Kristi Twisti

I found I gain about 4 - 5 ... really stinks but goes away within days. Thank goodness!!

Congrats!!!

Thanks so much!!

I was banded on March 24th, so I'm about 2 1/2 weeks out and the last few days I've been feeling something when I lay down. When I roll over on my side (either) I feel like I'm feeling the tubing rub against my muscles. When I lay on my stomach I feel a hard lump below my chest. Is this normal? Am I feeling the band? I've never felt anything like this before. Help!

Thank you both! It makes me feel crazy because it's an indescribable feeling. I know I shouldn't be able to feel the band because I'm so large but it truly feels like someone put a lump below my chest. And I really think I'm feeling the tube from the band to the port. When I roll on my sides, I really feel something long and thin rubbing across my muscle. I think I may call my doctor's office tomorrow just to double check. If it was the swelling that would make a lot of sense. I'm to the point where I don't like moving off my back (when sleeping) at all because the feeling is so strange!

I just wanted to say hi also! I live in Brooksville but work and was banded in Tampa! I go to Support groups in Zephyrhills through Florida Obesity Surgical, Dr. Grossbard's practice. I hope you all are doing well with your bands!

I think you did great by realizing you were trying to eat for emotional reasons and stopping yourself. I'm only a week out from surgery and did bad tonight. Mine was boredom eating though. I guess we all have our reasons! I hope things calm down for you with the fam, sounds a bit stressful at the moment.

The insurance companies will say it is to make sure you can stay with a program long term. I had a surgeon say that it is just so the insurance companies can delay paying for the surgery. Apparently it's all about the statistics that by the time payment is due, you will hopefully have different insurance so they don't have to pay. If it were based on anything to do with your health, then I would think there would be more of a consistency between companies and requirements. The surgeons don't require it so I think it's just a bunch of baloney really. Maybe someone else will have a more positive answer for you. lol

That's so great! Congrats!!

You poor thing! Cookies at home is not safe. I'm not sure they would have made it had they been in my house! I had to make it through a couple food days at work and that was bad enough. Maybe hubby can take the cookies back to work? I got so hungry on my liquid diet I ended up cheating a few times but my cheat was eggs. I just needed some substance and they made me feel better, plus they are Protein so I didn't figure it was too bad. My surgeon was really happy with me so it must not have hurt anything. cheese is mostly protein as well so you may be okay to have a tiny bit. You can always call your doctors office and see if they would allow a nibble of something. Good Luck with your pre-op diet! It's worth it in the end!

Hi Novena, can you share that website? I was just banded on the 24th, so about a week out and my hunger is definitely back as well. I've been good with keeping to 3 meals a day but I can see myself becoming a grazer if I don't get some more substance.

That's great to hear about the Greek yogurt, thanks! It's great you've seen some horror stories first hand and still want to proceed. I had a family friend that had a lot of problems with her gastric bypass but she is still very happy with her choice too. I think just getting the weight off is such a relief on your body, that you can take some bad with all the good.

I think my surgery was about 30 minutes, maybe less. I had my surgery done at an outpatient center, arrived at 7am to fill out paperwork and get my IV and was heading home about 10:30am. Everything went great and moved right along. After I woke up, they had me walking with help from a nurse and my hubby and after a little more rest and another couple walks I was on my way home. I had the typical 5 incision laparoscopic procedure. Some people are opting for a one incision, through the belly button procedure which I think takes a bit longer, and then there is an open procedure which I believe takes the longest but is much more rare. I'm sure you'll hear about this at your consult or seminar. Good Luck! You've made a great decision!

Welcome and Congrats on your surgery date!! How exciting! You have made a great decision with getting the band! :Dancing_wub:

Hi Tara Anne, I had surgery on March 24th, which is why I'm stalking the forums, since I'm home still. I head back to work tomorrow though so I'll get some normalcy back. I'm glad you were able to find a good surgical group and one so close. Plus with working there I'm sure you get to see both the good and the bad of the people who have had the surgery. It's great you have a support group to go to but I see your issue. The support group I am going to is through my surgical group but it is lap-band only. It seems like whichever surgery is chosen, the person defends it like it's politics. The gastric bypass people really push that and the banders push banding. I'm not sure I would want to go to a mixed support group. The one I was able to go to, there was about 10 of us including 2 banded nurses who work there. I thought it was perfect, everyone got to talk and give advice. I definitely would recommend seeking out a smaller, gastric banding only group. As far as the pcos, I had found soulcysters and was so excited but I couldn't seem to get added as a member. The system said you had to be okayed by an admin I guess and I waited months and it never happend. I'm sure that's a hiccup or something but I did get good info as I could read everything, I just couldn't reply. I really am hoping with losing some weight and getting healthier, hubby and I will be able to start a family in the next few years. We both really want a baby, but I know how important good health will be too. I guess because of my size, the weight is falling off quickly right now so I feel like i'm getting a good jump on things. My belly seems much less swollen than it did but I'm still having to take really small sips of Water and gatorade, and still can't "eat" much so I'm sure that's helping the weight loss. I was able to eat almost 2 ounces of greek yogurt for dinner so I thought that was pretty good. I haven't seen much discussed about greek yogurt but it has lots of Protein so I thought it would be a good choice. Technically, I'm supposed to be on Clear Liquids until tomorrow but I figure if I eat super slow I was okay to move up a few days in the process. Best of Luck to you with moving forwards in your process!!

