DELETE THIS ACCOUNT!

I hate to tell you this, but hernias do not heal on their own. And yes, it's because of the surgery. Hernias are caused by a weakness in the muscles of the abdominal walls and surgery causes that. It bothers me your doctor told you that. I've had problems with hernias a couple times, and I can tell you from experience they never get better only bigger and more painful the longer they go untreated. And treating them is fixing them via surgery. Talk to your surgeon again, but if he still insists it'll heal on it's own, you might want to consider a second opinion.

If it's red, it's likely hemorrhoids or fissures. If it's black/tarry, he needs to go to his doctor ASAP. That would be a sign of bleeding more internally. Either way, it's a coincidence with the fill.

Yes, what kind of pain? Is it like extreme pressure? Gas pain from surgery?

Congratulations! I'm so glad to hear all went well. Glad you're feeling good, too. Be sure to drink TONS of Water the next couple of days while you recover.

I'm still on it right now, my surgery was Jan. 6. Between the pre-surgical diet and the post-surgical liquid diet, I've lost over 35 pounds so far. ...I FINALLY get to start some real food next Friday. I'm so excited!

Wow I'm so sorry. I didn't have that happen after Lap-Band surgery, however I did have similar happen a couple years ago after another surgery. I remember crying in the bathroom my tummy hurt so bad. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. Of course this part won't help you now, but whenever I have to have general anesthetic and/or narcotic pain kills, I start taking Collace daily until I have have a BM after. It's a softner, not a laxative, but enough to keep you from getting in that miserable state.

It definitely sounds like you need a new surgeon to take over your care. I can't believe the complete lack of not only compassion but healthy direction. Did he set you up with a nutrionist ever? Give you food guidelines at all? An important piece of advice I tell people often, and this is just about Lap-Band it's anytime you're dealing with a doctor: Remember, you are the boss. They are they employee. The doctor works for you. If you don't like the service you're getting? FIRE THEM! I would start by researching other surgeons in your area. Then make an appointment, explain your situation, and see if they'd be willing to take over. When you go to explain your situation, get a feel for them. Don't stop looking until you find one you're comfortable with. Best wishes to you.

Yup the others are right. The first couple months it's about will power not restriction from the band. I was just banded on 1/6 and am still on a liquid diet, and let me tell you, my tummy is growling starving all the time. I have to time my food so I can eat (drink) something every 2 hours or I'm miserable. I know it's going to be this way for the next couple months until I've had a couple fills, too. We just have to white knuckle through it, eat what we know we're supposed to rather than what we want, and hang in there until we find our Green Zone.

Pre-op is hard because you're on a seriously restricted diet but aren't banded yet so no stomach restriction. I was hungry ALL the time. I was just banded on 1/6 and am still waiting for my first fill. However, it's still easier now than it was pre-op. (my surgeon still has me liquids) Hang in there, it's worth it.

Good luck to you! Let us know how it goes once you're home and feeling up to it!

Yes, glad you remembered! You definitely need to start the Vitamins right away. The nutrients will be important when you're on a limited diet in the beginning. Did your doctor advise Protein shakes? If so, you'll want to pick those up too.

Hi Amanda and welcome Have you met with a dietitian yet? You will soon if not, and they would be the one to ask specific amounts. Here's the thing about the different diet stages. The pre-op diet is for one man reason: Shrinking the liver prior to surgery. Obese people also tend to have enlarged fatty livers. In order for the surgeon to access your stomach, they want our livers shrunk as much as they can. This also reduces risk of the liver being accidentally nicked too. What you're doing sounds great, btw! The big focus on Protein really comes into play post surgery. Be it via shakes or just in the food you eat, you will need the protein not only to heal after surgery but to maintain muscle and lose fat. This is why post surgery we're advised to always eat our protein first, the rest of the meal (veggies, carbs, etc) after. They want to make sure if nothing else makes it in the protein does. As a general rule, most people recommend 45-60 grams of protein a day. Personally, I suck at keeping track of stuff like that so I downloaded a free app from the Android market called "Lose it!". It tracks it for me so i can see at a glance how much I'm eating and what nutrients it offers. If you're interested, here's a link to another post here I started about it: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/141462-great-android-app-for-food-intake/page__p__1704624__hl__android__fromsearch__1#entry1704624 Also keep in mind, it seems surgeons don't all follow the same exact diet either. They all focus on protein, but the way the prefer you go about it varies, including how much. So, regardless of what I or anyone say here, always follow your doctor or dietitian's orders above ours. Best wishes to you

