SlimbandSexy

This is only my second TOM since being banded but boy has this one been rough. I am not due until Monday but I hope it comes sooner. I have gained 3 lbs that I don't deserve and am desperately trying to substitute carrot sticks for cheetos! Ugh!

I feel like I could eat a horse and I'm hungry constantly the past 2 days. Hopefully it is just TOM and my band will return to normal with good restriction (I had a fill during surgery and it has been great) by next week.

Not sure I can hold out with the kids 100 calorie school Snacks on top of the fridge alongside the box (yes box!!!) of chocolate bars our neighbour brought over from the Mars factory the other day.

I had my surgery on July 28/2011.

Lost 7lbs pre-op.

Lost 10 lbs. since.

That is not super fast but I am ok with it. My weight drops off in chunks. I'll lose 5-7lbs in 10 days and then not lose anything for a couple of weeks. Haven't lost anything since getting on solids but that is ok. The kids are in school and once my port site infection finishes clearing up I will be able to start working out. Looking forward to that and getting the weight moving again.

I am up a couple of pounds today but I'm not counting it due to PMS.

I had an infection of the skin around my port site and incision and it was swollen. Now that the infection is pretty much gone and the swelling has gone down my port incision is indented as well.

Looks funny because my port is on its side (still fillable) so it is a lump and beside that is a mini crater. LOL.

Don't underestimate the power of a good amount of sleep. That could make a difference. I know it does for me.

Getting used to working nights may take some time and it might make it more difficult to lose weight because it goes against your body's natural clock. I would suggest making sure the room you sleep in is very quiet and dark. Maybe try one of those white noise machines or something as well.

I need at least 8 hours or I won't lose weight.

Hope that helps. If not, I hope you find the solution you are looking for to get your weight loss back on track.

Apparently my port is flipped but my surgeon says it is still fillable. I am likely looking at going to the original surgical clinic for fills instead of a regular fill doctor which means about a 1/2 hour further drive each way but I can deal with that. I was told that because it is on its side and protruding quite a bit already that they will relocate it once I have lost my weight.

I am just getting over a skin infection over the port site so I am not allowed to have a fill for a while anyway. And I am in no hurry for a fill.

Do yourself a favour - don't play with your port and try to move it around. That is what I did and I think it is how I ended up with the skin infection.

Good luck! I hope it moves or they can manipulate it back into place. Sometimes laying/standing/sitting can move the port so it is fillable. I think mine will be accessible by laying down. Crossing my fingers for you!!

Thought I would update my post in case someone is looking for information on this subject in the future.

I went for another visit with the surgeon today. The clinic and surgeon have been so great. I just got my kids on the bus for the first day of school and drove down. I hit a lot of traffic going into the city but they just saw me when I got there -no problem. And they have seen me on a moments notice too - excellent service.

So, I did 1 week of Cipro antibiotics - helped a little but not enough. Then a 2nd week of clyndomycin (I think that is how it is spelled). Infection is almost gone. After 2 days on clyndomycin the incision site popped (kind of like a pimple) and a lot of clearish Fluid drained out. When the surgeon saw that he said if it opened up fully they would have to take the band out but he thought it would be ok.

So, the incision opened up a little bit (on the surface about 1/4") but never exposed the band. Phew. So it continued to drain clear Fluid over the weekend but the redness and swelling lessened slowly every day. I went back to see the surgeon again today and he put steri-strips on the incision to help it stay closed and heal over. He said that the fluid that was draining was not infected - Yay!!!

He was happy with the progress but decided to keep my on the antibiotics for another 5 days. There is still a bit of redness and a little itchiness. I am to leave the steri-strips on until they fall off which should take a week or 10 days. Once they have fallen off he wants to see me again just to check everything over.

He wants me to wait for at least 2 weeks after my next appointment to get a fill. Fine by me - I started off with a small fill at surgery so I am at a pretty good restriction anyway.

So, the outcome is good. If anything changes I will update this post again. I am doing this for people in the future in case they are under similar circumstances. Unfortunately, we don't often see the final outcome of someone's situation.

PS. My port is flipped on its side but still fillable. They will move it to a less conspicuous spot after I have lost my weight.

Mine is odd and kind of funny! When I am done eating my nose will start to run. Just enough to be noticeable - it doesn't continue to run. Just a little bit and then stops. I know I need to stop eating then because within a few minutes I will be feeling perfectly satisfied with a nice full feeling - not stuffed. I stay that way for about 3 hours and within 4 hours I am usually hungry again.

