Jenn1214

So inspirational! Just what I needed today :-) Congratulations on your wonderful accomplishment!

I have a long history of depression and have been medicated on and off since the age of 14. I'm not on medication now and definitely noticed my depression rearing its ugly head after the surgery. I just chalk it up to tons of life changes at once, including losing my job, getting engaged (which is a good thing of course) and having my main source of comfort (food) taken away. I just take it a day at a time and see a therapist once a week.

I named mine Bandy. Not very original I know but it works for me

I was very concerned because I couldn't feel my port after surgery. Today I was feeling around in my belly button and I felt something that I'm pretty sure is my port. Has anyone else had their port placed in this region?

I'm the opposite. I used to be a huge belcher but I rarely do anymore. I usually hiccup when I'm finishing up my meal, but sometimes it just happens randomly for no reason. Weird.

You should be able to move on from clear liquids after a couple days. What were your surgeon's instructions?

I am interested in trying Unjury protein powder, but can it be mixed with water instead of milk?

I'm two weeks out. My surgeon said I can do cardio for now, nothing too strenuous and no lifting until my next appointment in 4 weeks.

It's only natural to be nervous before any kind of surgery, especially something as life changing as the lap band! I had my surgery fairly recently on March 14th and I had a lot of the same fears as you do. I knew mostly what to expect because I'm a surgical technologist and I've assisted on a couple of these procedures, and also because my surgeon and support team had done a good job of going over everything. Still, you always fear the unknown. I woke up from surgery in the recovery room with some pain in my incision (I had the SILS procedure) and was given pain medications right away. I never had any incisional pain since. I had a lot of shoulder pain from the gas, but moving around as much as possible helps. I felt very sleepy on and off for a few days because of the anesthesia, so I slept when I felt like it and walked when I felt up to it. It took me about a week and a half to really start feeling like myself again, but that's just me. Everyone reacts to anesthesia differently. A big fear of mine, like you, is worrying if I would ever enjoy food again. I'm only on soft foods right now but I find that I appreciate food much more after being on liquids for so long. Having to chew everything to death lets you really slow down and taste your food, something I never did before. We'll see how it goes with solids, but I have a feeling it will be a similar experience. You may not feel like it right after the surgery, but you are doing the right thing. I'm feeling more and more like this is the best decision I ever made. You will too. Best of luck to you!

I was banded on March 14th. I never felt hunger until almost a good week after the surgery...I think my stomach must have been really swollen. The incisions never gave me trouble, the worst two pains I had were the shoulder pain and the humongous bruise I got on my lower abdomen from the Lovenox. I definitely recommend walking around as much as you can (but don't overdo it) and hydrate as much as you can. Being dehydrated always makes you feel crummy. Rest as much as you can too, it gives your body a chance to heal. The liquid diet was hard for me mentally because I was so used to eating what I wanted, when I wanted. It gets easier every day. Now I'm on soft foods and I just chew everything to death to make sure there are no problems. I've lost about 20 lbs since starting my pre op diet and that's enough encouragement for me! (most days anyway). Good luck in your recovery!

That's a very good question! Everyone keeps telling me how much thinner my face looks, but I don't know how much weight you can carry in your face...it might just be retained water or something.

Today I had my 2 week post op appointment. I was given the all clear to start soft foods (yay!) and was told my incisions look "fantastic". I can also start exercising a little now too. My first soft meal consisted of crackers, feta cheese and hummus. Boy is chewing a strange sensation after not doing it for almost a month! I'm just happy things are moving along and I'm healing well. To all you bandsters still in your liquid diet phase...there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

I know I have a food scale somewhere but I can't dig through my garage at the moment to look for it. What's the average number of slices of deli meat (in this case chicken) in 1 oz? I know it depends on a lot of factors but I just want to estimate for now.

I guess every surgeon is different. Mine made me have every test under the sun...I have never been so well acquainted with my insides! Honestly, if you are really concerned with the way the surgeon is handling things, go somewhere else. You are the master of your own health and if you aren't comfortable, shop around until you are. This is a big step in your life and you should feel confident that your surgeon and the rest of the team will do everything in their power to help you through. I'm not sure what area you are in but if you are in the Long Island area my surgeon was Dr. Geiss and I've been pretty happy with him and his team so far. Otherwise contact your insurance company to see what other surgeons are covered and make an appointment. Good luck!

You can drink beer? My surgeon might actually murder me if I drink anything carbonated!

