beeblers

Last month...yes I could have eaten that California roll...now that I have restriction....NO WAY No lettuce, cabbage, rice, bread....all get "stuck" And I can't even eat the "fake" crab they put in there...tried that and it gets "stuck" 1/2 the time. B:confused_smile:

Don't you hate the comparisons to RNY patients? My support group is composed of both RNY and LapBand pts. (my MD's have only recently begun to do LapBand, in fact I was the first) But remember...it is the TURTLE that wins the RACE....but its NOT A RACE to see who can lose weight the fastest...it is about HEALTHY!!! I just now have restriction after my 6TH fill!! And boy what a difference although I have seen the scale sit still and in fact gained a lb since my fill....I think it is because I am not eating enough...the body is sooo funny, I can only get in about 600 cals a day...takes ALL day to drink my H2O, but I KNOW it will go down again, after my metabolism adjusts again, I also think it is water wt. gain. Keep up the good work...I too have been a slow loser so far, less than 40 lbs in 6 month, mostly diet and exercise, like I said my band is just coming into play...hey there is a special place for us on this forum, go check it out.

no one can say for sure....there is ALOT of manipulation around the nerve bundle and diaphragm when they place the lapband. Just know most of the time it goes away....I only get it now if I eat too much or get too hungry. (It kind of reminds me, like my own little coach!)

First off let me tell you...you are not crazy....and second...it may not be "gas" at 10 days post op. However Left shoulder pain can be a problem in lapband (or any laproscopic surgery) due to the irritation of a nerve by your diaphragm that lies close to the surgical placement of your band. I had it for 5 weeks post op. I researched it, found a medical research article describing it to a tee. Up to 60% of LapBand patients have it at 1-2 weeks...by 6 weeks only 10% do. My surgeon had never heard of it, but thanked me when I gave him a copy of the study and read it right there in front of me...He said it made sense and that the reason it goes away in the majority after about 5 weeks is that is how long it takes the body to wall off the "foreigner" with scar. Search "left shoulder pain" in this forum and you will see you are not alone but for the most part it should pass. Thankfully mine did, now I only get it when I eat too much or don't eat for a long time and get too hungry. Some things that helped me (may or may not work for you) LAY DOWN on your left side (yes, it helped) some say heating pad (didn't work for me) pain meds didn't work for me, but laying down did. I could lay on either right or left and it would work so if your port is on the left and it hurts that too much, try the right. Hope you get better SOON! Brenda

OH YEAH! I STILL feel that way! I miss...I mean MISS my bread and all those other sticky, chewy, sweet things I shouldn't eat anymore. The need to fill that void is real, we need to fill it with something else....but be careful, I know people who got addicted to shopping or drugs..We are addicts..food is just our drug of choice. Is it hard..yes, but like any other addiction, it gets easier with time. (and replacement with a better habit, loving yourself). Brenda

As an RN in Calif..a nurse could do fills IF they worked with the Bariatric Center and IF they went thru a training program and demonstrated competency and IF there was what is called a "standardized procedure" in place at the Bariatric Center. (the reason is because this would be considered an "advanced practice" type of procedure) In my line of work RN's perform "advanced practice" procedures all the time, BUT under very strict guidelines (the standardized procedures). I work in neonatal intensive care and we place Umbilical Artery Catheters, Umbilical Venous Catheters, Intubate and other things that I would consider more complicated than a fill, we do have to demonstrate our competency on a yearly basis and maintain it and the hospital keeps these records. So it is feasable that an RN could be taught the procedure but there are hoops to jump thru. An advanced practice nurse....(a Nurse Practitioner) would not have as many hoops, as this would be under thier scope of practice, but they would still have to have competencies documented. And as the NP above noted, they would have lower reimbursement. As far as the medical assistant doing this...RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN! :thumbup: I WOULD NEVER LET AN MA DO THIS, in CA they cannot do this, period, trained or not, as it is an "invasive" procedure. RUN, FOREST, RUN! B

Study from Austrailia....Left Shoulder pain for Lap Band patients...as many as 60% have this for 2 weeks post op...some up to 5 weeks. Replacing the band disrupts the same area as the original band...yours was more involved because of the scar tissue..more dissection had to take place. The reason for the pain is that a bundle of nerves lies close to the area they are "messing" with, the nerve that runs to your diaphram..Anything that irritates this nerve...CO2 from surgery, manipulation of the area will cause Left Shoulder pain. This is called "referred" pain as the pain is sensed in a different part of the body from the original painful stimulus. Interestingly, when they manipulate the other side for gallbladder surgery, they get "Right Shoulder Pain". FYI I had horrible Left Shoulder pain for 4 weeks after I was banded Oct 07, and still get a mild case of it if I eat too much or go too long without eating. The band rises and falls with the stomach (it is stitched to it) so can rub that nerve again. It is my "reminder" now. Search the posts for "left shoulder pain" and you will find much more on this. I can email you the research study on if, you wish but it is written in medical language. I actually gave it to my Lap Band surgeon, because they were new at doing LapBand and didn't know about it... Heres hoping you will do much better in days to weeks.:thumbup: Oh one other thing...does laying on you side help it...it did for me. Just a thought. Brenda J RNC

reply to the original poster...don't worry too much about protien only a few days out...you are healing. Clear liquids, broth etc. follow your doctors diet. You will be on protien shakes before too long. And I remember how HUNGRY I was for WEEKS (I was on liquids for 3 weeks!) Hang in there!

I haven't been banded for very long..since Oct. but I just now got some restriction after fill #3. I too could eat waayy more than I thought I should...my doc said don't worry about it....until you get restriction you really don't have a "pouch" so to speak. 2 cups sounds like not alot..I was able to eat that much..Now after three fills it's down to like 3/4 of a cup and I am good. Do you also get hungry fast after eating...I did, but now that is better too! hang in there!

Or maybe you just had BAD Chinese food...something to think about, too.

Did you eat any rice? it tends to swell and maybe was just sitting in your pouch...I had a similar experience with bread after my second fill before realizing that maybe I had restriction and couldn't eat the same stuff as before. (thank God, cause that's what got me here) Everyone is different, some people have no problems with bread, rice, pasta, salad, some do, it's and individual thing....everything about this band seem to be that way...even different everyday..somedays I can some things, then the next day NOT...tis a learning curve for sure.

Yes, but it is disgusting plain...doctor up the meats with some seasoning! You know, garlic powder, onion powder, salt pepper, etc. it is too bland!

I agree, Lands End!!! I have gotten bathing suits from them and other places and by far Lands End were the best! Especially for us "not quite size 5 gals!" LOL

meebee123, If you have pancreatitis then you have an inflammation of your pancreas which sits just below your stomach (hence the stomach pains). Anything that irritates the diaphram (the big muscle used for breathing) can cause shoulder pain, also known as "referred" pain. An inflammation can, which is why gallbladder patients have referred pain. Just having the band can too, because it can rub up against the nerves (see previous posters regarding pouch fullness, etc.) Hopefully you are getting treated and get it under control. Stomach pain should be looked at and I am glad you are getting it looked at. Good luck to you!:sick Get well!

I was banded Oct 26 and was sleeping on my side in the hospital. It just depends on your comfort. Good luck!