mandi78

What caused you to switch to the sleeve? Did you have complications from the band?

Unfortunately I have school on Tuesday and Thursday nights so I won't be able to come but maybe if you continue to have it, I may be able to come after this semester is over. :tt2:

My favorite thing for dinner while I was on mushies (which was the same as pureed on my post op diet) was to take fat free refried beans (old el paso tastes the best in my opinion), mix with some veggie (or chicken) broth in the blender till kinda soupy, then heat in the microwave with some cheese. It was sooooo good especially after having no food for awhile and and I got so sick of sweet stuff, this was a nice alternative. My DH called it my bean shake...lol.

It took me 6 fills before I even knew I had a band. Hang in there, it will come. I thought something was wrong with me too but it just took me longer than it takes most.

Dr B did my surgery almost one year ago. I was the first patient of the day (due to latex allergy) so I didn't have to wait around and be nervous which was nice. They were very nice there (most of them). Hopefully you will have a girl named Mercy as your pre-op nurse. She was awesome and very comforting and sweet. They had me come back and put on the gown and little slip proof socks and then I went and laid down and they put on the blood pressure cuff and started the iv line. My mom and DH were allowed to come back for a few minutes. Dr B popped in and said hi and then the anesthesiologist came in. He started the "amnesia drug" LOL....I can't remember the real name of it. I asked him how long till I felt it and he said about 60 seconds. They began to wheel me out of the pre-op room and I was out before we got to the door. I vaguely remember them telling me to move to the operating table and I asked them if I was going to fall...LOL...because I didn't trust myself to move over. They said I would not fall and somehow I got onto the table. Next thing I remember is waking up in recovery with the little boots pumping my feet to prevent clots. I felt like I couldn't take a deep breath and kind of panicked but the nurse said I was breathing fine. My nurse was a male and he was hateful and not very compassionate at all. I heard the other nurses talking to their patients and they were all very sweet and kind and comforting. I would recommend asking for one of the female post-op nurses and if they ask why, tell them you heard the male was not very nice. I know he still works there cause I see him at the aftercare center sometimes. I laid there for awhile to get woke up and he gave me pain meds as needed. When I was ready, I got up and went into the xray room and drank the barium swallow and they checked the placement of my band. Then, I went and sat in a chair and my family was allowed to come back. I sat there and sipped Water and ice chips for about an hour or so (I was so thirsty, I was sipping but I was sipping fast). I drank about 2 full cups of water and was working on my third when I left. That was about it. I didn't have tremendous pain but it did last about 4 days, mainly when getting up and down. I didn't sleep well because it did hurt to lay down. We stayed the first night in a hotel to be closer because we live about an hour from the surgery center but actually, if I had it to do over, I would have just come home and been much more comfortable. You may want to sleep in a recliner or on the sofa kind of at an angle for the first few days. Whatever is most comfy for you. Well, good luck and I hope my story has eased your mind. I was pretty scared going in just because I hadn't had surgery of any kind in over 20 years but they were great, Dr B was great and it was overall a good experience. Best wishes to you!

I live in Denison and would be interested in coming to Mckinney for a support group. I was banded almost a year ago but have struggled and basically failed to the point that I am almost back to my pre-surgery weight. I am ready to start over fresh and would love to have the support of others who are in this journey.

Since getting my band, I have noticed the same thing when I wake up (but not after meals). I just figured it was drainage or something. It's not the same thing as sliming though, at least not for me. Sliming is way worse and it's saliva, not mucus.

I don't disagree with what anyone has said. I started therapy 2 years before getting the band and I thought (and my therapist thought) I was prepared and could deal with the changes it would require. I was wrong. There really wasn't any way for me to know this prior to surgery. I thought it would be similar to how diet pills make you feel in that you just don't have an appetite or an interest in food. I was wrong. If I had known then what I know now, I would have chosen a different option. I know the band has helped many people and I'm happy for them and that they were able to make the changes and follow the band way of life. I'm sorry that I couldn't. I'm not blaming the band, I know the problem is with me. I just don't know where to go from there. Seriously, after all the therapy I've had, changes I've made in my ways of thinking and seeing myself and others.....I just can't imagine myself ever having a normal relationship with food and not overeating. It's a very helpless and hopeless feeling. I don't know what to do. Nobody seems to be able to help me.

My cravings for a long time after getting banded were chocolate and beans. LOL

If you had something stuck in your band, you would not feel it there. It would be more like between your breasts and you would have large amounts of saliva coming up. This soon after surgery, you should not even be consuming anything that would get stuck. I assume you are still on liquids. You may have just irritated your throat/epiglottis by mashing your finger against it...plus it could still be irritated from the tube they put down it during surgery.. If you are worried though, you could call your dr tomorrow.