I ate a few more bites past the runny nose once - bad idea. I had a bad stomach ache for about 2 hours afterwards - never again. It was unpleasant.

I had my surgery on July 28th and I was having a difficult time the past 2 weeks (5/6 weeks post-op).

I didn't find the liquids/mushies stages too bad but then I developed a skin infection around my port site that just didn't want to go away. That's when I got nervous and scared and was wondering 'what have I done to myself? I have children and a husband that depend on me!"

After 2 full weeks of antibiotics I am doing much better. I still have another 5 days of antibiotics to go but the infection is nearly gone and the surgeon has been great through this whole thing. My port is also flipped on its side so it sticks out a lot already but I will still be able to get fills when I need them (don't need them yet) and the surgeon said he will relocate the port after I have lost my weight so it will be less noticeable.

You will get through the tough part and start to feel happier and more confident and healthier and more vibrant as the weight comes off (slowly!)

Good luck!!

Hi. I had my surgery on July 28th and I am very rarely hungry. You really do need to eat though because otherwise you might get shaky or whoozy. I have done that - it is not pleasant.

I had a fill during surgery so I think that has really helped with the hunger.

Congrats on getting your date! You must be so excited! I know I was. My date was July 28th, 2011. Good luck1!

Aaah thanks BaileyRose. That helps me feel better. It hasn't opened up a lot, just a little and seems to be constantly draining this clear liquid mixed with blood stuff. It is all over my shirt too - thank goodness I wore a black shirt with patterns on it today so you can't see it. lol.

I did start a new round of antibiotics yesterday and since then have seen a big difference in the redness and swelling.

Crossing my fingers it doesn't open right up and everything heals over and goes away. I'm tired of being freaked out about it. My husband keeps saying be positive and don't worry about it. Easy for him to say - he is not oozing pus!

Guess I will enjoy the long weekend and see what happens.

Yup, you will be fine. I agree with that screened said. Take it slow. Try very mushy, liquidy foods at first and then progress slowly from there.

Just remember to chew, chew, chew and take blueberry size bites.

Congrats on having such a good recovery so far!

So I guess I am still in limbo. I am to continue taking the antibiotics but seeing as the infection is draining, there is a risk that the incision will open right up. If this happens over the long weekend I am to cover it with gauze and go in on Tuesday to see him. If it is open he will admit me to hospital and remove the band Tuesday night. I'm going in on Tuesday after I drop my daughter as school either way as he wants to check it again.

He said most often it clears up on its own and that is what we are hoping for. But he has had a few patients that have had to have the band removed. If the incision opens there is no option though - the band has to come out.

If I am concerned I can go to the hospital over the weekend and the surgical team will call the dr. and let him know what is happening.

So, we are supposed to go away this weekend camping in our trailer and I am still looking forward to that but there will be no canoeing or swimming for me - I can't risk it with this infection. We are not going far so I can get to the hospital in a reasonable amount of time if I need to.

I am so upset about this. I am stressed and just feel like crying all the time. I can't do much of anything because now I am worried my incision with gap open. And I am worried about the prospect of 2 additional surgeries (1 to take the band out and another 6-12 weeks later to put another one back in).

Aaaagh!

BaileyRose - I hope you're having better luck than me!

Updating my situation:

The swelling seemed to subside significantly yesterday with

the exception of a small area around the incision (which is fully closed over) . This area seemed to get redder and almost looked like a big pimple under the incision. Well, this morning after my shower it popped. WARNING GROSS!!! A lot of blood mixed with clear Fluid (pus?) leaked out and the swelling under the incision is gone. It is still leaking a bit. And the redness there has somewhat subsided.

I am on my way down to the dr.'s right now so he can look at it. One thing I will say - they have been on top of things and willing to see me at a moments notice. I wasn't supposed to go in for my follow up appt. until tomorrow but he is seeing my at 1pm which is about as fast as I can get down there anyway.

Hopefully this is a good thing and means the infection will clear up and be gone very soon! I am tired of worrying and fretting about it.

BaileyRose - I sure hope your infection is gone and does not come back! My dr. did say this infection wasn't unusual and should clear on its own. Crossing my fingers for both of us!

Such a positive post in spite of the complication you are having! Thank you!

