stratcat

Wow, good info to have. Thanks.

I had surgery on Thurs, 2/15/11 and stopped by the office for about 20 minutes Friday on the way home. My surgery was 2 hours away and I stayed overnight. I went back to work on Monday. It was not easy, and I was not 100%. But I was missed interaction with people . It was a 3-day weekend (President's Day) and banks were closed so I could have stayed out on Monday, too. The truth was i was anxious to get back to work. And I had a business trip Wed and Thurs. and wanted to get caught up before we left. I ended up overdoing it and took Tues AM off. The business trip went fine but I left as early as i could the first night and rested that evening - None of the usual dinner and socializing. Just mashed potatoes and gravy from Bojangles in front of the tube. My PA told me that this is how most of their working patients have surgery. If you ask me, I would recommend choosing a weekend where Monday is a holiday and you get a bonus day off before heading back. I also recommend naps - It seemed to help my body tremendously. I, and it seems most of the people of my acquantance, feel OK (not great but not totally bad) after surgery. Some talk about mall trips and family visits - I took it easy. I wanted to maximize my body's healing. ( I am 48 and not 18 anymore, plus, as i shared, I have a demanding schedule). I woke up, ate, showered, walked, made phone calls, read, napped and repeated till bedtime. For those 3 days I felt totally pampered. Good luck, Terri

Hi, I just wanted to repeat what my PA told me over and over. THe first month or two are for healing. Give yourself time and work with the band . It sounds like you are having issues eating (maybe your healing is not through yet). And, if you are eating the things that you can eat they are probably softer things which is TOTALLY understandable - BUT maybe they are sliding through and not filling you up and giving you a feeling of satiety. Talk to your doctor or PA - they want you to be successful and you need some reassurance that your process, however slow it may seem, is on track. If you have not had fills, I would suggest that you get with your PA or doctor. I would be gaining big time if I had not had my first fill at the 4 week point . I really struggled until the first fill, and now am struggleing wainting for my second. I wanna tear that fridge up!!!!!!!! . I am three days ahead of you (banded 2/15/11) and will have my second fill on Wed. And I am counting on it to help me reach my goals. Good luck, I hope I have helped.

I read about this in one of the age-specific forums and wanted to put it out to the general population........ Are your doctors recommending medic alert bracelets for bansters? Does an EMT or Emergency Room doctor need to know about our bands in order to modify emergency medical treatment ?

I never heard of this site, it sounds like you think it is a good tool, can you tell me more about it? Thanks

I drove the 2 hours south to Valdosta's Smith Northview Hospital and Dr Burnette (Albany) did my band. 2/14/11. I had great results and am doing fine. They had a special cash price for self payers. $10,000. I recommend staying overnight === if not in the hospital, in a local hotel. The drive back was alot better the next day instead of right after surgery.

I am posting to say Aversion stuff works - it took me 6 months before I could eat pizza again.

BRAVO I am so glad that you posted this to help the pre-banded folks. And I second everything you said - that i know about - (banded 2/14/11 - so still very new)

As far as I can see, everything you have written is normal and occurs to all of us. Here are my thoughts and opinions: I. I could not do it on my own- and I tried and tried and tried - and I am so glad i got help (banded 2/15/11). I lost 50 lbs 3 times in 5 years. I gave up - that kind off loss was not good for me. 2. About the pain, I don't know who told you about horrible pain: No one here is telling stories about horrible paid. In fact, check the post op board, most are surprised how well things go: They DO complain about the gas pains (and they are really uncomfortable) but no one is asking for morphine. Its more a big discomfort than a horrible pain. 3. Children: People have children with the band. There is a whole forum on this site for concerns. Check it out! BTW: My hubby's cousin had a baby with the band and she was close to 40. The baby is BEAUTIFUL. 4. Eating all your faves before the band is installed. Normal, but not a good idea. The operation goes better if your liver is small since they actually move it out of the way during the operation (they DO put it back). The liquid diet prepares the liver and eases surgery. You are also saying goodbye to your old friends (sort a speak). One last date with fetticini alfredo, one last lasagna, I actually experienced grief. I loved food and it loved me. I posted about this on the post op board. This is something many experience as well. Here is what helped me: The band is COMPLETELY removeable. And, I did not call it an operation. It was a 45 minute PROCEDURE, as far as I was concerned. Good luck, keeping asking questions, and hope it all goes well. Terri

Hi, I just wanted to add that crushing the pills is important while your stomach is swollen from surgery, even if you have no fill. I have small pills and started taking them uncrushed about 2 weeks after surgery. Here is what took me by surprise: After a fill you also swell and go back to liquids for up to 2 days. (More pill crushing) If you are that hungry (such that it is making you mentally and emotionally uncomfortable and stressing your recovery ), maybe ask if an appetite supressant is appropriate for your situation. Best wishes for you lap journey.

