SElaine

Hey Everyone! I hear ya. At first my plan wasn't to tell anyone but immediate family, either. Of course my husband knew, but besides that I only told my parents. Well, found out later that my siblings knew.... and if they knew.... well, soon everyone would know. So, now I'm just open about it because I figure most people know anyway. Most people have been supportive. A lot of people asking a lot of questions. But there have also been a few less than helpful comments along the way. One person made the comment to me that starving myself wasn't a healthy way to lose weight. Of course, I made the comment that I wasn't starving and that the point was I wouldn't get hungry and I could eat less. Then that person said in their opinion that it was starving yourself and just disguising the body's natural desire to eat. So, in essence she was saying I was starving myself but just didn't know it. Told my mother-in-law last week. We are going on vacation to visit her in a few days and I knew at this point I knew I couldn't hide it from her. I figured it best to come clean so I don't offend her when I don't eat her cooking! She said, "Oh, I've heard of that. What happens when they blow you up so tight you burst?" , and then started laughing. Never once did she ask how the surgery went. Oh, well. You can't live your life by what others think or how they behave. I know this was the best decision for me. Nichole, The two week pre-op diet was tough. Hang in there, it does get better. Mike told me I could have boiled egg whites or skinless chicken breast if I needed something to eat. However, I found if I ate anything, it made it more difficult and I just wanted to eat more. After about 3-4 days it became pretty much routine. Some days were better than others, that's for sure. Just remember to keep you eye on the prize (a healthier you!) We've all been through it. I know I can sympathize! JMS, Are you able to eat OK now after your fill? Do you seem to be having any issues? Do you feel restricted enough? Phoenixwife, I am lucky in that my husband has always been completely supportive of me and the lap-band. However, I still don't think he has much comprehension of how difficult a process this really has been (and continues to be). He's the kind of guy who cuts out Coke for a couple of weeks and loses 40 pounds. He's also never had a surgery. I love him and I am so proud he is my husband, but it does help to have this community of people to turn to for support. Those who don't struggle with weight issues or who are not familiar with the lap-band just don't have the same perspective. And, frankly, this has been a difficult decision to make. Surgery has been emotionally, physically, and financially draining, and everyday is a major life change for me. It's comforting to know I can talk to others who are (or have been) in my situation and can understand what I'm going through.

Hi Janie! Glad you are here! :welcome2:

Hi JMS, Welcome! I was also self-pay. Yikes! I didn't realize the fills were that expensive. I thought I heard somewhere they were $250. Goodness, that's good to know. My insurance hasn't paid a single dime and they let me know they won't, either. I had 2cc. in my band and went in and had 1cc. taken out. I was too restricted; I was having trouble getting water down. I had difficulty getting answers from anyone for a couple of days and getting in was another story. Luckily, Dr. DeBarros told me he wouldn't charge me for that visit. Thank goodness. I'm nervous enough about ever getting another fill after what I went through. Now another $370 is like another stab in the gut. Oh, well. You can't put a cost on being healthy, right?

Hey, Nichole! Welcome! I also had my surgery done by Dr. DeBarros. There are several of us on this board. If you get a chance, stop by the AZ board once in a while and check-in. We are going to try and have a get together once a month. If you are able to make it down, we would love to have you! The two week pre-op diet is tough. Hang in there! It will all be worth it in the end. July 9 is just around the corner! Good luck! Shauna

Awesome, V.! Thanks for posting!

Rhonda, The liquid Protein diet I was on was a pre-op diet required by my surgeon prior to surgery. The goal is to get in a lot of protein and absolutely no sugar. During that two week period I was allowed to have: *Protein shakes made w/ Water or diet soy milk only (No slim-fast or anything like that; they have too many carbs. The best one I have found personally is

Hi Rhonda, Welcome to LBT! I would get clarification. I don't know for sure about your particular insurance company but a lot of companies will require you to lose 10 percent of your EXCESS body weight. For example, if you are 100 pounds overweight you would need to lose 10 pounds. I think most of us have yo-yo dieted in the past. We get the weight off somehow, but end up putting it all back on. This scenario is a little different in that if you lose the weight and have surgery while you are at the insurance companies target goal, you will not gain the weight back and will continue to lose. I lost 15 pounds during my two week liquid Protein diet prior to surgery. There is no way I could have done that long term, but it got me to where I needed to be for surgery. Good luck to you!

