sleepygirl

I was banded the same day and am feeling pretty rough too. I have walked everyday since Saturday. I feel awful after moving like that but the next morning I am feeling a little better. I am also only going on about 400 calories a day due to severe milk and whey allergies. My doc said just sip Soup until I get to the mushie stage. Hand in there. We will get better and if you can manage the walking; it does help with the gas. I have heard it will be about 3 weeks out before it is all gone. Sorry.

I was banded on 9/9 and can get it down; but this gas is horrible. I was wondering when will the awful burping go away. It feels like a knife in my shoulder blades even after sips of Water. Is it just the swelling that should go away.

All I can manage is about 1/2 cup of Soup and 1 pop cycle a day. I get about 20oz of Water. Is this normal?

Well, it was a day. I arrived at the hospital at 5 am. The support group leader for WLS met me at admitting. She personally walked me up to my room; which had been reserved since the night before. I must say that I had my surgery performed at the Johnson City Medical Center Hospital. I was amazed at the personal; caring service I recieved. The support group leader stayed with me all the way thru till they rolled me into the OR. Now my family was also there and she took care of them also. She was amazing. She prayed with me and kept me positive and calm right until they put me to sleep. When I woke up; I had some sickness due to the way I react to anesthesia. But I am unusual. I am allergic to all pain meds and actually had none from the time I woke up until I left for home; except for liquid tylenol. There was some pain and soreness. But not as bad as I had thought it would be. I was kept overnight for the barium swallow test; which went great and released that afternoon.

For anyone that may even be thinking of having your surgery at Johson City Medical Center Hospital; in Johnson City Tennessee; you will be blessed. The floor where WLS patients are kept has just been redesigned and the rooms are large and luxurious. The nursing staff is wonderful and the doctors: Dr. Michael Hodge and Dr. Scott Watson are amazing. As a matter of fact JCMC has just recieved the Bariatric Center of Excellence Award and that is thanks is part to the staff and Dr. Hodge and Watson. If you live anywhere near JC Tn; it would be worth your trip to have your surgery here. Don't want to forget to mention the nutrionist who also came to visit me and even the hospital chaplain was a previous WLS patient. Her initial greeting to me was "Welcome to the first day of your new life." What a way to greet the day.

I was banded Tuesday (9-9); and I am sick after walking and eatng. So I am into a pattern of eat (actually just drinking); lay down till it passes. I do my daily walking and then come home and lay down till it passes. I suppose that all the swelling in the stomach is the reason. I have prevacid dissolvable tablet; which make me extremely sick. I drink a little Soup and then take the tablet and lay down. Don't know how long this will last

I'm 41 and been "peaking since about age 19. I think it is different for different people. Enjoy it. It will keep you young

The only thing I can think of is because it is a diuretic. This can pull your electrolites down. Call his office and ask why. What could it hurt.

My surgery is Tuesday morning at 8. I am excited and nervous too. Just trying to get by on a liquid diet. I go on all clear liquid tomorrow and then the wonderful day before cleanse starts Monday.

I will be banded on Tuesday; one day before you. I am so excited and nervous too. We are almost there. Let me know how it goes and keep me posted.

I have never heard of a saline laxative; but you had better be careful. This is no time to get your electrolites out of balance. Everything is absorbed in the intestine. If you are using saline; you could potentially get too much saline and end up with Fluid overload. Please at least talk to a pharmacist before using these laxatives; if they contain sodium.

Ladies, ( and interested gentlemen)

I am to be banded in Sept. So I was at a support group meeting and some of the folks that already have bands were sharing their experiences trying different types of Protein Drinks.

This one guy speaks up and says: "Yeah, I told her that if she found the empty cans in the trash can, to buy that brand of drink, and if she found them on the counter; not to but anymore of those. He was referring to the lady sitting beside of him. I felt so sorry for her.

Am I just way too independent or what. The only thing I got out of his comments were that he is an a__ __. He had better be glad he aint with me. Such a pig. Where do some men get the attitude that women are there servants?

I just kept thinking; Is anyone else thinking the same thing I am thinking?

Hi all, I have been doing the 6 month weigh in and wait. Next Monday is my last weigh in and then we wait to see if Cariten insurance will approve. I know that if this is God's will, I will be approved and I do feel that it is. It is starting to be more real now. Please pray for me. I will pray for each of you. Hope to get to know you all.

Penny

I am getting ready to submit to insurance for approval. I've been thru the gaunlet and am ready to get on with it. My best friend and I have often said that we will one day get plastic surgery; no enhancement, just put everything backup where it goes. This leads to the question:

Has anyone out there lost 80-100 pounds? Did your abdominal area shrink back in with weight loss; or at 40 will plastic surgery be a must; once the weight is gone?

Any good sleep tech knows that night if you have sleep apnea. However, we are not allowed to interpret results (just like when you have an X-Ray). If you meet the guidelines for having severe sleep apnea; as defined by insurance standards: 60 total respiratory events in two hours of sleep time; before 2 am; only then can the tech tell you if you are positive. That is called a split study and you are diagnosed and treated in one night. A lot of people don't meet that criteria simply because they aren't that severe or don't sleep enough early in the study.

