Sunta

My mandatory support classes (included 3 nutrition classes, meeting with nutritionist, psych evaluation, endocrinologist visit, and "aftercare" such as lifestyle classes and ongoing nutritional support) cost $1,200 out of pocket. I was really steamed when I found out there was another program I could have attended that would have cost $400, but I was roped into the more expensive one.

Hi Margo, Congratulations on your great weight loss! I wanted to mention, since you said exercise is a problem, that I heard awhile back that walking more steps throughout the day can be as effective as working out for the same amount of time. For example, even parking as far away from the store/house/job as possible can add the equivilent of 20 minutes of exercise per day! You can get a pedimeter that will count your steps and calories burned. This way, you don't have to have an exercise routine, but rather, the cumulative effect will give you benefits. So it's kind of like "tricking" your body into exercise without feeling like you're exercising. Other suggestions in this article I read included taking the stairs instead of the elevator, adding a few blocks to walking the dog, walking over to talk to a co-worker instead of sending email, walking the kids to school, walking up and down every isle of the grocery store, and walking to talk to neighbors instead of calling.

<<he says it is very normal and it is not going to go away completely>> You mean, this pain will never go away completely??? Oh man, that would be really bad. I sure am hoping it goes away completely! It's exactly as you describe and hurts horribly if I sneeze! I can't imagine going through life with this pain! I can't even stand up straight...

Ativan and Xanax rule! I was prescribed some Xanax before I was released, because I had developed an uncontrollable shaking from anxiety right after surgery. Since I've been home I've only had to take it once (when I was freaking out on day two because of horrible nausea) and it works wonders.

Hi Everyone, I am feeling better today! I actually put on regular clothes and went to K-Mart! What a treat! It did bother my stomach alot though. When I got home I had to sit down for quite awhile before I felt better. I still have alot of gas. It's like "normal" gas that one would get after eating a huge meal. My stomach is all gurgly and gassy. The surgery pain is better but I feel like something is "pulling" on my internal organs when I walk. Anyone else experience this? I can't stand up all the way straight because of this feeling. My muscles are still slightly sore, and it hurts horribly if I sneeze. But, today is really the first day I've felt significant improvement. I am very restricted, not hungry at all, and I'm on day 11. Well, time to make some cream of chicken soup!

Oh boy do I ever know what you're going through! I am now 11 days post-op and still passing TONS of gas! I suffered alot with feeling like I had a stomach flu. My husband could hear my stomach from across the room! I do feel much better now, so just keep reminding yourself that this is temporary and it will be over soon. I did find the position that helped me most was to put my head down on the bed and put my butt as high in the air as possible. This moves the gas from the shoulder/diaphram area into the bowels and is such a relief. If you're not too sore you could try it. I did not find Gas-X to be a big help, but the heating pad helped a ton. I didn't think it would work for gas, but it relaxes the muscles in the area and it's very soothing. Other things to try: mint tea, ginger tea, fennel tea (this one helped the most), and avoiding dairy. Hang in there because I never thought I would be out of the woods but I think I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

Hi! I'm nine days post-op and feel like I have a perpetual stomach flu or food poisoning. Rumbling, nausea, gas, diarrea, etc. Did anyone else feel this way? If so how long did it last? I feel like all I do on the board is complain; I'm sorry! I'm having a really hard time...

Thank you all for your answers. I love this board!!! I am still having issues, although I think they're improving. I also still have incision/surgical/muscle pain. I am ten days post-op and can't believe how long this is taking me! I keep telling my friends and family "there are people on the site who got banded and took a tour of Mexico the next day!!!" And I'm still laid up on my recliner taking painkiller ten days later! Well, I have to focus on the improvements I guess. I did lose 15 pounds so far!

You continue to be a major inspiration to me!

Where can I get some o' them trained twinkies???

Wow! That is really cool! Anxious to see the pictures!

<<I switched to tylenol liquid during the day, but will continue to take the vicodin at night to help me sleep more comfortably.>> Hey Roxanneroll I just wanted to mention that I found liquid Tylenol PM at my local drug store and it rocks! I took some for muscle pain and sleeplessness and that stuff knocked me OUT! And I didn't have any nausea like with narcotics!

I think it would be so, so, so much fun to jump up and down on the boxes, pulverizing them into dust.

Hi, I too had some of the shoulder pain, though most of my gas pains were (and still are) located in the middle of my diaphram and chest. One thing that helps me is to get into what my friend calls "the position". Now, make sure your incisions don't hurt too bad before you try this, or you might not be able to get back up LOL. You get onto a bed on your knees, and put your head down to touch the bed, with your rear end in the air. almost like the "cat" pose in yoga. Immediately, you will feel all of your gas moving out of your shoulder and into your bowels. It's such a huge feeling of relief. I try to stay in the position as long as possible, just to feel the relief of the gas being out of my chest. It really moves things around and when I get up, I usually have a productive bathroom trip! Hope that's not too gross! Again, let me caution that the position should only be attempted when your surgical pain lets up enough to let you be a little more mobile. Keep us posted on your progress!

