lisacaron

I'd like to tell you that yes you should have a fullness feeling....but I can't do it. Not everyone has swelling after surgery, I was one of those unlucky people too. You maybe a fast healer which over all is a good thing, I had no swelling and no feelings of fullness or restriction after my surgery. I stuck to the Dr. prescribed plan of liquids only and I ate them slowly and didn't gulp but I was HUNGRY!!! My husband who was banded 3 days after me thought I was crazy! He had great restriction after surgery and didn't want to think about food. Me I was screaming that I could smell the pizza and hot wings on TV and it was making my mouth water!! I wanted to eat! I had enough of liquids and chocolate and vanilla anything. I made it through all that, (bandster hell yes it's real for some of us.) I stuck to the diet liquids and then mushes I was never so happy to eat paste like food in my life! Wendy's Chilli in the blender AWESOME!!!! If you doc says OK to the fill early your lucky...I waited the full 8 weeks before my first fill. Don't rush it..you need to heal, so don't stress the weight loss right now. Follow Dr.'s orders and you will get past it I promise!!

What are water test fills?

Hi Jenn, Welcome and best wishes for a speedy recovery tomorrow! I'm sure you have read all around here, but here are a few tips that really helped me through my first couple of weeks after surgery. Ice Pops are a life saver and help you get the fluids in. Warm decaf tea helps with fluids, soothes and helps release gas pains. Heating pad or hot Water bottle for under shoulders or back go help with gas pain. (do not put on wounds) For wound pain ice packs are the way to go especially at the port site. Walk, walk, walk, nothing will move the gas out like moving and it will help the healing process also. Ask the hospital or Dr. for some small medicine cups to sip from so your not overwhelmed with large gulps Have some Tylenol on hand and fill script for pain meds if your doctor gives them to you. As well as Gas-ex or Beano. Most of all give your self lots of TLC and give yourself time to heal before getting back into the every day grind.

Let us know how your doing Pura. I know we want to be tight enough not to overeat but I'm thinking you may still be a little too tight and maybe a little more loosening will help the band relax a bit. For me having something warm helps, and Bandista is right about stress. I feel your pain with that because I rarely if ever have a moment of down time. Weekend or no weekend there is always something and someone looking for me. I'm glad that all your test came back well and there is nothing wrong with your heart or your band right now. Take it easy, but if you don't settle into the level in the band consider taking out 1 more cc and see how you are. That might not be the key but it can't hurt and the upside is you can always put it back in when your feeling better.

Gov. Christy came out with the news that he was banded on the same day that my hubby was in getting his band 3 days after I had my surgery. I remember sitting in the surgical waiting room listening to all the media and press about it. You would think it was a Watergate scandal the way everyone was talking about it. I was proud of Christy at that moment. Here is a man who is intelligent, and has a nice position in the community in public office and though I'm sure he wanted to be private about it, was not afraid to advocate for the over weight. I admired the way he didn't let his weight sway his political aspirations and I applaud the way he has chosen to take some control over his issue to better his life for his family and community. He has to do it all under public and media scrutiny. You know people are looking more then they are listening right now. They want to SEE did he lose why isn't he losing what's going on is the band a failure or is Christy the failure? Those of us that choose to share that we have had WLS might endure some of those same questions and if you are uncomfortable hearing them from your mother in law imagine how you would feel if you heard them screamed from TV screens, magazines and newspapers? No weight loss surgery is an easy answer, it takes hard work, and 100% commitment to make it work. For some the weight melts off after surgery only to come back again before hopefully it's gone for good. For others it comes off slowly never to return again. Still for some, there are issues and failures of surgical procedures and/or compliance on the part of the patient and the weight is never lost. It is not our job to judge, it is our job to support and encourage. Not just others but ourselves. To be bold enough to go for surgery to go through the required testing and the recovery and all of that proves that we have the fortitude and we CAN do it. When things don't work the way we want or expect them to, we lose some of our fortitude and we forget how strong and committed we were when we first set our feet on this path. We want to sit back and let the band or the sleeve or the RNY do the work for us, but it is WE who must do the work. Those tools are there for us to help catch us when we fall, so that we are not broken this time with our tools we can get back up, heal the hurts and keep striving forward. If we expect to just sit there, if we are going to wallow in our misery no matter what that is at the moment. Stress, discomfort, illness, sadness what ever. If we are going to wallow in those things, we are going to be stuck and we are going to sink like we are in quicksand. Our WLS tools help us to pull our heads above it and out of it but we have to put them to use. We can't just sit back and expect it to happen. We are a community of WLS patients, and together we can help support ourselves and each other. Take a moment and remember how you felt as you first set your feet on the path to WLS. Find that courage and conviction and let that motivate you today! Share your story with others, and ask them to share theirs with you, and motivate each other! Hearing Gov Christy admit to having the lapband and his reasons for doing it and watching him stand tall in the public eye for good and for bad helps to motivate me. It takes me back to the beginning and helps me view my progress in hindsight giving me the opportunity to learn from and correct mistakes I have made as well as to plan my next steps as I move forward in my weight loss journey.

