feel so discouraged and am embarrased to say that I am really jealous of everyone who is doing so well:cry What is wrong with me? Am I that 25% that the band doesn't work on? Do I need more…

im about 1 week post-op and was just wondering about how long it takes for these little surgi-strips on my incisions to fall off ?? i dont want to peel them off, but im a little anxious to see how my skin is healing underneath it. previous experiences appreciated!!

:biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: What were your favorite pigout foods before surgery? VS. What your favorite foods are after surgery? Just thought it would be gas to know.

Hey ya'll, I'm recently approved and very excited to have the surgery. This is well overdo. My Doctor is Dr. Richard Benavides in Richardson,Tx. I havent met him yet but I've heard a lot about him.. I dont have a surgery date yet. I'm trying to work out some work scheduling issues first but it will be in November or 1st week of December. I cant wait for the new me!

Hi everyone. I had my first and only fill to date about 5 weeks ago. It was 4cc in a VG band. I have had restriction since then (not enough, but some)and then this last week I am feeling much tighter. I go for a fill tommorrow and I wanted my doctor to go pretty aggressive with it , but now I don't know. It is hard for me to go to his office to get my fills because he is three hours away on a good day. Has anyone else had a fill 'kick in' after so long? My weight loss has been slow but I am losing and I don't have any PBs during or after I eat. Any advice? Thanks.

I've been trying to contact my Dr.'s office for a while now to get a status update. I didn't know if they'd even submitted my paperwork yet. When I got back from lunch I had a voicemail at work from the bariatric clinic's coordinator saying "I'm trying to be discrete so I'll just say that I hope you got the same letter we did." What?? So I call her back and apparently my insurance company approved me in 4 days & sent out approval letters, but we were out of town until late lastnight & haven't checked mail yet so I had no clue. I have to give about 18 thumbs-up to my insurance company. I was sure I'd need additional testing since there's no documented treatment f…

Hello everyone, Have anyone try a slimming tea with the band? Any experience? Banded 11/08/2005 286 01/11/2006 253:clap2:

I posted these pictures on Jan 18, but they were gone. So I will try this again. Take the day before surgery in Monterry Mexico 51lbs gone The day before surgery 51lbs gone, My daughter surprised me when she snapped the camera, can't you tell

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone here has used a surgeon who a little light on banding experience? My surgeon had done 40 bands at the time of consult, and by the time my surgery rolls around, he will have done about 80-100. I'm specifically interested in if you've used a surgeon who was low on banding experience, are you happy with your band? He is very experienced with laproscopic surgery in general though and has been a surgeon for 24 years.

Hope this works just click on my picturetrail link. I have gone from a size 22 to a 17 in six weeks.I love my band.

I got a call from the psychologist this morning telling me that he had an appointment this evening at 7 pm if this was good time for me. IS IT EVER!!!! He's the last step (hoop) I have to go through before everything is submitted to the insurance company. Here I was thinking I would have to wait a week or two for an appointment and I get to go TONIGHT!!! (I'm just a little bit excited) I can't believe that there could be light at the end of the tunnel. Audra :clap2:

I went for my second fill.I have to drive about 100 miles and once again he only gave me 1/2 cc.I had very little restriction last time.(My first fill). Is to much is to fast the rule with band fills. Is 1/2 a cc the normal??? I have read most people hit thier Sweet spot around 2cc. I get free fills the first 90 days and maybe he is being tight with the fills and not my band. :hungry:

I know there are other NSV posts out there, especially one for the turtles like myself. But maybe we could start a MD NSV list? It would help us keep motivated even if the scale is not showing progress. Here is my NSV for the day: My size 20 jeans are starting to get a little loose...could it be that before long I will actually wear a size 18??? NO! I don't believe it. It just can't be. Hopefully they will continue to get looser as time goes on....

Ok all... Wondering what we're all paying for our fills in Mexico? Also, what doctor are you going to? angie

I went to the seminar today. It was very informative. Dr Singh was a hoot. I will be going to the support group that is on Wednesday night. See what happens. Anybody out there used Dr. Singh for Lab Band.