That's wonderful your ready to get started though! The positive is that since you have 3 months of waiting, you should be able to get some of your pre surgery requirements done. Typically your surgeon will require a psych eval, various bloodworks and sometimes a sleep study needs to be done. I have no patience either so I feel for you. If it helps at all, many people have a 6 month diet they have to go through so at least yours is half that. Insurance is the worst though. Obviously if you could do it on your own, you wouldn't be needing the surgery. But your on your way, and that's very exciting!

Wow Congrats to you!! There is a forum for banders who are now pregnant, you may find some great info there. Good Luck on your newest journey!!

Hi Roziecakes! Welcome to the boards! I hope you find lots of great info on here! Everyone is so supportive, it's really wonderful. That's one of the most important aspects of this it seems. Do you have your surgery scheduled yet or just working on losing some weight first? Congrats on your decision to get banded!! :Dancing_wub:

Welcome and Congrats on getting your band! :welldone2: I was also banded last week so I feel your pain. I've gone a little beyond the rules though and tried some thin soups and had a few tastes of yogurt. I considered my 2 week pre-op diet totally brutal. I'm doing a bit better now that I'm banded, I feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel at least and I'll be eating again eventually. Good Luck to you with your weight loss. I've been big since I was really little too and know the struggle. I kept my fast food habbits into adulthood though, it's so easy and always tastes good. I really feel this band will allow me to seperate myself from that lifestyle though. What about you?

Awe. Hey there! Your post must have been pushed pretty low, everyone here seems pretty welcoming! Sorry about that. Congrats on beginning your journey! Where are you at, are you in the seminar phase or have you gone to meet your surgeon yet? :rapture: Welcome to the forums!!!

Hi Tara Anne! I have PCOS as well and this is one of the bigger reasons I was banded. I want to be healthy of course, and to have more energy, but I really want a family at some point. This surgery seems to give everyone such a great tool towards their weight loss. Their actually is also a PCOS type forum on this site so that is really nice. I somehow missed it for awhile so just a heads up in case you're like me. lol Congrats on your decision to get banded. The surgery is a peice of a cake. Actually I wish the surgery WAS a peice of cake, it's been a month since I've had one of those. lol Anyhow, it really was so easy, and the nurses and doctors are so great. Make sure you choose a surgical group you really feel comfy with, that would be my best advice. Also, checking out a support group, even before your banded could be really helpful. Everyone there was so excited for my decision, it just made it feel that much better. Best wishes on getting a quick surgery date!! Congrats momof3armybrats on your surgery date!!:waytogo:

Hi Newbek and Stratcat! I just wanted to say how great this thread has been to read. I'm not much of a journaler but have had to sometimes just to have somewhere to stow all my craziness as I go through this journey. I too feel the loss of a friend. Really I think food is more of a "frenemy", it's comforting to your face and then backstabs you when it adds the pounds on. I've been a big girl since I was a child, so giving up my longest lasting "friendship" has been hard. I know we get to eat again so that's helpful, I'm 5 days banded now so still working on broth and light Soups for the most part. I have such an addiction to food that everytime I see a food commercial on tv I want to run right out and get it and shove it in my mouth. My 2 week liquid diet was Hell on earth but I will have an appreciation for the taste of things now. I have always been a fast food addict so eating different soups and having to sit around others eating has also given me an appreciation for how good food can smell. I think the biggest change I've made is that food can't always be my entertainment now. When I'm bored I can't grab the hubby and ask which restaurant we are heading too. China buffet can't be the norm for Saturday lunch anymore. I thank God that I have such a supportive husband but we are really going to have to find new things to do with ourselves. We actually did venture out to Cracker Barrel today and that turned out to be really nice. He began Atkins when I started my 2 week liquid diet and Cracker Barrel has a whole part on their menu devoted to Low Carb. So he got his low carb meal and I got some yogurt. lol It's kind of fun being the cheap date now with my $2.99 meal. Of course I barely ate much at all but having the social part of eating out was still really nice. Anyhow, Newbek I saw you have a fever and don't feel well. I hope they call you back and everything's all right. If it takes them awhile to get back with you, the back of your insurance card (assuming you have it) usually has a nurse advice line # to call.

Sorry you are dealing with this. I would do as one poster said, ask your friend to delete the comment or delete it yourself if you can! Otherwise if they do find out, what can you do? Just explain this is your choice, it's been a long time in the making and you hope they will be supportive. If others choose not to support you in getting healthy, that is there problem, not yours. I hope it all works out for you! Good Luck on surgery day!!

Congrats to both of you! :welldoneclap: I was just banded on the 24th so I'm only a week ahead. I was amazed how quickly everything went and how quickly I've healed. It's really an awesome process.