You are so funny. Ok, let's gossipDr. DeBarros looked really good. He told me he was down 38 pounds, exactly the same amount I am down. (I was tempted to ask about his 7cc fill, but didn't.) Mike and I basically just went over the stuff that I missed on the post-op visit. Week four of the post-op diet. We talked about Protein intake, you know, fun stuff like that. I thanked him for helping me this last week with all of my issues Nope, didn't ask about Saturdays. Didn't even think of it at the time. At this point, I don't know when I will try another fill. It depends on how I feel and if the swelling goes down. Right now, I can't imagine ever getting one but I'm sure that will change. I'm leaving in about 10 days for vacation and will be gone two weeks, so at the earliest it will probably be about a month from now.

I think our bands hold 10cc.

Hey, V. I am so excited you got your laptop back! Yeah for you! Sorry to hear about the heartburn. That sucks. Hopefully, the prilosec will help. Does it come in a liquid or chewy form? I had cottage cheese for dinner. (Looks like we are on the same diet!) I measured half a cup. I nibbled on it for almost an hour and never finished all of it. I still feel a little tight (although no pain, thank goodness) and I don't want to overdo it. Since last week when all of my nonsense started, I have begun burping/hiccuping after every drink I take. Does anyone else get this? I asked Dr. DeBarros and he said that it is from being too tight and that it would go away. I have still had it very predictably all day. (It really makes me nervous I'm still too restricted.) Oh, forgot to mention I met with Mike today. I figured I paid for it and didn't see him last time so I might as well. He is always so helpful.

Hi guys! I thought I would stop by and give you an update. The past few days have been really rough for me. I started having extreme abdominal pain on Friday night that lasted through Saturday night. I almost went to the ER, but held out. At first I thought it might be the gas pains everyone talks about, but now I'm not sure. Luckily, most of that pain is gone. Ever since then, however, I have become more and more restricted every day. Since Satuday, I have had nothing but a liquid diet. I did call.... I was basically told the same thing as before.... I must have swelling that is causing me more restriction.... go on a liquid diet for a few days and the swelling should decrease. Yesterday I had a mini panic attack. When I woke up yesterday morning I couldn't get Water down. I called the office several times yesterday and had a difficult time getting answers or help. Here's how that went: I called the office at exactly 8:30 in the morning when they opened. I was told the computers were down and that somebody would call me back. I waited three hours and after nobody called me back, I called again. This time it took me several times to get through to anybody. Finally, I got the same receptionist (she's new.... I'll be gentle). She said "Oh, yeah. Didn't you call this morning?" Ummm, yup. And you said you were going to call me back! But, I didn't say anything. I told her my situation again. I told her I was having trouble getting water down and that I needed to come in for an unfill. She didn't know what that was. OK, no problem. I explained to her that I'm not able to drink water and that I needed to come in and have Fluid removed from my band. She said OK and looked up my record. Then she proceded to tell me that I already have an appt. set up for June 28. By this point, I was so frustrated I was in tears. I explained to her that I couldn't wait until next week that I was scared of becoming dehydrated. (For goodness sake, it's 111 outside!) She then proceeded to tell me that I can't have any fluid taken out because I haven't had a fill yet and I have to wait six weeks. What??? I explained about the AP band and already having a fill during surgery and she acted like I was stupid and crazy. I finally just mentioned to her that I had discussed some of this with Mike and she could clarify with him. She put me on hold and talked to Mike. (Apparently, both surgeons out of the office-- probably in surgery since it was a Tuesday morning.) She comes back to the phone and then says she will try to get a hold of a doctor and call me back. I waited all day. I was in tears and scared. I almost grabbed my kids and headed for the ER just to get an IV. I tried calling back several times and could never get anyone. I finally sent Mike an e-mail (a rather long, distraught one) and as soon as I did the receptionist called me back and made an appt. for first thing this morning. (Thank goodness for Mike. I have been able to count on him for everything.) Luckily, as the day went on my restriction started to subside and I was able to get some fluids in. I'm sure it wasn't enough, though. I had to take really really small sips or I couldn't get it down. It took me all day to get in 16 oz. of water and a few ounces of broth. I woke up this morning with the same restriction. I couldn't get more than a sip of water down. Luckily, I had my appt. The fill process (or unfill, in my case) wasn't bad. After you have your initial consultation in one of the numbered rooms they take you to the room with the ultrasound. The medical assistant ran the ultrasound to locate the port and marked it for the doctor. This did hurt a little bit; just the pressure of her pushing down on my port with the ultrasound. Then the shots. The needles were quite large in my opinion but the shots didn't hurt at all. Just think heparin shot or flu shot. The painful part was all of the pressure on the port. Dr. DeBarros (my favorite) had to grap the area with the port in one hand and inject with the other. Just having someone grap my port is what hurt the most. Then they had me sit up and drink water to make sure it was going down. I drank about 1/2 bottle of water and it went down fine. I had 2cc's in my band and he took half of it out. I now have 1cc. I immediately felt better. I even felt hungry! I sure hope this works and that I don't swell up even more. I just need this to go away. I had 1/2 cup of yogurt for lunch and got it down. Yeah! Anyway, I'm sticking to liquids and mushies for a couple of days and if I feel OK I will try solids again. Wish me luck. When I weighed in today I was down 38 pounds from where I started. I have lost about 12 pounds in the last week. I know that is not good or healthy. They told me I could expect to gain a few of those back as I begin eating again. Sorry for the long post, but thanks for the support.

