mrsgriffin2u

Well... I had three fills prior. For my fill in November, it took two surgeons to stick me about 25 times before they could hit the port successfully. Although I was numb, I was quite sore for days after. I guess my problem right now is, I still PB about once a month. This is only when my husband and I are out with friends/family and I feel rushed. My husband is a really slow eater, so we eat well together. :smile2: I can now eat more food, not as much as a typical person, but I have started getting hungry faster. I can't eat until about 1 or 2pm because I'm simply too tight in the morning. Again, I know I'm making poor food choices and for that I am ashamed. I blame that on no one but myself. This, I know, is because I am so deeply saddened that I have failed at yet another thing... I haven't really been so emotional until I realized that's it's been a year and I feel like everyone is watching and waiting for me to fail. :eek:

I actually went in for a fill in January and they filled me so tight that as soon as I got in my car (had no water or anything) I couldn't stop throwing up my own saliva. They were having issues filling me (stuck me over 50 times) so we did it at a different doctor's office under fluro. My surgeon had already left to go back to his office, so I drove their immediately. When I got there, they couldn't unfill me after another 50 sticks. Then, we went back under fluro to find out that my port had flipped and was completely detached. We went in immediately to the hospital for emergency surgery so they could unfill me and do the port revision. They had to give me medicine to stop all secretions in my body, just so I could lay down to be put under for the surgery (I couldn't stop throwing up long enough to lay down). Now... it's been 5 months and I haven't had another fill - just too scared. I feel like such a failure. I've lost approximately 65 lbs. since my surgery last July. I've maintained my weight - lost maybe 5 lbs since being unfilled in January. I've made poor food decisions, but still have some problems eating - probably 90% my own fault. I can't decide whether I need another fill or not, because my mind keeps playing tricks on me. Has anyone dealt with anything similar? Any supportive words would be incredibly helpful. Thanks!

Let me tell you... I'm feeling your pain, literally. Thursday I had my third fill and yesterday I took one bite of a pizza roll (bad choice, I know, but I was so hungry) and threw up 8 times. I couldn't even swallow my own saliva. I called my surgeon for an unfill and he was so rude to me. That was the only bite of food I had taken all day. He ended up taking about 1.5 cc's out and I'm so sore. It took them over 20 sticks with the needle to find my port - with two surgeons. Finally they listened to me and let me stand up while they filled it. My stomach looks like a pin cushion on the outside and it's killing me on the inside. They've put me on liquids for the next several days to allow the swelling to go down. Good luck!

It's difficult for me to say. I haven't noticed an indentation at my port site or around the incision closest to my ribcage. I would recommend tracking it - it's helped me. The two times I notice pain here is when I exercise and after I've PB'd (only 2x, but that was 2x too many). Both use muscle for sure, so that's my take on it. I'm going for another fill on November 11th, so I'll ask and let you know what I find out.

I was banded 7/2 of this year and my port hurts sometimes after intense ab workout's. I've never spoken to my surgeon about it, b/c I've always assumed it was normal. To me it makes sense - if you're working those muscles where the port is sewn to, it could be moving or trying to build additional scar tissue?? Who knows! LOL Sometimes my left ribcage hurts when my port hurts too. I'm going to watch this thread to see if anyone has any input on this.

It definitely is weird. I'm totally scared to try almost anything in public right now. I'm pretty tight, so unless I'm 100% certain it's something I can eat, I'm really cautious. I hope I don't have this think this way for the rest of my life. I'm still new at this though... so we'll see. I haven't had any issues with soup of any kind. I wasn't feeling well the other day and one of my sinful foods that I crave when sick is chicken and rice soup. Yummy! It's homemade and it goes down oh so well! Now that's a liquid w/solid that I don't struggle with. You'd think I would b/c of the rice expanding. And bananas - forget about it. I might as well hold a trash can right next to my mouth if I take a bite! Oh well... I give up on trying to figure my weird body out.

Congrats! You expressed exactly how I felt when I hit 50 lbs! I'm now at 58 and I'm going to do a whole celebration again when I hit 60! :smile: Way to go!