I am 9 months out from surgery and I am only 10 pounds less than I was when I started my journey....those 10 pounds, I lost on the pre-op diet. I had lost about 30 at one point but have gained back 20. I have severe emotional eating/food addiction issues. I have been in therapy for over 2 years and had already been in therapy over a year when I decided to have the surgery. I do everything I can to eat around my band up to and including bulimic type behavior...I don't intentionally vomit but I eat things that I know will make me vomit and after I do, I eat more and will sometimes vomit up to 3 or 4 times before I will stop eating. I can't stand the way food feels in my "pouch". To me, that is not the full or satisfied feeling that I am looking for. It's just this very uncomfortable pressure and tightness and I feel like I can't breathe....even if I just take a few bites and stop. I have to drink something to wash it down because I can't stand that feeling....then, of course, I am able to eat more. My band is very tight right now....probably too tight (because I have gained weight) so I can't really eat in the mornings and I usually struggle with lunch. I've gotten to where I will eat Soups, ice cream, cheese grits, anything I can get down early in the day so that I can still feed my addiction. I am so humiliated....I know people are thinking "didn't she have weight loss surgery awhile back". I'm miserable, my diabetes and breathing issues that were resolved have come back. I'm so sad, I am making $200 a month payments on a surgery that I am not utilizing at all, I'm having to take medications again so I'm not saving money in that area any more....I just don't know what to do. I have made some big changes in my life that I thought might help me not be such an emotional eater and while I am much happier in these areas of my life, I'm still eating as much as I can (especially in the evenings when my band loosens up). This is something I wanted for so long. Any advice or suggestions? I'm heartbroken about this..... :thumbup:

I do agree that I would have been better off getting the gastric bypass but I was too scared...I just knew I would have one of the horrible complications and die from it. I really thought the band would help me get a better handle on my eating. However, since I have gotten it, it seems to have gotten worse. My cravings for chocolate and junk food have increased a lot. My therapist did have concerns about me getting the band but my health was deteriorating rapidly and I had to do something because my weight was going up and up and my health was getting worse and worse. She did not necessarily approve me for the band but I told her I was doing it and she supported me. My emotions, feelings about myself, etc have improved greatly with therapy. I don't hate myself or see myself as worthless any more just because I am overweight and have an eating disorder. She has helped me with these aspects a lot. However, my eating does not seem to have changed but I have also seen 2 other therapists in the past and my eating did not change when I was seeing them either. It's just like something inside me......this overwhelming, unstoppable urge to eat that when it is there, nothing can stop it. I go to the store and I buy all this junk food without even realizing what I'm doing. I was also in a support group through my therapist's office for awhile but that ended in May. I would like to find another support group as I feel that was helpful to me to realize that others don't not want to be my friend because I'm fat. I'm planning on joining a gym this week. There is one here that offers Water aerobics and I love the water....especially when it is almost 100 degrees outside. Thank you all for your support and understanding. I'm not giving up. I'm just wondering, that tightness in your chest that signals you are "full", does that not bother any of you or make you uncomfortable? I get this after just about 3 bites of food (if I'm eating Protein like I'm supposed to and if I don't wash it down). Is that something you have gotten used to or is mine just so uncomfortable because my band is too tight?

My therapist does specialize in eating disorders. I was not bulimic before I got the band. I do not consider myself bulimic....just a compulsive overeater who has a lap band which puts a damper on the eating and keeping it down.

Is it normal for my incision to be oozing? It's the port incision. Its kind of a yellow liquid, its not like pus, it's almost the color and consistency of melted butter. Its a very small amount. I have no other signs of infection....no fever, no chills, no redness around the area, the area is not warm to the touch and there is no odor. I will call my surgeon in the morning but I was just wondering if this is normal in the meantime. Thanks.

The previous replies were what mine turned out to be....just the fat in there kind of oozing out. Mine was not an infection and turned out to be nothing serious. Just watch it and if it gets hot or red, definitely contact your dr. If you are worried about it, also call your doc. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Do the foods you eat contain a lot of sodium....soy sauce, etc? If so, you could be retaining a lot of water. I know when I eat at a chinese restaurant, I swell and retain water bad. I know real chinese food is different than american chinese food but still, if you are using soy sauce, that could be the cause.

I know, it sucks that new places of employment make you wait 90 days before you can get coverage. I'm dealing with the same thing right now and the company I'm leaving does not even offer COBRA (which I thought was a mandatory law) so I'm screwed too on my pre-existing conditions.

Did you have a lapse in coverage between Aetna and Oxford? If not, by law, they cannot exclude pre-existing conditions (which your weight would be). If you did not have a lapse in coverage, you can get a letter from Aetna (I think it's called proof of prior coverage) and that should be sufficient. This is a law called HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Check out this link. Questions and Answers About Health Insurance (continued) Don't let them screw you around because they will try if they think you don't know better. Let them know that you know the law. Check with the insurance person at your doctor's office about this. Good luck.

I don't know who your insurance is through but I would certainly not count on the fact that the dr said it "should" be covered. In my experience, insurance companies are going to do what they can to get out of paying for things. Despite this, dr's seem to be very naive in thinking that insurance will pay for certain things. I would say if you don't have the $20,000 and can't afford the payments to finance the surgery, don't risk it.

Well, I'm not sure if anyone told you this but with the band, your tummy won't feel full when you eat. You will feel pressure in your chest area and that is what means you are full. As far as the shoulder pain, I'm not sure. It could be gas but you may want to call your surgeon and tell them about it. Tell them it only occurs after you eat.

I agree with getting a new GP. I started seeing my current GP after I had already decided to get the surgery and had started my pre-op testing. I told her of all my past attempts to lose weight and she supported me from the get go. I would definitely try to find one that will support you getting the surgery. This is ultimately your decision, not your GP's.

I am struggling with this and have not been successful with my band due to emotional eating. I am in therapy now and making some life changes that I hope will help.

I went in with my gown on but was told I would be totally naked for the surgery. However, everything is covered except for the window of area on your stomach they will be working on to prevent contamination. But trust me, like others said, you won't have a clue. You will have your gown on when you go in and when you come out and you wont know or care who saw what in the meantime.

I had to miss a lot of work for pre-op appointments, evaluations, etc