Hey, guys! I'm here. Karen-- good luck w/ your diet. You are doing great. Just hang in there and think of the future and you will get through it. Laralynn-- Hi! Another zonie! Awesome! What part of town do you live in? We went to the yahoo banders lunch a couple of weeks ago. It was on a Saturday and it rotates every month, the second Saturday, I think. Anyway, not a single yahoo person showed up. It was just us on this board anyway, so I think we decided we should just have our own group and make the times when we want them. When is the best time for everyone?

Hi Lisa, Welcome to LBT! You should check with your surgeon and/or your nutiritonist to find out what your requirements are. The pre-op diet requirements vary from surgeon to surgeon and even from person to person. I had a liquid only, high Protein diet for two weeks prior to surgery. Basically I could have Protein shakes, low sodium broth, and Water. That was about it. I do think a lot of people are on similar diets, however, I have also read about people being on high protein, low carb diets, people who had to do liquids only for 24 hours prior to surgery, and those who had no pre-op requirement at all. Good luck!!!!!

7thAngel, Lol. I agree. This whole process could certainly be a lesson in patience.

Hi 7thAngel, Welcome to the club! I was banded four weeks ago by Dr. DeBarros at the WLIAZ in Tempe. I live in Gilbert. There is a sight under U.S. LapBand support for those of us in AZ to provide local support for one another, so please be sure to stop by from time to time. It would be great to have another member in our small little group. I think we are planning on having a get-together once a month to meet up for friendship and support. Good luck and be sure to update us with your date. Shauna

I was banded on 5-21-07. I have been lucky enough thus far to not have experienced the "gas pains" everyone has refered to. Since yesterday morning, I have had a stabbing pain under my left rib cage. It's awful. It hurts to breathe. When I take a deep breath, the pain shoots all over and I also have a dull achy sensation in my back. Does anyone know what this could be? Is this gas pain? Would it show up almost 4 weeks post-op with no prior symptoms? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Erica, It's encouraging news to hear your hubby is doing better. Yeah! OK, here's my daily update: I felt much better yesterday. I still felt a lot of restriction, but no pain. I could eat solid food again if I ate really slowly and chewed well. I measured everything I ate to be sure not to eat too much and I was full after 1/2 cup. I'm sure this restriction will go away, though, as my swelling does. But, it's a nice taste of what's to come. On another note, I went to the park yesterday afternoon with hubby and the kids. This is nothing new; we do it several times a week. Anyway, the usual plan goes something like this: Waddle over to the park and sit down on the bench in the shade and watch the kids play. So, yesterday we go the park and took the soccer ball with us. When we got home I realized I had actually been running around and kicking the soccer ball for nearly an hour. Wow. What a good feeling. Now I'm even more encouraged. If 27 pounds feels this good, how good will 27 more feel? I was down another pound this morning for a total of 28 lost.