What you can do is call the lab where you had the study done; tomorrow. Tell them why you had the study and that you need your results expedited. Most labs will accomodate you; if at all possible.

Don't be in such a rush to marry. I'm a big girl. Been married and even had a wealthy, handsome boyfriend for 12 years. I never thought I would ever want anyone else. But I have changed. I haven't even had surgery yet. It's a head change. He and I are not compatable. It was comfortable. Work on you. Love you. Once you have lost all the weight you want to loose; are comfortable being without someone; then you will find the right one. If you settle; you will miss Mr. right. That is how it always works. You deserve the best. Don't settle for less.

Just found your thread, Let's start a East Tn single bandsters!

Due to be banded in August; looking for a mentor. I need to loose 100 pounds; am 41; a single parent and health care professional

Well, I'm 41 and will go for my last weigh in July. I then have to submit all to insurance for approval. I am praying that all wil be a go. I am so ready to start this new chapter in my life. I have my head set right; got the exercise thing down and even dumped a wealthy boyfriend of 12 years because he was not the one. Anyone else out there already making life altering changes without even being banded yet?

sleepygirl is my name because I am an RPSGT (Registered Polysomnography Technologist), I help diagnose and treat sleep apnea. It sounds like you do have sleep apnea. When you have this, your airway is obstructed when you exhale. Often times because of excess body fat pressing against upper airways; however, this is not always the case. Sometimes it is just the structure of your airway. Most of the time; people can loose weight and correct the problem; but not always. Your best bet is to have a sleep study. If you do have sleep apnea you will see about a 30 pound weight loss just from being treated for this. When we sleep; we go thru stages of sleep.During the deeper stage; growth hormone is released, even in adults. This helps us loose weight. Obstructive sleep apnea keeps you from getting to that deeper stage of sleep; thus you are not getting your growth hormone released from the brain.

Talk with your physician and they will write an order for a sleep study.

The biggest reason any physician wants to do a sleep study prior to surgery is because patients with sleep apnea are often hard to wake up after surgery and require a small of time on the ventilator until sedation has passed from your system. We often get a lot of patients in the sleep lab because they gave the post op surgery team a scare. With sleep apnea they just wait a little longer to extubate the patient.

CPAP is a positive pressure. You invariably get a portion of air intended for your airways down your esophogus. This can hyperinflate the stomach; placing pressure on your pouch. This is why cpap or bipap are contraindicated in patients with recent bariatric surgery

I am a sleep tech. Sedation; such as sleeping pills; (Ambien, Lunesta or any other sedating medication used for relaxation), does increase the number of apneas and hypopneas that a person will have; for the first two hours of a sleep study. It basically exacerbates the situation. This is not falsely testing. It is only showing how bad you can be on your worst night. Often times physicians do prescribe sleeping medication for a sleep study. You must sleep in order to have a sleep study. If your primary physician is against sleep medications for the sleep study; ask for a pre-study consult with the sleep lab physician. Physicians used to be against sleep medication prior to a sleep study; but due to better education; most now know it only helps the situation.

Good Luck,

Sleepygirl

I am a sleep tech. Sedation; such as sleeping pills; (Ambien, Lunesta or any other sedating medication used for relaxation), does increase the number of apneas and hypopneas that a person will have; for the first two hours of a sleep study. It basically exacerbates the situation. This is not falsely testing. It is only showing how bad you can be on your worst night. Often times physicians do prescribe sleeping medication for a sleep study. You must sleep in order to have a sleep study. If your primary physician is against sleep medications for the sleep study; ask for a pre-study consult with the sleep lab physician. Physicians used to be against sleep medication prior to a sleep study; but due to better education; most now know it only helps the situation.

Good Luck,

Sleepygirl

Hi all. I am realatively new and still learning to navigate and find my way back to threads I am interested in. I just started my journey and if all goes well, will be banded in July 07. I am a christian and have asked God for 5 years if this is right for me. I now feel that it is and am leaving it all in his hands. If no hang ups with insurance or anything else; I will know it is the right thing for me to do. :notagree

I am with you. My insurance requires 6 mos and it will be june or july before I can get banded. My bmi is 50. So; hey, we're in this thing together

Sleepygirl

I just started my pre-op. So it looks like it will be June before I can have my sx. My doc's office seems to have the insurancepaperwork thing down good. After all of the reading I have been doing on insurance pre-approvals I am glad for this. My doc's office has the best team of paperwork troops. Now I am in the 6 month waiting game. I almost got banded 6 years ago and chickened out; I wish I had not, but I think everything happens for a reason. I am in healthcare. I went thru Respiratory school and polysomnography school. Seeing patients come thru the sleep lab that were there for pre-approval got me on the wagon again and I feel like God sent them my way. I am scared as I am allergic to everything under the sun; especially medications. Has anyone heard of anybody having allergic reaction to the band itself?

Sleepygirl:notagree