kbinaz

You are not a failure, you are pretty normal! The only restriction you have right after surgery is from swelling. That can go away in 1,2,3 weeks or can even take longer. The band is not doing what it was designed to do yet...it needs to be adjusted (filled) to get it to do what it is supposed to do. Your job right now is to heal and get in enough protein so your body can do that. Losing weight is not the goal right now (despite the fact that there are so many on this board who lose gobs of weight at first). Don't be discouraged by what you see others doing on this post - everyone is different. And also, be warned, your first fill might not get you there either. It can take several. I have had four and am not quite there yet. The band takes a lot of patience..use this time to start getting used to the band slowly. It really will pay off in the long run.

I was told that if you 'failed' the psych exam you would have to take care of whatever issues you were dealing with before surgery. It can delay your surgery date but might not make them cancel it. I'm sure it depends on the severity of the problem.

I had the same problem you are having... you are normal! Don't stress out about weight loss or lack of it. Like the other people above mentioned you just need to concentrate on healing. The band is slow and gradual. It isn't like gastric bypass. It could take you a few months to get to where you have enough restriction to really lose weight. The only restriction you have right now is from the swelling from surgery. The band just being placed doesn't help you at all. Right after surgery you swell and that gives you restriction. Some people keep feeling that restriction for weeks and even months after surgery. I felt it for about 1-2 weeks max. Then I started getting hungry. It is very frustrating but as long as you keep reminding yourself that it is normal you will get through it. The reason you aren't feeling restriction is because you are one of the ones whose swelling went down early. So, here is what you need to do. Schedule your first fill, maybe it is scheduled already. My doctor allowed us to have our first fill a month after surgery - but the qualification to get it was that you had to be hungry. I was! Most definitely! They want to make sure the swelling has gone down and that everything is nicely healed and in working order - hunger is a sign of that. Then, remember that even after that first fill you still might not be there! Try to be patient (this is easy for me to say, I haven't done so well at this either but I'm a few months ahead of you so have had more time to practice!) It may take four,five or more fills to get you on the losing path - I have had 4 fills (up to 6.5 in a 10cc band) and I am just starting to feel restriction. You will lose the weight, it is just going to take time. Hopefully it helps to know you aren't crazy or a failure!

You may be swollen from the fill. Lots of doctors have you do clear liquids after a fill for that reason. You need to be careful because eating anything hard while swollen can cause band slippage. Try only eating really soft foods for a few days. Have some cottage cheese or eggs. Remember to take really small bites and all the other things people have posted. If, after four or five days you still can't eat solid food you need to go in and get an unfill. It is not good to only eat liquids or soft foods so you need to fix that.

Hi, what I meant by 'strained' my port was just that I overdid it and felt it the next day. I was instructed to not lift anything over 10 pounds for the first two months but one time I forgot and lifted my grandson who weighs over 30 lbs. They attach your port to your stomach muscle. They attach it really,really, well so it would be pretty tough to unattach it. It needs to survive real life. But you can overdo it and feel it without damage. For instance, I could always feel it when I drove at first. Turning sideways to back out and even turning to put on my seatbelt would kind of pull on it. But I didn't hurt anything. There is also the possibility of hurting something, I'm not saying there isn't. If you think that happened, by all means call the doctor. But I'm also trying to get the point across that something was sewn to your stomach muscle and you will be able to feel it for a while! I hope I cleared that up, didn't mean to scare you! I just think if you really unattached the port or did real damage you would be in waaaay more pain and you'd know something was really wrong.

I have a 10cc band. My fills were: 1.5 ccs, 1.5 ccs, 1.5 ccs, 2ccs So I am up to a total of 6.5 (did the math for you) and am just now feeling restriction, seriously didn't know what they were talking about for those first three fills. The thing is, everyone is different. It has to do with body physiology- the thickness of your stomach mainly. So you can't really go by what other people have. I am convinced that it is better to go slowly with fills - my doctor is pretty conservative but allows us to come in after 10 days if we don't think it was enough. I think smaller fills make it less likely you will get overfilled. Plus,each fill puts you in a different place and it takes a few days to get used to it, plus you can be tighter at first from swelling.There is a learning curve with the band so slower fills allows more time to adjust - both mentally and physically.