My advise is to call your health care team and advise them how you feel. The nausea is what I would stress. My PA prescribed nausea meds just in case in addition to the pre-surgery pill. The first week is about keeping you stomach a still as possible and letting it heal. Hiccups and nausea cause movement. Your health care team may be able to give you something to make you more comfortable.

Welcome Tim, to the other side of the band. The post-band world. Glad to hear that surgery went so well. I hope you fly through the first few weeks with no problems. I live 2 hours away. When I told the nurse that I was planning on renting a hotel room for the first night, she offered to keep me overnight in the hospital. She said one of the doctors insists that all his patients stay, so she would just mark it like that on my chart (no extra charge). Hearing what the others have said. I love that nurse.

I am 6 weeks post op, and I want to ask others about their journey, and naturally, share mine. Mine has been so incredible - even the not so good parts because I learned so much. But I can identify several phases and hope you can share even more. 1. Hope: I will get a lap band. Lucky me!! 2. Fear and trepidation: All the questions that keep you up at night - and if you have forgotten ANY of this, just go to the pre-lap boards. It WAS and IS a big hurdle. My heart is still touched when I read some of these desperate posts. 3. Reality hits: Success with the band is NOT automatic. This is going to take a lot of effort and be a long process. I have alot to do and the success depends upon me. 4. Behavior Modification begins: You either start the liquid diet before surgery or you have surgery and start Clear liquids. Your best friend food is gone. And you miss your friend, confidant, and lover. This is the part that threw me: I had no idea how much I depended on food to lift me up, console me and medicate all the bad things away. When I asked myself what the heck was going on, I realized that I was experiencing grief. Seriously. I GRIEVED for my lost friend: FOOD. We would never be the same. And I should have been overjoyed, but I was not. I was uncomfortable and off-kilter, 5. Learning to eat all over again. (this is after the doctor stops telling you what you CAN eat). I actually asked my PA what I could and should eat. (yes, I was that lost). He said something wonderful: "What ever you want and can tolerate. It is about Quality and not Quantity now. " The band will keep you from eating too much if you follow the rules. This section assumes (and this is a big assumption) that surgery has gone well. Meaning that your band allows you to eat about 1 - 1.5 cups of food, you only get hungry every 4-5 hours and that you can eat without getting stuck constantly. If you are not here yet, do not loose faith. Keep working with your heath care team. 6. Learning to trust the band: Learning to make the band work. If the band will keep portions small enough for me to loose weight, then my decision is as follows: I want to eat like a normal person. I want to eat small portions of food that I love. I will not eat like a fat lady on a diet, anymore. I will eat normal things that I like, and loose weight at my own pace. I will only eat a salad if I want a salad - and you can bet that the salad dressing will be something I love and not the lowest calorie slop that I can find. Don't get me wrong - I am not punting low fat cottage cheese and slimfast breakfasts - and I have Nutrisystems for my grab and go meals/snack/desserts. But I LIKE those things, want to eat them and enjoy them for one reason or other. I want to enjoy my weight loss journey, not hustle to the end with only one goal (the scale) in sight. First - I have 100 more pounds to go - it will take a long time. Second - isn't this when I should learn to eat normally - when I have medical supervison? Band-fills and a Nutritionist who is happy to help? And Finally, some folks actually say the slower the better. I would put in that for me it will be: the more I can normalize and naturalize, the better. And, so that is why I call the next section: 7. Living with the band. Normalize and naturalize eating with the band. I am not here yet. I am still stuggling every day to deal with the old habits. Evenings are the toughest. I want to eat in front of the TV. I want what I see on Food Network and on commercials. I could go on, but I think we all know the "evening shuffle to the fridge". Making a cup of Tea helps.

BEST WISHES for a Great Surgery Come back and tell us how you are doing ASAP.