I was banded on the 14th so we're pretty close! I talked to the PA at my post op visit today and she said to wait until my first fill appointment in 4 weeks before drinking again to give my stomach the most time to heal. She made a good point of telling me that alcohol lowers your inhibitions so you're likely to eat more, not chew enough, make bad choices, etc. However she understands that the band is something I have to live with so if I enjoy a glass of wine once in a while it's not going to hurt me too much.

I'm newly banded, but these are my top three: 1. Let yourself heal after the procedure. 2. Stay hydrated. 3. Listen to your band!

Just had mine today. The PA weighed me, asked how I was doing on the liquid diet, checked my incisions, explained to me the next phase of the diet (soft foods for two weeks), and answered my questions. I also scheduled my first fill for 4 weeks from today. Pretty much what I expected.

I'm still in the liquid phase, I was banded March 14th (I guess it would be helpful to know that, sorry!)

<br><br>Oh yeah I guess I forgot to mention that...he is getting the Lap Band this summer. We'll be band buddies :-)

I know it's probably still too soon, but when is it safe to drink alcohol again? I know I have to limit my intake but a glass of wine when I go out would be nice on occasion.

For the past few days I have been noticing that right after I take a sip of water I get a lump in my throat. I notice it more in the evening. It passes fairly quickly and I don't have any nausea or vomiting with it. Should I be worried?

I said the same thing! The surgeon said he was going to have to make a tiny incision under my ribcage in addition to the belly button incision, but I don't know what the third one is for. I will have to ask at my follow up visit.

I'm not even two weeks out from surgery, so I'm still on liquids. Problem is, I have my sister in law's bridal shower tomorrow and I have to go because I'm a bridesmaid. I wouldn't even care that much except it's at a restaurant. How should I handle this? I was thinking just order and ask them to bring it to me already wrapped so I can take it home for my fiance. I just feel weird explaining my situation to the waiter and in front of dozens of people I've never met before. What would you guys do?

Hello, my name is Jenn and I'm a food addict. I'm not really sure how this unhealthy relationship with food started, but it has been a lifelong battle. I believe my parents overfed me as a baby because they were afraid I wasn't eating enough, and their fears soon passed on to me. Some of my earliest memories are of my pediatrician telling my parents I needed to lose weight and to buy me toys as a reward when I did. Of being scolded in front of others when I tried to eat something I shouldn't. Of hiding my eating from my family because I was so ashamed of what they would say if they saw me. My weight has been up and down all my iife. I would win the battle for a few years at the most, at the least a few months before the weight crept back on again. It was always the same: get gungho about a new diet, lose some weight, get sick of the diet and gain all the weight back plus more. Every failure made me feel less and less hopeful that I would ever succeed and win my family's approval. Every conversation with my father somehow went to my weight and every time I hung up the phone I felt worse than ever. I even had a coworker ask me once, "What happened to that diet you were on? You look heavier than when you first started." I felt defined by the numbers on the scale and on my jeans, not what was inside. Food was my main source of comfort, even though it always caused me so much pain and embarrassment. Any time I had any stress in my life, it was off to the fridge or the nearest fast food restaurant for 10 minutes of happiness and an entire day of shame and guilt. The bigger the problem, the more weight I gained. The death of my mother, my stepmother's suicide, my abusive relationship with my ex boyfriend, all reasons to eat and eat and eat. The more I ate, the worse I felt. The worse I felt, the more I ate. I was trapped in a vicious cycle I couldn't escape from. I didn't feel human anymore. I felt constantly empty, physically and emotionally. I just wanted to be invisible, and for the most part I got my wish. I had few friends, if any, and men wouldn't look twice at me. My fat was like a wall separating me from everyone else, and I guess subconsciously I wanted it that way. Besides the heavy emotional burden food put on me, I have physical problems stemming from my weight. My back hurts almost constantly, I can't stand for long periods because my knees and feet hurt, I have PCOS, acid reflux, and depression. Yet all that couldn't stop me from eating. My body was crying out for me to stop and I didn't listen. I met my fiance in August of 2009 and while it has been a very happy time for me, my weight has suffered because of it. He is obese too and we often fueled each other's bad eating habits. Meeting him made me realize that I want to be around to have a life with him and I knew I had to do something I hadn't done before. I decided to look into the Lap Band, and on March 14th I had the procedure. The physical recovery is coming along well but I know my emotional recovery will take much longer. I'm hoping that sharing my feelings here will help. Every day without my drug of choice is a struggle...but now I realize it's not only a struggle for my self esteem, but for my health and my life. Let the battle begin!