I know exactly how you feel, I was in the same place! I did not feel any restriction prior to my first fill, after my first fill, after my second fill or after my third fill! Finally, I had my fourth fill (up to 6.5 ccs in a 10 cc band) and felt some restriction (but I am not there yet, probably need one more small fill) I had this little mental breakdown pity party thing "Ohmygosh, I am the one that is not going to be able to do it, they are gonna get me up to 10ccs in my band and I'm still going to be able to eat, I'm a failure, why did I even have this stupid surgery, I wasted thousands of hard earned dollars for nothing"...you know what I mean...and I lost 0 pounds and would get on this sight and read about people who could lose 5 pounds a week (or more) without restriction and then feel even worse about myself because I'd think about what a big loser I was. Anyway, I had my little fit and talked to the nurse practitioner at the center that did my surgery and he talked me down and explained that EVERY SINGLE LB PATIENT feels the same way at some point. He said it is like an airplane trying to get up to cruising altitude. It is hard work and takes all the engines at full thrust to get there, but once you get there you just cruise along. That is how the LB differs from GB - they just start losing weight from day one and it just basically melts off. Banders have a slower start but we are going to be up there cruising right alongside the GB'ers it just takes patience (which I have very little of, especially concerning weight loss!) I am not trying to preach at you, believe me I totally understand how you are feeling!!! I'm just trying to put this thing in perspective for you. It IS frustrating and it IS too slow for some of us. But try to be positive. You aren't going to be the 1% that fails. You just aren't getting maximum benefit from your band yet and may not get it for several fills. And if you need fills, get them. They are not a sign of failure. They are allowing you to get what you need from the band and why you had surgery in the first place. Schedule them as often as your doctor will allow. (I can go every ten days) to get up to the right restriction. Hang in there and don't get too discouraged!

Yes, it is very hard to be in that soft food stage when you don't feel restriction yet and have people around you pigging out. That was the very worst time for me. The smells are what really got to me. (Pizza...oh my gosh) I just kept telling myself it was for my own good, it was temporary and I even had an end date, and that I had done much more bizarre things with food before being banded on all the stupid diets I went on. That helped. Know there are lots of people out here who know what you are going through and hang in there, you will make it!

I have the same problem - I live in Arizona so I am hoping it really helps me this summer when it is 110 outside!! Ha! It gets really bad when I have a fill and have to go on clear liquids so I do think it has something to do with not getting in enough calories. I agree with Sunwyse, you should be eating more than a few bites. Check with your doctor.

Mine added up to right around $15K and that is everything, including pre-op testing etc. As you price the surgery be sure to take into account the stuff after surgery too. Mine included a year of free fills and support from nutritionist and support group meetings and four visits with an exercise physiologist etc. Add up the whole cost not just the basic surgery cost.

physically it isn't supposed to make any difference in your band to fly. There are people who swear they get tighter but there is no scientific reason for that. You should be fine. Keep hydrated, though, dehydration is probably the bigger danger.

Yes, try not to stress out about it! Remember you just had surgery - there are all kinds of wacky things going on with your body. I know it seems like a no brainer that if you are on liquids you should lose weight but that is rarely what happens. Try not to stress about the weight thing right now, concentrate on healing and doing what your doctor told you to do after surgery. That will be the best investment you can make in the future and then you will have success with weight loss. Everyone loses weight at different points of the journey and the only thing I can tell you for sure is that you WILL lose weight! Just maybe not one week after surgery! Hang in there!

I agree with Jack - it goes faster than we think. I think we are so used to everything happening instantly these days that we even want to recover from major surgery instantly! You just went through a pretty big trauma so just relax and rest and try to enjoy this down time. Believe me, life will still be there when you start feeling better. And it will happen soon! Each day you will feel better than the day before,and before you know it you will look back and realize it wasn't that bad! I, too, remember that overwhelming feeling at first ...how am I going to remember everything, what if I screw up, what if the port pain never goes away...all those things work themselves out it just takes time. Take care!

1 cup greek yogurt (Fage brand has 20 g. of protein for 1 cup!!!) strawberries blackberries

Just curious,but why are you eating baby food? I had to do a whole month of soft proteins and managed to stay pretty happy and never ate baby food. Just the thought of it makes me gag! I hate the smell of it (I remember from when my kids ate it) Can't you eat real food, just make sure it is soft?

My doctor makes me do clear liquids for three days. That sucks big time!!! I can't believe your doctor didn't say anything about what you should do...the reason you need to be careful after a fill is that you can have swelling and if you eat food that is at all hard you are at greater risk for slippage. I think my doctor is extreme and I personally haven't been able to do clear liquids for the whole three days but I usually do them for one day then move to soft foods - cottage cheese, refried beans, etc. Once I start eating I stay careful for a few days. You can tell if you are swollen - I didn't feel that until my third fill. It usually subsides by day four or five.

Hi Will, my band just recently showed up, too! In fact, I'm going in for fill #5 on Feb 19th because I need more restriction. I agree with you that the hardest part of this journey was discovering how much patience was required to get to restriction. I would have still had the surgery if I had known, but I would have had less days of despair if I had been properly warned. I tell EVERYONE who asks about the band that that aspect of it can be frustrating- that it isn't like gastric bypass and you might not start losing tons of weight right away.(and it doesn't help to read people on here who don't even need restriction to lose!) I keep reminding myself of the positive aspects of the band - esp. the fact that I think overall I will do better having gotten to restriction slowly and not just waking up one day able to only eat tiny amounts. You aren't alone in your feelings!

Every pill I've taken has gone down fine. I had some trouble with a large antibiotic I had to be on but it just felt 'stuck' for a few minutes after I took it. Water helps because it dissolves the pill. A lot of people on this site suggest taking pills with warm water. Anyway, it isn't a big issue for me.

I was told I could take a shower the second day after surgery. They told me to let the warm water run over my incisions and it really, really felt good!

