jbaker5d

Thank you! That's exactly what I was hoping to hear.

I am feeling better everyday but I must say I'm a little worried as I read through some of these posts. I'm only on day 3, still clear liquid plus protein shakes. But I'm already tired of the liquids. Still I'm sticking to it for fear of what might happen if I don't. So will I ever be able to eat real food again and enjoy it? I know I'm several weeks away from most real food but from some of these posts it almost sounds impossible to enjoy eating again.

Dr Fox put my band in back in 2011, and removed it and converted me to sleeve just 3 days ago. I have nothing bad to say. Everything has gone as expected so far.

Just to follow up, I did go with my previous surgeon, Dr. Louis Fox and have not been sorry.

I was told it was just until they do the leak test. But I was allowed ice.

I had leak test the next morning. It was the most disgusting thing every. Not fun when you're already battling nausea. But I didn't throw up. I don't know how. It's standard procedure for my surgeon.

Baby girl are you saying that you do get stuck with the sleeve every time you eat?

Thank y'all so much for the input.

I just want to say, I am really surprised and touched at all of your sincere and genuine responses. I really did not expect such genuine replies to my ranting. I guess I expected more "get over it and do what you know you have to" replies. It really makes me feel like there truly is real support here and I might just utilize it more often. I really needed to hear all of your words of advice and understanding. I agree that my problems with food are not physical. I really feel relaxed when I eat. My life is full and overflowing with 5 girls, 2 grandsons, and caring for my elderly mom, and two inlaws, and homeschooling full time. There is never time for me. Not meaning to complain, just a fact. There are only so many hours in a day. By the end of the day, which is when I do most of my eating, I am zonked, and just want to relax. Nothing else I've tried provides that instant relaxation that the feeling of full does. I guess I had hoped the band would sustain me long enough to get past the desire to keep going back for more during the evening. I'm sure counseling wouldn't hurt, and I've done counseling before with a daughter for a different issue so I know how it works. I just don't want to go that way right now. Maybe in the future. As far as tracking and measuring goes, I've done it in the past enough to know how much I'm taking in. Way too much. I've used Myfitness Pal and liked it too. I've done it all. I'm just a tough but to crack. I just can't get my mind right. I'm just tired of the struggle. I want to stop having to think about the food ever second of the day. I want to just eat to survive and move on and not eat for any other reason. It just doesn't seem possible to do. Food seems to always be a lure for me. I know none of you can change my way of thinking or fix this for me, but I hope you know that the fact that you took the time to respond to my whining with genuine understand and care really means the world to me. You all are great. Thank you.

Enuff, maybe a little of both. I'm not really sure. I know it's not that I'm hungry still. I just still want to eat. Maybe not at the meal but within an hour or 2.

Mis73,thank you. I don't disagree with in the least. I have thought about it before. I just am not ready to take that step. I guess, financially, and also, explaining to my family. Just hoping in can manage to gain some insight here. I may go that way in the future.

Pattygirl66, thank you! I came back here in hopes of something, anything motivating me to get back on track. I will try to stay on touch. Florida, I knew that question would come up, but actually, my band was fine tuned to .2cc's a while back, meaning, at my last fill I couldn't even drink and had to get just .2 removed to continue on. Unless things stretch out over time, I shouldn't need a fill. I still have issues with things not clearing the path very well quite often so I feel like any more would be too much again.

Sorry, I didn't mean to send that yet. I can't eat more than a few bites of protein and a lot veggies don't work for me at all. I can do salads carefully, but harder fresh veggies like carrots or broccoli, no bueno. Cooked veggies mostly ok depending on what it is. I don't have too much trouble with pasta if I take it slow. Bread never. So my issue is really my lack of control I think. It's not that I don't know what to do. It's just that if I had that kind of control I wouldn't have gotten the band to start with.

No I don't track, and actually I'm positive I take in more calories than I should. Meals are not usually the problem for me. I don't eat much at meals. I just don't feel satisfied and so I end up looking for easier things to eat in between meals.

I am just wondering when this band is gonna kick into gear. I guess I set my expectations way too high. I thought after 5 weeks post op and after having my first fill (5 days ago), I'd be seeing a steady weightloss and be eating WAY less than I am finding myself eating. Ok, so I've lost 10-12 lbs this first month, but all of that was the first 10 days. I've lost nothing since then. Just keep bounce back and forth with the last two pounds lost. And eating is.....different than before the band for sure, and less than before for sure, but still not at all the small amounts that I'd expected. I sit down to eat dinner and expect to be satisfied with 1/2 to 1 small hamburger patty or 3 or 4 small boneless chicken wings (small), but end up eating 1-2 hamburger patties, and fries, or 6 to 8 boneless wings. I can feel some sort of restriction when I swallow certain things but nothing has ever gotten stuck. I don't know what to think. I really wish this weight would just start coming off. I know the band is not going to do all the work and I'm not expecting it to. I just expected to see better results by now. I'm just impatient I guess. Sorry to whine. Maybe i'll have better results with my 2nd fill on May 25th.

