Sue Magoo

Glad to hear that changing when you're taking the Prilosec from morning to night is helping. I take the generic version (omeprazole) and if I'm having a flare up I take it in the morning and at night, but this happens rarely. You might want to keep an eye on the clock and not have any food after 6:00 too. Just another thing to try if you're still having discomfort. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Laura: I checked your pictures and you look great! Sounds like you are doing all the right things to have the best results. Keep it up, and you'll see that beautiful flat tummy before long. The drains are a p.i.a., but they're helping to get rid of all of the fluid. I loved my pain pump too. Mine only lasted until day 3, but the pain wasn't bad at that point. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Keep us posted and take care. Sue

Scrappy: Have you been wearing a compression garment to limit the swelling? Have you gained weight since the tummy tuck? I am 9 weeks post op and I don't have much swelling. I stopped wearing the compression garments last week. I have a little bit of flab right below my rib cage in the middle near my port. It's not very noticeable, and probably just to me. I'm guessing she couldn't play around with that area because my port was there. I am very happy with the results I have so far. I don't expect much to change. You're only 4 weeks postop so I would give it a little more time. If you haven't been wearing a compression garment, try one that goes right up below your bra to limit the swelling. I've heard that people don't get the final results from a tummy tuck until 6 months postop, so you've still got a long ways to go. I hope things improve for you soon. I'd hate to be disappointed after going through so much. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Laura: Glad to hear you are doing so well. I couldn't have possibly been home the first night after my surgery because of the nausea issues I had. It's nice to hear how caring your plastic surgeon is. There are alot of nice people in this world. Sounds like you have a good plan for day #2. Take care. Sue

Laura: Wow, home already! Glad all went well. Now, go back to bed and just get up to pee for the next three days! Be a good patient for your Nurse (DH). Remember, don't laugh much! Let me know if you have any questions. Sue

Kathy: Try to get them to make an exception, but if they don't, don't give up. Give it time. When I weighed 324 lbs. I couldn't imagine that I would ever be under 200 pounds, but one year after I started my weight loss journey (9 mos. post banding) I hit 199. I'm 5'7". Once you are at your sweet spot you may see that you consistently loose 10 pounds a month. They will add up fast and you could be under 200 before you know it. I am very comfortable at the 175 to 185 level, though my healthy bmi is at a weight of 159. Personally, I never plan to get to the 159. As I loose more weight it comes off of the top and not enough off the bottom so that I look gaunt on my face, and boney in my neck and shoulder area. I don't like people asking if I've been sick, so I choose to stay at the 175 to 185 level for the rest of my life. I was fortunate with my medical insurance because I got them to pay for the panniculectomy portion of my tummy tuck. My band surgeon and the plastic surgeon both wrote letters and submitted pictures of the rash and my overhanging skin. If you look at my profile page you'll see the pics of me the day after my band and before and after my tummy tuck. Best wishes to you and getting your insurance to help with coverage for your panniculectomy. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Hi Laura: Been thinking about you this morning. I'm sure you're in loopy land now and I hope you're having an uneventful surgery. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Sue

Hi: I've had two surgeries since being banded. I was unfilled on both. When I had my gallbladder out I got refilled the day after surgery. When I had my tummy tuck I didn't get filled again for about ten days and then he didn't fill me all the way back. In fact, I'm still a little shy of where I was prior to tummy tuck. I was unfilled because I have vomiting issues with anesthesia. I hope all goes well for you. Sue

Laura: Doctors vary on this. I was able to shower on Saturday after a Thursday surgery. Please make sure you're not lightheaded before you dare step in the shower. You might want to ask your DH to join you (for support in case you get weak, of course):wub: Some people use shower chairs the first week or so. Sue

Hi Laura: I'll be thinking about you tomorrow. The pain wasn't bad except for when I was dryheaving from the anesthesia. Unfortunately they tried all they could to prevent the nausea, but it didn't work this time. I was so pissed off about the nausea and dryheaving that I turned into a beast (b**ch multiplied by 10). My Daughter and Sister were in shock about how I was speaking to the nurses during the first 8 hours after my surgery, but the dryheaves were killing me (both mentally and physically). After that I was plenty sore, but it wasn't that bad. Because pain meds can give me nausea too I opted to take the pain meds just at night to sleep. You should expect to sleep alot though because you are healing. Please baby yourself and you'll heal better. Take care, and please drop us a line when you are up to it. I'll be thinking about you tomorrow. Just think, in 24 hours you're going to have a flat tummy! I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Chrisann: Strange how different drugs effect different people. I take prilosec and it doesn't make me dopey at all. I take two prilosecs per day when my acid reflux is acting up (one in a.m., one in p.m.). Please call your doctor and ask if you should be doing something else because you still have the acid reflux at night. Have you tried raising the top of your bed so that you're sleeping on a slant with your head higher than your feet? This may help too. You should try to stop the reflux because it can damage your esophogus. Take care. Sue

Hi: No need to worry. Soon after tummy tuck you can change your name from LV my Labs to LV my Abs. Sorry, couldn't resist! Sue

