Kalipso2

yes, that is absolutely normal. the port incision will hurt worse than the others because the port is there and it is stitched to muscle. i had port pain for about 30 days after surgery. when you get the okay to exercise the pain will still be there but you have to exercise around the pain. i'm over 60 days post-op and i can still feel my port and will always be able to feel it. it's funny because i rub it all the time because i think of it as my "life line". when i eat too much it sticks out even further and i feel like an over done turkey!

i recently went out to dinner with friends from work who didn't know that i got banded. i didn't drink and that raised eyebrows. i ordered boneless buffalo chicken bites and could only eat 2 of them and that raised eyebrows too.

when i got the bill and i had to pay $10 + tip for something i barely ate i got pissed off and ended up telling everyone i was with that i had the surgery.

they said the next time i could just eat off their plates!

i've been able to feel my port since day 1 after surgery. when i eat too much my port really sticks out and i feel like an over done turkey.

you're probably just sore from the stuck food. i've been stuck so i know what it feels like (and i'm not condoning this) but i can usually make myself PB so the stuck food comes out instead of sitting there for hours and hours.

being only 5 weeks out you're not restricted yet. your stomach swelling is going down and you will feel more hungry as that happens which is why we're supposed to do liquids for the first couple of weeks after surgery.

i know it's scary... i still get scared that my band is going to slip but that keeps me on track as much as possible!

here is my opinion... the doctor is not going to judge you or anything you say. he knows why you're there... why we all went.

it doesn't really matter to him what you've done to try to lose weight... whatever ways you chose it hasn't worked... it didn't for any of us.

it doesn't matter how old you are... if you're 21 you're a consenting adult.

my consultation wasn't an interview process... it was an extended and more intensive doctor appointment.

i was more nervous about my psychological appointment than the surgeon appointment. and with that i suggest you answer the questions short and sweet and to the point.

good luck!

i have a lap-band because that's what my doctor chose lol

up until my fill i had assumed i had the Realize band but nope... he felt the lap-band would work better.

i was told by my doctor to wait 6 months but most people only wait 2 months. there is a lot of sugar in mixed drinks and wine but i'm sure 1 glass a week wouldn't hurt.

it all depends on how aggressive your doctor is with fills. a lot of my doctor's patients travel a few hours to see him (i drive 4 hours) so he's more aggressive than some are.

after your fill, did you have to drink Water? i did feel anything after my first fill but i could definitely feel the restriction just from the Water after my second fill.

i didn't have to do a sleep study but i kinda wish i had. i sleep SO much better since the surgery it makes me wonder if i had sleep apnea.

there is no way to tell how many of cc's a person is going to need but i do have a 10cc band and i have 5.3cc in right now. i think i'm a bit too tight because the first 2 weeks after this last fill i PB'd after everything i ate but right now i can eat around 1/2 cup per meal and i'm full!

oh no, if you're self pay you won't have to do the 6 month pre-surgery diet. i'm self pay and there was about a 3 week window between my initial consultation and my surgery date!

i'm a little more than 60 days post-op and have experienced everything that you're worried about.... BUT i'm so glad i got banded.

i almost cancelled my surgery because i wanted to give it "one more try" but like you said... it won't work. i don't even really remember the pain after surgery or the pre-op yucky liquid phase. i just know that i feel good NOW.

I was banded by Dr. C. in April! You made a great choice in surgeons. I can't tell you how many questions I had after surgery and he answers his emails himself and very promptly. I know that Dr. C. is answers a lot of questions in the "Complications" section on this site as well as having his own "Ask Dr. C." on OH.com.

if you have any pre- or post-surgery questions, let me know!!

i was told to eat until i was full. this is your first "test" of learning to listening to your body and your band! it's true, this period of time between surgery and your first fill isn't about losing weight, it's about healing and learning.

i said i needed to have laproscopic surgery - period -

if someone was bold enough to ask "what for?", my answer was - girl stuff -

i didn't want to tell anyone at work, not because i was embarrassed but because i didn't want people watching what i eat or wondering why it's not happening quicker.

as time goes by, i tell more people only because i'm tired of lying and having to lie on top of the original lie. for example... friday a group of us from work went out for Happy Hour. only one person knew about my surgery. i didn't drink which raised eyebrows lol and i was only able to eat (2) out of the (12) boneless chicken bites which also raised eyebrows. so, i ended up telling the people i was with so that next time i don't have to pay $8 for an appetizer i'm barely going to eat. they all said i can eat off their plate next time lol

i was self pay and i didn't have to wait long at all. between my initial consultation and surgery it was 3 weeks! talk about everything happening fast! it was the best decision i've ever made.

yes, it happened to me too. i went in for my very first fill and i felt more hungry after the fill than i had before it. i even gained 6 pounds the first week after my first fill.

i called my surgeon right away and went back the next week for another fill. fortunately, my fills are covered for the first 2 years so it's easier for me.

my doctor said most doctors have "their own" spot where they place the ports. mine is over to the right of my belly button but up about 2" i don't think the placement really bothers anyone too much... not that i've read anyway.

i'm just worried that when i lose my weight you'll be able to see my port but my doc promised me i wouldn't be able to and that his wife has the same bad as me with the port in the same place and she is at my goal weight and it isn't noticeable.

my port incision hurt for 6 weeks or so. even now, after 2 months, i occasionally get a sharp pain if i move wrong.

the funny thing with me is, i can feel my port. i asked the doctor why my port seems to stick out more so after i eat... almost like a cooked turkey lol he said that its kinda what its doing. so after i eat i feel how "done" i am lol

i wouldn't worry too much about the doctor not being at the seminar. you'll have a chance to meet him (or her) during your initial consultation. i didn't really have a lot of interaction with my doctor until after surgery.

i was banded 04-21-08 and i have to admit... being banded is one of the most difficult things in my life bit i would NOT give it up for anything!

these couple of months have been a struggle. what to eat.. what not to eat.. how much to eat.. not being able to eat after this last fill.

i'm having to learn my body all over again and it's scary but also exciting because i'm loving the results.

did i make any sense???

listen... it happens. the binging part of our personalities don't disappear over night. a lot of us have been in your shoes. if i feel pain and think i may need to vomit i let gravity take its course...

i stand over the toilet instead of kneeling and bend at the waist... if its going to come up it will be easier in that position. i doubt all that food has gone to your stomach so it won't be vomiting it will be more like PB'ing so no stomach spasms and no stomach acids.

i consider my doctor pretty aggressive when it comes to fills... or maybe it's because i live 4 hours away from him. my band was primed with 1.5cc in a 10cc band. my first fill was 1.8cc and my second fill was 2cc... so now i have a total of 5.3cc in my band less than 60 days after my surgery.

see... i don't think of what i'm doing as a diet because i can eat almost anything that i want. i think of it as a lifestyle change... making healthier choices. i don't spend all my time counting calories and fat grams and wondering if i'll have enough Weight Watcher points at the end of the day. i concentrate on how much Protein i'm putting into my body and trying to stay low carb.

i felt just like you after my 1st fill. i DID actually start gaining weight. i totally freaked out and called my doctor to say that i was more hungry AFTER my fill than i had been before. 2 weeks later i went in for my 2nd fill and i feel MUCH better.

this is what they call "Bandster Hell" because we've done everything we're supposed to, now we have to wait until the band and body start working together.

keep your chin up!

i think you should be fine. most people go back to work after a week off... so a vacation a month after surgery, you should feel fine. i'm not sure if you drink but don't plan on sipping any cocktails while in hawaii.

the only thing i would worry about is the post-op diet. will you be on normal food by the time of your vacation? i was on clear liquid for 24 hours, full liquids for 7 days, pureed for 7 days and mushy for 7 days. i got a fill right before i was allowed to start normal food so i was back to liquid to mushies for an extra 4 days.