Pass Catfish a hug from all of us!!!

Go this is awesome news!!! You are a true warrior!

This could be said for the sleeve as well as the bypass. I'm all for stats but check them and share them for all procedures before posting a negative comment. There are pros and cons to all WLS. The simple truth is that this poster and anyone who is deciding on something so life altering, should decide what is best for HER/HIM. They should read all the stats and do all the research but they should also weigh heavily on the advice of doctors that KNOW them and their medical history. Statistics are cold hard facts, when your making a life decision you should always get your doctors opinions and advice as well as getting advice and opinions from people who have undergone and are living with the surgery. I my humble opinion that is THE ONLY way to come to a sound decision that you will never regret.

Ha! Sometimes it feels like I work at Discovery Zone!!! Actually I work in technology and communications company. We have a gym on site for employees. It's an awesome company lots and lots of characters! Disney better watch out

Did the Dr. ever give you a reason for why the band eroded?

I didn't want to...but I went to the gym and got my 40 min walk in before the muscle heads and my boss arrived. Just finishing up as he was snapping a towel at my ass to get my attention The muscle heads....yeah you can just see them saying "I pick things up and put them down". It's either that or the orgasm patrol that ugh and ooo and ahhh ooo mmmm through ever set. Thank God for noise canceling headphones!!!

Happy Hump Day everyone! It's past noon here in NY, so we are the down slide into the weekend!!! Wooo HOOO now if I can only stay awake! The cold weather is really taking it out of me! Inside it's warm, almost too warm, and I am falling asleep as I thaw out!! Day dreaming of Hawaii and walks on the beach....snorkeling with the fishes and not busting out of my swim suit. What's motivating you today?

Hi Pepper, I would not accept this as an answer, the doctor should know if they are in the port or not. I have had a miss before, but they withdrew the needle and made sure it was in the port before pushing the fill in. They can check by pulling a bit out first and then putting it and the rest of the fill back. I would not be happy to have had to go through taking all the fluid out and then filling it back in. (just saying) I do get questions "are you losing weight" "you look great, how's it going" stuff like that and I just say I'm great thanks how are you doing? I don't let anyone be my monitor, I'm a grown woman and if someone wanted to take care of me and monitor my habits they would have to buy me a 2 carat diamond first before I would even consider it. Just ask my hubby!

I have a fill scheduled for tomorrow...and hoping this gets me into the greenzone this time. I don't understand why no more fills for you...I know 12 is close to the 14 capacity but it's not at capacity. I worried also since I am 6.5 in a 10cc but i know it's not in the green zone yet. Close but not there just yet and I'm ready to go as far as it takes to get there.

Hi Sally, Do you still have your band? If so why don't you have any restriction to help you? I know finding that elusive greenzone is not the easiest thing to do. I am still searching for mine, but I'm not giving up.

My motto through this whole thing has been slow and steady wins the race! I am not showing any HUGE numbers on the scale each month, but I have lost 6 dress sizes and I know for SURE that I will never see those number again except maybe on my winning lotto ticket!

Hello and welcome! It is very normal to be swollen and in pain after surgery. Here are a few tips: Ice pops are a great way to get fluids in and they help with the inflammation inside the throat and stomach while they go down they are soothing. Decaffeinated tea will also help to relax the nerves in the esophagus and allow fluids to pass a little bit easier and this also will give you some fluids just be sure it is decaf. It also helped me with gas pain. You can sweeten with sweet n low or other substitute as needed. Gas-Ex or Beano will help with the gas that also adds to that heavy chest feeling. Use a heating pad or hot Water bottle on your back or under your shoulders and neck to help the gas move. Walk walk walk, that will get things moving and you should have some relief I felt that sitting up right rather then lying flat helped tremendously. Ice packs really help on the wound sites specifically the port site. When you drink use a medicine cup, one that you would measure cold medicine in and take tiny sips every minute or so. Feel better soon!!!

Hello and welcome! It is very normal to be swollen from surgery. It is also very important to get your fluids in you don't want to dehydrate. That said here are a few tips: Ice pops are a great way to get fluids in and they help with the inflammation inside the throat and stomach while they go down they are soothing. Decaffeinated tea will also help to relax the nerves in the esophagus and allow fluids to pass a little bit easier and this also will give you some fluids just be sure it is decaf. It also helped me with gas pain. You can sweeten with sweet n low or other substitute as needed. Gas-Ex or Beano will help with the gas that also adds to that heavy chest feeling. Use a heating pad or hot Water bottle on your back or under your shoulders and neck to help the gas move. Walk walk walk, that will get things moving and you should have some relief I felt that sitting up right rather then lying flat helped tremendously. Ice packs really help on the wound sites specifically the port site. When you drink use a medicine cup, one that you would measure cold medicine in and take tiny sips every minute or so. Feel better soon!!!

Hi WTC, I am in the same boat as you. I don't get that TOM anymore (I had a hysterectomy in 2011) the way most younger ladies do, however I do have one ovary left and though it is in ovarian failure and doesn't ovulate any more what I have been told is that the simple fact that I have the organ still there, and this would apply to you triple if you still have all your organs, ovaries and uterus, that there are hormones that are emitted from the organs themselves even if they no longer function for fertility. This is what leads our bodies (we wish it was true!) gracefully into the second phase of our lives menopause. So just like you once a month or so, my band will feel a bit tighter and sometimes depending on my Water in take and the foods I have chosen if they are high sodium I will get a bit bloated as well. It's fairly normal, if you are uncomfortable it always a safe bet to say to speak with your doctor about it as well as others on the site.

Welcome back lady glad you found the new site, and I'm feeling your pain! We will all make it through the holidays together! I love this site for that very reason! Always someone here to be supportive I was very happy to report I was not able to nor did I have the desire to gorge over the Thanksgiving holiday, and I"m looking forward to eating even less for the Christmas holiday. I plan to take a taste everything and enjoy sharing the time with my family and friends I love the band for just those reasons, it really keeps me accountable to what I am putting in my mouth and my focus is not all on the food anymore!

That is so very true for me Terry! There are times when stressed or upset and when I just feel like i need to give myself a break that I turn to food. I am not hungry and if I ask myself why I am eating something I know pretty well why. I try to combat the feeling, and maybe drink something or substitute something for that feeling, but I have to be honest there are times when I just need to have that comfort that I am seeking. I try to make it a good choice, and sometimes if I really really want it and there is NO reasoning with my head or my heart I have it and I don't feel guilty about it. I know why I had it, and I don't beat myself up about it and I move on and get back on track. Life is out there and it tastes pretty good, so I take my bite out of it and I don't regret it. I just get back on my path and move on. I know that the weight I have lost is GONE this time forever. It might be slow in coming off, but I know it's gone for good!

Are you newly banded? Sometimes it's a result of gas that's still trapped inside, but I am going to hazard the guess that it's more likely a result of digestion. When we digest some foods that are high in Protein and/or have lots of whey, milk/dairy Proteins they can release a gas that can be trapped for a bit as the food moves through your stomach to your intestines to complete digestion. The same can be true for some fibrous matter like green leafy vegetables. I had a bit of that just after banding about 2-3 months after, I added a probiotic to my daily Vitamins and if I have any type of Protein Bar, with whey or dairy protein I take a lactaid and that pretty much stemmed the burping. Always let your Dr. know and ask their advice before adding supplements or making any changes to your diet plan.

My advice to you is to seek out and speak to a few other surgeons and get more opinions. Especially since you are self pay they are working for YOU. Do lots of research there is also a study being done now which is the band with plication which mimics the sleeve procedure without removing the stomach. it folds it in upon itself and sutures it to be a smaller stomach. Research research research there are lots of options out there, do your homework before you make a decision and when you do make sure it's what YOU are comfortable with.

Buried in snow here on Long Island today, well OK not buried but we are going to have 2-4 inches of it. I made my way to the office before the snow this morning and now thinking that maybe I should leave around 2 and make that long journey home! I have the feeling it's going to take me a least an 2 hours or more! I am going to hit the gym before I go though, and while the rest of the office eats pizza and Cosi for lunch, I"m going to get my grilled chicken onions, peppers and small salad and stay on track this snowy Tuesday!

I need to envision I am there in sunny Florida! It is cold and wet and miserable here in NY this Monday. Hard to motivate or find inspiration to do much of anything. I did muster up some get up and go and got up and went to the gym today for a 30 minute walk. I have my 25th high school reunion coming up in April and I would love to be able to say I look the same! (OK only 25 years older