I understand what you all are saying and I appreciate your replies and encouragment. As I stated, I do know that the band doesn't do all the work. I was aware of that going in and am still aware of that. And I realize that hamburgers and chicken wings are not the best choice, and knew I'd get some rap for that but I was just being honest about what I'd eaten that particular day. I don't always choose that type of food. Many times it's chicken breast and veggies or salad. More times than not actually. With that said, my point is, if I had the willpower to eat low fat, low carb, sugar free, etc, in 3 oz portions, without any restriction, I'd have not opted for something as drastic as lapband. (to me it's drastic) I know that the choices of food are mine to make and the lapband is not going to do that for me, however, I just expected that I would be satisfied with 3 to 4 oz of food so making the choices would not be so difficult. I mean that's the point of the lapband isn't it? To make you feel satisfied/fuller on small amounts of food, therefore decreasing your intake to the point of weightloss? I am sorry to be so gloomy about it. I know many people have the willpower to make this work for them early on. I guess I just haven't found it yet. I called and moved my 2nd fill appt up to this coming Monday. Hopefully that will help some. Just being impatient I guess. Hanging on to the hope that after like others, after several fills I will reach "the sweet spot" and things will start happening for me. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I really do appreciate all input. Jennifer

I'm just wondering, why do the dr's say you won't be able to drink carbonated drinks with the band. I don't seem to be too bothered by it at all. Just curious.

Thanks for the responses. Yes I am newly banded. just over 4 weeks out. Had my first fill on Monday but don't notice any difference at all. I've only been sipping on the diet pepsi just recently. I just wasn't sure if there was a reason other than my own possible discomfort or something bad could happen with the band because of it. I've not been able to drink even a half of one can or bottle in a day so I don't think I'll be overindulging like I used to.

I am only 3 weeks out, and I can sort of feel my port, at least thats what I think it is. The area around it is larger than I expected it to be,and still quite sore. To address those of you who have lost alot of weight and now have an unsightly port site, my surgeon told me before surgery that after I lost the weight, if the port became too visible for my liking, he could exchange it out for a small one that isn't very easilty seen. Just a thought. Maybe ask your surgeon about it.

I've been told that the surgeon assigned to me is Dr. Louis Fox. I am going to True Results in Richardson, TX. Just curious if anyone here has used him. Thanks, J Baker

Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I am just wondering how easy it is to stretch out the pouch. I am just under 2 weeks out, and the other night I was drinking some cream Soup. I was feeling very unsatisfied after 1 full cup, so I poured myself another. (note, not very hungry, just unsatisfied) I drank about 2/3 of the second cup and my stomach felt like I'd just eaten Thanksgiving dinner. I mean, I was FULL. It hurt for probably an hour. I don't know how soup could do that but I guess I did. anyway, today I was allowed to try strawberries and bananas. I was able to eat a whole banana, and about 4 or 5 strawberries and don't feel full at all. I am not hungry, but not really full either. Am I just being paranoid or what.......?

My Doctor approved Tylenol or Ibuprofen. Tylenol didn't work for me so I used Ibuprofen and it took care the pain just fine.

Hi, I need some encouragement here. Unlike alot of you, my dr didn't put me on a liquid diet preop. He required Southbeach Phase 1, which is basically Protein and veggies only, no carbs whatsoever. I did ok on it except for a couple of slip ups. Nothing major. However, at the time of my surgery I had only lost 1 pound. My dr was visably put out with me and let me know it. I feel like I would have been better off on the liquid diet. Putting that behind me, I have been sticking to the rules for the postop period, adding only what is recommended when it is recommmended. I am still on full liquid, cream Soups (which I tend to enjoy more than anything else), pudding, yogurt, oatmeal, cream of wheat, and thinned mashed potatoes. The food restrictions have not been that bad, however, I've only lost 7 pounds since surgery. I know, 7 pounds is 7 pounds, but seriously, I would have thought that with such restrictions I would have at least lost 10 by now. I am trying not to be discouraged by this, but I am. I don't feel I have very much restriction at all anymore. What I had at first must have been from swelling. I know there is some, but not enough. I can easily drink down a cup and a half of cream Soup. Maybe more. I did push it last night with closer to two cups of cream of mushroom soup and I was so miserable for about an hour. Anyway, the lack of weightloss is disappointing. am I expecting too much? I see all of you guys with such great weightloss PREOP, then more POSTOP.....I guess it's just discouraging that I didn't do better preop. I don't know. Just needing some encouragement. I know "hang in there" "it will get better" "7 pounds is good" I've heard it all, but I can't help how I feel. Sorry to be so glum. Thanks for understand, Jennifer

I feel the same way. I am new, just banded on March 28th. Even before the surgery, while I was undergoing the approval process for 4 months, I only told like 4 people, one of which was my husband. Now I too, don't feel comfortable telling people. I too feel a little ashamed that I had to resort to such drastic measures, and, people just don't understand if they've never struggled with their weight, so I feel ike there is alot of bad judgement to be had. Therefore I too just tell on a need to know basis.

Everyone seems so up beat here. I've got to say, being only 3 days post op, I surely didn't expect it to be this hard. I have a high pain tolerance and could probably deal with the pain, but the nausea is killing me. I ma drinking my liquids, but I'm sure not enough becaue my mouth is EXTREMELY dry. I just can't seem to get to feeling better. I am not one to sit around, so I am ready toget up and get on with mye life but this surgery is kicking me butt. Please tell me this is going to get better soon. Jennifer B