Update: I feel a little better this morning, not so much pain, but still a lot of restriction. I talked to Mike, who talked to Dr. DeBarros. He said that moving on to solid food probably caused some swelling. He said with the new AP band that we have, they have the ability to fill during surgery and so I do have a fill already! Did anyone know this? I didn't! Anyway, he said I could come in to get an immediate unfill or wait a couple of days and see if the swelling goes down. Since I can still drink OK and I'm able to get nutrition in, I think I'm going to wait and hope some of the swelling goes down on it's own. Yikes!

Hey all! I have had a rough couple of days. It started on Sunday. I did chores around the house most of the day and overdid it. I was in a lot of pain Sunday evening into Monday. Yesterday something funny happened to me after lunch. I got this awful, painful, tight feeling in my chest and I thought I had eaten too much. Maybe I did. Who knows. Anyway, the pain lasted for three to four hours and luckily subsided. But, when dinner time came around there was no way I could get down solid food. So, Protein drink for dinner. This morning, same thing. One bite of oatmeal (which I've had almost every morning for the last two weeks) and I just knew it wouldn't go down. So, another shake for Breakfast. For lunch I had a boiled egg chopped up really fine w/ mayo. (Back to mushies). It took me 45 minutes to eat my one egg, but it went down. But, I could tell I had to be careful. Anyway, it feels like I have this restriction that I didn't have before. Isn't that odd? I can't figure out what it is or why. Has anyone else experienced this? I wonder if I did something wrong. If anyone has heard of anything similar, please comment. On that, I will stop complaining. The good news: I gained 1.5 pounds in the last few days since starting back to a regular diet. Today, I was down 1.5 again so I'm back to where I was at my low. Now, if I can just maintain, I'll be happy. I had a great time meeting w/ Virginia and Jaye on Saturday. I like Virginia's idea of starting our own support group. I think I could use all the help I can get. Is Jaye going to join us on this sight? Take care, all.

Hi soulsis, I think it is normal for the port incision to be significantly larger than the other incisions. 4 inches does seem like a large incision, but if your doctors don't seem concerned, I wouldn't be. They probably just needed the extra room and I'm sure some if it also depends on what type of port you have. I have an AP band and small profile port. My port incision is about 2.5 inches long and my other incisions are about a half an inch to an inch. But since you brought it up, it would be interesting to hear about the port incision size of others. Shauna

Hey DBAGuy! Congratulations and welcome to LBT! I was also banded on 5-21-07. We are bandmates!

Hey LilMonkey, Thanks for the update. I hope he is getting better and on the road to recovery.

Virginia, Thanks for the recomendation. I need to get that book! SheSheGirl, Welcome! It's great to talk to others in the same boat.

Hi Jen, Welcome to LBT! I think you will find a lot of help and support here. I have. To answer your questions: No, you won't have to give up your favorites. Once you have recovered from the surgery and have proper restriction, you should be able to eat normally. The difference is, you will be eating much less than you did before and will be feeling full, so you won't want to eat. The only exception to this I have found is carbonated beverages. While I have read some people will still drink them, I have been told to cut them out completely. Right after surgery you will go through the process of allowing your stomach to heal from surgery and will most likely be instructed to re-introduce foods slowly. Most people go on a liquid only diet for a period of time, then on to pureed foods, soft foods and eventually your regular diet. Depending on your surgeons requirements, this can take anywhere from 1-8 weeks, but I think on average it is usually about 4-6. It's not as bad as it sounds. Right after surgery your stomach will be swollen. You will be instructed (most likely) to sip very small amounts throughout the day. You will not be hungry. My appetite and desire to eat came back around 2 weeks after surgery. Everybody is different, though. Nothing "bad" will happen if you drink with your meal, but your band will not work as efficiently. The idea is to keep your stomach full. The easiest and most productive way to do this is with solid food because it takes the longest to break down and stays in your new pouch the longest. When you drink while eating or soon after eating, you are washing the food down with your beverage. It defeats the purpose of having the band. (Why go through the trouble of having surgery if it's not going to work? Know what I mean?) I hope this helps. If you think of any more questions, please post them. Also, there is a thread for people being banded in June. I would consider finding that thread and getting involved. You will find a lot of people with the same questions, fears, etc. that are going to be going through this with you at the same time. It's a great support. You will also hear the stories of those that just got banded, so you will know better what to expect. Good luck to you!

I have the small AP band. I think-- but am not positive-- that it is a 10cc band. Have a good night. Drive home safely.