Everyone is most certainly different. I can't do cereal at all... man I really want to. There is some South Beach Diet cereal high in Protein and Fiber that is tasty, but my body just will not accept it. For me, it's the combination of milk and cereal. I am quite the opposite, in that I can drink milk and eat dry cereal seperately with no problem (which I don't do b/c it'll just push it straight thru the band). I also cannot do much bread at all. Wraps are ok, kind of painful, but I don't PB. These two issues came about after my last fill (which was only my second one). Prior to that, I could eat wraps and eat cereal without any problems. I think this is all a matter of trial and, unfortunately, error in some cases. Just listen to your body, especially when trying new things. Don't deside to try something new in a hurry. Take time, eat slow, and chew chew chew! As soon as you feel pressure, pain, or just feel like something's not right, stop. That's going to help prevent you from getting sick and this way you'll know what's going to work and what's not. Hope this helps! :regular_smile:

I have pain in my left shoulder/collar bone when I either eat too fast, don't chew well enough, or eat something that doesn't agree with my band (especially anything with a hint of bread - which I rarely do). I started having these pains with my last fill, which has increased my restriction significantly. Certain things that I know I can eat do not create this pain. It's definitely situational with me and I slime most times when I have the pain. From what I gather, it's normal. But I'm still new at this, so I'm going to watch this thread as well for some more well defined answers. Good luck! :smile2:

Yeah my husband claims to like mine too! LOL I told him if he wants to carry the extra weight around with him and take it from me, he can keep 'em! :crying: Sorry about the port issue. That's what I was thinking when I created this thread... I spoke with my surgeon and he assured me it would be lower. I've heard some Dr.'s don't though. Good luck!

You absolutely can still wear Spanx! I actually wore then right after surgery during the healing process b/c it seemed to hold everything in and it actually kept my left side from hurting. Hey... killing two birds with one stone! Gotta love that! :smile2: Good luck!

I can't wait to be able to be excited about lingerie! :redface:

Blackcherry2002, No one is assuming you are an idiot. People here are reacting to your post only to help you. Some people go into this process asking a million questions and know how much their surgery is, how much their fills are, how much their insurance is covering, the foods they are suppose to/not suppose to eat, etc. Others go into the surgery not knowing many details. Some of it is lack of info provided by the surgeon and some is the patient not asking enough questions, but usually it's somewhere in between. We all want to help each other and sometimes that means giving constructive criticism. You asked for help so people are just curious as to what your habits are, so we can help give alternative options. The choice's you're making may not be the best for you. You've gone down two dress sizes which is awesome, so you're accomplishing something. This is a slow process and it didn't take you 3 months to put on the weight, so give your body time to adjust to this change you've made. I am young like you, 24, and I think sometimes for us younger gals we get anxious and are in a hurry a bit more. Think about this - the slower the better. We don't want old saggy grandma arms if we can help it! :redface: You'll do fine, just listen to the people here and listen to your body. If it weren't for this forum, I probably would have already been committed!

I just got my 2nd fill last Thursday. It's good to finally have restriction again, but b/c I lost practically all restriction a few weeks after my first fill, I started eating faster. Now, when I eat too fast, my left collar bone area hurts. Does anyone else experience this? I almost PB'd yesterday for the first time, so I'm slowing down a lot!! It's just weird where I'm hurting, but I understand why and that's a signal to put the spoon/fork down! :biggrin: Am I totally alone in this?? ~Amanda

Hey Birdie, I know EXACTLY what you're going thru. When I found out that I had the thumbs up for surgery and had to do the 6 month weight loss diet, I gained 15 lbs. I got up to 286 (2/28/08) and was beside myself. I definitely had "last meal syndrome" and wanted to eat everything that I would never be able to eat again. It will get better! Once I saw the scale at 286 I had a reality check. I realized that this is the exact opposite of what I should do and what I wanted to do. I lost over 30 lbs before surgery (7/2/08) and I am now less than two months out of surgery and weigh 236. You can do this! I promise you it will get better. My thought process has changed completely regarding food. LOL Except for when I'm on my period! Good luck - and if you ever need any support or someone to just talk to feel free to send me a private message!

