thatgirl

I am going to be four weeks on Wed (I was banded 1/31) and I am much less tired this week but still not as energetic as usual. I am starting to feel little spurts of energy but they don't last long. Hang in there,though- you will turn the corner soon and feel better. Try that water that has Protein in in. Also, are you constipated? that can really slow you down. I drink baby juice by Gerber- apple prune and that keeps things moving. Hang in there, I know how you feel- recovery has been harder for me than I expected but it will all be worth it.

I know that some people have luck if their insurance denies it they appeal. My surgeon (www.thelapband.com ) has some info on their site about appealing, I think. My BMI was 35 and I have high blood pressure and high cholesterol and I got it approved (Blue Cross). Good luck!

it's so strange to me that surgeons vary so much in how soon they will give a fill and how frequently.

Not a daft question at all. Here is my experience- day of surgery- terrified eve of surgery- drugged and convinced this was a breeze day after surgery (and the following 4 days) I hurt totally bad, was completely out of it and ate very little. I don't really remember those days 6 days out- turned a corner. Still sore (esp port incision) but could function much better 9 days out- back to work for a full day. sore and tired, but okay 14 days out- felt great- not hungry, doing awesome but still VERY sore at port site 19 days out out- hungry as a bear. ready to gnaw my own leg off. Still with pain only at port site. called and begged for a fill, didn;t work 4 weeks out- hungry, eating larger portions, trying to control and make healthy choices. port still sore. I hope that helps. With proper pain medicine you could travel or whatever a couple days out, I'd just be sure you have someone to watch out for you.

I am not a singer, but if I had 3 wishes, that would be one of them ( a beautiful voice). but I can say that I am 4 weeks post op and deep breaths still hurt my port area sometimes, a sort of tweaking pain (as it all heals) so for what that's worth. I suppose it depends on what you are singing but I know breath is important. Good Luck:D

Hooray- good luck, take it easy and relax. the hardest thing is being patient (ha- read my threads, I am not one to talk!). Congratulations on tomorrow being the first day of the rest of your healthy life!

thanks for that info- I bought mederma but have been using my vitamin E oil at night ( the mederma doesn't get my shirt all oily like the Vit E does ).

thank you so much - I feel the same... I had to know it was going to still be there (hunger) but somehow, especially after not even wanting to eat the first two weeks, I thought it might have a better time. I am going to try to cut back on carbs, and also get moving more. I have been exercising a bit but not much. So you get to have a fill 4 weeks out? I am so jealous I wish I could get a fill this week. It may take more than one, but it would be a start.

Hey- I was banded 1/31 and My surgeon says that 3/14 is 6 weeks out, yours counts 6 weeks out as one week earlier... I am so lost. Am I (or is my surgeon) counting wrong? <crossed fingers>

warning- this might sound whiny to those of you having a better experience or maybe more self control... Argh I was banded 1/31 and I was doing so awesome for the first 2 weeks- port pain but no vomiting or anything... then all of a sudden last Monday (2.5 weeks out) I was so hungry I swear it was like I never had surgery. I had lost 20 pounds since surgery and now I am gaining it all back- I feel very little restriction and am not even making good choices. My port hurts quite a bit still, all incisions are doing well Anyhow, I called last week and tried to talk them into giving me a fill. I know, I am supposed to be healing but I waited so long for a weight loss tool that worked and now I feel like I am losing the bit of progress that I made. Anyhow, they (of course) said not until I am 6 weeks out. 6 weeks! That didn't seem so long before but now that I am hungry and not getting restriction until I've eaten too much. Does every doctor make you wait 6 weeks? What do I do? I am getting so depressed, it feels like another failed diet. Please don't hammer me <ducks> I know I need to make good choices when I eat and I am trying but I feel like a failure already. Is any of this normal? I read some posts that talk about being hungry but then again some of you have lost a lot already. Thanks in advance for any advice.

I like the Source of Life liquid, it has lots of good stuff. Doesn't taste too terrible, I can handle it. They have it at Fred Meyer stores, or online. I also take a fish oil pill but once I start getting fills I bet I won;t be able to 'cuz they are kinda big. The fish oil pills I take are from Trader Joes and are the deodorized ones.

this isn't a mushie, but I like the gerber juices - they have an apple/prune one that is good for keeping things moving (important after surgery) and they are nice small servings. I have had the apple banana sauce, it is good as well.