The only way I could sleep the first week or so was on a recliner. I'm so glad we happened to have one. The other thing that helped was to lie on my right side and prop a pillow against my stomach to kind of support my port area. It took some doing but with my husband helping me I got some sleep. You don't have much longer to wait...you should be able to sleep on your left side soon.

I had a lot of different times when my port got strained from doing something too quickly (or when I forgot and lifted my 30 lb. grandson) I doubt you damaged anything - they make sure to suture the port in pretty well because people do have to live life! If you are concerned it never hurts to call the doctor, but I had that happen several times and I'm fine.

Hi- I just want to let you know that this will get easier! I remember at the very beginning thinking it was taking too much thought and how was I going to be able to have a band and a life! But it works out. I'm not sure why you have only eaten mashed potatoes and eggs. Is it because you are afraid to try other foods? My doctor had me on soft proteins four days after surgery and that meant I could eat eggs, chicken,turkey,fish, refried beans, cottage cheese...lots of stuff. As long as you follow the post-op instructions from your doctor you aren't going to hurt anything and you should be eating more than it sounds like you are eating. Instead of mashed potatoes, though, you should be eating protein. Your body is trying to heal and protein is what helps it to do that. Don't be afraid. Take it slowly and follow the rules for eating that I'm sure your doctor told you about (eat slow, chew well, small bites etc.) As for the weight gain, yes it is quite normal and don't stress out about it. The month or two after surgery is not for weight loss, it is for healing. You have fluid and swelling from the surgery and weird things are happening to your body. Don't worry about it. Do what your doctor told you to do and you are going to be fine.

Hi and welcome! I know what a hard decision this is for you - I had to make the same one and it was really tough. I qualified for both LB and GB. Unfortunately nobody can decide this for you. I can only tell you why I am glad I made the decision to have the band - I'm sure if you asked GB patients they would tell you they made the right choice!! Just get educated and you will do fine no matter which way you go. So, why I chose the band over bypass...I love food and liked the fact that with the band there are no forbidden foods. (there are some foods that are hard for some people with the band but for the most part if you can eat it you can have it)I liked that the band did not permanently alter my digestive system. Everything remains the way God made it, I just have two pieces of extra hardware in there!! If something happens to me I can have it removed (or unfilled) The weight loss with the band tends to be slower than with GB. I think this is healthier and probably causes less hanging skin issues, although that probably depends more on how much weight you have to lose. I also liked the fact that the band is a restrictive tool not malabsorptive- in other words I get all the nutritional value out of every bit of food I eat. I don't have to take a lot of vitamins to remain healthy, I can eat enough food to get the proper nutrients. The downside of the band for some people is that you have to do your part with the band. You will not just automatically lose weight like people with gastric bypass do. But it sounds from your post like you are pretty disciplined and can do it. I hope I have helped. I know this is a tough choice, but like I said, keep getting information and you will figure out which way to go. Does your doctor do both surgeries? That would be easier if you decided to go with the band. Hope all goes well for you!

Sorry, it's me again... Forgot something... You also need to remember that although you are eating a smaller amount of food you feel as if you ate a big portion and feel satisfied until your next meal - that is what was missing for me pre-band. I could eat a good sized meal then feel hungry again before the next one and feel like snacking constantly. I don't snack at all now because I don't feel like it.

Hi, you asked some good questions and your concerns are all things we all think about and need to be addressed. You are right to consider all these things. I have only been banded since October 26,2007 and am not really all the way to total restriction so I am not an expert. But I will tell you that the 'food yearning' issues I was so concerned about have not been nearly as bad as I feared. I can eat pretty much everything - including bread. You do have to eat slowly, take small bites and chew stuff until it is mushy, but really that is how we all should be eating anyway. Watch a skinny person sometime and I guarantee you they will be eating more that way than a fat person! Another thing I want to point out to you is that there seem to be a lot of people on this sight who I think (this is just my opinion) are too tight and too restricted and overfilled. The purpose of the band is to lose approximately 5-10 pounds per month. You can easily do that by keeping your caloric intake around 1000 calories. I see people on this sight all the time who are eating 500 or 600 calories. There is a thread on here for posting your daily food journal and if you read some of them they look like a food journal for a hamster. In my pre-op education I was told that I should be able to eat approximately 1/2 of what I used to eat. That really isn't that little. That is what most of my skinny friends eat when we go out. The reason I decided to have LB instead of GB surgery was because I do love food so much. With the lap band you can enjoy food still. Please don't let that be the reason you decide not to have the surgery. As you read posts on this board, remember that there are a lot of different people on here and we are all different and go to different doctors. I plan on only getting as much restriction as I absolutely need to continue to lose a safe amount of weight and still enjoy food. I agree with you that food is one of life's great joys and it is not wrong to enjoy it. If I wanted to lose 20 pounds a month I would have had gastric bypass. The other real factor that led me to the surgery was thinking about life AFTER I reach my goal (and now I really believe for the first time I will reach it!!!) The band will allow me to stay at my goal weight and not be constantly worrying about regaining all my weight. The band will always be there and will always be my special tool to help me stay on track. How loose or tight it stays will be up to me and me alone!