I saw parts of the show. He made such a huge transformation! I didn't feel slighted at all by them saying that he did it without surgery. Good for him. I hope that he doesn't do what 95% of people who lose weight do - gain it back. It seems that he has changed his life dramatically and still has alot of physical activity, so he probably won't gain it back. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Hi: I think that a compression garment may help for a temporary solution. A panniculectomy and/or tummy tuck will probably be your long term solution. I don't like to run. However, since I've had my excess tummy skin removed it's alot easier to run and I do on occasion. I usually run a little, walk alot, run a little, walk alot. I guess they call that intervals. It's amazing what a difference getting rid of that excess skin can make. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

You may want to consider swimming for exercise. It's low impact and you can burn a bunch of calories while swimming laps or swimming in place. I think it helped me alot my first summer after being banded. As far as the sizes go, they fluctuate so much at the stores. I think they're just trying to make us crazy. If you keep on losing the sizes will go down. I think it took 50 pounds for my first size down. It gets to take less as you go down in the sizes. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Hi: I think people can get too thin. My personal experience was that I couldn't think about getting to my bmi healthy weight because I would be way too thin on the top. As it is, my collar bones are too prominent. When I got to my lowest people kept asking me if I felt alright because I was looking tired all the time. I think that being 20 pounds over a healthy bmi is okay for me. I asked my doctor and she said that as long as my blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol were fine and I felt good that the 20 pounds over bmi is probably okay for me. My legs were heavy before I even gained weight so I shouldn't be surprised that they're still heavy. Sure would be nice if we could lose it where we want to, and keep it where we don't. Shucks! I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Hi: Eating regular is a new "regular". I can eat almost anything in a very small quantity. I have to eat very small bites and chew them to death or else I get very uncomfortable. The only time I got stuck bad was with tuna salad - it compacted in my pouch and got me stuck. I can eat tuna now, just have to wait a few minutes between bites and I usually put it on saltines to make something crunchy go down with it. I don't eat bread unless it is toasted dark. That way it is crunchy enough to go down easy, and not "ball up" in the pouch. Watermelon - yes, yes, yes! I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

I like the location of mine - dead center just below center of rib cage. The only way I can feel it is if I touch it. It never gets in the way of bending or clothing. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Hi Laura: I had oxycodone for pain. I had four different meds for nausea - one of them was a suppository in case the vomiting started I could take it via suppository. They put the scopolamine (sp?) patch behind my ear before surgery. The IC Promethazine for nausea worked for me. I never had to use a suppository. She also prescribed ic ondansetron odt. I tried that once and it was horrible. That one had to stay under your tongue while it disolved - actually made me gag because it was so horrible tasting. The IC Promethazine was my miracle drug when I was home. I had to take it half hour before pain medication because I get nausea from the oxycodone. Unfortunately, no matter what they did for me the first 24 hours I still had nausea and dry heaves. I think it was from the anesthesia. Thank goodness for the pain pumps (both for pain medicine and the one for the anesthetic that dripped inside over the stitches). I think one of the most important things to do is to baby yourself and rest rest rest! I know this is hard for us bandsters because we're loving all of the energy we got after losing the weight, but it is so important to rest while you are healing from the plastic surgery. Take care. Sue

Laura: I'm so excited for you! I'll be thinking of you this week and wish you the best. Are you going to have one of those anesthetic pumps that puts the anesthetic over the abdominal wall when you push a button? I think that was the best thing. Mine only lasted for three days but it was great to give it a push before getting up. I hope your doc has one for you. Take care. Sue

Hi: My doctor allows diet soda and beer, but the beer in moderation. I love diet soda and drink 1 to 2 every day. I have to load up a cup with ice and stir alot of the bubbles out of it. In addition, I can only take sips. If I try to swig it down it comes back up with a bit of slime and discomfort added. I didn't drink soda until I had been banded for a couple of months. I started my second beverage addiction during that period - snapple diet peach iced tea - yummmmmmmmooooooo! Like the others said, follow your doctors rules and you should do fine. I love my band and my new flat tummy. Sue

Hi: I just wanted to say that I'm sorry you've slipped. Thanks for sharing your experience because it may prevent others from having the same problem by hearing how you think your slip happened. I hope that your doctor works out a good solution for your problem. I love my band and my new flat tummy! Sue

Riane: You are very welcome. Best wishes to you in your weight loss journey and new healthy lifestyle. Sue

Hi: I hope your drains come out soon. It's so much better when you don't have them anymore. Just gotta give time for all of the draining, then before you know it you'll be enjoying your flat tummy. It's so worth the wait! As far as the binders go it could be several more weeks before you are able to stop wearing the binder and can start wearing a spanx-type garment instead. I had my tummy tuck almost two months ago and I just went two days in a row without wearing a spanx and I'm not swelling, knock on wood! I love my band and my new flat tummy! Take care. Sue

Hey Riane: You might want to search on the NSV threads to see if someone says they got to come off of their cpap machines because they probably could give you theirs if they don't need it anymore. Good luck finding a machine. I hope someone gives you one. Sue