I just had to comment about giving up food. You summarized it for me. And I want to tell you about my journey dealing with loosing my crutch because I just realized in the past day or two what loosing the crutch means to/ for me. I feel like I actually grieved the loss of my best friend. FOOD. It loved me, I love it. I was so wrong about how I treated food. I got real honest with myself about how much I ate to medicate my overworked mind, tired body, hurt feelings, uncertainties and .....so .... on. And I did not like what I saw. I lived to eat, not ate to live. I had no idea how much I depended on food to make me feel better. It was soooo wrong. The good news is that on the other side of the band, you get your food back. My PA and I got into a discussion, I wanted to know what I could/should eat. "He said whatever. That's what the band is for. You eat quality now, now quantity." And friends, that set me on a new direction. I am not dieting, I am simply eating small amounts of the food that I love. Protiens first, then veggies. I eat what my husband eats. (just not as much) And he (hubby) and I actually discussed the idea that I will not loose as fast as others because I am not eating low-cal diet food- - We agreed that the important thing is that I WILL get there and perhaps become even more successful, since I will actually enjoy the journey. Don't misunderstand. I am still stuggling to feed myself correctly. EVERY DAY. Some days it is harder than others. But, thanks to my PA's wise words I am trying to learn to eat like a natural person and not like a fat woman who is dieting. Does that make sense?????

Hi, my name is Terri and I too am a Christian. I am 6 foot, and YES you are entirely correct: every inch is important. I started at 320 highest, 307 DOS (2/15/2011), and am now 283. My goal is 175. You will start feeling better soon. I recommend afternoon naps, and warm liquids. Its like a hug from the inside. Heating pads and massage help with the shoulder pain. The all liquid phase will be tough since you will watch others enjoy their food. But this, too shall pass. Once you can eat soft foods you have alot more options. Mashed Potatoes, oatmeal and, hummus were my favorites. If you are a busy mom on the road alot, the fast food places can actually be helpful. We went to KFC for mashed potatoes when I needed a meal quick. Yes, I ate the gravy too, I'd have fought to keep my gravy. McDonalds has oatmeal. Once you can puree things, you will feel lots better. Personally, I thanked God that I had made it through the wilderness. I am lactose intollerant and allergic to eggs. Protien drinks and cream Soup gave me the runs. BTW: Hot dogs DO puree. So does chicken salad. Hamburger - not so much- wait on those. A friend made me homemade pimento cheese spread. AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!! I just mashed up fish. pureed fish was, totally off-putting to me. Well, I've tried to be funny as well as offer some advice. Welcome to the boards. If you want a laugh, go to the powder room gone wild forum, it really has some wild questions - that are very valid. Terri .

I craved hamburgers thoughout the first month of my post surgery life. After my first fill, I find that they are hard to eat, but not impossible. These are my rules: 1. The meat has to be warm (eating a cold hamburger is not a good idea - Mistake 1 ), 2. Take your time and chew like you are liquifying it. 3. One must take baby bites. I was too hungry one day and started chowing down and did not chew enough . Mistake 2 and 3 - Not good. 4. The meat to bread ratio must be greater than 1 to 1. I personally like 2 to 1. If all else fails, meatloaf is easier to eat and can partially satisfy the hamburger craving. BUT NOT ENTIRELY !!!!