I am going through the same exact thing (I was banded 1/31). I am a :hungry: hungry :hungry: hungry caterpillar (remember that book??!!). I just called my doc to see if I can get a fill before my 6 weeks because I feel like I am going to lose my mind. Just 3 weeks post op and I am so dang hungry. I lost 20 pounds right off but it is already creeping back on and I am feeling like there is no band in there (of course my port incision still hurts sometimes so it reminds me that something happened!) Sorry to sound whiny, it's just so hard when you feel so eager to make progress but you are back to feeling as hungry as before the band. I mean, I can't eat quite as much as back then but am feeling very little restriction. Okay, a little restriction but not enough. Anyhow, hang in there lapband4menow....I will try as well and Pam-bander I think your tips are very good

:update: I got banded this morning- checked in at 6, into OR at 7 and left at 10:15... I feel okay-the usual sore gassy (this is getting more uncomfortable as the day goes on despite walking and gas x but it is not as bad for me as some people seem to have it. tired a bit silly from pain meds a bit of blood leakage from incisions, that has stopped but I am doing much better than I expected. :rose: I am taking Gas X (strips) every 2-3 hours (2 at a time) and ibuprofin. I am keeping a list by my stack of meds where I write down time what I took dose when I can have my next dose 12 pm pain med 3 TSP 3 PM the blue is a sample of what I write. It just seems like a good idea, helps me not take too much of anything or too often. a couple spooky things - for one, even though I lost about 8 pounds before surgery my liver was unusually large according to the surgeon. It was nicked during surgery (it was so large he said it was very difficult keeping it out of the way) but they stopped the bleeding right away. My surgery took longer than most because of that but my surgeon is just going to monitor it as I lose weight, he thinks it is just large from being overweight. question- is ibuprofin bad for the liver? if yes, I will switch to tylenol. anyhow, I had my surgery at Evergreen Surgical Center with Dr. Kevin Montgomery in Kirkland WA. He and his staff were exceptional- great bedside manner and just really considerate of my comfort, of the person waiting for me in the lobby- everything. They do perform surgeries in the surgical center in their office but Premera is about a month or two from permitting patients covered by them to go there. For now, patients covered by insurance are using the surgical center at Evergreen. his website is http://www.thelapband.com/ and my insurance (Premera BC) covered it all (100%). Out of pocket I hear it is $16,900 to have it done there, that includes 13 months of fills. That's all- just thought I woudl send out a report. I am sore but better than expected- although I hear tomorrow will be worse. Anyone had that experience? (feel good the first day and rotten the second and third)? talk to you all soon- looking forward to shrinking with you all

I think you will be just fine as long as you have nothing at all after midnight

how dreaded- I think your gas should be gone. Hmmmmm.... I wonder if it is something you are eating or if you are swallowing air (are you drinking through a straw). that is so terrible. I know what you mean about not wanting how i feel now to be the new normal. I do like never being hungry but the pain- no thanks!

We are definitely leading parallel lives on this post-op adventure here, sherilynn!!! okay, good. what had me freaked out was that I had my handy shopping list and went shopping the day before surgery and got all this stuff (especially the highly recomended NexCare tape so it wouldn't cause me rashes) and gauze and such and then I leave and the surgeon is like "just leave them alone" and then the one that did fall off (last Fri I think) caused me to pass out and almost barf when hubby put gauze and tape on it (not sure why it made me so sick but whooo- I do NOT want to experience that again) but I feel like I keep wanting to peek under the others now. I have 5 incisions. none have leaked since the first couple days, when they all leaked through several shirts with blood and I looked like a pirate. yeah, hopefully they will all be healing nicely under those yucky old bandages!