Hahaha glad I could make you smile Granted people here don't know me (yet) but I tend to be very sarcastic by nature. You'll see that side come out often when something irritates me. It's my coping mechanism I guess. (but I swear I'm actually very nice despite the sarcastic wit! lol!)

My heart goes out to you. Unless someone has ever lived on a very tight budget, they usually don't understand how much more expensive it is to eat healthy food than cheap unhealthy foods. It's a heck of a lot cheaper to brown some high fat ground beef and make Hamburger Helper than to cook a meal with fresh veggies and chicken breasts. My advice is to buy the healthy food in bulk. For instance, budget stores like Aldi and Save-A-Lot usually will sell big bags of chicken breasts. Not only is it cheaper there, but then you just thaw one or two at a time as you need them. You can do the same with fish. The whole Hamburger Helper example? Use lean ground turkey instead of ground beef, get the whole grain varieties, use skim milk and "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter". Yes it does cost a little more, but once you buy the extras you have it on hand for other meals too. Even good old meatloaf, just use lean ground turkey instead of beef, and make a tomato sauce and ketchup version rather than fatty brown gravy. I find if I look at a lot of the cheap foods I'm used to, minor changes can really make them a lot healthier with a little creativity. Oh and if your problem is staying full without snacking, it could be you need another fill. I'd definitely tell your doc to be sure. Best wishes to you!

It wasn't anything difficult or tricky, however, I was seriously annoyed by the lady I saw. I answered all her questions honestly, including the fact I have MS and do have some cognitive issues because of it. I regret admitting that because next thing I knew she was asking absolutely stupid questions like "Is there someone around to remind you to eat? Or go to doctor's appointments after surgery?" I just glared at her a moment, drug my arms down the length of my body and snarked "Does it look like I ever forget to eat? And did I not make it here just fine? I have MS I'm not stupid" I don't condone or advise lying at all, however if you have any underlying conditions (like me with MS) be careful how much you share.

As for shopping, post surgery you'll be on the clear diet. So, here's an example of what you'll want to have on hand: -skim milk -Soup broth or stock -yogurt without chunks/fruit -sugar free Popsicles -sugar free Jello -no sugar added fruit juice It's really important you stay hydrated. Dannon makes little 8oz bottles of Water. I bought some and they worked great for monitoring my water intake. As for in the hospital, I would suggest a bathrobe and slippers for sure. They'll have you up and walking the halls pretty soon after surgery. Make sure you bring loose clothes for the ride home, as you don't waist bands and stuff rubbing on your incisions. Don't forget to bring any prescription meds with you, too. You'll do great. Best wishes to you!

I lost just over 10 pounds the first week, too. Then another almost 5 last week. I'm definitely not complaining

Hi Judunn23, sorry you're having a rough time. I know you said you can't have veggies, however potatoes are a veggie and a very starchy one at that. If you can handle potatoes you can likely easily handle a salad. I think elcee's point was, if you feel you need to have items not on the diet, then maybe try to make healthier choices about it when you do. I know it's not easy. I'm two weeks post op and as I type this, my stomach is growling like crazy. I'm HUNGRY! lol But it's way too late at night so I refuse to eat. I'll just have to survive 'til I have my protein shake for breakfast. I'm still on liquids, too. It makes it extremely hard to feel satisfied when your tummy is healed, you have nothing in your band, and you only consume stuff you can drink. It sucks! I freely admit, the temptation has been huge to 'cheat' a couple times. The other night, I made my kids Texas Toast to go with their spaghetti. I am a cheese freak, and the smell of that garlicy cheese was torture. I wanted one, even just a bite, SO BAD!! Same thing when my daughter eats a bagel. I love bagels and the smell alone about drove me insane. I'm still not entirely sure how I've resisted this far, I only thank God that I've been able to so far. It's not easy. At all. Perhaps it would help to find more protein rich foods you like? Like maybe chicken breast, shredded, in a light BBQ sauce. Easy to chew and digest yet light on calories. Perhaps a chicken salad with low fat mayo. Even low fat cottage cheese has a shockingly high amount of protein in it. I even thought up a way to cook a meatloaf using ground turkey, ketchup, and tomato sauce (rather than brown gravy and all the fat). Try to get creative with your protein so you feel more satisfied and enjoy what you eat! I know it's hard right now, but try to hang in there. I think RL support group would be great, and in the meantime, we're here too