I just posted about an infection around my port site today. I am worried about the possibility of having 2 more surgeries (1 to remove the band and another to put it back in) but you are so right.... It can be fixed!

So thanks for your post. It helps me feel a little better about this situation.

Hope your port replacement surgery goes well!!

Hi everyone!

I am really hoping that I can get some information from people who have experienced what I am experiencing right now. I am 4+ weeks post-op and about 2.5 weeks ago I started developing a red, warm rash around my port site. My incision is completely closed over and there is no pus. It is pink/dark pink and warm to the touch and the skin sometimes feels like it is burned. My port is turned on its side but doesn't hurt. (The doc says it is still fillable and they will relocate it after I have lost my weight so it isn't so visible) There is one spot if I push on it the skin will start burning - not sure what that is.

Anyway, I went to the walk-in clinic over the first weekend I had the rash and was prescribed an antibiotic cream. I used that for a little over a week but the rash kept coming and going so I went to my family physician after about 8 days of the cream. She prescribed cipro (I am allergic to penicillin) for 1 week. I then went to see the surgeon from the banding clinic the following day (last Wednesday). He said you have a superficial skin infection, keep taking the cipro and come see me next Monday.

The infection seems to be improving but only by about 50% after 6 days on this antibiotic. So I went to see the surgeon again today and he prescribed a different antibiotic to start when I am done the cipro tomorrow morning. I am to go and see him again on Thursday as he is off on Friday and it is a long weekend. He doesn't seem overly concerned and said it should resolve itself but that my port could possibly be infected or if the infection doesn't clear up could possibly become infected. Then the band would have to come out, wait 8 weeks and try a new band (thankfully I have a 5-yr plan which is covered under the $16,000 I paid to have it done so all of these visits and any additional surgery will be covered) . He said there is no way to tell 100% that the port is not infected but he doesn't think it is. I am assuming that if this round of antibiotics doesn't work then the band will have to come out.

I am very worried and concerned. Has anyone had a similar experience and what was your outcome? Of course I am hoping for great recovery stories with a resolution after the antibiotics but I also want to be realistic about what I'm dealing with here.

Thanks so much for reading and I look forward to hearing your responses!

Wow!! You look fantastic!! Thanks for sharing those pics!

How frustrating!! I'm sorry I wasn't able to help but I sure hope you find some answers soon!!

I had my procedure done at Slimband in Toronto. One of their success stories on their website is a mother-daughter team. It might give some inspiration and confidence to you and your daughter. The website is www.slimband.com

I have only had my band since July 28 so I don't have any experience yet, really.

Take care and good luck to both of you!!

Well, I don't have any experience in that department but CONGRATULATIONS!!! That is exciting and wonderful news!!

Have you called Slimband? I just got my slimband on July 28th but my understanding is that if you find a doctor willing to be trained they will train that doctor on how to do a fill for you.

The other alternative might be to go to Windsor? Then it should be covered by Slimband and you shouldn't have to pay, right? Not sure where you are in Michigan.

Hope you find a solution!!

Here's my stats:

Highest weight 262

Weight when started pre-op diet: 225

Weight on surgery day (July 28): 218

Weight now: 210

Today was my first day of mushies and I"m expecting TOM soon so I will likely not lose anything for at least another week or so. That is ok though!

I'm crying too!! What a miracle and a blessing for you and your family!! I am soo happy for you!!

Thanks for sharing the ultrasound picture! I was going to call him/her a little bean but raspberry is cuter!!

Congrats on your weight loss so far! I am 1 week post op and my weight has been up and down with some Water retention and bloating so don't worry about the scale bouncing around - it is still on its weigh down!! Yesterday I was up 3lbs and my stomach felt like a big balloon. Today my stomach feels much better and 2 of those 3 lbs came back off. I just chalk it up to the healing phase and I don't think I was getting enough Water so my body was retaining it.

You are doing great but that amount of walking might have been a little 'too much, too soon' because of your inability to take in enough Protein and calories. Add the heat to that and it isn't too surprising that you were feeling woozy afterwards!

But hey, like you said you felt like you could have kept walking all night and that is such a wonderful feeling! It doesn't sound like you overdid it too much so maybe next time just don't go quite as long if it is really hot!

Once you get to foods you will likely have more energy and hopefully this heat will have dissipated!!

That is a great NSV!! Good for you!!

It is a nice feeling when you can get a hug from hubby and you fit together better than you did before!!

Congrats!