I was told to just leave my bandages and so I have, but (as I mentioned on another thread) I am freaked out that they are still on a week later with dried old blood on them. the one came off, hubby put a clean bandage over it but hte others still all have their original bandages on. I go see the doctor day after tomorrow so I suppose it isn't that much longer to tough it out but it feels grody. I can't wait to get them off or get clean bandages put on. does anyone know when they remove the bandages alltogether (steri strips and all?)

sherilynn am I ever glad to hear I am not the only one having a rough time. I did make it in to work for 3 hours today but came home for the rest of the day. I am sore as well, and ready to feel like me again. But today at work a friend who was banded over a year ago was reassuring me that how I feel (completely :tired lousy) is normal and that it will all be worth it and I will look back on this as such a short time in my band journey. that made me feel better, until I tried to lay down and felt like someone was tearing my incision open! :biggrin1: I am glad to know i am not alone, and am really ready to feeeeellll betterr:o

Right now I swear I would eat gravel if I could put it on a pizza or something, so I know what you mean on the jello. I want to chew something so bad!! Sorry your experience has been rough- I was banded one week ago today and have been having a rough time. the oozing stopped although one of my bangages then fell off then I had hubby put gauze and tape over it then I passed out because seeing the wee incision must have made me woozy so now I take baths (shallow ones) because I am afraid I will make more bandages fall off before my post op (Friday). yep, it has been an experience! I did find a Soup I like today, and ate it with a bit of sour cream mixed in, it was awesome (it was Creamy veggie soup from Trader Joes, in a box). good luck and be sure to let us know how your post op goes

Your answers make me laugh- you need to write a book! I had undies on, they told me to leave them on. I would rather have gone without undies and not had to wear those dang things on my feet (those paper slippers that have a seam that gets jammed between your toes like a goat- that made me nuts!) hang in there before you can think about being without undies you'll be asleep and wake up banded and proud!

I was banded 1/31 at 7 am, went home at 10:30- thought I was a rock star by about 2 pm then wanted to croak by the next day. I guess it took a day to hit me. :faint: Today I am feeling a bit more like myself, but still pretty tired. I guess it's from not enough calories (I am drinking some nutrition but as you know it isn't much since your stomach is still swollen). I am super duper looking forward to mushy foods (never thought I'd say that) since I am siiiiccckkk of slimfasts and soy and regular milk, and juice. I want some kind of texture. Amelia- I haven't had that much gas but some... I took those gas X strips every 4 hours for the first 3-4 days faithfully... it seemed to help. But I wonder if it was the cream of wheat- I thought we couldn't have that until the mushy food phase, 2 weeks out. I have a question- has anyone had the bandages come off their incision sites? mine came off one of them 3 days out and hubby had to put gauze and tape over it, I almost passed out. :think

Hi there, I would suggest it. I had surgery last week with a BMI of 35 and did not have to do a pre op diet and they were very surprised when they got in there because my liver was enlarged and got nicked and bled a bit during surgery. It all got under control and I don't blame them (I was having a few last hurrahs and didn't want to do my own pre op diet, now I wish I had) but I think it is a good idea. just my little 2 cents

I have been banded a week, so I do not have the experience that many on here do to speak of, but I have a very close friend who had bypass surgery a year ago... she didn't want a band, she wanted bypass. She is one year post op, has lost all of her approx 80-90 pounds she had to lose and looks healthy and fit as a fiddle. But she really worked it, and when I decided to do the band and talked to her one thing she said made total sense to me was that no matter which option, you are going to face failure if you don't do as the doctor reccomends. Of course we are all going to have some sweets and such but the junk food we ate that got us here is not going to get us out... if someone comes up with a diet or tool that does that they'd be wealthy. her advice to me was take it easy, go slow, do as the doctor says and have a treat here or there as you need it but if you don't let yourself heal (like the doc says) or you decide to live on milkshakes so your body has too many calories to lose weight... it is no different than buying something and using it for something else (trying to toast with a blender). You have to use what you have for what it was made for. I say go for it, there are so many examples on this board that insprire me so much- if you are ready to use the band as the tool it is, you are ready to succeed!

I had a friend drive me home the day I had surgery (last Wed 1/31) and I was on my own all day until hubby got home at 6. I had friends I could call if I needed them but mostly I was sore. I was much more sore and uncomfortable days 2-5. I have a wedge for under my knees, so when I sleep on my back I am not laying flat and that made sleeping much more comfy. I also took the gas X faithfully every 4 hours after surgery for 3-4 days and had no shoulder and minimal gas discomfort.