erink58

Hi everyone, I was banded in January 12', felt no restriction and gained weight. After six weeks had first fill. I was so glad that I was having episodes of food getting 'stuck'. A few episodes were very painful and lasted for about 45 minutes. I was glad that I finally was feeling like I had a lap band in me. Now I think I have learned that when I feel a little full, all i have to do is wait a few minutes and I can resume eating. HELP! I thought that the lap band would make me feel full after eating a normal amount of food and that I would feel full for a few hours. Instead, I get an uncomfortable feeling of being 'choked' or food caught in my throat. I did not realize that I would feel hungry and that my stomach would feel empty while eating. For example, when I have a plate of food and only can eat one third of it before feeling like I am choking, I am still hungry. My throat feels full, but not my stomach! Is this what the lap band is supposed to feel like? I realize that I am going to have to re-think this whole thing. I would like to know if this is how others are feeling. I go for another fill in a few weeks, what is it supposed to feel like when it gets to the "green zone" everyone refers to? Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

Congratulatios and Happy Anniversary....I hope I do as well as you did. PS You will have to change your screen name how about Skinny McSkinny?

Hi everyone, As I get closer to my surgery date, I find that I am wondering how my band is going to feel. I would like to hear if you feel the band and port under your skin, particularly when losing weight. This might be silly, but it is among the 1000 things I worry about when thinking of the surgery!! Thanks for any responses

You are so right to ignore your co-worker. Maybe this would be a good time to give her a little education about how difficult living with the lap band will be. It makes me angry that outright discrimination is allowed for anyone who is overweight. You can be discriminated against when applying for a job or home, it is perfectly legal. People need to know that this is a huge decision and will take alot of commitment and strength. We are risking death in major surgery, to become thin and healthy. If we could do it on our own, that would be the easy way out...not surgery. I am prepared to live with this choice, even being aware of the many, many things that I will not be able to eat anymore, but that is the price to pay and it is OK with me. However, it is not OK for anyone to belittle us for being brave and going through this process. Not one person has ever had an easy time going through this process, from the consults with surgeon, psych eval, colonoscopy, endoscopy, sleep study, pre-surgery diet, etc... it is a major undertaking. Maybe it is so difficult so that only people who are mentally prepared for the journey will be successful...Oh well, I just wanted to rant a little bit. Good luck and God Bless..

Hi, I was scheduled for lap band surgery in May, however my cardiologist wil not let me stop taking Plavix right now. My surgeon will not operate on a person who is on Plavix. Has anyone had lap band surgery while on Plavix? I though the incisions were very small and there was not alot of bleeding with this surgery. Should I find a surgeon who uses the single incision method? I basically want to find out if it is possible to be on Plavix and still get my lap band. Any info is appreciated.

Hi Everyone, I was scheduled for surgery on May 3rd but after meeting with my cardiologist, it has been cancelled. I am really upset about this. I was mentally prepared for surgery and now I am confused. I have been on Plavix for one year and have two stents in my heart. For lap band surgery you have to stop Plavix for 7-10 days. My doc says that it is too dangerous for me to stop the plavix right now, so she will not give clearance. Has anyone out there gotten a lap band while using Plavix? Has anyone gotten lap band with heart disease? Any info would be appreciated.

Hi, you might just want to call any bariatric surgeon's office for a quick confirmation over the phone, but when i was checking out lap band surgery, i was also concerned if it would be OK considering I have stage 3 kidney disease. My doctor says it is OK for me. However, once a person is on any type of dialysis, that means total renal failure. It is my understanding that they will not put a lap band on anyone with total renal failure. Sorry to tell you this - but please check with a surgeon. I just wanted to let you know what I found out when I researched it. Good luck Erink58

Hi, Your story touched me because it is almost the same as mine. I too am on about 12 prescriptions for diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, asthma, etc. I have neuropathy, retinopathy, nephropathy, all connected to diabetes. I started researching lap band and have read everything on these posts which sometimes gives me great advice and comfort and at other times scares the &$#@* out of me. I am having a lap band put in on May 6th and I feel that at any time I can chicken out. But I look at it like this: My main goal is to get off all these medicines. If I continue like this I will not live too much longer, so whatever the fears and dangers associated with lap band, living without the lap band is far more dangerous to me. So I hope I will stay with it anc be successful. I think the people who fail maybe dont follow the plan after surgery. Eating slowly, chewing, eating more protein and veggies. I am scared of all the complaining about hunger, but I think that if Ifollow the doctors advice and keep all appointments with the doctor, I am more likely to be successful. Good luck to you and please let me know how you are doing. erink58@aol.com

The first one I was mortified and actually crying pre-op because I had to have a catheter put in. The LapBand surgery I didn't need a catheter so they just give a monstrosity of a pad and these funky underwear to put on. Sorry, I was confused by your post. You stated that the second surgery you had no catheter and a pad. It looked like you were saying the first surgery only required a catheter...thus my confusion....Sorry.

Hi there, sorry to hear about all your pain. I have not had my surgery yet, but from reading these posts, I am planing to ask my surgeon to prescribe liquid pain meds (I think they do this anyway). Could you call your doctor and ask for him to phone in liquid pain meds to your local pharmacy? Also, some liiquid tylenol should also be on hand if you need it later. Good luck, hope you feel better soon.

Just a word to the wise, you can not 'sneak' a tampon. I read that the carbon fibers in tampons interfere with some surgical equipment or gas, I am not sure. The nurse, pre-op will give you a pad and some sort of mesh underwear. Also, I am not sure what a catheter has to do with your period? The place that gets a catheter is not the same place that bleeds during a period. So, the catheter would not have been used 'in stead' of a tampon or pad. Good luck and please check with the nurse, they have seen it all.

Hi, I dont want to worry you, but did they give you a barium swallow test before you went home? I am just wondering because maybe the band slipped or is not in the proper place. I hear that they do the test to make sure it is in the correct position before you go home. Good luck and please be assertive with the doctor, sometimes they act like pain is all in our heads, Make sure they know that you are serious. Post again to let us know what happened.

Thanks everyone, maybe I won't worry so much, I have read so many bad things here that I expected to have problems like everyone else. I guess maybe the center of excellence surgeons dont make us jump through hoops like some doctors., Anyway, thanks for all the replies, I am starting to relax and try not to be so worried.

Hi, My surgery is scheduled in May. Everything went very smoothly for me. I have BC/BS insurance and I only had to do a psych eval. Once that was done, I received a call that my paperwork went through and I was given a surgery date. Now I have to see the physician;s assistant to review my information and then go over to the hospital for pre admission testing three weeks before surgery. The only time I see the surgeon is the iniital appt? Also, there were no pre surgery tests or procedures that everyone else talks about. No post surgery barium test? I am getting very worried. My surgeon has the designation "bariatric surgery of excellence" but from what I read on these forums, he does not do anything like all of you have been through. I am getting cold feet from all this worry. He does not even suggest support groups or getting any other assistance to help with all the changes comming up. I am so worried I dont know what to do.

Elizabeth honey, stop insulting our intelligence. You just admitted that you were "hired" by someone to hawk their product. Obviously you drank the kool-Ade! Stop insulting the nice peoople on these boards and telling us how jealous we are of you, Also, stop suggesting prozac.....when you are the one who needs drugs. I would really question any company that would hire you to sell their product. It is clearly some type of shady operation that hides behing alleged 'spokespeople' like you, Why dont you stop posting here and take some of that wonderful product that allows you to eat all you want, and leave us all alone.