I was just banded a little over two weeks ago, so I remember the roller coaster of emotions you're feeling right now well. My best advice? Breath Honestly though, it's normal to feel all that. I know I bounced between excitement and "oh my gosh, what am I doing?" more and more the closer my surgery date came. When I was waiting in the pre-surgical room, all hooked up to IV's, in my gown, and waiting to be wheeled away, I remember thinking "oh crap I can't do this, I gotta cancel, crap!" Thankfully, I stuck to my guns and went through with it. I am SO glad I did, too. I've already lost about 35 pounds just from the pre-op diet and these two weeks of being banded. Keep reminding yourself of all the reasons you scheduled this surgery to begin with. Try to picture yourself a year from now, tons thinner and a lot healthier. Think of how much better you'll both feel and look. And remember, Lap-Band is 100% reversible. So, even in the absolute worst case scenario, it can be removed if necessary and you'll be back to normal. Gastric Bypass- not the case. It can't be undone. Hang in there and be sure to let us know how it goes! You'll do great!

Hi All! I just had to share a pretty cool app I've been using the last couple weeks. It's called "Lose It!" and it's free on the Android market. Unlike others, making an online account isn't required (but it is possible). It tracks your weight loss, goals, and food intake. The cool thing is, it's all adjustable to meet your specific needs. I use it to track my food. Everything I eat, I enter. You can enter food by brand name, scanning them via bar code, or manual entry. Once you've used a certain food once it's easy to "pick from previous meals" and use it again. I really like it also tracks nutrients. On any given day, I can see how many grams of Protein I've consumed, what percentage of my diet was carbs vs. Proteins, fat consumed, etc. Of course it also shows calories consumed. It'll also showing me weekly averages. I find this very helpful, especially for tracking my protein intake, because I see the big picture at a glance and know specifically what I need to change (or what's working and not to change). When you set it up the first time, it'll ask your starting weight and goal weight. Then, it'll ask how fast you want to lose it, the most possible being 2 pounds a week. It will then calculate how many calories you can consume daily to reach your goal. As you loose weight and enter it in, it not only tracks your weight loss but also adjusts the number of calories you can consume. If you don't want to consume a high amount of calories (like me), you also have the option to adjust your daily intake goal. Anyway, I just thought I'd share my find with you all. Here's a link to it if anyone is interested: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.fitnow.loseit&feature=related_apps#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEwOSwiY29tLmZpdG5vdy5sb3NlaXQiXQ..

The only thing it didn't already have was the unjury shakes. But even then, all I did was scan the bar code and it added it for me in seconds. It's really quick and easy. Oh, it even has restaurant foods in it! So you can easily track when eating out!

I had the same problem. I felt simply awful and malnourished. My only advice is to make sure you're taking a good multi-Vitamin to help make up the difference. Also, you may want to consider a Breakfast drink like Carnation sugar free. It not only has some Protein but other necessary nutrients as well. I know it's rough but I promise it's worth it. I just had surgery on Jan. 6, and 2 weeks post surgery I've already lost almost 35 pounds. That is in big part to the pre-op diet. Best wishes to you!

I'm only 5'4 and my port is also just under my ribcage.

Just like in the 6 weeks post surgery, I'm finding doctors have all kinds of different pre-op diets too. As for myself, I wasn't told I had to lose a certain amount of weight, but I was put on Clear Liquids prior to surgery. I would suggest you do what your specific surgeon asks and not worry about the rest. Everyone is different.