Thank you for asking. I am very happy with my decision to band. BTW I am a self-pay so it was one of the biggest and bestest presents I ever gave to myself. My highest was 320 on Jan 15, 2011. 307 At surgery 2/15/2011. 283 this AM which is almost 6 weeks post surgery. I am 6' tall and have set goal at 175 lbs. So I will have a long journey. That's OK, My life is not about sitting at home counting calories, or watching my scale constantly. I go go go. In fact, we eat in restaurants so much, today I counted 6 take out boxes in our fridge. I am just saying, that being a wife and career woman are my priorities, and I trust the lap band to do its job while I carry on living life to its fullest. I PROMISED myself that I would enjoy my lap band journey, not suffer through it. The best part is that the hunger is gone. Previously, I never felt full. An hour after supper I would be in front of the fridge looking for a snack. Now I go 5 hours most days without feeling the need to stop and have a snack. And I stop eating when I feel full. I though maybe the band would starve the weight off me. That, maybe I would be hungry all the time and only be able to eat a little at a time and never feel full and satiated. Not even close. And at my first fill, (at the 1 month point) I asked my PA what I could eat. He said whatever I wanted and could tolerate. That it was about quality not quantity now. The lap takes care of the quantity. And I took him at his word. I still do not drink carbonated beverages, or coffee. I am a tea drinker. I do something the others here at the site did not think was so cool. I use nutrisystems (not the first month). The Nutrisystem people told me that lots of banded people use their products. Well, no one but me has admitted to it. But it makes things so much easier for me that I use it for convenience. Not every day, but several times a week. Its fast, mostly good, has the glycemic index balance thingie going for it, and it is low cal. and the portions are fine for my lap. Also I eat the deserts quilt free. Yes, its not fresh, yes home cooked is better, Yes it feels a little expensive. But it helps me and my PA and the NUTritionist are ok with it, so I am good. Honestly, my biggest trial was diarreah - many others have the opposite problem. But since I am very lactose intollerant i had trouble with shakes and cream Soups. Once I got onto KFC mashed potatoes, oatmeal and hummus i felt better. But, when I got to week three and could eat meat again I praised GOD that i had made it through the wilderness. So far my biggest win so far was cutting my blood pressure meds in half. Maybe in another month or two they will be discontinued. I am proud of myself and I am hoping that my mother, age 69, will get a lap band. She says she will see how I do. She had a friend who did had a lapband and the little drama queen told my mom that it took her a half hour to eat a peanut etc etc. And she believed it.>>>>>>>>>>> UGH Again, thanks for asking. I would hope that your lap band experience is as positive as mine has been. Yours sincerely, Terri

I found the post i mentioned. It is on the pre-surgery board, this site, posted by Alfiepoo on 26 Feb 2011, and last replied on 10 March 2011. She only mentions the nerve briefly - phrenic nerve pain. So then I did a search on Phrenic nerve pain on this site, all forums. It is actually mentioned quite a few times with several very good medical explainations. So maybe, run a similar search, check out the info, see if it matches what you are feeling . Good luck. Terri

I had a similar pain for the first two weeks post surgery I had back pain if I stood too long. It was under my shoulder blade and I could not stand comfortably. I kept fidgeting trying to get the feeling to stop. Then i read somewhere about a nerve in the area of the chest near the band site that can get irritated after surgery. It was in a post about "things I wish I knew pre-surgery. " I have tried to find the post again, but I don't even remember the exact site I was visiting when I read this post. Maybe someone else can fill in what i do not know. And, then again, maybe I have the details wrong. But, I can tell you that my pain gradually lessened and went away. I hope yours does too.

Hi, I was banded 2/15, just a little ahead of you, and I asked the same question. I am not saying I have all the answers, I am just giving you insight to my situation. It may help you My PA's response was that he wanted me not to worry about weight loss at all. The first 4- 6 weeks was about healing. He actually said that some folks gain a litlle weight back until their fills start. My first fill was at the 4 week point. But then he asked these questions: How much do you eat. I told him 1-1/2 cups of food. He said that's ok. How often are you hungry each day. "About every five hours". That's about right he said. Are you throwing up or in discomford. "NO". Well, you seem good then. He told me that without a fill I could expect these feelings and not to worry that this was a lifetime thing and not something we have to have perfect in the first month or even two. If you are worried, call and share your concern with some one on your medical team. I called about 1 per week with my questions and talked to the office nurse/secretary and she either routed me to the PA or helped me herself.

Thanks for asking/answering a question that I would not have thought to ask, but needed to know. Plus, I the coochie car wash comment made me lol.

Hi, I am 48, (and banded 2/15/11) BUT i wanted to say hello and welcome. Also, i wanted to tell you that if you go to the start page of lapbandtalk.com and page the whole way down, you will find a section that has an age-specific forum. Actually you will find any type of forum you can think of. I was pleasantly surprised when I first found these additional sections. You will find that the posts are a litlle old in the 60+ section, but if you leave a message there as well as here you will have replys in no time. But best wishes and congratulations on the decision to do something so wonderful for yourself. Terri .

:)Go Kristi Go! Tomorrow is your day to shine !!!!!!!!!

I am severely HYPO with no function at all. i am under the impression that as you loose weight, there is less of you to medicate. BUT, it all boils down to your TSH numbers and your t-3/t-4 balance. I get tested at least once a year. Nothing makes you feel worse than an imbalance. But, i am told I will never get better.