Stacie from St. Louis

That is good news (the lack of pain). I am 15 days post surgery and am doing much better, too. Each day brings an improvement. Are you scared to get that fill? I'm a little scared, because I don't look forward to going back to that burping, painful feeling that I had post surgery - it probably won't be that bad, though. We are having a baby shower at work today for a co-worker - these events usually mean everyone brings a dish and it is a food free-for-all. Not looking forward to that now that my appetite is back, LOL!

Breeze0404, I feel better every day. The incisions are not problematic, and the soreness from those was comparable to having done a whole lot of crunches and the muscle soreness you get the next day. It was the "gas" pains from the CO2 in my stomach and endless painful burping during the first week that was super difficult. I guess your esophagus and stomach are swollen following the surgery, so every swallow is rough at first. Take the pain medication they offer! Don't hesitate. The burping gets better by about the 5th day. Following that, my biggest issue has been nausea. They think that may be due to excess stomach acid, which seems to be better when I eat yogurt and Tums. At my 1 week follow up I'd lost about 17 lbs (presurgery diet and 1 week post op liquids) but haven't gotten on a scale since. My pants are definitely looser, which is exciting! I'm on soft foods now. One big issue that I wasn't prepared for is trying to get my medications down. I take Celebrex (for joint pain) and Cymbalta (for depression/anxiety), and a blood pressure pill. The first two are in capsules, which are too big to swallow now. So I have to break them open and sprinkle the contents in Jello. I don't think that works terribly well, so I wish I'd known that ahead of time so I could get liquids or smaller tablets. Just FYI. Looking foward to talking with you all and hearing about your experiences.

I live in O'Fallon, MO and was banded two weeks ago today. I'm a little older than you (51) but would love to connect and support one another.

Okay, I went to the tickerfactory and set it up, but how do I post it on my profile here? (I'm technically-challenged.)

I want to know that, too! I hope someone tells you...

Has anyone out there experienced any sort of panic? I am five days post-op, and last night I was completely miserable. I was in pain, I was exhausted, and I began to panic. I expected to feel better by this point and I'm beginning to question my decision to have this surgery. It could be that I'm used to eating when stressed (or upset, or angry, or sad, or happy, LOL) and now I can't. I hate to be so negative when everyone else is so positive on this site, but I could use some help right now.

I agree - without this online forum I'd be lost!

I am still on soft foods, which I don't really mind. Big improvement after Protein shakes! Thanks for asking. The rough-going I was referring to is nearly constant nausea. I feel on the verge of vomiting and nothing sounds good. I contacted the nurse practitioner who is following me and she thinks it may be due to excess stomach acid; she advised me to eat smaller amounts and increase the frequency to every couple of hours, to try chewable Tums, and add more dairy. She said nausea isn't a common side effect or reaction.

I'm pretty new at this (only two weeks post-op) but have been reading everything I can get my hands on about this process. From what I am read I suspect you may be focusing too much on the notion of "restriction." The goal of the surgery is appetite reduction and slowing of digestion, I think, rather than restriction. The band isolates the top portion of the stomach, which contains nerve endings that relay the message to our brain that we are "satisfied" or full. Without the band, we have to fill our entire stomach to feel full or satisfied; with the band, we can attain satiety by eating much, much less. However, it takes months to learn this and entails re-training our brains and emotions. We are used to eating a lot of food very quickly and paying little or no attention to the notion of satiety. With the band we need to learn to eat a small amount very slowly. We have to learn to "tune in" to our sensations of fullness. Repeating, it can take MONTHS. That doesn't mean I won't feel the same exact way as you in a couple of months. The surgery was drastic and like everyone else, I am hoping for drastic results. But I'm afraid that's magical thinking and you have to fight it. I hope this helps. And I hope someone with more experience will correct me if I'm wrong or off-base. __________________________

Congratulations on your FABULOUS weight loss and many, many thanks for the encouraging words! I am only two weeks post-surgery and am finding it rough going so far. Your story was exactly what I needed to hear today.

Hey, I'm the one who started this thread and just wanted to let you know that I'm feeling much better and you will feel better soon. Make sure you take the pain medication (they gave me liquid pain medication that helped alot) I was banded two weeks ago tomorrow and it was around the fifth day that things began to improve. There's a lot of swelling at first that makes it hard to get anything down but small, small sips of liquid or nibbles of jell-o. I also ate a lot of ice chips, which were soothing. I'm still struggling with nausea but I'm told this is due to excess stomach acid. IN general, I"m much better than when I wrote that initial post. Good luck, Pixiedust5586! -Stacie

Hi, Princess MIri - I was banded on October 11 and like you, have only told a select few. Glad to know you and looking forward to hearing more from you on the boards.

:Banane10: :bananapartyhat: This is unimaginable! Congratulations!!!!!! :bananapowerslide:

Joyce, I am 8 days post-surgery and have found it harder than I expected. However, I am getting better every day. I agree with everything Corrigan, above, said. That is the advice that was given to me by the surgeon AND the nurse practitioner who is following me for the next year. Take the pain medicine! Why put yourself through unnecessary suffering?

Thanks for the support, it really helps.

Is the under-the-tongue B-12 available over the counter?

Sarah, Welcome. I am a newbie on this site (five days post-op as of today). Your goals are impressive, and I look forward to hearing your progress. Stacie (from St. Louis)

Hi Everyone! I was banded on October 11th and am struggling like crazy with gas pains (at least that's what I think they are). I had hoped to go back to work today but didn't because the pains are rough and I'm still really tired. Despite all that, I am hopeful about the future and can't wait to re-enter my own life. As for goals, that's a hard one. I know I need to loose about 100 lbs, but mainly I want to be able to play kickball, volleyball, and participate in every aspect of my 10 year old daughter's life. I can't wait to get healthy.

"Trapped indigestion" is the perfect description!

Congratulations! I was banded two days ago and am so thrilled to hear about your positive results. I know how hard it's been for you and look forward to hearing more about your journey. I've been going back and forth, up and down the last month. I can finally say 100lbs is gone from my life never to be seen again! WOOHOO!! I have really worked hard. Exercised consistently. Listened to my Doctor. Keep looking forward and never look back. I don't beat myself up for the occasional slip up just start new with every meal. I weigh myself everyday but only record it weekly. When it is the same for a couple of days I know I have to switch it up (food and exercise) and I try hard not to get upset by the number. I have been successful with that. I need to weigh myself daily. It is a check in for me and it works. I know that is not right for everyone though, just what worked for me. I have really tried to stay positive through this journey. I look ahead to what new things I can try as I lose weight. I really want to go ziplining and skydiving! I want to have another baby. I want to shop in a regular store and not plus size. I want to cross my legs. I am so excited for what's to come in my life. Seven months ago I took the first step to living a happy and healthy life. While it has also been the most emotional and difficult journey I have ever been on, at the end of the day I love every second of my new life. I am so happy!