Hey guys, I was banded on 7/2/08 and still cannot sleep on my stomach. I usually fall asleep on my side, but I wake up in the middle of the night really hurting around my port and over to the left. It hurts to turn, but once I'm on my back the pain instantly goes away. It doesn't hurt during the day at all either. It could just be all the pressure on the port/band.... anyone else experience this? If so, do you know what it is? I haven't called my surgeon yet b/c it's not a constant during the day. I'm so ready to sleep on my tummy again! It's just so darn comfortable (well, it use to be). :biggrin: Thanks!

I'm having a Sugar and Spice party at my house on Saturday!! I've hosted and attended several and they're a lot of fun! :smile2: www.sugarandspiceproducts.com

Hey there... I had surgery on 7/2 and here's what I wore: Granny Panties Loose sundress Regular bra (no underwire) I was quite comfortable, especially on the way home from surgery. I highly recommend this ensemble! Good luck on your special day!

Yes! Isn't this wierd? I had my first fill last Friday and I had shoulder pain for two days and was extremely gassy in my belly. The strange thing is... I didn't have gas/shoulder pain that bad after surgery! It was mild, but this time it hurt. I guess I felt it more because I didn't have the other pain or the meds to cover it up this time! LOL It wasn't unbearable, just uncomfortable!.

My email is mrsgriffin2u@gmail.com. Good luck! Let me know how it goes and if it's at all painful...

I was also banded on 7/2 and completely understand where you're coming from. I still have a little restriction, but not much. My problem is getting hungry very quickly after eating. Yes, the swelling goes down eventually after surgery and that's why it seems like you may have temporary restriction before your first fill. I get filled on 8/15 and would love to have it sooner. I have only lost 3 lbs since my 2 week check-up. How depressing. I know mentally that this is not suppose to be fast and that anything within the first six weeks is a bonus, but emotionally I'm expecting more. Feel free to PM me if you'd like to keep in touch with one of your 7/2 fellow bandsters! :tt2:

Hi there! I have not had kidney stones since I've been banded, but I have had them pre-op. I understand where you're coming from because they found several small stones in me as well. I passed one each year and I always felt nauseated from the pain. For me, it was hard to keep hydrated right after surgery. It was more my fault because I pushed anything that I should have put in my mouth away due to not feeling well. My suggestion is to keep Water with you at all times and sip, sip, sip throughout the entire day. It will definitely help. Also, if your surgeon allows, drink Gatorade or something that will keep the electrolytes in you. This will prevent dehydration as well. As far as the stones, do you drink tap water? Also, watch your Protein intake. While it is important to get your protein in, if you're eating too much, it can cause kidney stones. For me, it's the Calcium in the water here in TN. I learned this by trial and error. Since realizing the cause, I only drink purified/bottled water and haven't had a single kidney stone since. Good luck! The good thing is that you'll be on pain medication from surgery and that should help with the pain from the stones as well, atleast a little. Feel free to PM me if you need to chat! :cry_smile:

I literally gag everytime I think about a Protein shake. The bullets have been okay for me, but more than anything, I drink the Slim Fast Low Carb drinks. They aren't that bad and they really got me thru the liquid phase post-op. If you can't get it down out of the can, try shot glasses. For some reason, drinking it slowly and a little at a time really helped me. Don't confuse this with the High Protein Slim Fast. It has less protein, more carbs, and I believe more sugar. I hate milkshakes and that's part of the problem, but the protein taste is disgusting. Mixing the bullets with Crystal Light has helped, because drinking them straight has too much of an intense protein flavor for me. I've begged for a chewable version of protein and everyone laughs at me - so I KNOW where you're coming from. Also, if you like milk, the Publix brand skim has 9g per cup (as opposed to 8g I've seen in other brands). That helps too! Now that i'm on solids, if I really need to get in some protein and can't get a shake down, I will eat a Pure Protein Bar. They're about $6/box at Walmart and they have 20-23g of protein. The taste really isn't bad, but it does have more sugar I believe. Good luck! :biggrin:

Ladies, Just wanted to let you know that the surgery went great. My surgeon really placed all incisions very well and none of them interfere with my bra's. Right now I'm wearing non-underwire, but that's only because of the pressure. They do not irritate the incisions. The pressure from the wire is kind of too much, so while I'm out of work, I just wear a regular bra. I look forward to my underwire soon though. My bra's no longer fit me, so I'm off to Cacique soon to purchase some more. Thanks for all the replies! :wink2: