hungry4help

hi andre... welcome. i'm relatively new to this site and to being banded myself. actually just had surgery on monday, so i'm not even a week out. so far so good. the soreness is subsiding and i'm headed out soon for another walk. i'm in nyc too and might head over to central park or to the historical society. as for finding a doctor. checkout the sites for nyu (thinforlife.med.nyu.edu) and for lennox hill (LHH/MMIBS :: Home). others here have highly recc'ed dr. murian and dr. fielding at nyu. i met with dr. kruian, but ultimately went with dr. roslin over at lennox hill. as you embark on your own research, you'll find that bariatric surgeons are a relatively small community in nyc and many have worked with and for one another at some point in their career. i went with roslin and lennox hill partly because of his experience and his straightforward style. also, i appreciated that his office was convenient for me to get to from my home and my office. plus, several friends of mine had other procedures at lennox hill and i liked that it was a somewhat smaller hospital and very focused on patient care. at any rate, do yourself a favor and comparison shop. you're making a lifetime purchase, commitment and quite possibly forming a lifetime relationship with your medical team. also, pick-up "weight loss surgery for dummies." it's a helpful primer and will help you think of and ask the right questions. good luck with your decision and your quest for a healthier lifestyle.

hi march 3 bandsters... it's a warm day in nyc and i managed to walk nearly a mile and a half. that felt good, but i'm a little sore now. had to take some liquid tylenol as soon as i got home. the walk did help a lot with the gas, but it's been ever present since surgery. haven't had too much of the shoulder pain, but it does uncomfortably fill up my chest. on a completely different topic, i was just wondering... what kind of band you all got and if it was partially filled during your surgeries?

hey innuertube... congrats on being so close. it's completely natural to be nervous. the night before my surgery (3/3), i was up till 5am. and the morning of surgery, fleeting thoughts of not showing up at the hospital did cross my mind. waking up from surgery was awful, as was most of that day. my surgery was at noon. i woke up around 3, tried unsuccessfully to walk around 6, went back to sleep and woke up around 9p. by then, i felt exponentially better and was able to walk the halls a bit. by wednesday morning, i was sore but feeling pretty good. it can only get better from here. good luck with your surgery!

hi everyone... i was banded around noon on monday. woke up feeling pretty groggy, but none of the chills and panicky feelings i had after i had ear surgery. having read about the importance of walking asap, i did as much as i could the day of surgery. the first attempt wasn't so great. there was the catheter (damn, was that uncomfortable) and there were the gas pains. it hurt most in my chest, not my shoulder. anyways, i kept getting up and walking. in between, i was pretty drugged out on morphine and sleeping in three to four hour blocks. each time i woke up, i felt exponentially stronger. made it home yesterday, but not before my upper gi. damn, that was an experience. i had the lapbad-ap put in and my doc's standard of care with that unit is to "install" with a 3cc fill. fine by me, but i'm not sure my radiologist got the message. he had me drink enough barium so that my stomach was filled and the Fluid began seeping into my intestine. well, that required 2 cups of barium and i started feeling nauseous. ugh. back at my room, a cup of broth and green Jello were waiting for me. i had no desire to eat, but i knew that to be discharged from the hospital i had to keep down some food and urinate on my own (no catheter). i managed to swallow a spoonful of broth, a tablespoon of jello and a few sips of Water before my first regurgitation incident happened. oy, how unpleasant. first there was the urge to spit and keep spitting and then the heaving up began. having read on other threads about this vile experience, i knew immediately what was happening so i managed to stay calm and get through it. (thanks everyone!) about an hour later, i asked my nurse for anti-nausea meds and that settled me down. my sister and i took another walk around the floor and she distracted me from my discomfort and 30 mins later i was able to try eating again. 2nd try, no probs. i managed half the broth and a quarter of the jello. i was discharged around 4:30p. now at home and i'm feeling pretty good. of my 5 incisions, only the one with the port hurts. i can touch and press the other ones without much pain. am supposed to start on full liquids today, but i know i'll have to go slow. i prolly will be hungry in a day or two, but for now i've got no appetite. is anyone doing any kind of stretching to wake up their core muscles? i know we're not supposed to lift weights, but am thinking i'm might stretch out a bit with my elastic bands or somesuch. since i can't bend over very comfortably, i'm thinking of a couple of standing exercises. anyone got ideas? finally, welcome home everyone. congrats to us all!

hi everyone... i was banded around noon on monday. woke up feeling pretty groggy, but none of the chills and panicky feelings i had after i had ear surgery. having read about the importance of walking asap, i did as much as i could the day of surgery. the first attempt wasn't so great. there was the catheter (damn, was that uncomfortable) and there were the gas pains. it hurt most in my chest, not my shoulder. anyways, i kept getting up and walking. in between, i was pretty drugged out on morphine and sleeping in three to four hour blocks. each time i woke up, i felt exponentially stronger. made it home yesterday, but not before my upper gi. damn, that was an experience. i had the lapbad-ap put in and my doc's standard of care with that unit is to "install" with a 3cc fill. fine by me, but i'm not sure my radiologist got the message. he had me drink enough barium so that my stomach was filled and the Fluid began seeping into my intestine. well, that required 2 cups of barium and i started feeling nauseous. ugh. back at my room, a cup of broth and green Jello were waiting for me. i had no desire to eat, but i knew that to be discharged from the hospital i had to keep down some food and urinate on my own (no catheter). i managed to swallow a spoonful of broth, a tablespoon of jello and a few sips of Water before my first regurgitation incident happened. oy, how unpleasant. first there was the urge to spit and keep spitting and then the heaving up began. having read on other threads about this vile experience, i knew immediately what was happening so i managed to stay calm and get through it. (thanks everyone!) about an hour later, i asked my nurse for anti-nausea meds and that settled me down. my sister and i took another walk around the floor and she distracted me from my discomfort and 30 mins later i was able to try eating again. 2nd try, no probs. i managed half the broth and a quarter of the jello. i was discharged around 4:30p. now at home and i'm feeling pretty good. of my 5 incisions, only the one with the port hurts. i can touch and press the other ones without much pain. am supposed to start on full liquids today, but i know i'll have to go slow. i prolly will be hungry in a day or two, but for now i've got no appetite. is anyone doing any kind of stretching to wake up their core muscles? i know we're not supposed to lift weights, but am thinking i'm might stretch out a bit with my elastic bands or somesuch. since i can't bend over very comfortably, i'm thinking of a couple of standing exercises. anyone got ideas? finally, welcome home everyone. congrats to us all!

hi folks... am getting banded tomorrow and, surprise, i'm scouring the boards tonight. someone earlier in this thread mentioned not having a bm despite being 3 days post-op. you might want to double check with your doc, but general anesthesia often, um, backs things up. again, check your doc, but you should consider colace (a stool softener). good luck.

Just a little over a week to go before getting banded. I was in the drug store earlier today picking up a few things and passed by the racks of diet coke and aisles of Snacks and other things i will no longer be able to eat. A bittersweet moment, but I'm ready to say goodbye to all that and hello to a new me. Completed all my pre-op testing this morning and the whole thing is beginning to feel more real. I've been thinking about getting banded for a few months now, but only started doctor/hospital shopping in late January. I'm lucky to have Oxford and getting approved was a breeze; it helped to have a bmi of 44. (That's the only time my bmi actually game in handy!) Based on other posters comments, I've already picked up Gas-X strips and Colace (to take care of post-op constipation). Has anyone else stocked their medicine cabinets with additional aids? Surgery Date: 3/3/08 294/290/? Dr. Mitchel Roslin / Lennox Hill Hospital, NYC

i've used a polar for a couple years. it's really helpful to know what when i'm approaching my max heart rate and when i'm in "the zone." that's useful info especially when i'm having an off day and feeling like i'm working my hardest only to realize i'm actually slacking. it's an excellent work out tool.

i'm skedded for noon on monday. damn, it's getting close. oddly, i don't actually have to start my liquid diet until sunday. go figure. good luck everyone. talk to you on the other side!

hey all... just 5 days to go and i'm getting nervous too. have been quelling the nerves by shopping for my post-op week at home, checking these boards every 5 minutes and reading anything/everything i can find on and offline re: the band. in between all that, i've been playing tennis, going to the gym and, well... ordering in too much thai and diner food for dinner. let's call it a farewell tour of take out places. anyone else on a similar tour? or am i the only one on a last-meal trip around the neighborhood?!

thanks all. good to hear i'm not the only one who struggled with disclosure.

i'm a spin fan. no form of exercise makes me sweat quite so much. sadly, i haven't been able to get to a lunch hour class. work keeps getting in the way and i've lately devoted evenings to tennis. for anyone considering spinning, do go. don't be afraid, but do be prepared for your, um, privates to hurt the first couple of times. if you get into it, consider buying a pair of padded bike shorts (just don't wear undies at the same time; you'll chafe.) am getting banded on 3/3. am curious to know how quickly y'all got back on the bike post surgery. do tell.

thanks one and all for making this site such a rich resource of information and support. my surgery is skedded for 3/3 and i can't wait. would love to be in touch with anyone with anyone being banded on or around that date. especially those being banded by dr. roslin at lennox hill hospital in nyc. good luck everyone and thanks again for sharing your stories. gratefully yours, hungry4help

Just a little over a week to go before getting banded. I was in the drug store earlier today picking up a few things and passed by the racks of diet coke and aisles of Snacks and other things i will no longer be able to eat. A bittersweet moment, but I'm ready to say goodbye to all that and hello to a new me. Completed all my pre-op testing this morning and the whole thing is beginning to feel more real. I've been thinking about getting banded for a few months now, but only started doctor/hospital shopping in late January. I'm lucky to have Oxford and getting approved was a breeze; it helped to have a bmi of 44. (That's the only time my bmi actually game in handy!) Based on other posters comments, I've already picked up Gas-X strips and Colace (to take care of post-op constipation). Has anyone else stocked their medicine cabinets with additional aids? Surgery Date: 3/3/08 294/290/? Dr. Mitchel Roslin / Lennox Hill Hospital, NYC

thanks everyone. am very excited!

hi folks... am new to the site, "pre-op" and considering dr. mitchell roslin at lennox hill in nyc. i've searched the site and there doesn't seem to be much here on him. has anyone out there used him? if so, what have your experiences with him, his staff and his hospital been like? have read a lot here about nyu. for those that have gone with drs fielding and ren, did you consider lennox hill? if so, why did you decide to go the nyu route? thanks in advance for all your advice and insight.

thanks for the super quick reply. i will definitely check out the nyu team too. can't hurt to shop around, right? mommy0105: if you don't mind my asking... how did your surgery go? how quickly were you able to get back to work and return to normal mobility?