Hi, I know for me, I did do tons of research on the band, and I thought I had read everything there was to read and that I knew most of what there was to know. But, now having actually been banded, I do find myself with LOTS of questions, mostly focussing on how long people's recovery was since mine sucks so bad. I do try to do searches on the board, and if I find my answer, I don't post, but sometimes, I just don't find what I'm looking for on an older thread, or sometimes, it just helps to get reassurance.

You might try looking on any UK message boards if you can find them. The band has been approved in the UK since 1993, so there must be people who have had it there for over ten years. Here in the states, the band has only been approved since 2001, so until 2011 you're out of luck! Let me know if you find anything as I have been interested in finding this too. There is a girl on here called muffinbirdie who's been banded for five years. If you do a search on her name her posts will come up. Good luck.

The movie was great! It showed the band operation itself which is the first time I've seen it being performed. Thanks for posting this.

Hi, I know it's really hard but I did it to make it surgery. My doctor wanted me to be on all clear, sugar-free liquids, but I knew that was totally unrealistic. So I decided to do full liquids instead. It wasn't as difficult doing the full liquids and I made it through with minimal hunger. I am not advocating going against what your doctor said to do, but this is what worked for me. I had Slim-Fast, yogurt, blenderized bean Soups, thick protien shakes. It worked for me and I am now ten days post-op. The bonus was a dropped a few pounds in those two days!

Hi Everyone, Just wanted to run this by everyone to see if I can figure out what's going on without having to call my doctor. I am 8 days post-op and have been improving. Today, I finally feel some significant relief from the horrible, horrible, debilitating gas pains, only to develop some weird feeling in my stomach. It feels like a really bad pulled muscle and it runs up and down the left side, next to my belly button. It hurts the worst when I get up from a chair, like I can hardly walk. I had had some soreness in my upper abdomen earlier this week which had seemed to be improving greatly. I was finding myself able to bend down, move around more, etc. And now, today, this pulled muscle sensation just developed. It feels like something pulling on my stomach painfully and I'm so worried that the tubing is wrapped around something or something like that. Any thoughts?

It sounds totally like gall bladder. I have not had this issue, but my best friend had EXACTLY the same thing; pain on her right side/ribs/back after eating. And it would come in "attacks" or waves. Did they check your gall bladder?

Mmmmmm it might be my favorite food! I love eel, tuna, spicy tuna, salmon, all types of exotic rolls with divine things like tempura shrimp and avacado inside them. I LOVE the sticky rice and the nori. I LOVE sushi. I posted a thread awhile ago asking if I could still eat it after surgery and I am hoping I can! It so delicious!

If I can do it, anyone can! I was sooo scared but I did it and am feeling better now. Please keep us posted as to your progress. You'll do great!

Hi Heather, Can I join the challenge without posting my weight, but instead, posting how many pounds I lose each week? As of now, the only people in the world who know my weight are me and my doctors! Not even my husband knows my weight. He comes on here and reads the board including my posts. What I plan on doing is, when I reach my goal weight, I will post what I weighed and then my goal weight, for the world to see. I hope no one objects. It's just my own personal hang-up (one of many! LOL!)

Hi Everyone, My name is Becky. I'm 35 years old and was just banded on February 21st! I'm married to my wonderful husband Dave and have been for nine years this May. I have two cats, no childen. I live here in the City of Brotherly Love: Philadelphia! It's a most wonderful town and I encourage everyone to come visit! I am the Sales and Marketing Director for a Web design company and my husband is an IT Director with a national firm. I was a normal weight, if not downright skinny, child. When I look at pictures of myself from when I was really little, I can't even believe how thin I was. My weight gain started the very moment puberty started, and despite dieting for 25 years (you name it, I've been on it. Too many diets to list here!), I reached my heaviest ever weight a few months ago. One time in college I was able to lose 51 pounds with Nutri-System, but even then I still had an additional 30 to lose, so in my entire adult life, I have never been at an ideal weight. I'd been looking into the LAP Band since I first read an article about it a few years ago. But at that time, my insurance did not cover it. I had vowed to never get a bypass no matter how big I got, because it just is not for me. The second I found out that my insurance started covering the LAP Band in July of 2005, I enrolled in a seminar to get started. So I feel I have been waiting to be banded for years and years! Currently, I am 8 days post-op and starting to feel a bit better. I had a really rough first week. I have to say that without this board, I honestly don't know if I would have gone through with the surgery! I just am so appreciative and thankful for everyone on here. Nice to meet you all!

Hey everyone, I was doing really great and had lost about 15 pounds, and then this morning I got on the scale and I gained THREE pounds since yesterday!?!?! Obviously it's water weight since I had about 600 calories yesterday! But I'm wondering what made me retain so much water. I did have chicken broth yesterday, which has a ton of sodium. I don't think it would be from the time of the month yet. Anyone else experience this?